3,803 articles · 48 videos found · page 27 of 129
Quill & Pad
Rolex is one of the largest, most prominent brands in the world. Unlike many other brands of this size, Rolex is a private company and so it is somewhat opaque when it comes to hard facts about what goes on behind closed doors. But some numbers can be found online, and are used to determine roughly how many watches Rolex makes a year and how much revenue is made per model.
Worn & Wound
We’re nearing the end of the year, and being the type of person who is already keenly interested in list making as a form of assessment, I’ve naturally started to think about the watches, brands, and new releases that have left the biggest mark in 2023. For me personally, there probably isn’t a more important release or addition to my own collection than the Arcanaut Arc II Fordite, a watch I’ve made no secret of my admiration for many times over. Arcanaut looms large for me as an independent brand that is accessible, contemporary in their aesthetic, and willing to experiment, all things I put a high value on when it comes to new watches. Their latest releases are something of an extension of the D’Arc Matter Colors Collection we told you about a few months ago, and lean heavily into the brand’s commitment to experimenting with materials in new and interesting ways. First up is the Havender, which takes the Arc II platform and gives it a dial in a gorgeous shade of light purple. But this isn’t simply a coat of paint on a base dial – according to Arcanaut, the Havender represents the brand’s most ambitious composite dial to date. The source of the dial and its unique color comes from a surprising place: Scandinavian mussel shells. Part of the ethos of the Arcanaut brand is to source components locally whenever possible, and brand co-owner James Thompson saw an interesting opportunity via a mussel farm located close to Aracanaut’s headquarters. Once a...
SJX Watches
The Sport case inspired by the Grand Seiko emblem is a fairly new addition to the brand’s stable, having made its debut in 2019 with a trio of limited editions to mark the 20th anniversary of the Spring Drive. Now the distinctive facetted case joins the regular collection with the Sport Spring Drive SBGA481 “Tokyo Lion”. The big and bold case is accompanied by a fresh opaline dial featuring a texture reminiscent of a lion’s mane. Initial thoughts Although Grand Seiko historically expended a significant amount of effort in developing its more formal offerings, it more recently extended its efforts towards its Sports line, particularly the “Lion” models with its trademark facetted case. Initially found only on limited editions, this case has now transitioned into a readily-available production model. As with many Grand Seiko watches, sports or not, the Tokyo Lion’s standout feature is the dial, specifically the intricate and abstract textured pattern that complements the zaratsu polishing on the titanium case. The pattern is appealing enough that I hope the brand further iterates on this captivating pattern; though I expect that is a given since Grand Seiko inevitably iterates on successful models and elements. It is worth noting that the Tokyo Lion is fairly oversized at 44.5 mm, like many Grand Seiko Sports models, but given that the case and bracelet are made from titanium, it should feel light and comfortable while on the wrist. The Tokyo Lion is pric...
Hodinkee
Pay tribute to the achievements of the graduate in your life with timeless watches and accessories made to last beyond commencement season.
Time+Tide
Watch enthusiasts are absolutely spoiled for choice at the moment, with microbrands and big brand budget options just getting better all the time. There’s never been a more competitive time in the watch world, with pretty much every kind of watch you can imagine currently being made. That said, if you’ve got a hankering so … ContinuedThe post The DIY Series: How to make your own watch (Pt 1) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
If it's good enough for the SR-71, it's good enough for a watch. Here are our favorite watches made from the space-age material titanium.
Time+Tide
“This is a golden age of sports watch design,” Rob Nudds says over the phone from Germany. “We’ve seen some absolute classics being made before us. And just like in the ’70s when there was this rush of novelty and competition that stirred this creativity twixt the brands, I believe we have that again now.” … ContinuedThe post What’s it really like to make a watch with your favourite brand? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Our friends at The Watches TV visited Laurent Jolliet, the last “chain maker” in business in Switzerland according to Marc André Deschoux. As Jolliet crafts his bracelets and chains fully by hand, Deschoux and crew were able to find out in detail how Milanese bracelets are made, an art form no longer formally taught, and they share the secrets with us here.
Hodinkee
Made with century-old components and hundred-year old skills, the 1921 Pièce Unique is a time capsule of a timepiece.
Quill & Pad
Our friends at The Watches TV recently visited Laurent Jolliet, the last “chain maker” in business in Switzerland according to Marc-André Deschoux. As Jolliet crafts his bracelets and chains fully by hand, Deschoux and crew were able to find out in detail how Milanese bracelets are made, an art form no longer formally taught, and share the secrets with us here.
Time+Tide
When we see something repeatedly, over time, our brains quickly form habits that enable us to infer what we are seeing, bypassing the need to analyse every bit of information. That’s why we can make perfect sense of a paragraph made up of words that are missing their vowels, and why we can read the … ContinuedThe post You make me crazy – the Franck Muller Crazy Hours ladies appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Donzé Cadrans probably make the most exquisite grand feu enamel dials in the industry. We visit and bring you the secrets of how they are made.
Revolution
Founded in 1883, Alpina is an independent, family-owned pioneer in the field of Swiss sports watches. Embracing that heritage, the brand teamed up with world-renowned, multi-gold-medal-winning skier Tina Maze to launch its new Comtesse Lady line during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail, Colorado, which concluded February 15. Alpina first launched its Comtesse […]
Worn & Wound
I’m writing this just a few hours jetlagged from an IWC preview in Los Angeles, where I had the chance to see much of what the brand has in store for this year. Now while most of what I saw has to stay under embargo for now, one piece I can talk about is the new Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium, and it’s one I feel most watch enthusiasts didn’t see coming. I should admit something up front: the Portugieser line has never been a true favorite of mine. I’ve always thought it was a little too dress-forward and formal. That’s not a criticism, just my own preference. I just typically gravitate toward pieces that feel sportier or more tool-like. Which is exactly why this release surprised me. This is the sportiest Portugieser we’ve seen yet, and it really shifts the tone of a collection that has previously leaned more elegant. The Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium (Ref. IW371631) keeps the familiar 41mm proportions of the modern Chronograph but the case, crown, and pushers are now crafted in Ceratanium, IWC’s proprietary titanium-based material. If you’re not familiar with Ceratanium, IWC developed this material over five years and it is a patented, matte-black material made by firing a special titanium alloy in a kiln, resulting in a scratch-resistant, non-coated surface. Ceratanium has historically felt most at home within IWC’s more tool-like utilitarian watches, particularly in the Pilot’s Watch line. We’re big fans of this material at Worn & W...
Worn & Wound
Never has there been a more attention-grabbing timepiece in my watch box than the Lord Elgin Direct Read 7775, commonly nicknamed the Chevron by enthusiasts. Every collector has a watch (or two, or three, or four, or five, or…) they’ve always wanted to add to their collection but can’t, for reasons like price, availability, or both. The Chevron has been near the top of my list for many years. When it was released to the public in 1957, it cost customers $79.50, the equivalent of roughly $917.67 in 2025. While fortunately not fetching that price on the market currently, a rough condition example can still set a collector back hundreds of dollars. The disheartening state of my wallet has made acquiring one infeasible and, even more so, impractical. However, when I saw a Chevron in good condition pop up on eBay for a solid price a few months ago, a good friend of mine and I worked out a deal to acquire it and finally add one to my collection (thanks again, Mike!). Now, with an example of my own, I can rest assured knowing that my years of yearning were not in vain–this watch is truly a joy to own. History and Rundown on the Direct Reading Line When my love for the Chevron model first began, very little information regarding the watch’s history was available online. Outside of the occasional blog post or auction listing, there were no published articles or deep dives available (or at least easily locatable). Research conducted for this article was sparked when I ca...
Hodinkee
It's nearly 320 grams of gold (and some titanium), it has a blue lacquer dial, and I desperately, desperately want to go diving with it.
Worn & Wound
I have a friend in the local watch collecting community – let’s call him “Eric,” because that’s his name – and in the ongoing group chat between us and a handful of (sometimes) like-minded watch enthusiasts, a concept has emerged that we like to refer to as the “Eric Watch.” Eric has a very particular taste. He likes big watches, lots of lume, and is almost always drawn to the unusual. His collection, if you grouped all the watches he’s over owned together in a lineup, would be a real Island of Misfit Toys scenario. Watches go in and out of his collection at a rapid clip (instead of saying “congrats” when he posts a new acquisition, we like to say “good luck with sale”) but at various times he’s owned at least four different quartz Speedmasters, the Mario Kart Carrera, a black coated Cartier Santos, and a whole bunch of Breitlings made from materials ranging from “Breitlight” to gold. His ultimate grail watch is Grand Seiko’s “Godzilla” anniversary piece. You get the idea. When I saw the press release for the new Monaco Night Driver from TAG Heuer, I thought to myself, “This might be the ultimate Eric Watch,” and in fact wondered if it was designed by an artificial intelligence that had somehow downloaded his consciousness. First of all, it’s a Monaco. I’ve lost count of the number of Monaco pics he’s sent to the group chat over the years – let’s just stipulate that he’s a fan. Also, the titanium case is coated in bla...
SJX Watches
Every time you read a story about the ocean, there’s a good chance you’ll see that it is “95% unexplored”, or “we know more about the surface of the moon than of the seafloor”. As most tropes go, they are as annoying as they are true, and in this case they’re also an apt metaphor for vintage watch knowledge. While the details of vintage Patek Philippe and Rolex have been mapped down to their going trains, numerous brands remain relatively uncharted – a Marianas Trench’s of knowledge awaiting exploration. Midcentury Movado chronographs lie squarely at those depths; let’s dive in. As we arrive at the door of our submersible, we must first acknowledge those who have assembled taxonomies of this scantly-explored abyss: the late Fritz van Osterhausen, author of The Movado History, and the excellent M95 chronograph reference the e-newsletter Rescapement published a few years ago. Using their ballast - no, I haven’t run out of nautical metaphors yet - we hope to fathom yet further. Today, we’ll peer into with what many consider the pinnacle of Movado collecting, its exceptionally-cased midcentury chronographs. History Until the 21st century, Swiss watch production was predominantly a cottage industry. Specialists manufactured the case, dial, or ebauche (movement blank), and peddled their wares to as many brands as possible. While final products were modified to brand specifications, family traits are easily discernible across marques that shared sup...
Time+Tide
Few young Swiss brands have made an impact as quickly as Norqain, with these being the five watches not to miss.
Fratello
Lebois & Co doesn’t need an introduction here on Fratello. We’ve been covering the brand since its (re)introduction in 2014. Last year, Lebois & Co introduced the Heritage Small Seconds collection, inspired by the original models from the 1940s and 1950s. Today, we see two new variations featuring special dials made by Swiss dial specialist […] Visit Ready For A Treat? Hands-On With The Lebois & Co Heritage Atelier Small Seconds to read the full article.
Hodinkee
What We Know Breitling's Top Time has long been a unique outlier in the Swiss brand's line-up. A chronograph model with a square (ish) cushion case launched in 1964, it aimed to attract a new crop of younger consumers with its hipster design. The Top Time soon made it onto the wrist of no less an icon than James Bond in the 1965 film adaptation of Ian Fleming's Thunderball, which saw Sean Connery's 007 sport the watch while driving an elegant and refined British sports car, the Aston Martin DB5. The rest, as they say, is history. The U.K.-built Aston became synonymous with the U.K. secret agent. The Top Time? Not so much. While it thrived as a model line for Breitling, Bond moved on to a series of other watch brands in subsequent installments of the film series, from Rolex to Seiko, and these days, Omega, via a longstanding product placement deal. Now Breitling, following the successful launch last year of the limited edition Top Time B01 'Racing' Series in 38mm, and the deal this year to hook up with Aston Martin as a sponsor of its F1 team and other motoring endeavors, is giving us its tribute to the DB5 in three limited edition models that aim to capture the refined elegance and power of the grand touring car on the wrist. The new Top Time Chronograph B01 Tribute To Aston Martin DB5 case measures 41 millimeters by 47.9 millimeters and13.8 millimeters thick. The dial of each limited-edition model features a wood inlay rehaut, meant to evoke the wooden steering w...
Worn & Wound
Doxa is one of those watch brands where the lore is kind of hard to escape. Every release is the subject of intense enthusiast discussion as the watches are contextualized through a complex history. There’s real mystique to the brand, which I think largely stems from the fact that Doxa’s dive watches were always true enthusiast products, made for actual divers as tools of their trade. This sets them apart from Rolex, Omega, and many other Swiss luxury houses, not because they didn’t also make tools for real divers (they certainly did), but because they also focused their attention on more mainstream pursuits. Doxa, at least in the public imagination, 50+ years on, did not. They’re seen as a brand for purists, and still appreciated by them to a great extent, even if they sometimes do something that’s a little on trend. There’s perhaps no watch in their catalog with more lore attached to it than the Sub 200 T.Graph, a chronograph version of the Doxa’s iconic Sub 200 diver. This watch was briefly released in a very limited way all the way back in 2019, and, ever since, collectors and fans of the brand have been clamoring for a non-limited edition. This week, Doxa has given the people what they want, with the introduction of the Sub 200 T.Graph II. The new Sub 200 T.Graph II is, at least on the surface, exactly what you’d expect a modern, permanent version of the T.Graph to be. It is sized down just slightly from the 2019 limited edition, with a 42mm case in ...
Fratello
Ever since Raymond Weil won the GPHG Challenge Watch Prize in 2023 with the Millesime, the brand has been on a roll. The Millesime collection really shows that stylish Swiss-made watches don’t have to break the bank. The same goes for last year’s dressier Toccata Heritage Series. Now, the brand, led by Raymond Weil’s grandson […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The New Raymond Weil A.R.T. Collection to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
The latest take on the Farer Lander IV delivers a Swiss-made movement, bold color palette, and versatile 39.5mm sizing for under the $1,600 mark.
Hodinkee
This week on The Business of Watches, we're talking to the head of what's now the largest U.K.-based watch brand, Christopher Ward. Under the direction of Chief Executive Officer Mike France, the Swiss-made, approachable-priced watchmaker has enjoyed outsized growth in recent years, due in part to popular and surprising releases like its Bel Canto chiming watch and its commitment to keeping prices in check. Photo courtesy Christopher Ward. Now Christopher Ward, which recently overhauled its core Sealander collection, is eyeing an ambitious retail expansion plan in its biggest market, the United States. France lays out the economics and business case for the brand's unique retail approach, powered by deep community relationships built with customers over the past two decades. The ambitions aren't insignificant. From a handful of showrooms now, the company could have as many as 25 to 30 locations in the U.S. alone within half a decade, the CEO says. He sees Christopher Ward as a brand with the potential to reach £250 million in total annual sales, up from about £50 million today. France expects to hit £100 million in annual sales within three years. He's also refreshingly candid about the threat that U.S. tariffs posed to the business and how the levies forced it to change the way its watches are shipped to and distributed in the country. Tariffs were also a significant drag on financial results in 2025, but the brand is forecasting a rebound in 2026 if import dutie...
Hodinkee
What We Know The Sealander sits at the core of Christopher Ward's lineup, serving as its everyday, approachable, price-conscious, do-it-all Swiss-made watch. For those considering a Christopher Ward for the first time and looking for a sport watch with the most bang for the buck, the Sealander GMT or Automatic three-hander has been a logical go-to. It's also been a major seller, with the 39mm white dial GMT often taking the honors as the top-volume model for the U.K.-based company. So when Christopher Ward embarks on a major overhaul and redesign of the Sealander collection, it's a significant moment. Unveiled today, and on sale beginning tomorrow, the new models bring a slimmer case and upgraded movement for the Automatic, refinements to the case and dial design for both models, a new 42mm size for the GMT, and upgraded, more user-friendly bracelets with tool-free adjustment and link removal. Starting with the Sealander GMT, the brushed case has been redesigned, giving a more refined, thinner profile and sporty finish, and is available in 36mm, 39mm, and, for the first time, 42mm. The new case offers sharper lugs with distinctly faceted, polished edges. The upgraded, refined finishing further emphasizes the crown guards that remain on the GMT case, adding to the overall rugged appearance. The brushed 24-hour fixed bezel with black lacquer-filled numbers is now less angled with a flatter profile to improve legibility while giving the watch more presence across the thre...
Monochrome
Hautlence, the contemporary, independent Swiss watchmaking brand, has made its mark with unconventional time displays. Founded in Neuchâtel in 2004, it quickly stood out for turning time into a more theatrical experience, with the HL01 setting the tone through jumping hours and retrograde minutes. Returning to Watches & Wonders this year, Hautlence unveils a brand […]
Monochrome
Hamilton is an American-born Swiss watch brand whose Khaki Field collection draws on its military heritage, featuring a clean, highly legible field watch design inspired by watches made for soldiers and outdoor use. Building on Hamilton’s transition from military supplier to civilian watchmaker, the new Khaki Field King is a slightly more refined, versatile model […]
Hodinkee
Federico Ziviani on why Gerald Charles is producing pricey Swiss-made watches based on designs from the latter end of the master designer's career.
Fratello
When Porsche Design invited me to visit the opening of its new Timepieces Manufaktur, I was immediately intrigued. Having visited the relatively small old workshop in Solothurn before, a big new facility inevitably implies lofty ambitions. What is the German carmaker/Swiss watchmaker up to? As your intrepid reporter, I made it my mission to find […] Visit Visiting Porsche Design’s New Manufaktur And Discovering What It Means For The Brand’s Future to read the full article.
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