36,091 articles · 155 videos found · page 28 of 1209
Monochrome
The Prague Astronomical Clock in the Czech Republic is the oldest mechanical tracker of celestial events that remains operational today. Introduced in 1410, it displays the relative positions of the sun, moon and zodiac, although Richard of Wallingford’s clock from 1330 was able to track the sun throughout the year to predict moon phases and […]
Monochrome
Many don’t realise just how complicated casebacks have become. Whether they’re contributing to high water resistance, displaying the movement or becoming part of the case itself, casebacks aren’t simply covers snapped on the back (although those do exist, of course). There are several ways to attach them to the case, and each method has a […]
Monochrome
Wristwatches were a 20th century cultural trend that rendered the centuries-old pocket watch obsolete. From a functional standpoint, both watch types are the same, but changes were still needed for daily practicality on the wrist. For starters, watch cases had to shrink – pocket watches averaged 50mm in diameter with a broader range of 43mm […]
Monochrome
Look at most analogue watches, and you’ll see central hour and minute hands, and the majority have central seconds as well. It’s a perfected design that can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, when sundial shadows moved across the dial plate in a clockwise rotation. We’ve already looked at Unconventional Ways Watches Can Relay Time […]
Monochrome
Watchmaking in India got a fairly late start, but the importation of Swiss watches began in the 19th century for the wealthy and royalty. The British Crown had direct rule over India for almost a century between 1858 and 1947 (a period known as the British Raj), so European luxury imports were prized among the […]
Video
Recently I've started noticing that when I wear some of my most beloved and favorite watches, it leads to something I call the "anti-watch effect," which in the past has had some rather dangerous results for my collec...
Monochrome
In the early days of primitive watch movements, going back to the 16th century and German Nuremberg Eggs, decorations were important to enhance visual appeal for these mechanical contraptions reserved solely for the wealthy and royalty. Early decorations included intricate engravings and polished components, and gilding was also common. Ornamentation on the movement, case and […]
Worn & Wound
There is a specific moment, perched at the hinoki wood counter of Sushi Teru in the West Village, when you realize you are no longer ordering a meal, you are surrendering to it. This is the soul of omakase: “I leave it up to you.” It is an exercise in radical trust, a silent pact […]
Monochrome
It’s happening again! For the third time, Adriaan and I join forces (and passion) to organise and host the one and only watch event in the Netherlands, where Independent Watchmakers are in the spotlight. This time it will be held in a new location, bigger, better and easier to reach. And more brands are participating, […]
Time+Tide
The new Perrelet Turbine Casino Roulette ditches the traditional turbine blades in favour of a fully integrated roulette wheel dial.
Monochrome
The dawn of watchmaking was a lesson in miniaturisation. Clock towers of the era were brought down to a portable level, generally worn around the neck instead of carried in a pocket. Invented by German locksmith Peter Henlein in the early 16th century, these original “pocket watches” were called Nuremberg Eggs as they were often […]
Video
Swiss watch sales keep going down down down, but there is one segment of the watch industry that is booming! I went to find out why.
Worn & Wound
From the imposing astronomical clocks of Tudor England to the exquisite pendant watches of Victorian Britain, timekeeping has long been a symbol of power, prestige, and technological marvel within Europe’s royal courts. This new series explores the fascinating evolution of clocks and watches crafted specifically for royalty, tracing how these intricate masterpieces reflected the tastes, ambitions, and innovations of monarchs. Through the lens of craftsmanship, artistry, and historical significance, we reveal how these royal timepieces marked the passage of dynasties and empires. During Henry VIII’s reign (1509–1547), portable watches as we know them today had yet to emerge in significant numbers. Timekeeping was dominated by grand and stationary mechanisms, with tower clocks or ornate table pieces, serving both practical and symbolic purposes as a show of wealth and status. Watches, if present at all, were nascent and extremely rare. The first clocks and watches were expensive luxuries and only in the reach of royalty and landed gentry. There was, however, a sufficient demand for these items in the Tudor royal court which spread to a prosperous London. The beginnings of the horological industry were probably first initiated by King Henry VIII. During this period there was somewhat of a technical revolution, starting with the invention of the printing press which changed the way people received information. This filtered through to the court where there was a revoluti...
Monochrome
For almost all modern watches, besides a few exceptions (there is always an exception to the rule), the crown is literally the command centre that winds the mainspring, sets the time and controls common complications like dates, calendars and GMTs. Supplementary controls like pushers complement the crown, but they’re limited to specifics like chronographs or […]
Monochrome
Wristwatch manufacturers focus on keeping cases air and watertight so the movements can operate trouble-free in daily use. This started in earnest in 1926 with Rolex’s robust Oyster case, but even delicate dress watches today have a degree of water and dust resistance for splashes, rain and so on. However, a small handful of brands […]
Monochrome
There’s an endless amount of mechanical wristwatches on the market today from a seemingly endless amount of brands (large and small), but almost all watches fall into a specific style (assuming it’s not from MB&F; or Urwerk). However, many take on multiple roles and blur those lines – an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is a […]
Monochrome
If you’ve ever travelled to Shanghai or Thailand, you might be familiar with the ease of acquiring a convincing fake Rolex for pennies on the dollar. Asian counterfeiters (particularly in Guangdong Province, China) often have access to the original machines used for cases, bracelets, and so on (not for Rolex specifically), as some Swiss brands […]
Video
Is Breguet the greatest watchmaker in the world? A few years ago I purchased my grail watch (Breguet Tradition 7057, ref. 7057BR/R9/9W6) to celebrate a decade of making watch content on YouTube. And recently, I travel...
Monochrome
Whatever reasons exist for creating a watch, be it heritage, technical or design-led necessity, the Studio Underd0g x Time+Tide Hand Delivered Pizza Duo exists for a much rarer, if not unique, reason: because a joke went too far. What began as an April Fool’s prank in 2023, a pizza-themed Studio Underd0g teased by Time+Tide, unexpectedly […]
Worn & Wound
A series of features identifying the most extraordinary mechanical masterpieces in history, blending precision, innovation, and craftsmanship. We all have our favourite timepieces either in our collection or those incredible horological masterpieces that have been invented or created through the ages. This series will showcase examples from the previous centuries up to the present day and look at the importance and impact on modern day timekeeping. The ‘Space Traveller’ was conceived as a timepiece to honour the astronauts that George Daniels admired. He was determined that his watch would be one that could be theoretically used by an astronaut, therefore he set out to make a watch that displayed, simultaneously, mean-solar and sidereal time. “When I was a boy, going to the moon was the stuff of science fiction. The astronauts who went were brave chaps, the technology was the most advanced in the world and if the opportunity presented itself, I would have liked to have gone with them.” George Daniels, Master Watchmaker George Daniels made some of the most important watches in his lifetime, fusing together art, science and engineering. Every part of the two Space Traveller watches were hand-made by Daniels (except for the springs and the glass) and represented the pinnacle of independent watchmaking at the time. This practice, known as the ‘Daniels Method’ was taken on by his apprentice Roger W. Smith, today a highly acclaimed independent watchmaker in his ...
Monochrome
In a basic mechanical movement, there are two primary springs: one that delivers power and another one to keep it accurately beating. But others are essential for this overall dance to work. Once complications are added, even more are needed and complex pieces can have dozens of springs. When most people think of a spring, […]
Monochrome
The Quartz Crisis of the 1970s and 1980s was a defining moment for the industry, to say the least. Following Seiko’s Astron in 1969, the first quartz watch to hit the market, a huge swathe of traditional brands closed down as cheap, extremely accurate and virtually maintenance-free Japanese quartz watches hit the streets. Add to […]
Monochrome
The first mechanical clocks were actually bell towers without dials or hands. Bells would simply ring to mark the hours or special events, starting in the late 13th century in Europe (Italy and Germany to be specific). The name “clock” even comes from the Latin word for bell, clocca. Among the most famous of these […]
Video
Exploring the collection of Constellation Observatory watches in OMEGA Gold alloys.
Worn & Wound
A series of features identifying the most extraordinary mechanical masterpieces in history, blending precision, innovation, and craftsmanship. We all have our favourite timepieces either in our collection or those incredible horological masterpieces that have been invented or created through the ages. This series will showcase examples from the previous centuries up to the present day and look at the importance and impact on modern day timekeeping. In the early 1960s, NASA realised astronauts needed reliable, tough wristwatches for space missions, especially for tasks outside the spacecraft like on the Moon. So, NASA secretly bought several chronograph-type watches off the shelf. They tested watches from Omega, Rolex, Longines-Wittnauer, and perhaps a few others under extreme conditions. “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its 5-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” These were the immortal words of Captain James T. Kirk, of the Star Ship Enterprise, played by William Shatner, in the hugely popular series, Star Trek, first broadcast in 1966. Today we are still fascinated with space travel and the extraordinary developments that have impacted on all of our lives since Mankind first set foot on the Moon on the 21st July 1969. It is often stated that the technology that took Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mic...
Monochrome
Watches are so ubiquitous that just about every movie has characters wearing them. Most go unnoticed by audiences as a generic part of daily life, although when bigger actors or “movie stars” flash a watch on screen, it often gets noticed. For the most part, however, watches are simply part of the given wardrobe and […]
Monochrome
Technology has overshadowed some of the advancements of watch dial lume that have progressed for over a century. For example, the digits on Hamilton’s Pulsar P1 LED watch from the early 1970s were bright by the nature of the tech – light-emitting diodes. Timex introduced INDIGLO back in the early 1990s, which provides a bright, uniform […]
Hodinkee
The CITIZEN’s new 30th anniversary editions pay tribute to autumn leaves, falling snow, and a uniquely Japanese sense of beauty
Monochrome
Let’s be honest, virtually no one who buys a Rolex Submariner or any 300m dive watch actually dives below 50 metres. In fact, the majority of dive watch owners today rarely, if ever, engage in diving. Most serious scuba divers use wrist computers, so traditional dive watches are often fashion statements as watch enthusiasts like […]
Video
Discovering the collection of O-MEGASTEEL Constellation Observatory watches.
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