3,803 articles · 48 videos found · page 28 of 129
Monochrome
Across its three-handers, GMTs, and even moonphase watches, the indie British brand has built a catalogue full of lively dials while keeping its Swiss-made watches at an accessible price point. That said, it is perhaps safe to say Farer has hardly been shy about colour. Most models stick to the round case, though the brand […]
SJX Watches
Last month Vontobel published its annual report on the Swiss watch industry, revealing a startling shakeup for the pecking order, with a rapidly growing share of the market going to industry giants, anaemic growth, and a few signs of hope. Another of the key points made in the report published by Vontobel, a family-controlled Swiss private bank, is influence of external factors beyond the industry’s control, like the strong Swiss franc and continuously climbing gold prices, but which have nonetheless played a major role in its recent development. Long the go-to publication for industry insiders, the Vontobel watch report has been published annually for well over a decade - and since 2021, the report has been authored by Jean-Philippe Bertschy, the bank’s head of Swiss equity research (pictured above). The strong franc Before getting into the numbers, it’s worth looking at the broader macroeconomic environment affecting the industry. The strong franc and weak dollar are headwinds for the export-oriented Swiss watch industry, and, like erratic US trade policy and soaring gold prices, entirely outside its control. In nominal terms, total Swiss watch exports declined for the second year in a row, down 1.7% to CHF25.5 billion, following a 2.8% decline the year before. However, the Swiss franc’s appreciation casts a more sympathetic light on these numbers. For example, if you sold a watch for US$100 this time last year, that revenue would have converted to about CHF90....
Monochrome
British indie brand Farer was founded in 2015 by four friends with backgrounds in watch retail. Using Swiss-made mechanical movements, Farer offers a portfolio of confident designs with an eccentric British twist and competitive prices, thanks to the brand’s direct-to-consumer approach that eliminates intermediaries. The name Farer, derived from Old English terms like seafarer and […]
Worn & Wound
There’s a “don’t change it if it ain’t broke” mentality in Swiss watchmaking. Progress is slow, and it often seems that there’s a general distrust of change. An example of this is in the mechanical movements that power most of our watches. Chances are, you have at least one watch with an ETA 2824 or a movement based on the 2824 in your collection. If you’re like me, you have several. For Swiss-made watches of a certain price point, they are the standard. They are “workhorses” that, while not the most feature-rich, offer reliability and serviceability. And part of the reason for that is that the design has been around, largely unchanged, since the 1970s (the 2824-2, which is the current standard, was released in the 80s). That is, until 2013, when ETA launched 80-hour movements based on the 2824-2. First debuted in a Tissot as the Powermatic 80, ETA nearly doubled the 2824’s power reserve by slowing the escapement’s frequency from 28,800bph to 21,600bph, introducing synthetic components, and increasing the mainspring’s capacity. The biggest update to the 2824 format in a generation (though they no longer use that numbering), as ETA is part of Swatch, these movements gave the group’s catalog of brands under Omega an unexpected edge in the market, but were not available to third-party brands, thus limiting their overall impact. The ETA 2824 featured in a Sinn 556i In 2003, Sellita began supplying movements to third parties as a response to Swatch’s...
Some gifts last a season, and others last a lifetime. When it comes to celebrating the passion, pride, and pure chaos that define college football, few brands understand the emotional stakes quite like AXIA Time. In addition to being the Official Timepiece of the Heisman Trophy for its second year, they also return this year as the Official Timepiece of the College Football Playoff. AXIA continues to do what it does best: transform season-defining triumphs into Swiss-made timepieces worthy of the journey that led there. For the super fan in your life, the one who can recite bowl history by heart and still gets misty replaying their favorite fourth-quarter comeback, this year’s College Football Playoff collection lands right on time. The post The Ultimate Gift Guide for the College Football Playoff Super Fan in Your Life with AXIA Time appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Teddy Baldassarre
The Oris Big Crown ProPilot Date has a prestigious history starting with the founding of the independent Swiss brand that makes it. Oris began making watches in 1904, when it was founded in Hölstein, Switzerland, by Paul Cattin and Georges Christian, who named the company after a nearby brook. A maker of pocket watches and, by 1925, the increasingly popular wristwatches, Oris enjoyed a long period of growth and expansion throughout the following decades and even made its own movements. Losing its independence during the consolidation years of the Quartz Crisis, Oris regained it in the 1980s, when a management buyout transformed the company and solidified its mission to make only mechanical watches going forward. Today, Oris has become a staple for value-conscious collectors of Swiss-made watches, particularly sport-oriented models. Among the brand’s modern pillars are the dressy Big Crown Pointer Date and the more aviation-centric Big Crown ProPilot, which trace their existence all the way back to 1938. That year marked the launch of the first Oris watch dubbed “Big Crown,” named after its signature element, an oversized, fluted winding crown meant to be easy to grasp and to operate by a pilot wearing heavy gloves. The modern edition of the Big Crown ProPilot debuted in 2014 (example above), notably adding what is today one of its signature features: a knurled bezel that resembles a jet turbine. Oris has revamped, tweaked, and added complications to the original, ...
Monochrome
Since its introduction in 2021, the PRX collection by Tissot has never ceased to amaze and to grow in size. This range, one of the most accessible and compelling Swiss-made sporty-chic watches with an integrated bracelet, has become a commercial hit and has been offered in an array of colours, sizes, complications and materials. From […]
SJX Watches
Farer has managed to carve out its own niche in the new wave of British-founded, Swiss-made brands, with playful (and skillful) use of colour and accessible pricing. Two new additions to the Moonphase collection continue that pattern: the Stratton and Burbidge feature Farer’s signature cushion-shaped case and crisp detailing that gives them an unmistakably contemporary feel despite their traditional inspiration. The Stratton is the second Farer model to feature a natural stone dial, this time in Eisenkiesel quartz, while the Burbidge, limited to just 100 pieces, flaunts trendy Eastern Arabic numerals and a playful blue-and-pink palette. Initial thoughts Farer’s brand identity is rooted in British design and Swiss production; in this respect it’s similar to Christopher Ward and Fears. The brand offers a playful, and often colourful, twist on traditional tool watch motifs. The Moonphase collection is among the brand’s dressier offerings, and the Stratton and Burbidge are each interesting in their own right. The most eye-catching of the pair is the limited edition Burbidge with Eastern Arabic numerals for the dial and date wheel. The blue and pink colourway is charming and the exotic numerals will likely prove to be something of a ‘secret handshake’ among those who are up-to-date with collector culture. The Stratton, named for British astronomer Frederick Stratton OBE, sticks to regular numerals but features a natural stone dial made of Eisenkiesel. The thickness...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Timex debuts the Marine M1a, a $950 Swiss-made dive watch and the first release under its new high-end Atelier line.
Fratello
Since 2020, ID Genève has produced watches with a more sustainable and equitable future in mind. The brand’s 100% Swiss-made timepieces feature innovative components, such as self-healing carbon fiber, reprocessed stainless steel, and leather-alternative straps. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, ID Genève launches the […] Visit ID Genève Introduces The Circular SDG Timepiece At Climate Week New York to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Timex is continuing its experiment with higher-end horology with its latest release, the Timex Atelier Marine M1a, which the brand describes as a spiritual successor to the Giorgio Galli series and the first watch in the new Timex Atelier line. The Galli series garnered attention for being “luxury Timex,” with minimalist design, higher-grade cases - like the titanium Giorgio Galli S2Ti - and, biggest of all, that prestigious “Swiss-made” label. Timex says the Marine M1a is the “next chapter” in the brand’s history as it continues to build watches in Switzerland with higher-end materials and movements than typical Timex watches. In the case of the Marine M1a, that means a 41mm skeletonized stainless-steel case with an iron-plating coated midcase, a brushed-steel bracelet, a ceramic bezel, Superlominva-filled indices, and an enamel dial. The watch is powered by a Catena SA100 automatic movement finished with Geneva stripes and perlage that you can get an easy look at through the watch’s exhibition caseback. It’s a bit more conservative in design than the retro-minimalism of the Galli watches, and, in the words of Timex’s chief creative director, Giorgio Galli himself, was “not designed to impress at a glance,” but to “be discovered, slowly, over time.” There are many details to discover over time. A signed crown, silver-applied indices, a movement rotor engraved with “Timex Atelier.” But the watch isn’t just aesthetic-oriented - with a...
SJX Watches
Tissot reissues the iconic RockWatch of 1985, now in a larger case but once again made of granite sourced from the Swiss Alps. Although Tissot took a few liberties to suit modern tastes, such upsizing the case to 38 mm and adding monochromatic hands, the new RockWatch is impressive for its fidelity to the original, and retains all of the important details including its one-piece case and dial. Limited to 999 pieces, the RockWatch extends Tissot’s run of mining gems from its back catalogue. Initial thoughts Tissot has been digging through its archives for over a decade now. After excavating the enormously successful PRX in 2021, the colourful Sideral in 2023, and long-dormant Stylist last year, Tissot has finally hit bedrock. Watch cases carved from stone predate even the balance spring, but remained extremely niche and were often quite expensive until Tissot’s original 1985 RockWatch. While originally launched in Alpine marble, the line expanded to include numerous other materials. Historical RockWatches were produced in a variety of materials and featured red and yellow hands inspired by Alpine trail markers. As with most modern reissues, the 38 mm RockWatch is significantly larger than the originals, which were offered in 23 mm, 30 mm, and 33 mm sizes. In addition, modern AR-coated sapphire stands in for the tempered glass crystal of the original. Though larger, the construction is consistent with that of the original with its monobloc case and dial, which are milled...
Fratello
The Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is almost a decade old, but it continues to impress and surprise. When introduced in 2016, it was the most affordable Swiss-made mechanical perpetual calendar on the market. On the verge of the watch’s 10th anniversary, its friendly price is still a USP. However, the QP’s updated looks […] Visit Introducing: Three New Variants Of The Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture to read the full article.
Fratello
Echo/Neutra has been carving out its little corner of the watch world since 2018. The brand’s founders, Nicola Callegaro and Cristiano Quaglia, blend Italian design sensibilities with Swiss-made execution, and the catalog has steadily grown from vintage-inspired field watches to elegant titanium dress pieces. The new Averau 42, however, is a different beast altogether. It’s […] Visit Introducing: The Echo/Neutra Averau 42 - Ceramic Meets Titanium In A Tool-Ready Package to read the full article.
Monochrome
In 2014, Oris unveiled the ProPilot Altimeter, a unique wristwatch that combined an automatic Swiss-made calibre with a mechanical altimeter. Following an update in 2023, that singular idea is revisited this year in collaboration with Bamford Watch Department, bringing fresh design and high-tech case construction to the ProPilot Altimeter. The result is the Oris x […]
Monochrome
Even though a relatively young brand, Norqain has made a name for itself in the field of sports watches, as well as a strong commitment to Swiss production. Norqain’s CEO Ben Küffer has been able to count on some great friends since he started his brand in 2018, one of them being industry veteran Jean-Claude […]
Fratello
HP Hercules watches, originally crafted in post-war Germany, made a comeback in 2022 under the leadership of Swiss watchmaker (of Dutch origins) Adriaan Trampe, formerly of EZA watches. The brand’s rebirth leans on nostalgia, but aims to recharge it with modern mountaineering efforts. I got a chance to go hands-on with the Hercules Hand-Wound Double […] Visit Hands-On With The Everest-Worn HP Hercules Hand-Wound Double Barrelled to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Continuing with its focus on unique, custom-order watches, Jaquet Droz’s latest brings together art, film and watchmaking. Commissioned by an unnamed collector (who presumably loves J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales), the Tourbillon Dragon “John Howe” stands as a fine example of Swiss watchmaker’s ability to blend artistic crafts with technical watchmaking. It reprises an earlier commission that similarly united The Lord of the Rings and Jaquet Droz watchmaking. Initial thoughts Custom-made one-offs are not uncommon in the world of high horology, with collectors regularly commissioning unique timepieces from both independent and established makers. Most of George Daniels’ creations were commissions, as were the ultra-complicated pocket watches delivered by Vacheron Constantin to a certain Mr Berkley. Unlike other brands, however, Jaquet Droz is now largely specialised in custom or bespoke commissions. It also takes a different and unique approach by collaborating with both the client and an artist of the client’s choosing in making wearable pieces of art. Here the artist John Howe, the Canadian illustrator who was responsible for visualising Tolkien’s fantasy world for the novels and later became artistic director of The Lord of the Rings film series. The timepiece reproduces an artwork created by Mr Howe as a large scale painting that was then was adapted to wristwatch format. Beyond the impressive miniature painting and pedigree of the motif, the watch stands firm...
Fratello
There’s something about watches with a story - even if the story is almost entirely made up. When I strapped on Albishorn’s third model, the Thundergraph Himalaya, I wasn’t just wearing a watch but also connecting to a moment in history. Inspired by the 1952 Swiss expedition to Mount Everest, this watch combines vintage charm, […] Visit Hands-On With The Albishorn Thundergraph Himalaya to read the full article.
Hodinkee
A unique COSC-certified tool watch that is 100% Swiss-made.
Monochrome
Founded in 2017, Laventure is the project of a man named Clément Gaud. Despite achieving a degree of fame over the years, it is still a one-man show. Focused on genuine Swiss-made watches with an undeniable vintage flair and made for adventure (hence the name), Laventure has produced several watches under the Marine and Sous-Marine […]
Fratello
The name might ring a bell, but it’s not what you think. Bedat and Beda’a are not the same. Bedat & Co is a Genevan watch brand “For Women of Character.” Beda’a is a London-based brand with Qatari roots, creating Swiss-made watches. Hader Al Suwaidi started his brand in 2016 to show that the Middle East […] Visit Hands-On With The Beda’a Eclipse II: A Star-Lit Celestial Evolution That’s Happening This Summer to read the full article.
SJX Watches
J.N. Shapiro’s Infinity Series Pure is a new entry point into the American brand. This follows the top-of-the-line Resurgence, the most American-made mechanical wristwatch built since Hamilton shut down in the 1960s. This new model focuses purely on the dial and hands, which are excellent, while trusting Swiss suppliers with ancillary details like the case and caliber. The result is a much more accessible, though less impressive, watch than J.N. Shapiro’s usual fare. Initial Thoughts When the original Infinity line was discontinued in 2023, it left the brand without an entry-level watch, and the company put all of its efforts behind the ambitious Resurgence project. Now that things have settled down, the team once again has the bandwidth to support a second model. The Infinity Series Pure uses an off-the-shelf La Joux-Perret (LJP) movement. While a good, slim movement with an extended power reserve, the LJP F200/7380 isn’t particularly premium, and a downgrade from the UWD cal. 33.1 used in previous infinity models. For example, Ralph Lauren uses the LJP movement in its Vintage 67 line priced at around US$3,000. The case is also outsourced, likely to a Swiss manufacturer, through the Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA), a consortium of independent brands that J.N. Shapiro helped found. This focuses all of Shapiro’s attention on the dial and hands, though both are significantly less complex than on the Resurgence. At US$26,000 the Infinity Series Pure is about a ...
Monochrome
If you own mechanical Swiss watches, one of them potentially came to you with a COSC chronometer certificate. But not everyone knows exactly what this certificate means. The COSC is the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres or the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. COSC certifies Swiss-made movements or watches as chronometers (not to be confused […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Oris made its first watch for aviators, the original Big Crown, way back in 1938, and has been riffing on that ingenious and influential design ever since. Defined by its large, fluted winding crown, designed to be easy for gripping by hands in heavy pilot’s gloves, the modern Big Crown series - now hosting both the sporty ProPilot and the more elegant Pointer Date versions - has become a major pillar in the independent Swiss brand’s portfolio. In 2020, Oris launched Caliber 400, the first in-house automatic movement it had made in its long history, and debuted it inside a watch from its popular Aquis diver collection, following that model up with a Caliber 400 version of its other divers’ model, the retro-styled Divers 65. In 2022, Oris finally arranged a marriage of its oldest watch model - well, a descendant of it, anyway - with its newest exclusive movement, introducing the first ProPilot X Caliber 400 models. Now available in a variety of avant-garde colorways, these siblings to the larger, Sellita-equipped ProPilot Date models (example below) offer a marked contrast with their predecessors while still carrying the banner of the overall series. Here is what you should know about the ProPilot X, where it came from, and what Oris has been doing with it lately. The Brand History: Paul Cattin and Georges Christian founded Oris in 1904, in Hölstein, Switzerland, naming the company after a nearby brook. A maker of pocket watches and, by 1925, the increasingly...
Hodinkee
Oris is staying true to its mission, delivering quality Swiss-made watches at the best possible price, and calls on the rest of the industry to follow its lead.
Worn & Wound
My favorite version of the H. Moser brand is the one that acts as a gentle troll in the watch community, and puts their idiosyncratic sense of humor on full display. Not every brand can get away with a watch made of cheese, or a watch seemingly made from the disparate parts of so many Swiss Icons. To be fair, some would say that even Moser can’t get away with it – their most provocative watches are their most divisive, and the haters have a loud voice on the internet. And while I have no desire to strap a block of Swiss cheese to my wrist, I enjoy the fact that a high end indie brand is willing to infuse some watch industry commentary into the watches themselves. Moser’s latest piece, the Pioneer Center Seconds Sunny-Side Up, is not likely to be as controversial as some of the brand’s other releases, but it’s hard not to see them edging into satire. The cost of eggs, of course, has been on everyone’s mind. And the cost of watches, while not as universal a concern, has also been much discussed. So a watch from H. Moser that evokes an egg seems like a release meant to start a conversation. For the record, the retail price of the Sunny-Side Up is $15,900. The retail price of the first Moser Pioneer with a 40mm case introduced in 2023 was $14,200 at launch. A roughly 12% increase in price over a two year period is honestly not the craziest rate in the luxury watch industry. Egg prices? Between March 2023 and March 2025, the cost of a dozen eggs rose around 120% a...
Worn & Wound
After several weeks of speculation, Breitling has made an official announcement that they have acquired Gallett, the Swiss watchmaker that traces its roots back to 1826. The news was first reported by Tony Traina and a small handful of other outlets back in February, but this is the first time Breitling has acknowledged the deal in a public way. Breitling had previously announced their acquisition of Universal Genéve in 2023, a move that immediately led many to wonder of Georges Kern, Breitling’s CEO, might be looking to make additional expansions to bolster his business. Now, with the Gallett acquisition, his plans and those of the Partners Group (the investment firm which has had a stake in Breitling since 2017) appear to be coming into focus. “This acquisition is a natural next step in Breitling’s expansion,” Kern said in a statement. “We are reviving Gallett under the umbrella of Breitling’s expertise and craftsmanship. Our vision is long-term – reviving Gallett as a strong brand in watchmaking, while honoring its legacy and innovation in chronographs.” Unlike watches in the upcoming Universal Genéve collection, it is expected that Gallett will be sold alongside Breitling in the brand’s boutiques and, presumably, other authorized channels. This will provide potential Breitling customers with a lower priced option and is something of a tacit admission that the asking price of a new Breitling has crept up to a level that some new customers might...
Monochrome
Over the years, Swiss brand Louis Erard has made a name for itself with two distinctive features. One, a rather sturborness in making watches with a regulator display, something that has become a signature. Second, bringing cool design and features reserved for high-end watches at more accessible prices thanks to multiple collaborations with independent watchmakers, […]
Monochrome
Founded in 1853, Le Locle, Switzerland, Tissot is renowned for delivering quality Swiss-made watches at truly competitive prices. Sylvain Dolla took the helm of the brand in 2020, after leading Hamilton, bringing fresh energy to the brand – most notably, with the successful launch of the PRX, which has now grown into a complete, coherent […]
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