Hodinkee
Dispatch: Inside The Swatch Sistem51 Factory
How exactly does one fully automate the making of a mechanical movement?
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Hodinkee
How exactly does one fully automate the making of a mechanical movement?
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Spielberg’s Mysterious Sci-Fi Film View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amblin Entertainment (@amblin) Steven Spielberg has a new, still untitled, original UFO movie coming out next year, and we aren’t talking about it nearly enough. A new sci-fi film from the director of ET, Close Encounters, AI, Minority Report, etc should be a very big deal, and it still might be once people start wrestling with the idea of Spielberg returning to this genre. Very little is known about the movie – the plot has been kept completely under wraps. But it stars Emily Blunt, filmed in New Jersey and the Hudson Valley, was written by David Koepp (a frequent Spielberg collaborator), and this week, the first bit of marketing started to hit. In a handful of cities, large billboards with the June 12 release date, an evocative image, and the words “all will be disclosed” began to appear. We love a mysterious campaign, and the idea that a new, and apparently quite major, Spielberg movie is 6 months away and we know nothing about it is tantalizing. The Year’s Best in GPS Watches The watch world is full of little niches, and rabbit holes within rabbit holes. Smart watche...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Netflix Buys Warner Brothers Big news in the entertainment industry broke this week when it was announced that Netflix had won the bidding war for the purchase of Warner Brother-Discovery and plans to purchase the historic movie studio (which also controls HBO Max, has rights to the Batman and Harry Potter IP, and many other high profile properties) in a cash deal valued at $83 billion. Many onlookers in Hollywood did not expect Netflix’s cash bid to outpace other offers from Paramount and Comcast, but it appears the future of Warner Brothers and their massive archive is now in the hands of one of the world’s most powerful tech companies. What this means for the future of Warner Brothers (and how Netflix and HBO’s streaming platforms will integrate) is anyone’s guess. But fans of the theatrical movie experience are understandably concerned that the new entertainment powerhouse formed by this deal will be less inclined to exhibit films in traditional theaters. Was Einstein a Menswear Influencer? The headline is honestly one of the strangest combinations of words we can recall seeing on the internet: Levi’s Re-releases Einstein’s Jacket. As Hypebeast repo...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Introducing the MoonSwatch Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold “Cold Moon,” a winter release with a limited snowfall-based availability.
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Belhamel Doubles Down on Character with New Contra A39 Polar White and Forest Green Editions Belhamel is back with two fresh takes on its cult-favorite Contra A39 - and they hit that sweet spot between heritage and modern tool-watch sensibility. The new Polar White and Forest Green editions keep the sharp 39mm proportions and no-nonsense specs (300m water resistance, Miyota 9039 inside, double-domed sapphire up top), but shift the tone entirely through color and texture. The Polar White channels vintage motorsport cool-bright, high-contrast, and a little daring-while the Forest Green goes the other way: matte, earthy, quietly confident. Both are limited to 500 pieces, individually numbered, with the same clever push-button clasp and engraved caseback that’s become part of Belhamel’s design DNA. It’s another reminder that this young London outfit knows how to make a watch feel both considered and alive. Pre-orders open later this year at belhamel.com, with early access for newsletter subscribers. A Record Setting Comic What’s the most valuable thing you’ve ever found stashed away in an attic? This is a common fantasy, fueled by viral “Antiques Roadshow...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Tactile Turn Unveils Their Newest Seasonal Edition While EDC is a very serious subject, Tactile Turn likes to have some fun with their season pen releases. While past themes have ranged from baseball to pirates, their newest release takes the collection to new depths. Aptly named “Deep Sea”, the current seasonal release sports a mix of blue tones while a top layer of “typhoon” cerakote adds a subtle teal shimmer. Built on the iconic Switch platform, both the standard and short model feature a Navy Mark V dive helmet on the clip and a bronze switch to round out the nautical touch. Releasing on November 11th, this collection will be available to purchase until December 31st when it sinks for good. Coming Soon: Rolex in Williamsburg, Brooklyn In a recent Brooklyn Magazine article, it was announced that Rolex will soon be joining the ranks of Williamsburg’s high-end storefronts. Originally discovered by The Commercial Observer and publicly shared by BK MAG, Rolex has signed a 15 year lease for 86 North 6th Street, directly across the street from Glossier and Nike. This boutique will be Rolex’s second stand alone store in the city, and it’s first in Brookly...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The new Swatch Holiday Collection mixes polished chronographs and SISTEM51 automatics in a balanced, easy-to-wear lineup.
Time+Tide
If only Zach could have beaten Medvedev...The post The Bovet Récital 30 brings the brand’s groundbreaking worldtimer to a smaller case appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Next week is Veterans Day, which for the last several years has marked an important moment for Vortic, the Colorado based watch brand specializing in repurposing vintage pocket watch movements and dials into wrist worn cases that serve as special tributes to America’s watchmaking past. Each year on Veterans Day, Vortic releases their Military Edition, a special series of watches that incorporate movements and dials sourced from watches commissioned by the United States military. The watches have been a big hit for Vortic since their introduction, usually selling out within minutes of going on sale. They draw not only watch collectors, but of course have a natural appeal to history lovers and collectors of military odds and ends – they really thread the needle perfectly across multiple bands of enthusiasm. This year’s release has some additional special significance as a total of three distinct options will be available when these watches launch, including the first ever Vortic watches running on a vintage Swiss movement. A quick recap of what the Military Edition actually consists of as a watch is probably the best place to start. Watches in the Military Edition are sourced from the AN5740-1 pocket watch, also known as the “Master Navigational Watch”, built to the specs of the Army Air Corp during World War II by Elgin, Waltham, and Hamilton. As with other historic watches built to military specs, the dials were standardized across all manufacturers, and each M...
Hodinkee
I tried to do a "Leave it to Beaver" pun but I couldn't make it work, so just imagine I did.
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. NEO: The Humanoid Robot Earlier this week, 1X announced the NEO, a $20,000 humanoid robot designed to transform your life at home. “Neo is a humanoid companion designed to transform your life at home. It combines AI and advanced hardware to help with daily chores and bring intelligence into your everyday life,” said Dar Sleeper, 1X’s VP of product and design in a recent USA Today article. While intended to become a fully autonomous household assistant, the NEO will only support a limited number of actions at its launch, and will be able to “learn”as time goes on. Weighing in at 66 pounds and standing just over five feet, the NEO can lift over 150 pounds and actively carry over 50 pounds. While there’s an expected learning curve for new technology, a recent video from Marques Brownlee dives into just how much (or how little) the NEO can currently do, and what to expect moving forward. With this technology just around the corner, will you be adding a humanoid robot into your household? Nutrition Tracking in Your Smart Watch Since their introduction, Smartwatches have continued to gain capabilities and become more useful if you integrate them properly....
Monochrome
A beautiful product is nothing without a good package, and the same goes for watches. You can design the most stunning dial, back it up with a stellar mechanical movement, but put it in a case that doesn’t match, and it all falls flat. And it’s a real challenge for watchmakers and brands to get […]
Hodinkee
Swatch mixes up a few key elements with its What If? model to note its displeasure with the financial burden faced by Swiss watchmakers exporting to the key U.S. market.
Time+Tide
This stealthy Panerai opens up this ceramic and GMT complication combination to a broader range of wrist sizes.The post The new Panerai Luminor GMT Ceramica marks the first 40mm ceramic case for the line appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Our visit earlier this year to India’s prime watchmaking company, Titan, was a genuine eye-opening experience. Besides witnessing the impressive scale of production (it is immense, and a whole different level than Swiss watchmaking), we also discovered that the industry giant had some unexpected horological capacities. Titan, to celebrate its 40th anniversary, unveiled India’s first […]
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Topo Design’s Custom Frame Back for the Trek Checkout View this post on Instagram A post shared by Topo Designs (@topodesigns) Trek,a bicycle and accessory manufacturer, recently unveiled their newest bike, The CheckOUT. While the bike itself seems quite impressive (check out Bikepacking or The Radavist for more), Trek’s partnership with Topo Design to create a custom frame bag caught our attention. While frame bags can be made as a “universal” accessory, attaching via velcro, this custom bag is designed to use the integrated mounting points inside the CheckOUT frame. In addition to the custom bag, Trek and Topo have released an entire collection of matching bags, including a universal frame bag, to fully kit the CheckOUT, or whichever bike you own. Check out the full collaborative collection here. The Artemis Series from Nick Mankey Designs Nick Mankey has unveiled a new limited edition, the Artemis collection, featuring official NASA emblems and colors with approval from NASA’s Public Relations Department . Drawing inspiration from various crew suits, the Orion spacecraft and the depths of the unknown horizon, this new collection features both wa...
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...
Time+Tide
From watches made from mountain rocks to automata that rock our world, there were more than a few big releases this week.The post New releases from Tissot, Swatch, Vacheron Constantin and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Ahead Of Time: Celebrating 15 Years of Ressence Ressence has partnered with the Belgian publishing house Luster on Ahead of Time, a new book released to celebrate the independent watch brand’s 15 year anniversary. This, however, is not a typical watch book (which we’d never expect from Ressence, anyway). Ahead of Time is billed as an exploration of what the future will look like, and features interviews with 20 leading voices in design and technology. Among the participants are OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, and Kering CEO Luca de Meo. The new book is available now through the Ressence website, and sells for $35. Stroup Hobby Shop In a recent New York Times article, Michael Venutolo-Mantovani pulls back the curtain on the operation, showing just what makes the Stroup Hobby Shop tick. Originally founded by H.M. Stroup in 1949, the Stroup Hobby Shop began as a retirement hobby that would become the foundation for four generations of master clockmakers. Working alongside his grandfather, father, and brother, Luther joined the shop part time in 1972, before turning the family hobby into a business the following year. Over the last 76 years, nea...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Moriarty Watches Hailing from southwestern Ireland, Moriarty Watches is turning up the heat, literally. “Maybe it was a complete bout of madness diving into this crazy rabbit hole at the age of 44 and trying to get my little dream to become a reality,” said Allison in a recent New York Times article. After receiving an unfortunate diagnosis at 35, Allison began repairing watches from her home workshop, but found herself “obsessed” with Patek Phillipe Enamel dials. From designing the case, crown, and hands, hand regulating each movement in house, and creating each dial, Allison ensures each watch is “99.99 percent” perfect before it leaves her shop. Crafted by either “dry sift” or “wet pack” each dial can take up to 40 hours to complete, with “lots of room for things to go wrong”. More details on Allison’s watches and a full interview is currently available on the New York Times’ website. Expanding the Beachmaster Quartz Collection British watchmaker Elliot Brown Watches has announced its newest expansion to the Beachmaster Quartz family, adding two new dial options for the model. “From D-Day inspiration to daily use, the Beachmaster ...
Worn & Wound
One of the real highlights of being involved in our Windup events year to year is getting to know brand owners and founders, and periodically getting a little peek at what’s to come. More and more often, brands come to our events not just with watches in their current catalog, but with early samples of watches they’re planning for the future to show prospective customers, members of the media, and the Worn & Wound team. I won’t lie: it’s a nice perk of being on the inside. A few months ago during the Chicago show, the team at echo/neutra pulled some really exciting stuff out of a bag that was not quite ready for prying eyes. The new Averau42 collection, which at launch consists of a pair of watches combining titanium and ceramic construction, is an exciting next step for a brand that we’ve been interested in for some time. The heart of these watches is what echo/neutra calls the TiFrame construction. This is an idea we’ve seen a handful of times from other brands, usually bigger brands, in the recent past. These watches are made with an internal titanium case, or frame, that protects the movement and offers tensile strength that ceramic and other alternative materials lack. The outer layer is black ceramic, which provides a virtually scratch proof surface and a moody aesthetic vibe for these watches that fits in nicely with the design codes the brand has established over the past several years. This type of construction, in addition to making the most of the ...
SJX Watches
Citizen marks 30 years of its up-market The Citizen collection with two limited-edition watches featuring washi paper dials inspired by Japanese nature. Both use solar-powered quartz movements accurate to ±5 seconds per year, housed in titanium cases treated with ultra-hard Duratect coatings. Initial Thoughts Citizen’s somewhat clumsily named The Citizen sub-brand is 30 years old but little known outside Japan and enthusiast circles. Most The Citizen watches are distinguishable by an eagle crest on the dial, as well as their obvious quality. While the line has since grown to include mechanical watches, which are quite good, it remains a quartz-first brand – which is good as its quartz offerings are excellent and amongst the most advanced in the world. While often compared to the Grand Seiko cal. 9F models, The Citizen’s quartz offerings have more functions, and thus have more in common with the three-hand Seiko Astron 3X models, or Casio’s premium G-Shocks. These share solar charging, a perpetual calendar, and a power saving made which pauses the hands to save energy while not in use, like F.P. Journe’s Elegante. But unlike GPS-reliant Astrons and G-Shocks, Citizen’s high end quartz movements are fully autonomous, and accurate to within five seconds per year with a maximum deviation of two seconds per month during normal use. More important still, The Citizen’s traditionally styled offerings are much easier on the eyes than any G-Shock or modern Astron, stri...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. An EDC update from Peter McKinnon When it comes to blending Every Day Carry, photography, and story telling, few people manage to do it like Peter McKinnon does. Over the years, Peter has grown his youtube channel to almost 6 million subscribers, while pulling back the curtain on his creative process and offering useful tips and tricks along the way. In his most recent video, Peter goes through his EDC as we head into fall. One of the most interesting items Peter talks about is his watch, a Marathon GSAR (Ref. WW194006SS-0130). Long time fans of the channel will likely have heard Peter mention watches before, but this is one of the first times that we’ve seen Peter dive into the specs and speak about how and why a certain watch made its way onto his wrist. Check out the video above for his full reasoning! The New Citizen Tsuyosa 60 When the Citizen Tsuyosa debuted in 2023, Zach Kazan was quick to state that “Citizen is making a play at the competitive “sporty, everyday casual” segment of the market with a colorful integrated bracelet option.” Now, almost two years later, the Tsuyosa line has rapidly grown to include numerous colorways, two case sizes, ...
Hodinkee
New Hong Kong-based brand serves up design-forward, hearty, ceramic-cased watches for Alpine outings.
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. This week’s Watches, Stories and Gear is sponsored by Stirling Timepieces. Check out the new Jarvis Diver GMT and a link to their website below. Notorious EDC and Big Idea Design Create the Jot N Pop Photo courtesy of Dave Svarte These days, collaboration is the name of the game. Whether it’s teaming up with a famous soda brand (looking at you Seiko and Jack Mason), or two EDC powerhouse brands creating something entirely different. When our team was at Blade Show this year, we got a sneak peak of the first Jot N Pop prototype and knew it was going to be something special. According to Tom Medovich, “The Jot N’ Pop is what happens when you mash up Big Idea Design’s Pocket Pro with the Beer Bomb. A titanium pen that’s built to do whatever you throw at it, as long as whatever you throw at it is writing stuff down or opening bottles.” Regardless of how they came up with this idea, we can’t think of a more perfect tool for staying hydrated and taking notes! Built upon the design of the Pocket Pro, the new Jot N Pop is entirely machined from Grade 5 titanium (no plastic parts!), with a pocket clip made from grade 4 Ti for spring tension. Arguably the mos...
Worn & Wound
Of all the artisanal specialities in watchmaking, case engraving has to be among the most obscure and unheralded. I think there are a few reasons for this. One, the dial is where the action is on most watches, and applying a time consuming artistic craft on the case might be seen by some watchmakers as a waste of valuable time. Another factor is that to a large extent, we’ve all been trained to appreciate a particular type of case finishing. We see crisp transitions between brushed and polished surfaces, and that registers as being of a certain level of quality that we expect in a luxury watch. If those elements aren’t there, even if they’re substituted by something that might be visually striking, our reptile brains feel like there’s something missing. The latest in Louis Erard’s ongoing Métiers d’Art series, however, is a good opportunity to appreciate complex case engraving in a new way. The whole idea behind how Louis Erard approaches Métiers d’Art, and to a certain extent the brand’s focus more generally, is to make craft accessible. The new Gravée Main is perhaps their most ambitious attempt in this area to date. Virtually every steel surface (the case, bezel, lugs, crown, and buckle) is hand engraved. According to the brand, each watch takes upwards of 50 hours to engrave by hand, and only 99 will be made. Engraving is one of those things that really comes alive when you look at it closely and imagine that painstaking work that went into creat...
SJX Watches
‘Micro-brand’ watches are rarely about finishing or movement design. The business model employed by this segment of the industry typically involves off-the-shelf movements combined with made-to-order cases and dials; this is how Christopher Ward (CW) got started. But having merged with its movement supplier a decade ago, the brand has become more ambitious, first with the striking Bel Canto and again with the C12 Loco, which reimagines the Valjoux cal. 7750 as a budget-priced mechanical sculpture inside a sporty steel case. Architectural watchmaking is not new, but it is new at the price point targeted by CW, which recently moved into larger premises in Maidenhead about 30 minutes west of London. Having spent a month with the Loco, it’s worth looking at what they did, and how. Initial thoughts I find architectural watchmaking inherently appealing, and appreciate it when watchmakers and designers work in tandem to elevate mechanical components into miniature works of art. It can come across as gimmicky, but when done well it results in an enthralling and educational wearing experience. Given the steep development costs, this type watchmaking has long been the exclusive domain of high end brands like MB&F; and Ulysse Nardin. But CW has been moving in this direction since the launch of the Bel Canto, and the Loco, despite its relative simplicity, is a worthy follow-up to its striking sibling. Sitting within the Twelve collection, CW’s take on the integrated bracelet sp...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Last Original Client For most people with an interest in architecture, the best you can do with respect to the works of Frank Lloyd Wright is to admire his buildings from afar, or perhaps get the guided tour experience if you visit his most famous pieces. Obviously, far fewer people actually get to live in the homes he designed, and fewer still are alive today that can tell you what it was like to work with the architect during the building process. This wonderful piece in NPR puts a spotlight on Roland Reisley, who recently turned 101 years old. He is, according to NPR, the last surviving original client of Frank Lloyd Wright, and he still lives in the home he designed. He’s been at the residence in Westchester County, NY for over 70 years, and has become a bit of a Frank Lloyd Wright scholar in that time. This one’s a must read for anyone with an interest in architecture. Huckberry Opens Shop: Brick & Mortar in Georgetown For over 14 years, the team at Huckberry has worked to curate a collection of clothing, gear, and home accessories like no other. While their offerings have drawn the attention of many, you were only able to shop online or...
Deployant
Swatch's laterst release: the Mission to Earthphase in Moonshine gold, and now with a blue bloceramic case and blue NATO strap.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
I genuinely thought we were done with these. The lines, the madness, the rotating cast of Bioceramic planets-it felt like the MoonSwatch thing had run its course a dozen releases ago. But Swatch, in all its chaotic energy, has decided we’re not done yet. So here we are. Again.
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