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Quill & Pad
The Patek Philippe 5002 Sky Moon Tourbillon launched in platinum for the 2001 model year, the 12-complication featured two dials. Dial one was devoted to a moonphase indicator and a perpetual calendar with retrograde date display. On the sub-dial display for months, simple text promised a tourbillon regulator within the case.
SJX Watches
The Kudoke 2 SHH Edition celebrates 20 years of the independent brand founded by husband-and-wife Stefan and Ev Kudoke. A run of 20 pieces exclusive to Singapore retailer Sincere Fine Watches, the edition sports the “flakes” dial finish in a first for the Kudoke 2, which features a distinctive day-night indicator at 12 o’clock. Initial Thoughts Stefan Kudoke was only in his mid-twenties when he founded his eponymous brand. Kudoke’s focus on detailed, graphic hand engraving has helped the brand differentiate itself as more independents, often focusing on movement finishing and guilloche, have sprung up over the years. While the SHH Edition comes at a considerable premium to the regular production Kudoke 2, it’s easily justified by the champagne rosé dial hand engraved with a “flakes” finish. When considering both the quality and quantity of engraving, the SHH Edition maintains the competitive pricing Kudoke is known for. Dial The SHH Edition brings the “flakes” pattern dial, first launched on the Kudoke 3, to the Kudoke 2 for the first time. The dial surface is covered with hundreds of tiny divots resembling flakes, which give the dial a sparkly finish. Each “flake” is painstakingly free-hand engraved, leaving no two dials exactly alike. Similar care is given to the rotating 24-hour disk at 12 o’clock, which has a deeply engraved, rose-gold plated sun on one half, and on the other half, a moon and stars motif that’s engraved and lumed in blue. T...
Fratello
Last year, Longines celebrated the 70th anniversary of its Conquest collection. The brand surprised us with three very attractive re-editions called the Conquest Heritage, each with a central power reserve indicator. But alongside those were two time-only models, one with a black dial and rose gold hardware and another with a silver dial and yellow […] Visit Introducing: The Longines Conquest Heritage With A New Bracelet And Dial Colors to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin (VC) continues its 270th anniversary festivities with its first minute-repeating sports watch, the Overseas Grand Complication Openface. In addition to the repeater, the manually wound movement also features a perpetual calendar, tourbillon, and rear-facing power reserve indicator. All of this is housed in a titanium case rated to 30 m, which is a notable degree of water resistance for a chiming watch. This is also the first Overseas model with the “Openface” treatment, which pays homage to rock crystal dials found in vintage clocks and pocket watches with a clear sapphire dial exposing the perpetual calendar works. Image – Vacheron Constantin Initial Thoughts It’s unusual, but a chiming sports watch makes sense considering the direction of consumer preferences for complications. That said, the minute repeater has been slow to make its way into sports watches, despite enjoying renewed popularity for the past few decades, due to the challenges of waterproofing the charging slide and preserving sound quality. This has created a perception of water resistance and sound being mutually exclusive, which has only recently been challenged. Audemars Piguet was an early pioneer with water-resistant repeaters, and now Vacheron Constantin has entered the fray with a water-resistant minute-repeating integrated-bracelet sports watch of its own. While 30 m of water resistance is low compared to other models in the Overseas collection, it’s significant for a ...
Fratello
Have you ever thought about summering in Hölstein? After seeing the Oris Aquis Date Taste of Summer Capsule Collection, you might want to consider it. The colors of the Swiss town in the warmest months of the year inspired the dials of these watches. One version shows a gradient sunrise-like red-pink dial, while the other […] Visit Introducing: The Oris Aquis Date Taste Of Summer Capsule Collection - It’s Hot And Happening In Hölstein to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Piaget is dialling up the complexity of its popular sorts watch with the Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase. Housed in a 44 mm, cushion-shaped titanium case, the new Polo features a partially open-worked dial that reveals the flying tourbillon - with cage topped by a stylised “P” - alongside a moon-phase indicator at six o’clock. Interestingly, the ultra-thin cal. 642P inside is a form movement in a tonneau shape. Initial thoughts The Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase adds an interesting pair of complications to the Polo, but without impacting the simplicity or symmetry of the dial. It’s a high-end alternative to the more affordable Polo models, like the Skeleton Ceramic, but it is also the largest Polo at 44 mm in diameter. This will affect wearability, making it versatile than the smaller-format Polo models. That said, because the movement is ultra-thin, the large case has an elegant, thin profile. As an aside, an open back would have been a welcome addition, since it would provide a view of the tonneau-shaped movement. Tourbillon This 44 mm cushion-shaped titanium case is finished with alternating mirror polishing and satin-brushing, complemented by blue-coated inserts on the case flanks. Water-resistant to 100 m, it frames a partially open-worked dial that’s finished with horizontal fluting as is standard for the Polo. Visible from both the front and back, the flying tourbillon is framed by a blue seconds ring on the dial, allowing the cage to double up as ...
SJX Watches
Urwerk refines its entry-level offering with the UR-100V Magic T Hunter Green that showcases a metallic ash green dial matched with a sandblasted case and bracelet. Entirely in titanium, the new UR-100V is sleek, matte, and lightweight. The new model remains mechanically identical to the standard UR-100V, and retains the distinctive satellite disc hour display, where the hour indicator advances along a curved 120-degree track graduated for 60 minutes. Initial thoughts Building on the ongoing expansion of the UR-100V series, the Magic T “Hunter Green” adopts the same sanded, shot-blasted titanium case as the original Magic T - but now rendered in metallic ash green. Though the new model has more contrast, it still retains the muted, low-key aesthetic found on the all-grey original. While the model itself has appeal, Urwerk has arguably introduced too many iterations of the UR-100, each distinguished by only subtle variations, since the model’s debut in 2019. This has made the model line confusing, and leaving each individual edition less distinctive. As with other UR-100 models, the “Hunter Green” is an entry-level model in the Urwerk catalogue and priced CHF58,000, or a third of the recent flagship UR-230 Polaris. This and other UR-100 models provide enthusiasts with the chance to experience Urwerk’s signature complication and advanced case making at a relatively accessible price. Restrained green Apart from the green finish, the “Hunter Green” remains id...
SJX Watches
In a fortuitous turn of events, Mark Zuckerberg was spotted with the Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1 just a week ago – just in time for the debut of the Hand Made 2. Unlike its predecessor that was equipped with a tourbillon, the Hand Made 2 is “merely” a three-hander with a power reserve indicator, presented in a more compact case that’s just under 41 mm. But like the first model, the Hand Made 2 is mostly made with traditional, hand-operated tools – specifically, 96% of the watch is made this way, an endeavour that requires 5,000 hours of work according to Greubel Forsey. (NB: The watch pictured is a prototype and is not perfectly clean.) Initial thoughts The Hand Made 2 is essentially the Hand Made 1 scaled down in every respect – dimensions, complexity, and price – except for the manual production methods and fine finishing, which remain impressive and outstanding. Even at arm’s length the quality of the Hand Made 2 is obvious. Up close, it is evident all of the details have been properly taken care of. As it was with the Hand Made 1, the second edition is also impressive for what cannot be seen – tolerances and precision that are equivalent to Greubel Forsey’s serial-production watches made with automated equipment. Achieving that with manual equipment is impressive and no doubt explains a good deal of the price. Surprisingly, the Hand Made 2 looks more complicated than its predecessor, despite doing away with the tourbillon. That’s because the archit...
Fratello
Honestly, I’m not sure which watch I wore the most last year. I usually choose a different watch to wear daily, so keeping track is hard. My Instagram feed is a good indicator, though. My Cartier Santos Galbée XL is probably the most featured watch on there. That’s partially because it gives me the most […] Visit My Most Worn Watch Of 2024: The Cartier Santos Galbée XL to read the full article.
Fratello
Breguet introduced the Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077 back in 2015. The watch displayed awe-inspiring watchmaking inventiveness. How about two balance wheels, two gear trains, an arc-shaped minute totalizer, a power reserve indicator, and a mesmerizing open-worked look on both the front and back? What more could you ask for? Well, if I put on my […] Visit Introducing: A New Blue Outfit For The Awe-Inspiring Breguet Tradition Chronographe Indépendant 7077 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) debuts the revamped Duometre line earlier this year, including the Duometre Chronograph Moon (and the entry-level Quantieme Lunaire). The watch incorporates almost every possible complication, some clever and others barely related, to create a chronograph that incudes a host of other simple functions, ranging from a day-night indicator to twin power reserves. Traditionally, the Duometre was centred on the chronograph, which makes this the line’s flagship model. It’s essentially an evolution of the first-generation model, retaining a chronograph mechanism that is compact and clever, but gains additional complications that feel extraneous. The platinum model gets a copper or “salmon” dial Initial thoughts The Duometre Chronograph Moon reflects many of JLC’s strengths, particularly as a movement maker. The movement inside is the sophisticated cal. 391 that makes logical use of the two-train construction to power a smartly designed chronograph mechanism. Visually, the movement is appealing and boasts quality, workmanlike finishing with details like a free-sprung balance and grande sonnerie-style winding clicks. Although it is industrial haute horlogerie, the calibre is clearly best in class. The cal. 391 Both barrels each sport grande sonnerie-style winding clicks But the cal. 391 is nearly identical to the cal. 380 found in the first-generation Duometre introduced in 2007. While it is an accomplished movement, the cal. 391 is hardly novel. Ins...
Time+Tide
Unveiled at Watches & Wonders Shanghai 2024, its innovative tide indicator and moonphase can show high, low, spring and neap tides.The post Yacht rock: the new IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide boasts the brand’s first silicon hairspring appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Kudoke has just unveiled an iteration of its signature day-night wristwatch, the Kudoke 2 Indigo “Isetan”, a limited edition of just 15 watches for the upscale department store Isetan, the Japanese equivalent of Selfridges or Galeries Lafayette. The new Kudoke 2 is part of the “Indigo” series of timepieces by independent watchmakers with blue dials that pay homage to the traditional Japanese fabric dyeing technique. It retains the familiar Kudoke 2 dial with the hand-engraved day-night indicator at 12 o’clock, but with a vertically-brushed, dark blue finish. Initial thoughts Best known for its value-minded watches with hand-engraved decoration, the German independent sticks to what it does best with the Indigo edition. The blue-and-gold palette works well, with the rhodium-plated elements, namely the hands, logo plaque, and chapter rings complementing the colour. It is an excellent example of the affordable watchmaking with artisanal touches that’s central to Kudoke’s philosophy (and was also the base for our own 2021 Kudoke 2 “Zodiac”). That said, this is one of several variations of the model that different only in dial colour. The many colour versions make the limited-edition concept less interesting in itself, though the Indigo is striking and one of the most appealing of the versions. Priced at JPY1.98 million, or about US$13,500, the Kudoke 2 Indigo is the typical Kudoke value proposition with features rare at this price point. Besides being small-...
Deployant
The Reservoir Longbridge British Racing watch is a timepiece that stands out for its unique motorsports inspired design and horological complications. Inspired by the aesthetic of vintage measuring instruments, this watch features retrograde minutes, jumping hours, and a power reserve indicator, which are not commonly found together in contemporary watches.
SJX Watches
Seiko’s Presage Craftsmanship Series is all about dials finished with traditional artisanal techniques from urushi lacquer to enamel matched with affordable price tags. That continues with the Presage Craftsmanship Arita Porcelain Dial SPB445, a time-only watch with a 24-hour indicator. Initial thoughts The Presage Craftsmanship models in general are easy to like because they have classic styling, affordable prices, and unusually fancy dials for the price point. The SPB445 is exactly that, but visibly improved over earlier generations of the model. The dial is a little bit more elaborate with a recessed sector that delineates the chapter ring for the hours, while the case has been reworked to be more refined in terms of style. It’s still a fairly thick watch relative to the design at 12.5 mm high, but the new case helps with that. The only thing I would change is the 24-hour indicator, which isn’t really useful and interrupts the clean layout of the dial. At US$1,900, the new Presage is priced almost identically to the equivalent model from four years ago – despite the upgrades – and remains a good value proposition. An affordable artisanal watch The dial in the SPB445 is a bright, nearly-pure white porcelain with a clear glaze layer on top that is known as hakuji. Seiko once again turned to Shingama Kiln, a porcelain maker established in 1830 that’s still run by the founding family. Located in Arita, a town on Kyushu historically known for its fine porcelain,...
SJX Watches
The newest member of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s line of sports watches, the Polaris Geographic is a dual time zone in a modern “ocean grey” with orange accents with a practical dial layout showing a second time zone, day-night indicator, cities disc for the world time, and the power reserve. Initial thoughts Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) first introduced this complication over three decades ago as the Géographique, a full-featured travel watch that stood out from most of the simpler travel watches of the time. But it had a fairly cluttered dial, so the new Geographic is simplified, with the key change being the removal of the date. This streamlines the aesthetic though some might find the date more practical than the power reserve indicator. The movement inside is an upgraded version of the calibre in the 1990s Géographique and now has a three-day power reserve, but is still relatively complex to set. A more useful update would have been a more intuitive time zone-setting function. The Polaris Geographic retails for US$16,100, which feels steep, particularly since JLC has historically been affordable more affordable watchmaking of good, industrial-artisanal quality. A diving dual time zone The new Geographic adopts the style of the Polaris line, which is a modern-ish dive watch look with an inner rotation bezel. The layout remains the familiar one found on past generations of the model, with the second time zone in a sub-dial at six and the day-night indicator to its left. A...
Deployant
IWC presents the Portugieser Eternal Calendar, featuring a secular calendar and the world's most accurate moon phase indicator.
Fratello
Contrary to what the title of this article may imply, independent watchmaking is nothing new. Most of the big names have been around for decades, and even their more meteoric rise is several years underway now. Still, the rise of independents is an indicator of a changing landscape that reaches beyond this handful of exalted […] Visit The Rise Of The Independents: Changing The Horological Landscape to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Following the success of last year’s glassbox Carrera chronograph releases, Tag Heuer extends the collection with a new for 2024 bi-compax panda look in stainless steel. This watch features a silver brushed sunray dial, with a black minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock, a black hour chronograph totalizer at 9 o’clock, and a permanent seconds indicator in silver at 6 o’clock. Dimensions are 39mm in diameter, 46mm from lug-to-lug, and just under 14mm thick. Revealed through its sapphire display back is the in-house chronograph movement Heuer 02 (Ref.TH20-00). It features a bi-directional winding, a new shield-shaped rotor, and an impressive 80-hour power reserve. What made last year’s releases so appealing was their new combination of a concave dial and outward convex tachymeter rehaut, which hugged the outer curvature of the glassbox sapphire crystal. The look is quite frankly mesmerizing, and it has completely rejuvenated the Carrera line. This harmonious blend of vintage tribute, contemporary elegance, and novelty truly embody the spirit for which TAG Heuer is renowned. Retail pricing for the tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph is $6,650 USD, for more information visit www.tagheuer.com. The post TAG Heuer Introduces a New Glassbox Carrera Chronograph appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Monochrome
The moon phase indicator and date combination is a flagship model at Frederique Constant, appearing with the launch of the brand’s second manufacture movement in 2005. Early models, like the Heart Beat Manufacture, were equipped with the brand’s hand-wound moon phase and date movement (FC-915). Evolving over the years and replacing the manual-winding movement with […]
Fratello
The Swatch × Tate collection debuted on March 20th at London’s Tate Modern gallery, home to over 76,000 art pieces. The reason for that is the latest Swatch art collaboration with Tate. There are seven new Swatch × Tate models, each representing a specific artwork - Turner’s Scarlet Sunset, Chagall’s Blue Circus, Miró’s Women and […] Visit Swatch Art Journey 2024 - Meet The Swatch × Tate Gallery Collection to read the full article.
Quill & Pad
Origine by Sylvain Pinaud is an essentially simple watch telling only the time with three hands. The commitment to execution puts him on a level with some of the greats and is a good indicator that we will see a lot more from this burgeoning young brand.
Fratello
What if you like the looks of the angular Zenith Defy Skyline with its 12-sided bezel, but the running 1/10th-of-a-second indicator on the dial makes you nervous? The Defy Skyline Tourbillon with its 60-second tourbillon at 6 o’clock is the way to go. Yes, it’s a pricey alternative, but before we dismiss this Defy on […] Visit Introducing: The High-Frequency Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon In Steel Or Ceramic to read the full article.
Quill & Pad
A. Lange & Söhne flagship Richard Lange model is the Tourbillon Pour le Mérite (TPLM). It features fusée-and-chain constant force, a tourbillon regulator, and a power reserve indicator. And the hand finishing is superb!
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko is celebrating the 20th anniversary of 9R Spring Drive movement with a pair of limited editions featuring dials inspired by the sunrise at Mount Hotaka, a peak near the Grand Seiko workshop in Shiojiri. The first model is the Heritage Collection Caliber 9R 20th Anniversary “Pink Snowflake” (SBGA497) that revisits the first ever watch model with the 9R but with the trademark “snowflake” dial in pink. And the second is the Sports Collection Spring Drive GMT Caliber 9R 20th Anniversary (SBGE305) combining a black ceramic bezel with a dark red sunburst dial. Initial Thoughts The invention of the Spring Drive calibre is arguably one of Seiko’s most important achievements. It encompasses most of the advantages of mechanical movement while retaining the accuracy of quartz. Similar to a fully mechanical movement, it is powered by a spring rather than a battery, while timekeeping is regulated by a quartz crystal. As the first-ever commercially available Spring Drive variant, 9R marks an important feat for Grand Seiko. Nevertheless, despite the two new releases being celebratory models for the 20th anniversary of the 9R Spring Drive movement, they don’t seem to offer anything remarkable or unprecedented. Rather, the choice of a Hotaka mountain-inspired dial for both watches seems cliche, considering how pink and red colour dials have been relatively common in the brand’s catalogue. Plus, the inspiration behind Grand Seiko’s dial seems rather repetitive, a...
Monochrome
While it might not come across as a particularly high-brow mechanical complication, the power reserve indicator is extremely useful. The equivalent of a petrol gauge on a watch, a power reserve indicator lets you know how much tension is left in the mainspring or, in simple terms, how much fuel is left in the tank. […]
SJX Watches
Longines’ latest launch is unexpected in featuring a novel take on a useful complication: the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve has a power reserve indicator positioned at the centre of the dial, on the same axis as the hands. Though unusual, the central power reserve is actually found in the Conquest ref. 9028 from 1959, making this something of a vintage remake, which makes its debut just in time for the 70th anniversary of the Conquest collection. Initial thoughts The current Conquest collection is somewhat forgotten because it’s positioned between Longines’ sports watches like the Spirit and the vintage-inspired Heritage and Master models. Fortunately the new Conquest is interesting enough to stand out. Even though it’s not a new invention, the central power reserve indicator is uncommon. Furthermore, this particular power reserve display is a clever two-disc construction that makes the indicator a bit more life, so it adds visual flair to the dial. The central power reserve is arguably more legible than conventional indicators that are smaller. At the same time it gives the dial a pleasing symmetrical layout. Because of the symmetry, the date indicator at 12 actually works well and improves the dial design. Perhaps only downside of the design is the seemingly chunky case. Like many other Longines models, this Conquest appears to have thick lugs despite being fairly compact in diameter. In terms of price, the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve is mor...
Deployant
Seiko extends their Presage Cocktail Time Star Bar series with two new watches inspired by the colours of the sunset over Tokyo.
Quill & Pad
The Patek Philippe 5002 Sky Moon Tourbillon launched in platinum for the 2001 model year, the 12-complication featured two dials. Dial one was devoted to a moonphase indicator and a perpetual calendar with retrograde date display. On the sub-dial display for months, simple text promised a tourbillon regulator within the case.
Revolution
Being the first Furlan Marri with a mechanical chronograph movement, we also want to focus on the beautiful dials and just the fact of the amount of attention to detail given to individual pieces. These pieces all come with the elevated inner dial which is brushed nicely to finish, accompanied by the pulsation indicator chapter […]
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