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Results for Pilot Watch

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Pilot Watch

The aviation tool-watch genre. Cartier Santos (1904), the WWII B-Uhr, the French Type 20 flyback, the RAF Mark XI, the Breitling Navitimer.

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History of the Cartier Santos: the first pilot watch, and arguably the first proper wristwatch

Louis Cartier built it in 1904 for his aviator friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, who was fed up fumbling for his pocket watch mid-flight. 121 years later the square case with exposed screws is still the sharpest dress-sports piece on the shelf. Here is how it got there.

Introducing: The Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Miles Davis Hodinkee
Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Sep 2, 2026

Introducing: The Breitling Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Miles Davis

What We Know In honor of the centennial of legendary musician Miles Davis' birth, Breitling has just announced a limited edition collection at Geneva Watch Days. I say collection because it's more than just one watch, if you want it to be. At the core, Breitling has launched a 500-piece limited-edition model, the steel Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Miles Davis, which is inspired by the ref. 806 Mk 5 Navitimer that was worn by the famous jazz musician. If a single steel option isn't enough for you Davis heads out there, Breitling is also producing 50 three-piece sets that offer a trio of executions of the watch, spanning steel, yellow gold, and even platinum with a blue dial.  We can start with the core model, reference AB09501A1B1X1 or AB09501A1B1A1, depending on whether you want a leather strap or the bracelet (you want the bracelet). Measuring 41mm wide (the same as the reference worn by Davis), 13mm thick, and 47.1 mm lug-to-lug, the Navitimer Miles Davis uses a Breitling B09 hand-wound movement that is COSC-certified, ticks at 4 Hz, and employs both a column wheel and a vertical clutch. Water resistance is 30 meters, and this special edition sports both cream-colored lume and Breitling's (very cool) Twin Jet logo.  And then there is the bracelet, a modern interpretation of the Air Racer bracelet that uses a cuff design with large holes. For this execution, Breitling has added hinged links near the clasp to help with comfort. But that's not all; aside from a gorgeous...

Introducing: Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport Hodinkee
Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport What Sep 2, 2026

Introducing: Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport

What We Know Now in its sixth decade as one of the most famous movements in the industry, the El Primero remains at the heart of Zenith's offerings. To kick off Geneva Watch Days, Zenith is doing something slightly different, launching a Chronomaster Sport without a chronograph—the Chronomaster Solo Sport. The watch arrives in four variations: three with ceramic dials and bezels in black, white, and brown, plus a no-date option also in black. All four come in a 40mm stainless steel case with a ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel. The dial features hours, minutes, and seconds, with date added on three of the four references. Despite losing the chronograph, there's still a lot going on up top. The words "36,000 VpH" and "high frequency" alone take up two lines of the dial, and the subtle "shark tooth" minute track gives a nod to vintage Zenith references.  The dial itself is ceramic, built around a repeated 45° Z motif meant to evoke the rhythm and vibration of the movement underneath—rendered as a sunray finish on the white version and a polished surface on the black and brown versions. That same pattern carries over to the counterweight on the seconds hand. The El Primero 3620 powers the watch, derived from the El Primero 3600 chronograph movement and operating at 5 Hz, or 36,000 VpH, while retaining the star-shaped rotor. It's equipped with a silicon escapement and a stop-second mechanism for precise time-setting, and it offers a 60-hour power reserve. Also featur...

Introducing: Gerald Charles Masterlink Atelier Edition Hodinkee
Ming Sep 2, 2026

Introducing: Gerald Charles Masterlink Atelier Edition

What We Know Gerald Charles, known for their Maestro cases, continues to evolve that idea at this year's Geneva Watch Days, but this is the first time they've offered something where every piece is genuinely unique. It's based on a Gérald Genta design from 2007 called the Sarawak, a diamond-and-ruby integrated-bracelet watch created for the Royal family of Sarawak—unknown to the public until 2024—and the direct ancestor of the Masterlink. It's impressive to see the brand continue to iterate on Genta's own designs, decades on. The case looks familiar—it's a classic Maestro, coming in as a square at 38mm x 38mm. The svelte dimensions continue inside: a profile just 7.99mm thin, aided by the 2.67mm movement. There are three colorways here—Golden Rose, Rhodium, and Golden Yellow. The dial is clearly the focal point here, bringing a new element to the Masterlink lineup. Each dial is individually hand-hammered by an artisan at Gerald Charles's atelier in Geneva. It's made of maillechort—also known as German silver or nickel silver, a copper-nickel-zinc alloy — and is typically used for movement bridges and plates rather than dials.  It wasn't chosen because it's easy to work with—quite the opposite: it requires longer production times, wears tools faster, and results in a higher rejection rate. Since each dial is hammered by hand, no two are identical, and there are no applied indexes here, leaving the hundreds of small facets in full view. Inside is the ultra-th...

Striking a chord: The L.Leroy Vox Temporis swaps a minute hand for a minute repeater Time+Tide
Oris swaps Sep 2, 2026

Striking a chord: The L.Leroy Vox Temporis swaps a minute hand for a minute repeater

L.Leroy introduces the Vox Temporis, an exclusive minute repeater and flying tourbillon. It features an unconventional single fixed hand with a rotating dial, inspired by a historic 1810 tact watch. Produced in titanium, red gold, and platinum, the watch is limited to just 15 pieces across all three case materials. For modern collectors, the appeal … Continued

Introducing - Trilobe Releases the Chateau Trente-Deux with a Burgundy dial Monochrome
Trilobe Sep 2, 2026

Introducing - Trilobe Releases the Chateau Trente-Deux with a Burgundy dial

Founded by Gautier Massonneau in 2018, Trilobe is a French brand distinguished by its hand-free displays. Instead of traditional hands, Trilobe uses three rotating rings that align with fixed markings to display time in motion.  Last year, Trilobe released the Trente-Deux, a luxury sports watch with the brand’s unconventional display in an elegant steel case […]

The new Gerald Charles Masterlink Atelier Edition introduces hand-hammered Maillechort dials Time+Tide
Gerald Charles Sep 2, 2026

The new Gerald Charles Masterlink Atelier Edition introduces hand-hammered Maillechort dials

The Gerald Charles Masterlink Atelier Edition introduces unique hand-hammered Maillechort dials to the brand’s signature asymmetrical design. It is strictly limited to 25 pieces per colourway in Golden Rose, Rhodium, and Golden Yellow. The 38mm steel watch remains impressively thin at 7.99mm and is powered by the ultra-thin micro-rotor GCA 1000 movement. When it comes … Continued

First Look - The New Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor 39mm Monochrome
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor Sep 2, 2026

First Look - The New Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor 39mm

Girard-Perregaux writes the next chapter in the Laureato’s long and storied history. Launched in 1975, just three years after the Royal Oak and a year before the Nautilus, the Laureato is considered an honorary member of the luxury integrated sports watch genre. The Laureato underwent its fifth evolution in 2016, becoming a contemporary, fully-fledged luxury […]

First Look - The New Frederique Constant Highlife Moonphase Date Manufacture (Incl. Video) Monochrome
Frederique Constant Highlife Moonphase Date Manufacture Sep 2, 2026

First Look - The New Frederique Constant Highlife Moonphase Date Manufacture (Incl. Video)

Founded in 1988, Frederique Constant can now boast an impressive lineup of 35 in-house calibres powering the brand’s top-tier Manufacture pieces.  Redesigned and relaunched in 2020, the Highlife collection is Frederique Constant’s vision of a versatile luxury sports watch with a barrel-shaped case, an interchangeable integrated bracelet and a textured dial. Last year, the brand […]

First Look - The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Dual Time x Vianney Halter, An Antiqua-Inspired Take on Ultra-Thin (Incl. Video) Monochrome
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Dual Time Sep 2, 2026

First Look - The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Dual Time x Vianney Halter, An Antiqua-Inspired Take on Ultra-Thin (Incl. Video)

For Geneva Watch Days 2026, Italian brand Bulgari and independent watchmaker Vianney Halter joined forces to bring us one of the most distinctive interpretations of the Octo Finissimo to date. Seen at a glance, the influence of Halter is unmistakable. The multiple displays, hands, white opaline surfaces and porthole-like bezels recall the legendary Antiqua, developed […]

First Look - The Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport, The Time-Only High-Frequency El Primero (Incl. Video) Monochrome
Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport Sep 2, 2026

First Look - The Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport, The Time-Only High-Frequency El Primero (Incl. Video)

The Chronomaster Sport is one of Zenith’s most recognisable modern series, featuring a contemporary sports-watch case and, naturally, an El Primero chronograph movement. For 2026, however, Zenith takes an unexpected turn. The new Chronomaster Solo Sport removes the chronograph and debuts as a three-hand watch yet remains powered by one of the manufacture’s high-frequency El […]

Is It Great Enough For The Great Gonzo? Introducing The Oris ProPilot X Gonzo Edition Fratello
Oris ProPilot X Gonzo Edition Sep 2, 2026

Is It Great Enough For The Great Gonzo? Introducing The Oris ProPilot X Gonzo Edition

A character who, in his first television appearance, attempted to eat a rubber tire to the frantic tempo and tune of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee” deserves a watch. On the night of April 25th, 1977, The Great Gonzo set the tone for future death-defying and bizarre stunts in The Muppet Show and continued […] Visit Is It Great Enough For The Great Gonzo? Introducing The Oris ProPilot X Gonzo Edition to read the full article.

Introducing: The Oris Social Club Edition II Hodinkee
Oris Social Club Edition II Sep 2, 2026

Introducing: The Oris Social Club Edition II

What We Know As part of the brand's varied releases for Geneva Watch Days, Oris has announced the Social Club Edition II, a special creation sold exclusively online in partnership with the Oris Social Club. The group spans some 62 chapters all over the world, and the latest offering to the acolytes is a handsome expression of the Aquis Relief that incorporates a green nylon NATO-style strap.  Measuring in at 43.5mm, the Social Club Edition II builds upon the standard Aquis Relief by complementing the steel bezel design with a frosted silver finish for the dial. Look a bit closer, and you'll see that there is an easter egg for the date, too, as the first-of-the-month position will feature an image of Oris' mascot, the Oris Bear. Flip the watch over, and you'll find a custom caseback showing the Oris factory in Holstein and "OSC | INT" to mark the club's international membership.  The full specs are provided below, but the Oris Social Club Edition II is 13.1mm thick and 51mm lug to lug with 300 meters of water resistance protecting the Oris 733 movement within. The 733 is based on the Sellita SW 200-1 and is an automatic, Swiss-made movement that ticks at 4 Hz and offers a date, which, for this model, is at 6 o'clock.  Perhaps most interesting – or perhaps I just like NATO straps – Oris has elected to fit lug adapters to the Aquis' proprietary lugs to enable the use of a green NATO strap. The Oris Social Club Edition II is not limited and will be available in Septembe...

Introducing: The Bulgari Titanio Chronograph And GMT Hodinkee
Bulgari Titanio Chronograph Sep 2, 2026

Introducing: The Bulgari Titanio Chronograph And GMT

What We Know On the quieter side of Bulgari's releases for Geneva Watch Days this year, we have the titanium expression of the brand's expanding range of material-based models that follow elements of the design language of the Diagono. Following the models in aluminum and last year's release of the Bronzo GMT and Chronograph, we now have the Bulgari Titanio, which offers both a dual-time model and an automatic chronograph.  The pair follows the established Bulgari format closely, modifying the recipe only for the use of grade 5 in this case, the bracelet articulation links, and the buckle. The Titanio Chronograph is 41mm wide with a sandblasted and satin-finished case that is 12.35mm thick. The Titanio GMT follows the same format, but with a 40mm case that is 9.7mm thick. Water resistance is 100 meters for both, and both come with a black rubber strap with titanium links and buckle. A titanium bracelet is an available option, but no pricing details are offered.  The bezel, crown, and pushers are rendered in a black DLC finish, and both models feature a matte black dial with grey galvanic treatments on the hands. The Titanio Chronograph is powered by the Bulgari B381 automatic, which is based on the Sellita SW300 with a Dubois-Dépraz module; it is a 4 Hz movement with a date at 4:30, a 50-hour power reserve, and a maximum chronograph measure of 12 hours.  For the Titanio GMT, Bulgari employs the B192 automatic, which is based on the Sellita SW-330 and offers "caller-sty...

The Way Gérald Genta Intended: The Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian Fratello
Gerald Genta Sep 2, 2026

The Way Gérald Genta Intended: The Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian

The Gérald Genta brand is putting its legendary founder’s philosophy at the top of its priorities. For Geneva Watch Days 2026, Gérald Genta releases a new Golden Obsidian version of the Geneva Minute Repeater. This 40mm 3N yellow gold novelty comes after the 2025 Geneva Minute Repeater Black Onyx. It also houses the manually wound […] Visit The Way Gérald Genta Intended: The Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian to read the full article.

Introducing: Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian Hodinkee
Gerald Genta Sep 2, 2026

Introducing: Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian

What We Know Today, at Geneva Watch Days, Gérald Genta has announced the latest version of its Geneva Minute Repeater. This new version of the watch, which was originally released around this time last year, swaps the black Onyx dial of that release for a novel dial in Golden Obsidian. Other details are largely unchanged, continuing the trend of the revived Gérald Genta expanding its lineup with caution and deliberation. As with last year's Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater, the Golden Obsidian uses the 40mm-wide, 9.6mm-thick yellow-gold version of the cushion-shaped Geneva case (as opposed to the 38mm version introduced earlier this year in the time-only models, which you can read about here). The protruding single-lug design, found on a handful of Genta watches from the later stages of his career (including the Credor Locomotive), means this watch wears pretty close to 40mm lug-to-lug. Inside the Geneva Minute Repeater is the in-house GG-002 movement, developed by La Fabrique du Temps. It's a 3 Hz movement with 80 hours of power reserve and an impressively loud minute repeater. It's a nice bit of watchmaking, and — as Mark intimated when he went hands-on with the Onyx-dialed version of this watch last year — it fits nicely into the lineage of Genta-designed minute repeaters. The big talking point with this year's Geneva Minute Repeater is the Golden Obsidian dial. Golden Obsidian — a material I had not encountered before this watch — is a volcanic glass that...

Hittin’ Switches With The Voxel Meridion VX01-E Fratello
Sep 2, 2026

Hittin’ Switches With The Voxel Meridion VX01-E

New brands pop up frequently, but few open with a proprietary mechanical complication that actually changes how you read the time throughout the day. Voxel, founded by French creative director Thibault Luc and Vallée de Joux engineer Bruno Herbet, does exactly that with its debut, the Meridion VX01-E. Unveiled during Geneva Watch Days 2026, the […] Visit Hittin’ Switches With The Voxel Meridion VX01-E to read the full article.

Tudor’s 100th Anniversary Celebration Continues with the Return of the North Flag Worn & Wound
Tudor s 100th Anniversary Celebration Sep 1, 2026

Tudor’s 100th Anniversary Celebration Continues with the Return of the North Flag

We knew some big moments would come as Tudor notches its impressive 100th anniversary as a brand this year, and this is one of them: the revival of the North Flag. The aptly named collection has come to serve as the north star for Tudor’s modern offerings and set the tone for the brand in the past decade. When the model first debuted in 2015, it marked the first Tudor watch to house an in-house movement coupled with an exhibition caseback to show it off. The COSC-certified Caliber MT5621 that powered the original was just the jumping off point for Tudor to upgrade models across its catalog with manufacture movements and chronometer certification. Now, in the newly revived North Flag line, we get even greater attention on technical capabilities with METAS certification, giving it Master Chronometer status, as well as the addition of a GMT complication.Despite the advancements we’ve seen throughout the North Flag collection and in the newest edition today, the model remains deeply rooted in Tudor’s history and makes for a fitting addition to its 100th anniversary offerings. The Ranger II from 1973 has served as the historic touchpoint for the collection since its inception. There are several key design codes that create a throughline from the Ranger II to the original North Flag and now the latest edition. These include the black dial with large Arabic numeral hour markers, the arrow-shaped 24-hour and hours hands coupled with an angular seconds hand and a baton-shaped...

Introducing: Chopard L.U.C. 1963 Heritage Regulator And L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph Limited Editions Hodinkee
Chopard L.U.C 1963 Heritage Regulator Sep 1, 2026

Introducing: Chopard L.U.C. 1963 Heritage Regulator And L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph Limited Editions

What We Know While not a part of Geneva Watch Days (which starts this week), Chopard is preempting the show a bit with two new 25-piece limited editions in their L.U.C. line—the brand's in-house haute horlogerie division. The first up (and more expensive of the two) is the L.U.C. 1963 Heritage Regulator, a 40mm by 10.3mm watch in 18k ethical white gold with 30m water resistance. The dial—which conveys hours (in a subdial), regulator-style minutes, GMT, power reserve, running seconds, and date—is a sunburst-finished silver tone with blue-transferred numbers. The caseback showcases the manually wound, four-barrel (in series) L.U.C 98.02-L movement layout that delivers a massive 9 days of power (part of the Chopard Quattro technology). This kind of high-power-reserve movement has become pretty normalized for Chopard and, because of that, I don't think it gets the appreciation it deserves. The movement, running at 4Hz, is also fantastically finished and features a Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark, plus COSC accuracy certification. As mentioned, the L.U.C. 1963 Heritage Regulator is limited to 25 pieces and is now available, retailing for $50,900. On the sportier end of things is the 42mm by 11.48mm 1963 Heritage Chronograph cased in Lucent Steel. It features a deep blue sunburst-polished, galvanic-treated dial, an eggshell-colored printed dial, and Rhodium-plated white gold hands for the hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, and 30-minute and 12-hour counters. The wa...

Introducing - New Versions of the Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour, Including a New 35mm Size Monochrome
Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour Sep 1, 2026

Introducing - New Versions of the Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour, Including a New 35mm Size

Marking a pronounced design shift for the British watchmaker, Bremont released the bold Terra Nova Jumping Hour model in 2025. A field watch inspired by early 20th-century military pocket watches and World War I trench watches, the Jumping Hour comes with two different displays: a 38mm montre à guichet-style watch with a covered dial and […]

The Tudor Northflag Returns Sharper and Stronger SJX Watches
Tudor Northflag Returns Sharper Sep 1, 2026

The Tudor Northflag Returns Sharper and Stronger

A decade after it first debuted, Tudor has revived the Northflag. Originally a 1970s-inspired sports watch to showcase Tudor’s first-ever in-house movement, the Northflag has been upgraded inside and out. The rebooted Northflag gains a GMT function plus refinements all round, ranging from superior detailing on the case to lume blocks on the dial. And the movement is now a Master Chronometer, while the price stays true to Tudor’s value-oriented focus at just over US$5,500. Initial thoughts The original North Flag was a bit quirky with its power reserve indicator, and also probably ahead of its time; a Tudor with an in-house movement seemed like an odd concept back then. I liked it then, but the North Flag wasn’t a commercial success, so it is surprising that Tudor has revived the model. But the new Northflag is an immediately appealing watch, reflecting Tudor’s advancements in design, manufacturing, and branding. In fact, the Northflag is one of the most interesting watches in the current Tudor catalogue, alongside the equally recent Monarch. Although practically everything Tudor makes is well priced and an easy recommendation, almost all of Tudor’s best watches are variations of the Oyster case and Black Bay diver. The Northflag, on the other hand, is something else entirely. The angular, 1970s-style case is different, as is the dial. But all the elements are harmonious, and the design works. This is one of my strongest recommendations in the Tudor line-up today,...

A New Adventure With A Familiar Name: The New Tudor Northflag GMT Fratello
Tudor Northflag GMT Tudor just Sep 1, 2026

A New Adventure With A Familiar Name: The New Tudor Northflag GMT

Tudor just unveiled its new Northflag watch. The name isn’t new, as the brand initially launched this explorer’s model in 2015, just before Baselworld. I clearly recall that launch, which featured Tudor bringing Land Rover Defenders into a dark Swiss forest (ensuring safety) to reveal the watches inside an adventurous tipi tent setup. The Tudor […] Visit A New Adventure With A Familiar Name: The New Tudor Northflag GMT to read the full article.

Paying Homage To “The Troublemaker Of Watchmaking” With The M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese Fratello
Sep 1, 2026

Paying Homage To “The Troublemaker Of Watchmaking” With The M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese

Ask any watch fan about the different M.A.D.Editions, and you’ll probably hear about the wacky, colorful aspects of the M.A.D.1 or the bonkers and fun modifications to the standard off-the-shelf caliber that powers the watches. For the new M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese, the brand presents a watch that almost looks deceivingly modest. But we all know […] Visit Paying Homage To “The Troublemaker Of Watchmaking” With The M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese to read the full article.

Hands-On: The M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese Hodinkee
Corum Golden Bridge Photo courtesy Sep 1, 2026

Hands-On: The M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese

Today marks the introduction of the M.A.D.3, the third entry in the MB&F; spinoff, M.A.D.Editions brand. If you've spent the past few years entering raffle after raffle in hopes of securing a watch from the brand, this new design may offer another opportunity in this game of chance. The groundbreaking first entry in the series came from the mind of none other than Max Büsser, and the very different follow-up was spearheaded by prominent watch designer and frequent MB&F; collaborator Eric Giroud. This third edition taps into a watchmaker who, while quite a bit further out from the direct radius of MB&F;, has always maintained a philosophy on the expression of time in a very similar vein. An example of a Corum Golden Bridge. Photo courtesy of Das Kunst- und Auktionshaus Kastern GmbH & Co.KG. Calabrese's Baladin. Photo courtesy Christie's. Vincent Calabrese, though not necessarily a household name like many of his contemporaries, is certainly a legend. He's the man responsible for the iconic floating-movement architecture of the Corum Golden Bridge and the co-founder of the independent watchmaking consortium Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI, as you might more commonly know it). And among the dozens of patents behind his name, and many inventive executions of complications, he's always played with the concept of displaying the time. So I suppose Calabrese and Büsser are a match made in heaven, and here, we have the M.A.D.3 edition in all of its bright, sa...

Striking Resemblance: The Piaget Polo Minute Repeater SJX Watches
Bulgari BVL 362 based Sep 1, 2026

Striking Resemblance: The Piaget Polo Minute Repeater

More than a decade after unveiling its first in-house minute repeater, Piaget has revived the once-record-setting calibre in a familiar-looking guise. The new Polo Minute Repeater pairs the ultra-thin, micro-rotor cal. 1209P with the modern Polo case and a striking, partially open-worked guilloche dial. Initial thoughts The Polo Minute Repeater is a new watch, but it bears a striking resemblance to the Emperador Coussin of 2013. This isn’t that surprising, since the contemporary Polo — refreshed in 2016 — borrows significantly from the Emperador’s case design. But in this case the similarity is more than skin deep, since the Polo Minute Repeater shares the same movement as its predecessor: the cal. 1209P. This ultra-thin calibre was once the world’s thinnest minute repeater — a title it maintained for three years before the launch of the Bulgari BVL 362, based on a 1980s Gerald Genta calibre. The Polo is big but flat, measuring 48 mm wide but just 9.3 mm thick. The size is partly due to the movement construction, which spreads out the major component groups into two slim planes with the escapement, micro-rotor, and twin minute repeater hammers on on one level, and the racks and centripetal governor on top. This 2010s-era sizing is arguably out of step with current fads where small watches are all the rage, but the watch is elegant and evokes 1970s “jumbo” watches with its wide-but-flat profile. In any case, wearability is probably a moot point considering t...

Alto Returns with the Art 02 SJX Watches
Sep 1, 2026

Alto Returns with the Art 02

Design-forward independent watchmaker Alto has kicked off Geneva Watch Days with its second model, the Art 02. While the most obvious difference is the addition of a matching bracelet, the entire watch has been refined and updated with a smaller case and an upgraded movement. Initial thoughts A dominant trend in independent watchmaking for the past several years has been the veneration of finishing. This focus has given rise to a growing number of overtly traditional time-only watches built and finished to a high standard. Alto belongs a class of design-led independents that promotes a different approach, one focused on how shapes and textures contribute to the wearing experience. This philosophy comes into sharper focus with the brand’s sophomore effort, the Art 02. While visually similar to its predecessor — enough that they would be hard to tell apart by an untrained eye — the Art 02 has been significantly refined and upgraded in several respects. First is the case, which is slightly thicker but much smaller in length and width, and a new proprietary calibre designed specifically for the Art 02. Then there’s the matching titanium bracelet, which is brushed and faceted to create a dazzling display of light and shadow. Surprisingly, the Art 02 is significantly less expensive than its predecessor. In fact, the retail price of €13,100 is just over half that of the Art 01 in “Monochrome Grey.” Considering the new calibre, proprietary bracelet, and similar bill ...