Deployant
Live recording: the sound of six new striking watches from this year
This year, we saw a bumper crop of minute repeaters at Watches & Wonders. And we managed to make live recordings of six of the new minute repeaters.
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Deployant
This year, we saw a bumper crop of minute repeaters at Watches & Wonders. And we managed to make live recordings of six of the new minute repeaters.
Monochrome
The latest watch in the very appealing Hermès Cut collection is more than just a jump from 36mm to 39mm, as it adds the ability to “suspend time” (Le Temps Suspendu) with a complication first seen in the 2011 Arceau collection. At the press of a button, the hour and minute hands move into a […]
Monochrome
Hublot pulls out all the stops for the 20th-anniversary celebrations of its iconic Big Bang with a one-of-a-kind “Materials & High Complications” set composed of five unique pieces. Flaunting tourbillons, chronographs and minute repeaters – and in one case, a combination of all three – this unique set traces the material innovation and high-end complications […]
Worn & Wound
Well, Tudor did the thing. And by “did the thing,” I mean that Tudor finally made the watch we all knew was coming, but maybe had started to doubt would ever arrive. But now the long wait is over, and the Black Bay Pro with Opaline white dial is here - and the new watch is everything people have been asking for and more, literally (but we’ll get to that in a minute). For as popular as the Black Bay Pro has been for Tudor, it didn’t take long after its launch in 2022 to notice a curious refrain of voices asking - nay, demanding - that Tudor bring a white dial in the style of the ‘Polar’ Explorer II to what is probably the outdoorsiest entry in the Black Bay family. Renders abounded, and a Polar BB Pro has been a fixture of prediction pieces for the last three years. Now, after a long wait, the watch so many asked for is here, and Tudor nailed it, not that there won’t be complaints. But first the good stuff. The dial here is awesome. The Opaline white dial (not Polar) looks - unsurprisingly - great against the all-steel look of the BB Pro, and the yellow GMT hand continues to please, albeit despite sacrificing some of the contrast that defined the original release. Thankfully, any contrast lost is more than made up for elsewhere, most especially thanks to the black surrounds on the hands and markers. The markers here are the same three-dimensional ceramic lume plots as on the black model, but here they forfeit the off-white look of the original BB Pro...
Monochrome
For almost 25 years, MeisterSinger has been our number one source for everything single-hand timepieces. It’s not even a signature for the brand, it’s a fundamental purpose, an inescapable feature to be found on all its watches – without or with additional complications. This deliberate choice to indicate the time without the frenetic minute and […]
Worn & Wound
Omega has had a string of interesting releases since the white dialed Speedmaster became, if only for a minute, one of the hottest watches in the industry. That watch, released just about one year ago, set off a series of new product announcements that saw Omega embracing the watches and properties that make them one of the two or three most important brands in the world. They had, by all accounts, a great Olympics, and followed up a busy summer with a pair of enthusiast focused, Bond adjacent releases. They also gained quite a bit of traction with a new First Omega in Space and a well received (if expensive) Bronze Gold Seamaster. Omega was a brand that we had often talked about as being in something of a slump, but the last year saw them break out of that, at least somewhat. We’ll forgive them the Speedmaster Pilot. Last week, then, was like taking a time machine back just a few years, when the most exciting thing Omega could muster up was a collection of watches in different shades of blue. The new Seamaster Planet Ocean Worldtimer is a true mish-mash of ideas and spare parts, a huge watch that could only be produced by a brand of Omega’s gargantuan size. Part of the Planet Ocean “Deep Black” sub-collection, these watches use the same 45.5mm platform. The case is a solid block of brushed ceramic and measures 18.99mm tall and 52.4mm from lug to lug. For anyone who mourns the era of the big watch, please point them this way. The Worldtimer functionality is bor...
Monochrome
MeisterSinger, a German brand created by Manfred Brassler in 2001, and located in the city of Münster, Westphalia, has made a name for itself with its unusual display of the time based on a single central hand – a fine needlepoint that enables the wearer to read the time almost to the nearest minute, but […]
Teddy Baldassarre
For those in the know, Breguet is a name in the history of watchmaking that commands instant respect, and even reverence. The brand’s legendary founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, is rightfully lauded as the inventor of the tourbillon, but his lifetime horological resumé goes far beyond even that: he made the first self-winding movement, the first watch that was wound by a crown rather than a key, the pare-chute shock protection system, and the gong system for repeater watches, among other innovations. His customers included historical figures like King Louis XVI of France, Queen Marie-Antoinette, and Napoleon Bonaparte. He even invented a style of hands that many other watchmakers other than Breguet still use today. The modern brand that bears his name is one of the undisputed, upper-echelon Swiss watch maisons, alongside names like Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet, and the jewel in the crown of the Swatch Group. All that said and acknowledged, a newcomer to Breguet, especially the prospective owner of his or her first Breguet watch, may find all of this background intimidating. And make no mistake, Breguet is unapologetic in both its embrace of historical renown and its timepieces’ exalted level of luxury. The brand’s modern-day stewards harbor no illusion that they offer anything that would be any aficionado’s “first watch.” The whole concept of “entry level” must be stretched a bit at this venerated tier of watchmaking: like Patek Philippe, A. Lan...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Aquastar's Benthos 500 holds an important spot in dive watch history. First unveiled in 1970, it stood out from the crowd with its unique chronograph-like functionality and slow-moving 60-minute elapsed-time counter. It was bold, unconventional, and ahead of its time-until the Quartz Crisis swept the industry off course. But what if quartz hadn't disrupted the market so quickly? The new Aquastar Benthos H2 wonders just that, providing a design inspired by archival drawings from the late '60s while moving it towards modern tastes and technologies.
Quill & Pad
Ian Skellern did not like the Ming 37.09 Uni dive watch on first sight. Or second. The ‘industrial’ – to my eyes – rather than elegant ‘chunky’ white minute ring, while practical i.e., highly visible, which is good for a dive watch, just didn’t work for him. But after a couple of days he looked at the dial again and decided that he liked it.
SJX Watches
Arguably TAG Heuer’s most interesting affordable chronograph, the Carrera Chronosprint features a unique variable-speed chronograph seconds that accelerates for the first 15 seconds of every elapsed minute, before slowing to complete the remainder of the 60 seconds. Now TAG Heuer has introduced a new pair of variants in partnership with Porsche: the Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche Rallye that’s available in either steel or yellow gold. The new model sports a black dial modelled on the dash of the 1965 Porsche 911 that bears the traditional “Carrera” emblem at 12 o’clock. Initial thoughts The Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche Rallye demonstrates TAG Heuer’s strength in affordable chronographs. In technical terms, it’s the brand’s best chronograph in this price segment. The case is little large for my preference, but that’s typical of the current Carrera due to the thickness of the TH20 in-house movement. Although I am typically indifferent to brand partnerships - they are more often than not simply for marketing buzz - this particular collaboration makes sense given TAG Heuer’s historical presence in motorsports, which it has just returned to starting with the 2025 Formula 1 season. Retailing at US$10,250 in steel and US$24,600 in yellow gold, the Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche Rallye is pricier than the base-model Carrera “Glassbox” by a margin of about 50%. While that might seem a lot, the uncharge US$3,000 or so is worth it given the TH20-08 “...
Well, it’s finally arrived, the end of 2024. Typically, around this time we put together an annual wrap, but the brands had other plans. You see, they kept releasing watches. So, for episode 96 of A Week in Watches, we’re still covering new releases, with a particular focus on that last-minute Speedmaster drop, and, boy, do we have some thoughts on that one. This episode was brought to by the Windup Watch Shop. When the winter break is behind you, and you’ve returned the awkward sweaters and novelty socks, head on over to the shop and get yourself something you really want. Perhaps some straps, a utility knife, or even a watch. And, if you happen to be near NYC, you can set up a time to come to the new showroom and pick something out in person by following this link. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 96: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a Speedmaster! appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Time+Tide
A last-minute rush to get in on some of the Christmas shopping mania, perhaps?The post Watch brands are rushing to open Australian boutiques before the end of 2024 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Continuing the development of scaled-down versions of its signature wristwatch, Ressence unveils the Type 9. Characterised by a 39 mm titanium case – the smallest model in the brand’s current catalogue – the Type 9 is similar to the Type 8 in being a time-only displaying just hours and minutes, with no seconds. In a first for the brand, the minute scale has been repositioned from the dial to the fixed bezel that now sports a five-minute scale. Initial thoughts The Type 9 is a logical evolution of the brand’s entry-level model that retains the trademark “planetary” time display but in a smaller, simpler format. With a diameter of only 39 mm and short lugs, the Type 9 is more wearable. Though the Type 9 is the most affordable watch in the line-up, the new model does not compromise on aesthetics, maintaining the distinctive look and feel. Priced at CHF12,500, the Type 9 is CHF1,000 less expensive than the next-most-affordable model, the Type 8. For me, it is an ideal Ressence wristwatch that combines a perfect proportions with affordability. Arguably the only downside of the Type 9 is that it adds to the ever-growing catalogue of fairly similar models. The overlap between the Types 8 and 9 are obvious and possibly confusing. Perfect size In traditional Ressence style, the case of the Type 9 has no crown. Instead time-setting and manual winding of the movement is done by rotating the case back. Due to its construction, the case is only water resistant to 10 m, “s...
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
Ulysse Nardin’s entry-level Freak has been dressed up with a flinque enamel dial in a limited edition for Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the Middle East’s most prominent luxury watch retailer. The Freak X Enamel Seddiqi features a “Yas Blue” guilloché enamel dial with the signature carousel carrying an oversized oscillator and silicon escapement that acts as a minute hand. Initial thoughts The Freak X is a descendent of the original Freak, but simplified for user-friendliness and affordability. The Seddiqi edition combines the appeal of the Freak X with an artisan ally decorated dial – a combination of contrasts that are complementary. While the enamel might seem contrary to the high-tech nature of the Freak X, it complements the aesthetics of the watch. The striking, translucent enamel forms a pleasing backdrop for the carousel. Priced at AED154,000 or around US$42,000, the Freak X Enamel Seddiqi is a little more expensive than the base model Freak X, but still amongst the most affordable Freak models. Inversed calibre In 2001, Ulysse Nardin revolutionised watchmaking the Freak, a watch that reimagined the conventions of movement construction with an unprecedented design that relocated the going train and oscillator to double as the minute hand. And the watch was the first-ever application of silicon in watchmaking. The Freak X has the trademark carousel minute hand, but features a convenient automatic movement and crown, eliminating the need to wind the watch every f...
WatchAdvice
From the Arctic to the Everyday: The New Terra Nova Evolution What We Love: The new look for the Terra Nova is suited for everyday wear. The blue gradient dial is stunning in person. Polished finishing on the case and bezel gives the watch a luxury look. What We Don’t: The constant seconds counter is oversized for dial. Movement and power reserve can be better to suit modern standards. Minute track can be slimmed down so dial appears less busy. Final Score: 8/10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.0/10 Build Quality: 8.0/10 During Watches and Wonders earlier this year, Bremont released numerous timepieces for its Terra Nova collection, with various colour schemes and strap options. This Terra Nova collection can be seen as the brand’s redirection, as in early 2023, the company announced a change of leadership with Davide Cerrato taking over the reins. But let’s take a step back and look at what Bremont was as a watch brand before this new, modern direction took over. As a watchmaker, Bremont has a relatively short history compared to some of the other luxury watch manufacturers; however, in this short span of time, they have already created some memorable timepieces. The story in which the brand was found is also quite the tale! Bremont Founders Nick and Giles English. Image Reference: Bremont.com Bremont was founded in 2002 by British brothers Nick and Giles English. The brothers were drawn to watchmaking and to ultimately created a watch brand t...
Time+Tide
Rather than the soothing tones of usual minute repeaters, Bulgari's latest chiming trio represents the devil's interval: the tritone.The post Would the Bulgari Octo Chiming watches have been banned in medieval Rome? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
For as long as I can remember, movies have been my deepest obsession and primary interest. Watches came much later in comparison and followed half a dozen other deep dives into hobbies both mainstream and incredibly niche (talk to me about Scotty Cameron putters and the minute audible differences between two different brands of high end speaker cable sometime). But movies are my first love and I naturally look for connections to them in just about every other facet of life. Something a friend will say will remind me of a random piece of dialogue from some obscure 90s comedy, or a piece of music takes me back to a needle drop in a Scorsese or Wes Anderson film. And, yes, I scroll through Instagram and see watches and think about movie star ambassadors, or the films where they’ve been spotted. No brand has a longer or prouder history of being tied to the movie industry than Hamilton. Their watches have appeared in films for decades, both intentionally and accidentally, and we’ve covered much of this history at length. There’s a pattern to how these things usually work: as a movie approaches its release date, the watch brand’s PR team reaches out to websites like ours to pitch stories and introduce the watch (particularly if it’s a new variant or an entirely new watch), and that’s how these articles take shape and the watch and movie become connected in the public consciousness. The Murph, though, is a little different. Hamilton was a partner on Christopher Nolan...
Quill & Pad
Back in August 2023, Ian Skellern published an article titled: New McGonigle Ogma for 2024: No Watch, No Photos, No Sketches, No Launch, But First Editions Already Nearly Sold Out. Stephen McGonigle has now released a short 4-minute film featuring his new Ogma and its (and his) Irish roots.
Quill & Pad
One of the best parts of the Patek Philippe 5270P Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is a caseback spectacle. Watch carefully, and the chronograph minutes jumper displays action that corresponds to the dial-side instant jumping chrono minute
Deployant
The Stowa Verus GMT Chrono Black Forest Limited Edition marks Stowa's commitment to craftsmanship and design. This timepiece, limited to only 10 pieces, features a modern and military aesthetic with a highly functional approach. It houses a Valjoux 7754 chronograph movement with an uncommon single minute subdial and GMT handstack.
SJX Watches
The Jumping Hours Black Jade Stone is Andersen Genève’s new take on its minimalist, digital hour timepiece. Retaining the same specifications, it once against uses the wide expanse of the dial for visual effect. The dial is a large, seamless piece of black jade just 0.4 mm thick that’s been lapped to a perfectly flat, mirrored finish. The glossy black dial is unadorned save for the hour display 12 o’clock, along with a pink gold minute hand matched with pink gold-powder printing. Initial thoughts Bringing to mind vintage jump hour pocket watches with its clean dial, the Andersen Jumping Hours is a perfect canvas for dial decoration given the available space. Even though it looks plain at a distance, the black jade dial is striking in its colour and simplicity, while also revealing the natural grain up close. The time display, however, is unconventional. While the hours are easy to read, the minute register at six is easily and often mistaken for the seconds. Though I can understand the design-driven purpose of the minute sub-dial, I would have done it another way to make reading of the time more intuitive. The quality of work is typical Andersen, which is artisanal and visibly so. It doesn’t have the perfect execution found in a Voutilainen or Akrivia but is done well. The price is commensurate with the quality – at about US$59,000 is more or less mid-range amongst high-end independent watchmakers. Time only in black jade One of the pioneering independent watchm...
Monochrome
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Credor, a brand that began as Seiko‘s high-end line, offering timepieces crafted from precious metals. Today, Credor is renowned for its commitment to superior craftsmanship and aesthetic sensibility, which is evident in every aspect of its watches, from design to the intricate movements made up of countless minute […]
Worn & Wound
Some people, if you were to ask them, would say that the most exhilarating moment in sports is the bottom of the ninth with two outs and the winning run at the plate. Others would say it’s penalty kicks at the World Cup, the final two minutes of a basketball game, or a last-minute Hail Mary. Ask me the same question, and you’ll get a different answer. For my money, the most exciting moment in sports comes at the end of a tennis match. Unlike soccer, football, or basketball, tennis isn’t a sport where you can run out the clock. To win, you have to earn the last point and, until that happens, a comeback is never out of the question. Despite matches sometimes lasting for hours, time isn’t explicitly a factor in tennis, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter, and there is no stronger evidence for that than the strong connection between some of the world’s leading watch brands and the sport of tennis. This past weekend, I got to experience that connection firsthand with a visit to the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where Rado was serving as the tournament’s official timekeeper. With Rado’s clocks tracking the passing time both on and off the court, there was no better host to welcome us to Rock Creek Park, or with whom to celebrate one of my favorite sports in one of my favorite cities. Though Rado’s relationship with tennis extends back much further (well over thirty years), this is only their second year partnering with the Mubadala Citi DC Open. But just because...
Worn & Wound
If you’ve never had the pleasure of attending a Windup Watch Fair in person, it’s hard to express the energy in the room or the unavoidable concentration of enthusiasm that greets you when you step through the doors. From the moment the show opens on Friday to the minute it closes on Sunday, every Windup is a marathon of excited conversation, new friends, and constant discovery - all bound by a vague sense of risk, a sense that (if you should stop and stare for a little too long) you may be walking out of Windup with something new tucked away in your bag and a slightly lighter wallet. Of course, for all their similarities, no two Windups are the same. The character of each host city plays a huge part in this - it’s hard to quantify the difference between a bay-side view in San Francisco in May and a downtown October day in New York City - but throw in different brands, different people, different venues, and (possibly most importantly) different watches and you’ll find that every Windup comes with the distinct chance to surprise. So, to that end, with a few days between me and the end of Windup Chicago 2024, I thought I would take a moment to fill you in on some of the watches and moments that surprised me at this summer’s hottest watch fair. NATO’s Don’t Need Holes It seems like a fitting place to start this endeavor would be with the only booth at Windup Chicago that got me to pull out my wallet not once, but twice. Like so many of us, I go absolutely...
Time+Tide
We've seen tourbillons and minute repeaters aplenty - these watches sport some truly unique mechanical oddities.The post From death prediction to sunrise times, these are the most unique watch complications appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
GaryG provides us with a look at why he bought the A. Lange & Söhne Double Split even though he already owned the brand’s Datograph. The Double Split is the world’s only double rattrapante capable of both split-second and split-minute interval timing, which may shed some light.
Monochrome
I recently had the chance to see one of my car-related dreams being partially fulfilled; experiencing the Mille Miglia! It was a last-minute arrangement for me so I sadly could not get behind the wheel of a vintage sports or racing car, but it was a scintillating experience nonetheless. Spending a day-and-a-half in the rolling […]
Quill & Pad
Independent Chinese watchmaker Qin Gan has over thirty years of experience in antique watch restorations and has crafted numerous prototype watches with complex features such as flyback, tourbillon, automaton, and repeater mechanisms. He now launches his second model under his own brand, the sublime Pastorale II.
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