Results for Automatic vs Manual Winding

[Video] Tudor Black Bay Chrono Blue Boutique Edition vs. Pink: Which is Better?

Tudor has been on a roll this year with new additions to the Black Bay Chronograph collection. Just a few weeks ago, they dropped a new addition to its Black Bay Chronograph lineup: the Blue Boutique Edition. Since I recently picked up the pink dial variant, naturally I wanted to get my hands on the blue and see how it stacks up against my current favorite. Both models bring something unique to the table, but should you go out of your way to pick up either? Let me see if I can encourage some of ya’ll to come to the dark side with me! Starting with the classic (and widely available) Black Bay Chronograph, I had a chance to wear the white panda version a few months ago, and while I appreciated its solid build and good looks, something about it wasn’t quite right. I’ll be the first to admit that I am attracted to the Black Bay Chrono because of its similarities to its “big sister” chronograph, the Rolex Daytona. Since I’m not willing to pay gray market prices and getting one at retail is a grail move in itself, I’ve always considered the BB Chrono a solid alternative.  I was super excited Tudor lent me the white panda as I had never gone hands on with one for more than 5 minutes. Upon putting it on my wrist I was totally down with the look of the thicker chronograph but something just wasn’t sitting right (literally). The oyster bracelet just felt too heavy for my taste and bulky in nature. I also found the lack of on-the-fly adjustability frustrating in the ...

The Golden Age of Rolex Movements Part III: Branding vs. Breakthroughs in Recent Years

The last two decades have witnessed regular Rolex engineering advances, often in plain sight and in rapid succession. Despite these developments, Rolex remains a brand defined not by movements but by continuity, model families, and the Rolex image itself. Tim Mosso thinks that the root of Rolex’s soft-pedaled reputation for movement virtuosity lies in the company’s own branding strategy. That and more in this third installment of Rolex's history of movement technology.

Introducing – The Montblanc Star Legacy Green Exploding Star Automatic Date and Chronograph Day-Date

In 1997, Montblanc launched its first watch collection, influenced, as you might expect, by its famous writing instruments. The Star Legacy collection, launched in 1997, featured the brand’s famous white star logo on the crown. Introduced in 1913, the logo gracing the caps of its fountain pens that looks like a star is, in fact, […]

Introducing: The Alpina Heritage Automatic

Vintage styling forms a classic take on an elegant field watch format.

Microbrands vs. Independent Watchmakers: The Rise of (Relatively Affordable) Microbrands

In recent years, several factors have come together resulting in the exponential rise of microbrand watches. This new microbrand wave is one of the biggest developments in the broader watch market. I would mention here that not all microbrands are equal. There are many watches out there that, to be honest, are not worth your time. However, some microbrands are getting it right as Raman Kalra highlights here.

Omega vs Breitling – Who Wins? by Tim Mosso (Video)

Tim Mosso explores the renewed rivalry between luxury watch titans Omega and Breitling. Once an also-ran, Breitling has been rehabilitated in the marketplace and offers competitive watches in all classes. As Rolex has moved upmarket, Omega and its Speedmaster have been left in possession of the mid-market field.

The Evergreens – The History of the Zenith El Primero, The Glorious High-Frequency Automatic Chronograph That Almost Died

In our series on historically significant calibres, the best way to honour the El Primero calibre is by highlighting its qualities, functional characteristics, and pivotal role in shaping the watchmaking industry. While the tale of its salvation in 1976, along with that of Zenith as a company, by a courageous man defying the ill will […]

ProTek Adds an Automatic Movement to the 1210 Automatic Series

ProTek owner Barry Cohen is not what you would call a novice when it comes to tritium-illuminated timepieces. He pioneered the genre as Luminox’s original owner and founder, the brand that revolutionized tactical-style watches with continuous illumination capabilities. Thirty-five years later, he now leads another tritium-focused brand called ProTek, which manufactures watches for those working in challenging environments. They use only high-quality components that can withstand harsh conditions. ProTek is proud to be approved and recognized as an Official Watch of the United States Marine Corps, a testament to the ruggedness and reliability of their timepieces. These watches are as tough as the service members who wear them, enduring the most adverse environments. If they can endure the challenges of the USMC, you can trust their performance on your wrist. In June 2024, they launched a new automatic version of their popular Official USMC dive watch, available in multiple colors. These watches feature 42mm cases made of carbon composite, a material known for its lightweight and extreme durability. The unidirectional rotating bezel is also made of this material, ensuring the watch’s resilience. The screw-down stainless steel case provides 300 meters of water resistance and features an embossed USMC logo. To maintain this rating, the screw-down crown is equipped with multiple O-ring gaskets. The dial, hands, and bezel pip are equipped with ProTek’s ProGlo tritium illum...

IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 Review

IWC released a new generation of its Ingenieur collection in 2023, at what many would consider the tail end of the integrated-luxury-sport-watch craze that gripped the industry heading into 2020. At the time, it was tempting to say that IWC was a bit late to the punch here, especially considering the Schaffhausen-based brand's enviable position of having an original Gérald Genta design from the ‘70s to utilize. In hindsight, however, it seems that IWC was playing the long game, and wasn’t interested in rushing out a throwback type of release. Instead, IWC took a bit more time and released a modern rendition of the original Genta design, released in 1976, as a foundation for years to come. The result is the Reference 3289 Ingenieur, and it’s a watch that looks to do more than merely capitalize on a passing trend.  There are two watches with which you likely associate the name Gérald Genta, and those are the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Genta penned both of these now iconic designs, in 1972 and 1976 respectively, and they have served as cornerstones in creating the premium sport-watch genre as a whole, as well as helped to spawn the subset of integrated-bracelet designs within it. But those are far from the only watches that can be attributed to Genta, and in fact, aren’t even the only integrated-bracelet sport-watch designs to come out of that era. In 1976, he also designed a new Ingenieur for IWC, known as the SL Ref. 1832 (tha...

Titanium vs. Stainless Steel Watches: Beyond the Silvery Surface

We are seeing more brands using titanium for their watches and more luxury options becoming available as alternatives to stainless steel. So what are the main differences between stainless steel and titanium watches?

Introducing – The new Formex Reef 39.5mm Bahama Blue Automatic COSC

The “Baby Reef” series of Formex 39.5mm dive watches, comprised of four watches distinguished by dial colour, was presented at the end of 2023. Now, in time for summer, it gets a new and very fresh-looking reference. It’s everything the brand enthusiasts appreciate about the collection, only brighter. Here’s the Reef 39.5mm Bahama Blue 300m […]

First Look – The new Depancel Serie-R Tangerine Chronograph Automatic

A young French brand with a name derived from Delage, Panhard and Facel Vega (three of the most respected French car manufacturers), Depancel has specialized in racing-inspired watches and has recently focused on developing its chronograph collections. Mostly seen in the 1960s-inspired, traditionally round Allure range, Depancel has used several well-known calibres, ranging from an […]

Introducing – The 1980s-Inspired Delma Midland Automatic with Integrated Bracelet

Most of Delma’s repertoire is sporty, verging on instrument-style watchmaking incarnated by the highly impressive 5,000m-rated Delma Blue Shark IV. The brand has long demonstrated its ability to create robust and capable watches at fair prices. But today, Delma has decided to embrace the other end of the spectrum with its answer to the highly […]

Tissot Introduces an Affordable Skeleton Automatic

Tissot added to the Chemin Des Tourelles Squelette collection of accessibly-priced skeleton watches. Sharing the same exact case design as last year’s updated model, the trio of new additions have open-worked dials that display the inner workings of the Powermatic 80 calibre. Both the styling and movement are no-frills, and matched with a price below US$1,000, making them a good option for the beginner enthusiast. Initial thoughts Tissot is known for affordable Swiss-made watches and the Chemin des Tourelles Skeleton is exactly that. The novelty of the watch lies in the open dial that reveals the skeleton movement. Although the calibre isn’t fancily executed, it is cleanly finished and provides visual detail that sets this apart from most similarly priced watches. The design is also enhanced by the fact that it doesn’t have a date, which gives the dial a clean, symmetrical appearance. Priced between US$895 and US$975, the Chemin des Tourelles Skeleton is a good value proposition, especially since skeleton watches are not common in this price segment. Entry-level skeleton While the sporty PRX collection is now its most high profile product, the brand overhauled the Chemin des Tourelles line last year. Named after the street where the Tissot headquarters are located, Chemin des Tourelles is made up of dress watches, with the skeleton model being the top-of-the-line. The Chemin des Tourelles Skeleton has a case that’s 39 mm in diameter and 11.2 mm thick, with a domed ...

Depancel Introduces their First Série-R Watch with an Automatic Chronograph Caliber

Depancel has carved out a nice little niche for themselves making highly specific automotive and racing inspired watches. These watches are frequently geared directly at watch collectors who are already steeped in car culture, with colorways inspired by classic racing liverys and case designs that emulate specific vehicle designs. Their square shaped watch, the Série-R, might appear somewhat derivative of another famous square watch connected to the racing world, but it has its own thing happening that sets it apart just enough. And this one, surprisingly, is the first chronograph in the Série-R collection.  Previous iterations of the Série-R have primarily been the home of a calendar complication with an execution that is chronograph-like, featuring subdials at 3, 6, and 9 for the calendar indicators. The new Série-R, in a “Tangerine” colorway and limited to 300 pieces, could have been easily predicted by Depancel fans. We get effectively the same layout as the calendar, but we’ve entered race mode with a three register chrono.  The new Tangerine colorway looks great, with a blue base dial with a sunray finish in the interior circular section and vertical ridges outside to fill the square. Orange and white accents figure prominently throughout, with a bold stripe down the dial’s left side, crossing the 9:00 subdial.  The case might appear like a standard square at a glance, but there’s a little more going on. The shape is meant to evoke a radiator grille,...

First Look – The Raymond Weil Millesime Automatic Chronograph

There was a time when watch companies looked to the future, trying to capture the mood, technology, and materials of what might be happening in the coming decades. Then there was the trend for vintage or retro-styled watches, and brands with aeons of heritage dug up classics from the past and revisited them with contemporary […]

First Look – IWC Updates Its Iconic Portugieser Automatic 40 & 42 With New Dials and Cases (incl. Video)

This year is all about the Portugieser for IWC, and the brand brings several spending novelties to the table, including updated icons within the already iconic collection. Next to the Portugieser Chronograph receiving an aesthetic update, there are a couple more things to talk about. As a collection, the Portugieser can trace back its roots […]

First Look – The All-Black Octo Roma Steel DLC Automatic & Chronograph

Ancient Rome is a constant well of inspiration at Bulgari that deftly transforms architectural motifs from the past into fresh, stylish designs. The dynamic geometry of the Octo Roma, released in 2012 and refreshed in 2023, is said to have been inspired by the octagonal coffering found on the vaults of the 4th-century Basilica of […]

First Look – Titanium and Stone Dials, Meet The New Versions of the Nivada F77 Automatic

In 2023, Nivada Grenchen delighted enthusiasts with a faithful recreation of its original F77, initially introduced in 1977 to rival popular sports watches of the era, with a steel construction with an integrated bracelet. The relaunched F77 series brought back with the same intent decades later, featured versions sporting blue and black dials adorned with […]

Auctions: The First-Ever Automatic Patek Philippe – Made For One Of Its Most Important Collectors – Is About To Be Sold

Made for J.B. Champion, it's one of the most important Pateks ever made, and it's appearing at Sotheby's this weekend.

Hands-On: Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon Openworked In Sand Gold Has One Neat Trick That Everyone Loves

Who ever said beige has to be bland?

First Look – The New and Accessible Depancel Allure Automatic Chronograph (incl. Video)

French brand Depancel has a distinct automotive-inspired approach to watchmaking, which starts with its name. The name Depancel is derived from Delage, Panhard and Facel Vega, three of the most respected French car manufacturers. With such a backstory, it’s not hard to figure out what Depancel loves to do most; build car- and motorcycle-inspired watches! […]

60 Megapixel Madness: Sony vs. Leica

Do you need a 60-megapixel camera? Certainly not, yet they are out there and more available than ever before. With a high megapixel count comes a world of cropping possibilities, opening up the way you shoot. But, it’s not without its drawbacks. In the video below, Kat Shoulders and Zach Weiss discuss what they like about their respective cameras from Leica and Sony. Both are relatively new to the market, both are 60-megapixel, and both are fairly compact, yet the two cameras are wildly different. Is one better than the other? Is one more practical than the other? Is one cooler than the other? Watch and let us know what you think. The post 60 Megapixel Madness: Sony vs. Leica appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Renaud Tixier makes its debut with an innovative micro-rotor automatic watch

Automatic Watches are for Watch Enthusiasts: A Counterpoint Here’s Why

Watch connoisseurs, as Joshua Munchow has written previously, want to connect with their watches, desiring an object to behold and cherish for its beauty, rarity, or complexity. Enthusiasts, on the other hand, like to wear their watches, use their watches, and maybe even abuse their watches when they use them as the tools they are. Here's why.