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Results for Master Chronometer (METAS)

1,341 articles · 356 videos found · page 35 of 57

Full Jaeger-LeCoultre Immersion: Three New Marc Newson Atmos And Memovox Designs, Milan Design Week, And Homo Faber Fratello
Jaeger-LeCoultre Immersion Three New Marc Apr 25, 2026

Full Jaeger-LeCoultre Immersion: Three New Marc Newson Atmos And Memovox Designs, Milan Design Week, And Homo Faber

Jaeger-LeCoultre had a pretty impressive Watches and Wonders, with several high-horology releases and a new range of integrated-bracelet Master Control models. The team would surely have been forgiven for taking a few days off in the lovely Vallée de Joux to catch its breath. Instead, JLC flew straight to Milan, Italy, for the Salone del […] Visit Full Jaeger-LeCoultre Immersion: Three New Marc Newson Atmos And Memovox Designs, Milan Design Week, And Homo Faber to read the full article.

Happenings: Claude Greisler To Lecture At The Horological Society Of New York Hodinkee
Armin Strom Co-Founder Apr 22, 2026

Happenings: Claude Greisler To Lecture At The Horological Society Of New York

Resonance is one of the most fascinating physical phenomena explored in watchmaking, where two oscillators influence each other and eventually synchronize. Since Christiaan Huygens' 17th‑century observations with pendulum clocks, watchmakers have sought to harness it in wristwatches. At the May 2026 lecture of the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), Armin Strom Co-Founder and Master Watchmaker Claude Greisler will share how the brand successfully achieved resonance in 2016 with the caliber ARF15. Central to this innovation is the patented resonance clutch, which links the two hairsprings, allowing them to synchronize quickly and continuously average out rate deviations. Join Greisler as he explores the journey from theory to mechanism and the creation of a modern resonance system. About Claude Greisler "A passion for 'transparent mechanics', both from an aesthetic perspective and to showcase how our watches actually work, has always guided my design sensibility. From a watchmaking perspective, I honor the many generations of Swiss-German watchmakers in my family with an uncompromising commitment to perfection in both movement quality and finishing." - Claude Greisler Born into a watchmaker family, Claude Greisler began his formal watchmaking education at a watchmaker school in Solothurn, Switzerland, followed by advanced programs at the Centre Interrégional de Formation des Montagnes (CIFOM) in Le Locle. He graduated in watch restoration and watch development, com...

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Stratospheric Gyrotourbillon SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre s Stratospheric Gyrotourbillon Jaeger-L... Apr 20, 2026

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Stratospheric Gyrotourbillon

Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) has introduced its next-generation multi-axis tourbillon as part of its new Hybris Inventiva collection, introduced purely to explore complications previously thought to be ”impossible” to achieve. The collection opens with the Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère, which improves upon prior Gyrotourbillon models by taking the oscillator through 98% of possible positions. Initial thoughts The impressive movement of the Stratosphere was ostensibly developed to improve accuracy, and on a theoretical basis the multi-axis design should go a long way to eliminate positional errors. Of course, in reality it’s difficult to outperform simplicity. That said, the new cal. 178 is a thoughtfully engineered and impressively constructed mechanical sculpture that does credit to its maker, showcasing JLC’s breadth of capabilities. It’s also quite wearable by the standards of its category. Some past Gyrotourbillon models suffered from excessive size - namely the ungainly Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2. Fortunately, the Stratosphère is comparatively sleek at just 42 mm, though the movement uses every bit of its 16.15 mm thickness. Understanding the Inventiva The new Hybris Inventiva collection has a different mandate than the existing Hybris Mechanica and Hybris Artistica collections. Specifically, each Inventiva will features just one complication, albeit one taken to new heights. The Inventiva collection will feature ideas born from blue-sky...

Introducing – Christiaan van der Klaauw Venus Zodiac and Venus Annual Calendar Monochrome
Christiaan van der Klaauw Venus Zodiac Apr 17, 2026

Introducing – Christiaan van der Klaauw Venus Zodiac and Venus Annual Calendar

Christiaan van der Klaauw is a renowned Dutch independent watch brand specialising exclusively in astronomical complications, making it the world’s only atelier dedicated solely to handcrafted timepieces inspired by celestial mechanics. Founded in 1974 by master watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw, who retired in 2009, the brand is now in the hands of watchmaker Pim […]

First Look – The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric 30th-Anniversary Trilogy, with Hand-Hammered Dials Monochrome
Parmigiani Fleurier Toric 30th-Anniversary Trilogy Apr 16, 2026

First Look – The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric 30th-Anniversary Trilogy, with Hand-Hammered Dials

Master watchmaker and restorer Michel Parmigiani’s original Toric QP Rétrograde was Parmigiani Fleurier’s foundational watch marking the brand’s launch in 1996. Following the appointment of Guido Terreni in 2021, many of Michel Parmigiani’s models were put on standby to allow Terreni to chart the brand’s new design direction, with a primary focus on the Tonda […]

First Look – The New Zenith G.F.J. in Tantalum and Yellow Gold, Continuing the Legacy of the Calibre 135 Monochrome
Zenith G.F.J Apr 15, 2026

First Look – The New Zenith G.F.J. in Tantalum and Yellow Gold, Continuing the Legacy of the Calibre 135

When Zenith brought back the legendary Calibre 135 last year in the G.F.J. collection, it was a tribute to its 160-year history. Also, it signalled the return of one of the most celebrated chronometer movements. Now, the brand expands the collection with two new G.F.J interpretations: a tantalum edition with an onyx dial and diamonds, […]

First Look – The Comeback of the Cartier Roadster Collection Monochrome
Cartier Roadster Collection Brands are Apr 13, 2026

First Look – The Comeback of the Cartier Roadster Collection

Brands are fully aware that mechanically minded car enthusiasts tend to appreciate mechanical watches, leading to countless sponsorship gestures and collaborations. After a 14-year hiatus, Cartier is set to delight petrolheads with the return of its automotive-inspired Roadster. Renowned as the master of shaped watches, Cartier’s curvaceous, streamlined Roadster has been refined by a team […]

Introducing: The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Skeleton Fratello
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Apr 13, 2026

Introducing: The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Skeleton

Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers workshop is its skunkworks division devoted to the most exclusive single-piece editions. Each watch is a special commission by connoisseurs seeking one-of-a-kind timepieces to express their unique artistic vision. Les Cabinotiers dates to the 18th century, when master watchmakers, known as cabinotiers, worked in the brighter top floors of Genevan workshops. […] Visit Introducing: The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Skeleton to read the full article.

In Depth: Laboratoire de Précision SJX Watches
Omega Constellation Observatory we were Apr 9, 2026

In Depth: Laboratoire de Précision

Alongside the launch of the Omega Constellation Observatory, we were among the first members of the public granted access to the Swatch Group’s Laboratoire de Précision (LP), a new independent chronometer testing institute with facilities in Omega’s native Biel/Bienne and Villeret. The new organisation does not redefine chronometer norms, but it has developed a new acoustic certification process that is more automated and provides client brands with a richer performance data set - a unique capability that has implications beyond mere certification. Laboratoire de Précision. Image – Omega Initial thoughts The debut of the Constellation Observatory, the first watch certified by LP and the first-ever two-handed Master Chronometer, was greeted with a mixed feedback from both collectors and the press. Some found the choice to launch a chronometer without a seconds hand heretical, viewing it as a gimmick to promote LP’s new testing process. The Omega Constellation Observatory is the first watch to complete chronometer certification at LP. Regardless of how one feels about the two-handed aspect of the watch - I found the design balanced and appealing, even if the concept is a bit quirky - the launch placed a renewed focus on the way official chronometers are tested and certified. Many were confused by the claimed novelty of acoustic testing, given the universal presence of Witschi machines on watchmakers’ benches. Indeed, the method is not new. What is new is t...

In Depth: The Horological Evolution of Jacob & Co. SJX Watches
Casio n Apr 8, 2026

In Depth: The Horological Evolution of Jacob & Co.

Since “Jacob and Jeweller” made its first foray into fine watchmaking two decades ago, Jacob & Co. has positioned itself as a master of maximalism in all its forms, both bejewelled and technical, with some of the brands’s most audacious creations free of gem-setting entirely. The story of Jacob & Co.’s rise as an independent watchmaker features a celebrated cast of constructors. While other brands focused on vertical integration, Jacob & Co. opted to become a patron of promising complication specialists and independent watchmakers, funding their visions while challenging them with its own. Now, 20 years on, Jacob & Co. has evolved into a major player in the ultra-high end watchmaking segment, and is one of the fastest growing brands in an otherwise downbeat market; according to the brand, its 2025 watch sales were close to CHF300 million at retail. The brand’s obvious success is due to both its astute commercial instincts, founder Jacob Arabo’s inimitable personality, and also its ability to bring technically demanding movements to market and iterate on them with remarkable regularity. The gongs of a minute repeating Astronomia, one of the line’s many flankers. Few brands have managed to build credibility in both jewellry and watchmaking simultaneously. On the occasion of the brand’s 40th anniversary, it’s worth looking at how Jacob & Co. has succeeded where others have failed. Chapter 1: The Quenttin Jacob & Co.’s first 20 years were somewhat quiet on...

Hands On: Omega Constellation Observatory SJX Watches
Omega Constellation Observatory Mar 30, 2026

Hands On: Omega Constellation Observatory

At long last, Omega has unveiled the spiritual successor to the beloved ‘Pie Pan’ Constellation, complete with its signature domed dial, observatory medallion, and ‘dog leg’ lugs, the Constellation Observatory. First teased on the wrist of actor Delroy Lindo at the Academy Awards, the Observatory debuts in an expansive range of case materials and dial treatments. The collection also marks the commercial debut of Swatch Group’s Laboratoire de Précision, which has developed a new chronometer testing process capable of certifying two-handed watches. As a result, the Observatory carries the unexpected distinction of being the first Master Chronometer that displays only the hours and minutes. The Observatory in 18k Sedna gold, the brand’s trade name for its proprietary rose gold alloy. Initial thoughts The Observatory embodies Omega’s strengths, capitalising on the brand’s historical pedigree and proprietary materials and technologies, including its own durable alloys and the co-axial escapement. The Observatory in steel. On the other hand, the Observatory suffers somewhat on account of its thickness, relying on a movement platform developed at a time when the trend toward large watches appeared to have no end in sight. That said, the case design does a decent job of reducing the perceived thickness, and it looks and feels thinner than many other watches that share its dimensions on paper. It also demonstrates the immense capabilities of the broader Swatch Grou...

Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Explorer II Alternatives In 2026 Fratello
Rolex Explorer II Alternatives Feb 27, 2026

Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Explorer II Alternatives In 2026

Another Friday, another list. This week, we follow up on last week’s list of the top five Rolex GMT-Master II alternatives with the best alternatives to the Rolex Explorer II. It’s a logical step since the two models offer much of the same functionality. But they are inherently different watches in terms of presence and […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Explorer II Alternatives In 2026 to read the full article.

COSC Upgrades Standards to Certify More Than Timekeeping SJX Watches
Rolex Feb 13, 2026

COSC Upgrades Standards to Certify More Than Timekeeping

Interesting news just out of Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC), the venerable Swiss chronometer testing body, which has just announced a major revamp to its testing to honour the COSC’s standard’s 50th anniversary. Excellence Chronometer, COSC’s new and improved certification program, goes beyond the ISO 3159 norm that has defined its tests for decades. Instead of just testing movements, Excellence Chronometer will require completed, cased watches to run within -2/+4 seconds a day, as well as pass wear simulation and magnetism tests. Initial thoughts While COSC remains the primary chronometer testing body in Switzerland, thanks largely to Rolex, its protocols have been due for an update for some time now. With the rise of alternative and in-house precision testing programs, the standard chronometer certification can sometimes feel left behind. Rolex’s own Superlative Chronometer certification first requires a COSC certificate, but then makes sure the watches run at -2/+2 seconds per day after further in-house testing. The METAS Chronometer program also requires the standard COSC certificate, but guarantees a regulation of 0/+5 seconds per day and a great resistance to magnetic fields. Seeing that COSC slowly updates and imposes more stringent criteria is a good sign, but it may still not be good enough. With the rise of advanced internal certification programs, it looks like some brands submit their models to COSC testing just to make sure they can...

Hands On: Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour Feb 6, 2026

Hands On: Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour

Having celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2025, Audemars Piguet (AP) has kicked off 2026 with a slate of new models, including one of the most complicated watches in its history. But it was a simpler watch that that generated the most buzz at the glamorous launch event in the Swiss alps: the Neo Frame Jumping Hour, which is both a new watch and the beginning of a new collection that replaces the [Re]master series. The Neo Frame is a regular production wristwatch in 18k rose gold inspired by the Pre-model 1271, a historical AP reference from 1929. Though rooted in the Art Deco era, the Neo Frame is an eminently modern watch with a novel case and dial construction and the brand’s latest-generation automatic movement. Initial thoughts The name Audemars Piguet is nearly synonymous with that of its signature product, the Royal Oak. While many brands would probably trade their entire catalogues to have a single hit like the Royal Oak, AP has sought to diversify its product line up with the introduction of collections like the Code 11.59 and the short-lived [Re]master series. Despite these efforts, the Royal Oak family remains AP’s commercial engine, making the introduction of a new collection, anchored by a rectangular jumping hours watch, especially notable. The jumping hours complication seems to be enjoying renewed interest among collectors, which makes release of the Neo Frame feel timely. But up close and on the wrist, it doesn’t look or feel like anything else on t...

Affordable Vintage: the Longines Grand Prize Worn & Wound
Longines Grand Prize Longines Feb 4, 2026

Affordable Vintage: the Longines Grand Prize

Longines is a storied and well-respected Swiss watch manufacture that formed in 1832 and has continued uninterrupted to this day. From the first wrist chronometer in 1911, to groundbreaking flyback chronographs in the 1930s, to the world’s first hi-beat wrist chronometer in 1959, Longines holds their own in the watchmaking world.  My favorite period for watches is the 1950s through the 1970s and Longines was one of the top accessible brands during that time. In 1954 Longines began a marketing strategy of product families, launching the Conquest line of watches. In 1957 they introduced the Flagship line, adding to what would become a large group of watch families, many of which are still made today. Other lines that came later include the Admiral, the Ultra-Chron and the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize line was named in honor of the multitude of watchmaking awards and honors that Longines had accumulated over the decades. It was a relatively short-lived family, produced from about 1958 to 1964 according to my research. I have found that the majority of Longines watches produced during these decades were all fairly equal in quality and craftsmanship, with most of the differences in the families being design related. The Conquests were rugged and sporty, on par with the early non-diver Omega Seamaster watches. The Flagship series were dress watches, while the Admiral line was a mixture of both. The Grand Prize family were pretty much all thin, elegant everyday type dressier w...

Audemars Piguet Jumps Retro with the Neo Frame SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Jumps Retro Feb 4, 2026

Audemars Piguet Jumps Retro with the Neo Frame

Ahead of its much anticipated Watches & Wonders return, Audemars Piguet (AP) has reached deep into its archives for what in past years would have been a [RE]Master model. But now AP has renamed its vintage reissues, and it is the Neo Frame Jumping Hour that takes inspiration from a similar guichet model from 1929. This perfectly timed launch comes at a time of renewed interest in the digital display format. Initial thoughts Each time an established brand launches a completely new collection, the public response can be either positive (think Rolex Land-Dweller) or underwhelming. AP has come face-to-face with this in the past with the Code 11.59, which was bold but not well received initially (though much of the early criticism can be chalked up to cynicism). That experience hasn’t stopped the brand from continuing to diversify its portfolio away from the Royal Oak, and the latest effort capitalises on the growing interest in guichet watches. In doing so, AP reimagines an obscure piece from its own past, adding strong touches of modern design to create something with a more distinctive visual identity than one might expect from a simple jumping hours watch. Though the Neo Frame nomenclature might take a while to enter the vernacular, the guichet design feels like it’s coming to market at the right time. Ironically, the sleek profile of the Neo Frame’s case looks much like a sports smart band - albeit much glossier. Specifically, the way the polished black face connec...

Hands-On With The Christopher Ward C60 Clipper GMT Fratello
Christopher Ward C60 Clipper GMT Mention Jan 29, 2026

Hands-On With The Christopher Ward C60 Clipper GMT

Mention Pan Am to watch fans, and the first association that comes to mind is the iconic Rolex GMT-Master. It has become one of the watch world’s most popular stories, always reflected in the classic travel watch with its red and blue “Pepsi” bezel. But apart from a watch created for Pan Am pilots to […] Visit Hands-On With The Christopher Ward C60 Clipper GMT to read the full article.