Results for California Dial

First Look – A Champagne Dial for the Louis Moinet 1816 Chronograph

Louis Moinet’s 1816 Compteur de Tierces, or “thirds counter”, was originally designed to measure the speed of moving stars. Endowed with a start, stop and reset function and a balance wheel beating at an impressive high frequency of 30Hz or 216,000 vibrations per hour, his novel stopwatch could time events to the 60th of a […]

Introducing – Credor Goldfeather Urushi Lacquer Dial Limited Edition GBBY967

Although Grand Seiko is now firmly established on the international watch scene, Credor is still something of a niche brand. Founded in 1974 as the high-end division of Seiko Corporation, with a focus on refined, ultra-thin dress watches decorated with artisanal techniques, Credor was originally available only in Japan until the release of the Locomotive […]

Baltic Introduces the Heures du Monde Worldtimer, with Three Stone Dial Options

When we last checked in on Baltic, they were retiring one of their most popular lines, at least for the time being, with a diamond set version of their MR dress watch. It felt like an appropriate send off for the MR, which I think will be remembered as the release that put the watch world on notice that Baltic was capable of executing in categories other than purely sporty vintage inspired designs. The fact that the last MR prominently features Moissanite stones really reflects the path Baltic finds themselves on now, stretching well beyond what was frankly a somewhat generic playbook in the early days.  Their latest collection, the Heures du Monde, is a worldtimer that further reinforces that idea. This is a tribute, of sorts, to the work of Louis Cottier, the Swiss watchmaker who effectively invented the modern worldtimer, creating movements for Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and others. His worldtimers are of course highly sought after by high end vintage collectors not just for their aesthetic beauty, but their historical significance. The principle behind Cottier’s movements, that the wearer should see the time in every timezone at once, at a glance, via rotating time zone and 24 hour scales, has become the predominant method for executing worldtime watches and is considered the standard in the watch industry.  For the Heures du Monde, Baltic has modified a Soprod C125 caliber by removing the date and replacing the GMT hand usually found with that movement w...

Finally, a Japanese Manhole Inspired Watch with a Cloisonné Enamel Dial

Having none myself, I’m always a bit impressed when it comes to those who have artistic talent – and that goes doubly for those who can appreciate the everyday beauty around them. This is especially true when those two virtues combine to form a beautiful little timepiece, like the Altmann × Isotope Osaka Cloisonné Enamel, a new collaboration between English watchmaker Isotope and designer, illustrator, and typographer Björn Altmann. The first, and perhaps only, thing you will notice about this watch is its dial, which is based on a municipal manhole cover featuring Osaka Castle. Now, you may be asking yourself, why Japanese manhole covers? I can assure you that you are not alone in that. Apparently, after a Wikipedia deep dive, it is something of an urban art form and a show of civic pride throughout Japan. In fact, more than 15 million manhole covers across the country feature some sort of carved, imprinted, or painted design. This was a niche interest of Isotope founder José Miranda, which eventually led Miranda to Björn Altmann’s book Manhole Covers of the World. This, in turn, led to this collaboration you see before you today. The intricacy of the dial does not stop with its source material. The dial itself is made in grand feu cloisonné enamel, using fine silver wires and multiple rounds of firing to build out the design and color. The process took close to a year to develop, and in the end only five dials were successfully completed, which helps explain ...

Citizen Celebrates 50 Years of Eco-Drive with a Hand-Dyed Washi Dial

I've come close to pulling the trigger on a few of Citizen's higher-end Eco-Drive watches over the years, and each time I talked myself out of it. Not because the watches weren't impressive, but because the right one never quite lined up with the moment. Now, Citizen is making the decision a little harder. The brand has just announced "The Citizen" Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary Edition (ref. AQ4091-56W), marking five decades since it introduced the first solar-powered analogue watch back in 1976.

The Tissot Visodate Returns to Its Roots, with a Cleaner Dial and a Sub-$1K Price

New 39mm Tissot Visodate editions arrive in silver, blue, and black with a Powermatic 80 movement offering 80 hours of power reserve.

Hands-on – Impressions about the Tudor Ranger 36mm, Including the new Dune White Dial

If you’ve been reading MONOCHROME for some time now, you might know that I have a very strong connection with the Rolex Explorer 36mm, in particular the 1990s reference 14270. Not only is it a watch that I consider to be the perfect example of what a yougntimer is, but it’s also, in my books, […]

Introducing – The Vulcain Skindiver Nautique Meteorite, a New Dial for a Compact Diver

Since its debut in 2023, Vulcain’s Skindiver Nautique has quickly moved from a niche revival piece to a regular part of the brand’s present-day catalogue. These watches draw inspiration from Vulcain’s 1960s skin-diving models. Back then, diving as a hobby was gaining popularity, and compact, practical dive watches like the Nautique felt at home both in and […]

Introducing – A New Red Grape Dial for the Raymond Weil Toccata Heritage

Following the success of the Millesime collection, a series of vintage-inspired, 1930s-based watches, Raymond Weil went on to revamp one of its older collections, the Toccata. For nearly 50 years, the Toccata has explored the realms of shaped dress watches, finding inspiration in classically composed music. But at the end of 2025, RW presented the Toccata Heritage, […]

Introducing – A Ruby Stone Dial for the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance

In 2016, Armin Strom rocked the watchmaking scene with the release of its Mirrored Force Resonance, an incredible technical breakthrough that miniaturised the centuries-old concept of synchronised motion into the confines of a wristwatch. Using two independent oscillators coupled by a patented resonance clutch spring, Armin Strom breathed life into Christiaan Huygens’ observation that two […]

Introducing – The Tutima Patria Titanium, Now with a Light Blue Dial

Long associated with pilot’s chronographs and robust instrument watches, Tutima has, over the past decade, built a compelling “classical” collection. The Patria line, introduced in the early 2010s and coinciding with the brand’s return to Glashütte, offered refined cases, restrained dials and, most notably, beautifully executed hand-wound movements rooted in Saxon tradition. Following earlier executions […]

Review: Atelier Wen Nails Another Gorgeous Dial with the New Millésime 2025 Perception Limited Edition

I’ll admit, I’m late to the party. I didn’t discover Atelier Wen until last year when a friend told me I should check out the brand and connected me with its founder, Robin Tallendier. The pair knew how to tug at my heartstrings straight away: enamel dials. For those of you who know a little bit about me, you are well aware that métiers d’art crafts are my passion, but I have a particular affinity for enamel dials. Perhaps it is more than an affinity and closer to an obsession. I have taken my love of enamel from admirer to aspiring artisan, completing three enameling apprenticeships in Switzerland to learn the artform myself.  After going back and forth with Robin for a few months and musing over the watches from a distance, I finally had the chance to experience them in the metal for the first time at Dubai Watch Week last November. I was immediately struck by the technique of the Ancestra and Inflection dials with a hammered base that added further depth and texture to the enamel itself. While the beauty of enamel (especially when paired with techniques like guilloche) is its interplay with light, something about the organic nature of the hand hammering brought an even deeper sense of life and movement to these dials.  Since then, Atelier Wen has branched out, expanding its expertise in stunning dials beyond guilloche, hand hammering, enamel, and (in the past) porcelain to its latest model showcasing natural stone: the limited edition Millésime 2025 Percepti...

Introducing – The Kudoke 3 Nocturne, Alongside a New Dial and Decor Option for the Kaliber 1

German indie watchmaker Stefan Kudoke expands the HANDwerk collection with the Kudoke 3 Nocturne, keeping the core concept intact but changing its expression, much like the Nocturne edition of the Kudoke 2. This new variant builds on the Kudoke 3, previously available in various executions, including Sky Blue, salmon, and the Flakes edition with the […]

Introducing: Citizen and Seconde/Seconde/ Cut Through The Noise, and the Dial, With Their New Tsuyosa Collaboration

Japanese heritage and a bit of whimsy make up the new affordable collaboration.

This Affordable Field Watch Reimagines Legibility With a Bold New Dial

Astor and Banks introduces an affordable field watch that rethinks design with layered dials, bold lume, and a modern automatic movement.

Introducing: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon In Titanium With A Red Dial

A new look to a classic, very hot watch from Vacheron Constantin.

Introducing – Around the Dial in 24 Hours with the New Farer World Timers

British indie brand Farer was founded in 2015 by four friends with backgrounds in watch retail. Using Swiss-made mechanical movements, Farer offers a portfolio of confident designs with an eccentric British twist and competitive prices, thanks to the brand’s direct-to-consumer approach that eliminates intermediaries. The name Farer, derived from Old English terms like seafarer and […]

Introducing – The Parmigiani Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Stainless Steel and Rose Gold with Agave Blue Dial

Launched in 2021, the Tonda PF collection introduced a new vision of contemporary haute horlogerie built around restraint, proportion and what CEO Guido Terreni calls “private luxury”, watches designed to be lived with rather than constantly replaced. Among the first models was the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor, a slim automatic watch with a date display. The […]

Introducing: Audemars Piguet Expands The Royal Oak Mini Collection With Two New Stone Dial Quartz Models

AP trades frosted cases for stone dials on these 23mm, quartz-driven pieces.

Enamel Dial Watches: 10 Of Our Favorites

Watches with enamel dials rarely fail to impress with their exquisitely finished surfaces, their impressive durability, and a level of artisanal craftsmanship that might not even be readily apparent to the naked eye but somehow elevates the entire timepiece to a higher level of luxury. Enamel dials - which are made by fusing finely ground, colored glass powders onto metal substrates through repeated firings in a kiln at high temperatures - are still fairly rare in the watch world, and almost (but not entirely) impossible to find below a certain echelon of pricing, Often, as in some of the limited editions below, an enamel dial is one essential component of a timepiece that combines several notable elements, including elite or unusual case metals, high-complication movements, or any number of special features. Here are 10 watches with enamel dials that have caught our eye over recent years.  [toc-section heading="A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst"] Price: 315,000 euros at release, Case Size: 29.5mm x 39.2mm, Thickness: 10.3mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Manually wound Caliber L042.1 In 2008, German haute horlogerie house A. Lange & Söhne brought a technical upgrade to the tourbillon - an 18th century invention originally designed to shield a watch’s balance from the ill effects of gravity - that was both subtle and substantial. The Saxon brand’s Cabaret Tourbillon featured the first tourbillon movement with a st...

Vacheron Constantin Introduces a New Titanium Tourbillon with a Deep Red Dial

One thing I loved about graduating from a relatively small district in rural Pennsylvania is that it wasn’t necessarily like the high school experiences I saw reflected in television. Due to the general population at my school never hitting above 200 students, cliques were permeable and caste systems were divided more by how often you had class with the same people versus, say, any general interests. While we are led to believe that high school is a microcosm of real life, and that people can generally be categorized by such surface-level things like hobbies or intelligence, I think my upbringing has allowed for me to see that one thing can contain multitudes. Because of this, I’d hate to box the new Vacheron Constantin addition to their Overseas Collection, a titanium tourbillon model, into one category or the other. It’s sporty and technical – or, if we’re keeping with the high school theme– a jock and a geek. Now that I’ve beaten that analogy to death, we can go onto the specifics of this latest reference from the Swiss watch brand. From a design standpoint, it has all the hallmarks of Vacheron Constantin design language: clean lines, a classic silhouette, and a balance of keeping it traditional without being boring. Even so, the design’s deep red sunburst dial, visible tourbillon movement, and use of titanium add just enough of an update to the collection to be notable. Of course, these aren’t all for aesthetiques. The use of Grade 5 titanium and an u...

Vacheron Constantin Updates Overseas Tourbillon With Deep Red Dial

Atelier Wen Introduces a New Perception with a Rare Natural Pietersite Dial

Last year, Atelier Wen released one of my favorite watches of the year in the Inflection, a bold and ambitious integrated bracelet sports watch in tantalum. The reaction to that watch, to my mind, was puzzling. While there were certainly many supporters and admirers of the Inflection, there was also a vocal contingent of enthusiasts on Instagram and various watch blog comment sections (who, to be fair, were probably not customers for this particular watch anyway) griping about the price, and the fact that a brand centered on value and approachability would even make a watch like this (the retail price is just shy of $30,000).  I’ve never cared much for the notion that a brand that makes affordable watches can’t also make watches that are very, very expensive. It’s all relative anyway, right? Rolex makes watches that are considered entry points to the brand at right around $10,000, but they also have watches in their catalog that sail into the six figures. That’s a pretty big delta, certainly larger than the one between Atelier Wen’s entry level pieces and the Inflection. But that’s a topic for another day. Today, we’re focusing on Atelier Wen returning their bread and butter, the Perception, an integrated bracelet sports watch they’ve been iterating on for several years now, this one in steel with a natural pietersite dial.  It’s tempting to say that this watch represents Atelier Wen jumping on the stone dial trend, but the pietersite of it all changes ...

First Look – The Atelier Wen Millesime 2025 Perception with Pietersite Dial

Since its founding, Atelier Wen has positioned itself as a link between contemporary watchmaking and Chinese cultural heritage. Created by Robin Tallendier and Wilfried Buiron, the brand has steadily built its own design identity, drawing from architecture, traditional crafts and modern manufacturing. The Perception collection, its integrated-bracelet sports watch, has become the core expression.  Introduced […]

Oak & Oscar Introduces the Humboldt ExP-02, Showing Off their In-House Dial Making Capabilities

One trend in the microbrand/small independent category that I’m glad to see more of already in these early days of 2026 is brands doing more on their own, in-house. Those words, “in-house,” have developed an almost toxic reputation in some circles as they’ve been used liberally to imply a level of craft or development that is not really there when you strip away all the marketing talk. But a handful of brands are taking it back, using it to designate certain manufacturing processes that they’ve taken ownership of over overseas factories. Oak & Oscar has just announced a new watch, the Humboldt ExP-02 that reflects some of the ten year old brand’s new manufacturing capabilities in an exciting and unique way.  At a glance, you could be forgiven for thinking this is an ordinary version of the Humboldt, Oak & Oscar’s “classic adventure watch.” Subtly, however, it shows off real watchmaking skill and a willingness on the brand’s part to experiment with new techniques.  The centerpiece of the ExP-02 is the dial, which keeps the familiar sandwich style construction that Oak & Oscar is so well known for, but refines it and personalizes it for this piece. Every aspect of the dial manufacturing is done to a very high level in the Oak & Oscar workshop, using new watchmaking equipment that the brand has invested in specifically to create unique components for watches like the ExP-02.  According to Oak & Oscar, the rehaut and main dial plate are both cut from alu...