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170 articles · 12 videos found · page 4 of 7

Wilbur Watch Co. Introduces the LEO, an Area 51 Inspired Watch with a Unique Jumping Hour Display Worn & Wound
May 23, 2023

Wilbur Watch Co. Introduces the LEO, an Area 51 Inspired Watch with a Unique Jumping Hour Display

Here at Worn & Wound, we’re all pretty big fans of watches that approach time telling in an unusual way. In our collections you’ll find regulators, watches with offset dials and movements exposed from the front, watches with no numerals or indices at all, and you might even catch a d.m.h jump hour if you spend enough time on our Instagram feeds. The watch we’re looking at today, the LEO by Wilbur Watch Co., actually feels like an evolution of the d.m.h format – it’s a jumping hour mechanism that’s highly complex, but yields a surprisingly intuitive method for reading the time. And it comes in a big, bold package, partially inspired by a fascination with stories of extraterrestrials coming out of Roswell, NM and Area 51. So, you know, just a normal, everyday kind of watch.  At the heart of the LEO is what the brand refers to as the Engine One movement, an automatic, Swiss made caliber, designed by Wilbur Watch Co. Time is told via two discs on either side of the dial, one transparent sapphire, the other aluminum. The discs are each marked with symbols that look like hieroglyphics, which is part of the alien inspiration for the piece. Those symbols are designed to fit together to form numerals, though, as the discs rotate. The hour is read at the dead center of the dial, outlined with a bright blue ring, where the two rings meet. The minutes are read via a rotating ring at the outside of the dial (an arrow right below the hour indicator points to the current min...

[Hands-On] The Bremoir Lexington, Art Deco Done Right Worn & Wound
Mar 2, 2023

[Hands-On] The Bremoir Lexington, Art Deco Done Right

One of the major principles of Art Deco design is to infuse beauty into functional, everyday objects and what better everyday object to do that with than a watch. Bremoir’s Lexington draws inspiration from the iconic Art Deco-styled Chrysler Building in NYC. Angled geometric patterns and intricate details throughout are easily traced from the watch directly back to the building. Whether it’s the angular applied indices or the stepped polished bezel, there’s a lot to take in, but it never seems like too much. What we have is a handsome 39mm watch that offers a nice break from modern design. As a fan of modern watches (mostly because of the lack of hassle) it’s especially nice to not have to go vintage to get the classic Art Deco styling seen on the Lexington. Let’s take a closer look at this unique new watch from Bremoir. $985 [Hands-On] The Bremoir Lexington, Art Deco Done Right Case Stainless Steel Movement Swiss STP 1-11 Automatic Dial Sector style with metallic finish Lume Super Luminova Lens Sapphire Strap Leather Water Resistance 50M Dimensions 39×48.5mm Thickness 10.7mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Push/Pull Warranty Yes Price $985 Case It’s easy to trace the case geometry back to the design seen in the Chrysler Building, and it’s executed well. The tonneau-shaped case features some heavy polished bevels on the sides that carry down into the lugs. Vertical brushing on the sides provides some nice contrast to the polished portions. On the right side of the case...

INTRODUCING: Honouring the “First” with maki-e magic – the new Grand Seiko SBGW295 Limited Edition Time+Tide
Grand Seiko SBGW295 Limited Edition Grand Jan 31, 2023

INTRODUCING: Honouring the “First” with maki-e magic – the new Grand Seiko SBGW295 Limited Edition

Grand Seiko celebrates the 110th anniversary of Japan’s first wristwatch. The SBGW295 is inspired by Grand Seiko’s first watch from 1960 known as the “First”. Its black urushi lacquer dial and maki-e (sparkling picture) 24K powdered gold indices are crafted by master Isshu Tamura. I know it may seem like deja vu, after all, we did … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: Honouring the “First” with maki-e magic – the new Grand Seiko SBGW295 Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Phillips adds a sector touch to their limited-edition Bulgari Octo Finissimo Time+Tide
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Dec 10, 2022

Phillips adds a sector touch to their limited-edition Bulgari Octo Finissimo

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo is known first and foremost for its baroque-sculptural case design. But another defining feature across the Finissimo Automatic line is the clean dial that crops up through the collection. These dials are typically not very busy, either brushed, sun-ray lacquered, or matte sandblasted, with simply the hour indices and an asymmetrically … ContinuedThe post Phillips adds a sector touch to their limited-edition Bulgari Octo Finissimo appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Enough Birch: The Grand Seiko SLGH019 proves there is far more dial-ground to cover in Evolution 9 Time+Tide
Grand Seiko SLGH019 proves there Nov 14, 2022

Enough Birch: The Grand Seiko SLGH019 proves there is far more dial-ground to cover in Evolution 9

Evolution 9 was born to usher in a new era and tier of Grand Seiko watchmaking. It brought forth their most faceted case yet, with the most alternating hairline-brushed and Zaratsu distortion-free, mirror-polished surfaces. There were broader and sportier hands and indices, plus notably next-gen movements like the high-beat 9SA5 calibre. But while we have … ContinuedThe post Enough Birch: The Grand Seiko SLGH019 proves there is far more dial-ground to cover in Evolution 9 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Author Clock is a (literally) novel way to read time Time+Tide
Sep 8, 2022

The Author Clock is a (literally) novel way to read time

Mechanical analog timepieces are loved due to their romanticism and emotion, holding  connection to a tradecraft and art form centuries old. Digital timekeepers often lack that level of emotion. With traditional timekeepers, certain rules have to be followed – hands and indices or numerals conveying the time. It is hard to deviate from such tradition, … ContinuedThe post The Author Clock is a (literally) novel way to read time appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Would you pay $13,000USD for a Speedy that’s spent 188 days in space? Because that’s the current online bid… Time+Tide
Oct 10, 2020

Would you pay $13,000USD for a Speedy that’s spent 188 days in space? Because that’s the current online bid…

Now, we all have an image of the Speedmaster Professional, the icon, the Tool of Tool watches, the Moon Watch. A beautiful 42mm piece of history, with its delicate white lumed baton hands pointing to a still timeless sixties minute track, and delicate slightly recessed sub chronograph registers on a plain, matt monochromatic dial. Twisted … ContinuedThe post Would you pay $13,000USD for a Speedy that’s spent 188 days in space? Because that’s the current online bid… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Raymond Weil Freelancer RW1212 Green Hands-on Review WatchAdvice
Raymond Weil Freelancer RW1212 Green Hands-on Jul 30, 2020

Raymond Weil Freelancer RW1212 Green Hands-on Review

Earlier in February this year, Raymond Weil unveiled the latest edition in their Freelancer collection. The Freelancer Calibre RW1212 is now available in a green version. Raymond Weil has previously released the Freelancer Calibre RW1212 in different colour variants, which include; blue dial, black dial, rose-gold edition and a black dial with rose gold indices and hands.  So what makes the Freelancer Calibre RW1212 model unique to Raymond Weil? It all comes down to the movement used to create this timepiece. Before the Freelancer Calibre RW1212 came along, Raymond Weil used all outsourced movements in their watches. That was until back in 2017, when Raymond Weil created an exclusive in-house movement in collaboration with Sellita. Sellita, as many may know, is the Swiss movement manufacturer that makes movements for brands around the world.  The development team at Raymond Weil worked together with the designers at Sellita for a period of roughly 18-months, to come up with Raymond Weil’s first in-house movement. Although not entirely in-house, it is still quite a feat for one of the few remaining watch companies that are still family-owned since their establishment.  To mark this momentous occasion for the brand, with the movement being a testament to over 40 years of beautiful Swiss watch-making traditions and expertise, Raymond Weil decided to name the calibre after the brand’s Swiss origins. The 1212 in the movement’s name refers back to the postal code of Ray...

Nomos Introduces the Zürich Weltzeit Amsterdam Edition SJX Watches
Nomos Introduces Nov 17, 2019

Nomos Introduces the Zürich Weltzeit Amsterdam Edition

After the 2017 launch of the Orion 38 “De Stijl” – one of the most unusual and intriguing Nomos watches to date – Dutch retailer Ace Jewelers has unveiled the fruit of its third collaboration, the Zürich Weltzeit Amsterdam. Limited to just 25 pieces, the watch is a variation of the Nomos travel watch, distinguished by a handful of distinct but restrained tweaks. Previously available only with a blue or white dial, the Amsterdam edition features white indices and text, along with red accents on a stark, matte black dial. Appreciably, its stark, no-nonsense colour palette comes at a time when Nomos is increasingly relying on pastel-coloured dials. The watch features several nods to the Dutch city, with “Amsterdam” replacing Berlin on the city ring and highlighted in red, while home time is indicated at three o’clock by the flag of Ace Jeweler’s hometown of Amsterdam, made up of three Saint Andrew’s crosses. The rest of the watch is otherwise identical to the standard version. Its steel case measures 39.9mm wide and 10.85mm high, featuring angled, elongated lugs that are similar to the Orion’s and rather distinct from all the other collections. All surfaces of the case are polished, offering a great contrast to the matte dial. A pusher at two o’clock advances the local time display in one-hour steps while a recessed pusher at eight o’clock sets the home time. Visible through the sapphire case back, the watch is powered by the in-house automatic DUW 5...

Hands-On: H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Concept SJX Watches
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Aug 2, 2019

Hands-On: H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Concept

Every year H. Moser & Cie. introduces an over the top, sometimes controversial watch – this year’s headliner was covered in grass – while also doing the opposite with its minimalist “concept” watches. Forsaking logos and numerals or indices, the concept watches have a clean yet colourful aesthetic coupled with appealing in-house movements – a tribute to stealth luxury. The latest iteration of the idea is the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Cosmic Green, a variation of the first model from two years ago. The watch now has a sublime green fumé dial. Though Moser relies on graduated dials often, maybe too often, it is still an attractive look, here with the added interest provided by the flying tourbillon. While not unique to Moser, the graduated tone fumé dials are almost a better calling card than the brand’s logo. In fact, all of Moser’s bestsellers feature this intriguing finish that has the dial colour darkening towards the edge, with the effect now available in several colour variations, including blue, grey and green. The green dial is striking, and quite mesmerising the first time you see it. Up close, the dial is more subdued than in the stock images of the watch, more sea green than forest green. Given the emptiness of the upper half of the dial, the sunburst finish is obvious and complements the gradual external colour change. The flying tourbillon The focal point of the lower half of the dial is the one-minute, flying t...

WHAT SEALED THE DEAL: On Andrew’s TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 CAW211P Time+Tide
TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 CAW211P Apr 14, 2019

WHAT SEALED THE DEAL: On Andrew’s TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 CAW211P

When we came up with the concept for ‘what sealed the deal’, it was all about those micro-details and micro-decisions that happen in the final stages of a purchase. Tiny things you can’t get out of your head about a watch. That case shape. Those burnt orange indices that are coloured not by paint, but … ContinuedThe post WHAT SEALED THE DEAL: On Andrew’s TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 CAW211P appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Why this Watch: the Fears Redcliff Onyx for Collective Horology Worn & Wound
Raymond Weil Yesterday

Why this Watch: the Fears Redcliff Onyx for Collective Horology

“Why This Watch?” focuses on a member of the watch enthusiast community and digs into their decision making process for why they’ve collected a particular watch. We all have reasons, justifications, and sometimes even purpose behind our collecting decisions, and this series aims to identify them through watches that might be a little unusual, off the beaten path, or special in some way to the owner.  Today, Fernando Cervantes tells about his Fears Redcliff Onyx for Collective Horology. Fears is a favorite among many of us here at Worn & Wound, so we were excited to hear Fernando dig into why and how this watch landed in his collection. Turns out, there’s a fun backstory to it that ties it directly to the Worn & Wound community. Who are you, and how’d you get into watches?  My name is Fernando Cervantes, I used to be a Senior Software Engineer, but just last week I got promoted to Engineering Manager – what I thought would be a straightforward change turned out to be anything but – turns out managing is hard! My dad used to work for many, many years as a regional bank manager, he used to have many nice watches given as gifts by either the bank or fellow coworkers – as a kid, I vividly remember them going through them – Must de Cartier, Rolex, and closer to the end of his career, Raymond Weil. Surprisingly, the only one he kept was a Raymond Weil Tango. He was never too much of a watch guy, but it was enough to keep watches in the back of my mind as I gre...

What Is Your “Palate Cleanser” Wristwatch Following Watches And Wonders? Fratello
H. Moser & Cie Apr 21, 2026

What Is Your “Palate Cleanser” Wristwatch Following Watches And Wonders?

From a watch with a full-ceramic bracelet from Tudor and a space watch from IWC to a timepiece by H. Moser & Cie. that requires the literal pushing of a button (pump) to power it, this year’s Watches and Wonders did not disappoint. In the frenzy of new watches and watch brands flexing their engineering, […] Visit What Is Your “Palate Cleanser” Wristwatch Following Watches And Wonders? to read the full article.

Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Traveller is Ready for Takeoff SJX Watches
Patek Philippe 5164 but only Apr 14, 2026

Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Traveller is Ready for Takeoff

Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Traveller is a meaningful addition to its collection of sport watches. While the brand’s convenient push-button dual-time complication is not new, it has never been available in the go-anywhere, do-anything format of the Sport line - where it arguably makes the most sense. It’s also the first time this travel complication has been paired with one of the brand’s lever escapement movements, a change that should provide the resilience against shocks that one expects from a sport watch. Initial thoughts The sport has proven to be one of Laurent Ferrier’s most popular watches, introducing the brand to a wider audience by combining sports watch ruggedness with the high-horology independent watchmaking that the brand has become famous for. In this sense, the Sport Traveller is similar in philosophy to other luxury sport watches. That said, few manage to elevate the concept quite as high as Laurent Ferrier. The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus and F.P. Journe Octa Sport Titanium are natural peers, as is the Patek Philippe 5164, but only the latter offers a travel time complication. The Sport Traveller is made from grade 5 titanium for a featherweight wrist presence, and debuts in what is likely to be a popular grey-on-grey colourway. Even the Sport Traveller dial text is grey, blending in with the dial to help keep the clutter to a minimum. The cal. LF275.01 continues the monochromatic look with grey-coated bridges and a solid platinum oscillating wei...

Why This Watch: the Seiko SBTE003 Worn & Wound
Seiko SBTE003 Today Apr 9, 2026

Why This Watch: the Seiko SBTE003

Today, a new series debuts on Worn & Wound. “Why This Watch?” focuses on a member of the watch enthusiast community and digs into their decision making process for why they’ve collected a particular watch. We all have reasons, justifications, and sometimes even purpose behind our collecting decisions, and this series aims to identify them through watches that might be a little unusual, off the beaten path, or special in some way to the owner.  We start the series with Steve Faiello, a longtime Worn & Wound reader and watch enthusiast, who recently picked up a special Seiko with a seriously underrated multi-function “dancing hands” movement that displays its current function directly on the dial (at 3:00, where you’d normally see the day display on almost any other Seiko) and is easily manipulated by the user. You can see Steve’s collection on Instagram here. What did you buy?  A Seiko SBTE003 with a 6M26-8050 quartz movement. Why this watch, specifically?  To me, watches are tools first and foremost. They have to be comfortable, legible, and accurate. I’ve always been fascinated by watches with complications, but I usually don’t like the cluttered dials, thicker cases, and finicky movements of complicated watches, so I haven’t owned many. The 6M26 movement hides a chronograph, timer, alarm, and annual calendar in a reasonably sized and fairly easy to use package thanks to the magic of quartz. Seiko offered this movement (and its relatives) in a varie...

Louis Vuitton’s Arty Automata is Psychedelic Metiers d’Art SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton s Arty Automata Apr 6, 2026

Louis Vuitton’s Arty Automata is Psychedelic Metiers d’Art

The Tambour Taiko Arty Automata is the latest creation from Louis Vuitton to feature jacquemart, or mechanical animations. Like the Tambour Opera before it, the Arty Automata features a complex, multi-layer dial with multiple mechanisms that whir into motion at the press of a button, including spinning hearts and a swivelling eyeball. But this also incorporates a flying tourbillon at six, while the dial itself is grand feu enamel – and tiny bird feathers for the eyelashes. Initial thoughts The flamboyant, psychedelic Arty Automata is definitely not for everyone, but the mechanical and artisanal credentials of the watch are impressive (save for one detail, more on that later). To start with, the Arty Automata is a more manageable 42 mm by 13.6 mm, compared to earlier automata models that were several millimetres larger. Combined with the form of the new Tambour Taiko case, this makes the Art Automata more wearable than its predecessors. More than ergonomics, the scaled down case also underlines the movement development prowess of La Fabrique du Temps (LFT). The attention to detail in terms of the movement also shows in its aesthetics: the calibre adopts the house style of LFT with its relief bridges, but adopted to the “Arty” aesthetic with stars, clouds, and a lacquered rotor. That said, the Etachron-type regulator index for the balance is definitely out of place in a watch of this price. The watch also illustrates the capabilities of the metiers d’art workshop in ...

Reviewing The Ballon Bleu de Cartier: A Unique Take On Your Classic Round Watch WatchAdvice
Cartier Mar 26, 2026

Reviewing The Ballon Bleu de Cartier: A Unique Take On Your Classic Round Watch

In a world of round watches, the Ballon Bleu de Cartier stands out thanks to its unique design, as only Cartier can! What We Love: The unique style that is very Cartier The great-looking dial that stands out on the wrist Ease of wearing at 36mm for a variety of wrist sizes What We Don’t: The double-folding friction clasp could be upgraded to a push button in this model While unisex, some with larger wrists will most probably need to upgrade to the 42mm The crown was slightly harder to access to change the time for me Overall Rating: 8.25 / 10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 8/10 Build Quality: 8/10 When people think of Cartier watches, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a maker of shapes. The brand has built much of its identity around distinctive case designs rather than traditional round watches, with icons such as the Santos, Tank, Tortue, Crash and Cloche, to name a few, all standing out as examples of Cartier doing things a little differently. That approach to design has long set the Maison apart from many other watchmakers who tend to lean more heavily on classic round cases. So when Cartier introduced the Cartier de Ballon Bleu in 2007, it represented something slightly different for the brand. On paper, it’s a round watch, which might sound straightforward enough, but as with most things Cartier, it’s not quite that simple. Rather than just producing a traditional circular case, Cartier added its own distinctive twist with the n...

12 Best Tonneau Watches: Breaking the Mold Teddy Baldassarre
Mar 23, 2026

12 Best Tonneau Watches: Breaking the Mold

For over a century, the traditional round case has dominated the horological landscape, granting a sensible, utilitarian canvas for reading the time. However, for those who seek to venture off the beaten path, the tonneau or barrel-shaped watch affords a thrilling and historically rich alternative. The silhouette of the tonneau watch features gently bowing, convex sides that transition into straight or slightly curved ends that allow the case to sit more securely and comfortably than a straight-edged shape. At the same time, the straighter ends give it enough structure to maintain presence and balance, rather than feeling overly soft or shapeless. First introduced in the early 20th century as a stylish departure from the ubiquitous pocket watch, the tonneau case came forth as a defining silhouette of the Art Deco movement, its beautifully curved architecture proving inherently ergonomic and capable of tracing the natural shape of your arm. Today, the attraction of the tonneau or barrel-shaped case is stronger than ever. It has become a highly popular alternative to the classic circle, occupying a middle ground between sporty and dressy. Whether you are looking for an integrated sports watch that screams 1970s chic, an aggressive contemporary skeletonized masterpiece, or a refined dress watch, the tonneau and barrel configurations of today represent a conscious and stylish rebellion against the ordinary. [toc-section heading="Tissot PRX Damascus Powermatic"] Price: $1,175, ...

Hands-On: the Jack Mason Strat-o-timer GMT Frontier Worn & Wound
Feb 11, 2026

Hands-On: the Jack Mason Strat-o-timer GMT Frontier

There are two types of watch reviews I particularly enjoy writing. One is a review for a watch that is truly bonkers. Something either outrageously expensive, avant-garde in its design sensibilities, off the beaten path and kind of rare, or some combination of all of the above. These are the types of watches I personally gravitate towards as a collector (well, not the outrageously expensive part, but the rest of it) and I find that typically I have an awful lot to say about them. It’s fun to write these reviews because it feels like I’m sharing my actual enthusiasm for something in a really pure and direct way.  The other type of review I like to write is for watches that are basically on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to my taste. It’s a challenge (if not necessarily fun in the same way) to write about a watch that brushes up against my own biases. It’s a useful exercise as a writer to evaluate something that is outside of your wheelhouse and comfort zone. And it certainly makes for better and more interesting copy than writing about a watch that is simply generic, neither a challenge to your taste or something you’d plunk down the credit card for to purchase yourself.  The new watch from Jack Mason is, for me, decidedly in that second category, a watch that I can tell from one photo is objectively nice and will have a strong following among enthusiasts, but is just not the type of thing I typically go for. The new Strat-o-timer GMT Frontier i...

Hands On: Chopard L.U.C. Grand Strike SJX Watches
Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike Dec 11, 2025

Hands On: Chopard L.U.C. Grand Strike

The 30th anniversary of the Chopard L.U.C. manufacture was one anniversary among many this year, but it will likely be remembered thanks to the Grand Strike, the most complicated watch in Chopard’s history and its first grande sonnerie. Building on the successful Full Strike minute repeater architecture and making full use of the brand’s patented sapphire gongs, the Grand Strike is a chronometer-certified two-train clock watch with a push-button minute repeater. In this context, the presence of the tourbillon is almost a footnote. Initial thoughts I can count on one hand the number of brands that have created their own grande sonnerie wristwatch. It’s one of the few things in watchmaking that’s proven challenging enough to still be rare, even in the days of computer-aided design (CAD) and advanced manufacturing technology like wire erosion. For this reason, the grande sonnerie has a towering cultural presence among watchmakers and collectors, looming above all other complications. For Chopard, the Grand Strike represents the culmination of 30 years of the L.U.C. manufacture, the brand’s haute horlogerie division. The first impression of the Grand Strike is one of extraordinary depth. There’s not much of a dial, save for the minutes scale etched on the inside of the sapphire crystal, and the small concentric sub-dials for the dual power reserve displays. This depth shrinks the watch visually, and it feels dense and compact despite its rather large 43 mm size and...

A History and Guide to Laco Worn & Wound
Laco Located Sep 12, 2025

A History and Guide to Laco

Located in the southwest of Germany in Baden-Württemburg, Pforzheim is built at the confluence of three rivers. In the eighteenth century, the city became a hub of jewelry making, with watchmaking experiencing a pronounced revival in the early twentieth century, resulting in Pforzheim’s nickname of the “Goldstadt,” or “Golden City.” Founded by Frieda Lacher and Ludwig Hummel in 1925, Lacher & Co., today known as Laco Uhrenmanufaktur GmbH, played a significant role in this expansion of German watchmaking. Their aim was simple - produce watches of quality and reliability. The pair split a few years later, with Hummel remaining with the watch production side. While many German watchmakers relied on Swiss movements, Hummel chose a different direction. He founded Deutsche Uhren Roh Werke (Durowe) in 1933, dedicated to the manufacture of movements to become independent from Swiss calibers. Located in the southwest of Germany in Baden-Württemburg, Pforzheim is built at the confluence of three rivers. In the eighteenth century, the city became a hub of jewelry making, with watchmaking experiencing a pronounced revival in the early twentieth century, resulting in Pforzheim’s nickname of the “Goldstadt,” or “Golden City.” Founded by Frieda Lacher and Ludwig Hummel in 1925, Lacher & Co., today known as Laco Uhrenmanufaktur GmbH, played a significant role in this expansion of German watchmaking. Their aim was simple - produce watches of quality and reliabilit...

Hands On: De Bethune DB25 Monopusher Chronograph SJX Watches
De Bethune DB25 Monopusher Chronograph De Aug 15, 2025

Hands On: De Bethune DB25 Monopusher Chronograph

De Bethune once again has a single-button chronograph to its line-up with the compact DB25 Monopusher Chronograph. Styled after the DB8 from the brand’s early years, the DB25 chronograph has a smaller case but a larger, more refined movement. Importantly, it is most accessible chronographs from the brand in recent memory, both in size and price. Initial Thoughts I hold De Bethune in high regard for its technical ambition and an idiosyncratic design language that blends aesthetic codes from the 18th and 23rd centuries. The distinctive aesthetics were largely the brainchild of cofounder Davide Zanetta, who unfortunately departed the brand several years ago. Fortunately, however, both traits are alive and well in the DB25 Monopusher Chronograph. For several years the brand lacked a conventional chronograph, and I see the new DB25 as the brand’s long-term solution to that problem. Likely shaped by feedback on the recent DB Eight, the DB25 Monopusher has everything it needs to be a staple of the brand’s line-up – moderate sizing, good looks, and complementary calibre. Though based on the brand’s prior chronograph movements, the DB3000 inside the DB25 is interesting in several respects. For one, it retains the oscillating pinion found in the long-ago DB1. The oscillating pinion isn’t well regarded by collectors, seen as less advanced than a vertical clutch and without the theatre of a horizontal coupling. It is possible to make a handsome chronograph with an oscillat...