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Ming x J.N. Shapiro 37.06 lightning: traditional guilloché gets a contemporary jolt

Two of indie watchmaking's sharpest voices combine heat-coloured titanium and hand-engraved guilloché into something that feels genuinely new

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Guilloché

Engine-turned geometric dial patterns; Breguet since 1786.

California Chronograph: J.N. Shapiro Unveils Infinity Series Radiant SJX Watches
Ming Jun 16, 2026

California Chronograph: J.N. Shapiro Unveils Infinity Series Radiant

California-based independent watchmaker J.N. Shapiro has unveiled the Infinity Series Radiant chronograph, the brand’s first complicated model available to the general public. Like the special order series released last year, the Radiant is built around a well-known La Joux-Perret monopusher calibre, but this time the watch features a tantalum case and choice of two dial configurations. Initial thoughts The Infinity Series is how it all started for J.N. Shapiro, and while the southern California-based watchmaker subsequently introduced the Resurgence — taking ‘made in America’ to the extreme — the Infinity Series makes use of third-party movements to make the brand’s inventive hand-turned guilloche dials more accessible. The Radiant chronograph takes after the 14-piece limited edition unveiled last year for the Boston-based ‘Escapement’ collector group. The Radiant is functionally identical, using the same La Joux-Perret cal. 5000 monopusher chronograph movement. But while the Escapement chronograph featured a movement that had been customised for fellow Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA) member Ming, the Radiant gets its own anthracite-coated livery complete with the brand’s ‘infinity weave’ logo. The movement itself has its own interesting backstory, but the handmade dials and weighty tantalum case do more to help justify the pricing of US$35,900. By the standards of mass market watchmaking this is a steep ask for a straightforward complication,...

J.N. Shapiro Introduces the Radiant, a Monopusher Chronograph and an Expansion of their Infinity Series Worn & Wound
Bremont Jun 16, 2026

J.N. Shapiro Introduces the Radiant, a Monopusher Chronograph and an Expansion of their Infinity Series

It’s easy to think of J.N. Shapiro as a brand largely focused on a style of watchmaking from an earlier generation. But that’s a trap. While the design language is rooted in classicism and J.N. Shapiro prides itself on the highest level execution of traditional guilloche, the brand has also been open to experimenting with materials in a way that many other contemporary indies have embraced to great success in recent years. Their new watch, the Radiant, enters the Infinity Series with a host of exotic materials at its core, and the watch serves as a reminder that while J.N. Shapiro is capable of doing things in an old school way, and might lean into that at times, the brand is not opposed to taking a modern perspective on some of these old fashioned ideas.  J.N. Shapiro’s Southern California manufacture sits at the heart of the American aerospace industry, and that connection serves as a loose inspiration for the Radiant, a new monopusher chronograph that is a bit of a sequel to their first chrono, released just last year in a very small run for Escapement, a Boston area collector’s group. Watches that are linked to aerospace are nothing new, but usually watches in this genre are conceived as fit for an astronaut, or something along those lines (there’s been a glut of space-travel oriented watches just this year, from IWC, Bremont, and others). J.N. Shapiro takes a different approach, focusing on materials that are closely tied to the industry and have unique app...

Review: the OG Deep Space Blue Worn & Wound
Ming ly every element stripping Jun 12, 2026

Review: the OG Deep Space Blue

There’s a riskiness to Oliver Gallaugher’s approach to watch design that I can’t help but admire. His aesthetic is clean, lending a stripped-down, contemporary look, but his methods are complex, resulting in elaborate manufacturing and higher costs. What looks, at a glance, like something simple, like a hand, never is. In fact, the hands of his watches, of which there have been two series, with the first sold out, are notably complicated, even featuring a “world’s first.” Further, though his watches are two-handers, rather than using a standard Swiss off-the-shelf movement, he has, thus far, used highly finished bespoke calibers. The result, and here is the dangerous part, is watches that don’t scream why they cost what they do. They aren’t for people who want or need an obvious element to point to, like a guilloche dial or a complication. The OG Watches Deep Space Blue is both a follow-up and an evolution of the Deep Space concept that the brand debuted with. It takes the same overarching concept, a minimal watch with a dial inspired by the night sky, but developed and refined seemingly every element, stripping back further, and yet increasing the complexity of manufacturing. It also uses a bespoke movement from Le Temps Manufactures, which is known for its work with very high-end independents. Beginning with the case, the first model was 41mm x 10.2mm thick and made of 316L steel. The new model is 38mm x 8.8mm and made of 904L. Given the spacious dial and...

Watches, Stories, & Gear: the Latest Atelier Wen Perception, a New Leica Projector, and “The End of Oak Street” Worn & Wound
Atelier Wen Perception Jun 6, 2026

Watches, Stories, & Gear: the Latest Atelier Wen Perception, a New Leica Projector, and “The End of Oak Street”

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Atelier Wen Perception V3 A lot of the attention around Atelier Wen’s Perception has gone to the dial, and for good reason. The hand-turned fish-scale guilloché comes from Cheng Yucai’s workshop in Henan, which gives each watch a level of craft that has helped separate it from the larger field of integrated-bracelet sports watches. With V3, Atelier Wen brings that same level of focus to the movement, adding a customized Pequignet EPM03 with a 65-hour power reserve, hacking seconds, and finishing developed around the brand’s Sino-French identity. Through the exhibition caseback, you see wind-shaped bridges and blue aventurine lacquer, a marriage of form and function. The familiar Piāo ice-blue and Xiá salmon versions return, joined by Yún, a new bamboo green reference featuring a micro-frosted case and bracelet – the first addition to the Perception lineup in four years. Piāo and Xiá retain the brushed and polished finishing. The Perception V3 is priced at $4,850, with first deliveries expected to begin in September 2026. Leica Cine Compact 1 Of course, we know (and love!) Leica for its range of cameras, but did you know the German brand has also dabbled i...

Ming Taps J.N. Shapiro for the 37.06 Lightning SJX Watches
Ming Taps J.N Shapiro Jun 5, 2026

Ming Taps J.N. Shapiro for the 37.06 Lightning

Ming has joined forces with J.N. Shapiro for a decidedly contemporary twist on traditional guilloche. The 37.06 Lightning proves its possible to combine disparate design languages cohesively, and to offer meaningful hand craftsmanship for less than five figures, with a few sensible trade-offs. Initial thoughts Ming and J.N. Shapiro are two of the three members of the Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA), a loosely affiliated coalition of brands that also includes Fleming. The Lightning is not the first time that Ming and J.N. Shapiro have worked together — they co-developed a tantalum bracelet designed to fit watches from each brand — but it is the first time they’ve collaborated on a wristwatch. And while J.N. Shapiro is best known for more traditional designs and an obsessive focus on in-house production in the United States, the brand’s expertise in guilloche clearly translates beyond its own house style. The radiant polychromatic dial looks right at home in a minimalist Ming. The artisanal dial makes intuitive sense paired with Ming’s typical look, especially considering the lume plots and brand logo are engraved on the underside of the sapphire crystal. This approach means the dial does not have to be touched post-heat treatment, and the shimmering guilloche pattern can extend edge to edge without interruption. The Lightning is priced at a relatively accessible CHF6,750, a price point that entails a few trade-offs elsewhere in the watch — namely the move...

Ming and J.N. Shapiro Launch the 37.06 Lightning Worn & Wound
Massena Lab two brands added after Jun 5, 2026

Ming and J.N. Shapiro Launch the 37.06 Lightning

When the Alternative Horological Alliance was formed in 2024, I think many of us who care about this sort of thing immediately began speculating about possible collaborations between the brands involved. The teams at Ming, Fleming, and J.N. Shapiro (as well as Fears and Massena LAB, two brands added after the founding of the alliance) have clear affinity for one another. And while there might not be obvious ties between the watches they make, clearly there is a perspective on the watch landscape itself that’s shared among the group, and sometimes that’s what makes for the best partnerships.  Today, Ming and J.N. Shapiro have announced the launch of the 37.06 Lightning, which amounts to the first watch released collaboratively by members of the Alternative Horological Alliance (although Ming and J.N. Shapiro did work together on the AHA tantalum bracelet and the tantalum cases for the Ming Project 21). The star of the show is a dial that combines elements of what both brands excel at, and is notable as each individual dial has a bit of handcraft applied by the founders of both brands.  You would expect, I think, a J.N. Shapiro branded watch to feature hand guilloche of some type as that is really the brand’s calling card at this point, and the 37.06 Lightning is no exception. It distinguishes itself, though, in the guilloche pattern used, which is referred to by the brands as “lightning guilloche” and is being used for the first time by Shapiro on this watch. Sh...

Introducing: MING And J.N. Shapiro Team Up For The 37.06 Lightning Hodinkee
Massena Lab Jun 5, 2026

Introducing: MING And J.N. Shapiro Team Up For The 37.06 Lightning

What We Know When Ming, Fleming, and J.N. Shapiro teamed up in 2024 to launch the Alternative Horological Alliance, they did so with a product: a "universal" tantalum bracelet. But I've been waiting to see if the AHA (now including Fears and Massena LAB) would team up in other ways. Today, Ming and J.N. Shapiro announce the 37.06 "Lightning," which blends the dial work Shapiro's team is known for with Ming's signature design language into something that's both new yet familiar. It's not a trick of the light. The dial is really that striking (no pun intended, I promise). Each dial is made from grade-2 titanium and hand-guillochéd in Los Angeles through engine-turning on a traditional rose-engine lathe to create a pattern called "Lightning guilloché." It's a pattern J.N. Shapiro hasn't used on a wristwatch before. The dials are then shipped to Kuala Lumpur, where Ming Thein himself hand-colors each dial by heat-staining it with a butane torch.  It's not as easy as just sticking a torch on a dial. A time too long or too short by even a few seconds, and the color might be uneven. Even if you do it right, the final result might still fail because the guilloché process exposes variations in titanium's crystalline structure. Only one in three dials works out. The dial is still very Ming, as is the rest of the watch, with the flared lugs and engraved crystal that's filled with HyCeram luminous indices. The hands have Super-LumiNova X1. The case is 38mm in diameter, 10.9mm in t...

Introducing: Timex Atelier Announces Two New Chronographs Hodinkee
Timex Atelier Announces Two New Jun 4, 2026

Introducing: Timex Atelier Announces Two New Chronographs

What We Know The Timex Atelier line doubles in size today, adding four new references and continuing to expand into new complications with the announcement of the Chronograph Automatic M1a Ti and the Chronograph Quartz M1q. Designed by Giorgio Galli, the new models join the existing Diver and GMT, bringing the collection to a total of six references. The M1a Ti is built from titanium with a stainless-steel middle case and a black IP coating, measuring 42mm in diameter with a 20mm lug width. The M1q is a skeletonized stainless steel case with the same black IP middle case treatment at 40mm, also with a 20mm lug width.  Both get a fixed tachymeter bezel, a double-domed sapphire crystal with a triple-layer AR coating, and come on either a metal bracelet or an NBR rubber strap with a deployant buckle. The major difference here is that the M1a Ti has an exhibition caseback showcasing the automatic movement beneath. Both feature two-register chronographs—a first for the Atelier line—with matte black dials, silver subdials, and high-polished silver hands. The M1q adds guilloché texture to the dial and a date window at 6. The M1a Ti stays flat matte. Powering the duo are two different sides of the spectrum. The M1a Ti features a Swiss-made Landeron L72 automatic chronograph at 4Hz with a 43-hour power reserve and 28 jewels. The M1q uses a Swiss-made Ronda 5021D quartz movement with a battery. The M1a Ti comes in at $2,250 on a bracelet and $2,100 on a rubber strap. The M1q i...

Atelier Wen Introduces the Perception V3 in a Trio of Dial Colors Worn & Wound
Atelier Wen Introduces May 19, 2026

Atelier Wen Introduces the Perception V3 in a Trio of Dial Colors

In their stated mission to prove that Chinese craftsmanship and artisanship can be worthy of attention usually reserved for European brands, French-Chinese watchmakers Atelier Wen have consistently put out intriguing pieces since their debut in 2017. Next on that growing list is the Perception V3, which builds on the reputation for hand-crafted horology that came with the original Perception line in 2022. The new V3 model takes elements of the V1 and V2 watches, particularly the hand-turned guilloché́ dials by renowned artisan Cheng Yucai, and aims to perfect the mechanics and aesthetics of the lineup. Three models are on offer, with two colorways returning from previous iterationts—the Piāo in ice-blue and Xiá in salmon—while a new variant, Yún in bamboo green, joins the pack. The three colors are both vibrant and easy on the eyes, favoring a more muted hue that pairs well with the pagoda-inspired lines of the 904L stainless steel of the case and bracelet.  Speaking of the case, it measures in at 40mm in diameter and 47mm lug-to-lug, the same dimensions as the V2, with the exception of the now-thinner 10.4mm case height. A knurled crown and full exhibition caseback give the V3 watches 100 meters of water resistance. The case additionally features more directional brushing and mirror polishing than previous iterations, while the Yún model additionally steps up the craftsmanship with micro-frosting in place of the brushed surfaces. The dials, though, are where At...

Introducing: The Ming 29.06 "Peep Show" Hodinkee
Ming 29.06 Peep Show What May 12, 2026

Introducing: The Ming 29.06 "Peep Show"

What We Know Want to see a magic trick? No, not the kind the Joker pulls in "The Dark Knight," but instead something pretty cool that Ming has cooked up with their new 29.06 "Peep Show." The watches below look markedly different, but the only thing that's changed is the direction the hands point. When Ming Thein showed me this watch last fall, I immediately got what was going on as he turned the crown. If you were doing the same, you'd see that the guilloché dial with a multiphase color-shifting coating (like on the 57.04 "Iris") slowly fades in and out of visibility, turning from a dazzling view to pitch black as the hands move. Any guesses on how it works? Well, it's kind of a trick question, because the hands aren't actually hands. Instead, they're polarized sapphire discs with a hands made of Super-LumiNova X1 fill. The two pieces of sapphire are linearly polarized, so when they're aligned (on top of each other or directly opposite each other), the polarizer lets light in, and you can see that metal disc with color-shifting treatment. As the hands rotate, you see less and less of the dial until it turns black when the two discs are at 90º to each other. When you learn the effect, it's pretty simple, but it's certainly effective in person. All this is in a 29-series case, which is a bit more reserved than the 57-series case. It's made in lightweight Grade 5 titanium, measuring 40mm by 11.8mm, with a 22mm lug width. The case has a 50-meter water resistance. Inside the ...

Canadian Watchmaker Bradley Taylor Returns with the Ardea SJX Watches
Omega cal 30T2 architecture Apr 29, 2026

Canadian Watchmaker Bradley Taylor Returns with the Ardea

A Vancouver native who studied watchmaking in Switzerland, Bradley Taylor spent the last four years working on his own movement, an endeavour that is has finally in the Ardea. Manually wound with three hands, the Ardea is powered by a hand-made movement made by Mr Taylor, who incorporated a retrograde seconds, setting this apart from the high-end time-only watches that are now common. Mr Taylor made his debut with time-only watches that were powered by high-quality, but essentially stock, Vaucher movements. The Ardea, in contrast, is of his own making. He fabricated his own movement by building on the vintage Omega cal. 30T2 architecture and then making most of the watch himself, right down to the guilloche dial and solid gold wheels of the gear train. Mr Taylor’s attention to detail extends to surprising aspects of the watch, like the platinum applied numerals in a custom typeface. Initial thoughts The Ardea, and especially its movement, is the product of substantial manual craftsmanship. From milling to filing to drilling to polishing – Mr Taylor does almost all of it himself and has documented the process with many photos and videos. As a result, the Ardea is more artisanal than other recent indie creations that are engineer-conceived timepieces, and Mr Taylor deserves credit. Tapping the main plate Applying guilloche to the dial ring with a hand-cranked rose engine Mr Taylor’s choice of movement construction is not surprising, since the Omega cal. 30T2 architectu...

Farer Introduces New Watches in the Pilot Series Worn & Wound
Farer Introduces New Watches Apr 29, 2026

Farer Introduces New Watches in the Pilot Series

This month, I’ll be on 12 flights across four cities, two continents and nearly three weeks away from home, so – yeah – I’ve been thinking a lot about planes lately. Perhaps, quite coincidentally, Farer has been, too, with the launch of their new Pilot Collection Series II, with three new models debuting. The collection has been redesigned around a 40mm Grade 2 titanium case, with a bead-blasted finish and a brushed bezel with a coin-edge profile. Across the line, Farer keeps the focus on legibility and performance, using large markers, broad minute tracks and lozenge-shaped hands applied with Grade X2 Super-LumiNova.  Powering each watch is the Sellita SW300-1 Elaboré automatic movement, offering a 56-hour power reserve. Since cockpits can be highly magnetic environments, Farer has protected the movement with an internal soft iron Faraday cage, giving the watches anti-magnetic resistance up to 500 Gauss – these are the little details of Farer that go beyond just theming a watch and making it functional and operational to those that inspired the collection. The Curtis, named for English aviator and flight test engineer Eleanor Lettice Curtis, uses a blue-grey guilloché dial divided into twelve slightly concave sections, catching the light in a way reminiscent, as Farer notes, to the motion of a propeller. It has applied Lumicast markers, pale yellow lume and orange accents, with an additional Curtis Eastern Arabic edition limited to 100 pieces. The Barnwell is...

Introducing: The Patek Philippe 5322G Brings A More Modern-Sized And Styled Chiming Alarm Function To The Catalog (Live Pics) Hodinkee
Patek Philippe 5322G Brings Apr 28, 2026

Introducing: The Patek Philippe 5322G Brings A More Modern-Sized And Styled Chiming Alarm Function To The Catalog (Live Pics)

What We Know Unveiled as part of a slew of new releases for Watches and Wonders 2026, the Patek Philippe 5322G offers a chiming 24-hour alarm complication in a modern case and design, with a new movement and a slightly smaller size than the discontinued model it replaces. The watch is housed in a white gold 41mm Calatrava case that's 12.22mm thick and features hollowed-out lugs, the brand's signature 'Clous de Paris' or "hobnail" guilloché pattern on the case middle, and a single pusher at 2 o'clock. The alarm is programmed through the pusher, and it can be set via the crown in the second position, which the brand says works "intuitively."  With a water resistance of 30 meters, Patek says the new 5322G is the only water-resistant chiming watch in the current collection. The new model replaces the Ref. 5520 Pilot Alarm Travel Time, which debuted in 2019 and was inspired by an historical aviator watch in the Patek museum in Geneva. Photo courtesy Patek Philippe. The model continues Patek's modern Calatrava style with a textured, lacquered dial in green or blue. The applied Arabic numerals and white-gold, syringe-style hands are both filled with luminescent material, adding to the contemporary feel. A hand display date sits at 6 o'clock, while the double-window aperture of the alarm function sits above the handset at 12 o'clock. Powering the 5322G is the new self-winding AL 30-660 S C caliber that chimes the alarm with a single hammer striking a classic gong around the case...

Anoma Debuts Two New References as Part of their Permanent Collection Worn & Wound
Anoma Apr 28, 2026

Anoma Debuts Two New References as Part of their Permanent Collection

Matteo Violet-Vianello founded Anoma back in 2024 with a crystal-clear concept that noticeably drew from the worlds of architecture and design as well as forms in nature. The brand’s debut offering set the tone for what has quickly become Anoma’s trademark: a triangular case. Those who follow the brand on Instagram well know that the brand’s cult following has become, dare I say obsessed with finding the soft, triangular form with rounded edges in the wild, citing pieces of furniture, buildings, river stones and other everyday objects that mimic the shape. From the get-go, Anoma has taken the approach of dropping limited edition collections rather than having a permanent catalog. The A1 First Series from 2024 was notable for its two-tone blue dial and was quickly followed up by two variations the following year: the A1 Slate offering a more neutral color palette and later the A1 Optical offered in two colorways – one monochromatic and the other two-tone – each highlighting a guilloche dial that has the unique and organic appearance of a fingerprint. Now, Anoma departs from its own tradition of highly limited executions, creating its first core collection. The new anchors for the brand include the A1 Abyss and A1 Stone. The pair very clearly echo models of the past with the Abyss giving us a twist on the First Series with a singular shade of blue that’s a bit lighter and brighter than the original two-tone. At first glance, this model appears simple, but there...

First Look - The new Venezianico Arsenale Calendario, An Accessible Take on the Integrated Bracelet Watch Monochrome
Venezianico Arsenale Calendario Apr 27, 2026

First Look - The new Venezianico Arsenale Calendario, An Accessible Take on the Integrated Bracelet Watch

Founded in 2017, Italian brand Venezianico has caught attention with its stylish, well-priced watches that often play around with materials and design. From pieces inspired by Venetian architecture to a recent Redentore with a guilloché pattern depicting the Venetian lagoon’s tides, there is usually a bit of character in what they do. Inspired by the […]

Introducing: De Bethune DB25Vxs Silver Moon And DB28xs Dark Sand Hodinkee
De Bethune DB25Vxs Silver Moon Apr 21, 2026

Introducing: De Bethune DB25Vxs Silver Moon And DB28xs Dark Sand

What We Know While not at Watches and Wonders this year, De Bethune was one of a number of brands jumping on the release bandwagon this week with a few new versions. Today, we're taking a look at two new pieces from the brand. De Bethune's DB25Vxs Silver Moon keeps some of the brand's futuristic design with the skeletonized lugs, while DB28xs Dark Sand picks up where the brand's DB28xs "Steel Wheels" left off. Let's start with the slightly more traditional watch first. The DB25Vxs Silver Moon trims the DB25L case size down to 40mm and changes the dial around a bit. It's been 17 years since the DB25L came out, so it was time for an update. The watch features a mirrored blued-titanium surround with gold stars, drawing the eye to the mirror-polished steel and blued-titanium spherical moonphase at 12 o'clock, which is accurate to 1 day every 122 years. The domed outer track features printed, slightly dressy Breguet numerals and a minute track for the gold hour and minute hands (in Breguet style as well) while the central dial features a barleycorn guilloché. Inside the 40.6mm by 11.2mm mirror-polished grade 5 titanium case is a caliber running at 4Hz with a 6-day power reserve. While a lot of my friends gravitate more toward that traditional aesthetic from De Bethune, my eyes immediately go for the more extreme De Bethunes, like the DB28xs Dark Sand, with the hinged lugs and (yes, somewhat divisive) arch design on the front. The DB28xs Dark Sand also has a 6-day power reserve...

Introducing: The New Chopard L.U.C. Chopard Strike One In Titanium (Live Pics) Hodinkee
Chopard L.U.C Chopard Strike One Apr 20, 2026

Introducing: The New Chopard L.U.C. Chopard Strike One In Titanium (Live Pics)

What We Know Among the more attractive releases from Watches and Wonders this year is the new Chopard L.U.C. Strike One Titanium, now with a beautiful new dial treatment. In ethical 18k rose gold with salmon-colored galvanic treatment, with a hand-guilloché central medallion with a honeycomb motif, the Strike One is a watch that may fly under the radar for some. Not a minute repeater, not a grande et petite sonnerie, but rather a beautiful watch that chimes once at the top of the hour (a sonnerie au passage), it's still got a very romantic quality about it. Despite being a chiming watch, Chopard has (as they usually do) minimized the size as much as possible with a 40mm by 9.86mm case in Grade 5 titanium. That light metal should help emphasize the chime's sound, with the hammer on the dial side visible through an aperture for the full experience. Even better, the gong is made of sapphire and is connected in a monobloc construction (one piece) to the dial crystal to emphasize sound transmission. The dial itself is capped by a snail-shaped chapter ring and has rhodium-plated hour markers and hands, plus anthracite-colored printed transfers. This is all powered by the L.U.C. 96.32-L. With a two-barrel construction and micro-rotor, you get 65 hours of power reserve, automatic winding, and a 4Hz beat rate, all chronometer-certified by COSC, with Poinçon de Genève-certified quality. Chopard really shows bigger brands how to do it when it comes to finishing, so this is the kin...

Watches & Wonders: Jaeger-LeCoultre Showcases Its Unique Mastery of Both Form and Function Through a Slew of New Releases Worn & Wound
Jaeger-LeCoultre Showcases Apr 15, 2026

Watches & Wonders: Jaeger-LeCoultre Showcases Its Unique Mastery of Both Form and Function Through a Slew of New Releases

For this year’s Watches and Wonders, Jaeger-LeCoultre is coming at us with a slew of new releases – there’s a lot to unpack, so stick with me. Here, we get two stunning new takes on the iconic Reverso highlighting the brand’s prowess in métiers d’art techniques (yes, you know I’m swooning over these). For the remaining three launches, we get a trio of complicated models: two from the Master Hybris line and a Master Grande Tradition. Altogether, the lineup showcases Jaeger-LeCoultre’s unique ability to balance both form and function throughout its catalog. Jumping into the Reverso pieces first, we have the latest additions to the Reverso Tribute line, which once again honor Hokusai, Japan’s most celebrated 19th century artist. For these, the Maison returns to the artist’s ‘Waterfalls’ series with four new interpretations. Each of the four 10-piece limited editions combines guilloché and enamel on the dial. Flip the trademark case design over, and miniature enamel paintings of Hokusai artworks are revealed on the casebacks depicting the final four images in the series: Rōben Waterfall at Ōyama in Sagami Province; Kiyotaki Kannon Waterfall at Sakanoshita on the Tōkaidō; Yōrō Waterfall in Mino Province; and The Falls at Aoigaoka in the Eastern Capital.   Alongside these tributes, we get a new series of limited-edition capsule collections dedicated to Métiers Rares timepieces: this is the La Vallée des Merveilles. The goal of the new capsules wi...

Blue Steel: Chopard L.U.C 1860 SJX Watches
Chopard L.U.C 1860 Apr 15, 2026

Blue Steel: Chopard L.U.C 1860

To mark 30 years of its Fleurier manufacture, Chopard has introduced a new variant of the watch that started it all. The new Lucent steel L.U.C 1860 adds a blue dial to the brand’s flagship time-only dress watch. The L.U.C 1860 is short on novelty, being merely a new colour for a model that debuted in 2023, but the incremental improvements result in a sleek and sophisticated steel dress watch. Initial thoughts The L.U.C 1860 is very traditional dress watch in the sense that nothing feels exaggerated. At the same time, it doesn’t feel boring thanks to its guilloché dial and the obvious quality of the movement within. While there are some who believe that a proper dress watch must come in precious metal, the popularity of the steel-and-salmon L.U.C 1860 released in 2023 proves there’s an alternate perspective.   The brand’s proprietary ‘Lucent’ steel makes the watch more accessible, especially in the age of near-record gold prices. Despite the use of a comparatively humble material, the case finishing remains high-end - though the design is generation behind the new case profile introduced for the Grand Strike. Since the original L.U.C 1860 debuted in 1997, it has always been a small watch. For a time, that left it out of step with consumer preferences, especially in the early 2000s, but tastes have once again shifted back in favour of smaller cases. In this context, the vintage-leaning 36.5 mm size feels just right. That said, while it makes sense for Chopar...

Watches & Wonders: The Chopard L.U.C. 1860 Chronometer, Like the Original from Three Decades Past, May be Worth The Wait Worn & Wound
Chopard L.U.C 1860 Chronometer Like Apr 14, 2026

Watches & Wonders: The Chopard L.U.C. 1860 Chronometer, Like the Original from Three Decades Past, May be Worth The Wait

Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded his eponymous watch company in 1860, but it took over 100 years for the brand to truly come into its own. In 1996, and after three years of development, the company debuted its own in-house movement. The wait seemed to have been worth it. The L.U.C 96.01-L immediately drew acclaim for beautiful finishing, embracing the microrotor, and COSC certification. It, and the subsequent L.U.C. 1860 dress watch, marked a sea change from reliance on third parties to true independence, arriving at a resurgence in fine mechanical watchmaking. Thirty years later, the L.U.C. family has expanded into dozens of variants, complications, and movements. But at 2026’s Watches & Wonders, Chopard pays tribute to 30 years of in-house manufacturing with a continuation of that vaunted original. The L.U.C 1860 Chronometer uses the same dial and microrotor movement from 1996, albeit with their own upgrades and unique design tweaks.  The intricate white-gold dial features guilloché finishing in the center, emanating in scalloped waves from the Chopard logo and nameplate. The concentric circles are separated by thin bands of white gold, and delicate spear-shaped markers point inward, toward the dauphine hands. At 6 o’clock, the small-seconds dial echoes the twin-circle pattern of the overall dial, and Chopard specifically mentions the lack of a date window “to preserve purity.”  Where the first L.U.C. 1860 had a white dial with gold accents, this Chronometer wears...

Zenith Expands G.F.J. Caliber 135 Collection SJX Watches
Zenith Expands G.F.J Caliber 135 Apr 13, 2026

Zenith Expands G.F.J. Caliber 135 Collection

After introducing the G.F.J. Caliber 135 last year, Zenith has expanded the line with two new models and created a new collection in the process. Following closely in the footsteps of the platinum debut model, the new additions are dressed in 18k yellow gold and tantalum, with richly furnished natural stone dials. The cal. 135 returns - now finished in a more traditional manner - boasting impressive performance that does justice to the movement’s enviable competition record. Initial thoughts The return of the legendary cal. 135 was something I always hoped I’d see, but never thought I would. But in a moment akin to Omega’s recreation of the famed cal. 321 chronograph, Zenith brought back one of the most successful observatory calibres in history. The movement made its return last year in grand style to mark the brand’s 160th anniversary, well built but priced well above Zenith’s typical domain. The style was also an acquired taste, with a hand-guilloche chapter ring, with a matching pattern machined into the movement bridges. The dial treatment was one thing, but the finishing of the movement arguably dulled what could have been an ascendant moment. For 2026, two new dial configurations - bloodstone and onyx - join what can now be called an official collection, both equally as luxe as the model’s blue debut. Fortunately, when it comes to the cal. 135, Zenith left the brick-style bridge finishing behind, opting for more ordinary - but more attractive ...

Heinrich Continues to Expand their Radiance Line with the “Wave” Worn & Wound
Apr 1, 2026

Heinrich Continues to Expand their Radiance Line with the “Wave”

Heinrich, the German brand that as of late has specialized in elaborate, machine finished dials in an array of bright colors (all set inside impeccably machined and finished cases) has just released the latest in their ongoing Radiance collection. The Guilloche Wave follows the Guilloche Swirl and the original Radiance, and continues to carve out the brand’s dress watch catalog. This is a somewhat unlikely turn for Heinrich, a brand that prior to the Radiance was primarily known for their modern tool watches. It’s been interesting to see how they’ve adapted easily to current trends for classical finishing with a contemporary twist, and creative use of materials, both design tenets that have always been readily observable under the surface at Heinrich, but seem to have found a moment in these last few years.  If you’re familiar with recent versions of the Radiance, the new Guilloche Wave will not exactly appear groundbreaking, but it does offer a new option for enthusiasts who either missed out on prior editions or simply want a dial with a more traditional guilloche execution. The Guilloche Wave has, you guessed it, a wave-like guilloche pattern emanating from the dial’s center. It’s interrupted by a lightly textured and rather small subsidiary seconds register at 6:00, and ends at a chapter ring surrounding the dial’s perimeter. The hour markers on these watches are not discussed enough – they’re applied and have a distinctive series of vertical lines r...

Review: Atelier Wen Nails Another Gorgeous Dial with the New Millésime 2025 Perception Limited Edition Worn & Wound
Atelier Wen Feb 25, 2026

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 - A Classic Rejuvenated, Chronoswiss Releases the Lunar Chronograph Aurora Monochrome
Breguet inspired features was modernised Feb 24, 2026

Introducing - A Classic Rejuvenated, Chronoswiss Releases the Lunar Chronograph Aurora

Chronoswiss was founded in 1983 by German watchmaker Gerd Rüdiger Lang and was sold in early 2012 to Swiss entrepreneurs Oliver and Eva Ebstein, who transferred operations to Lucerne, Switzerland. Known for reviving the regulator layout, Lang’s neoclassical design language, characterised by oversized onion crowns, knurled bezels, guilloché dials and Breguet-inspired features, was modernised by […]

Hands On: Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime SJX Watches
Patek Philippe World Time ref 5330G Feb 10, 2026

Hands On: Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime

One of Louis Vuitton’s most distinctive complications, the Escale Worldtime was recently revised and upgraded, giving it improved legibility and an in-house movement. The nips and tucks have given the watch a sleeker, more refined aesthetic, while making the technicolour dial more readable. It’s still far from a “tool” watch, but the second-generation Escale Worldtime has all of the charm of the original that’s now grounded in solid, credible watchmaking. Initial thoughts I’m biased because I am a fan of the original Worldtime, right from when it was launched in 2014. The original was decidedly impractical, way too expensive, but an imaginatively different take on the classic Louis Cottier world time. The new model has all of the appeal of the original, but with a superior execution in substance and form. The new version has smoothed out all of the rough edges of the original, quite literally in some respects. The case is now finer, with more refined lines and a gently domed crystal, for instance. Functionality has improved substantially with a hand for the minutes and a jumping hours display. And the movement is now a latest-generation calibre, part of a family of industrial-haute horlogerie movements developed by LFT that is an achievement on its own. The LFT VO12.01 movement features a 22k pink gold rotor with a guilloche rim The Escale Worldtime costs over US$90,000, or about 10% more than the Patek Philippe World Time ref. 5330G in white gold. The Escale, ...

Louis Vuitton Elevates the Escale Minute Repeater SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton Elevates Jan 19, 2026

Louis Vuitton Elevates the Escale Minute Repeater

Louis Vuitton sharpens its haute horlogerie credentials with the Escale Minute Repeater, a chiming complication paired with a jump hour and retrograde minutes display. Built around La Fabrique du Temps’s proven minute repeater calibre, the watch trades the previous Escale minute repeater’s world time function for a cleaner, more focused dial dominated by grey flammé guilloché. The result puts Louis Vuitton in direct competition with established players in complicated watchmaking, and comes complete with a discreet repeater slide hidden within the signature trunk-inspired lugs. Initial thoughts On the back of a strong 2025, Louis Vuittion doubles down on haute horlogerie, now in a more traditional case than last year’s Tambour. While the brand still offers the quartz Tambour Street Diver for just a few thousand dollars, Louis Vuittion’s ambitions clearly lie in the high-end. After years of strategic acquisitions and investments, the brand has the industrial base to compete and the know-how to do things its own way. The Escale Minute Repeater is the embodiment of Louis Vuitton’s ambitions, and is competitive with other minute repeaters from established haute horlogerie brands thanks to its modern movement and tasteful details. In short, it shows the brand understands the tastes of the day, and, more importantly, how to deliver a compelling package that leans into Louis Vuitton’s unique legacy and brand DNA. Furthermore, the minute repeater is something of a s...