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Results for Mechanical vs Quartz

2,052 articles · 456 videos found · page 40 of 84

Hands-On With The Remarkable Leica ZM 1 And ZM 2 Fratello
Mar 3, 2026

Hands-On With The Remarkable Leica ZM 1 And ZM 2

The name Leica often comes up in the Fratello office. Usually, it’s in reference to its famous cameras, but ever since the German brand introduced its first mechanical watches, we’ve also begun associating it with horology. This shows how closely connected mechanical watchmaking and photography are. In both, high-precision instruments are vital, and Leica certainly […] Visit Hands-On With The Remarkable Leica ZM 1 And ZM 2 to read the full article.

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The Best Skeleton Watches For 2026 Teddy Baldassarre
Mar 2, 2026

The Best Skeleton Watches For 2026

The skeleton watch or skeletonized watch is a style of timepiece that is almost exclusively the domain of watches with mechanical movements. The process of skeletonizing a watch is simple - in theory. By opening up the dial and caseback and stripping out some large areas of movement parts, the maker of a skeleton watch reveals the "bones" beneath the surface. In practical terms, skeletonizing a watch can be done minimally or it can be done to an extreme level, and in both case the result can often be polarizing. Whether you love or hate the style, skeleton watches are nearly always a reliable conversation starter among enthusiasts of mechanical wristwatches. To keep those conversations going, we've compiled this list of some of the best skeleton watches on the market today. Before diving into the list, let's clear up some of the jargon you can expect to come across. First off, there are two other terms that tend to be lumped in with the subject of skeleton watches, namely “open heart” and "openworked." "Open heart" tends to describe a type of dial aperture that reveals usually just the balance wheel beating away but very little else. ”Openworked” is a term that is commonly used as an alternative to "skeletonized" since being popularized by Audemars Piguet (more on that below). Essentially, openworked and skeletonized are interchangeable in describing the same aesthetic. So, on this list there will be skeleton(ized) and openworked watches but not open-heart w...

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Introducing – The Norqain Adventure Gets a new 40mm Case and a Range of Updates Monochrome
Norqain Adventure Gets Mar 2, 2026

Introducing – The Norqain Adventure Gets a new 40mm Case and a Range of Updates

Still a very young brand (founded in 2018), Norqain has rapidly grown to become an established brand, specialised in adventure watches and anything linked to mountaineering activities. With the Independence, Freedom, Wild One and Adventure collections, Norqain seeks the heights and offers robust watches that often come with serious mechanical credentials. One of the earliest […]

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Hats-Off to Hugo Rittener’s Le Majordome SJX Watches
Mar 2, 2026

Hats-Off to Hugo Rittener’s Le Majordome

The niche market for modern automatons just a little less tiny with Hugo Rittener’s Le Majordome, a mechanical butler that pop ups and greet the onlooker on demand. In the tradition of historical automatons, Le Majordome is entirely mechanical and driven by complex clockwork, and made entirely by hand. Initial thoughts Hugo Rittener is a young automaton maker from the Vaud region of Switzerland. Having cut his teeth working with François Junod, one of the most celebrated talents in the field, Mr Rittener has now gone into business for himself. Against this backdrop, Le Majordome (“the butler” in English) represents a foundational release. Compared to the timepieces we sometimes call mechanical art, this tabletop automaton serves no actual utility; there’s no time-telling and no complication other than the bronze figure itself. In terms of pure mechanical art, this is as artful as it gets. Having taken over 1,000 hours of work, from design to finishing, the (Le) Majordome is a mechanical animation of a bronze-sculpted and gold-plated butler figure, which raises his top hat towards those who actuate the mechanism.   Mr Rittener poetically describes the Majordome as an automate d’accueil - meaning “welcoming automaton”. The mechanical butler does in fact greet its audience, so it could be used as an extravagant welcoming party trick. Hugo Rittener will make 10 pieces of the Majordome in total, over the course of some years. Given the highly artisanal process...

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Hands On: Breguet Expérimentale 1 SJX Watches
Breguet Expérimentale 1 Feb 27, 2026

Hands On: Breguet Expérimentale 1

The Expérimentale 1 debuted last year as the capstone to the first quarter-millennium of the house of Breguet. We attended the launch event and shared immediate hands-on impressions, but watches like this don’t come along every day, or even every year, so it’s worth a fresh look now that some time has passed and the dust has settled. On paper, the Expérimentale 1 arguably represents the highest form of the mechanical watch. To understand the technical details of what makes the watch so groundbreaking, this in-depth analysis should be considered required reading. In short, the cal. 7250 housed within introduces the first-ever contactless mechanical escapement that simultaneously achieves two feats that Abraham-Louis Breguet himself toiled to accomplish throughout his entire career, namely, an oil-free escapement and stable amplitude. The Expérimentale 1 delivers both, and more. That said, as a wristwatch the Expérimentale 1 is tantalisingly imperfect owing to its polarising design. In fairness, this arguably says more about the difficultly of communicating technical breakthroughs to a non-technical public than it does about the design process at Breguet. It could also be the result of Breguet learning lessons from its own past. A modern (Marine) chronometer The Expérimentale 1 is most notable for its novel escapement and what it signals about the future direction of the brand, but it’s also worth analysing the updated Marine-style case, which is the most challeng...

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Introducing – The New Tissot T-Race MotoGP Automatic Chronograph 2026 Limited Edition Monochrome
Tissot T-Race MotoGP Automatic Chronograph Feb 26, 2026

Introducing – The New Tissot T-Race MotoGP Automatic Chronograph 2026 Limited Edition

Since becoming the official timekeeper of the MotoGP championship in 2001, Tissot has connected itself firmly to the sport through trackside timing systems and watches that speak the design language and mechanical intensity of motorcycle racing. The T-Race MotoGP collection was first introduced in 2003, and the brand has since created many motorsport-inspired references, with […]

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In-Depth: Orient Star’s Smart Silicon Escape Wheel SJX Watches
Seiko Epson’s massive industrial base Feb 26, 2026

In-Depth: Orient Star’s Smart Silicon Escape Wheel

While silicon mechanical movement components have swept across Switzerland, adoption has been slow within the Japanese watch industry, stymied by Swiss patents and professed concerns over the material’s durability. To this day, it remains the unlikely domain of Orient Star, a small brand with priority access to Seiko Epson’s massive industrial base. This positions Orient Star to capitalise on consumer demand for increasingly long power reserves, without sacrificing performance. Thanks to an ultralight and geometrically efficient escape wheel with a patented design, Orient Star is able to deliver a 70-hour power reserve without resorting the same counter-productive trade-offs to balance energy made by some Swiss peers – here’s how it was done. A silicon wafer of escape wheels. Image – Seiko Epson The quest for longer power reserves Recent consumer demand for longer power reserves has sent the industry’s engineers scrambling for ways to increase the autonomy of existing movement platforms. A movement’s power reserve is dictated by the length of the mainspring, which unwinds at a constant rate. That is why using a chronograph doesn’t cause a watch to run down faster – usually. Of course, you need to find somewhere to fit that extra length of mainspring while maintaining the movement’s dimensions, such as by thinning out the barrel walls, narrowing the inner barrel arbour radius, or, reducing the thickness of the mainspring. However, while decreasing the ma...

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Chronometer Watches Matter - Why The World Of Luxury Needs Accuracy Fratello
Feb 25, 2026

Chronometer Watches Matter - Why The World Of Luxury Needs Accuracy

Having the exact time on hand is nothing special nowadays. Almost always, you’re connected to satellite time (GPS), which is based on atomic clocks in satellites that measure time to 100 billionths of a second. Optimizing accuracy through mechanical parts is a whole other matter and an age-old quest. A chronometer - the word derives […] Visit Chronometer Watches Matter - Why The World Of Luxury Needs Accuracy to read the full article.

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First Look – New and Vibrant Dial Colours for the Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart Series Monochrome
Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart Series Feb 24, 2026

First Look – New and Vibrant Dial Colours for the Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart Series

The Jazzmaster collection by Hamilton is where classical watchmaking meets contemporary design, offering mechanical substance without unnecessary ornament. With the latest Jazzmaster Open Heart models, not to be confused with the skeleton versions, Hamilton expands the series with a wide range of dial colours across three sizes, to please as many clients as possible.  The […]

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Introducing – Spectacular New Editions of the Piaget Limelight Gala Precious Monochrome
Piaget Limelight Gala Precious Having Feb 24, 2026

Introducing – Spectacular New Editions of the Piaget Limelight Gala Precious

Having mastered the art of ultra-thin mechanical movements, Piaget made its foray into jewellery watches in the 1960s. Unveiled at the Basel Fair in 1969, Piaget’s 21st Century Collection showcased avant-garde jewellery watches, including textured gold cuffs with hardstone dials, powered by the brand’s ultra-thin 2mm manual-winding calibre 9P. In 1973, Piaget introduced the predecessor […]

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The Greatest Horological Masterpieces of All Time: the George Daniels Space Traveller is a Masterpiece of Horological Genius Worn & Wound
Feb 23, 2026

The Greatest Horological Masterpieces of All Time: the George Daniels Space Traveller is a Masterpiece of Horological Genius

A series of features identifying the most extraordinary mechanical masterpieces in history, blending precision, innovation, and craftsmanship. We all have our favourite timepieces either in our collection or those incredible horological masterpieces that have been invented or created through the ages. This series will showcase examples from the previous centuries up to the present day and look at the importance and impact on modern day timekeeping.  The ‘Space Traveller’ was conceived as a timepiece to honour the astronauts that George Daniels admired. He was determined that his watch would be one that could be theoretically used by an astronaut, therefore he set out to make a watch that displayed, simultaneously, mean-solar and sidereal time. “When I was a boy, going to the moon was the stuff of science fiction. The astronauts who went were brave chaps, the technology was the most advanced in the world and if the opportunity presented itself, I would have liked to have gone with them.” George Daniels, Master Watchmaker George Daniels made some of the most important watches in his lifetime, fusing together art, science and engineering. Every part of the two Space Traveller watches were hand-made by Daniels (except for the springs and the glass) and represented the pinnacle of independent watchmaking at the time. This practice, known as the ‘Daniels Method’ was taken on by his apprentice Roger W. Smith, today a highly acclaimed independent watchmaker in his ...

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The Audible Joy of Alarm Watches Worn & Wound
Vulcain Feb 20, 2026

The Audible Joy of Alarm Watches

One of the most useful watch complications in horological history is also one of its most forgotten.  The ring of a mechanical alarm may seem like a lost artifact, like a rotary phone dial or a manual transmission, all once the necessities of 20th century civilization. And yet, functionality of a settable and mechanical-winding alarm into the tiny confines of a wristwatch is an impressive mechanical feat, one underrated among dive bezels, world timers, pulsations scales, and tachymeters.  The alarm watch was meant for the everyman, whether they’re travelers, titans of industry, or merely early risers. Just like there is appreciation for a watch’s ability to do more than just tell time, there is the aural sensation for a watch to produce something more for the senses than just sight. Eterna was the first to patent an alarm caliber as early as 1908, eventually introducing an alarm wristwatch in 1914 at the Swiss National Exhibition in Berne. It was an impressive achievement, but it wouldn’t last: there was the problem that the alarm could only sound for less than 10 seconds, barely enough to rouse a moderate sleeper, as well as the fact that when the alarm was set, accuracy suffered.  However, the Eterna did achieve something significant: it spurred Vulcain, in nearby La Chaux-de-Fonds, to begin developing its own alarm mechanism in 1942. The resulting Vulcain Cricket, debuting in 1947, fixed its predecessor’s shortcomings: namely, separate barrels for the alarm s...

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The MeisterSinger Panthero Jumping Hour Celebrates The Brand’s 25th Anniversary Fratello
Audemars Piguet presented Feb 20, 2026

The MeisterSinger Panthero Jumping Hour Celebrates The Brand’s 25th Anniversary

There’s something in the water of the watch world. No idea what it is, but it’s making brands launch jump-hour watches. It started in 2025 with Cartier, Bremont, and Chronoswiss, to name but a few, and this year, Audemars Piguet presented a mechanical digital watch. The MeisterSinger Panthero Jumping Hour is yet another watch that […] Visit The MeisterSinger Panthero Jumping Hour Celebrates The Brand’s 25th Anniversary to read the full article.

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Orient Updates the Bambino with a New No Date Version of the Enthusiast Favorite Worn & Wound
Orient Feb 18, 2026

Orient Updates the Bambino with a New No Date Version of the Enthusiast Favorite

The Orient Bambino is one of those watches that’s an undisputed enthusiast classic. For almost everyone currently involved in our hobby, they’ve come across the Bambino in one way or another. It’s one of the most recommended enthusiast watches for beginners because of its classic dress watch style, reliable mechanical movement, and authentic brand history and credibility. It’s a watch that immediately puts you inside of our community.  If there was an ongoing critique of the Bambino, it might be that until now it had only been available with a date complication. This flies in the face, somewhat, of traditional dress watch norms, but is a common concession that larger watch brands make for the modern, non-enthusiast consumer. After what must have been years worth of feedback from collectors, Orient has just introduced new Bambino models without a date that seem aimed squarely at the collector community.  The new Bambino 38 No Date is available in white, ivory, green and brown dial options, as well as a gray limited edition of 3,300. Dials have a pleasing symmetry thanks to the lack of a date aperture, with Roman numerals at the even numbered hours and simple baton indices elsewhere. The perimeter of the dial has a hash mark minute track in either white or black depending on the dial color.  The Bambino 38 No Date runs on the new F6524 automatic movement, which has a power reserve of 40 hours. Orient makes simple but reliable automatic movements which are notable ...

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Orient Star’s M34 F8 Skeleton is Space-Age Tech SJX Watches
Seiko Epson including Feb 18, 2026

Orient Star’s M34 F8 Skeleton is Space-Age Tech

Orient Star marks a milestone with the M34 F8 Skeleton Hand Winding 75th Anniversary, combining the brand’s technically adept, manually wound skeleton calibre with a novel, laser-engraved meteorite pattern in a maximalist open-worked package. The M34 F8 Skeleton also stands out for the tech inside the mechanical movement: proprietary silicon escape wheel with a novel, optimistic geometry that helps the M34 punch above its weight from a technical standpoint. Initial thoughts Last year, Orient Star launched the brand’s first manually wound moon phase – made of mother-of-pearl no less – for fans of understated, formal watches. Now celebrating its 75th anniversary, Orient Star has cast aside restraint to mark the occasion with something for a more maximalist breed of collector. The new skeleton has a blacked-out case and bracelet and an open-worked version of its top-of-the-line F8 movement. Notably, the movement plates are bridges, which are exposed front and back, are decorated with a laser-etched meteorite motif that is impressively detailed. This skeletonised anniversary limited edition also features the latest technology from its powerhouse parent company Seiko Epson, including a silicon escape wheel with an especially advantageous design. While silicon is increasingly common in the watch industry, it is used primarily for hairsprings. This puts Orient on the list of short brands with a proprietary silicon escape wheel that includes blue-chip names like Patek Phil...

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Introducing – Heritage and Modernity Converge with Three New Louis Moinet Speed of Sound Monochrome
Louis Moinet Feb 17, 2026

Introducing – Heritage and Modernity Converge with Three New Louis Moinet Speed of Sound

Louis Moinet’s universe is populated with exuberant timepieces that often merge steampunk aesthetics with elaborate mechanical movements and exotic materials. As the brand whose founding father invented one of the very first chronographs in 1815 – the Compteur de Tierces – a fact that the brand discovered in 2013, chronographs have resumed their place in […]

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Introducing – Orient Presents its First No-Date Bambino and Fresh New Colours for the Date Models Monochrome
Orient Feb 16, 2026

Introducing – Orient Presents its First No-Date Bambino and Fresh New Colours for the Date Models

If you want an affordable mechanical classic, offered at an almost disruptive price point, few watches represent the concept as convincingly as the Orient Bambino. For more than a decade and for many people, the collection has been a gateway into traditional watchmaking, defined by domed crystals, restrained proportions and in-house movements. Over the years, […]

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The 18 Best Japanese Watch Brands For 2026 Teddy Baldassarre
Feb 12, 2026

The 18 Best Japanese Watch Brands For 2026

Before we get into the best Japanese watch brands for 2026, let's discuss Japan's role in watchmaking. Outside of Switzerland, Japan is probably the best-known watchmaking country, producing some of the world’s best watches in every category and at nearly every price point. When most people think about Japanese watches, their thoughts still likely envision mostly inexpensive and mostly quartz-powered watches from well-known, mass-market brands like Casio, Seiko, and Citizen. and to be sure, Japan is rightly regarded as a value leader in the global watch market, led by inexpensive but wildly popular and collectible watches like Casio's G-Shocks and Seiko's classically styled, automatic diver’s watches like the SKX series. However, Japan is also an excellent source for watches in the mid-level, luxury, and high-watchmaking categories, from both the country's handful of major players as well as from exciting, younger independent brands. [toc-section heading="Seiko"] At this point, Seiko is synonymous with Japanese watchmaking. The company was founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori and got its start by selling and repairing watches and clocks. Just 11 years later, Hattori started producing clocks and then pocket watches, followed closely by the company’s, and Japan’s, first wristwatch in 1913. The 1960s was a period of rapid growth for the company. Not only did Seiko introduce the first Grand Seiko watch and also Japan’s first dive watch, but the firm also gained interna...

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