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Results for DLC and PVD Coating

29,586 articles · 1,986 videos found · page 445 of 1053

Introducing – The New Breguet Reine de Naples 9935 & 8925 for the Brand’s 250th Anniversary Monochrome
Breguet Reine de Naples 9935 Oct 16, 2025

Introducing – The New Breguet Reine de Naples 9935 & 8925 for the Brand’s 250th Anniversary

Celebrating its grand 250th anniversary, Breguet turns its attention to the Reine de Naples, a women’s collection with a royal backstory and a distinctive oval-shaped case. Fit for a queen, the new moon phase reference 9935 and the time-only 8925 are packed with novelties, a new gold bracelet and a generous sprinkling of diamonds. As […]

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First Look – Old Meets New On Board the Ulysse Nardin Freak S Enamel Monochrome
Ulysse Nardin Freak S Enamel Oct 16, 2025

First Look – Old Meets New On Board the Ulysse Nardin Freak S Enamel

The Freak, Ulysse Nardin’s avant-garde masterpiece, marked a before and after in contemporary watchmaking. Designed by wizard watchmaker Ludwig Oeschlin under the inspired leadership of Rolf Schnyder, the Freak was unleashed in 2001. With no dial, hands, or crown, the Freak upturned conventional time displays, relying instead on the movement’s rotation to tell the time. […]

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Ulysse Nardin Illuminates the Freak S with Flinqué Enamel SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin Illuminates Oct 16, 2025

Ulysse Nardin Illuminates the Freak S with Flinqué Enamel

Ulysse Nardin has revealed a new take on its flagship complication, the Freak S Enamel, now offered with a silvery titanium case and with the choice of either red or turquoise translucent flinqué enamel over an engine-turned guilloché dial. While mechanically unchanged, the cleaner case design and high-gloss dial plate transform the overall visual impression and intensify the focus on the central carousel, which serves as both the time display and the heart of the movement. A limited edition of 50 pieces in each colour, the enamel edition is the fourth member of the Freak S family, which was launched in 2022 as a higher-end, dual-balance evolution of the Freak Vision. Initial thoughts Since its debut a quarter century ago, the Freak collection has given Ulysse Nardin (UN) freedom to push the boundaries of movement design. While the usually crownless case and central carousel have become familiar over the years, each iteration still manages to feel like an experiment. The new enamel edition is the most aesthetically restrained Freak S yet; paradoxically, it also feels the most luxurious, trading exotic material combinations for polished titanium and brightly coloured enamel. The result is a watch that feels as radical as ever, but more refined. The 45 mm case, for example, is the simplest Freak S case to date: no carbon flanks, and no PVD coating. The traditional brushed and polished finish helps the large case fade into the background to allow the enamel dial and starshi...

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Fratello Talks: Watch Case Materials Fratello
Oct 16, 2025

Fratello Talks: Watch Case Materials

In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, RJ, and Lex tackle the very foundation of our watches - the case materials. From trusty steel to precious gold, lightweight titanium, and futuristic ceramics, the trio dives into what distinguishes these materials, their unique features, and why they make a difference when wearing a watch every […] Visit Fratello Talks: Watch Case Materials to read the full article.

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Seiko Revives Retro Rotocall from Eighties Space Shuttle Era SJX Watches
Omega Oct 16, 2025

Seiko Revives Retro Rotocall from Eighties Space Shuttle Era

More Seiko watches have gone to space than any other brand, save for Omega and Casio, and Seiko brings back the most prolific of them all, the multi-function Rotocall. For the 2025 reissue, the brand has gone for authenticity over reinvention, retaining the original 37 mm case size and bezel-operated function selector, while making a concession for a more practical sapphire crystal. Named for its nifty rotating bezel, the vintage Rotocall was most frequently worn on NASA Space Shuttle missions. The remake is available in three colourways, plus two limited editions for the Japanese market, the reissue of this 1980s favourite delivers a heavy dose of nostalgia. Initial thoughts If the Speedmaster Professional is the “Moon Watch”, the Rotocall may as well be called the “Shuttle Watch”. NASA purportedly flight qualified the Rotocall around 1983 and, according to Robert Jackson, who maintains a database of watches used in space, Rotocalls crossed the Karman line nearly 200 times during the Space Shuttle program, which lasted until 2011. Today, vintage Rotocalls are quite desirable, and unlike NASA-issued Speedmasters, which were government property, astronauts paid for and were allowed to keep their Rotocalls. Sotheby’s sold Kathy Sullivan’s watch, which she took to space twice – and once to the seafloor in the Challenger Deep – for over US$20,000 a few years ago. The Rotocall may be the most faithful of Seiko’s recent reissues; it’s the same diameter – 37...

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Strap or Bracelet? Ming’s Laser-Formed Titanium Mesh is Both SJX Watches
Rolex or Oct 16, 2025

Strap or Bracelet? Ming’s Laser-Formed Titanium Mesh is Both

Ming has unveiled the Polymesh strap, described by the brand as the world’s first 3D-printed titanium watch bracelet. Blurring the line between bracelet and strap, it’s comprised of 1,693 articulating grade 5 titanium components. Designed to fit any Ming case with 20 mm lugs, the Polymesh strap reflects the brand’s growing ambitions. Initial thoughts The Polymesh strap illustrates the important function that independent brands like Ming play in the watchmaking ecosystem; they can explore concepts that big brands cannot. Large industrial brands are, to some extent, locked in a cage of their own making. On one hand, they have scale and distribution, but on the other, any innovation must be tested exhaustively to ensure it won’t complicate service channels. Ming exists in a sweet spot, with enough market traction to confidently invest in the development of new ideas, and the nimble size to take decisive action. In this context, it’s not surprising to see the first 3D-printed wristwatch bracelet come from a brand like Ming rather than an industrial powerhouse like Rolex or the Swatch Group. The concept itself is inherently interesting. It might be called a bracelet or a strap, but regardless of the nomenclature, it’s intended to offer both the dense, draping feel of a bracelet with the supple flexibility of a strap, made possible through additive manufacturing. As with any truly novel concept, the Polymesh strap likely needs to be experienced firsthand to be fully...

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Mechanical Wonders at the Louvre, From Ancient Egypt to Vacheron Constantin SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Having opened Oct 16, 2025

Mechanical Wonders at the Louvre, From Ancient Egypt to Vacheron Constantin

Having opened on September 17th to coincide with the 270th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin, a philanthropic partner of the museum, Mécaniques d’art is an exhibition at the Louvre dedicated to mechanical art objects, specifically 10 historically significant clocks and watches (though some of the oldest are merely fragments).  On display in the Sully wing until November 12th, the exhibit casts a welcome light on an often-overlooked facet of the museum’s decorative arts collection; objects that blend technical mastery with mankind’s insatiable desire to measure time and understand the heavenly bodies. The centerpiece (literally, as it’s in the center of the room) is La Quête du Temps, the spectacular astronomical clock unveiled last month by Vacheron Constantin.  For those unable to visit, it’s worth a look at the remarkable objects on display, presented here in historical order. Exhibition overview Fragment of a Clepsydra Egypt, c. 332–30 BC At approximately 2,300 years old, the oldest clock on display predates mechanical clocks by centuries. Its age explains its condition – a mere fragment is all that remains of an ancient Egyptian clepsydra, or water clock.  As old as this water clock is, the underlying technology was centuries old when it was built. The device was essentially a flat-bottomed vessel with a hole in it, precisely drilled so that water would leak out at a predictable rate; experts estimate that this type of clepsydra could measure time t...

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Zenith Chronomaster Sport Review: The Modern El Primero Teddy Baldassarre
Zenith Oct 15, 2025

Zenith Chronomaster Sport Review: The Modern El Primero

The Zenith Chronomaster Sport debuted back in 2021 and has evolved into one of the brand’s most compelling contemporary chronographs (and that’s saying a lot for Zenith). There was a lot of initial chatter about some similarities to the Rolex Daytona because the collection debuted with a panda and reverse panda dial model with ceramic bezel and, while the comparisons are certainly valid, it does warrant a reminder that the Daytona indeed used to be El Primero-powered. Earlier in 2025, Zenith went all out on the blue theme at this year’s Watches & Wonders in celebration of its 160th anniversary. The star of the show may have been the return of the Caliber 135 in the G.F.J. (see more on that one right here), but the supporting releases didn’t hold back either, boasting bright blue ceramic cases and bracelets. Together, this trio of watches comprise the Zenith 160th anniversary collection, touching on each of the cornerstones of the brand’s modern architecture. The watch I am going to focus on here is the Zenith Chronomaster Sport rendered nearly in its entirety in blue ceramic, showcasing a very different side of the brand’s most popular modern chronograph. Zenith Chronomaster Sport Context The Chronomaster collection has been around since 1994, building on the rather illustrious history of precision timing (outlined in more detail right here) that Zenith is known for. In 2021, Zenith found its modern stride with the release of the Chronomaster Sport with a blac...

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Review: the Traska Venturer GMT Worn & Wound
Omega Seamaster Still occasionally Oct 15, 2025

Review: the Traska Venturer GMT

I’m not a big “upgrader.” I’ve never been hugely interested in having the latest thing. My style of collecting (or, arguably, of “accumulating”) has always come more from a deep-seated urge for completionism, rather than a desire always to have the best or newest. When I do take the plunge on something, I try to get exactly what I want, or the best option available, and then, typically, I’m pretty happy with it. It’s why I’m still using the iPhone 12 Pro Max I bought five years ago (it works perfectly), why I was totally comfortable - in buying my first gravel bike this summer - to opt for an older model year of the Cannondale Topstone instead of the shiniest brand new version, and why I’ve felt absolutely no urge to pick up a more recent iteration of my beloved Omega Seamaster. Still, occasionally, a meaningful update comes along that genuinely grabs my attention. Most recently, that happened with the watch I’m reviewing here: the Traska Venturer GMT, now in its sixth generation. There was a time, when watches and writing were a hobby and not a vocation, that I was the “NWA-every-other-week” type, but as my collecting has slowed down, and since I’m lucky enough to satisfy much of my urge for novelty through work, I’m much more restrained in my purchasing habits. The result of this is that I’ve somewhat fallen off the microbrand treadmill, the constant in and out of FedEx boxes from my house now primarily a professional concern, rather t...

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