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Results for Automatic vs Manual Winding

1,948 articles · 15 videos found · page 48 of 66

Grand Seiko: Looking at What Makes the Brand so Special - And Grand Seiko is Definitely Special! Quill & Pad
Grand Seiko Looking Feb 26, 2025

Grand Seiko: Looking at What Makes the Brand so Special - And Grand Seiko is Definitely Special!

The first association for many on hearing the word "Seiko" is likely to be affordable quartz watches or automatic divers. However, Seiko offers much more, particularly in terms of luxury timepieces. Grand Seiko, which became its own brand under the Seiko Group in 2017, produces some of the most competitive luxury watches on the market, rivaling the best Swiss brands at prices that are still (somewhat) attainable.

First Look - The New 38mm AP Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon in Sand Gold Monochrome
Audemars Piguet equips Feb 25, 2025

First Look - The New 38mm AP Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon in Sand Gold

Marking a first for the recently introduced 38mm iteration of Code 11.59, Audemars Piguet equips its most compact reference with an automatic flying tourbillon. Not just any tourbillon, mind you, but AP’s ultra-thin calibre 2968, aka RD#3. Representing the best of both worlds, the new Code 11.59 Tourbillon fuses a state-of-the-art movement with a graceful […]

First Look - A New Three-Toned Version of the AP Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Monochrome
Audemars Piguet s Royal Oak Offshore Feb 25, 2025

First Look - A New Three-Toned Version of the AP Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph

Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore debuted in 1993 as the Royal Oak’s bolder, more virile brother with a muscular case and bold juxtaposition of materials. In 2021, the “Beast” was given a facelift, resulting in a more ergonomic 43mm case with redesigned pushers housing the brand’s integrated automatic flyback chronograph movement. No stranger to ceramic […]

Introducing: The Hublot Big Bang Unico Magic Ceramic - The First Production Watch Featuring Multicolored Ceramic Fratello
Breitling Hamilton Feb 23, 2025

Introducing: The Hublot Big Bang Unico Magic Ceramic - The First Production Watch Featuring Multicolored Ceramic

History repeats itself. You know of the debate about which automatic chronograph came first. Was Zenith’s El Primero, the Caliber 11 developed by Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton, and movement specialist Dubois Dépraz, or the Speedtimer by Seiko the first? Now we have a new case of “Who came first?” It involves two watches - the Hublot […] Visit Introducing: The Hublot Big Bang Unico Magic Ceramic - The First Production Watch Featuring Multicolored Ceramic to read the full article.

Hands-On: the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph in Steel Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph Feb 19, 2025

Hands-On: the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph in Steel

Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that our enthusiast romance associated with a mechanical movement can be another’s annoyance. Our beloved rituals of winding and setting, feeling the grinding clicks in your fingertips, and double-checking you’ve set it correctly can act as a barrier to entry for some, leaving a mechanical watch inside a dresser drawer. That is why I am a proponent of luxury brands exploring quartz calibers, particularly within their more popular collections. Removing that barrier and often lowering its price point means that the watch and the hobby as a whole can be accessed by more people, which is the ultimate goal, after all. All that being said, if a luxury brand is going to make a quartz watch and charge a luxury price, you have to make it a good one. Stepping off of my soap box, I’ll happily admit that when TAG Heuer released the Aquaracer with a solar quartz caliber inside, I too scoffed at the price and questioned its purpose. While the design language spoke to me with its warmly hued titanium construction and tasteful accents, I just didn’t understand why TAG Heuer would charge a price many multiples of what other solar quartz calibers commonly sell for. That was until I had the opportunity to have a period of hands-on time with it. I found myself enjoying its lightweight yet solid construction, the fun application of lume, and even became a bit enamored by the angular case lines, which had previously been a bit off-putting. So when I s...

Miyota Celebrates 50 Years Of The Caliber 82 Series Fratello
Feb 14, 2025

Miyota Celebrates 50 Years Of The Caliber 82 Series

Miyota is synonymous with high-quality, affordable mechanical movements. Collectors of independent and microbrand watches know the name well. This year is special for the brand because it marks the 50th anniversary of the popular Caliber 82 series. To celebrate this automatic movement’s success, let’s examine its core elements. In a world where small, creative watch […] Visit Miyota Celebrates 50 Years Of The Caliber 82 Series to read the full article.

Review: Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 45GS SLGW005 SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 45GS SLGW005 Feb 14, 2025

Review: Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 45GS SLGW005

Grand Seiko announced in September last year a vintage remake inspired by the 45GS of 1968, the Heritage Collection 45GS Re-creation, which was launched as the SLGW005 in steel and the SLGW004 in yellow gold. In contrast to the many recent Grand Seiko releases with modern styling, the 45SG Re-creation is refreshing in being a revival of an iconic design, right down to the double-signed dial. Yet, the model also sports the brand’s latest generation manual-wind movement, the 9SA4. As the more accessible model of the two – retail is a little under US$10,000 – the steel SLGW005 deserves a closer look to understand how it smartly melds old and new. Initial thoughts Aesthetically, the SLGW005 stands out as a distinctively vintage design, from the case and dial to the buckle. This is all the more so since it is the first release since Grand Seiko’s rebranding in 2017, when all models eliminated “Seiko” in favour of only “Grand Seiko”, to feature the brand’s historical double-signed “Seiko” and “GS” dial. I am personally fond of this detail, as the double logo balances the dial aesthetically. But preferences aside, the external components are indeed excellent, from the dial work down to the faceted case. Despite the traditional exterior, the internals are modern – almost paradoxically so. Sporting the brand’s proprietary Dual Impulse Escapement, the 9SA4 inside is entirely different than the 1960s cal. 4520 found in the 45GS. On paper, it is a high-s...

The Rose Gold SBGH368 Enters Grand Seiko’s Permanent Collection Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko s Permanent Collection Perhaps Feb 12, 2025

The Rose Gold SBGH368 Enters Grand Seiko’s Permanent Collection

Perhaps the crown jewel of Grand Seiko’s automatic watches, the 62GS was the brand’s first to feature an automatic movement. Vintage 62GS pieces championed subtlety with small crowns, “bezel-less” crystals, and smooth, polished edges. The 62GS has lived on through many contemporary iterations, and most hold on to that understated elegance as a key design feature. The current lineup of Heritage Collection pieces reflects almost all the hallmarks of the 62GS that it’s based on, albeit with dials themed for the 24 solar terms of the Japanese sekki.  Grand Seiko’s newest 62GS piece continues the seasonal motif of the Heritage Collection lineup but adds even more color by enveloping it in 18-karat rose gold. This rose gold reference, SBGH368 in the Grand Seiko catalog, is meant to symbolize cherry blossoms covered in snow, featuring a textured copper pink dial encased in a dual curve sapphire crystal. The indices, dauphine hands, date window frame, and screw-down crown match the case material, as does Grand Seiko’s logo positioned just above the brand’s name, below the double-thick 12 marker. An exhibition case back showcases the Hi-Beat 9S85 automatic movement, which features 37 jewels and a 55-hour power reserve, as well as 100-meter water resistance.  In terms of sizing, the SBGH368’s case measures 38mm in diameter and 12.9mm in thickness, maintaining the standard specs of the 62GS line. The 20mm lug width promises easy strap-swapping, though the included...

Grand Seiko Scales Down the 62GS to 30 mm and Stays Mechanical SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Scales Down Feb 12, 2025

Grand Seiko Scales Down the 62GS to 30 mm and Stays Mechanical

Grand Seiko’s latest offering is unusual – it’s a 30 mm self-winding model specifically conceived for ladies, in contrast to the vast majority of the Grand Seiko catalogue that’s made up of men’s or mid-sized watches. The Heritage Collection 62GS Mechanical 30 mm measures just 10.5 mm thick, making it the brand’s slimmest mechanical model to date. Notably, the new 62GS pair, STGK031 and STGK033, are the first to adopt a case design found on men’s watches, refining it for a smaller format as a ladies model. Initial thoughts In my view, the 62GS case stands out as the most appealing configuration in Grand Seiko’s extensive lineup. While it retains a distinctly Japanese design heritage, it remains one of the few Grand Seiko models that blends vintage and modern styles. As an owner of the 40 mm 62GS, I can personally attest to its versatility on the wrist, largely due to its slim case profile. The new 62GS 30 mm is essentially a scaled down version of the 40 mm model. It stands out for being the first ladies’ models that adapt a design of a men’s watch. In contrast, earlier Grand Seiko ladies watches had a cushion-shaped case that is arguably less appealing since it doesn’t have a distinctive Grand Seiko style. While Grand Seiko’s continued emphasis on nature-inspired dials may feel somewhat overused, the 62GS 30 mm is priced similar to its men’s counterpart and still represents good value. 62GS The Grand Seiko catalogue does include mid-sized watches...

Introducing: The Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition In Blue And Orange Fratello
Breitling Heuer Dubois-Dépraz Feb 5, 2025

Introducing: The Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition In Blue And Orange

In 2019, Hamilton launched a limited-edition Chrono-Matic 50 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Calibre 11. Along with Breitling, Heuer, Dubois-Dépraz, and Buren, Hamilton was one of the original partners in the development of the automatic Calibre 11 that debuted in 1969. The 2019 version of the Chrono-Matic 50 had a black dial, […] Visit Introducing: The Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition In Blue And Orange to read the full article.

Radial “Mount Iwate” Patterned Dial for the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Grand Seiko’s Feb 3, 2025

Radial “Mount Iwate” Patterned Dial for the Grand Seiko Evolution 9

Grand Seiko’s latest release, the Evolution 9 Hi-Beat 36000 SLGH027 Limited Edition, is all about the textured dial as is typical of the brand. Inspired by the ridges of Mount Iwate, a volcano that’s near Grand Seiko’s Shizukuishi workshop, the radial dial motif is more deeply textured than earlier iterations of the “Mount Iwate” pattern. The rest of the watch is typical of the Evolution 9 “SLGH” model – a high-frequency automatic movement inside a Zaratsu-finish case in from Ever-Brilliant steel, a proprietary alloy with superior corrosion resistance and a brighter finish than conventional steel. Initial thoughts Of the many Grand Seiko dials, the new Mount Iwate motif stands out. While the latest dial shares the same radial style as the earlier “Mount Iwate” pattern, found on the Tentagraph SLGC001 amongst others, the dial of the SLGH027 has a deeper texture and more pronounced grooves, giving it an elevated aesthetic that is more striking. With so many variants, Grand Seiko’s textured dials are a little cliche at this point, but there is no denying that the watches are still impressively crafted and offer strong value, rivalling the strongest Swiss competition (except in terms of the bracelet). At US$10,500, the SLGH027 is priced similarly to equivalent prior models. While it is substantially more expensive than the average time-and-date Grand Seiko, the price is justified by the top-of-the-line cal. 9SA5, as well as the excellent case and dial wor...

Introducing: The Grand Seiko SLGH027 “Mountainscape” Hi-Beat 65th Anniversary Limited Edition Fratello
Grand Seiko SLGH027 “Mountainscape” Hi-Beat 65th Feb 3, 2025

Introducing: The Grand Seiko SLGH027 “Mountainscape” Hi-Beat 65th Anniversary Limited Edition

Today, Grand Seiko introduces the SLGH027 “Mountainscape,” a limited-edition watch celebrating the brand’s 65th anniversary. The piece features the automatic Hi-Beat 9SA5 caliber, which debuted in 2020. As part of the Evolution 9 collection, this watch is not retro at all but a modern reference with stunning details. Grand Seiko always has a strong start […] Visit Introducing: The Grand Seiko SLGH027 “Mountainscape” Hi-Beat 65th Anniversary Limited Edition to read the full article.

Price of Admission: What Are The Least Expensive Breguet Watches? Teddy Baldassarre
Breguet Jan 31, 2025

Price of Admission: What Are The Least Expensive Breguet Watches?

For those in the know, Breguet is a name in the history of watchmaking that commands instant respect, and even reverence. The brand’s legendary founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, is rightfully lauded as the inventor of the tourbillon, but his lifetime horological resumé goes far beyond even that: he made the first self-winding movement, the first watch that was wound by a crown rather than a key, the pare-chute shock protection system, and the gong system for repeater watches, among other innovations. His customers included historical figures like King Louis XVI of France, Queen Marie-Antoinette, and Napoleon Bonaparte. He even invented a style of hands that many other watchmakers other than Breguet still use today. The modern brand that bears his name is one of the undisputed, upper-echelon Swiss watch maisons, alongside names like Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet, and the jewel in the crown of the Swatch Group.  All that said and acknowledged, a newcomer to Breguet, especially the prospective owner of his or her first Breguet watch, may find all of this background intimidating. And make no mistake, Breguet is unapologetic in both its embrace of historical renown and its timepieces’ exalted level of luxury. The brand’s modern-day stewards harbor no illusion that they offer anything that would be any aficionado’s “first watch.” The whole concept of “entry level” must be stretched a bit at this venerated tier of watchmaking: like Patek Philippe, A. Lan...

Introducing: The Limited-Edition Timex Giorgio Galli S2Ti With A Titanium And Forged Carbon Case Fratello
Timex Giorgio Galli S2Ti Jan 28, 2025

Introducing: The Limited-Edition Timex Giorgio Galli S2Ti With A Titanium And Forged Carbon Case

In general, the watches on the Timex website are all quite affordable. You can get an Easy Rider for as little as €50, but even for the rest of the watches, €100–300 is often enough. However, that’s not true with the watches in Timex’s Giorgio Galli collection. The automatic S1 with a Japanese Miyota movement […] Visit Introducing: The Limited-Edition Timex Giorgio Galli S2Ti With A Titanium And Forged Carbon Case to read the full article.

Introducing: The Return Of The Farer GMT Bezel Collection Fratello
Farer GMT Bezel Collection Today Jan 23, 2025

Introducing: The Return Of The Farer GMT Bezel Collection

Today, after a two-year absence, Farer reintroduces the new GMT Bezel Collection. Four watches comprise the lineup. They include two diameters and several color options. Automatic movements, a healthy spec sheet, and affordable pricing make the return of these watches a welcome one. While Farer continues to offer different styles of GMT watches, the GMT […] Visit Introducing: The Return Of The Farer GMT Bezel Collection to read the full article.

Introducing - The new Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms Pink Ocean is… Very Pink Monochrome
Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms Pink Jan 23, 2025

Introducing - The new Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms Pink Ocean is… Very Pink

Following a rather unmanageable success with the Moonswatch collaboration with Omega, Swatch did it again in 2023 with yet another brand from the group – this time Blancpain – and with another emblematic watch – the Fifty Fathoms. The result, an accessible Bioceramic watch inspired by Blancpain’s famous dive watch, came with an automatic movement […]

Christopher Ward Introduces The Updated C65 Dune Aeolian Collection Fratello
Christopher Ward Introduces Jan 23, 2025

Christopher Ward Introduces The Updated C65 Dune Aeolian Collection

For its first release of 2025, Christopher Ward decided to give the Dune collection a facelift. The English brand is introducing new dials for the Dune Automatic models in stainless steel and bronze. Additionally, Christopher Ward adds its third Dune GMT model to the lineup. After the inaugural black-dial limited edition, last year saw the […] Visit Christopher Ward Introduces The Updated C65 Dune Aeolian Collection to read the full article.

[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon Worn & Wound
Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon Following Jan 22, 2025

[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon

Following the release of the Longines Ultra-Chron in 2022, a revival of a very specific reference from 1968, Longines adds to the model family with the new Ultra-Chron Carbon. This model comes from a more modern age with a carbon and titanium construction, a monochromatic motif, and the same high-frequency automatic caliber inside. Initially, though, it is hard to tell if this model is meant to be an evolution of the former or an extension of the overall family. While there may still be some similarities to its sibling model, this new version does have its differences, which are important to note.  As the only carbon case piece currently being offered by the brand, it is interesting that Longines decided to introduce it in the oft-overlooked Ultra-Chron collection rather than its more popular offerings like the Spirit Zulu Time or the Conquest. Potentially a byproduct of the simpler case architecture being a bit more friendly to the material, the forged carbon does seem to look right at home molded into the cushion case shape. $4900 [VIDEO] Hands-On: the Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon Case Forged carbon Movement L836 Dial Anthracite Lume Yes Lens Sapphire Strap Sailcloth Water Resistance 300 meters Dimensions 43 x 48.6mm Thickness 14.1mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Screw down Warranty Yes Price $4900 Before taking a closer look, my mind immediately began to look back at a release from last year coming from another Swatch Group brand, the Tissot Sideral S, ready to call out similari...

There Is Nothing Left To Reintroduce, Or Is There? What About The IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar IW3750 From 1985? Fratello
IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Jan 15, 2025

There Is Nothing Left To Reintroduce, Or Is There? What About The IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar IW3750 From 1985?

The IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar IW3750 from 1985 is an important watch for IWC and the entire Haute Horlogerie universe post-Quartz Crisis. Master watchmaker Kurt Klaus built a perpetual calendar mechanism on top of an automatic chronograph, which reignited interest in complicated horology and made people look at IWC differently. The innovative watch brought […] Visit There Is Nothing Left To Reintroduce, Or Is There? What About The IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar IW3750 From 1985? to read the full article.

Introducing - Longines’ First Carbon Watch, The Ultra-Chron Carbon Monochrome
Longines First Carbon Watch Jan 1, 2025

Introducing - Longines’ First Carbon Watch, The Ultra-Chron Carbon

Everyone is familiar with Zenith’s high-frequency El Primero automatic chronograph movement, released in 1969. However, not everybody is familiar with the world’s first high-frequency diver. The laurels, in this case, go to Longines with its 1968 Ultra-Chron ref. 7970 with a 5Hz frequency and a depth rating of 200m. Reintroduced in 2022, the Ultra-Chron returns […]

The IWC RAAF Watch Is A Reminder Of The Brand’s Rich Past Fratello
IWC RAAF Watch Dec 12, 2024

The IWC RAAF Watch Is A Reminder Of The Brand’s Rich Past

Earlier this year, I wrote about a special watch from the International Watch Company Schaffhausen. That was the IWC reference IW3281-02, also known as the Pilot’s Watch Automatic RAAF (henceforth called “IWC RAAF watch” for brevity). This special timepiece pays homage to the original IWC Mark 11 watches issued to the Royal Australian Air Force […] Visit The IWC RAAF Watch Is A Reminder Of The Brand’s Rich Past to read the full article.

Introducing A Tougher Shade Of White: The Urwerk UR-230 Ceramique Fratello
Urwerk UR-230 Ceramique If you Dec 11, 2024

Introducing A Tougher Shade Of White: The Urwerk UR-230 Ceramique

If you compare horology and science, Urwerk must be fundamental science. The house does not ask what people need. Instead, it asks what is possible on the fringes. The Urwerk UR-230 is a prime example. Its dual-turbine system allows the user to regulate the watch’s winding. Does anyone need that? No. But who cares? It […] Visit Introducing A Tougher Shade Of White: The Urwerk UR-230 Ceramique to read the full article.

Insight: The Modern Performance Chronograph Movement SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin has Dec 10, 2024

Insight: The Modern Performance Chronograph Movement

High-end chronograph movements of today tend to have in common a vertical clutch and column wheel. Such “performance” chronographs are typically also automatic, and practically every high-end watchmaker, from Audemars Piguet to Vacheron Constantin, has its own take on the modern “performance” chronograph. The chronograph movement as we know it today is actually a fairly recent invention. Despite being common in today’s chronograph constructions, the vertical coupling, or at least its concept, is decades-old. The Pierce cal. 130/134 launched in the 1930s is regarded as the first commercially available wristwatch with a vertical clutch. There are examples of even older stopwatches that relied on crude forms of the vertical clutch, but most were either prototypes or small-batch production. But the large-scale use of the vertical clutch only started in the late 1960s, when Seiko debuted the cal. 6139. Launched in 1969, the Seiko cal. 6139 was a vertical clutch movement produced on an industrial scale. Not only was it among the first-ever automatic chronographs, but the cal. 6139 also was objectively the most advanced amongst them. Compared to the modular construction of the Breitling-Heuer Chronomatic Caliber 11 and the fairly classical architecture of the Zenith El Primero, the Seiko cal. 6139 was endowed with a vertical clutch and a novel construction all around. It was, however, an industrial, no-frills movement at heart. The one that started it all – the cal. ...

W Worn & Wound
Worn & Wound
Louis Erard who are bringing steampunk Dec 8, 2024

A Week in Watches Ep. 95 - A Colossal Collab, and More!

The year is winding down, but only after a few more new releases. On this week’s episode of A Week in Watches, we take a look at the Ressence Type 9, the smallest Ressence yet. Then we dive into Jacques Bianchi, square up with the Circula Facet, head to the mountains with Élge, and turn green with Fratello and Czapek-lastly, we nerd out with Vianney Halter and Louis Erard, who are bringing steampunk back. This week’s episode was brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop and its new Brooklyn showroom. Inside, find watches, accessories, EDC, and more from the Windup Watch Shop. The showroom is located at Worn & Wound HQ, a newly built-out shopping space that immerses you in watches from brands you won’t find in your normal AD. If you’re in the area and are interested in stopping by, head to Windupwatchshop.com to book an appointment. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 95 – A Colossal Collab, and More! appeared first on Worn & Wound.