2,253 articles · 18 videos found · page 48 of 76
Quill & Pad
The new Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad is titanium cased with carbon fiber composite cladding on its flanks. While the carbon is laced with subtle veins of yellow gold, the material doesn’t overpower.
Fratello
The shape of the case and bracelet on Czapek’s Antarctique has remained unchanged since its introduction in 2020. There are versions in stainless steel, gold, and titanium, for example, but they all share the same attractive and popular integrated construction. The Antarctique’s dial, on the other hand, seems more like a blank canvas that gets […] Visit Introducing: The Space-Inspired Czapek Antarctique Purple Storm Limited Edition to read the full article.
Quill & Pad
On the third cast, the nymph hits the water with a distinct plop and there is a sharp tug on the line. I instinctively set the hook, a glint of gold and brown breaks the surface. I have just caught my first wild trout.
Fratello
Back in April 2024, I had a chance to check out the olive-green version of the Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton. While that earlier release walked a fine line between a saturated green and warm gray, today’s new watch takes a stealthier black approach. But don’t let that fool you because the rose gold […] Visit Hands-On With The New Black Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet (AP) debuts an entirely new look for its thinnest-ever perpetual with the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Greater China. Crafted entirely in yellow gold in a first for the model, the limited edition even sports a gilded dial with matching yellow gold moon disc. Initial thoughts The Royal Oak is inarguably the face of AP. And amongst Royal Oak models, the ultra-thin perpetual calendar stands out for its technical sophistication. Derived from the Royal Oak RD#2 concept watch, the Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin has a cleverly engineered movement that spreads out the calendar mechanism to minimise its height. That results in a slim case that enhances the proportions of the Royal Oak design. The signature starry moon phase features yellow gold-toned moons The Greater China edition is a major departure from the grey and blue tones of the prior two versions. It’s loud and definitely not for everyone, but it does look good. At the same time, it also references vintage Royal Oak perpetual calendar models that featured similar all-gold livery. Though the price is only on request, the Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin mode in general is pricey, arguably more expensive than it should be in fact, but it looks and feels great on the wrist. Yellow moons Crafted from 18k yellow gold, the ultra-thin yellow gold case is 41 mm in diameter and 6.2 mm in thickness. Water resistant to only 20 m due to its thinness, the case is finished in traditional Royal Oak style, wit...
Monochrome
A classic from Blancpain‘s range of sports watches, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe is a sleeker and more daily-oriented vision of a dive watch. Available in a host of materials (titanium, gold or ceramic), in various sizes and with an array of complications, the brand now returns to classic functions with two new time-and-date editions and […]
Fratello
It’s not often you find yourself surrounded by no fewer than six Freaks. It happened to me recently. I did receive a warning that the watches were on the way, but how do you prepare for something like that? That’s why, when I unpacked the box and had the pink gold Freak S, Freak S […] Visit Video: The Ulysse Nardin Freak Family: Find The Freak In You to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The Le Régulateur Gravé Noir is a vintage-inspired take on Louis Erard’s signature regulator wristwatch. The “sector” dial has a grained black finish with engraved markings that are gold-plated, bringing to mind vintage “gilt” dials. Part of the brand’s Noirmont Métiers d’Art collection, the new Le Régulateur shares the same case design and specifications with the recent “Grand Feu” Enamel Regulator. Initial thoughts While Louis Erard is best known for its collaboration with independent watchmakers, such as Konstantin Chaykin and Kudoke, it offers a wider range of accessibly-priced regulator-style watches. And the Le Régulateur Gravé Noir is no different. It’s a fresh take on the vintage-inspired “sector” dial, combining the signature regulator display with rose-gilt engraved markings on a grained black dial. Priced at CHF2,900, the Gravé Noir stays within Louis Erard’s typical price range. It stands out from the competition in this price segment with the unconventional time display on a vintage-inspired dial. Like the brand’s other offerings, it is good value. It also shares the weaknesses of Louis Erard’s other regulator models, namely a thick case. Sector dial The Gravé Noir has the same dimensions as the rest of the Le Régulateur line with a simple, polished steel case measuring 39 mm by 12.82 mm. Inside is a self-winding Sellita SW266-1 that sports a rotor with the brand logo but is otherwise no frills. The movement has 38 hour...
Fratello
Seven years ago, Breguet introduced the flagship model of its Marine collection, the Tourbillon Equation Marchante 5887. Two versions debuted in 2017 - one in 18K rose gold with a silver dial and the other in platinum with a blue dial. In 2020, another rose gold version joined the Marine collection, this time, with a […] Visit Introducing: The New Breguet Marine Tourbillon Equation Marchante 5887 to read the full article.
Fratello
The Omega Speedmaster Professional BA145.022-69, also known as the “Tribute to Astronauts” watch, was the first Speedmaster in 18K yellow gold and intended for all active NASA astronauts, the US president and vice president, and several officials. In total, Omega gifted 31 of these watches to the NASA astronauts, most of them during the official […] Visit David Scott’s Speedmaster Professional “Tribute to Astronauts” BA145.022-69 to read the full article.
Fratello
Laventure introduced its Transatlantique II GMT this past June. Since then, the brown versions in steel and steel and gold already sold out. Those models were limited to 99 and 50 pieces, respectively. The black and green version in steel is only limited by the brand’s production capacity. It’s probably the first time that one […] Visit Hands-On With The Steel, Black, Green, And Utterly Charming Laventure Transatlantique II GMT to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Sotheby’s upcoming Geneva auction includes Treasures of Time, a small but impressive collection of watches consigned by a European gentleman of evidently sophisticated taste. While the most valuable of the 31 lots in the collection is a first-series ref. 2499 in pink gold, the most striking watch is arguably this Patek Philippe ref. 2499 third series with a glossy black dial featuring Breguet numerals. Only six examples of the ref. 2499 are known to have a black dial, and this is one of them. The black dial with Breguet numerals gives the watch tremendous appeal and presence on the wrist. Beautiful as it is, however, this ref. 2499 is not absolute perfect from a historical perspective as the black dial was added long after the watch was made. The watch was originally sold by Patek Philippe in 1964, probably with the typical silver dial, and it gained this black dial sometime in the 1980s. According to its well documented history, the owner of the watch in the 1980s was an important enough collector that when he asked for a black dial with Breguet numerals, Patek Philippe said yes. The dial was thus produced by Stern Frères and installed in the watch. It’s worth noting that most of the six known ref. 2499s with a black dial have a similar history in that the black dials were subsequent additions. Though it’s clearly not a vintage dial, Stern Frères executed it well. The dial is finished with a glossy black lacquer and gold powder print, while the indices are applie...
WatchAdvice
With major wrist presence and even more cool factor, we’ve gone hands-on with the 140th Anniversary Breitling Super Chronomat Perpetual Calendar! What We Love: The rose gold and black colour combination looks great The skeleton dial gives depth and character to the piece The Rouleaux-style rubber strap is comfortable and so easy to wear. What We Don’t: The onion crown can be a little finicky to unscrew/screw It won’t fit or suit all wrist sizes being 44mm The dial can appear busy at first glance Overall Rating: 8.625/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 As you may well have heard, this year marks the 140th Anniversary of Breitling. It’s a big birthday for the brand, now headed up by Georges Kern, who in recent years has gone back through the history of Breitling and helped to re-define the brand. With new models that harken back to its past, and the vision that Leon Breitling had all the way back in 1884, through to when his son, Gaston took over the business and launched their patented chronograph in 1932, to the days of the icons under Willy Breitling, it’s no wonder there is such a large and illustrious back catalogue to take inspiration from! So celebrate its 140th Anniversary, Breitling released three perpetual calendars, at Geneva Watch Days 2024 – A Premier, Navitimer and Super Chronomat. According to Georges Kern, they couldn’t do justice to the 140 years of history with just one watch, so they went with th...
Fratello
I am a big fan of the Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition,” but the Black Bay Chrono? Not so much. Neither the black and white versions nor the steel and gold model ever struck a chord with me. And the pink version? Well, once I saw it on a wrist in Geneva, it made […] Visit Chasing My Doubts And Blues Away With The Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Blue” Boutique Edition to read the full article.
Deployant
De Bethune releases a new variant of the DB25 GMT, in a rose gold case as a variant to the model released in titanium case in 2021.
WatchAdvice
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport is a piece that isn’t for the faint of heart, and is aimed squarely at those who appreciate motorsport – so we thought we would test drive this in the real world to see how it performs. What We Love: The bold design elements The rose gold case paired with the black accents Super comfortable piece to wear What We Don’t: The 44mm size won’t suit all wrist sizes Lack of a screw-down crown on a sports piece Lack of detailing and design on the rubber strap Overall Rating: 8.5/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 8/10 TAG Heuer’s motorsport roots are well-known, to the point where if you don’t associate TAG Heuer with motorsport, then I’d say that you’re probably also unaware of the brand. Ok, I’m being a little facetious here, but you get my point. The fact that they have a watch named after an F1 race (The Monaco) and another that was designed in 1963 after Jack Heuer was enamoured by the Carrera Panamericana race in Mexico (The Carrera) should give this away, but also highlights the brand’s close ties with motor racing. This is no more evidenced by the fact that TAG Heuer will be taking over from Rolex as the official timing partner for Formula 1 from 2025 for the next 10 years as part of the deal between Formula 1 and LVMH. Global Luxury Giant LVMH Inks A Historic 10-Year Deal With Formula 1 So it comes as no surprise that last month in early September, TAG Heuer lau...
Hodinkee
All that glitters is gold, but these watches stay within the mold.
Fratello
Raymond Weil struck gold with the Millesime, a vintage-inspired watch that won a GPHG award. Belgian comics artist Philippe Francq (1961) also received praise and awards with his Largo Winch series of comic books. The titular character, a Yugoslavian adventurer whose birth name was Largo Winczlav, first appeared in 1990. Since then, 24 graphic novels […] Visit Wearing The Ninth Art On The Wrist: The Raymond Weil Millesime Chronograph Limited Edition Largo Winch to read the full article.
Fratello
Girard-Perregaux has a history spanning over two centuries, and longevity justifies calling the brand a heavyweight watchmaker. “GP” might be in the shadow of “AP” and “VC,” but it more than deserves a light shining on it. There’s a long history of remarkable and unique complications, like the tourbillon with three gold bridges, and then […] Visit Hands-On With A Lightweight: The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 to read the full article.
Fratello
The Breitling Premier Datora Perpetual Calendar 140th Anniversary is the dressiest release from the trio of red gold beauties. Its inky black dial and traditional case design make it a beauty that can be worn in various situations. Today, we’ll look at this complicated chronograph in more detail. I remember when the Premier returned in […] Visit Hands-On: The Breitling Premier Datora Perpetual Calendar 140th Anniversary to read the full article.
Deployant
Hermès recently released their latest Slim d’Hermès Flagship watch in yellow gold. The watch is only available to 12 lucky owners.
SJX Watches
A clever play on words, the Slim d’Hermès Flagship features a hand-painted dial depicting the flagship Hermès store in Paris as a sailing ship. Executed with a gold appliqué and miniature painting on an aventurine-glass dial, the “flagship” transforms the famous store at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré into the hull of the ship with sails billowing above it. As is often the case with Hermès’ métiers d’art watches, the dial is based on a scarf bearing the same motif designed by Dimitri Rybaltchenko, an artist based in Paris who’s a longtime designer for Hermès. Initial thoughts Both the motif and presentation of the Flagship encapsulate what Hermès does well. It’s typical Hermès – whimsical, elegant, and finely executed. And it’s not just about aesthetics: the depth and detail of the dial decoration is outstanding. Beyond the dial decor, the Flagship also incorporates subtle touches that reflect an attention to detail, like the spinning star disc on the dial and the slightly retro yellow gold case. Slim and witty An aventurine glass base serves as the base for the dial decoration. The store building is a solid gold appliqué that’s hand-engraved with a burin to fill out the fine details of the structure. It’s then painted by hand to add colour to the windows and “Hermes” logo. The rest of the dial, including the sails and starry sky, is done in miniature painting, specifically acrylic paint applied by hand and then baked in an oven to set...
SJX Watches
Sporting a moon phase and retro design, the Flagship Heritage Moonphase was originally available only in sedate colours of cream and silver. Now the line grows to include dials in Havana beige, anthracite and green. Unlike the recent Conquest Heritage, the Moonphase is not a vintage reproduction, rather it’s a blend of vintage and modern, with the bonus of a solid 18k gold medallion on the back portraying a caravel on a blue sea of grand feu enamel. Initial thoughts The new trio are essentially cosmetic expansions of the line, so they do not seem novel on paper, but they are a smartly conceived products. The traditional styling is preserved, but with dials in striking colours that are now much more lively. The earlier versions were arguably too plain, with the subdued colours seeming a bit flat. The Flagship Heritage Moonphase is one of Longines’ more expensive models at US$3,050, but nonetheless is decent value considering the top-of-the-line ETA movement and solid-gold, hand-enamelled emblem on the back. Calendar complications Like most models in Longines’ vintage-based Heritage Classic collection, the Flagship Heritage Moonphase is compact by modern standards, but larger than the actual vintage originals. The stainless steel case is 38.5 mm in diameter and 12.4 mm in thickness. Simple in style, the case has a domed, polished bezel and short, angular lugs with polished chamfers along their edges. Slightly domed to mimic a vintage watch, the dial is finished with a ...
Quill & Pad
GaryG was sitting at his breakfast table when during his morning scan of news he saw a photo of something breathtaking. It was Logical One by Romain Gauthier – a watch he immediately knew that he would own someday. He was captivated by the white gold version with frosted gold movement: this was “the one” for him.
Fratello
The 140th anniversary of Breitling has brought with it three stupendous watches. Navitimer, Premier, and Super Chronomat Perpetual Calendar pieces in red gold celebrate the milestone. We’ve managed to get our hands on each of them, so look forward to in-depth reviews of all three. Today, we start with the largest of the bunch, the […] Visit Hands-On: The Breitling Super Chronomat Perpetual Calendar 140th Anniversary to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Having gone all in with the Tonda PF sports watch in the last couple of years, Parmigiani Fleurier recently revived its classic dress watch with the Toric Petite Seconde. Named after the model that launched the brand in 1996, the Toric Petite Seconde is a simple, three-hand watch. Despite its simplicity, the new Toric is expensively executed – the dial and hands are solid 18k gold, as are the bridges and base plate of the PF780 movement, a newly-developed manual-wind calibre. Style wise, the Toric takes after the earlier generation of the model and retains the signature knurled bezel, but presented in a minimalist manner with a wide, clean dial reminiscent of the Tonda PF. The platinum with a “grey celadon” dial (Editor’s note: The watches pictured are pre-production prototypes and consequently have imperfections in detail and finishing, including on the dial.) Initial thoughts Parmigiani accurately describes the Toric design as minimalist and the PF780 movement as modernist. And as expected of Parmigiani, the quality is excellent, inside and out. The Toric is dress watch but feels large at almost 41 mm in diameter, but the case stays thin at under 9 mm. Even though the Toric is obviously a dress watch, it almost also feels like a casual everyday watch because of the size, dial colours, and stock straps. I assume more formal dial colours like black in the pipeline; they would give this a decidedly different look. The case has the trademark knurled bezel, but is oth...
Quill & Pad
Once upon a time, there was a watch enthusiast (GaryG) who admired the work of Max Büsser and his watchmaking enterprise MB&F; and who dearly wanted to own one of his watches. But which one? Well, it took years, but Gary eventually decided on the eye-catching 2021 LM101 in white gold and here he explains why.
Fratello
Jaeger-LeCoultre creates some of the most complicated watches on the market. Today’s Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184 is a stunning example of this. The movement may not be new, but it’s wildly impressive and sits in an equally mesmerizing pink gold case. This is one to savor for its details and artisanship. One of my […] Visit A Stunner: The New Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184 to read the full article.
Deployant
Seiko releases a new model on the Presage line with a urushi lacquer dial by Isshu Tamura, with subdued gold elements and GMT.
Deployant
Breguet launches a gold version of the new-generation Type XX (released in June 2023) incorporating ceramic elements in a gorgeous looking package.
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