Hodinkee
Introducing: Berneron Unveils Details Of Second Collection: The Quantième Annuel
White hot independent Swiss brand follows up design-driven Mirage with complicated annual calendar watch in platinum (and a touch of steel).
3,615 articles · 721 videos found · page 49 of 145
Hodinkee
White hot independent Swiss brand follows up design-driven Mirage with complicated annual calendar watch in platinum (and a touch of steel).
Monochrome
Before becoming a Swiss brand and part of Swatch Group, Hamilton was an American watchmaker known for its military collections for both domestic and allied forces. In the 1970s, Hamilton continued this tradition with a chronograph for the British RAF (Royal Air Force) known as the Fab Four watch with a distinctive asymmetrical case. The latest […]
SJX Watches
One of the headline releases from Geneva Watch Days is, without question, the Berneron Quantième Annuel, a symmetrical annual calendar that brings the brand’s vision into sharper focus. Expensively made and cleverly designed inside and out, the Quantième Annuel is a showcase for founder Sylvain Berneron’s attention to detail. A limited run of 480 pieces in platinum, with production spaced evenly over the next decade, the Quantième Annuel is available in two dial configurations; whether the buyer opts for lacquered silver or piano black, the dial itself, along with much of the movement, is crafted from 18k gold. Initial thoughts I’ve written effusively about user-friendly complications in the past so it should come as no surprise that I like the Quantième Annuel’s legible display and intuitive interface. Visually, it’s a world apart from the oozy Mirage, but it exhibits a similar degree of intellectual sophistication and attention to detail. A jumping hour watch with an instantaneous annual calendar, the Quantième Annuel is distinguished by its oversized windows for the hour, day, and month, with a sector-style dial for the minutes and a concentric retrograde date display. The running seconds dial at six o’clock contains the fourth jumping window for the day/night indicator; a useful addition for any calendar watch. The watch is designed for easy legibility, with the time read top-to-bottom and the date read left-to-right. The sector dial for the minute han...
Fratello
Sapphire-cased watches have crept up on me lately. I used to think of them as fragile showpieces, destined for safes rather than wrists, but something has shifted. It probably started with the ArtyA Luminity Wavy collection, which made me stop and think about how sapphire can do more than just look flashy. Now, with Bianchet’s […] Visit Introducing: The Bianchet UltraFino Sapphire - A Transparent Take On The Ultra-Thin Tourbillon to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Made for the Boston-based independent collectors' group Escapement, the new watch sets the stage for future releases from Shapiro.
Video
Monochrome
A discreet but rather productive watch brand, Delma is also one with a long track record, as the brand celebrated last year its 100th anniversary. For what is our concern of the day, Delma has made a name for itself in recent years with its rather impressive offering in the field of dive watches, mixing […]
Fratello
The first three iterations of the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph were essentially watch equivalents of hypercars. Those chronographs, made of high-tech materials and unapologetically showing their highly tuned performance “engines,” came in bold, sporty colorways. The fourth version is different. Reference RDDBEX1138 comes in a pink gold and black DLC titanium case instead […] Visit Introducing: The 45mm Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph In Pink Gold And Black DLC Titanium to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Buying your first vintage watch is a little like stepping into a time machine. Every case has patina earned over decades, every dial tells a story of design choices made in another era, and every movement keeps time with the stubborn persistence of mechanical ingenuity. For three days this August, the Windup Watch Shop showroom in Brooklyn will become exactly that kind of space-an immersive experience curated by The Watch Preserve. Buying your first vintage watch is a little like stepping into a time machine. Every case has patina earned over decades, every dial tells a story of design choices made in another era, and every movement keeps time with the stubborn persistence of mechanical ingenuity. For three days this August, the Windup Watch Shop showroom in Brooklyn will become exactly that kind of space-an immersive experience curated by The Watch Preserve. The post The Watch Preserve Brings Vintage to the Windup Watch Shop Brooklyn Showroom Aug 28, 29 & 30 appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Fratello
If last year’s 32-strong collection of Chronomat B01 42s in NFL team colors was the rookie season, this year is the sophomore breakout for Breitling. The Swiss watchmaker has announced that it is becoming the popular sport league’s inaugural timepiece partner, along with the release of new watches to the NFL collection. What can we […] Visit Breitling Lands A Touchdown By Becoming The Official Timepiece Partner Of The NFL to read the full article.
Monochrome
The name Toric at Parmigiani Fleurier carries great importance. It was, after all, the very first made by founder Michel Parmigiani when he decided to fly solo. An elegant watch characterised by its gadroons and knurled surfaces, it underwent a significant update last year with the launch of the new Toric collection. But more than just an […]
Video
Teddy Baldassarre
As it stands, Tissot remains one of the most cost-effective and dynamic points of entry into the wild world of Swiss watches. Last week, we took a deep dive into the history of Tissot, charting its journey from its beginnings all the way back in 1853 to how the brand has adapted to the watchmaking landscape of today. We are gathered here today to plunge even more granularly into the contemporary Tissot catalog with, you guessed it, the Gentleman collection, which is among the brand’s top contenders for a one-and-done watch collection, if such a thing truly exists. Though we’ve already taken on the subject of the Tissot Gentleman in various roundups and a couple of our videos, we, surprisingly, haven’t dedicated a standalone review to the subject. So buckle up, because all that’s about to change moving forward. Tissot Gentleman History While I’ve already alluded to our more sweeping article on Tissot’s over-century-long legacy, it’s always necessary to chart some hot historical plot points first, so we can have a more holistic view of how the brand has arrived at the Gentleman as we know it today. The story begins in 1853 in Le Locle, Switzerland (one of the historical hearts of Swiss watchmaking), with father-son duo Charles-Félicien Tissot and Charles-Émile Tissot, who turned their home into a humble watch factory. At its start, the Tissot workshop began as a comptoir d’etablissage, combining the father’s skill as a gold case fitter with his son's ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex has made many lasting contributions to the world of watchmaking since its foundation in 1905, not the least of which has been an array of massively popular and widely emulated bracelet designs. Here we take a close look at every type of Rolex bracelet, what makes it special, and which Rolex watches, if any, are using them today. Rolex Oyster Bracelet Rolex’s iconic Oyster bracelet is the template from which many other three-link bracelet styles have been drawn. Its name comes from its association with the Oyster case - introduced by Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf in 1926, and the most water-resistant watch case that had been made up to that point - and for which the original version of this bracelet served as an extension. Oyster bracelets are recognizable for their wide center links bordered by thinner end-links. Rolex patented the design in 1947 and fitted one on a watch in 1948. In the early versions, the links were riveted; these were phased out in favor of a “folding” style in 1967, which eventually gave way to the modern, solid-link style in 1975. Oyster bracelets come equipped with the accompanying Oysterlock clasp, a triple-deployant metal clasp with a safety-lock mechanism. Three-link bracelets like the Oyster and its various descendants are particularly popular on sports watches and dive watches, and this bracelet appears, as you’d expect on most of Rolex’s most popular “professional” models, including the Submariner, GMT-Master II, Explorer,...
Monochrome
The soul… This is what somehow defines independent watchmaking. Watches that have been designed and manufactured by individuals who have infused their soul into a timepiece that feels unique. On the topic of soul, design studio Massena LAB is presenting today its latest creation, a watch made with renowned and revered independent watchmaker Vianney Halter. […]
Monochrome
Released in 2021, the Zenith Chronomaster Sport has been quite a success for the Le Locle-based brand. A versatile sports chronograph with enough arguments, visually and mechanically, to compete with the heavyweights of the category, it has been made in an array of different versions since its introduction. Ranging from classic to bold, we’ve seen […]
Monochrome
The worthy successor of the 222 model (which is still made by the brand as part of the Historiques Collection), the Overseas has been Vacheron Constantin‘s vision of the luxury sports watch, a model made to compete with the two other icons of the genre, the Royal Oak and the Nautilus. The current Overseas, which […]
Video
Monochrome
As one of the main competitors in the battle for the thinnest watches, Piaget has had quite a few records on its hands, using the emblematic Altiplano watch collection as the vessel to deliver record-thin models. The Altiplano Ultimate Concept (AUC) made some noise by becoming the thinnest mechanical watch ever in 2016, and the […]
Worn & Wound
Since its inception in 2016, the AIKON line has been Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix’s bestselling collection. Nine years later, the brand is ready to kick it up a notch. The new aptly-named AIKONIC series packs updated mechanics and new materials into an upgraded case design with pops of color, promising innovation in the urban watch space while maintaining the original watch’s flavor. Does it land? Let’s take a look. The first new aspect of note for the AIKONIC collection is the 43mm case; while it retains the familiar six double-wide “arms” around the bezel, a tactile grip cover is added to the crown. Both the bezel and the crown cover are composed of matt ceramic, which promises scratch-free usage for years to come. And while the case remains steel, it features both brushed and polished surfaces for visual and tactile complexity. The carbon dial, too, is all-new on the AIKONIC. With carbon fiber strands running north to south in one direction as opposed to interwoven, each dial is slightly distinct from the next. Maurice Lacroix collaborated with a Swiss partner to create the dials, resulting in a construction that is fresh both structurally and aesthetically. The noth-south carbon pattern indeed gives each dial a vertical wave pattern, diversifying the design from both a textural and visual standpoint. Atop the dial sits silver text details, rhodium indices and second hand, and rhodium-facetted hour and minute hands. A sapphire crystal with anti-reflect...
Teddy Baldassarre
Solar watches are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional quartz watches with lithium battery-powered movements. Watches with solar-powered movements still maintain the accuracy and reliability of quartz technology, which makes them much more precise than any mechanical watch. Here's a brief history of solar technology in watchmaking and a selection of notable solar watches on sale now. Solar Watch Technology - A Brief History In the late 1960s, the Swiss watch industry was on the precipice of a technical revolution that would ultimately threaten the very existence of traditional mechanical watchmaking while simultaneously ushering in the dawn of mass-produced electronic watches. By the 1970s, quartz movements had won out over a handful of other early technological approaches to producing electronic watches (you can delve a bit more into that history here), giving rise to the era now known known within the industry as the Quartz Crisis. Experiments with using solar power to charge watches, however, go all the way back to the '60s, to the development of the first solar-powered movement by American engineer Roger Riehl. This technology was introduced to the market in 1972, with the first prototype called the “Synchronar” and the first production piece, the Synchronar 2100, released later that same year. Priced at nearly $500 (about $3,200 in today's money), the Synchronar 2100 was considered something of a luxury product and struggled to compete in...
SJX Watches
‘Micro-brand’ watches are rarely about finishing or movement design. The business model employed by this segment of the industry typically involves off-the-shelf movements combined with made-to-order cases and dials; this is how Christopher Ward (CW) got started. But having merged with its movement supplier a decade ago, the brand has become more ambitious, first with the striking Bel Canto and again with the C12 Loco, which reimagines the Valjoux cal. 7750 as a budget-priced mechanical sculpture inside a sporty steel case. Architectural watchmaking is not new, but it is new at the price point targeted by CW, which recently moved into larger premises in Maidenhead about 30 minutes west of London. Having spent a month with the Loco, it’s worth looking at what they did, and how. Initial thoughts I find architectural watchmaking inherently appealing, and appreciate it when watchmakers and designers work in tandem to elevate mechanical components into miniature works of art. It can come across as gimmicky, but when done well it results in an enthralling and educational wearing experience. Given the steep development costs, this type watchmaking has long been the exclusive domain of high end brands like MB&F; and Ulysse Nardin. But CW has been moving in this direction since the launch of the Bel Canto, and the Loco, despite its relative simplicity, is a worthy follow-up to its striking sibling. Sitting within the Twelve collection, CW’s take on the integrated bracelet sp...
Hodinkee
Made with the brand's longtime retail partner, Art of Time, the watch leans into sandy Caribbean vibes in more ways than one.
Video
Monochrome
When it comes to watches for men made by Bulgari, it seems the multiple-time record-breaking Octo Finissimo range gets all the attention… Rightfully so, you’ll admit, as this collection is as spectacular visually as it is technically. Bold, ultra-thin, highly distinctive in its approach to design and materials and undeniably Italian, it is the brand’s […]
Worn & Wound
We live in a golden age of watch knowledge. Never before have so many people known so much about watches, or cared about them so deeply, and it’s genuinely remarkable. Have a specific question about a rare Rolex from 40 or 50 years ago? The answer is probably just a Google search away. Need to check that the watch you’re looking to buy was made in exactly the spec you’re seeing on eBay? There’s almost certainly a forum post somewhere breaking it down for you - no subject is too esoteric, no prompt too singular. There’s enough watch knowledge out there to fill a lifetime, and probably more, if you go looking for it. Then there’s the other… stuff. Open up Instagram and you’ll immediately be inundated by accounts professing to represent ‘watch experts’ peddling surface-level observations as hard-earned insights. Start to absorb enough of this, and it’s easy to convince yourself you should count among them, that you’ve done the real work required to achieve expertise. It’s a trap, and an easy one to fall into at that. Because unless someone in your life brought you into this world, you’re probably the foremost watch expert in your life. You’re almost certainly the one your friends and family come to when (cough, cough… if) they have questions about watches. Just being able to tell the difference between a quartz and a mechanical watch probably puts you in the top quartile of watch knowledge. And if you’re reading articles like this on sites ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Tissot is one of the world's largest Swiss watchmakers and can look back on a rich history upon which it is still building today. In the modern era, Tissot is widely known for its large and diverse portfolio of watches, which ranges from dressy to sporty to high-tech, for its high-profile sports timing presence, and for its incredible value for the money. But there is a lot more that you may not know about Tissot and its many contributions to watchmaking history. Here, we delve into the highlights and tackle the easily answerable question of "are Tissot watches good?". (And if you're interested in learning more about particular Tissot Watches that are available now, check out our companion article on the Best Tissot Watches for Men.) Tissot’s Watchmaking Milestones Began in 1853 Tissot is one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world, tracing its history back to 1853. Its founders were the father-son watchmaking team of Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile Tissot, who turned their home in the Swiss Jura town of Le Locle, where the company remains headquartered today, into a small factory. By 1858, the family firm had gained a major foothold in Tsarist Russia, which became the largest market for the savonette pocket watches that were its specialty at the time. (At one point, Charles-Émile’s son, Charles Tissot, the third generation of the Tissot family to join the business, moved to Moscow to open an office there.) Tissot is recognized as the producer of the first...
Hodinkee
Qatar-based Beda'a is one of the few non-Swiss brands with a GPHG Entry this year, and it has two, with Maghnam's eponymous brand rounding out the third.
Hodinkee
The watch that made it to the Moon has touched down in Florida.
Video
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.