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Introducing – The New TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph in TH Titanium Monochrome
TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph May 23, 2025

Introducing – The New TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph in TH Titanium

In 2024, TAG Heuer went back to complications and expanded the Monaco collection with a split-second chronograph in blue and racing red. Following the presentation of a bold F1 red-and-white limited edition at Watches and Wonders, we now see the fourth iteration of the concept, this time innovating through materials. Meet the all-new TH Titanium […]

First Look – The New White Dial TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf Monochrome
TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf May 23, 2025

First Look – The New White Dial TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf

The TAG Heuer Monaco needs little to no introduction. Launched in 1969, this distinctive square-shaped chronograph emerged during the golden age of motor racing. At that time, Heuer was renowned for its chronographs, stopwatches and dashboard instruments, integral to motorsport timing. In the same period, in a collaboration with other makers, Heuer presented one of […]

TAG Heuer Introduces the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph in Crystallized Titanium SJX Watches
Parmigiani Fleurier May 23, 2025

TAG Heuer Introduces the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph in Crystallized Titanium

Initially launched as a unique piece in a crystallized titanium case for Only Watch 2023, the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph was then added to the catalog, most recently as a limited edition in ceramic. Now the model returns in its original crystallized titanium livery, accented in lime green. Under the hood is a high-beat Vaucher chronograph movement, also used by Parmigiani Fleurier and Richard Mille. The split-seconds is the flagship of the Monaco collection, impressive inside and out – with a price to match – but seemingly runs counter to the brand’s established direction of affordable sports watches. Initial Thoughts The latest iteration of the Monaco split-seconds is the best yet, price aside. The variants of the model released between the one-off for Only Watch and this felt incomplete without the crystallized titanium case. The material is visually and technically interesting, and its resemblance to forged carbon fits the automotive theme; lime green accents notwithstanding, it’s a good-looking watch. Image – TAG Heuer A rattrapante is a natural fit for an auto racing-focused brand like TAG Heuer, but the ambitious CHF145,000 price is confusing, given TAG Heuer’s efforts toward making the Swiss-made tourbillon affordable. The Monaco split-seconds itself is excellent – the movement especially so – but an affordable rattrapante would be more in line with the brand’s recent direction. While the base movement is shared with costlier Richar...

Introducing: The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph × Gulf Fratello
TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph × Gulf May 23, 2025

Introducing: The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph × Gulf

This year is a special one for TAG Heuer. After more than two decades, 2025 marks the brand’s return as the Official Timekeeper of Formula 1. Additionally, for the first time in history, the Grand Prix de Monaco will have a title sponsor. TAG Heuer will present the race and has created a new limited-edition […] Visit Introducing: The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph × Gulf to read the full article.

Hands-On With The New Certina DS Action Diver 40.5mm Fratello
Certina DS Action Diver 40.5mm May 23, 2025

Hands-On With The New Certina DS Action Diver 40.5mm

Today, we go hands-on with a new Certina. The DS Action Diver 40.5mm is a significant release for the brand because it presents a new case size. In fact, most would argue that it will end up as the most successful model in the collection. Let’s take a closer look and discuss the merits of […] Visit Hands-On With The New Certina DS Action Diver 40.5mm to read the full article.

Introducing: The 2025 Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 - Celebrating A Century Of Longines Dual-Time Watches Fratello
Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 May 23, 2025

Introducing: The 2025 Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 - Celebrating A Century Of Longines Dual-Time Watches

The 2025 Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 marks the 100th anniversary of the Swiss brand’s world-first dual-time wristwatch. You can’t say the rectangular timepiece from 1925 served as an inspiration from a design perspective, but it did in spirit (sorry about that). By adding a rose-gold-capped bezel insert with engraved numbers and indexes, the look […] Visit Introducing: The 2025 Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 - Celebrating A Century Of Longines Dual-Time Watches to read the full article.

Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 Teddy Baldassarre
Longines May 22, 2025

Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925

Longines introduced the Zulu Time models to its aviation-influenced Spirit collection in 2022, and the watch’s dual-time complication, stylishly bold design, and undeniable value proposition have made it one of the brand’s biggest hits of the 2020s, spawning additional models in an array of sizes, materials, and color executions. The Spirit Zulu Time is now such a fixture in the Longines portfolio that it almost seems like it has always been there, despite being a relatively recent addition to the lineup; it doesn’t even precede the Covid pandemic, which, of course, somehow  seems like it happened only yesterday and yet also in another time and dimension entirely. However, all of that said, Longines’ history of making dual-time or GMT wristwatches like the Zulu Time reaches back much further - 100 years, to be exact. And it is that century milestone to which Longines pays tribute with the latest member of the family, unveiled today: the Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925.  Longines Zulu Time History: Longines produced its first “Zulu Time” wristwatch in that eponymous year of 1925, in the heart of the Art Deco era. Very dissimilar to the round-cased modern descendant, that watch had an angular, square case and ornate hour numerals, along with a third hand to indicate a second time zone and, most notably, a Zulu flag emblem with a red letter “Z.” Where did this iconography originate? In military jargon, “Zulu” is the radio transmission articulation for t...

Hands-On: the Selten Grand Feu Enamel “Prism Violet” Worn & Wound
Patek Philippe May 22, 2025

Hands-On: the Selten Grand Feu Enamel “Prism Violet”

Let’s take a quick inventory of some of the small watch brands making enamel dials of some kind. This is a segment that’s become ultra competitive in the wake of anOrdain, the Glasgow based indie that popularized this style of artisanal watchmaking in a more accessible way, coming on the scene several years ago. There’s 5280 Watch Company, based in Colorado and creating a truly unique enamel dial that is also decorated with an old fashioned engine turning technique. Then there’s Statera, based in Brazil, a brand that makes grand feu enamel dials that are meant to evoke midcentury classics from Patek Philippe and others. There are a bunch of brands who don’t specialize in enamel, but have dabbled in it, one way or another. We can  include De Rijke & Co. here, who produced a limited run of champlevé enamel dialed watches with designs by Guy Allen last year. There are others: Louis Erard and Seiko have had notable enamel releases in the last few years, and we can even include James Lamb in the conversation, although the handmade silver cases he produces push his watches just a bit outside that tempting sub $5,000 price point.  This much enamel would have been unthinkable in a pre anOrdain world, and I think it’s important to recognize that at the outset of any discussion of a new enamel dialed watch, because any new watch in this category will be seen, perhaps unfairly, as a challenger to anOrdain’s crown. Their waitlist now reportedly stretches to 2029, so i...

Certina DS Action Diver 38mm Review Teddy Baldassarre
Certina May 22, 2025

Certina DS Action Diver 38mm Review

The Certina DS Action Diver 38mm is a dive watch that has been largely off the radar of many U.S. watch enthusiasts until somewhat recently but is having a moment in our current era, in which sporty utility, striking colorways, value for money, and understated sizing reign supreme in the watch market. How much do you know about the DS Action Diver, including the meaning of “DS,” or about the not-so-famous but very historic Swiss watch brand that produced it? Read on, and you’ll be up to speed. Origins Of Certina Certina traces its roots to 1888, but it wasn’t called Certina back then. That year, a pair of Swiss brothers, Adolf and Alfred Kurth, set up a watchmaking workshop in an annex to their family home in the town of Grenchen (above), initially, to make movements and parts to sell  to other watch companies in the region. By 1906, however, they were making enough of their own complete timepieces that they introduced a brand name: Grana, which was a shortened version of the Latin word “Granatus,” referring to Grenchen. The early Grana watches found success, but for several years the Kurth brothers continued to also make and supply movements to other companies; the name “Certina” - another Latin-derived word, from “certus,” for “sure” or “certain” - began appearing on the company’s timepieces in the 1930s. The name, which was also easier to pronounce than “Grana” in more languages, was registered in 1933 and eventually became the c...

[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Tudor Pelagos Ultra Worn & Wound
Tudor Pelagos Ultra Every year May 22, 2025

[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Tudor Pelagos Ultra

Every year, the watch industry plays the popular game “my favorite release from Watches and Wonders”. We try to pick unique watches, offer a unique perspective on them, and potentially shine a light on a model that we think deserves the title. However, I genuinely believe that if you told every one of those journalists that they had to purchase a watch announced at the show, roughly half would choose a different piece. They would most likely select something that suits their style better, fits into their collection, or maybe doesn’t shine as the most impressive piece but is still the one they want to take home. I am guilty of this. For two years in a row now, my “forced to purchase” choice has been a Tudor watch. Last year, the Black Bay ‘Monochrome’ made my purchasing shortlist further cemented after I had the chance to go hands-on with it for an extended period. The new black on black color scheme looked great, the METAS-certified caliber is impressive, and that five-link bracelet just wears incredibly well. But while last year’s Black Bay “Monochrome” was simply a new color extension, the Pelagos Ultra redefines the collection while setting a few benchmarks along the way. Touted as Tudor’s most technologically advanced watch yet, it somehow stuffs the stat sheet while remaining wearable. The lightweight case crafted from grade 2 titanium with a grade 5 caseback wears better than the 43mm diameter might lead on. At 14.5mm thick with a lug-to-lug of ...

Retrospective: A Long Hunt For An Omega Speedmaster “Ed White” 105.003 Comes To An End Fratello
Omega Speedmaster “Ed White” 105.003 May 22, 2025

Retrospective: A Long Hunt For An Omega Speedmaster “Ed White” 105.003 Comes To An End

The older I get, the easier it is for me to pass up buying opportunities, especially when the watch in question isn’t 100% perfect and requires a compromise. I was searching for the right example of an Omega Speedmaster “Ed White” ref. 105.003 for six years, but my hunt recently ended, and it couldn’t have […] Visit Retrospective: A Long Hunt For An Omega Speedmaster “Ed White” 105.003 Comes To An End to read the full article.

8 Great Watches under $8,000 from Watches & Wonders 2025 Quill & Pad
May 22, 2025

8 Great Watches under $8,000 from Watches & Wonders 2025

After replacing her heating system, Carol Besler has been considering all the other thingsshe could have had for $8,000, which naturally led to thoughts about all the nice watches she could have had for around that price. Here are a few that stand out. Since then, I’ve been watching for them, and although it’s a challenging price point for a luxury watch, I’ve come up with a few contenders that offer real value for the money.

The New Micromilspec Milgraph Sabotage Edition Gets The Black Badger Treatment Fratello
May 22, 2025

The New Micromilspec Milgraph Sabotage Edition Gets The Black Badger Treatment

With the Milgraph, Norwegian microbrand Micromilspec released one of last year’s highlights. The brand’s rugged GMT chronograph turned out to be a surprisingly versatile watch that offers great functionality and combines that with a brilliant injection of modern design. The result was one of my favorite hands-on experiences of 2024. In the next step for […] Visit The New Micromilspec Milgraph Sabotage Edition Gets The Black Badger Treatment to read the full article.

Hands-On With The New 2nd-Generation Formex Field Automatic Fratello
Formex Field Automatic Formex May 22, 2025

Hands-On With The New 2nd-Generation Formex Field Automatic

Formex is known for packing a ton of punch in relatively affordable watches. The brand’s offerings are rich with features and well made at very competitive prices. None exemplifies this more than the brand’s entry-level model, the Formex Field Automatic. Today, I am delighted to introduce the second generation of the watch. Now, the cynical […] Visit Hands-On With The New 2nd-Generation Formex Field Automatic to read the full article.

Fratello Talks: The Best Watches Under €2,500 In 2025 Fratello
May 22, 2025

Fratello Talks: The Best Watches Under €2,500 In 2025

Today, we’re looking at some of the best watches under €2,500 in production right now. This is one of the most contested price points in the watch market, though many brands that previously operated in it have slowly but surely priced themselves out. That said, a handful of microbrands, both new and old, have made […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Best Watches Under €2,500 In 2025 to read the full article.

Highlights: Complicated Watches at Phillips Hong Kong SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre exotic tourbillon May 21, 2025

Highlights: Complicated Watches at Phillips Hong Kong

Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong auction encompasses excellent complications at a range of price points. Highlights at the top end include the controversial Patek Philippe ref. 3448 “Senza Luna”, a massive Jaeger-LeCoultre exotic tourbillon, a skeletonized Credor chronograph, and a special-order Patek Philippe that was presumably a gift from parent to son. Also on the block are fine pocket watches for the Chinese market on the first day of the sale, while the second and third sale days include notable examples of independent watchmaking. The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XX takes place from May 23-25, 2025. The full catalogue, and more, is available on Phillips.com. Lot 839 – A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split In 2004, A. Lange & Söhne introduced the Double Split, a chronograph with both split-seconds and split-minutes–a feat previously only accomplished in pocket watches. Never one to stand still, Lange added split-hours into the mix with the Triple Split in 2018. The case is the brand’s typical fare, with distinctive stepped-out lugs, and continues its tradition of placing the split-button in the case band, rather than in the crown, as is the convention for wristwatches. This rose gold variation, of which only 100 were made, is matched with a handsome blue and silver dial. To create the Double Split, Lange built on the landmark L951 movement of the Datograph, adding a pair of rattrapante mechanisms, one for seconds and the other, minutes. From there, Lange added an hour...

Zenith Introduces a Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar with a Lapis Lazuli Dial Worn & Wound
Zenith Introduces May 21, 2025

Zenith Introduces a Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar with a Lapis Lazuli Dial

One of my favorite releases from Watches & Wonders (and one of the best watches Zenith has made in years, in my opinion) was the G.F.J., a study in blue and a celebration of the brand’s 160th anniversary. The G.F.J. is something of a no-expenses-spared dream watch, with a platinum case and optional bracelet that basically doubles the price (because why not?) as well as a finely finished movement and loads of history built into the watch’s story, with a focus on the brand’s historic pursuits in chronometry. When I had that watch on my wrist I wondered how the G.F.J. line might expand, and if this watch was an opening salvo in a more ambitious series of releases to come. I don’t know that we have any answers to those questions, necessarily, with the release of the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Lapis Lazuli today, but there’s certainly some connective tissue between Zenith’s newest novelty and the G.F.J. we saw a few months ago.  Looking at the latest Zenith Triple Calendar, it’s impossible not to notice a certain aesthetic similarity to the G.F.J. Both make prominent use of lapis lazuli, one of the most common precious stones used in watchmaking. On the G.F.J., lapis is what makes up the majority of the dial space, with the stone in the main dial nicely complementing the blue mother of pearl in the subsidiary seconds. On this new Triple Calendar, the lapis is truly the star of the show, dominating the dial and only yielding for the three subregisters i...

First Look – The New Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Lapis Lazuli Monochrome
Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar May 21, 2025

First Look – The New Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Lapis Lazuli

Zenith‘s Triple Calendar model is based on the compact 38mm case of the Chronomaster Original, itself modelled after the 1969 El Primero reference A386. This reference provides a balanced and wearable foundation for a relatively complex movement. Initially launched in stainless steel (2024) and subsequently in rose gold (2025), Zenith has decided that it was […]

Zenith Introduces the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Lapis Lazuli SJX Watches
Zenith Introduces May 21, 2025

Zenith Introduces the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Lapis Lazuli

Continuing with the blue theme for its 160th anniversary, Zenith has upgraded its compact, vintage-inspired chronograph with a natural stone dial. The Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Lapis Lazuli is a combination of old and new, plus a luxe dial. The watch is equipped with the latest-generation El Primero movement, but dressed in a 1970s design – here upgraded with a dial of lapis lazuli, the same semiprecious stone found on the G.F.J. cal. 135 revival. Initial thoughts I like the basic design of the Chronomaster Original because it’s essentially a remake of the 1969 El Primero, which is a retro design that still works well today. Zenith has made too many exact replicas of the vintage originals, but fortunately the lapis lazuli edition is different. The stone dial sets it apart visually, while also giving it a more refined feel than the typical Zenith. Though simple, the lapis dial feels like a substantive upgrade to an established and appealing design. The upgraded dial, however, comes at a price that’s too steep. At US$22,700, the lapis dial costs almost US$10,000 more than the standard model with a brass dial. The difference is too much and equally difficult to justify. A prototype revived Although the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar a seems like a vintage remake, it is not exactly. Instead, the standard model introduced last year was based on a 1970s prototype that never made it intro production. So it has the familiar 1969 El Primero case and dial la...

Introducing – The Blue Ceramic IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince Monochrome
IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar May 21, 2025

Introducing – The Blue Ceramic IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince

More than 80 years after its initial release, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novel Le Petit Prince or The Little Prince remains as popular as ever. As one of the most active brands in the field of pilot’s watches, and knowing Saint-Exupéry’s career as an aviator, IWC has long partnered with The Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation […]

Democracy Is Dead: Luxury Watches Are On An Antidemocratizing Path Of Extreme Exclusivity Fratello
May 21, 2025

Democracy Is Dead: Luxury Watches Are On An Antidemocratizing Path Of Extreme Exclusivity

How can a brand grow while maintaining exclusivity to uphold the perception of a luxury brand? Increasing accessibility was the right strategy for a while. But this democratization of luxury is becoming a thing of the past. Traditional clients and affluent newcomers in the world of luxury demand exclusivity. For them, luxury is all about […] Visit Democracy Is Dead: Luxury Watches Are On An Antidemocratizing Path Of Extreme Exclusivity to read the full article.