242 articles · 6 videos found · page 5 of 9
Fratello
Another Friday, another Top 5! This week, we continue our series of best-of-the-year lists as we cover the best watches from high-end independent brands in 2024. Expect to see an exotic group spanning a nice variety of designs and complications. Of course, five watches do not do justice to the many ones we could have […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 High-End Indie Watches Of 2024 to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Reviving defunct watch brands is more common than it once was. Previously, the idea caused excitement, though not without trepidation. Would this reincarnated brand bring back interesting pieces from its archives, be a contemporary reinterpretation of the brand’s spirit, or just be a hollow attempt to cash in on some old name? It was always a waiting game to see which, and we saw all three. But in the years since the strategy for revivals has been refined. Respect for historical designs and proportions is a given, but with so many brands having made similarly styled watches in the past, it’s less provocative to have a vintage-looking watch with a vintage name. What makes a newly revived brand stand out now is its execution and story, if there is one to share. This brings me to this article’s subject, the return of Elgé. Elgé is not a brand I was aware of before being told of their relaunch, and I imagine that is likely the case for most enthusiasts, at least in the US. This immediately presents both a challenge and an opportunity. On one hand, no preconceived notions would lead to expectations. On the other, there is no existing reverence for the brand. Ultimately, they will have to rely on the quality of their designs and the watches themselves, which, in fairness, should always matter more than history, at least in my eyes. So, who is Elgé? Well, information on them is sparse, and based on a quick search, every description appears to be nearly identical, all rif...
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! After last week’s list of GPHG winners, we return to the universe of vintage Rolex. Why? As we were browsing for entries for previous lists, we stumbled upon some amazing Rolex watches that you rarely see. This list, therefore, praises some of the Genevan brand’s less highlighted watches from the past. […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Surprising Vintage Rolex Watches to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Today, Americans sit down at their Thanksgiving table with their friends and family, and consider all that they’re thankful for. Good health, a warm home, great company, and a delicious meal will top many lists, as they should. But if you’ll allow a quick thought experiment (really, all of this is just one big thought experiment, if you think about it) and narrow the focus of thanks to the watch world, I’d have to say that the singular event of the last few years that I’m most thankful for is whatever transpired during the first meeting between the team at Louis Erard and watchmaker Vianny Halter. It led to a collaboration that launched a thousand other collaborations (slight exaggeration, but maybe not), and brought an affordable indie brand and a Capital I Independent watchmaking legend together in a genuinely interesting way. There’s a compelling case to be made that the first Louis Erard x Vianney Halter collaboration was the seed of many similar LEs to come, from Louis Erard and other brands, so it makes sense that just like that first collab, their second drops on Thanksgiving weekend, bringing one of the most interesting stories in contemporary watches full circle. While the first collaboration with Halter felt like one of his watches in spirit, the new Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter II takes steps to make the physical object feel more like a watch that could have come out of Halter’s workshop. Using Halter’s iconic Antiqua as inspiratio...
Worn & Wound
Remember the Paris Olympics? It seems, somehow, like they took place a lifetime ago, but it was just this past summer – mere months ago. It was a crazy time. Lots of conversation about the pollution in the Seine, an all time great gymnastics competition, and, of course, Daniel Craig teased a new Seamaster in a conspicuously inconspicuous way. If you’re a Seamaster fan who has been waiting with baited breath for the full details of that mystery watch to be announced, it appears that Omega is making all of your wishes come true this week, with the announcement of not, but two new Seamaster references that seem aimed directly at the enthusiast market (and James Bond fans). The new versions of the Seamaster Diver 300M are actually a significant departure from the current generation of the watch, which history will likely remember as being absolutely loaded with one of the key watchmaking materials of this generation: ceramic. The standard issue Seamaster we’ve become familiar with over these last few years has not only a ceramic bezel, but a polished and laser engraved ceramic dial. While many collectors and enthusiasts obviously find a certain appeal in the brightly colored and/or meticulously polished ceramic, these watches always had a lot of it, and dive watch fans looking for a daily wearer with more classic tool watch vibes were likely left wanting with the current Seamaster. These updated references remove ceramic from the equation entirely. There are two new ...
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! This week, we leave our lists of watches with famous movements behind and focus on the Rolex Submariner. As some of you will know, Rolex, Wallpaper*, and Nicholas Foulkes collaborated on Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch that Unlocked the Deep. The book came out last week, and it brilliantly covers the […] Visit Fratello Top 5: The Rarest Steel Rolex Submariner References Ever Produced to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
One of the great things about the world of watches today is there’s always something out there waiting to surprise. Even as someone who spends a lot of time paying attention to this stuff, there are still brands that slip through the cracks and watches that sneak by when my head is turned. I’ll admit, Dietrich was one of those brands I had missed. Now, having spent some time with two variants of their latest release, the ED-1, I have to say I’m paying attention. Okay, I hadn’t entirely missed them, but I knew Dietrich best from their relatively conventional SD-2 Skin diver. That watch certainly stood out from the familiar onslaught of dive watches, but the structured conventions of dive watches meant the SD-2 didn’t offer the full Dietrich experience. The rounded leaf hands, sandwich dial, and ever-so-slightly hexagonal dial were enough to evoke the Dietrich ‘look,’ but at the end of the day a dive watch is a dive watch, and there’s only so much you can do without ending up with something else. The Dietrich ED-1 marks a return to the core of Dietrich watchmaking, this time with the intention of creating the “ultimate everyday watch.” As an industry, we tend to break watches into categories: dive watches, field watches, pilot’s watches, dress watches, tool watches, dressy tool watches - the list goes on. It’s a bit of a trick, one that makes it easier for both brands and journalists to communicate this intention behind a watch and establish expecta...
Worn & Wound
Close your eyes and come with me on a walk down memory lane. It’s 2006. I’m in my sophomore year of high school and it’s homecoming season. There’s a dance after the first football game of October and I’m out on the floor, in my very best outfit from JCPenney, waiting for the next song to load from the DJ’s (or was it math teacher’s?) iPod Nano. A synth comes over the gymnasium speakers and my 15-year-old self is introduced to the Grammy-nominated album, Konvicted, by Akon. I don’t think I’ve ever been the same since that moment, dear reader. It’s now nearly 18 years later when I am reminded of this as the latest release from Maurice Lacroix on the extension of their AIKON line-up hits my inbox. Sure, it’s spelled slightly differently, but nostalgia makes rooms for homophones, don’t you think? The Swiss watchmaker has been producing the AIKON line since 2016 and, for the first time, now comes in titanium. The new additions come in two model options (Automatic or Automatic Chronograph) and a total of four colorways, giving the wearer an array of options for their personal preference and daily needs. Let’s start with the basics first – why titanium? The most important reason people choose titanium is for its durability. As Maurice Lacroix has noted, these four titanium references were designed as a response to their customer base’s needs. Having a watch that can withstand the normal wear and tear of daily life is a blessing when you’re payin...
Worn & Wound
Sinn fans rejoice; the Frankfurt favorite has finally released a watch we’ve all been waiting for. 156 is a number that most Sinn fans have memorized as it refers to one of the most excellent watches in the Sinn archives, not just because of its looks but also because of its lineage and movement(s). You see, the story of the 156 begins with a watch by a different brand altogether, the Heuer-Leonidas Bundeswehr 1550 SG, commonly called the “Heuer Bund.” image credit: analogshift.com A pilot’s chronograph used in the 60s and 70s mainly by the German airforce, though others as well, the Bund was a remarkable tool watch of its day. Powered by the manual wound Valjoux 22 and Valjoux 230 calibers, they featured flyback mechanisms and a clean, bold design with large lumed numerals and a particularly appealing bezel layout. Measuring 43mm in diameter and 13mm thick, they were huge for the era, though in keeping with pilot watch tradition. Helmut Sinn, the founder of Sinn, purchased old inventory of these watches in the 1980s, reconditioned them, added Sinn branding, and rebadged them as the Sinn 155 Bw. In the late 1980s, Helmut set out to create a new generation of military-issued pilot’s chronographs with the 156 by combining the case and general dial design of the 155/Bund with relatively new-to-the-market automatic chronograph movements by Lemania. Thus, the 156 is the direct successor to the Bund via the 155. My Sinn 156 – gone, but not forgotten The 156s most com...
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! We’re slowly coming to the end of our series of lists that highlight the best of the first half of 2024. This week, we picked our favorite modern luxury sports watches with integrated bracelets. The category that was started by Gérald Genta’s Royal Oak has really taken off in the past […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Modern Sports Watches With Integrated Bracelets Of The First Half Of 2024 to read the full article.
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! This week, we decided to skip our best-of-2024 lists and focus on watches commemorating the Olympic Games. With the Paris Olympics in full swing, it’s a good moment to look at some of Omega’s best Olympic releases. But while Omega has been the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932, […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Omega Olympic Games Special Editions to read the full article.
Fratello
I sat on a stool in a Brooklyn dive bar on a rainy Wednesday evening, sipping a Negroni. Two of my friends were with me as we just had dinner a few hours earlier in a nearby restaurant. We were chatting, enjoying our drinks, and eagerly waiting for someone (who shall remain nameless) to pull […] Visit Hands-On With The Tuul Filthy 13 to read the full article.
Monochrome
“Racing is life; anything that happens before or after is just waiting.” Famous words by Michael Delaney, Steve McQueen’s character in the legendary 1971 movie Le Mans. And while there’s far more to life than racing, to a Petrolhead, it does make absolute sense. It’s the thrill of fast-paced cars being pushed on winding roads […]
Fratello
This watch has been sitting in my safe and waiting for its moment for ages! After several weeks of heavy-hitting Gallet chronographs, I spotted a watch lying face down in the corner of the safe. I turned it over, and there it was - my abandoned crazy-lumed Citizen Auto Dater 7. I took it out […] Visit #TBT An Intriguing Citizen Auto Dater 7 APSS52903-T With Out-Of-The-Box Lume to read the full article.
Deployant
We have done lists for those with stealth wealth, but looking through our archives, we need one for old money folks. So here are our top six.
Time+Tide
Hamilton's most adventure-ready watches get the strap pairing many have surely been waiting for.The post The Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition reminds that NATO straps are an outdoorsy must-have appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
For those who never worked up the VIP lists of Tiffany or Patek, Loupe This is set to list the ultimate hype watch: a Tiffany blue Nautilus.The post Loupe This is set to auction off the ultimate hypebeast Tiffany Blue Nautilus 5711 – here’s why that’s worth paying attention to appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
If a tide pool at a waterpark represented the world of micro/independent watches, some brands would be the kids who sit at the edge, waiting for a wave to bowl them over, others would be the dad that overcompensates by proving he can swim all the way out to the source only before losing his trunks, and then there’s Zelos…the person who showed up in their custom Speedo and polarized purple goggles doing laps around the perimeter. If you want a quality diver, finished brilliantly, made with interesting materials, eye-popping dials, all for around $500, Zelos has you covered. However, there is another Zelos. One that lights up a cigar, slips out of their lounge sandals, and makes their way into a meticulously curated tranquility pool…but still with the purple polarized goggles. This Zelos comes around a couple times a year, playing with high-end Swiss movements and interesting complications. The first “tranquility pool” Zelos of the year recently hit the market. They took the case from their popular Spearfish line and released the Spearfish Dual Time. Three of the five watches in the line are made of titanium and come on titanium bracelets; the remaining two have cases made from forged carbon and come on a canvas leather strap. I had the pleasure of trying out the Moonscape forged carbon model for a little over a week, and while I do have some complicated thoughts on the model itself, what is indisputable is that you’re getting lavish materials and an elaborate ...
Fratello
Vintage Rolex is a treasure trove for dedicated collectors. Within that little sub-universe, there are grail watches that stand out above the rest. Today, we are looking at one that is pretty high up on many aficionados’ lists. This is the Rolex Submariner ref. 6200, also known as the King Sub. My friends at Tempus […] Visit Servicing An Ultra-Rare Vintage Rolex Submariner Ref. 6200 “King Sub” to read the full article.
Hodinkee
It's the watch many collectors have been waiting for, and this limited edition set delivers the goods – with a twist.
SJX Watches
Having announced its return with an auction on May 10, 2024, Only Watch has finally revealed the watch that everyone has been waiting for: the Patek Philippe Grande and Petite Sonnerie Ref. 6301A-010 “Only Watch”. Based on the standard version of Patek Philippe’s clockwatch – which is the second most complicated watch in the brand’s catalogue – the ref. 6301A has a stainless steel case like several past Only Watch editions and more unusually, a Rare Handcrafts hand guilloche dial covered with blue-green translucent fired enamel and 12 baguette-cut diamond indices. For the moment, the ref. 6301A is the only timepiece in Only Watch 2024 that is an entirely new creation, while the rest of the offerings are carried over from last year’s event (though word has it a prominent independent watchmaker might be making significant modifications to his creation). Initial thoughts Patek Philippe’s original creation for the what was originally Only Watch 2023 was a unique version of the Minute Repeater Alarm ref. 1938P. After that got postponed to May this year, Patek Philippe replaced its original contribution with the ref. 6301A. Though only the dial differs from the standard version in terms of visuals, the ref. 6301A is strikingly different. With its elaborate dial, it looks less formal and more decorative. Thought arguably less surprising than the ref. 1938P that was an entirely new reference and complication, the ref. 6301A is more complicated, expensive, and elabo...
Worn & Wound
Very few things put a smile on my face quite like the Ulysse Nardin Freak. It’s one of the first haute horlogerie watches I can remember encountering, well before watches were ever a hobby or preoccupation, in a glossy magazine advertisement that I probably saw while waiting for a doctor’s appointment or something else similarly trivial and forgettable. The Freak, though, has stayed with me. How could it not? It’s one of the most cleverly named watches ever made, for one. And its “no dial, no hands, no crown” concept continues to endure, and even after multiple decades of horological innovation surrounding Ulysse Nardin (which they very much had a role in kicking off) it remains every bit as avante-garde, insane, and completely delightful as its always been. For the third straight year, Ulysse Nardin has brought just one watch to show at Watches & Wonders. The Freak S Nomad, a follow up to 2022’s Freak S, is a futuristic tour-de-force that pays tribute to classical watchmaking at the same time as it shows us something we’ve never quite seen before. The movement, an imposing flying carousel that rotates around its own axis, features two balance wheels posted at a 20 degree incline linked to a vertically integrated differential mounted to ball bearings. Every Freak movement, no matter how advanced or comparatively simple (this one is the most advanced there is) is an exercise in problem solving. When the movement itself is in motion, it adds a whole layer o...
Fratello
The Watches and Wonders hangover is not something to joke about. It’s not the days of constantly “swimming” against a constant stream of champagne that wear you down. It’s not the standing in the cold, early morning hours waiting for a scheduled shuttle that never arrives. It isn’t even the average of 21,000 steps you […] Visit Curing My Watches And Wonders Hangover With Highlights From Jaeger-LeCoultre And Piaget to read the full article.
![[Video] Hands-On Impressions of the New Rolex Novelties](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2024/04/Rolex_Novelties_14.jpg)
Worn & Wound
Rolex always seems to be the talk of the town during Watches & Wonders. It’s the first booth everyone flocks to on Day 1 at 8:30am when the curtains come up. It’s quite the site to see actually. We at Worn & Wound can’t deny the effect the Rolex releases have on not only watch enthusiasts but the entire luxury world. THIS is what people are waiting for. Well the question of the day is..was the wait worth it this year? I had a sneaky feeling that this would be sort of a mild year for Rolex. They did so much last year at Watches & Wonders with the new Daytona collection, the Emoji Day-Date, and of course the Gumball Oyster Perpetual. That’s a lot to top. Even though I got the sense that most people were underwhelmed with the releases this year, I was very excited to have my first ever appointment with Rolex at the show to get hands on. I got to spend about 40 minutes with all the new releases and I’ll be honest, I think they’re great. The watch that really struck me and I personally feel is the strongest release for Rolex this year is the new Perpetual 1908 in Ice Blue. The dial was absolutely mesmerizing and features what Rolex calls a guilloche rice-grain motif. I often hear from the watch community that Rolex is sometimes too simple or just doesn’t “wow”. I think anyone would have a hard time picking up this watch and not being impressed by the level of finishing it has. Cased in 950 platinum, the watch also features the calibre 7140 which of course ho...
Fratello
I’m glad to realize that choosing these three watches was difficult for me. For less than €1,000, there’s a boatload of options. Even though I’m the last one to contribute to this sub-€1K series - there were seven colleagues and their lists before me - I didn’t pick any of the watches that had already […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €1,000 - Gerard’s Picks From Yema, Ligure, And… to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
It is often warned, within the watch enthusiast community, that pre-owned (especially bordering on vintage) watch collecting is a monster all its own - sitting at the end of booby-trapped temple, with spring-loaded spike walls and perilous pits waiting to consume another person tempted by the pretty shiny things inside. And yet, occasionally you manage to traverse the ledge, dodge the poison barbs, and slide under the closing stone door, grabbing your fedora in the nick of time. Sometimes things just go right, but giving yourself the space to be vigilant always helps. Does anyone else hear a John Williams score in their head? Just me? Like many a watch collector before me, I’ve been yearning for an Omega Speedmaster since I first found out about its heroic travels. It went to the moon, I believe. I dunno, you’ll have to double check me on that. Anyway, I would take almost weekly trips to the AD just to try it on. Each visit went the same way. I’d approach the Omega counter, point to the Speedmaster Professional, and say “you know which one.” Sapphire sandwich because I love marveling at the movement. My AD would stand there while I carefully inspected it. As I did the week before, and the one before that. I’d tell him, “you can go help the guy over there if you need to,” knowing damn well he can’t leave me alone with the watch, but it made me feel better to say it to establish that I am, yet again, not ready to buy it. We’d chitchat, I’d leave, and ...
Fratello
For many, today’s introduction of the Aquastar Benthos 500 Chronograph has been a long time coming. After all, this is arguably one of the brand’s most famous historical references. Well, for those who have been waiting, prepare to be impressed because this is a fantastically modern yet faithful rendition of the beast from 1970! Since […] Visit Introducing: The Aquastar Benthos 500 Chronograph to read the full article.
Fratello
Well, after much deliberation, I’ve found what I subjectively consider the three best watches under €1,000 today. As Fratello’s resident list nerd, that should be a walk in the park, right? I have made tons of lists, including multiple ones about watches in this price category. But finding the five or ten best currently available […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €1,000 - Jorg’s Picks From Serica, RZE, And Traska to read the full article.
Fratello
I rarely get to follow the journey of a watch’s creation. From the early renders to a dummy prototype to the finished article, the Behrens 20G has been an exciting journey. That said, I am not a patient person. I’m not a fan of waiting for things. I’m sure we all know the frustrations of […] Visit As Light As A Feather: Hands-On With The Ultralight And Ultrathin Behrens 20G to read the full article.
Monochrome
Whenever we compile lists for our weekly Buying Guide, we tend to look at common denominators between watches. One such element can be colour, material, a complication or even a price point. As suggested by one of our readers, we are now looking at sporty-chic watches on stainless steel bracelets priced under EUR 3,000. After […]
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.