Results for Swiss Made

Longines Made the Dieselpunk Pilot Watch of Your (My) Dreams

Bell & Ross Latest Watch Made with the Patrouille de France is a BR 03-92 with a Bright Blue Dial

The latest from Bell & Ross is a new entry in their ongoing partnership and collaboration with the Patrouille de France, an aerobatic display team that’s part of the French Air and Space Force. The team was founded in 1953, making this year their 70th in operation, which naturally calls for a special limited edition watch. We’ve brought you news of Bell & Ross releases that highlight their relationship with the Patrouille de France in each of the last two years, and the new watch is very much in the same vein as the previous efforts, drawing inspiration from the bright blue planes the team is known for flying. Where previous limited editions were based on watches with a somewhat niche appeal (a chronograph and an ana-digi piece) the new watch is built on BR 03-92 platform, the signature, and simplest, Bell & Ross pilot’s watch, which displays just the time and date in the brand’s signature square case.  The BR 03-92 Patrouille de France 70th Anniversary limited edition is, above all, a tribute to the actual planes used by the flight team over the years. We’ll get to the dial momentarily, but what makes this limited edition special is what’s on the caseback. Flip the watch over and you’ll find a detailed engraving of the five aircraft that have been flown by the Patrouille de France since 1953: the Thunderjet, the Alphajet, the Ouragan, the Mystère IV, and the Fouga Magister. The engraving is actually quite detailed and full of information. It shows an image...

Hands On with the Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Blue Sapphire, the Most Audacious Sapphire Watch Hublot Has Made

And now, readers, we’ve come to that portion of our Watches & Wonders coverage that I know at least two of you have been anxiously anticipating, Yes, it’s now an annual tradition I guess, where I will wax rhapsodically about a mind bending Hublot novelty fit for a modern version of an 18th century French king. I can’t really think of a better way to describe the Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Blue Sapphire than to contextualize it with something commonly understood to be shorthand for over-the-top indulgence, but that’s what this watch is all about, in the best possible way. It’s a huge swing, which is exactly what I like to see from brands at Watches & Wonders. If I’m going to fly across an ocean and deal with travel delays at every step, I’d like to see things that I can only see in a presentation in the back of one of those enormous booths.  Last year I wrote about the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Purple Sapphire and characterized it as one of the best watches of last year’s Watches & Wonders because it succeeded at being compelling from a watchmaking perspective while also being completely outlandish in a way that Hublot is uniquely great at. It marked a point in my own appreciation for the brand where they rose above the level of a mere curiosity and reached a point where, in my opinion, they are deserving of the respect given to any other serious innovator in contemporary watchmaking.  This year they’re back with a sequel of sorts to last ye...

How Ulysse Nardin Made a Watch Out of Recycled Plastic Fishing Nets

A New Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Made For the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games

The winter Olympics in Beijing is scarcely three months away, and Official Timekeeper Omega has dutifully obliged with a special edition watch to mark the proceedings: the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022.

How Zenith Made Some Of Their Best Watches In 2020

In an unprecedented year, Zenith has given us some of their best watches yet, deeply rooted in heritage but forward looking. How did the brand mange this?

The Inside Story Of How One Collector’s ‘Paul Newman’ Rolex Made It Into The Hit Film ‘Crazy Rich Asians’

One day vintage expert Eric Wind's friend Kevin Kwan sent him a fateful 'URGENT!!!' e-mail searching for an 'impressive' new or vintage watch for a special scene in the movie version of his book 'Crazy Rich Asians.' He sourced a valuable 'Paul Newman' Rolex from a collector in Singapore and when Eric was invited to an advanced screening of the film in New York, he waited with bated breath for the scene, not knowing what to expect. But when Astrid handed her husband the watch in the movie and the beautiful 'Paul Newman' dial got a solo shot on screen, it was pure magic!

Timex Marlin vs Mido Dateday: Budget Dress Watch vs Swiss Refinement

Entry-level dress watch or Swiss step-up? Our hands-on Timex Marlin Draper vs Mido Commander Datoday comparison shows where your money actually goes.

Best Swiss Dive Watch Under $2k? Longines HydroConquest vs Mido Ocean Star Tribute

Explore our hands-on comparison of the Longines HydroConquest and Mido Ocean Star Tribute. Find the better Swiss diver under $2,000 in all-round value.

The Best Swiss Dive Watch Deal of the Summer Might Be This New Mido

Mido refreshed the Mido Ocean Star 200 with the 80-hour Caliber 80 and a Nivachron hairspring, priced from $950 to $980 across four dial options.

Hands On: Marco Lang Seven Spheres

German independent watchmaker Marco Lang launched the Seven Spheres, the first multi-axis tourbillon wristwatch from Germany, and one of the few made with traditional materials and techniques. While the rotational speed is necessarily gradual, the central position of the massive seven-axis regulator affords a good view of the fine Saxon finishing from all sides. Initial thoughts Multi-axis tourbillons tend to be the domain of industrial brands, or independents that rely on industrial suppliers. It’s also a genre that’s overwhelmingly Swiss — Thomas Prescher is German, but produced his pioneering multi-axis tourbillons in Switzerland. In this context, the Seven Spheres is a departure from the norm in several respects. It’s Marco Lang’s first tourbillon since branching out on his own in 2019, and it’s the first multi-axis tourbillon made in Saxony. Without historical precedent to contend with, Mr Lang has produced something quite unlike any other German watch — a central, multi-axis tourbillon suspended within a donut-shaped movement. Despite its artisanal quality and low-volume production, the Seven Spheres costs no more than an equivalent from a big brand. It’s counterintuitive to suggest that a wristwatch that costs a quarter-million Euros is a good value, but on a comparative basis the pricing makes sense. Seven spheres, front and back Marco Lang cites the work of both Ptolemy and Carl Sagan as inspiration for the Seven Spheres’ architecture. The seven ...

Year in Review: the Best Travel Watches of 2025

Travel watches have been on the absolute rise in recent years. Where dive watches were once the default option for a first sports watch, GMTs, dual times, and world timers have been making a credible play for wrist time with enthusiasts of all strata. There are practical reasons for this - movements like the Miyota 9075 and Seiko NH34 have made including a GMT complication in a watch more affordable than ever - but I think practical reasons only scratch the surface of this precipitous rise. To tell the whole story, you have to look for the romantic. There’s an inherent appeal in travel watches. They’re optimistic and remind us to stay interested in the world even when we’re stuck at home, or work, or in the myopia of day-to-day life, when the little things around us stop us from looking further. I think this appeal was only reinforced by a mandatory two-year stay inside, at home, and I don’t think it’s by chance that our collective release back into the world post-COVID coincided with the rise of the travel watch. I mean, sure, in a world where our phones automatically adjust to new time zones, and most people’s preferred travel watch is an Apple Watch, mechanical travel watches (or, really, analog - there are some pretty stellar quartz offerings to be had, you don’t need to look further than the Timex Q Continental GMT for evidence of that) may be more talismanic than necessary, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. So, with all that ...

A Swiss-Made Titanium Field Watch for Under $1,000 - Formex Field Automatic Hands-On

The post A Swiss-Made Titanium Field Watch for Under $1,000 – Formex Field Automatic Hands-On appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Industry News - Shakeups at Richemont - Jérôme Lambert Back as CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, Laurent Perves named CEO of Vacheron Constantin

Swiss luxury powerhouse Richemont has just announced yet another round of shifts in top management positions, with new direction for two of its most prestigious watchmaking brands, Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-Lecoultre. Effective January 1st, 2025, the nominations of Jerôme Lambert and Laurent Perves follow the appointments announced earlier this year. Nicolas Bos was promoted from […]

Interview - What to Expect from Universal Genève when it Relaunches in 2026? Georges Kern Gives us all the Answers

About a year ago, Georges Kern, also known as the CEO of Breitling, made a resounding announcement for the watch community; the acquisition of historic brand Universal Genève and its planned return as a watchmaker in 2026. A brand known for its innovative designs and movements, benefitting from a certain aura in the collecting community, […]

Introducing the Seiko Prospex SPB473, a Limited Regional Release for the European Market

A thing you discover about watch collecting after being involved in the hobby for a little while is that it’s a truly international endeavor. This manifests itself in a number of ways. The geography of the watchmaking industry is obviously something that’s discussed frequently, with Swiss, German, Japanese, and American styles of the craft all taking slightly different shapes. But even more than that, practical matters like the availability of watches to actually purchase has a lot to do with where you are in the world. Just last week, we told you about a pair of new limited edition Grand Seikos made just for the US market, and today we have a similar story about a Seiko diver for sale exclusively in Europe. Regional releases strike again. The Seiko Prospex SPB473 would have caught our eye regardless, but something about it being vaguely forbidden if you happen to live in America makes it all the more appealing. Now, realistically, this watch won’t be that hard to track down if you really put some effort into it. There are all kinds of ways an American customer can obtain a watch made for a foreign market. Proxy buyers, the pre-owned market, and simply calling up a dealer and asking if they’d consider an international sale are all viable options. But if it really is the thrill of the hunt that makes watch collecting exciting and rewarding, have those few extra hoops to jump through could actually be welcome for some.  The SPB473’s key feature is a beautiful grad...

Julien Tornare appointed CEO of Hublot, Antoine Pin new CEO of TAG Heuer

LVMH Watches has made some major moves, with Julien Tornare appointed as Hublot CEO, and Antoine Pin taking over TAG Heuer.The post Julien Tornare appointed CEO of Hublot, Antoine Pin new CEO of TAG Heuer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing The Pragma P1 - Perseverance: A 100% Swiss Chronometer Made With 82.7% Recycled Materials

Geneva-based Pragma is the brainchild of Christopher Wegener and Kai-Hsuan Liu. Wegener has 21 years of experience in watchmaking; he worked for Rolex and F.P.Journe, for instance. Liu is the brand’s Creative Design Director. He has a background at Hermès and a studio of his own, and his forté is fusing natural and technological elements. […] Visit Introducing The Pragma P1 – Perseverance: A 100% Swiss Chronometer Made With 82.7% Recycled Materials to read the full article.

Editorial: Our Reactions to the Bremont Rebrand

Bremont made their debut at Watches & Wonders last week, and they unexpectedly became the talk of the show. The new watches represent a dramatic departure from the design language Bremont has cultivated over the past 20 years, and serve as the introduction of Davide Cerrato at the helm of the company (he’s been CEO since spring of last year, but these new novelties are the first from the brand without the design input of founders Nick and Giles English). Relaunches are complicated, and we can’t recall a similar attempt at a rebrand that was so ambitious. To unveil a completely new strategy at a brand’s first Watches & Wonders under a CEO who has been in place for less than a year is a massive undertaking, and regardless of how you feel about Bremont’s new direction, there’s no denying that this was a big swing. Below you’ll find reactions to Bremont’s Watches & Wonders presence from Zach Weiss and Zach Kazan, both of whom had a chance to (briefly) go hands-on with the new novelties. We hope to have an opportunity to spend more time with these watches in the near future to bring you a more complete evaluation outside the fanfare and noise of the industry’s major trade show. Zach Kazan A somewhat slower year for big, flashy new releases at Watches & Wonders means that smaller stories about watches and brands that don’t normally generate a ton of heat will be talked about and picked apart in a way you wouldn’t necessarily see. Last year, when Rolex dropped...

The three watches Jamie wore most in 2023 - Citizen, Tudor, Lip

French, Swiss and Japanese - Jamie's 2023 high rotation contains multitudes.The post The three watches Jamie wore most in 2023 – Citizen, Tudor, Lip appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Bōken Nomad combines grade 2 titanium and a Swiss-made movement

Like many new microbrands, Bōken was created from a desire to do good in an industry that has only recently become interested in conservation efforts, alongside making great watches, of course. Built with a brushed titanium case and housed in a contemporary cushion shape, the Bōken Nomad takes a premium position within the microbrand realm by … ContinuedThe post The Bōken Nomad combines grade 2 titanium and a Swiss-made movement appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

IWC Explores New Materials with the Big Pilot’s Watch AMG G 63

IWC’s latest is an inspired by the legendary off-roader made by its longtime partner Mercedes-Benz, the G-Wagen. More specifically, the Big Pilot’s Watch AMG G 63 is named after the luxury, high-performance G 63 made by the carmaker’s performance tuning subsidiary AMG. Available in two variants, the G 63 edition retains the traditional outline of the model, but brings along novel new materials, namely a hardened gold alloy known as Armor Gold and ceramic matrix composite (CMC), a carbon fibre composite containing silicon carbide ceramic for added hardness. The Big Pilot’s Watch AMG G 63 in 18k Armor Gold Initial thoughts IWC rolls out a lot of Big Pilot limited editions, probably too many, but this is one of the more appealing recent editions. The basic features of the Big Pilot G 63 are appealing – novel materials, a functional design, and IWC’s seven-day movement. The textured dials and sub-seconds are both novel features for a Big Pilot. They set the new pair part from other models in the line, but don’t stray too far from the traditional Big Pilot look. More interesting are the case materials – hardened gold or silicon-infused carbon composite – which are both a first for IWC. Though brands like Hublot and Richard Mille have long made such materials a specialty, they are unusual for IWC. Notably, both versions have Super-Luminova matched with the case material, beige for the gold model and grey for CMC, which feels a bit forced. I would have preferred...

The Horage Supersede Date shows off the true meaning of Swiss-made

Horage's 'all-terrain' luxury sports watch receives an ocean-inspired second instalment, ditching its GMT complication while retaining some GMT DNA.The post The Horage Supersede Date shows off the true meaning of Swiss-made appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On with the Very Reasonable Vulcain Skindiver Nautique

Vulcain made a triumphant return in 2022 with the launch of a new series of iconic Cricket alarm watches in varying sizes and colors. By using the seemingly foolproof recipe of recreating a vintage timepiece with little to no reinterpretation, and relying on the historical value of the name itself, the brand was able to shake off several years of being dormant. The result was a quick sell-through and a return to relevance. The question, of course, was how they would follow up and take advantage of their newfound spotlight. The answer is the Vulcain Skindiver Nautique, which might initially seem like a surprising follow-up. Why? Well, rather than sticking with their in-house calibers or most recognizable models, they went for a somewhat generic mid-century diver. Whether or not this was a good idea will be left to consumers, but it was smart of them to demonstrate that they are going to delve deep and wide into their archives for inspiration, as well as create products at different price points. Available in black or blue with a few strap options, the Vulcain Skindiver Nautique is priced at around $1,600 (to be clear, it’s 1490 CHF, the USD is based on the exchange rate). $1600 Hands-On with the Very Reasonable Vulcain Skindiver Nautique Case Stainless Steel Movement ETA 2824-2 Dial Gloss Black Lume Yes Lens Domed Sapphire Strap Carbon Pattern Leather Water Resistance 20 ATM Dimensions 38 x 44.2mm Thickness 12.3mm Lug Width 20mm Crown screw down Warranty yes Price $1600 N...

Interview: Jeremy Lim of Cortina Watch on the Family Business and Longevity

With 2022 revenue of S$716.9 million (equivalent to US$532 million), Cortina Watch is one of the world’s biggest watch retailers. It was founded in 1972 as a single store but has grown into a regional giant with stores across Southeast Asia as well as outposts in Taiwan and Australia. Cortina marked its 50th anniversary this year with a slew of limited editions that reflect its importance, including the Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 5057 made specifically for it. Though publicly listed, the company remains controlled by the founding Lim family, with the third generation having recently joined the business. A crucial member of management is Jeremy Lim, the younger son of Cortina founder Anthony Lim. Jeremy helms the business alongside his siblings Raymond and Sharon. I spoke with Jeremy recently to uncover the factors behind the longevity and success of Cortina. Three generations of the Lim family, with Jeremy Lim second from left. Image – Cortina Watch SJX: When Cortina was founded 50 years ago by your father, it was one of many watch stores in Singapore. But now Cortina is one of the few left, in fact it’s one of the biggest in the region. What is the secret to the longevity and success? Jeremy Lim (JL): We were lucky that we had a lot of help from the family when my dad started the business with my mom. [My brother] Raymond started early in the business, then my sister got interested in the business as well, and subsequently I was reeled in. The old school method o...