Deployant
Armchair Picks: Kunal picks 3 of the best new watches from WWG24
Deployant contributor Kunal Khema picks his top 3 watches from the novelties whown at this year's Watches & Wonders 2024.
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Deployant
Deployant contributor Kunal Khema picks his top 3 watches from the novelties whown at this year's Watches & Wonders 2024.
Worn & Wound
We’ve already brought you news on what are likely the highest profile releases from Grand Seiko this year: the all new SLGW002 and SLGW003, the SBGC275 with an amazing dial that is only red some of the time, and, of course, a new Kodo. But there’s one more Grand Seiko novelty that caught our attention, the SLGH021. This is another reference in the rapidly expanding Evolution 9 Collection and features an all new dial texture from Grand Seiko in a color that will be familiar to fans of a highly sought after limited edition from a few years ago. The watches in the so-called Genbi Valley trilogy from 2021 have been collector favorites since the moment they were announced at the Couture show in Las Vegas. The different expressions of green in those dials were an immediate hit, and now Grand Seiko has gone back to the Genbi Valley for inspiration for this latest reference. The light green color of this dial is meant to evoke the scenery along the Iwai River that created the gorge now known as the Genbi Valley, which has been given a designation as a Place of Scenic Beauty in Japan. For Grand Seiko collectors the truly exciting aspect of this release is the new dial texture. The molded pattern has a chaotic and almost organic quality to it, with distinctive small ridges throughout that look like crinkled paper, or confetti. In our meeting with Grand Seiko at Wathes & Wonders I found myself coming back to this reference over and over again – the dial catches the light in a...
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...
Worn & Wound
Watches & Wonders, the watch industry’s biggest annual fair, came to a close earlier this week. As usual the anticipation was palpable, and the payoff was – well, it depends on who you ask. Whether or not you were impressed with the novelties, it’s no surprise that many of the new releases are, in reality, quite a long ways off from being available (if they ever are for regular folks). No matter; the following Chronicle highlights four watches that aren’t merely more affordable alternatives – they offer the same spirit and aesthetic and are available today right here in the Shop. As always, the Windup Watch Shop staff are happy to meet with you to answer any questions you have. Without further ado, here are this year’s Watches & Wonders alternatives! Watches & Wonders, the watch industry’s biggest annual fair, came to a close earlier this week. As usual the anticipation was palpable, and the payoff was – well, it depends on who you ask. Whether or not you were impressed with the novelties, it’s no surprise that many of the new releases are, in reality, quite a long ways off from being available (if they ever are for regular folks). No matter; the following Chronicle highlights four watches that aren’t merely more affordable alternatives – they offer the same spirit and aesthetic and are available today right here in the Shop. As always, the Windup Watch Shop staff are happy to meet with you to answer any questions you have. Without further ado, here...
Time+Tide
Whether circular or square, Hublot always knows how to make a bang through their mastery of colours and materials.The post Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe takes us through the new Unico collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Hodinkee
It’s no “blue steel,” but the Aquanaut remains undefeated when it comes to elegant travel complications.
Fratello
Belfast is not high on the list of cities we associate with watches. But the capital of Northern Ireland plays a pivotal part in the story of the young Nomadic Watches. The brand’s name relates to the city’s famous shipbuilding industry. Additionally, Nomadic’s home base is visually integrated into the design of its watches. I […] Visit Hands-On With The Nomadic Maraí 401 Crimson Dawn - A Dive Watch With Roots In The Belfastian Harbor to read the full article.
Quill & Pad
Martin Green thinks that the Armin Strom Orbit the best watch with a date complication currently available. and here he explains why.
Monochrome
Some of the standout highlights of the 2024 Watch Week in Geneva undoubtedly revolved around ultra-thin watches. Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC now reigns as the world’s thinnest mechanical wristwatch, boasting an astonishing 1.70mm profile. Meanwhile, Piaget clinched the record for the thinnest tourbillon ever with its Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, measuring a mere 2mm! […]
Worn & Wound
It’s always worth celebrating when we see true design artistry and a successful attempt at bringing something wholly unique to the micro-independent watch community. Betina Menescal is the creative mind behind Möels + Co. At 24 years old she is a powerhouse of fresh ideas and is determined to design watches that are completely original. You won’t find a single component in one of her watches, aside from the Sellita movements and straps, in a catalog anywhere. The numerals, the hands, the case, the crystal are all entirely designed by Betina, and manufactured for her alone. The Designer To say that Betina comes from an artistic family would be an understatement. There are three opera singers, a children’s musician, and her father, who would turn out to be a great influence for Betina. He was briefly into architecture but quickly moved on to media production. Among his credits: he was a co-director for the movie Anaconda, and produced commercials for the likes of Coca-Cola, Asics, Adidas, and did World Cup commercials for Gillette. When Betina was nine years old, her father took her on a business trip to Buenos Aires. “My dad didn’t know how to talk to kids. So all he was doing was looking at the buildings and mentioning the architecture here, and the art there. Look at that little detail on the facade or the ceiling.” Betina began to notice that her father had an eye for these details, and how these small features fit into a whole. “It was always a big pr...
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Time+Tide
Vacheron Constantin recall the decadence of the Roaring Twenties with a convertible, gem-set wonder.The post The Vacheron Constantin Grand Lady Kalla is an iced-out modular marvel appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Close your eyes and picture a watch. It probably has three hands and a round case. Watches come in all shapes and with any number of hands, but for the most part, they stick to these two staples. In fact, these standards are so expected that we don’t even discuss them. Never have I written a review that noted a watch having a round case or the number of hands unless it was a GMT. For the average person, the visual likely stops with a round case and three hands, but your enthusiast-driven imagination probably dug deeper to include a dial. But even with all the variety and possibilities a dial can hold, we again have a few design staples that aren’t often deviated from. Indices are usually some sort of circle, triangle or square. Date windows, if they exist, are probably found at the 3:00, the 6:00, or maybe even placed at 4:30 if brands feel tempted to be more divisive than your Uncle Dan when he brings up politics at Thanksgiving dinner. I often find myself torn between loving these staples of design, while craving watches that dare deviate from them. There is a strong argument to be made not to deviate. Tried and true designs have reserved admiration in our hearts, and sometimes deviating can just look plain wrong. Shoot for the moon and you’ll land among the stars makes for a wonderful motivational poster to hang on a classroom wall. But when it comes to watches, shooting for the moon can land you with unsold inventory and shockingly harsh comments on your social m...
Monochrome
Tutima, a German brand tracing its origins back to the 1920s, is renowned for its rich heritage in aviation and sports timepieces, a legacy proudly carried forward by the Grand Flieger and M2 collections. Yet, the brand’s repertoire extends beyond, and today, we talk about Tutima’s Saxon One collection, which channels Tutima’s expertise into a […]
Time+Tide
Zenith have resurrected the Defy Extreme Diver with full vigour and in-your-face attitude.The post The Defy Extreme Diver brings back a diver to the Zenith catalogue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
I was genuinely excited when the second Christopher Ward C65 Dune GMT was officially announced about a month ago. The first version of this watch blew me away last year. I had a chance to wear the C65 Dune GMT for a couple of weeks, and by the end of that time, I knew I […] Visit Hands-On With The Christopher Ward C65 Dune GMT In White Sand And Khaki Green to read the full article.
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Monochrome
While today Citizen is mostly known for its accessible (yet compelling) watches, it should be reminded that the Japanese brand has been one of the pioneers of the use of titanium in watchmaking. In 1970, Citizen was the first company to commercialize a watch made of titanium. Still relying on this expertise, which you’d certainly […]
Worn & Wound
Something we find ourselves saying a lot: these pictures don’t do justice to this watch. These pictures, by Kat Shoulders, are excellent, of course, but because they only capture a single moment in time, they miss an important element of drama in the dial of Grand Seiko’s new SBGC275. The new Spring Drive chronograph GMT has, at a glance, a pretty brilliant red dial. But thanks to a new process, the color changes, and I mean really changes, when it’s seen at an angle. It’s actually uncanny, and not merely the common experience we’ve all had of seeing the range in tone on a colorful dial as it’s seen in different lighting conditions. It makes a watch that would otherwise feel like “just another variant” something a little more substantial in the Grand Seiko catalog. Grand Seiko achieves the effect of a color-changing dial with something they call “Optical Multilayer Coating,” which is described by the brand as a physical vapor deposition process. This process results in Multiple layers of a nanoscale film adhering to the dial which allow for the shifts in how we perceive the color. From head on, it looks dark red. But if you start to tilt the dial a bit the tone becomes lighter, and will appear as orange as a Doxa Professional if you turn it just right. The moment where it noticeably changes is an incredibly cool thing and even harder to describe than it is to show in still images. It’s not really a gradual shift, like you’d expect. One second the ...
Worn & Wound
When I say Jaeger LeCoultre, you say Reverso! Or Memovox! Or maybe Polaris! Or something to that effect. The point is that Jaeger LeCoultre, JLC to the cool kids, has a few iconic models immediately associated with its vaunted Maison. But the archives run deeper and into stranger horological territories. At Watches & Wonders 2024, JLC refreshed a lesser-known and appreciated line of watches epitomizing its watchmaking chops: the Duometre. First launched in 2007 with a chronograph, the Duometres presented a novel solution to an issue that concerns all watches with complications, that of the complications taking power out of the movement to function, thus decreasing the accuracy of the timekeeping and potentially power reserve. While a lesser issue in date complications, chronographs notoriously wreak havoc on a movement’s amplitude due to the power draw. But, JLC found a solution– to have separate barrels and gear trains for timekeeping and everything else, linked by the escapement. Hence, “duo.” The resulting watches and calibers are dramatic, to say the least. The movements are massive and ornate, with pronounced barrels on one side. To wind the movement, you turn the crown one way and then the other, like a ratcheting system, winding both barrels. Dial side, the duo concept is further played out with the hour and minutes displayed on a decentralized smaller dial to one side of the larger dial and the complication on the other. The seconds, however, is displayed a...
Time+Tide
Clad in titanium and carbon fibre, Ulysse Nardin's most recognisable watch takes on a new look for Watches and Wonders 2024.The post The Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad is high-tech, sci-fi, and steampunk – all at the same time appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
For Watches & Wonders 2024, Bell & Ross is bringing ceramic somewhere it’s never gone before - the BR 05 collection of integrated bracelet sports watches - with a trio of black ceramic options with matching black ceramic bracelets. When Bell & Ross introduced the BR 05 five years ago, it seemed like a somewhat esoteric, slightly fringe addition to the brand’s offerings. I remember feeling like it was a watch made more to check a box than anything else. But in the last half-decade, the BR 05 has, increasingly and slowly, become a major pillar of the Bell & Ross catalog and earned fans left and right. These additions also feel a little like checking a box - but in the best way. Ceramic has long been a core material for Bell & Ross, with many of its iconic and recognizable square-cased cockpit instruments, like the BR 03-94 Multimeter, making use of the material. So it was only a matter of time before we saw the distinctive material make its way to the BR 05. The new BR 05 ceramic trio are, mostly, the same watches we’ve seen over the last few years, but there are some small, but significant, differences between the ceramic and steel versions (besides the material). The BR 05 Black Ceramic models are 1mm wider than their steel counterparts, measuring in at 41mm. The BR 05 Black Ceramic is still thin, measuring in at 11.2mm, but again, it is a slight increase when compared to the steel option (which is a svelte 10.5mm). Per Bell & Ross, these changes in dimension w...
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Fratello
Trilobe is a brand that impresses watch fans more and more with every release. This year is no different for the young Parisian watchmaker. Building on the success of the Les Matinaux collection, Trilobe introduces its first complicated watch. The Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise Series is its first take on a moonphase watch. But if […] Visit Trilobe Introduces The Stellar Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise Series to read the full article.
Deployant
Frank Chuo makes his armchair picks of the best new watches from Watches & Wonders 24 with Patek Philippe and Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Time+Tide
Australia-based Finnish watchmaker Susan Galvin launches her first shaped watch.The post The Galvin Suvi plays on nostalgia for Finnish summertime appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
With a more than consolidated reputation for producing well-built, fully equipped watches at competitive prices, Tissot is Swatch Group’s entry-level gateway to mechanical watches. The latest release, a customised 40mm Seastar model, marks a three-way collaboration between the Swiss brand, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. and the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association). With the WNBA draft […]
Fratello
I knew Canadian architect Frank Gehry for his work on the beautiful and impressive Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. However, through Louis Vuitton, I learned that he was also responsible for the Fondation Louis Vuitton building in Paris (2014) and the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul (2019). The latter inspired a remarkable watch, the […] Visit The Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon De Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry to read the full article.
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