1,642 articles · 14 videos found · page 51 of 56
Monochrome
Twenty-six years ago, Chanel introduced the J12, a luxury sports watch crafted from sleek, black high-tech ceramic. Designed by artistic director Jacques Helleu, the collection was named after the J-class 12-metre racing yachts competing in the America’s Cup. An overnight success, the J12 appealed to men and women alike with its chic, unisex aesthetic. Chanel’s […]
Hodinkee
Starting in Hong Kong on April 24th and running into December, the house will offer pieces from Cartier Paris, London, and New York - plus a lot of insanely impressive other watches from Rolex, Patek, Dufour, and more.
SJX Watches
The Toka from Finnish duo Roope Kortela and René Valta reflects the ongoing appeal of beautifully finished, time-only watches, combining a thoughtfully reworked historical calibre with the brand’s first champlevé enamel dial. With an emphasis on high-grade finishing and increasingly in-house components - including a proprietary free-sprung balance - the Toka is a strong sophomore effort from the startup independent. Rene Valta (foreground) and Roope Kortela Initial thoughts It’s been more than 25 years since Philippe Dufour unveiled the Simplicity, a watch that challenged prevailing wisdom about what fine watchmaking was all about. Launched at a time when brands and collectors were focused on complications, the Simplicity arguably created the niche for highly finished time-only watches and intensified collector focus on independent watchmaking in general. Though the field has become crowded over the past quarter-century, collector demand has proven durable. The Toka is a watch built in this tradition. The Omega calibre inside the Toka has been heavily reworked by Kortela Valta. The watchmakers kept most of the original architecture intact, while applying high-end finishing top to bottom. Furthermore, since the start of 2025, the watchmaking duo has expanded the list of components they’re able to make in-house, including the new free-sprung balance that differentiates the Toka from the Eka and Oma models that preceded it. The Toka features a fairly traditional...
SJX Watches
Twenty twenty-six is just days away. Most in the watch industry are hoping the new year will bring better times than 2025, though most equally don’t quite expect that to happen. That said, it will be a great year for some brands, big and small. Architectural and affordable Independent watch brands have had a great run, and that looks like it’ll continue, especially for (expensive) time-only watches with decorated movements and frequently, open or no dials. Plenty of independent watchmakers cater to this demand, all for more or less the same money. Personally, I find many such watches uninteresting – though a few stand out and feel like they will stand the test of time – but the strength of demand will propel this trend. I expect two more interesting developments to emerge from this. One is watches priced lower, or much lower, than the typical CHF65,000-90,000 range for such watches. Ironically, while lower priced options might offer better value, they might be less appealing precisely because they are cheaper. That said, there is still opportunity in this segment, especially since lower prices often go hand-in-hand with higher volumes, so the market will gradually fulfil it, particularly since the way forward is obvious. Functionally, such watches are not complex. Computer-aided design makes it even simpler by allowing manufacturers to rework existing calibres with relative ease; Christopher Ward is already doing something along these lines with the C12. And decora...
Worn & Wound
I’m long on record saying the mark of a genuine enthusiast is being able to get just as excited about a $100 Timex or G-Shock as about a $100,000 Rolex or Patek. I still think there’s something to that. Still, I also recognize that summing it up so patly, though convenient, ignores a huge amount of the nuance that undeniably exists in the watch space. It also ignores some of the fundamental impacts of price, including, crucially, attainability. After all, there are very few enthusiast pursuits (or, really, pursuits of any kind) where price and pursuit can be wholly siloed, and watches are not some rare example where we can afford to be price agnostic - at least, not most of us. Still, once in a while, it can be fun to just say screw it and enjoy watches for what they can be at their most extreme. Which brings us to the topic of today’s 2025 round-up, “F**k You Money” watches. The concept of a “F**k You Money” watch can be a bit nebulous. Unlike dive watches or chronographs, say, which either are or are not what they say they are, there’s no real set definition for what qualifies as “F**k You Money,” but like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart and pornography, I may not be able to specifically articulate what qualifies as a F**k You Money watch, but I know it when I see it. gérald genta Geneva Minute Repeater You thought I was gonna start with some crazy Richard Mille or Jacob & Co., didn’t you? Well, this probably isn’t going to be that kind of...
![Introducing: The New Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean - Freshly Revamped For Its 20th Anniversary [Live Images]](https://www.fratellowatches.com/cdn-cgi/image/anim=false/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Omega-New-Omega-Planet-Ocean-2025-18-2.jpg)
Fratello
Twenty years after the debut of the first Planet Ocean, Omega has introduced the fourth generation of this collection of professional dive watches. The update features a complete redesign, with significant changes to the case and bracelet architecture. There are also technical improvements that help bring it up to par with the brand’s ever-improving performance […] Visit Introducing: The New Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean - Freshly Revamped For Its 20th Anniversary [Live Images] to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A window into the early days of contemporary independent watchmaking, the upcoming Phillips Hong Kong auction offers an unexpectedly diverse line-up, including a single-owner collection of 1990s watches. The indie selection ranges from Daniel Roth in the late 1980s to Philippe Dufour’s influential finissage. And the historically-minded enthusiast will also notice the catalog includes work from an era when star independent watchmakers, such as Louis Cottier, counted brands as their clients. Lot 982 – Daniel Roth Ref. 2187 Tourbillon “Double Face” After helping establish Breguet as a Swiss watchmaker, Daniel Roth established his eponymous brand in 1988 with his inaugural model being the ref. C187/2187, a tourbillon wristwatch with two faces. The front indicates the time and showcases the tourbillon at six o’clock, while the reverse is home to the date and power reserve indicator. Despite the strikingly exotic look for the time – remember this was the late 1980s – the tourbillon actually employs the familiar Lemania tourbillon calibre, unsurprising given that Mr Roth helped with the construction of the calibre while he was at Breguet. While the bones are Lemania, the aesthetic is uniquely Daniel Roth. The grey dial has a pinstripe guilloche while the three-armed seconds hand indicates the time on a three-layer scale. Just last year, Louis Vuitton resurrected the Daniel Roth marque with a new generation of the iconic tourbillon powered by an all-new calibre deve...
Monochrome
A name with strong historical importance, François Czapek was once the business partner of a certain Antoine Norbert de Patek. However, it’s mostly since the rebirth of the brand in 2015 that the name Czapek became popular among watch enthusiasts. This year, the independent brand is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its revival by unveiling […]
Fratello
Twenty years after launching its first watch, British watch brand Christopher Ward seems to be settling into a hard-earned level of maturity. Its latest introduction, the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT, exemplifies everything the brand has learned over the past two decades. It’s an impressive, feature-packed tool watch that combines the brand’s now fully fleshed-out design […] Visit Hot Take: The New Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Joseph Bulova was just twenty-four when he founded a company that would revolutionize American watchmaking. Immigrating to the United States from Bohemia in 1870, he founded the J. Bulova Company in 1875 on New York City’s Maiden Lane, specializing in jewelry and watch and clock repair. The business grew, and by 1911 the Bulova Company began producing table clocks and pocket watches. The next year, Joseph Bulova opened a Biel, Switzerland plant for the mass production of watches. The J. Bulova Company was reincorporated as the Bulova Watch Company in 1923, symbolizing its shift into watch production. Joseph Bulova was just twenty-four when he founded a company that would revolutionize American watchmaking. Immigrating to the United States from Bohemia in 1870, he founded the J. Bulova Company in 1875 on New York City’s Maiden Lane, specializing in jewelry and watch and clock repair. The business grew, and by 1911 the Bulova Company began producing table clocks and pocket watches. The next year, Joseph Bulova opened a Biel, Switzerland plant for the mass production of watches. The J. Bulova Company was reincorporated as the Bulova Watch Company in 1923, symbolizing its shift into watch production. The post A History and Guide to Bulova appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Hodinkee
Data compiled by Everywatch shows used Patek sales doubled in the week after the latest tariff level was unveiled.
Hodinkee
More price increases are coming, including Patek, MB&F;, and Moser, executives say, without a better U.S. tariff deal.
Deployant
Twenty years after the release of Sahara, the film adapted from Clive Cussler’s novel,DOXA pays a fresh tribute to the man who helped forge its legacy.This marks the third chapter in DOXA’s homage to legendary American novelist and explorer Clive Cussler - who would have turned 94 today, and whose adventure novels helped bring global recognition to SUB dive watches.
Quill & Pad
In Ken Gargett’s opinion, the Pol Roger Brut 2018 vintage is brilliant champagne that you simply fall head over heel for, it will easily handle the best part of twenty years in a good cellar, over which time the complexity will grow.
Hodinkee
Hodinkee's Ben Clymer sits down for an intimate conversation with Panerai Brand President Philippe Bonay.
SJX Watches
This spring, one of the most important horological creations of the late twentieth century returns to public view. As part of The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI taking place on May 10 and 11, Phillips will offer the Breguet Sympathique No. 1, the first of twenty exceptional clocks commissioned by Breguet in the early 1990s. The primary creator of this landmark clock was none other than Francois-Paul Journe, then a young watchmaker. Completed in 1991 for the Art of Breguet auction, No. 1 is not just the prototype of the modern Sympathique series, it is its most ambitious. The example, paired with a tourbillon wristwatch, is equipped with a constant-force remontoir and moonphase display. In retrospect, it reads as a mechanical manifesto, foreshadowing Journe’s later independent work. More than a highlight of its upcoming sale, No. 1 represents a rare continuation of one of watchmaking’s great inventions, a direct link to Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. Detail of Sympathique no. 1 Of Breguet’s many breakthroughs, from the tourbillon to the pare-chute, none captured the marriage of mechanical brilliance and poetic vision quite like the Pendule Sympathique. Designed to wind, set, and regulate a paired watch automatically, it embodied a new kind of horological harmony: a master timekeeper caring for its portable counterpart. The calendar on Sympathique no. 1 By the late 20th century, these clocks had become near-mythical. Only a handful were ever built, most housed in royal coll...
Hodinkee
Morgan Stanley and WatchCharts data shows Rolex, Patek, AP, Omega and Cartier outperforming on secondary market
Deployant
watches and wonders 2025 patek vacheron lange
Worn & Wound
Twenty years after the release of the Bell & Ross BR-01, which first showcased the square case shape and bold legibility that would become their aesthetic hallmarks, the Franco-Swiss brand is celebrating with new iterations of their most popular and recognizable watches. Among these new editions are four versions of the BR-05 36mm, which gives the model a smaller size and new dial colorways. The most noticeable update to the BR-05 is right there in its name-the smaller and thinner satin-polished steel case measures at 36mm in diameter and 8.5mm in thickness, giving it significantly less heft than the previous 40, 41, and 42mm models. Four screws ensure that the upper section of the case is hermetically sealed to the bottom, and give the iconic rounded square extra urban-industrial character. An integrated bracelet furthers the watch’s sporty-yet-elegant silhouette, secured by a folding satin-finished buckle. A screw-down crown flanked by guards and emblazoned with the Bell & Ross ampersand logo ensures 100 meters of water resistance, while a Caliber BR-CAL.329 automatic movement ticks away inside, maintaining a 54-hour power reserve. Each of the four new models features identical applique numerals and indexes, and skeletonised hour and minute hands (all filled with white Super-LumiNova X1). However, each dial varies in both color and material, all of which lean towards chic-versatility (yes, I did make that phrase up), but maintain a cohesive aesthetic. The first o...
Monochrome
Turning twenty this year, Hublot‘s Big Bang exploded on the watch scene with its bold fusion of state-of-the-materials and extroverted design. Hublot’s first in-house flyback chronograph movement, the Unico, materialised in 2010 and was deployed inside the specially designed Big Bang Unico, with its mechanism visible on the dial. As a brand that has played […]
Worn & Wound
Like Brendan Fraser’s career, the Polaroid camera, and even Crystal Pepsi, sometimes a renaissance of a once-beloved product can cause a lot of excitement in the market. I have a suspicion the same will be said of DOXA’s new SUB 250T GMT, which will be debuting at Watches and Wonders this year. As the name suggests, this is the first GMT function for the SUB collection in twenty years, answering the prayers for fans of the Swiss brand who have been asking for this configuration over the last two decades. With this latest release, we see a SUB design that’s true to its heritage (having been inspired by the SUB 750T GMT from 2006), but upgraded to meet contemporary needs – and in a whopping 18 new references. Starting from a design perspective, the real beauty of the SUB 250T GMT is that it hasn’t strayed too far away from its existing language, while still mixing form and functionality to give the people what they want. With nine colorways to choose from and in two strap options (a color-matched FKM rubber strap or a DOXA stainless steel “beads of rice” bracelet), each variation complements the 40mm stainless steel case and bezel. But, of course, this is a watch that’s meant to be worn – and put to the limit. With the new GMT function, it’s just waiting for an adventure. Sure, it’s a sports watch, but it’s one that’s been made to adapt to the wearer’s lifestyle. Heading on a plane for a meeting you can’t miss? Catching a few rays or diving am...
SJX Watches
Twenty twenty-five marks the 350th anniversary of the hairspring – it’s hard to believe the spiral ticking away in tens of millions of mechanical watches is already over three centuries old. The hairspring’s history is marked by revelations, disputes, and technical advancements, driven forward by creative horological minds, making the story of the hairspring a fascinating one. But behind all of that lies the question: who invented the hairspring? There are two familiar contenders for the title and it’ll take a deep dive into history to figure out who deserves credit. The motivation Prior to the invention of the hairspring, most timekeepers were clocks. Watches existed, but were essentially miniature clocks that still relied on some sort of gravity pendulum, making such early watches wildly inaccurate. So the hairspring was born of necessity, the need to transform clunky, stationary clocks into relatively precise portable timekeepers. By the mid 17th century, Dutch mathematician and physicist Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) had already demonstrated a swinging pendulum could indeed serve as a reliable base unit of time measurement for a mechanical timekeeper. He designed his own cycloidal pendulum clocks equipped with oscillating bobs that were only dependent on gravitational acceleration and the cord’s length, making them true isochronous timekeepers. The first such clock was built in 1657 with the help of clockmaker Salomon Coster. “Isochronous” refers to an o...
Teddy Baldassarre
Back in 2023, LVMH and its high watchmaking workshop La Fabrique du Temps revived the Daniel Roth brand, which had been owned by Bulgari since 2000. Roth was a towering name in independent watchmaking, having been a peer of Philippe Dufour and Francois-Paul Journe. Though the brand only lasted from 1988 to 1995, its resurrection in 2023 was only made more glorious due to the long gap. The resurrected brand debuted with the Tourbillon Souscription, which has been followed up with the new Daniel Roth Extra Plat Souscription, a faithful remake of the original from the 1990s that was released at LVMH Watch Week 2025. The “Neo-vintage” craze has only gotten more popular in recent years, with the generation of watches sandwiched between vintage and modern gaining the respect and appreciation of collectors and newcomers alike. The Chopard L.U.C 1860 reissue from 2023 was one of the most celebrated neo-vintage reissues in recent years and I’d venture to say that this Roth will join the ranks. Staying true to the original aesthetics — with contemporary concessions for things like movement development — is a recipe for success in these small-batch, high-visibility watches. Small production numbers for relative rarity are helping to keep neo-vintage from becoming overexposed, but for how long? We’ll have to wait and see on that end, but for now let’s get back to the Daniel Roth Extra Plat Souscription. The simple, two-hand dress watch comes in that recognizable double-e...
Worn & Wound
Watching Christopher Ward’s progression over the last twenty years has been a joy. From a plucky micro-brand, it has grown into the most significant watch brand in the UK. When watch industry veteran Mike Pearson joined their team as North American Brand Director about a year ago, I knew our side of the pond was in for a treat. It wasn’t long before he took Christopher Ward on the road throughout the continent, and luckily for me, one of the stops was in my backyard. We had been friends for years online, and this was finally an opportunity to meet in person. Seeing many Christopher Ward watches in the metal was also a great opportunity. It was a real treat to experience the Bel Canto in person and handle the newly released C60 Lumière dive watches. I was also incredibly excited to see the Twelve X, a piece I had written about a few months earlier. One item that was notably missing from the lineup was their Oracle collaborative piece, the C65 Dune Shoreline. This omission was understandable since it was limited to just 100 pieces. However, if you liked that design, we have some great news. Christopher Ward is launching a new collection called C65 Dune Aeolian, featuring textured wave dials, available in two case materials, with a GMT option. The Dune Aeolian Automatic features the stainless steel C65 light catcher case, which has a diameter of 38mm, a thickness of 11.9mm, and a lug-to-lug length of 43.7mm. This makes it universally wearable on wrists of all sizes. Ther...
Monochrome
The L.U.C Lunar One was Chopard’s first calendar and astronomy complication. Unveiled in 2005, the model combines a perpetual calendar and a precision orbital moon phase display in a rotating aperture. Twenty years later, Chopard revisits its L.U.C Lunar One with a more compact basin-style case, a trimmer, more legible dial decorated with hand-guilloché in […]
SJX Watches
The Oregon High Desert might seem like a strange place to find a watchmaker, but if you happen to stop in Bend, the region’s largest city with about 100,000 residents, you’ll have a chance of running into Keaton Myrick. Inspired by the likes of George Daniels and Philippe Dufour, Mr Myrick produces largely handmade watches in small numbers for connoisseurs of independent watchmaking. Setting up shop this far from the robust supplier networks of Switzerland has proven challenging, but Mr Myrick’s story of overcoming these headwinds reveals a degree of resilience and independence that embodies the spirit of the American West. We’ve been following Mr Myrick’s career for more than a decade, profiling him in 2013 after he debuted his first watch at Baselworld 2012. Now delivering the final pieces of his 1 of 30 series, Mr Myrick has moved into a new, larger workshop and evolved many of his manufacturing processes, so we thought it was worth a visit to see what’s in store for the future of watchmaking in the Pacific Northwest. A later example from the ‘1 in 30’ series. Origins As you might have guessed, Bend, Oregon is not a hotbed for watchmaking. In Mr Myrick’s case, pursuing a career in watchmaking meant relocating across the country to study at the Lititz Watch Technicum (LWT) in Pennsylvania, where he became WOSTEP-certified and began his stint at Rolex, working in after-sales service and restoration. The founder at his bench. But it was not long before ...
Time+Tide
Hoping for an email from Thierry Stern after picking up a Patek? Yeah, nah - but the big brands have a few things to learn from the micros.The post Watch and learn – the things that big brands should learn from microbrands appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Twenty twenty-five will be shaped by several factors, ranging from major anniversaries for a trio of important high horology brands, to economic reality where the slowdown in demand will reshape retail channels (and already led one watch brand to go bust). And the coming year will also see the still-unknowable Rolex strategy unfold, which might happen under the radar but will definitely be interesting. Big watches for a big year Next year will be a milestone for trio of important brands. Audemars Piguet (AP), Breguet, and Vacheron Constantin (VC) will all mark significant anniversaries: 150 years at AP, 250 years of Breguet, and 270 years for VC. This implies some major timepieces or even mechanical objects are on the way. Such watches are practically convention as landmark anniversaries are often platforms for brands to launch major watches. Some of the most complicated watches in contemporary watchmaking were anniversary creations – Patek Philippe marked 150 years with the Calibre 89, and then 175 years with the Grandmaster Chime. The Patek Philippe Calibre 89 launched in 1989 for its 150th anniversary. Image – Patek Philippe Museum In 2005, when VC marked its 250th year, it launched the Tour de l’Ile, which was the most complicated wristwatch in the world at the time, and also the most expensive wristwatch sold at auction that year. With that in mind, VC might be working on something that lives up to its status as a maker of haute horlogerie complications. The Vac...
SJX Watches
Twenty-twenty four marks the 20th anniversary of Grand Seiko’s 9R Spring Drive movement platform, an occasion the brand has chosen to mark with a range of anniversary editions including the Grand Seiko Caliber 9R 20th Anniversary SBGC275. A large, richly detailed watch with a captivating dial, the SBGC275 is robust, interesting, and capable of nearly anything, short of fitting under a short cuff. Initial thoughts At first glance, the SBGC275 looks like just a Spring Drive chronograph with a red dial. But a closer look reveals a highly nuanced colour that changes from red to orange depending on the angle – the result of a proprietary dial coating technique. At 44.5 mm in diameter and nearly 17 mm thick, the SBGC275 is unapologetically big and bold. That said, the watch feels smaller than it is thanks to the use of titanium for the case and bracelet, and the unusually wide 23 mm lug width helps reduce the visual size. This latter dimension may limit the options for aftermarket straps, but since most owners will likely stick with the bracelet, this concern is largely academic. The watch is powered by an upgraded version of the familiar cal. 9R86 Spring Drive chronograph GMT movement, which made its debut in 2007. But eagle-eyed movement geeks will notice the SBGC275 is equipped with the fine-tuned cal. 9R96 first seen in 2017, which was also used in the Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary edition. In many ways, the SBGC275 captures Grand Seiko’s strengths and weaknesses. The b...
Worn & Wound
Whenever a new brand pops up I’m always intrigued. And while I’ve got nothing against a good ol’ dive or field watch, my interest is always piqued if it’s something with a more classic vibe. Especially if there’s some real watchmaking pedigree involved. Buser Fréres is a newly revived brand originally dating back all the way to 1892. It survived the quartz crisis but initially seized all activities in the year 2000. Twenty-three years later German brand Dekla – who’s been designing and manufacturing watches under their own name for 10 years – revived the brand and launched the first models earlier this year. I’ve been a happy Dekla owner for the last 4 years, so naturally I was thrilled to see the line expanded with the Buser Fréres brand. While some would rush to categorize Buser Fréres as a micro brand – and nothing wrong with that in particular – I’d just like to point out a couple of facts before we do just that. When I hear the term “micro brand” I tend to associate it with outsourced components brought together into a final product. Once again I’d like to stress: nothing wrong with that. But Buser Fréres offers something of a different recipe as they produce almost everything but the movement themselves. For 10 years Dekla has been making watch dials, cases and hands in a wide array of materials, sizes and configurations, and that’s what sets Buser Fréres apart from many others in the space – and price bracket. From Grand ...
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