Hodinkee
Introducing: Grand Seiko's New SLGC006 'Sunrise' Tentagraph and SLGW007 'Moonlit Birch'
Another variation of Grand Seiko's chronograph is joined by the first ever variant of the brand's high-beat manual wind movement.
Results for Plasma High-Tech Ceramic
3,326 articles · 339 videos found · page 51 of 123
Hodinkee
Time+Tide
How TAG Heuer won me over: the Carrera Glassbox got me interested, but carbon got me hooked
TAG's TH-Carbonspring tech and current-gen Carreras are demonstrative of a brand that's unequivocally got enthusiasts in mind, says Andrew O'Connor.The post How TAG Heuer won me over: the Carrera Glassbox got me interested, but carbon got me hooked appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
In-Depth: Girard-Perregaux Debuts All-New Automatic Calibre
Girard-Perregaux (GP) has just taken the covers off a new in-house movement that will serve as a versatile platform for the brand, the Girard-Perregaux GP4800. Historically a significant producer of automatic movements, GP marks a milestone with the new, high-performance base movement that will gradually replace the 3000 family of movements that was once a workhorse employed by several high-end brands. Initial thoughts GP’s most famous creations are undoubtedly the historical Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges and the more recent Constant Escapement. Significant as they may be, neither illustrates the brand’s past strength as a manufacture in the early decades of contemporary watchmaking post-Quartz Crisis, in particular GP’s position as a leading supplier of automatic movements. It all began with the 3000 family of calibres introduced in 1994. Desirable for its slimness and high performance – the 3000 series was sub-3 mm thick while ticking at 4 Hz – this versatile platform served not only as a base for many of the brand’s own timepieces, but also powered well-known watches made by a number of prominent brands, including Cartier, Daniel Roth, Vacheron Constantin, and even MB&F;. A GP3000 found in the MB&F; HM2 And then inverted in the MB&F; HM8 Mark 2 The new GP4800 is clearly meant to replace the venerable-yet-aging 3000-series. Boasting a modern architecture and fine technical chops, the GP4800 is a step towards reclaiming GP’s past success as a movement ma...
Time+Tide
Seiko partners with REGAL for an upscale take on upcycling with latest Presage Classic release
Seiko teams up with high-end Japanese shoemaker REGAL Shoes & Co. on a sustainability-focused collaboration.The post Seiko partners with REGAL for an upscale take on upcycling with latest Presage Classic release appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Introducing – The New Armin Strom Tribute 1 Green
A force to be reckoned with on the indie scene, Armin Strom is renowned for its haute horlogerie prowess, illustrated by its mastery of the phenomenon of resonance. However, aware that not everyone can splurge on its high-end Resonance and Masterpiece collections, Armin Strom introduced a more accessible yet no less mechanically compelling range in […]
Video
Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 GMT - Is This the Traveler GMT We Have been Waiting for??
Monochrome
Introducing – The new Credor Goldfeather GBBY969 and GBBY971 with Enamel Dials
While Grand Seiko is now well-established all around the world as the higher-end brand of the Seiko Watch Corporation, Credor remains far more niche and has just begun its global expansion, primarily with the Locomotive collection, based on a vintage watch once designed by Gérald Genta. Credor, another high-end brandwithin the group, employs a more classic approach with watches […]
SJX Watches
Seiko Looks to Sci-Fi for the Astron GPS
Advanced digital watches haven’t deterred leading Japanese brands from continuing to earnestly develop high-accuracy quartz watches in analog formats. Chief among them is Seiko, which has just unveiled two new limited editions of its satellite-linked Astron GPS Solar. While the SSJ037 appears to be a simple time-only watch and the SSH185 looks like a straightforward dual-time chronograph, each watch is solar-powered and includes an electronic perpetual calendar. Limited to 1,500 pieces for the SSJ037 and 1,200 pieces for the SSH185, the new collection is sci-fi inspired, featuring colours and textures common to fictional depictions of space stations. Initial thoughts There are a couple different approaches to making high-accuracy quartz watches. The first is pretty obvious, and involves developing ever-more precise quartz oscillators. Seiko has long been a champion of this school of thought, although Citizen has inched ahead in recent years. The other approach is to make a reasonably precise quartz movement that automatically syncs with an external signal, which might be a radio signal broadcast from any of the atomic reference clocks positioned around the world, a bluetooth signal from the user’s phone, or, in the case of the Astron, a satellite signal. Since the brand debuted this technology in 2012, Seiko has refined things making the watches sleeker and the interface more intuitive. As a result, the time-only SSJ037 is an ordinary 42 mm in diameter and 12 mm thick;...
Worn & Wound
The Roger W. Smith Series 6 is a Reminder of Why I Love Traditional Watchmaking
I love Roger Smith’s watches. If I won the lottery tomorrow (or had I won it this past weekend, when the Powerball reached a high of $1.7 billion), my first call wouldn’t be to a banker, or a lawyer, or even to my family. There’s a very real chance my first call would be to Roger Smith to beg for a spot on his very long waitlist - I might not even wait to cash the check to start dialing. I tell you this not because this is an article about how my watch collecting would change were I to come into an inconceivable amount of money overnight (though that might be a fun game to play at some point), but because Roger Smith has just announced the Series 6, his first new model since 2019, and the watch I am undoubtedly most excited about this year, even if it may be some time before I get to see one. The Series 6, like all Smith’s watches, is clear in its origin, building on the vocabulary steadily developed by Smith over the last few decades. In execution, the watch is most closely linked to the Series 4, a triple calendar with moon phase wrist watch introduced in 2015 that set itself apart not only in craftsmanship (a given for Smith) but in layout. That watch introduced a floating central dial with a radial date display, complete with “traveling aperture.” This evolution of the pointer date made the Series 4 incredibly legible, and strikingly modern, despite the classical styling. With the Series 6, Smith has brought the “traveling aperture” to a comparatively...
Time+Tide
L.Leroy is staging another comeback with the complicated Osmior Bal du Temps
Leroy returns to high-end watchmaking, reviving the Osmior collection with a tourbillon and a minute repeater all in one.The post L.Leroy is staging another comeback with the complicated Osmior Bal du Temps appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Meet The Tailor-Made Ressence × The Armoury Type 9 Scattering Sun
It seems like Ressence’s Type 9 is in high demand, at least when it comes to limited editions. At the end of last year, Benoît Mintiens, the founder of Ressence, introduced the minimalist Type 9. With a 39mm case, it’s the brand’s smallest watch, and it comes with either an aqua blue or gray dial. […] Visit Meet The Tailor-Made Ressence × The Armoury Type 9 Scattering Sun to read the full article.
Video
This Hublot is super light, but it will get heavy attention
Worn & Wound
MB&F; Debuts the LM101 EVO
There’s a style of watch that I’ve grown particularly fond of over the last few years, and I sometimes find it hard to articulate why. The high end, exotic independent on a rubber strap calls to me like the Sirens. There’s something about the mix of high and low that appeals to me, I think, as it does with everything else I like, from Monty Python to the films of Bong Joon-ho. I also just find a good rubber strap to be one of the most comfortable ways to wear a watch, particularly (but not exclusively) in the warm weather months. And so I’ve nursed a years-long appreciation for Hublot (who basically invented this idea) and have a watch box disproportionately tilted to watches that give me the same feeling (a pair of Arcanauts, and a Bel Canto that lives on rubber year round spring to mind). It should not be surprising, then, that MB&F;’s EVO line has become a personal favorite. The EVO series of watches take Legacy Machine pieces (conceived as MB&F;’s collection inspired by classical watchmaking) and give them a sporty treatment, replacing leather straps with rubber, and adding water resistance and screw down crowns. It makes a ton of sense to create “everyday wear” versions of these watches (if you’re spending into the six figures on these pieces, I imagine you’d want to wear them more frequently, right?) and making them more casual and sporty in appearance is such a natural idea it’s almost hard to believe these haven’t existed from the beginning. N...
SJX Watches
Fleury Manufacture Reimagines the Classic Lemania Chronograph
Components-specialist-turned-watch brand Fleury Manufacture created its own chronograph calibre inspired by the famous Lemania cal. 2310, which debuts in the FXR-4 Chronograph. Given Fleury’s origins as a supplier of parts, the calibre is built almost entirely by Fleury, and to a high standard. And the FXR-4 stands out for another reason: while independent watchmaking is rarely the value proposition it once was, the FXR-4 is priced well. The FM04 movement Initial Thoughts Self-developed chronographs are a risky proposition for high-end independents. Established brands offer fierce competition, and developing a new chronograph calibre is arguably a thankless task today since enthusiasts remain fixated on highly-decorated three handers that offer the watchmaker a greater return on a smaller investment. The FM04 movement inside scores well in terms of construction and finishing. The architecture is more refined than most other Lemania-esque chronographs, with the chronograph driving wheel integrated into the going train. And the finishing, a mix of machine and hand finishing, has enough of the latter to be considered high end; the black-polished clutch lever is especially outstanding. The design of the exterior doesn’t score quite as well, which is not surprising given Fleury’s background as a parts supplier. The date isn’t to my preference – and the date pusher looks strangely large – it will be a meaningful value-add to others. Vacheron Constantin’s Lemania-ba...
Worn & Wound
H. Moser Updates their Flying Hours Complication and Adds a Smoked Salmon Perpetual Calendar for Geneva Watch Days
At last year’s Geneva Watch Days, H. Moser had one of the most talked about (and divisive) releases of the week, a splashy collaboration with Studio Underd0g that saw the high end and affordable indie sharing a passion fruit inspired colorway across a pair of watches, sold as a set. It generated a lot of opinions and was, for a time, one of the most buzzed about watches of the year. Moser returned to Geneva Watch Days this year with a slate of new releases that, I think, has succeeded in evading the kinds of hot takes we saw last year, while still, as always, being very “Moser.” The new Pioneer Flying Hours and Endeavour Perpetual Calendar in smoked salmon might not inspire heated opinion pieces from watch writers like yours truly, but they remain exciting in their own way in a year that’s already seen Moser push some boundaries and play with our expectations. The new reference in the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar line is about as classic Moser as it gets. This dial color was first introduced in a Streamliner back in 2023, and was an immediate hit for the way it spun the traditional idea of a “salmon” dial into a new, more contemporary context. Less rosy pink and more of a metallic rust, this salmon dial has a reserved and almost autumnal presence that really suits the Endeavour, itself a more reserved and mature segment of the Moser lineup. The case of the perpetual calendar is white gold and measures 42mm in diameter, and wears extremely well, if not razor thi...
Teddy Baldassarre
Christopher Ward Bel Canto Review
London-based watchmaker Christopher Ward has achieved the impossible in its relatively short number of years in the watch game, catapulting from if you know, you-know microbrand to one of the most continuously successful indie watch brands on the market. Its founding principles remain largely unchanged, though its scale has grown in the 24 years since its founding: make high-quality watches while cutting what could be called the luxury tax in the industry with a direct-to-consumer model. But there is one distinct product that put the brand on the map more than any other, and that was the introduction of its own chiming watch at an unheard-of price point, the Christopher Ward Bel Canto. As you might have already guessed by the article title, today, we’re taking a microscopic view of the C1 Bel Canto, exploring what has made the watch such a crowd-favorite, and how it holds up today, four years after its initial release. Christopher Ward Bel Canto History As always, let us begin our horological journey with a history primer on Christopher Ward’s pathway to contemporary success. Luckily for you (and your dear writer), the brand doesn’t have as sweeping a history as many of the centuries-old watchmakers out there, so we can really dive into the microscopic view here. Christopher Ward, whom I would bestow the title of reigning King of Indie Watch Brands, has one of the scrappiest origin stories in the watch world. Founded in 2004 by the trio of Mike France, Peter Ellis,...
Monochrome
First Look – The Zenith Defy Chronograph USM, A 1960s Design Icon Reimagined
The year 1969 is etched in Zenith’s history as the birth of El Primero, the world’s first high-frequency automatic chronograph calibre. It was also the debut year of the Defy, a rugged sports watch nicknamed the “vault” for its robust construction and avant-garde angular design. Over the past few years, Zenith has revisited these late-1960s […]
Video
A Must Have $20 Lamborghini: Best Lego Bargain Kit Yet? - Countach 76908 Build & Review
SJX Watches
Style and Substance in Greubel Forsey’s QP Balancier
Greubel Forsey repackages its cutting edge perpetual calendar in a sleeker, more accessible format as the QP Balancier. It’s still a highly legible calendar that adjusts forward and back via the crown without need of tools or fear of damage. Despite the simpler styling, the QP Balancier retains the high-end movement decoration the brand is known for. Initial Thoughts Greubel Forsey was arguably a latecomer to the world of complications, spending its first decade on chronometry, refining the tourbillon. The brand’s first complication, the GMT presented in 2011, applied an unfamiliar approach to a familiar complication. That set the tone for the brand’s first perpetual calendar four years later – the Quantième Perpétuel à Équation. At its heart was a “mechanical computer” programmed with 48-month leap year cycle that allowed the calendar to be adjusted forward and back without issue, all from the crown. The Quantième Perpétuel à Équation of 2015 While the result is not novel, – Ulysse Nardin and H. Moser & Cie. have bi-directional perpetual calendar as well – the method certainly is. Greubel Forsey paired the mechanical computer with a similarly sophisticated in-line display – using four layers of stacked disks – making its perpetual as easy to read as it is to use. The new QP Balancier is a more focused watch than its predecessor, as it does away with the 24-second inclined tourbillon and equation of time. While wider, the case is also slimmer an...
Monochrome
First Look – The New Doxa SUB 750T Series, Now a Permanent Collection
Since 1967, the Doxa SUB series has been a benchmark in underwater timekeeping, bringing the cushion-shaped case, patented no-decompression bezel and high-contrast dials to professional and recreational divers alike. In 2002, the brand introduced the SUB 750T, a bolder, oversized companion built for extreme depths. For its 20th anniversary, Doxa paid tribute to one of […]
Monochrome
First Look – Three New Versions of the Frédérique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture (Incl. Video)
Frédérique Constant has built its reputation on making high complications more accessible, and few models embody that approach as clearly as the Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture. First introduced in 2016, the brand’s QP was, at launch, the most affordable manufacture perpetual calendar on the market. Nearly a decade later, and following updates such as the […]
Monochrome
Introducing – A New Era for a Historic Name as L.Leroy Returns with the Osmior Bal du Temps
Founded in Paris in 1785 by Charles Leroy, L.Leroy was once one of France’s illustrious watchmaking houses, known for its marine chronometers, high complications and commissions for European royalty. After years of dormancy, the brand, acquired in 2004 by Miguel Rodríguez of the Festina Group, is staging a comeback. Following its first step with a […]
Monochrome
First Look – The New Favre Leuba Chief Skeleton
One of the oldest names in the watch industry, Favre Leuba marked its comeback a year ago at Geneva Watch Days 2024, when Patrik Hoffmann and his team unveiled a strategy focused on offering affordable yet high-value, vintage-inspired watches. Now, one year later, Favre Leuba is taking a slightly different direction, presenting a more technical […]
Video
A New Midsize Diver From Seiko You Probably Have Not Considered But Should - SNE585 & SNE583
Monochrome
First Look – The Lang & Heyne Hektor II, the Evolution of the Brand’s Elegant Sports Watch (Incl. Video)
A luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet from Dresden that looks like nothing else on the market, with a highly distinct personality, is how we could define the Hektor, the more casual, everyday-friendly offering by Dresden-based, high-end manufacture Lang & Heyne. The watch was first introduced in 2021 and marked a fundamental shift in […]
WatchAdvice
IWC Pilot’s Watch 41 Automatic TOP GUN Editions Review
This year, IWC launched 41mm time-only versions of their Lake Tahoe and Mojave Desert Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN editions. In a slimmer case size, but still with the looks and feel of the bigger chronograph siblings, we had to test them out! What We Love The white ceramic on the Lake Tahoe is super fresh. The size and lighter weight make these very easy-to-wear watches Both rubber straps are comfortable, and each has nice design touches. What We Don’t The Mojave Desert can blend into your skin depending on your skin type The anti-reflective coating on the slightly domed crystal does make it hard to take a good photo! The luminescence on the hands and dial could be better and of a higher grade. Overall Rating: 8.9 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 First Impressions When I first saw the white Lake Tahoe Pilot’s Watch 41 Top Gun earlier this year, I was keen to get both it and the Mojave Desert model to compare them properly. My initial impression? They’re essentially the same watch, just in different colourways, with the Mojave on a fabric-inlaid rubber strap and the Lake Tahoe on straight rubber. But sometimes, that slight aesthetic difference makes all the impact, as I was to find out! The Lake Tahoe feels fresh and bold. With its all-white case and strap against a black dial, it jumps off the wrist. The Mojave Desert, with its sand-coloured case, strap, and matching indices on a grey dial, is far more subdued. It blen...
Deployant
New & Reviewed: Earthen Watch Co., Summit Collection
What if we democratise ceramic watches. Enter the Earthen Watch Co.'s Summit Collection. A modern take on the Alpine Pilot Watch with ceramic case.
Deployant
New: Zenith Chronomaster Sport Meteorite
Zenith has expanded its Chronomaster Sport collection with the release of the Meteorite edition, a stainless steel chronograph featuring a dial crafted from genuine extraterrestrial material. Previously available only in Japan, this model is now offered globally through Zenith boutiques and authorized retailers. Priced at $17,500, the watch combines Zenith’s high-frequency El Primero 3600 movement with a unique Widmanstätten-patterned meteorite dial, aiming to balance technical precision with visual distinctiveness.
Monochrome
Introducing – The new Bianchet UltraFino Sapphire
Bianchet is a relatively young high-end brand founded by Rodolfo and Emmanuelle Festa-Bianchet, and based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Since 2021, the brand has been offering modern tonneau-shaped watches powered by architectural openworked tourbillon movements. Early 2025 marked the launch of an important model for the brand, the UltraFino, its first ultra-thin model, its first […]
Video