3,030 articles · 161 videos found · page 52 of 107
Monochrome
It’s revival season in the watchmaking world, as revered names like Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth find a new lease in the capable hands of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton (LFTLV) manufacture. A pivotal figure in the rebirth of Breguet and the return of high-end mechanical watchmaking, Daniel Roth’s story makes for a fascinating […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The story of Tornek-Rayville is one that represents a significant chapter in both watchmaking and military history, from the earliest purpose-built watches for divers in the 1950s up to the re-emergence of the cult-classic brand (in a notably new form) in the 21st Century. And it begins with the development of the world’s first modern dive watch: the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. [toc-section heading="Blancpain Fifty Fathoms History"] Founded in 1735 in Villeret, Switzerland, Blancpain is the oldest luxury watchmaker in the world, but its most famous timepiece in this modern era began its life as a tool watch for military divers in the (relatively) recent year of 1953. Jean-Jacques Fiechter, who headed Blancpain at the time, was an avid diving enthusiast who had long wanted to develop a watch that would be ideal for his hobby. Fiechter worked with Captain Robert Maloubier, a French naval officer, to design a reliable, mission-ready timepiece that Maloubier’s elite combat diving team could wear. The watch’s 42mm steel case - exceptionally large for the time - was water-resistant to 91.45 meters, or 50 fathoms, the maximum depth recommended for scuba divers. Its dial was black and its numerals were luminescent for greater legibility underwater. It was the first divers’ watch with a self-winding movement, the first with an antimagnetic case, and the first to employ the patented, double-sealed crown that Fiechter had developed. Most notably, the Fifty Fathoms was the ...
SJX Watches
In order to mark the spiral hairspring’s 350th anniversary and celebrate its inventor Christiaan Huygens (1629 – 1695), Japanese watch retailer Shellman presents a two-week exhibition event in Tokyo, The Origins of Time = Astronomy. Opening November 19 and slated to run through December 2, the Shellman exhibit is a collaboration with the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and showcases the larger extent of Huygens’ work, from horology to optical observation devices. Themed around the Dutch scientist credited with building the first pendulum clock and with inventing the hairspring, the exhibit also explores larger fields of horology, with a focus on astronomy and modern independent watchmaking. Original drawings showing early attempts at making a sprung balance. Beyond his practical applications in horology, Huygens left marks on many other scientific fields, from geometry to physics and astronomy. He notably discovered Saturn’s largest moon Titan and cemented the wave theory of light propagation. One could say that he was interested in the celestial bodies as much as he was in understanding motion and measuring time here on Earth. In his honour, the exhibit leans on the astronomical theme as well. The exhibition is accompanied by a selection of special watches available for sale. Visitors will have the chance to acquire the world’s smallest wristwatch planetarium, the Planetarium Christiaan Huygens Limited Edition, created by the Du...
Fratello
Today, we’ll take a brief look at an exciting set of updated releases. The new Certina DS Action Diver 38mm collection continues as one of the best values around and now adds a ceramic bezel. A host of dial colors and case materials come along for the ride. Let’s get to it! While we bemoan […] Visit Introducing: The Updated Certina DS Action Diver 38mm Collection to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The upcoming Phillips Hong Kong auction includes a diverse and spectacular selection of pocket watches spanning two centuries. From early 19th‑century enamel masterpieces crafted for the Chinese market to 20th‑century tourbillon chronometers that triumphed at observatory trials, the lots on offer demonstrate the technical and aesthetic evolution of the watch over the last two hundred years. Lot 1086 – S. Smith and Son No. 1899-1 Tourbillon Chronometer with Kew Class A Certificate Albert Pellaton-Favre constructed the first of two tourbillons in the auction, which was later retailed by S. Smith & Son. The other, by Patek Philippe, is the work of his son, Jämes-César Pellaton. Both are depicted in Reinhard Meis’s famous Das Tourbillon. The English and Swiss disagreed on what constitutes a chronometer. The English argued that a chronometer must use a chronometer (detent) escapement, while the Swiss considered any watch a chronometer if performed well enough – which the English would call a “Half-Chronometer”. As the Willis enamel dial boasts, the first is a chronometer by both English and Swiss reckoning, with a spring detent escapement and “Especially Good” certificate from the Kew Observatory. While S. Smith and Son retailed quite a number of tourbillons, including others with detent escapements, most were sourced locally, while the present lot uses a Swiss movement. The London branch of Baume Frères ordered six tourbillon chronometers from Albert Pella...
Fratello
A decade after its revival, Czapek once again surprises with an intriguing creation - the Time Jumper. This is a modern interpretation of a 19th-century pocket watch crafted by François Czapek. The 40.5mm wristwatch with a half-hunter cover presents a fresh twist on traditional guilloché and partially conceals the new open-worked caliber 10.01. In celebration […] Visit Introducing: The Czapek Time Jumper - A Flying-Saucer-Shaped Half-Hunter Watch With A Spacy Optical Effect to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
One of the very common knock-on effects of diving deep into any hobby or enthusiast pursuit is that eventually you’ll find yourself kind of obsessed with something that most would likely perceive as a waste of energy, or not actually all that interesting. I liken it to a cinephile finding a deep appreciation for the films of Michael Bay, constantly reminding everyone that Armageddon is in fact in the Criterion Collection (and has one of the best commentary tracks ever recorded – but that’s beside the point). Sometimes I feel like all of my watch interests are deeply niche. As my taste has evolved and, dare I say, matured, it’s also gotten a little bit weirder. But one niche of a niche that I know is underappreciated by many of my peers and perhaps even derided by some are the watches of the Ralph Lauren “Fine Watchmaking” division, specifically those in the American Western Watch Collection (but I have soft spot for the ones with the bears, too). A new release from Ralph Lauren in this very collection bolsters my position, I think, that these watches are actually quite special. It’s important to start, though, with an understanding that while you’re likely to see “Polo” branded fashion watches anywhere Ralph Lauren apparel is sold, and certainly in the vitrines of big retailers at malls, and so forth, these are absolutely not what we could typically call fashion watches. The Western Watch Collection features movements made by Piaget, lots of handcraft, ...
Fratello
In 2005, the Chronoswiss Digiteur MSA (Montre Sans Aiguilles) was a modern homage to the jump-hour watches of the 1920s and 1930s; today, it’s a reinterpretation of that 21st-century homage. The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand and Granit are watches without hands, featuring an updated look in stainless steel - the original Digiteurs were all made […] Visit Introducing: The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand And Granit - Two Homage “Montres Sans Aiguilles” In Steel to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Vacheron Constantin has followed up its boatload of Les Cabinotiers La Quête piece uniques with additional Chinese Zodiac novelties.The post New releases from Universal Genève, Minase, Vacheron Constantin and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Hanhart’s roots run deep in the history of mechanical chronographs. Founded in 1882 in Germany’s Black Forest, Hanhart became a mid-20th-century reference for timing instruments. Its stopwatches and pilot chronographs set benchmarks for robustness, legibility, and ergonomics, a legacy carried forward by today’s collections, most notably, the 417 ES. First developed for the German armed […]
Worn & Wound
Ten years in, and the Windup Watch Fair still feels like a completely new way to interact with the watch industry. For three days in midtown Manhattan, Center415 transformed from a sleek Fifth Avenue venue into the living, breathing heart of watch enthusiast culture. No velvet ropes, no VIP lists-just open doors, multiple halls full of watches, and a community that’s grown from a scrappy gathering of enthusiasts into one of the most important fixtures on the watch industry’s calendar, with over 11,000 attendees. This year marked the fair’s tenth anniversary, and we didn’t celebrate quietly. We expanded the layout to four full halls, bringing together more than 140 brands from 17 countries. We’d like to sincerely thank our Lead Sponsors: Bremont, Bulova, Christopher Ward, Oris, and Shinola. Without these strong anchors this experience wouldn’t be free and open to everyone. We’d also like to express our gratitude to each and every brand who participated, bringing some of the most interesting watches and products to the event and continuing to nudge the industry forward! When guests arrived, they entered through the EDC Expo, presented by Topo Designs-an energetic reception area filled with the gear, tools, and accessories that round out modern enthusiast life: knives, pens, packs, and all the small essentials that speak the same design language as the watches themselves. Beyond that, three additional halls awaited, each blending independent and enthusiast b...
Teddy Baldassarre
We recently took a deep dive into the Tudor Ranger, and today, I’m going to go boldly forth and explore what I consider to be the Ranger’s spiritual sibling, albeit a discontinued one: the Tudor North Flag. Both watches have similar roots in 20th-century polar exploration, but while the Ranger looks to the past for its design codes, the North Flag, at its time, had its sights set on the future. While it marked a huge leap forward in Rolex-owned Tudor’s contemporary legacy and ultimately, further set the stage for the brand to finally come out of the looming shadow of the Crown, the North Flag has already become a relic of Tudor’s not-so-distant past. Down below, I’ll be taking you through a brief history lesson on the watch at hand, detailing the key design codes and features, and exploring why some vocal enthusiasts out there are begging for the North Flag to make a comeback. Tudor North Flag History For most of the 20th century, Tudor leaned on its intrinsic connection to Rolex to boost its credibility, but by the 1990s, the brand’s reputation as Rolex’s “little brother” or “Rolex Lite” fell out of favor with the general watch-wearing public. Affordability as a guiding virtue was not, for lack of a better word, sexy anymore. Tudor had not differentiated itself enough from its more luxurious relative to stand effectively on its own, globally. The brand fled the U.S. market entirely in the late '90s, and it would spend over a decade working behind t...
Fratello
If you’re celebrating 270 years of uninterrupted watchmaking history, you’ve seen it all, and sometimes you need to find new challenges to keep things exciting. A new collection of Les Cabinotiers timepieces titled La Quête (The Quest) keeps the watchmakers at the world’s longest continually operating watch brand on their toes and the collectors happy. […] Visit Introducing: A Complicated Trio Of One-Offs From Vacheron Constantin With Astronomical Themes to read the full article.
Fratello
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we lay it on the line and predict upcoming watch trends. We take educated guesses about what will be hot and what will likely fade. It’s a comprehensive look at everything from materials to sizes and colors. Enjoy the show! This podcast player is […] Visit Fratello On Air: These Are The Next Watch Trends to read the full article.
SJX Watches
As part of a continuing series on great watch collectors, following the first studies dedicated to Elliott Cabot Lee and Thomas Engel, the third instalment turns to the horological world of John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (1837-1913). Based on the famous 1912 Chiswick Press catalogue, this analysis reflects the range and typological structure of his collection. These watches span devotional and allegorical forms, astronomical instruments, and multi-functional works of mechanical synthesis. While Morgan’s approach has sometimes been described as encyclopaedic rather than selective, the collection itself tells a different story, one in which historical resonance and technical refinement consistently overlap. The selection offers a tangible expression of Morgan’s collecting logic, in which cultural meaning, mechanical ingenuity, and symbolic intent were sought in equal measure. The man In the pantheon of American capitalists, J. Pierpont Morgan occupies a singular place: titan of industry, consolidator of empires, and paradoxically, one of the greatest cultural preservationists of his age. Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1837, the son of an ambitious transatlantic banker, he came of age amid the expanding architecture of American finance. His education, from early childhood, was European. He studied in Switzerland and later in Germany, where a brief period at the University of Göttingen introduced him to the German language and the foundations of art history. These formative ...
SJX Watches
Rolex has expanded the 1908 collection with the Perpetual 1908 Settimo, a yellow-gold dress watch with an all-new seven-link bracelet. Settimo, Italian for ‘seven’, refers to the number of links across the bracelet; five slender links in the centre framed by two broader links on each side. The result is a supple, tightly constructed bracelet that complements the refined proportions of the 1908. Powered by the advanced cal. 7140, the watch remains impressively slim at just 9.5 mm, combining Rolex’s famous industrial precision with genuine elegance, filling a long-standing gap in the brand’s line-up. Initial thoughts When I think of Rolex, the image in my mind is one of long-term thinking, industrial expertise, over-built movements, and iconic (but fairly chunky) designs. The 1908, especially the Settimo version, shows the brand also understands elegance. The Settimo bracelet recalls vintage ‘beads-of-rice’ bracelets and works well with the vintage-feeling aesthetic of the 1908. The slightly glistening lacquered dial and crisply faceted hour markers provide a bright, vivid appearance; perhaps its the sub-seconds at six and the lack of a date window, but it feels more refined than the dial of a typical Datejust or Day-Date. The case is very sleek on the wrist thanks to the cal. 7140, which, at just 4.05 mm in height, is 34% thinner than the brand’s own cal. 3235. No watch is perfect, and there are a few details that I find mildly annoying, like the plug atop the...
Monochrome
With well over a century of watchmaking from the day the brand was founded until today, the world of Rolex can be a daunting one. As the most prolific and widely known brand, and with countless references, generations and innovations coming from the Swiss manufacture, it’s understandable some might get absolutely lost in the details. […]
Monochrome
Stainless steel, whether 316L or 904L, is now the most common metal for modern watch cases and bracelets. There’s a good reason for this: it’s robust, highly corrosion-resistant, easy to machine and polish, and very affordable. By and large, it’s the perfect watch case material. Gold and platinum are the go-to precious metals for cases […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Watchmaking is a trade that draws artisans and enthusiasts from around the globe, though as an industry it has taken root in only a relative handful of nations. Switzerland, of course, is widely recognized as the world leader in the horological arts, but nations including Japan and Germany have also made a name for themselves on the world watchmaking stage. As watch connoisseurship grows in the 21st century, former watchmaking powers like Great Britain, the United States, and France have started increasing their footprint in the industry. Italy, another country historically renowned for its meticulous craftsmanship and bold, stylish design language, has exerted its own small but impactful influence on the world of watches: it’s the birthplace of Panerai, for example, a brand that essentially opened the door for old-school military tool watches to enter the rarefied air of luxury. It’s also the ancestral home of Bulgari, which, despite being more famous for its jewelry, has earned awestruck respect in the watch world for its record-breaking, boundary-pushing ultra-thin complications. Even Italy’s world-famous luxury sports-car marques - Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati - have exerted a muse-like influence on watchmakers worldwide, in both design and technology, often through direct partnerships. Watches actually made in Italy, however, are relatively few - Panerai and Bulgari are far too rooted in Switzerland nowadays to be considered for this list - but each co...
Fratello
So far, we’ve introduced you to Abraham-Louis Breguet, who set up shop 250 years ago, and the “Breguet of the 20th Century,” English watchmaker and inventor of the Co-Axial escapement, George Daniels. In the spirit of independent watchmaking and the brand’s 30th anniversary, Fratello now invites you to get acquainted with Monsieur Roger Dubuis (1938–2017), […] Visit Who Was Roger Dubuis? - The Life And Work Of The Master Watchmaker With A Taste For The Extravagant to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Japan’s Grand Seiko has become, in a relatively short span of time, one of the world’s most prestigious and collectible high-luxury watchmakers, competing for connoisseur attention and dollars with well-established maisons from Switzerland and Germany. And while its success is a 21st century phenomenon, Grand Seiko is not really a “new brand” in the strictest sense. The first Grand Seiko watch (below) debuted all the way back in 1960, part of the much larger product portfolio of Japanese watchmaking giant Seiko, which was founded in 1881 and achieved its worldwide fame by embracing the mass market with timepieces at accessible prices with wide distribution. The Grand Seiko, by contrast, was positioned as the megabrand’s exclusive “King of Watches,” with standards of accuracy, beauty, durability, and legibility that could meet or surpass its Swiss competitors. Today we'll take a look at the Grand Seiko SBGN003, a recently discontinued Quartz GMT that thankfully seems to have a solid heir apparent. Until 2010, it was also Japan’s best-kept horological secret, not exported to markets outside the country. Seven years after its international expansion, having cultivated a loyal and avid audience worldwide, an entirely new and distinct customer base apart from mainline Seiko’s, Grand Seiko firmly established itself as an independent brand - albeit one still intrinsically tied to its parent company through shared history and technology. In fact, just about a d...
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin (VC) marks its 270th anniversary this year in grand style with La Quête Du Temps, a monumental, multi-complication clock weighing over 150 kg. A little more wearable is the Métiers d’Art Tribute to The Quest of Time, also a 270th anniversary edition but in wristwatch format. Like many of VC’s high complicated watches, Tribute to the Quest of Time is a double-faced wristwatch. On the front is a double retrograde time display that’s either on demand or en passant, which takes the form of a human figure whose arms tell the time. Also on the front is a spherical moon phase, while the back is home to an astronomical display comprising a sky chart and sidereal day indicator. Initial thoughts Tribute to the Quest of Time is a big complicated watch, and it looks and feels the part. In terms of dimensions and feel, it reminds me a little of the Lange Repeater Perpetual Calendar that was also launched this year. Even though small watches are on trend now, complicated watches like this should be large. This succeeds in that respect, and feels good on the wrist. Despite the mechanical complexity, the time is easy to read, though it takes a moment to get used to the twin scales for the time. The symmetrical dial on the front is straightforward and legible. The dial is tinted sapphire and etched with the constellations in the night sky over Geneva on the day VC was established, September 17, 1755. This is not obvious at a distance but reveals itself up close...
SJX Watches
Phillips’s upcoming sale in Geneva has the most attention-grabbing roster of the Geneva auctions, including the return of a record-setting Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in steel. Yet it was the J. Player & Son No. 11’901 that most affected me. Dubbed the “hyper” complication by Phillips, the watch belongs to a rarified group of swan-song supercomplications that memorialise the final days of English fine watchmaking. Despite being over a century old, the watch easily holds its own against the fine watchmaking of today, both in decoration and mechanics. By the turn of the century, the traditional watchmaking centers of England and France were besieged by vertically integrated American super-factories from the West, and cheap but skilful Swiss labour from the East, both of which benefited greatly from mechanisation. During the waning years of English fine watchmaking, the most prestigious firms responded by attempting to move even further upmarket with highly complicated watches, and the firms remained confident in the appeal of their products. “If they are more expensive, as they must necessarily be, they last the purchaser a lifetime,” said a representative of Nicole, Nielsen & Co., the company that built this watch, said of English watches in 1912, “The better classes, indeed, have always bought, and will always buy, English-made watches, and will not buy any others”. Swiss prelude This watch started life in Switzerland as ebauche number 7’321, according to Fr...
Monochrome
Since formalising its modern manufacture capabilities (including a long-standing stake in Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier), La Montre Hermès has developed a distinct vocabulary with typography that’s unmistakably Hermès. The H08 collection, launched in 2021, translated the approach into a daily-wear sports watch that felt designed rather than engineered. Its cushion case, graphic numerals, and mix of […]
Worn & Wound
Enthusiasts are constantly searching for the perfect GADA watch; that is, a “go-anywhere, do-anything” watch. One ready for everything from a beach holiday to the office to weekend DIY projects and everything in between. Enter the field watch. Designed for the rigors of war, it now serves as the perfect go-anywhere companion. Constantly evolving throughout the 19th century, the entrenched warfare of the Crimean War and First World War forcibly altered the tactics of Europe’s armies. The ability to sync artillery and multiple infantry units across a front was of the utmost importance. As the (perhaps apocryphal) story goes, the pocket watch traditionally worn proved inconvenient for those at the front. A new class of watches, titled “Campaign,” “Wristlet,” and “Service” watches by various manufacturers, arrived to meet the needs of Europe’s armies. Enthusiasts are constantly searching for the perfect GADA watch; that is, a “go-anywhere, do-anything” watch. One ready for everything from a beach holiday to the office to weekend DIY projects and everything in between. Enter the field watch. Designed for the rigors of war, it now serves as the perfect go-anywhere companion. Constantly evolving throughout the 19th century, the entrenched warfare of the Crimean War and First World War forcibly altered the tactics of Europe’s armies. The ability to sync artillery and multiple infantry units across a front was of the utmost importance. As the (perhaps apoc...
Fratello
Wristwatches have been mainstream for a little over a century now. This gives us a decent timeframe to reflect on watch design and its evolution. We tend to throw terms like “watch design” and “aesthetics” around loosely, but I feel that these concepts warrant a closer look and a slightly wider perspective. Consider this my […] Visit A Few Slightly Less Obvious, Loosely Cohesive Perspectives On Watch Design to read the full article.
Monochrome
Just after the introduction of the new Classique 7225, marking the return of the innovative magnetic pivot, Breguet releases another watch within its 250th anniversary collection. But this time, it’s not about shining a spotlight on one of the founder’s innovations, but rather to pay tribute to design principles defined by A.L. Breguet, to all […]
Monochrome
As you might already know as of now, Breguet is celebrating this year its 250th anniversary. And the brand is doing so by releasing watches that are either evolutions of emblematic models – such as the two stunning hand-wound Type XX – or paying tribute to the countless innovations of A.L. Breguet, for instance the […]
Worn & Wound
The GMT watch is a bonafide product of the jet age. Though examples of dual-time watches go back to the 19th century, it was the advent of jet-powered commercial aircraft in the 1950s that drove the introduction of this icon of modern watchmaking. Perhaps the best-known example is the Rolex GMT Master, the watch that gave the genre its name. Introduced in 1955 in collaboration with the “World’s Most Experienced Airline,” Rolex designed the watch for Pan-American World Airways pilots that would allow them to have a reference for Greenwich Mean Time (also referred to as UTC or Zulu Time) while maintaining the ability to track local time. This collaboration also resulted in the most recognizable colorway for dual-time watches, Pan-Am’s blue and red colorway. The GMT watch is a bonafide product of the jet age. Though examples of dual-time watches go back to the 19th century, it was the advent of jet-powered commercial aircraft in the 1950s that drove the introduction of this icon of modern watchmaking. Perhaps the best-known example is the Rolex GMT Master, the watch that gave the genre its name. Introduced in 1955 in collaboration with the “World’s Most Experienced Airline,” Rolex designed the watch for Pan-American World Airways pilots that would allow them to have a reference for Greenwich Mean Time (also referred to as UTC or Zulu Time) while maintaining the ability to track local time. This collaboration also resulted in the most recognizable colorway f...
Time+Tide
Jason Lee argues that across most situations, a watch with an animal‑skin strap is rarely the smartest default.The post Why a watch with an animal‑skin strap shouldn’t be your only watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.