Watch brandsWatch wikiWatch videosVariousWatch calendarSaved articles
PopularRolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetTudorGrand SeikoCartierSeikoIWCTAG HeuerBreitlingJaeger-LeCoultreA. Lange & SohneZenith

Results for Swiss vs Japanese Watchmaking

4,409 articles · 691 videos found · page 52 of 170

Introducing: The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited Edition Fratello
Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Apr 28, 2025

Introducing: The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited Edition

Montblanc began making watches in 1997, but in reality, the brand’s watchmaking history runs a lot deeper. In 2007, the noted penmaker purchased Minerva, a revered Swiss manufacture founded in 1857. Since then, complicated pieces have carried the famous name on the movement and, at times, on the dial. Today’s 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited […] Visit Introducing: The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Annual Calendar Limited Edition to read the full article.

Obituary: René Beyer, Owner of the World’s Oldest Watch Store SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Apr 16, 2025

Obituary: René Beyer, Owner of the World’s Oldest Watch Store

René Beyer, the eighth-generation owner of Beyer Chronometrie in Zurich, died suddenly on April 13, 2025, at the age of 61​. Beyer was a towering figure in Swiss watchmaking circles, known not only for helming his family’s 260-year-old business, but also for his passionate stewardship of its famed clock and watch museum, his warm ties with independent watchmakers, and his family’s close relationship with Patek Philippe. He is survived by his wife. Beyer’s passing was first reported by Zurich newspaper Inside Paradeplatz. Born in 1963 into the Beyer dynasty that began in Germany in 1760, Beyer grew up surrounded by clocks and watches. Like his father, Theodor “Teddy” René Beyer, he qualified as a watchmaker himself​, learning the business from the ground up. Beyer’s role in the family business started in 1986 when his father suffered a heart attack and was forced to step back. A decade later, Beyer had formally taken over as managing director and proprietor of Beyer Chronometrie, becoming the eighth generation to run the venerable retailer​, which first opened in Zurich in 1822. Unlike many of its peers that expanded nationally and internationally, the business remained a local operation in Zurich. Like many watch retailers of the old-school, Beyer was synonymous with his store. The store on Bahnhofstrasse, the main shopping street of Zurich A retailer and curator During his nearly three decades at the helm, Beyer carried on his father’s legacy and bol...

Grand Seiko Steps Into The Future With New Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB001 And SLGB003 Fratello
Grand Seiko Steps Into Mar 31, 2025

Grand Seiko Steps Into The Future With New Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB001 And SLGB003

Seiko founded Grand Seiko to pursue watchmaking excellence. Most commonly, this mission translated into creating the most accurate watches possible. Later on, aesthetics also played an increasingly important part thanks to the Grammar of Design. Grand Seiko was Seiko’s answer to the Swiss domination of the industry, and the line offered watches that could compete […] Visit Grand Seiko Steps Into The Future With New Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB001 And SLGB003 to read the full article.

First Look – The New Platinum Editions of the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB3 SPC Monochrome
Chopard s co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele Mar 28, 2025

First Look – The New Platinum Editions of the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB3 SPC

In 2015, one of the great names in 18th-century watchmaking was resurrected by Chopard’s co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. Ferdinand Berthoud (1727-1807), the Swiss horologist who emigrated to Paris in 1745 and gained fame for his marine chronometers, was granted a second lease of life. Determined to perpetuate the legacy and chronometric credentials of F. Berthoud’s past […]

Introducing: The New Horage K3 Automatic Caliber Fratello
Mar 25, 2025

Introducing: The New Horage K3 Automatic Caliber

Last week, Horage introduced the DecaFlux with its latest in-house movement, the K3. This is a silicon-equipped caliber designed to offer modern watchmaking technology to a broader audience. As an independent Swiss brand, Horage has continually pursued innovation in mechanical watchmaking, challenging conventions and embracing new materials. The K3 represents the latest chapter in this […] Visit Introducing: The New Horage K3 Automatic Caliber to read the full article.

Business News: Breitling Adds Gallet to Portfolio SJX Watches
Breitling Adds Gallet Mar 18, 2025

Business News: Breitling Adds Gallet to Portfolio

One of the badly kept secrets in Swiss watchmaking has just come true: Breitling has acquired Gallet. Backed by Swiss private equity firm Partners Group, Breitling has been slowly building itself into a group of brands. The Gallet acquisition comes a little over a year after Breitling took over Universal Genève. According to Breitling chief executive Georges Kern speaking to Fratello Watches, Gallet will be positioned in the sub-CHF3,000 range, topping out at CHF5,000. This puts its squarely in the segment of established brands like Tudor and Longines, which enjoy unparalleled economies of scale, as well as online-only micro brands that lack the overhead of established brands. The rationale of acquiring Gallet is clear. As Mr Kern mentions in his Fratello interview, it gives Breitling a stronger position vis a vis third-party retailers since the brand can now offer products across the price spectrum, with Universal Genève at the very top. This is particularly relevant as many brands owned by luxury groups like Richemont continue to withdraw from third-party retailers. Another factor that is left unsaid in the interview is the enlarged group presumably improves the odds of an exit for Breitling’s private-equity backers. Partners Group bought a majority stake in Breitling at end 2022 from CVC Capital, another private equity firm that bought Breitling in 2017. According to news reports at the time, CVC divested part of its Breitling stake at over five times the 2017 valua...

Recapping the Launch Event of the Citizen Premier Collections Worn & Wound
Citizen Premier Collections   Mar 7, 2025

Recapping the Launch Event of the Citizen Premier Collections

  On the evening of Thursday, February 27th, atop Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center in NYC-with a perfect view of Citizen’s US headquarters within the Empire State Building-Eric Horowitz, the brand’s Managing Director, announced the formation of a new division within Citizen. Dubbed Citizen Premier, this new endeavor represents what Citizen describes as “the pinnacle of watchmaking,” and highlights their ability to marry technological innovations with high-end Japanese craftsmanship in what will be a range of higher end, more refined products, all while maintaining the tried and true value-driven offerings we’ve come to appreciate more and more in recent years. Citizen Premier is an entirely new category within the Citizen ecosystem that launches with two of their most popular brands: Series8 and Attesa. These collections push the boundaries of Citizen’s movement technology and materials expertise. Series8 incorporates bold, contemporary designs into modern sports watches housing automatic movements, while Attesa places a focus on Super Titanium, Eco-Drive technology, and avant-garde design. It’s clear that Citizen views this announcement as a major milestone at a time when the brand is enjoying renewed strength in the enthusiast market. It’s no secret that Citizen has been on a run lately with watches targeted directly at the enthusiast community. Chances are you’ve spotted various Citizens on wrists at Windups and meetups more frequently now ...

IWC Portugieser Buyer's Guide Teddy Baldassarre
IWC Mar 4, 2025

IWC Portugieser Buyer's Guide

IWC is a Swiss watch company, founded by an American, whose history is closely tied with Germany. But one of its most enduringly popular timepiece families is called the Portugieser, and it’s likely that lots of enthusiasts and would-be owners don’t even know why - or that the watch itself preceded that now-familiar name by many decades. What's indisputable is the Portugieser's key role in IWC's history and its impact on watchmaking - from its humble origins as a market-specific experiment to its modern incarnation as a major pillar of IWC's collection.   1939: Two Portuguese Businessmen Walk Into a Watch Factory… Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Actually, don’t bother, because I’ll be retelling the origin story of the IWC Portugieser anyway, for those who aren’t familiar with it. Like much of the rest of the world, in the throes of the Great Depression and under the gathering storm clouds of a second World War, the Swiss watch industry was facing rough economic times in the 1930s. The International Watch Company, based in Schaffhausen in Switzerland’s German-speaking north, dealt with the challenges in a number of practical ways. One was by making wristwatches that could be worn by military pilots for the aerial combat that was looking increasingly inevitable. (I tell that story in much more detail here.) Another was by expanding its reach to international markets such as Portugal. Thus it came to be that two gentlemen by the name of Antonio...

Hands-On: the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Worn & Wound
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Feb 13, 2025

Hands-On: the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton

There’s no sports watch that I have a stronger connection to than the Zenith Defy. I’ve long told anyone who would listen that the Defy is, bar none, my favorite sports watch collection. From its inception, the Defy has been a watch associated with pushing both design and watchmaking boundaries, through the use of uncommon materials, avant-garde designs, and over-the-top specs. For whatever sports watch from a major Swiss brand you can name, I could probably think of a Defy that matches it in terms of what it can do, and eclipses it in terms of the always hard to quantify cool factor. Yes, of course this is subjective. But, I mean, is it really?  Now that we’ve established that I love the Defy potentially all out of proportion, we can consider the latest entry in the growing collection, the Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton. This is a combination of words that were always meant to meet in the form of a Defy – the writing has been on the wall since the intro of the first Defy Skyline, or least since the introduction of the Skyline Chronograph. One of the nice things about the Defy, as a collection, is that it truly offers a different flavor of the core watch for every taste, with dials that are skeletonized, or not, cases that are made from steel, or ceramic, and now chronographs offering some of those same decision points.  My feelings on the Defy Skyline collection oscillate quite a bit. Whenever I put one on, I can’t help but compare it in my mind to the Defy...

Industry News – Opening of Applications for the Second Edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives Monochrome
Louis Vuitton Watch Prize Nov 26, 2024

Industry News – Opening of Applications for the Second Edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives

In late 2022, luxury powerhouse Louis Vuitton announced a rather surprising but promising concept, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. A biennial prize organized by its Swiss-based watch manufacture, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, its mission is “to recognize a passion for watchmaking savoir-faire, creativity, and innovation in the pursuit of excellence, […]

Introducing – Seiko Meets Street Culture With The 5 Sports HUF Limited Edition SRPL33 Monochrome
Seiko Meets Street Culture Nov 22, 2024

Introducing – Seiko Meets Street Culture With The 5 Sports HUF Limited Edition SRPL33

Seiko’s humble and fun 5 Sports series of watches are revered for their value-for-money, and often fresh combinations of colours and styles. Through numerous limited edition, the Japanese powerhouse also likes to have a little fun with the platform, resulting in some very visually impactful watches, tying in watchmaking with pop culture, movie starts or […]

Highlights: Pocket Watches and Clocks at Phillips Hong Kong SJX Watches
Richard Mille RM020 pocket watch Nov 16, 2024

Highlights: Pocket Watches and Clocks at Phillips Hong Kong

Having covered independent watchmaking and metiers d’art highlights at Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong auction, we now look at timepieces that aren’t wristwatches. The Hong Kong sale is a two-part affair: a theme sale focused on timepieces of Japanese origin christened Toki, and the The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIX. Both include a notable number of pocket watches and clocks across the spectrum of style and periods, from an iconic Cartier Model A mystery clock in rock crystal to the Richard Mille RM020 pocket watch. The catalogues with online bidding for Toki and HKWA XIX. TOKI lot 60 – Breguet digital jumping hours pocket watch This uncommon Breguet pocket watch with a two-tone case was sold in 1926 to a certain Mitoui T.K. for the sum on 16,000 French francs. This was a period when Breguet was making few timepieces, making watches from this era, especially complicated ones, relatively uncommon. With elegantly angled cutouts for the hour and minutes, the jumping hour display makes this watch a rarity. Similarly displays were found on wrist- and pocket watches of the time, including the Cartier Tank à Guichet. This particular piece does not bear the classic Breguet style, like the coin-edged case band or engine-turned dial. The style, however, is typical of the 1920s, though the two-tone case makes it unusual. This watch was made in France, since this was produced well before the brand’s move to the Swiss Vallée de Joux in the 1970s. The white-and-pink-gold 45 mm c...

Interview – Rolf Studer, Co-CEO of Oris, on the Recent Developments of the Brand Monochrome
Oris Oct 25, 2024

Interview – Rolf Studer, Co-CEO of Oris, on the Recent Developments of the Brand

Headquartered in Hölstein, at the northern edge of the Swiss Jura, Oris sits on the outermost boundary of Switzerland’s traditional watchmaking region. This area had a long history of specialising in affordable pin-lever watches. And although the brand had to reinvent itself, this heritage has naturally shaped Oris’s philosophy of “Go your own way”. With […]

Introducing – The New Delma Oceanmaster Oliver Heer Ocean Racing, with Full-Lume Dial Monochrome
Casio n like Oct 10, 2024

Introducing – The New Delma Oceanmaster Oliver Heer Ocean Racing, with Full-Lume Dial

This year, Swiss watchmaking brand Delma celebrates 100 years since the company which led to its creation was founded in Lengnau with a few notable exemplars released to mark the occasion, like the Delma 1924 Tourbillon, made in collaboration with the renowned La Chaux-de-Fonds watchmaker Olivier Mory, or the Delma Heritage Chronograph 100 years. Also, […]

Price of Admission: What is the Least Expensive Blancpain? Teddy Baldassarre
Blancpain Oct 10, 2024

Price of Admission: What is the Least Expensive Blancpain?

Blancpain is the oldest Swiss watchmaker in existence, founded in 1735, as well as one of the most respected and, it is fair to say, one of the most intimidating for a newcomer to approach. This is not just because of the uniformly high prices - nearly all fall within a five-figure range - but also because of the vast diversity within the maison’s collection, which has emerged naturally after literally centuries of uninterrupted watchmaking. Many savvy watch enthusiasts, even ones relatively new to the game, are at least passingly familiar with the brand’s Fifty Fathoms dive watch and its place in that popular category’s historical pantheon, but remain largely unaware of other intriguing timepieces within Blancpain’s portfolio - some simple and understated, others paragons of horological complexity. Moreover, some of these aspirational aficionados are likely seeking out their first Blancpain watch, and attempting to decipher exactly what an entry-level timepiece from the venerable brand would be - what it costs and what it offers for that price. Continuing our “Price of Admission” series (which kicked off with Bilal Khan’s spotlight on Cartier), I will be examining the least expensive choices for an entry-level Blancpain, covering dress and sport options as well as a variety of case materials.  Like most any watch brand in the luxury category, Blancpain’s most approachable models from a price perspective are those in cases of steel, rather than pr...

Introducing – The New EU-Exclusive Grand Seiko SBGW321 Nishikigoi and SBGY040 Chisen Teien Monochrome
Grand Seiko SBGW321 Nishikigoi Oct 3, 2024

Introducing – The New EU-Exclusive Grand Seiko SBGW321 Nishikigoi and SBGY040 Chisen Teien

Japanese nature and culture have long been a deep source of inspiration for Grand Seiko, which has managed to merge serious watchmaking credentials with a unique sense of style, infused with references to its country of origin. For most of its watches, this connection with Japan takes shape on the dials, which are known to […]

A Red Jaguar E-Type, One-Day Trips To New York On Concorde, And Other Fun Facts About Armin Strom Fratello
Armin Strom After talking Aug 26, 2024

A Red Jaguar E-Type, One-Day Trips To New York On Concorde, And Other Fun Facts About Armin Strom

After talking to Serge Michel and Claude Greisler, the two co-founders of the watch brand Armin Strom, it became apparent that they do things differently at their manufacture in the Swiss watchmaking town of Biel/Bienne. Ask them anything, and the two childhood friends who started a watch brand inspired by the open-worked creations of famous […] Visit A Red Jaguar E-Type, One-Day Trips To New York On Concorde, And Other Fun Facts About Armin Strom to read the full article.

Value Buys Pre-Owned from Establishment Brands SJX Watches
Rolex Jul 30, 2024

Value Buys Pre-Owned from Establishment Brands

Whilst many dream of owning a watch from one of the great Swiss watchmakers, the price points at retail can be discouraging for those on a budget. So where does this leave the enthusiast who wants to dip his or her toes into the world of high-end watchmaking? A little digging into lesser-known models, which we present here. We’re not just discussing the most inexpensive watches from Rolex and the “Holy Trinity”, since that’s too obvious and mundane. So instead, we bring you five watches that are not necessarily the most affordable, but amongst the best value propositions. Majority of the five presented below are ancestors of current-production models, and one is a less popular recent launch. Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116509, first-generation with meteorite dial Rolex is well known for dials in a variety of unique materials such as mineral stones and mother of pearl. Arguably more exotic, at least at the time of its launch, was meteorite. Whilst it’s not exactly known when the first meteorite dials were introduced by Rolex, the material has a constant in its catalogue for some two decades now. The latest meteorite additions to the line were the Daytona models of 2021, but the Daytona has in fact sported a meteorite dial before. In the early 2004 the material was combined with white gold for the first Daytona with a meteorite dial. It was available on a leather strap or a white gold bracelet, which is the version to go for. This first-generation Rolex ref. 1165...