Hodinkee
Comparative Analysis-Here’s Another Leading Platform’s Approach To Theft And Fraud Prevention
In part two, we compare the top luxury watch and jewelry databases so you can decide how to best protect your collection.
Results for La Joux-Perret
3,421 articles · 21 videos found · page 55 of 115
Hodinkee
Worn & Wound
Ralph Lauren Adds a Turquoise Dial to their Western Watch Collection
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, ...
Worn & Wound
Czapek Celebrates Ten Years with the All New Time Jumper
We’re heading into a big new release period as much of the watch industry descends on Geneva for the upcoming GPHG awards ceremony, and then heads to Dubai for the Dubai Watch Week festivities. There’s sure to be a ton of news made in the next two weeks as this year’s best watches receive their flowers and we get a first look at many of the new novelties that will close out the year as head into the holiday rush, and tempt us for 2026. Czapek, the Swiss indie best known for their Antarctique line of integrated bracelet sports watches, is first out of the gate among higher end independents with a new novelty just announced today. The Time Jumper is an audacious new piece made to celebrate the brand’s tenth anniversary, reaching back into Czapek’s roots before the current incarnation of the brand was incorporated, and also putting a new spin on a complication that has been all the rage this year. When I first heard that Czapek would be releasing something new and splashy to celebrate their tenth anniversary, my mind immediately began wondering “I wonder what kind of Antarctique they’ve come up with?” I should not have been so cynical, but it’s an unavoidable fact that the brand has really leaned into the popularity of the integrated bracelet sports watch platform since the first of these watches was introduced around five years ago. There have, of course, been many iterations, limited editions, and complications, and it probably would have been easy enoug...
Hodinkee
Business News: Confirmed: President Trump’s Mystery Desk Clock Came From Rolex
Rolex presented the clock to the U.S. people as part of a visit by business leaders last week aimed at strengthening relations, according to a letter.
Teddy Baldassarre
Longines Hydroconquest Review: So Much Watch For $2,000
The Longines Hydroconquest has been around since its debut in 2007 and in that time it has come to be one of the staple entry level luxury dive watches. And it’s certainly for good reason considering just how much quality is on offer for the price which is in no small part thanks to the brand’s positioning under the Swatch Group umbrella. Derived from the classic Longines Conquest collection, the Hydroconquest is a decidedly un-vintage inspired dive watch that rather leans into contemporary design. Given how much safer a vintage-inspired design is these days, I give Longines a lot of credit for developing and nurturing this collection over the last 18 years. After all, having the Legend Diver as a sibling sets a rather high bar. The Hydroconquest was refreshed back in 2018 when it gained a ceramic bezel which, quaint as it might seem today, was not such a universally available option at the price point. Here I will get into the standard model as well as the excellent GMT iteration that was released back in 2023. [toc-section heading="Longines Hydroconquest Case"] This watch is available in several case size iterations ranging from a 32mm quartz model all the way up to a 43mm all black ceramic case iteration. I want to talk about the 41mm size which is also likely the most popular for obvious reasons. Measuring 41mm wide and 11.9mm thick with a 51.1mm lug-to-lug height, the Hydroconquest does stretch out onto the higher side of that 50mm L2L, meaning it wears on the big...
Teddy Baldassarre
Best Watch Boxes and Cases
Once you start building a watch collection, you're eventually going to want something to safely and securely store your timepieces and maybe even to show them off at the same time. Watch boxes, cases, and rolls enable you to access all or part of your collection without the need for frequent opening and closing of the watches' individual packaging, and they can provide a more compact method of transporting multiple watches while you travel. Who makes the best watch boxes on the market today? Here we spotlight 12 notable brands, as chosen by our team and our loyal followers on Instagram, and showcase a favorite item from each, with an emphasis on including options for various budgets and collections of any size. Most all of the makers listed here offer many other similar products in additions to the model featured, and all are worth exploring. Wolf British Racing 10-Piece Watch Box ($695) Founded in 1834 by German silversmith Philip Wolf, Los Angeles-based Wolf is now in its fifth generation of family ownership and continues the mission of its founder, who set out to make “fine quality cases” to protect precious possessions such as jewellery and timepieces. Perhaps at least as well known these days as one of the leading purveyors of high-tech watch winders, Wolf still produces an array of luxurious boxes and cases, holding as few as five watches and as many as 15, including this 10-piece British Racing cabinet with a quad-angled, paneled lid, gold hardware, suspended wa...
SJX Watches
Report: Geneva Fall Auctions 2025
The just-concluded Geneva auction season was mostly a plateau with several striking peaks and a few lows. The peaks were marked by desirable timepieces that outperformed by far, yet shared little in common with one another in terms of style or period. The peaks ranged from multiple F.P. Journe watches to a diamond-set Patek Philippe ref. 3424/1 “Gilbert Albert” to the Breguet four-minute tourbillon pocket watch from 1809 to the Instagram-ready Patek Philippe ref. 3970 in “salmon” with Breguet numerals. Despite such diverse taste, the small pool of bidders seemed to have one thing in common: they were all focused on a “trophy” watch. The Christie’s saleroom in the Four Seasons. Image – Christie’s With few exceptions, contemporary watches from mainstream brands were cold, while vintage watches were mostly lukewarm – but as always there were exceptions. An Patek Philippe ref. 570 with a black dial signed “E. Gubelin” sold for an impressive CHF419,100 including fees, or US$523,000, at Christie’s, while Phillips sold a Rolex Daytona ref. 6263 “RCO” (or “Oyster Sotto”) for an equally impressive CHF1.39 million, or US$1.73 million – close to the historical peak for the model. A vintage watch that surprised on the downside was the 1927 Rolex Oyster worn by Mercedes Gleitze when she became the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1927 – a landmark in Rolex lore. Though it sold for CHF1.39 million, or US$1.74 million, there was just one bi...
SJX Watches
A GMT with Teeth: The Ming 37.11 Odyssey Bites Back
Ming’s latest release, the 37.11 Odyssey, builds on the brand’s reputation for luminous, multi-layered dials and inventive designs. The Odyssey takes the visual depth seen in the Bluefin and Uni to the next level with a smoked sapphire dial that reveals the movement beneath, paired with shark-tooth hands and a multi-coloured luminous display. Despite its futuristic appearance, the Odyssey remains a practical travel companion. The compact 38 mm titanium case weighs just 42 g and offers 300 m of water resistance, while the Sellita SW330.M2 movement inside provides caller GMT functionality (with a twist). Available on a rubber strap, a titanium bracelet, or the brand’s new 3D-printed Polymesh strap, the Odyssey showcases Ming’s evolution from a design-driven micro-brand to a mature independent watchmaker with its own distinct language and value proposition. Initial thoughts The Odyssey is appealing because it plays to the brand’s strengths with regard to multi-layered, semi-transparent luminous dials. Like many of Ming’s best watches, including the similarly constructed Bluefin and Uni, the Odyssey provides a pleasing parallax effect thanks to the presence of luminous material on both the dial itself, as well as the underside of the sapphire crystal. The Odyssey takes the layered look even further by revealing hints of the movement through a smoked sapphire crystal dial. The movement is a typical Sellita GMT calibre, customised for Ming with anthracite-coated plat...
Teddy Baldassarre
10 Vintage Seiko Watches And Their Modern Interpretations
Here in the watch world of the 21st century, we’re living in the heyday of the vintage revival, with just about every brand returning to their archive, and trying to find the magic heritage design that will resonate with a contemporary audience. Seiko has one of the most extensive catalogs – vintage or modern – in the watchmaking world, and in today’s guide, I’ll be digging into the brand’s past and matching it with the watch that has carried its torch into the present. With the 10 vintage Seiko watches below, we’re going to run the gamut of style and utility, but each piece is an icon of Seiko’s past and present in its own right. 62MAS: Seiko’s first diver At the time of its introduction in 1965, the Seiko 62MAS was the first dive watch to ever come out of Japan. Featuring a deep grey dial with luminous, trapezoidal indices, a unidirectional dive bezel in black, and a date window at three o’clock, the 62MAS was water resistant 150 meters, and actually accompanied members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition from 1966 to 1969. For Seiko’s (and Japan’s) first diver, the brand has gone the heritage reissue route, releasing a faithful modern take on the watch with the Seiko Prospex SPB143. Despite being in the brand's more expensive Luxe tier, I would say the SPB143 is among the brand’s most popular watches at the moment. Even outside of its heritage connections, the SPB143 is a capable, versatile piece that’s as good-looking as it is ...
SJX Watches
In-Depth: Balancing Mainspring Dimensions Inside the Barrel
In a past story, we explained how multiple mainspring barrels can be paired in parallel or in series, for either lengthening a movement’s power reserve or increasing the torque discharged into the going train. In this article we expand on this topic to analyse the inside of the barrel by exploring how mainspring size balancing influences the torque output and power reserve. Enthusiasts tend to throw around the loosely-defined term “mainspring packing” - especially when criticising a movement’s unsatisfying power reserve. This term refers to how a watchmaker can get a higher power reserve by balancing a spring’s dimensions and the space it occupies inside a barrel. While this sounds simple, the reality is more complicated. Skeletonised barrel showing the tight coiled mainspring inside the Piaget Altiplano Tourbillon Concept. In order to set the record straight, it’s necessary to analyse the topic thoroughly. This requires getting a bit technical, but an interpretation is included for those less interested in the underlying maths. This theory-heavy deep-dive tries to unravel the concept of mainspring packing and explores why optimisation is not a very straightforward business. The core elements This section covers the basics of mainspring and barrel geometry and establishes their relation with power reserve and torque. In order to see how specific dimensions affect both torque and power reserve, we will resort to some known functions and a little geometric...
Monochrome
Hands-on - Deciphering The Oil-Filled Ressence Type 3 BB2 (Incl. Video)
Dressed in all black, the Type 3 BB2 is the perfect representation of what independent watchmaker Ressence is all about. Founded in 2010 by industrial designer Benoit Mintiens, watches by Ressence are pretty much incomparable to anything else on the market thanks to the brand’s out-of-the-box thinking, technical innovation and no hands or crowns. In […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko Marinemaster SJE101 Review: Divisive But Wears Like A Dream
The Seiko Prospex Marinemaster SJE101 1965 Diver’s Modern Reinterpretation is definitely a mouthful, but it’s definitely with purpose. Part of the higher-end Seiko Luxe family, the SJE101 evokes two icons - the 62MAS and Marinemaster - but can it live up to those lofty expectations? The answer, as you can imagine, is mixed. What’s for sure, though is that this is a uniquely wearable Seiko Prospex dive watch that measures less than 40mm and has some really impressive finishes. That said, the Marinemaster title carries a lot of expectations with it, and there has been a fair share of discourse about whether it lives up or not. Seiko Marinemaster Context What exactly is the big deal with the Seiko Marinemaster? Let’s take a look at how it came to be such a lauded name in the diver category. The first watch in the collection was actually the Seiko Marinemaster Quartz SBCN005, aka the Transocean from 1999. This was a 44mm-wide titanium watch that was highly functional with barometric pressure measurement and barometric trend display. A year later in 2000, the Marinemaster SBDX001 was released, boasting 300 meters of water resistance and no helium escape valve. The Marinemaster family would continue in production until about 2018, when it began to disappear in favor of the larger Prospex family. But about five years later, the Marinemaster would come back in the form of this collection. More than a couple of people have asked whether this is “really a Marinemaster...
Fratello
Fratello On Air: These Are The Next Watch Trends
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.
Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko SPB149 Review: The Blue Dial Prospex Diver
An outsized part of Seiko’s history is within its dive watch heritage, going all the way back to 1965 with the company's first dedicated diver, the 150-meter 62MAS, released as the 6217-8000, and later, its larger-crowned sibling, the 6217-8001. It was the beginning of a lineage that went on to include legendary references like the Willard, the Turtle, the Marinemaster, the Tuna, and the SKX, just to name a small assortment of them. Today, Seiko’s broad dive-watch lineup is well-known for its rugged dependability: from the entry-level Prospex models to the elevated Luxe variants like the Seiko SPB149, there’s a Seiko diver for every enthusiast. Seiko has paid tribute to the 62MAS design in the past with limited editions, but in the 2020s, the brand has seen a slew of regular-production, and short-lived models – like the SPB143, 239, and 149, which stand as the most faithful renderings of the 62MAS, characterized by the brand as the Prospex 1965 Heritage Diver’s Watch. Although this model family came with different dial variants at its 40.5mm case size, today, we’re going to showcase the discontinued SPB149 before looking at the current production SPB143 and other modern day options which continue the 62MAS legacy. We will go through the standard points of its case, wear, dial, and movement, and then share concluding remarks about its overall legacy in 2025. Seiko SPB149 Context In Spring of 2020, Seiko dropped a quartet of watches - the SPB143, SPB145, SPB1...
Monochrome
The ABCs of Time - Beyond Steel or Gold, Unusual Materials Used for Watch Cases
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 […]
Monochrome
Introducing - The Yema Navygraf Pearl CMM.20 Flaunts a Mother-of-Pearl Dial and Bezel
French brand Yema got a foothold in the watch world with its rugged tool watches, exemplified by models like the mighty 300 water-resistant Superman skin diver of 1963. Proud of its French roots, Yema secured strategic alliances with the French Navy (Marine Nationale) to develop military tool watches. Based on its 1970s Navygraf dive watch, […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Grand Seiko SBGN003 Review: A Discontinued GMT And Its Successor
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...
Time+Tide
The Raymond Weil Toccata brings classical music to classical watch design
With its classical proportions and dressy shape, this new release from Raymond Weil seems perfectly timed for party season. The post The Raymond Weil Toccata brings classical music to classical watch design appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
A Tale of Two Wristies X Windup Watch Shop Giveaway
We have teamed up with our friends Iman and Chris from the A Tale of Two Wristies podcast to offer one lucky winner the chance to win a $350 digital gift card to the Windup Watch Shop! On this week’s podcast episode, Media Manager Devin Pennypacker appeared on the podcast representing Worn & Wound and the shop while taking part in the ‘swear jar’ concept, where guests are not allowed to mention the outlet or company they work for. Though, as a fun twist, this time Iman and Chris took on the challenge of getting Devin to mention Worn & Wound, the Windup Watch Shop, or the Windup Watch Fair as many times as they could, as each mention added $25 to a digital gift card for one lucky listener. Roughly one hour and 14 mentions later, and $350 is up for grabs! If you want to enter, hit the button below and learn how. Official rules are listed below. Good luck to everyone! We have teamed up with our friends Iman and Chris from the A Tale of Two Wristies podcast to offer one lucky winner the chance to win a $350 digital gift card to the Windup Watch Shop! On this week’s podcast episode, Media Manager Devin Pennypacker appeared on the podcast representing Worn & Wound and the shop while taking part in the ‘swear jar’ concept, where guests are not allowed to mention the outlet or company they work for. Though, as a fun twist, this time Iman and Chris took on the challenge of getting Devin to mention Worn & Wound, the Windup Watch Shop, or the Windup Watch Fair as many tim...
Monochrome
Introducing - The New Breguet Classique 7235, a Tribute to the Origins of the Breguet Style
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
Introducing - The new Breguet Classique 7225, the Comeback of the 10Hz Chronometry Watch with Magnetic Pivot
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 […]
Fratello
Chrono24 & Fratello: Secondary Watch Market Report H1 2025
Being part of the same group of companies as Chrono24 has its advantages: Fratello has access to the unrivaled data pool and insights of the world’s leading marketplace for luxury watches. With over 9 million monthly users and more than 560,000 listed watches, there is plenty to analyze and learn. We sat down with their […] Visit Chrono24 & Fratello: Secondary Watch Market Report H1 2025 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Long-Hidden Patek Philippe Watches Headline Sotheby’s NY Sale
This December at its New York auction. Sotheby’s will bring one a hitherto secret collection of complicated Patek Philippe watches to market, The Olmsted Complications Collection. Accrued by late financier Robert M. Olmsted over six decades, the collection includes watches commissioned by the most prominent American collectors of the early 20th century, including Henry Graves Jr., Thomas E. Emery, James M. Morehead III, and Elliot C. Lee, some of which were completely unknown to the public until now. An “Extra” quality observatory watch made for Henry Graves Jr. It couldn’t be better timed either, with the flagship lot being a previously undocumented Patek Philippe perpetual calendar desk clock, just months after the brand launched its modern equivalent. Better still – at least for American bidders – these watches are already stateside, avoiding the hefty import taxes levied against Switzerland. In addition to rare and exotic pocket watches, the auction also makes room for a few watches with more mainstream appeal, including a Rolex ref. 6100 with a cloisonné enamel dragon dial. The Thomas E. Emery Desk Clock The headline lot is a Patek Philippe desk clock made for one Thomas Emery – the same client who commissioned Patek Philippe’s first wrist-borne perpetual calendar in 1925. Until now there were only two publicly known Patek Philippe perpetual calendar desk clocks, those made for James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr. Like its siblings, Emery’s desk ...
Teddy Baldassarre
The 57 Best Swiss Watch Brands: A Complete Guide for 2026
If you were to ask the average person on the street in any part of the world which nation comes to mind when they think about luxury watches, they’d likely not hesitate in naming Switzerland. While the realities of the international watch industry are more complex, and several other nations, such as Japan and Germany, are also prominent makers of excellent luxury watches, Switzerland will always, justifiably, be regarded as the world center of fine watchmaking. The country's longtime reputation for watch excellence springs not only from the sheer number of industry giants that call it home - including household names like Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet - but also from its world-renowned reputation for expertise in all the various crafts that go into fine watchmaking. The Swiss watch industry is as vast as it is complex, with different brands offering varying specialties in a wide range of price points for export around the globe.With all of that in mind, trying to boil down the Swiss watch industry to a subjective list of major players is a bit of a daunting task, as there are many dozens of brands worthy of inclusion. Here we attempt to provide a brief overview of some of the most prominent brands in the Swiss watch industry to give you a basic understanding of what makes each one special. For each brand, we'll provide a bit of history, showcase its major milestones and most important watches, and offer a bit of insight on w...
Fratello
Introducing: The Hermès H08 Chronographe In Naples Yellow
Hermès surprised us a couple of years ago when the French fashion house launched a chronograph among its colorful time-and-date H08 editions. Stealth-launching products is not new for Hermès. The low-key tactic allows clients to discover new pieces for themselves without a deluge of flashy hype campaigns. The gentle marketing ripple in the brand’s horology […] Visit Introducing: The Hermès H08 Chronographe In Naples Yellow to read the full article.
Time+Tide
New releases from Frederique Constant, De Bethune, Zenith and more
Fair warning: this is a pretty massive edition of Last Week in Watches, as there were so many new products released last week...The post New releases from Frederique Constant, De Bethune, Zenith and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Introducing: Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Château de Versailles
You should have been there. The Yew Tree Ball (Le Bal des Ifs) was a masquerade ball held in 1745 by King Louis XV of France after the wedding between his son - the Dauphin Louis - and Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain. The ball took place in the gilded Hall of Mirrors (Galerie […] Visit Introducing: Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Château de Versailles to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The New Seiko Rotocall Makes Casio Look a Little Old-Fashioned
A revival of the 1982 Seiko Rotocall with a rotary function bezel, compact case, and space age history-now part of the regular catalog.
Monochrome
First Look - The New Formex Essence 41mm Automatic COSC in Steel
Formex extends its Essence line with a new 41mm COSC-certified model, a permanent addition that bridges the gap between the existing 39mm and 43mm editions. First presented in the Space Ghost limited edition and later added to ceramic variants, this mid-size case now arrives in stainless steel as part of the regular collection. The 41mm […]
Worn & Wound
Review: the Traska Venturer GMT
I’m not a big “upgrader.” I’ve never been hugely interested in having the latest thing. My style of collecting (or, arguably, of “accumulating”) has always come more from a deep-seated urge for completionism, rather than a desire always to have the best or newest. When I do take the plunge on something, I try to get exactly what I want, or the best option available, and then, typically, I’m pretty happy with it. It’s why I’m still using the iPhone 12 Pro Max I bought five years ago (it works perfectly), why I was totally comfortable - in buying my first gravel bike this summer - to opt for an older model year of the Cannondale Topstone instead of the shiniest brand new version, and why I’ve felt absolutely no urge to pick up a more recent iteration of my beloved Omega Seamaster. Still, occasionally, a meaningful update comes along that genuinely grabs my attention. Most recently, that happened with the watch I’m reviewing here: the Traska Venturer GMT, now in its sixth generation. There was a time, when watches and writing were a hobby and not a vocation, that I was the “NWA-every-other-week” type, but as my collecting has slowed down, and since I’m lucky enough to satisfy much of my urge for novelty through work, I’m much more restrained in my purchasing habits. The result of this is that I’ve somewhat fallen off the microbrand treadmill, the constant in and out of FedEx boxes from my house now primarily a professional concern, rather t...