35,704 articles · 277 videos found · page 551 of 1200
Monochrome
Since the start of MONOCHROME almost two decades ago, we have come a very long way. Through almost 10,000 articles, we have brought you some of the most amazing watches from all corners of the world. Despite the fact we always publish our stories in English and work with an international team, we are of […]
Worn & Wound
While the term “everyday carry” is broad enough already, I’d bet my money that a lighter which costs close to $1,300 would not be included in anyone’s list. But, for me, it’s hard to deny that a Dunhill Rollagas is the epitome of style and functionality – and here is where I’m willing to expand the definition of “EDC” just a little bit. For many of us who consider ourselves collectors – whether it be watches, pens, or knives – I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “My cheap X works just as well!” And while this may be true (and trust me, my house is littered with matchbooks and cheap Bic lighters), I know that I’m not just buying something for functionality. When I buy a luxury good, I’m buying into the brand itself and the history behind it. While the $5 Spongebob watch my nephew wears and my Datejust both tell time, sure, there’s an undeniable difference that exists beyond timekeeping. When a brand does it right, you can almost feel it. I’d call it nearly talismanic while my more cynical peers may call it just plain ol’ good marketing. But whatever the case might be, I feel a little different holding a Dunhill lighter in my hands. When I run my thumb across the sparkwheel on a gas station Bic, I’m instantly brought back to when I was sixteen and trying my first cigarette. When I do the same with a Rollagas, I feel like a proper adult. I like who I am when I have one in my pocket. The History of Dunhill For a brand to have been on a...
SJX Watches
Blancpain range of vintage inspired dive watches grows to include a pair of top-of-the-line models, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet and Chronographe Flyback, both in 18k red gold with a matching red gold bracelet. Previously available only with a fabric strap, the new duo feature a gradient blue dial with a sun-ray finish and a matching blue ceramic bezel insert. Initial thoughts First released in 1956 as a more compact version of the Fifty Fathoms, the Bathyscaphe was reissued as a sportier and smaller sibling of the modern-day Fifty Fathoms. The Bathyscaphe line encompasses complications and various materials, including the recent all-ceramic models. The new pair continue to extend the line in terms of materials; they are the only models in the entire Fifty Fathoms range with a matching gold bracelet. The all-gold look is of course not for everyone, but the new pair have an extravagant appeal, particularly the chronograph that looks and feels like an ultra-luxe sports watch. The all-gold look, however, comes at a price. Both are cost US$55,300, which is far from the accessible price point of their all-ceramic counterparts. The price is arguably justified by Blancpain’s easily discernible quality, though the brand lacks the cachet of its peers in the same price segment, which makes these high-end models a very niche offering. The red gold models are also available with a fabric strap. Fully red gold Both the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet and Chr...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
MeisterSinger, famous for its single-hand display, continues to iterate on its signature design. Despite the limitation of a single-hand movement, the German brand has proven to be very creative and versatile. Since 2001, MeisterSinger has pleased watch enthusiasts with calendar functions, chiming mechanisms, jumping hours, power reserves, and more, all in its own style. This month MeisterSinger is back with the Special Edition №3 watches and bright blue accents.
Worn & Wound
Ever since humans began exploring the ocean’s depths, watch companies have been creating timepieces capable of withstanding the pressures of SCUBA diving. In the 1950s and 60s, companies like Blancpain, Rolex, and Omega raced to create watches with the greatest water resistance. However, a small collaborative brand outdid them all with a watch capable of reaching a depth of 1000 meters. It took Rolex well into the next decade before they made a watch that could go beyond that. One of those collaborators was Ollech & Wajs, and the legendary timepiece was named the Caribbean 1000. Roughly thirty years later, when the internet was still in its early stages, if you were searching the web for dive watches, there’s a good chance you came across New Old Stock (NOS) Caribbean 1000 watches by Ollech & Wajs or Jenny. In its heyday, O&W; produced nearly 10,000 watches per year. There were still quite a few unused watches available, and collectors were thrilled to have access to them. Despite barely surviving the quartz crisis of the 1970s, Albert Wajs remained in charge until 2017, when the brand was sold to Charles Le Menestrel. Since then, the brand has been revived with reimagined models from the past, such as the Caribbean. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, O&W; is launching the most authentic reproduction of the original Caribbean 1000 to date, the C-1000 A. From its short, triangle-shaped lugs, affectionately referred to as ‘Vampire fangs’ by collectors, to its narrow 12...
Time+Tide
Audemars Piguet balances tradition and adventurousness in its new trio of summer-themed Royal Oak Offshore watches.The post New summery Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore trio exhibits the brand’s distinct strength appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Gary Getz (aka GaryG) was interviewed recently for The Horology Club of Hong Kong. In these two videos, Gary explain how he got into watch collecting and shares some of his favorite watches and why they are special to him.
Hodinkee
The Wanna Buy A Watch? founder shares some of his favorite vintage watches and a few thoughts on a lifetime of dealing.
Worn & Wound
A thing you discover about watch collecting after being involved in the hobby for a little while is that it’s a truly international endeavor. This manifests itself in a number of ways. The geography of the watchmaking industry is obviously something that’s discussed frequently, with Swiss, German, Japanese, and American styles of the craft all taking slightly different shapes. But even more than that, practical matters like the availability of watches to actually purchase has a lot to do with where you are in the world. Just last week, we told you about a pair of new limited edition Grand Seikos made just for the US market, and today we have a similar story about a Seiko diver for sale exclusively in Europe. Regional releases strike again. The Seiko Prospex SPB473 would have caught our eye regardless, but something about it being vaguely forbidden if you happen to live in America makes it all the more appealing. Now, realistically, this watch won’t be that hard to track down if you really put some effort into it. There are all kinds of ways an American customer can obtain a watch made for a foreign market. Proxy buyers, the pre-owned market, and simply calling up a dealer and asking if they’d consider an international sale are all viable options. But if it really is the thrill of the hunt that makes watch collecting exciting and rewarding, have those few extra hoops to jump through could actually be welcome for some. The SPB473’s key feature is a beautiful grad...
Fratello
It’s no surprise that I am a fan of the Doxa Sub line of watches. My first new Swiss-made watch was a Doxa, though it was not one of the iconic cushion-cased designs. Today, I’ll go through four of Doxa’s key dive-watch offerings and hopefully help you determine which one is right for you. When […] Visit Which Doxa Sub Is Right For You? to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Usain Bolt and Andrew McUtchen talk racing, watches, music and, beer in Ibiza in our first episode of the Watches And podcast. The post The secret to Usain Bolt’s success could have been scoliosis? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
There's nothing wrong with smartwatches, but there's a time and place for everything (pardon the pun).The post The three places you should never wear a smartwatch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Patek Philippe surprised Joshua Munchow with the 2019 launch of the Weekly Calendar, a new dress watch in stainless steel and the brand's first steel-encased production model since the 1970s. The 5212A Calatrava Weekly Calendar is a mix of modern technology, classic style, and a couple of unique touches that help it stand out from Patek Philippe’s typical offerings, making it one of his favorite watches from the Genevan giant in quite a while.
Teddy Baldassarre
Unimatic took a step in a new direction this summer with the release of a new collection simply called Toolwatch. The collection consists of four watches across two styles, and represents a push into function-driven design. Each of the watches meet the MIL-STD-810 standard used by the US Department of Defense, and boast an internal protection system designed by Unimatic. It’s clear the Italian brand is making a serious move into true tool-watch territory here, and the watches themselves have a number of unique elements on their side, but how do they stand up to real-world, practical use? We went hands-on to find out. The UT1 GMT is one of four variations released within the Toolwatch collection, utilizing a fully indexed rotating bezel, and featuring a GMT disk and date complication. As with all Unimatic watches, the case is the most distinctive feature of the UT1, and it falls into very familiar territory. The design language that Unimatic has developed for its cases is geometric and confident, with fixed planes that meet at set angles, and no real curvature in sight. At 41.5mm in diameter, and 49mm from lug to lug, this case has a muscular presence, but never feels overbearing. This is a case that invites a closer look at a variety of angles, and there’s always a dramatic view that awaits. It’s not graceful, but it works just fine on the wrist, all things considered. This is a watch that wears its personality on its sleeve, and at nearly 14mm thick, it won’t be...
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! This week, we decided to skip our best-of-2024 lists and focus on watches commemorating the Olympic Games. With the Paris Olympics in full swing, it’s a good moment to look at some of Omega’s best Olympic releases. But while Omega has been the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932, […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Omega Olympic Games Special Editions to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Find out how bringing the Nautilus to life, excelling at Le Mans, and family brought the Laurent Ferrier brand to life.The post Laurent Ferrier, the watchmaker with three careers, from Patek Philippe to Le Mans driver appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
When it comes to Panerai, we’ve seen the brand getting slightly out of track from time to time, with complex movements, smaller watches with low water-resistance and innovative materials that didn’t feel too convincing. So, when the brand introduces a nice-looking, straightforward model that does everything you want from a Panerai, we somehow have to […]
Worn & Wound
The Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force is not like other watches. At a glance, it clearly doesn’t look like them, but more importantly, it also works a bit differently too, featuring a first in watchmaking. To be clear, it still tells time with three hands, is operated by a crown, and has all of the movement components one expects to find on a watch, from a mainspring to an escapement. But it hides a very cool secret. Something that sets it apart. Hidden within is a little mechanism that helps it be more accurate. It’s not a complication, per say, as it doesn’t add any functions beyond time-telling, rather, it makes for a better watch. The Gravity Equal Force is one of a small handful of watches that attempts to address a fundamental issue with mechanical timepieces: variations in accuracy across their power reserves due to changing torque. As the power reserve diminishes, the torque, or force, decreases, the amplitude of the escapement falls, and the timekeeping becomes less accurate. Watchmakers have addressed this issue in various ways over the last few hundred years, which are often grouped together and referred to as “constant force” mechanisms. The Gravity Equal Force uses a simple, though uncommon, mechanism compared to typical “constant force” systems such as fuseé, chains, and remontoirs called a Geneva or Maltese cross. This mechanism prevents the watch mainspring from unwinding to the point where the torque and, thus, the accuracy really drop off. Ho...
Time+Tide
Breitling has been on a bit of a tear of late, and Fred Mandelbaum is one of the reasons why.The post The king of Breitling history (@watchfred) reveals personal watch collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The dusty rose and cool blue dials of the new Grand Seiko USA exclusives are bound to have international fans groaning.The post Grand Seiko debuts two new kira-zuri USA exclusives that will stir up global envy appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Usually, when it comes to Seiko Prospex dive watches, and specifically with an emblematic design as the 62Mas, it’s all about black or dark blue. But there are exceptions to the rule and the Japanese watchmaker has shown greater creativity in recent years – take a look at the Save the Ocean series, for instance. […]
Worn & Wound
Citizen watches have played an enormous role in shaping the taste and opinions of many of us at Worn & Wound, and the same can likely be said for a large percentage of our readers. They are a brand that is truly ubiquitous in that their philosophy has always been to create watches for everyone, for every citizen, and that comes through loud and clear when you take even a cursory look at their product offerings at any given time. Over the past several years, Citizen has expanded their reach into the enthusiast watch world through a variety of releases that offer an exceptional amount of bang for buck when it comes to materials, technology, and aesthetics, while always maintaining their mass market appeal. Anyone who follows the watch industry closely knows that there are only a handful of brands that can truly claim to be embraced by both the mass market and the cult of watch aficionados, and Citizen is most definitely part of that exclusive group. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the very first Citizen watch, and they’re marking the occasion with a traveling exhibition that should appeal to hardcore collectors and hobbyists as well as more casual watch lovers and Citizen owners. The Essence of Time exhibit, which we had a chance to tour recently at its New York City debut, is an impressive testament to Citizen’s impact on the watch landscape over the past century, and offers the public an opportunity to view important Citizen watches from throughout the brand...
Fratello
Since Vulcain decided to focus more on models outside of its bread-and-butter alarm watches, we have seen an array of new models coming to the market. Primarily based on vintage timepieces, the new Vulcain models include chronographs, time-only watches, and divers. The last of those is an exciting line consisting of the Nautical Heritage alarm […] Visit Hands-On With The New Vulcain Skindiver Nautique GMT to read the full article.
Monochrome
One of the few large-scale watchmaking companies based on UK soil, Bremont has, over the years, forged strong connections with Britain’s Ministry of Defence, supplying the British Army with dedicated watches. As a tribute to this partnership and MoD watches of the past, Bremont created the Broadsword series, inspired by the all-important Dirty Dozen. First available […]
Monochrome
Master watchmaker Svend Andersen has been a renowned figure on the independent watchmaking scene since 1980. The Danish watchmaker’s ingenious and original approach to complications, including his sophisticated calendar watches and world timers, has captivated collectors and top-tier watch brands for years. To celebrate his 40th anniversary in watchmaking in 2020, Svend Andersen produced a […]
Quill & Pad
Omega and Fratello Watches came out with their first #SpeedyTuesday Speedmaster edition back in 2017 and it sold out within few hours. Three years later, a second iteration of #SpeedyTuesday timepieces came to life. And this one sold out – all 2,012 pieces – in under two hours. And one of these 2,012 watches is in Łukasz Doskocz's personal collection. Here he explains why.
SJX Watches
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...
Worn & Wound
Four years ago, like a phoenix, Nivada Grenchen rose from the ashes to reintroduce two of its most famous watches: the Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver and the Antarctic. Shortly after, the Depthmaster and the F77 re-emerged, the latter joining the integrated bracelet sports watch craze that has gripped the industry over the last decade. In 2023, in collaboration with Fratello, they launched their Racing Chronograph, a 38mm tonneau-shaped, manually wound watch deeply inspired by the automotive world, mixing many features and design cues from Nivada models from its back catalog. And now, for 2024, Nivada Grenchen is re-introducing the Chronosport, one of their rarest historical pieces. Only ten original Nivada Grenchen Chronosport watches from the 1970s were ever produced, making this model quite sought after by collectors. That is precisely why they have decided to reintroduce it, allowing more enthusiasts to own one. This new model utilizes the same 38mm stainless steel case as the Racing Chronograph. However, the similarities end there. Instead of an outer tachymeter scale printed on the bezel, it is replaced by a unidirectional diver’s bezel. The tachymeter scale is printed on the outer edge of the dial under the double-domed sapphire crystal. The Chronosport’s dial was designed by Jean Singer, who was responsible for the dials on the Omega Speedmaster racing and the Heuer Skipper. Both watches are famous for their good looks and functionality. Mr. Singer knows a thin...
Worn & Wound
Casio is celebrating 50 years of TOM’s Racing with the release of a new racing-inspired chronograph. The Casio Edifice Sospensione TOM’s 50th Anniversary builds on Casio’s long history of technical, multi-function watches to deliver a fittingly contemporary watch that also references half a century of racing history. TOM’s Racing, for those not overly invested in the world of JDM tuner cars or Super GT, is a longstanding aftermarket parts manufacturer and tuner, primarily focused on Toyota and Lexus models. TOM’s Racing has also been heavily involved in competitive racing since day one, often acting as a tuning partner for factory race teams across racing divisions, and they have served as an official tuning shop for Toyota since 1975, just a year after their founding. This latest release from Edifice draws inspiration from one of TOM’s most iconic cars, the KP47 Starlet, which helped launch the brand onto the racing scene, winning touring car series championships in 1975, 1976, and 1978. With its vibrant livery, the KP47 has become somewhat of a mascot for the race house over the last five decades, so there’s no more fitting car for Casio to choose as inspiration for this limited edition. Edifice often gets overlooked by enthusiasts in favor of Casio’s other brand known for technical, multi-function watches, but pay close attention in the real world and you’ll see Edifice watches everywhere. Affordable, capable, and dripping in multi-functional goodness,...
Fratello
There’s no shortage of vintage-inspired watches in today’s market. With so many options, there are bound to be hits and misses. This article will be a personal take on the factors that attract me to a vintage-inspired watch design or do the complete opposite. I have found four main aspects that seem to frustrate me […] Visit Vintage-Inspired Watch Designs - What Makes Them Work Or Not? to read the full article.
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