Introducing: The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic
Another world record set by the reigning king of ultra-thin watchmaking.
5,385 articles · 31 videos found · page 57 of 181
Another world record set by the reigning king of ultra-thin watchmaking.
Hodinkee
We've got it all covered in this week's round-up of vintage watches from around the web.
Revolution
Quill & Pad
Stefan Kudoke’s time has arrived. All the long years of learning, obsessing, wondering, and hard work are now paying off for the German watchmaker and engraver, whose gorgeous Kudoke 2 won the Petite Aiguille award at the 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). And Elizabeth Doerr finds the brand-new Kudoke 2 Nocturne just as enchanting; she explains why here.
Hodinkee
A lesson in capturing the beauty of the abstract.
SJX Watches
Born in Holland but now based in Geneva, Kees Engelbarts is one of the most prominent and established engravers in Swiss watchmaking. He moved to Geneva in 1994, and began a career as an independent engraving not long after. Amongst the brands he has worked for are major names like Jaeger-LeCoultre and Hublot, but also independent watchmakers like Philippe Dufour and Svend Andersen. Mr Engelbarts also makes watches under his own name, focusing on elaborately engraved or open-worked movements. His latest creation is the Argentium Tourbillon, an incredibly airy yet organic tourbillon that’s been skeletonised entirely by hand. Initial thoughts Mr Engelbarts is one of the oldest names in movement skeletonisation, so whether or not you like the aesthetic, the work is always excellent. His engraved creations are mostly figurative, often depicting a mythological creature, while his skeletonisation is usually organic and extremely striking. Though the look of the Argentium Tourbillon is too alien for me, the work is impressive. The bridges are refined and organic, and looking almost soft, but they are metal. Going from a full bridge made of German silver to an extraterrestrial life form is tedious work made up of cutting and filing. The craft is both delicate and physical, and similar to the craft of a high-end jeweller. A reductive process The Argentium Tourbillon starts with a CH016 movement made by Le Cercle des Horlogers, a movement specialist in Neuchatel that specialise...
Hodinkee
Cortado, cold brew, cappuccino, Carrera.
Quill & Pad
Vacheron Constantin launches two new brown-toned FiftySix models – Self-Winding and Complete Calendar – in 5N red gold cases. Elizabeth Doerr likes their retro vibe very much. What do you think?
Hodinkee
The week in vintage watches from around the web.
Hodinkee
A highly complicated sports watch gets an old-school twist.
Hodinkee
A sleek new take on Lange's original chiming watch.
Hodinkee
Warm and soft like a cozy sweater.
The Privé Collection Asymétrique debuts with an openworked in-house movement, caliber 9623 MC
Hodinkee
An openworked take on the brand's reimagined icon.
Deployant
We bring you the low-down and our thoughts on the Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGW264, inspired by the white birch trees of Shizukuishi.
Revolution
Franck Muller’s Vanguard gets an adrenaline shot with a new racing-inspired model.
Hodinkee
The Monochrome founder's thoughts on researching, finding, and buying a watch.
SJX Watches
Following the faithful and well-received Navitimer 806 and AVI Ref. 765 1953 re-editions – both very much instruments for pilots back in the day – Breitling has now recreated a distinctly different watch from the archives – the Top Time “Zorro”. And while the new Top Time takes its cues from the past, it will be sold entirely online via Breitling’s website, at least initially. Produced from the 1960s to the 1970s, the Top Time was Breitling’s simpler and more affordable line of chronographs designed to appeal to younger buyers – which is also the rationale behind the new remake. Unlike the Chronomat or Navitimer, which were mostly no-nonsense tools equipped with slide-rule bezels for pilots to do in-flight navigation, the Top Time did away with the slide-rule bezel and relied on a more generic style emblematic of the era. The Top Time limited edition Despite being an entry-level mode, the original Top Time had a starring appearance on the big screen: a Top Time ref. 2002, with a “reverse panda” dial and a fictional Geiger counter, was worn by Sean Connery in Thunderball. The very watch worn in the movie sold for £103,875 at Christie’s in 2013, not long after surfacing at a car boot sale where it was purchased for £25. While the “panda” or “reverse panda” variants are arguably the iconic versions of the Top Time, the new remake is modelled on the more unusual Top Time ref. 2003 equipped with a gold-plated case and “Zorro” dial (or the r...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
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A new look for one of the brand's most complicated creations.
Hodinkee
A new take on a vintage classic.
Hodinkee
There is rare, and then there is unique. This is the latter.
Hodinkee
A special anniversary calls for a special watch.
Revolution
While the true beauty of mechanical timepieces is almost always on the inside, Blancpain’s métiers d’art collection makes a compelling case otherwise.
Hodinkee
Dude, where's my six?
SJX Watches
Every year Blancpain (as well as its sister company Breguet) debuts a limited edition for Valentine’s Day. The concept is a bit kitschy – the watch is usually decked out in diamonds and hearts – but this year’s edition is a notably interesting watch. The Saint-Valentin 2020 is powered by a newly-developed form movement, the cal. 510, that is both rectangular and skeletonised. While traditionally Jaeger-LeCoultre has been the leader in form movements for ladies’ watches, most notably with the tiny cal. 101 and with other movements found in the Reverso as well as various Cartier Tanks, Blancpain has notched up a win in the segment with the cal. 510. The cal. 510 is relatively large for what is supposed to be a small movement for a ladies’ watch, measuring 12 mm wide and 25.2 mm long. But it is impressively constructed. It’s fitted with a good-sized barrel that gives it a 50-hour power reserve, which is lengthy for such a tiny movement. That is especially so considering the relatively large balance wheel that is free-sprung and equipped with hour regulating weights on its recessed rim. Additionally, the bridges are all open-worked, revealing the going train and barrel ratchet wheel. The result is also an obvious two-tone look, with the gilded wheels contrasted against the rhodium-plated bridges. And the components are finished carefully and completely, although it appears some of it is done by machine. The rest of the watch is arguably less interesting than ...
SJX Watches
Founded in Scotland five years ago by industrial designer Lewis Heath, Anordain is one of the most unusual “microbrands” as it managed to master – straight out of the gate – one of watchmaking’s most prized crafts: vitreous enamel, often known as grand feu enamel in Swiss watchmaking. As a result, the brand manages to offer some of the most affordable watches with fired enamel dials, mostly priced under US$1500. Following the success of the inaugural Model 1 last year, the brand has just unveiled the Model 2, a compact, hand-wound, two-hander with a modern, minimalist design. Most notably, two versions of the watch feature a fired, translucent enamel done over a hammered surface. Like all Anordain’s standard enamel dials, the new hammered, enamel dial is done in-house. Located in Glasgow’s East End, Anordain’s workshop includes its own three-person team of enamellers that can produce eight to nine dials a week, usually in bright, unusual colours such as pink or a translucent bottle green. Design nuances Inspired by classic field watches – the no-nonsense wristwatches made for armies in the first half of the 20th century – the Model 2 was designed entirely in-house, from the case to the typography and hands. And just like vintage field watches that are small by modern standards, the Model 2 measures a discreet 36mm in diameter and 11mm in height. Its balanced proportions are indeed reminiscent of field watches, albeit in a more refined and formal ma...
Hodinkee
For the first time, Spring Drive powers Presage watches.
SJX Watches
Seiko has cultivated its Presage collection as one that offers watches featuring dials decorated with artisanal techniques like Shippo enamel or Arita porcelain, but at extremely affordable prices. Now Seiko has just rolled out the first-ever Presage watches powered by the brand’s best-known innovation – the Spring Drive, an electronically regulated mechanical movement previously only found in Credor, Grand Seiko and Prospex watches. And the Spring Drive has been combined with a decidedly more traditional face, with both new models featuring vitreous enamel dials. Available in either white or black, the enamel dials are once again produced by master craftsman Mitsuru Yokosawa and his team, who are adept at producing enamel dials of high-quality and in large quantities, but relatively low prices. The clean and slightly retro dial design, however, is the work of the design studio founded by Japanese industrial designer Riki Watanabe. After his death in 2013, the design of his work was entrusted to his colleague, who stuck closely to Watanabe’s ideals of functionality and beauty in the conception of the watch. The dial is characterised by a striking clarity thanks to the high contrast between the hands, hour markers and dial, as well as Arabic numerals in Didoni typeface, a favourite of Watanabe. Notably, the date is properly integrated into the dial design with a date wheel that matches the colour of the dial, while the combination of the contrasting...
Deployant
Collectors seem to love blue watches. Sure, they say "Green is the new Black", but Blue remains close to our hearts. So for today, we pick six blue watches.
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