2,206 articles · 5 videos found · page 58 of 74
Breguet's 1801 rotating-cage escapement, explained.
Alfred Helwig's 1920 tourbillon variant with no upper bridge; the entire cage is visible.
Monochrome
In 2024, Delma celebrated its 100th anniversary with a few pleasant releases, such as the Heritage Chronograph, and even unexpected ones, such as the 1924 Tourbillon. Unexpected because the brand is particularly known for professional dive watches such as the Shell Star, Blue Shark and Quattro, alongside sports-oriented collections like the Midland and racing-inspired Continental. […]
Monochrome
After the impressively complex watches released by Jaeger-LeCoultre at Watches & Wonders 2026, including the Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon or the Master Hybris Mechanica Ultra Thin, the Grande Maison now presents a re-edition of its Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual, an ambitious creation uniting the brand’s Duometre concept with a triple-axis tourbillon and a perpetual calendar complemented […]
SJX Watches
Two leading practitioners of fine watchmaking, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet face off at Christie’s upcoming Hong Kong auction, Important Watches: Featuring “Kronos: Titans of Time”, “The Eternity” and “The Chronicle” Collections. The catalogue features blue chip high complications such as the Sky Moon Tourbillon, as well as under-appreciated neo-vintage discoveries, and the most striking of this selection doesn’t even chime. Lot 2424 – Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002P-001 While Patek Philippe’s Sky Moon Tourbillon started as a supporting act to the Star Caliber 2000, miniaturising the latter’s planisphere with moon passage and phases, its mindshare has far surpassed its larger sibling. It was Patek Philippe’s most complicated wristwatch when first launched, and the super-watch of the 2000s. Collectors entering the watch world during that time speak of it with the same nostalgia and reverence 2000s kids give to the Bugatti Veyron. The design was rather contemporary for early 2000s Patek Philippe, and looks nothing like its successor, the baroque ref. 6002. At 42 mm in diameter, it was also notably large — the ref. 5016 with which shares most of its movement, was only 36 mm in diameter. It was forward thinking in another way, selling an extremely expensive, astronomical complication as an off-the-rack product, continuing Philippe Stern’s “build it and they will come” attitude that began with the Calibre 89. Patek Philippe’...
SJX Watches
One of the most intriguing debuts in independent watchmaking this year is Nouvelle Chronometrie with its Montre Ordinaire. Despite the name, Nouvelle Chronometrie is actually Japanese, and the “ordinary” watch is a tourbillon chronometer inspired by 20th century observatory chronometer watches and dressed in formal Breguet attire. With its rigorously classical design, evident on both the front and back, the Nouvelle Chronometrie is distinctly Japanese at heart in how it careful reproduces and enhances traditional watchmaking – executed with a great deal of attention to detail. Moreover, the manufacturing of the watch is a combination of both old school manual methods and modern technology, reflecting a typically Japanese embrace of technology, not for cost efficiency, but for the sake of quality. Initial thoughts I first came across Nouvelle Chronometrie on Instagram. It was just images of the watch, with no information on the brand’s origins. Then I learnt Nouvelle Chronometrie was founded and led by Noritaka Sakurai, a longtime collector who pivoted to join the industry – which ironically left me a little sceptical. Though I have known Mr Sakurai for a long time and regard him highly as a collector, he was chief executive at Hajime Asaoka’s watchmaking outfit until 2020 – that employer was a red flag for me. Fortunately, Mr Sakurai has left that behind, and has now gone all in with Nouvelle Chronometrie, a project that deserves recognition and praise. Accor...
SJX Watches
German independent watchmaker Marco Lang launched the Seven Spheres, the first multi-axis tourbillon wristwatch from Germany, and one of the few made with traditional materials and techniques. While the rotational speed is necessarily gradual, the central position of the massive seven-axis regulator affords a good view of the fine Saxon finishing from all sides. Initial thoughts Multi-axis tourbillons tend to be the domain of industrial brands, or independents that rely on industrial suppliers. It’s also a genre that’s overwhelmingly Swiss — Thomas Prescher is German, but produced his pioneering multi-axis tourbillons in Switzerland. In this context, the Seven Spheres is a departure from the norm in several respects. It’s Marco Lang’s first tourbillon since branching out on his own in 2019, and it’s the first multi-axis tourbillon made in Saxony. Without historical precedent to contend with, Mr Lang has produced something quite unlike any other German watch — a central, multi-axis tourbillon suspended within a donut-shaped movement. Despite its artisanal quality and low-volume production, the Seven Spheres costs no more than an equivalent from a big brand. It’s counterintuitive to suggest that a wristwatch that costs a quarter-million Euros is a good value, but on a comparative basis the pricing makes sense. Seven spheres, front and back Marco Lang cites the work of both Ptolemy and Carl Sagan as inspiration for the Seven Spheres’ architecture. The seven ...
Monochrome
Parmigiani Fleurier’s luxury sports watch collection, the Tonda PF, got off to a flying start with the release of not one but two chronographs in its inaugural 2021 lineup. Led by the refined Split Seconds in platinum and the high-frequency COSC-certified integrated manufacture movement powering the steel Tonda PF Chronograph, the collection may be understated […]
SJX Watches
In the run-up to Watches & Wonders, our founder SJX sat down with Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid to discuss the brand’s new releases, including the Saxonia Annual Calendar and the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”. They also touch on the brand’s philosophy around limited editions, the challenges of training watchmakers on new movements, and why Lange has no plans to enter the custom-order market. Watch now on YouTube.
Monochrome
Ever since the return of the brand under the umbrella of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton (alongside Gerald Genta), Daniel Roth has focused on bringing back the emblematic ellipsocurvex design of Monsieur Roth, as well as the refined execution of earlier creations. Following the debut of the Tourbillon model, available in yellow and rose […]
SJX Watches
Daniel Roth’s latest addition to its time-only portfolio is the Extra Plat Platinum. A familiar face in a new colourway, the Extra Plat offers the Tourbillon Platinum‘s stealthy look in a more accessible two-hand format. Powered by the DR002 in-house calibre developed by Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps (LFT), this regular production model brings a decidedly subtle look to the brand’s simple dress watch. Initial thoughts It’s been interesting to observe Louis Vuitton’s confident foray into haute horlogerie through the revival of Daniel Roth. Despite the corporate structure, astute collectors continue to speak of Daniel Roth in the same breath as other leading independent watchmakers. To the independent-collecting cognoscenti, the platinum Extra Plat should prove a compelling option – rooted in the early history of the independent watchmaking movement but built to meet contemporary expectations. Following Daniel Roth’s launch of the Tourbillon Souscription, the time-only, manually wound Extra Plat — “extra flat” for non-French speakers — debuted in an 18k yellow gold souscription edition followed closely by regular production models in rose gold, with and without skeletonisation. The new platinum Extra Plat rounds out the set. Combined with the matching dial with contrasting finishes, it creates a rather stealthy profile for this otherwise opulently finished dress watch. Extra Plat-inum The platinum double-ellipse case shares the wrist-friendly d...
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne has repeated last year’s bifurcated release format with the launch of the compact, value-oriented Saxonia Annual Calendar alongside the flagship Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”. Available in both 18k white and pink gold, the Saxonia Annual Calendar is not a limited edition, but will be made in small numbers as a consequence of the brand’s diverse portfolio and limited output of about 5,000 watches per year. Initial thoughts The Saxonia Annual Calendar was one of the more talked-about watches of the fair, not because it’s particularly novel or exciting, but instead because it gets all the small things right. It looks good on the spec sheet, with nearly perfect dimensions, the brand’s signature big date complication, and an upgraded and well-dressed automatic base calibre. But as good as the Saxonia is on paper, it’s even better up close. The brand’s typical alpha-shaped hands — common to all Lange models — are brilliantly sharp, and the dial text is finely printed. A detail I especially like on the white gold model is the nearly tone-on-tone typography for the ‘Made in Germany’ text, which is something I’d like to see more of from the brand. A new aesthetic detail is an additional facet at the outer end of each hour marker, effectively creating a tiny pyramid, akin to Cote de Paris. This design appears to be a subtle nod to the previous generation of the Saxonia, which featured baton indexes punctuated with gold stu...
SJX Watches
A tourbillon within a tourbillon, itself within yet another tourbillon. The Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon à Stratosphère is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s sixth-generation multi-axis tourbillon, 22 years after the first Gyrotourbillon launched in 2004. The revised tourbillon architecture now covers close to 100% of possible positions in space to dilute the effects of gravity across nearly all possible orientations. But is it a genuine precision instrument, or an exploration of the limits of contemporary mechanics? Evolution or revolution? The calibre 178 that powers the Stratosphère builds on more than two decades of research into multi-axis tourbillons, during which Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) has explored variables such as axis multiplication, different hairspring geometries, miniaturisation, and new forms of energy management. This logical evolution of the Gyrotourbillon concept remained theoretical until recently. “Its realisation has only been possible thanks to the current maturity of the Manufacture’s expertise and technologies – it would have been difficult to envisage just a few years ago,” notes Takahiro Hamaguchi, Product & Innovation Director at JLC. This capability also stems from the brand’s internal structure, which enables the conception and production of a movement from scratch, and is reflected in the new Hybris Inventiva line, which will grow into a showcase of watches that isolate a single innovative complication developed through multi-year inte...
Hodinkee
The Original Miami Beach Antique Show (OMBAS) is one of my favorite trips of the year. For those of us deep in vintage watch appreciation, it's an absolute must-see. The show sees watch dealers and collectors flying in from all corners of the world for arguably the most important vintage show in the world. OMBAS is the sort of show you can find stuff you'll never see again, as well as things you simply didn't know existed. Ever wanted to see numerous Tasti Tondi's, Paul Newmans, and 2499's all in one room? This is where you do it. As its name suggests, it's truly a diverse show, with all manners of antiques you could think of, and those you couldn't, all for sale within the colossal Miami Beach Convention Center. The Miami Beach Convention Center Typically, the show is held just after the holidays in January, but for 2026, it was moved to March, a decision that also ensured much better weather for those fortunate enough to have spare time to explore. Held over six days, I picked up a few key takeaways from my time there compared to previous visits. Firstly, prices. Previously, it felt more possible to find deals at the show. Not as much with the watch dealers who know exactly what they have, but from those stands that stock all sorts of antiques, who also just happened to have a few watches hidden away. They were always the gold mines for vintage scores. Nowadays, it seems everyone knows what they have, which seems to be down to one thing: the price of gold. The desirabili...
SJX Watches
Shin Ohno is the winner of the 12th F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition. The young Japanese watchmaker clinched the prize with the Fuyu-Geshiki, a small grande et petite sonnerie tourbillon clock inspired by the winter landscape of Nagano, a northern prefecture of Japan. Made by one man with a watchmaker’s lathe, desktop CNC mill, and not a lot of sleep, the ebony-cased timepiece is one of the most impressive works produced by the competition yet. From Nagano Mr Ohno describes Nagano as “defined by the purity of its air, by the flow of spring water, and by melting snow”. It is also the heart of Japan’s watch industry, boasting the country’s largest movement assembly plant (Citizen’s Saku plant) and is home to Mr Ohno’s employer — Seiko Epson. Specifically, Mr Ohno works as an engineer within the company’s watch division, but it should be noted that this timepiece is entirely unrelated to the (now discontinued) Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie and Credor Minute Repeater. Mr Ohno designed the movement from the ground up, citing the creative works of past winner Norifumi Seki and Masahiro Kikuno as key inspirations. A closer look at the tourbillon cage. The teeth are polished to catch the light like slick stones. While he learned how to design watch parts at his day job, it was someone else’s job to manufacture them. With the Fuyu-Geshiki, Mr Ohno had to master production as well as design. He cites his colleague, master watchmaker Ikukiyo Komatsu, as a mento...
Quill & Pad
We all know that watchmakers love complications. Throughout history, the quest for ever greater chronometric precision has produced a wide range of mechanisms, like the tourbillon, which has been mastered by many and improved. The post Good Vibrations: Armin Strom reveals the Minute Repeater Resonance 12:59 First Edition appeared first on Quill & Pad.
SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) has introduced its next-generation multi-axis tourbillon as part of its new Hybris Inventiva collection, introduced purely to explore complications previously thought to be ”impossible” to achieve. The collection opens with the Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère, which improves upon prior Gyrotourbillon models by taking the oscillator through 98% of possible positions. Initial thoughts The impressive movement of the Stratosphere was ostensibly developed to improve accuracy, and on a theoretical basis the multi-axis design should go a long way to eliminate positional errors. Of course, in reality it’s difficult to outperform simplicity. That said, the new cal. 178 is a thoughtfully engineered and impressively constructed mechanical sculpture that does credit to its maker, showcasing JLC’s breadth of capabilities. It’s also quite wearable by the standards of its category. Some past Gyrotourbillon models suffered from excessive size - namely the ungainly Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2. Fortunately, the Stratosphère is comparatively sleek at just 42 mm, though the movement uses every bit of its 16.15 mm thickness. Understanding the Inventiva The new Hybris Inventiva collection has a different mandate than the existing Hybris Mechanica and Hybris Artistica collections. Specifically, each Inventiva will features just one complication, albeit one taken to new heights. The Inventiva collection will feature ideas born from blue-sky...
Monochrome
When it was unveiled in 2014, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Calibre 362 stunned the horological world as the slimmest automatic minute repeater with a tourbillon regulator. For 2026, Jaeger revisits its high-complication masterpiece with the new Master Hybris Mechanica Ultra Thin Minute Repeater, a ten-piece limited edition with an openworked dial reaffirming the Maison’s dominance in chiming mechanisms, […]
Deployant
DEPLOYANT - The watch magazine for collectors, by collectors Lange continues their refresh path with two new releases (3 references) for WWG26 for Lange. We covered the press releases with commentary earlier. Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Lumen is the star of their show this year. This watch is not new but, with the first released in 2016. The movement is now new with [...] The post Live from WWG26: new releases from A. Lange & Söhne appeared first on DEPLOYANT.
Monochrome
Under Davide Cerrato’s leadership, Bremont has shifted from the British aviation niche toward a more global luxury tool-watch brand, still rooted in Air, Land and Sea but with a more cohesive brand identity. Aiming higher, Bremont announces the release of the Supernova, a new collection that will get a flying start as the first British […]
Deployant
Highlights from Louis Moinet releases - chronographs. The first is a chronograph with champagne dial and the other is in grey chronograph tourbillon.
Monochrome
The Sport Traveller is a new model from Laurent Ferrier that adds a dual time function to the brand’s titanium Sport series. The Sport Traveller continues the aesthetic first introduced with the Grand Sport Tourbillon and later refined with the Sport Auto, and the new watch combines the same smooth case and integrated bracelet with a traveller-style complication […]
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne turns once again to its greatest hits for its flagship launch at Watches & Wonders 2026. The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” bestows the translucent, luminous treatment to the top-of-the-line Lange 1 in a 50-piece limited edition in platinum. Powered by the L225.1, an upgrade on the previous generation movement, the latest Lumen edition has a grey-tinted sapphire dial that reveals glow-in-the-dark elements, including the date discs and moon phase. Over the back, the edition is also set apart by a pair of steel cocks sporting engraving of stars. Initial thoughts The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” stands out as one of the most appealing Lumen models; I’d rank it up there along with the original Zeitwerk “Phantom” in terms of appeal. The Lumen treatment works best with lot of obvious luminous components, which is the case here. Flourishes like the luminous bases for each of the Roman hour numerals are a pleasing touch. The twin engraved steel cocks are especially noteworthy; the concept is classic Lange but the engraved star motif adds variety. That said, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” scores highly, maybe even perfectly, in terms of intrinsic and tactile appeal. The technical accomplishment is also top class: the calendar is instantaneous, movement construction is sophisticated, and decoration is outstanding. But this arguably scores less well in terms of originality or creativity. The moveme...
Time+Tide
Czapek & Cie releases a trio of Antarctique models with grade 5 titanium cases and bracelets, and Cosmic Blue dials The Dark Sector and Révélation models are available in both 40.5mm and 38.5mm, and the Tourbillon model is available in 40.5mm. Each model features Cosmic Blue as the main dial colour, with each model appearing … ContinuedThe post Cool blues and feather light, Czapek & Cie releases three new Antartique models in full titanium and blue dials appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
FVF Genève’s second model after the FVF1 skeleton tourbillon, the FVF2 Intrepido Time & Day is a more concise and accessible watch. It’s essentially a familiar formula – time (plus day) and a hand-finished manual wind movement – the FVF2 nonetheless manages to stand out thanks to brand founder Franc Vila’s eye for design. Pictured here with a black mother of pearl dial, part of a five-piece edition, the FVF2 has a pleasing asymmetry. The movement is composed of intriguing geometric forms and quirky details like the square winding click, while also being traditionally decorated with generous bevelling and black polishing. The case is an unusual “unibody” construction where the base plate and case middle are one and the same Initial thoughts The FVF2 might seem like yet another time-only watch with a fancily decorated movement, and it is just that, but not quite. Its creator, Franc Vila, is an industry veteran rather than a newcomer, and is now making a comeback after rising and falling with his original brand some two decades ago. Unlike many recent calibres that try to do more with more, the FVF2 movement is more minimalist but has a recognisable style and artful details. The calibre is characterised by geometric forms that encompass finer elements like the winding click, while also retaining a clear classical bent with the prominent going train and finishing. The treatment for the titanium base plate requires superheated gases to create an oxide layer on t...
Monochrome
Over the past few years, Qian GuoBiao, an independent watchmaker working in Dongguan, China, known as “the tourbillon doctor“, has established a quite disciplined design language, shaped by his background in the restoration and application of traditional hand-finishing. His earlier watches focused on clarity, proportion and the display of mechanics, incorporating visible balances without resorting […]
Deployant
Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein continue one of modern watchmaking’s most distinctive collaborations with the Smile‑Day Blue and the Tourbillon Régulateur Blue. These two new models open the brand’s newly introduced Hall of Fame collection and reaffirm a shared philosophy that blends technical seriousness with joy, color, and personality.
Monochrome
Independent watchmaker Anton Suhanov, member of the AHCI, presents the Flamingo, a debut of his “flaming balance” concept in a wristwatch equipped with a fully in-house calibre. Known for complex clocks, including multi-axis tourbillons and the award-winning St Petersburg Easter Egg Tourbillon Clock (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2025), but also experimenting with wristwatches with […]
Monochrome
Parisian brand Bell & Ross has long worked with open dials, showing more of the movement instead of covering it up. With the BR-X3 line, that approach also sits well within the brand’s circle-within-a-square design language introduced in 2005. After last year’s BR-X3 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor, this new BR-X3 Micro-Rotor keeps the same idea, but this […]
Deployant
Bell & Ross released the BR-X3 Micro-Rotor of 2025, a more accessible version to the skeleton tourbillon released in 2025.
Monochrome
Andreas Strehler is one of the most accomplished independent watchmakers. He is known for sophisticated creations such as the Sauterelle à Lune Exacte and the Trans-Axial Tourbillon, and his work has long been associated with complex mechanics and meticulous execution. With the launch of the Strehler brand three years ago, he aimed to make watches […]
Monochrome
I’ve always been a big fan of watches that have something moving on the dial, other than the smooth and consistent running of hour, minute and second hands. Whether it’s a dial-mounted balance wheel, a tourbillon escapement or even a winding rotor, I just love to see some type of action that goes beyond pure […]
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