Hodinkee
Introducing: Montblanc's Magical Mystery Tourbillon: The Star Legacy Suspended Exo
Wingardium Leviosa tourbillon, anyone?
Results for The Royal Oak Launch Story
44,454 articles · 223 videos found · page 59 of 1490
Hodinkee
Revolution
Introducing Montblanc’s New Watches in the Star Legacy Collection
Montblanc’s latest prove they know how to hit hard when it comes to high complications.
Hodinkee
Watch Spotting: Michael Jordan Wearing An Urwerk UR-202S At The NBA All-Star Game
Game recognize game.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
What’s in a Name (Brand)? Department Store Watches for the Masses
... Read more
Hodinkee
Happenings: A HODINKEE Meet-Up At The Leica Store San Francisco On Wednesday, August 21
Come out to talk watches, cameras, and more.
Hodinkee
Recommended Reading: The Entire Europa Star Archive Of Magazines Going All The Way Back To 1959
What a long, strange trip it's been.
Hodinkee
Watch Spotting: Soccer Star Alex Morgan Wearing A Hublot Big Bang One Click At The USWNT World Cup Championship Parade
A watch that's equal parts patriotic and celebratory.
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Arnold & Son DSTB Stop-Seconds
One of the brands we don’t talk about all that often here is Arnold & Son. It’s a brand that offers an interesting heritage story—Swiss watchmaking with English roots, as the brand proudly headlines on its website in homage to eighteenth-century watchmaker John Arnold. It sits within the Citizen Group as one of the brand’s prestige properties, along with Angelus, and both are led by Pascal Béchu. Many people may be surprised to find out that the Citizen Group’s portfolio extends quite a bit out of Japan, with other familiar names like Bulova, Frederique Constant, Alpina, and La-Joux Perret as key properties, but Arnold & Son stands out mostly due to its price point and complicated high horology offerings. A little over two weeks ago, in time for WatchTime NY, Arnold & Son introduced a new update to the brand’s DSTB models—the new DSTB Stop-Seconds limited editions in Cliff Grey and Kingsand. Both are limited to 18 pieces each. On the surface, they might look just like new dial and metal combinations for the pre-existing DSTB (Dial-Side True Beat) references, but these new editions get a pretty major upgrade—hacking functionality for the deadbeat seconds. Hacking seconds might not seem like an update worthy of celebration, but for a watch that puts so much emphasis on the seconds hand, it is a welcome sight. The deadbeat (or true-seconds) complication is, unsurprisingly, the focus of the architecture here, thanks to the mechanism of the complication iso...
SJX Watches
The First Patek Philippe 3970 Resurfaces at Sotheby’s
The first numbered Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph ref. 3970 returns to Geneva on November 8 as part of Sotheby’s Important Watches sale. Originally sold at the brand’s Geneva salon on Rue du Rhône on January 14, 1987, this example represents a pivotal moment in Patek Philippe’s recent history. The launch of the ref. 3970 ended the 30-year run of its predecessor, the ref. 2499, and began a new era for Patek Philippe chronographs. This example was born from that transition, bearing the lowest-numbered Lemania-based Patek Philippe movement: no. 875’000. Had this watch come any later, the brand may have kept it for the museum, as it did the first ref. 3971 (no. 875’030). Today, Patek Philippe’s perpetual calendar chronographs represent something of an entry point into the brand’s Grand Complications collection, but they were once the most complicated wristwatches on the market, with the brand building as few as 10 per year. But the market for high-end complicated wristwatches, which historically varied between none and niche, exploded during the 1980’s, transforming Patek Philippe’s perpetual calendar chronograph from a halo piece to a staple. That transformation began with this watch. A closer look This watch is no stranger to the auction block, having sold at Antiquorum in 2005 and 2015, with no apparent change to its condition throughout that time. Fittingly, it comes with its original box and certificate of origin. In most cases these deta...
Fratello
Sinn Celebrates 65 Years With The 140 A S Anniversary Chronograph Limited Edition
Sinn commemorates 65 years in business with the 140 A S Anniversary, a chronograph inspired by the brand’s spaceflight history. Limited to 300 pieces, the watch continues a model line that demonstrated the reliability of a mechanical automatic chronograph in zero gravity. The story goes back to 1985, when physicist and astronaut Reinhard Furrer wore […] Visit Sinn Celebrates 65 Years With The 140 A S Anniversary Chronograph Limited Edition to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introducing - Warm Autumnal Colours for the Rado DiaStar Original Skeleton
Although Rado is synonymous today with high-tech ceramic watches, it got a head start in innovative materials with the launch of its DiaStar model in 1962. Made from brightly polished tungsten carbide sintered under intense heat, it was the world’s first scratch-proof watch. A child of its time, the futuristic flying saucer case featured a […]
Hodinkee
Hands-On: We Put The Casio G-Shock 2500 Series "CasioNaut" Through Its Paces
This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia. Photos by Georgia Griffiths and Jack Shepherdson. The worst-kept secret in affordable watches is finally out. Casio has just pulled the covers off what might be their most hype-worthy affordable watch since the G-Shock 2100 "CasiOak": the G-Shock 2500 series. We’ve been aware of this watch for a while now, as it was briefly leaked by Casio in Japan - so enthusiasts have already nicknamed it the "CasioNaut" thanks to its Holy Trinity sports watch-evoking case sides. But don’t judge this book by its cover: the 2500 has some tricks up its sleeve, beyond any passing resemblance to a much more expensive mechanical watch. Hodinkee ANZ has had the chance to wear, review, and put this CasioNaut through its paces this month ahead of its official launch, and we’ve got some key insights we’re keen to finally share. So, to start: the 2500 series is a fully analog G-Shock featuring no screens, digital readouts, or Bluetooth connectivity: just a two-handed central time display, a small seconds subdial, and a date display. Prices also start at less than A$300 (not A$100,000+ like the recently-released "Blue Rose Project"!) However, this isn’t just a time-and-date watch. (More on that in a second.) Firstly, it’s fitted with Casio's Shock Release Hand system (that debuted on the GA-V01 in April 2025), which holds the minute hand in place with magnets instead of a conventional mechanical post. Watch hands ar...
Fratello
The Best Watch I’ve Ever Owned: The Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 50th Anniversary
A few months ago, we asked our team members to write about the best watch they’ve ever owned. Thomas wrote a love story about his Rolex Explorer II 16570, Jorg was (and still is) talking about the Tudor Black Bay Pro, and Lex wrote that his JLC Geophysic Universal Time beats all his other watches. […] Visit The Best Watch I’ve Ever Owned: The Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 50th Anniversary to read the full article.
Fratello
Getting Some Hands-On Time With The New Orient Flusso
Last month, Orient launched the new Flusso, an integrated-bracelet sports watch inspired by the brand’s historic Super King (“SK”) models. The watch combines vintage influences with a contemporary design language, signaling a fresh direction for the Japanese manufacturer. I covered the launch when it was announced, but shortly after that article went live, the watch […] Visit Getting Some Hands-On Time With The New Orient Flusso to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introducing - Meet the TYPE 10 DN, Ressence’s First Oil-Filled Watch with the Proprietary Movement
A few months ago, at Watches and Wonders, Ressence introduced a watch to be seen as a pivotal moment for the brand. It was potentially the most important launch for the independent watchmaker since its creation. Dubbed the TYPE 11, this watch remained very Ressence at first sight… Evolutionary more than radically novel. That was […]
Fratello
The Oris ProPilot Calibre 111 Returns More Than A Decade After Its Introduction
Oris revives one of its most distinctive in-house movements with the return of the ProPilot Calibre 111. More than a decade has passed since the 2015 launch of the original Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 111, powered by a manually wound movement boasting an impressive 10-day power reserve. That watch followed the release of the Oris’s […] Visit The Oris ProPilot Calibre 111 Returns More Than A Decade After Its Introduction to read the full article.
Fratello
Introducing The Fears Arnos Opera Black: The Ultimate Black Tie Watch
Mozart’s Don Giovanni is regarded as one of the greatest operas of all time. The Commendatore’s story forms its moral and supernatural core. Don Giovanni, a serial libertine, kills the Commendatore in a duel. Later, after mocking a statue erected in memory of the father of Donna Anna, the woman he harassed in her quarters […] Visit Introducing The Fears Arnos Opera Black: The Ultimate Black Tie Watch to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Papar Puts a Twist on the All-Black Watch with Its Slimmest Watch Yet Featuring a Wandering-Hour
You probably know I’ve been a fan of Papar from the brand’s launch in 2024 with its initial model, the Anillo. Since this inaugural GMT collection, the brand has expanded with the addition of a diver called the Cenote. Now, we get a third collection that offers a wandering-hour: the Vuelte. Before even reading the full press kit and just browsing through the images of the latest model in Papar’s lineup, I could see the brand’s distinct and playful DNA shine through in details like the now-signature octagonal case created by intersecting planes giving the impression of folded steel and the poetic color-changing crescent moon logo smiling. I could also see the Vuelte bringing a new personality to the lineup – one that’s a bit more restrained and minimal. However, knowing the attention to detail and the meaning attached to those details that’s been a throughline with Papar’s designs, I also knew there was more than meets the eye behind the aesthetics of this latest offering. The Vuelte introduces a wander-hour complication executed with a very distinct all-black design. If you’ve been in the watch world for a while now, you are well versed in the plethora of blacked-out watches available from nearly every brand. Leave it to Papar to put its own spin on the color concept. Rather than relying on conventional hands, an aperture carrying the current hour travels around the black dial while a red triangular indicator traces the passing minutes along the perimet...
Hodinkee
Introducing: Hublot Takes Us Back To The Beginning With The Classic Fusion Tributo
This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia. What We Know Today, a luxury sports watch with a rubber strap is nothing revolutionary, but in 1980 it was scandalous. Italian watchmaker and entrepreneur Carlo Crocco fired the starting gun on a casual-luxury sports watch revolution when he combined a gold case with a rubber strap to build his ultimate Mediterranean summer watch: the MDM 'La Hublot.' Turns out his idea caught on and was quickly embraced by royalty in Monaco, Spain and Sweden, to name just a few. An archival shot of Carlo Crocco posing with early MDM Hublot models. Rarely-seen 'pre-Biver' Hublots, including chronographs and a dive watch. The original MDM 'La Hublot' and the new Hublot Classic Fusion Tributo. It's hard to imagine that Hublot is almost 50 years old. We as collectors tend to think of it as a young brand - and in many senses, it still is - but a half-century ain't nothing to sniff at. 46 years after its inaugural release, Hublot is going all the way back to its Carlo Crocco roots with the Hublot Classic Fusion Tributo, a standard-production watch that pays tribute to where the maverick brand started, made with the input of Mr Crocco himself (who officially exited Hublot in 2008). This release encompasses two models in 38mm, one in yellow gold and one in white gold, both housing a Zenith-sourced movement. In a departure from the standard Classic Fusion, the Tributo returns to the original MDM Hublot's 12-screw bezel design ...
Monochrome
Hands-on - The Updated Breguet Marine 5517, Navigating a More Classical Course
Breguet’s maritime pedigree dates to 1815, when Louis XVIII appointed Abraham-Louis Breguet as watchmaker to the French Royal Navy. Although Breguet did not invent the marine chronometer (that was John Harrison), he improved its robustness and precision, enabling sailors to calculate longitude at sea more accurately. It wasn’t until 1990, though, that the brand tapped […]
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Bremont Supermarine 500 Full Ceramic In Deep Blue
This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia. What We Know Under the stewardship of CEO Davide Cerrato, we’ve seen a revitalised Bremont experiment with all sorts of things—jumping hours pieces, meteorite dials, space watches—as well as ceramic cases, especially for its Supermarine dive watch. In 2024, they launched their first full-ceramic watch, the Supermarine 500 Black Ceramic, following up with a Jungle Green ceramic limited edition built to take on the tropics. Now, the British brand has debuted a Deep Blue ceramic Supermarine 500 that’s ready for the depths. While this new colored ceramic Supermarine is a follow-up to the Jungle Green, quite a lot has changed in the Supermarine lineup since its launch, including an upgraded movement with an improved power reserve. It also now sports a wave pattern on the dial rendered in black, which provides good contrast against the white Super-LumiNova (with blue emission), and brings some added texture and depth to the dial. The blue ceramic case measures the same dimensions as the rest of the Supermarine 500 lineup at 43mm across with a thickness of 13mm. It’s rated to 500 meters and also features a helium escape valve on the left side of the case that’s finished in a color-matched blue. The bezel insert is ceramic - it's laser-engraved with embossed numerals - yet both the bezel ring and the crown are titanium, not that you'd immediately clock it. Bremont has nailed the color-matching acro...
T
Teddy Baldassarre Excl
Teddy Baldassarre Excl
The Making of an Iconic Movement: The El Primero
We’re joined by Zenith to get the full story of how one of the world’s first automatic chronographs went from near-extinction to an enduring icon that has powered some of the most celebrated watches of all time. Straight from leading experts, we explore the 50+ year history of the El Primero, still widely used by Zenith today, to understand why it remains one of the most iconic chronograph movements of all time.More
Worn & Wound
Inside the Release Party Omega’s New Bond and Spectre-Edition Seamasters with CEO Raynald Aeschlimann
On Monday evening in Los Angeles, Omega celebrated Global James Bond Day with a launch party for the latest collection of Seamaster Diver 300Ms to join the Omega x James Bond Universe–including their first Spectre-themed watches ever. With CEO Raynald Aeschlimann on-hand and surrounded by a collection of iconic props from the Bond films (including Agent Primo’s bionic eyeball from No Time To Die), Omega displayed some of these new Bond references publicly for the first time. At the core of the new collection are a pair of non-limited steel models, a James Bond Edition (ref. 210.30.42.20.03.004) and a Spectre Edition (ref. 210.30.42.20.01.023). Omega will also offer a duo of limited edition models rendered in platinum-gold: the Bond-themed ref. 210.83.42.20.03.001 and the Spectre-themed ref. 210.83.42.20.01.001. The limited edition watches will be sold exclusively in sets that include one of the limited edition Bond or Spectre watches and a numbered example (1-77) of the corresponding non-limited steel model. The numbered editions of the steel models get their own reference numbers, but don’t differ from the non-limited watches in any meaningful way. So, while the collection technically boasts six new references, it’s really only four new watches. Got it? All of the watches in the new series share the familiar 42mm case diameter with the current production model Seamaster 300M, but the new models are a hair thicker at 14.23 mm. While fans that have been holding ou...
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Sexy, Secretive Toledano & Chan Oshinobi, With Commentary From Phil Toledano
This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia. What We Know Toledano & Chan, the horological design collaboration between artist and collector Phil Toledano and watch designer Alfred Chan, is back with their latest brutalist architecture-inspired watch, the Oshinobi. This one throws a new concept into the mix: concealment. O-shinobi is a Japanese term used to describe a person of high rank traveling incognito, which should give you a hint at how this Toledano & Chan watch works. It’s a secret watch, fitted with a horizontally sliding cover that reveals an organically shaped and concave dial set with two carats of snow-set diamonds. To fly even further under the radar, the crown is hidden, accessible from the underside of the case at 12 o’clock. The inspiration for the Oshinobi's dial and crystal shape also comes from this idea of concealment, inspired by natural geodes that look like any other rock until they’re cracked open to reveal a world of crystals festooning the inside. The result is this architecturally aggressive bracelet shape that hides an organically shaped, irregularly diamond-studded secret inside. Phil, Jamie, and I sat down over the weekend to talk about the Oshinobi, and he tells me that he’s long been fascinated with vintage secret watches that conceal their dials. Hearing conversations in the watch community about safety concerns about traversing cities with flashy watches, he sees the Oshinobi as the antidote. Phil Toled...
Hodinkee
The Business of Watches Podcast: Bangalore Watch Company Co-Founder And CEO Nirupesh Joshi
This week on The Business of Watches, we feature a boutique brand and its CEO from a country that has the watch industry abuzz. Nirupesh Joshi is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bangalore Watch Company, based in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), India. Mercy Amalraj and Nirupesh Joshi. Founded in 2018, the company has slowly established itself as a purveyor of premium watchmaking, with models that don't rely on classic tropes about the country to tell their story. Former tech industry executives Joshi and his wife, Mercy Amalraj, are building a brand that aims to express India's modern spirit as the country becomes an increasingly significant economic and cultural player on the world stage. India has a rich watchmaking history, with brands like HMT and Titan producing watches in large volumes to serve its fast-growing population of over 1 billion people. But BWC is seeking a different client, one that's more seasoned in watches, and is seeking a brand that innovates and competes with other marques from around the world to tell its own unique stories. BWC has grown to about 15 staff members, including watchmakers repatriated from other brands, and has opened a boutique in its home city and produces around 2,000 watches per year, assembled in India using components made both in-country and from suppliers around the world. The company recently raised capital from investors, and Joshi tells us how BWC plans to bring its watches to a wider, global audience. Custo...
Fratello
The Wind Vintage × True North Vintage Rally Timer IV Dreamsicle Is A Sweet Surprise
Oh goodie, today’s new release is inspired by one of my favorite childhood treats! The Wind Vintage × True North Vintage Rally Timer IV Dreamsicle is a fun, affordable watch that should delight. It’s true that pale orange rarely leads a watch launch. Yet, Wind Vintage and the True North Watch Company just made it […] Visit The Wind Vintage × True North Vintage Rally Timer IV Dreamsicle Is A Sweet Surprise to read the full article.
Fratello
Australian Surfer Finds Rolex Submariner In The Pacific Ocean (From The Archives)
We’ve been going through some of the best Fratello stories recently, and this one by Henry on a surfer finding a Rolex Submariner in the ocean was one of our best-read articles. Just in case you might have missed it, we’re republishing it today. And make sure to read the follow-up story as well (you […] Visit Australian Surfer Finds Rolex Submariner In The Pacific Ocean (From The Archives) to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
A Majestic Journey Through Clocks & Watches Made for Royalty: The Victorian Age of Time - Queen Victoria and the Watchmaking Revolution
From the imposing astronomical clocks of Tudor England to the exquisite pendant watches of Victorian Britain, timekeeping has long been a symbol of power, prestige, and technological marvel within Europe’s royal courts. This new series explores the fascinating evolution of clocks and watches crafted specifically for royalty, tracing how these intricate masterpieces reflected the tastes, ambitions, and innovations of monarchs. Through the lens of craftsmanship, artistry, and historical significance, we reveal how these royal timepieces marked the passage of dynasties and empires. Victoria (1819-1901) was the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland between 1837 and 1901 and empress of India from 1876 to 1901. She was the last monarch of the House of Hanover and a queen whose reign defined an age known as the Victorian Era. It was a period of immense change and expansion that shaped Britain and the modern world. Under her rule, the monarchy evolved into the symbolic, ceremonial institution it is today. Victorian Britain was the workshop of the world, a place where science, engineering and artistry converged to define a new age of progress. From railways and telegraphs to the marvels of the Great Exhibition, innovation pulsed at the heart of empire. In horology, too, Britain played a commanding role with its precision chronometers keeping the navy supreme, while its watchmakers and clockmakers set standards of craftsmanship that resonated across Europe. In...
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Patek Philippe Celestial Ref. 6105G (Plus Technical In-Depth)
We're on the eve of one of Patek Philippe's biggest events every few years: the October 2nd to the 18th presentation of the brand's Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Milan. On Monday, I'll be flying there for a preview of the exhibition, so stay tuned for stories from that trip coming in the near future. Another story, which has been waiting in the wings and in progress for some time now, was a hands-on look at two of the most surprising (and potentially divisive) releases from Patek this year: the Cubitus perpetual calendar and the Celestial ref. 6105G. While all eyes were on the Nautilus's 50th anniversary, I thought Patek Philippe had a very interesting Watches & Wonders, at least from the perspective of bold releases and brand strategy. Truthfully, they could have done just about anything with the Nautilus, and those lucky enough to get a watch would have been happy. The Celestial alone was a wristwatch with a complication only four other brands have created. But just take a look at the two watches above and the two below. While I didn't get to see the ref. 7047G in person, it raised eyebrows for the very unusual blue tire tread-style dial (à la ref. 6007G) and remarkably strong orange accents and luminous hands and dial placed on a minute repeater that retails north of $570,000. It was perhaps so aesthetically surprising that it distracted people from the fact that Patek was honoring its past with a Calatrava-cased minute repeater reminiscent of the unique ref. 3652 and ...
Monochrome
Introducing - Buci Opens a New Chapter with the Singular Nouvelle Collection
Founded in 2022 by Nousseïma Baraket, Buci approaches watchmaking through the written word, taking ideas from books, poetry and different forms of writing. Its debut Garde-Temps collection established this identity, followed by collaborations with seconde/seconde/ and Revolution Watch magazine. With Nouvelle, its second collection, Buci turns to the short story, using the passage of time […]