Results for Atelier Wen

A Closer Look: Remy Cools Tourbillon Atelier

Hands-On: The Laurent Ferrier Série Atelier Classic Auto 'Sandstone'

Is Laurent Ferrier back, or was it just here all along and we needed a reminder?

Louis Erard and Atelier Oï Release their Second Collaboration

Getting outside Palexpo is essential during Watches & Wonders week. Not only because being inside the massive complex for days on end will quickly wreak havoc on your mental and physical health (it’s dry in there, and not seeing any natural light can’t be great for you), but because there’s so much watch related stuff happening in Geneva parallel to what’s going on at Watches & Wonders. Many smaller indies post up at hotels along Lake Geneva and take meetings with media and their dealer networks, and over the last three years these meetings have been some of our favorites to attend. One of them, with Louis Erard, produced an almost obscene level of interest. I think each of mentally bought a watch in the hour we spent chatting with CEO Manuel Emch.  The watch you see here, a new collaboration between Louis Erard and atelier Oï, is the only watch we can show you from that meeting. Everything else is under embargo, but will be revealed throughout the rest of the year. But man, I was glad to see this new limited edition on the table almost immediately after sitting down. It’s the same design as a watch in my own collection, featuring a dial made up of deeply cut striated ridges that fan out like a, well, like a fan, I guess. No markers or branding, but each ridge is effectively a minute marker, so telling the time is fairly straightforward after a brief adjustment period. This LE has a gold tone dial, which leaves a very different impression than my silvery gray v...

Just Because: A Look At The Pièce Unique Atelier de Chronométrie AdC17

Seven years on, the demand for bespoke watchmaking is apparently as strong as the results are beautiful.

Review: the Atelier Holgur Frømand

One of the great things about the current state of the watch world is the insane variety of watches that are available. We’re at a point (or at least approaching one) where brands of all stripes are willing to get creative in ways we haven’t seen in years. We’ve come out of a long period of time dominated by vintage inspired watches that all felt cut from the same cloth, and it feels like we’re now at the beginning of a new movement where makers large and small are aiming for narrower and narrower niches. I’m lucky to have seen some of the watches coming from brands we all admire later in the year, and I’m confident that when the dust settles we’ll be talking about a sea change toward more adventurous designs and a level of watchmaking once reserved for the super wealthy being made accessible to new customers for the first time. This is why I’m more interested than ever in the micro indies I’ve discussed in these pages previously. It feels like there’s a nearly infinite opportunity for brands to create special, unusual, innovative, and original watches for an audience that’s simultaneously incredibly broad and highly specialized. There’s no shortage of collectors interested in getting something unique – a byproduct of the aforementioned decade of lookalike black dialed divers. And yet, each individual watch forces you to ask, “Who is this for?” That’s a question that most of us wonder everytime we look at an MB&F; or De Bethune, and the answe...

A Look Inside Rolex World Service and the Restoration Atelier

Synonymous with durability and consistency, Rolex is most famous for the water-resistant Oyster watch case. But as important are its movements engineered to optimise timekeeping and functionality, exemplified by innovations like Chronergy and LIGA chronograph wheels. At the same time, Rolex watches are built for longevity, with the brand guaranteeing the availability of parts and labour for every model for at least 35 years after its discontinuation. Crucial in ensuring that the parts and labour are applied correctly is Rolex World Service, the brand’s after-sales division. The typically secretive Swiss watchmaking giant recently peeled back the covers on Rolex World Service, allowing a peek into its processes with information and a series of photos. Rolex World Service Rolex World Service encompasses the brand’s global after-sales service network, which is primarily made up of Rolex subsidiaries but occasionally run by third-party distributors in certain markets. All service centres are meant to offer a uniformly standard of service, regardless of ownership. A variety of servicing options are on offer at Rolex – all relatively affordable – with the most common being the full service detailed below. As the name implies, a full service is comprehensive, including polishing and replacements of parts. It is catered for the average consumer who wants a watch looking fresh and new, rather than the enthusiast or collector who prefers originality. A full service start...

Factory Visit: VAULT Watches and Uhrteil AG Atelier

We visited Vault watches production site at Uhrteil AG. We had a chat with VAULT Watches CEO Mark Schwarz and master watchmaker Andreas Strehler.

“A Great Deal Of Rough Treatment” - When The Rolex Explorer 1016 Went Caving

This is a story of pioneering adventurers. It is a tale about a group of expert cave divers that may never have surfaced if not for the tireless efforts of volunteers at the Oxford University Cave Club. It was also an opportunity for the watch brand Rolex to test out its Explorer 1016 on the […] Visit “A Great Deal Of Rough Treatment” - When The Rolex Explorer 1016 Went Caving to read the full article.

Top 5 questions I get when people find out I’m a watch reviewer

There are a lot of unique jobs in the world, and careers are very rarely planned out accurately. The wristwatch world adopted me in a whirlwind, and I went from preferring not to wear a watch to writing for Time+Tide within the space of about a year. Even if you told me when I was … ContinuedThe post Top 5 questions I get when people find out I’m a watch reviewer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

When the most valuable watch in your collection isn’t worth anything to anyone but you

My parents moved house a couple of years ago. “Any watches?” I asked as they sorted through 45 years of accumulated stuff. “Yes!” said my mother and went off to grab it. We all hope for the barn-find. A watch pulled out of the sofa, found in a drawer, handed down by a long-dead relative. … ContinuedThe post When the most valuable watch in your collection isn’t worth anything to anyone but you appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

VIDEO: Who will win ‘Apples to Apples’ episode 1? Featuring Frederique Constant and Baume & Mercier

This video series was born out of frustration. We were so sick of being asked to compare “apples to apples” (A2A) when it came to watch recommendations that we went and created a whole new segment – and a new concept for us – to get on the front foot to meet the demand. Like two very … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Who will win ‘Apples to Apples’ episode 1? Featuring Frederique Constant and Baume & Mercier appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Photo Report: When Hodinkee Went To London For One Night In March

Turns out we have a lot of friends in London

When Seiko Sumos Fly: Seiko Introduces a Pair of Solar Diver GMTs Ready for Your Next Adventure Abroad

It seems to me that more recently, Seiko has had “travel” on the mind. I say that based on the steadily increasing incorporation of the GMT complication within their more entry-level products. Last year we finally saw a GMT movement make its way into the Seiko 5 sports line with the SSK GMT and we all went bananas for it. I mean how could we not? It’s a travel ready watch packaged into a familiar and beloved Seiko design at a very reasonable price point. Their Prospex line however, has more experience with jumping time zones as it already provides multiple models with a fourth hand like the compass bezel equipped SNR025 and the more traditional looking traveler with the SNR033. Last week, Seiko announced a new GMT addition to the Prospex range and much to our excitement, they’re taking a page out of their SSK GMT release by throwing in a GMT complication into a familiar case silhouette. The new models we’re referring to are the SKF001J1 and the SFK003J1. Essentially what we have here is the Seiko Sumo with an added feature of a GMT hand via a solar powered quartz movement and a dial modification to accommodate the additional hand. The Seiko Sumo, which gets its nickname from its portly case and the signature twelve o’clock marker resembling the “Mawashi” of a competing sumo wrestler, got several updates from last year’s release including a ceramic bezel, super-hard coating, new dial design and a refresh to the accompanying stainless steel bracelet. The SF...

First Look – The Voutilainen 28MPR, the Farewell Edition to the Exceptional Vingt-8 Series

Kari Voutilainen is one of the most respected names in independent watchmaking. Since founding his atelier in 2002 in the Swiss Jura, the Finnish-born genius has been creating timepieces that combine the best of traditional craftsmanship with true mechanical ingenuity. His watches won’t be mistaken for someone else’s work, with elaborate guilloché dials, exceptional finishing […]

The Art Of Complexity, Episode 2: Inside The Ateliers Of Audemars Piguet

In the second installment of our three-part series in partnership with Audemars Piguet, we visit the workshops of the Le Brassus manufacture.

A Master Gunsmith Makes a Watch by Hand

Based in Pennsylvania, Dewey Vicknair is a respected gunsmith who specialises in restoring rifles and shotguns, and has been doing so for decades, gaining an esteemed reputation in the process. Now in his mid-fifties, he is also a self-taught watchmaker who has been performing watch servicing on the side. Recently Mr Vicknair made the leap from fixing watches to making one. Mr Vicknair explained the genesis of his first watch: “When I saw your stories about Atelier de Chronometrie and what they do with vintage Omega movements, I was inspired.” His inaugural creation is a hand-wound wristwatch of his own making, literally. Although the movement started out as a 1950s Omega cal. 266, Mr Vicknair reworked majority of it and made many parts from scratch, including the going train bridge, as he did for the case, dial, and even the gasket for the crown tube. Because he made most of the parts himself, Mr Vicknair had to fabricate the equipment required to make the parts, including a cutter for the gasket and a screw holder for black polishing. He even did the silver plating of the movement parts himself. It is an unexpected accomplishment for a first-time watchmaker. Initial thoughts Ordinarily I would be sceptical of an unknown watchmaker seeking publicity for a new project with a five-figure price tag. But a few things changed my mind. One was seeing Mr Vicknair’s unusually thorough documentation of his production process, which is almost entirely manual – even the mach...

You Are There: Attending The Jaeger-LeCoultre Sound Maker Exhibition In New York City

When Brendan Cunningham learned of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Sound Maker exhibition in New York, he quickly decided to attend and participate in the accompanying Atelier d’Antoine, a 1.5-hour workshop to discover why watches go "tick tock" and how time can be expressed. He shares his experiences here.

2011: Ateliers deMonaco Quantieme Perpetual QP-EZ makes setting the date easy

All the functions, and only the crown. Looking back at the ingenious Ateliers deMonaco Quantieme Perpetual QP-EZ.

Review: Jaquet Droz Les Ateliers d’Art Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée

Full hands-on analytical review of the amazing Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée. And the secrets behind the amazing paillonnée dial.

Introducing – Christiaan van der Klaauw Venus Zodiac and Venus Annual Calendar

Christiaan van der Klaauw is a renowned Dutch independent watch brand specialising exclusively in astronomical complications, making it the world’s only atelier dedicated solely to handcrafted timepieces inspired by celestial mechanics. Founded in 1974 by master watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw, who retired in 2009, the brand is now in the hands of watchmaker Pim […]

Introducing – The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai Waterfalls Series

The Reverso has lent itself to artistic expression quite naturally. Since its creation in 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s reversible case has provided a perfect canvas for decoration, engraving and enamel work. In recent years, the Manufacture and its Métiers Rares atelier used this possibility extensively and offered tributes to the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. Following earlier interpretations […]

Introducing – Swedish Gold and Damascus Steel for the new GoS Winter Nights III

GoS occupies a very special space on the independent watchmaking scene. The Swedish atelier is one of the very few to truly master Damascus steel, not just as a decorative element, but as a material explored from forging to finishing. From early creations to the original Vinternätter (Winter Nights) of 2013, and later evolutions and […]

Introducing – The New Felipe Pikullik Sternenhimmel, Powered by the New Calibre FPA1

The path of Felipe Pikullik has never been about sudden breakthroughs, but about steady, hands-on progression. Early pieces from his Berlin atelier were built on reworked Unitas movements, extensively modified, skeletonised and hand-finished to create something much more personal than their origins suggested. From the poetic Sternenhimmel to the more expressive ZBM1, and later regulator-style […]

Video – How Does it Work? The Sympathique Clock of the Louis Vuitton x De Bethune Explained by Denis Flageollet

As you might remember, Louis Vuitton and De Bethune recently introduced the third chapter in LV’s ongoing journey through independent watchmaking, the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project, following the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie made with Rexhep Rexhepi, founder of Atelier Akrivia, and the LVKV-02 GMR 6 made with Finnish-born watchmaker Kari Voutilainen. While we were expecting to […]

Introducing – TAOS Unveils “Génèse” and “Odonata”

Launched in 2024 in Geneva, TAOS is born out of a renowned Geneva-based atelier led by Olivier Vaucher. Bringing together some 40 highly skilled artisans, this Atelier, which works behind the scenes for some of the most prestigious names in fine watchmaking, can pride itself on an exceptional artistic heritage. On the eve of the major […]