30,127 articles · 3,187 videos found · page 618 of 1111
Quill & Pad
The Roger W. Smith Series 4 is a real crown jewel, both out of respect and a sense that its inherent quality is obscured by less extraordinary but more bombastic rivals. It’s austere, deliberately reserved, and quietly confident amid a world of indie watches buffed and beveled brightly enough to blind an eye.
Hodinkee
Our wish list for next year, and more!
Worn & Wound
My original idea when I was asked to contribute to this series was to focus on my favorite watch acquisitions of the year, explain why they’re noteworthy, and describe my thought process behind purchasing or trading for each. While I was writing about my Universal Geneve Ref. 842116 Tank and Seiko 6139-6002 Pogue, I couldn’t help but notice how far my collection has come over the last year or so. Since the purchase of my first wristwatch in 2012, it’s always been my goal to cultivate watch boxes filled with both timeless classics and rare oddities. Looking at my collection as this year concludes, I’m proud to say I’ve never changed this philosophy. It was with this realization that my plans for this article began to transform into a conversation about watch collecting identity. While 2024 has been quite the successful year for my collection and I, it’s also the year that I went from being an affordable watch collector to being …an affordable watch collector. You see, the watch collecting hobby is filled with subjective terminology. Words and phrases like “rare,” “new old stock,” “like-new old stock,” “budget-friendly,” and of course “affordable” frequently see usage on online auction platforms, social media, forums, and advertisements. While these are often used as buzzwords for sellers wanting their post to be boosted in search algorithms or by collectors wanting to flaunt their new purchase, I’ve always been fascinated by how pliable...
Monochrome
Rolex arguably has more iconic models than any major watchmaker, from the Submariner to the Datejust to the Explorer (and many more). Still, the Cosmograph Daytona has become something of a unicorn and a collector’s dream in the last couple of decades. At a time when the brand’s steel sports watches were still readily available […]
Quill & Pad
GaryG's first rule when it comes to collecting is to avoid setting too many exclusionary rules. With watches, he believes that it's the passion that separates collectors from investors and accumulators. Which brings him to another rule: deriving the full enjoyment from the things you own.
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Monochrome
Chronoswiss, founded by Gerd R. Lang in 1983, gained a reputation for its classical regulator-style displays and was one of the first brands to manufacture this distinctive dial arrangement in a wristwatch. In the hands of the Ebstein family since 2012, Chronoswiss has maintained the regulator and other traditional displays but injected new life into […]
Worn & Wound
At the end of last year, we made “resolutions,” and while I forgot we had done that until writing this post, I stayed pretty true to what I had said. I wanted to consolidate, focus, and potentially go big on a watch for my 40th birthday. I had to do the first to make the last part come true, and the second just kind of happened naturally. My tastes have changed quite a bit over the last two years, perhaps starting with the Bel Canto (shameless review plug). As such, I find myself drawn to a specific type of indie watch more and more, and frankly, I find most releases from large brands kind of boring. While that might be more of a “it’s not you, it’s me” kind of thing, I don’t see it changing anytime soon. But, back to my birthday, turning 40 was something I ignored until it was upon me. I’m not a big birthday celebration guy, but 40 felt different; it’s a bit of a terrifying number, thus it needed to be marked meaningfully. And, well, I can’t turn down a good opportunity to horologically spoil myself. However, to go big, I had to let several things go. While I’ll avoid the details, all said and done, I sold six watches and traded one, though in fairness, not all before making my purchase (you know how it is). I went down a rabbit hole of options, obsessing, as I tend to do, to such an extent that I even dreamed about scrolling Chrono24. Custom pieces, indies, vintage, big Swiss, maybe nothing; I pondered them all, even creating renders of potential be...
Hodinkee
The new collaborative release from the historic American company and young collecting community offers real stone dials at affordable prices.
Worn & Wound
One of my favorite stories to cover over the course of 2024 has been the evolution of Holthinrichs, a brand I’ve long been fascinated by for their unique Horlogerie Brut design language and apparently boundless ambition. The brand shifted course quite dramatically in 2024, moving away from a reliance on 3D printing for their case construction, and focusing on a more affordable CNC-machined product that they hope will allow them to scale and reach new clients without sacrificing the brand’s vision. At the same time, they’ve also developed an insanely complex haute horlogerie piece that is easily their most ambitious watch to date. We covered the new affordable Signature collection earlier this year, as well as Ornament Nouveau, and we even had brand founder Michiel Holthinrichs on the podcast to walk us through all of it. To say it’s been an eventful year at Holthinrichs would be an understatement, and yet they’ve found time in the last days of 2024 to unveil yet another new piece, a collaboration with The Horology Club, a Hong Kong based collector community. The limited edition Signature Ornament “Concrete Jungle” can perhaps best be viewed as a creative spin on the current stone dial trend. The dial is made from lume infused concrete, which according to Holthinrichs makes this the first luminous concrete dial ever made. We believe them, simply because concrete dials are incredibly rare (though not completely unheard of). Concrete, of course, is not a natur...
Worn & Wound
Since their founding in 2020, Beaucroft has worked to blend historic timekeeping techniques with a bit of modern style to create watches at an affordable price point and attract a new generation of watch enthusiasts. Located in Cambridge, England, this independent British brand has partnered with Horologium for final assembly, testing, and regulation, creating a collection of watches with notable British provenance. Beaucroft’s newest watch, the Element, aims to become your new “GADA” (Go Anywhere, Do Anything”) watch with a touch of modern flair while retaining classic sport watch features. With six different dial colors currently available, you can find an Element to be as bold, or as stealthy, as you want. Within the independent and micro-brand space, first impressions of a brand are a critical moment in the relationship with the consumer, setting a tone that will either be reinforced or broken over time. For many consumers out there, the unboxing of a watch is often this first impression, as many of our favorite brands ship directly to consumers. While unboxing the Beaucroft for the first time, I was greeted with a dark teal leather service pouch, embossed with Beaucroft’s logo on the front flap. While service pouches are quite common in the industry, I always like seeing one included with a watch as it allows your watch to have a transportable “home”, for those moments when it does leave your wrist. More so, it gives an appearance that the brand knows ...
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Monochrome
Since its founding, Rolex has been a powerhouse of Swiss watchmaking and the name is synonymous with luxury and success. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf as Wilsdorf and Davis in 1905, it wasn’t until 1908 that the patronym Rolex was registered as the brand name. Some of the most iconic models like the Submariner, Explorer, GMT-Master […]
Yes. It’s the holiday gift guide to end all gift guides. When the grid goes down and there’s nowhere else to run, we’ve gathered the ultimate guide of goods for surviving the zombie apocalypse in style. Helmed by the Orienteering Quota 8611, created by our friends at Terra Cielo Mare-a younger sibling to the watch worn by Brad Pitt’s character in the Hollywood epic World War Z-these essentials are designed to help you hide, hunker, and hike your way out of harm’s way. Infected or not, these gifts are ideal for that fan of the genre, or that gear-minded guru in your life. Now follow us into the abyss through a series of journal entries discovered from the zombie apocalypse that could have been. Journal Entry – Day 8 of the Zombie Apocalypse – 9:12 AM I glance at my wristwatch to check the time. It’s been three hours since we last heard the inhuman howls of the undead. Thankfully, the large, lumed numerals on the dial of this 44mm, burly timepiece are easy to read. They were absolutely everywhere, and the only thing standing between me and becoming their next meal was my Terra Cielo Mare Orienteering Quota 8611. Its rugged, Italian design was perfect for the chaos, but it was the internal bezel compass feature that truly saved me. As the horde closed in, I rotated the bezel to align with my escape route. Thanks to the precise markings and the luminous dial, I could navigate the streets with ease. The shock-resistant build held up as I scrambled over ru...
Time+Tide
While I may not have been scouring eBay this year, I've certainly dipped in and out with a few purchases and sales shifting my collection.The post The three watches Buffy wore most in 2024 are… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
GaryG's thoughts have turned to one major system that is always there, but generally hidden from sight: the movement. Here are a few of his favorites and why. And in the philosophy of putting my money where my mouth is, these movements have appeared in one or more watches that he has owned personally.
Monochrome
Six years ago, Robin wrote about Michiel Holthinrichs, an up-and-coming young Dutch architect-turned-watchmaker using 3D printing techniques to create his cases. The result, with its raw industrial finish, can be appreciated on Holthinrich’s second watch with its grainy concrete textures, although other cases were partially polished and hand-finished for a more refined look. Given the […]
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Fratello
Welcome back to Fratello Talks. Everyone knows Switzerland is home to some of the world’s greatest and most renowned watch brands. But plenty of brands outside the Alpine region - and even outside Europe - produce high-end mechanical timepieces that can stand shoulder to shoulder with their Swiss contemporaries. Some of these non-Swiss brands have […] Visit Fratello Talks: Non-Swiss Watch Brands That We Love to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
The FXD is a watch that gets under your skin. Since Tudor introduced this strange offshoot of the Pelagos collection at the end of 2021, it’s turned into something of a fan favorite, and while it’s not without its detractors, Tudor has steadily fleshed out the concept into a full fledged collection. The newest member of that collection, the FXD GMT, is arguably the most versatile of the bunch, delivering on an often-requested feature set without compromising the size of the case. On paper, the FXD GMT is the full package, but practical chops are only half the story when it comes to the ultimate charm of this watch. On personality, the latest FXD has some ground to cover, and after spending a week with the watch, it very nearly gets there. Released into the Pelagos collection (where it remains to this day), the FXD was originally a spec-built dive watch for the French Navy, aka the Marine Nationale. Today's models represent a return to a relationship that began in the 1950s, when Tudor provided dive watches for the French Navy's Underwater Study and Research Group. As such, the watch is more than a mere co-branding exercise. The design of the watch, which uses a fixed-lug construction (FXD) for which it is named, is based on the needs of a very niche group of individuals. These needs included a bi-directional countdown bezel, a quality-of-life feature for divers navigating via dead reckoning at relatively shallow depths. The result was a rather unusual watch, but one t...
Fratello
Have you ever heard of UTOs? Unidentified time-telling objects can appear on the wrist out of nowhere, as sightings around the world indicate. Today, one appeared on my left forearm, and I got to try it on for a day. As it turns out, it may be spaceship-esque in appearance, but it isn’t entirely unidentifiable […] Visit Hands-On With The More Elegantly Proportioned Ressence Type 9 In Gray to read the full article.
Monochrome
Swiss watchmakers are ushering in Chinese New Year with exclusive limited-edition models inspired by zodiac animals and Asian cultural traditions. To celebrate the year 2025, which is believed to bring personal growth, strategic planning and embrace transformation, Oris releases a special Year of the Snake timepiece, a modern, highly technical 44mm watch featuring a skeletonized […]
Quill & Pad
With it's open dial and sweeping skeletonized bridges, Andreas Strehler's Papillon d’or is both a horological and visual masterpiece. Now with his new Faune et Flore collection, Strehler takes the Papillon d’or to an even high artistic level.
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Monochrome
In 2021, esteemed independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier unveiled his first luxury sports watch, the Continuum, aka the ‘C’, and a year later designed an integrated titanium bracelet for this watch. Since its debut, the C has appeared with cases in titanium and luxury editions in platinum, fitted with rubber straps or integrated metal bracelets, flaunting […]
Fratello
It’s funny; when I think of memorable Rolex releases of 2024, I remember watches from 2023. In 2023, Rolex released a dazzling amount of “wild” watches. The brand dared to bring out a “lefty” GMT-Master II, three jigsaw-dialed Day-Date models including 12 inspirational words and 31 emojis, an Oyster Perpetual with colorful balloons on the […] Visit Is Rolex Still The Undisputed King Of Watches In 2024? to read the full article.
SJX Watches
As Urwerk has matured as a brand, its products have evolved to become more wearable. The recently launched UR-150 Scorpion embodies this evolution. The UR-150 incorporates the familiar Urwerk time display – but with a retrograde twist – but in a sleeker, curved case that hugs the wrist. Initial thoughts The UR-150 continues the emphasis on wearability established by the compact UR-100. The UR-150 is bigger and bolder, but despite its size, the curved case profile allows it to sit well on the wrist. This contrasts with many of Urwerk’s past models, which tended to have wide, flat case backs that were less ergonomic. The curved case also looks good, especially since it continues the line of the domed sapphire crystal. This design moderates the hyper-mechanical aesthetic of many Urwerk models, leaving the UR-150 a little more elegant, albeit in a war machine-like way. In some ways, the UR-150 seems descended from the UR-100. It has a similar tonneau shape, but more streamlined. And it has the signature satellite disc wandering hours, but enhanced with a retrograde minute hand (that’s no doubt borrowed from the UR-210/220/230). The combination of the retrograde minutes with the satellite disc display is notable for Urwerk as the brand historically kept this time display on its simpler watches, while the top-of-the-line satellite cube display was accompanied by the retrograde indicator. This leaves the UR-150 as something of a bridge between two distinct lines of the br...
WatchAdvice
The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk is possibly one of the coolest “digital” display watches out there, so why not hit the streets of Sydney to see how this unique model from the Saxony brand wears in everyday life? What We Love The uniqueness of the digital time display Amazing movement finishing The size and proportions to suit a range of wrists What We Don’t It is probably not an everyday watch for many people being 18k gold The digital time may not be for everyone It isn’t a piece that everyone can afford Overall Score: 9.1 / 10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9.5/10 Build Quality: 9.5/10 It’s no secret that A. Lange & Söhne makes impeccable watches. In fact, calling them watches is almost sacrilege as they really should be referred to as timepieces, or as I like to think of them, mechanical works of art! In all honesty, it’s very hard to fault any pieces from A. Lange & Söhne – they are one brand that puts so much emphasis on perfection that every piece they make is almost that, perfect. From the way they finish the movements, to the cases, to the double assembly. Each piece of the approximately 5,000 they make each year is as close to perfect as you can get in a watch, to the point where what makes any one of their pieces not perfect is personal preference really. Do I like this design, this style and the size for my wrist? Their prices are also on the higher end, so depending on your means, they may be out of reach, but I’d say thi...
SJX Watches
Bovet’s latest creation, the Récital 21, is a perpetual calendar with retrograde date presented in a modern style. The large, 44.4 mm titanium case contains tinted sapphire dial that reveals the calendar mechanism with twist: the retrograde date hand is damped so it gradually returns to the origin rather than jumping instantaneously. Initial thoughts Bovet is best known for its large complications, some of which are elaborately and intricately styled. The Récital 21 is classic Bovet, but in a slightly more approachable format. It’s a complicated watch but in a more contemporary package, especially with the sapphire dial and luminous markings. The case is (slightly) more wearable, though it has the signature sloped “writing desk” case, which is not for everyone but distinctive nonetheless. As is typical for Bovet, the movement is in-house and impressively spec’ed. Notably, it incorporates the patented co-axial double seconds (that’s visible on the front and back), and a five-day power reserve. Sapphire dial The polished titanium case is 44.4 mm in diameter. In the usual Bovet style, the case slopes downwards from 12 to six o’clock, hence the “writing desk” nickname. Though large, it has short lugs for wearability. Offered in green, blue, or brown tint, the sapphire crystal dial reveals the calendar module that’s enhanced by a damping mechanism that deliberately slows the date hand during its return. All of the calendar indications can be adjusted via ...
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