3,615 articles · 689 videos found · page 62 of 144
Monochrome
Once upon a time (in 2019, to be precise), Grand Seiko released a quartet of watches known as the Sekki collection, models inspired by seasonal changes with colourful dials. Issued exclusively in the US and then made available worldwide, a single model dominates the Heritage 62GS Sekki collection, the much-hyped pink-toned SBGA413 Shunbun, closely followed […]
Worn & Wound
Edward East was one of the most successful and distinguished London clockmakers of the 1600s. He was a shrewd businessman and brilliantly talented artisan who earned the high regard of the rich and famous of society. East made his name against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent times in British history. Early Life in the City of London Edward East was born on the 22nd of August 1602 in Southill, Bedfordshire. He was well-educated, and began his training in London, with the guild associated with gold and silversmithing known as the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. Edward’s apprenticeship began in May 1617 under the Master Robert Podmore. In March 1618, his apprenticeship was transferred to Richard Rogers through the Goldsmiths’ Company. Rogers lived and worked on London’s Fleet Street, a bustling centre of commerce where many famous clock and watchmakers had already set up business. It was in this lively environment that Edward learned how to work with different metals and trained in specialist skills, such as engraving and ornamentation. He also met one of the leading London watchmakers, Edmund Bull (1585-1622), son of the eminent watchmaker and goldsmith John Bull. At some point, East may have worked as an apprentice for Bull, as there is evidence that he travelled with him on a business trip to Holland during this time. Pear-shaped watch in a rock crystal case. Gilt-brass dial engraved with the Nativity and a figure of Time. Made by Edward East, London, c....
Teddy Baldassarre
Back in 2023, LVMH and its high watchmaking workshop La Fabrique du Temps revived the Daniel Roth brand, which had been owned by Bulgari since 2000. Roth was a towering name in independent watchmaking, having been a peer of Philippe Dufour and Francois-Paul Journe. Though the brand only lasted from 1988 to 1995, its resurrection in 2023 was only made more glorious due to the long gap. The resurrected brand debuted with the Tourbillon Souscription, which has been followed up with the new Daniel Roth Extra Plat Souscription, a faithful remake of the original from the 1990s that was released at LVMH Watch Week 2025. The “Neo-vintage” craze has only gotten more popular in recent years, with the generation of watches sandwiched between vintage and modern gaining the respect and appreciation of collectors and newcomers alike. The Chopard L.U.C 1860 reissue from 2023 was one of the most celebrated neo-vintage reissues in recent years and I’d venture to say that this Roth will join the ranks. Staying true to the original aesthetics — with contemporary concessions for things like movement development — is a recipe for success in these small-batch, high-visibility watches. Small production numbers for relative rarity are helping to keep neo-vintage from becoming overexposed, but for how long? We’ll have to wait and see on that end, but for now let’s get back to the Daniel Roth Extra Plat Souscription. The simple, two-hand dress watch comes in that recognizable double-e...
Fratello
Here’s proof that you can learn something every day! I was under the (false) assumption that I was aware of basically every modern Speedmaster ever made. I have seen so many of them in my 25 years of collecting, including the ones some of you brought to the Speedy Tuesday events in the past decade. […] Visit The Salmon-Dial Omega Speedmaster 3511.60 I Didn’t Know Existed to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Among today’s Seiko watch models and collections, it’s fair to say that the Seiko Astron does not receive nearly the amount of love from enthusiasts and collectors as do its contemporaries, like the Prospex and Presage models and even the budget-friendly 5 Sport series. And yet I believe a substantial case can be made that the Astron — at least, the first watch to bear that name, way back at the collection’s inception in 1969 — is the most important watch of the 20th Century. The first watch to the market with a quartz movement, the Seiko Astron was a game-changer for the entire watch industry, with an impact that is still being felt today. When Seiko revived the Astron in 2012 after a long hiatus, it was with the recognition that the model represented a quantum leap in watchmaking technology and the determination to take it to the next level. Seiko has fulfilled that promise with subsequent editions of the modern Astron, which brought GPS technology into watchmaking much as the original brought quartz. Here is the story of the Seiko Astron and its 50-plus-year journey to the cutting edge of technology. The Road to Quartz: 1952 - 1968 The quartz watch movement, as with many other groundbreaking inventions, did not emerge from a single burst of creative vision, but ultimately proved to be the most workable version of many such mechanisms, all aimed toward addressing the same industry-wide challenge. As I explore in greater depth in my article on the History of Tim...
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Time+Tide
Montoir has made subtle tweaks and introduced new dial colours for its inaugural watch, a minimalist diver.The post Montoir adds more colour to its dive watch range with the MWMOD-01 V2 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
When you sit down and think about it, the beginning of the year is an arbitrary time to think about goals. Sure, the calendar changes, but plans can be made anytime. For a collector like me, though, the beginning of the year is as good of a time as any to set resolutions. It forces […] Visit Mike’s Watch Resolutions For 2025 - Finally Selling Some Watches to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Earlier this month when Kat Shoulders and I were discussing the concept of the “gateway watch” on the Worn & Wound podcast, the Astor+Banks Sea Ranger M2 was sitting just out of reach on my desk. I didn’t mention the newest iteration of the Sea Ranger concept in our discussion, but I very easily could have. This is a rock solid sports watch made by a micro-brand that has proven to be foundational in the space over the years, with just a little bit more than meets the eye when it comes to the finer details. Those details are the kinds of things that make a watch buyer a watch enthusiast, and there’s no doubt about it, Astor+Banks is an enthusiast focused brand. Still, the Sea Ranger M2 strikes me as the type of watch that, if it existed ten years ago, would be an easy recommendation for someone just starting out. The Sea Ranger M2 is positioned as a do-it-all adventure and tool watch, with a litany of impressive specs: 300 meters of water resistance, soft iron plates shielding the movement from magnetism, a pair of screw down crowns, a quick-adjust clasp (more on that later) and a La Joux-Perret movement with a 68 hour power reserve. These, for the most part, are calling cards of the modern tool watch, a baseline for what a brand has to do in order to claim their watch is a true go-anywhere-do-anything kind of timepiece. The micro-brand space is saturated (perhaps oversaturated) with watches in this genre, so it takes some work to stand out from the crowd. I don...
Fratello
Last January, Swatch introduced the crowd-pleasing, all-black Scuba Fifty Fathoms Ocean of Storms. Just one month ago, in early December, the Blue Lagoon model made its debut. In 2025, Swatch is looking at life through rose-tinted glasses as it introduces this latest iteration in the SFF lineup. Meet the bright and bold Blancpain × Swatch […] Visit Hot Take: Living “La Vie En Rose” With The New Blancpain × Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms Pink Ocean to read the full article.
Monochrome
Almost two years ago, the Daniel Roth brand was resurrected by Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique Du Temps. It started with a yellow gold Tourbillon Souscription (ref. DR0011YG-01) that was pretty much a copy of the tourbillon made by Monsieur Roth back in the 1990s. After another tourbillon in rose gold that was introduced last year, […]
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Time+Tide
The Serpenti gets a tiny, automatic, Zenith-made movement.The post The Bulgari Serpenti collection’s new in-house automatic Lady Solotempo BVS100 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Hublot’s latest release, the Big Bang Meca-10 10-Day Power Reserve, may at first glance resemble the chunky original, but reveals a host of significant enhancements - most notably, a more wearable 42 mm case. The new Meca-10 retains the Meccano-inspired skeletonised movement finished to colour-match the case. The calibre boasts a 10-day power reserve indicated by an uncommon crémaillère system visible at 12 o’clock made up of a linear gear engaging a circular gear. Initial thoughts Long one of the more interesting but accessible watches in Hublot’s lineup, the Meca-10 was previously available only in a 45 mm case that rendered it less-than-wearable. Hublot has refined the Meca-10 by reducing the case diameter by substantial 3 mm, making it positively compact relative to its predecessor. Not only is the case smaller, it is also thinner at just 13.9 mm high, which is slim for a watch of this type. But the signature movement architecture has been retained, resulting in a watch that has the technical appeal of the original, but one more versatile and comfortable. While it may initially appear to be yet another skeletonised Hublot, of which there are many, the Meca-10 boasts an interesting manual-winding movement with an impressive 10-day power reserve and a distinctive movement architecture. Amongst Hublot’s more exotic watches, the Meca-10 stands out as being relatively affordable, with the key word being relatively. It starts at US$23,000 in titanium (and rises ...
SJX Watches
Tudor surprised with the Black Bay Chrono Pink early last year, and it’s now done the same with the Black Bay Chrono “Flamingo Blue”. Like last year’s pink chronograph, the Flamingo Blue is based on the standard Black Bay Chrono, but with a coloured dial in a bright turquoise. And it will similarly be made in “limited” numbers, though is it not a limited edition. Initial thoughts Bright-c0loured dials used to be a novelty for Tudor, but now such “special editions” have become a regular part of the collection. It makes them a bit more predictable and thus less interesting, but they are still intrinsically appealing. Like its predecessors, the Flamingo Blue chronograph is fun and in typical Tudor fashion, excellent value for money. I liked the pink version enough that I bought one. The combination of a bright dial and “Jubilee” bracelet is a good one; it’s clearly a modern watch but many of the elements have a retro feel. But the Flamingo Blue is based on the standard Black Bay Chrono so it is a little thick and chunky. Eventually Tudor will introduce a smaller in-house chronograph movement (the current MT5813 is based on the Breitling B01), but for now this has to do. Miami vibes According to Tudor, the Flamingo Blue chronograph is meant to evoke the “classic South Beach vibe”, a reference to the coastal Miami neighbourhood. The American inspiration is perhaps because the country is now the world’s strongest watch market. The brand goes on to exp...
Monochrome
When it was presented in 2021 in Europe, the Citizen Series 8 collection made quite an impression on us, with its combination of sharp lines, bold designs and fair prices. The little sister of the high-end The Citizen range (a truly important step in the brand’s history), it marked the brand’s commitment to seriously look […]
Fratello
The IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar IW3750 from 1985 is an important watch for IWC and the entire Haute Horlogerie universe post-Quartz Crisis. Master watchmaker Kurt Klaus built a perpetual calendar mechanism on top of an automatic chronograph, which reignited interest in complicated horology and made people look at IWC differently. The innovative watch brought […] Visit There Is Nothing Left To Reintroduce, Or Is There? What About The IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar IW3750 From 1985? to read the full article.
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SJX Watches
Diversity is arguably a strength – and a weakness – of the Speedmaster – and Omega is proving this with the Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite. In contrast to the recent military-inspired Speedy, the latest model goes for exotic materials: the dial is made of lunar meteorite finished in either grey or black, while the moon phase sports twin moons similarly fashioned from meteorite. The moon phase display is a double moon that depicts the age of the moon in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Completing the celestial scene, the stars on the moon phase disc replicate the night sky when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon in 1969, as observed from Omega’s headquarters in Biel. Initial thoughts Maybe the new Speedmaster is an ironic reference to the “Moonwatch” nickname. In fact, it doubles the Moon reference with Moon meteorite fragments and the moon phase. But does the Speedmaster need to be dressed up with a moon phase and meteorite? Intrinsically, the new model has a few things going for it. The in-house movement inside is one of Omega’s top-of-the-line chronograph calibres. And it also has a scaled-down case that improves wearability. Now 43 mm, the watch has a more compact form than its chunky 44.25 mm predecessor. Despite the in-house movement and liberal use of meteorite, the Speedmaster Moonphase still feels pricey with a retail of US$17,100. That said, most recent Speedmaster models are expensive – this costs only US$1,500 more than the Speedmaster C...
Fratello
Which strap do you wear your MoonSwatch on? Are you still using the original strap, or have you ordered some third-party options? Well, listen up because, in a surprise move, Swatch opened an online strap store specifically for the Omega × Swatch MoonSwatch. The two-piece straps are made of rubber and have a two-tone design, […] Visit Breaking: Swatch Now Offers Official Rubber MoonSwatch Straps Online to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Electra, a Franco-Swiss brand that disappeared during the tumultuous 1970s, has been revived with this vintage-inspired dive watch.The post A daring resurrection for the Electra Dare-Devil Diver appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
When Rolex introduced the left-handed GMT-Master II ref. 126720VTNR in 2022, it seemed like the world this watch is intended to navigate had stopped - well, the world of watches, at least. It certainly made my head spin. It also had me write an article in which I voiced my confusion. That was almost three […] Visit Hands-On With The Rolex GMT-Master II “Destro” - Because Every Watch Deserves A Second Chance to read the full article.
Fratello
Get ready for a year of special Vacheron Constantin creations. To grab your attention, the brand’s 270th-anniversary celebrations kick off with a watch you knew was coming - the Historiques 222 in steel. The much-anticipated watch made it to Fratello HQ ahead of the embargo. It was a perfect way to experience firsthand if the […] Visit The Watch You Knew Was Coming Finally Arrived - Hands-On With The Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 In Steel to read the full article.
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Fratello
In 2023, right after Wimbledon, I wrote an article questioning whether there was life for Rolex in tennis after Roger Federer left the sport as an active player. During that year’s Wimbledon, the Swiss maestro received a unique welcome from the English audience. It showed people’s respect and gratitude for Federer as a tennis player […] Visit The Start Of A New Tennis Season Reveals Rolex’s Firm Grip On The Sport to read the full article.
Monochrome
When you think of split-second or rattrapante chronographs, you immediately picture high-end watches from Vacheron Constantin or Patek Philippe. Finding an accessible rattrapante chronograph, at least new on the market, is not an easy task, especially if you consider Swiss or European watch manufacturers. But something from the other side of the world is about […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Panerai might be the most in-your-face example of the quintessential Tool Watch That Made Good as a Luxury Item. Unlike many other contenders for that title, a Panerai watch today looks essentially the same as it did back in the 1940s, when Italian navy frogmen wore them into underwater combat. Few concessions have been made to modern tastes and trends: the luminous material on the dials is no longer radioactive (inarguably a positive change), Rolex no longer makes the cases, and you no longer have to be a naval commando to own one, but otherwise the relatively few models that make up the Panerai family have stubbornly adhered to their military-issue origins. It is this adherence that makes Panerai, for many, an all-or-nothing proposition — either you’re in the brand’s worldwide, rabid coterie of fans and collectors, proudly self-dubbed the Paneristi, or you roll your eyes at the notion of ever owning one: they’re too big, too flashy, too clunky, too Stallone. This article, the latest in our series of Price of Admission guides, is aimed at those aspiring to join the former group — in other words, those wishing to pull the trigger on their first Panerai but possibly intimidated by the breadth of choices — and, of course, by the ticket price for entry to that first tier of Paneristi-land. Without further ado, let’s find the most affordable Panerai watches in each of the current product families. RADIOMIR The Radiomir, first conceived in 1935 but tracing its m...
Worn & Wound
From the moment Oris announced their ProPilot X “Kermit” watch fans have been speculating about which muppet would be next to get the Oris treatment. Not that we didn’t love seeing Kermit on the dial (once a month, on the first of the month) but for many elder-millennials and Gen-X watch collectors, the thought of having an entire collection of Muppet watches was, and remains, pretty tantalizing. Now, just about two years after Kermit made his Oris debut, we get the follow up: the ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition. If you were hoping for Beaker or Animal or another more niche Muppet to appear on an Oris dial, you’ll have to keep waiting. Of course Miss Piggy would have to be the next character – she’s the natural counterpart to Kermit, after all. Has there ever been a more obvious “his and hers” collection than these two ProPilots together? I can’t think of one. The ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition takes the familiar ProPilot X format and shrinks it (and pinks it, sorry) to 34mm. The case is stainless steel and the watch is powered by a rebadged Sellita automatic caliber. It’s notable that unlike the Kermit watch, we don’t see Miss Piggy on the dial of her ProPilot, not even for a day (there’s no date window for her to make an appearance). Instead, there’s a small window on the caseback through which you can see her periodically on the winding rotor. For a watch devoted to such an iconic character, this is a pretty retrained approach. Instead of Miss P...
Monochrome
2024 was all about the Portugieser at IWC, the brand’s most classic and elegant collection. Of course, the star of the show was the Portugieser Eternal Calendar, a secular calendar watch that made it to our list of the best watches of the year. There were many more updated versions of this emblematic watch launched […]
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