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Results for WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program)

40,260 articles · 235 videos found · page 676 of 1350

Breaking News: Breitling Acquires Another Historic Watch Brand! It’s Gallet! Fratello
Breitling Acquires Another Historic Watch Mar 17, 2025

Breaking News: Breitling Acquires Another Historic Watch Brand! It’s Gallet!

Following Breitling’s acquisition of the renowned Universal Genève brand, the Grenchen-based watchmaker has done it again with another iconic name in chronographs - Gallet. With Gallet, Breitling, and Universal Genève, the group will cover a wide range, from entry-level luxury to the high-end segment and everything in between. Gallet’s heritage In a separate article, Fratello […] Visit Breaking News: Breitling Acquires Another Historic Watch Brand! It’s Gallet! to read the full article.

Seiko Refines the Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph SJX Watches
Seiko Refines Mar 17, 2025

Seiko Refines the Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph

One of the flagship high-tech analogue watches in Seiko’s catalogue, the Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph has been reworked to give it visual elements more typically associated with Seiko’s higher-end mechanical watches. Amongst other things, the new Astron GPS chronograph features a sapphire-covered bezel, diamond-milled chapter rings, and facetted case details. It still retains the multi-function 5X83 movement that features GPS time- and time zone setting, perpetual calendar, and a six month power reserve on a full charge. Initial thoughts Someone recently asked me to recommend a useful watch for a person who has no interest in mechanical timepieces, with the condition that the watch has to be analogue and not look like a gadget. The Astron GPS chronograph fits the bill. The model’s newest iterations, four in all, have the styling details of a mechanical watch while having a multitude of high-tech features. One of its most useful features is the GPS time setting, which means the watch syncs with a GPS satellite and then displays the local time zone when travelling. The black and blue dial versions are especially restrained and well suited as a low-key everyday watch, though still a little large at over 44 mm in diameter. Useful watchmaking When sunlight is detected, the Astron GPS chronograph syncs with a GPS satellite automatically up to twice a day, while manual syncing can be done via a pusher in the case. Sunlight also powers the watch – under the dial ...

Sign Up For The Fratello × Breitling Event In The Hague On April 11th Fratello
Breitling Event Mar 16, 2025

Sign Up For The Fratello × Breitling Event In The Hague On April 11th

Together with Breitling, we will host another event in The Hague, Netherlands, to show you the new Breitling collection(s). Not everyone can or will be in Geneva at the end of March or early April to see the new Breitling watches. So Breitling and Fratello will show you the novelties in The Hague! We can’t […] Visit Sign Up For The Fratello × Breitling Event In The Hague On April 11th to read the full article.

Sunday Morning Showdown: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC IV Vs. Rolex Sea-Dweller Ref. 126600 Fratello
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC Mar 16, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC IV Vs. Rolex Sea-Dweller Ref. 126600

Another Sunday, another showdown! This week, we’ll dive headfirst into the world of luxury dive watches, and two examples with legendary lineage will go head to head. The first is the latest iteration of the Rolex Sea-Dweller, a watch that finds its roots in the late 1960s as the professional brother of the Submariner. The […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC IV Vs. Rolex Sea-Dweller Ref. 126600 to read the full article.

From Track to Wrist: Hands On With New TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Red Bull Racing WatchAdvice
TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Mar 16, 2025

From Track to Wrist: Hands On With New TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Red Bull Racing

A bold tribute to speed, precision, and racing heritage, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Oracle Red Bull Racing brings the adrenaline of Formula 1 to the wrist. As TAG Heuer gears up to reclaim its role as Formula 1’s official timekeeper in 2025, this release feels like the perfect way to celebrate the brand’s deep-rooted connection to motorsport. What We Love: Oracle Red Bull Racing colours on the dial make the watch stand out beautifully The case doesn’t feel too overbearing on the wrist, even with a 44mm case size. The rubber strap is comfortable to wear, making this a great daily timepiece for Formula 1 and Oracle Red Bull Racing enthusiasts! What We Don’t: Black DLC case like the other TAG Heuer models in latest Formula 1 series would have made the dial and strap pop even more! The dial can seem rather busy with the many different design elements An open case back would have made it perfect! Showing the engine inside this racing-inspired timepiece. Overall Rating: 8.25/10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8/10 Build Quality: 8/10 There are very few brands in the world of watchmaking that share a deep connection with Motorsport as TAG Heuer. Since the mid-20th century, TAG Heuer has been a driving force in precision timing, cementing its place on the wrists of many racing legends. From Steve McQueen’s Monaco in Le Mans to its long-standing presence in Formula 1, TAG Heuer has always embraced the high-octane world of motorsport. Thi...

Introducing: The Edgy Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph 5X83 In Four New Colorways Fratello
Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Mar 15, 2025

Introducing: The Edgy Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph 5X83 In Four New Colorways

Even though the Astron GPS Solar is 13 years old, I still find the tech fascinating because of the constant evolution of the movement and the design. So, of course, I was interested to read the press release accompanying the release of the edgy Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph 5X83 in four new colorways. […] Visit Introducing: The Edgy Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph 5X83 In Four New Colorways to read the full article.

Hands-On With Two Orient Bambino LEs Celebrating The Brand’s 75th Anniversary Fratello
Casio n Mar 15, 2025

Hands-On With Two Orient Bambino LEs Celebrating The Brand’s 75th Anniversary

The Orient Bambino was many watch hobbyists’ first mechanical timepiece. Its classic looks punch much higher than its affordable price point, and the exhibition case back tickles the hearts of many new enthusiasts. This year, Orient celebrates its 75th anniversary. For that occasion, the Japanese watch manufacturer introduced two limited-edition models of the Bambino with […] Visit Hands-On With Two Orient Bambino LEs Celebrating The Brand’s 75th Anniversary to read the full article.

Fratello’s Top 5 Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Models Fratello
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Models Another Friday Mar 14, 2025

Fratello’s Top 5 Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Models

Another Friday, another list! Multiple people on the Fratello team own or have owned a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. One of them is Daan, who has a beautiful Reverso Classic Medium Duoface Small Seconds. He usually wears it on a leather and canvas Casa Fagliano strap. Last week, though, he swapped it for an Arroway mesh bracelet, […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Models to read the full article.

Obituary: Jean-Pierre Hagmann, Master Case Maker SJX Watches
Casio n he said “I’m Mar 14, 2025

Obituary: Jean-Pierre Hagmann, Master Case Maker

Jean-Pierre Hagmann passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on the night of March 7, 2025 at the age of 84. With his passing, the watchmaking has lost the most important case maker of the last 50 years. He was a friend whom I first met some 35 years ago. Born in Geneva in 1940 to a mechanic, Jean-Pierre was a living legend whose talent was evident from a young age. Jean-Pierre was an incredibly versatile and gifted precision machinist and craftsman. No mechanical problem was too difficult for him to tackle. “If you have a complex mechanical problem, you have to break it down into many small steps,” he once told me. On another occasion, he said, “I’m lazy by nature, so I always look for the simplest and quickest technical solution, which is often the perfect one.” After training as a jeweller at Geneva’s School of Fine Arts in 1956, Jean-Pierre didn’t want to go straight into the profession. His youthful curiosity and fervor led him to seek variety and adventure. Initially, he applied to Holiday on Ice, the iceskating theatre company, as a professional figure skater and taking the role of a clown. When that didn’t work out, he spent two years repairing coffee machines in the bistros of Geneva. Later, he worked as a mechanic in a racing motorbike workshop. Jean-Pierre’s boss recognised his talent and introduced him to one of the most famous racing drivers of the time, Etienne de la Mar. With his technical finesse Jean-Pierre helped  the Frenchman win the Eur...

Every Watch Brand Sponsorship For The 2025 Formula 1 Season Fratello
Mar 14, 2025

Every Watch Brand Sponsorship For The 2025 Formula 1 Season

It’s my favorite and, I’m sure, many of our readers’ most anticipated time of the year - the start of the Formula 1 season. Even with a record 24 Grand Prix races last year and six Sprint races preceding the main event, the winter break felt long. Also, 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the […] Visit Every Watch Brand Sponsorship For The 2025 Formula 1 Season to read the full article.

Louis Erard’s Latest Collab is All About Hand-Forged Damascus Steel SJX Watches
Louis Erard s Latest Collab Mar 14, 2025

Louis Erard’s Latest Collab is All About Hand-Forged Damascus Steel

Louis Erard has enjoyed a good run of independent watchmaker collaborations recently, and keeps it up with the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x GoS. Following last year’s Vianney Halter edition, the GoS regulator adopts the Swedish watchmaker’s signature material: artisanal Damascus steel forged by the hand of a Swedish swordsmith. The watch retains the usual Louis Erard case and movement, but has a dial of acid-etched Damascus steel hand made by Conny Persson, the knife maker who produces the exotic alloys employed by GoS, which was founded by watchmaker Patrik Sjögren in 2007. Initial thoughts I respect and admire the craft behind GoS watches, which utilise Damascus steel that is sometimes incredibly patterned. But I find the brand’s aesthetic a little too much, especially when the dials are matched with aggressively styled cases. Whereas in the Louis Erard collaboration the heavy patterning of the dial is offset by the clean lines of the no-frills, 39 mm case. More importantly, the GoS regulator is one of the few Louis Erard editions that incorporates an actual example of the collaborator’s craft, as opposed to just being a design exercise. Even though I liked the earlier Vianney Halter and Kudoke editions, they were just watches designed by the respective watchmaker’s input. The GoS regulator, on the other hand, has a dial in an artisanal material – and it remains at the same affordable price as past collabs. Exotic alloy GoS was founded by bladesmith Johan Gu...

First Look - The Louis Erard Regulator X GoS with Damascus Steel Dial Monochrome
Louis Erard Regulator X GoS Mar 13, 2025

First Look - The Louis Erard Regulator X GoS with Damascus Steel Dial

Over the years, Swiss brand Louis Erard has made a name for itself with two distinctive features. One, a rather sturborness in making watches with a regulator display, something that has become a signature. Second, bringing cool design and features reserved for high-end watches at more accessible prices thanks to multiple collaborations with independent watchmakers, […]

A Hands-On Introduction To The All-New Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns Fratello
Certina Mar 13, 2025

A Hands-On Introduction To The All-New Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns

Two days ago, we attended an event called Watch Valley. It’s set up annually by Swatch Group brands like Tissot, Rado, and Certina to show their novelties to retailers and the press - kind of like a mini Baselworld. This year, Mido was there for the first time as well. We were expecting to see […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The All-New Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns to read the full article.

Frédéric Arnault Departs LVMH Watches, to Become Loro Piana CEO SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton Mar 13, 2025

Frédéric Arnault Departs LVMH Watches, to Become Loro Piana CEO

A year after being tapped to head the LVMH Watch Division, Frédéric Arnault has been named the next chief executive of Loro Piana. Mr Arnault will assume the top job at the Italian maker of clothing and shoes in June 2025. Loro Piana is synonymous with “quiet luxury” for its emphasis on materials, restrained colours, and discreet branding, but it has become successful enough that the Loro Piana look is ironically recognisable while its trademark Summer Walk boat shoes have become footwear’s equivalent of the steel Rolex Daytona. Though only 18 months long, Mr Arnault’s leadership of the French group’s watch brands saw a management renewal across all its three brands, namely TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith, as well as the announcement of a group-wide strategy for movement industrialisation and production. The period has also been a challenging one for the watch industry, with a sustained pullback in demand for watches that peaked during the pandemic. According to insiders, Mr Arnault also played a leading role in sealing the decade-long sponsorship deal with Formula 1. His ascension to the top job at Loro Piana part of succession planning at LVMH, the world’s largest luxury group. Mr Arnault’s successor at the watch division has yet to be announced, but his predecessor at Loro Piana, Damien Bertrand, will move onto the deputy chief executive job at Louis Vuitton.  

Introducing: The Hamilton Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition Fratello
Hamilton Boulton Death Stranding 2 Mar 12, 2025

Introducing: The Hamilton Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition

Hamilton is no stranger to working with creative teams behind movies to produce imaginative watches. Now, with the introduction of the Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition, the brand has a watch appearing in an upcoming video game. It’s a fusion between a traditional tank and a futuristic techno-apocalyptic creation. This watch is most definitely […] Visit Introducing: The Hamilton Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition to read the full article.

Hands-On: the Chronofixe Astérix Worn & Wound
Timex Ironmans were character watches Mar 12, 2025

Hands-On: the Chronofixe Astérix

I’ve always had a bit of a thing for character watches. I know they’re divisive, but a character watch - whether it be a ridiculously expensive Spider-Man AP or a cheap quartz Armitron with a basketball-playing Bugs Bunny on the dial - can help create a shockingly profound connection between a watch and its wearer and be (when done well) a fun reminder not to take watches too seriously. I’ve owned a lot of character watches. Many of my earliest and most favorite childhood watches, if they weren’t Timex Ironmans, were character watches, and even today, I still find myself picking up a character watch here and there, though they rarely stick in my collection for very long. Most find their way to their next owners as gifts - a vintage Snoopy tennis watch went to my mother, while the aforementioned Bugs Bunny Armitron now sits on my younger brother’s wrist most days (though, much to my annoyance, he pointedly refuses to put a battery in it). Still, most of the character watches I’ve owned over the years have found their way into the trash or were lost in various moves or purges because, for as delightful a thing as character watches are, most aren’t that good, at least as watches. To generalize wildly, most character watches I’ve owned have felt, at best, transient and, at worst, disposable (admittedly, I’ve never owned an AP Spider-Man watch, so I can’t speak to that experience). Still, my love for the concept remains, and when a watch comes along t...

Introducing - The Unimatic x Massena LAB U1-SPG “NASA Artemis” Limited Edition Monochrome
Massena Lab U1-SPG “NASA Artemis” Limited Mar 12, 2025

Introducing - The Unimatic x Massena LAB U1-SPG “NASA Artemis” Limited Edition

Moon exploration has been a source of inspiration for generations, back in the 1960s with the Apollo Program. Of course, things stopped in 1972, but mankind is once again on its way to step foot again on the Moon’s surface, as NASA is preparing the Artemis program. Intended to reestablish a human presence on the […]

Hands-on - The All-New Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Worldtimer Collection Monochrome
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Worldtimer Mar 12, 2025

Hands-on - The All-New Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Worldtimer Collection

Slightly overlooked and possibly in the shadows of the classic Seamaster Diver 300M, the Planet Ocean is the most capable collection of dive watches in Omega’s range, comprising models from 600m up to 6000m water-resistance (without counting the all-mighty Ultra-Deep that survived the Mariana Trench). Born in 2005, it will be celebrating its 20th anniversary […]

Blancpain Scales Down the Fifty Fathoms Tech SJX Watches
Blancpain Scales Down Mar 12, 2025

Blancpain Scales Down the Fifty Fathoms Tech

Primarily vintage-inspired, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was given a modern makeover with the first “Tech” model launched in 2023. Now Blancpain follows up with the Fifty Fathoms Tech Ocean Commitment IV. While retaining the same lug-less case, the latest model is more compact and streamlined than its Tech predecessor, though it’s still 45 mm in diameter. And it features an “absolute black” dial - coated with a substance that absorbs 97% of incident light - ensuring maximum contrast for the luminescent hands and block-shaped hour markers. Like earlier Ocean Commitment editions, which were all vintage-inspired, this watch will help support the Blancpain’s marine conservation efforts, specifically the Blancpain x Sulubaaï Marine Research Center in Palawan, Philippines. Initial thoughts The new Fifty Fathoms Tech offers notable refinements over the earlier Tech Gombessa edition from two years ago. While the oversized, 47 mm Tech Gombessa was designed primarily as a specialised diving instrument, making it arguably too large for everyday wear, the new model adopts a more conventional dive watch dimensions. At 45 mm, it’s still large but more manageable, improving its wearability. The “absolute black” dial is also an interesting upgrade that makes sense in a dive watch given the need for legibility. While Blancpain doesn’t specify the details of the dial coating, it appears to be similar to Vantablack and other blacker-than-black coatings used by other ...

Introducing - The Citizen 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Models with Washi Paper Dials Monochrome
Citizen 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Mar 12, 2025

Introducing - The Citizen 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Models with Washi Paper Dials

The story of Citizen goes as far back as 1918, and the first pocket watch bearing the name was introduced in 1924. Today, the brand is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its flagship collection, The Citizen. It was introduced in 1995 as a line that is committed to the fundamental functions of a watch: “accurate […]

The Story Behind the Havid Nagan Classic One with Founder Aren Bazerkanian Worn & Wound
Parmigiani Fleurier ” Mar 11, 2025

The Story Behind the Havid Nagan Classic One with Founder Aren Bazerkanian

Last year, one of the most intriguing watches I had a chance to handle was Havid Nagan’s debut, the HN00. I spent a few weeks with it right around the time brand founder Aren Bazerkanian was promoting his second release, the HN01. Now, another year later, and Havid Nagan is back with their third effort, the Classic One. The new naming convention speaks to just how different the Classic One is from its predecessors, and reflects the brand pivoting and changing in real time. In speaking with Bazerkanian, however, it’s clear that those shifts reflect a deep confidence in his own vision, and not merely commercial practicality.  “About two years ago, I found myself digging deeper and deeper into the vintage market,” Bazerkanian explained to me, when asked about the inspiration for the Classic One. “Namely, I was very interested in learning about vintage Patek 96 references, Urban Jurgensen, and Parmigiani Fleurier.” The Classic One, as the name implies, evokes classic dress watches like the ones mentioned by Bazerkanian, and many others. The 38mm case is just 9mm tall, making for an ideal wearing experience that isn’t exactly “vintage” in feel, but it’s adjacent to it. The case construction and finishing is very much that of a modern watch, with sharp transitions and clearly defined lines.  But it wasn’t just vintage watches on Bazerkanian’s mind when he set about to create the Classic One. “My wife and I had welcomed our daughter,” he told me, “...

The Casio MW-43: The First Analog Pathfinder with a Navigational Party Trick Up Its Sleeve Worn & Wound
Casio MW-43 Mar 11, 2025

The Casio MW-43: The First Analog Pathfinder with a Navigational Party Trick Up Its Sleeve

When I read Devin Pennypacker’s article in January about the W.O.E. Submersible Wrist Compass, it really got me thinking about the connections between wristwatches and compasses. Both physical tools––and both debatably archaic because of rapid advancements in technology––there’s a certain allure to owning and utilizing these tactile devices instead of the applications on a smartphone. What better way to demonstrate the relationship between watches and compasses than combining them into one piece? The Casio MW-43 is a watch like no other, and its combination of timekeeping and navigation make it a unique piece of horology that deserves far more attention. The MW-43 and Pathfinder’s Seemingly Undocumented History Very little information exists about the MW-43’s creation and, surprisingly, the origins of the Pathfinder branding. The first ever triple sensor watch model, the Casio ATC-1100, was released in 1994. The first Casio Pro Trek-branded timepiece, the DPX-500, was launched in 1995. The first Pathfinder models were produced in 1995 and include (but may not be limited to) the SPF-50, SPF-10, PAT-30, ALT-6300, and PAT-600. Both the aforementioned ATC-1100 and DPX-500 are virtually identical apart from cosmetic colorway differences, and this design would later be reused under the Pathfinder branding as the PRT-40 in 1996.  This complicated chronology has caused a bit of confusion within the collecting community, but I hope this explanation will help to rem...