Results for Magic Lever Winding

Boxing clever: New report shows the market for fancy watch packaging is set to boom

“Full set: box and papers.” If you’re buying a pre-owned watch, the inclusion of these extras that came with the original purchase will usually mean you have to pay more. The box and papers are a sign of the watch’s legitimacy. So when you buy a watch (new or second-hand), you make an effort to … ContinuedThe post Boxing clever: New report shows the market for fancy watch packaging is set to boom appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Habring² Chrono-Felix Top-Second: Maestro of Clever Complications

Introducing: The Arken Alterum Is A Clever Titanium Travel Timer

Evolving the brand's original design to create an affordable, lightweight, and distinctive take on the GMT.

Richard Mille Unveils the Thinnest Mechanical Watch Ever

Having signed Ferrari as a partner last year, Richard Mille was expected to debut a Ferrari wristwatch – and probably one with a seven-figure price tag. And so it has, although the watch itself is certainly a surprise. The first watch to result from the partnership is the RM UP-01 Ferrari, the thinnest mechanical watch ever at just 1.75 mm high, besting the previous record holder by 0.05 mm. Very wide and extremely flat, the RM UP-01 achieves that by relying on familiar principles in terms of mechanical deconstruction and reduction, but takes them slightly further to shave off the millimetres. Initial thoughts The last couple of years have seen the record for the thinnest mechanical watch change hands rapidly, with Piaget taking the title in 2018 with the AUC (that came to market in 2020), followed by Bulgari earlier this year with the Octo Finissimo Ultra. The Italian jeweller did not retain the crown for long because Richard Mille has just claimed the title with the RM UP-01 that stands 1.75 mm high, compared to 1.8 mm for the Bulgari. Tellingly, the approach taken by Richard Mille echoes that of Piaget and Bulgari, essentially deconstructing the movement and doing away with as many components as possible. As a result, the RM UP-01 has parallels with the former record holders, most obviously in the tiny time display as well as the deconstructed winding and setting mechanism that each require a key. That indicates that absolute thinness has more or less been achieved...

Introducing: For The First Time Ever, The Royal Oak 'Jumbo' Gets An Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon

Sometimes the most impressive changes are also the most subtle.

How They Made It: A Clever Way To Tell Time By Color

The futurists at Ressence find an ingenious use for tiny ceramic balls.

Introducing the First-Ever Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon

INTRODUCING: The Moser Swiss Alp Watch is less a clever gimmick than it is just great

The Moser Swiss Alp Watch is a thoroughly intriguing proposal, in what seems a familiar smooth shape of a rectangular pebble with re-imagined wire lugs. Your non-horologically biased mates, family and colleagues will no doubt pose the question as to why this has a crown and a hand-sewn alligator strap, only to be silenced by … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Moser Swiss Alp Watch is less a clever gimmick than it is just great appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Sunday Rewind: Testing Oris's Clever Depth Gauge In The Caribbean

Field testing a crystal-based depth gauge.

Ventura Returns with the V-Matic Ego

Watch collectors who were around in the late 1990s and early 2000s would remember Ventura. It specialised in – literally – design watches. All its timepieces were created by noted industrial designers, including Flemming Bo Hansen and more frequently, Hannes Wettstein, who also designed the Nomos Zurich. The house style was sleek, pared back, slightly Scandinavian, but also distinguished by unusual materials – Ventura made liberal use of surfaced hardened titanium (Titanox) and steel (Durinox), a great novelty at the time. The Ventura V-Matic Ego remake But the brand made a pivot into high-end, self-winding electronic watches in the early 2000s, which unsurprisingly ended in Ventura going bust. Now Ventura is being resurrected by its former owner, UK-based watch importer Zeon Ltd (that’s in turn owned by a Hong Kong watch manufacturer), in partnership with Stephan Hürlemann, the designer who took over Wettstein’s studio after his death. I liked very much what Ventura was doing back in the day – the combination of design and materials was unique – but the original watches were surprisingly expensive, particularly by the standards of the time. The new remakes manage to reproduce the original design in a similar alloy, at a notably affordable price. Designer watches for less The revived Ventura sticks to a tried and tested sales formula: direct to the consumer via crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, making the new Ventura watches notably affordable, s...

Introducing: Article Prep

What We Know TK What We Think Something someone said someone. TK The Basics Brand: Model: Reference Number: Diameter: Thickness: Case Material: Dial Color: Indexes: Lume: Water Resistance: Strap/Bracelet: The Movement Caliber: Functions: Diameter: Thickness: Power Reserve: Winding: Frequency: Jewels: Chronometer Certified: Additional Details: Pricing & Availability Price: Availability: Limited Edition: For more, click here.

Hands-on - The Quiet Luxury of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 34 in Solid Gold

2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the Oyster Perpetual, the game-changing waterproof watch that altered the course of Rolex’s history. Put to the test by British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze as she swam across the English Channel with a gold Oyster on her wrist in 1927, the hermetic Oyster case was further upgraded with a self-winding […]

Explained: Grande Sonnerie Click Wheels

A visual staple of grande sonnerie watches is a pair of large, highly finished and intriguing-looking click wheels. Continuing our exploration of various horological energy systems — including winding efficiency and the fusee and chain — we examine the linkage of ratchets, clicks and wide-toothed gears that comprise the winding works of some of the industry’s best chiming watches. A Patek Philippe grande sonnerie movement from 1915. One crown for two barrels The grande sonnerie is rightfully considered the pinnacle of chiming complications. With the ability to automatically sound the hours and quarters, a grande sonnerie requires heaps of power to keep it going over the course of a day. As a result, most grande sonnerie movements rely on a second mainspring barrel that is isolated from the timekeeping going train. The requirement for independent barrels stems from the different rates at which the barrels unwind. The striking works require a faster-turning barrel that’s only active for short periods, while the going train feeds from a slow and steady barrel. Audemars Piguet Grande Sonnerie pocket watch crafted by Philippe Dufour. As the barrels discharge unevenly, it makes sense that they cannot be wound in sync. Winding both mainsprings in sync would typically over-strain one of them since their winding states are rarely the same at any given time. Although the two barrels themselves are separated, they often share the same winding train. Now a signature of Vallée...

In-Depth: IWC’s Pioneering ProSet Perpetual Calendar

IWC’s history is dotted with landmark innovations such as Albert Pellaton’s pawl winding system, Kurt Klaus’ famous perpetual calendar, and Richard Habring’s split-seconds chronograph module; the ProSet perpetual calendar system continues this legacy. This bidirectional perpetual calendar module made its debut earlier this year at Watches & Wonders inside the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet, and remains true to IWC’s identity as an engineer’s manufacture. A smaller Big Pilot QP The Big Pilot ProSet unveiled at Watches & Wonders blends the manufacture’s latest engineering feat with the beloved styling of the pilot’s watch. The ProSet system is currently only available inside the 42 mm Big Pilot. Powered by a downsized base calibre, the 42 mm ProSet is the first Big Pilot under 46 mm to include a perpetual calendar. IWC has a tweaked and scaled down the its signature Kurt Klaus module in the past for the 42 mm Portugieser and some Portofinos, but somehow it never made into the reduced Big Pilot collection. Unfortunately, these smaller watches lacked the now-iconic digital year display, and instead featured a subtler (but more forgettable) leap cycle aperture. The ProSet brings back the four-digit year display, making this watch almost indistinguishable from the original 46 mm version. Apart from some styling choices, the main difference in the displays is the lack of a power reserve indicator. The cal. 82665 inside is powered by a single mains...

In-Depth: IWC’s ProSet Perpetual Calendar

IWC’s history was dotted with landmark innovations such as Albert Pellaton’s pawl winding system, Kurt Klaus’ famous perpetual calendar, and Richard Habring’s split-seconds chronograph module. Though IWC has arguably been thin on such innovation in recent years, the ProSet perpetual calendar is a long overdue return to form. The calendar’s clever features make it true to IWC’s identity as an engineer’s manufacture. Set entirely via the crown just like the Kurt Klaus calendar, ProSet can also be adjusted forwards and backwards, making it both idiot-proof and convenient. A smaller Big Pilot This bidirectional perpetual calendar module made its debut earlier this year at Watches & Wonders inside the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet, which blends the manufacture’s latest engineering feat with the beloved styling of the pilot’s watch. The ProSet system is currently only available inside the 42 mm Big Pilot. Powered by a downsized base calibre, the 42 mm ProSet is the first Big Pilot under 46 mm to include a perpetual calendar. IWC has a tweaked and scaled down the its signature Kurt Klaus module in the past for the 42 mm Portugieser and some Portofinos, but somehow it never made into the reduced Big Pilot collection. Unfortunately, these smaller watches lacked the now-iconic digital year display, and instead featured a subtler (but more forgettable) leap cycle aperture. The ProSet brings back the four-digit year display, making this watch almost ...

Is S Your Size? In That Case, The 34.5mm Vacheron Constantin Overseas Might Be The Watch For You

You want it to be small, sleek, stylish, and sporty. And when you have the choice, you prefer a smaller overall size to an ultra-slim case. It’s all about the right proportions, and these are, as we know, very personal. Here’s the watch for you — the 34.5mm Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding. It is not […] Visit Is S Your Size? In That Case, The 34.5mm Vacheron Constantin Overseas Might Be The Watch For You to read the full article.

One To Watch: The Cartier Prize For Watchmaking Talents Of Tomorrow

Cartier has always chosen to tell time a little differently. From the first Santos wristwatch in a distinct square case, to its compelling mystery clocks, the unorthodox Tank à Guichet, the counter-intuitive Santos-Dumont Rewind, and the magic of the Masse Mystérieuse, it's a mainstream maison that has rarely approached the art of telling time by running with the pack.  Roy Davidoff (left), a vintage watch dealer and expert, and Kari Voutilainen (right), the renowned independent watchmaker, were among the panel of judges tasked with ranking the unique projects submitted for the Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow.  That unique sensibility is at the heart of the Cartier Prize For Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow. It's an accolade that's been awarded 28 times over three decades. But Cartier has rarely spoken about the initiative that began way back in 1995.  For its latest edition, we were given a glimpse into the process in which watchmaking students from Switzerland, France, and Belgium were tasked with creating a timepiece based on the motion of a pendulum and the theme of "reading and understanding time differently."  The resulting creations from 11 finalist watchmaking students, tasked with building a piece in just 80 hours over three months, displayed both technical prowess and artistic expression, conveying bold and surprising approaches to telling time within the Cartier design language.  Prizes were awarded at a ceremony in La Chaux-de-Fonds at C...

Introducing: The Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate (Now In 38mm)

What We Know Today, Blancpain has downsized its ultra-thin Villeret Ultraplate dress watch, with new options in 38mm for greater wearability. The previous 40mm options of the 'Golden Hour' series, which I covered last October, remain, but the 38mm options are going to be much more appealing all around as proper dress watches. The case still remains incredibly thin, especially for a self-winding watch, at 8.35mm, but the 38mm downsizing now offers a short 43.35mm lug-to-lug measurement for small wrists and those who prefer the more traditional proportion of how a dress watch should look on the wrist. Here, four options are presented within these new measurements: three with stainless steel cases, and one in 18K red gold. The dial design continues the visual update introduced last October in the Villeret series, with simplified Roman numerals, the applied "JB" logo at 12 o'clock (standing for Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, who the brand credits as the founder), slim but still lumed leaf hands, and a skeletonized rotor. In stainless steel, there are three dial colors available. Salmon is a first for the Villeret collection, with a copper-hued dial paired with anthracite-coated 18K gold numerals. My favorite of the lineup, the Villeret Ultraplate featuring a warm champagne-hued dial with 18K yellow gold numerals set within a steel case with a green nubuck strap, will be offered as a boutique exclusive. More classic pairings of white gold numerals in a steel case and red gold numeral...

Highlights: Artistic Horology at Phillips Hong Kong

Phillips’ spring auction season heads east for The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XXII on May 30 – 31. In addition to a strong roster of complications from big brands, and interesting indies as usual, there is a strong showing from the more artistic side of watchmaking spanning gemsetting, enamelling, hand engraving, and wood marquetry. Lot 1010 – Jaquet Droz Magic Lotus Automaton Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721 – 1790) was an extraordinarily skilled automata maker from La Chaux-de-Fonds, his most famous work being The Writer, which can write up to 40 pre-programmed characters, dipping his quill into an ink pot at intervals. Today, Swatch Group uses his name for métiers d’art watches and automata; this watch is both. The onyx dial adds lapidary into the mix. It is a two-train watch — turning the crown one direction winds the movement, while the other winds the animation, which is tripped by a button in the crown and runs for an unusually long four minutes on a full wind. The koi swims around the dial, moving its tail back and forth and dives slightly to pass underneath the floating foliage (which is made of gold). A floating lotus flower opposite the koi acts as a visual counterweight. The petals clutch a yellow sapphire — or is it a red ruby, or a blue sapphire? It changes as the flower passes under the leaves or dial. Finally, while the koi is cavorting around the dial, the dragonfly is hard at work keeping track of the movement’s 68-hour power reserve. That movement...

Happenings: Roger W. Smith OBE To Lecture At The Horological Society Of New York

At the June 2026 lecture of the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), independent watchmaker Roger W. Smith OBE will trace the remarkable story of the co-axial escapement from George Daniels' original invention in the early 1970s through to its continuing modern evolution. Beginning with Daniels' determination to address the fundamental limitations of the Swiss lever escapement, the talk explores the development of his early experimental pocket watches, together with the long and often difficult process of persuading a skeptical Swiss watch industry to adopt an entirely new escapement system. Drawing on firsthand experience working alongside Daniels during the Millennium Watch project and the launch of the first Omega co-axial wristwatch in 1999, Smith will provide a rare personal insight into a pivotal moment in modern horological history. The second half of the presentation will examine the subsequent technical evolution of the escapement from 2005 onwards, including the development of the single-wheel co-axial and the changing philosophy behind escapement design — moving beyond pure chronometric performance towards long-term stability, durability, and extended service intervals. Due to limited seating, tickets will be released according to this schedule: Gold Members...............May 26 (12 PM ET)Silver Members..............May 28 (12 PM ET)Bronze Members............June 2 (12 PM ET)General Public................June 4 (12 PM ET) A dedicated email with a unique cod...

Happenings: The Horological Society Of New York To Hold Classes In St. Louis

The Horological Society of New York's award-winning classes are on the road again! HSNY is visiting St. Louis on July 18 and 19, 2026, hosted by RedBar St. Louis. At HSNY's Horological Education classes, students discover what actually makes a watch tick under the guidance of HSNY's staff of professional watchmakers. Students work on a mechanical watch movement, studying the gear train, winding and setting mechanisms, and escapement. The weekend half-day classes cover everything taught during the individual evening classes held in New York. Enrollment is now open for the classes, and we look forward to seeing you there! HODINKEE is a sponsor of the Horological Society of New York.

Introducing: The Ming 29.06 "Peep Show"

What We Know Want to see a magic trick? No, not the kind the Joker pulls in "The Dark Knight," but instead something pretty cool that Ming has cooked up with their new 29.06 "Peep Show." The watches below look markedly different, but the only thing that's changed is the direction the hands point. When Ming Thein showed me this watch last fall, I immediately got what was going on as he turned the crown. If you were doing the same, you'd see that the guilloché dial with a multiphase color-shifting coating (like on the 57.04 "Iris") slowly fades in and out of visibility, turning from a dazzling view to pitch black as the hands move. Any guesses on how it works? Well, it's kind of a trick question, because the hands aren't actually hands. Instead, they're polarized sapphire discs with a hands made of Super-LumiNova X1 fill. The two pieces of sapphire are linearly polarized, so when they're aligned (on top of each other or directly opposite each other), the polarizer lets light in, and you can see that metal disc with color-shifting treatment. As the hands rotate, you see less and less of the dial until it turns black when the two discs are at 90º to each other. When you learn the effect, it's pretty simple, but it's certainly effective in person. All this is in a 29-series case, which is a bit more reserved than the 57-series case. It's made in lightweight Grade 5 titanium, measuring 40mm by 11.8mm, with a 22mm lug width. The case has a 50-meter water resistance. Inside the ...

Hands On: Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5610P and Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin

Comparison is often said to be the thief of joy, but the numerous attributes of the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5610P and Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Thin ref. 2500v are arguably best understood in a side-by-side format. The watches are extraordinarily similar — each watch features a platinum case and bracelet, a slim micro-rotor automatic movement, and a rare two-hand, no-date configuration. Beyond their tangible similarities, both watches are limited editions priced within 7% of one another, and were launched to mark milestone anniversaries of their respective collections. Initial thoughts Rarely do rival brands treat collectors to such a perfect match-up. Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin could hardly have done more to go toe-to-toe, and have unexpectedly made 2026 the golden age of the platinum sports watch. The original Patek Philippe Nautilus from 1976 was provocative precisely because it was made in steel at a time when ‘high-end’ still meant precious metal. Five decades later, the steel sports watch trend has arguably peaked, making the stealthy platinum ref. 5610P a fitting tribute. It captures the look of the original without diluting its legacy with yet another steel variant. While Vacheron Constantin has dabbled in steel sports watches since as far back as 1977 with the 222, the Overseas collection only debuted in 1996. Now in its third generation, the Overseas has evolved into a substantive rival to both the Patek Philippe Nauti...

Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Traveller is Ready for Takeoff

Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Traveller is a meaningful addition to its collection of sport watches. While the brand’s convenient push-button dual-time complication is not new, it has never been available in the go-anywhere, do-anything format of the Sport line - where it arguably makes the most sense. It’s also the first time this travel complication has been paired with one of the brand’s lever escapement movements, a change that should provide the resilience against shocks that one expects from a sport watch. Initial thoughts The sport has proven to be one of Laurent Ferrier’s most popular watches, introducing the brand to a wider audience by combining sports watch ruggedness with the high-horology independent watchmaking that the brand has become famous for. In this sense, the Sport Traveller is similar in philosophy to other luxury sport watches. That said, few manage to elevate the concept quite as high as Laurent Ferrier. The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus and F.P. Journe Octa Sport Titanium are natural peers, as is the Patek Philippe 5164, but only the latter offers a travel time complication. The Sport Traveller is made from grade 5 titanium for a featherweight wrist presence, and debuts in what is likely to be a popular grey-on-grey colourway. Even the Sport Traveller dial text is grey, blending in with the dial to help keep the clutter to a minimum. The cal. LF275.01 continues the monochromatic look with grey-coated bridges and a solid platinum oscillating wei...

Hands-On With The New Oris Star Re-Edition

Today, Oris introduces its Star re-edition. It’s a celebration of the very first Oris watch to feature a lever escapement, from 1966. But “Oris Star” sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Back in 2023, we collaborated with the company from Hölstein on the Fratello × Oris Divers Sixty-Five with “Star” on the dial, just like its 1968 […] Visit Hands-On With The New Oris Star Re-Edition to read the full article.

100 Years Of The Oyster Leads To The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 And 36 In Yellow Rolesor, Plus A Steel OP 36 With A Colorful Jubilee-Motif Dial

In 1926, Rolex introduced the first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch, marking a major step forward. Given the name “Oyster,” this watch featured a hermetically sealed case that provided optimal protection for the movement. Five years later, Rolex invented and patented a breakthrough self-winding mechanism with a Perpetual rotor. With 2026 marking the 100th birthday of […] Visit 100 Years Of The Oyster Leads To The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 And 36 In Yellow Rolesor, Plus A Steel OP 36 With A Colorful Jubilee-Motif Dial to read the full article.

Vacheron Constantin’s Ultra-Thin Overseas Returns

Following a belter of an anniversary year during which the brand launched, among other things, the world’s most complicated wristwatch and a quarter-ton astronomical clock, Vacheron Constantin (VC) kicks off Watches & Wonders with something more low-profile, both literally and figuratively - the Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Thin. While small in stature at just 7.35 mm thick, it’s what’s inside the counts - namely, an all-new micro-rotor calibre with 80 hours of power reserve and seemingly limitless potential. Initial thoughts The new Overseas Ultra-Thin is little different from the model that preceded it, though the ref. 2000V remained rare enough throughout its production run that the format still feels fresh. It also helps that despite the visual similarity, the ref. 2500V is a completely new watch inside and out, catapulting a model that arguably lagged behind its one obvious competitor into instant parity. The ref. 2500V is best understood from the inside out. Audemars Piguet replaced the well-loved historical cal. 2121 with its more modern cal. 7121 in 2022, and now it’s VC’s turn, being the last of the big three purveyors of mass-market fine watchmaking to replace its aging Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 920-based movements with an in-house alternative. The reluctance to replace this venerable platform is understandable. What VC calls the cal. 1120 is one of the last movements of its generation still in use, and carries a historical weight missing from many moder...

Introducing: The New Panerai Luminor Collection

Last year, Panerai refreshed its Luminor Marina collection and introduced slimmer cases with increased water resistance ratings. This year, the brand is playing directly to my wheelhouse by updating its Luminor collection. For reference, these watches include manual-winding movements, which I love to see and use. We were fortunate to have these pieces in our […] Visit Introducing: The New Panerai Luminor Collection to read the full article.

New Release: Lab Series 1 by Holthinrichs Watches skilfully transports us into a retrofuturistic reality

Today, I present two new models that caught my attention: the automatic Lab Series 1.S, which offers the rare combination of automatic winding and small seconds, and the Lab Series 1.GMT, featuring a straightforward second time zone function with a central 24-hour GMT hand. The post New Release: Lab Series 1 by Holthinrichs Watches skilfully transports us into a retrofuturistic reality appeared first on Quill & Pad.

First Look - The New David Candaux DC6 Night Forest, In Carbon and Titanium

David Candaux, a native of the Vallée de Joux with experience at Jaeger-LeCoultre and collaborations as a concepteur horloger for renowned brands, launched his own brand in 2017 with the DC1. The watch that followed, the DC6, established his signature: a bassinet-shaped case, a 30° inclined flying tourbillon, and the patented “Magic Crown” at 6 […]