36,045 articles · 182 videos found · page 728 of 1208
Monochrome
Known for its highly decorated, openworked in-house movements finished to very high standards, Armin Strom entered the dress watch category in 2021 with its surprisingly restrained Tribute 1 model in 2021. While still bearing most of the attributes of the brand, design-wise or technically, the Tribute collection was simpler, more discreet and mostly, featured almost […]
Worn & Wound
Many a modern watch collaboration is born from a combination of content creation and independent watchmaking; larger companies are often not as open to letting YouTubers or other creators see their inner workings, leaving microbrands and independents (who need the press) as the ideal subjects of mini documentaries and deep dives. Because of this, many creators forge relationships with the folks who run those smaller companies, which paves the way for collaboration efforts that go beyond YouTube or podcasts. Teddy Baldassarre is one of the most recognizable talking heads on horological YouTube, and has taken his passion into the world of retail as well, heading his own website and business and rocketing his name into upper reaches of watch enthusiasm. So, it makes sense that Baldassarre has sought to link his name with actual timepieces as well, and the new RGM Watch Co. 501 Teddy Baldassarre Edition hits the market as his second collaboration with an established watchmaker. Forged through a years-long friendship with RGM namesake Roland G. Murphy, the 5011 Teddy Baldassarre Edition takes the already eye-catching 501 model, and adds a touch of Baldassarre’s personality to the mix. First, though, it may be helpful to know a little bit about RGM as a brand: founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Murphy, an ex-Hamilton master watchmaker, RGM has long produced bespoke, custom-made watches with in-house movements. The company emphasizes domestic production of all part...
Monochrome
Young, independent Dutch brand VPC (Venustas Per Constantiam) returns with its next release, the Type 39VM, following its debut model, the Type 37HW. Founded by Thomas van Straaten, watch journalist at Fratello, collector, and now the founder of the design-driven microbrand, VPC was created around a beauty-through-restraint approach. After setting a standard with its hand-wound […]
SJX Watches
British designer Oliver Gallaugher (O.G) has unveiled the Deep Space Blue, a compact follow-up to the debut Deep Space launched two years ago. The refined sizing is thanks to a new movement that’s both smaller and better-equipped than the out-going Unitas 6498-based platform. The 35-piece limited edition features a blued-hued dial with the same stellar theme of the original. To top it off, each dial features a unique pattern of engraved stars, making each individually numbered watch distinct from the next. Initial thoughts Oliver Gallaugher’s original Deep Space, launched in 2023, delivered an interesting and well-executed dial in a watch that wasn’t unnecessarily expensive. I appreciate that O.G has not moved aggressively upmarket with the sequel, as seems to be the trend for independents. Instead, the Deep Space Blue is slightly smaller and slightly nicer, while being only slightly more expensive, resulting in an improved value proposition. The revised dial is largely identical to that of the first generation Deep Space, aside from its blue colour and smaller size. The intersteller theme is conveyed clearly by the design, and no two will be alike; each dial will have unique and recognisable star pattern. The design looks as good in blue as in its original grey, which makes one wonder what it might look like in black or even burgundy. The brand did redesign the hands for the new edition, which were previously flat, matte, and bimetallic. The hands are now polished a...
Fratello
It has been nothing but an enjoyable experience to watch Fratello’s Thomas van Straaten build his watch brand. I greatly respect the passion and determination that Thomas puts into VPC Watch Co. Today, VPC launches its second model, the Type 39VM. This new dive watch is nothing short of impressive. The fact that the Type […] Visit Introducing: The Impressive VPC Type 39VM to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
The Speedmaster family grows again today as Omega announces a pair of new Moonwatches to the stable. The new additions, which the brand refers to as the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Black and White, seem kind of obvious at first glance, but if you dig a little deeper (just a little) these watches actually say something interesting about what a Speedmaster Professional is, and it’s somewhat different than what that was only a few years ago. Broadly speaking, what we have here are a pair of manually wound Speedmasters with a classic reverse panda dial layout, one in steel and one in 18k Moonshine Gold. A reverse panda layout, with a black base dial and white subdials, is not in and of itself all that unusual, but in the world of Speedmaster Professionals it’s quite out of the ordinary. Apart from limited editions, which are really a separate category altogether, the Speedy Pro has always just been black, until it wasn’t. The introduction of the white dial Speedmaster a few years ago reoriented us to think differently about these watches, and this pair, in a small way, does it again. The execution of these Black and White editions appears to be top notch. The black dials are varnished and lacquered, which ought to give them a more luxurious orientation than the standard matte black Speedy. The subdial frames are rhodium plated, and the white subdials have been given a lacquer treatment as well. Specs match other Speedmaster Professionals exactly, as you’d ex...
Monochrome
The Lycée Edgar Faure in Morteau has been nurturing an impressive wave of independent watchmakers, emerging with fresh visions and artisanal talent. In recent years, it has produced notable names such as Sylvain Pinaud, Théo Auffret, Rémy Cools, John-Mikaël Flaux, Cyril Brivet-Naudot, Thomas Aubert and Alexis Ramel-Sartori, and many others. Today, we turn our attention to […]
Hodinkee
The new limited-edition G-SHOCK MRG-B2000KT pays tribute to the ancient craft of Japanese swordmaking with the help of a master metalsmith.
Worn & Wound
Every year in January, Oris hosts a preview event for media in Vail, CO to show new novelties that will be introduced during the first quarter of the year, and previewing their focus for Watches & Wonders. While much of what we saw was under embargo and will only be revealed in the coming months, there was one new release that landed on the day of the brand’s presentation. The new Big Crown Pointer Date Bullseye joins the collection this week, and slightly rethinks the Pointer Date formula that has been so successful for Oris over these past several years. Many of the best watches in this collection have worked thanks to a bold use of color (teals, greens, reds, and of course last year’s vibrant canary yellow version all come to mind). But this watch is more about graphics and contrast. The dial here makes use of gray and black tones in contrast to create what amounts, in practice, to a sector dial. Red accents provide some visual interest, but the dominant feature here is the cool “tuxedo” style presentation. At the preview event I thought it worked really well, particularly when you get the dial into strong natural light. The gray sections have a reflective quality that works well against the more matte black interior ring. It has a lot more depth than I was expecting, and legibility is really great thanks to the high contrast. The Big Crown Pointer Date Bullseye is housed in a 38mm stainless steel case that at this point will be quite familiar to many. There...
Monochrome
RGM Watch Company is part of a small and exclusive club of American watchmakers that are truly vertically integrated. Based in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, Roland G. Murphy’s atelier produces multiple in-house calibres and complex, hand-made Guilloché dials via antique rose engine lathes. Teddy Baldassarre is a huge figure in the watch community with over 1.3 […]
Hodinkee
The enduring digital optics and toughness of G-SHOCK’s O.G. DW-5000C icon returns in a new limited edition timepiece. Meet the new MRGB5000HT-1 Tsuiki.
Hodinkee
With three new watches in the Prospex line, the strange case of the Seiko Alpinist’s overwhelming popularity continues.
Hodinkee
From a diver to a very vintage dress watch, Seiko is tapping into its history for a quartet of new LEs.
Fratello
Independent Atelier is a brand-new name, but its first project arrives with a sense of depth that immediately sets it apart. Rather than launching with a contemporary design or a statement piece designed to grab attention, the platform has chosen to begin with research - more specifically, with a watch rooted in a chapter of […] Visit Introducing: Project Tai Yu By Independent Atelier to read the full article.
Deployant
Omega releases yet another reinterpretation of their ultra popular Speedmaster Moonwatch with two new references with a black and white reverse panda dial.
Monochrome
Founded in 2000 by legendary designer Gérald Genta, the brand Gérald Charles, now under the leadership of CEO Federico Ziviani, has become known for its approach to technical refinement and design innovation within the distinctive Maestro case, an instantly recognisable creation of Genta. Gérald Charles continues to develop its collections based on Genta’s artistic legacy, […]
Worn & Wound
Tudor turns 100 this year. The same age as Dick Van Dyke and American Airlines. Anniversaries like this are a big deal in the watch industry – we’ve just been through a year where both Vacheron Constantin and Breguet celebrated major milestones, each with a series of special releases. That’s the playbook for a watch brand: milk the year for as long as possible with new releases that feel special. It’s a sensible strategy given that it inherently leans into heritage and prestige, both ideas that have been proven to sell watches successfully for years. This isn’t meant to be a prediction of what might be in store for Tudor this year – plenty of outlets and watch media figures have already weighed in on that topic. We don’t have any inside information, of course, so any guesses as to what Tudor might do would be just that. My hunch, though, is that we won’t see obviously anniversary inflected pieces dropped throughout the year in the same way we saw from the likes of Vacheron and Breguet in 2025. It doesn’t feel like that’s part of the Rolex DNA that Tudor shares. I expect we’ll see some very subtle 100 year mentions in Tudor marketing, a special watch or two that is not explicitly tied to the anniversary but as recognized as honoring it just the same, and perhaps something a little more celebratory around Watches & Wonders or an athletic event that Tudor is involved in (there will of course be many of those throughout the year). What I’m much more int...
Worn & Wound
Maen’s latest is an update to their well regarded Hudson 38 dive watch, now in a MK 5 version. It’s hard to believe that the first Hudson launched all the way back in 2018. Maen is a very different brand nearly a decade later, and has radically changed not only their image but the overall quality of their watches. This is perhaps most easily understood through their popular Manhattan line of integrated bracelet sports watches, which are uncommonly well engineered for the price. Over these last few years while they’ve built out the Manhattan collection, you could probably levy the critique that they’d become a bit of a one trick pony. But it feels like with the new version of the Hudson, they are applying much of what they’ve learned with the Manhattan into a watch that probably has a bit more mass appeal and is a simpler and more straightforward proposition on its face. The Hudson 38 MK 5 is, according to the brand, the biggest update to the watch yet. The case has been completely reworked and is much more streamlined, with a thinner profile (11mm thick excluding the crystal – pretty good for a 300 meter diver) and a thinner bezel, that gives the whole package a more refined appearance and leans harder into the vintage adjacent aesthetic. This new edition also features a box domed crystal for the first time in the collection, which fundamentally changes the personality of the watch when on the wrist. Other small enhancements include the addition of a lume pip (...
SJX Watches
Omega continues to widen its already diverse Speedmaster offerings with the Speedmaster Moonwatch in “reverse panda” livery. Available in steel or 18k Moonshine gold, the latest iteration of the classic chronograph features a black dial in mirrored black lacquer with contrasting white registers, along with a ceramic insert for the tachymeter bezel. It’s something of a riff on the Moonwatch with a white lacquered dial launched in 2024. Initial thoughts This is an appealing variation of a classic. It might bring to mind past models with similar “reverse panda” dials, but the double-layer lacquered dial looks and feels quite different from earlier dials. The glossy surfaces is a pleasing upgrade that gives this a little more refinement. Like other recent Moonwatch iterations, this facelift moves the spaceflight-qualified chronograph upmarket while still retaining its technical credentials thanks to the Master Co-Axial cal. 3861 inside. Admittedly this strays a little from the “tool watch” roots of the Moonwatch, which was originally a no-frills chronograph. But the upgrades are not merely cosmetic – the dial is actually superior in terms of execution and finish, as is the bezel, case, and most importantly, movement. The cal. 3861 is clearly a big step forward compared to its predecessor. The lacquered dials don’t cost that much more than the standard equivalent with a matte black dial, which makes them a good alternative for someone who wants a Moonwatch tha...
Monochrome
The modern Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional, the direct descendant of the watch that accompanied Apollo 11 crew members to the Moon, doesn’t need much introduction anymore. It is, undeniably, one of the most iconic and storied timepieces in existence. But there is more than one Moonwatch. Besides the classic steel version with a closed back […]
Monochrome
The resurgence of French brand Yema over the past few years has been marked by a steady, successful effort to refine its heritage designs and by its commitment to in-house watchmaking. Founded in 1948 in Morteau, France, the brand built its reputation through tool watches like the Superman and Skin Diver of the 1960s, watches […]
Fratello
Hublot and Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto are back for a fourth collaboration. This limited edition celebrates the shade of black. For Yamamoto, this carries greater significance than the mere absence of color; it is a statement. The same goes for Hublot, making the Classic Fusion Yohji Yamamoto All Black Camo interesting from a design-philosophy standpoint. […] Visit Introducing: Hublot Classic Fusion Yohji Yamamoto All Black Camo to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Though it was launched in 2022, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton still stands out within the catalogue for being the only Overseas in titanium. Vacheron Constantin (VC) has rolled out a pair of limited editions in the lightweight metal, a logical choice for sports watches, but the Overseas tourbillon, in both skeleton and conventional format, is the only regular production model. With its lightness and colour, the metal adds to the appeal of the Overseas tourbillon (which was already pretty good in steel). The skeleton version is further enhanced by the style and finishing of the movement, which is as good as expected of VC, and better than preceding calibres. Initial thoughts The Overseas tourbillon is a large watch and it feels large, but fortunately it is slim, giving it an elegant profile – which is how the best luxury-sports watches should be. Because it is in titanium – which is an uncommon metal for high-end sports watches – the watch is also light, even with the bracelet. This gives it an appealing feel on the wrist. The Overseas tourbillon looks good on its face, and is also surprisingly legible despite being skeletonised. The open-worked movement gives the watch a technical appearance that suits the material and purpose, while the prominent tourbillon showcases its haute horlogerie qualifications; the tourbillon is one of the most elaborately decorated elements of the movement. But one of the best traits of this watch is relative – the...
Worn & Wound
While it’s tempting to build a collection of just tool watches and divers with beefiness and durability in spades, having a good dress watch is a boon for any collector. Not only can a dress watch give you an excuse to put on that dress or suit and accessorize, it can also help remind you that function isn’t everything then it comes to timepieces; style matters too. Seiko’s Presage collection has long been a stalwart for dress watch shoppers on a budget who don’t want to sacrifice craftsmanship, and the new SPB537 reference is a tonneau-shaped addition to the Classic Series line. The enamel dial, paired with the tonneau case, is the major selling point for the SPB537, as it was designed by master artisan Mitsuru Yokosawa and his apprentice, Kazunori Uchiyama. This extra level of prestige elevates the SPB537, and adds a sort of intimacy to the design, despite it being introduced as a non-limited, continuous production model. The dial is white, a gentle contrast to the 46mm by 35.9mm stainless steel case and bracelet, and features sharp black Roman numerals, with a black minute track around the outer edge. A matching 24-hour sub-dial at 6 o’clock balances the dial, with the Seiko Presage logo just below 12. Blued steel hands provide a colorful accent, with a balancing half moon on the tail end of the seconds hand. The blue, though on the subtler side, is a welcome addition to the otherwise very business-like dial, and it furthers the artisan craftsmanship promi...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A review of the Luminox Pacific Diver Emerald Depths, focusing on tritium visibility, wrist presence, and daily wear experience.
SJX Watches
Chanel has taken a 30% minority stake in Kross Manufacture, the industrial operation behind the watches of Kross Studio and several third-party clients. Though the investment has not been formally publicised, I reached out to the brand’s founder Marco Tedeschi who confirmed the investment and provided additional context on the strategy for Kross Manufacture. In short, the transaction continues Chanel’s long-running strategy of backing independent watchmaking infrastructure through minority investments, rather than pursuing full acquisitions or operational control. Initial thoughts While Chanel’s growing footprint across independent watchmaking is well documented, its investment in Kross Manufacture is notable for its manufacturing-first focus. Unlike brand-level partnerships, the stake is confined strictly to production capabilities, reinforcing Chanel’s long-term interest in securing specialised, high-end manufacturing capacity rather than expanding its portfolio of consumer-facing marques. In this sense, the investment can be viewed as similar to its 2019 investment in the Kenissi manufacture alongside Tudor. Equally significant is what the deal does not represent: there is no rapid industrial scaling planned. Instead, the investment appears designed to selectively expand capacity, allowing Kross Manufacture to continue serving both its in-house brand and more third-party clients without sacrificing the agility required to produce watches in very small quantities...
Fratello
Certain watches feel immediately familiar the moment you strap them on - not because you’ve worn them before but, rather, because their story has been written so clearly over the decades that slipping one on is like stepping into a well-loved pair of boots. That’s the sensation I had when the Doxa Sub 250T GMT […] Visit Hands-on With Doxa’s Sub 250T GMT Sharkhunter Vintage to read the full article.
Fratello
Welcome back to another Sunday Morning Showdown! Daan and I are both stationed in the Netherlands, where winter is hitting hard. The skies are gray, and a layer of slushy, half-melted snow covers the earth. This has us dreaming of summer holidays in faraway exotic locations. We dream of wearing nothing but swim trunks and […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Baltic Aquascaphe Titanium Vs. Certina DS Action Diver Titanium 38mm to read the full article.
Monochrome
In the ever-increasing world of restomods, remasters, continuation cars and so on, some projects raise the question of why it hadn’t been done before. By now, we’re well familiar with the slew of Porsches from Singer, Nardone, Tuthill, KAMM and so on, but there are plenty of brilliant machines out there to receive the same […]
Fratello
Makina is a brand that has repeatedly challenged us with its modern creations. They are sometimes brutalistic, sometimes futuristic, but always pushing the boundaries of watch design. With the new Andras_II, the Filipino brand has updated its take on a classic dress watch. Just one glance at the Andras_II Gray immediately told me there was […] Visit Hands-On With The Surprising Makina Andras_II Gray to read the full article.
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