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Results for Swiss vs Japanese Watchmaking

4,703 articles · 45 videos found · page 79 of 159

Introducing - Vacheron Constantin Unveils “The Quest of Time” Astronomical Clock and Watch for 270th Anniversary Monochrome
Vacheron Constantin Unveils “The Quest Sep 16, 2025

Introducing - Vacheron Constantin Unveils “The Quest of Time” Astronomical Clock and Watch for 270th Anniversary

Few watchmaking houses can look back on a history spanning 270 years. Marking such an extraordinary milestone requires more than a timepiece; it calls for a creation that embodies heritage, creativity, and mastery. In the frame of its 270th anniversary celebrations, Vacheron Constantin presents an exceptional object – not a watch per se, but a […]

First Look - The new Black DLC Titanium Edition of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Monochrome
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Sep 15, 2025

First Look - The new Black DLC Titanium Edition of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic

The Octo Finissimo collection by Bulgari doesn’t need an introduction anymore. One of the few emblematic lineups to have surfaced over the last decade, the OF has become the king of ultra-thin watchmaking, beating one record of thinness after another. But Bulgari’s slim-fit watch is more than just its slender profile and complex movements. It […]

Seiko Looks to Sci-Fi for the Astron GPS SJX Watches
Citizen has inched ahead Sep 15, 2025

Seiko Looks to Sci-Fi for the Astron GPS

Advanced digital watches haven’t deterred leading Japanese brands from continuing to earnestly develop high-accuracy quartz watches in analog formats. Chief among them is Seiko, which has just unveiled two new limited editions of its satellite-linked Astron GPS Solar. While the SSJ037 appears to be a simple time-only watch and the SSH185 looks like a straightforward dual-time chronograph, each watch is solar-powered and includes an electronic perpetual calendar. Limited to 1,500 pieces for the SSJ037 and 1,200 pieces for the SSH185, the new collection is sci-fi inspired, featuring colours and textures common to fictional depictions of space stations. Initial thoughts There are a couple different approaches to making high-accuracy quartz watches. The first is pretty obvious, and involves developing ever-more precise quartz oscillators. Seiko has long been a champion of this school of thought, although Citizen has inched ahead in recent years. The other approach is to make a reasonably precise quartz movement that automatically syncs with an external signal, which might be a radio signal broadcast from any of the atomic reference clocks positioned around the world, a bluetooth signal from the user’s phone, or, in the case of the Astron, a satellite signal. Since the brand debuted this technology in 2012, Seiko has refined things making the watches sleeker and the interface more intuitive. As a result, the time-only SSJ037 is an ordinary 42 mm in diameter and 12 mm thick;...

Fortis Introduces The Stealthy Stratoliner S-41 Gravity Black And The Wild Reentry Edition Fratello
Fortis Introduces Sep 15, 2025

Fortis Introduces The Stealthy Stratoliner S-41 Gravity Black And The Wild Reentry Edition

Fortis is well known in the world of horology for creating amazing tool watches. It is also one of the few brands with a track record of successfully sending watches into space. The Fortis Stratoliner S-41 collection is a modern-day space traveler’s watch that has achieved just that. Now, the Swiss brand is extending the […] Visit Fortis Introduces The Stealthy Stratoliner S-41 Gravity Black And The Wild Reentry Edition to read the full article.

Introducing: Three New Variants Of The Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Fratello
Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Sep 13, 2025

Introducing: Three New Variants Of The Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture

The Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is almost a decade old, but it continues to impress and surprise. When introduced in 2016, it was the most affordable Swiss-made mechanical perpetual calendar on the market. On the verge of the watch’s 10th anniversary, its friendly price is still a USP. However, the QP’s updated looks […] Visit Introducing: Three New Variants Of The Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture to read the full article.

Berneron Complicates Things with the Quantième Annuel (Live Pics) Worn & Wound
Berneron Sep 12, 2025

Berneron Complicates Things with the Quantième Annuel (Live Pics)

The inaugural watch by haute Swiss independent Berneron, the Mirage 38, had a markedly poetic design. With a free-flowing case shape, twisting hands, and a distorted dial, it would be easy to consider it as a design of pure aesthetics. Looks deceived, however, as the form was driven by a movement concept that rejected the standard circular shape, allowing for a large barrel, and thus a 72-hour power reserve in a small and thin body. Nevertheless, the outcome was undoubtedly one of whimsy, where evocative design outweighed pure function, if there was a clever horological backing. Often, brands, especially young ones, stick to a theme to carve a niche for themselves within a crowded industry, but that’s not the approach of Berneron. For the brand’s second model, announced just before Geneva Watch Days, whimsy is nowhere in sight. Instead, the brand made a sharp turn into practicality and legibility, if through a decidedly haute lens. Titled the Quantième Annuel, it has a design that verges on the traditional, especially compared to the Mirage. The first model within their “quantième” collection, which will house their complicated pieces, the QA is an annual calendar jump hour with a design driven by logic in terms of how it is read, the movement architecture, and how it is set. The flow of the dial is meant to be top to bottom, left to right. Following that order, time is read hour, minute, second, and the day, date, and month. The hour is digital, as it is a jump ...

Introducing: The Echo/Neutra Averau 42 - Ceramic Meets Titanium In A Tool-Ready Package Fratello
Sep 12, 2025

Introducing: The Echo/Neutra Averau 42 - Ceramic Meets Titanium In A Tool-Ready Package

Echo/Neutra has been carving out its little corner of the watch world since 2018. The brand’s founders, Nicola Callegaro and Cristiano Quaglia, blend Italian design sensibilities with Swiss-made execution, and the catalog has steadily grown from vintage-inspired field watches to elegant titanium dress pieces. The new Averau 42, however, is a different beast altogether. It’s […] Visit Introducing: The Echo/Neutra Averau 42 - Ceramic Meets Titanium In A Tool-Ready Package to read the full article.

A History and Guide to Laco Worn & Wound
Laco Located Sep 12, 2025

A History and Guide to Laco

Located in the southwest of Germany in Baden-Württemburg, Pforzheim is built at the confluence of three rivers. In the eighteenth century, the city became a hub of jewelry making, with watchmaking experiencing a pronounced revival in the early twentieth century, resulting in Pforzheim’s nickname of the “Goldstadt,” or “Golden City.” Founded by Frieda Lacher and Ludwig Hummel in 1925, Lacher & Co., today known as Laco Uhrenmanufaktur GmbH, played a significant role in this expansion of German watchmaking. Their aim was simple - produce watches of quality and reliability. The pair split a few years later, with Hummel remaining with the watch production side. While many German watchmakers relied on Swiss movements, Hummel chose a different direction. He founded Deutsche Uhren Roh Werke (Durowe) in 1933, dedicated to the manufacture of movements to become independent from Swiss calibers. Located in the southwest of Germany in Baden-Württemburg, Pforzheim is built at the confluence of three rivers. In the eighteenth century, the city became a hub of jewelry making, with watchmaking experiencing a pronounced revival in the early twentieth century, resulting in Pforzheim’s nickname of the “Goldstadt,” or “Golden City.” Founded by Frieda Lacher and Ludwig Hummel in 1925, Lacher & Co., today known as Laco Uhrenmanufaktur GmbH, played a significant role in this expansion of German watchmaking. Their aim was simple - produce watches of quality and reliabilit...

Experiencing The Ultra-Limited And Complicated Montblanc 1858 Cylindrical Tourbillon Geosphere Around The World In 80 Days Limited Edition - Chapter Three In Villeret Fratello
Montblanc 1858 Cylindrical Tourbillon Geosphere Sep 12, 2025

Experiencing The Ultra-Limited And Complicated Montblanc 1858 Cylindrical Tourbillon Geosphere Around The World In 80 Days Limited Edition - Chapter Three In Villeret

You could qualify a town with just 929 inhabitants as sleepy. Villeret, in the Swiss canton of Bern, is indeed quiet. It’s stuck between two mountain ridges in the Jura, and apart from a pizzeria that serves Dutch beer instead of Swiss for some reason, the isolated place looks pretty much timeless. Still, time plays […] Visit Experiencing The Ultra-Limited And Complicated Montblanc 1858 Cylindrical Tourbillon Geosphere Around The World In 80 Days Limited Edition – Chapter Three In Villeret to read the full article.

Citizen Celebrates 30 Years of High-End Watches With Paper-Dial Duo SJX Watches
F.P. Journe s Elegante But unlike Sep 12, 2025

Citizen Celebrates 30 Years of High-End Watches With Paper-Dial Duo

Citizen marks 30 years of its up-market The Citizen collection with two limited-edition watches featuring washi paper dials inspired by Japanese nature. Both use solar-powered quartz movements accurate to ±5 seconds per year, housed in titanium cases treated with ultra-hard Duratect coatings. Initial Thoughts Citizen’s somewhat clumsily named The Citizen sub-brand is 30 years old but little known outside Japan and enthusiast circles. Most The Citizen watches are distinguishable by an eagle crest on the dial, as well as their obvious quality. While the line has since grown to include mechanical watches, which are quite good, it remains a quartz-first brand – which is good as its quartz offerings are excellent and amongst the most advanced in the world. While often compared to the Grand Seiko cal. 9F models, The Citizen’s quartz offerings have more functions, and thus have more in common with the three-hand Seiko Astron 3X models, or Casio’s premium G-Shocks. These share solar charging, a perpetual calendar, and a power saving made which pauses the hands to save energy while not in use, like F.P. Journe’s Elegante. But unlike GPS-reliant Astrons and G-Shocks, Citizen’s high end quartz movements are fully autonomous, and accurate to within five seconds per year with a maximum deviation of two seconds per month during normal use. More important still, The Citizen’s traditionally styled offerings are much easier on the eyes than any G-Shock or modern Astron, stri...

Introducing - Vibrant Stone Dials for the 38mm Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Monochrome
Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Selfwinding Flying Sep 12, 2025

Introducing - Vibrant Stone Dials for the 38mm Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon

If there were a concise guide to the latest trends in watchmaking, it would likely feature compact unisex case sizes, vibrant colours and stone dials. Bang on trend, Audemars Piguet’s latest trilogy of compact 38mm Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon models flaunts vibrant-coloured stone dials sourced from around the world. As part of the brand’s […]

Seiko Upcycles Leather for the Latest Presage SJX Watches
Seiko Upcycles Leather Sep 10, 2025

Seiko Upcycles Leather for the Latest Presage

Seiko adds a new limited-edition to its line of affordable dress watch with the Presage Classic Series Upcycled Leather Strap that sports knurled bezel, golden-brown gradient dial, and with a leather strap made from shoe leather offcuts supplied by Regal, a Japanese shoemaker best known for its leather dress shoes. Initial Thoughts Though strange on the surface, the Seiko Presage and Regal tie-up makes sense. Both are affordable, solid offerings in their respective segments, and also distinctly Japanese. Notably, Regal is launching the saddle shoes that produced the offcuts later this week. The watch itself is a good looking iteration of Seiko’s familiar entry-level dress watch. The bezel and smoked dial are a pleasing combination that set this apart from most Presage models. Seiko didn’t mention the impetus for this collaboration in press materials; I suspect geography was a part. Regal builds its top of the line shoes in the town of Morioka, near Morioka Seiko Instruments, the heart of Seiko’s domestic mechanical watch production. That proximity lends a lot of authenticity to the collaboration for me, and I wish it were part of Seiko’s messaging, though I understand most consumers don’t care. At the same time, Regal is little known outside Japan, but its shoes are a fixture in major Japanese department stores. The transient nature of leather straps is arguably a shortcoming in watches like the new Presage, or the Kodo Constant Force Tourbillon at the other en...

Fleury Manufacture Reimagines the Classic Lemania Chronograph SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin s Lemania-ba Sep 9, 2025

Fleury Manufacture Reimagines the Classic Lemania Chronograph

Components-specialist-turned-watch brand Fleury Manufacture created its own chronograph calibre inspired by the famous Lemania cal. 2310, which debuts in the FXR-4 Chronograph. Given Fleury’s origins as a supplier of parts, the calibre is built almost entirely by Fleury, and to a high standard. And the FXR-4 stands out for another reason: while independent watchmaking is rarely the value proposition it once was, the FXR-4 is priced well. The FM04 movement Initial Thoughts Self-developed chronographs are a risky proposition for high-end independents. Established brands offer fierce competition, and developing a new chronograph calibre is arguably a thankless task today since enthusiasts remain fixated on highly-decorated three handers that offer the watchmaker a greater return on a smaller investment. The FM04 movement inside scores well in terms of construction and finishing. The architecture is more refined than most other Lemania-esque chronographs, with the chronograph driving wheel integrated into the going train. And the finishing, a mix of machine and hand finishing, has enough of the latter to be considered high end; the black-polished clutch lever is especially outstanding. The design of the exterior doesn’t score quite as well, which is not surprising given Fleury’s background as a parts supplier. The date isn’t to my preference – and the date pusher looks strangely large – it will be a meaningful value-add to others. Vacheron Constantin’s Lemania-ba...

Introducing: The Innovative Berneron Quantième Annuel Fratello
Berneron Sep 6, 2025

Introducing: The Innovative Berneron Quantième Annuel

Independent watchmaking has a special kind of magic. It is where bold ideas meet artisanal execution, free from the constraints of mass production, design by committee, and shareholder interests. Few embody this spirit more convincingly than Sylvain Berneron, whose debut model, the 2023 Mirage, was met with instant critical acclaim. With his second creation, the […] Visit Introducing: The Innovative Berneron Quantième Annuel to read the full article.

First Look - New Full-Steel and Blue Editions of the Frederique Constant Classics Premiere Monochrome
Frederique Constant Classics Premiere Frederique Constant Sep 5, 2025

First Look - New Full-Steel and Blue Editions of the Frederique Constant Classics Premiere

Frederique Constant, the brand that has cemented a reputation for accessible luxury, unveils two new iterations of its Classics Premiere unisex dress watch. Dressed in attractive pastel dial colours, the compact 38.5mm case size is paired with a new stainless steel bracelet for a more contemporary and versatile look. When applied to watchmaking, the term […]

Introducing - The Oris x Bamford ProPilot Altimeter Mission Control Monochrome
Oris x Bamford ProPilot Altimeter Sep 5, 2025

Introducing - The Oris x Bamford ProPilot Altimeter Mission Control

In 2014, Oris unveiled the ProPilot Altimeter, a unique wristwatch that combined an automatic Swiss-made calibre with a mechanical altimeter. Following an update in 2023, that singular idea is revisited this year in collaboration with Bamford Watch Department, bringing fresh design and high-tech case construction to the ProPilot Altimeter. The result is the Oris x […]

Introducing - The New Gérald Genta Gentissima Oursin Black Onyx and Burgundy Monochrome
Louis Vuitton s La Fabrique du Sep 5, 2025

Introducing - The New Gérald Genta Gentissima Oursin Black Onyx and Burgundy

Regarded as the most influential 20th-century watch designer and a key figure in the revival of mechanical watchmaking, Gérald Genta (1931-2011) is the name behind countless icons that still hold sway today. In 2023, Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps (LFT) haute horlogerie division announced the return of Gérald Genta as a standalone brand. Overseen […]

First Look - The New A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds with Salmon Dial Monochrome
A. Lange & Sohne Sep 5, 2025

First Look - The New A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds with Salmon Dial

The A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds has been one of the Saxon manufacture‘s greatest expressions of chronometric watchmaking since it first appeared in 2016. The debut model, cased in platinum with a solid silver dial, was produced in a 100-piece edition and immediately stood out for its rigorous regulator-style display and its […]

Hands-On: Behrens and Vianney Halter Collaborate on the Impressive Master Collection “KWH” Limited Edition Worn & Wound
Behrens Sep 4, 2025

Hands-On: Behrens and Vianney Halter Collaborate on the Impressive Master Collection “KWH” Limited Edition

Vianney Halter, the legendary independent watchmaker, has collaborated with Behrens, the Chinese indie that over the last few years has gradually upped the ante in terms of their watchmaking and their own ambitions in the international watch industry. The new watch, the Behrens Master Collection “KWH” Limited Edition, is sure to be one of the most talked about watches of Geneva Watch Days 2025, and should cement Behrens as a real player in the independent watch scene, while reintroducing Halter to a new generation of enthusiasts.  Collaborations within the indie watch world are frequent, so it’s worth spending a moment to contextualize the importance of Vianney Halter working with Behrens on this watch in particular. Halter is considered by many to be on the proverbial Mt. Rushmore of indie watchmakers who set the stage for the modern avant-garde watchmaking moment that we’re in the midst of. His Antiqua, a truly radical design upon its release, is still one of the most influential watches of its era, or any other. That he’s chosen to not just lend his name to a Behrens release but actually create an all new caliber for it feels like the strongest possible endorsement, and a signal that he and the young Chinese brand share a certain watchmaking philosophy.  The chief aesthetic inspiration behind the new piece is the square shape of antique electricity meters and the concept of “pixel nostalgia” (think video games like Snake and Tetris and you get the idea)....

First Look - The Artistic Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bulgari Monochrome
Bulgari If you are attending Sep 4, 2025

First Look - The Artistic Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bulgari

If you are attending the sixth edition of Geneva Watch Days, don’t miss Bulgari’s retrospective of the Octo Finissimo’s impressive trajectory in the ultra-thin watchmaking arena since 2014.  Alongside the record-breaking models is a new Octo Finissimo collaboration model made with Korean artist Lee Ufan, the latest in a long line of artists and architects […]