Results for Balance Wheel

History, “Sprezzatura,” and Finding Balance: A Conversation with Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni

Writing about watches is, often, an exercise in confirming and combatting preconceived ideas. Snap judgments are easy to form without thinking them through, and early opinions can be hard to shake, so the biggest challenges for anyone in this industry are parsing one’s own opinions, and learning how to look past them to evaluate the watches that come across our desks fairly. Most watches only require confronting this challenge in a cursory sense, but the best watches force you to face it head-on. Like many watches in the latter category, the new Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph required me to do some serious thinking. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to sit down with Guido Terreni, the CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier, to talk about the brand, their watches, and why I can’t get Parmigiani Fleurier off my mind. Guido Terreni, Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Parmigiani Fleurier has spent much of the last few years absolutely knocking the proverbial ball out of the park. Since Terreni’s hiring in 2021, the brand’s been on a heater, releasing hit after hit, and building a new identity almost from scratch, rebuilding and simplifying the collection to create a new identity for the nearly 30-year-old brand. “When I joined the company, I understood that the brand needed direction and style, and what was in the pipeline was not building the brand as I thought it should. So I blocked everything and we started working from scratch on a white piece of paper - not perfectl...

A Watchmaker’s Technical Look at the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Fire: A Dual-Balance Watch with a Difference - Reprise

The Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Fire has captivated everybody with the mesmerizing appearance of its twin balances and the unusual, long, sinuous, grey spring gently oscillating along the middle of the watch. 'The Horological Journal' editor and watchmaker Justin Koullapis asks the question, "Does it live up to the hyperbole?"

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2012: A Complete Champagne with Great Balance and Length - Reprise

For Ken Gargett, the Veuve Clicquot 2012 La Grande Dame is a special champagne. It walks the tightrope between dense and coiled power with delicacy, finesse, and elegance. Great intensity, finally balanced acidity, early complexity, and it is still wonderfully youthful with a long future ahead of it. But what interesting story lies behind this fantastic champagne?

Farer Finds the Balance Between Simplicity and Size with the Limited Edition Palmer GMT

The latest addition to Farer’s lineup of GMT watches is a balancing act between simplicity and the brand’s signature use of vibrant colors and bold accents. Farer is no stranger to dynamic dial colors, peculiar color combinations and large numeral displays that have separated Farer amongst the pack with their own distinguishable design language. It’s not just for looks either as their dial aesthetics account for prime legibility, both in daylight and low light situations thanks to the heavy dose of lume usage they’re notorious for, as well. It’s always an intriguing release when Farer releases a white dial because it allows the brand to explore minimal ways to apply color without sacrificing the Farer panache. With this new limited edition release, the Farer Palmer GMT hits the sweet spot in both simplicity and case size making it their most appealing GMT yet. The Palmer GMT doesn’t just use a standard tone of white for the dial; we are talking about Farer after all. Farer is calling the Palmer dial color “pearlescent opaline” which gives the dial’s surface a slightly creamier tinge. Each hour marker is raised from the dial thanks to the block of SuperLuminova that makes up its construction and is hit with a thick application of black paint on its top surface. This in combination with the black outlining of the handset maximizes legibility against the white, excuse me, pearlescent opaline dial. The use of numerals are much more subdued than were used to w...

The Spec Sheet: The Omega Constellation Globemaster Is The Perfect Balance Of Classic And Cutting Edge

The often-overlooked Globemaster that ushered in a new era of precision timekeeping for Omega.

Business News: F.P. Journe Announces Collaboration With Firehouse Horology, A New York - Based Balance Spring Maker

European art and American technology in one watch.

Pocket Guide: Column & Cam-Wheel Chronographs

Pre Baselworld 2015: Arnold & Son Golden Wheel

When it comes to haute horlogerie, Arnold & Son is often a brand that is overlooked by many purveyors. There is little wonder, since the British watchmaker is often overshadowed by their more illustrious counterparts like Patek Philippe. However, that does not stop them from making wonderful pieces, such as the Time Pyramid and DBS. ThisRead More

Hands-On With The Well-Balanced Lebond Souto Moura

A little over a year ago, Lebond Watches unveiled its inaugural Siza model to the public. The Barcelonian brand works with famous architects to create each one’s take on a watch. After world-famous architect Álvaro Siza was the first to do so, the brand’s second effort debuted earlier this year. This time, Lebond founder Asier […] Visit Hands-On With The Well-Balanced Lebond Souto Moura to read the full article.

We Reviewed 7 Small Watches With Serious Water Resistance That Still Wear Well

From affordable automatics to premium GMTs and divers, these compact picks balance wrist-friendly proportions with real-world durability.

First Look - Raymond Weil Unveils “The Fifty” with a Restored Valjoux Movement

Coming up for its 50th anniversary, Raymond Weil marks the occasion with The Fifty, a handsome chronograph powered by a restored Valjoux 23-6 column-wheel chronograph from 1976, its year of birth. Donning a neo-vintage sector dial, inspired by the Millesime Small Seconds and the Millesime Chronograph, this accomplished limited edition is poised to captivate a […]

Insight: Rolex Land-Dweller Cal. 7135, Patents and Innovation Explained

Rolex has entered uncharted territory with the Land-Dweller, arguably the most advanced and radical creation from a hitherto conservative brand. The Land-Dweller is significant, perhaps even game changing, not because of the integrated bracelet or patented solid lume, but because of the cal. 7135, a new calibre with an all-new double-wheel escapement known as Dynapulse and a ceramic balance staff. (This story details the technical advances in the movement; for a review of the watch, check out the accompanying story.) The Land-Dweller 40 mm in platinum The fundamentals Why is it significant, or even game changing? The cal. 7135 is the first in-house, serial production Rolex movement that is high frequency, beating at 5 Hz or 36,000 beats per hour. All things being equal, a higher frequency promises superior timekeeping. Despite the higher frequency, the cal. 7135 still has a 66-hour power reserve. That’s thanks in part to the Dynapulse escapement which is 30% more efficient than a conventional Swiss lever escapement, while occupying essentially the same volume of space. The balance assembly of the cal. 7135 Dynapulse is one of several innovations that make the cal. 7135 a landmark, especially since it will be produced at scale. While Rolex has traditionally been associated with incremental innovation, the cal. 7135 is a revolution. The Land-Dweller is the subject of 32 filed patents, 18 of which are unique to the watch. Moreover, 16 of the patents unique to the watch are ...

The Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Blue & Gold offers exemplary in-house machined mastery

Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Blue & Gold’s faceted case is inspired by the lines of stealth aircraft design 45mm in diameter, 18K rose gold and PVD blue titanium case. Flying Tourbillon. Hours and minutes. Escapement wheel, anchor and balance spring in silicium. When delving into the romanticism of traditional high-end watchmaking, we often discuss hand-craftsmanship. But, … ContinuedThe post The Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Blue & Gold offers exemplary in-house machined mastery appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

EVENT: Wheels up with the new Pilot’s collection at IWC’s Melbourne boutique 

Last night, Time+Tide, along with IWC and Kennedy Watches & Jewellery, hosted an intimate gathering at IWC’s Melbourne boutique. And even though it’s officially ticked over to spring, the evening was brisk, so the horological faithful were truly faithful. But once ensconced in the warm, well-lit space, the cold melted away in the presence of … ContinuedThe post EVENT: Wheels up with the new Pilot’s collection at IWC’s Melbourne boutique  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The ultimate watch glossary - the intermediate edition, feat. wheels, pinions and more

Editor’s note: Last week we kicked off our series on the ultimate watch glossary - well, now it’s back and slightly more complex. Read on if you want to know what really makes your watch tick … Mechanical watch, manual or automatic There are two types of mechanical watch, and the difference comes down to … ContinuedThe post The ultimate watch glossary – the intermediate edition, feat. wheels, pinions and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Pre-Basel 2015: Nomos Metro 38 Datum

Nomos is changing the rules by offering Glashütte-made watches with manufacture movements, complete with the brand’s in-house “Swing System” balance, balance spring, escape wheel and  lever, at prices that are beyond reasonable. At Baselworld, Nomos will unveil its latest bespoke creation, the Metro 38 Datum. The new model follows last year’s original Metro, which has […]

Hands On: MB&F; LM1 EVO

The MB&F; LM1 EVO brings back the original Legacy Machine (LM) in a smaller, sportier case, with improved shock protection, water resistance and a revised movement. Fifteen years after the LM1 established the LM collection, the EVO preserves its distinctive dual-time layout and suspended balance while making it more suited to the demands of daily wear. Initial thoughts I still remember seeing the LM1 for the first time when it launched in 2011. Up to that point, MB&F; had spent six years developing its identity around the futuristic Horological Machine (HM) collection, and the brand’s original take on traditional watchmaking came as a surprise. The LM1 established what is now the Legacy Machine collection, which began as a thought experiment about what kind of watch founder Max Büsser might have designed had he been born a century earlier. The original LM becomes the fifth MB&F; platform to get the EVO treatment, after the LM Split Escapement, LM 101, LM Perpetual, and LM Sequential (in both regular and flyback configurations). It follows the same script as its predecessors, with a polished titanium (or 18k rose gold) case, proprietary rubber strap, and the brand’s patented FlexRing shock absorber, which helps take the edge off severe impacts. The EVO case is also water resistant to 80 m thanks in part to twin screw-down crowns. Of course, it’s a manually wound movement, which means the threads will se a lot of action assuming the watch is worn regularly. Fortunately, ...

New Omega James Bond Watches: Spectre & Bond

Hero and villain. Darkness and light. Good versus evil. Every great story needs this balance, and the history of James Bond is packed with these timeless plotlines. While the world eagerly awaits the announcement of the next James Bond to carry the film franchise forward, Omega is celebrating the iconic rivalry of MI6

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...

Introducing: Greubel Forsey Re-Launches Its Icon Iith The New 'Balancier QM'

What We Know Less than a year ago, Greubel Forsey discontinued the most emblematic pillar of its particularly well-finished watchmaking, the Balancier Contemporain. The Balancier is dead. Long live the Balancier. The new Balancier QM, that is. Very much grown out of the lessons, successes, and even the architecture of the Balancier Contemporain, the Balancier QM is the first to carry the brand's new Qualité Musée standard.  While it looks somewhat different, with a floating balance cock and rearranged location of the power reserve, the Balancier QM is a familiar watch to anyone who has seen a GF before. That's because the movement borrows much of its architecture from the old Balancier Contemporain, as well as its identical sizing (39.6mm by 12.25mm for both models), now in white gold.  What the Balancier QM is instead is more of a codification of a new Qualité Musée (QM) certification for this and future GF watches. Like the Patek seal, Qualité Fleurier, Breguet Hallmark, and other in-house standards (all three of which have also just added chronometric certification not found here), this guarantees a certain—particularly extreme—level of hand-finishing quality. Finishing has been one of the key raisons d'être for GF since its founding. There's been an "if you know, you know" quality to the brand that signaled that, included in their extreme pricing, you get extreme finishing from the brand. That was a novelty in the past, but now it's a "must" for any high-en...

Dennison x Collectability’s Second Collab Gives Us Four Funky Twists on Its Inaugural Offering

While some brands regularly take the collaborative approach, this hasn’t been the case for Dennison. Its first co-designed model came to us just about a year ago when the Maison first teamed up with Collectability, the brainchild of Patek Philippe expert and horological icon John Reardon. The pair’s initial offering achieved an impressive balance of design language. It combined some clear inspiration from Patek’s Ellipse as well as some of the brand’s lesser-known models with elements of the collection that revived Dennison in the modern era – the A.L.D. – developed by acclaimed watch designer Emmanuel Gueit, whose resume includes the Rolex 1908, Harry Winston Z1, and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore. The duo has just spun up its second collaboration, available for pre-order for one week only, beginning today through June 3. If you didn’t immediately click over to place an order, and you’re still with me, let’s unpack these latest additions. The new Oblique collection certainly has echoes of the original co-design but with a little bit more edge. The pair’s inaugural offering was relatively classic and timeless whereas the latest interpretations are a bit more modern and sculptural. This time, Dennison and Collectability give us two variations: the bold Enigma dial and the more sober Vector dial. In both iterations, the brands lean further into the funky design language that began emerging in the 1960s with asymmetry being a focus. Here, the familiar ...

Mixed Materials: Girard-Perregaux’s Two-Tone Laureato Chronograph

Girard-Perregaux (GP) has expanded the Laureato Chronograph collection with an on-trend two-tone model with a brown dial. For fans of the Laureato — or 1970s-inspired sports watches in general — the new steel-and-rose gold reference strikes a balance between casual and luxurious. While not a limited edition, GP intends to start production with a small run of just 50 pieces. Initial thoughts Earth-tone dials seem to be having a moment. As more watch brands continue to explore brown dials and earth tones, GP has jumped in with its own interpretation. Brown can be a difficult colour to pull off, but the glittering hobnail texture of the Laureato’s dial lends this casual colour a degree of luxury and keeps it from looking dull. The new two-tone variant features the same dimensions as its stablemates, with a diameter of 42 mm and a thickness of 12.16 mm. But at a time when watches seem to be getting smaller, the 42 mm size feels larger than ever. Of course, size has its perks — the large dial opening reveals a richly detailed dial, and the 18k rose gold bezel has plenty of personality at this scale. For those who find the size intimidating on paper, the integrated rubber strap should remove much of the perceived bulk on the wrist. Rubber hasn’t always been considered a luxury material, but today it’s an industry staple, and an appealing alternative to the weight of steel or precious metal. The everyday luxury chronograph The Laureato Chronograph is fundamentally a ...

Review: the Zelos Comet 39 ‘MOP’

Singaporean independent brand Zelos is known for their colorful and texture-forward dials that strike a nice balance between affordability and unique design. Each new creation seems to drive their overall image forward in eclectic ways that keep the brand from fitting too rigidly into any one box. While Zelos is often associated with their sub $1,000 tool watches, they have made spectacular forays into the space of haute complications and uncommon materials in recent years. Their release of the Mirage in 2020, a watch that featured a tourbillon at a competitive $11,000 pricepoint, and their work using tantalum as a case material, is proof that the brand is committed to stretching the imagination regarding what a microbrand is capable of.  Their newest release, the Comet 39, joins the ranks of the recent trend of stone dials we’ve seen permeating the hobby in the past few years. Since the trend is fairly new, my experience with stone dials is limited, and I was looking forward to getting hands-on with this piece. I was lucky to be able to pick up this review watch in-person at the Windup Watch Fair in New York City a few weeks ago while I was visiting. Complementary sizing by David Lane Design at Windup allowed me to wear the watch around the city during my trip and get a sense for how it moved with me during high-volume days. The Mother of Pearl (MOP) edition is one in a series of three Comet watches in the brand’s new Comet 39 line, all of which are crafted with vari...

Introducing - Elka Watch Co. Celebrates Black and White with Its Latest S Series Monochrome Editions

At MONOCHROME, we have a soft spot for… well, monochrome. The balance of light and shadow on a dial, the quiet elegance of a perfect photograph… something about removing colour to reveal form, texture, and contrast that we find so immensely appealing. So when we learned that Elka Watch Co., the young Swiss brand known […]

Kollokium’s Projekt 02 is for Friends, Family, Fools, and Flippers

On the heels of its successful Projekt 01 with topographical pin dials, Kollokium tries something different, but not too different, with the Projekt 02 FFF&F; Edition, short for “Friends, Family, Fools, and Flippers”. This 199 piece limited edition will first be offered to the original owners of the Projekt 01 F&F;, with the balance available to the public. Initial Thoughts Kollokium will only offer this initial variant of the Projekt 02 to original owners of the first “Friends & Family” edition at a slightly discounted rate – fools and flippers also get to enjoy the lower price presumably. That is a gracious nod to its supporters, but also a smart way to build exposure leading up to the public launch. Projekt 02 takes all the elements that made Projekt 01 a success to build something is still obviously a Kollokium watch, but different enough that neither is redundant. In fact, the Projekt 02 looks very similar at a distance, but is discernibly different in hand, especially with the new case design that feels a little more compact than the original, though it measures essentially the same. The dial also gives off a very different vibe compared to the first model, with the relief motif looking like a military topographical map from a sci-fi movie. The Projekt 02 isn’t really “good value” in the conventional sense (like a high-spec Tudor), but if you ignore spec sheet the watch has a lot to offer for not that much. Besides, Kollokium lacks the economies of scal...

Nomos Expands their Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Collection with Three New Limited Editions

I like to think I have a good balance in my life. While I live in a very rural part of the U.S., I’m equally able to spend time in cities around the world thanks to my work. Because of this, I appreciate the late nights in unfamiliar places all the more – at home, I’m in bed by 10:00 PM most nights with my three elderly dogs. It’s this, then, that attracts me so much to the new colorways of the Club Sport neomatik Worldtime with its Night Navigation Series: Grid, Trace, and Vector. These three references are designed to highlight the bit of thrill and adventure of entering a new city and navigating by the neon signs, storefront windows, and flashing crosswalks.  While longtime readers will know we’ve featured the Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer, it still remains a favorite for those looking for a watch that can balance its sporty design with the elegance that Nomos Glashütte excels at. This is due, in part, to the proportionality of the watch itself. Clocking in at a not-too-big-not-too-small Goldilocks-sized 40mm, it feels all the more slighter with its 9.9mm thickness. In fact, it’s the thinnest watch of its kind, making it just another reason to highlight the Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer among its competitors. As mentioned, three new references have been released with this series. Trace pairs black and turquoise; Grid in amber; and Vector in olive and ecru. While each is defined by its relation to traveling at night, it works just as well as a daily watch...

Hands-On With Two Handsome Hanhart 415 ES Panda Chronographs

Many modern chronographs strive to strike a balance between vintage appeal and modern build quality. Few of those efforts result in a package as appealing as the Hanhart 415 ES Panda chronographs. These models revisit a 1960s design while delivering features expected in a contemporary tool watch. I had the chance to go hands-on with […] Visit Hands-On With Two Handsome Hanhart 415 ES Panda Chronographs to read the full article.

Dispatch: Two Wheels To The Top Of Austria For The Giro di Mankei

A grueling climb, a screaming marmot, and the watch that ties it all together.

Roger Dubuis Impresses with the RD780 Flyback Chronograph

Representing a new era for the Roger Dubuis manufacture, the Excalibur Spider Flyback is an aggressively styled, motorsports-themed chronograph – boasting the impressive, high-spec RD780 movement with some unusual tricks up its sleeve, including an inclined balance. While the Excalibur Spider Flyback harkens back to the brand’s early aspirations in terms of movement construction and ambition, it diverges entirely in style with its supercar-inspired lines. Limited to 88 examples in pink gold, it debuted at Monterey Car Week – Roger Dubuis is a partner of Lamborghini – this variant in pink gold and blackened titanium is a new iteration of a model originally available in carbon composite. The RD780 Initial Thoughts In its past life, Roger Dubuis raised a menagerie of ambitious – perhaps overambitious – movements. While the brand thinned the herd after the 2008 financial crisis, some of that spirit lives on inside the Excalibur Spider Flyback. It attempts the dial-movement integration and three dimensionality mastered by some independent watchmakers like Greubel Forsey, though the construction is still fairly traditional, leading to some lost opportunities. The calibre is impressive – especially for a brand owned by a luxury group – but could be better. For example, the minutes counter could be inclined by 12° to mirror the balance and the imitation barrel bridge to be more convincing in terms of style and symmetry. With its over-the-top-style, the Richard Mil...

Christopher Ward Gets Ready for the Summer with the C60 Trident Reef

2025 has already been a memorable year for Christopher Ward. Having launched the C12 Loco back in April, their most ambitious watch to date, they’ve further shown they are an indie force to be reckoned with. But, while the C12 Loco proved that they can achieve complicated watchmaking at a reasonable price, it was still on the top end of their catalog. To balance this, for their next launch, they are returning, to some extent, to their roots with an affordable diver, the C60 Trident Reef. Please note that production watches will differ from the samples shown in the following ways: the depth rating will match the color of the “automatic” text, and the hour hand will be rhodium plated. A playful riff on the Trident C60 platform, the Reefs are modern, colorful, and feel like a throwback to watches from about a decade ago, rather than something mid-century. Coming in five colors and two sizes, they feature a new case with a shrouded mid-section, allowing for a dynamic design, especially at the price. Wrapped in matte aluminum (save one version), the mid-cases are anodized to match the aluminum bezel inserts. The result is fun and unexpected, if intense, particularly on a model like the orange shown. Measuring either 41 x 47.9 x 11.45mm or 44 x 51.4 x 11.45mm, both models feature 22mm lugs and 200m of water resistance, positioning them as medium and large divers in the C Ward collection, which fills gaps left by the C60 Pros. The 44mm model, in particular, will be met with...