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Monochrome
The brainchild of Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, known for his high-end tourbillons or chronographs, Kurono Tokyo is the man’s vision of a more accessible brand. Still driven by an almost obsessive attention to detail, which somehow explains the low availability of these watches, Asaoka is here focussing on design more than watchmaking. Following the […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Chiming watches represent one of the most coveted types of complicated watches in the world - despite the fact that they are also one of the most archaic and, in practical terms, obsolete. The most popular type is the minute repeater, which chimes the time audibly on demand; it was invented for pocket watches in the 18th and 19th Century as a practical method of alerting its wearer of the current time in the dark, in the era before electric lighting and luminous details on watch dials. Definitively regarded as more a luxury today than a tool, a minute repeater has an independent chiming mechanism with two small hammers striking coiled metal gongs, generally activated by a slide on the side of the case, to produce different tones for the hour, quarter hour, and minute. The most sophisticated of these chiming watches might also include a grande sonnerie, and/or petite sonnerie: the former perpetually strikes the hour every hour and the hour plus the quarter-hour at every quarter, without any need for the wearer to activate it with a slide; the latter strikes the hour every hour, and the quarter-hour (but not the hour) every quarter, also independently of any activation by the wearer. Sometimes the chiming functions are even coordinated with moving, elaborate dial animations called automata. Watches with chiming functions tend to be rather rare and almost always prodigiously expensive, but a handful of watchmakers have managed to create examples that are slightly less compl...
SJX Watches
Having just announced its first-ever Formula 1 sponsorship, Tudor also quietly revealed a Black Bay Ceramic for the Visa Cash App RB Formula One (VCARB) racing team. As with the standard model, the case is black ceramic, but instead of the usual black, the dial is in a striking blue that matches the livery of the team’s car (and the Visa logo). Like almost all of its special edition watches, the new Black Bay Ceramic is not for public sale but instead meant for members of VCARB team. The brand hasn’t released any official statement regarding the watch, and all that is known for now are two portraits of VCARB driver Daniel Ricciardo wearing it. The VCARB car for the 2024 season. Image – Visa Cash App RB Initial thoughts Tudor has grown imaginative and adventurous in its products and marketing in recent years, especially compared to a decade ago, which stands in contrast to its still conservative sister brand Rolex. In that regard, Tudor has become something of a platform for the Rolex group to experiment with new ideas and concepts, which was what Rolex once was decades ago, before it became the world’s biggest and most valuable watchmaker. Daniel Ricciardo. Image – Visa Cash App RB Tudor has been particularly active in collaborations with notable organisations, ranging from elite military units to America’s Cup competitors. Each collaboration, in turn, results in a watch. Even though Tudor has made a good number of collaborative special edition watches to date...
Welcome to episode 74 of A Week in Watches! Another solid week of releases, this one is dominated by one brand that just can’t stop, and the most noble of metals – titanium. There’s a new brutish military diver from the mil-spec nerds over at Tornek-Rayville, some crystallized dress watches from Baltic, a simply handsome titanium chronograph from Zenith, and a ton of stuff from Grand Seiko. Like, a ton. Check it out below, and please like and subscribe if you haven’t already! This week’s episode was brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop and the new Formex x Worn & Wound Essence Sector 39 Chronometer Limited Edition. The first collaboration between the two brands, its sci-fi-inspired style will stand out in any collection. Head over to WindupWatchShop.com to check them out, as well as accessories, EDC, clocks, and more. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 74 – A Great Week for Fans of Titanium (and the Grand Seiko Snowflake) appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Worn & Wound
You’ve got two options. First, you can craft or find a device that can bend space and time so that you can travel back to an alternate universe in which the MIL-W-46374F Type 6 SANDY 660 was widely issued and battle-worn, and readily available. Second, you could just pay closer attention to what Tornek Rayville (under its current MKII Watch umbrella) is doing and snag a version that’s better than the slightly obscure original. Maybe I’ve been reading too much science fiction lately, but as fun as the first option sounds, the second option is probably the right move. Today, we’re looking at Tornek-Rayville’s take on a lesser-known mil-spec watch with a short-lived history of service but plenty of potential. The spec called out for a navigator-style watch with a rotating bezel, quartz movement with antimagnetic properties, water resistance, and a focus on legibility. The TR Type 7B “Blakjak” is a modern take on the post Gulf War-era watch that improves upon the spec while adding some premium touches that us watch collectors will appreciate. Let’s dig in and take a closer look at the latest and greatest from Tornek Rayville. Case The first thing that struck me when unboxing the watch was the sheer size and weight of it. The 7B ships on a quick-release stainless steel bracelet and includes a nylon and rubber strap. I took it off the bracelet and popped it onto a nylon strap of my own for the initial evaluation. My wrist is pretty average, measuring in at 6.75...
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Monochrome
Before chiming mechanisms appeared in miniaturised form inside table clocks and, eventually, pocket watches and wristwatches, our ancestors relied on the bells of clock towers to tell the time. Minute repeaters, which strike the hours, quarters and minutes on request, require extraordinary horological skill and a trained musical ear to create. Speake Marin’s latest watch, […]
SJX Watches
In an unsurprising move given recent fads, Piaget just announced the Polo 79, a yellow gold wristwatch that is essentially a remake of the original, with a slightly larger case that captures the proportions of the original and an impressively slim movement. Initial thoughts The Polo 79 is a predictable launch, coming shortly after the Vacheron Constantin 222 and IWC Ingenieur, which are of course products of Piaget’s sister companies. The new Polo sticks to the same formula, gently updating the aesthetics and installing a new movement, but largely preserving the same design. So the Polo 79 can’t be commended for creativity, but it is executed well. That said, creating a new design in the spirit of the original – namely geometric forms, slim, and sporty – would have certainly made it a more interesting watch. The Polo 79 is slightly larger than the original, but substantially thicker thanks to a self-winding movement. The original, on the other hand, was equipped with the quartz cal. 7P, an incredibly thin movement that fit the trends of the time. The increase in size means the new Polo feels like a bulked up version of the original, which was small and flat in keeping with 1980s style. To accommodate modern tastes, the Polo 79 sacrifices the thinness of the original. That is regrettable but forgivable, since it would not be possible to achieve sufficient water resistance (the Polo 79 is rated to 50 m) as well as automatic winding in the dimensions of the original c...
Worn & Wound
Spring is coming early, or at least that’s what Punxsutawney Phil would have us believe. February 2 was Groundhog Day in North America. In case you don’t know (or haven’t seen the Bill Murray movie), this is the day that groundhogs around the country are coaxed from their burrows in an attempt to predict the arrival of spring weather. If the groundhog emerges to see its shadow, it will nestle back into its cozy home and winter will continue for six more weeks. Thankfully, at least for everyone pining for warmer weather, the definitive Groundhog - the aforementioned Punxsutawney Phil - predicted an early Spring. Mere days later, he has been proven right with the release of two new Spring-inspired releases by Grand Seiko. Like many Grand Seiko releases, the obvious stand-out feature of these watches are the dials. Still, before we dive into that it’s worth taking a look at the broader strokes of the SBGH341 “Sakura-Kakushi” and SBGH343 “Sakura-Wakaba.” These new releases come in a familiar 62GS case produced in Grand Seiko’s high-intensity titanium on a matching bracelet. Except, it’s not quite the case we’re used to seeing. When the 62GS case was relaunched by Grand Seiko back in 2019, it was upsized to 40mm. This new interpretation of the 62GS brings that back down to a wonderful 38mm. With their scaled-down dimensions and at just 12.9mm thick, these fall squarely into the goldilocks dimensions so many collectors seek out these days. Throw in the...
SJX Watches
This year is the 40th anniversary of Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, a 1984 Japanese anime film portraying the titular heroine’s valiant adventures in a post-apocalyptic world. To mark the occasion, anime studio Studio Ghibli and Seiko created the Presage Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind SPB437, a limited edition with an unusual combination of finishes, namely a blue enamel dial and a brushed steel case. Initial thoughts Seiko has long incorporated Japanese pop culture into its timepieces, drawing inspiration from iconic franchises such as Gundam and the Street Fighter video game. While the new Presage isn’t the first collaboration between the watch brand and Studio Ghibli, the Nausicaä edition is arguably amongst the best due to its classical, almost minimalist design. Even though it is a cartoon-inspired watch, the Nausicaä edition has a restrained aesthetic with stylish details. Particularly notable is the blue enamel dial featuring the emblem of the Princess Nausicaä and elongated indices. The simplicity of the dial design, combined with a steel case featuring an unusual aged finish completes the aesthetic that sets it apart from the typical Presage model. Its clean styling stands out even compared to the earlier Presage Castle in the Sky from 2021. The Nausicaä edition is priced at US$1,600, a modest increase over the previous Studio Ghibli model but still affordable. As is often the case with affordable Seiko limited editions, the m...
Fratello
Don’t look so surprised! You already knew exactly which watches would go head to head in this week’s Sunday Morning Showdown. The Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 was probably the watch that was most frequently mentioned after Piaget released its new Polo 79 this week. And it makes sense. They’re both based on an earlier version […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Piaget Polo 79 Vs. Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 to read the full article.
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Deployant
Today, we welcome the Year of the Dragon, and take the day off our usual publishing schedule to wish all our readers, friends and family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year! We will be back tomorrow for more watch and horological lifestyle content.
Worn & Wound
This Chinese zodiac assigns an animal to represent each lunar new year, cycling through the 12 animals who according to myth came down from heaven to help the Chinese people celebrate the spring. This year is the year of the dragon, which promises to bring good fortune and strength-and, of course, year of the dragon special edition watches. Worn & Wound has already covered some of the best ones out there, but one article (and even two) isn’t enough to cover them all. The IWC Portugieser Chronograph might be the most beautiful year of the dragon watch to come out thus far. The wine colored dial with gold numerals and hands that just ooze luxury, and pays tribute to the Chinese new year on its movement, which features an intricately carved gold dragon rotor. The watch comes with a black calfskin strap, but the rubber strap in a wine that matches the dial provides a stunning complement. IWC has done a few Chinese new year models in the past-this one is far and away the best. The brand’s year of the rabbit had a similar wine and gold coloring, but lacked a two-subdial chronograph complication like the year of the dragon. 2022’s year of the tiger was a chronograph but as a three-subdial chronograph with day and date windows, the dial just feels crowded and lacks the more elegant simplicity of this year’s model. And the metal work on the dragon rotor blows away the last two years’ animal rotors. Tag Heuer uses the inverse color scheme of the special edition Portugi...
Fratello
Another Friday, another Top 5! This week, we’ll focus on watches that celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. Tomorrow is the start of the Year of the Dragon, which prompted many watch brands to release amazing limited-edition pieces depicting the animal that symbolizes luck, prosperity, and wisdom. The dragon is also an imperial icon that […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Chinese New Year Watches - Featuring Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet, Blancpain, And More to read the full article.
Fratello
In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, we’re taking a look at three affordable watches that punch above their weight. Nacho, Thomas, and Morgan have set their sights on sub-€500 offerings. This is a space in which the likes of Seiko, Hamilton, and even Tissot once reigned supreme. Today, it’s the battleground for many microbrands, […] Visit Fratello Talks: Affordable Watches That Punch Above Their Weight to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Watches with pink dials used to be fairly rare, and confined almost exclusively to dainty timepieces aimed at jewelry-loving ladies. In recent years, however, pink tones have found their way to a wide variety of timepieces, ranging from dressy and elegant to casual and sporty - many of which have found an avid audience among male enthusiasts as well as female. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we’ve compiled a list of pink-dialed watches (along with several that qualify more as “salmon,” pink’s peach-toned, more muted cousin) in a variety of price ranges from under $1,000 up to $25,000. While many would primarily be regarded as ladies’ watches, the goal here is to spotlight timepieces with unisex appeal: every timepiece here is 34mm or larger, and almost none have a trace of jewelry. Maurice Lacroix Aikon Tide Pink Price: $750, Case Size: 40mm, Thickness: 11mm, Water Resistance: 100m, Crystal: Sapphire, Movement: Quartz Introduced in 2022, Maurice Lacroix’s beach-ready Aikon Tide has a case constructed from a revolutionary composite material that combines ocean-recovered plastic with glass fiber. The resulting substance is twice as hard as standard plastic and five times more resistant, with the added bonus of also having a smaller carbon footprint than regular PET. This model’s pink dial bears the familiar aesthetic hallmarks of the brand’s flagship Aikon sport-luxury collection, including the distinctive “clawed” case, somewhat Royal-Oak-...
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Monochrome
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Grand Seiko‘s introduction of the 9R movement, featuring its revolutionary Spring Drive technology. The concept, conceived in the 1970s and which took decades to implement, aimed to blend the force of a mainspring with electronic watchmaking technology and surpass the precision of conventional mechanical watches. Now, 9R-family calibres […]
Fratello
Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown! This week, we have a face-off between two watches from the same house. It’s a battle of old versus new, gold versus steel, and most of all, unabashed luxury versus (relative) affordability. We would like to know which Cartier Tank you would spend your money on. Would […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Vs. Tank Must SolarBeat to read the full article.
Fratello
G-Shock is slowly introducing new versions of its classics within the Master of G line. This series of professionally specced watches contains some of the brand’s most famous models. Among them are the Mudman, Mudmaster, Gravitymaster, Frogman, and Rangeman, the last of which is the subject of today’s review. At first glance, the new G-Shock […] Visit Hands-On With The Imposing G-Shock Rangeman GPR-H1000 to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
There’s a whole category of watches that I have come to genuinely love that I think can be fairly described as highly impractical art objects that also tell time. I wrote about one quite extensively here, and if you follow me on Instagram or have chatted with me in real life or in the Worn & Wound+ Slack community (which, to be fair, is technically “real life”) you know that I gravitate more and more toward the avant-garde, and love challenging designs that try to break what a watch even is. The new limited edition regulator from Louis Erard fits into this category nicely, and indeed was made in partnership with a Swiss abstract artist with a reputation for this type of challenging work. The new Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Olivier Mosset is perhaps the brand’s most purely abstract creation yet. Let’s start with the obvious question: how do you tell the time on this thing? This is not an unreasonable query – many who have encountered this watch on Louis Erard’s Instagram feed since its unveiling on Tuesday morning have been confused enough to send their question into the void. I won’t say it’s “simple” because even I have to admit that telling the time on this thing is probably difficult in a pinch, but the idea is straightforward. It’s a regulator, with the top hand reading the hours, the middle the minutes, and the bottom the seconds. But the task of actually reading the time is intentionally (I’m assuming) made more challenging for a few reas...
Fratello
Yes, this is a hands-on with the new Rolex Daytona in platinum, the ref. 126506. But guess what? There also was an “old” platinum Daytona ref. 116506 with an ice-blue, diamond-set dial at hand for some live comparisons. Two platinum Daytonas at HQ at once - is that too much of a good thing? Nope, […] Visit Hands-On With Two Of The Most Desired Watches In The World: The Old And The New Rolex Daytona In Platinum to read the full article.
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Fratello
Today, Hublot is releasing a fascinating timepiece, the likes of which most of us have probably never seen. According to CEO Ricardo Guadalupe, “I gave our designers and watchmakers carte blanche, and this is the fruit of their labors.” Well, they certainly didn’t hold back! Let me introduce you to the Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight […] Visit Introducing: The Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Longines’ latest launch is unexpected in featuring a novel take on a useful complication: the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve has a power reserve indicator positioned at the centre of the dial, on the same axis as the hands. Though unusual, the central power reserve is actually found in the Conquest ref. 9028 from 1959, making this something of a vintage remake, which makes its debut just in time for the 70th anniversary of the Conquest collection. Initial thoughts The current Conquest collection is somewhat forgotten because it’s positioned between Longines’ sports watches like the Spirit and the vintage-inspired Heritage and Master models. Fortunately the new Conquest is interesting enough to stand out. Even though it’s not a new invention, the central power reserve indicator is uncommon. Furthermore, this particular power reserve display is a clever two-disc construction that makes the indicator a bit more life, so it adds visual flair to the dial. The central power reserve is arguably more legible than conventional indicators that are smaller. At the same time it gives the dial a pleasing symmetrical layout. Because of the symmetry, the date indicator at 12 actually works well and improves the dial design. Perhaps only downside of the design is the seemingly chunky case. Like many other Longines models, this Conquest appears to have thick lugs despite being fairly compact in diameter. In terms of price, the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve is mor...
Fratello
It’s the little things that matter. If you believe so, please take a closer look at the new Nomos Orion Neomatik New Black, which comes in three iterations. At first glance, these watches all look pretty much the same, but they’re not. There are three sizes, for instance, and Nomos also plays with different color […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The Nomos Orion Neomatik New Black In Three Iterations to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Now best known for its extravagant and occasionally provocative timepieces, Franck Muller tapped on a Japanese artist who specialises in manga-style paintings for the Cintrée Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon Limited Edition. This collaboration, which will only be available at the brand’s stores in Asia, transforms the mythical beast into a playful character with doll-like features typical of Ryoko Kaneta’s work, with 12 dragons on a turquoise dial bearing the brand’s signature oversized Arabic numerals. Initial thoughts Unlike most dragon-themed watches that take themselves seriously, the Cintrée Curvex dragon edition leaves behind the traditional, regal portrayal of the creature as seen in Parmigiani’s automaton clock or the recent Breguet Classique. Instead it’s a fun timepiece that blends the trademark Franck Muller style with contemporary Asian art and a trendy colour palette. A look through Ms Kaneta’s portfolio shows her aesthetic has been successfully ported over onto the watch, with the dragon characters sharing the manga-doll appearance of her characters. Unlike most character-theme collaborations that feature bold figures at the dial’s centre, the manga dragons are integrated into the numerals, evoking the traditional concept of dragons navigating through the clouds. That said, I would have liked Ms Kaneta to add her touch to the branding on the dial for a more complete visual makeover. With a price of around US$13,400, this limited edition is somewha...
Worn & Wound
The Lunar New Year is set to begin on Feb 10th, coinciding with the date of the new moon, which will fall at 22:59 UTC on February 9th. This will be the Year of the Wood Dragon, which is said to bring authority, prosperity, and good fortune. We are in luck, as the good fortune starts early with multiple releases from many brands celebrating the new Lunar Year. Here are three stand out releases. First up, the Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Dragon. Since 2020, the Blast Tourbillon has been Ulysse Nardin’s symbol of unconventional know-how and for this Lunar New Year, they are quite literally releasing their inner dragon. They have crafted a 5N rose gold hand-sculpted dragon that coils its way around and through the skeletonized “X” structure. The entire case is made of 5N rose gold and DLC coated titanium. Limited to 88 pieces, it is 45mm in diameter and the MSRP of $100,600. Next up is the Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar. In 2012 Blancpain achieved a world first, with a watch that combined both the complex Chinese calendar and a Gregorian date and moonphase. To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Blancpain has engraved a dragon on the red gold rotor flanked by a red ruby. This ultra complicated movement has 464 individual components on 6 layers and its complexity nearly matches that of a minute repeater. The dial has been created in full fired grand feu enamel, its green color harmonizing with the red gold case. Limited to 50 pieces, it is also 45mm in d...
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