21,862 articles · 5,428 videos found · page 827 of 910
Monochrome
Watchmaking is generally considered serious business. Luckily, there are more and more brands that embrace humour. Which is not to say they are not serious about their watches; far from it. Louis Erard, under the inspired leadership of Manuel Emch, is one such brand, enlisting famous designers like Alain Silberstein to enliven models with his […]
Worn & Wound
For the first time since 2017, Breitling is refreshing their Superocean Heritage collection. This line has always been something of an under the radar gem. Breitling of course is known for their pilot and aviation themed watches, which run a wide gamut between classical (the Navitimer) and tech-forward contemporary (all of the ana-digi releases through the years). Divers (or “sea watches” as they’re referred to in the latest press materials) seem a little outside the brand’s wheelhouse at first blush, but of course as an historic maker of tool watches, it makes sense to dip into this ultra competitive genre. The Superocean Heritage has always felt like one of the more tasteful vintage inspired sports watch lines, and while they aren’t discussed as frequently as something like the Black Bay family of watches, the collection has always had its fans and the watches themselves are undeniably refined and capture exactly the vibe they intend to. This is a full refresh that seems to be focused squarely on variety and appealing to a broad segment of the “sea watch” market. The new Superocean Heritage models come in a total of four sizes: 44mm, 42mm, 40mm, and 36mm. In addition, there’s a Superocean Heritage Chronograph that comes in at 42mm. The 40mm+ three-handers all use the still new B31 caliber, Breitling’s first exclusive three-hand manufacture caliber. Dials across the collection can be had in black, blue, and green. All feature color matched ceramic be...
SJX Watches
Known for its quirky pixelated dials and brutalist die-cast cases, Kollokium has introduced the Projekt 01 Variant F, which takes the brand’s signature dial and elevates it with hundreds of individual Lichtblock lume elements. The violet lume elements feature various sizes and heights, and are clustered around the even-numbered hour markers to provide a degree of legibility. It’s a striking look, especially when the lights go out and the lume can truly shine. Founded in 2020 by Manuel Emch, Barth Nussbaumer, and Amr Sindi, Kollokium has released a total of six models since inception. All models to-date have used roughly the same 40 mm die-cast steel case and the same basic design concept. The Variant F is a limited edition of 399 pieces and will be available directly from Kollokium and its authorised dealers in June 2025. Initial thoughts After years collecting watches, it’s easy to feel like every new watch is a remake of something else, because for many brands, especially towards the lower end of the price spectrum, that tends to be true. So it’s refreshing when a new brand like Kollokium manages to create a recognisable and distinctive aesthetic from day 1. The Variant F features the same 40 mm die-cast steel case as previous Kollokium models, but the water resistance has been increased from 30 m to 50 m. To clear the taller hand stack, the box-shaped crystal is also a bit higher, adding about a millimeter to the overall height, which is now 11.95 mm. The choice...
Fratello
This year, Chopard celebrates 38 years as the official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia race, in which historic cars will race throughout Italy from June 17th through the 21st. To mark the occasion, the brand will release two limited-edition watches available only in Chopard boutiques. Let’s take a closer look at these two highly different […] Visit Chopard Races Ahead With Two Fresh Mille Miglia Releases to read the full article.
Fratello
It’s Sunday morning, which means it’s time for a coffee and another installment of Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we chose two newer versions of watches that we pitted against each other back in 2022 and 2023. The Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT came out last year and is the smaller and slimmer version of […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium Vs. Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT to read the full article.
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SJX Watches
Despite missing the original 2023 target, the revival of Urban Jürgensen has proceeded surprisingly swiftly, especially since the brand is making its debut with three all-new models, including the flagship UJ-1 tourbillon – a substantial achievement in a relatively short period of time. The brand was only acquired at end 2021 by a consortium led by American financier Andrew Rosenfield, which installed Kari Voutilainen at its helm, whose presence explains a great deal of the brand’s momentum and product quality. The impressive UJ-1 movement with a flying tourbillon incorporating a remontoir Mr Voutilainen is now co-chief executive of Urban Jürgensen as well as a shareholder; the watches certainly bear the hallmarks of his work, namely top-class execution. Rosenfield senior’s son, Alex, is fellow co-chief executive primarily focused on crafting the brand’s image, which is a little fresher than the artisanal watches would imply. Now in his seventies, Rosenfield senior is president of Guggenheim Partners, the investment bank and asset manager, but more importantly, a collector of independent watchmaking for several decades. Mr Rosenfield has been a client of Mr Voutilainen’s for many years now, and owns one of the biggest collections of the watchmaker’s timepieces in the world. Andrew Rosenfield. Image – Urban Jürgensen The allure A wealthy, successful individual buying a watch brand is not a novel happening. The allure of owning a prestigious luxury watch mar...
Monochrome
A couple of days ago, we published a long, in-depth article on the history of one of the most important watchmaking dynasties, Urban Jürgensen. There were more reasons for this article than just celebrating this historic name, which was founded in 1773. This article was here to prepare the grounds for what is happening today, […]
SJX Watches
J.N. Shapiro’s Infinity Series Pure is a new entry point into the American brand. This follows the top-of-the-line Resurgence, the most American-made mechanical wristwatch built since Hamilton shut down in the 1960s. This new model focuses purely on the dial and hands, which are excellent, while trusting Swiss suppliers with ancillary details like the case and caliber. The result is a much more accessible, though less impressive, watch than J.N. Shapiro’s usual fare. Initial Thoughts When the original Infinity line was discontinued in 2023, it left the brand without an entry-level watch, and the company put all of its efforts behind the ambitious Resurgence project. Now that things have settled down, the team once again has the bandwidth to support a second model. The Infinity Series Pure uses an off-the-shelf La Joux-Perret (LJP) movement. While a good, slim movement with an extended power reserve, the LJP F200/7380 isn’t particularly premium, and a downgrade from the UWD cal. 33.1 used in previous infinity models. For example, Ralph Lauren uses the LJP movement in its Vintage 67 line priced at around US$3,000. The case is also outsourced, likely to a Swiss manufacturer, through the Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA), a consortium of independent brands that J.N. Shapiro helped found. This focuses all of Shapiro’s attention on the dial and hands, though both are significantly less complex than on the Resurgence. At US$26,000 the Infinity Series Pure is about a ...
Worn & Wound
Just when you thought watches associated with F1 teams were getting stale and predictable, here comes H. Moser with a release that I definitely did not have on my bingo card. There are actually two releases here, both introduced last week as part of the brand’s partnership with the Alpine Motorsports F1 team. Both part of the Streamliner family, one is a skeletonized chronograph (which is cool, but not exactly the most exotic thing in the indie watch world) and the other is…a smart watch. Yes, a Streamliner smart watch from the brand that started their recent rise to prominence by, basically, trolling the most popular wearable ever created. The loose concept here is that this pair of watches consists of a “Drivers Edition” Streamliner as well as a corresponding “Mechanics Edition.” We’ll start with the Streamliner Alpine Mechanics Edition, a “measuring instrument” designed specifically for an F1 team and the highly specialized work they do to support their drivers. The watch does a nice job of evoking what we’ve come to know as the Moser aesthetic, with a blue lacquer dial for the time at 12:00, surrounded by black when the watch is on standby mode (Moser of course loves a deep and dark black). But that black negative space is actually a screen, and when digital functions are activated the watch effectively transforms into something we simply aren’t used to seeing from high end independent brands. The Mechanics Edition is powered by a movement made ...
SJX Watches
Breguet got off to a good start for its 250th anniversary with the Classique Souscription, which despite being not an entirely new model in technical terms, is arguably the best watch the brand has launched in years, perhaps reflecting the influence of a new chief executive. Powered by a calibre based on the longstanding Tradition movement, the one-handed Classique Souscription marries an atypical (for Breguet) 20th century case with a dial inspired by 19th century pocket watches – resulting in a surprisingly coherent creation that still feels quintessentially Breguet. Initial thoughts I was pleasantly surprised by the Classique Souscription. Breguet managed to take a familiar model and transform it into something different and appealing. The brand didn’t manage to do the same with the second anniversary model, which is essentially a rehash of the Tradition but with an enamel dial. Sized just right, the Classique Souscription feels like it was conceived by an enthusiast with knowledge of vintage watches; the red leather-covered presentation box underlines that. The design is simple overall, but enhanced with details like a sharply finished single hand and “secret signature” engraved the old fashion way. The form of the case is clearly early to mid 20th century, while the dial evokes the original Souscription pocket watch. Although the case and dial styles are 150 years apart, they complement each other almost perfectly; the result still looks very much like a Breg...
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Worn & Wound
Love it or hate it, Bell & Ross is committed to their iconic, oversized, and squared-off designs. But despite what their haters say, they don’t just do squares. Or rather, they layer other shapes over squares sometimes. Confused? Good. Let’s get into it. The brand’s popular BR-03 Diver platform is home to a healthy handful of references, all of which measure in at 42mm in diameter, and feature the brand’s classic “circle within a square” design that varies in color and material between models. Basically, the iconic Bell & Ross square case remains, with a diver’s bezel laying on top, giving each model a stacked, utilitarian aesthetic. The design is effectively functional and deeply polarizing, as is B&R;’s forte. Last year, the French brand began updating BR-03 Diver timepieces by introducing optimized changes to the movement and materials, ceramic bezels and inserts, and revised typeface, hands, and strap designs. The latest BR-03 Diver release, the Lum Outline, is perhaps the most emblematic of the line’s emphasis on functionality and capability without sacrificing stylistic panache. The Lum Outline’s case, bezel, dial, and strap options-one rubber, and the other black synthetic fabric-are all a uniform matte black. Normally, I would say that this is tame or even boring, but the micro-blasted texture of the ceramic gives the watch a more interesting and layered look than a monochrome design usually would. The case is a solid 13.35mm thick, and...
Fratello
Yema’s Superman is undoubtedly my favorite model in the French brand’s extensive collection. I have enjoyed trying many of the Superman versions released in the past few years. My absolute favorite has long been the Superman FAF Search And Rescue Limited Edition, which came out in 2022. That watch presented a retro style with a […] Visit Hands-On With The Special Yema Superman Tropical CMM.10 Limited Edition to read the full article.
Fratello
Awake has a hit on its hands with the Sơn Mài watches. The pieces, which feature traditional Vietnamese lacquerware dials, are hot! Now the latest batch of limited-edition releases is here. The Frosted Leaf collection consists of three models, all containing dials inspired by a view of Earth’s surface from space. It’s been a whirlwind […] Visit Hands-On With The Awake Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf Collection to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Plastic doesn't have to equal cheap - here are the watches to prove it.The post Plastic fantastic: the 8 best plastic watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Micromilspec has been around for a while, and has carved out a niche for themselves by producing unapologetically tactical watches, often made in collaboration with military units all over the world. Their vibe tends to be somewhat serious, which is what you’d expect given the type of watches they make, and their focus on performance and durability. I mean, it’s all there in the name, right? “Micromilspec” conjures a certain idea of a watch in your brain, and it’s probably not, well, whatever it is that Black Badger has come up with for this limited edition. Black Badger (otherwise known as James Thompson, the Chief of Materials at Arcanaut and the designer behind many lume forward watches over the years), has partnered with Micromilspec for a new take on their popular chronograph, the Milgraph. The so-called “Sabotage” edition of the Milgraph features healthy amounts of X1-grade Super-LumiNova on the indices and hands, for that signature Black Badger glow, but this is much more than a heavily lumed Milgraph. It’s a high concept art piece that imagines an entire alternate anime universe referenced in the watch as well as the little extras that come with it (a dog tag that has been laser engraved and blowtorch oxidized, which I think just means the guys lit it on fire). It’s way more playful and fun than what we’d typically expect from Micromilspec, but is somehow exactly what we’d expect from Black Badger. The story Micromilspec and Black Badger h...
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Monochrome
TAG Heuer keeps strengthening its links with motorsport and the history of racing… Among other initiatives, LVMH and TAG Heuer just signed a major deal with Formula 1, and the brand has just become the first title partner of the Monaco Grand Prix, which is now the Formula 1 TAG Heuer Grand Prix de Monaco. […]
Quill & Pad
After replacing her heating system, Carol Besler has been considering all the other thingsshe could have had for $8,000, which naturally led to thoughts about all the nice watches she could have had for around that price. Here are a few that stand out. Since then, I’ve been watching for them, and although it’s a challenging price point for a luxury watch, I’ve come up with a few contenders that offer real value for the money.
Teddy Baldassarre
Back in 2012, Tudor unveiled its action-ready diver, capable of surviving depths up to a whopping 500 meters (that’s over 1,640 feet) with the Pelagos. To achieve that extensive depth rating, for many, the necessary tradeoff came with the 42mm sizing that the Pelagos debuted, which is the caveat made with the inclusion of a helium escape valve to make the case more secure in deeper diving excursions. In the years since its release, Tudor has riffed upon the Pelagos in various ways, even including teaming up with the French Marine Nationale to create the FXD extension on the line, and recently, throwing in a GMT complication into the mix. And let's not forget this year's Pelagos Ultra. But we are gathered here today to take a good, long look at the Pelagos many asked for, with the more versatile-sized Tudor Pelagos 39. Despite listening to the audience and essentially delivering what they ordered on a silver platter, the Pelagos 39mm has largely remained in the shadow of the brand’s golden child, the Black Bay 58. When comparing the two, there’s a lot of common ground between the two watches on the surface: they’re of comparable size (the Pelagos 39mm is actually .1mm slimmer), identical levels of water resistance at 200m, and the price difference between the two is under $1,000, which doesn’t seem incredibly significant given the Pelagos 39mm is all in Titanium, which always more costly. So, what is the secret sauce that the Black Bay 58 has that the Pelagos lack...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Casio F-91W is the best-selling wristwatch of all time, with more than 100 million units sold. This statement comes a pretty significant caveat, which depends on whether or not you consider the Apple Watch - well, a watch. I am a defender of “smartwatches,” but I think they have evolved to the point where “wearable” is a more appropriate term given the fact that their functionality when it comes to communication and health monitoring exceeds what any watch has ever done. So, with that established for the sake of this article, let’s put the 300 million Apple Watch sales aside for now. Casio F-91W History And "Controversy" The Casio F-91W was introduced all the way back in 1989 and is still in production, with the astonishing figure of 3 million units per year. What's even more remarkable is the fact that the Casio F-91W you can buy in 2025 basically looks the same as one you could have bought when it first launched 36 years ago. It was also the first watch designed by Ryuusake Morai, the prolific designer behind some of the most iconic Casio G-Shocks seen today. When a watch has been around as long as this, it can transcend fads and trends, but few can claim immunity/teflon status to an unfortunate PR association like the F-91W when it was used as a timer for explosives. I would absolutely not call it a “controversy,” because that would just be silly, but the always-excellent Watches of Espionage has a fantastic article dedicated to the topic, which you ...
SJX Watches
With its fifth new model in as many months, MB&F; has been on quite the run to kick off its third decade. Fresh off the launch of the fun and affordable M.A.D.2, which followed closely on the heels of a collaboration with Bulgari and the introduction of the the Legacy Machine Longhorn editions, the brand has returned with the SP One, a contemporary take on the open-worked dress watch. Sleeker than the typical Horological Machine yet more avant garde than a Legacy Machine, the pebble-like SP One is the first model in a new “Special Projects” collection that packages the brand’s signature contemporary aesthetic in a smaller more wearable 38 mm footprint. The SP One joins the collection as a regular production model in either platinum or 18k rose gold. Initial thoughts Picking up the SP One for the first time, one is struck by the light and airy nature of the watch. On the wrist, the minimalist case almost disappears, making the the SP One something of a wrist-worn display case for the Y-shaped movement. This effect is accentuated with a brushed internal flange dubbed ‘the amphitheater’ that focuses attention on the spectacularly three-dimensional mechanical architecture. The smooth pebble-like case measures 38 mm and is just 12 mm thick, making it the most compact MB&F; watch to-date. The front and rear sapphire crystals are cambered to blend seamlessly with the case, giving the SP One the feel of a polished stone. Visually, the smoothness is emphasised by lugs that ...
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Fratello
Welcome to another installment of Fratello On Air. This week, we respond to a listener’s request for a strap episode. Today’s show covers how to choose, which brands we enjoy, and pairing specific watches. Enjoy it! For our listeners, the watch content begins after approximately 21 minutes. This podcast player is blocked because you did […] Visit Fratello On Air: The Strap Episode to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Ming has announced their latest release, a follow up to the 29.01 Worldtimer which launched in 2023. The new 29.01 Midnight is conceived as the flipside to the original, which was presented in titanium with a blue/black gradient dial. The new watch is a blacked out version, with a DLC coating on the titanium case, and a black dial with layers of sapphire and, as we often see with Ming, loaded with lume. The release follows a bit of a pattern we saw with the 37.09, which debuted with the bright and colorful Bluefin about one year ago, and saw a darker sibling emerge several months later with the Uni. The colorway of the 29.01 Midnight is, in fact, directly lifted from the Uni, providing yet another connection between Ming watch families. The 29.01 is one of my personal favorite examples of Ming’s higher end, haute horlogery offerings, as the worldtimer format really allows the brand to flex a bit. While I think many probably associate Ming with a certain strain of minimalism, the 29.01, by necessity, is throwing a lot at you, and it’s a great accomplishment on Ming’s part that the watch is able to communicate so much so clearly. Here’s how it works. The cities representing the world’s time zones are printed on a sapphire upper dial. Below that, a metal base dial with a very subtle grained finish has the 24 hour scale printed on it. Throughout the day, the base dial rotates so that the 24 hour scale lines up with the correct time in each world city, hour by hou...
SJX Watches
Despite everything, including tariffs and a strong Swiss franc, the Geneva auction season turned out to be a strong one, with some of the strongest results being in the most surprising segments. The bigger winner this season was Phillips, which sold a bit under 200 lots for CHF43.4 million including fees, while also claiming the most valuable lots for the season, reflecting Phillips’ strong leadership and team. Despite being the market leader by some margin, the Phillips catalogue was arguably the riskiest as it included several high-value pocket watches and clocks – timepieces that not part of mainstream collecting today. Yet the gamble paid off with the most valuable timepiece this season being its Breguet Sympathique no. 1 that sold for CHF5.51 million. Christie’s achieved CHF21.2 million with a similar number of lots that were arguably more conventional in taste and format than at Phillips. One of its most valuable lots was a Cartier Crash “NSO” with a special order dial that sold for CHF736,000 – one of the biggest surprises of the season but proof that being eye-catching enough for social media is a big factor in desirability and value today. Interestingly, the Crash sold for exactly the same as the Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari. The Crash went for about 15 times the original retail, while the RM UP-01 was about half of retail. The Crash NSO “nickele” grey. Image – Christie’s Over at Antiquorum, the tally was CHF10 million – from almost 800 lot...
Monochrome
Swiss watchmaking captures all the attention. The most prestigious brands, trusted by the market, are “Swiss Made”, which acts as an absolute guarantee. The only one to dominate the watch landscape, historically, outside of Switzerland, is the great Japanese classic: Seiko. On closer inspection, however, watch-related know-how has developed outside of Switzerland, particularly in Eastern […]
Monochrome
The announcement two years ago of the comeback of Daniel Roth under Louis Vuitton’s direction gave us great hopes. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long to see the first result of this anticipated return, which started with a yellow gold Tourbillon Souscription, a faithful tribute to the late-1980s reference C187 Tourbillon watch by Mr […]
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