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Time+Tide
Metallurgy is one of those rare studies which still manages to feel like magic in the 21st century, even when we have all the science we need to understand it. For most people however, the mystery ends with the simple knowledge that silver is a white metal, and gold has a couple of different numbers … ContinuedThe post The Time+Tide guide to universal hallmarks appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
It still surprises Martin Green just how fast the Odysseus has become a staple collection for A. Lange & Söhne. It has only been three short years, during which time Lange has already launched stainless steel and white gold versions. And at Watches and Wonders 2022, A. Lange & Söhne presented a surprising Odysseus in titanium.
Worn & Wound
On an unusually warm day in early March, I was invited to visit Sinn headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. Sinn had prepared a special program including a special exhibition showcasing their technologies over the last 30 years in the main foyer. This was followed by a factory tour, and finally seeing their latest collection. Most of us are familiar with the origins of Sinn, which all started with Helmut Sinn, who was a flight instructor, and former World War II pilot. The company’s core business under his ownership was the manufacturing of navigation clocks and pilot chronographs. In 1994, certified engineer Lothar Schmidt acquired the company from Helmut Sinn and renamed it to “Sinn Spezialuhren GmbH”. Lothar Schmidt worked previously with IWC, and was also part of Günter Blümlein’s team to revive A. Lange & Söhne. This year Sinn is celebrating 30 years since Mr. Schmidt acquired the company. It was a coincidence that the day of my visit, news broke regarding Mr. Schmidt’s succession plans. He will celebrate his 75th birthday this year, and announced plans to create a foundation similar to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, that will own the shares of Sinn and its subsidiary companies. Mr. Schmidt also owns the SUG casemaker in the famous watchmaking village of Glashütte. Over the past 30 years, Mr. Schmidt, with his engineering background, has developed several technologies for Sinn watches. In 1995, Ar-Dehumidifying Technology was introduced for the first tim...
Monochrome
Awake, a spirited French watchmaking brand, initially grabbed our attention with its NASA-themed series (now sold out), followed by the Time Travellers collection featuring meteorite dials (also sold out). Towards the end of last year, Awake unveiled the Summetria collection, boasting dials adorned with coloured guilloché patterns, which are still available. Now, the brand introduces […]
Fratello
Hello, and welcome! Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Nacho, Morgan, and Daan pick their desert island watches. Say one day you were unfortunate enough to become stranded on a desert island; which watch from your collection would you want there with you? Now, let’s say it’s not a […] Visit Fratello Talks: Desert Island Watches to read the full article.
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Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage Omega Seamaster DeVille The Seamaster DeVille line was Omega’s dressier version of their sporty Seamaster. This example looks much like the Geneve line they put out, with its simple round case and thin bezel with straight skinny lugs. Very clean and classic 1960’s dress watch look, especially with the gold cap case. The 34-35mm case is in nice shape, and the gold cap is holding up strong. The original silver dial looks good, with a few specks here and there. The watch has the correct and original crown, and also comes with the original seven-row beads of rice bracelet! Seller states the watch runs and keeps time, so you’re all set for your next cocktail party! View auction here 1970s Initial Dynamic Here’s a wild one for you, a vintage 1970’s direct read/jump hour from Initial Dynamic. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of them, I haven’t either! But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a super cool looking watch. Check out that oval ‘dial’, with the awesome direct read window on the left, and matching date window on the right. The chrome plated case is excellent, with sharp edges and the original brushed finish. The strap looks original to me, with a cool met...
Fratello
People sometimes ask me on Instagram and in person which watches they should get. They often expect me to suggest watches from big names like Rolex, Cartier, and Omega. And yes, those brands make and offer great watches, but they’re also rather expensive for most people. In this series, we’re looking at our favorite watches […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €2,500 - Daan’s Picks From Mido, Oris, And Polo Ralph Lauren to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Underpromise and over deliver pretty much sums up Aukland, New Zealand’s Beaufort Watches. Their goal is to create timeless pieces that fit all the criteria we look for in watches. A great story, a captivating design, and capabilities that can go beyond their specifications. Self-described as a brand that wants to invigorate the present with designs from the past, they seem to have successfully done so. New for 2024 is the Pulsatimer, which is Beaufort’s version of a pulsometer chronograph. Unlike previous models, there is a clear inspirational shift, and Brutalist styling has been at the forefront of Beaufort’s new design language following their rebranding in late 2023. This new piece is the first model following this shift in focus. Informed by the harsh angles of Brutalist architecture, throughout the watch, you will notice many steps. From the pulsations ring, subdials and the stepped bezel, all drawing from two main sources of inspiration: The Faculty of Fine Arts, University of La Laguna, and University Campus, UTEC Lima. The aim was to give the Pulsatimer an old school industrial look with a touch of dressiness. Made of 316L stainless-steel, it features a mix of brushed, polished and media-blasted finishing. Measurements are 39mm in diameter, 13.8mm thick to the top of the box-domed sapphire crystal, and 47mm from lug tip to lug tip. Powering the Pulsatimer is the manually wound Sellita SW510 and it has a power-reserve of 63 hrs. It is also water-resistant ...
Fratello
The Gruen Curvex certainly ranks as an important line of historical watches. These pieces used a variety of curved cases and curved movements. During their two decades of production, they were the pinnacle of style and rivaled more expensive brands. Gruen also has a deep tie to America, which brings something different to the story. […] Visit Vintage Watches: The Gruen Curvex Lieutenant to read the full article.
SJX Watches
You can never be too rich or too thin – a quote attributed to Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, but it might as well have come from Piaget, which just debuted the thinnest tourbillon wristwatch in history, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th Anniversary. Covered in-depth at launch, the AUC Tourbillon is just 2 mm thick, including the case and crystal; that makes the watch thinner than a Swiss five-franc coin. While its record-breaking dimensions are headline-grabbing, it’s the watch’s overall design and ergonomics that make it look and feel almost miraculous on the wrist. The AUC Tourbillon next to the five-franc coin; it’s also slimmer than the two-franc coin, and equivalent to about 20 sheets of A4 printer paper Initial thoughts Record-chasing, whether in terms of thickness, weight, water resistance, or complications, is a common theme in the watch industry, but the results are often gimmicky and impractical. When I heard that Piaget would be introducing the thinnest tourbillon in history, I rolled my eyes. But my perspective changed as soon as I picked up the AUC Tourbillon, a moment that stands out in my memory as a highlight of Watches & Wonders 2024. The watch is thin, of course, but the immediate impression is one of substance; it feels far more substantial than it looks. This is in part due to the M64BC cobalt alloy case, the extreme rigidity of which makes the watch’s 2 mm thinness possible. Furthermore, the ergonomics of the case, which is...
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Monochrome
Recently, we’ve discovered the new haute horlogerie creations of Louis Vuitton, which included a trio of artistic models inspired by the universe of Gaston-Louis Vuitton, as well as a striking take on horology by architect Frank Gehry. There was a third watch introduced, one that really made an impression on us with its combination of […]
Quill & Pad
The “unobtanium” phenomenon isn’t limited to watches from the past, there are a variety of references for which supply seems to lag demand. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the current market for select steel sports watches. Here GaryG highlights some interesting dynamics caused by that imbalance, led by a loud chorus of complaints from prospective buyers.
SJX Watches
Established in 2015, the F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition is an annual affair to recognise the next generation of watchmakers. Applicants present a timepiece of their own design and construction, which is judged by on its complexity, craftsmanship, and aesthetics by a jury including Philippe Dufour, Giulio Papi, and Francois-Paul Journe. While last year’s winner was a Swiss-Italian clockmaker, this year’s winner is 23-year-old Frenchman Thomas Aubert, who entered his wristwatch Séléné, a unique piece crafted in his final year at the Edgar Faure High School in Morteau, France. Amongst the standout features of the Séléné is its key-winding and -setting as well as the clever “shooting star” display on the back. The Séléné pays tribute to classical watchmaking in both style and technique, but each reinterpreted with a modern twist. As is often the case with such school watches, the movement is based on the Unitas 6497, although it underwent extensive reworking. For example, the timepiece doesn’t feature a crown; instead winding and time-setting are done via a key that goes into dedicated slots on the case back. The front of the Séléné is classical and tastefully done, with a “grated” finish on the dial that is set on a frosted plate backdrop. The exposed balance bridge is mirror polished and chamfered. The screwed balance beats at 2.5 Hz and features a prominent Breguet overcoil hairspring. Mr Aubert is fascinated by astronomy, a passion that he...
Worn & Wound
This is a pretty big year for A. Lange & Söhne. We’ve hit 25 years of the Datograph, which made its debut in 1999, and Lange is celebrating with a pair of very special limited editions of their iconic chronograph. One of them is truly off the wall, and we’ll get to that next week. For now, we’ll take a look at the Datograph Up/Down Limited Edition in white gold, with a blue dial. It’s a perfectly lovely example of the watch that many Lange collectors will insist put the brand on the horological map, and a strong counterpoint to the other Datograph that we’ll tell you more about soon. First, it’s crucial to understand the importance of the Datograph not just in Lange’s collection, but in high end watchmaking writ large. When it was first unveiled in 1999, Lange was a young brand, only five years into their relaunch. They had earned the respect of connoisseurs in the late 1990s, but the introduction of their first in-house chronograph caliber with the Datograph took them to another level. This was years before Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet would launch their own in-house chronograph calibers, in an era where using supplied calibers from chronograph was common for brands at every level, including the absolute upper tier. It can be argued that the Datograph ushered in an arms race of sorts that would find many of the highest end watchmaking manufactures in a constant state of one-upmanship that goes on to this day. There have been a variety of Datograph...
Fratello
Today, the Zodiac brand is predominantly associated with dive watches. But if we look back in time, we can find the Zodiac Hermetic family, which hides a few very interesting non-diving models. Among the Valjoux 72-powered chronographs and 24-hour Aerospace Jets sits one very appealing dresser that got my attention about four years ago. In […] Visit #TBT A Virgin-Like Zodiac Hermetic Small Seconds to read the full article.
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SJX Watches
Watches & Wonders 2024 just closed its doors earlier this week, and as usual attendance was up. Visitors increased 14% over last year, reaching some 49,000. It certainly felt more crowded, though sentiment was muted. Glamour, however, was delivered by the visits of Gisele Bündchen and Kylian Mbappé at IWC and Hublot respectively. Interestingly, there seemed to be fewer notable independent watchmakers walking around the halls then before, perhaps reflecting their success (which means they needed to meet clients). Gisele Bündchen sporting the new Portugieser chronograph. Image – Watches & Wonders Destiny On the topic of people, the inevitable questions about who’s going where were circulating as usual. When will Cartier’s Cyrille Vignernon retire and who will replace him? Will there be management changes at the LVMH watch division with Frederic Arnault in charge? Insiders have some idea and the rest of us will have to wait. Questions were also asked about brands, specifically smaller players with mixed fortunes – whether they will be sold or simply shut down, like Rebellion was a few months ago. There is of course the perennial sale of Parmigiani, but that isn’t really news – the brand has been quietly on the market for years with no takers. Some brands might have been lucrative exits for their owners a year ago, but now the discussion about a dimmer fate reflects the palpably normalised watch business. Where the outlook is always bright. Image – Watches & W...
SJX Watches
Rolex has unveiled a luxe version of one of its top-of-the-line divers, the Deepsea ref. 136668 LB, which boasts a blue lacquer dial paired with a yellow gold case and bracelet. The timepiece makes a significant statement while preserving all the depth performance associated with its steel Deepsea Sea-Dweller. Initial thoughts Rolex has been hinting at forthcoming novelties on social media for a while, sparking anticipation among enthusiasts like myself who speculated that perhaps a new Submariner model was in development. However, the brand surprised us with something pretty unexpected. The new Deepsea features the iconic blue and yellow gold colour scheme reminiscent of past Submariner models, which adds a touch of nostalgia to the release. With a diameter of 44 mm, this watch carries considerable weight, especially with its heavy yellow gold construction, which adds substantial heft to the wrist. Priced at US$52,100, it far surpasses the cost of comparable steel models, which are roughly a third of its price. However, considering the solid yellow gold construction, the price is fitting, considering the current market climate. Blue and yellow gold The latest model is a successor to the steel Deepsea Sea-Dweller. It maintains the renowned pressure-resistant architecture, with a ceramic compression ring and the Ringlock system for the bezel. Sporting a vibrant blue hue, the bezel, compression ring and dial all sharply contrast with the gilded gold lettering on the dial a...
Fratello
In 2013, Oris released the Aquis Depth Gauge, which spawned a new collection of modern dive watches. This deep diver had a unique mechanical depth gauge, highlighting the brand’s ambition to create practical applications rather than superfluous complications. The Aquis was made a bona fide collection when the core design cues of the Depth Gauge […] Visit Introducing: The Updated Oris Aquis Date Range to read the full article.
Monochrome
Denis Flageollet, the founder of De Bethune, is renowned as a master watchmaker who has steered his reverence for ancestral horological craftsmanship into radically contemporary settings. Perhaps his credentials should also include ‘master alchemist’ because when Flageollet starts playing with fire in his workshop (which includes a blacksmith), the results are out-of-this-world spectacular. The latest […]
Deployant
Our next stop is Norqain, where they introduced numerous watches, but our highlight is their One of 1. A unique configurator which is allows huge customisation capabilities for the Wild One of 1. Live from WWG24: the new configurator from Norqain Willd One of 1 When we first heard of the key product is aRead More
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Monochrome
Montblanc introduced its white star logo in 1913, an emblem which has graced the caps of its fountain pens and, later, the crowns of its watches. While the logo is universally recognised, some folk might not know that it represents a stylised bird’s eye view of the snow-capped peak of Mont Blanc and its six […]
Fratello
A small brand like Czapek does not release a new product line often. That’s why every new one is special. Czapek found inspiration within its portfolio for the new Promenade collection. It fuses influences from the Quai des Bergues and the Antarctique lines. The result is a new line of watches that combines many details […] Visit Introducing: The New Czapek Promenade Collection - A Minimalist Approach Defined By Interesting Details to read the full article.
Monochrome
With a legacy extending over 80 years, including the renowned Cottier watches, Worldtimers stand out as one of Patek Philippe’s quintessential complications. Patek Philippe was the brand to reintroduce this complication in 2000 with the unveiling of the 5110 model. Subsequently, the 5110 was succeeded by the 5130 in 2006, which in turn was replaced […]
Fratello
One of the youngest Rolex lines is the Sky-Dweller, which debuted in 2012. It’s also the most complicated watch in the modern Rolex catalog, providing an annual calendar and a clever way to set it using the Ring Command bezel. You can read about it here. Rolex Sky-Dweller 336935 and 336938 The new Rolex Sky-Dweller […] Visit Hot Take: The Rolex Sky-Dweller On A Jubilee Bracelet In Yellow Gold Or Everose Gold to read the full article.
Fratello
Besides one or two focus releases, Grand Seiko releases a plethora of new variations to its current models every year. In this article, we’ll summarize most of Grand Seiko’s Watches and Wonders 2024 releases, which will be available later this year. There is plenty to enjoy with a beautiful addition to the Evolution 9 lineup, […] Visit Grand Seiko Releases A String Of New References At Watches And Wonders to read the full article.
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