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Monochrome
Haute-Rive is a young, independent watchmaking brand rooted in a long family tradition. Founded by Stéphane von Gunten, an engineer and watchmaker with experience at Patek Philippe and Ulysse Nardin, the brand takes its name from the historic workshop of his ancestor Irénée Aubry, established in 1888 on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel. Aubry was […]
Deployant
After the hectic week at Watches & Wonders 2026, we managed to have lunch at the Three Michelin starred Maison Lameloise in Chagny. This is our experience.
Monochrome
After a series of small-batch releases, Anoma introduces its first permanent models with the A1 Core Collection. Until now, the brand has focused on short runs such as the original A1, the Slate edition, and Optical Art. With the A1 Abyss and A1 Stone, Anoma is now offering watches that will remain in the catalogue. […]
SJX Watches
Mathieu Cleguer makes his debut under his own name, with the intricate Inspiration One. The relatively young movement constructor is well known in the industry but has not produced watches under his own name until now. Having worked for various movement specialists — including a stint at Akrivia — Mr Cleguer launches Cleguer Horology with a thoroughly impressive debut featuring a proprietary escapement. Initial thoughts Although the market for artisanal time-only watches has becoming increasingly crowded, sometimes a new creation comes along that genuinely stands apart. This is the case with Cleguer Horology’s Inspiration One — a watch that that is surprisingly refined and technically imaginative for a new maker’s debut. Mathieu Cleguer is representative of a new class of independent watchmakers who are not ‘watchmakers’ in the traditional sense. Instead, he is an engineer, with the training and experience to bring fundamentally new concepts to life, so long as he can find the manufacturing partners and bench watchmakers to help realise his vision. It’s a fundamentally different background than what we’re used to seeing — George Daniels, Kari Voutilainen, and François-Paul Journe started their careers doing hands-on restoration work long before they designed movements of their own. But times have changed, and the emergence of engineer-led brands is a new trend made possible by the depth of the supplier network in Switzerland. For the visual design of...
SJX Watches
Among the independent brands officially exhibiting at Watches & Wonders, Ressence was a standout. The design-forward Belgian independent took a major step forward with the Type 11, powered by the brand’s first proprietary calibre, the RW-01. The Type 11 is tangibly appealing and priced well considering both its unique design and technical content. Initial thoughts When I first saw images of the Type 11 and its RW-01 movement, I had the same feeling as when Urwerk launched the EMC back in 2013. At the time, the EMC felt like the start of a new era for a brand that had, up to that point, primarily put its proprietary modules atop widely available off-the-shelf calibres. The EMC proved Urwerk was willing to rethink the movement in its entirety to realise a specific vision. The RW-01 reveals Ressence is moving in that same direction. After 15 years of adapting its Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) modules to ETA-derived calibres, the brand has taken the next step in its development and partnered with an adept supplier to construct a proprietary movement uniquely suited to its signature design. The new calibre was engineered with Ressence’s ROCS module in mind. The movement layout appears purpose-built for winding and setting via the case back, lacking an ordinary stem, and dual serially coupled mainspring barrels extend the power reserve to 60 hours — quite long considering the mass of the ROCS module. While I would have been delighted to see a free-sprung balance, I...
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SJX Watches
Patek Philippe’s divisive Cubitus collection enters its third year with the firm’s first truly skeletonised perpetual calendar wristwatch, the Cubitus ref. 5840p-001 Perpetual Calendar Skeleton. As the first member of its clan with a shaped movement, it also welcomes a contemporary aesthetic that breaks with the brand’s established codes of movement decoration, though it’s built on a decades-old foundation. In short, the ref. 5840P is an ideal ambassador for what the Cubitus line can be when it steps out from its brother’s shadow. Initial thoughts The most complicated — and most expensive — Cubitus yet is also arguably the best model in the collection to date, as it probably should be. While on paper it sounds derivative of the Nautilus perpetual calendar, this watch may have the strongest identity of any Cubitus launched so far by fully leaning into the bolder, more contemporary aesthetic that Patek Philippe has, until recently, hesitated to explore. Several details allow the ref. 5840P to have its own identity. The first is the use of a strap, rather than the typical Nautilus-style bracelet. The reshaped movement is another differentiator, as is the new finishing style, which makes it more than just a square Nautilus. Yet the teak deck motif remains central, integrated seamlessly into the skeletonised design. Two other details that stand out are the use of a baguette-cut diamond to denote the platinum case, rather than the usual brilliant-cut stone, and the...
Worn & Wound
As we do every year when we come back from Watches & Watches, we asked our team to pick their favorite releases of the show. This article is always telling, because our team has a way of looking beyond the hype and zeroing in on watches with real personal appeal. As always, it’s fun to see the logic behind these picks, whether they represent watches our team members would actually want to own, or were simply novelties they were overwhelmed by in the moment. Be sure to let us know your favorites from Watches & Wonders week in the comments below, we’d love to hear about them. Zach Weiss – Grand Seiko SBGZ011 “Mystic Waterfall” So many watches, so many wonders, how does one even begin to choose a favorite? Well, for me, the test is after a few days of being away from the show, what I am still thinking about. And this year, while there are a few, the one that impressed me not just as a watch, but as a piece of art was the Grand Seiko SBGZ011 “Mystic Waterfall.” Every few years, Grand Seiko drops one of their breathtaking hand carved watches, but none have been quite like this, at least for me. You see, the SBGZ011 has two firsts: it’s based on the 45GS case, my personal favorite, and it’s the first time the dial has been hand-engraved, too. Inspired by the Tateshina Waterfall, the SBGZ011 has been meticulously hand-carved on all surfaces of its 950 platinum case with an undulating, organic motif of marks that, at once, appear like flowers or little explos...
Monochrome
Our search for the most intriguing artisanal, independent watchmakers takes us to the far corners of the world. While the majority is still in or around Switzerland, we regularly take virtual excursions to Japan, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and beyond. Back in 2021, we introduced you to Bradley Taylor, an upcoming, talented watchmaker based in Vancouver, […]
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne has repeated last year’s bifurcated release format with the launch of the compact, value-oriented Saxonia Annual Calendar alongside the flagship Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”. Available in both 18k white and pink gold, the Saxonia Annual Calendar is not a limited edition, but will be made in small numbers as a consequence of the brand’s diverse portfolio and limited output of about 5,000 watches per year. Initial thoughts The Saxonia Annual Calendar was one of the more talked-about watches of the fair, not because it’s particularly novel or exciting, but instead because it gets all the small things right. It looks good on the spec sheet, with nearly perfect dimensions, the brand’s signature big date complication, and an upgraded and well-dressed automatic base calibre. But as good as the Saxonia is on paper, it’s even better up close. The brand’s typical alpha-shaped hands — common to all Lange models — are brilliantly sharp, and the dial text is finely printed. A detail I especially like on the white gold model is the nearly tone-on-tone typography for the ‘Made in Germany’ text, which is something I’d like to see more of from the brand. A new aesthetic detail is an additional facet at the outer end of each hour marker, effectively creating a tiny pyramid, akin to Cote de Paris. This design appears to be a subtle nod to the previous generation of the Saxonia, which featured baton indexes punctuated with gold stu...
Fratello
Picking highlights from this year’s Watches and Wonders is tough, as always. Once again, it’s more a matter of abundance rather than a lack thereof. But somehow, Watches and Wonders 2026 felt different compared to last year. It was more about consolidation than big technological innovations or grand anniversaries. Nevertheless, there was an avalanche of […] Visit Jorg’s Favorite Watches And Wonders 2026 Releases — Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, And More to read the full article.
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Monochrome
It is no secret that Japan is becoming one of the most productive hubs for high-end independent watchmaking, with names such as Hajime Asaoka (also behind Kurono Tokyo and Takano), Jiro Katayama (Otsuka Lotec), Daizoh Makihara, and Norifumi Seki (Quiet Club) gaining incredible traction in recent years. Another name that cannot be forgotten is Naoya […]
Monochrome
A few years ago, we would have used the word “accessible” to name this article, and would have created our selection on watches priced below 4 or 5 thousand euros/dollars. But, considering that the Geneva-based fair is more and more focused on high-end watchmaking, and adding to the equation the constant increase in price of […]
Worn & Wound
Part of the fun of Watches & Wonders (in fact, most of the fun of Watches & Wonders) is discovering things you didn’t expect to find, or that slip through the cracks and don’t get nearly the attention you think they should once you see them in person. Let’s face it: the event is dominated by a handful of huge brands that save their absolute best for the show. But for every Tudor, Cartier, and Rolex, there’s a Chronoswiss, Behrens, and Hautlence releasing incredibly impressive watches we simply don’t talk about enough. Here, Zach Kazan and Zach Weiss recap some of their favorite watches at this year’s Watches & Wonders that slipped under the radar for one reason or another. If there’s a release you saw or read about from the show that you think isn’t getting its fair shake, let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear about it. Zach Weiss Hautlence Kubera Hautlence isn’t a brand that does half-measures. Their watches are all in, featuring wild complications executed in intricate fashion, housed in massive, equally exotic cases. I take a meeting with them at Watches + Wonders every year because, while maybe not a brand that is quite in our wheelhouse, I personally find them fun and inspiring. Plus, the brand has a very self-aware attitude that’s refreshing. Well, this year was different because, for the first time ever, Hautlence launched a watch that, while thoroughly strange and unconventional, was also wearable, and priced, for Hautlence, in a ...
SJX Watches
A Vancouver native who studied watchmaking in Switzerland, Bradley Taylor spent the last four years working on his own movement, an endeavour that is has finally in the Ardea. Manually wound with three hands, the Ardea is powered by a hand-made movement made by Mr Taylor, who incorporated a retrograde seconds, setting this apart from the high-end time-only watches that are now common. Mr Taylor made his debut with time-only watches that were powered by high-quality, but essentially stock, Vaucher movements. The Ardea, in contrast, is of his own making. He fabricated his own movement by building on the vintage Omega cal. 30T2 architecture and then making most of the watch himself, right down to the guilloche dial and solid gold wheels of the gear train. Mr Taylor’s attention to detail extends to surprising aspects of the watch, like the platinum applied numerals in a custom typeface. Initial thoughts The Ardea, and especially its movement, is the product of substantial manual craftsmanship. From milling to filing to drilling to polishing – Mr Taylor does almost all of it himself and has documented the process with many photos and videos. As a result, the Ardea is more artisanal than other recent indie creations that are engineer-conceived timepieces, and Mr Taylor deserves credit. Tapping the main plate Applying guilloche to the dial ring with a hand-cranked rose engine Mr Taylor’s choice of movement construction is not surprising, since the Omega cal. 30T2 architectu...
Deployant
VC adds 4 new watches to their masterpieces from the Louvre with Métiers d'Art Tribute to Great Civilisations Collection. Here is our live report.
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Hodinkee
What We Know Today, Zenith adds another variation of its modern revival of the unique A384 chronograph to its catalog, with the Chronomaster Revival A384 Tropical. This is, at a high level, just a new dial that's been added to the collection, and one that's done in a familiar Zenith way at that. Here, the inspiration is very much around tropical dials, with a base dial in a softly grained white, contrasted by brown accents in the subdials and tachymeter scale. Zenith calls it a "chocolate panda" configuration, and I think that's a pretty apt name. Text on the white portion of the dial is printed in black, including the "El Primero" script under the Zenith logo, while printing on the brown portions of the dial, such as the tachymeter and sundial markings, is all done in white. The aged, tropical theme continues with lume on the applied markers and handset executed in Old Radium Super-LumiNova, which certainly complements the warmth of the overall look. A bright red chronograph seconds hand sits front and center, and a date window sits between the four and five o'clock hour markers. The dial sits in that distinctive A384 case, with a compact, angular tonneau silhouette measuring 37mm. Pump pushers and a Zenith star-signed crown sit on the right flank of the case. Finishing is interesting throughout the watch, with radial brushing on the front slab of the case, polished facets, and horizontal brushing on the sides. It's complemented by Zenith's revival of the Gay Frères ladd...
SJX Watches
As Watches & Wonders drew to a close, Patek Philippe opened its annual exhibition of Rare Handcrafts at its salon on Rue du Rhône. It was a peaceful escape from the hustle of the Palexpo, and the perfect setting to view several dozen pieces from the new collection, ranging from Dome Clocks to wristwatches and pocket watches. The exhibition is open to the public until May 9th. Attendance is free, but visitors must register in advance online. Dome Clocks Among the prevailing themes of this year’s collection, the power of nature featured prominently. The Dome Clock ref. 20202N-001 “Magma” is the perfect example. The organic composition is almost shocking in its simplicity and minimal palette of just five colours of transparent enamel — and just seven more used for miniature painting. The volcanic depiction is undeniably violent in a way that creates a pleasing tension with the controlled techniques employed to create it, including silver leaf paillonné and a needle technique for creating the lifelike look of the volcanic rock, outlined with more than 23 g of gold wire. Of course, fired enamel has a lot in common with magma. In short, this choice of molten medium contributes to the authenticity of the work. The glowing lava is mirrored on the dial with 12 large baguette-cut sapphire hour markers totaling about 3 cts. Like the other Dome Clocks featured, the Magma is powered by an electrically wound 17’’’ pocket watch movement that offers a look into the firm...
Monochrome
Cushion cases, GMTs, three-handers, divers… British independent watchmaker Farer is doing a bit of everything. The brand also likes to revisit its collections, as seen with the updated field watches in 2024. After those military-inspired pieces, it was only a matter of time before Farer returned to its pilot watches, first introduced in 2020. Their […]
Monochrome
Anyone who has kept a close eye on my work for MONOCHROME Watches might have caught on to the fact that I have more than a bit of a thing for watches by H. Moser & Cie. I think what they do is brilliant, although I do not love-love everything in the catalogue. What I […]
Fratello
H. Moser & Cie. is a brand that I have often come back to. It fascinates me, but I have yet to be lucky enough to handle one of its watches in the metal. This brand, like IWC, is connected to the Swiss town of Schaffhausen. There’s something in the air there. I visited just […] Visit Introducing: The H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Concept Tantalum to read the full article.
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Fratello
I have been lucky enough to try a wide variety of Unimatic watches over time. As some of you know, I love the brand’s ability to create great new releases that surprise me time and again. A big part of that is due to the brilliant canvas that the Unimatic founders, Giovanni Moro and Simone […] Visit Hands-On With The Unimatic Modello Quattro U4S-T-LB Limited Edition to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A tourbillon within a tourbillon, itself within yet another tourbillon. The Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon à Stratosphère is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s sixth-generation multi-axis tourbillon, 22 years after the first Gyrotourbillon launched in 2004. The revised tourbillon architecture now covers close to 100% of possible positions in space to dilute the effects of gravity across nearly all possible orientations. But is it a genuine precision instrument, or an exploration of the limits of contemporary mechanics? Evolution or revolution? The calibre 178 that powers the Stratosphère builds on more than two decades of research into multi-axis tourbillons, during which Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) has explored variables such as axis multiplication, different hairspring geometries, miniaturisation, and new forms of energy management. This logical evolution of the Gyrotourbillon concept remained theoretical until recently. “Its realisation has only been possible thanks to the current maturity of the Manufacture’s expertise and technologies – it would have been difficult to envisage just a few years ago,” notes Takahiro Hamaguchi, Product & Innovation Director at JLC. This capability also stems from the brand’s internal structure, which enables the conception and production of a movement from scratch, and is reflected in the new Hybris Inventiva line, which will grow into a showcase of watches that isolate a single innovative complication developed through multi-year inte...
SJX Watches
Marking the centenary of its signature Oyster case, Rolex has introduced a new polychrome ‘Jubilee’ dial for the Oyster Perpetual 36. An appealing new variant of a tangibly excellent product, the Jubilee dial will likely appeal to both experienced Rolex collectors as well as those who have historically found the brand’s designs too sedate. Initial thoughts Rolex is a brand that takes itself seriously. At times, the brand’s product development cycle seems to move at a glacial pace, but this is part of the discipline that has made Rolex the most successful maker of luxury watches by some margin — collectors have learned they can trust Rolex to keep a good thing going. So when the brand decides to have a little fun, it’s almost shocking. The brightly coloured Jubilee dial motif — built up of 10 layers of coloured lacquer — is certainly fun, and reminiscent of the ‘Celebration’ dial launched in 2023 in both 36 mm and 41 mm sizes. The Jubilee model pictured is the 36 mm size, but the design is also available in 41 mm (ref. 134300) and 31 mm (ref. 277200). The ‘Celebration’ dial was launched in 2023 in both 41 mm (left) and 36 mm sizes. The Oyster Perpetual 36 case keeps its nearly ideal proportions — small and sleek enough to disappear under a shirt cuff but chunky enough to hold its own with short sleeves. Substantively, it could make a proverbial ‘one-watch collection’ but given its exuberant dial will probably appeal most to seasoned collectors...
WatchAdvice
As Raymond Weil comes out of their shell, so do more incredible timepieces. But have they hit a new peak with the Freelancer Complete Calendar? Let’s find out! What We Love: An elegant and versatile design Quality-of-life upgrades to a classic complication Excellent value proposition with few competitors What We Don’t: Movement finishing somewhat lacklustre The calendar is hard to see from a distance Do we need the lume? Overall Rating: 9/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 This article was originally published as Is The New Raymond Weil Freelancer Complete Calendar Their Best Yet? There’s a rapid surge happening in watchmaking right now. No, I’m not talking about the newly imposed 39% U.S. tariffs on Swiss watches (though that’s a story in itself), but rather the quiet re-emergence of the middle market. As household names climb further upmarket, a new wave of brands are pushing harder than ever, flexing their creative and horological muscles to prove what they’re truly capable of. Christopher Ward is one; Frederique Constant and Maurice Lacroix are others. But perhaps the most impressive contender in this power shift is none other than Raymond Weil. Nearly 50 years young, the family-owned independent has been quietly racking up achievements and accolades. Their breakout moment came with the GPHG-winning Millésime collection, followed by ambitious world timers and flyback chronographs — complications that once f...
SJX Watches
The biggest booth at Watches & Wonders 2026 (W&W;) belonged to Rolex, as it always does. Looming three stories high, the Rolex booth was home to some of the most talked-about and polarising watches of the fair, as it always is. Rolex took the occasion of the centenary of its water-resistant Oyster case to roll out a line-up of surprising watches, perhaps the most unexpected from Rolex in a while. The collection included a Daytona with a fired enamel dial, Boetti-esque Oyster Perpetual, and a return of the little-loved but technically impressive Yachtmaster II. The vast, three-story Rolex booth. Image – Watches & Wonders In a first, Rolex gave its popular sports chronograph a vitreous enamel dial, or grand feu enamel in watchmaking parlance. The industrial and engineering achievement is impressive; it’s not just a new livery and this Daytona is more than meets the eye. The enamel is melted glass, as is tradition, but instead of a metal base, the enamel is on a ceramic substrate that is in turn mounted on a brass plate. While there is some debate whether the ceramic substrate makes it enamel in the traditional sense of the word, I consider it enamel. The new enamel dial harks back to the “porcelain” dial Daytona of yore More importantly, the key characteristic of the dial is thinness, recording-setting thinness in fact, which means that Rolex has achieved an enamel dial with all of the qualities of enamel, lustre, fade-resistance, colour, without compromising thicknes...
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