4,703 articles · 45 videos found · page 90 of 159
Monochrome
Over the years, Swiss brand Louis Erard has made a name for itself with two distinctive features. One, a rather sturborness in making watches with a regulator display, something that has become a signature. Second, bringing cool design and features reserved for high-end watches at more accessible prices thanks to multiple collaborations with independent watchmakers, […]
Monochrome
Founded in 1902 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Schwarz Etienne is an independent watchmaking brand that often flies under the radar yet holds incredible potential. In particular, it boasts a surprisingly high level of vertical integration, producing not only its own watches but also cases or movements. As Watches & Wonders 2025 and its parallel events approach, […]
SJX Watches
Originally a low-key, perhaps even boring, vintage remake, the Commander 1959 Pixel Dial livens things up with a vibrant array of blue, purple, and pink squares printed on the black dial. The new Mido departs from our usual focus on higher-end mechanical watchmaking, but at a little over US$700, it combines affordability, good-enough quality, and fun. The blue and pink squares are actually Super-LumiNova on matte black, creating a striking illuminated pixel dial in the dark. The dial is housed in the classic Commander 1959 case characterised by a “Milanese” mesh bracelet, flat bezel, and domed acrylic crystal, which evokes an unmistakable mid-century aesthetic that contrasts with the funky pixel dial. Initial thoughts Several of Mido’s recent releases, including the Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961, combine inject vibrant colours and details into vintage-inspired designs. The new Commander 1959 continues this with its unmistakably 1950s-style case paired with a modern dial. Despite the dial’s array of colours, legibility is excellent thanks to the wide hands and markers. The Pixel Dial is a simple iteration of the original, and consequently remains affordable at US$740. Like many other watches in the same price range made by Mido’s parent Swatch Group (which also owns Tissot and Longines amongst others), the Commander 1959 is equipped with the Powermatic 80, a no-frills, economical movement that nonetheless provides an impressive 80-hour power reserve. Pattern...
Fratello
When Biver launched to great fanfare in 2023, the debut watch displayed watchmaking maximalism at its finest. Father and son Jean-Claude and Pierre Biver must have asked themselves, “What if we turn everything up to eleven?” The young brand’s second model, the Automatique, dialed things down somewhat. Still, it looked distinctly intricate and truly Biver-esque. […] Visit Introducing: The Biver Automatique Japan Edition - Minimalism And Maximalism Collide to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Certina is a watch brand that may be fairly new to you, especially if you live in the United States, where distribution has been limited to non-existent over the past several decades. In actuality, however, Certina is among the oldest Swiss watch brands currently in operation and today represents an appealing and perhaps underrated option in the arena of stylish sports watches that are solidly built yet priced affordably. The Kurth Brothers, Grana, and the Dirty Dozen Certina has its origins in 1888, when two Swiss brothers, Adolf and Alfred Kurth, set up a watchmaking workshop in an annex to their family home in the town of Grenchen (above). Initially, the brothers made movements and parts that they supplied to other watch companies in the region, but by 1906 they were making enough of their own complete timepieces that they introduced a brand name: Grana, which was a shortened version of the Latin word “Granatus,” referring to Grenchen. The early Grana watches found success, but for several years the Kurth brothers continued to also make and supply movements to other companies; the name “Certina” - another Latin-derived word, from “certus,” for “sure” or “certain” - began appearing on the company’s timepieces throughout the 1930s. The name, which was also easier to pronounce than “Grana” in more languages, was registered in 1933 and eventually became the company’s sole name in 1949. Few Grana watches are remembered as milestones today, i...
Monochrome
Pequignet was founded in 1973 by Emile Pequignet in Morteau, a French city in the mountains next to the Swiss border. The brand developed quickly in the 1980s and 1990s, but it has gone through its fair share of ups and downs in its 50 years of history. In the early 2000s, Pequignet initiated the […]
Fratello
Honest question: why do people like the Sky-Dweller? Is it because the travel watch with the Saros annual calendar and Ring Command is a complicated piece of watchmaking? Is it the characteristic dial layout, perhaps? Or is it because if you wear this 42mm watch in precious metal, everybody within a hundred-meter radius will know […] Visit Trying To Get Airborne With The Rolex Sky-Dweller In Yellow And Everose Gold On A Jubilee Bracelet to read the full article.
Monochrome
As we’ve seen recently, Orient, a Japanese watchmaker owned by the Seiko Epson Corporation, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Created in 1950, it has since made a name for itself in the accessible segment with watches such as the Mako or the Bambino. There’s another important name that was created that same year; a […]
Monochrome
Founded in 1853, Le Locle, Switzerland, Tissot is renowned for delivering quality Swiss-made watches at truly competitive prices. Sylvain Dolla took the helm of the brand in 2020, after leading Hamilton, bringing fresh energy to the brand – most notably, with the successful launch of the PRX, which has now grown into a complete, coherent […]
Time+Tide
Available in Japan only, Biver's latest watch maintains a tradition of Japanese exclusivity while showcasing a more unambiguous approach.The post Biver’s latest Automatique is its most visually restrained watch yet – but things are not as simple as they seem appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Jean-Claude Biver and his son Pierre continue their journey of independent horology with the Biver Automatique Japan Edition. Made in collaboration with its retailer in Japan, this special release is based on the time-only automatic debuted last year, but reimagined to cater to the traditionally classical taste of the Japanese collector. The minimalist edition debuts in two elegant variants that explore the contrast of light and shadow through hard-fired enamel made by an enamel workshop in Geneva’s Old Town. A stark white enamel dial is paired with a platinum case, while the high-contrast version matches a glossy black dial with a rose gold case – both share a clean, old-school aesthetic with applied markers and a railway minute track. A tribute to the Japanese collector The Automatique epitomises Biver’s neoclassical and elaborate approach to watchmaking, which blends careful detailing with hand-finishing techniques, for both habillage and the movement. Now the Japan Edition further refines the approach, condensing the more elaborate execution of the original versions into something more traditional, more classical, and arguably more reflective of the taste of Japanese enthusiasts. The two distinct models pay homage to the Japanese appreciation of minimalist aesthetics combined with high quality and precision execution, along with a well-established love of mid-century precision Swiss wristwatches. The clarity of the vintage-inspired design makes the Japan Edition ...
Monochrome
A micro-brand that should sound familiar to you now, Kurono Tokyo is the brainchild of Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, known for his high-end tourbillons or chronographs. With this brand, Asaoka wanted to deliver his style and design ideas in far more accessible watches, without the highly complex movements, but with an equal taste for […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Tissot is best known for introducing compelling models with Swiss-made craftsmanship, like its fan-favorite PRX line, at some of the market's most competitive price points. Today, the brand is breathing new life into a collection that had lain dormant for the past few years with the new solar quartz-powered PRC 100 Solar. The best part? All of the models retail for under $600. Introduced in the mid-2000s, the PRC 100 line is defined by its geometry, namely, the twelve-sided dodecagonal bezel. The line offered several iterations, including both simple time and date options as well as chronograph takes on the model family. In recent years, the brand has focussed its energy elsewhere in its collection, and most of the enthusiast crowd has locked in on its aforementioned array of PRX models, which can be found in just about every color and size option one can dream up. But now, the PRC 100 is back with a bang, complete with all the set it and forget it convenience of quartz, but with a solar-powered twist with the brand’s advanced “Lightmaster” technology. There are a number of solar quartz options available on the market today, but Tissot has gone the innovative route with the PRC 100 Solar. Typically, solar-powered watches have relied on solar paneling and cells beneath the dial for charging and often require some dial or bezel transparency for the photovoltaic energy to charge the battery. In the case of the Swiss solar quartz used in these models (which the br...
Worn & Wound
There are a number of watchmaking technologies that are tough to appreciate until you’ve actually spent considerable time with a watch. Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive comes to mind, especially if you’re inclined to constantly check your watch’s accuracy. The consistency over time of a Spring Drive movement is kind of mindblowing if you’re used to “normal” mechanical watches. Similarly, high accuracy quartz, from any brand, is tough to wrap your arms around until you’ve gone months without needing a reset because your watch is keeping time to within a second or two. And ultra-thin watches deserve a mention here as well. A watch that you literally forget you’re wearing because it’s so thin can be a special thing when properly executed. But in terms of actually making your day to day life easier, there are few technologies that match the practicality of solar powered timekeeping. There are a bunch of brands that offer watches with solar movements, and for some it’s really become their stock-in-trade. Today, Tissot expands their solar offerings with the new PRC 100 Solar collection, bringing an aging collection up to date with some modern tech that should have broad appeal to both the mass market and the most sensible, practical, enthusiasts among us. The PRC 100 was originally introduced in the mid 2000s and is easily identified by its dodecagonal bezel. PRC is an acronym that stands for “Precise, Robust, and Classic,” which seems like the right canv...
Monochrome
In 1965, Seiko entered the race for the best dive watch, much later than the Swiss did. Seiko released its first ever dive watch, known as the 62MAS, the mother of all upcoming aquatic watches of the brand. It’s a story that we’ve told many times on MONOCHROME. What matters most today is that 2025 […]
Monochrome
In watchmaking, like in fashion, trends come and go. We have seen a surge of green dials a few years ago, dozens of watches playing on the 1970s vibe with integrated bracelet or vintage re-editions of entire past catalogues. This year, aside from a certain appeal for pink and purple dials, the watch industry seems […]
Monochrome
Enameling is one of the oldest decorative techniques, invented over 4,000 years ago and used, for example, in Mesopotamia and then Egypt. Surprisingly enough, the earliest enamel all used the cloisonné technique, known to be one of the most complex techniques currently in use. Under the word enamel, at least in watchmaking and decorative techniques, […]
Time+Tide
Why is Switzerland such a watchmaking powerhouse, and why is it so hard to make watches outside of the country?The post Why making watches is an uphill battle outside of Switzerland appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Marginal gains - the world of Haute Horlogerie moves forward in little steps. That is already a miracle since mechanical watchmaking is in its private universe where functionality is not an essential survival tool. Still, the leading traditional watchmaking houses continue to push the technical boundaries. You don’t get a sense of evolution when you […] Visit Diving Into The New Audemars Piguet Caliber 7138 - A Complicated Way To Celebrate The Brand’s 150th Anniversary to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Japan’s Citizen Watch Company, founded in 1918, is known today by most aficionados for its affordable and technically forward-thinking timepieces, and for good reason: the firm introduced the revolutionary Eco-Drive technology to watchmaking and has been building upon it ever since, with pioneering innovations like Satellite Wave GPS functionality. Now, as it enters the third decade of the 21st Century, Citizen has embarked on a mission to establish itself in another sector of the watchmaking world, as a purveyor of luxury timepieces that hold their own not only with Japanese competitors like Seiko and Grand Seiko but with Swiss and German contemporaries as well. To that end, the brand has launched Citizen Premier, a new category that it says will focus on “redefin[ing] luxury timepieces by fusing over 100 years of innovation, style, and craftsmanship.” Initially, Citizen Premier will be the umbrella category that links two of its existing product families: the all-titanium Attesa models and the recently inaugurated, all-mechanical Series 8. For the launch of Citizen Premier, Citizen is showcasing two of the first timepieces to fall under the new, luxury-focused banner: one, a limited edition from the Series 8 collection with a striking ice-blue textured dial; the other, the first Attesa model to combine a “Super Titanium” case with a ceramic bezel. The Citizen Series 8 831 Mechanical Limited Edition is the latest piece to emerge from the Series 8 collection’...
WatchAdvice
I go hands-on with the new Seiko x Kentaro Yoshida 5 Sports Limited Edition to see how its bold, monochromatic design comes to life. From intricate cloud motifs to playful skeletal artwork, this timepiece brings a unique blend of street art and watchmaking to the wrist! What We Love This black model appeals to those who love “blacked out” timepieces In sunlight, the artistic work of Kentaro Yoshida really comes to life on this timepiece Day-Date window is colour-matched to the dial, allowing the artwork to be the central highlight What We Don’t In low-light conditions, the black dial and its artwork blend in too much All black dials can also make the watch lose some of its functionality The case back tint could have been a little lighter to give more transparency for movement without losing Kentaro Yoshida’s logo. Overall Score: 8.4 / 10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 Late last month, Seiko unveiled its latest 5 Sports collection, one created in conjunction with the famed street artist Kentaro Yoshida. Watch Advice had the chance to attend the unveiling of this latest collection, where Yoshida himself was present to introduce not only the different timepieces but also the artworks behind each watch. Related Reading: A Wonderful Night Celebrating Seiko Watches and Kentaro Yoshida Seiko has been doing exceptionally well with some of its latest releases. I know I keep raving about it, but their Alpinist Australasian ...
SJX Watches
We are pleased to announce the launch of the SJX Podcast, which is now an official part of our programming. The podcast will be regular and topical (though the very first instalment was an ad hoc collector conversation). In the official inaugural episode, editor Brandon Moore and SJX talk about the state of the industry and Swiss watch export figures, the developments at LVMH watches, including Louis Vuitton’s investment in a state-of-the-art manufacture and Zenith’s evolution into a watchmaker’s watchmaker. They also look ahead to Watches & Wonders 2025, and discuss what’s on the cards for brands big and small. The podcast is now live on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Addition March 8, 2025: YouTube link added.
Teddy Baldassarre
Vacheron Constantin is one of the oldest watch brands in the world, founded in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron and François Constantin, and also one of the very few firms tracing their origins back to the 18th Century that can boast an uninterrupted history of watchmaking - a history now well into its third century. Like other brands we’ve covered previously in our "Price of Admission" series, particularly Breguet, Vacheron Constantin is inarguably an elite-level watchmaker, with a level of pricing commensurate with its historical and technical renown. Finding the entry-level pieces in the Vacheron Constantin collection - and even defining what "entry-level" means for this brand - is a challenging proposition, but here is a rundown, family by family, of the most attainable timepieces from the Genevan manufacture that are available today. OVERSEAS The Overseas collection, launched in 1996 and given a high-profile revamp and relaunch in 2016, traces its origin to an unusual and now highly collectible watch released during Vacheron Constantin’s 220th anniversary in 1977. That watch, called the 222 and recently re-released as part of Vacheron’s Historiques collection, was short-lived in its original incarnation but established many of the codes now evident in the Overseas: a six-sided bezel inspired by the maison’s Maltese cross emblem; an integrated bracelet with a similar aesthetic, and an overall bold and sport-oriented character. In its contemporary version, ...
Monochrome
Bianchet is an independent watchmaking brand founded by Rodolfo and Emmanuelle Festa-Bianchet, whose atelier is located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Since 2021, the brand has been offering modern tonneau-shaped watches powered by architectural openworked tourbillon movements. As Watches and Wonders and its side events are fast approaching, Bianchet unveils a new model named the B […]
Quill & Pad
The first association for many on hearing the word "Seiko" is likely to be affordable quartz watches or automatic divers. However, Seiko offers much more, particularly in terms of luxury timepieces. Grand Seiko, which became its own brand under the Seiko Group in 2017, produces some of the most competitive luxury watches on the market, rivaling the best Swiss brands at prices that are still (somewhat) attainable.
Hodinkee
The number one business podcast delivers the definitive story of one of watchmaking's – or the world's – most iconic brands.
Fratello
In the world of independent watchmaking, few brands make an impression right out of the gate. WRK Timepieces, however, did just that with its debut ACF-01 last year. Now, with the release of the ACF-02, the brand refines its design language while maintaining the bold, lightweight approach that made its first model stand out. WRK […] Visit Hot Take: The WRK Timepieces ACF-02 Refines a Winning Formula to read the full article.
Monochrome
Hanhart, the German brand with Swiss roots, produced stopwatches in the early 1920s, followed by Flieger chronographs for pilots in the late 1930s. Today, it is one of the go-to brands for retro pilot watches updated with contemporary materials and movements. At the end of last year, Hanhart released the 415 ES, a faithful recreation […]
Monochrome
The Buying Guide is the place where we often discuss trends in the watchmaking industry. Sometimes, it feels like things are seasonal, and at others, it’s like the popularity for a specific type of watch never dies down. A trend that’s growing stronger and stronger, and one we can very much get behind, is the […]
Fratello
Stainless steel is, alongside plastics, the most common material used for watch cases today. Indeed, stainless steel is the benchmark material that most of us enthusiasts will commonly encounter. That said, titanium has been steadily gaining traction as a watchmaking material, so today, I thought we should look at titanium versus steel and go through […] Visit Titanium Versus Steel: Which Should You Get And Why? to read the full article.
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