Hodinkee
Gatherings: Vacheron Constantin Unveils Excellence With New Miami Boutique Celebration
Art Deco and high horology were on full display at our opening event in the Design District.
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Hodinkee
Art Deco and high horology were on full display at our opening event in the Design District.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Casio refreshes the A159 with Seigaiha-inspired dials, adding a Japanese design detail to one of its most iconic vintage digital watches.
Time+Tide
Chronoswiss brings us two new jump-hours, the Delphis Art Deco, and the Neo Digiteur Chronos, blending classic design with modern techniquesThe post Chronoswiss flexes its watchmaking muscle and launches a pair of unique jump-hour novelties for 2026 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
FVF Genève’s second model after the FVF1 skeleton tourbillon, the FVF2 Intrepido Time & Day is a more concise and accessible watch. It’s essentially a familiar formula – time (plus day) and a hand-finished manual wind movement – the FVF2 nonetheless manages to stand out thanks to brand founder Franc Vila’s eye for design. Pictured here with a black mother of pearl dial, part of a five-piece edition, the FVF2 has a pleasing asymmetry. The movement is composed of intriguing geometric forms and quirky details like the square winding click, while also being traditionally decorated with generous bevelling and black polishing. The case is an unusual “unibody” construction where the base plate and case middle are one and the same Initial thoughts The FVF2 might seem like yet another time-only watch with a fancily decorated movement, and it is just that, but not quite. Its creator, Franc Vila, is an industry veteran rather than a newcomer, and is now making a comeback after rising and falling with his original brand some two decades ago. Unlike many recent calibres that try to do more with more, the FVF2 movement is more minimalist but has a recognisable style and artful details. The calibre is characterised by geometric forms that encompass finer elements like the winding click, while also retaining a clear classical bent with the prominent going train and finishing. The treatment for the titanium base plate requires superheated gases to create an oxide layer on t...
Teddy Baldassarre
Working in watches, there is ample opportunity to experience watches in person that I may not have the chance to otherwise. It's a fortunate position to be in, and there is a lot to learn and take away from these experiences. It doesn't happen as often as you might think, but there are watches that strike more of a con
Fratello
Some watches hit you with the spec sheet and leave you to make sense of the rest later. The new ArtyA Complexity doesn’t really feel like one of those. Yes, the headline is big, and yes, it was always going to grab attention at Watches and Wonders next week. Still, the thing that stood out […] Visit ArtyA’s Uber-Complex Complexity Debuts For Watches And Wonders to read the full article.
Hodinkee
A new Admiral is just the start, says the CEO, as the design-forward brand looks to move upscale under new ownership.
Monochrome
Parisian brand Bell & Ross has long worked with open dials, showing more of the movement instead of covering it up. With the BR-X3 line, that approach also sits well within the brand’s circle-within-a-square design language introduced in 2005. After last year’s BR-X3 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor, this new BR-X3 Micro-Rotor keeps the same idea, but this […]
Worn & Wound
Today, two of Straum’s core concepts come alive in a new twist on the Jan Mayen Arctic collection, now in titanium for the first time in addition to stainless steel. The four original colors, in both titanium and stainless steel, now become part of the brand’s permanent catalog. Plus, there’s the debut of an entirely new dial colorway. Last year, we saw the expansion of the brand’s offerings with the classic Jan Mayen design rendered in lightweight titanium as well as the unveiling of four thoughtful and stunning Arctic dials. By now, you probably well know I’m a sucker for a mesmerizing dial design, especially one with a story and deeper meaning behind it. The brand’s limited edition capsules of Arctic dials tick all those boxes. The inspiration draws from Straum’s Norwegian roots with a subtle and abstract interpretation of the country’s natural beauty through intentional use of texture and color to elicit the feeling of the landscape rather than something too literal. We’ve previously seen four editions, each handsome in their own right: one reflecting the bold hues of the Aurora sky; one called Alpine Glow, fading from the crisp blue frost of the mountains fading to a light pink sunset; Meltwater Teal, which quite literally mimics a waterfall cascading down the dial thanks to the perfect execution of ombre white to teal; and lastly, the most understated among the bunch called Tundra Brown with a bronze tone. In addition to a new metal – swapping tit...
SJX Watches
Building on the success of its retro wristwatch, Raymond Weil is marking its 50th anniversary with the Millesime “The Fifty”. While it retains the familiar “sector” dial of the Millesime, the Fifty boasts upgraded mechanics in the form of a “new old stock” Valjoux 236 dating from 1976, the year of brand’s founding by the eponymous Raymond Weil. The Fifty combines the vintage movement with a thoughtful design that includes an appropriately sized 37 mm case – steel but with a white gold bezel no less – and novel texturing on the “sector” dial. Notably, the Fifty is also priced well at under CHF9,000. Initial thoughts The base model Millesime is good for what it is, combining an appealing design with an affordable price. The Fifty is more expensive, but arguably even better, because it still has an appealing aesthetic, but now with an excellent movement and a fair price. Watches powered by a vintage Valjoux 23 usually cost more – Singer Reimagined’s equivalent costs almost double – making the Fifty a good value proposition. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that it evokes the Patek Philippe ref. 1436 “Tasti Tondi”. But it’s more than just accessible; the design of the basic Millesime has been elaborated on in a concise and logical manner. The result is a watch that clearly resembles the standard model, but with finer details, including the linear patterning on the dial centre. I disagree with some minor details, like the luminous hands that don...
SJX Watches
The value-forward, design-savvy French micro-brand Baltic debuts its first worldtimer, the Heures du Monde with a trio of stone dials – sodalite, tiger’s eye and labradorite, each limited to 200 pieces as a lead up to a future regular production version. It’s a fully functional and sharp-looking vintage-styled worldtimer, with a modern set of features that includes a brushed ceramic bezel, plenty of lume, and a surprising 100m depth rating, for a reasonable price. Initial thoughts Stone dials and worldtimers are each in vogue, and it is only natural to combine the two – especially as worldtimers as a genre are predisposed to vibrant dials, such as enameling, engine turning, or miniature painting. It doesn’t hurt that the Heueres du Monde is a competent watch and fair value proposition over all. Baltic pitches the model as an homage to the work of Louis Cottier, who invented the format. It specifically takes after his earliest worldtimers, which comprised a simple 24-hour disk geared to the hands, and a rotating bezel with the names of cites arrayed around its perimeter. The sodalite, tiger’s Eye and labradorite dials are tasteful, fit the overall watch, and will no doubt age better than many other stone dial offerings from micro-brands today. That said, it was the probably the right decision on Baltic’s part to make these colourways limited, as it doesn’t fit with what I suspect is a more vintage, rather than neo-vintage, vision for the model. Given the br...
Monochrome
Born in 2007, the HydroConquest is Longines‘ classic 300m, modern dive watch. While the Legend Diver is there to evoke the past, the HydroConquest is meant to be a contemporary offering, mixing strong diving credentials with a daily-oriented, sleek design. Until now, we’ve come to know the watch in this form here, when it benefited […]
SJX Watches
Announced last year, Swatch’s AI-DADA platform is now live, enabling customers to design and build their own custom Swatch with a design that will never be repeated. With a low entry price and quick turnaround, I took the platform for a spin. Why AI Swatch has been a design-oriented brand since its debut in 1983. Not only has Swatch produced a dizzying array of original designs of its own, over the years the brand has collaborated with celebrated artists and leading institutions to democratise access to wearable art. About a decade ago, Swatch’s world-class logistics infrastructure enabled it to offer customised watches via an online configurator that enabled customers to mix and match different elements from a pre-selected range of options. That was quickly followed by the ability to generate a custom-printed design, by dragging a Swatch template over a selection of human-created patterns and designs. The AI-DADA system, launched earlier this year, builds on this basis in way that only Swatch could pull off. The system leverages an undisclosed large language model (LLM) to generate a custom design based on a user’s 300-character prompt. The result is a made-to-order Swatch of the customer’s own design, delivered in as few as five days. What’s more, the cost is little more than an off-the-shelf model, at just US$195. With little to lose, I took the plunge. AI-DADA Swatch watches are powered by standard quartz movements in the typical New Gent case size. Three str...
Deployant
A closer look at the Breitling Navitimer Tribute to Concorde, exploring its movement, size, daily wear experience, design details, and how it compares to other modern chronographs.
WatchAdvice
The King Seiko VANAC blends a bold 1970s-inspired design with Seiko’s modern 8L45 movement and a new vintage-style leather strap. What We Love: The textured dials with the gold coloured accents The angular vintage-style case The proportions and size for ease of wearing What We Don’t: The movement accuracy could be better at this price point The leather straps could not be up everyone’s alley The clasp on the strap doesn’t feel as solid as the watch itself. Overall Rating: 8.1 / 10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 7.5/10 Build Quality: 8/10 The King Seiko VANAC is a watch designed to talk to the collector market, and as such, the VANAC name is one that long-time Seiko collectors will recognise straight away. Today, the modern re-interpretations of the VANAC stay relatively true to the original models, but of course, with modern materials and standards. They’re instantly recognisable with those in the know, and do harken back to a time where the Avant-Garde was becoming more the industry norm across certain collections. So, before we get into this review, let’s take a short walk back in time… King Seiko’s VANAC Line Returns In A New Lease On Life A Brief History Of King Seiko’s VANAC First introduced in 1972, the VANAC line represented a bold departure from the more traditional King Seiko dress watches. Designed primarily for the Japanese market, VANAC watches were intended to be Vibrant, Active, New, Advanced, Comfortable — the meaning...
Hodinkee
The 1970s-inspired case design returns in a larger collection for the brand.
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet expands its stone‑dial lineup with the new Royal Oak Self-Winding 37 mm and 41 mm in yellow‑gold featuring malachite dials, continuing the brand’s cautious re-exploration of trendy stone dials. Initial thoughts Last month Bad Bunny, the most-streamed musician in the western hemisphere, took the field for the Super Bowl LX halftime show wearing this yellow gold Royal Oak Selfwinding 37mm. A design as recognisable as any in watchmaking, worn on the wrist of the “King of Latin Trap” in front of over a hundred million viewers - a significant marketing coup for Audemars Piguet. It was also an implicit endorsement from Bad Bunny’s stylist Storm Pablo, who procured the watch within days of its announcement. Bad Bunny during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show. Image – Apple Pricing remains surprisingly reasonable, with the 37 mm pegged to the same price as the turquoise-dialled sibling from a few years ago, while the 41 mm model is priced just 4% higher than a regular production Royal Oak in pink gold. That’s a large step up in absolute terms, but that comes with the (price) territory. It is important to point out that despite the premiums brands often attach to stone dials, most are not particularly expensive to make. When it comes to malachite, the raw material cost is negligible, with African mines in and around the Copperbelt producing gemstone-quality malachite by the literal ton. Audemars Piguet made the right choice by avoiding t...
Monochrome
Awake, the young Parisian-based indie brand founded by Lilian Thibault in 2019, is a keen advocate of sustainability and fosters an eco-friendly approach to watchmaking. Introduced in 2024, Awake’s Son Mai collection is a fitting spokesperson for the brand’s philosophy and features handcrafted lacquered dials created by Vietnamese artisans. Combining minimalist design to highlight the […]
Hodinkee
With a Super Titanium case and bracelet and an eye-catching dial, Citizen brings a new design and 12-month power reserve to the lineup.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A look at the build and design of the new space-themed Timex Q Timex NASA watch inspired by the Apollo 17 lunar landing of 1972.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko updates the King Seiko Vanac with a titanium case, textured dial and the 8L45, bringing a lighter feel to the retro-inspired design.
Deployant
Explore the Breguet Tradition Collection in a detailed press release highlighting its historical roots, architectural movement design, signature shock absorber, and insights from Breguet leadership.
Worn & Wound
Ever since I got the results back from a DNA test I sent off to Ancestry, I’ve become something of an unrepentant Anglophile. That doesn’t mean I’ve covered my walls in Union Jacks or suddenly embraced everything coming out of Britain (I still think The Beatles are just okay). But even so, I do have a bit of a soft spot for all things English – and you can include Farer in that mix. Farer has long been a watchmaker that I’ve admired, not least of all because there’s a good chance that anyone on their payroll and I are related (it is a rather tiny island). In reality, Farer has built a brand on two pillars which have made it undeniably eye-catching: a keen sense of color and a suite of watch types for anyone’s personal preference. And with the release of their latest 35mm Cushion Case collection, we see both of these qualities in action. The new models build on the cushion-shaped case Farer first introduced in 2022, but bring the design into a smaller format. Measuring 35mm across and just 10mm thick, the new collection has had some design changes to better suit the updated diminutive size. Subtle adjustments to the case architecture give the design a slightly sharper and more contemporary feel. The bezel now slopes more dramatically, helping the polished surfaces catch the light from multiple angles. That curvature continues through the case sides into Farer’s distinctive “bat ear” lugs, while a scalloped section between them allows the strap to sit clo...
Fratello
Hublot regularly makes headlines. Most of the time, however, these headlines revolve around marketing and branding. A new superstar ambassador or a crazy limited edition is more likely to generate exposure than pure watchmaking prowess. Now, in part, this is down to Hublot’s doing. The house focuses on being radical, and it doesn’t mind stepping […] Visit Talking In-House Movement Manufacturing With Hublot’s Chief Product Officer, Sadry Keiser to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
If you forced me to place a bet, perhaps on a platform like Kalshi, on what the latest release from Kurono Tokyo would be, there’s probably no way I’d put even a nickel of my own money on a dive watch. And if you told me that the dive watch in question would be of a unique modular design, I’d probably just be even more confused. That’s basically how I felt when I first saw the news of the new “Kurono Diver’s” watch from Kurono, which is basically two watches in one, and represents a hard left turn for a brand that we thought we had figured out. I feel like I talk a lot about how nice it is to be surprised in this industry, and this is a great example of a watch that I don’t think anyone saw coming and gives us all a chance to contemplate something a little different. Before we get into the Diver’s though (the name of the watch is stylized somewhat confusingly with the possessive apostrophe ‘s’), it’s worth setting the proper context for Kurono Tokyo, because this watch upends a lot of the expectations collectors probably have for the brand. The first thing to understand is that Kurono is the brainchild of watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, widely recognized as one of the great independent watchmakers in the world. His Kurono line has become popular over the last few years as it gives enthusiasts who might not be inclined to pay well into the five figures for an Asaoka branded watch a chance to get a lot of his aesthetic in an affordable package. It’s a dif...
Fratello
When it comes to luxury products, “value” is a somewhat contradictory term. After all, isn’t the entire point that a luxury product offers something magical that transcends the mere function at the expense of affordability? Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any sweet spots in the market. Some watches simply punch way above […] Visit Better Than They Should Be: Five Top-Value Watches That Punch Above Their Weight to read the full article.
Fratello
When I first picked up the Panerai Radiomir Quaranta PAM01572, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’ve tried on a few Panerai watches over the years, most of them big, bold, uncompromising instruments that seem to occupy their own postcode on the wrist. This one was different the moment I lifted it from the […] Visit Is Panerai’s Purest Radiomir Its Most Versatile Modern Watch? to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Tissot PRX vs Maurice Lacroix Aikon: see which integrated bracelet watch delivers better everyday value, comfort, design, and ownership. Find the smarter buy.
Teddy Baldassarre
You’ve heard of Seiko. By now, you’ve heard of Grand Seiko. But Credor, for many enthusiasts outside of Japan, remains mostly a mystery, despite its connection to both. But for those who are aware of Credor, it represents a Holy Grail of high-horological craftsmanship worthy of its venerated designation as “Japan’s Patek Philippe,” and perhaps no single timepiece represents its signature balance of technical complexity and sublime simplicity of design than the Credor Eichi II. [toc-section heading="Credor History"] The legend of Credor began in 1974, when it was launched as a luxury offshoot of parent brand Seiko, initially to produce exclusively precious-metal watches. The name, which became official in the 1980s, is a Japanified version of the French phrase "Crêt D'or," which translates as “pinnacle of gold.” This lofty claim is visualized in the now-iconic triple-peaked logo capped by three stars. Throughout the ‘90s, Credor watches (like Grand Seiko watches, before that sub-brand’s emergence as a separate, independent brand in 2017), were co-branded, with both the Credor and Seiko logos on their dials. Also like Grand Seiko (the first of which was made way back in 1960), Credor products were sold only exclusively in Japan. In the early 2000s, well ahead of Grand Seiko’s more famous coming-out party, Credor became a standalone brand, hosting all of the Japanese watchmaking giant’s forays into haute horlogerie as well as some very impressive hi...
SJX Watches
Like its sister brand Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta recently unveiled a model that is entirely new, rather than one based on the brand’s historical designs. The Geneva time-only is a two-hand watch with a minimalist yet distinctive design that manages to capture the spirit of 1980s and 1990s Gérald Genta without being a remake. The cushion-shaped case was debuted last year with a six-figure minute repeater, but now the brand has now applied the design to something more affordable, relatively speaking. Inside is a Zenith Elite automatic that’s been dressed up surprisingly well, above and beyond the usual presentation of the calibre. Initial thoughts The revived Gerald Genta’s debut model, the Oursin, was a reissue of sorts. The Geneva, on the other hand, is a more original creation that’s no doubt inspired by the typical Genta aesthetic, but not a like-for-like remake. It’s a testament to the design that the Geneva could pass for a 1990s Gerald Genta watch even though it is not. The Geneva almost wears like a 1990s watch as well. It’s compact by today’s standards, though these proportions would have been extra-large 30 years ago. Its slimness and narrow lugs give this a formal feel, though the colours are more vivid than usual for a dress watch. The dial is definitely more 21st century than the case, especially with the grained finish, but the gradient colour is evocative of the 1970s and suits the style of the watch. I imagine a great many more colours can be s...
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