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Results for The Royal Oak Launch Story

41,791 articles · 256 videos found · page 945 of 1402

D1 Milano and Artist Peter Tarka Collaborate on an “Impossible” Watch Design Worn & Wound
Ming watch brands may have 14h ago

D1 Milano and Artist Peter Tarka Collaborate on an “Impossible” Watch Design

Thoughts and attitudes toward Kickstarter funded watch projects have shifted pretty dramatically over the years. It used to be incredibly common for microbrands to break on Kickstarter with community funded projects, and indeed some of our favorite brands trace their roots to a Kickstarter campaign. But as the saying goes, one bad apple spoils the bunch, and a very small percentage of opportunists, hype artists, or some combination thereof among the larger group of up and coming watch brands may have helped to contribute to an environment where skepticism about the motives of a brand prevailed over enthusiasm. There are still cool projects on Kickstarter, but it’s no longer the dedicated proving ground it once was, and it has increasingly become a platform for established brands to introduce products that might not fit into their normal catalog or release cycle.  And that’s how we find an unlikely Kickstarter campaign from the Italian brand D1 Milano. They’ve been around since 2013, so they’re hardly new to the watch enthusiast stage, yet find themselves on Kickstarter with a project that is a little outside their usual scope. The Impossible Watch is a collaboration with 3D artist Peter Tarka, and based on a retro-futuristic 3D composition by the artist that is being framed as “technically impossible in its original form.”  I’ll be honest here and say that I’m not sure how “impossible” this idea ever really could have been, as the watch itself is, whe...

Talking Watches: With Keith Mitchell Hodinkee
Laurent Ferrier 19h ago

Talking Watches: With Keith Mitchell

When Keith Mitchell tapped in for par on the 72nd hole of last week's U.S. Open, it secured a tie for fourth—the best finish of his career in a PGA Tour major. Ten days earlier, Mitchell wasn't even in the field; he'd had to play his way in through a last-minute qualifier. After an opening front nine of six-over, he clawed his way back and, by the third round, sat tied for eleventh. At the post-round press conference, he was wearing a pièce unique Laurent Ferrier. Months earlier, we got the backstory behind this watch—and his entire collection—and we're thrilled to bring you that today in our latest episode of Talking Watches. Mitchell is as well known for his style on the course as for his ball-striking, the product of a longtime collaboration with Atlanta-based clothier Sid Mashburn. But the discerning eye will notice that the style extends to the wrist. Mitchell has long been a watch guy—he made a brief appearance on Ben Clymer Presents—but in this episode, he gets the full Talking Watches treatment, sitting down with us to walk through his collection, including how it started, the time a family Rolex was stolen (and remains missing), and the story behind his Tweety Bird Baby G.  After more than a decade on tour, Mitchell remains one of the most likable guys in the game, and that comes through in his collection. There are some serious Rolex and Patek Philippe pieces, sure, but he's just as enthusiastic about his G-Shock. He draws a parallel between watches a...

Hands On: Greubel Forsey Balancier QM SJX Watches
Greubel Forsey Balancier QM Partly 20h ago

Hands On: Greubel Forsey Balancier QM

Partly a new watch, partly a manifesto, the Greubel Forsey (GF) Balancier QM inaugurates the brand’s Qualité Musée (QM) designation, which codifies its approach to world-class construction and finishing. Building on the Balancier Contemporain platform, GF has succeeded in refining its ‘entry level’ time-only watch, which comes in a 39.6 mm white gold case and is limited to 33 pieces. Initial thoughts The Balancier QM feels immediately familiair. It should, since it borrows much of its architecture from the recently-discontinued Balancier Contemporain. But what it lacks in novelty, it makes up in execution. In fact, the brand could hardly have picked a better way to inaugurate its official quality standard, dubbed Qualité Musée (QM). Without complications or chronometric fanfare, the Balancier QM’s design puts finishing at the forefront. The self-proclaimed ‘museum quality’ standard would sound brash coming from most brands, but it feels reasonable coming from GF. This ambition is evident throughout the Balancier QM. Even if the branding were blinded, the quality of make will be obvious to future generations of restorers, who will be able to tell immediately that the Balancier QM was never a commodity item. Even if they miss the escape wheel, which is polished on both sides, the artfully rounded pallet stones should catch their attention. On a technical level, the Balancier QM is an evolution of the Contemporain and doesn’t break much new ground. It’s st...

Interview: Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert From Yesterday

Interview: Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert

From now until July 18, Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) is exhibiting the sixth edition of its Collectibles programme at the brand’s boutique in London. The occasion offered an opportunity to sit down with CEO Jérôme Lambert to understand what the brand hopes to achieve with its Collectibles exhibitions. Launched in 2023, the concept stems from the eponymous book that assembled a dream collection of vintage JLC watches. Since then, museum-grade pieces have been sourced from around the world, restored in the brand’s dedicated workshop — without altering their patina — and presented for sale through travelling exhibitions. Triple Calendar with Moonphase from 1946. The capsule collection assembled for the London edition features seven Reverso models alongside five other rare watches, including a 1946 Triple Calendar with moon phase. With one exception — a small 1931 Reverso — all 12 watches had found buyers within hours of opening. The interview was edited for length and clarity. Yannick Nardin (YN): What is the purpose of the Collectibles programme? Is it a commercial, strategic or heritage-driven initiative? Jérôme Lambert (JL): All of those dimensions played a role in its creation. First, there were our conversations with collectors. Many expressed a desire to acquire exhibition or museum pieces, while others approached us to authenticate watches they had purchased through dealers. Two-tone Reverso from 1941. At the same time, following the great JLC exhibitions of...

Sunday Morning Showdown: Grand Seiko’s Hi-Beat 9SA5 Vs. Spring Drive U.F.A. 9RB2 Fratello
Grand Seiko s Hi-Beat 9SA5 Vs 2 days ago

Sunday Morning Showdown: Grand Seiko’s Hi-Beat 9SA5 Vs. Spring Drive U.F.A. 9RB2

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown. I don’t know if it’s due to the heatwave we’re experiencing here in Europe, but this week, we’re doing things a little differently. On the other hand, it might simply be that Grand Seiko launched new Evolution 9 models that left us rather impressed. However, […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Grand Seiko’s Hi-Beat 9SA5 Vs. Spring Drive U.F.A. 9RB2 to read the full article.

Breguet Quartet for Tourbillon 225th Anniversary SJX Watches
Breguet Quartet 3 days ago

Breguet Quartet for Tourbillon 225th Anniversary

Enjoying a new lease of life under chief executive Gregory Kissling, Breguet is continuing with the revamp and revival of its product range, this time marking the 225th anniversary of Abraham-Louis Breguet invention of the tourbillon. Breguet is rolling out a quartet of models for the occasion, starting with the compact and enthusiast-oriented Classique Tourbillon ref. 7357 that’s an old school 35 mm in diameter. That’s followed by variants of existing models. The Classique Tourbillon Sidéral ref. 7255PT takes things up a notch with a “mysterious” flying tourbillon and aventurine enamel dial, while the Tradition Tourbillon ref. 7047PT is a new look for the long-tenured model featuring a chain-and-fusee transmission. Lastly the Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante ref. 5887PT gains a translucent, luminous grand feu enamel dial. The enamel dial of the Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante ref. 5887PT features a Super-Luminova star chart Initial thoughts Breguet has steadily refreshed its current line up since Mr Kissling took over, while releasing a handful of all new models, like the innovative Experimentale 1. The new tourbillons mostly fall into the former category; all are based on existing models to varying degrees. Ironically, of the four new models, it’s the entry-level piece that’s arguably the most novel. The Classique Tourbillon 7357 is clearly based on the ref. 3350 of 1989, but it has a new case and dial (but retaining the small case size). The mov...

Fratello’s Top 5 Recent Jaeger-LeCoultre Releases Fratello
Jaeger-LeCoultre Releases Another Friday another 4 days ago

Fratello’s Top 5 Recent Jaeger-LeCoultre Releases

Another Friday, another list! This week, we will take a look at the five best releases from one of the most talked-about brands in the past few years. Jaeger-LeCoultre made quite a few waves with its releases in 2025 and did so again at Watches and Wonders 2026. But the many great timepieces were not […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Recent Jaeger-LeCoultre Releases to read the full article.

Cartier Watchmaking Prize Winners Announced SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton Watch Prize 4 days ago

Cartier Watchmaking Prize Winners Announced

The 28th edition of the Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow has announced the winners of the annual competition, which seeks to recognise and nurture promising young watchmakers and technicians. In total, six prizes were awarded to students from France and Belgium. Aymeric Peters won first prize in the Apprentice Watchmakers category for “Silence Choisi” Understanding the Cartier Prize The watchmaking industry faces a well-known shortage of young talent, and awards like the Cartier Prize, the F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition, and the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives enhance the appeal and visibility of the profession in a meaningful way. The theme of the 28th edition of the Cartier Prize was “Shifting the Balance: Reading and Perceiving Time Differently”. This theme explains why almost all entries featured heavily abstracted time displays. Layla Sluysmans tied for second prize in the Apprentice Watchmakers category with her creation “Nymphéa” The format of the Cartier Prize differs from that of other similar awards. Finalists were chosen based on sketches and presentations, and were given just 80 hours (over three months) to complete their creations with the help of dedicated mentors. To ensure a level playing field, each candidate is provided with a Cartier cal. 012 alarm clock movement and a CHF500 budget cap. Eléonor Picciotto presided over the ceremony, and the prizes were awarded by a jury comprised of Roy Davidoff, P...

Don’t Sleep On These Cushions — Hands-On With Three Fears Brunswick Models Fratello
Fears 5 days ago

Don’t Sleep On These Cushions — Hands-On With Three Fears Brunswick Models

Sometimes, as a watch enthusiast, you just connect with a brand. Fears is such a brand for me. I find this revived English indie watch company a prime example of how to establish yourself in a slightly higher segment than most. As much as I appreciate the company from a distance, I had spent little […] Visit Don’t Sleep On These Cushions — Hands-On With Three Fears Brunswick Models to read the full article.

Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 Refresh Arrives – with Tapered Quick-Adjust Bracelets SJX Watches
Grand Seiko s Evolution 9 Refresh 5 days ago

Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 Refresh Arrives – with Tapered Quick-Adjust Bracelets

The much-anticipated refresh of Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 line has arrived with new bracelets for six existing dials, as well as a newcomer and a mid-sized version of the fan favorite Lake Suwa. This brings much improved bracelets to Grand Seiko’s upmarket (and very successful) Evolution 9 line, fueling Seiko’s global ambitions for its flagship luxury brand. Moonlit Lake Suwa (SLGB007) Initial thoughts If the UFA Ushio Diver launched earlier this year proved anything, it’s that Grand Seiko is listening to its customers, and those customers want slim watches, case back power reserve indicators, better bracelets, and a tool-less quick adjust clasp. The Evolution 9 line, launched six years ago in 2020, met half of these requirements, being let down by only the bracelet. With this refresh, the Evolution 9 becomes an even more competitive, and compelling, collection. Grand Seiko’s in-house quick-adjust clasp. Image – Seiko Watch Corporation Unfortunately, the changes also come with a significant movement downgrade for the Spring Drive models, replacing the extended power reserve cal. 9RA2 with the simplified cal. 9RB2. That said, the UFA designation will be seen as a significant upgrade to all but the nerdiest collectors, making it a coup for Grand Seiko as the new movement adds value for the customer while presumably being less expensive to manufacture. Cal, 9RB2. Image – Seiko Watch Corporation But before you run out to buy one of the five-day Spring Drive watch...

Hands On: Sylvain Pinaud Tourbillon SJX Watches
5 days ago

Hands On: Sylvain Pinaud Tourbillon

Independent watchmaker Sylvain Pinaud has introduced the Tourbillon, a watch that looks a lot like the brand’s sophomore Origine, but is in fact entirely different. The apparent similarity conceals an all-new calibre, which features a lively 30-second tourbillon front and centre. Mr Pinaud’s most ambitious project yet will be made in three 10-piece limited editions: one in titanium, and two in platinum. Initial thoughts Sylvain Pinaud is one of the few contemporary independent watchmakers who launched his eponymous brand with a complication before going back to basics with a time-only model. Launched in 2022, the Origine was well-suited to the prevailing taste for well-finished time-only watches. With Origine production in the rearview, Mr Pinaud has moved back in the direction of additional complexity with his first tourbillon. For fans of Sylvain Pinaud — and artisanal watchmaking in general — the well-executed Tourbillon leaves little room for complaint. That said, it’s liable to be criticised for the simple fast that it looks a lot like the Origine. Indeed, the two watches could hardly look more similar — a fact that limits the Tourbillon’s ‘shock and awe’ factor. At launch, I noted that the Tourbillon costs more than double that of the time-only Origine. That’s arguably a big ask relative to the additional complexity of the tourbillon regulator, but the cost basis is probably a moot point given collector appetite for independent watchmaking and the...

Introducing – Union Glashütte Belisar Chronograph Limited Edition Silvretta Classic 2026 Monochrome
Union Glashütte 5 days ago

Introducing – Union Glashütte Belisar Chronograph Limited Edition Silvretta Classic 2026

Every summer, hundreds of classic cars take to the Alpine roads of Austria’s Montafon region for the Silvretta Classic. This rally has become a regular fixture in Union Glashütte‘s calendar too, with the German brand releasing a dedicated limited edition almost every year. The Viro Chronograph Silvretta Classic 2023, with its bicompax layout, was followed […]

Auctions: French Soccer Legend Zinédine Zidane Talks Watches And Why He's Offering His First Cartier To A Special Charity Sale Hodinkee
Cartier 5 days ago

Auctions: French Soccer Legend Zinédine Zidane Talks Watches And Why He's Offering His First Cartier To A Special Charity Sale

Zinédine Zidane is football (soccer) royalty in France. Having played for his home country in the World Cup three times, he led Les Bleus to victory in 1998 and made the final in 2006, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.  Photo credit: Alex Teuscher Before becoming a manager coach at Real Madrid, Zidane, known as 'Zizou', also had a prestigious career in professional soccer as an attacking midfielder at a host of European clubs, including Juventus. Widely regarded as one of the best players in history, he rose to prominence early in his career in the French Ligue 1 at FC Girondins de Bordeaux. And it was in Bordeaux that Zidane bought his first proper watch, a Cartier Pasha. Now that watch will be sold at a charity auction for ELA International as part of the Watches For ELA auction by Christie's on November 9 in Geneva. Zidane has been a supporter of ELA International - the European Leukodystrophies Association - for a quarter century. The non-profit organization is dedicated to defeating leukodystrophies—rare, genetic diseases that destroy the central nervous system. They fund medical research, support affected families, raise public awareness, and advocate for universal newborn screening. With the 2026 World Cup in full swing and on North American soil, we asked Zidane about his passion for watches, his support for ELA International, and why this Cartier has special meaning for the French soccer legend.   Zidane's Cartier Pasha.Photo credit: Al...