686 articles · 3 videos found · page 1 of 23
Fratello
It’s not exactly a secret that I love my Chronoswiss Timemaster. It’s a love that won’t die. When you own a watch for over 25 years and still feel a spark when you strap it on, you know this is the real deal. It also means I closely follow what the brand is up to. […] Visit This Is Chronoswiss: The Independent Brand That Defied The Quartz Crisis to read the full article.
SJX Watches
As we approach the leap day of February 29, the unofficial day of commemoration for perpetual calendar owners, it’s worth considering the technical advances in perpetual calendar movements of the past 20 years. The perpetual calendar is, and has always been, a staple of haute horlogerie. But for most of its history, the technology remained largely stagnant. It wasn’t until the beginning of the modern era, in the 1980s when Swiss watchmaking was regrouping after the Quartz Crisis, that a new generation of watchmakers revisited this complication in earnest. In particular, they sought to address fundamental weaknesses in the way traditional perpetual calendar designs switch from one date to the next. The quintessential perpetual calendar layout, here in the first serially-produced perpetual calendar wristwatch with a leap year indicator, the Audemars Piguet ref. 5516, which was produced in the late 1950s One of the more recent – and most notable – efforts at reimagining the complication came from Stephen McDonnell, who developed the MB&F; Legacy Machine Perpetual. According to Mr McDonnell, the traditional approach to the perpetual calendar was a flawed premise. “For decades in the Swiss watch industry, and even until the present day, it has been accepted and expected that [perpetual calendar] watches would often be damaged by owners while trying to correct them,” explains Mr McDonnell, “This was seen simply as an unavoidable factor of [perpetual calendar] owner...
Time+Tide
Likely the most significant horological event of the previous century, the quartz crisis (or revolution, depending on which side you stood), not only signalled the beginning of the end for many smaller watch manufactures, but also influenced the way we look at watches to this very day. Quartz is often looked down upon, and incorrectly … ContinuedThe post WHAT IF… The quartz crisis never happened? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The history of timekeeping dates back to whenever the first creature wondered where the sun was in the sky, and the earliest evidence for calendars comes from Babylon and Egypt 5,000 years ago. In all that time, there haven’t been any horological events that are mentioned with as much dread as the Quartz Crisis. After … ContinuedThe post The Quartz Crisis wasn’t solely to blame for the industry downfall, real trouble was brewing for years appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
It’s well-known that between 1975 and 1985, the Swiss watch industry collapsed and its chances of survival looked slim. Many manufacturers went bust or were forced to join larger conglomerates. The primary cause of the disruption was, of course, the innovation of electronic quartz movements. On Christmas day, 1969, Seiko released the Astron, the first-ever … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: How Audemars Piguet used the quartz crisis to refine their brand vision appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
How The Swiss Watch Industry Spent 100 Years Destroying ItselfFor decades, the story has been the same: Japan arrived, unleashed quartz, and destroyed Swiss watchmaking almost overnight. In this video, I'm challenging...
Time+Tide
Coronavirus has surpassed all previous crisis’ in terms of its negative impact on the Swiss watchmaking industry, with a 25 per cent downturn anticipated for 2020, according to a report by Bank Vontobel. This is worse than the Quartz Crisis, which saw a 15 per cent decline, and the 22 per cent downturn in the … ContinuedThe post Coronavirus projected to wipe out 60 ‘Swiss Made’ watch brands, while downturn surpasses Quartz Crisis and GFC appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Watch enthusiasts face a somewhat unique challenge. When asked, “What are your hobbies?”, if you answer “rugby” or “dining out”, your response is almost immediately understood. In my own experience, when I say “watches”, the response is, more often than not, another question. “Watches?” My answer only seems to create echoing confusion. There are a … ContinuedThe post Is this evidence of the next Quartz Crisis? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Seiko changed watchmaking when it introduced the Quartz Astron in December 1969. Though it cost as much as a small car, it was the first commercially available quartz watch. Technology and economies of scale would rapidly reduce the cost of the quartz watch, enough that by the late 1970s the Swiss watch industry was in full blown meltdown – the Quartz Crisis. To mark the 50th anniversary of that landmark watch, Seiko has just introduced the 1969 Quartz Astron 50th Anniversary Limited Edition. Though powered by a latest generation, solar-powered and GPS-enabled quartz movement, the Astron anniversary edition is visually a remake of the original – and it still costs as much as a small car, or about US$35,000. Notably, the Astron anniversary comes a couple months after Citizen introduced its own an ultra-high end quartz watch, also with a solid gold case, but with a different approach to technology. The case of the Astron anniversary is 18k yellow gold and cushion-shaped like the original, but slightly larger at 40.9mm in diameter. The top surface of the case is “hand carved” with a fine, grain-like motif echoing the textured finish of the vintage Quartz Astron. And the pattern on the remake is a reference to itself: the carved grain motif is executed in a circular manner around the bezel, a nod to the fact that Seiko has come full circle in reproducing the 1969 design. Similarly, the dial on the new watch has a vertical, linear graining, also inspired by the finish...
Hodinkee
And this first release is knocked squarely out of the … oh, never mind.
Hodinkee
There were giants on the earth in those days.
Video
In the early 1970s, the Quartz Crisis changed watchmaking forever—but early quartz movements had a massive flaw. They were incredibly inefficient, burning through single-use batteries and creating a nightmare of was...
WatchAdvice
I took one of TAG Heuer’s most vibrant Formula 1 Solargraph editions out for a test drive to see whether its playful design is backed by everyday practicality. What We Love: Vibrant Pastel Blue feels refreshing and full of character Recaptures the playful spirit of the original Formula 1 Lightweight wearability and Solargraph practicality suit the fun aesthetic. What We Don’t: AUD $2,950 feels steep for a quartz TH-Polylight watch. The monochromatic design may be too niche for some. Limited strap options restrict its overall versatility. Overall Rating: 8.3/10 Value for Money: 8.3/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 8.0/10 Few watches in TAG Heuer’s catalogue like to have fun quite like the Formula 1 Solargraphs. Originally introduced in 1986, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 editions represented a new beginning for the recently formed brand, bringing together colourful designs, lightweight construction, reliable quartz movements and an accessible price point. Original 1986 TAG Heuer Formula 1. Image reference: Magazine.Tagheuer.com The first Formula 1 editions arrived during a period when colourful quartz watches were trending, helping to reinvigorate the Swiss watch industry after the Quartz Crisis. TAG Heuer looked to join in on the fun and responded with something lightweight, accessible and closely connected to the brand’s history and heritage in motorsport. The vibrant colours and composite construction of the watches separated them from tradition...
Fratello
There is a particular kind of relish in finding a watch that makes it feel as if the Quartz Crisis never happened. That was exactly the case with the new Caravelle Sea Hunter. At €270 delivered to me in Sydney, Australia, this is not a particularly expensive mechanical dive watch, nor is it one that […] Visit The Value Proposition: Caravelle Sea Hunter By Bulova to read the full article.
WristBuzz
From Nivachron to Besançon, ISO 6425 to the Quartz Crisis. A working glossary built for people who read spec sheets for fun.
Monochrome
Timex is one of those names in watchmaking that dominated with radically affordable, mass-produced watches. Like many others, the brand felt the crunch of the quartz crisis, largely shelving mechanical production. It did not have much choice but to embrace quartz. It was a smart move then, but they never truly lost their mechanical watchmaking […]
WristBuzz
The honorary president who kept the family independent, survived the quartz crisis, and built a generational legacy
Video
We also dive into how I evaluate microbrand watches, whether buying your first Rolex changes your opinion of Tudor, if OMEGA has become too reliant on the Co-Axial escapement, why the Tudor Royal deserves more attenti...
SJX Watches
Philippe Stern, who served as general director and later president of Patek Philippe from 1977 to 2009, died yesterday at the age of 88. Under his stewardship, the Geneva manufacture was transformed from a small, workshop-scattered operation into the global benchmark for fine watchmaking, a position it holds to this day. He was the third generation of the Stern family to lead the company. His grandfather Charles, alongside his brother Jean, had acquired Patek Philippe from insolvency in 1932 from their position as the firm’s trusted dial supplier. His father Henri had built the company’s modern international distribution network and established the Henri Stern Watch Agency in New York, laying the commercial foundations on which Philippe would build. Father and son, Henri and Philippe Stern. Image – Patek Philippe Philippe Stern became managing director in 1977, at the height of the quartz crisis. The timing could not have been more demanding. Swiss watch industry employment was collapsing, from roughly 90,000 workers to a fraction of that figure within a few years, as electronic timekeeping rendered the mechanical watch commercially marginal almost overnight. Many established manufacturers collapsed, merged, or abandoned mechanical production entirely. Stern’s response defined his presidency. He kept the tooling, retained his engineers, and committed Patek Philippe irrevocably to mechanical watchmaking at the precise moment the industry consensus ran in the opposit...
Hodinkee
Philippe Stern, the visionary executive who led Patek Philippe through the end of the quartz crisis, kept the family company independent and secured its position at the top of Swiss mechanical high horology, died on June 14th at the age of 88. The Geneva-based company announced Philippe Stern's passing in a statement calling the Patek Philippe Honorary President a "pioneering and visionary spirit" who "left an indelible mark on the history of the family manufacture, preserving its independence and establishing its global stature." Philippe Stern. Photo courtesy Patek Philippe. Stern led Patek Philippe as President from 1993 to 2009. During his tenure, he consolidated Patek Philippe's manufacturing at a new flagship manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. He integrated its production capabilities to bring as much as possible in-house. He also oversaw the launch of the Nautilus sport watch in the 1970s, the multi-year project to build the Caliber 89, the most complicated portable mechanical watch at the time, boasting 33 complications. In 2001, he inaugurated the Patek Philippe museum in Geneva, an unparalleled exhibition of not only Patek Philippe but of the entire history of horology. Philippe Stern was born in 1938 into a family already at the center of Swiss watchmaking: his grandfather, Charles Stern, had recently acquired the Patek Philippe manufacture in 1932, and his father, Henri Stern, had just joined the company. After studying economics and commerce, Philippe Ste...
Monochrome
Throughout all its phases of life, Angelus has been responsible for several milestones in wristwatch history, including some of the earliest chronographs with calendar indications. Its robust eight-day movements famously found their way into vintage Panerai watches. Succumbing to the quartz crisis, the brand’s revival began in 2011 under La Joux-Perret’s ownership. In recent years, […]
Worn & Wound
In the horological sphere, we associate the 1970s with the quartz crisis, but there was a more significant threat facing the world at large: an energy crisis. Oil consumption was reaching an all-time high with widespread international travel and car ownership becoming more prevalent and mainstream. Simultaneously, domestic oil production was dwindling in many countries, increasing pressure on imports. The situation reached a crisis when OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) imposed an oil embargo in 1973. So, getting back to watches – you’re probably wondering, what’s the connection? Like the United States, Japan was one of the countries impacted by this energy crisis. In response, Citizen Watch Company established an internal initiative to work toward developing a more sustainable and eco-friendly power source for its timepieces. In short order, the brand looked toward solar cell technology and had developed its own light-powered prototype by 1974. Two years later in 1976, we saw the world’s first light-powered analog watch, the Crystron Solar Cell. This technology would later come to be called Eco-Drive and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026. You’ve probably already read about the flagship anniversary Eco-Drive model covered by our own Zach Kazan at its launch earlier this year, but this spring, in peak cherry blossom season, Citizen opened the doors of its manufacture for the first time in years to pull back the curtain on just how the ...
Worn & Wound
This year marks the 145th anniversary of Seiko, and while 145 isn’t exactly the most notable round number anniversary, it’s still, well, a very long time. And as we’ve mentioned countless times in these pages, the watch industry simply doesn’t let an anniversary year go to waste. Seiko has just announced a new collection of watches in the Astron line to mark the occasion, because of course it makes a lot of sense to commemorate longevity and a proud history with the most modern contemporary line in the catalog. Right? Kidding aside, the Astron holds a special place in the Seiko collection for a few reasons. It was the name of the brand’s very first quartz watch, famously introduced on Christmas Day in 1969. It was a watch, and a technology, that not only changed the company, but the watch industry altogether. It ushered in the Quartz Crisis across most of the watchmaking world, except of course in Japan, which rose to a level of prominence in watchmaking as a result of quartz. Today, the Astron is special as it is reserved for the most newfangled Seiko technology available, very much in keeping with the tradition inherent in its name. That means, primarily, tech forward GPS enabled timekeeping, as well as the use of Seiko’s solar technology. Astron watches typically inhabit a very contemporary design language, which tends toward sporty, angular, and often oversized. The anniversary watch introduced this week is the new GPS Solar Dual Time Chronograph, ref...
Monochrome
Retro design, cool diver, reliable engine, fair price: all the boxes checked when it comes to the Eska Amphibian 250. Like many brands that disappeared during the quartz crisis, Eska also has its own revival story with the Amphibian 250 leading that comeback. A version released earlier this year introduced a left-handed configuration with warm […]
Monochrome
Timex and affordable quartz watches are synonymous and have been since the brand ceased mechanical watch production in 1982, following the Quartz Crisis. Few brands have found as much success as Timex with quartz, and innovations like Indiglo (bright, uniform dial electroluminescence introduced in 1992) have kept them on top for decades. Only a few […]
Worn & Wound
Oris first introduced its Artelier Complication in 1991 alongside the Caliber 581, which notably featured a moonphase module developed in-house by the brand. The release marked another significant moment for the maison in its commitment to manufacture movements following the quartz crisis. The model’s presence ultimately faded but received new life in 2017 with an updated design that featured a more modern, cleaner style with slimmer, tapered lugs, and a redesigned bezel. At Watches & Wonders, we get the next evolution of the Artelier Complication. The newest incarnation gives us another redesign from the 2017 edition while keeping the focus on highlighting the romantic moonphase. This updated take on the Artelier Complication comes from 24-year-old Lena Huwiler, Oris’s new Product Design Engineer. Huwiler has been able to achieve the perfect balance between honoring the model’s place in the history of the brand and propelling it forward with a design that will resonate with her generation. An old soul at heart, Huwiler admits she does not just find inspiration online but still appreciates architecture, crafts, and interior design. She clearly brings the duality of these sensibilities into her design for the new Artelier Complication. Here, Huwiler has given an Oris classic a modern, urban profile and reworked the moonphase display designed by and for the next generation of watch collectors. The major update here is in the complication and how it is presented thank...
Monochrome
Angelus is a historical Swiss watch brand founded in 1891 in Le Locle by Albert and Gustav Stolz, known for technically ambitious and award-winning chronographs, multi-complication watches and even chiming models. After a long period of dormancy following the quartz crisis, the brand was revived in 2011. Tapping into its rich archive, Angelus has gathered […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Before we get into my review of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Bullseye, let's get some context about the brand out of the way. Oris traces its foundation to 1904, when two natives of the Swiss watchmaking town of Le Locle, Paul Cattin and Georges Christian, opened their watch factory in the German-speaking Swiss town of Hölstein. Cattin and Christian named their company “Oris” after the Orisbach tributary, a brook near the factory.A maker of pocket watches and, by 1925, the increasingly popular wristwatches, Oris enjoyed a long period of growth and expansion throughout the following decades and even made its own movements. Losing its independence during the consolidation years of the Quartz Crisis, Oris regained it in the 1980s, when a management buyout transformed the company and solidified its mission to make only mechanical watches going forward. Today, Oris is well established as a staple for value-conscious collectors of Swiss-made watches. While much of its modern output is devoted to sport-oriented timepieces, like the popular Aquis and Divers (formerly Divers Sixty-Five) diving watches, the brand’s most recognizable and emblematic collection is the Big Crown Pointer Date, which has been a mainstay of the brand’s portfolio - and in constant production - since 1938. It was the first watch with a date indication displayed via a central hand on an outer scale, and it took the other part of its model name from its signature design element - an oversiz...
SJX Watches
An eighties icon that is finding fresh footing, Raymond Weil has extended its GPHG-winning dress watch collection with the Millesime Small Seconds 39 mm “Tuxedo”. Available in three appealing colourways, the Millesime features Art Deco-inspired typography that brings a surprising degree of energy to the line-up’s familiar sector-style dial. Initial thoughts Raymond Weil was one of the biggest names in Swiss watchmaking in the 1980s and 1990s. Raymond Weil himself was one of the first entrepreneurs to see a future for mechanical watchmaking amidst the rubble of the quartz crisis, launching his eponymous brand in 1976. While peak production is in the past, the brand seems to have rebounded with a collection of well-received dress watches and savvy limited editions. The new Millesime Small Seconds embodies the carefully considered details that have underpinned the brand’s recent resurgence. It’s not revolutionary by any means, but at just US$2,295 it offers an affordable entry point to the world of Swiss dress watches. Affordability is one thing, but appeal is another. Fortunately the 39 mm Millesime hits many of the right notes in each of the three colourways, including a so-called ‘tuxedo’ configuration in either classic back and white or on-trend burgundy, as well as a dark blue option that might be the dark horse favourite. Art Deco trio All three models have a few key things in common, starting with the stainless steel case. The Millesime measures 39 mm in ...
Monochrome
Founded in 1948 by Henry Belmont, Yema was France’s top producer and exporter by the 1960s. Renowned for legendary models such as the Superman, which appealed to professional and amateur divers alike, Yema went the way of many other mechanical watch brands during the quartz crisis and changed hands, including a stint with Seiko, until a French […]
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.