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Straum Oct 21, 2024

Straum Debuts the Jan Mayen Basalt Limited Edition

If you’ve followed our recent coverage of Straum, you probably already know that they’ve been teasing a new entry in their Jan Mayen collection for some time. This weekend, at the Windup Watch Fair, the new watch from the Scandinavian brand made its public debut. The Jan Mayen Basalt Limited Edition builds on the themes the brand has been working with for a few years now with their contemporary integrated bracelet sports watch design, adding some new dial elements with this LE that change the dynamic of the watch considerably while leaning into the brand’s ethos. It’s perhaps a little more avant-garde in nature than their previous efforts, but it seems like the type of watch that Straum’s biggest fans will immediately identify with.  The star of the show here is clearly the dial, which Straum tells us is made from volcanic basalt rock sourced from the island of Jan Mayen. The ultra thin wafers of rock are filled with naturally occurring holes through which the dial base is seen, creating the effect of a magma-like substance gurgling under the surface of the earth. If that sounds dramatic, it’s because, well, it is. The effect in person is quite remarkable. Because the dials are made from rock, no two are exactly alike, and asymmetry abounds, so this watch feels like more an art piece than a hearty tool, but that’s perfectly fine in my opinion. There are three limited dial variants: Magma Red, Radiant Mist, and Volcanic Grey. The latter is likely the most res...

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Oct 21, 2024

Hands-On: the Trafford Touring GMT

I am no stranger to the road, often finding myself lost on winding backcountry roads, grabbing cocktails in random local bars, and hunting for the hidden gems that make travel great. It can be easy to get lost in these adventures, jumping over time zones with an unwillingness to turn back towards my standard everyday life. That is where, annoyingly, a watch becomes more than just a watch. It becomes the rope tied to schedules and obligations that unobtrusively pulls you back to reality through the whirring of a rotor. While I certainly can not claim to be the modern American artist for whom this watch was designed, I have seen its inspiration scattered throughout random roads lost to different eras still holding the memories of its previous travelers. So, it seemed only fitting that part of my time spent with the new Trafford Touring GMT would occur on a spur-of-the-moment road trip down to West Virginia. Trafford is a brand I am very familiar with having been hooked on Nathan’s designs since he first shared a single teaser image of the Crossroads (his previous, rectangular model) in a watch Facebook group. Of course, I backed the Kickstarter grabbing myself a cabaret dial version, and then would eventually go on to get to know Nathan more during our collaboration on a certain “Wonderful” video I am sure many of you have seen by now. It was at this time that Nathan shared more teasers with me, this time of a round case with a similarly bold design language featuring ...

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Oct 18, 2024

Autodromo’s Bradley Price Lives the Brand

At their best, watches should tell a story, and we don’t think it’s too much to ask for a bit of soul, romance, and authenticity with that story. When it comes to Autodromo’s line of attainably-priced, motorsports-inspired watches, everything is a direct extension of founder and designer Bradley Price’s own story and passion for car culture and motorsports. It’s a passion he truly lives, and one that lured him away from a successful career in industrial design to the watch world. In a category that’s overflowing with pretenders trading on aesthetics, the motorsports authenticity and creativity Autodromo infuses their watches with isn’t just refreshing – it’s rare.   We’ve covered Autodromo many times over their 13 year journey as a brand and we’ve even collaborated on several limited edition releases with them, so it should come as no surprise that we’re big fans of Price’s work and always interested in Autodromo’s latest and greatest. Their most recent release drives home the brand’s authentic approach in a major way: An official limited edition Prototipo chronograph that celebrates Lime Rock Park, one of the most storied and important motor racing circuits in the country and Price’s adopted home track. When we met up with Price at the 42nd Annual Lime Rock Historic Festival to get our hands on the new Lime Rock Park Edition Prototipo, he was quite literally delivering watches to clients out the trunk of the mint 1960s “K-code” Ford M...

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Oris Debuts Oct 18, 2024

Oris Debuts the New Divers Date

Oris is reaching a huge milestone, and that’s the 60th anniversary of their renowned Divers Sixty-Five, a watch collection that’s always been imbued in 1960’s nostalgia. Today they’re updating the Divers Date, a collection that on first glance may look quite familiar to you, but upon closer inspection reveals an entirely new concept.  Apart from the obvious changes such as the new dial options, which have now moved from the previous more outgoing array, to what can now be perceived as a more subdued industrial chic black, blue, and beige – the watch has gone through a substantial technical upgrade in both its aesthetic and its functionality. Oris has always catered to a loyal base of watch enthusiasts, ensuring they only produce high value mechanical watches with meaningful heritage behind them. The new Divers Date really follows along this line of thinking, but augments the owners experience with this new release. Some of the notable aesthetic changes include a slight thickening and increased weight to the case, to create a touch more presence and more compact feeling on the wrist, as explained by their designer Lukas Bühlmann. The side profile of the case has also been reshaped, giving it a more mature and substantial style. The most impressive material upgrade has to be the new ceramic bezel insert, which was previously aluminum. This was a much-anticipated upgrade for the collection, seeing that most other watch brands have moved to ceramic in the past few...

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Oct 18, 2024

Paulin Introduces the new Modul D and E

While it’s probably apocryphal, Pablo Picasso was once quoted as saying, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” I was reminded of this quote when I was introduced to the new watches from Paulin, the Modul D and E. Like its predecessors, the Modul line-up has a way of being at once playful, but owning a distinctive style that can only come from years of expertise to know when and where to break the rules. Let’s start with some specifics of these watches, shall we? For both Moduls, customers get the option of two case sizes and three movements for a total of six combinations available. For the 35mm case, you have the choice of either a quartz (ETA 955.112)  or manual (ETA 7001) movement, while the 39mm option is equipped with a La Joux Perret automatic movement.  By the way, if you’re worried the 35mm might be too small – don’t be. The tonneau-shaped case has a deceptively large presence on the wrist, making it a perfect unisex size. In terms of colorways, the Modul D and E are a bit more subdued than other models in the line. Focusing on monochromatic dials, these models use the indices and hands for pops of color. The Modul D is a black-dialed watch with a blue hour hand, a white minute hand, and yellow indices, while Modul E is a nice contrast of a white dial, offset with blue and orange. Each reference is tonally offset against the stainless steel case. While these iterations of the Modul line may not be as flashy as previous ...

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Atelier Wen Oct 17, 2024

Hands-On: the Atelier Wen Perception Mù

If there’s a single area of the watch world that feels truly exciting and vibrant right now, it’s the small, approachable, independent brands. I like to call them “micro-indies,” because they take elements of what made the microbrand boom so fruitful to many (direct to consumer sales, lots of creativity) and match it up with real watchmaking craft in ways you might not expect. When I got into this hobby years ago, it was common to hear various voices on the watch forums telling you that finding “real” guilloche under five figures is straight up impossible. But new brands, and new ideas, allow for all kinds of new possibilities. Atelier Wen’s Perception integrated bracelet sports watch has become an enthusiast favorite since its inception thanks to their impressive guilloche dials made by a self-taught master of his craft, all at a cost under $4,000. Atelier Wen achieves this, in large part, by embracing Chinese manufacturing, something other brands that approach this segment run away from. But that’s the beauty of the micro-indie landscape: when you rethink how to solve common watchmaking problems, you wind up with uncommon watches that are truly unique.  Atelier Wen has launched their latest Perception, the Millesime 2024 Perception “Mù” at an unusual time in the brand’s history. There is more attention on watches of this ilk than ever before, and frankly it feels like there are parts of the community that are looking to shoot holes in the story At...

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Massena Lab Oct 17, 2024

Albishorn Introduces the Type 10, the Next Chapter in their “Imaginary Vintage” Thought Experiment

One of the most interesting new watches (and new brands) to surface at Geneva Watch Days this year was the Albishorn Maxigraph, made in collaboration with Massena LAB. Now, just a few months after their debut, Albishorn is back with their second effort, the Type 10. This might seem like a rapid pace for a brand to be moving at, but once you understand Albishorn’s backstory, it begins to make a little more sense. The brand is the brainchild of Sébastien Chaulmontet, a watch industry veteran who is currently Director of Innovation and Marketing at Sellita. There are probably few individuals in the watch space better positioned to make a quick start than Sébastien, and after chatting with him briefly about his brand and his plans for it at Geneva Watch Days, it’s no surprise to see the Type 10 surface now, and it will be even less of a surprise to know that Sébastien has a an even longer term release roadmap planned out well in advance. The conceit of Albishorn, you’ll likely remember, is that of a brand that creates “vintage watches that never existed.” These are not vintage reissues, or even inspired, necessarily, by actual vintage watches. Rather, the watches that will make up the Albishorn collection will exist as thought experiments, imagining parallel histories in which a watch like the Type 10 or the Maxigraph could have been designed, but weren’t. It’s a subtle but important twist on the notion of a vintage inspired watch, and one that, I think, shoul...

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Massena Lab Collaboration Oct 16, 2024

The Latest Massena LAB Collaboration is a Rare Heritage Inspired Moser

If you’ve been paying any attention to H. Moser & Cie. over the last few years, one thing should be abundantly clear - the Swiss watchmaker likes to keep things simple. While they may occasionally indulge themselves with an overwhelming quantity of dial text, or acquiesce to the need for a chronograph scale, Moser has increasingly adopted a minimalist approach in their watch design, with wide open expanses of dial and invisible logos taking center stage alongside hammered enamel finishes, minute repeater strikers, and elegantly finished hands.  Today, Moser is throwing all that out, and, in partnership with Massena LAB, the brand is looking back to its history for what is, in many ways, its most traditional release in years. The Endeavour Chronograph Compax would, from anyone else, barely qualify as newsworthy. After all, what brand hasn’t dipped back into the well to create a historically-minded steel sports watch in recent years? Moser hasn’t, and that’s what makes this collaboration so interesting. Even the Heritage model, the closest the brand has come to the format, isn’t so much a recreation as a reimagination, a consideration not of how to make an old watch feel new, but a thought exercise in what H. Moser & Cie. might have made were the modern brand to find themselves in a different era. This new watch is not that. Though not a direct reproduction of any particular model, the new Endeavour Chronograph Compax is a genuine reflection on Moser’s history...

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Garrick Oct 16, 2024

Fears and Garrick Reunite for a Second Collaboration, with an Assist from Collective Horology

Anyone else have a watch that you look forward to seeing on the wrist of someone else? I think if you’ve been part of this community long enough, it’s almost a certainty. Invariably a friend or colleague will own something that you genuinely look forward to seeing – that watch you hope they will decide to bring to the regular meetup that always impresses. A watch that easily slides into that somewhat niche category for me is the Fears Garrick, a limited edition collaborative effort between the two British brands that first appeared in 2022. Asher Rapkin, a co-founder of Collective, is one of the lucky owners of this watch, and whenever I run into him, be it in Switzerland for a trade show or one of our Windup Watch Fairs, I always hope he’ll have picked this watch out of the box today. It’s just such a cool concept, and a watch that’s genuinely pretty rare, so an opportunity to see it in person is kind of a special thing.  Well, the number of these watches out in the wild is about to increase just a little bit with today’s announcement of the Fears Garrick Salmon for Collective limited edition. Only five of these will be made, and as the name of the watch would suggest, this run is distinguished by a beautiful salmon dial, replacing the crisp white of the prior version. Other than that, it’s very much the same watch, which is a great thing in my opinion, as it fuses together the absolute best of two of the most interesting British watch brands.  Those att...

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Citizen Tsuyosa Small Second I Oct 15, 2024

Transmission from an Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch Skeptic: the Citizen Tsuyosa Small Second

I have a confession to make: I’m a bit of an integrated bracelet sports watch skeptic.   As the watch community went crazy for integrated, Gerald Genta inspired designs over the last few years, I largely observed from the bench. Watches like the Royal Oak, the Nautilus, and newer challengers like Moser’s Streamliner and Chopard’s reissued (and heavily redesigned) Alpine Eagle have always been curiosities at best, for me. I’ve never lusted after an integrated bracelet sports watch. It feels like that’s almost transgressive to say, or at least would have been at the height of Royal Oak mania a few years ago – but it’s just never been a real point of interest for me.  Now, part of the reason for that is certainly the prohibitive price point of many of the most sought after integrated bracelet sports watches. I don’t have thirty thousand dollars (or more) to spend on a watch, and quite frankly if I did, I think I could find other watches I’d prefer for the money.  But it’s not just the expense. I’ve never been a fan of the way these watches look on my wrist. Even if I admire the craftsmanship of a Royal Oak bracelet – because it’s honestly undeniable – something about the hard angles just didn’t do it for me.  Anyway, skeptic though I am, part of the deal when you work in the watch media world is that you just get to see and try on a lot of stuff. And so there I was at Windup Chicago earlier this year, checking out watches at the Citizen boot...

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Oct 15, 2024

Industrial Design: Loosely Explained

It’s a hot, muggy Saturday afternoon, and as a parent you find yourself at a local splash pad for a 3-year-old’s birthday party with 37 other people. Most of them are adults you don’t know, or you do know but have definitely forgotten their names. After your kid finally sheds the shy cling to your leg and runs off to the water features with their buddies, you begrudgingly gravitate toward a few unidentified parents talking. Upon entering the circle, you present your name and state whose parent you are before an awkward silence falls, and you hear those words: “So, what do you do for work?” Because at this point it’s either that or the weather, and the circle has already covered the later topic one too many times. Work-it’s that inevitable question we’re all asked during those awkward, seemingly weekly toddler birthday parties. “I’m an Industrial Designer” isn’t the most glamorous or self-explanatory response. That’s ok though, because after a few back and forth questions and answers in the circle many start to realize how much around them is designed, considered, and produced to make our lives a bit better. But like all coins, there are always two sides to the story. Making more things is not necessarily the answer, but I believe making things that speak to us, move us, and change our lives even in the slightest is what makes good industrial design great. At its core, Industrial Design is the process of creating physical products for mass manufa...

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Citizen Promaster Sky Our ongoing Oct 14, 2024

Enthusiast Spotlight: Flying the Friendly Arizona Skies with Erin and Paul Hooker and Citizen Promaster Sky

Our ongoing Enthusiast Spotlight series is all about uncovering passionate people who care deeply about the objects with which they surround themselves. For our latest installment, we spend the day with aviation enthusiasts and pilots Erin and Paul Hooker from Phoenix, AZ. These two young and ambitious aviators define enthusiasm to a tee. For them, flying has become an absolutely essential part of their live/work/play equation. Precision gauges and instruments are now more important to them as ever.  We strapped some of Citizen’s latest Promasters, including both Sky and Dive models, onto their wrists to get their first impressions and understand just how important having a robust tool watch is to their day-to-day. The post Enthusiast Spotlight: Flying the Friendly Arizona Skies with Erin and Paul Hooker and Citizen Promaster Sky appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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Yema Oct 14, 2024

Yema and Alain Silberstein Collaborate on a New Limited Edition

Founded in 1948, Yema is an independent French watch manufacturer in Morteau, France, which as Yema reminds us, is “the birthplace of French watchmaking.” The third-generation Bôle family operates it alongside a team of watchmakers with over 40 years of experience. Over the years, they have gained a reputation for producing robust and dependable tool watches suitable for diving, car racing, and military expeditions. Yema has sought a new, more enthusiast focused clientele in recent years, particularly with their popular dive watches and the new Wristmaster line of integrated bracelet sports watches. To enhance this revival, they partnered with Alain Silberstein to create a special limited edition piece. Silberstein is an artistic watch designer with a background in interior architecture who grew to prominence with his eponymous brand in the 80s and 90s. His original designs were genre-defying and have now become his signature look. His style can be polarizing, frequently incorporating bright primary colors and geometric shapes in unexpected ways. The word “playful” gets thrown around a lot in the watch world, but it truly defines the Silberstein design language – they just have a way of making you smile. And that’s exactly what this new collaboration with Yema is designed to do. It is a 40mm dual crown dive watch in Black DLC Grade 5 Titanium with micro-blasted finish. The Yema x Alain Silberstein Marine features a crown at 4 o’clock for time setting and win...

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Bell & Ross BR-X5 Gets Oct 14, 2024

The Bell & Ross BR-X5 Gets the Iridescent Treatment

Bell & Ross is expanding on their enthusiast focused BR-X5 with a boutique edition iridescent dial variant, housing their manufacture calibre BR-CAL.323. For those that aren’t already familiar with the BR-X5 launched in 2022, this is a relatively higher tier regular production watch compared to the rest of the Bell & Ross lineup – featuring a semi-skeletonized weight minimizing case that has been hollowed out on the sides, from the lugs and down through the crown guards. While the main features and aesthetic design of the watch have remained relatively untouched from the previous variants, the iridescent dial is the star of the show on this new reference, creating playful hue transitions from blue to green, with hints of purple. The color shifting is very similar to that seen on the shell of a beetle, or on mother of pearl dials, but in this instance the light effect isn’t naturally created, rather it’s a chemical creation derived from multiple thin layers of PVD coating.  Not only does the dial have a one of a kind manufacturing process, but the effect has been accentuated by overlaying it with a sunray effect. The overall vibe of what used to be a more serious, tool-like watch, is now toned down a touch to bring in some casual playfulness.  The BR-CAL.323 automatic movement beats at 28,800 VPH, and is holding a generous 70 hours of power reserve which makes the watch a great daily wear contender. The movement has also been designed to display a rather large pow...

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Fortis Vagabond – Designed Oct 13, 2024

Introducing the All-New Fortis Vagabond - Designed for the Modern Super Commuter

The post Introducing the All-New Fortis Vagabond – Designed for the Modern Super Commuter appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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Oct 13, 2024

A Modern Icon In Carbon, A Clear Cut Winner, And Some Upgrades For Your Home

The post A Modern Icon In Carbon, A Clear Cut Winner, And Some Upgrades For Your Home appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Oct 13, 2024

A Week in Watches Ep. 91: Omega Drops the First Speedy in Space, Again

On episode 91 of A Week in Watches, Zach discusses some new releases from the last few weeks. First up is an awfully odd Nomos with a unique but unnecessary take on a date complication. Following is an overview of the newest Reversos from Jaeger-LeCoultre. A well-received launch from the historic house, it included four new styles, including a new case size. Lastly, Omega has launched the First Omega in Space for a second time, and we’re here for it. This week’s episode is brought to you by Windup Watch Fair New York City. This year’s event has earned the title of the biggest watch fair in the world, with over 130 brands from 16 different countries. Windup NYC is happening Oct 18th – 20th at 415 Fifth avenue in the heart of Manhattan. It’s free and open to the public, as always, so we hope to see you there. For more information, head to windupwatchfair.com The post A Week in Watches Ep. 91: Omega Drops the First Speedy in Space, Again appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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Oct 12, 2024

Watches, Stories, & Gear: the Nintendo Alarm Clock, Getting Lost in the Netflix Library, and a New Dial from the Stella Watch Company

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing info@wornandwound.com. A Big Sale for the Members of Pink Floyd It’s become quite common in recent years for major recording acts to sell the rights to their music and songwriting to giant corporations, generating enormous paydays for the creatives involved, even if it means losing some or all of the control of the content itself. British rock band Pink Floyd is the latest in a growing line of Boomer bands to take an enormous check for their catalog. As the Guardian and others have reported, the deal is worth an estimated $400 million, and gives new owner Sony the rights to the band’s vast catalog, as well as their names and likenesses. The deal comes after years of infighting between members that reportedly slowed down negotiations, and controversial comments from Roger Waters about, well, a whole bunch of things that you can choose to Google if you’d like. What comes next for Pink Floyd and what does the deal mean? Hard to say. They retain the rights to their songwriting, but the deal should allow Sony and others to use their music for any number of commercial purposes. And Sony owns a movie studio...

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Christopher Ward s Best Diver Ever? Oct 11, 2024

Review: Christopher Ward’s Best Diver Ever? The C60 Trident Lumière

When Christopher Ward announced the C60 Trident Lumière a few weeks back, the emphasis-errr-the spotlight was put on using massive Globolight lume plots on the dial. Twelve individually molded lume-infused ceramic monoliths promised to glow like cartoon uranium studded the dial per hour. A dial they claimed cost them 4x the usual. Well, after a few weeks with the watch, while I can attest that the lume is very impressive, it’s not why the C60 Trident Lumière is successful. Rather, it’s simply because it’s the best-executed tool/sports watch the brand has made, at least that I’ve encountered. The proportions are refined, the finishing is excellent, and the aesthetic is cohesive. The C60 Trident Lumière (just Lumière from here out), like the Twelve X and Bel Canto, demonstrates that Christopher Ward is a brand operating at a level on par with or higher than big Swiss brands at an equivalent price, a function of, but not a given, with their D2C model. However, it’s perhaps more impressive in some respects than those other two watches because it’s not a showpiece. No, the Lumière is a mainline, if higher priced, offering for the brand. Which is to say, it’s a sign of what they can do on a “normal” watch and, thus, perhaps, a sign of what to expect in the future. But, enough hyperbole. Clearly, I am a bit taken with the Lumière, so let’s get into the details. $2390 Review: Christopher Ward’s Best Diver Ever? The C60 Trident Lumière Case Grade 2 ...

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Oct 11, 2024

A New, Smaller, and Even More Advanced Dive Watch from SēL

Arizona’s SēL Instruments have been making, literally, bomb proof watches since 2017. The term overengineered is often thrown around in watchmaking, but no other brand quite embodies this term the way SēL Instruments does. Not only do they engineer their watches from scratch, but they also engineer the equipment to make them, as well as the tools to test them. They even reinvented the watch bracelet with an ingenious clasp system called the Wavlock. According to the brand, their watches appeal to many in the armed forces, police, EMTs, or anyone that lives and works in the harshest environments on earth. You can tell these watches were made by someone that never skips leg days, though just like Adrew McLean’s oversize quads, these watches have always been quite large. That is, until now. Introducing the new OmniDiver Xos 42, a smaller, much more wearable version of their signature OmniDiver. That said, they did not just shrink it. Their focus is on a trifecta feature set for extreme environmental protection in a smaller 42mm case: impact resistance, water resistance, and magnetic resistance.  The original OmniDiver has a water-resistance rating of 6,100 meters, but the new Xos 42 is still no slouch at 2,000 meters. What is even more impressive is that the new one is only 13.7mm thick. To make that happen, they needed to add new Teflon bearings to their already incredibly good ball-bearing bezel bezel assembly. They needed to strengthen their screw-down crown and inv...

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Oct 11, 2024

Windup Watch Shop Fall Lookbook 2024

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Brew Launches Oct 10, 2024

Brew Launches the New Metric Star

Brew has had quite a run with their Metric chronograph. When the watch first appeared in the summer of 2021, it was clear that the brand had a hit on their hands, but it’s grown into what I think could fairly be called full fledged phenomenon status. Brew founder Jonathan Ferrer has found nearly endless ways to change up the look of the watch with different dial colors and coatings to the case and bracelet, and an automatic version was released last year that could prove to be a jumping off point for a slew of new more complicated Metrics. Through all of these releases, the Metric has become something of a calling card in indie and microbrand watch circles. It’s kind of the ultimate approachable insider’s watch – wearing one immediately makes it clear that you are part of the enthusiast world, and not just wearing a watch to tell the time (or time an espresso shot).  The latest Metric, released just in time for Windup New York City, is the Metric Star, which is meant to evoke a more refined aesthetic, according to the brand. The new Metric Star has a gold tone dial with a brushed, sunray finish, and accents in red and blue. The outer scale for chronograph seconds is particularly clever, with a blue section highlighted against the remainder of the scale in red in the proper place for that perfect espresso shot. It’s another very nicely executed dial from Brew. This one in particular, I think, gives off a classic 70s sports watch energy. It’s the gold dial, clea...

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Audemars Piguet dropped their 23mm “Mini Oct 10, 2024

Hands-On: the Hamilton Ardmore

While much of the focus when discussing Hamilton’s history centers on World War II (for good reason), the brand was making waves within its repertoire decades earlier. In the mid-1930s, the country was in the throes of economic recovery after the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Initiatives like the Social Security Act and the Works Progress Administration, created in 1935, began to reflect a positive return to some stability.  The same year, Hamilton Watch Company – then based out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania – offered a new design to the public: a handsome, fully gold watch called the “Ardmore.” This watch was manufactured for only three years and included a 14K gold case, domed crystal, and curved case design. Newspaper ads from the time show the Ardmore typically priced at $100 – steep enough, given the overall context of the Great Depression, which spanned the entirety of the 1930s. Perhaps this accounted for the Ardmore’s relatively short run. While most would agree we are seeing a trend towards smaller watches in the past few years, the last year alone has seemed to hasten the move towards the teenytiny. Timothee Chalamet is the current face of the Itty Bitty Watch Committee with his various elegant Cartiers, but brands are also driving forces in this movement. Audemars Piguet dropped their 23mm “Mini Oaks” in May of this year in various shades of gold. Cartier released the Tank Louis Mini in April. Similarly, Hamilton’s newest addition to their America...

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Atelier Wen Oct 10, 2024

The Latest Atelier Wen Perception is a Rare Non-Collab from the Brand

Atelier Wen is launching a new version of their popular Perception integrated bracelet sports watch, now bearing the “Millesime” label. This is a limited edition release, but unlike  many recent releases from their past, they’ve decided to forego any kind of associated collaboration with an outside brand, instead choosing to focus on fulfilling specific desires from their dedicated client base. Many of the updates that you see on this watch are a reflection of the watch community, very much in line with recent limited releases from other enthusiast focused brands that depend on customer feedback.  This new Millesime edition will be part of a community driven yearly release for Atelier Wen, and its name even represents the ideology of kinship or closeness, again prioritizing feedback from watch enthusiasts to design the watch. Some of the main community driven transformations that have been implemented on this watch include a purple dial that went through 3-4 testing rounds to find the perfect hue, as well as a full grade 5 titanium construction for both the case and bracelet.  In addition to this regular titanium version, a special release full Tantalum variant will be awarded to 3 random customers as a lucky draw contest. You may be expecting the regular version, but you could open the box to find you’ve been awarded the upgraded (and much, much heavier) Tantalum version, Willy Wonka syle! Atelier Wen has been teasing a tantalum Perception for some time, showin...

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Oct 9, 2024

Tool/Kit: Arctic Adventuring with Jonny Pain and the Elliot Brown Beachmaster

For this edition of Tool/Kit, we had the distinct opportunity sit down with adventurer, trainer, and Elliot Brown ambassador Jonny Pain. We were pleasantly surprised by his thoughtfulness, humility, and extremely practical approach to watches. Jonny takes us through his most recent adventure in the Arctic and how the Elliot Brown Beachmaster became a mission critical companion.  The post Tool/Kit: Arctic Adventuring with Jonny Pain and the Elliot Brown Beachmaster appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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Kurono Tokyo Special Projects Réserve de Oct 9, 2024

Kurono Tokyo Special Projects Réserve de March ‘Sensu N.O.S.’ Adds The Brands First Power Reserve Indicator

The last few years have been good for enthusiasts of classically designed, complicated watches. Historically the purview of the exorbitantly wealthy, the complicated dress watch has become increasingly democratized in recent years, thanks in no small part to brands like Kurono Tokyo. That impactful role was rewarded with ardent fervor with new releases selling out near-instantaneously. Recently, secondhand availability and the introduction of various anti-flipping techniques have made getting your hand on one of Hajime Asaoka’s affordable creations far easier. But that sense of ease may well renege with the brand’s latest offering, the Kurono Special Projects Réserve de Marche ‘Sensu N.O.S.’ The signature feature of the new Réserve de Marche (and the complication from which it borrows its name) is the power reserve indicator found between the nine and ten o’clock positions, a first for Kurono Tokyo. This function is made possible thanks to the new old stock Cal. 9134 movements from Citizen. True to form for Kurono Tokyo, that movement has been reworked here; not only to meet Kurono Tokyo’s internal timekeeping standards, but also to remove the movement’s date function, though the 24-hour secondary hour display at six o’clock remains. What results is a classically beautiful, and undeniably well-executed take on a classic complication. Of course, given the inherent limitations created by the use of NOS movements, the Sensu N.O.S. will be “very limited,”...

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Worn & Wound

Alpina Oct 9, 2024

Introducing Alpina to the WindUp Watch Shop

The post Introducing Alpina to the WindUp Watch Shop appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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Worn & Wound

Christopher Ward Fortis Oris Oct 8, 2024

What to Watch for at Windup Watch Fair NYC 2024

Whenever and wherever a bunch of enthusiasts get together to talk about their passion, it’s sure to be a good time. But the Windup Watch Fair is different. Windup always feels like a seminal moment for our little corner of the watch world-which, let’s face it, isn’t so little anymore. Enthusiasts have become an absolutely critical audience to watch brands from around the world. It’s the enthusiasts who adopt early. It’s the enthusiasts who spread the news. It’s the enthusiasts who set the trends. And the over 130 brands who are flocking to Windup NYC in just a couple of weeks know it. Thank YOU for making Windup what it is today-the largest and most important watch enthusiast event in the world, taking place at: Center415 on 5th Avenue between 37th and 38th Streets (415 Fifth Ave) Friday, October 18: 12PM – 6PM Saturday, October 19: 12PM – 6PM Sunday, October 20: 12PM – 5PM Free and open to the public No registration necessary This year, Windup NYC will not disappoint. First and foremost, Windup NYC has a new home. Nestled right on iconic 5th Ave in Manhattan, between 37th and 38th, is Center415. It’s a massive multi-floor venue that, for three days, will be the home to over 130 watch and EDC brands from 16 different countries around the world. This event is anchored by five Lead Sponsors who are planning some great product stories to tell, namely: Bulova, Christopher Ward, Fortis, Oris, and Shinola. Here’s a quick rundown of what to watch for at ...

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H. Moser Gets Oct 8, 2024

H. Moser Gets a Little Whimsical with the Pioneer Retrograde Seconds “Midnight Blue”

As watch enthusiasts, we all have our weaknesses. Some feature or design quirk that makes very little sense in practical terms, but nonetheless appeals to us in ways we can barely even describe. Something that falls into this category for me is the “useless” complication. A complication that doesn’t really have much of a functional purpose at all, but is just sort of there was a watchmaking flex. There are all kinds of strange time telling displays that fall into this category, plus your deeply anachronistic complications like integrated barometers, scales that tell you the age of the moon, or perhaps even a secular perpetual calendar that no one alive today will be able to see in action. Then there are retrograde displays, which while not exactly “useless” certainly tend to be, well, maybe unnecessary is a better word. But the vaguely violent snapping back of a hand when it reaches the end of the display has a real pull.  If that sort of mechanical violence is up your alley, Moser’s latest is a watch you should investigate. The Pioneer Retrograde Seconds in Midnight Blue takes your normal, everyday Pioneer and juices it significantly with a retrograde seconds display at the bottom of the dial that snaps back every thirty seconds. That makes for a dial with a lot of action, with a second hand moving twice as fast as it normally would, interrupted every thirty seconds with an action that, to witness it, you’d surely think would cause some manner of mechanical...

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Oct 8, 2024

Introducing a Sporty New Allure Chronograph from Depancel

Clement Meynier, an engineer, was fascinated by the automotive and horological world, which led him to enroll in a watchmaking training center in Geneva. Six years ago, he established his watch brand called Depancel, a name derived from a combination of three French car manufacturers: Delage, Panhard, and Facel. He aims to create watches that embody the same philosophies and creative freedom as those represented by these historic brands. Since its beginning, they have also established strong connections with the motorsport world. This includes participating in events such as the Rétromobile Paris and Epoqu’Auto Lyon and serving as the Official Sponsor of GPX Racing. Most recently, the company has partnered with the Masters Historic Championship at Silverstone in the UK. New for 2024, Depancel is updating its Allure watch with a sleeker and more refined 36mm stainless steel case. The lug-to-lug tip measurement is only 42.8mm, and the overall thickness is just 10.95mm, making it suitable for any gender or wrist size. The cushion case design of this watch is inspired by the 1970s, and it is made almost entirely of brushed steel, with the bezel being the only part that is mirror-polished. The short angular lugs and the shape of the end links give the appearance of an integrated bracelet, even though it is not. This design allows the watch to resemble an integrated bracelet sports watch, which is currently very popular while allowing you to pair it with your preferred straps...

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