Chronograph Watches · Page 47

Introducing: IWC's TOP GUN Pilot's Chronographs Go Sky Blue With Two New 'Miramar' Models In Ceramic And Steel

Sky blue for TOP GUN. A match made in the heavens.

Hands-On: the Albishorn Type 10 Chronograph

I’ve reached the age where I regularly feel the temptation to say things along the lines of “back in the day…” This applies to various things, such as life without smartphones, dial-up modems, and Napster, among others, but occasionally, it also applies to watches. You see, it wasn’t that long ago that things were quite different. Dive watches were all north of 40mm, in-house movements were rare under $5k, microbrands were dismissed as a passing trend, and, most relevantly to this review, mechanical chronographs under a certain price were primarily powered by Valjoux 7750s or a close variant. With sub-dials at 12, 6, and 9, day-dates at three, two-pushers, cam-actuated, and always automatic, approachably priced mechanical chronographs were limited in their design options. Even 3, 6, 9 layouts were rare, powered by 7753s or ETA 2894s, and often limited to Swatch group brands. The point is that in 2025, it’s almost hard to imagine a world of such limited chronograph options. Today, thanks largely to Sellitta, 3, 9, and 3, 6, 9 layouts are typical (I actually miss 12, 6, 9 now), monopushers are no big deal, manual winding is an option, flybacks, GMTs, and even column-wheels are on the table. Simply put, it’s a good time to be a chronograph fan. Yet, even in this golden-age of chronographs (ok, that might be a stretch), there is room to stand out. Enter Albishorn, which launched in 2024 with a series of chronographs powered by a bespoke movement, based on a fun r...

IWC Debuts Pale Blue Ceramic with the “Top Gun” Miramar

IWC continues to grow its line of ceramic-cased pilot’s watches with the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar (ref. IW389409). A limited edition of 1,000 pieces unlike most other ceramic models that are regular production, the Miramar joins the pilot’s watches with ceramic cases in white, dark green, dark blue, beige, and of course classic black. For someone who wants the same colour, but for half the price, IWC has also launched the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 with a “Miramar blue” dial and stainless steel case (ref. IW388117) that’s regular production. Initial thoughts The IWC aviator’s watches with ceramic cases are generally appealing, the ceramic cases add a cool factor to an otherwise standard and functional design. But there are now a lot of them in multiple colours. The range of colours feels a little much, especially for a watch that meant to be rooted in aviation instruments. Because of the historical basis of IWC’s pilot’s watch line, the collection has always seemed a bit more serious minded, but the many colours run counter to that. That is, the Miramar itself is a likeable watch. The colour is unusual and fun while also being different. It brings to mind the fashionable shade of baby blue associated with Tiffany & Co., but is clearly different in being darker. And IWC’s build quality is always reliable; the cal. 69380 inside is an industrial workhorse found across the brand’s catalogue. The Miramar is also priced correctly, th...

A Golden Gift: Redditor Receives Gold Rolex Daytona As A Token Of Gratitude From A Neighbor

Here is a quick, feel-good story that shows it’s always important to take care of those around you! A good Samaritan in the United States posted a photo on Reddit with a watch, noting that it was a gift from his neighbor. The neighbor wanted to thank him for all his help. We’ve withheld names […] Visit A Golden Gift: Redditor Receives Gold Rolex Daytona As A Token Of Gratitude From A Neighbor to read the full article.

From The Archives: How The Omega Speedmaster Became The Moonwatch

On July 21st, 1969, the Apollo 11 crew turned the Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph into the Moonwatch. It may have actually been one of the first nicknames that a wristwatch ever received. As a watch enthusiast, you’ve probably heard the story of the Moonwatch a thousand times already. However, in case you’re new to watches (or […] Visit From The Archives: How The Omega Speedmaster Became The Moonwatch to read the full article.

First Look - The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Miramar In Ceramic & Steel (Incl. Video)

For quite some years now, IWC Schaffhausen has been playing around with colours and ceramics under the name of Colours of TOP GUN. Inspired by various elements of the famous US Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program, better known as TOP GUN, the sub-collection exclusively uses ceramic for its cases. Until now, that is, as […]

Seagazing with the new summer-ready ceramic IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Miramar

IWC introduces TOP GUN Miramar, a summery new Pantone colour making its debut with two Pilot's Chronograph models in ceramic and steel.The post Seagazing with the new summer-ready ceramic IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Miramar appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Bring a Loupe: A Skeletonized Chopard, An Honest Wittnauer Chronograph, And A Dishonest Heuer Carrera

All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.

eBay Finds: Three Great Vintage Seikos, a Few Cool LED Watches, and a Classic Omega Seamaster

eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion. Seiko 7T27-7A20 Chronograph  Starting off this week with a beautiful vintage Seiko 7T27-7A20 military style quartz chronograph. This is the same model that was issued to the RAF, but without the military markings. You’ve got to love the clean looks of the black dial with black subdials and broad outer minute ring. The 38mm steel case looks clean and unpolished. The dial and hands are perfect. Seller states the watch runs and works as it should. This is a very popular model, and rightfully so. Great civilian version of a classic modern military watch. View auction here Vintage Omega Seamaster  This may not be your classic ‘fat lug’ 1950s Omega Seamaster, but it is still a fantastic watch. This late 1960s Seamaster has a larger, more modern case at about 40mm. The case is unpolished with nice sharp edges and the original brushed finish. The silver/champagne dial is original and looks perfect, with large applied steel baton markers and large steel hands that have both black and lume inlays. This model has a day/date window at 3 o’clock. The watch comes on what looks like the original Omega steel bracelet and it matches the style perfectly. No movement picture but the seller state...

Hands On: Grand Seiko Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009

Grand Seiko returns to its Sport Collection with an even bolder and edgier take on its flagship chronograph with the Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009. Combining an oversized case Brilliant Hard Titanium and a high-spec, high-beat chronograph movement, the striking new is Tentagraph is surprisingly not an all-new design but an iterative evolution that builds on the existing Sport Collection case. Initial Thoughts While a strength of Seiko itself, chronometry-focused Grand Seiko has historically struggled with sports watches, though not for lack of trying. In 2019 Grand Seiko launched the angular and aggressive Sport case featuring a facetted, polygonal form with a sapphire-covered bezel to celebrate 20 years of Spring Drive. Grand Seiko intended the design to evoke the mane of the brand’s lion mascot. In 2023 came the regular production Tokyo Lion series, and the brand also extended the design language into its jewelled Masterpiece watches. The “lion’s mane” case design reminds me of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept, and with the addition of an octagonal bezel the resemblance has only grown, though I wouldn’t say it is derivative – if anything the Grand Seiko case is a more boisterous take on the 45GS design from the late 1960s. The earlier Spring Drive GMT Chronograph SBGC275 with a less stylised case design I quite liked the Sport case when it was launched in 2019, especially the rose gold SBGC230, but it felt unfinished with a round bezel and buttons. With...

Introducing: The Parmigiani Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Rose Gold Sandstone - Silencing The Sirens

If Ulysses had worn the Parmigiani Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Rose Gold Sandstone when encountering the Sirens while sailing the Mediterranean, he wouldn’t have had to tie himself to the mast. With its luxurious presence and soft colorway, the watch on his wrist would have left the Sirens speechless and, thus, harmless. Parmigiani’s new iteration […] Visit Introducing: The Parmigiani Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Rose Gold Sandstone - Silencing The Sirens to read the full article.

Parmigiani Fleurier launches new Sandstone configuration for its Tonda PF Chronograph Sport (live pics)

Parmigiani Fleurier debuts a Mediterranean-inspired rose gold Tonda PF Sport Chronograph with a new "Sandstone" colour scheme.The post Parmigiani Fleurier launches new Sandstone configuration for its Tonda PF Chronograph Sport (live pics) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

First Look - The New Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Rose Gold Sandstone

Parmigiani Fleurier‘s CEO, Guido Terreni, is the figure behind the release of the Tonda PF in 2021, a refined interpretation of the luxury sports watch characterised by understatement, elegance and fine craftsmanship. Since day one, Terreni has brought his Italian flair to the table, emphasising the collection’s “sartorial attention to detail” manifested in subtle textures, […]

First Look - The new Titoni Seascoper 300 Bi-Compax Chronograph

An independent family-owned watch brand that was founded in 1919 by Fritz Schluep in Grenchen, Switzerland, and active in the accessible luxury segment, Titoni has recently made a name for itself with its compelling dive watch collection, the Seascoper. We first reviewed the Seascoper 600, the brand’s top-of-the-range model with strong diving credentials and a […]

Introducing: Parmigiani's Latest Tonda PF Sport Chronograph In Rose Gold, Now With No Date

Much has stayed the same, but with the right tweaks made, this Sport Chronograph is the best yet.

Retrospective: The Heuer Skipper Ref. 7764 - Alcatraz On The Wrist

The Heuer Skipper ref. 7764 was never high on my shopping list. Actually, it was not on it at all. The opportunity to grab it came unexpectedly. My ongoing two-month “watch fast” was interrupted, so I went all in. Here are my thoughts after six months with this watch. Yachting chronographs have a special place […] Visit Retrospective: The Heuer Skipper Ref. 7764 - Alcatraz On The Wrist to read the full article.

The New Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph In Rose Gold Sandstone

Valjoux 7750: The Story Of The World's Most Famous Chronograph

The Valjoux 7750 chronograph caliber has been a mainstay of the Swiss watch industry for more than 50 years, finding its way into hundreds of watch models, under many dozens of names, and providing the technical base for numerous high complications over the years. Why is it so ubiquitous and still such an enduring presence in the watch world today? Here is a brief history of the "workhorse" mechanism that became the world's most famous and familiar chronograph movement.   Valjoux 7750 Roots: The Vallée de Joux   Sunset over the Vallée de Joux In actuality, the origins of the Valjoux 7750 go back much longer than the half-century it has actually been on the market. The company that came to be called  “Valjoux” started up at the very beginning of the 20th century, taking its original name, Reymond Frères SA, from its founders, brothers John and Charles Reymond. The company, which specialized in making mechanical chronograph movements for military and sport-oriented timekeepers, changed its name in 1929 to Valjoux - a shortened reference to the scenic Vallée de Joux in Switzerland, where it and many of its client watchmakers were located. The firm’s most successful and historically impactful creations included the manually wound, column-wheel-driven, monopusher Caliber 22, in 1914, and its even more significant successor, the smaller, longer-lived Caliber 23, in 1916. In honor of the founding brothers' surname, Valjoux movements were inscribed with a shield em...

Introducing: A New France-Exclusive TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Limited Edition With A Vintage-Inspired Look

Just 500 examples will be available at boutiques in France.

Hands-On With The Peren Regia Lunar Eclipse Dark

What does it mean for a watch to be “stealthy”? Does that translate into one that is as dark as possible on the wrist, even if it means forgoing readability? A good example would be the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon “Black Black,” a fully blacked-out ceramic Speedy that is as “undercover” as […] Visit Hands-On With The Peren Regia Lunar Eclipse Dark to read the full article.

The Omega Speedmaster "First Omega In Space" Full Review

Earlier this year we saw Swatch and Omega come together to release the fresh and unexpected MoonSwatch 1965, which paid direct homage to the 60th anniversary of the Speedmaster’s NASA flight qualification in – you guessed it – 1965. Today we are returning to a late 2024 release from Omega that took things back a bit further: three years, to be exact. I am referring to the “First Omega in Space,” a watch which harkens back to - congratulations, you guessed it again! - the first Omega to go into space. The year was 1962, the astronaut was Wally Schirra, and the Speedy reference was the 2998. In 2012, Omega launched the first “First Omega in Space,” henceforth referred to as the FOIS. In fact, I will refer to the 2012 version, with its black dial, as the FOIS 1.  Omega launched the FOIS II in October of 2024 amid an absolute firestorm of buzzy releases. The release revived the model line which had lay dormant for about four years and brought it back with gusto. Today, we go hands-on with the current generation of the FOIS. First Omega In Space Case and Bracelet I had the chance to spend some time with this watch, one which I considered to be Omega’s best release of 2024 (yes, over the white-dial Speedy). The thing that really cemented that idea for me was the flat-link bracelet, an option not available on the FOIS 1. Putting this watch on, with its 39.7mm case diameter (consistent with the Ref. 2998), its straight lugs (standard Speedy lugs are twisted), ...

Ollech & Wajs Introduces the Rallychron Coupe Des Alpes, a Limited Edition Paying Tribute to the History of Rally Racing

Though the more famous forms of rally racing would come later in the 1970s and 1980s, the ‘50s and ‘60s hosted some of the most daring, grueling, and downright perilous rally races in history. Without the comforts and safety considerations of our modern cars, rally drivers in the “golden age of motor racing” were just a few layers of sheet metal away from careening off mountain faces and flying into crevasses, paving the way for even more extreme rally categories, like Group B, to follow. In a celebration of the raw emotion of the Coupes Des Alpes, or “Alpine Rally”-one of the most hairball (and scenic) rally races of the midcentury-Zurich-based watchmakers Ollech & Wajs have partnered with automotive event organizer Rallystory to create the Rallychron “Coupe Des Alpes” Edition chronograph.  Founded in 1956, the Swiss brand has based the design and functionality of the Rallychron on their own competition timers from the 1960s. The brushed 316L stainless steel case measures in at a sporty 39.5mm in diameter and 15.3mm in thickness; appropriate sizing for both legibility at high speeds and comfort in high-endurance situations, like motorsport. Twin pushers and a screw-down crown fill out the heritage-style construction of the case, while the date is manipulated with a pusher at the 10 o’clock position. The unidirectional bezel is PVD-coated in black and features a tachymetric scale and inscriptions of “11 perfect lap times”, a fun motorsport Easter...

The Batavi Marine Chronograaf Conjures the Scent of Summer

As someone who lives within a mile of the Pacific Ocean, the smell of the sea is one of comfort to me. Naturally, this leads me to like candles and fragrances that have a hint of that crisp aquatic breeze. Of course, this has little to do with watches; or at least I thought it did. But Amsterdam-based microbrand Batavi has launched a yacht-inspired fragrance and wristwatch pairing that evokes the ocean in all its aesthetic and olfactory glory, so you can bring that sweet, salty scent with you in more ways than one.  The Marina Chronograaf lineup introduces four variants, each with identical specs but relatively singular designs. To start, each Chronograaf measures in at 46mm lug-to-lug, and a 38mm stainless steel case with 13.5mm of thickness conveys a sporty silhouette. Each model features two subdials, a running seconds and a 30-minute counter at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions respectively, a railroad track around the dial, and hands that lay somewhere between GMT, chronograph, and diver styling. Inside, a hand-wound Seagull ST1901 movement keeps the yacht-timer functionality of each reference ticking and promises a 45-50 hour power reserve. Fifty meters of water resistance, a domed sapphire crystal, see-through caseback, and stainless steel quick-release bracelet round out the package. Four dial options are available, and each colorway is about as distinct from the next as is possible. “Sunrise” features a cotton candy-esque combination of blue and pink, with a gr...

Introducing: A New TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Limited Edition - Let’s Call This Nautical Chrono “Seafarer II”

The colorful 1950s are back in the shape of the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Limited Edition “Seafarer II.” With its deep blue dial, fresh turquoise accents on the minute counter, and lively yellow touches, it refreshingly presents itself with an unmistakable nautical touch. This novelty harks back to a 1950s Heuer chronograph, the Seafarer tide-indication […] Visit Introducing: A New TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Limited Edition - Let’s Call This Nautical Chrono “Seafarer II” to read the full article.