Chronograph Watches · Page 88

Editorial: Observations and Takeaways at Watches & Wonders 2024

Watches & Wonders 2024 just closed its doors earlier this week, and as usual attendance was up. Visitors increased 14% over last year, reaching some 49,000. It certainly felt more crowded, though sentiment was muted. Glamour, however, was delivered by the visits of Gisele Bündchen and Kylian Mbappé at IWC and Hublot respectively. Interestingly, there seemed to be fewer notable independent watchmakers walking around the halls then before, perhaps reflecting their success (which means they needed to meet clients). Gisele Bündchen sporting the new Portugieser chronograph. Image – Watches & Wonders Destiny On the topic of people, the inevitable questions about who’s going where were circulating as usual. When will Cartier’s Cyrille Vignernon retire and who will replace him? Will there be management changes at the LVMH watch division with Frederic Arnault in charge? Insiders have some idea and the rest of us will have to wait. Questions were also asked about brands, specifically smaller players with mixed fortunes – whether they will be sold or simply shut down, like Rebellion was a few months ago. There is of course the perennial sale of Parmigiani, but that isn’t really news – the brand has been quietly on the market for years with no takers. Some brands might have been lucrative exits for their owners a year ago, but now the discussion about a dimmer fate reflects the palpably normalised watch business. Where the outlook is always bright. Image – Watches & W...

This new Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope Paris 2024 Collection marks 100 days until the opening of the Olympic Games

With no mention of the Olympics dialside, the new Chronoscope is decadently elegant.The post This new Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope Paris 2024 Collection marks 100 days until the opening of the Olympic Games appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing: The Angelus Instrument De Vitesse Monopusher Chronograph

It was one of my first Baselworlds, perhaps in 2016 when I heard the news that Angelus was getting resurrected. The brand was going to present something mind-blowing that year. The anticipation was almost unbearable as, at that point, (vintage) Angelus had started to become one of my favorite brands. But while the U10 was […] Visit Introducing: The Angelus Instrument De Vitesse Monopusher Chronograph to read the full article.

An Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope for the Paris 2024 Olympics

Omega just released a new take on its Speedmaster with a vintage-inspired dial for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics that begins 100 days from now. Available in Moonshine Gold or stainless steel, the Speedmaster Chronoscope “Paris Olympics 2024” features a silver dial with black registers, along with solid gold numerals and gold-plated hands. Initial thoughts Omega is known for the many commemorative timepieces to mark the Olympics over the years, with the most recent one being Seamaster Diver 300m Paris Olympics Edition. A variety of Omega models have received the Olympics treatment, so the appeal really depends on the specific model, rather than the commemorative aspect. The new Chronoscope certainly looks good, with the gold accents on the dial giving it a more vintage feel, particularly on the steel model. That version brings to mind mid-20th century chronographs that combine gilt hands and markers with contrasting steel cases. With only the dial being unique to this edition, it remains chunky at 43 mm. Although large on paper, it is not all that large in reality, due to the short lugs of the Speedmaster case. I would imagine it to wear reasonably well on an averaged-sized wrist, given that the 42 mm Speedmaster Moonwatch wears well across most wrist sizes. The new Chronoscope ranges from US$9,500 to US$51,400, depending on the metal and strap configuration. Although the value proposition is decent for the steel model, the Moonshine gold version is harder to justif...

Omega Continues the Countdown to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with a Pair of Speedmaster Chronoscopes

The Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope occupies a strange place in the world of Speedmasters. It was introduced to considerable fanfare in 2021, but hasn’t yet connected in a meaningful way with the enthusiast world. And yet, everytime I see one at a meetup or watch related event, I find myself really enjoying it. It’s the kind of watch that you forget about until you can’t forget about it anymore, if that makes any sense, and it feels like it’s one or two iterations away from figuring out exactly what its niche is in the Omega catalog. Today, Omega has announced two new versions of the Chronoscope to celebrate the upcoming Paris Olympics, offering a new chance to connect with one of the least discussed Speedmasters.  Watches made to celebrate the Olympics are nothing new for Omega, and they really love counting down to the big event, releasing watches to remind us that the games begin in a year, 100 days, and so forth. Olympic themed watches have often featured the Olympic rings in fairly obvious ways, but Omega seems to be steering away from that strategy, favoring the use of gold instead to signify a more thematic connection to the games. That’s what we get here, with a pair of Speedmaster Chronoscopes, one in steel with golden highlights, and the other in solid Moonshine Gold with a full gold bracelet, each featuring the distinctive, 1940s inspired chronograph scales that are the Chronoscope’s calling card.  The two watches feature the same dial, which Omega d...

Introducing – The new Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope to Mark 100 Days to Paris 2024

Released in 2021, the Chronoscope was a surprising take on the classic Speedmaster, combining a large case, a two-counter dial (usually found in larger versions and racing-oriented models) with a vintage-inspired dial bearing no fewer than three snailed-shaped tracks. Untouched since its presentation, which included steel and bronze-gold versions, the Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope collection now […]

Omega Is Going For Gold At The Paris 2024 Olympic Games With Two New Versions Of The Speedmaster Chronoscope

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris takes place on the 26th of July, so mark your calendars! This also means that, as of today, it’s only 100 days away. Omega is getting ready for its 31st time as the official timekeeper for the event. To get us all in the mood, the […] Visit Omega Is Going For Gold At The Paris 2024 Olympic Games With Two New Versions Of The Speedmaster Chronoscope to read the full article.

Hands-On With the Grand Seiko SBGC275, with a Dramatic Red (but Sometimes Orange) Dial

Something we find ourselves saying a lot: these pictures don’t do justice to this watch. These pictures, by Kat Shoulders, are excellent, of course, but because they only capture a single moment in time, they miss an important element of drama in the dial of Grand Seiko’s new SBGC275. The new Spring Drive chronograph GMT has, at a glance, a pretty brilliant red dial. But thanks to a new process, the color changes, and I mean really changes, when it’s seen at an angle. It’s actually uncanny, and not merely the common experience we’ve all had of seeing the range in tone on a colorful dial as it’s seen in different lighting conditions. It makes a watch that would otherwise feel like “just another variant” something a little more substantial in the Grand Seiko catalog.  Grand Seiko achieves the effect of a color-changing dial with something they call “Optical Multilayer Coating,” which is described by the brand as a physical vapor deposition process. This process results in Multiple layers of a nanoscale film adhering to the dial which allow for the shifts in how we perceive the color. From head on, it looks dark red. But if you start to tilt the dial a bit the tone becomes lighter, and will appear as orange as a Doxa Professional if you turn it just right. The moment where it noticeably changes is an incredibly cool thing and even harder to describe than it is to show in still images. It’s not really a gradual shift, like you’d expect. One second the ...

Hands-on – A Statement in Style… the AP Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm in Yellow Gold

In 2022, Audemars Piguet unveiled a plethora of new Royal Oak models to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this iconic line. Among these releases stood the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 41mm reference 26240, adorned, like other anniversary automatic editions, with a special rotor sporting a prominent 50 logo. However, by 2023, these gave way to regular models […]

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Line Makes a Triumphant Return

When I say Jaeger LeCoultre, you say Reverso! Or Memovox! Or maybe Polaris! Or something to that effect. The point is that Jaeger LeCoultre, JLC to the cool kids, has a few iconic models immediately associated with its vaunted Maison. But the archives run deeper and into stranger horological territories. At Watches & Wonders 2024, JLC refreshed a lesser-known and appreciated line of watches epitomizing its watchmaking chops: the Duometre. First launched in 2007 with a chronograph, the Duometres presented a novel solution to an issue that concerns all watches with complications, that of the complications taking power out of the movement to function, thus decreasing the accuracy of the timekeeping and potentially power reserve. While a lesser issue in date complications, chronographs notoriously wreak havoc on a movement’s amplitude due to the power draw. But, JLC found a solution– to have separate barrels and gear trains for timekeeping and everything else, linked by the escapement. Hence, “duo.” The resulting watches and calibers are dramatic, to say the least. The movements are massive and ornate, with pronounced barrels on one side. To wind the movement, you turn the crown one way and then the other, like a ratcheting system, winding both barrels. Dial side, the duo concept is further played out with the hour and minutes displayed on a decentralized smaller dial to one side of the larger dial and the complication on the other. The seconds, however, is displayed a...

Hands-On: The Latest Addition To The TAG Heuer Glassbox Adds A Panda Dial And Bracelet To The Carrera

A new Carrera that's equal parts heritage and modern.

Dive Watches are Back in the Zenith Defy Collection

Here’s a thing you may or may not know about Watches & Wonders: there are very few genuine surprises once we hit the Palexpo floor. Almost every brand (Rolex, Tudor, and Patek are the big holdouts) send press releases to media weeks before the show so coverage can be prepped. By the time we walk into a meeting with virtually any brand exhibiting, we already have the key information on their new novelties and are just looking for additional context, hands-on impressions, and an opportunity to get those all important photos. But sometimes brands hold back a release or two, and this will sometimes result in the kind of extremely welcome surprise I experienced when I visited Zenith early this week. One of my favorite brands has dive watches again.  We already told you about the Defy Skyline Chronograph, but in addition to that watch Zenith had an even bigger (literally and figuratively) Defy up their sleeve. The new Defy Extreme Diver represents the brand’s long awaited return to the dive watch category, and they’ve done it where you’d expect: within the highly technical and sometimes brazen Defy range. The new Extreme Diver has an imposing 42.5mm titanium case with the characteristic 12 sided bezel common to other Defys, and outside this fixed bezel we get a ceramic dive bezel. The case is rated to an extremely unnecessary 600 meters, which is the same depth as the original Defy diver, the A3648, from 1969.  The dial utilizes the star pattern that has become standar...

Introducing: The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine

A special tourbillon-equipped 50-piece edition joins the Platine family.

First Look – The Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph GMT Tokyo Lion SBGC275

In the previous year, Grand Seiko introduced the Spring Drive Chronograph GMT SBGC253, showcasing a bold case design and distinctive dial texture, thus enhancing the brand’s Sport collection with the permanent addition. This followed the anticipation stirred by limited edition models SBGC230 and SGBC231 in 2019, along with the red gold cased SGBC238, launched in […]

Introducing – The New And Delectable TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper Gold

Last year, TAG Heuer launched the Skipper, a watch design inspired by one of the brand’s historic designs. Heuer created the original Skipper after the yacht Intrepid’s victory in the 1967 America’s Cup, where the crew used Heuer’s yachting timers and Aquastar wristwatches. The new Skipper, made of stainless steel, paid tribute to this heritage. […]

TAG Heuer’s Wild New Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph

If the narrative around Watches & Wonders 2024 is a slate of subdued, iterative watches that are somewhat short on the “wonders,” a take that has been forming even before the beginning of the show, counterpoints will inevitably be offered in the discourse. This year’s flashiest release from TAG Heuer, the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, is perhaps the most compelling piece of evidence that some brands, even the absolute largest among them, are still trying to wow us. It’s a big, bold reminder that the “AG” in TAG stands for avant-garde, and after a year spent focusing on one of the best consumer products the brand has released in years in their Glassbox line of Carreras, it points toward their other key strength.  TAG is showcasing the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph as the next stage in a long line of precision chronographs, going back a more than a century, beginning with the legendary Mikrograph in 1916, a stopwatch used in Olympic timekeeping in the 1920s and 1930s that was capable of recording timing intervals to the 1/100th of a second. This watch was followed by the Microsplit, which could do the same, but with the addition of rattrapante functionality. Heuer continued to produce iconic chronographs and stopwatches throughout the 1960s, always making the most of the watchmaking technology available. That includes quartz timekeeping, with the introduction of a battery powered split-second chronograph worn by some of the most recognizable names in moto...

H. Moser Introduces a Skeletonized Streamliner Tourbillon in Steel

Just in time for Watches & Wonders 2024, H. Moser & Cie. has unveiled the Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Double Hairspring. In other words? Moser has produced a dramatically skeletonized flying tourbillon movement with their signature double hairspring, and they’ve put it in a Streamliner. It’s been a few years now since H. Moser & Cie. released the very first Streamliner, and there can be no doubt that in a very short time, that watch has come to represent the brand in a very real way. Since the launch of the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Flyback Chronograph four years ago, Moser’s somewhat quirky entry into the integrated bracelet market has seen a steady stream of new releases and added complication, and today sees yet another new execution. This isn’t one of those new releases that shows us a bunch of things we’ve never seen before, but rather draws from several disparate threads that have been floating around the Moser universe and ties them together into a single, compelling package. The Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton builds on the premise of the Streamliner Tourbillon Vantablack that Zach reviewed back in 2022. But where that watch hid its movement behind literally as black a dial as you can possibly find, this year’s release goes in another direction, one more in line with another 2022 Moser release, the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon. What results is a watch that is exactly what you might expect, given the name on the tin. The Streamliner Tourbillon Sk...

First Look – The Hublot Big Bang Unico Orange and Dark Green Ceramic

The Big Bang exploded on the watch scene in 2005, converting Hublot into a major-league player. Even bigger news for the brand came in 2009 with the launch of Hublot’s first manufacture movement. Known as the Unico, this in-house flyback chronograph movement was first used for the King Power collection and then inside a new […]

Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph: Their Biggest Release Of The Year

One of Zenith’s latest releases, the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph, takes a sensible step in the direction of familiarity, but also keeps things fresh and new. A stainless steel, integrated bracelet sports chronograph has been done by many brands, and now Zenith is able to punch a weight class above and compete with the likes of Vacheron and Audemars Piguet.

[Video] Hands-On Impressions of the New Rolex Novelties

Rolex always seems to be the talk of the town during Watches & Wonders. It’s the first booth everyone flocks to on Day 1 at 8:30am when the curtains come up. It’s quite the site to see actually. We at Worn & Wound can’t deny the effect the Rolex releases have on not only watch enthusiasts but the entire luxury world. THIS is what people are waiting for. Well the question of the day is..was the wait worth it this year?  I had a sneaky feeling that this would be sort of a mild year for Rolex. They did so much last year at Watches & Wonders with the new Daytona collection, the Emoji Day-Date, and of course the Gumball Oyster Perpetual. That’s a lot to top. Even though I got the sense that most people were underwhelmed with the releases this year, I was very excited to have my first ever appointment with Rolex at the show to get hands on. I got to spend about 40 minutes with all the new releases and I’ll be honest, I think they’re great. The watch that really struck me and I personally feel is the strongest release for Rolex this year is the new Perpetual 1908 in Ice Blue. The dial was absolutely mesmerizing and features what Rolex calls a guilloche rice-grain motif. I often hear from the watch community that Rolex is sometimes too simple or just doesn’t “wow”. I think anyone would have a hard time picking up this watch and not being impressed by the level of finishing it has. Cased in 950 platinum, the watch also features the calibre 7140 which of course ho...

TAG Heuer Introduces a Gold Version of the Skipper Carrera

It is no secret that one of the star releases at last year’s Watches & Wonders was the Tag Heuer Carrera Skipper Chronograph, featuring their new glassbox design. This watch remains ever popular, as one year later, retailers still cannot keep them in inventory. Not willing to rest on their laurels, for 2024, Tag Heuer is releasing a solid gold version of the Carrera Skipper Chronograph. Made of 18K 5N rose gold, dimensions are 39mm in diameter, 46mm from lug-to-lug, and just under 14mm thick. Revealed through its sapphire display back is the in-house chronograph movement Heuer 02 (Ref.TH20-00). It features a bi-directional winding, a new shield-shaped rotor, and an impressive 80-hour power reserve. Its distinctive blue dial features a green, orange, teal blue color lacquered regatta count-down indicator at 3 o’clock, a teal blue color lacquered hour totalizer at 9 o’clock, and a blue permanent second indicator at 6 o’clock. All hands and indices are also made of 18K 5N rose gold. This new Carrera Chronograph Skipper brings a new level of luxury and collectability to TAG Heuer’s signature chronograph. Retail pricing for the tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Skipper is 21,500 USD, for more information visit www.tagheuer.com. Images from this post: The post TAG Heuer Introduces a Gold Version of the Skipper Carrera appeared first on Worn & Wound.

TAG Heuer Introduces a New Glassbox Carrera Chronograph

Following the success of last year’s glassbox Carrera chronograph releases, Tag Heuer extends the collection with a new for 2024 bi-compax panda look in stainless steel.  This watch features a silver brushed sunray dial, with a black minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock, a black hour chronograph totalizer at 9 o’clock, and a permanent seconds indicator in silver at 6 o’clock. Dimensions are 39mm in diameter, 46mm from lug-to-lug, and just under 14mm thick. Revealed through its sapphire display back is the in-house chronograph movement Heuer 02 (Ref.TH20-00). It features a bi-directional winding, a new shield-shaped rotor, and an impressive 80-hour power reserve. What made last year’s releases so appealing was their new combination of a concave dial and outward convex tachymeter rehaut, which hugged the outer curvature of the glassbox sapphire crystal. The look is quite frankly mesmerizing, and it has completely rejuvenated the Carrera line. This harmonious blend of vintage tribute, contemporary elegance, and novelty truly embody the spirit for which TAG Heuer is renowned. Retail pricing for the tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph is $6,650 USD, for more information visit www.tagheuer.com. The post TAG Heuer Introduces a New Glassbox Carrera Chronograph appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Zenith at Watches & Wonders 2024: Defy Divers and Chronographs

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Returns! - Meet The Duometre Chronograph Moon And The Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual

Jaeger-LeCoultre is a great watch brand, but “Le Grand Maison” from Le Sentier is arguably an even greater movement maker. There’s an impressive wall in the manufacture that brings to life the brand’s incredible tradition of creating innovative movements in all shapes and sizes. One of JLC’s latest movement highlights was the Duometre concept, which […] Visit The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Returns! - Meet The Duometre Chronograph Moon And The Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual to read the full article.