Monochrome
Drawing from over 170 years of watchmaking heritage, Tissot frequently delves into its archives for inspiration. The company has a penchant for reviving iconic models that have left an indelible mark on its history. Consider any timepiece from the Heritage series – the 1973 Chronograph, the 1938 Heritage COSC, the Visodate, or the 1938 Telemeter […]
Time+Tide
Tissot have done one for the enthusiasts, relaunching the PR516 Chronograph with a manual-winding Valjoux movement & a cleaner aesthetic.The post Tissot’s new manual-winding PR516 Chronograph is an affordable enthusiast darling appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Zenith’s Defy family is represented by seven sub-collections, including the recent Defy Skyline range. The name of the collection dates to Zenith’s 1902 line of robust pocket watches bearing the name ‘Defi’ only to pop up again in 1969 to distinguish the toughest member of the first El Primero references. For the Defy Skyline collection, […]
Hodinkee
Plus an 18k gold vintage Minerva chronograph and an oversized Omega pocket watch.
Revolution
Hodinkee
After wearing three vintage Heuer chronographs in Barbie, Ken gets his very own TAG Heuer gold Glassbox on a Milanese bracelet.
Time+Tide
Sylvester Stallone is a well-documented watch collector, and pieces of his going up for auction are by no means an entirely new phenomenon. But, when watches from famous individuals hit the mainstream auction block – Phillips, Sotheby’s, and Christie’s – there is a lot of marketing and PR behind those lots and they inevitably get … ContinuedThe post Sylvester Stallone’s Panerai split-seconds chrono watch worn in The Expendables is up for auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
For many of us, especially those reading this article, watch collecting is a key part of our lives, our main hobby, and our passion. But for the vast majority of people, a wristwatch is purely a means of telling the time and, in some cases, a status symbol. Some might be familiar with famous models, […] Visit Tales From The Speedy Tuesday Community: How A Small Yorkshire Village Became A Hub For Speedmaster Collectors to read the full article.
Monochrome
The brainchild of Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, known for his high-end tourbillons or chronographs, Kurono Tokyo is the man’s vision of a more accessible brand. Still driven by an almost obsessive attention to detail, which somehow explains the low availability of these watches, Asaoka is here focussing on design more than watchmaking. Following the […]
SJX Watches
Sinn recently revealed its new offerings for the year, which included a retro take on of its signature pilot’s chronograph. The 103 St Ty Hd Chronograph features a matte black dial with a classic three-register layout highlighted by red accents, a design inspired by the 103 C from the 1970s. Significantly, the new 103 is powered by a manual-wind movement, the first time in two decades Sinn is launching a hand-wind chronograph. Initial thoughts This appeal of this release lies in the elegantly vintage design, notably the classic three-register layout and 1970s details like the “roulette” register. The contrast between the black and red elements is especially attractive. Notably, unlike many scaled-up vintage remakes, here the retro styling is presented in almost the same size. The new 103 is 41 mm and almost 15 mm high, which sticks close to the dimensions of the original. Priced at US$2,870, the new 103 is affordable. However, the Sellita movement inside can also be found in retro-inspired chronographs from micro-brands like Farer for a quarter less. Although Sinn has actual aviation-instrument history, while most other brands in this price segment don’t, the price still feels high. Sinn should have done more with the movement, or some other substantive upgrades, in order to justify the price. Nevertheless, true-blue Sinn enthusiasts would value this launch, since Sinn doesn’t do too many vintage remakes. Manual wind and vintage flair The 103 is a pilot’s chr...
Welcome to episode 74 of A Week in Watches! Another solid week of releases, this one is dominated by one brand that just can’t stop, and the most noble of metals – titanium. There’s a new brutish military diver from the mil-spec nerds over at Tornek-Rayville, some crystallized dress watches from Baltic, a simply handsome titanium chronograph from Zenith, and a ton of stuff from Grand Seiko. Like, a ton. Check it out below, and please like and subscribe if you haven’t already! This week’s episode was brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop and the new Formex x Worn & Wound Essence Sector 39 Chronometer Limited Edition. The first collaboration between the two brands, its sci-fi-inspired style will stand out in any collection. Head over to WindupWatchShop.com to check them out, as well as accessories, EDC, clocks, and more. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 74 – A Great Week for Fans of Titanium (and the Grand Seiko Snowflake) appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Quill & Pad
If you would've told Quentin R. Bufogle six months ago that he'd pass on a Breguet Type XX in favor of an Omega, he might've thought you were crazy. What changed his mind? Granted that in terms of sheer aesthetics, it ticks all the right boxes for him. But there's much more to it.
Hodinkee
For the first time in 20 years, the 103 is going manual again.
Fratello
The Sinn 103 is one of the oldest models in the brand’s catalog. It is a classic pilot’s chronograph that has been around since the 1960s. Today, the 103 is equipped with an automatic movement. However, some early versions came with hand-wound calibers. This latest limited edition follows that template. Let’s have a closer look. […] Visit Introducing: The Limited-Edition Sinn 103 St Ty Hd - A Stylized, Hand-Wound Version Of A Classic to read the full article.
Fratello
Another Friday, another Top 5! After last week’s Chinese New Year watches, it’s time to look at some production errors, specifically discolored dials. Paying extra money for a production defect seems like a crazy thing to do. In the world of Rolex, however, this is far from an uncommon phenomenon, with dials like these sometimes […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Watches With Discolored Dials - Featuring A Datejust, An Explorer II, A Cosmograph Daytona, And More… to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Breitling has just launched the Chronomat 36 Victoria Beckham, a limited-edition variant of its 36 mm sports watch that was conceived together with footballer David Beckham’s wife. The Victoria Beckham edition is essentially the standard model with new dials that feature the “VB” logo as the second hand counterweight, and also engraved on the case back and clasp. Notably, the model range includes a (very) pricey yellow gold model, a first for the current Chronomat. Initial Thoughts Breitling relaunched the Chronomat with the retro Rouleaux bracelet, giving it something of an integrated bracelet design. Though the fad for such sports has faded, but the Chronomat remains an attractive option among its competitors, particularly the chronograph version with the in-house B01 movement. The Victoria Beckham edition doesn’t change much of the standard model, other than dial colours and the use of yellow gold. Rather than a watch catered to enthusiasts, it is clearly is more of an effort to enlarge Breitling’s audience, which is clearly mostly male and oriented towards larger watches. This new launch instead tries to target fashion-forward women and Victoria Beckham fans. That said, it does look quite stunning in yellow gold, especially with the peppermint dial. Granted, all iterations would look better without the Victoria Beckham logo, which are fortunately subtle for the most part, but the emblems are a necessary evil in a collaboration. The steels versions start at US...
WatchAdvice
In Partnership: Zenith unveiled their latest Chronomaster Sport at LVMH Watch Week last month, and we’ve had a first-hand look at the new edition. LVMH watch week has been and gone for another year, and being in Miami, many of the brands under the LVMH banner went with a decidedly green theme. Maybe this was just a coincidence as there seems to be a range of green watches being released this year. Zenith was no exception and this year, not only did we get a Titanium Chronomaster Sport, but we also were introduced to a new all-green Chronomaster Sport. Yes this is similar to the Aaron Rodgers version, but without the Aaron Rodgers embellishments. Essentially it’s the standard Chronomaster Sport, but green! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Watch Advice (@watchadvice) Whilst this isn’t a review per sè I’m going to let you know how this feels and looks on the wrist. Hey, I’ve had a chance to have this for the week to play with it and give it a good test drive, so what better way to showcase this release than with live pics and on the wrist with a first-hand account? Plus I’ll say this now, this piece had me a little smitten with the way it looked and felt on my wrist. The new Zenith Chronomaster Sport Green When released a few years ago, the Chronomaster Sport was accused of being a bit too close in looks to the Rolex Daytona. Now this was mainly due to the fact that it was released in both a black variant and white variant, had a similar case and brac...
Worn & Wound
One of the real pleasures of being involved in this hobby is being surprised when a brand you thought you had a good understanding of completely subverts expectations. I like it when watch brands genuinely seek to try something different and new (even if it doesn’t work). It’s so easy, especially once you’ve tasted success, to keep doing the same thing over and over, repeating a successful formula. But a brand that takes risks is inherently more interesting, and I always find myself drawn to those outlier watches – it’s almost as if they have something to prove, and I find that endearing. Baltic’s latest, the Prismic, falls into that category for me. And that’s not to say that Baltic hasn’t surprised us before by taking a left turn unexpectedly. I don’t think anyone expected them to unveil a perpetual calendar for Only Watch, for example. But I don’t think even the most forward thinking watch enthusiasts had something like the Prismic on their bingo card. Baltic, a brand known primarily for their interpretations of a classic sports watch aesthetic, has gone and made something that nods more to jewelry than the divers and racing chronographs they’ve made to this point. According to Baltic, the Prismic is a watch inspired by geometric shapes and how light refracts through a prism. The end result is a dress watch with quite a bit more bling than we’re accustomed to seeing from Baltic. This is a watch that’s designed with an aesthetics rather th...
Monochrome
A still relatively young brand that has always infused vintage flair in its watches, Baltic and its founder, Etienne Malec, have a keen eye for design and retro charm. Whether it’s a classic dive watch, a pair of sector dial watches with stepped bezels, a chronograph for classic car racing or a Calatrava-styled watch that […]
SJX Watches
In the midst of a resurgence that makes it both one of the biggest and fastest growing luxury brands, Dior nonetheless has a barely-there presence in the watch segment – particularly in mechanical watches – despite having offered watches since 1975. This contrasts with its peers like Chanel, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton, all of which have invested significant resources into making serious watches, particularly compilations and métiers d’art offerings. Now Dior is embarking on an overhaul of its mechanical watch offerings by returning to the Chiffre Rouge, a model first unveiled in 2004 that was distinguished by an asymmetrical case accentuated by a red crown or pusher at four. More streamlined and almost monochromatic, the Chiffre Rouge Black Ultra-Matte Chronograph has a black-coated, 41 mm case containing the Zenith El Primero movement. Initial thoughts The Chiffre Rouge stood out as a memorable design model from the 2000s, although its mechanics were rarely serious. The earlier chronograph models, for instance, relied on either ETA or quartz movements. Dior also never made a real effort to upgrade the model, so it was mostly perceived as a “fashion” watch. The redesign gives the Chiffre Rouge more appeal, as it retains the original, distinctive styling but with a definitely superior movement. That said, I would have done away with the date window at four for a clean geometric-patterned dial. The key feature of the new chronograph is the Zenith El Primero, which ...
Worn & Wound
Sinn dropped their Spring novelties this morning, an event that’s always of keen interest to hardcore watch enthusiasts. Sinn is one of our favorite brands for a whole number of reasons, but I’ve always felt that part of their appeal is in their somewhat elusive, “if you know, you know,” nature. Part of that is the fact that they have a single American distributor, and don’t have the flashiest social media presence. In the US, they still seem very German and are truly a brand for connoisseurs. If you see someone wearing a Sinn, you know that they sought it out, and that it might not have been easy to find. Sinn’s pattern for novelty releases over the last few years seems to be to release a mix of modern tool watches and vintage throwbacks simultaneously. This year’s vintage throwback is a manually wound chronograph, the 103 St Ty Hd. The 103 is their core chronograph model, the simplest and arguably least fussy, and has been made in a huge number of variants over the years. This new version has a steel case and old-fashioned acrylic crystal, and a panda-style dial layout with red accents. Fans of the 103 will notice immediately that the 12, 6, 9 (with day/date at 3) layout from previous 103 references is missing, a result of the manually wound Sellita SW 510 M powering the new watch. Here we get a classic three register, no date dial in the same familiar 41mm case. This is Sinn’s first manually wound 103 in 20 years, which should make the release of the...
Teddy Baldassarre
When you think of James Bond watches, the first models that likely come to mind would probably be from Omega, or Rolex, or - depending on which Bond era you prefer - maybe even Seiko. But one of the most memorable wristwatch scenes in Bond’s cinematic history has a Breitling as its star. In 1965’s Thunderball, the fourth movie in the popular series starring Ian Fleming’s Agent 007, star Sean Connery spends most of his screen time wearing the same watch that he wore in his previous three outings as Bond: a Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538, now known by many collectors as the quintessential “James Bond Rolex.” However, in one key scene, Bond swaps out the Submariner for another watch: a heavily modified Breitling Top Time Ref. 2002, a steel-cased, black-dialed chronograph with two white subdials, applied baton hour markers, and a tachymeter scale surrounding the dial. (The actual watch is pictured above, sans strap, photo via Christie's.) In the movie’s fictional universe, the watch - one of many gadget-packed timepieces assigned to Bond by MI-6 weapons supplier Q throughout the film series - is also equipped with a built-in Geiger counter; Bond uses it to track a cache of stolen nuclear warheads hidden deep underwater by his adversaries from the criminal organization SPECTRE. The watch was the only Breitling ever worn by any James Bond actor on screen - though, interestingly enough, another Breitling, a Navitimer 806, also appeared briefly in Thunderbal...
Worn & Wound
The moon holds a special place in the watch world. It represents a certain sense of adventure, the furthest place man has ever visited outside of our world. The Omega Speedmaster and the Bulova Lunar Pilot may be the only watches that can claim to have actually visited the lunar surface, but countless other watches pay tribute to Earth’s only natural satellite. Citizen represents one of the few brands with lunar watches that also have some real space exploration cred to boot, and its new limited edition Attesa models continue the watchmaker’s partnership with Hakuto-R, a Japanese lunar exploration mission. Citizen has released three new Attesa Hakuto-R models in anticipation of the program’s latest attempt at an unmanned mission, which will occur later this year. When the lunar lander touches down on the moon’s surface, it’ll be doing so with Citizen’s proprietary Super Titanium as one of the components. That same titanium was used to make the cases of the latest Attesa Hakuto-R watches. With colorful dials that evoke the moon’s surface, the new Attesas are immediately eye-catching. Underneath the dials, the pieces are powered by the Citizen 4950 Eco-Drive movement, which gives the watches an impressive battery life thanks to their ability to charge from any natural or artificial light. The new models all also feature Eco-Drive Atomic Timekeeping, which uses radio transmitters to automatically update the time and date if any time is ever gained or lost. One o...
Monochrome
A few days ago, the MONOCHROME team delivered our yearly forecast of potential launches for the 2024 Rolex Collection. As always, we try our best to guess what the Crown will be presenting at the watch industry’s largest fair, Watches and Wonders. While trying to imagine and design these potential Rolex models, we also started […]
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.
Comments
No comments yet, be the first to weigh in.