Time+Tide
Previously a Chinese exclusive, this dapper dress watch is now available worldwide - which is a very good thing.The post This Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle in green is the quintessential dress watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
This Chinese zodiac assigns an animal to represent each lunar new year, cycling through the 12 animals who according to myth came down from heaven to help the Chinese people celebrate the spring. This year is the year of the dragon, which promises to bring good fortune and strength-and, of course, year of the dragon special edition watches. Worn & Wound has already covered some of the best ones out there, but one article (and even two) isn’t enough to cover them all. The IWC Portugieser Chronograph might be the most beautiful year of the dragon watch to come out thus far. The wine colored dial with gold numerals and hands that just ooze luxury, and pays tribute to the Chinese new year on its movement, which features an intricately carved gold dragon rotor. The watch comes with a black calfskin strap, but the rubber strap in a wine that matches the dial provides a stunning complement. IWC has done a few Chinese new year models in the past-this one is far and away the best. The brand’s year of the rabbit had a similar wine and gold coloring, but lacked a two-subdial chronograph complication like the year of the dragon. 2022’s year of the tiger was a chronograph but as a three-subdial chronograph with day and date windows, the dial just feels crowded and lacks the more elegant simplicity of this year’s model. And the metal work on the dragon rotor blows away the last two years’ animal rotors. Tag Heuer uses the inverse color scheme of the special edition Portugi...
Hodinkee
Plus a Breguet Hora Mundi and a green JLC Reverso.
SJX Watches
In its first year, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives has been awarded to Raúl Pagès and his RP1 Régulateur à Détente. Selected by a five-person jury, the RP1 triumphed over five finalists, including Andreas Strehler with his Tischkalender Sympathique and Petermann Bedat and its Reference 2941 split-seconds chronograph. A watchmaker, restorer, and automaton maker, Mr Pagès’ winning entry is a time-only wristwatch with a regulator-style display, and more importantly, a movement of his own design with a detent escapement. Historically found in precision marine chronometers, detent escapements are highly accurate but typically not shock resistant, a problem Mr Pagès solved by taking inspiration from a 19th century escapement design. As a result, his escapement is shock resistant enough for everyday use in a wristwatch. Besides technical features, the RP1 movement also boasts a high level of decoration that is artisanal in nature and accomplished by hand. The finishing, architecture, and construction are all classical in style, reflecting Mr Pagès experience as a restorer, most notably at Parmigiani, perhaps the most respected restoration workshop in Switzerland. A drawing a traditional detent escapement (left), and the RP1 detent escapement Tearing up as he gave his acceptance speech, Mr Pagès’ win is a milestone in a career that actually started over a decade ago. His skill and dedication were recognised by the jury, made up of Carole Forest...
Revolution
Fratello
Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown! This week, we have a face-off between two watches from the same house. It’s a battle of old versus new, gold versus steel, and most of all, unabashed luxury versus (relative) affordability. We would like to know which Cartier Tank you would spend your money on. Would […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Vs. Tank Must SolarBeat to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
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! Vintage Benrus First up this week is some stylish bling, a vintage 1958 solid 14k gold Benrus. The solid gold case has unusual fancy lugs and a slim bezel, and is on the smaller side at 32mm wide. There is a super cool personalized engraving from Booth’s 25 Year Club. Yeah, I don’t know what that is either, but the engraving really is a good one. The silver dial is superb with the classic Benrus logo and tri-color bar beneath it. There are applied gold arrow markers for most of the hours, and Arabic numerals for the 12, 3, 6 and 9. No date, but a classy sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock. This is a nice stylish dress watch that has the under-the-radar bling with the solid gold case. No movement pic, but the seller states the watch runs well. View auction here Seiko 66-7109 “Blue Tuxedo” Here’s a great vintage hand-wound Seiko on the original bracelet. The bold blue bullseye style dial really pops without being garish, and it’s in fantastic condition. There are applied steel markers and no date – this is a great looking dial. The steel case is 36mm and unpolished, with nice sharp edges, and it also has the original crown. The Seiko caliber 66 manual wind movement is crisp ...
Worn & Wound
For years we’ve been calling for watch brands in every category to embrace color, and to give us more than the standard array of white/black/blue when it comes to dial variants. And for the most part, we’ve reached a point where most watchmakers are providing consumers with a healthy choice of dial variants beyond the standard. A new release from Maurice Lacroix, however, has me wondering if case color is the next frontier. The new Aikon PVD collection, a small series of just two watches, has the brand’s popular contemporary sports watch getting a PVD coating. One in gunmetal gray (admittedly, not super uncommon) and the other in a metallic shade of dark blue. The Aikon so often spoken about as a far less expensive alternative to the Royal Oak that it’s hard not to think of AP’s Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in blue ceramic when considering the blue PVD Aikon. Obviously there are enormous differences. The aforementioned Royal Oak QP is, by all accounts, one of the most sought after watches in the world, full stop. The Aikon has a cult following, but it’s nowhere near the cultural touchstone of the Royal Oak. And the AP is complicated, and the Maurice Lacroix is time only. But still, from across the room (way, way across the room) the Aikon can play tricks on you – it has a similar silhouette and is a watch in a similar style as the Royal Oak, and now you can have one in blue, if you’d like. The blue PVD version of the Aikon measures 39mm in diameter, whi...
Time+Tide
I have been very happy to see ultra-thin watchmaking make a comeback as of late, but the race to be the thinnest does have its concessions. For Richard Mille, to achieve the ‘thinnest mechanical watch in the world’ title it, in my opinion, had to sacrifice looking like an actual wristwatch – more like a … ContinuedThe post The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 900P is just 3.65mm thick yet still looks like an actual watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Editor’s Note: In this week’s installment of our ongoing “3 for 5k” series, reader Garrett Jones submits an affordable collection with cleanly defined categories for each piece. While the classic Speedmaster might not fit everyone’s definition of a “dress watch,” in the context of Garrett’s collection, it makes a lot of sense. These are all sporty and robust watches perfect for an active lifestyle, they just get to that place in different ways, making each well suited to specific circumstances. Garrett had some money left over after picking three watches, so he’s also selected an additional item in a category many would agree is adjacent to watches, and somehow makes Garrett’s watch picks even more logical. You can make your submission to the Three Watch Collection – Reader Edition by filling out the form right here. Being an avid collector and watch enthusiast, owning only three watches excites and scares me simultaneously. In a world where my watch collection would be limited to three pieces, the perfect collection would feature the following three styles: a dress watch, a travel watch, and an everyday workhorse. With that three-piece combination, you can dress for any occasion and have a watch that fits in anywhere. At first, I thought that a budget of $5,000 would be extremely restrictive, but I quickly realized that one of the best ways to stretch this money is by looking at pre-owned watches. Omega Speedmaster Ref. 3570.50 ~$3,700 – The Dr...
Fratello
Another Friday, another Top 5! This week, we decided to leave the affordable watches for a minute to focus on something else. This week’s Top 5 is a look at the five best watches in Cartier’s current catalog. The brand has a wide selection of classics that are widely loved by watch fans all over […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Current Cartier Models - Featuring The Tank Must, Tank Louis Cartier, Santos, And More to read the full article.
Revolution
Worn & Wound
It can sometimes be easy to forget that there was a time when finding high-quality, affordable mechanical watches was a bit of a challenge. Back in those days, Seiko was the name of the game, and while plenty of worthy competitors have risen through the ranks to challenge the Japanese brand, Seiko still has a few tricks up its sleeve. Namely, Seiko knows how to make a hell of a dress watch. While there are plenty of iconic tool watches available at a true entry-level price point, finding great dress watches - especially mechanical ones - is harder to do. Since its initial introduction in 2010, the Cocktail Time series has offered collectors a genuinely exciting, and beautiful, dress watch at an almost shocking price. Today, Seiko has expanded its Cocktail Time lineup with the introduction of their latest collaboration with Hisashi Kishi’s famed Ginza watering hole, STAR BAR. This is not the first time Kishi and STAR BAR have collaborated with Seiko either. You might remember that back in 2022, Kishi and Seiko released the SSA455J1 and SSA457J1. That duo, based on the familiar colors of classic cocktails like the Martini, were distinguished by the cutouts in their dials reminiscent of a ripple on the surface of a drink. This time, Kishi and Seiko have released a pair of watches with inspiration taken from proprietary cocktails Kishi has created for STAR BAR inspired by the Tokyo skyline. What results is a pair of watches offered with beautiful gradient dials, perfect ...
Hodinkee
From a new Speedmaster to an all-gold Seamaster 300M, our predictions – and a little wishful thinking – for Omega this year.
SJX Watches
A year after revamping Pilot collection with fresh-faced aesthetics, Zenith releases a pair of boutique editions – the Pilot Automatic and Pilot Big Date Flyback. Both feature blue dials with a linear horizontal pattern inspired by stamped aluminium body panels of vintage aircraft. Initial thoughts Zenith is best known for El Primero of 1969, a high-frequency chronograph calibre now in its second generation, which is the movement found in both new Pilot models, although the former is not a chronograph. Both, however, share the same design that defines the current Pilot line-up. Unveiled last year, the Pilot has a friendlier, more modern face than most aviator’s watches that tend to be military-inspired. It has all of the hallmarks of a pilot’s watch, including large Arabic numerals and legibility, but manages to look distinct from all the other pilot’s watches on the market. Although blue is hardly a novel colour, the new patterned dials adds to the contemporary look, being even less military-esque than last year’s models in conventional black. The Pilot Automatic retails for US$7,500, while the Pilot Big Date Flyback retails for US$11,500. The time-and-date automatic is relatively pricey for a simple watch, although the high-beat, in-house movement helps justify the price somewhat. On the other hand, the chronograph is competitive against similar watches from rival brands, particularly since the calibre inside is the latest generation of the El Primero. Moreov...
Monochrome
In 2020, H. Moser & Cie. introduced its Streamliner series, offering its distinctive interpretation of the luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet. If you’ve followed the brand, you’re likely acquainted with the Streamliner’s diverse lineup, including the chronograph, perpetual calendar, time-only, small seconds and tourbillon models. Notably, the red gold Streamliner Tourbillon Vantablack from […]
Worn & Wound
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. When DC Vintage Watch’s Nick Ferrell announced he was launching a watch line, I took notice. Ferrell has made a name as one of the foremost Seiko dealers around, and the first pics he released of the Sycamore line were gorgeous-the Wolf and the Hunter, a matte black GMT and a matte black dress watch, respectively, both with Hindu-Arabic numeral dials that seemed to anticipate the Hindu-Arabic dial craze the watch world has entered. Ferrell’s watch cred and the success of his design are reason enough to be interested in the Sycamore line, but there’s something more about it that fascinated me. With the Wolf and the Hunter, Ferrell has gotten to live the watch enthusiast’s dream: he had an idea for a watch and he actually got to make it. “Some of it was not seeing out there what I wanted myself,” Ferrell recalled in an interview. “And another thing was, there’s that black PVD [Seiko] 6139, it’s kind of like an oval, it’s the 6139-8010 and I took the dial off and I put the 6139 military dial with the Arabic numbers on it. Playing around with this, and I was like, ‘I really like this.’” A Seiko 6139-8010 which served as inspiration for the Sycamore Collection That was about nine months ago-a fitting length of time between the conception of an idea and its birth. Since then, Ferrell has taken that inspiration and produced watches that, while they contain some of the DNA of that initial Seiko mo...
Fratello
Today, we’ll take a look at a vintage IWC 309, a watch that attracted me due to its likeness to another watch. This classic is no copycat, though, as it brings enough unique styling flourishes to the party. We also have the chance to discuss one of the more heralded movements in history. At the […] Visit Vintage Watches: The IWC 309 Brings Calatrava Looks At A Fraction Of The Price to read the full article.
Deployant
Patek Philippe are one and synonymous with the classic dress watch, the most famous of which is the Calatrava. The prototypical Calatrava can be described as having a round, slim case made of precious metal, with a clean dial and excellent legibility. While the core of the collection remains true to these principles, that PatekRead More
Monochrome
US watch brand Timex is on a mission to recuperate its former glory, and one of its strategies is to resurrect winning designs from its past. Renowned for its accessibly priced mechanical and quartz watches, in the early 1960s, one in three watches sold was a Timex. The Marlin, a mechanical dress watch designed in […]
Hodinkee
Forget the "rules" of what counts as a dress watch. When you're the King, you can wear what you like.
Worn & Wound
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! Zodiac Aerospace GMT Starting this week off with a killer vintage Zodiac Aerospace GMT. Zodiac is definitely well known for their Sea Wolf divers, but the lesser-known Aerospace is a fantastic piece. It features a two-tone black and gray 24 hour acrylic bezel insert that is in great condition. The gloss black dial is crisp and clean, as are the steel stick hands. The GMT hand is painted red to stand out. The original crown is signed with the Zodiac symbol as it should be. The Zodiac caliber 75 automatic movement is clean and the seller states it currently runs well and keeps time. The watch comes on a cool vintage riveted oyster style bracelet that looks great with the watch even though it’s not original. View auction here Vintage 1953 Bulova Next up is a brilliant vintage Bulova dress watch with fancy lugs. The 27mm wide yellow gold fill case is excellent with no wearthrough that I can see in the pictures. The fancy lugs have a knotted look and are really unique and cool. The dial is the classic butler silver color with applied arrows and Arabic numerals and a sub-seconds at 6 o’clock. The dial looks original to me and is in excellent condition, paired with the original gold daup...
Teddy Baldassarre
Raymond Weil, founded in 1975 by its eponym and now owned and operated by the Bernheim family, is one of only a handful of independently owned Swiss watchmaking companies, alongside historic, prestigious maisons like Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. The Geneva-based company, however, occupies a different niche than those two high-horology powerhouses, having firmly established itself as a purveyor of “affordable luxury” - producing well-designed watches with wide appeal that nevertheless rarely gain attention in the upper echelons of horological connoisseurship. That all changed in 2023, however, when the sublimely refined design of the brand’s Millesime Small Seconds model took the coveted Challenge award in the year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie Genève (GPHG), the watch world’s equivalent of the Oscars. With its sober but meticulously embellished sector dial and slender case, the watch represents a throwback to a style of understatedly elegant dress watch that few seem to be making anymore. I had a chance to wear one for a couple weeks for a hands-on review. (To get Teddy's video take on the watch on our dedicated Reviews channel, click here.) Case: The round stainless steel case of the Millesime (the term comes from the world of fine wine, and appropriately translates to “vintage”) will settle perfectly into many enthusiasts’ sweet spot, at 39mm in diameter, and its thickness of just under 11mm (10.9mm, to be super-precise) will ensure that it set...
Monochrome
When Furlan Marri released their reference 2116-A, our editor Robin wrote, “the meca-quartz masterminds that rocked the watchmaking world go full-mechanical“. And indeed, not only did this automatic time-only watch make a good impression, but it also opened new horizons for the brand. Since its initial release, a salmon version has been presented, too. But […]
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.