Skeleton & Openworked Watches · Page 25

Czapek Embraces Titanium in New Dark Sector Antarctique

One of our favorite high-end independent brands of late has been Czapek, and their Antarctique collection, which has a seemingly endless range, from their remarkable openworked Rattrapante Chronograph, to the serene time-only Frozen Star. This week, the collection welcomes a new addition, in a new material, it’s the Titanium Dark Sector. This is a slightly different expression of the Antarctique design language that we’ve seen in the likes of the Passage De Drake, bringing a slate like appearance to the monotone frame with enough small details to capture your attention. It’s still a modern integrated design and houses the brand’s own showstopper movement, so if you’re a fan of the Antarctique but prefer toned down symmetry, this watch is likely to check all the boxes for you. The Titanium Dark Sector features an integrated case and bracelet design that’s rendered fully in titanium, which should make the 40.5mm diameter and 10.5mm thickness all the more svelte on the wrist. The bracelet integrates to the case via articulating central link that fits into the center of the case, allowing for an even flow around the wrist. Unlike the 38.5mm case Antarctique, this titanium bracelet will not feature chamfers on the final production model. Additionally, there will not be customization options on this watch other than a trio of strap options. The flat gray dial of the Dark Sector is sparse, with all the action happening toward the dial’s perimeter. Applied sections o...

[Hands-On] The Bell & Ross BR05 Skeleton Golden

We’re not yet at the stage that the BR05 is seen as THE Bell & Ross-there’s still a long way to go before it could dethrone the classic square silhouette of the BR01 and BR03 models-but it feels like it has grown up enough to be seen as not just another brand jumping on the integrated bracelet sport watch bandwagon. It’s not even four years since the first of the BR05 variants were unveiled, and during that time we have seen three-handers, chronographs and GMTs. Stainless steel watches have seen bead-blasting and ‘Artline’ finishing. There have been rose gold and two-tone cases. Dials have come in black, white, copper, green, and blue. And lets not forget the Kenissi powered BR-X5 which has also evolved from the same case. As I browse the BR05 catalogue, both past and present, I’m struck by two thoughts. Firstly, there have been a LOT of different watches in this line. It’s not surprising that a brand should choose to repeat and rework a flagship model, but even allowing for quite a number of limited editions, that’s still a lot of releases since the original 2019 debut. This leads to my second thought. Despite always being impressed with the overall aesthetic, case design and finishing, why haven’t I found one that I really like? Finding my own answer to that has required me to attempt to classify what type of watch the BR05 actually is. $6600 [Hands-On] The Bell & Ross BR05 Skeleton Golden Case Stainless Stee Movement BR-CAL.322 (Base SW300-1) Dia...

Review: The New Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon SLGT003

In 2020, the world bore witness to something off the beaten path from Grand Seiko: an openworked, concept movement which incorporates a constant-force mechanism and a tourbillon as one unit on a single axis. This was the T0 Constant-force Tourbillon concept movement. While impressive, the T0 was an uncased, unwearable movement; it was not aRead More

VIDEO: The Franck Muller Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamond is a gem-set marvel

The Vanguard Rose Skeleton Diamonds from Franck Muller is a display of the Master of Complications’ other claim to fame – gem-setting. Taking the form of the 2021 Vanguard Rose Skeleton, Franck Muller gives the Diamonds iteration a PVD treatment, which means additional difficulty in setting the 422 precious stones on the case, while the … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Franck Muller Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamond is a gem-set marvel appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Maurice Lacroix Updates their Pontos Chronograph with a Pair of New References

Just ahead of Watches & Wonders, Maurice Lacroix has unveiled a pair of new chronographs in their Pontos line. While most enthusiasts are probably looking at Maurice Lacroix’s Aikon line of integrated bracelet sports watches, collections like the Pontos have their own charm and help paint a fuller picture of the brand, which is always straddling a line between sporty and refined, and doing it at a price point that welcomes a wide range of collectors.  The new Pontos chronographs seen here feature dials in black and slate gray, the former with white accents, and the latter with hints of rose gold. The Pontos has a familIr three register layout, but the sub registers at 12:00 and 6:00 (minute and hour totalizers, respectively) are larger than the running seconds subdial at 9:00. It’s a subtle shift from the norm but gives the dial a little bit of additional visual interest and funk. It’s like a “Big Eye,” but with two eyes. I’m sure the community can come up with an appropriate nickname.  The most significant changes in these new versions of the Pontos concern the hour markers and handset. Time is now read via Arabic numerals at the dial’s perimeter, with a minute track located in the rehaut. Maurice Lacroix has also refined the hands with a modest bit of skeletonization at their base.  Both the black and gray have a sunburst effect applied to their surfaces, and in these Maurice Lacroix supplied photos, it looks particularly striking in gray. Black dials, o...

Sarpaneva Marks 20 Years with the Stardust

Having built a reputation with original timepieces characterised by Neo-Gothic flair, Stepan Sarpaneva celebrates his 20th year in watchmaking with a pair in typical Sarpaneva style – Stardust and Stardust “Nostromo”. Limited to twenty pieces each, the duo embody Sarpaneva’s trademark aesthetic styling in their hand-finished, open-worked dials and Korona case.  Initial thoughts I have long admired Sarpaneva for being different. The man has a unique and often quirky vision of watchmaking that is evident in his timepieces, which are also finished well in terms of cases and dials. While Sarpaneva has not done much in terms of movements, his original approach is very much independent watchmaking. While different from its past offerings, both Stardust variants are still recognisably Sarpaneva with their radial dial motif and sculpted case. Stardust (left) and Stardust “Nostromo” The iridescent colours of the Stardust are not exactly novel, but it is a different take on the fashionable “rainbow” watch and it is certainly executed well since Sarpaneva does impressive dial work in its price segment. On the other hand, the dark colours of the Stardust “Nostromo” give it a more sci-fi feel that goes well with Sarpaneva’s house style. Both Stardust model are priced at €16,500 each, making them slightly affordable than the comparably spec’ed Valterri Bottas “Kilpisjärvi” released last year. While hefty on its face, the price tag is easily justifi...

Watch Spotting: Tom Brady Says He's Retiring 'For Good,' And Here's The Rare IWC Portuguese Tourbillon He Was Wearing Before His Announcement

A 25-piece, skeletonized tourbillon – not a bad way to celebrate being the greatest of all time.

Watch Spotting: LeBron James Wears An Openworked Black Ceramic AP Royal Oak After Breaking The NBA Scoring Record

The stars came out to see LeBron become the all-time points king. We were watching to see what he'd wear on his wrist – nice follow-through, Bron.

Spotted: Jay Z Wearing An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar In Picasso Baby

Last month, Jay Z blurred the lines between music video and fine art by performing the single "Picasso Baby" from his new album Magna Carta Holy Grail for 6 hours inside New York City's Pace Gallery. A small group of people joined him for the intimate performance – which was filmed by director Mark Romanek – including luminaries from the creative world such as Marina Abromović, Judd Apatow, Alan Cumming, Taraji P. Henson, Adam Driver, and Rosie Perez. Also present for the performance, a gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar with an openworked dial on the wrist of Jay himself.

Introducing the Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Golden

The Parmigiani Fleurier Rosa Mystica is the ultimate late Valentine’s Day gift

Second in a series of five piece uniques from the Grand Feu Collection Cathedral gongs, continuous chiming sequence and extensive skeletonisation Grand feu enamel on the hunter’s caseback and signature engraving of the white gold case The latest in a series of five piece uniques hailing from the Grand Feu Collection is the Parmigiani Fleurier … ContinuedThe post The Parmigiani Fleurier Rosa Mystica is the ultimate late Valentine’s Day gift appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Talking Grail Watch 5: Chronoswiss Opus Blue with CEO Oliver Ebstein

Wei visits Chronoswiss’ HQ in Lucerne to meet Owner and CEO, Oliver Ebstein to talk about the fifth iteration of Grail Watch – a recreation of the brand’s iconic Opus from 1995; the world’s first serially-produced skeletonized automatic chronograph. Ebstein, who prior to taking over as owner and CEO of the brand more than a […]

Up Close with Grail Watch 5: Chronoswiss Opus Blue

Grail Watch returns with its fifth collaboration, a coalescence of two key chapters: the revival of a past icon reimagined with an incandescent luminous signature. We took the world’s first serially-produced self-winding skeletonized chronograph, the Chronoswiss Opus, and modernized its officer-style case in grade 5 titanium with an electric blue CVD-treatment. The translucency created by […]

Piaget Goes Ultra-Thin for New Polo Perpetual Calendar

The trend toward ultra-thin highly complicated watches has reached a fever pitch in recent years, and there’s no sign of that trend slowing anytime soon. Piaget has been at the forefront of ultra-thin watches for many decades, most recently claiming the world’s thinnest mechanical watch with their Altiplano Ultimate Concept in 2020 (which was subsequently broken by Bulgari, and then Richard Mille). This year, they’re returning to the ultra-thin game with a new Polo Perpetual Calendar that measures a mere 8.56mm in thickness. This marks the first appearance of the perpetual calendar complication within the current generation of the Polo, and it should come as no surprise that it works rather well.  The Piaget Polo was redesigned in 2016 with a more refined presentation of their sports watch language. The round case features a slightly squared, TV shaped dial opening creating just enough tension to set it apart in a crowd. This was a notable departure from earlier Polo designs, which have never been shy about embracing their era. The newest Polo design feels timeless to my eye, but history will be the judge there. The design has shown flexibility, with the openworked Skeleton Automatic, and even on the very high end housing the brand’s ornate minute repeater in this Polo Emperador. The Polo Perpetual Calendar is the most complex Polo to date, and effectively uses the 42mm case to showcase their take on the QP. The information is presented in a clear and easy to unde...

HANDS-ON: The new Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton is a superstar in their 2023 lineup

It’s been a good couple of years for Zenith (waiting lists and all), and they’re off to a blazing start for 2023 with the release of the new Defy Skyline Skeleton at LVMH Watch Week in Singapore. This integrated model has been a popular pick since it was introduced, and the new version features some … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The new Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton is a superstar in their 2023 lineup appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

[Photo Report] LVMH Watch Week Comes to NYC

Last week, we had the opportunity to go hands-on with many of the new releases from LVMH brands, who celebrated their LVMH Watch Week to kick off the new year. We saw new watches from Zenith, TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Bulgari, and even had the chance to sit with leadership from the brands to discuss their plans moving forward. Stay tuned for more impressions coming to the podcast and the site later this week, and in the meantime you’ll find a photo report from our time with the watches, along with a few takeaways from the experience. From lavish Hublots to perfectly understated TAG Heuers, there’s a little something for everyone here, including a surprise or two along the way.   Zenith We’re kicking things off with Zenith, who showed us new additions to their Skyline collection, which includes a new skeletonized dial, as well as smaller 36mm variants. They also had their latest Defy Revival A3691 with brilliant red dial, and perhaps best of all, and original ‘Bank Vault’ example (courtesy of podcast alum, Romain Marietta). There was a bonus appearance by a new boutique exclusive Defy with a grey and gold dial that worked much better in person that any of the images we’d seen up to that point. First impression of the new Skyline Skeleton was just how well the slightly larger proportions of the case worked on the wrist. TAG Heuer TAG Heuer had no shortage of watches to show us, from a new case in their smart watch Connected range, to that stunning 60th anniversary ...

The 8 best Hublot skeletons to come out of the cupboard

Whether you’re a lover or a hater, nobody makes watches quite like Hublot. They are pioneers in materials and styles, which is what makes them such an attractive beacon to some of the world’s greatest modern athletes, artists, musicians, chefs and more. One of their most unique qualities is pride in showing off their innermost … ContinuedThe post The 8 best Hublot skeletons to come out of the cupboard appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Zenith Adds a Smaller 36mm Defy Skyline to the Collection in a Range of Colors (Diamonds Optional)

Most of the attention focused on Zenith following their LVMH Watch Week releases has been focused on the new skeleton dial version of the Defy Skyline and a raiding of the archives in the form of a red dialed Defy. But it’s another new addition to the larger Defy camp that might prove to be the biggest hit with the widest possible audience: the Defy Skyline 36mm. This smaller and more compact Defy is decidedly unisex, and offers a classic case size with the Skyline’s more contemporary styling in a range of color options. It also forgoes the high frequency El Primero caliber found in the larger Skyline in favor of a thinner Elite series movement, a decision that proves to offer a range of benefits.  The pitch for this watch is actually very simple. A smaller Skyline for a broader array of wrists, simplified. The 36mm stainless steel case features the same highly angular case construction and shares the same profile as the larger Skyline, and borrows a dial design from last year’s watch as well. The four-pointed star motif can be had in blue (the same blue as last year’s 41mm model) or pastel shades of green and pink. The dials have a metallic finish that is satin brushed, giving them a subtle sense of texture and a bit of deeper complexity. If you’d like, you can choose to have the 12 sided bezel set with diamonds. A little less under the radar, perhaps, but we support brands giving customers options.  Besides the size, the key differentiator between these watch...

Zenith Debuts The New Defy Skyline Skeleton

The new Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton announced at LVMH Watch Week 2023. Read for specs, photos, and an analysis from Two Broke Watch Snobs.

Hands-On: TAG Heuer Monza Flyback Chronometer

LVMH Watch Week, the year’s first significant watch fair, just kicked off in Singapore. In some ways a warmup for Watches & Wonders in March – the biggest watch fair of the year – the LVMH Watch Week is where the watchmakers owned by the French group show off their wares. Amongst them is TAG Heuer, which has revived one of its less-known racing chronographs from the 1970s but in a thoroughly modern style. The Monza Flyback Chronometer is a flyback chronograph featuring an open-worked dial and a 42 mm carbon composite case. Initial thoughts Perhaps the most aggressively modern chronograph in TAG Heuer’s current line-up, the new Monza liberally reinterprets the 1970s original. While the vintage Monza is not famous as the Carrera or Monaco, it is interesting in several respects, including the fact that it was the first serially-produced Heuer to sport a black-coated case. The carbon case and open-worked, asymmetrical dial show another face of TAG Heuer, but one that still fits with its motorsports-chronograph heritage. Certainly a TAG Heuer that is different, the Monza has clearly been conceived to cater to contemporary tastes, which is a good thing given that TAG Heuer already has an ample offering of faithful vintage remakes. But the new Monza comes with a caveat, a steep price. Coming in at US$13,500, the Monza costs double the Autavia Flyback Chronograph that has the same movement but a no-frills steel case. Even considering the carbon composite case and fanc...

LVMH Watch Week: Zenith expands their starry Defy Skyline universe with new skeleton and 36mm models

The new Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton replaces the recently discontinued Defy Classic Skeleton. The star-motif of the skeleton dial is now four-pointed instead of five-pointed.  New Skyline Skeleton has no date and moves 1/10th of a second counter from 9′ to more symmetrical 6′ position. New Skyline 36mm does not have a 1/10th of a second counter, … ContinuedThe post LVMH Watch Week: Zenith expands their starry Defy Skyline universe with new skeleton and 36mm models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

New with hands-on: Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton

Kicking off LVMH Watch week, we get some hands-on time to get up close and personal with the new Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton.

Audemars Piguet Introduces Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon “Dimpled Dial”

Arguably the most significant Audemars Piguet timepiece ever, the Royal Oak celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with a host of new models, including the all-new Royal Oak “Jumbo” ref. 16202 and even a skeletonised, selfwinding flying tourbillon. And just before entering the New Year, Audemars Piguet (AP) dropped the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon “Dimpled Dial”. Essentially identical to the standard model, the new version – which is available in either white or pink gold – is distinguished by its surface finishing: dimples on the dial and frosting on the bezel. Limited to 33 pieces each, the pair are primarily for Japan, with only a handful of watches available outside the country. According to our sources, the unusual combination of finishes were proposed by Japanese watch influencer Chronopeace, explaining why most of the run will be sold only in Japan – though this has neither been confirmed nor denied by AP. Initial thoughts I first heard about this discreet release when images were shared with me. As AP occasionally won’t say what drops, the watch was not announced officially, but instead quietly added to its online catalogue, perhaps because it is only available in Japan. Despite being low key, this new release will surely appeal to anyone who likes the Royal Oak but wants the added oomph of a special dial. At a glance, the watch easily reveals itself to be stunning. The layout and style are familiar, but the few tweaks to the dial an...

Year in Review: Our Best Stories of 2022

As we reflect on the past year, we’re proud of the stories we published and grateful for all of our readers – we appreciate you. Before the year closes, we want to revisit some of your favourite stories from 2022, from in-depth reviews of the most significant watches of the year to our fascinating conversations with thought leaders within the industry. Technical deep-dives Understanding of today’s most complex timepieces can be a challenge (even for us sometimes). But with our string of in-depth reviews, we aim to help the reader better appreciate these watches. Amongst the year’s highlights us two-part, in-depth examination of the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon SLGT003 (you”ll find the second part here) with its highly skeletonised movement featuring a one-second remontoir and tourbillon mounted on the same axis. Another story with a substantial focus on Japanese watchmaking was an engineer’s perspective on quartz watches: a personal take on the complexities of the technology and why it can stand on par with the mechanical watches.  Understanding the symmetrical construction of the Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon We also covered more conventional high-end watchmaking, but in our unique, detailed manner. We of course looked at the second-generation A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk, which received a major upgrade thanks to a revamped movement. And to help put the new Zeitwerk in context, we published a collector’s guide that compiles all the known var...