Time+Tide
The new Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XP TT is a 41mm openworked, skeletonised, titanium luxury sports watch.The post The Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XP TT is the slimmest-ever Alpine Eagle appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas collection in green is totally captivating, and shows exactly what a high-end luxury sports watch should be.The post Green finally arrives to the Vacheron Constantin Overseas appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Last year we got the XPS, this year the XP TT which means we're talking thinness and lightness.
SJX Watches
Amidst the plethora of sports watches with integrated bracelets, the Zenith Defy Skyline stands out for its uncluttered design and relative affordability. Now the lineup is joined by the Defy Skyline Chronograph. The chronograph maintains many of the signature features of the existing models, such as its octagonal case and star-patterned dial. Debuting in three dial colours, Defy chronograph is amongst Zenith’s sportier offerings. Like other recent launches, it is powered by the second-generation El Primero calibre. Initial thoughts The Defy Skyline Chronograph is another option for an enthusiasts seeking a sports chronograph with a contemporary design and integrated bracelet. There are admittedly many, many options in this category, but the Defy chronograph is one of the value-minded offerings. At CHF11,900, the Defy chronograph with its in-house movement is competitively priced compared to other offerings in the sports watch market. The brand has opted for a conservative design while retaining a modern edge. Though the overall design is familiar, it has incorporates a few unusual details, including a polygonal flange around the dial. The watch is being launched in only three colours, all simple, easy shades that are well suited to the design, though not exciting. With the limited colours in mind, some might want to wait for subsequent releases that may adopt the colours found in its time-only counterpart. Zenith’s latest addition The Defy chronograph joins Zenith’...
SJX Watches
At Watches & Wonders 2024, Parmigiani Fleurier is launching the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date, a concise sports watch clearly catered to those who want just two hands. Featuring a “Golden Siena” (or “salmon”) dial in its inaugural guise, the new Tonda PF barely deviates from the design of the original released in 2021, retaining the same case, proportions, and movement, but eliminates the date. Initial thoughts Among the sports watches launched during the integrated-bracelet-sports-watch fad, the Tonda PF stood out for its unique aesthetics that are neither boring nor flashy. While many of its competitors were often obvious derivatives of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus, the Tonda PF was more original and managed to retain some of the traditional design codes of Parmigiani’s more formal watches. From a distance, it is challenging to tell the difference between the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date and the original. In fact, the only real difference lies in the dial design and colour. Although the differences are minimal, the salmon dial with a no-date layout offers a more refined aesthetic that will appeal to purists. At CHF23,500, the watch is priced the same as the date version and like it, is a decent-enough value proposition. Though it seems expensive when compared to more affordable alternatives like the Louis Vuitton Tambour or Moser Streamliner, the Tonda PF is more affordable than the Royal Oak or a Nautilus (which are mostly unobtaina...
Worn & Wound
This year at Watches & Wonders, Oris finds itself focusing primarily on a single collection: the Aquis. For years, the Aquis has carried the torch as the brand’s flagship modern sports watch. A capable diver with an integrated bracelet (it had one before they were cool), the Aquis has been made in a dizzying variety of case sizes and dial variants over the years, with complicated models, limited editions, and even diamonds finding their way to the line. But over all that time, the Aquis itself has never really had a proper reset. That changes this year, with a new, more refined Aquis Date that seeks to improve on the old version in all the ways watch collectors care about. The new Aquis is made of a number of subtle changes that add up to a noticeable, if incremental, improvement. This is not a radical rethinking of the Aquis, but feels more like an admission from Oris that certain elements of the tried and true design could be tweaked for a better overall experience. It’s an approach, frankly, that we think more brands should take. When something is generally pretty good, it makes no sense to kill it and start from scratch. Success over a long period means little iterative changes that make your product better as performance expectations shift, and Oris seems to embrace that. Of the changes made to the new Aquis, the most important is likely the small tweaks to the case. Oris has redefined the Aquis silhouette by making everything a little more balanced, with lugs t...
Deployant
Vacheron Constantin introduces a host of new timepieces for 2024, including one Haute Joaillerie piece. These novelties include new variations of the Overseas, Traditionelle Tourbillon Chronograph, Patrimony Manual-Winding, Patrimony Moon Phase Retrograde Date and Égérie Moon Phase, as well the Égérie The Pleats of Time concept watch and Haute Joaillerie Grand Lady Kalla. Vacheron ConstantinRead More
Worn & Wound
When Nivada relaunched the F77, the brand’s long dormant integrated bracelet sports watch, it landed with a positive reception but was, maybe, seen as a little unremarkable. It paid tribute to the original, maintaining its sleek 37mm case and a sporty profile, but didn’t really do a whole lot to set itself apart from the many other integrated bracelet sports watch options out there. Now, with the second F77 collection hitting just a year later, Nivada has tried something genuinely different for watches in this category, putting a much greater emphasis on the dial, offering a range of choices that approach the exotic. The watch is also now in a new metal, titanium, that will perhaps make it that much more desirable to those looking for an alternative to more common watches in this style. The “basket weave” dial motif that was introduced in last year’s launch returns here but in just one of the four variants Nivada will be making available. The anthracite gray execution of the titanium F77 is the most straightforward of the new models, and the one that’s most closely linked to previous versions. The real story here though is in those other three dial variants. Nivada will be offering the F77 in meteorite, lapis lazuli, and aventurine, with the general idea being that the brand is both “looking skyward” and “breaking new ground” with dials evoking deep space as well as the earth itself. That’s clever marketing, but it’s backed up in this case by Niva...
Monochrome
Although the star attraction at Bulgari’s will undoubtedly be the new record-breaking Octo Finissimo Ultra, the Italian brand will also be presenting three iterations of the watch that started Bulgari’s trailblazing campaign of ultra-thin winners. Unveiled in 2014, the record-breaking Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Tourbillon wowed the watchmaking world with the thinnest tourbillon movement (1.95mm) ever […]
Time+Tide
As the name implies, it isn't just the thinnest mechanical watch in the world, it is also the world's thinnest COSC-certified chronometer. Wow.The post Bulgari reclaims the throne for the world’s thinnest watch with the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
The competition for ultra-thin watches is more intense than ever. Watches with a thinness that would have been unimaginable a few years ago have recently been unveiled, with manufacturers squeezing complications into minimal space and tirelessly chasing microns. Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo saga has garnered widespread recognition in this realm. The brand’s remarkable series of records […]
Monochrome
In 2023, Nivada Grenchen delighted enthusiasts with a faithful recreation of its original F77, initially introduced in 1977 to rival popular sports watches of the era, with a steel construction with an integrated bracelet. The relaunched F77 series brought back with the same intent decades later, featured versions sporting blue and black dials adorned with […]
Hodinkee
Who ever said beige has to be bland?
Quill & Pad
Arnold & Son likes to walk to its own beat. For their latest watch, the Longitude, the opposite is the case. It's a sports watch with an integrated bracelet, and yes, it even comes with a green dial.
Hodinkee
Our Style Editor explains how this pink watch became the exception to her yellow gold only rule.
Worn & Wound
I have a small obsession with watch naming conventions. I’m absolutely fascinated by the decisions brands make in what to call their watches. Some brands, for example, use only reference numbers, and collectors wind up giving the most popular watches nicknames (Grand Seiko comes to mind, although last year saw a notable exception to the rule). Then there are countless brands that incorporate language of adventure, particularly on high seas, into watch names: the Submariner, the Supermarine, the Sea-Rambler, and on, and on, and on, and on. And of course there are brands that steal a strategy from car manufacturers (or is it the other way around?) and give their watches names in one of the Romance Languages, an attempt to instill a sense of class and taste. But what I like are the simple and punchy names that get right to the root of what the watch is about. Memorable, sometimes funny names that communicate an ethos and make you go, “Oh yeah, of course,” all at once. The Speake Marin Ripples is one of my all time favorites. The Ripples is Speake Marin’s take on the integrated bracelet sports watch, a category that seems about as far afield as you might get from the brand’s roots, but that’s a story for another day. In my opinion, the Ripple is one of the most distinctive integrated bracelet designs to come on the scene in this recent period during which everyone under the sun has tried their hand at this type of watch. It belongs, I think, in the same conversat...
Revolution
Gerald Charles, an independent Swiss watch company founded in 2000 by the renowned Mr. Gérald Charles Genta, the most prolific watch designer of the 20th century, is currently under the stewardship of the Ziviani family, close family friends of the Gerald Genta. Known as the ‘Maestro’, Monsieur Genta was not only a prolific artist but […]
Quill & Pad
The Tonda PF Split-Seconds Chronograph is the ultimate expression of Parmigiani’s hit watch. And in Tim Mosso's opinion, it’s magnificent!
SJX Watches
In its first stop outside of Japan, Alive in Time Through the Five Senses just concluded in Singapore, with other cities possibly being on the cards. Conceived to present the spirit of the brand by engaging all five senses, the exhibition was made up of five sections: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. The exhibition began with sight, where guests were greeted by watchmakers Satoshi Hiraga and Ikukiyo Komatsu, representing the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi and Shinshu Watch Studio respectively. The former specialises in mechanical movements, while the latter is responsible for Spring Drive, so each watchmaker demonstrated his speciality: Mr Hiraga worked on a 9S automatic calibre while Mr Komatsu on a 9R Spring Drive movement. Also on display was the third Grand Seiko movement family, the 9F Quartz. The visual transitioned to the aural in the sound section where visitors were treated to an immersive film experience depicting the 340 parts of the Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon. Despite the impressive mechanical complexity of the Kodo, one of the distinguishing elements of the movement is its 16-beat rhythm resulting from the overlapping ticks and tocks of both the escapement and the remontoir. The exhibition continued in the area dedicated to touch simulating a precisely prepared Zen garden. Guests could try various Grand Seiko models – and take the obligatory wrist shot against the tranquil beauty of the garden. The taste and smell area concluded the experience with...
Worn & Wound
Last week, we told you about new offerings from Citizen in their high end “The Citizen” collection, which can be thought of, I think, as the brand at its most refined. These are the watches where no expense is spared, and they make full use of the craft techniques available to them and some pretty impressive high accuracy quartz timekeeping. Right on the heels of those Washi paper dialed releases, Citizen has also expanded their Series 8 collection, which is perhaps a more familiar expression of what Citizen has always done really well to the typical enthusiast. These are integrated bracelet sports watches that borrow from the past (as all integrated bracelet sports watches do), while still feeling quite contemporary with a modern footprint, interesting dial designs, and the specs you’d expect in a modern sports watch. Two of the new Series 8 890 watches seen here feature the same checkered pattern (inspired by the Tokyo skyline) that Citizen used on the previous 880 series watches that were introduced last year, but they’ve taken steps to make the pattern appear bolder in these new releases. From the images provided, it does indeed appear to be a deeper and more pronounced stamping, which should make for a dynamic experience on the wrist as the dial plays with ambient light. A third watch, limited to 1700 pieces, has a new dial execution in what Citizen calls a “copper pink” color, and is inspired by cherry blossoms in bloom. Like the ocean and mountain vi...
Revolution
Quill & Pad
The Gerald Charles brand, which was founded by the legendary Gerald Genta, introduces the Maestro 9.0 Tourbillon, a classic yet bold aesthetic fitting right in with the typical Gerald Genta design philosophy.
Worn & Wound
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Seiko brand. Now I know, you’re saying, “Hey Griffin, didn’t Seiko celebrate its 110th anniversary last year?” Well, yes. And no. It’s complicated, okay? Alright, it’s not that complicated. The brand that would become Seiko was founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori. They released their first pocket watch - the Timekeeper - in 1895 and they followed that up with their first wristwatch - the Laurel - in 1913. Last year’s celebrations marked the 110th anniversary of that watch. This year’s centenary celebration commemorates the first time the name Seiko was used on a watch dial, something which didn’t happen until 1924, and Seiko has promised nine limited edition watches as part of that celebration. True to that effort, we’ve already seen a recreation of the 1924 Seiko watch released as part of the Presage lineup, alongside special editions of the 62MAS-inspired Marinemaster and Prospex divers, and a new version of the Speedtimer. Now Seiko is bringing the Astron to the party and releasing a brand new model with a never-before-seen combination of features and complications. Leading the pack is the aforementioned SSH156 Astron GPS Solar Kintarō Hattori Limited Edition, a bold black and gold-tone titanium multi-time zone chronograph with an integrated bracelet and full Astron Solar capability. The watch is powered by the all-new Caliber 5X83 movement, the first Seiko Astron movement to include a subdial at ...
Monochrome
Back in 2020, Czapek launched its Antarctique, the brand’s first luxury sports watch that simultaneously featured the brand’s first in-house calibre. The design followed the codes of what a luxury sports watch is said to be, with a shaped case, integrated bracelet and a textured dial. But Czapek being Czapek, it didn’t cut any corners. […]
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