Monochrome
In 2014, Arnold & Son marked 250 years of John Arnold’s horological legacy with the debut of the Double Tourbillon Escapement, a timepiece that introduced a mechanically ambitious concept: two independent time displays, each driven by its gear train and regulated by its tourbillon. This duality, both technical and aesthetic, was made possible through separate […]
Monochrome
Following the detonation of Hublot’s extroverted Big Bang chronograph in 2005, the collection gradually expanded with several sub-families unified by their bold designs and distinctive fusion of materials. A couple of these sub-collections, like the Spirit of Big Bang with its tonneau-shaped case and the more recent Square Bang, departed from the round shape of […]
Monochrome
In haute horlogerie, few relationships have shaped timekeeping history quite like that of John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet. Bound by shared respect and a deep commitment to mechanical innovation, their friendship helped lay the groundwork for modern precision watchmaking. Arnold & Son’s latest release, the Constant Force Tourbillon 11, is a tribute to that legacy […]
Monochrome
IWC forged a fruitful partnership with the heirs of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in 2006, the famous French author of Le Petit Prince, who was also a pilot and adventurer. The first Big Pilot’s Watch to seal the relationship appeared in 2013, setting the flight path for the Le Petit Prince sub-collection with retro styling and […]
Deployant
Ba1110d once again partnered with with Olivier Mory to bring this next iteration of their flying tourbillon, now in a very discreet, onyx dial.
SJX Watches
Initially launched as a unique piece in a crystallized titanium case for Only Watch 2023, the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph was then added to the catalog, most recently as a limited edition in ceramic. Now the model returns in its original crystallized titanium livery, accented in lime green. Under the hood is a high-beat Vaucher chronograph movement, also used by Parmigiani Fleurier and Richard Mille. The split-seconds is the flagship of the Monaco collection, impressive inside and out – with a price to match – but seemingly runs counter to the brand’s established direction of affordable sports watches. Initial Thoughts The latest iteration of the Monaco split-seconds is the best yet, price aside. The variants of the model released between the one-off for Only Watch and this felt incomplete without the crystallized titanium case. The material is visually and technically interesting, and its resemblance to forged carbon fits the automotive theme; lime green accents notwithstanding, it’s a good-looking watch. Image – TAG Heuer A rattrapante is a natural fit for an auto racing-focused brand like TAG Heuer, but the ambitious CHF145,000 price is confusing, given TAG Heuer’s efforts toward making the Swiss-made tourbillon affordable. The Monaco split-seconds itself is excellent – the movement especially so – but an affordable rattrapante would be more in line with the brand’s recent direction. While the base movement is shared with costlier Richar...
Deployant
Hublot releases the Square Bang Tourbillon, a square shaped case in carbon fibre with a square form movement, with square bridges visible through the dial.
Time+Tide
The Hublot Square Bang Tourbillon 4-Day Power Reserve raises the bar for Square Bangs, debuting an architectural, shaped movement.The post Who says squares are boring? Hublot’s latest Square Bang has a tourbillon twist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong auction encompasses excellent complications at a range of price points. Highlights at the top end include the controversial Patek Philippe ref. 3448 “Senza Luna”, a massive Jaeger-LeCoultre exotic tourbillon, a skeletonized Credor chronograph, and a special-order Patek Philippe that was presumably a gift from parent to son. Also on the block are fine pocket watches for the Chinese market on the first day of the sale, while the second and third sale days include notable examples of independent watchmaking. The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XX takes place from May 23-25, 2025. The full catalogue, and more, is available on Phillips.com. Lot 839 – A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split In 2004, A. Lange & Söhne introduced the Double Split, a chronograph with both split-seconds and split-minutes–a feat previously only accomplished in pocket watches. Never one to stand still, Lange added split-hours into the mix with the Triple Split in 2018. The case is the brand’s typical fare, with distinctive stepped-out lugs, and continues its tradition of placing the split-button in the case band, rather than in the crown, as is the convention for wristwatches. This rose gold variation, of which only 100 were made, is matched with a handsome blue and silver dial. To create the Double Split, Lange built on the landmark L951 movement of the Datograph, adding a pair of rattrapante mechanisms, one for seconds and the other, minutes. From there, Lange added an hour...
Monochrome
More than 80 years after its initial release, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novel Le Petit Prince or The Little Prince remains as popular as ever. As one of the most active brands in the field of pilot’s watches, and knowing Saint-Exupéry’s career as an aviator, IWC has long partnered with The Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation […]
Teddy Baldassarre
When we talk about "the Holy Trinity of Watches" or "Holy Trinity of Swiss Watchmaking," or "the Big Three," most of us watch aficionados agree on which watchmakers we're referring to: Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet (that would be in ascending order of age). How did this triumvirate of historical maisons - one of which has been making watches since before the 19th Century, two of which remain family-owned - ascend to the highest echelons of prestige in the eyes of the watch connoisseur community? Each has its own intriguing history and can claim its own milestones in the evolution of modern watchmaking. Here, we briefly tell each of their stories and spotlight some of the timepieces that have made them immortal. PATEK PHILIPPE Founded: 1839; Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; Ownership: Stern Family; Notable models: Calatrava, Nautilus, Aquanaut, Sky Moon Tourbillon Since its founding in 1839 in Geneva, Patek Philippe has been a leader in high watchmaking, pioneering many complications and design elements that are now seen widely throughout the watch industry. Polish watchmakers Antoine Norbert de Patek and Francois Czapek partnered to form the original company, Patek, Czapek, & Cie.; French horologist Jean Adrien Philippe, who invented the keyless winding and setting system still standard on watches today, joined in 1845, and the Genevan manufacture has been known as Patek Philippe ever since. Among its many horological milestone...
Fratello
Louis Moinet is known for creating fanciful, typically extravagant watches. They often feature tourbillons, complex complications, exotic materials, and open dials. Today’s Louis Moinet 1816 flips this script as a pared-back modern chronograph with strong cues from the brand’s past. It’s a marvelous hybrid that sounds odd but works perfectly. Louis Moinet makes watches with […] Visit Hot Take: The New Louis Moinet 1816 Chronograph to read the full article.
Monochrome
Girard-Perregaux has a rich history and has produced quite a few exceptional timepieces over time. The 1969 Deep Diver Ref. 9108 may not be as complex and elaborate or iconic as some of the brand’s better-known creations (Laureato, Tourbillons or Bridges, both historical and modern), but it left its mark as a rare dive watch […]
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin (VC) continues its 270th anniversary festivities with its first minute-repeating sports watch, the Overseas Grand Complication Openface. In addition to the repeater, the manually wound movement also features a perpetual calendar, tourbillon, and rear-facing power reserve indicator. All of this is housed in a titanium case rated to 30 m, which is a notable degree of water resistance for a chiming watch. This is also the first Overseas model with the “Openface” treatment, which pays homage to rock crystal dials found in vintage clocks and pocket watches with a clear sapphire dial exposing the perpetual calendar works. Image – Vacheron Constantin Initial Thoughts It’s unusual, but a chiming sports watch makes sense considering the direction of consumer preferences for complications. That said, the minute repeater has been slow to make its way into sports watches, despite enjoying renewed popularity for the past few decades, due to the challenges of waterproofing the charging slide and preserving sound quality. This has created a perception of water resistance and sound being mutually exclusive, which has only recently been challenged. Audemars Piguet was an early pioneer with water-resistant repeaters, and now Vacheron Constantin has entered the fray with a water-resistant minute-repeating integrated-bracelet sports watch of its own. While 30 m of water resistance is low compared to other models in the Overseas collection, it’s significant for a ...
Worn & Wound
Another day, another cool Vacheron Constantin release. Barely a month on from Watches & Wonders (where I will remind you, Vacheron dropped the most complicated wristwatch ever made), the iconic brand, currently celebrating its 270th anniversary, has released another high complication heater - a skeleton dial, perpetual calendar, minute repeater with tourbillon dressed up as a titanium Overseas. Coming into 2025, it was pretty clear to see that Vacheron was ready to make some noise. For one thing, the brand was (as I mentioned) celebrating its 270th birthday, something the marketing folks at Vacheron have not been shy about, but more than that, the brand has been on a pretty incredible run over the last few years. Even without the cover of an anniversary year, recent new releases from Vacheron Constantin have increasingly been greeted as objects of interest, both in a technical and cultural sense, and there’s a real feeling that someone at Vacheron HQ clearly knows what they’re doing. The new Overseas Grand Complication Openface is an objectively impressive offering. Measuring in at 44.5mm across and 13.1mm thick in grade 5 titanium (a material also seen in last year’s Overseas tourbillon) this latest Overseas does feature slightly reworked case proportions, with a narrower bracelet relative to its smaller siblings and what looks to me to be a slightly longer lug to lug and thinner bezel, relative to its admittedly larger case size. The watch is also water resistant...
Quill & Pad
In Tim Mosso's opinion, there’s a refreshing take-it-or-leave-it vibe to the Historique. That said, many divisive elements are purposeful rather than capricious. Certainly, the case is huge, but so is the movement.
Monochrome
Hublot has never shown a reverence for conservative watchmaking. Starting with its explosively named Big Bang collection, Hublot revels in innovative material combinations and loud, audacious designs. However, when it comes to showing off its horological muscles, Hublot’s Masterpiece suite is where you’ll find the most technically complex models. Last year, Hublot inducted another Masterpiece […]
Fratello
BA111OD is a young Swiss brand with a bold mission - to bring high-end watchmaking complications like the tourbillon to enthusiasts at a far more attainable price point. Since its founding in 2019, BA111OD has gained a reputation as a rising force in contemporary Swiss independent watch brands. It blends innovation with a commitment to […] Visit BA111OD Introduces The Chapter 4 Skeleton Tourbillon Ice White to read the full article.
Monochrome
The announcement two years ago of the comeback of Daniel Roth under Louis Vuitton’s direction gave us great hopes. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long to see the first result of this anticipated return, which started with a yellow gold Tourbillon Souscription, a faithful tribute to the late-1980s reference C187 Tourbillon watch by Mr […]
Deployant
Kross Studio unveils the MT1 Chronomètre Tourbillon 7 days - their first watch in the new Marco Tedeschi Collection, a signature watch.
SJX Watches
This spring, one of the most important horological creations of the late twentieth century returns to public view. As part of The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI taking place on May 10 and 11, Phillips will offer the Breguet Sympathique No. 1, the first of twenty exceptional clocks commissioned by Breguet in the early 1990s. The primary creator of this landmark clock was none other than Francois-Paul Journe, then a young watchmaker. Completed in 1991 for the Art of Breguet auction, No. 1 is not just the prototype of the modern Sympathique series, it is its most ambitious. The example, paired with a tourbillon wristwatch, is equipped with a constant-force remontoir and moonphase display. In retrospect, it reads as a mechanical manifesto, foreshadowing Journe’s later independent work. More than a highlight of its upcoming sale, No. 1 represents a rare continuation of one of watchmaking’s great inventions, a direct link to Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. Detail of Sympathique no. 1 Of Breguet’s many breakthroughs, from the tourbillon to the pare-chute, none captured the marriage of mechanical brilliance and poetic vision quite like the Pendule Sympathique. Designed to wind, set, and regulate a paired watch automatically, it embodied a new kind of horological harmony: a master timekeeper caring for its portable counterpart. The calendar on Sympathique no. 1 By the late 20th century, these clocks had become near-mythical. Only a handful were ever built, most housed in royal coll...
SJX Watches
Twenty-twenty-four marked Greubel Forsey’s 20th anniversary, an occasion celebrated with their first chronograph, the Nano Foudroyante EWT. The brand’s tenth “Fundamental Innovation” since its founding back in 2004, the Nano Foudroyante EWT is a flyback chronograph with a flying tourbillon and an independent micro-scale lightning seconds, or foudroyante. The watch marked many firsts for the brand. Aside from being Greubel Forsey’s first chronograph, it is also the brand’s first flying tourbillon – noteworthy given its longtime focus on the tourbillon. Despite its extensive history with innovative tourbillon constructions, Greubel Forsey (GF) has never before created one with a flying architecture. Initial thoughts GF is often regarded as among the best in terms of innovative watchmaking and artisanal chronometry. Although the brand’s styling can arguably be too much at times, its core signature of high-end horology is unmistakable and defined by exemplary finishing and exceptional engineering in equal measure. The Nano Foudroyante EWT is interesting in many respects. The combination of complications is unusual, even for GF, and feels like more of a conceptual platform to present the “nano” sized lightning seconds (that runs independently of the chronograph). That said, execution is typical of GF in being high quality all around. It is a perfect example of the brand’s approach to watchmaking, both decoration- and engineering-wise. Similarly, the ae...
Teddy Baldassarre
At this point it’s a cliché to even mention how outdated and prehistoric a universally negative or condescending view of “Made in China” is in the world of watchmaking. Some of the most interesting new watch brands, and a consistently growing roster of some of the most talented and resourceful living watchmakers, are establishing reputations matching, or indeed exceeding, those out of Switzerland, Germany, and Japan. In this article I have assembled just 15 of these names, some of which have been around for decades and some of which are just coming on the scene. For your reading ease, I’ve broken these down into three categories: the established brands; the watchmakers; and the upstarts. Let’s start with the Chinese watch brand most of you already know… The Established Brands Seagull Tianjin Seagull Watch Group, aka Seagull, recently celebrated its 70th anniversary, and it’s not hard to see why this giant is the most well known and prolific Chinese mechanical-watch producer. The brand made China’s first Air Force Chronograph, which has been reissued as the iconic Seagull 1963 chronograph, a watch that still represents tremendous value at around $300. But it’s not just all affordable stuff these days. Last year, I wrote about the Seagull Split-Second Chronograph, calling it one of the best values in watchmaking at $3,200. Beyond the basic chronograph and this rattrapante, Seagull has added tourbillons, perpetual calendars, and minute repeaters to its repe...
Fratello
Leave it to brands to find excuses to launch celebratory limited editions. Most of the time, the celebrated milestones feel contrived at best. Not so with Vacheron Constantin. After all, if you have been in the business-continuously, I might add-for 270 years, you truly have something to celebrate. The brand has embraced the festive mood, […] Visit Hands-On With The Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar to read the full article.
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