Latest watch news · Page 15

Toledano & Chan has carved out a nice little niche in the watch industry. In a universe dominated by familiarity, the young brand is not afraid to walk a different path. It’s a path defined by creativity and pushing design in new directions. As a result, Toledano & Chan’s creations are not for everyone. But […] Visit The Toledano & Chan Oshinobi Hides Its Secret In Plain Sight to read the full article.

When you think of IWC and sports, you probably have Formula 1 in mind. And rightfully so… But today, we’ll be talking about golf, a noble sport that’s not often associated with the Schaffhausen-based brand. Yet, for the sixth consecutive year, IWC takes on the mantle of official timing partner for the Alfred Dunhill Links […]

The new Seiko Pandagraph takes the panda dial literally, with playful chronograph details, quartz movements and limited production.

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air. We’re back from the road with your latest dose of watch talk. Today, we’re entertaining a topic from one of our favorite listeners, Roy! No, we’re not talking about Speedos by the pool, but we’re trying to answer whether it’s safe online to discuss our hobby. Enjoy […] Visit Fratello On Air: Are You Safe Online As A Watch Collector? to read the full article.

Say “Rolex” to most people, and their mental image is fully formed before you finish the sentence — a Submariner, maybe a Datejust on a Jubilee bracelet, something that has been photographed on a thousand wrists. For some enthusiasts, that image is precisely the problem. Rolex has produced plenty of watches that never made it […] Visit Five Rolex Watches For Those Thinking Outside The Box to read the full article.

Omega splits the Spectre universe into two distinct watches, and the choice of which one you want says a lot about you. Omega reveals the Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond & Spectre Editions, two new special releases tied to the 007 franchise with distinct identities.

We get hands-on with the Yema Navygraf Meteorite CMM.10, pairing a 39mm titanium case with a striking meteorite dial and manufacture movement.

Frederique Constant has released the 2026 edition of The Elements Collection, an annual collector’s box set comprising three timepieces, each distinguished by a rare mineral dial. Presented in steel cases from the Classic collection and powered by manufacture movements, the Moonphase Date with a black onyx dial, the Tourbillon with a heliotrope dial, and the […]

I think it’s safe to say that pandas are universally beloved, and panda dials are among the most popular options for chronographs. That’s probably why Seiko’s so-called Pandagraph got so much attention back in 2024. The watch basically combined the two in the best way possible. You get the cuteness of the panda bear, including […] Visit Power To The Pandagraph: Seiko Brings The 2024 Hit Concept Watch Into Production to read the full article.

Sometimes Seiko silently releases watches that deserve attention — for example, the new HDB001 and HDB002. These two new dial variants of the popular Seiko 5 Sports Field GMT joined the lineup in August. That’s right in the middle of the summer break, so, understandably, they flew under the radar. But knowing how popular the […] Visit A Covert Release: The Seiko 5 Sports Field HDB001 And HDB002 GMTs to read the full article.

Watchmakers regularly turn familiar design cues into accessories, but Audemars Piguet and Konstantin Chaykin have taken notably different approaches to the genre with their latest offerings. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Joaillerie Collection recasts the Royal Oak as an extensive range of elaborate jewellery, while Konstantin Chaykin’s Master of Days cufflinks incorporate a tiny mechanical calibre that provides a day-of-the-week display. Both draw on the design and manufacturing specialties of their makers, but at vastly different price points and with different audiences in mind. Both approaches, however, lend themselves to gift-giving, which might explain the timing of the releases in the lead up to the holiday season. Initial thoughts Some of the biggest names in series watchmaking dabble in accessories on the side. The most obvious is probably Rolex, which made headlines when it formally launched a line of cufflinks — and a desk clock — late last year. Patek Philippe, too, has a long history of making jewellery and accessories. Today the brand offers cufflinks that match the Golden Ellipse, Nautilus, and Cubitus, and jewellery that takes after the Aquanaut and the Twenty-4. Even smaller-scale independent watchmakers evidently see value in the category. F.P. Journe offers a set of cufflinks in a choice of platinum or 18 pink gold — to match the brand’s watches — as does Biver. Franck Muller goes even further, with a full collection of Crazy Hours-inspired ne...

What We Know Seiko has unveiled two limited-edition chronographs born from its power design project, a long-running internal design initiative that encourages designers to explore ideas beyond the constraints of commercial product development. The new watches are based on A Watch Exclusively for Panda Lovers, one of seven concept pieces presented at the 2024 Incredibly Specialized Watch Exhibition, where designers were challenged to create watches tailored to extraordinarily specific audiences. Among the seven concepts, none generated quite as much excitement as the panda watch. Nearly three years after its debut as a one-off exhibition piece, it has now become a production model—remarkably faithful to the original concept. The original "A Watch Exclusively for Panda Lovers" was displayed at the 2024 Incredibly Specialized Watch Exhibition. Original design sketches from the exhibition. The watch was designed by Kiyotaka Sakai, a member of Seiko's product design team who also works on Grand Seiko's Evolution 9 Collection. His starting point was a deceptively simple question: Is a watch called "Panda" really seen as a panda in anyone's eyes? The idea draws on the Japanese concept of mitate—finding unexpected visual associations between seemingly unrelated objects. While collectors have long referred to black-and-white chronographs as "panda dials," Sakai wondered what a watch would look like if it were designed not to resemble a panda dial, but an actual panda. The answe...

When the Tudor North Flag came out in 2015, it was met with a collective “what?” Tudor had chosen it to debut its in-house movements, a genuinely big moment for the brand. But the watch itself was a totally unexpected throwback to the fairly obscure Ranger II, an integrated bracelet sports watch from the ’70s that I don’t think anyone expected to see revived. It was interesting, though. The North Flag had a design language entirely separate from the Black Bay and Pelagos lines, plus a hybrid steel-and-ceramic bezel, a display caseback, and a power reserve. That last feature is still the only time Tudor has used a power reserve on one of its modern movements. The reaction was mixed. Tudor was arguably too far ahead of the curve: integrated bracelet sports watches weren’t trending; vintage divers were. Six years later, the North Flag was discontinued. In the meantime, integrated bracelet sports watches didn’t just become popular; they became almost a requirement. It feels like every brand has released one in the last five years, at prices ranging from a couple hundred dollars to a couple hundred thousand. People now look back at the original North Flag and think, “Oh, wait a second. Maybe that was a pretty cool watch after all.” So while the first North Flag was ahead of the curve, the new Northflag is right on time, or maybe even a touch late. It’s also a GMT, though you won’t find “GMT” in the name. The question is whether Tudor has made a better wa...

The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond and Spectre collection pairs familiar no-date divers with competing character motifs, including platinum-gold variants in two limited edition boxed sets. The watches extend Omega’s most successful screen partnership while leaving the underlying Seamaster largely unchanged. Initial thoughts Omega’s partnership with James Bond remains one of the great marketing coups of the 1990s, pulled off by none other than Jean-Claude Biver. While it’s easy to feel cynical about product placement, especially today, the pairing made a lot of sense for film franchise looking for a fresh start with a new leading man. Today, the film franchise is at a turning point — Daniel Craig’s successor has not yet been announced, and it’s an open question whether the character’s appeal will extend to younger demographics. Despite these headwinds, the James Bond effect is no doubt a positive one for Omega, which has released dueling Seamasters — one for the titular character and one for his recurring nemesis, Spectre. The “James Bond” variant There’s also a pair of boxed sets — one for the hero, another for the villain — that include 77-piece limited edition variants of both the steel Seamasters and heavyweight versions in platinum-gold, which is mostly platinum with a bit of gold added to the alloy. The platinum-gold models weigh in at more than 200 g, nearly double the weight of the stainless steel equivalent on a strap. The “Spectr...

It's funny the way a brand can sneak up on you. Maybe you hear the name on a podcast, and then, a few months later, you run into the brand at a watch fair, or on a friend's wrist. Still, despite repeated encounters, it's remarkable how a brand can continue to exist entirely outside your awareness. Until it doesn't. Until you somehow find a brand, or a watch, completely inescapable, unavoidable, inevitable. 18 months ago, I'm not sure I'd ever given an independent thought to Traska; today, that couldn't be further from the truth, and the brand's Chronograph (aptly named, the Chronograph) is the perfect example of why. If you don't yet know Traska, I don't blame you. Traska is just one of many small brands that have popped up over the last decade, and they've broadly followed a familiar formula: Kickstarter launch, followed by a slowly expanding stable of somewhat conservatively designed, three-handed sports and dive watches, all powered by reliable but unassuming Japanese movements, and all drawing a heavy dose of inspiration from well-known (but far less accessible) watch brands. So, if the broad strokes are familiar, where Traska has separated itself from the pack is in the details. For one thing, unlike so many other Kickstarter brands with similar stories who have come and gone with barely a whisper, Traska has stuck around and, each year, their watches have gotten better. I finally reached my tipping point with Traska last year, when I picked up a second-hand Venturer ...

As smaller, historically inspired, shaped watches find renewed interest, it is no surprise that Hamilton looks back almost a century for its latest collection, reviving the cushion-shaped watches that defined part of its portfolio in the 1920s and 1930s. The new American Classic Cushion Mechanical takes direct inspiration from the Cushion Plain and Cushion Engraved […]

One of several running stories I’ve been working on lately is a chronology of influential watch ads, and perhaps I need to add this latest campaign from Shinola to the list. The headline is that the brand’s popular Duck watch is getting a mechanical movement. In my humble opinion, that’s a pretty exciting announcement within itself whether you’re a mechanical devotee who’s loved the aesthetic of the collection but been uninterested in quartz or whether you’re mechanical-curious and looking to acquire your first model with an automatic movement. However, Shinola decided to take things a step further with a wild launch campaign combining four personalities spanning entertainment, comedy, music, and internet culture – Tefi Pessoa, fresh off Love Island USA; Kareem Rahma, creator and host of Subway Takes and Keep the Meter Running; viral creator Benton McClintock; and New York rapper NEMS, whose ‘Bing Bong’ became an internet phenomenon. But that’s not all – somehow Cheerios (yes, the iconic cereal) is also in the mix. Let’s unpack this and how it all (supposedly) relates to the launch of this new watch.  First and foremost, we have to get into the watch itself. The new Duck Automatic collection is making its debut in four iterations. Each offers a well-proportioned 38mm build and is topped off with Shinola’s new quick-release H-link Duck bracelet with a micro-adjust buckle. There are two in classic stainless steel, one with an alabaster hydro sunray...

A young microbrand based in Paris, Inercy started out with a flying tourbillon at a price that makes the complication accessible to a much wider audience. Introduced in 2023, the One was a 42mm watch with a compass-inspired dial and a flying tourbillon. And, tagged at around 1,300 euros, it offered something spectacular for the […]

Our hands-on impressions o Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin 30th Anniversary in a new Azure Dial.

For over 30 years, Omega and James Bond have shared a strong connection, with the Swiss watchmaker appearing in every Bond film, on the wrist of the secret agent since GoldenEye in 1995. Countless movie-featured watches and numerous special editions have been created, the latest dating to 2022 for the franchise’s 60th anniversary, but all […]

Last week, Omega teased that something Bond-related was coming. If you visited the page for the Seamaster Diver 300M collection on Omega’s website, the brand’s logo would switch to the Spectre logo every few seconds. Today, on Global James Bond Day, we can reveal that the question of whether you pivot to the dark side […] Visit Choosing Between Good And Evil: The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond And Spectre Collection to read the full article.

What We Know If you've been browsing Omega's website recently, you might have seen some interesting discrepancies while looking at the webpages for many of the Seamasters. Many on the internet have picked up on these little details and subtle easter eggs, including the Omega logo in the website header intermittently flickering into the franchise's modern-era Specter logo. Or perhaps you spotted that same logo depicted as ASCII art in the website's source code (shown below). Clever marketing techniques, especially given the Bond theme of the releases being teased.  Then, this past Friday, Omega dropped the product page for one of the new watches straight into the Seamaster 300 collection on the website, technical specs and all. And while the listing had no photos (that would be too easy), sleuths quickly found a long string of binary text in the description box that converts to the product introduction for the new watch. It created real buzz online, but let me fill in the final missing pieces with live photos and hands-on context of these new Bond-themed Seamasters. Which brings us to today: Omega launches not just one watch—but actually four new Seamasters. Two of them are the focus here since they're not limited and are additions to the main collection. Let's get one thing out of the way first—if you saw the teaser and were hoping for a new, downsized version of the Seamaster Diver 300M, sorry, no dice. These new watches follow the same formula as the current-generat...