Latest watch news · Page 22

Two companies, at the forefront of mechanical innovation, coming together to mark 140 years of history – that’s what IWC’s latest watch is all about. The brand has a long-standing partnership with Mercedes-Benz, exemplified through not only the Mercedes-Benz AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team special editions, but also through the various road-car-themed watches. The new […]

Seiko’s and Japan’s very first wristwatch, the 1913 Laurel, is one of the prettiest watches I have ever seen. More than a century after its conception, it still looks fresh. It’s also, as you can imagine, a rather important watch. To underline that and make it possible to wear a watch that honors the beginning […] Visit Seiko Doesn’t Rest On Its Laurels: Introducing Two Seiko Presage Classic Series “Craftsmanship” Watches to read the full article.

The Presage is Seiko’s line of affordable dress watches that boasts impressive diversity, but there can be too much of a good thing; sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish one Presage model from another. The fresh-off-the-press Presage Classic Series “Craftsmanship” Enamel (HCC005) and Urushi (HCC006) are a pair of appealing watches, especially the striking HCC006 with its black and gold livery, which might be one of the best looking Presage watches ever. The HCC005 in enamel Initial thoughts The HCC006 caught my eye as soon as I saw it; the high-contrast colours set it apart from all other Presage models. It’s a strong proposition for anyone looking for an affordable dress watch that isn’t in the typical, conservative pale colours. Moreover, the Breguet-style numerals in gold powder lacquer add a degree of refinement rarely found in watches at this price. The only downside of the HCC006 is the gold plated case. Though it adds to the look, I generally dislike plated cases since they feel inexpensive. That said, given the accessible price, it’s forgivable. The HCC005 with an enamel dial is similarly good value, but less interesting visually as it’s similar to past Presage models. It is, however, a good, low-key alternative to the black and gold of the HCC006. The HCC006 with an urushi dial Artisanal craft for less The new pair stick to the familiar template of the Presage Craftsmanship series – making traditional artisanal crafts affordable. As is conven...

The case back is easy to overlook. After all, it spends most of its time pressed against your wrist, hidden from view. But turn a watch over, and the case back can reveal a completely different side of the design. For some collectors, a beautifully finished movement behind a sapphire crystal is one of the […] Visit Fratello Talks: Can A Case Back Make Or Break A Watch to read the full article.

The Presage Classic collection has become Seiko’s showcase for traditional Japanese decorative arts. Within the collection, the Craftsmanship line celebrates centuries-old artisanal techniques through enamel, porcelain and urushi lacquer dials. This year, Seiko expands its catalogue with two refined additions that honour an important milestone in the company’s history: the 1913 Laurel, Japan’s first wristwatch. […]

As it undergoes a late-in-life rejuvenation, Breguet has been steadily updating models long in its catalogue, including its range of tourbillon watches. The Classique Tourbillon 7357 is the long overdue evolution of the 3350/3357 that was introduced way back in 1989. Upgraded inside and out, the 7357 is the new entry-level offering amongst Breguet’s tourbillon watches, but it is now more obviously haute horlogerie with a new look and a new(ish) movement. The details and finishing of the 7357 illustrate Breguet’s manufacturing quality, despite being based on a model from three decades ago. The 7357 is available in Breguet gold or platinum (pictured here) Initial thoughts The 7357 is essentially the 3357, upgraded in every respect. Even though the watch pictured is a prototype, and not perfectly clean, the improvements in finishing, materials, and construction are obvious. Compared to the competition, the 3357 was arguably out of date even 20 years ago; in contrast, the 7357 is competitive. The decoration has jumped several steps upwards, which is most visible on the front with a refined tourbillon bridge. While the movement architecture is based on the Lemania cal. 387 of the 3350/3357, it now boasts a longer power reserve and non-magnetic hairspring amongst other upgrades. Like many of the other facelifted Breguet models, the 7357 adopts a new look but one that’s still recognisably Breguet – a gentle diversification away from the established Breguet wristwatch styl...

Longines refreshes one of its most quietly interesting re-editions with a light blue opaline dial. Still 38mm, still the same central power-reserve rotating disc, still the silicon-hairspring L896.5. €3,950 on strap, €4,050 on bracelet. Longines adds a light blue opaline dial to the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve. 38mm, caliber L896.5, 72h reserve, silicon, €3,950.

The third collaboration between Watch Ho & Co. and Selten is their most ambitious yet, with a hand-engraved grand feu enamel dial that looks like steam rising off a bamboo basket. The Watch Ho & Co. x Selten Yum Cha is a limited edition with a hand-engraved grand feu enamel dial celebrating Hong Kong's beloved dim sum tea house culture.

Timed to coincide with a solar eclipse casting its shadow across parts of Spain, the latest MoonSwatch is the Mission to the Sun – Solar Eclipse.

Bernhardt’s Captain collection is a new range of dress watches that I think loosely falls in the Calatrave-esque trend that has been emerging, most notably through a variety of Japanese indies and micros, over the last few years. As interest in chunky divers and sports watches appears to wane a bit, enthusiasts are (finally) willing to look at watches in other genres, and brands are delivering with a variety of takes on the dress watch format.  This is a fundamentally good thing for the community, but it’s not easy to make a dress watch. It is, conversely, very easy to attempt to make a dress watch and actually make a regular old daily driver, the type of watch that most people who had any desire to wear any watch at all would have owned in the middle part of the 20th century.    $749 Hands-On: the Bernhardt Captain Case Stainless steel Movement Miyota 9039 Dial Silver Lume None Lens Sapphire Strap leather Water Resistance 50 Dimensions 38 x 45mm Thickness 9.55mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Push/pull Warranty yes Price $749 A dress watch, to me, is a very specific thing. If it’s mechanical, it’s manually wound. It’s more likely to not have a seconds hand, and indices and other markings should be minimal. It obviously should be quite thin and relatively small in size, and if I were really being a snob about it, I’d insist it should be in a precious metal, but I’m not a snob and that’s ridiculous. It does speak, though, to the idea that when you use the word “d...

What We Know This one is orange. That's the news here, really. It's a bit shocking to think that since TAG Heuer's reintroduction of the mighty Formula 1 with an updated Solargraph movement, back in early 2025, in part to mark its return as the official timekeeper of the top-level motor sport race series, they have yet to release a model with an orange color scheme. Well, they have now, and I'm here for it. (And if you haven't read the great Jeff Stein's in-depth story on the surprising origins of the Formula 1, I implore you to stop what you are doing and click here).  It's with relief that we welcome the latest iteration of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph. It comes as a limited edition in two versions: one on a rubber strap, the other on a metal bracelet. The orange, grey, and red colorway is ostensibly a tribute to the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, a seaside track on the Dutch coast near Amsterdam. The race weekend, beginning August 21, will be the last Dutch Grand Prix—at least in its current iteration. Best known internationally via the Dutch national football team's kit, orange is a beloved color in the Netherlands, tied to the Dutch Royal Family and the House of Orange-Nassau. A TAG watch resplendent in orange (or oranje in Dutch) seems a fitting tribute to the final F1 race in the home country of Max Verstappen, the lead driver for Red Bull Racing - also sponsored by TAG Heuer.  The watch features an orange uni-directional timing bezel, orange cha...

In the world of mainstream watchmaking, unconventional ideas rarely make it past the concept stage. But for an independent, inventive brand with a fully integrated manufacture like Armin Strom, the possibilities are far broader. While the brand is perhaps best known for its mastery of resonance in wristwatch form, Armin Strom turned its attention to […]

What We Know As one of the more recognisable watch designs, period, the current Panerai Luminor shape has been rendered in many different materials since the 1955 introduction of the crown protection device. This latest take, the Luminor Marina PAM01707, is cased in Carbotech, a composite material combining carbon fibre sheets and polyether ether ketone, resulting in excellent anti-corrosion properties and lightness. Though Panerai’s products now comfortably sit in the luxury watchmaking category, it hasn't stopped them from using avant-garde materials suited to the original intent of their designs. Measuring 44mm across and 14.5mm thick, the PAM01707 has all the hallmarks of a classic Panerai, with its cushion-shaped mid-case sandwiched by a round, striated Carbotech bezel and a DLC-treated titanium caseback. The signature bridge, which spans the right-hand side of the case and protects and locks the crown, is also rendered in carbon, matching the uneven, textured finish of the rest of the case. This sanga-based analogy can be expanded on for the dial, another Panerai hallmark. The textured, matte top plate features cut-outs for the stick indices and Arabic numerals at the cardinal points, as well as the small seconds indicator at 9 o’clock, allowing the fauxtinated Super-LumiNova bottom layer to shine through. Here pictured on brown calf leather, Panerai also includes an “Officine Panerai”-branded black rubber strap so you can actually take the watch swimming, th...

Just last week, I wrote about the stone dial trend and how it’s all getting just a little tiresome. And while I certainly stand by my position, we have to acknowledge and accept that there will continue to be stone dial watches announced and released while the trend continues (or peters out) that are interesting and worth covering. Being able to hold two conflicting ideas in your head at the same time is an essential piece of being an adult, after all, and certainly it matters in the watch world as well, and is something we do all the time (we know buying watches is an objectively bad financial decision, we do it anyway, etc.).  With that being said, Brew has introduced a new watch with a stone dial that I think is actually very nice and not part of the crop of stone dial watches that we’ve seen as of late that appear to be haphazardly slapped together for the sake of capitalizing on an opportunity. The new Retrograph Stone Blend Automatic is a new limited edition featuring a pietersite stone dial inspired by the signature visual element of coffee culture: the moment when milk is poured into a coffee and begins to swirl and blend together.  Specifically, Brew says that the Stone Blend is meant to conjure the patterns created as milk is added to cold brew coffee, which of course is often served in a translucent glass that allows one to see the two liquids come together in a sometimes dramatic way. Who hasn’t been transfixed by this at one point or another? Pietersit...

As Singapore celebrated its National Day on August 9, I had the Cartier Santos Chronograph as a fitting companion for the Sunday.

Grøne introduces the Horologium, a new manual-winding timepiece available in two different versions, “Something Quirky” and “Something Classic.” Both watches come in a 39mm stainless steel case and feature small seconds, a Swiss-made manual-winding movement by La Joux-Perret, a 60-hour power reserve, and 5 ATM of water resistance. Limited to 188 pieces per version, the […] Visit Play It Classic, Or Make It Loud: Unpacking the Grøne Horologium’s Dual Identity to read the full article.

Seiko has introduced the Presage Classic Series x Tradman’s Bonsai Limited Edition HCC009J1, a new mechanical watch built around the colour and texture of a Japanese pine tree. It is scheduled for release in September 2026 and production is limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide. This is not a simple green-dial version of an existing Presage. The dial, gold-coloured case and included accessories all connect to the bonsai theme. A dial shaped by an old pine tree Tradman’s Bonsai was founded in 2015 with the aim of presenting traditional Japanese bonsai in a modern way. For this collaboration, the main reference is a sanko-matsu pine that is said to be more than 150 years old. The textured Matsuba-iro dial is inspired by the bark and needles of an old Japanese pine. The dial uses a deep green colour called Matsuba-iro, named after pine needles. Its strong pattern is inspired by the rough bark of an old pine tree. Light catches the raised texture from different angles, while the gold hands, applied hour markers and printed text stand clearly against the dark background. There is no date window, so nothing cuts through the pattern. Gold colour without a gold case The 38 mm case and bracelet are made from stainless steel with a gold-coloured hard coating. It is important to be clear that this is not a solid-gold watch. Seiko mixes brushed and polished surfaces across the case and multi-row bracelet, then adds a fine pattern around the bezel for more detail. The case measures 12....

It’s always nice when you run into an old acquaintance. A few years ago, I spent quite a bit of time on the Wolbrook website, as I really liked the brand’s Tropic-style rubber straps. To me, they were the perfect combination in terms of material and looks. During those visits, the brand’s watches caught my […] Visit Budget-Friendly With Vintage Charm: The Updated Wolbrook Skindiver 38 Automatic to read the full article.

Twelve on Time is a conversation series that invites leading personalities from the watch industry to step beyond their work and speak more personally about their relationship with time, creativity, and craft. Through a set of twelve questions, the column aims to lift the veil on both the individual and their perspective on watchmaking, revealing […]

Fast-track evolution. In just one year, Casio launched its first automatic mechanical watch, the Edifice EFK-100, and rapidly improved it. Now, the third generation of the Casio Edifice automatic is here. The EFK-200, a sporty-chic yet affordable watch with an integrated bracelet/strap, comes in five variations and looks to be a very mature watch. There […] Visit They Grow Up So Fast! Meet The Casio Edifice Automatic EFK-200 to read the full article.

Although it’s the heart of the summer break, Seiko is definitely not taking any time off. We have been enjoying a steady stream of releases from the Japanese brand. At Fratello, we are in the lucky position to see some of the new releases up front. The last time we were given a preview of […] Visit Seiko Explores The Unique Art Of Bonsai In Its New Presage Classic HCC009J1 to read the full article.

Since its international relaunch in 2016, the Seiko Presage collection, for decades available only to Japanese customers, has become the brand’s showcase of the country’s traditional aesthetics and craftsmanship, offering enamel, porcelain, and urushi-lacquer dials. The recently introduced Presage Classic Series comprise vintage-inspired everyday watches, and the new Seiko Presage Classic is created with Tradman’s […]