Latest watch news · Page 23

Colin Chapman, founder of the legendary automotive marquee, Lotus, once stated that “simplify, then add lightness” was his philosophy. It’s an oft-celebrated, frequently misquoted, and pervasively genius idea: removing all but the essentials to create something that transcends its own design. Italian watchmaker Venezianico has taken that mantra in stride with their new Redentore Levius, promising a timepiece that strips all but the essentials away, and is more refined because of it.  The Redentore Levius’ quest for lightness begins with the 38mm Grade 5 titanium case, which comes in a lithe 8.9mm in thickness and just 48 grams in weight, including both the case, internals, and strap. It’s a stupendous line of stats, and the brushed and polished dual finish of the case brings the level of elegance and refinement expected of a dress watch, without taking up valuable visual space. Inside, a hand-wound V5000 caliber movement manufactured by OISA and designed by Fausto Berizzi and Andrea Menegazzo allows for the thin-and-light profile of the watch, while remaining visible through an exhibition caseback.  The real showstopper of the Redentore Levius, though, is the dark blue dial. In order to fully encapsulate the theme, a guilloche motif  is used to evoke the essence of wind. Named “Zefiro” after Zephyrus, the Greek god of the West Wind, the motif was designed in-house at Venezianico specifically for the Levius. Like its namesake, it aims to capture the tender ...

We're on the eve of one of Patek Philippe's biggest events every few years: the October 2nd to the 18th presentation of the brand's Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Milan. On Monday, I'll be flying there for a preview of the exhibition, so stay tuned for stories from that trip coming in the near future. Another story, which has been waiting in the wings and in progress for some time now, was a hands-on look at two of the most surprising (and potentially divisive) releases from Patek this year: the Cubitus perpetual calendar and the Celestial ref. 6105G. While all eyes were on the Nautilus's 50th anniversary, I thought Patek Philippe had a very interesting Watches & Wonders, at least from the perspective of bold releases and brand strategy. Truthfully, they could have done just about anything with the Nautilus, and those lucky enough to get a watch would have been happy. The Celestial alone was a wristwatch with a complication only four other brands have created. But just take a look at the two watches above and the two below. While I didn't get to see the ref. 7047G in person, it raised eyebrows for the very unusual blue tire tread-style dial (à la ref. 6007G) and remarkably strong orange accents and luminous hands and dial placed on a minute repeater that retails north of $570,000. It was perhaps so aesthetically surprising that it distracted people from the fact that Patek was honoring its past with a Calatrava-cased minute repeater reminiscent of the unique ref. 3652 and ...

Minerva, founded in 1858, has entered a new phase in 2026, stepping out from its long-standing double branding with Montblanc to operate as a stand-alone name. The transition has already brought several new creations, including the Unveiled Crownless and new executions of the Unveiled Secret and Unveiled Chronograph, putting Minerva’s distinctive movement designs and traditional […]

When you need to know the day, date, month, and moon phase in one glance, these are the watches to reach for.

Next week is October. October. Even for someone who literally has an ongoing documentation of each week through this column, that is mind-blowing. I hope whatever baseball team you're stoked about is doing well—my Twins fell off so long ago that I haven't even been paying attention—and I also hope autumn's making a decent entrance for you wherever you are. Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Omega Suverän sold for 9,600 DKK, the Universal Genève Cabriolet for 2,400 CHF, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas remains available, and the Zenith chrono for €3,000. Strays Photo courtesy of Huntington Company. Hermès watches hardly go unnoticed, but I love that some of their models still fly a good bit under the radar. The Cape Cod, for instance, is fantastic—interesting and elegant without being too weird. This one, the Grandes Heures, features an hour wheel that allows the hour hand to travel differently based on its dial position, meaning it covers more distance from 9-10 than from 10-11, and while that's not any foundation-shaking complication or horological advancement, it is, inarguably, very cool.  While the breadth of variations makes it hard to argue for any Datejust being superior, I'd argue the Rolex Boiler Gauge models deserve consideration in the top tier, and this one looks fantastic. I somehow went from never having seen the Omega Seamaster ref 196.0054 to spending an embarrassing amount of time looking into it, which is my very public plea for help and for ...

At a recent wedding celebration, after a heavy dinner of exceptional cuisine, I experienced these two exceptional champagnes.

One of the oldest Swiss watchmaking brands (Founded in 1737 in Le Locle), Favre Leuba underwent a global relaunch in 2024 under the leadership of CEO Patrik P. Hoffmann and has since been pretty busy relaunching timepieces that honour the brand’s extensive archives while meeting contemporary mechanical expectations, all with relatively fair prices. Next to […]

“Now, art thou the man to pitch a harpoon down a live whale’s throat, and then jump after it? Answer, quick!” Herman Melville wrote these words and had Captain Peleg say them to Ishmael in the 1851 classic novel Moby-Dick. Now, I ask, are you ready to pitch the Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival? Answer, quick! […] Visit Are You Ready To Pitch The Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival? to read the full article.

Nousseima Baraket founded Buci in 2022 with a Kickstarter campaign that funded her first collection aptly and simply named “Garde-temps” or “timepiece.” Baraket is of African and French origins, with her parents hailing from Tunisia and raising her and her siblings in the French watchmaking region of Franche-Comte, located on the northwest border with Switzerland. The name Buci comes from a street in an artistic area of Paris, a city Baraket later lived in and used as a source of motivation and inspiration to create her own watch brand (but more on that later). In addition, her North African roots also help lay the foundation for the literary-inspired watches she’d create. “My parents grew up in a farming community in an area known for its olive trees,” Baraket shares, “Neither of my parents went to school. So, for me and my siblings, education was very important. My mother would take us to the library every week and encourage us to read. As I got older, I would also go to museums to learn about authors and poets. So, poetry and literature were always very important to me.” Watches were also a big part of Baraket’s life. “Growing up in this part of France on the Swiss border, watchmaking was all around us. In my family, we began to give watches as gifts for birthdays or special occasions, and a lot of my friends went on to work at watch companies in the area.” Still, it wasn’t until Baraket was working in Paris and wanted to make a watch purchase ...

New dial colors signal that one of Switzerland's oldest brands is serious about its second act. The Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival expands with bold new dial colors. Here's what changed, who it suits, and why this 1737-founded brand deserves a second look.

Founded in 2022 by Nousseïma Baraket, Buci approaches watchmaking through the written word, taking ideas from books, poetry and different forms of writing. Its debut Garde-Temps collection established this identity, followed by collaborations with seconde/seconde/ and Revolution Watch magazine. With Nouvelle, its second collection, Buci turns to the short story, using the passage of time […]

Orient reinterprets its heritage in integrated-bracelet sports watches with the new Flusso collection. Drawing inspiration from the SK (“Super King”) models that appeared in the brand’s catalog during the 1970s and ’80s, the Flusso modernizes the formula for a contemporary audience. Four recessed accents in the corners of the case reference the original SK’s protruding […] Visit Fashionably Late To The Party: Introducing The Orient Flusso Collection to read the full article.

This week, Richard Mille revealed a new partnership with GB1, the British America’s Cup Challenger, as the team’s Official Timekeeping Partner for the 38th America’s Cup. In Time+Tide news, FounderFest was a resounding success, and in the wake of our (now closed) 24-hour global online sales window, we have some interesting stats worth sharing. Let’s … Continued

Perrelet is renowned for its Turbine watches, featuring a dynamic, propeller-style rotor spinning on the dial. As an elegant, dressier counterweight to the theatrical Turbines, Perrelet launched the Weekend collection in 2017. Designed as a compact, well-proportioned daily companion with a subtle retro vibe, the Weekend has recently embraced the ubiquitous trend for stone dials. […]

Another Friday, another list! Two weeks ago, we published a list of five watches that should never have been discontinued. In our eyes, those watches are classics and deserve a permanent spot in their respective brands’ collections. This week, we want to add five more watches to the list. We might have slipped in a […] Visit The Top 5 Watches That Should Never Have Been Discontinued — Part 2 to read the full article.

At Geneva Watch Days, Bulgari unveiled its latest collaboration with an independent watchmaker, three years after a fateful meeting between Vianney Halter and Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Product Creation Executive Director at Bulgari. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo x Vianney Halter Both describe their encounter – seemingly improbable at first – as more natural than we might expect. It resulted in a watch they both describe as “half Octo, half Vianney”. Yet this was not simply a matter of grafting one aesthetic onto another; the collaboration went deeper. Two separate conversations bring the same themes into focus: human connection, constraint as a creative stimulus and, above all, the opportunity to learn from one another. Vianney Halter (left) with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. Image – Bulgari From Bulgari’s perspective, Mr Stigliani describes the Octo Finissimo as a model whose identity had become strong enough to withstand a much deeper transformation – and a manufacture challenged by the ideas of an independent watchmaker. Mr Halter, meanwhile, has long regarded collaboration as a means of moving beyond the boundaries and limitations of his own workshop – provided that the human relationship comes before the project. The interview was edited for length and clarity. Yannick Nardin (YN): Fabrizio, how did the idea of working with Vianney Halter come about? Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani (FBS): I’ve always been in love with the Antiqua. We went to see Vi...

When considering a highly functional, reliable, no-nonsense timepiece that doesn’t break the bank, Seiko 5 undoubtedly comes to mind. Seiko also changed the game for affordable complications when it released the Seiko 5 GMT in 2022, making mechanical dual-time watches accessible to a whole new audience. Seiko’s first foray into this territory took the form of the … Continued

There are rare occasions in this line of work when you encounter real history that resonates with you. I’ve been fortunate enough through the years to handle a number of important vintage watches, owned by notable people, or simply incredibly rare and historic markers for their makers. These watches are visible and tangible links between the past and present and it’s always a thrill to be able to bear witness to one of these objects, even if only for a moment.  But let’s face it, most of the time when we’re talking about historically important vintage watches, we’re talking about watches that are historically important to the watch industry itself, and the history of watchmaking. New Hampshire’s Jones & Horan auction house, which specializes in horological auctions and has a knack for finding all kinds of unique and genuinely important pieces, will be selling a watch in their October auction that feels genuinely significant, and hits that Venn Diagram overlap of so many of my personal interests.  The gold Bulova chronograph seen here was owned by Edward R. Murrow, the famed CBS newsman, who influenced countless journalists and broadcasters and reshaped his industry multiple times. The watch is spectacular, incredibly well preserved, and interesting on a number of levels simply as a horological object. Adding Murrow’s incredibly well documented ownership of the watch into the mix makes it that much more special.  There are many photographs of Murrow wearing...

In 2022, Formex launched the Field Automatic, a 41mm titanium field watch developed with the brand’s signature focus on practical engineering. The series was refined in 2025 with the Field Automatic Gen 2, boasting a slimmer 40mm case, a reworked two-part dial and a more compact overall profile. Now, Formex takes that same platform in […]

Last week, Worn & Wound and Citizen Watch America headed west to Billings, Montana, for an evening of watches, conversation, and a little bit of Windup Watch Fair previewing at Riddle’s Jewelry’s Shiloh location.  Following our enthusiast night in Salt Lake, the Billings event was another chance to bring the Windup experience to a community that doesn’t always get the opportunity to see this kind of collection of watches in person. But more than anything, the evening was about establishing Riddle’s Jewelers as a welcoming home for watch enthusiasts in Eastern Montana—and kicking off what we hope becomes a new tradition of getting together, talking watches, and, naturally, buying a few new timepieces along the way. The evening welcomed local enthusiasts, longtime collectors, curious newcomers, and Riddle’s clientele, all with one thing in common: an appreciation for a good watch and an excuse to talk about them. With food and drinks on hand, the evening had the easygoing feel we love about enthusiast gatherings. Watches came off wrists, new ones went on, and conversations bounced from movements and materials to personal favorites and the watches everyone had been quietly keeping an eye on. Of course, there was plenty to get excited about on the watch front. The collection included standout pieces from Citizen, Bulova, Accutron, Frédérique Constant, and Alpina, including several watches that aren’t exactly easy to find sitting in a display case. And our new ...

I had heard the name but was not aware of the unforgettable spelling until I got a sample of my first BA111OD watch, the latest addition to the brand’s catalog: the Chapter 7 Skeleton. While BA111OD traces its roots back deep into the history of watchmaking, its modern incarnation has taken shape over the past seven years with several different chapters. One of the biggest evolutions we have seen in the brand’s contemporary catalog is in its movements. While early chapters got flack for keeping costs accessible with Chinese calibers, Chapter 3 incorporated the first Swiss caliber into the Swiss-based Maison’s lineup in 2022. The brand’s next installment, Chapter 4, continued to build on this trajectory with the BA111OD caliber BA.01. This movement was notably developed in collaboration with watchmaker Olivier Mory whose La Chaux de Fonds workshop has given rise to movements for brands across the industry, from Louis Erard to Yema. Then, BA111OD’s Chapter 5 went on to introduce the Maison’s first automatic chronograph thanks to the ETA Valjoux 7750. Next, Chapter Delta entered the lineup with a major shakeup thanks to another movement co-created with Olivier Mory, this time featuring a unique hypocycloidal mechanism. Instead of a standard central rotating hand, a satellite hour wheel rolls around a fixed central wheel. This creates a deltoid path where the hour dot naturally slows down and speeds up during its rotation cycle. Here, traditional circular minutes c...

A new azure dial and an 18K white gold case breathe fresh life into one of the thinnest full perpetual calendars in production. The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin 30th Anniversary arrives as a 200-piece limited edition in white gold with a new azure dial.

What We Know The hottest Vacheron Constantin collection is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year, and the brand is paying tribute with a new version of one of my personal favorite watches from the brand. Sure, earlier this year we got the return of the 2500V, which is celebration enough, but the new limited-edition azure blue Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is a limited edition that honors the first generation of the collection. Below is a picture of the current third generation and the 1996 first generation, itself a successor of sorts to the 222 in 1977 and the 1975 Chronomètre Royal before it. Yes, Vacheron has done a blue version of this watch before—and has released a few other colors recently, including a bold red—but now the same 41.5mm by 8.1mm white gold case gets a more muted, less saturated azure blue soleil and lacquer treatment, with white and light blue printed text and applied indices with Super-LumiNova. The movement is the same Caliber 1120 QP/1 automatic movement that is only 4.05 mm thick. Yes, other brands are slowly introducing perpetual calendars with a crown-adjustment system, but while this still uses caseband pushers, the benefit is a watch that measures 1.5mm thinner than the similarly wide Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The watch runs at a slightly slower 2.75 Hz and has only 40 hours of power reserve, but again, at the thin profile you get, the wearability should more than make up for any small downsides. Another huge benefit i...

Breguet's sporty Marine line gets updated dials and a sharper identity, while keeping the savoir-faire that made it worth wearing in the first place. The Breguet Marine 5517 returns with refreshed dials and updated details. Here's what changed, who it suits, and how it stacks up.

A fresh sky blue dial option lands on both Spirit Pilot references, and it works better than you might expect. Longines adds sky blue dials to the Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback. Here's what changed, who it suits, and whether it's worth your attention.

MB&F; and Caran d’Ache go ape with the GorillaSharpener, a CHF 850 mechanical gorilla that turns sharpening a pencil into an art form.