Latest watch news · Page 409

When I read Devin Pennypacker’s article in January about the W.O.E. Submersible Wrist Compass, it really got me thinking about the connections between wristwatches and compasses. Both physical tools––and both debatably archaic because of rapid advancements in technology––there’s a certain allure to owning and utilizing these tactile devices instead of the applications on a smartphone. What better way to demonstrate the relationship between watches and compasses than combining them into one piece? The Casio MW-43 is a watch like no other, and its combination of timekeeping and navigation make it a unique piece of horology that deserves far more attention. The MW-43 and Pathfinder’s Seemingly Undocumented History Very little information exists about the MW-43’s creation and, surprisingly, the origins of the Pathfinder branding. The first ever triple sensor watch model, the Casio ATC-1100, was released in 1994. The first Casio Pro Trek-branded timepiece, the DPX-500, was launched in 1995. The first Pathfinder models were produced in 1995 and include (but may not be limited to) the SPF-50, SPF-10, PAT-30, ALT-6300, and PAT-600. Both the aforementioned ATC-1100 and DPX-500 are virtually identical apart from cosmetic colorway differences, and this design would later be reused under the Pathfinder branding as the PRT-40 in 1996.  This complicated chronology has caused a bit of confusion within the collecting community, but I hope this explanation will help to rem...

The spring auction season is getting underway with the first sale being Phillips’ The Geneva Sessions Spring 2025 taking place online until March 12. The online auction is a warm-up for the Geneva live auction taking place in May, but the 70-lot sale nonetheless includes several interesting timepieces, including some unusual examples from the “neo vintage” era. Essentially watches made in the 1990s to the early 2000s, such watches tend to be good value today; 30 years on they still sell for a fraction of the original retail price. One of the best known watches from the era, perhaps even iconic, is the Vacheron Constantin Mercator. A double retrograde with hands taking the form of a compass, the Mercator was introduced in 1994 and produced for a decade. A little over 600 were made with most of them having etched brass dials; less common were the examples with cloisonné enamel dials. The sale includes a Mercator with a map of Portugal dating to 2004, making it one of the final pieces made. Part of a limited edition of just ten watches, this example includes an achieve extract. The Mercator Portugal is lot 19 with an estimate of CHF25,000-50,000. The enamel dial of the Mercator Portugal One of the quirkiest watches in the sale is the Alain Silberstein Kronomedio Saphir. The French designer was the first to employ sapphire crystal for the watch case way back in 1997. An exceptionally expensive watch at the time, the sapphire chronograph illustrated Mr Silberstein’s av...

With a dial update for the watch world's design darling, the Anoma A1 goes black-tie.

Dallas Watch People! We’re just a few days away from our very first Windup Watch Fair in the great state of Texas! To get you ready for the weekend, we’ve put together an all-encompassing rundown of the brands that will be there and special events that will be going down. But first, let’s cover the basics of the Fair: Hickory Street Annex 501 S Second Ave #200, Dallas, TX 75226 Saturday, March 15: 12PM – 6PM Sunday, March 16: 12PM – 5PM Free and open to the public No registration necessary We’re also excited to offer a number of other activations and special features at this first-ever Dallas Windup Watch Fair. Here’s a quick rundown: – On Friday night, our friends at Bulova are hosting an exclusive screening of Bulova’s 150th Anniversary Documentary film at The Alamo Drafthouse Cedars. Click here to learn more about the screening and the afterparty! – Throughout the entire Fair, Fossil will be providing strap changing and bracelet adjustments, so that you can immediately get your new watch on your wrist! Head to the Fossil booth on the upper level to check out their latest releases and get your watch fitting just right! – In the Accutron Lounge, on the first floor, you’ll be able to take a break from the fray of presenting brands and see the Electrostatic Movement in person! – On Saturday at 5:00PM, our friends at Bruichladdich will be hosting a happy hour at the Bruichladdich Bar (which will also be serving up refreshments all weekend). It’s t...

One of the oldest jewellers in the United States, Shreve, Crump & Low (SC&L;) has turned to Laurent Ferrier (LF) for the Classic Origin SC&L; x LF, a tasteful take on the brand’s manual-wind, time-only wristwatch. Boston-based SC&L; was founded in 1796, but the new Classic Origin adopts a restrained aesthetic in blue and bronze that’s a welcome departure from the sector dials and Breguet numerals that characterise many of LF’s recent editions. Available in either stainless steel or red gold, the SC&L; edition is LF116.01, a hand-wind calibre that’s LF’s most accessible movement but still features refined touches like a linear winding click in polished steel. Initial thoughts I like the fact that the SC&L; edition adopts LF’s signature style while avoiding overused elements like a sector layout in “salmon” or green. This instantly sets the SC&L; version apart from most other Classic Origin iterations. Furthermore, the combination of grained blue and satin gold on the dial is unusual but appealing as it gives the watch a contemporary feel that works well with LF’s low-key “Galet” style. And the discreet SC&L; logo above the seconds is an elegant touch. The SC&L; edition being a manual-wind Classic Origin is both a pro and a con. It’s an advantage because of affordability; the Classic Origin is LF’s most accessible timepiece; the steel SC&L; edition costs US$42,000. However, the calibre inside doesn’t have the same level of detail as the micro-rotor automat...

Whimsical and graceful in the typical Hermès style, the Arceau L’Heure de la Lune and Arceau Le Temps Voyageur are both unusual takes on familiar complications; the two were incidentally conceived with the aid of Chronode, a complications specialist. Hermès has reworked the palette for both models, most notably with a two-tone case for the Arceau L’Heure de la Lune. This returns as a set of three watches, each featuring a dial made of a specific type of meteorite, namely Blue Grey Moon, Vesta, and Erg Chech. All three are housed in a 43 mm case with contrast-colour lugs. The Arceau Le Temps Voyageur, on the other hand, is offered separately in two guises: 41 mm in white gold, or 38 mm in rose gold with diamonds. The Arceau L’Heure de la Lune three-piece set Initial thoughts Among Hermès’ whimsical complications, the Arceau L’Heure de la Lune stands out as an unconventional and interesting reinterpretation of the simple date-and-moon-phase watch. Unlike traditional moon-phase displays, this employs mobile counters that orbit the dial over a 59-day cycle to reveal the current lunar phase. It’s a large watch and a little thick, but still elegant thanks to the design. The new variants look more modern than their predecessors thanks to the two-tone cases and meteorite dials that sport subtle colour accents that are typically Hermes. The main downside is the fact that the three are delivered as a set, which not only means the cost is high – the set retails for ...

Phillips Perpetual will shortly open a three-day exhibition dedicated to independent watchmaking at its London showroom. Independent Spirit will comprise five notable watchmakers whose work encapsulate the diversity of the genre: Konstantin Chaykin, Raúl Pagès, Theo Auffret, Charles Frodsham, and David Candaux. The watch boutique arm of the eponymous auctioneer, Phillips Perpetual conceived the exhibition as a small-scale event that will allow personal interaction with each of the watchmakers, or in the case of the long-departed Charles Frodsham, the brand’s representatives. The exhibition will be a rare opportunity to meet some of the leading lights of independent watchmaking. Amongst them is Raúl Pagès, a true artisanal watchmaker in the traditional sense. Mr Pages will have on hand examples of the Soberly Onyx, his inaugural watch, and the RP1 Régulateur à détente that won him the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize. Raúl Pagès While all of the other watchmakers at the exhibition are relatively young, Charles Frodsham is a continuously-operating, centuries-old brand – proof that independent watchmaking innovation can come from unexpected places. The movement of the Charles Frodsham Double Impulse Chronometer The only watchmaker absent is Konstantin Chaykin, who unfortunately was not able to travel for the exhibition due to travel restrictions resulting from his nationality. That’s unfortunately as the Russian watch- and clockmaker is a technician and artist whom I ...

Blancpain reaffirmed their dedication to ocean preservation with the fourth in the series of watches labelled as Blancpain Ocean Commitment.

MeisterSinger, a German brand created by Manfred Brassler in 2001, and located in the city of Münster, Westphalia, has made a name for itself with its unusual display of the time based on a single central hand – a fine needlepoint that enables the wearer to read the time almost to the nearest minute, but […]

In total, Swatch has introduced 30 MoonSwatch models since 2022. First, there were the original 11 MoonSwatch variants, and then, a year later, we saw 11 others with a Moonshine Gold-plated hand. In 2024, we got two MoonSwatch Snoopy models, three new MoonSwatch Mission on Earth variants, a Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase, and […] Visit Hands-On With The MoonSwatch 1965 - The 30th Version Of The Bioceramic Speedmaster to read the full article.

The Maurice Lacroix Aikon collection needs little introduction. One of the first accessible takes on the concept of 1970s-inspired sporty-elegant watches with integrated bracelets, the collection launched in 2017-18 has expanded to incredible levels to integrate classic time-and-date watches, chronographs, ceramic models, openworked watches and even sportier Venturer editions. Some versions did catch our attention […]

Citizen announces a renewed focus on affordable luxury watches by grouping two of its popular model families into a new collection.The post What makes the new Citizen Premier collection qualify as luxury? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Swiss brand Breva Genève was founded in 2010 by Vincent Dupontreué. At one point, the brand garnered quite a bit of attention on the independent watchmaking scene with a series of original but niche complications such as a barometer, an altimeter or even a retractable speedometer! For multiple reasons, the brand unfortunately disappeared for a […]

With Watches and Wonders Geneva just around the corner, we predict big things from Tudor for 2025.The post Tudor 2025 predictions – why Rolex’s little sibling could end up overshadowing it this year appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

When Biver launched to great fanfare in 2023, the debut watch displayed watchmaking maximalism at its finest. Father and son Jean-Claude and Pierre Biver must have asked themselves, “What if we turn everything up to eleven?” The young brand’s second model, the Automatique, dialed things down somewhat. Still, it looked distinctly intricate and truly Biver-esque. […] Visit Introducing: The Biver Automatique Japan Edition - Minimalism And Maximalism Collide to read the full article.

A look back at the movements behind the most significant Calatrava models, from the first cal. 12-120 in the ref. 96 to the latter-day cal. 30-255 PS in the Clous de Paris ref. 6119.

Find out what the stars of Drive to Survive had to say on the red carpet of the F1 75 event at the O2 in London.The post Find out what the biggest stars of Formula 1 would drive and wear on their wrists for the rest of their lives appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

With a career spanning Patek Philippe to Rexhep Rexhepi, Hagmann left an indelible mark on more than just his cases.

Pequignet was founded in 1973 by Emile Pequignet in Morteau, a French city in the mountains next to the Swiss border. The brand developed quickly in the 1980s and 1990s, but it has gone through its fair share of ups and downs in its 50 years of history. In the early 2000s, Pequignet initiated the […]

I recently visited the Aristo Vollmer watch and bracelet manufacturer in the Black Forest town of Pforzheim. Aristo-Vollmer was founded 14 years ago as a merger of two well-known companies from the towns of Birkenfeld and Pforzheim. After three generations in the possession of the founding Epple family, the watch manufacturer Aristo Watch was sold in 1998 to Hansjörg Vollmer, a member of the founding family of watch bracelet manufacturer Vollmer, which has been associated with Aristo since 1927. Hansjörg Vollmer is a grandson of the founder of the metal bracelet manufactory Vollmer (Vollmer, Evvo, New Line), which was founded in 1922 and had maintained business relations with Aristo since 1927.  After World War II, the production of bracelets moved from Birkenfeld to Pforzheim where it is still located next to the Pforzheim train station. Since 2005, the Aristo-Vollmer’s portfolio includes watch brands (Aristo, Aristomatic, Aristocrat, Messerschmitt, Vollmer, Bellana, Aristella, and Erbprinz) as well as bracelets (stainless steel, titanium, carbon), buckles, and deployant clasps. The bracelets are used for its own watch brands, and supplied to retailers, as well as outside the group. Recently Aristo added Klaus Jakob’s Jacques Etoile brand, which we’ll come back to a little later. Hansjörg is an intriguing personality, very driven yet approachable. He is a high-speed fanatic and professionally races BMW motorcycles, and even custom builds them upon request. I att...

Behind the scenes at one of the world's most unique and comprehensive archives of horology.

Stepping from films to videos games, Hamilton watches stay at the heart of compelling stories. The post Hamilton creates a special watch for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

With watches such as the Multifort Mechanical, the Ocean Star 39, or the Decompression Timer 1961, Swatch Group-owned brand Mido seems to be on a roll regarding dial creativity. Fun, colourful, original and bold, the brand’s latest creations stand apart with the use of unusual designs and clever application of SLN to add even more […]

Swatch celebrates Spring with their new Blossom Time, featuring light airy colours in stainless steel cases. Available in four colours.

The revival of Ikepod has been met with a lot of enthusiasm, especially seeing the brand develop from ‘just’ another resuscitated name to a full-fledged return of the unmistakable and iconic Mark Newson design style across a range of collections. Ever since the takeover by longtime Ikepod-fan Christian-Louis Col, we’ve witnessed a return of the […]