Latest watch news · Page 41

We may not be, as Rob Thomas serenaded us way back, seven inches from the midday sun, but hoo boy, however close we are is plenty (I know, I know: 93 million miles). I hope wherever you're reading this is appreciably cooler and/or not too clogged with smoke, and for the dog owners, I hope your canine companion's finally shaken off the terror of the holiday two weeks back. Scorekeeping last week's pick, the Tudor Inter Miami Pink sold for TKTK ($19,500 currently, sells thrs), the Longines Ultra-Chron went for £440, the Jaeger chronograph sells Saturday, and both Rangers are still (implausibly—what are you waiting for?) available. Strays Photo courtesy Aletheia Subastas. If you missed the Tudor Ranger II from a bit back, here's a hell of a nice example. This Jaeger-LeCoultre is the nicest plain jane, solid gold watch I've seen in a bit, and it's powered by a P469/A, meaning you'll have a watch using the same engine that helped tens of thousands of WWII guys stay on time. This Eberhard simply looks like it'd be a fun wear, and sometimes that's plenty, and while this Edox Geoscope 42 is a bit on the complicated side, its fun factor is still real high. For those interested in flexing their maritime bona fides, here's a great-looking near-NOS Heuer Regatta from Hess Fine Art, and, in the same auction, there's also this Rolex Submariner ref. 1680 and this Mk1 Sea-Dweller ref 1665 (both from 1978, if someone's hankering to buy me a birth-year watch). Finally, here's an excellen...

For June, our champagne consumption was supplemented with sake, red wines and also Cramant. It was a varied month, with some Tokyo travel.

I want to preface this whole review by stating that I’m not that much of a yachtsman. My last experience on a “yacht” was when I helped a buddy of mine move his sailboat. We needed to move the boat a scant 20 miles. Except that was the distance when traveling by land. Luckily, we live on an island (a Long one) and had some available water to move the boat. 23 hours, nearly 100 miles, too much sun exposure, and many bags of chips later, we made it through a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean around Long Island, then up through NYC’s East River and into the Long Island Sound. On my wrist was a Bertucci Field Watch — not exactly the most suited timepiece for the job, but since we stayed in the boat and out of the water, it worked just fine. Perhaps the journey would have gone a bit smoother had I had the right watch for the job…like the Fears Brunswick Helmsman. If this watch was on wrist, maybe we could have avoided the three hours straight of choppy seas off the Rockaways, remembered to put some more sunscreen on, and not decided to put the sail up five minutes before hitting a random thunderstorm. Fears Watch Co. was much more considerate in designing their Brunswick 40 “Helmsman” – a cushion-cased watch sporting 200 meters of water resistance, a bright white dial, blue accents, and a vibe that’s right at home on a sailboat. Let’s take a closer look at this watch that was designed for “those who find themselves regularly at the helm of a yacht or boat”...

The Carrera Chronograph Glassbox has become one of TAG Heuer‘s most versatile modern collections. Over the past few years, across the 39mm and 41mm cases, we’ve seen everything from classic panda and reverse panda layouts to vibrant purple, teal green and gem-set editions, each giving the watch a distinct personality. The latest version, the sand-coloured […]

I have been a Stan Smith (both the man and the shoe) aficionado for as long as I can remember, so getting to sit down with the man himself a few years ago felt like a bucket-list moment. I have Maurice de Mauriac to thank for that introduction. I’ve stayed close to the Zurich brand […] Visit Maurice De Mauriac And Swiss Tennis Celebrate 130 Years With A New Rallymaster to read the full article.

India is huge, as is its appetite for watches. The history of watchmaking in the country, whether on the production or distribution side, is relatively recent but rapidly growing. Helios Luxe, part of Titan, distributes 45 brands and targets the accessible luxury segment. We recently sat down with Diny Markose, the CEO of the group’s watch […]

Another Friday, another list! This week, we dive into the world of the modern Rolex Daytona. It’s one of the most debated watches among watch enthusiasts. Whether it’s about the Daytona’s aura, the fact that it’s become an unobtainium, or its design, people have a lot to say about The Crown’s iconic chronograph. Despite all […] Visit The Top 5 Current Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Models to read the full article.

Here we go again. It's been a blue ribbon auction year so far, particularly for rare examples of timepieces from independents, including F.P. Journe. During a record-setting spring auction season marked by a stunning shift in valuations and collector interest in top-notch independent watchmakers, an early Chronomètre à Résonance (no. 007) fetched a record $13.9 million, making it the most expensive F.P. Journe watch ever sold at auction and the fifth most expensive watch of all time.  Mark wrote up a great piece on the record-breaking result that dives deep into the history of the Résonance and why it's such an important achievement in haute horology, and why it is François-Paul Journe's signature watch. With the prototype produced in 1998, and with 'Souscription' commercial pieces produced and delivered beginning in 2000, Journe's Chronomètre à Résonance marks the first time that the concept of "résonance," combining two movements with separate balances into a single case and bringing them into perfect synchronization, was brought to a wristwatch. For many collectors, the model represents the ultimate expression of Journe's vision and talent as a watchmaker. Just 20 'Souscription' pieces—offered to those who bought Journe's first watch, a tourbillon—were produced, and collectors have come to covet the series, with the earliest watches fetching a premium. When it comes to the Résonance, the earlier the better, it seems. That's why it's newsworthy and worth ...

As Centre Court packed away another fortnight of strawberries, sunshine and relentless television close-ups of celebrity watch spotting, Jannik Sinner finally lifted the Wimbledon gentlemen’s singles trophy to cap off a superb tournament. Elsewhere, it wasn’t quite such a triumphant week for English football fans, whose World Cup dreams came to an abrupt halt this … Continued

Earlier this year, independent Swiss brand Bianchet expanded beyond its signature tonneau-shaped watches with the launch of the Rotondo UltraFino, a sleek round interpretation of its distinctive designs. With an ultra-thin profile, an integrated bracelet and a flying tourbillon movement, the titanium and carbon models introduced a more versatile side to the young brand while […]

I had already been running Fratello for a decade when Mike Stockton asked me in 2014 why we didn’t cover Seiko more often. It’s not that I ignored it on purpose; I was just more focused on Swiss and German brands. Slightly pushed by him, I bought my first Seiko watch. It was a Seiko […] Visit Is It Worth It? — The Praised But Underrated Seiko Marinemaster 300 to read the full article.

Indoor cycling? It’s a lot of fun on a velodrome, the perfect place to keep in shape in the wintertime. But indoor cycling tracks are hardly abundant, and especially in winter, riding your bike outdoors in sleet and freezing winds is rough and tough, both physically and mentally. A good option is Zwift, an indoor […] Visit Horology And Indoor Cycling, Made Fun: The Bravur × Zwift Limited Edition to read the full article.

Krayon, the independent that nearly perfected the sunrise and sunset complication for Anywhere and Everywhere on the planet, applies its no-half-measures approach to gem-setting with the Parhelion. Set with 171 sapphires in a gradient from dark blue to colourless, a dozen of which are a unique “Krayon cut”, the Parhelion is a halo product that seeks to recreate a magical moment the brand’s founders experienced in the arctic. Initial Thoughts Given my affinity for baguette set watches and astronomical complications, I don’t stand much of a chance against the Parhelion, a chilly, high jewellery version of the Anywhere. This isn’t Krayon’s first gemset watch, which would be the Everywhere, but is the best yet. I especially appreciate the creation of a novel fancy cut “Krayon-cut” which preserves the hour marker’s original form, something that is often lost in gem-set versions of originally non gem-set watches. Of course, this only worsens the Anywhere’s only fault – other than lack of summer time adjustment – pushing the Anywhere’s already high (if justifiable) price tag over the half-million dollar mark. That is a lot of money, but it is also a lot of watch, and still well below Patek Philippe’s sapphire-set Celestial. Near-Artic Encouter Caused by sunlight passing through hexagonal ice crystals in high-altitude clouds, parhelia (more commonly, sundogs) are a type of halo that mimics a second, and usually a third sun. The effect is most common, an...

The Roger Dubuis Excalibur “The Kabuto Legacy” transforms the brand’s monumental Excalibur case into a showcase for Japanese history and miniature craftsmanship. Thematically similar to the the Knights of the Round Table (KRT) collection, the samurai-inspired dial centres around a contemporary interpretation of an Edo-period castle with 12 individually hand-engraved pink gold kabuto, each based on the distinctive helmet of a historical warrior. Initial thoughts Watches like the Excalibur Kabuto are not ‘watches’ in the typical sense, and only make sense through an artistic lens. Collectors who spend a lot of time in the spec sheets will likely come away unimpressed, but with only 28 pieces being made, the Excalibur Kabuto represents a sub-segment of haute horlogerie that treats the watch case as a miniature art gallery. While some may be indifferent to the samurai motif, the quality of work — from the hand-engraved helmets on the dial to the laser-engraved precision of the crests in the rotor — is remarkable. Furthermore, the playful minimalism of the Edo castle, which from some angles looks like an enormous faceted sapphire, is an inspired work of miniature architecture. The case is identical to that of the KRT collection. It’s 45 mm and nearly 17 mm thick — height that accommodates a sapphire crystal ring underneath the bezel. This elaborate construction helps flood the miniature sculptures with light and provides a better look at the engraving work. In...

Bremont takes its bold integrated sports chronograph into darker territory with a limited edition built around meteorite, black DLC, and a few clever nods to the late physicist. The Bremont Supernova Hawking is a black DLC chronograph with meteorite dial details and Easter eggs honoring Stephen Hawking. Here's what's new.

Many watches have been named for athletes, explorers, and artists, mostly to boost an air of sportiness, robustness, or sophistication. Still, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate arena for a wristwatch than the field science as a whole; British brand Bremont agrees, and to celebrate one of the most famous and culturally pervasive scientists of the past two centuries, they have created the Supernova Hawking Limited Edition, named for preeminent thinker, Professor Stephen Hawking.  Known more for their mil-spec pieces, Bremont may seem like a strange choice for such a namesake watch, but given their status as a British brand of repute, it makes sense that they’d want to showcase a fellow English pioneer. The base of the Hawking is the Supernova, first launched in April of this year, and boasting a 41mm ultra black DLC-treated steel case with multilayered construction. The geometric aesthetic of the case, pushers, and crown, reflect Hawking’s work in the space engineering field—most notably his groundbreaking research into black holes. Black watches have had a bit of a renaissance as of late, and wear well with almost any other color, so the choice here makes sense from a source-of-inspiration standpoint, as well as an aesthetic one.  A black decahedral ceramic bezel surrounds the dial, which in turn features an interlocking, galvanic black grid motif with triangular pathways, inspired by the design of solar arrays. Two meteorite subdials adorn the dial, at 3 an...

What We Know This year marks 15 years of MB&F;'s M.A.D.Gallery, a unique boutique concept that serves as both a storefront for MB&F;'s wildly inventive horological creations and a showcase of mechanical art from artists around the world (and yes, you can buy those pieces, too). As one of the projects celebrating this anniversary, the folks behind the M.A.D.Gallery has commissioned British designer Martin Smith to create one of the most unique watch winders I've ever seen, in a limited edition of 10 pieces. To say that this is a bit of an unconventional design for a watch winder would be an understatement, and it's something that I can't stop looking at. Designer Martin Smith playing with one of his other kinetic sculptures. The sculptural form of the Solar Orbiter stands at a height of 60cm—that's around two feet tall for us Americans—and spans a width and depth (essentially a diameter of the piece) of 40cm or around 16 inches. In the chaos of the two feet of powder-coated steel, aluminum, brass, wood, and electronics, Smith draws inspiration from the whimsy of pop art, toys, and Eames' iconic Solar Do-Nothing Machine from the fifties to create a spinning, rotating sculpture that is hard to ignore in any room.  But most importantly, there is functionality to it all, as part of the spinning arm of the Solar Orbiter holds a watch to perpetually wind as the machine goes on. There are over 300 handmade parts in this piece, and the design certainly doesn't hide any of them. ...

Nodus and Raven have collaborated once again for their fourth edition of their popular TrailTrekker watch, a sporty GMT with EDC design codes. This new release is perhaps the most EDC oriented yet, with the prominent use of forged carbon fiber front and center on the dial and bezel, as well as lots of decorative lume. It also represents the first time a TrailTrekker has crossed the thousand dollar mark, but this one feels like it’s a step up in terms of its ambition, and seeing all four on the Nodus website side by side, it’s clear the two brands are building out a product line that can be taken in a number of different directions going forward.  The new TrailTrekker Carbon maintains certain core design elements that Nodus and Raven have always adhered to with these watches. The basic principle is relatively simple: it combines the Nodus Contrail’s sporty case profile with Raven’s dial design (most notably in their Trekker series) that prioritizes legibility and functionality above all else. Each TrailTrekker, including the new Carbon version, also makes use of the Miyota 9075 GMT movement, an easy to operate “true” GMT that is a genuinely great option for travel.  A huge part of the appeal of the original TrailTrekker was its unique bead blasted “Clay” colored case finishing. This new edition appears to have a similar vibe, with a gray DLC treatment over the steel case and bracelet that is just a shade or two lighter than solid black. Nodus and Raven hav...

Headquartered in a beautiful century-old villa in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, the fascinating watch brand Schwarz Etienne is your typical independent watchmaking company. The company’s origins date back to 1902, when founding husband-and-wife Paul-Arthur Schwartz and Olga Etienne got married. From then on, the company would grow continuously, with the descendants of the founding duo also […]

Finding a watch at your local Goodwill or community rummage sale sparks a certain kind of euphoria in a watch collector that’s hard to capture from any other source or stimulus. My watch collecting journey started at a local flea market with two Timex pieces found in a basket of old silverware, buttons, and thimbles. At age twelve, I still can’t identify what made those watches stick out to me like sore thumbs––or why I decided to invest my hard-earned leftover $5 allowance money on them––but that feeling like I discovered a diamond in the rough is a high I continue to chase into the present day. Why does finding and purchasing a watch second-hand from a local sale or thrift store feel so incredibly rewarding? To support my theories with some examples, I invite you to take a trip down my own personal memory lane and look at some of the timepieces I’ve picked up at thrift stores, yard, garage, rummage, estate, and community sales throughout my years of collecting. For those keen-eyed readers out there, you may have noticed I skipped over a classic locale for second-hand goods: antique stores. I want to save that lengthy discussion for another day, as there is a far deeper discussion into the idea of price vs. value vs. availability that will take far longer than a side tangent to be included here. Putting antiques aside for another day, let’s discuss what makes a thrift find feel so valuable. The Thrifty State of Mind Everyone loves a good deal. Do I really ...

Gerald Charles extends their signature Masterlink collection with a trip of limited editions with Gem Set bezels and indices and rare stone dials.

The launch of the Supernova collection earlier this year marked a new direction for British brand Bremont, introducing a bold integrated sports chronograph inspired by spacecraft engineering and destined to become the first watch left permanently on the Moon. Still looking to the stars, Bremont presents the Supernova Hawking Limited Edition, which uses the Supernova […]

What We Know It's summertime, which means it's perfect weather to spend some time near, in, or under the water. While I love a good hyper-overbuilt mechanical watch (and definitely want this one), I've come to realize that the best dive watches are probably the no-fuss, affordable ones. If I'm flying to the Bahamas and want to go on a quick dive, I'm going to grab a Citizen (oh wait, I did). With a bunch of new Citizen Eco-Drive divers (more like Eco-Dive, am I right?) rated to 200m, I figured it was time to share some great new picks. While four watches were just launched in Japan, the U.S. is getting three of them. There's a blue gradient dial with a dark blue stainless steel unidirectional bezel (my personal pick), a black dial with a black bezel, and a white dial with a black bezel and an orange seconds hand (and black printing, of course). That last one feels very James Stacey, if I had to guess. The watches are cased in a super-reasonable 40.6mm by 11.5mm stainless steel case with brushed surfaces and polished chamfers. Inside is the Eco-Drive Caliber E118, which has an accuracy of +/- 15 seconds per month and 12 months of power on a full light-powered charge. The watches are delivered on BENEBiOL straps, a plant-derived biomass urethane. All three options will be available on the Citizen website in the coming days and weeks as deliveries arrive in their US stock. The retail price is $450, so keep checking their shop to make sure you stay on top of when it's availabl...