Latest watch news · Page 490

Rolex has never been known as a watchmaker of grand complications. The core of its portfolio consists of purposeful and precise sports watches with a dose of luxury if desired. 904L stainless steel or “Oystersteel” dominates this lineup, but 18k gold in part or in full are popular choices and often a “flex” for business […]

I’ve become a pretty big fan of De Rijke & Co. over the past few years, and am glad to see them experiencing so much success recently (I’m basing this on their booth at the New York City Windup Watch Fair being mobbed to the point that I couldn’t find room to introduce myself to brand founder Laurens de Rijke until the last day of the show). If I’m being honest, though, I’ve been a bit mystified by the whole Miffy thing. The Miffy Moonphase watches have become something of a viral sensation for De Rijke, but I’ve always assumed the limited editions were snatched up by an international audience with more Miffy familiarity than the typical American watch consumer. But earlier this year, traveling back from Geneva Watch Days, I had a connection in Amsterdam, and waiting at the gate I noticed an American family (the Boston accents gave it away) with two young children and several shopping bags full of Miffy memorabilia purchased, I assume, somewhere in Schiphol Airport. It dawned on me then that the Dutch cartoon was not some closely held regional secret – it was just I’m, as usual, painfully out of touch.  Today, De Rijke launches a pair of new Miffy Moonphases with green dials that follow the format of their previous releases closely. This, according to De Rijke, is the final Miffy Moonphase release in a steel case, and it consists of both a single and double moonphase, each in an edition of 50. The double moonphase watches have been particular favorites sin...

Forget the sophomore slump; there's just more phenomenal watchmaking from Brette's second commercial release. We talk to him about the new piece and what he's learned from the last year and a half.

Catching us all by surprise, the new Blue Lagoon.The post Swatch releases a new Scuba Fifty Fathoms out of the blue appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

White gold is lauded as a bit of a stealth wealth flex, but could you be fooled thinking it's stainless steel, or vice versa?The post Can anyone actually tell white gold and stainless steel apart? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

D.C Hannay runs through a few of Anthony's Bourdain's favourite watches.The post Anthony Bourdain: Chef, world traveller, punk rocker, watch collector appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Are non-Rolex watches becoming more mainstream, or is it a case of comedians becoming more horologically aware? The post Comedians may make jokes for a living, but they take watch collecting very seriously appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A staple of the US women's affordable luxury market, Michele watches are all show and no go.The post Why Michele watches bother me so much appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Understanding ETA’s best-selling calibres will give you an insight into most Swiss watches, so here are the most important movements.The post All the ETA movements you should know about appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Brew Metric Retro Dial chronograph is an industrial designer's and coffee enjoyer's idea of a watch that teaches you how to pull your shots.The post The Brew Metric Retro Dial says it’s bean time appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Simon Brette unveils the “Rose Gold” edition of his GPHG-winning Chronomètre Artisans timepiece: it's a sensational harmony of the warm rose/red gold case and intense-black 'dragon scale' dial.

Today we’re going to take a look at the top 5 most expensive Hublot watches, one of the grandest displays of unashamed opulence.The post The 5 most expensive Hublot watches (including the one Beyoncé bought Jay-Z…) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Simon Brette unveils the “Rose Gold” edition of his iconic Chronomètre Artisans. This is a new edition to the watch is already pre-sold (!)

Yema and I go back, way back. Well, back to 2021, actually. One of the first articles I wrote for Fratello was on a Yema watch…and not just any Yema watch. The Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT Limited Edition I wrote about marked the start of Yema’s military career as an official partner of the French […] Visit Trying On The 38.5mm Yema Navygraf Super Compressor In Marine Nationale Bleu to read the full article.

Now that we’re in countdown mode for the holiday season, here’s a watch for those with a passion for pilot-themed action-packed watches lucky enough to be wintering in Zermatt. Hamilton’s Khaki Aviation collection, where you’ll find vintage-inspired pilot’s watches and state-of-the-art flight instruments, is home to the X-Wind Auto Chrono, an impressive tool watch bristling […]

Powered by a manually wound Sellita movement, this is one of the more compelling microbrand field offerings we've come across.The post The Camp Fieldtimer is an excellent, alt-take on a field watch, with custom fonts and lacquer dials appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Let’s start this review with a confession: I hate this time of year in the Netherlands. With gray skies for days on end, endless wet streets, howling winds, and inhospitable temperatures, it’s not always the most enjoyable place to be. It’s not necessarily that I can’t handle these conditions individually, but together, they are rather […] Visit Testing The Rugged Micromilspec Milgraph In Inhospitable Urban Conditions to read the full article.

Hublot’s latest release is a limited edition created in collaboration with Novak Djokovic, the tennis champion who has 24 Grand Slam titles. The Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic is encased in a carbon composite that recycles the player’s tennis racquets and Lacoste polo t-shirts. And its movement has been reworked to utilise aluminium bridges and plates, ensuring the entire watch weighs less than a tennis ball. Initial thoughts Often criticised for its pricey, Sellita-equipped entry-level models and numerous limited editions, Hublot is sometimes controversial. The brand’s higher-end watches, however, are usually more interesting (and occasionally very complex) and sometimes better value. Priced at US$52,700, the Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic is expensive enough that it’s not a value proposition. It is, however, interesting for the case material. Moreover it holds a special appeal for fans of Novak Djokovic. And intrinsically, it is technically competent as it’s equipped with a modified Unico movement that is mostly aluminium and ultra light. Tennis racquets Sized like the standard Big Bang Unico, this measures 42 mm by 14.5 mm. The case material, however, is unique. The case and bezel are in a composite derived from 25 Head tennis racquets, 17 dark blue and 15 light blue Lacoste polo t-shirts used by Djokovic throughout the 2023 season. These ground-up racquets and shirts are mixed with an epoxy resin reinforced with quartz powder and glass, resulting in a distinc...

The post A New Ceramic Case, A Value Packed GMT, New Watch Protection, And So much More appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Originally conceived for pilots of the US military (and covered here by Fratello), the Omega Speedmaster Pilot is now available to civilians. The origins of the watch explain the military-influenced, instrument-style dial design, which is meant to evoke the utilitarian nature of an instrument panel inside a fighter jet. The regular production version of the watch retains the same specs as the military exclusive, but with different livery. The case has the straight lugs of the Speedmaster “Ed White” but in a larger format thanks to the automatic cal. 9900 inside. Initial thoughts I’m something of an outlier amongst enthusiasts since I prefer automatic to manual-wind, even within the Speedmaster collection. While a manual-wind movement is traditional for the Speedy, I appreciate the day-to-day convenience of an automatic. Additionally, Omega’s latest-generation automatic chronograph movements are all impressively high-spec. While the Speedmaster Pilot may not achieve the same aesthetic purity as its manual-wind counterparts, it remains an excellent everyday option, especially with the military provenance. That said, the military provenance is not exactly military-issue. The watch was designed for military pilots who presumably buy it on a personal basis for off-duty wear; it is not an actual mil-spec instrument watch. This can be seen in the dial design, which has aviation-inspired elements, rather than actual, functional indicators for pilots. Even though this is m...

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso travels from the sport of polo in colonial India to the world of Mad Men, Batman, and high horology.The post Flipping the script: How the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso became a game changing icon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

To mark the Chinese New Year that begins on January 29, 2025, Blancpain has unveiled the Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar “Year of the Snake”. For the first time, the brand combines a platinum case with a green grand feu enamel dial on its wristwatch that has the unusual complication of a Chinese lunisolar calendar. As with previous editions, the Villeret Chinese Calendar displays the symbol of the Chinese Zodiac in a small aperture located at noon, in addition to featuring a snake motif engraved on its frosted white gold rotor. Initial thoughts The ability of a perpetual calendar to accurately track months, dates, and days for decades, mechanically and without any manual adjustments, remains impressive even as the complication has become common. Watches with a traditional Chinese calendar, however, remain rare and arguably more impressive. Only a handful of brands have incorporated the traditional Chinese calendar into a wristwatch, with Blancpain being one of the earliest to do so, way back in 2012 ( and more recently H. Moser & Cie. has done the same). Admittedly, the latest edition of the Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar introduces little new beyond the platinum case paired with a green enamel dial. Both the design and movement remain the same. While not intrinsically novel, the new version of the Traditional Chinese Calendar remains an interesting complication, with the new livery being appealing in itself. Year of the serpent The snake zodiac edition is...

There are many celebrated heroes from the world of independent watchmaking. But how many of these unsung heroes do you know?

To Jubilee or not to Jubilee? We debate whether the Rolex GMT-Master II looks better on a Jubilee or Oyster bracelet.The post Oyster vs Jubilee: Which bracelet does the Rolex GMT-Master II look better on? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A couple of weeks ago we did a rundown of what we felt are some of the best dress watches for the festive season. A time when we get together with our loved ones to celebrate, enjoy, and take a little break from our daily concerns. While a dress watch certainly seems like a fitting […]