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Glamour is alive and well. Momentum for 1970s design-led watches on the red carpet is still going strong.

You know the old philosophical question about the tree falling in the forest without anyone there to hear it? The new release from Hublot, a pair of Classic Fusions that make up the third installment of their “Essential Grey” collection, has me thinking of a similar question that could be aimed at the watch community: if a Hublot is reserved and muted, is it still a Hublot? Obviously, of course it is. But my personal interest in the brand is so geared toward their more experimental side, a release like this really flies under the radar. As a point of fact, however, the Essential Grey releases are a very big deal in the Hublot collector community, and this one ought to prove every bit as popular as the prior two.  For the uninitiated, the Essential Grey watches in Hublot’s catalog are an annual release of a watch in a simple grey colorway, always sold through a single channel and always focusing on a single model. It only happens once a year, so it’s a drop that Hublot fans eagerly anticipate. Previous Essential Grey releases included versions of Big Bang Unico and Spirit of Big Bang. This year, Hublot steps away from the bombast of those watches, opting for a watch that is meant to remind collectors of the brand’s origins.  The Classic Fusion is Hublot’s most straightforward watch, and the watch most closely in tune with the brand’s past. It’s a model that’s often used to explicitly connect the Hublot of the 1980s to the Hublot of today, as it did with ...

Atelier Wen proudly makes its watches in China, but Andrew takes a look at a special one-of-three piece that was made, in part, in Geneva.The post Atelier Wen and Andrew rendezvous in Paris with a special Perception watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Running the gamut from a '90s-inspired SWATCH to a vibrant digital watch from Autodromo and an underrated take on Hamilton's Khaki series.

What was your first watch? Not your first mechanical watch, not your first nice watch, but actually your first watch. If you’re around my age, I’d hazard a guess that it was probably something fun. Neon Shark watches, bright G-Shocks, and outdoorsy Timexes were the thing on my playground growing up, and it’s a recipe that still works just as well approaching (or beyond) 30 as it did approaching 10. All this is to say that colorful and waterproof is a recipe for success, and one brand that really gets this is Vero. I don’t exactly remember the first time I crossed paths with a Vero, but I do remember the minty green dial standing out against the stark black bezel, and that I found myself pretty taken with their line of colorful dive watches from the get. It’s an interest I haven’t really shaken, and one only compounded by the latest iteration of their signature dive watch, the Open Water, now in a  38mm case. The big headline here is a series of subtle refinements to the Open Water model, all of which add up to a stark evolution of Vero’s flagship diver. To look at the new Open Water 38 in isolation, one might be hard-pressed to call out many of these changes but put the old and new models next to each other, and the difference will be clear.  The most visually dramatic of these changes is the shift from a black DLC finish on the bezel to a boldly colored Cerakote treatment. A stark black bezel has been a key visual hallmark of the Vero Open Water, so moving...

When the new Hublot Classic Fusion Essential Grey models hit our screens, they immediately stood out. We always love seeing what the brand comes up with for its Classic Fusion. After all, the watch tells Carlo Crocco’s original Hublot story. But there is more to it than that. The Classic Fusion also still looks just […] Visit Hublot Gives Its Classic Fusion The Stylish “Essential Grey” Makeover to read the full article.

England based independent Garrick releases the successor to their S3 Mk1 and S2 Deadbeat seconds models with the latest S3 Mk2.

Commemorating Canada's 157th birthday in the style of the Great White North.

While my love of vintage-infused watches is cyclical, my love of dive watches is constant. There is just something about the purity and a sense of purpose that will always keep the genre on my favorite list. When done right, as with the shape and size of Certina’s DS Super PH1000M STC, a touch of […] Visit Hands-On With The Certina DS Super PH1000M STC - A Dive Tool Done Right to read the full article.

In recent years, Swatch Group-owned brand Certina has demonstrated its capability of creating powerful, capable and nicely designed dive watches at fair prices. Take the example of the DS Super PH500M, the DS PH200M, or the DS Action Diver to understand my point. Last year, the brand pushed things even further with a watch drawing inspiration from […]

The Summer Olympics will kick off in Paris in less than a month. Zenith has created the Defy Skyline Édition Paris to help celebrate the occasion. It uses a different style of dial, which may leave potential buyers wishing that this limited edition watch wasn’t only offered in France. Omega is the first brand that […] Visit Hot Take: The Zenith Defy Skyline Édition Paris to read the full article.

You’ve seen the Patek Philippe Alarm Travel Time before but never in a two-tone look. Since Watches and Wonders 2024, there’s the reference 5520RG, a very complicated and exclusive travel watch in rose and white gold. The colorway might sound very 1990s, but the sunburst dial is very en vogue. Do we start with the […] Visit Monday Morning With The Patek Philippe Alarm Travel Time Ref. 5520RG - A Two-Tone Grand Complication to read the full article.

Following the original Pilot Majetek in stainless steel, Longines has unveiled the Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition with a titanium case and a grey-tone livery. Modelled on the original majetek aviator’s watch supplied to the Czechoslovakian air force in the 1930s, the limited edition is identical to the stainless steel variation in terms of design, dimensions, and movement, but is lightweight thanks to the case metal but also unexpectedly pricey. The Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition in grade 5 titanium Initial thoughts The Pioneer Edition is Longines’ third re-issue of the original. Longines didn’t quite get it right with the first remake, the Heritage 1935. It lacked the rotating bezel with a triangular marker that was one of the defining features of the original, and also had an awkwardly positioned date window at six and “automatic” on the dial. Last year’s Pilot Majetek in steel was not really a remake since it has a distinctly different case design, but still gained several refinements over the Heritage 1935. However, the Pioneer Edition is not really a tangible improvement over the steel model. Thought the titanium case does bring with it lightness as well as a muted grey finish that goes well with the design, it comes at a big price increase of almost 40% over the steel version. Such a large premium for a titanium case doesn’t make much sense today given the difference in cost of a case in either material is negligible for a big brand. The Arabic indices, a...

The dive watch-focused brand has released a very vintage-looking special edition 'superdiver' in support of the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC).The post Certina doubles down on its love for turtles with the special edition DS Super PH1000M STC appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

With the Aerodynamic, they Robot cleverly takes some of the design cues of the streamlined, air-cooled Tatra cars and incorporate them into the timepiece. The air vents are prominently displayed on the dial, and colored on this version in a beautiful hue of blue.

Audemars Piguet powerfully demonstrates the theory that “two is better than one” in the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked, a coveted collector’s model with two balance wheels for increased chronometric precision and viewing pleasure. Following the recently released 37mm tone-on-tone gold version, AP proposes a trilogy of 41mm models in steel, black ceramic and […]

Another challenge accepted, and this time, it’s a hard one. As you know, €5,000 is not the Rolex-bag-filling stash it once was. Yes, I’m old, but it wasn’t that long ago that €5K was big money. Finding the best watches under €5,000 is not easy these days. I say that reasonably subjectively, even understanding Lex’s […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €5,000 - Thor’s Picks From IWC, Christopher Ward, Oris, And More to read the full article.

The Type A dial, Flieger-style pilot's watch has been something I've coveted since diving deep into the watch collecting hobby. If I'm not dreaming about some of the prohibitively priced stuff out there, I often think of some of the best affordable options if I were to make this kind of addition to the collection. A few names come to mind, but I've had a soft spot for Archimede since meeting them in San Francisco one year and photographing one of the coolest Archimede watches ever. As the in-house watch brand of the Ickler case company in Germany, Archimede produces some of the most well-crafted and affordable timepieces in this space while remaining family-owned. Today, we're looking at the Archimede Pilot 39, one of their most popular models, and a watch that I'm sad to say goodbye to after experiencing it on loan from Archimede.

For Ulysse Nardin, Watches & Wonders 2024 was all about the Freak S Nomad, which made its debut in a booth that featured a massive replica of the watch’s movement. While the Nomad is essentially just a new livery for an existing model, the aesthetic changes, which include a rotating guilloche dial, give the watch a sportier feel that suits the design. The Nomad is the second model in the Freak S collection after the original of 2022, and the latest in a long line of innovative watches that dates back to 2001. Interestingly, the Nomad is the first Freak to feature artisanal decoration, in the form of the guilloche dial, as compared to past models that have been more about technology than technique. Initial thoughts Mechanical watchmaking technology is fundamentally archaic, largely unchanged for more than a century. As a result, futuristically styled watches can easily come across as superficial. So it’s refreshing to consider the Nomad, which backs up its sci-fi styling with 21st-century materials and truly unique movement architecture that manages to be highly differentiated even a quarter-century after its launch. On paper, the Nomad is a large watch at 45 mm in diameter and 17 mm thick. Both of these numbers surprised me because after putting it on my wrist, it looks and feels smaller than it is. This is due, in part, to the lightweight titanium case, the muted colour palette, and the visual depth of the dial. Furthermore, the eye is naturally drawn to the central ...

I’ve always had a fascination for peeking behind the curtain. Whether it was tearing apart broken electronics, rebuilding car engines, or opening the caseback of my first Seiko, I’ve always wanted to see and know how things work. As I’ve gone deeper into the horology rabbit hole, I’ve become more interested in the physical process of assembling a movement. While I can watch any number of YouTube videos, there’s something special about seeing it done in person, especially when you get to watch a Grand Seiko Watchmaker at work. Last week, I was invited to Grand Seiko’s boutique for a live assembly of their new 9SA4 movement, a high-beat, manually wound high frequency movement featuring Grand Seiko’s proprietary dual impulse escapement and 80 hours of power reserve. If you’d like to learn more about the 9SA4 and how it was created from the 9SA5, Zach Kazan covers that in detail here. This event was hosted at Grand Seiko’s Madison Avenue boutique (we celebrated the grand opening of this boutique in March, click here for the recap article) which features a gorgeous open concept main level, and an intimate lower level they’ve dubbed “The Cellar”. Unlike any cellar I’ve ever been in, this lower level features multiple lounge spaces, a full bar, a dedicated presentation space and, of course, plenty of watches. You’ll also find various items of cultural significance from the towns surrounding the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, which inspire the design o...

This week, we take a look at the dress watches. And our focus is on those released to date in 2024. Here are our picks for the six most impressive.

Some of us have had enough of vintage inspiration, while others can’t get enough, even after ’60s diver reissue number five. Spinnaker has just released some colorful takes on the Spence 300 Automatic, allowing the vast line to cater to both groups. The Spinnaker Spence 300 Automatic is a solid Miyota-powered wrist buddy that can […] Visit Hands-On With The Spinnaker Spence 300 Automatic - A Modern Sports Watch With Vintage Chameleon Vibes to read the full article.

“Racing is life; anything that happens before or after is just waiting.” Famous words by Michael Delaney, Steve McQueen’s character in the legendary 1971 movie Le Mans. And while there’s far more to life than racing, to a Petrolhead, it does make absolute sense. It’s the thrill of fast-paced cars being pushed on winding roads […]

One of the most whimsical timepieces we saw at Watches and Wonders this year was the Hautlence Retrovision ’47. Presented as a pièce unique for the fair, this watch is far from your regular timepiece. The design takes direct inspiration from a late-1940s radio built by General Television & Radio Corp. from Chicago. It certainly […] Visit Hautlence Introduces The Production Version Of The Remarkable Retrovision ’47 to read the full article.

To celebrate its enduring legacy, Grand Seiko has re-created the original Grand Seiko model from December of 1960, and it is all the right kinds of vintage Japanese minimalist design that any self-respecting WIS would appreciate. The Grand Seiko 1960 Re-Creations are the essence of Grand Seiko.

We have a rather special Sunday Morning Showdown for you today. For once, we aren’t pitting two watches against each other. This time, it is up to two bracelet styles to fight it out. These are not just any two bracelet styles, mind you, but two of the most iconic ones to ever affix watches […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: The Battle Of The Bracelets - Oyster Vs. Jubilee to read the full article.