Latest watch news · Page 96

Welcome to another instalment of Back To Basics, our series aimed at newcomers to our lovely shared passion. This installment does not cover one specific theme. The aim is rather to provide novice watch enthusiasts with some broadly applicable tips and mindset advice. Where do you start? How do you start? What mistakes can we […] Visit Back To Basics: Expert Advice For Novice Watch Enthusiasts to read the full article.

Fine watches have pulled double duty as decorative objects since before the invention of the hairspring in 1675. In this sense, one could almost argue that watches have been linked to art since before they were even watches in the modern sense. This relationship emerged early in part because both types of objects were made primarily for the same clientele: wealthy elite in Europe and elsewhere. Though art and watches exist for different reasons, they are both often created with eternity in mind. The noble materials and timeless designs of many fine watches, especially those of the quality that would normally be paired with a work of art, also help justify the painstaking (and costly) work of artisanal decoration, which can, in some cases, take more than a year for a single work of miniature art. Introduction to miniature painting Of all the forms of decoration that have been applied to watches, miniature paintings are an especially important genre. Historically, these miniature masterpieces have been produced primarily in enamel, though acrylic paint is increasingly used today. Much has been written about the art of miniature painting, and it would not be an exaggeration to call it a dying art, since the number of living practitioners seems to have rarely exceeded half a dozen at any given time over the past century. Vacheron Constantin’s Masterpiece on Your Wrist programme is a partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York that allows customers to commissi...

There’s a “don’t change it if it ain’t broke” mentality in Swiss watchmaking. Progress is slow, and it often seems that there’s a general distrust of change. An example of this is in the mechanical movements that power most of our watches. Chances are, you have at least one watch with an ETA 2824 or a movement based on the 2824 in your collection. If you’re like me, you have several. For Swiss-made watches of a certain price point, they are the standard. They are “workhorses” that, while not the most feature-rich, offer reliability and serviceability. And part of the reason for that is that the design has been around, largely unchanged, since the 1970s (the 2824-2, which is the current standard, was released in the 80s). That is, until 2013, when ETA launched 80-hour movements based on the 2824-2. First debuted in a Tissot as the Powermatic 80, ETA nearly doubled the 2824’s power reserve by slowing the escapement’s frequency from 28,800bph to 21,600bph, introducing synthetic components, and increasing the mainspring’s capacity. The biggest update to the 2824 format in a generation (though they no longer use that numbering), as ETA is part of Swatch, these movements gave the group’s catalog of brands under Omega an unexpected edge in the market, but were not available to third-party brands, thus limiting their overall impact. The ETA 2824 featured in a Sinn 556i In 2003, Sellita began supplying movements to third parties as a response to Swatch’s...

Far from being a recently-introduced collection, Tissot’s PR516 represents the brand’s racing-oriented option. First seen in 1956 with the PR letters originally denoting Particulièrement Robustes, the collection underwent a remarkable transformation in 1965 to become what we know today. As time progressed, the PR516 underwent various iterations, and came back in great shape in 2024 […]

The post Our Top 5 Oris Watches To Own In 2026 appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Planning to look for a discontinued Seiko? We break down fit, comfort, accuracy, and upkeep after long-term wear so you know exactly which models to hunt for.

It’s fair to say that under Manuel Emch’s leadership, Louis Erard has evolved from being a somewhat obscure brand into a dynamic platform for creative collaborations. Offering highly original content at affordable prices, Emch has partnered with high-profile watchmakers such as Alain Silberstein, Vianney Halter, and Konstantin Chaykin, while his passion for contemporary art has […]

The sailing-inspired collection blends a first-for-the-brand dive bezel and sporty chronograph vibes for an affordable offering.

Some weeks, like last week, frankly, I look at the crop of new releases hitting my inbox and wonder about the state of things in the watch industry. Everything feels like an iteration, a slight tweak, or an attempt to return to the mean. So we get slightly more luxe Speedmasters (where the pricing immediately becomes the talking point), a cadre of new Defys that have us wondering “Didn’t they already make this one?” and Carreras that hint at the watch community sneaking back to the Big Watch Era. Is it possible I’m overreacting? Of course. None of the watches mentioned above are bad by any means, in fact all of them are quite good, objectively speaking. It’s just that they don’t represent a ton of creativity or innovation, and when you work in the industry you become attuned to just how rare genuine creativity in watchmaking really is. It makes sense though. This is a business that’s all about selling watches and the biggest brands in the world need to cast a wide net. Big risks when it comes to design can’t reasonably be expected as the norm.  So we turn to the smaller makers, independents and microbrands, hoping they’ll be the ones to wave the proverbial Freak Flag. The new release from Toledano & Chan, the b/1.3r, with a custom made solid gold dial, is the kind of watch you love to come across in the midst of the big guys refreshing product lines and going through the motions.  Their latest introduces a slightly smaller case in blasted titanium, meas...

This was the first time I had ever seen one of Qian GuoBiao’s watches in real life. I’d never seen one at watch shows, quickly behind glass, or even in a passing moment at a collector event. I’ve long admired Master Qian’s watches through my laptop screen, but this encounter with his Split-Seconds Chronograph was […] Visit Hands-On With Qian GuoBiao’s Split-Seconds Chronograph to read the full article.

Toledano & Chan have uncovered the latest evolution of their cult-hit brutalist bestseller, the b/1.3r., which boasts a gold ripple dial.The post Toledano & Chan sends ripples across its range, reworking the cult B/1 with a surging solid gold dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

For the Olympic Winter Games to be held in northern Italy, Omega releases the Seamaster Diver 300M Milano Cortina to commemorate the event.

Review of the Rdunae RA02 military field watch, exploring its design, small-case proportions, practicality, and place in a watch collection.

Simple solutions to complex problems could well be Dr Ludwig Oechslin’s overriding philosophy. Former curator of the Musée international d’horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Oechslin studied archaeology as an undergraduate and obtained a PhD in Philosophy – with a scholarship to study theoretical physics and astronomy – and became a Swiss master watchmaker in 1983. Bringing […]

Sometimes you run into watches that are in a different category of appreciation. The moment I saw the inaugural Toledano & Chan B/1 with the lapis lazuli dial, it triggered my appreciation for design, not only in watches but also in general. The beautifully sculpted case, wonderfully detailed bracelet, and stunning lapis lazuli dial made […] Visit Hands-On With The Striking Titanium Toledano & Chan B/1.3r to read the full article.

Independent watchmaker Qian GuoBiao continues to expand the horizons and appreciation of indie horology from China, building on the foundations laid by earlier pieces like the Facing the Sky 2.0 and Double Balance Wheel. His latest creation, the Split-Seconds Chronograph, is another step forward. While the Double Balance Wheel explored harmony through the synchrony of […]

Yema offers a modern take on its1960s skin divers, but with a very contemporary hook: a manufacture micro‑rotor plus a bronze case.The post Yema’s Skin Diver Slim Bronze CMM.20 promises patina and in-house movement performance appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

What a strange question. Why would the Vulcain Monopusher Heritage Panda, a new interpretation of the Swiss brand’s 50s Presidents’ Chronograph Heritage model, only be interesting for Real Madrid fans? Why wouldn’t the socios of Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, or fans of other football clubs outside Spain want this retro-looking chronograph on the wrist? Perhaps it’s […] Visit Hands-On With The New Vulcain Monopusher Heritage Panda to read the full article.

Audemars Piguet (AP) has formally inaugurated the Arc Manufacture in its historical home of Le Brassus. Designed by de Giuli & Portier of Geneva, the 23,700-square metre building will accommodate 700 employees under one roof - a number that would have been almost unheard of in the days of the historical établissage system. It connects to, and partially wraps around, the existing Manufacture des Forges, which was completed in 2008 and housed around 300 employees - an impressive figure for its time. The expanded manufacture should ultimately help boost production, especially considering it was designed with Industry 4.0 in mind. In other words, it’s a smart factory. This includes a Goods-to-Person (GTP) automated sort and retrieval system which uses 66 robots to pick the needed components, which are then delivered by robotic shuttle. While such systems are already used by high-volume luxury watch brands like Rolex and Omega, few haute horlogerie brands have the volumes to justify such an investment. According to AP, the GTP system saves an average of 15 seconds per operation. But more than scale, the new manufacture should deliver higher quality of product – namely superior reliability and less defects – across AP’s offerings. Like other new manufactures of its type, the Arc is extremely energy efficient as well thanks to 321 metres of electrochromic glass, which can automatically change opacity to regulate the amount of light, and heat, allowed in. The building...