650 articles · 9 videos found · page 10 of 22
Monochrome
Warning lights go off for serious watch geeks when they get wind of a new model from a fashion or luxury brand. While Dior is best known for its haute couture, its first men’s watch, the Chiffre Rouge, cannot be dismissed as a fashion watch – far from it. Embracing an edgy, contemporary and admittedly […]
SJX Watches
Amongst Patek Philippe’s best known complications is the travel watch, most notably the traditional world time with its mechanism inspired by the Louis Cottier system. Continuing with that tradition, the Patek Philippe World Time with Date ref. 5330G-001 features a thoughtful date complication that has been smartly implemented to allow it to go backwards and forwards in sync with the world time display. This is the regular production version of a model first introduced last year at the Watch Art Grand Exhibition Tokyo as a limited edition. Initial thoughts Patek Philippe World Time watches have mostly abided by the same 24 city indication style since the 2000’s. The Cottier system is a very convenient way of showing the time simultaneously across 24 timezones by using a 24 hour disk in conjunction with a cities’ disk. The new World Time adds a novel date indication linked to the local time. Though simple on its face, the date display is a sophisticated, two-finger mechanism that allows the date to automatically go backwards or forwards as the time display changes. Travelling from Tokyo to Hawaii, for instance, sends the date backwards. The timepiece gains in utility, as it shows more information to the prospective globetrotter, all while keeping the additional indication discreet. A practical addition The dial may seem cluttered at first, but when taken separately the indications are reasonably legible. The innermost dial with traditional dauphine-shaped hands show...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing info@wornandwound.com. We Can’t Stop Watching Videos of U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas If you were on the internet last weekend – literally any corner of the internet – you were almost certainly flooded with videos of U2 performing at the Sphere in Las Vegas, the new concert venue attached to the Venetian featuring an enormous domed screen behind the stage. Many have been anticipating seeing what the Sphere has to offer for quite some time, but with U2 taking the stage for a Las Vegas residency that will keep them in town for the rest of the year, the public is getting their first taste of what’s possible in the state of the art concert space. It’s a uniquely immersive environment, with the Sphere’s screen taking up your entire field of vision, presenting a photo realistic (or dreamily psychedelic) view of, well, just about anything. The possibilities are truly endless. The Washington Post has a solid collection of some of the best viral videos to emerge from the Sphere’s big opening weekend, but searching for Sphere content on your social media app of choice should provide a steady diet of im...
Worn & Wound
There are plenty of things we can choose to be frustrated by in the watch world. Rising prices, the increased importance of mysterious social media algorithms, outright chicanery, nonsense, and shenanigans in the auction world. Yes, these are forces contributing to making the hobby a little less enjoyable at times. But I like to focus on the bright spots, of which I’d argue there are more than enough to get excited about. One of those bright spots is the reemergence and wide availability of affordably priced, classic designs from thoughtfully resurrected heritage brands. Guillaume Laidet has become something of a specialist in this area, playing an integral role in the return of Vulcain, Excelsior Park, and Nivada Grenchen, the subject of this hands-on. For a time, it seemed like a month couldn’t pass without a “new” brand that went dormant during the quartz crisis coming back with an updated version of their most popular model. So many of these attempts to capitalize on the popularity of vintage, neo-vintage, or whatever we’re calling it wound up failing, but the Nivada Grenchen strategy always felt different, and the brand continues to be successful a few years out from the relaunch because of Laidet’s forward thinking. Beyond the overall quality of the watches, which is consistently high, Nivada has always been presented as a real brand, and not simply a vehicle for launching one, or maybe two, watches. The idea of having a real collection for consumers to...
Time+Tide
If a luxury brand is synonymous with handbags or jewellery, most watch collectors won’t usually give them the time of day, as we tend to get hung up on the fact that these names are known more for haute couture than haute horology. Despite the best efforts of the watch press, a whole segment of … ContinuedThe post When are we going to accept that fashion brands can make legit timepieces? 6 amazing references from rulers of the runway appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
AP reigned supreme as NBA stars packed the stands in Vegas.
Time+Tide
Paris, Haute Couture and summer on the French Riviera – France has elegance ingrained into its very soul. Wrist-worn style is something we are used to seeing from both Cartier and Chanel, while Hermès has evolved into a serious horological prospect – take their sporty H8-series this year. But for the more budget-conscious, there is … ContinuedThe post The new French Wave: 5 small watch brands setting a high bar for independents worldwide appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The new Égérie collection from Vacheron Constantin presents the beguiling combination of Haute Horlogerie with Haute Couture. Merely seeing the photos makes me jealous of my wife, as this is something I surely cannot classify as unisex. But maybe for once, that’s a good thing. While citing inspiration from the world of high fashion, there … ContinuedThe post Vacheron Constantin delivers the dazzle of diamonds in the Égérie collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Parisian haute couture house Dior currently has three watches in the running at the 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, two of which are based on the magnificent Grand Bal concept. Elizabeth Doerr takes a quick look at them.
Revolution
The Italian fashion label and couture house named for its founders are adding to their alta orologeria lines with a brand new in-house movement, the DG 01 at Baselworld 2019.
Time+Tide
For a watch lover, Baselworld is the big dance. It is every birthday rolled into one. It is Vegas, it is Christmas, it is a jolt back to childhood, when you would count sleeps before a special day. It’s awesome. And, I think you will be able to quickly establish from the video, we get … ContinuedThe post LIST: Andrew’s top 10 watches from Basel in pictures appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Prepare to be surprised with Dolce & Gabbana’s new one-of-a-kind timepieces that mirror everything the Italian duo love to create in their haute couture collections. Revolution gets an exclusive first look at these amazing creations.
Revolution
55 million dollars is by any measure quite a bit of money. It can buy you the car collection of either Jay Leno or Ralph Lauren (your pick), one epic night in Vegas (making Steve Wynn a very happy man in the process) or eleven of the 2012 Hublot $5 Million Dollar Bangs. It can […]
SJX Watches
The Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Les Volumes du Temps is a unique watch created for the upcoming TimeForArt charity auction, penned by a student artist at the Académie de Meuron. Its dragging hour and minute discs depart from conventional hands, while the sculptural dial showcases the elaborate enamelling for which Jaquet Droz is known. Jaquet Droz CEO Alain Delamuraz (left) with Fiona Djukanovic (centre) Initial thoughts The Petite Heure Minute Les Volumes du Temps draws on Jaquet Droz’s expertise in métiers d’art, particularly grand feu enamel, to support a worthy cause. It differs from the brand’s familiar format primarily through its dial, designed by Fiona Djukanovic, a student at the Académie de Meuron in Neuchâtel. Its X-shaped composition reveals two apertures, one for the dragging hours and another for the dragging minutes. The display borrows its functionality from the Ophidian Hour introduced last year, with a module fitted to a variant of the familiar Jaquet Droz cal. JD2653. Both the hour and minute discs advance gradually, rather than jumping between numerals. The movement is a descendent of the Frédéric Piguet cal. 1150, a twin-barrel architecture that has provided good service to brands like Blancpain and Urban Jürgensen for nearly 40 years. Beyond this functional change, Ms Djukanovic’s design combines shades of blue with champlevé and flinqué enamel over hand engraving, emphasising the depth and volume of the dial’s architecture. Des...
Monochrome
When it was launched in 2011, MB&F;’s Legacy Machine 1 seemed like a totally alien presence among the brand’s fleet of futuristic galactic-themed Horological Machines. Appearing in the brand’s first round case, the LM1’s classical Roman numerals, lacquered registers and overtly 19th-century air made it look less like a spacecraft instrument and more like a […]
Monochrome
Breguet’s maritime pedigree dates to 1815, when Louis XVIII appointed Abraham-Louis Breguet as watchmaker to the French Royal Navy. Although Breguet did not invent the marine chronometer (that was John Harrison), he improved its robustness and precision, enabling sailors to calculate longitude at sea more accurately. It wasn’t until 1990, though, that the brand tapped […]
SJX Watches
The Bremont Supermarine Full Ceramic Deep Blue adds a dark blue ceramic case to the brand’s 500 m dive watch collection. It’s a more casual take on the Supermarine, with a restrained colour and carefully finished case that give the Sellita-powered diver a more stylish, less tactical character. Initial thoughts Sometimes it’s surprising how much difference a colour can make. In the case of the Bremont Supermarine, the navy blue hue of the ceramic case and bezel results in a look that is quite different from that of its black ceramic stablemates. The deep blue colour is very subtle, and to my eye looks less plasticky than some brighter blue ceramic competitors. The prominent texture of the brushing on the case gives it vaguely a metallic appearance, and it at a glance it could almost pass for PVD-coated steel. While ceramic is not a perfect material and can crack under extreme torsion or if dropped onto a sufficiently hard surface, the real-world benefits outweigh these edge cases. The natural scratch-resistance of ceramic pays dividends when changing straps, for example, as the spring bars cannot scratch the inside of the lugs when finding their seat. There’s also an ancillary benefit to ceramic, which is that service watchmakers will not be tempted to try to polish it. The Supermarine’s strengths lie in its finely executed dial and relatively slim case. The wave-inspired dial pattern is dramatic without being overpowering, while the 13 mm thickness and flat case ...
WristBuzz
A 250-piece limited edition in dark blue ceramic that gives Bremont's 500m diver a more wearable, less tactical personality
Worn & Wound
We’re at an interesting time when it comes to the dialogue in the watch community on vintage inspired watches. Watches that make explicit references to the past are simply less common now than they were a decade ago, or even 4 or 5 years ago. I’ve long believed that a maturing group of collectors who entered the hobby when these watches were all the rage have aged into a point in their collecting journeys when more adventurous and contemporary designs simply have more interest. But this theory really only applies to what most of us refer to as “midcentury” watches. Think about the earliest dive watches from Rolex, Blancpain, and others, the types of dress and everyday watches worn by Don Draper on Mad Men, and extending through to the earliest bits of 60s and 70s funkiness. That’s the vintage inspired wheelhouse for watch brands seeking to tap into the community’s desire to commune with the past, whether through real or imagined nostalgia. Watches from a century ago are an entirely different category. Enter the Hamilton American Classic Cushion Mechanical. This is an entirely new collection from the brand that finds them looking to designs from the 1920s for inspiration. Watches from this period never really had a widespread moment of resurgence like divers from the 1960s, but if you’ve spent some time in the hobby you’ve undoubtedly encountered collectors who are deeply into exactly this kind of thing. There are a number of interesting reasons to colle...
Worn & Wound
When you work in a world about objects that measure time, you are confronted daily with the finite nature of things – nothing lasts forever. Speaking a bit less existentially, we see certain products come and go all throughout our lives. A brand changes its logo. A restaurant changes a recipe. A watchmaker retires a favorite model. To us, these changes can feel abrupt – like it happened overnight. However, I can say confidently after many years of factory tours that the watch industry most certainly doesn’t take change lightly. For each watch design we love, there is prototyping, tooling, machining, programming of that machining, training – an endless list of resources and time that go into bringing every detail of a particular model to life. To change that or do away with it altogether is a carefully considered decision that impacts the bottom line. Now, yes, there is a flipside that’s pervasive in this industry – exclusivity – and I am equally certain this comes into play when discussions about discontinuing a collection arise. A huge part of the watch world is fueled on scarcity and hype, and brands know the frenzy that’s likely to ensue when a beloved model is suddenly no longer available. So here I am to give the brands what they want – a beg, a wish, a plea or at least some well-deserved adoration for some discontinued models that we would like to see make a comeback. A. Lange & Söhne Datograph The launch of the original Datograph. Image courtesy A...
SJX Watches
Steve McQueen is closely associated with Heuer and Rolex, but his personal watches also included the less conspicuous Hanhart 417 ES. The Hanhart 417 ES Steve McQueen Limited Edition No. 1 commemorates that connection with a discreet dial signature and a strap modelled on his own, developed with input from his grandchildren. Initial thoughts Steve McQueen is inextricably linked to Hollywood, but also the objects he surrounded himself with — cars, clothing, sunglasses and watches. Though when it comes to the latter, he’s often mislabeled. The Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 is often erroneously nicknamed the ‘Steve McQueen’ despite the fact he never wore one (it was a Submariner ref. 5513). But before the Rolex and Heuer Monaco years came the Hanhart 417 ES, which McQueen was rarely seen without as it accompanied him through everyday activities for many of his early years in Hollywood. McQueen’s loyalty to the comparatively low-key Hanhart 417 may have been function-led. An avid racer, sportsman and marksman, the flyback chronograph with ample shock resistance and a useful rotating bezel likely hit the mark for what he wanted from a tool watch. Hanhart has kept the tribute restrained. The actor’s signature replaces the text above six o’clock on the standard 417 ES 1954 Heritage Flyback, but is small enough not to overwhelm the dial. The watch can stand on its own, even for someone with little interest in McQueen. It’s a good story for a watch priced at €2,890....
Fratello
Over the past decade, we have come to know Nezumi as a creator of stylish, affordable watches. I particularly love how the Stockholm-based brand uses less common colors to make its watches stand out. Over the past year or so, Nezumi has focused on updating its collection. Last year, we saw revamped versions of the […] Visit The Nezumi Voiture VM2: A Racing Chronograph That’s Here To Stay to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Breguet has long been a brand with a deep reverence to its history spanning over 250 years. In this tradition, Breguet’s designs have remained consistent and timeless. The brand’s Marine collection is a core part of this lineage, with roots that trace back to 1815 when Abraham-Louis Breguet was appointed watchmaker to the French Royal Navy by King Louis XVIII. At the time, these marine chronometers were crucial scientific instruments, but as years passed and needs changed, the collection later evolved throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. On the coattails of Breguet’s 250th anniversary last year, we’re really seeing the brand’s offerings come into the modern era with new design updates. The latest comes to the Marine collection, which the brand has revamped with a new aesthetic that aligns with its latest stylistic codes.Two references anchor the contemporary Marine line: the 5517, a classic time and date version, and the 5527, a chronograph. For the first time, both the Marine 5517 and 5527 will feature Breguet numerals and the “Quai de l’Horloge” guilloche pattern that was unveiled to mark the 250th anniversary. This motif takes its name from the address on the Ile de la Cite where Abraham-Louis Breguet established his workshop and where his early marine chronometers were produced. Its design draws inspiration from two sources: first, the contours of the Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint-Louis as well as the repetitive movement of ocean waves. Several other ...
Monochrome
While Breguet is mostly known for its classic watches adorned with guiloché dials and the numerous inventions of its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, the venerable manufacture nevertheless holds two sportier collections: one intended for aviation (the Type XX), the other for naval exploration (the Marine). And both are actually inspired by important historical moments in the […]
Hodinkee
What We Know A refresh of Breguet's Marine line, inspired by Abraham-Louis Breguet's history of marine chronometers and scientific instruments, has been coming for some time now. If you've been following the sometimes sweeping, sometimes subtle, almost always welcome changes to Breguet's catalog over the last few years (and especially last year during the brand's year-long 250th fête), you knew the Marine was one of the few stones left unturned. While the Experimentale 1 (a groundbreaking achievement) launched a new design language for the Marine last year, today's refresh is more subtle. The first thing that you probably will notice is that the eponymous "Breguet" numerals now replace the Roman ones on the previous models. But wait. There's more. Previous versions of both models had either soleil finishing centered around the boxed brand name (and number) or a larger, irregular wave guilloché, depending on the execution. In both new models, the watches now feature the new, finer "Quai de l'Horloge" guilloché pattern launched to honor the brand's 250th Anniversary last year, with a circular brushed hour track. Rather than just doing the same dial treatment for each case material, regardless of the complication, the brand has a mix of dials ranging from blue (in different shades) to grey and black. In general, the case material matches the tone of the hands, but there is an exception. The cases and movements have remained largely the same, 42.3mm by 13.9mm with a 50.7m...
Monochrome
Founded in Geneva in 1988, Frederique Constant is now a globally respected name in watchmaking, offering classic designs at reasonable prices, with a growing portfolio of complications developed and assembled at its Plan-les-Ouates manufacture. Part of the Citizen Group since 2016, the brand was created by Peter Stas, who left his native Netherlands for Switzerland, […]
Worn & Wound
Watches and Wonders 2027 is still months away, but the specifics of the event are beginning to come into clearer focus. News broke this morning that the roster of brands has grown once again, and now numbers 75 in total. It had previously been announced that Breitling (along with their House of Brands cohorts Universal Geneve and Gallet) would be joining the fair, and this morning’s news sees several additional brands joining them that sit across a variety of price points and segments of the industry (including a brand that has attended its fair share of Windup Watch Fairs). The headline grabbers in terms of participation are likely Berneron and Porsche Design. Porsche Design has grown considerably in recent years with an aggressive release schedule iterating on their iconic Chronograph 1 design. Berneron is arguably the hottest independent brand at the moment, and has been the subject of much discussion just in the last weeks following the public sale of a Mirage for over $500,000 on Loupe This (the retail price sits around CHF 51,000). While those two brands likely have the highest profiles of the newcomers to Watches & Wonders, there are several others that I think are interesting from an enthusiast and business point of view. Kerbedanz, a Swiss brand that for much of its 15 year history has made custom watches exclusively for private clients, has been making a concerted effort to get their name into the minds of watch lovers this year, exhibiting at Geneva Watch ...
Hodinkee
If you've never collected Rolex Bubblebacks before, you should probably forget nearly everything you know about vintage watches. At least, that's what it feels like you should do when you start wading into the space. Things like reference numbers are much less valuable to remember than movements, case designs, printing details, and a general ability to just remember everything you've seen to get a sense of feel for what is right and what isn't. And trust me, a lot isn't. You could spend decades looking at these watches, but "Bubble Back" by Masahiro Endo, the owner of vintage retailer Private Eyes in Tokyo, is a great reference to jump-start your understanding of an iconic (and currently underappreciated) model. I mentioned this in last week's review of John Nagayama's "96," but the only watch I'd be more afraid to deep-dive into than the Patek ref. 96 is the Rolex "Bubbleback." It's not even an official model, but a nickname for Rolex watches made from 1933 to the mid-1950s with a domed, "bubble-like" caseback. So when you open Endo-san's book, you'll probably immediately be struck by the fact that none of the examples (except the later ref. 6062 and ref. 8171) have reference numbers. According to collectors, that's not the most useful thing for understanding the Bubbleback. Basically, every other detail matters more. We've previously published a story about the bubbleback with a lot of thoughts and tips for understanding these models, courtesy of Ken Jacobs and Justin Gr...
Worn & Wound
Ask me on any random day to name my favorite indie watchmaker, and there’s a pretty good chance I’m likely to respond with H. Moser. They are all the things I like, in or out of watches: kind of provocative, colorful, approachable, fun, and can be viewed as either completely understated or ridiculously ostentatious (OK that last one is more or less exclusive to watches). They were an early fixation for me as I began to discover higher end independent watchmaking in earnest, so their whole vibe has imprinted on me somewhat, and I’m a little biased by the sheer amount of time I’ve spent thinking about the brand. But the thing is, they’ve changed a lot, even just in the last few years, and the brand that felt fresh and irreverent to me a decade ago feels, well, different now. And the watch I got to spend a good chunk of the summer with is a reflection of those changes, both positive and (maybe?) negative. I’ve been wanting to spend some real time with the Pioneer Center Seconds in 40mm since the watch was introduced a few years ago. I had previously reviewed the Pioneer “Mega Cool,” which came in the 43mm Pioneer case, which at that time was the only size available for Moser’s sporty, everyday option. I liked that watch quite a bit on the strength of its dial, but the case was just too big and unwieldy for my taste. The 40mm Pioneer was something a lot of people were waiting for, and it kind of boggles the mind that they’re still making the watch in 43mm...
Worn & Wound
Since its inception in 1969, Zenith’s groundbreaking El Primero movement – the first automatic, integrated, high-frequency chronograph caliber – has been synonymous with the classic complication. Now, Zenith takes the essence of this historically significant movement and highlights the high-frequency component with its first time-only application in the Chronomaster line. With the new Chronomaster Solo Sport, form and function go hand in hand. The three-hand display offers a design that is decidedly less sporty than its chronograph counterparts. However, the new collection continues a throughline we’ve seen within the Chronomaster lineup, making it both fresh and familiar to the model family. The Solo Sport has a 40mm build that fits well within the Chronomaster range of 37mm for the vintage-inspired revival models up to 41mm for the standard chronograph sport models. As we’ve also seen in the typical sport models, the Solo Sport models feature a ceramic, unidirectional rotating bezel. Ceramic extends to the dial, which presents a new “Z” pattern. Depending on the version – white, black, or brown – this pattern is engraved on either a sunray-finished white ceramic dial or a polished black or brown ceramic surface. Additionally, the black version is also offered in a no-date variant for a total of four Solo Sport styles. The “Z” motif is repeated once more on the stylization of the seconds hand. The more geometric elements of this dial design continue ...
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.