Watch brandsWatch wikiWatch videosVariousWatch calendarSaved articles
PopularRolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetTudorGrand SeikoCartierSeikoIWCTAG HeuerBreitlingJaeger-LeCoultreA. Lange & SohneZenith

Results for Spring Drive (9R65 / 9R86)

4,067 articles · 612 videos found · page 10 of 156

Grand Seiko Steps Into The Future With New Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB001 And SLGB003 Fratello
Grand Seiko Steps Into Mar 31, 2025

Grand Seiko Steps Into The Future With New Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB001 And SLGB003

Seiko founded Grand Seiko to pursue watchmaking excellence. Most commonly, this mission translated into creating the most accurate watches possible. Later on, aesthetics also played an increasingly important part thanks to the Grammar of Design. Grand Seiko was Seiko’s answer to the Swiss domination of the industry, and the line offered watches that could compete […] Visit Grand Seiko Steps Into The Future With New Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB001 And SLGB003 to read the full article.

Building A Watch Brand Episode 15: Looking Back On The First Two Years Of VPC Fratello
VPC Time flies when you’re Jan 15, 2025

Building A Watch Brand Episode 15: Looking Back On The First Two Years Of VPC

Time flies when you’re having fun! It has been a full two years since I set off on an adventure to build my dream watch, the VPC Type 37HW. Fratello offered me the fantastic opportunity to chronicle and share the journey with you all. Today, after having fulfilled all preorders, I would like to finish […] Visit Building A Watch Brand Episode 15: Looking Back On The First Two Years Of VPC to read the full article.

Grand Seiko Celebrates a Big Spring Drive Anniversary with a Pair of Limited Editions Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko Celebrates Aug 30, 2024

Grand Seiko Celebrates a Big Spring Drive Anniversary with a Pair of Limited Editions

How long would it take you to invent an entirely new kind of watch movement? Five years? Ten years? If your answer was 27 years, you’d be on the right track. That’s how long it took the Spring Drive movement to go from idea to reality at Seiko. Initially conceived of by Yoshikazu Akahane in the 1970s, the development of the Spring Drive movement grew out of efforts to solve problems endemic to early quartz movements, though the project would not bear fruit until Baselworld 1999 when the first trio of Spring Drive watches was released to the public (something Akahane would, tragically, not live to see). Five years later, Spring Drive would finally reach Grand Seiko with the introduction of the 9R series of movements in 2004. 20 years later, the 9R series of Spring Drive calibers remain a core pillar of the Grand Seiko catalog, and GS is ready to celebrate that anniversary with the introduction of two profoundly autumnal limited editions. Each of these limited releases is powered by a Grand Seiko 9R series movement and each is inspired by the fiery red tones found throughout the Hotaka mountain range come fall. First up, we have the SBGY035, driven by a hand-wound Caliber 9R31 Spring Drive movement. Similar in execution and design to the popular SBGY007 Omiwatari, this thin dress watch claims inspiration from the vibrant leaves that coat the landscape of Hotaka each fall. An ombré finish made up of deep red tones is paired with a textured dial, and is accented by sparin...

Introducing: The Grand Seiko SBGA507 And SBGA509-A Pair Of USA-Exclusive Spring Drive Models Fratello
Grand Seiko SBGA507 Aug 12, 2024

Introducing: The Grand Seiko SBGA507 And SBGA509-A Pair Of USA-Exclusive Spring Drive Models

Grand Seiko is the unofficial master of finding inspiration in natural phenomena. Many of the brand’s dials are crafted to resemble skies, waters, and landscapes found all over Japan-these two new USA-exclusive limited editions are no exception. The Grand Seiko SBGA507’s blue dial is inspired by the sky over Lake Suwa at dusk. In turn, […] Visit Introducing: The Grand Seiko SBGA507 And SBGA509-A Pair Of USA-Exclusive Spring Drive Models to read the full article.

Grand Seiko Unveils the Spring Drive GMT SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion” SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Unveils Jul 9, 2024

Grand Seiko Unveils the Spring Drive GMT SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion”

Following last year’s SBGA481, Grand Seiko continues to expand the Sport Collection “Tokyo Lion” series inspired by the big cat in the Grand Seiko emblem. Like its predecessor, the Sport Spring Drive GMT SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion” sports a stylised, angular titanium case inspired by a lion’s paw and a textured dial modelled on a mane, now joined by a red GMT hand. Initial thoughts The “Tokyo Lion” is one of the most distinctive case designs in Grand Seiko’s large catalogue, and also the flagship given its complex finishing (and accompanying price). While most Grand Seiko watches opt for patterned dials and conservative, even bland, case styles, the “Tokyo Lion” makes a statement with its is generous dimensions and angular styling. The design is also particularly suited to Grand Seiko’s signature flat-polishing technique. With their wide, flat surfaces, the claw-inspired lugs are an excellent medium to showcase zaratsu polishing. It is, however, a large case at almost 45 mm wide and 15 mm high, so it’s catered to someone seeking a bold sports watch, and not an old-school Grand Seiko dress watch. The texture of the dial is striking, even though Grand Seiko has no shortage of dial patterns in its offerings. The dial artfully mimics a lion’s mane, giving it more visual depth than the typical Grand Seiko dial. Though few, the red accents on the dial add just enough colour and complement the ivory dial well. The dial might have been slightly dull without th...

Hands-On With The New Grand Seiko SBGA497 - Celebrating 20 Years Of Automatic Spring Drive Watches Fratello
Grand Seiko SBGA497 - Celebrating 20 Feb 5, 2024

Hands-On With The New Grand Seiko SBGA497 - Celebrating 20 Years Of Automatic Spring Drive Watches

Automatic Spring Drive technology turns 20 this year! That seems like a fair reason for celebration. Grand Seiko felt the same and introduced this SBGA497 to mark the occasion. We get a high-intensity titanium creation with a familiar case shape and dial texture. Both pay homage to important references in Spring Drive history. The SBGA497 […] Visit Hands-On With The New Grand Seiko SBGA497 - Celebrating 20 Years Of Automatic Spring Drive Watches to read the full article.

Highlights: Notable Complications at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Autumn Auction SJX Watches
Patek Philippe ref 5004R Sep 27, 2023

Highlights: Notable Complications at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Autumn Auction

Commencing in early October, the autumn auction season begins with Sotheby’s Important Watches I, a catalogue of 205 lots that will be sold on October 7 in Hong Kong. The auction includes artisanal timepieces, examples of independent watchmaking creativity, and exceptional complications. Here, we present eight notable complications including some unsurprising, six-figure picks like a Patek Philippe ref. 5004R with a special-order dial and a Rolex ref. 6062 “Stelline” from the original Japanese owner. But the list includes some that may fly under the radar but deserve recognition, such as the travel-ready Richard Mille RM62-01 (albeit conceived for flying private) and an impressive Patek Philippe ref. 942 grand complication pocket watch that includes a grande and petite sonnerie, putting it in the top rank of all pocket watches. Important Watches I takes place on October 7, 2023. Registration for bidding and the full catalogue can be accessed here.  Lot 2166: A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar ref. 345.056E  The Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar has effortlessly fuses the renowned Lange 1 design with a complex movement, conspicuously excluding the tourbillon found in its larger counterpart. At launch, the watch was available in two guises: pink gold with a grey dial or the more popular, limited edition white gold with a “salmon” (pink gold) dial, as we see here.  In contrast to conventional calendars that employ sub-dials, the Lange 1 perpetual calendar sea...

Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 5: Seiko/Epson Shiojiri Studio Shinshu – home of all Spring Drive, 9F quartz, and the Micro Artist Studio Time+Tide
Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 5 Sep 10, 2023

Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 5: Seiko/Epson Shiojiri Studio Shinshu – home of all Spring Drive, 9F quartz, and the Micro Artist Studio

Editor’s note: We have finally reached the end of the Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour series. In part one I detailed my visit to Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, the home of all things 9S mechanical, in Morioka. Part two detailed my return to Ginza and my visit to the incredible Seiko Museum Ginza. After leaving the … ContinuedThe post Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 5: Seiko/Epson Shiojiri Studio Shinshu – home of all Spring Drive, 9F quartz, and the Micro Artist Studio appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

REVIEW: Getting Out & About With The Bremont Martin-Baker II WatchAdvice
Bremont Martin-Baker II Spring Sep 2, 2023

REVIEW: Getting Out & About With The Bremont Martin-Baker II

Spring is here and a great time to get out and about, so I took the Bremont Martin-Baker II on a couple of outdoor adventures to see how this robust watch holds up in our latest Hands On Review! What We Love Comfortable on the wristBright, easy to read dialOrange colour pops & is fun What We Don’t Crown is hard to pull out and setWears on the larger sideStrap can be a little finicky to put on Overall Rating: 8.25/10 Value for money: 8/10Wearability: 9/10Design: 8/10Build quality: 8/10 For those that aren’t aware off the Martin-Baker story, here’s a quick re-cap. Martin-Baker is a British aviation company responsible for supplying 70% of the world’s Air Forces with fighter ejection seat technology. They first approached Bremont to create the definitive aviation watch in 2007. More than simply putting a logo on an existing model, the watch had to withstand the same rigorous testing programme as the ejection seats themselves. Two years later, the Bremont Martin-Baker I (MBI) was born and limited solely for pilots who have ejected from an aircraft using a Martin-Baker seat – something that is not all that fun and puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body and the watch! The MBI with red case ring – only for pilots who’ve survived a live ejection The MBII and MBIII were then produced for the general public, designed to the same strict standards of the MBI, but available in a range of colours and variants, with people able to choose their own colour for the mid...

A Modern Take On A Classic Pilot’s Watch: Hands On With The Bremont Fury WatchAdvice
Bremont Fury If you’re after Aug 16, 2023

A Modern Take On A Classic Pilot’s Watch: Hands On With The Bremont Fury

If you’re after an aviation styled watch, that can go from the beach to the boardroom, then the Bremont Fury may just be the watch for you! We wrist tested it for a couple of weeks, and here’s what we thought… What We Love The textured dialThe aviation stylingPower reserve indicator at 6 o’clock What We Don’t Lack of lume on the dialLack of character in the strapUnsure of what category of watch to fit it in Overall Rating: 8.5/10 Value for money: 8/10Wearability: 8.5/10Design: 8.5/10Build quality: 9/10 As you may know from previous articles we’ve written on Bremont and its founders, Giles and Nick English, you no doubt be aware of their love of aviation, and the reasons for starting up Bremont over 20 years ago. If not, then you can get brought up to speed in our interview with Giles here. So it’s no surprise that when they were designing their H1 series of watches with the Bremont assembled movement (the first for the brand) that one of these pieces had to be a pilots inspired watch. The Bremont Fury in blue – a modern take on the classic pilot’s watch. The Fury was that piece in both a blue and black colourway, designed to be a contemporary take on the classic aviation watch. I first saw this piece in person when I caught up with Giles back in April, and liked what I saw. So needless to say it was one of their pieces that I immediately wanted to put on my wrist to see how it wore and looked as I went about my day to day. When asked which colour I wanted...

The Time+Tide Shop is now home to Boldr Supply Co. Time+Tide
Seiko GMT-powered all-rounder we’re long-time Jun 5, 2023

The Time+Tide Shop is now home to Boldr Supply Co.

If you’ve read any previous Boldr article on Time+Tide, you would’ve noted the general enthusiasm about the excellent value proposition the brand presents. Whether that’s with a sub-A$500 mechanical, titanium watch or a well-specced Seiko GMT-powered all-rounder, we’re long-time fans of their outdoorsy aesthetic, too. For that very reason, we’re excited to add Boldr to … ContinuedThe post The Time+Tide Shop is now home to Boldr Supply Co. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

[Hands-On] The Bell & Ross BR05 Skeleton Golden Worn & Wound
Bell & Ross BR05 Skeleton Golden We’re Mar 20, 2023

[Hands-On] The Bell & Ross BR05 Skeleton Golden

We’re not yet at the stage that the BR05 is seen as THE Bell & Ross-there’s still a long way to go before it could dethrone the classic square silhouette of the BR01 and BR03 models-but it feels like it has grown up enough to be seen as not just another brand jumping on the integrated bracelet sport watch bandwagon. It’s not even four years since the first of the BR05 variants were unveiled, and during that time we have seen three-handers, chronographs and GMTs. Stainless steel watches have seen bead-blasting and ‘Artline’ finishing. There have been rose gold and two-tone cases. Dials have come in black, white, copper, green, and blue. And lets not forget the Kenissi powered BR-X5 which has also evolved from the same case. As I browse the BR05 catalogue, both past and present, I’m struck by two thoughts. Firstly, there have been a LOT of different watches in this line. It’s not surprising that a brand should choose to repeat and rework a flagship model, but even allowing for quite a number of limited editions, that’s still a lot of releases since the original 2019 debut. This leads to my second thought. Despite always being impressed with the overall aesthetic, case design and finishing, why haven’t I found one that I really like? Finding my own answer to that has required me to attempt to classify what type of watch the BR05 actually is. $6600 [Hands-On] The Bell & Ross BR05 Skeleton Golden Case Stainless Stee Movement BR-CAL.322 (Base SW300-1) Dia...

Grand Seiko Introduces the Hand-Wind Spring Drive “Asaborake” SBGY011 SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Introduces Nov 10, 2022

Grand Seiko Introduces the Hand-Wind Spring Drive “Asaborake” SBGY011

Having launched several elegant and concise time-only watches this year, Grand Seiko has unveiled something once again simple but still unusual: the first regular-production, manual-wind Spring Drive 44GS, the Heritage Collection SBGY011 “Asaborake”. The SBGY011 combines two of the best elements of Grand Seiko (GS), namely the hybrid Spring Drive movement and the distinctive 44GS case. While the combination has been seen before, the SBGY011 brings something new to the table because the movement is manual wind, instead of self-winding as most Spring Drive calibres are. Initial thoughts I appreciate the SBGY011 because it retains the key features of the original, namely the 44GS case, silver dial, and hand-wind movement – but reinterpreted to incorporate contemporary elements such as the Spring Drive movement and patterned dial. Combined with the 44GS case, the silver dial gives the SBGY011 an aesthetic that’s close to the vintage 44GS of 1967. In fact, it’s essentially a modern, more technically-capable version of the original, which also contained a hand-wind mechanical movement. In fact, the SBGY011 is only the second hand-wind Spring Drive watch with a 44GS case, and the first and only one that’s not a limited edition. The hand-wind movement matters because the 44GS case is exponentially more attractive when it’s thin; in this case it is only 10.5 mm high. In comparison, a typical automatic Spring Drive is around 13 mm thick. Notably, despite being a regul...

Grand Seiko debuts the manually wound Spring Drive SBGY011 in a 44GS case Time+Tide
Grand Seiko debuts Nov 9, 2022

Grand Seiko debuts the manually wound Spring Drive SBGY011 in a 44GS case

Grand Seiko is known for their colorful and textured dials born from natural muses. The Japanese philosophy of translating their surrounding nature into their craft has long distinguished their creations but, in regard to the Grand Seiko catalogue, has resulted in an ample menu of dial flavours to choose from. For the watch geek looking … ContinuedThe post Grand Seiko debuts the manually wound Spring Drive SBGY011 in a 44GS case appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Grand Seiko continues to expand their catalogue while Patek Philippe clears theirs out Time+Tide
Patek Philippe clears theirs out We’re Jan 21, 2022

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Grand Seiko continues to expand their catalogue while Patek Philippe clears theirs out

We’re a few weeks into the new year, and while a lot has already happened the watch industry is not showing any signs of slowing down. Game-changing novelties and decisions are already happening, and with LVMH Watch Week starting next week and Watches & Wonders Geneva inching closer and closer you already know the pipeline … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Grand Seiko continues to expand their catalogue while Patek Philippe clears theirs out appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Origins of the G-SHOCK MRG-B2000BS-3A Hana-Basara Revolution
Casio R&D; Sep 8, 2021

Origins of the G-SHOCK MRG-B2000BS-3A Hana-Basara

Revolution speaks with Mr Shingo Ishizaka from Casio R&D;, the key engineer behind the G-SHOCK MRG-B2000BS-3A Hana-Basara and Mr Kazuhito Komatsu, a master precious stone and pearl cutter and polishing expert, and also the man who lent his art to the extraordinary finishing applied to the Hana-Basara’s COBARION bezel. The word “Basara”, which is derived from the Sanskrit word for diamond, is a term of respect used for only the most bold and honorable of samurai, and it is this word that has inspired G-SHOCK’s new limited-edition MR-G, the MRG-B2000BS-3A “Hana-Basara”, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of G-SHOCK’s flagship collection. In feudal Japan, the Basara Busho were the boldest of the samurai, renowned in battle for their expressive, and indeed, artistic armor, and it is from them that the MRG-B2000BS-3A takes its design cues. Crafted with an ultra-hard COBARION bezel and case made from DAT55G titanium, (COBARION is about 4 times harder than titanium, while DAT55G is 3 times harder than titanium), the Hana-Basara is ideally suited to embody the fighting spirit of its namesakes. In fact, the direct inspiration for this singular G-SHOCK was a one-off suit of armor commissioned by Casio from famed armorer atelier, Suzukine Yuzan. The bezel and bracelet are rendered in a deep green DLC finish called “kurogane-iro”, while the case is treated with a brown AIP (arc ion plating) finish, which echo traditional samurai colors. But the real star of the sho...

Comedian Andrew Schulz celebrates rising success with new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Time+Tide
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak If you’re Aug 16, 2021

Comedian Andrew Schulz celebrates rising success with new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

If you’re not familiar with Andrew Schulz, the American comedian has a cult following online – with 1.3 million followers on Instagram and 1.68 million subscribers on YouTube. His comedy is anything but PC, so for those who prefer more tasteful humor he is, perhaps, not the comedian for you. Regardless of where you stand, … ContinuedThe post Comedian Andrew Schulz celebrates rising success with new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Wiz Khalifa vs Mia Khalifa, Seiko Spring Drive, and the launch of the first Tudor Boutique in Australia Time+Tide
Tudor Boutique Jul 8, 2021

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Wiz Khalifa vs Mia Khalifa, Seiko Spring Drive, and the launch of the first Tudor Boutique in Australia

Who is your pick: Roger, Mandy, Dudley or Julianne? I’m asking, of course, about who is your favourite celebrity with the surname “Moore” (Roger is the correct answer, of course). But this idle pub game received a horological twist in the Time+Tide office this week, when the team spotted two well-known and entirely unrelated personalities … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Wiz Khalifa vs Mia Khalifa, Seiko Spring Drive, and the launch of the first Tudor Boutique in Australia appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Grand Seiko Introduces the Masterpiece Spring Drive 8 Day Jewelry Watch SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Introduces Feb 25, 2021

Grand Seiko Introduces the Masterpiece Spring Drive 8 Day Jewelry Watch

Having first unveiled one set with diamonds and blue sapphires last year – that no doubt sold out briskly – Grand Seiko has just announced the Masterpiece Collection Spring Drive 8 Day Jewelry Watch 140th Anniversary (ref. SBGD207). This is similar to last year’s model – a Grand Seiko Spring Drive 8 Day with the dial, flange, and crown set with diamonds and garnets – combining the refined, artisanal movement finishing of the Micro Artist Studio with lavish gem-setting. Initial thoughts Last year’s sapphire-set 8 Day watch was impressive and truly special, being the first highly-jewelled, mechanical men’s watch from Seiko (or Grand Seiko) in two or three decades. The new SBGD207 in green is equally impressive, though it does reduce the unique nature of the original. Being a variant of the Spring Drive 8 Day, the SBGD207 will wear much like the standard model, which is extremely hefty and large for a Grand Seiko, and slightly top heavy on the wrist. The mass of the watch probably works better with the lavish gemstone setting, making the sparkle as over the top as the size. And because the SBGD207 has a green mother of pearl dial, it probably has more flash than last year’s model that had a grained, silvery dial finish. And the movement will be equally refined, having all the hand-finished intricacy of the 9R01 in the standard model. Though finely decorated, the movement lacks visual detail, because almost all of it is hidden under a single, massive barrel b...

5 watches that look good on any strap Time+Tide
Rolex you’re always trying Aug 1, 2020

5 watches that look good on any strap

It’s no secret that watches are expensive items. Whether it’s a $100 quartz Seiko or a $10,000 Rolex, you’re always trying to get the most for your money. By far the easiest way to eke out some extra value is to get a good collection of straps, so you can easily match your watch to … ContinuedThe post 5 watches that look good on any strap appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Seiko Introduces the Prospex LX Limited Edition SNR045 Spring Drive Diver SJX Watches
Seiko Introduces Jul 15, 2020

Seiko Introduces the Prospex LX Limited Edition SNR045 Spring Drive Diver

Launched at Baselworld last year, the Seiko Prospex LX is a series of solidly-engineered sports watches conceived for air, land and sea – and designed in collaboration with Ken Okuyama, once the Creative Director at Pininfarina and one of Japan’s most prolific car designers. Powered by Seiko’s trademark Spring Drive movement, the Prospex LX Limited Edition SNR045 retains the familiar design modelled on the Seiko 1968 Hi-beat Diver, but now dressed in green. The textured dial is inspired by an underwater forest of moss pillars – nicknamed “kokebozu”, or “moss child”, by Japanese scientists – located at the bottom of a lake in Antarctica’s Skarvsnes Foreland. The “kokebozu” moss pillars in Antarctica Initial thoughts With both its dial and glossy ceramic bezel in forest green, the watch is immediately striking – and reminiscent of well-known, hulking green dive watch. The all-green dive watch is fashionable now, and Seiko is one amongst a host of brands doing it, so the colour is not unique. But Seiko executes its watches well – quality is excellent inside and out – and excels in highly-functional dive watches that perform well in legibility and usability. That sets this apart from the competition. As a sucker for textured dials, the ribbed dial pattern – meant to evoke the aquatic moss pillars – is highly appealing. It adds depth and character to what is otherwise a no-nonsense “tool” watch. I am not a fan of the power reserve in...

Hunting (and catching) the epic and rare Seiko SBWA001 from 1999, the first-ever Spring Drive watch Time+Tide
Seiko SBWA001 from 1999 Apr 18, 2020

Hunting (and catching) the epic and rare Seiko SBWA001 from 1999, the first-ever Spring Drive watch

The turn of the century gave us Y2K hysteria, the first use of the Euro as currency and the Spring Drive movement. That’s right, in 1999 we saw one of the most remarkable innovations in watchmaking of the last half-century, with the release of the first-ever Spring Drive powered watch, the Seiko SBWA001. This is … ContinuedThe post Hunting (and catching) the epic and rare Seiko SBWA001 from 1999, the first-ever Spring Drive watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.