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Results for Neo-Vintage

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The Yema Navygraf is the Latest Diver to get the Mother of Pearl Treatment Worn & Wound
Yema Nov 4, 2025

The Yema Navygraf is the Latest Diver to get the Mother of Pearl Treatment

There is something about mother-of-pearl that seems to be catching watchmakers’ eyes lately. While I highly doubt it has to do with the fact that “Mother of Pearl” is a phenomenal drag name, I can’t totally rule that out as a possibility. Instead, more likely, it has to do with the ease in which adding the iridescent substance onto an existing design gives it new personality without really reinventing the wheel. Case in point: Yema’s Navygraf Pearl. Undoubtedly, the Navygraf is a handsome watch. But, like a drag queen, sometimes it’s hard to describe something as both “handsome” and “pretty” simultaneously. At least, that was my first impression of this French-made watch. Using the classic dive watch model, like the Navygraf, and inlaying mother-of-pearl seemed, in a way, incongruous to the steely, masculine athleticism of the silhouette. But, upon examining the bezel and dial a little more closely, I’m more inclined to think this is less of a gimmick and more of a thematic appreciation for the beauty and sport that the ocean provides (unfortunately, I’m only speculating – the press release was more focused on the technical specs of this Navygraf). So, what are the specs? This is a thinner Navygraf variant, equipped with a micro-rotor caliber CMM.2, meaning that the 316L stainless steel case measuring 39mm, only clocks in at 9.75mm thickness. The CMM.2 caliber also promises around 70 hours of power reserve, making it suitable for any diving trips ...

Hands-On: Rolex Perpetual 1908 Settimo SJX Watches
Rolex Perpetual 1908 Settimo Rolex Nov 3, 2025

Hands-On: Rolex Perpetual 1908 Settimo

Rolex has expanded the 1908 collection with the Perpetual 1908 Settimo, a yellow-gold dress watch with an all-new seven-link bracelet. Settimo, Italian for ‘seven’, refers to the number of links across the bracelet; five slender links in the centre framed by two broader links on each side. The result is a supple, tightly constructed bracelet that complements the refined proportions of the 1908. Powered by the advanced cal. 7140, the watch remains impressively slim at just 9.5 mm, combining Rolex’s famous industrial precision with genuine elegance, filling a long-standing gap in the brand’s line-up. Initial thoughts When I think of Rolex, the image in my mind is one of long-term thinking, industrial expertise, over-built movements, and iconic (but fairly chunky) designs. The 1908, especially the Settimo version, shows the brand also understands elegance. The Settimo bracelet recalls vintage ‘beads-of-rice’ bracelets and works well with the vintage-feeling aesthetic of the 1908. The slightly glistening lacquered dial and crisply faceted hour markers provide a bright, vivid appearance; perhaps its the sub-seconds at six and the lack of a date window, but it feels more refined than the dial of a typical Datejust or Day-Date. The case is very sleek on the wrist thanks to the cal. 7140, which, at just 4.05 mm in height, is 34% thinner than the brand’s own cal. 3235. No watch is perfect, and there are a few details that I find mildly annoying, like the plug atop the...

Ahead of Its 50th Anniversary Year, Raymond Weil Introduces the Toccata Heritage Capsule Collection Worn & Wound
Raymond Weil Oct 29, 2025

Ahead of Its 50th Anniversary Year, Raymond Weil Introduces the Toccata Heritage Capsule Collection

Watches & Wonders can be a blur of new releases in and of itself. So, when a brand asks if you want to preview some upcoming introductions for the year ahead, it can start to make your head spin. However, at my Raymond Weil appointment this past spring, I relinquished. The brand had a small display of archival pieces in a vitrine at their booth, and its Chief Marketing Officer Jeremie Bernheim assured me the reveal would be worth viewing alongside the mini museum of vintage designs. What he shared with me was a new capsule within Raymond Weil’s Toccata collection drawing from the retro models and aptly named Toccata Heritage. Today, this collection comes to you in nine styles, each more beautiful than the next, and with the option of either quartz or mechanical, manually wound movements for the first time. If you have followed Raymond Weil through any point of its nearly 50-year history, you know the brand loves to play with shape and case architecture. The existing Toccata collection explores this with a combination of rectangular and round models. For the new Toccata Heritage capsule, the maison has refined this design language even further. Here, you have a shape the brand simply calls oval, but in my humble opinion, this description does not do the case justice. The case design of the new Toccata Heritage models is decidedly not the harsh, egg-shaped oval profile you might associate with other watch brands. Instead, it takes the structure of the current rectangular m...

Introducing: The Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Night Navigation Series Fratello
Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Oct 12, 2025

Introducing: The Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Night Navigation Series

Nomos has done it again! With the new Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Night Navigation series, the German brand shows us once more that colors can have a transformative effect. This goes beyond the simple change of the look of a watch, though. The new limited-edition Navigation Series perfectly displays how Nomos utilizes uncommon colors in […] Visit Introducing: The Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Night Navigation Series to read the full article.

Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Chronograph RD#5, a Thin Watch with Tall Ambitions SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet s Royal Oak Chronograph Oct 1, 2025

Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Chronograph RD#5, a Thin Watch with Tall Ambitions

Audemars Piguet (AP) reinvents the chronograph with the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5. Inside the titanium and palladium BMG case – standing just 8.1 mm high – is the cal. 8100, a new take on the chronograph mechanism that employs spring-loaded racks to gather and store energy. The RD#5 is the fifth and final instalment in the “RD” series of watches that underline the impressive technical know-how of AP, particularly its Le Locle manufacture that evolved from Renaud & Papi (APRP). Conceived with the goal of creating a chronograph that is extra slim and easy on the fingers, the RD#5 boasts exceptionally light and comfortable pusher feel, an instantaneously-jumping minutes counter, and an exceptionally slim profile (thanks in part to peripheral winding), all while remaining amenable to industrial-haute horlogerie manufacturing. It’s one of the most technically interesting debuts of 2025, and we explain AP’s new take on the chronograph in detail below. The cal. 8100 with its unorthodox chronograph and peripheral rotor Initial thoughts Outwardly just another Royal Oak, with the same ideal proportions and class-leading bracelet as the iconic “Jumbo”, the RD#5 is actually one of the most innovative mechanical chronographs in recent years. Perhaps the only comparison for out-of-the-box chronograph construction is AgenGraphe that was unveiled almost a decade ago. The watch was evidently developed with two goals in ...

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Control Calendar Goes Granular Two-Tone SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre s Master Control Calendar Sep 30, 2025

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Control Calendar Goes Granular Two-Tone

Jaeger-LeCoultre has just introduced the Master Control Calendar Limited Edition, the latest addition to a long line of triple calendar watches going back decades. Packaged in the 40 mm Master Control case we’ve become familiar with, this new 500-piece stainless steel limited edition is all about the dial, which features a richly textured silver and grey livery on a “sector” layout. Despite the classical aesthetic, the Master Control Date is thoroughly modern on the inside with the cal. 866 featuring a silicon escapement that supports a 70-hour power reserve. Initial thoughts The triple calendar moon phase has long been a staple of the Jaeger-LeCoultre line-up; Pablo Picasso famously wore one. Add to this lineage the brand’s unique jumping date pointer, which jumps in a wide arc from the 15th to the 16th of the month to avoid confounding the moon phase display, and the result is a watch that manages to be both charming and technically distinctive. It’s also easily wearable in a 40 mm case, that, while larger than the vintage originals, gives the indicators on the dial plenty of space to breathe. Of course, the movement is the cal. 866, effectively a cal. 899 with a triple calendar module, which helps keeps the overall package quite sleek at 10.95 mm – on par with many simple time-and-date watches in this category. Upgraded a few years ago with a silicon escapement, the movement now runs for 70 hours when fully wound, adding convenience to wearability. Naturall...

Rolex Le Mans Daytona: The World's Most Wanted Chronograph Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Sep 24, 2025

Rolex Le Mans Daytona: The World's Most Wanted Chronograph

In 2023, Rolex released the special edition Daytona Le Mans celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. This began something of an annual tradition of Rolex introducing a new iteration of their rarest and most desirable chronograph in precious metal with a few distinguishing features that has collectors fawning over them. I doubt anyone isn't familiar with the Rolex Daytona but for anyone needing a refresher, I would recommend this review of the modern reference. But before we get into these contemporary models, I want to briefly discuss the Paul Newman Daytona as so many design touches and throwbacks on the Rolex Le Mans are tied directly to these legendary vintage Rolex Chronographs. The real parallel here has to do with the dial about which our Mark Bernardo has said: "The model - now regarded as the first “official” Daytona, though that name would not regularly appear on dials until later versions - also featured the two-tone dial arrangement, with contrasting main dial and subdial colors, that we now refer to in shorthand as “panda."...the Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239 with a so-called “exotic” dial, highlighted by some very particular details. Its main dial was an off-white cream color, punctuated by black subdials at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock with square-ended hashmarks and Art Deco-style numerals. Other aspects of the “exotic” Daytona dial include a crosshairs motif on the subdials, which appear in a contrasting hue from the main dial...

Hands On: Panerai Revives the Luminor 5218 SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Resonance Sep 12, 2025

Hands On: Panerai Revives the Luminor 5218

There were few brands as hot as Panerai in the 2000s, and now the brand is revisiting its glory days with the Luminor Marina Militare 44 mm PAM05218. Visually, the PAM05218 a faithful remake of the Luminor ref. 5218-202/A of 1993, a “Pre-Vendome” model that became one of the most desirable watches of the 2000s. The watch retains the same design and many of the details, including the “non matching” hands, but has been upgraded with modern amenities, including a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating for the case and a three-day movement. Initial thoughts Enthusiasts who were in the hobby in the 2000s will remember the frenzy around Panerai, which was probably the fastest growing brand during the period. Many models sold over retail, sometimes for multiples. The “vintage” models like the Luminor ref. 5218-202/A were even more valuable; it cost a healthy, mid-five figures at the time. In fact, the ref. 5218-202/A cost more than an F.P. Journe Resonance at the time. In retrospect, most of it was comical yet also seems familiar given the happenings in recent years. Times have changed, but the PAM05218 is essentially unchanged from the original – which is great for those who appreciate the functional, stark design of Panerai’s core models. I like those designs, and I like the PAM05218. If there’s one Panerai in the current catalogue I would buy, it is this one. At a distance, the PAM05218 is indistinguishable from the original, but up close it is clearly a new watc...

What is a GMT Watch? Teddy Baldassarre
Sep 11, 2025

What is a GMT Watch?

GMT watches, and other types of watches with useful complications for travelers, are enjoying a surge of popularity these days, with watchmakers large and small stepping up to produce travel watches with both user-friendly mechanics and attractive design, at a variety of price points. Yet, if you’re new to the watch game, you still might be a bit curious about what is a GMT watch, how to read and set them, and how one style differs from another. In this feature, we attempt to address all the pertinent questions you may want answered before purchasing a GMT or any style of watch with the ability to show multiple time zones. What is a GMT watch? GMT is the abbreviation for “Greenwich Mean Time,” the system of world timekeeping based on the calculation of mean solar time from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. Established in 1884 at the International Meridian Conference, the Prime Meridian was conceived as a straight line running from the North Pole to the South Pole directly through Greenwich, serving as the point of zero degrees longitude from which 24 separate time zones divide the Earth: the Eastern Time Zone of the United States, for example, is designated as GMT -5 (i.e., five hours west of Greenwich, which is GMT 0). A GMT watch is essentially a timekeeper designed in that same utilitarian spirit, allowing its wearer to read the time in at least two time zones simultaneously. Many such watches actually use the initials “GMT” in their model names, whi...

Breguet’s Finest World Time Yet to Celebrate 250 Years SJX Watches
Breguet s Finest World Time Sep 11, 2025

Breguet’s Finest World Time Yet to Celebrate 250 Years

Breguet’s quarter-millennial celebrations continue with the Marine Hora Mundi 5555, a reprise of the unique piece created for Only Watch two years ago. The world time wristwatch now returns with a phosphorescent enamel dial – that is notably grand feu on sapphire crystal – and a case in “Breguet Gold”. While the attire is new, the Hora Mundi 5555 still retains the clever movement that has a world time function that is instantaneously switchable between two pre-set time zones and unique amongst travel watches. Initial Thoughts Breguet facelifted the aging Marine line starting about eight years ago, but the integrated bracelet design language still feels fresh, though arguably remains unproven compared to long-established peers in the luxury sports watch segment. The Marine Équation Marchante 5887, which introduced the new look, leaned heavily on its excellent movement – it’s perhaps the best equation of time complication yet made – as a crutch supporting an experimental design. More practical and simpler models followed; the Marine Hora Mundi is certainly practical but not simple. The Marine Hora Mundi 5555 is likewise powered by an impressive movement, and one incorporating a complication apt for a sports watch, but the watch also has a metiers d’art distinction with its enamel dial. That is unusual for a sports watch, but the Marine is an unusual sports watch. The enamelling itself is even more unusual, done on sapphire using phosphorescent pigments, ...

Hanhart and German Magazine Armbanduhren Unveil a Limited Edition Preventor HD12 in Purple Worn & Wound
Sep 9, 2025

Hanhart and German Magazine Armbanduhren Unveil a Limited Edition Preventor HD12 in Purple

I’ve long had a contentious relationship with the color purple; between youth softball teams and grad school alma maters, it’s always difficult to find anything to wear with the color that isn’t immediately clashing. But purple is also a color associated with luxury and royalty, so I am approaching the new Silk Purple Hanhart Preventor HD12, a collaboration with German watch magazine Armbanduhren, with an open mind.  Hanhart’s Preventor HD12 was originally launched in August 2024, and has fast become one of the Swiss-German brand’s most popular pieces. A field watch-style dial design paired with HD12 scratch-resistant steel, and powered by a Sellita caliber SW200-1 or Soprod SOP P024 automatic movement, the Preventor combines the vintage styling that Hanhart is known for with robust construction and durability.  With easy-wearing case dimensions of 39mm in diameter and 46mm lug-to-lug, the Preventor positions itself as an everyday timekeeping watch with few complications-even lacking a date window. The HD12 steel is made scratch-resistant through a multi-stage hardening process, in which carbon is diffused into the steel and the case is covered in an additional PVD coating. Hanhart continues to tout the “hardness” factor of the Preventor by protecting the dial with a scratch-resistant convex-curved sapphire crystal.  Of course, the dial is where the fun happens for this limited edition Preventor. The matte Silk Purple contrasts starkly with the white Ara...

Massena LAB and Vianney Halter Team Up for the “Old Soul” Worn & Wound
Greubel Forsey or De Bethune there Aug 26, 2025

Massena LAB and Vianney Halter Team Up for the “Old Soul”

Before there was MB&F;, before there was Richard Mille or Greubel Forsey or De Bethune, there was Vianney Halter. Alongside brands like Urwerk, Vianney Halter helped to reimagine what watches could look and feel like coming into the 21st century. Writing in 2025, it’s hard to think of a time when the weird and wonderful wasn’t a core part of watch collecting, and Vianney Halter deserves no small amount of praise for his role in bridging the gap between a more traditional interpretation of independent watchmaking and the wide-open world of watch design we now get to enjoy. Still, nearly three decades on from the release of his first watch in 1998 (the inimitable Antiqua Perpetual Calendar), Vianney Halter is still working, and his latest release, the Old Soul - designed and executed in collaboration with William Massena and Massena LAB - is a sterling reminder that the old master isn’t out of tricks just yet. Like Halter’s last collaboration, the Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Regulator, which was released around Thanksgiving last year, the Old Soul leans into Halter’s Steampunk sensibilities, but blends the unique aesthetic with Massena’s signature eye towards historic watch design. The resulting piece is something both classically beautiful and wholly contemporary. Cased in a sedate and handsome 42mm, 12mm thick steel case, the Old School by Vianney Halter and Massena LAB is powered by the Minerva calibre 17’22, a vintage pocket watch movement first introdu...

The Best Solar Watches Teddy Baldassarre
Aug 22, 2025

The Best Solar Watches

  Solar watches are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional quartz watches with lithium battery-powered movements. Watches with solar-powered movements still maintain the accuracy and reliability of quartz technology, which makes them much more precise than any mechanical watch. Here's a brief history of solar technology in watchmaking and a selection of notable solar watches on sale now. Solar Watch Technology - A Brief History In the late 1960s, the Swiss watch industry was on the precipice of a technical revolution that would ultimately threaten the very existence of traditional mechanical watchmaking while simultaneously ushering in the dawn of mass-produced electronic watches. By the 1970s, quartz movements had won out over a handful of other early technological approaches to producing electronic watches (you can delve a bit more into that history here), giving rise to the era now known known within the industry as the Quartz Crisis. Experiments with using solar power to charge watches, however, go all the way back to the '60s, to the development of the first solar-powered movement by American engineer Roger Riehl. This technology was introduced to the market in 1972, with the first prototype called the “Synchronar” and the first production piece, the Synchronar 2100, released later that same year.   Priced at nearly $500 (about $3,200 in today's money), the Synchronar 2100 was considered something of a luxury product and struggled to compete in...

Casio Taps AI for Latest G-Shock SJX Watches
Casio Taps AI Aug 22, 2025

Casio Taps AI for Latest G-Shock

Casio’ latest addition to its famous, shock-resistant sports watch is the G-Shock MT-G MTG-B4000 that was designed with the aid of artificial intelligence (AI). According to Casio, the new MT-G’s design was refined by AI using factors like shock resistance and machinability, resulting in an sleeker profile that departs from the chunky and flat style of the typical G-Shock. As part of the higher-end MT-G line that combines metal with resin, the solar-powered MTG-B4000 has a stainless steel inner case along with an outer case in carbon composite. More notably, the bezel has been polished with the Sallaz flat polishing technique that’s also known as Zaratsu and more often applied to premium mechanical watches by other Japanese watchmakers. The new MT-G is made in Japan like all high-end G-Shock models Initial thoughts Casio’s first attempt at an AI-designed G-Shock was the G-D001 Dream Project #2 in solid, 18k gold made to mark the 40th anniversary of the G-Shock. It was a one-off, unlike the limited edition vintage remake that was also in 18k gold. While the Dream Project #2 was impressive in its form and heft, the open-worked design was a little weird. It looks both sci-fi and fantasy, but with the wrong proportions of each. The new MT-G, on the other hand, looks more conventional and appealing. It still looks like a G-Shock, but different enough to be distinct. In fact, AI has argued improved the MT-G style, evolving it from the robot-like form of before to somethi...

Tudor Black Bay Chrono Review Teddy Baldassarre
Tudor Jul 23, 2025

Tudor Black Bay Chrono Review

The Tudor Black Bay Chrono hit the market, somewhat unexpectedly, in 2017, boldly elevating the already red-hot Black Bay collection into a new tier of horological prestige and marking the debut of a collaboration (again, rather unexpected) between Rolex-owned Tudor and its Swiss sport-watch competitor Breitling. Nearly a decade later, the model still represents the highest level of complication in Tudor’s 21st-Century lineup, and yet this Tudor chronograph also remains very manageable, as a subfamily, in terms of material, size, and colorway options - an area in which the larger Black Bay collection, some might argue, has gone a bit far in the opposite direction, now encompassing three distinctive iterations: original Black Bay, Black Bay 58, and Black Bay 54 (which we reviewed here), all touting different sizing and multiple colorways and materials. And this doesn’t even include the other “complicated” extension of the line, the Black Bay GMT, which recently debuted in the “58” sizing and which seems to unveil a new bicolor bezel or dial color every year since its 2018 debut. Originally called the Heritage Black Bay - as it was clearly an homage to vintage dive watches from Tudor’s watchmaking history, which began in 1946 - the OG Black Bay model traces its aesthetic roots to the Oyster Prince Submariner, released in 1954, one year after big brother Rolex rolled out its own much more famous Submariner watch. This original version, Ref. 7922, used the ...

Hands-On: the Breitling Top Time B31 Worn & Wound
Breitling Top Time B31 Jul 18, 2025

Hands-On: the Breitling Top Time B31

By all accounts, Breitling seems to be experiencing a renaissance moment thanks to a few strong back-to-back years. Inspiration from its historical archives, contemporary trend chasing, strategic brand ambassadors, and strong culture building with storytelling elements have culminated in a change of perception in the budding enthusiast. Not too long ago, the common discourse surrounding Breitling was one of a brand that had lost its way. Now, though, they seem to have successfully flipped the script and reestablished their offerings as genuine contenders in every category of the luxury market. This year, in particular, the enthusiast market has been quick to heap praise upon each new release in stark contrast to previous release cycles. Of those new releases, the new Breitling Top Time B31 stood out to me as one that warranted a deeper discussion and full hands-on review.  Part of a larger marketing push, Breitling took the opportunity to showcase three large pieces of information. First, dreamboat Austin Butler had signed on as the latest brand ambassador, clad in vintage motorcycle and mechanics attire. Second, a new collection of Top Time models would be available soon in a three-hand configuration, styled with a new design language. Third and finally, those Top Time watches would be powered by the new automatic B31 movement. While the origins of that movement are still somewhat debated, it marks a significant push by Breitling to update its entire movement lineup whil...

[VIDEO] Introducing the Tusenö Supervintage, an Unexpected Dress Watch from Sweden Worn & Wound
Serica echo/neutra Jul 16, 2025

[VIDEO] Introducing the Tusenö Supervintage, an Unexpected Dress Watch from Sweden

At last year’s Windup Watch Fair in New York City, Blake Malin found me on the first day, among throngs of people eagerly crowding around tables looking at countless cool watches, to tell me I had to see the new watch from Tusenö. Tusenö is a Swedish brand that’s been around for about ten years that I mostly associate with pretty good but not overly adventurous sport and tool watches. Some designs lean a bit more elegant, but they are mostly pretty sporty in their personality. They always have very nice details and are executed to a high standard, but they’ve often felt just a bit outside my wheelhouse for one reason or another. So when Blake told me I had to see their new release, which wasn’t yet released but just previewed at the show, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and thought maybe he had confused me with Devin.  That, of course, was not the case, and it became immediately clear once I saw the Supervintage in person. This dress watch is a genuinely strange left turn for Tusenö, and if there’s one thing I’m a huge fan of, it’s when a brand challenges themselves, and does something unexpected. I like a big swing, and that’s what the Supervintage feels like. In the same way that Serica, echo/neutra, and other brands have made an impression recently with oddball dress watches, Tusenö is using this genre of watch design as a sandbox for experimentation. This is one of my favorite developments (or “trends,” if you must) in the watch industry ...

Rolex Explorer 36mm 124270 Review Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Jun 26, 2025

Rolex Explorer 36mm 124270 Review

The story of the Rolex Explorer 36 124270 began at Watches & Wonders 2021, which represented an important anniversary for Rolex in marking 50 years of the Explorer II, and expectations were high on what we might see the brand do with the collection. Contrary to some of the wilder predictions, Rolex played things relatively conservatively, bringing the new 3285 movement into the line while retaining the model's 42mm case. Ironically, a reversion to classic proportions did come, but it would be in the Explorer collection and a new Reference 124270, which moved back to a 36mm case size for the first time since the 39mm 214270 was introduced in 2010. This was seen as a very un-Rolex move at the time, but today, more than three years later, it’s a watch that makes a lot of sense, not just on its own, but for Rolex as a brand. The Rolex Explorer 36mm next to the older 39mm Rolex is a brand that generally moves in one direction and, until relatively recently, doesn’t go out of its way to acknowledge its past in any overt way. While Rolex still isn’t making throwback or vintage-inspired watches, the company has taken a slightly different approach in embracing its historic design DNA while transitioning its full range to the 32xx series of movements. Examples of this include the current generation of the Submariner, which has gone back to a thinner, more traditional lug; the Sea-Dweller Reference 126600, which uses a bit of red text on the bottom of the dial; and the most ove...

The Lanco Alarm: Appreciating Langendorf’s Innovative and Overlooked Single-Crowned Mechanical Alarm Worn & Wound
Jaeger-LeCoultre Poljot Girard-Perregaux Citizen Bulova Jun 17, 2025

The Lanco Alarm: Appreciating Langendorf’s Innovative and Overlooked Single-Crowned Mechanical Alarm

It’s no secret that the visuals of a watch are often why collectors pull the trigger on adding yet another piece to their collection. It could be a specific color, the inclusion of a certain desirable bezel insert, the symmetry of a double register chronograph, or many other aesthetic reasons. This isn’t to say that the movement and build quality are not also a part of this decision-making process, but one of the chief reasons many of us love to collect is for the joy we feel putting one on wrist, potentially matching it with an outfit, and gawking at it throughout our busy days. What I wish to do here is move away from this mindset and instead appreciate how mechanical ingenuity can produce the same amount of excitement and allure. This Lanco Alarm watch may seem relatively lackluster at first glance. A simplistic silver case and dial with very few flashy or notable design choices, it could be easily mistaken for dozens of watches and brands who sold timepieces in the 1960s and 70s. Its most interesting characteristic is perhaps what’s most unremarkable on any other vintage dress piece: the use of a single crown.  By the 1960s, brands like Vulcain, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Poljot, Girard-Perregaux, Citizen, Bulova, and Helbros had released their own alarm watches, many of which utilized movements made by outside movement manufactures like A. Schild and Venus. The common denominator between these models and movements was the two crown layout: one typically adjusted and wou...

Hands-On with the Limited Edition Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver Worn & Wound
Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver Despite what Jun 9, 2025

Hands-On with the Limited Edition Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver

Despite what a look into my watch collection might imply, I don’t put a huge amount of stock into the concept of seasonal watches. Broadly speaking, most watches can easily be worn any day of the year, and in any reasonable conditions one might encounter. Still, I’m not so blind as to ignore that some watches have a definite “vibe,” and for proof of that, you don’t have to look further than the new Deep Diver from Girard-Perregaux. The Deep Diver, which Girard-Perregaux has recently relaunched in collaboration with Bamford Watches, is the latest in GP’s line of vintage revival models - or “Legacy Editions” - and follows up on the somewhat surprising success of the Casquette. Now, vintage reissues are nothing new these days, but unlike some peers, Girard-Perregaux has been cautious in diving into its back catalogue. The result of this restraint is that GP’s Legacy Editions are reliably strong releases, with each feeling like a rare treat rather than a checked box or tired contrivance. The original Deep Diver was released in 1969, but continued to evolve for a few years before being phased out of the GP lineup in the late ‘70s. The new Deep Diver specifically draws on the ref. 9108 as it existed in the mid-‘70s. The Deep Diver has always been a vintage model I’ve had my eye on (I vividly remember bidding on one on eBay when I was in college, only to get blown out of the auction at the last minute by someone who clearly knew what they wanted), but...

Up Close: Breguet Classique Souscription SJX Watches
Breguet Classique Souscription Breguet got May 30, 2025

Up Close: Breguet Classique Souscription

Breguet got off to a good start for its 250th anniversary with the Classique Souscription, which despite being not an entirely new model in technical terms, is arguably the best watch the brand has launched in years, perhaps reflecting the influence of a new chief executive. Powered by a calibre based on the longstanding Tradition movement, the one-handed Classique Souscription marries an atypical (for Breguet) 20th century case with a dial inspired by 19th century pocket watches – resulting in a surprisingly coherent creation that still feels quintessentially Breguet. Initial thoughts I was pleasantly surprised by the Classique Souscription. Breguet managed to take a familiar model and transform it into something different and appealing. The brand didn’t manage to do the same with the second anniversary model, which is essentially a rehash of the Tradition but with an enamel dial. Sized just right, the Classique Souscription feels like it was conceived by an enthusiast with knowledge of vintage watches; the red leather-covered presentation box underlines that. The design is simple overall, but enhanced with details like a sharply finished single hand and “secret signature” engraved the old fashion way. The form of the case is clearly early to mid 20th century, while the dial evokes the original Souscription pocket watch. Although the case and dial styles are 150 years apart, they complement each other almost perfectly; the result still looks very much like a Breg...

Gunsmith Dewey Vicknair Returns with Second Handmade Watch SJX Watches
May 28, 2025

Gunsmith Dewey Vicknair Returns with Second Handmade Watch

A year ago, we covered a self-taught watchmaker who built his first piece by watch, Dewey Vicknair. Now the American gunsmith has completed his second watch, a regulator with a jump hour function that’s once again hand-made. He published a comprehensive photo essay detailing the steps in manufacturing the watch, which is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in a contemporary, yet fully manual watchmaking process.  Initial thoughts The story of Mr. Vicknair is unlike most independent watchmakers. Now in his mid-fifties, he long ago built his reputation as a maker and restorer of firearms before turning to watchmaking. Self-taught, Mr. Vicknair is definitely a quick study; he adapted his metal-working skills to horology and produced his first watch swiftly. Even more interesting, perhaps, is the way he creates his own tooling. From a vertical drill press to various cutters and even custom tweezers for bending the hairspring overcoil, Mr. Vicknair seems able to build any tool to cater to his requirements.  Artisanal watchmakers usually use restored vintage machines when making watches, but it is very rare that they develop the tools themselves. Mr. Vicknair’s extensive experience as a gunsmith gives him an excellent understanding of machinery that cannot simply be taught in watchmaking schools. His work is clearly that of a very talented mechanical craftsman who just happens to have mastered watchmaking – after having mastered gunsmithing.  The watch itself is pre...