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Results for The Royal Oak Launch Story

44,205 articles · 260 videos found · page 106 of 1483

Review: the Gagà Laboratorio Aqualab Worn & Wound
5h ago

Review: the Gagà Laboratorio Aqualab

Writing about the Gagà Laboratorio Aqualab has proved a difficult task. A tutor once told me to keep the structure of any article, report, or document simple: tell them what you’re about to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you’ve told them. As I sit to translate my thoughts onto screen, I struggle with both the introduction and summary parts. The longer I spend with this interesting piece, the more difficult it becomes. Gagà Laboratorio describe this watch as “extend[ing] its vision into the world of diving watches, interpreting this category through its distinctive design culture and its contemporary understanding of luxury lifestyle”, and although it encompasses both the function of a dive watch and the refinement of a luxury timepiece I find it tough to pin down exactly what the Aqualab is. On a personal level, I either like a watch, or I don’t. I’d either be happy to buy it, or I wouldn’t. Writing about a watch causes me to think more objectively, and evaluating against an archetype is a good way to do that. The fact that I struggle to pigeonhole the Aqualab is a stumbling block. But here goes… Considering the dial separately from the case, or even the strap, feels a little spurious as the overall design flows strongly throughout. Nonetheless, that’s what I’m going to try to do, starting with the time-telling functions. As you’ll no doubt spot at the very first glance, the Aqualab doesn’t make use of ordinary hands. Hours, minutes, an...

Interview - Jiro Katayama, Founder of Otsuka Lotec, on the Creation and Future of Japan’s Coolest Indie Watch Brand Monochrome
Otsuka Lotec 5h ago

Interview - Jiro Katayama, Founder of Otsuka Lotec, on the Creation and Future of Japan’s Coolest Indie Watch Brand

If you’ve been reading MONOCHROME regularly or have been following the evolution of indie watchmaking in recent years, the name Otsuka Lotec should be familiar to you. In only a few years, the steampunk-inspired, industrially-designed collection has reached impressive worldwide recognition, while still being extremely difficult to buy overseas – a classic case of JDM-only […]

In Partnership - From The Source : Gallet Managing Director Erwan Rossignol On 200 Years Of Adventure Hodinkee
Breitling 7h ago

In Partnership - From The Source : Gallet Managing Director Erwan Rossignol On 200 Years Of Adventure

Throughout history, there are countless examples of the inherent and primal human desire to explore the unknown. This wanderlust is more than the urge to chart a course to new destinations. It's the instinct to break free from the ordinary, leave the noise behind, and chase what lies beyond. Driven by these aspirations, we've built timepieces ready for wherever adventure calls. It's these same principles that have anchored watchmakers and their designs, which have long served as loyal companions to adventurers on their journeys. Gallet is one such brand with two centuries of history tied to adventure within aviation, motorsport, and yachting. On the monumental year of its 200th anniversary, the brand is in a modern renaissance with new collections manufactured by Breitling that are rooted in this lineage while considering the needs of today's voyagers. These adaptable designs feature interchangeable quick-release straps that allow the watches to evolve with every environment and expedition. We sat down with Gallet Managing Director Erwan Rossignol to discuss the brand's re-emergence amidst its historic anniversary. Hodinkee When you're reintroducing 200 years of history, how do you decide which pieces come back and which stay in the archive? ERWAN It's about finding the right balance between honoring the heritage and staying relevant. We never wanted to become a museum brand. We went into the archives and identified the iconic names: the Flying Officer, the Clamshell, the ...

Breitling, at Long Last, Adds Manually Wound Navitimers to the Core Collection Worn & Wound
Breitling 8h ago

Breitling, at Long Last, Adds Manually Wound Navitimers to the Core Collection

Breitling fills a big hole in their Navitimer collection today with the release of a pair of watches that feel like concerted efforts at engaging the watch enthusiast community. The new Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 and the Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute are not limited editions, but part of the brand’s core collection, their presence there will surely please a wide swath of longtime Breitling fans, particularly those interested in vintage Breitling, and classic chronographs more generally.  It’s somewhat hard to believe, but until today, Breitling did not have a manually wound Navitimer in their permanent collection. The hand wound B09 movement used in the Navitimer has been used in a handful of limited and special releases in the past, but it feels like the brand is really plugging a gap here with a manually wound version of what is arguably their most iconic watch.  According to Breitling, this new version of the Navitimer is inspired by versions of the watch worn in the 1960s by race car drivers Jim Clark and Graham Hill, who were also pilots and would have been able to make use of the Navitimer’s slide rule bezel in flight. This is a watch that, at least in a contemporary context, straddles the line between the automotive and pilot watch worlds, and has been embraced by both cultures (which admittedly overlap a fair amount).  The Navitimer B09’s case measures 41mm in diameter and is available with either a black or blue dial with white subdials, a c...

Introducing - Maurice Lacroix Refines the Aikon Automatic Chronograph for its Tenth Anniversary Monochrome
Maurice Lacroix Refines 8h ago

Introducing - Maurice Lacroix Refines the Aikon Automatic Chronograph for its Tenth Anniversary

Introduced in 2016, the Aikon collection has become a cornerstone of Maurice Lacroix’s catalogue, combining an integrated design with sporty details and accessible Swiss mechanics. Initially available with quartz movements, the collection added automatic versions in 2018, including the Automatic Chronograph. Now, ten years after the Aikon’s debut, Maurice Lacroix revisits its automatic chronograph with […]

Breitling Adds Two New Manual-Wind Navitimers To The Core Collection Fratello
Breitling Adds Two New Manual-Wind 10h ago

Breitling Adds Two New Manual-Wind Navitimers To The Core Collection

Breitling has just added two new chronographs to its permanent collection: the Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 and the Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute. But this isn’t just any old release. Both new models draw inspiration from the 1960s and feature the era-appropriate Twin Jet logo. They also share a 41mm stainless steel case and manually […] Visit Breitling Adds Two New Manual-Wind Navitimers To The Core Collection to read the full article.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon 36mm Returns In A Classy Pink Gold Case Fratello
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon 11h ago

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon 36mm Returns In A Classy Pink Gold Case

There are watchmakers, and then there is the “Watchmaker of Watchmakers,” a heavy title that Jaeger-LeCoultre earned the hard way by supplying high-end calibers to the holy trinity of horology for decades. Since 1833, the Vallée de Joux watchmaker has produced over 1,400 calibers. While that alone is a huge flex, JLC has also dedicated […] Visit The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon 36mm Returns In A Classy Pink Gold Case to read the full article.

Hands-On: The Refreshingly Different Briston Clubmaster Legend Compressor Fratello
13h ago

Hands-On: The Refreshingly Different Briston Clubmaster Legend Compressor

It’s not every day that I walk into the Fratello photo studio and come out genuinely surprised. That’s what happened when our photographer, Max, was shooting a set of cushion-shaped Briston dive watches, including one with an acetate case. Mike already went hands-on with the brand’s Clubmaster Legend Diver Ocean. Today, I’ll take a closer […] Visit Hands-On: The Refreshingly Different Briston Clubmaster Legend Compressor to read the full article.

To Carry and To Keep: The Tudor Watches of Warriors Worn & Wound
Tudor Watches Yesterday

To Carry and To Keep: The Tudor Watches of Warriors

“In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our nation’s call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed… I am that man.” –U.S. Navy SEAL Code A Note  Writing about the military – especially those who served our nation in the U.S. Armed Forces – is something I consider to be an honor, and it’s a responsibility I take seriously. The risk of sensationalizing or exploiting veteran experiences for media or corporate gain is too great and happens too frequently to leave that acknowledgement unstated. My respect for and personal relationships with the military population sometimes leads me to be overly cautious in my approach to these subjects to protect the privacy of the individuals or the institutions with which they are affiliated. Some experiences are off the record, and that is okay. The spirit of the story remains.  I also want to acknowledge that discussions of military history can be divisive. I am a U.S. military historian by training and that shapes how I think and write. But my perspective is just a small percentage of the many globally nuanced lenses that can be applied to this topic. The watch world is international, diverse, and certainly strong enough to withstand the contributions of many – even if our conclusions differ. I am a civilian. After leaving school, I had the good fortune to work as a liaison to the U.S. Office of Veterans Affairs. Because of my educational background, I knew the facts and...

Just Because: Nine Incredible Watches I Saw Inside The Archives At A. Lange & Söhne HQ Hodinkee
A. Lange & Sohne Yesterday

Just Because: Nine Incredible Watches I Saw Inside The Archives At A. Lange & Söhne HQ

The small German town of Glashütte is paradise for watch nerds. Some people don’t quite believe how densely packed the watchmaking is in this little town in Saxony, with the biggest German horological names literally next door to each other. But undoubtedly the most iconic name in Glashütte watchmaking (and German high horology in general) is A. Lange & Söhne, and the manufacturer rarely opens its doors to outsiders to take a closer look at what the brand is up to.  Earlier this year, during the rainy month of July, a few of us on the Hodinkee editorial team hopped over to Glashütte to see what was happening within the secretive walls of the Lange, and to say that the visit was unforgettable is surely the understatement of the century. There’s still lots to come from our visit, but one of the best moments of the few days I spent there was, well, looking at watches—very special watches though, pulled from the Lange archives.   The Designs Behind The Revival Kicking it off are three of modern A. Lange & Söhne's inaugural silhouettes in yellow gold, representing the then-new designs unveiled by Günter Blümlein on October 24th, 1994. That day, of course, marked a pivotal moment that not only revived the A. Lange & Söhne name after a long period of dormancy, but also set a new standard for what high-end watchmaking meant in the mid-nineties, especially among its Swiss contemporaries. The Lange 1 could just be the most iconic model from the brand. It’s the onl...

Louis Erard Introduces the Dia De Los Muertos Black Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Introduces Yesterday

Louis Erard Introduces the Dia De Los Muertos Black

We’ve arrived at the time of year where we can finally highlight my favorite seasonal watch niche. Skull watches, most often created to underscore the philosophy of memento mori (an acknowledgement of our mortality) tend to pop up in October to coincide with Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations. This is a watch design rabbit hole that has snuck up on me over the years, but if you think about it, it makes a certain amount of sense that a skull represented on a dial surface could be an interesting platform for a variety of craft techniques. We’ll have a (long) list of some of our favorite skull watches on the website a little later this month.  But today, we’ll focus on the latest addition to the skull watches canon, the Louis Erard Dia De Los Muertos Black. This is a fairly straightforward skull watch, with a bold and colorful skull clad in floral motifs dominating the dial. This limited edition (only 10 are being made) has a black coated case and black dial, which feels appropriate and also properly frames the colorful skull.  The floral motifs on the skull are recessed, and the brand’s own images suggest a skull design with subtle depth when explored closely. The brand’s logo is blended into the skull at around 12:00, and the name of the brand appears across the skull’s teeth at 6:00. A total of 6 color transfers have been placed on the skull applique, with the dominant tones being white, gray, orange and yellow. The hands are pear shaped and anthracit...

The Business of Watches Podcast: Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, Founder And Chief Executive Officer Of Fears Hodinkee
Rolex Yesterday

The Business of Watches Podcast: Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, Founder And Chief Executive Officer Of Fears

This week on The Business of Watches, we sit down with Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, founder and CEO of Fears Watches, for an in-depth discussion. Nicholas has packed a lot into his 39 years. For the last decade, he's helmed the brand, originally founded in Bristol, England, in 1846 by his great-great-great-grandfather, Edwin Fears.  Incredibly, Bowman-Scargill wasn't even aware of the Fears brand and family connection when he decided to train as a watchmaker at Rolex in the U.K. That move into watches followed an ill-timed foray into investment banking on the eve of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.  Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, the fourth managing director of Fears Watches.  By the time Bowman-Scargill restarted the brand in 2016, it had been dormant for nearly four decades. He says its revival has been an exercise in business challenges, often met by the art of project management, a skill set he and his fellow Brits are uniquely adept at. Fears has now grown to about 15 people and returned to its roots in Bristol. From flirting with bankruptcy to implementing a dress code for employees and overseeing the design and production of a perpetual calendar model, Bowman-Scargill relays the dramatic tale of how the company has survived and thrived in the crowded, competitive arena of mid-tier timepieces.  It's a heck of a story that offers heaps of insight for any watch enthusiast, collector, or small business owner. From what he learned and has applied at Fears from his time at...

The New Unimatic Modello Quattro U4S-NPB Reflects The Moods Of Piedmont’s Langhe Region Fratello
Unimatic Modello Quattro U4S-NPB Reflects Yesterday

The New Unimatic Modello Quattro U4S-NPB Reflects The Moods Of Piedmont’s Langhe Region

Autumn is a season of moods, as we see in everything from the famous colors of Indian summers in New England to the striking landscapes of Central Europe during “old women’s summers.” Italy’s regions also offer distinctive scenery and shifting colors. The landscape of Piedmont’s Langhe region inspired Unimatic’s Langhe collection, a set of 12 […] Visit The New Unimatic Modello Quattro U4S-NPB Reflects The Moods Of Piedmont’s Langhe Region to read the full article.

First Look - The Goddess Returns to Villeret on the Minerva Exo Tourbillon Skeleton Limited Edition Monochrome
Montblanc branding Yesterday

First Look - The Goddess Returns to Villeret on the Minerva Exo Tourbillon Skeleton Limited Edition

The Minerva Exo Tourbillon Skeleton marks the manufacture’s transition to a standalone brand structure, dropping the previous dual Montblanc branding to focus entirely on its own heritage. Limited to just 18 pieces in rose gold, the watch reveals incredible details of the hand-finished, skeletonised calibre M18.69, combined with classical design elements like the agate cameo […]

Introducing - The Mexican-Themed Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Día de los Muertos Edition 13 Monochrome
Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Día Yesterday

Introducing - The Mexican-Themed Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Día de los Muertos Edition 13

Chopard continues its tribute to Mexican culture with the thirteenth interpretation of its L.U.C Full Strike. This latest one-of-a-kind “Día de los Muertos” creation pairs one of the manufacture’s most technically accomplished watches with an elaborate dial depicting a calavera, the stylised skull associated with the celebration of life and remembrance. The 2021 version of […]

Industrial Artisanship and the Paradox of Independence SJX Watches
Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Calendar ref Yesterday

Industrial Artisanship and the Paradox of Independence

Independent watchmaking is often discussed as a world apart from the work of major brands. But the distinction becomes less clear when we look at how specific watches are made and who makes them, especially when it comes to artisanal watchmaking within industrial brands. From this perspective, the qualities that once distinguished the work of independent watchmakers are increasingly evident within major brands. Yet historical manufactures remain under-appreciated for exceptional hand finishing, distinctive movement architecture, and small-scale production that would attract considerable attention with an independent’s name on the dial. An objective measure Back in 2022, we published a widely cited market map of the fine watchmaking sector based on the concept of watchmaker-hours. The goal was to look beyond brand positioning and establish an objective, quantitative basis for comparing different approaches to production. The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst is a prime example of small-scale artisanal watchmaking taking place within a larger organisation The methodology was simple: take a company’s available employee hours — essentially the headcount multiplied by the number of hours in the working year — and divide it by its total output, in terms of watches per year. The result is a theoretical maximum number of human hours available for each watch. The cal. 31-260 inside the Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Calendar ref. 5236P typifies the industrial-haut...

Hands-On: Exploring Film Photography with the Nodus Obscura II Worn & Wound
Nodus Obscura II When you’ve 2 days ago

Hands-On: Exploring Film Photography with the Nodus Obscura II

When you’ve been using the same camera and lens for literal decades, it can be hard to push yourself creatively and get out of your own habits. Shooting in all conditions becomes muscle memory, and even the trickiest shots can start to feel like just another snap of the shutter. So what is a hobby photographer to do? Well, if you’re me, you use the exposure gauge on the new Nodus Obscura II to challenge your idea of “correct”, and re-learn the act of shooting film in the process.  Let’s rewind a bit, first. Nodus is a Los Angeles-based microbrand established in 2017 who specializes in purpose-built watches. That may seem like a nebulous thing to claim as your hallmark, but it basically comes down to this: all Nodus watches are assembled, regulated, and tested in Los Angeles, and are intended to perform their stated function (or functions) at the highest degree, rather than offering a myriad of complications that could muddy a piece’s “purpose”. Their lineup consists of divers, pilot and sport watches, and GMT units. The star collection, though, is their Design Lab series, where the brand showcases watches designed and built in collaboration with other creators or brands. These watches push Nodus’ aesthetics, and introduce even more hyper-niche categories and use cases. The most innovative of the Design Lab watches is, of course, the Obscura II collaboration with Beers and Cameras.  Image: Nodus The first Obscura watch introduced Nodus’ patented exposu...

Oris Introduces The Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition Fratello
Oris Introduces 2 days ago

Oris Introduces The Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition

Oris returns to ocean conservation with the Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition. This new 41.5mm dive watch draws inspiration from underwater kelp forests and their role in marine ecosystems. Limited to 1,000 pieces, it combines the familiar Aquis Date design with a textured green dial that evokes the colors and textures of swaying kelp. […] Visit Oris Introduces The Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition to read the full article.

Introducing: The Oris Kelp Forest Limited Edition Hodinkee
Oris Kelp Forest Limited Edition 2 days ago

Introducing: The Oris Kelp Forest Limited Edition

What We Know The idea of a 'Seaweed' dive watch isn't new—in fact, I used to own a diver that carried that nickname from collectors. But today, Oris offers a much more literal take on that idea with the Aquis Date Kelp Forest Limited Edition. No, Oris did not make a dial out of literal kelp. But the overall aesthetic is strongly inspired by underwater nature, thanks to an idea from Francis Pérez, an award-winning underwater photographer and Oris ambassador. © Francis Pérez It's another of Oris's sustainability-focused designs, as the brand continues to raise awareness for various environmental efforts. Think Oris' Bracenet Aquis, with a dial made from melted recycled fishing nets, or its Yangtze Jiangtun Limited Edition introduced this spring. Some of these editions will see a contribution of proceeds to a specific organization. Others, like this Kelp Forest edition, are meant to be conversation starters, giving purpose and meaning to a design beyond purely aesthetic goals. It's something Oris has done for many years, and this one continues that trend. Specifically, the story of this watch focuses on raising awareness of the deforestation of underwater kelp forests—which absorb carbon and provide shelter and food for a wide range of marine wildlife. While most people have probably thought about global overfishing and rising sea temperatures at some point in their lives, I think this issue gets much less talked about, if at all. This marketing story leads to an unsur...

Introducing - The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon, now in an Elegant 36mm Pink Gold Case Monochrome
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon 2 days ago

Introducing - The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon, now in an Elegant 36mm Pink Gold Case

When thinking about the most emblematic watches produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre, some might, of course, mention the Reverso or the Memovox immediately. That said, the Master collection must be included in the list, whether we’re talking about the Master Control collection that debuted in 1992, or the more recent, more elegant and more slender Master Ultra […]

Happenings: "George Daniels 100" Exhibition To Celebrate The Legendary Watchmaker With Some Of His Rarest Pieces In Singapore Hodinkee
2 days ago

Happenings: "George Daniels 100" Exhibition To Celebrate The Legendary Watchmaker With Some Of His Rarest Pieces In Singapore

There's no such thing as overdoing the celebration of the impact of George Daniels on the horological landscape, especially in the year that marks the 100th anniversary of his birth. Coinciding with the opening of IAMWATCH in Singapore, a celebration of the modern independent watchmaking scene, a scene that would likely not exist if not for Daniels—Phillips and The Hour Glass are exhibiting 22 of his watches. That list, which hasn't fully been made public, includes—for the first time—reuniting the Space Traveller I and Daniels' personal Space Traveller II. Photo courtesy Phillips and The Hour Glass. The fact that there will be twenty-two of Daniels' watches in one place is even more remarkable considering that, during his lifetime, Daniels alone made only twenty-four pocket watches and two wristwatches (the Spring Case Tourbillon and the Four-Minute Tourbillon) before the Millennium and Anniversary done with Roger W. Smith (not accounting for some other pieces that were made by Smith under Daniels' direction). For acolytes of Daniels, lovers of horology, and people who appreciate once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, the exhibition in Singapore is something you can't miss. Luckily, you'll have at least two chances to see the exhibition. Photo courtesy the George Daniels Educational Trust. For even more context, the Space Traveller and Space Traveller II are particularly important watches in the annals of watchmaking history. Both were made in 1982; the first was made and...

The Vaer x Topo x W&W; Solar Hiker Returns for 2026 Worn & Wound
2 days ago

The Vaer x Topo x W&W; Solar Hiker Returns for 2026

The Solar Hiker returns for 2026 with two new colorways, updated straps, and a new custom carrying case. A triple-brand collaboration between Vaer, Topo Designs, and Worn & Wound, the Solar Hiker brings together expertise in watchmaking, outdoor goods design, and storytelling. Built for adventure, it combines the legibility of a classic field watch with the durability of a dive watch, all powered by the sun. Limited to 1,200 pieces. The post The Vaer x Topo x W&W; Solar Hiker Returns for 2026 appeared first on Worn & Wound.