Time+Tide
Going Full Circle: Top 5 Watches from Beaubleu
For a young, French brand, Beaublue has managed to establish a strong visual identity with these being the five not to miss.
35,770 articles · 307 videos found · page 1098 of 1203
Time+Tide
For a young, French brand, Beaublue has managed to establish a strong visual identity with these being the five not to miss.
Hodinkee
In our first addendum to our Reference Points video and story on Patek Philippe split-second wristwatches, we looked at Patek Philippe split-second pocket watches and the brand's relationship with its supplier, Victorin Piguet. Switzerland has (and continues to have) the most robust supplier marketplace for everything from complex movements to dials and cases. In the warmer months of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, it was easy enough to just send someone on a short journey to the Vallée de Joux with a letter requesting a movement or other parts and receive one a short time later. These établisseurs all had their own specialties, but few were as important as Victorin Piguet. I'd argue it was far more unusual for Victorin Piguet not to be involved in a watch (such as their absence from the La Grosse Pièce project for Audemars Piguet) than to see their name on supplier lists. So what was their impact on wristwatches? In our video, we focused solely on serially produced models (and even then, there were a few we couldn't get our hands on), all of which started after Patek shifted its production more in-house. One thing we didn't discuss, however, was the history of the brand's first split-seconds wristwatches, which used a Victorin Piguet ébauche. It's no understatement that these watches are among the most important in Patek Philippe's history and among the most coveted for vintage-focused Patek collectors. One-off, bespoke pieces, these watches don't exactly fit...
Teddy Baldassarre
The story of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5065a, one of the most iconic and influential neo-vintage luxury sports watches.
Hodinkee
Two months ago, I spent a Friday lunch eating a sandwich called the Crazy Poulet at Notos Bar Restaurant in Le Sentier with Mark Schmid, who is a sort of jack-of-all-trades in the marketing and communications department at Audemars Piguet. Schmid has quickly become someone I'd consider a friend, whom I appreciate for our candid conversations, his willingness (and frequency) to correct my confusion between l'accent aigu and l'accent grave in articles, and, more recently, his gastronomic suggestions. I'm sure this story will require a few more corrections from Mark, for which I apologize (mostly to him) in advance, but I wanted to share a recent experience that illustrates why I love Switzerland's Vallée de Joux, past and present. Le Sentier, pictured back in 2022 on the author's first trip to Switzerland. The town, now home to the headquarters of Jaeger-LeCoultre, was the hometown of Samuel-Olivier Meylan, the first watchmaker in the valley who began crafting timepieces around 1743 and set the stage for what is arguably the most important geographic location in watchmaking. "People ask me what I'd want to do if I didn't work at Hodinkee," I said. "Sometimes I say that I wish I could be the head of the tourism bureau for the Vallée de Joux." "Well, maybe you could be our advocate in New York," he said. "But if you came back here on a Thursday night at 4 o'clock, this place would be full. You'd hear watchmakers talking about all the things they were up to at AP, JLC, Blancp...
SJX Watches
Earlier this year, TAG Heuer unveiled the latest iteration of a longstanding model, the Monaco Chronograph TH20. It’s essentially a reissue of the Monaco ref. 1133 made famous by Steve McQueen, but not a one-for-one remake, and it’s the best to date. The Monaco TH20 retains the familiar dial design and case outline, but the case has been reworked in both design and material. The square case is sleeker and more lightweight, being in titanium instead of steel. And it gets upgraded with the TH20 movement, instead of the ETA 2894-2 found in many earlier generations of the model. Initial thoughts I’ve always liked the Monaco, especially the ref. 1133 B. It’s a distinctive and arguably iconic design that evokes the 1970s. And it’s different from more famous 1970s designs, which are mostly sports watches with integrated bracelets. Though the Monaco is not particularly ergonomic due to the size and shape, it is cool. The ref. 1133 remake has been in TAG Heuer’s catalogue for a long, long time with many, many iterations to date. Most earlier generations were powered by the ETA 2894 – an ETA 2892 with a module on top – that was a convenient solution for the left-hand crown. The new Monaco is an all-around upgrade with the in-house TH20 movement and titanium case. The TH20 is a competent calibre with solid specs, albeit still very industrial, but good enough for the price segment. The titanium case is a less obvious improvement in terms of design, but it improves the ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We tested 14 dive watches under $1,000 to find which ones deliver the best comfort, durability, performance, and long-term value.
Monochrome
Another collaborative project has just launched, and one that is certainly not meant to be conservative. On one side is young indie brand Toledano & Chan, founded by Phil Toledano and Alfred Chan, and focused on bridging conceptual art, brutalist architecture and watchmaking, creating sculptural watches with a design like no other. On the other […]
Monochrome
Twelve warriors gather around the table once again, but this time, Camelot gives way to Edo Castle. Roger Dubuis has a knack for creating watches that are equal parts human imagination and great craftsmanship, the kind you can spend hours staring at, whether they call upon dragons, knights, or are high complications that look like […]
SJX Watches
On the morning of March 30, 1937, 16-year-old King Farouk I of Egypt visited the workshops of Vacheron & Constantin in Geneva. He had been on the throne for less than a year. His father, Fouad I, had died in April 1936, leaving him the crown, the palaces, and a collection that included one of the most complicated watches the Swiss had ever produced. The welcome was formal, as the company’s records and the following morning’s edition of La Suisse both confirm. The young king was received by the company’s directors and shown the workshops. He was already, by multiple accounts, deeply interested in watches as objects to be understood from the inside — the tour of the manufacture was a pilgrimage. Vacheron Constantin, before Plan-les-Ouates. Image – SJX composite/Vacheron Constantin At some point during the visit, Farouk made a remark that passed into the house lore of Vacheron & Constantin and into several of his subsequent biographies, though seldom accurately. The original French, as La Suisse reported it, was precise: “C’est qu’on n’abîmera jamais autant de montres que je n’en ai abîmé étant enfant!”, which translates as “One will never ruin as many watches as I ruined as a child.” Secondary sources have rendered this with démontées — dismantled — in place of abîmé; a small but telling substitution that transforms an admission of destruction into evidence of mechanical curiosity. A child who dismantles watches is a nascent watchmaker. ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Find out which watches with real military, exploration, motorsport, and spaceflight history remain compelling to own today.
Fratello
Welcome to this week’s installment of our Sunday Morning Showdown series. For today’s matchup, we pitted two Swatch Group divers against each other. You can take both to great depths, and even better, neither will cost you an arm and a leg. So, if any of you have any deep-sea adventures in mind, these two […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Certina DS Super PH2000M STC Vs. Tissot Seastar 2000 44mm to read the full article.
WatchRider
Officially known as the Citizen Imperial Battle AW1857-57W, the latest Star Wars collaboration goes straight for the franchise’s most recognizable hardware. The red-and-black metal dial uses original embossed artwork to turn the Death Star into a richly textured backdrop, while a swarm of TIE Fighters appears to fly above it. An applied Galactic Empire crest occupies 12 o’clock, and the date window sits at 3 o’clock without trying to compete with the miniature space battle. Citizen Imperial Battle AW1857-57W. Death Star detail, wearable hardware Citizen did not stop at decorating the dial. The angular, hexagonal 42 mm stainless-steel case is finished in dark gray ion plating and shaped to recall the six-sided solar panels of a TIE Fighter. A matching ion-plated steel bracelet mixes brushed surfaces with glossy central details and closes with a fold-over clasp and twin push buttons. A ring of oversized five-minute numerals around the crystal reinforces the industrial styling, with selected markings picked out in red. The watch looks almost architectural from the front, but a relatively conventional crown and three-link bracelet keep the construction familiar. The rear view continues the theme with an engraved Imperial crest, Star Wars branding and Lucasfilm licensing. It also confirms 10-bar water resistance, equivalent to 100 metres. A scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects the elaborate dial, giving the watch specifications suited to regular wear rather than di...
Fratello
Depancel has made a name for itself by creating affordable racing-inspired watches. But what if the French brand shook the race livery and created a chronograph inspired by a uniquely elegant road car from the 1940s? You’d end up with the Depancel Série-R Chronograph Ice Blue. It’s a fresh take on Depancel’s popular Série-R Chronograph […] Visit Keeping Cool During Summer With The Depancel Série-R Chronograph Ice Blue Limited Edition to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-weekly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion. Vintage Omax Spaceman Here’s a fun one to start off this week, a vintage Omax Spaceman. The 37mm steel case is PVD (?) coated to give it a dark color. It’s in good shape, unpolished with normal wear that you would expect. The square case is very angular and nearly a pyramid, giving it a definite space-age look. The angular crystal is also in good shape, protecting a stark white dial with black hands. The unique crown is original. There are no movement pictures but the watch runs per the seller. I’ve seen a few of these over the years, but they aren’t too common. Just a really neat an unusual watch that will be fun to wear without breaking the bank. View auction here Vintage Pac-Man Watch Is there anything more quintessentially 80s than Pac-Man?? If you lived the 80s like me, then Pac-Man is ingrained in your mind. Here’s your chance to relive that wondrous time with this killer vintage Pac-Man digital watch from Nelsonic! The watch is in amazing condition, looks like it was barely worn. The dial graphics are all intact and the four little direction buttons look new. The watch and the game are functioning properly, and the watch even comes on its original matching plastic br...
Hodinkee
What We Know Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water (sorry), California-based retailer Topper Jewelers has released a limited edition take on Doxa's recently refreshed SUB 200 T.Graph II. This crispy, white-dialed variant comes fast on the heels of Doxa's own re-issue of its legendary dive chronograph. The name "Great White" obviously references the dial color, but is also a tribute to the Bay Area's notorious offshore aquatic apex predators, Carcharodon carcharias, the great white shark. To refresh your memory, the T.Graph was Doxa's first dive chronograph, originally released in 1969 with three dial color versions—Professional (orange), Sharkhunter (black), and Searambler (silver). Horological historians tend to agree that only 300 of each color were made, making it a rare and coveted watch for vintage collectors and Doxaphiles. While a limited-edition version was released back in 2017, including a solid-gold variant, Doxa finally rewarded fans last month with the non-limited T.Graph II. This new evolution is a faithful interpretation, but updated with a slimmer case, automatic movement, and a new (for the chronograph) colorway—the Caribbean (blue). Now, in limited numbers, comes the further-evolved "Great White" from Doxa retailer Topper, based in Burlingame, California. This isn't Topper's first foray into Doxa limited editions. Two years ago, the company collaborated with the Swiss brand on a "Great White" SUB 300 that sported a pearly white dia...
SJX Watches
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur “The Kabuto Legacy” transforms the brand’s monumental Excalibur case into a showcase for Japanese history and miniature craftsmanship. Thematically similar to the the Knights of the Round Table (KRT) collection, the samurai-inspired dial centres around a contemporary interpretation of an Edo-period castle with 12 individually hand-engraved pink gold kabuto, each based on the distinctive helmet of a historical warrior. Initial thoughts Watches like the Excalibur Kabuto are not ‘watches’ in the typical sense, and only make sense through an artistic lens. Collectors who spend a lot of time in the spec sheets will likely come away unimpressed, but with only 28 pieces being made, the Excalibur Kabuto represents a sub-segment of haute horlogerie that treats the watch case as a miniature art gallery. While some may be indifferent to the samurai motif, the quality of work — from the hand-engraved helmets on the dial to the laser-engraved precision of the crests in the rotor — is remarkable. Furthermore, the playful minimalism of the Edo castle, which from some angles looks like an enormous faceted sapphire, is an inspired work of miniature architecture. The case is identical to that of the KRT collection. It’s 45 mm and nearly 17 mm thick — height that accommodates a sapphire crystal ring underneath the bezel. This elaborate construction helps flood the miniature sculptures with light and provides a better look at the engraving work. In...
Worn & Wound
Many watches have been named for athletes, explorers, and artists, mostly to boost an air of sportiness, robustness, or sophistication. Still, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate arena for a wristwatch than the field science as a whole; British brand Bremont agrees, and to celebrate one of the most famous and culturally pervasive scientists of the past two centuries, they have created the Supernova Hawking Limited Edition, named for preeminent thinker, Professor Stephen Hawking. Known more for their mil-spec pieces, Bremont may seem like a strange choice for such a namesake watch, but given their status as a British brand of repute, it makes sense that they’d want to showcase a fellow English pioneer. The base of the Hawking is the Supernova, first launched in April of this year, and boasting a 41mm ultra black DLC-treated steel case with multilayered construction. The geometric aesthetic of the case, pushers, and crown, reflect Hawking’s work in the space engineering field—most notably his groundbreaking research into black holes. Black watches have had a bit of a renaissance as of late, and wear well with almost any other color, so the choice here makes sense from a source-of-inspiration standpoint, as well as an aesthetic one. A black decahedral ceramic bezel surrounds the dial, which in turn features an interlocking, galvanic black grid motif with triangular pathways, inspired by the design of solar arrays. Two meteorite subdials adorn the dial, at 3 an...
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne’s flagship launch for the year, so far, is the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”. It follows a familiar template, applying the desirable “Lumen” treatment to a complicated, top-of-the-line model. But unlike earlier Lumen editions, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is more than a mere cosmetic makeover. The unique calendar display requires a more complex dial construction, and the movement has been reworked for visual impact. Even though the concept is predictable – and predictably pricey – the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” is unexpectedly appealing. Initial thoughts This is stating the obvious, but the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” is clearly the most appealing iteration of the most complicated Lange 1. Visually it is more striking in both light and darkness, with the new look also adding to the intricacy of the dial construction. And because Lange doesn’t do things in half measures when it comes to movements, the L225.1 inside this has been reworked by some margin to solve one of the shortcomings of the original model, a tourbillon that was barely visible. The original Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar was and still is the most complicated version of Lange’s iconic watch design. All perpetual calendar indicators were cleverly incorporated in the Lange 1’s distinctive yet sensible layout. Add to that a tourbillon visible only on the back meant there was a lot going on ins...
Worn & Wound
Having lived so far away from us, I have very few memories of my grandfather before his passing. Other than the fact that he was a regular at the local Legion in rural Indiana and liked having westerns on the TV, my memories are mostly sensory: the smell of tobacco, the first sip of beer he let me have when I was still a kid. I can only imagine he, too, considered me a stranger who just happened to share a last name and a few chromosomes here and there. Even still, every year, he would give me a Clive Cussler book. He knew I was a reader, but he was not. My guess is that, in some ways, he wanted me to read the books he would have read, to tell the stories he would have liked. He just never got around to it, I suppose. This is my first memory of Cussler’s books. And while I have read a few of them, mostly when I was younger as a sort of favor to my grandfather, I don’t remember many of the plots. I remember more of who Cussler was as a person: born in the Midwest between the wars, a veteran, and later an author and maritime explorer. My grandfather shared some of those same biographical details, but their lives diverged somewhere in adulthood. Cussler felt like a parallel version of the life my grandfather could have lived – had debt, circumstance, and the family farm not gotten in the way. I was reminded of all of this when DOXA released the new SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler, a limited edition introduced on what would have been Cussler’s 95th birthday. Cussler brought ...
Hodinkee
What We Know If you're a Doxa fan, you might be familiar with the brand's connection with the late explorer and novelist Clive Cussler, along with his literary creation of Dirk Pitt, an explorer in Cussler's books known to sport a Sub 300 Professional on the wrist. This relationship has manifested itself in a few Clive Cussler limited editions going back to 2023, and this year's edition is probably the coolest one yet. It's a special edition Sub 300 in grade 5 titanium, meant as a tribute to Cussler. It's a big departure, design-wise, from a few of the previous editions, as it does away with the distressed finishing and compass motifs for something much more in line with what Cussler's literary creation Dirk Pitt would have worn. I know there are some intense Doxa fans probably reading, so I won't bury the lede here—this watch is limited to only 300 pieces, and you can get one through Doxa's online shop or select authorized retailers. While past editions were produced in editions numbered to align with Cussler's age, Doxa knew that 95 pieces were simply not going to cut it this year, hence the much larger—yet most certainly not large enough—production size. The silhouette of the watch remains extremely familiar. It is still a Sub 300 after all, with a 42.5mm case and a 45mm lug-to-lug distance. The compact lug-to-lug, paired with the extreme lightness of grade 5 titanium for the case, screw-down caseback, and crown, means that this should be an extremely easy-wearing...
Monochrome
Richemont, the Swiss luxury powerhouse, has started its 2026 fiscal year on a strong note. For the first quarter ended 30 June 2026, the group reported revenues of EUR 6.3 billion, representing a 20% increase at constant exchange rates and a 17% rise at actual exchange rates compared with the same period last year. Summary: […]
Monochrome
As the countdown to the 38th America’s Cup in Naples continues, Panerai is once again turning to one of its most successful partnerships of recent years. Since teaming up with Luna Rossa in 2019, Panerai has made the partnership into a proving ground for its modern sports watches. That has given us a series of […]
SJX Watches
One of the quieter debates still ongoing in the horological world revolves around the difference in winding efficiency between unidirectional and bidirectional winding mechanisms. There are two schools of thought on the subject: some watchmakers remain convinced that a bidirectional winding mechanism is the clear winner in terms of efficiency, while a second group claims there are no real performance gains over simpler unidirectional winding mechanisms. Harvesting energy The basic idea behind automatic watches is to harvest energy from the wearer’s natural arm movements to wind the mainspring. The rotor is an unbalanced mass (its axis of rotation doesn’t coincide with its center of mass) that is subject to both gravity and the inertial forces exerted by the wearer. As the watch moves through different positions, the rotor spins in unpredictable bursts, generating substantial kinetic energy. A winding mechanism then turns the fast revolutions of the rotor into slower but more torque-heavy turns that wind the mainspring. Common transmission ratios cited by horological textbooks range between 1:110 and 1:180 — meaning that the barrel click wheel only makes one turn for every 110 to 180 turns of the rotor. In short, the winding mechanism transforms the erratic kinetic energy of the rotor into potential elastic energy, stored inside the mainspring’s coils. A short history Much like any sub-genre of horology, the history of automatic winding is lengthy and nuanced. This ...
Monochrome
Talking about Svend Andersen and only focusing on the world time complication would be truly reductive of the man’s career. One of the most discreet and yet most revered watchmakers of the independent scene, a founding member of the AHCI, Andersen founded his atelier in 1980, after working for Gübelin, where he got the chance to […]
WristBuzz
Anoma's A1 gets its most radical rework yet, trading polished geometry for a texture straight out of the Stone Age
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore 18 aviation watches we’ve reviewed hands-on, from affordable pilot watches to luxury GMTs, and see which ones still feel worth owning.
Worn & Wound
There’s genuine horological history in the home of Beaucroft Watches, the independent brand founded in 2020 in Cambridge. England was once the heart of the world’s finest watchmaking, a legacy that dated back to the 16th century. Some of the most important innovations originated in these early epochs, up until Switzerland took the mantle in the mid-1800s: complex clocks meant for royalty, and instruments for gauging the stars and the sea alike. Thomas Tompion, the “Father of English Clockmaking,” pioneered the hairspring as a viable means of regulating time, clockmaker Thomas Mudge invented the lever escapement in 1755, and John Harrison’s marine chronometer solved the problem of determining longitude once and for all. Zoom forward about five centuries. Some of the most exciting, historically-minded efforts in independent watches are emerging from British watchmakers, many of whom are attempting to evoke this proud tradition. For Beaucroft, whose latest watch is the Arc, there’s no lack of influence to draw from among Cambridge’s stone archways, pointed Gothic windows, and the ancient towers that loom over King’s and Trinity Colleges. The Arc is an evolution of Beaucroft’s last release, 2023’s Seeker, which laid the groundwork for the watchmaker’s design language. Namely, pill-shaped baton markers with unique markers at 3, 6, 9, and 12 that feature round pips at the end, resembling automotive gauges. Diamond-cut hour and minute hands are shaped li...
WristBuzz
500 pieces, a COSC-certified true GMT, and one very lucky buyer flying to Ayada Maldives Resort
Fratello
We know Christopher Ward as a brand that always keeps new releases coming. With most of them, CW raises the bar of affordable timepieces time and again. But it’s not always about pushing the boundaries of technical development and production quality. If there is one thing that the brand understands well, it’s that it should […] Visit Christopher Ward Collaborates With The Dial Artist To Create The Twelve Xander to read the full article.
Monochrome
The resurgence of watchmaking in the United States is real. But not through what it used to be in the past, when American watches were produced in large quantities on an industrial scale. Should we complain? Absolutely not. Thanks to names such as RGM (a veteran compared to the rest), J.N. Shapiro or Keaton Myrick, […]
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.