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Results for AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants)

3,466 articles · 32 videos found · page 11 of 117

My Year in Watches: Evolving as a Watch Writer Worn & Wound
Dec 27, 2024

My Year in Watches: Evolving as a Watch Writer

Just over a year and a half ago, I began writing for Worn & Wound. According to my author’s page, that has amassed a total of 14 pages worth of content – totalling, by my best estimation, around 110 articles I have done for the site. It’s hard to believe that I have that sort of library to look back upon. This is mostly due to the fact that, in June of 2023, I would have told you I didn’t know a damn thing about watches. Just a short eighteen months ago, if you would have asked me what a tourbillon was, I would have answered a fish that pairs well with citrus. Other than thinking of a watch as an accessory, I never gave them much thought – let alone the entire industry. I think, if you were to read back on those early articles, you could see this. I was, at best, timid – afraid to offend a brand or the Worn & Wound community. And, at worst, I was a fraud. And sidling in between those two poles of my own self-doubt, I would sit at my desk to parse a press release and convey whatever information I could gather to you, the reader, in the hope that you would believe in me as a watch writer.  It wasn’t until this last year that that began to change. Practice makes perfect, they say, and I think if you do anything long enough you can get a handle on it. For me, the shift came when I stopped writing about what I thought readers would want to know and actually began paying attention to the market, and by extension the community, at large. I began to think of the wat...

My Year in Watches: Community as the Center of Enthusiasm Worn & Wound
Tudor Dec 24, 2024

My Year in Watches: Community as the Center of Enthusiasm

It’s a sneaky secret, but the truth is everyone in the watch world occasionally gets a little tired of watches. Okay, I can’t speak for everyone, and ‘tired’ might be the wrong word, but anyone who has ever worked in an enthusiast field would probably tell you that balancing your own enthusiasm with a professional life can be a tricky thing. Enthusiasm itself is not a boundless resource, and sometimes you can find yourself in need of a cool-down period (something Nathan Schultz described beautifully here). Coming into 2024, I had no idea this year would be one of those cool-down periods (it can be hard to notice one while it’s happening) but looking back at the last twelve months, it’s hard to deny the characterization. It’s not that I love watches any less than I did last year, it’s just that, as I wade deeper into the watch universe, my own collecting has taken a backseat. Going into 2023, I made a conscious decision I wouldn’t buy any watches. Instead, I would save up and make one big purchase at the end of the year. Then I got to March, bought a G-Shock, and opened the floodgates. So when Zach asked me to put a New Year’s Resolution on paper back in January of this year, I went the other way, stating with intention that this would be a buying year and that I would likely end the year with a Tudor, a NOMOS, or both. Instead, I’m ending the 2024 calendar year having bought just three watches, none of which cost more than $110 dollars. I’ve been wh...

The Petrolhead Corner - 55 Years After Its Debut As A Concept Car, The Bertone Runabout Enters Production Monochrome
Nov 30, 2024

The Petrolhead Corner - 55 Years After Its Debut As A Concept Car, The Bertone Runabout Enters Production

Few design institutions have left such a lasting mark on automotive design than Bertone. Just going through the studio’s palmares reveals some absolute masterpieces. The Alfa Romeo B.A.T. series, the Lamborghini Marzal, and the Lancia Stratos Zero, for instance. And those are just design studies, concept cars that would influence production cars further down the […]

First Look - A US Army Commissioned Wristwatch Gets a Remake as the Titoni Airmaster Pilot Chronometer Monochrome
Nov 28, 2024

First Look - A US Army Commissioned Wristwatch Gets a Remake as the Titoni Airmaster Pilot Chronometer

Titoni is an independent family-owned watch brand founded in 1919 by Fritz Schluep in Grenchen, Switzerland, now in the hands of great-grandsons Marc and Olivier Schluep. With a variety of contemporary collections and even an in-house automatic powering its Line 1919 dress watch collection, the genuine interest in this brand resides in its remakes of […]

Teased at Geneva Watch Days, the Studio Underd0g 03SERIES Chronograph Makes its Big Debut with the New “Salm0n” Dial Worn & Wound
H. Moser & Cie he probably Sep 15, 2024

Teased at Geneva Watch Days, the Studio Underd0g 03SERIES Chronograph Makes its Big Debut with the New “Salm0n” Dial

During the global pandemic lockdowns, many people found themselves with more free time. Some chose to learn how to make sourdough bread, some indulged in playing video games, and others channeled their creativity into new endeavors. Richard Benc was one of those creative people, and we are pretty sure that if you asked him in 2019 if he had “become a mega-successful watch brand owner” on his bingo card, he would have likely laughed at you. If you told him that one of his most sought-after watches would feature a pizza dial and that the same company would eventually partner with the prestigious watch manufacturer H. Moser & Cie, he probably would have just walked away from the conversation. However, this is precisely what happened-the additional time allowed Richard to think he could bring new life to the watch industry with some fun and a lot of whimsy. With the support of the Facebook community and positive encouragement, his Watermel0n watch was created and became an immediate success. It arrived at a time when everyone needed something to brighten their day, and his cheerfully colorful design was just what the doctor ordered. Since then, there have been many other color iterations and new models. However, Richard learned that to gain credibility as a watch company, a salmon dial watch was essential, and in typical Studio Underd0g fashion, he subverted this idea. Introducing the Studio Underd0g Salm0n, part of their brand new 03SERIES. Unlike typical salmon-dialed ...

Holthinrichs Announces their New Haute Horlogerie Project Worn & Wound
Holthinrichs Announces their New Haute Aug 6, 2024

Holthinrichs Announces their New Haute Horlogerie Project

Earlier this year, when Dutch independent brand Holthinrichs announced their new Signature Collection, we thought it was one of the most impressive new projects in indie watchmaking. It represented a bold shift for the brand, moving from complex, bespoke watchmaking to something more easily repeatable and at a more approachable price point. With advances in manufacturing capabilities, the new and less expensive Signature Collection actually represents a vision of watchmaking far closer to what brand founder Michiel Holthinrichs had always intended. It was, and remains, an exciting story for fans of the brand, but after seeing Holthinrichs steadily create watches that are more and more ambitious in recent years, we’ve kept hope alive that the brand hadn’t completely abandoned their goals of creating something truly high end and in-house.  Now, on the heels of the Signature Collection comes word of a new project within Holthinrichs that would appear to fill the void of truly high end watchmaking that was left when the brand transitioned to their new model. Holthinrichs Haute Horlogerie provides an outlet for the brand’s most ambitious ideas, and the first watch under this new banner, the Ornament Nouveau, is unlike anything they’ve attempted previously.  Like every watch Holthinrichs has made, the defining characteristic of the new piece is its sculptural design. But with the Ornament Nouveau, those ideas have been manifested not just in the case and dial design, b...

The Parmigiani Tonda PF Does Away with the Date SJX Watches
Parmigiani Fleurier Apr 9, 2024

The Parmigiani Tonda PF Does Away with the Date

At Watches & Wonders 2024, Parmigiani Fleurier is launching the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date, a concise sports watch clearly catered to those who want just two hands. Featuring a “Golden Siena” (or “salmon”) dial in its inaugural guise, the new Tonda PF barely deviates from the design of the original released in 2021, retaining the same case, proportions, and movement, but eliminates the date. Initial thoughts Among the sports watches launched during the integrated-bracelet-sports-watch fad, the Tonda PF stood out for its unique aesthetics that are neither boring nor flashy. While many of its competitors were often obvious derivatives of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus, the Tonda PF was more original and managed to retain some of the traditional design codes of Parmigiani’s more formal watches. From a distance, it is challenging to tell the difference between the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date and the original. In fact, the only real difference lies in the dial design and colour. Although the differences are minimal, the salmon dial with a no-date layout offers a more refined aesthetic that will appeal to purists. At CHF23,500, the watch is priced the same as the date version and like it, is a decent-enough value proposition. Though it seems expensive when compared to more affordable alternatives like the Louis Vuitton Tambour or Moser Streamliner, the Tonda PF is more affordable than the Royal Oak or a Nautilus (which are mostly unobtaina...

Certina Enters the Affordable Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch Arena with the New DS-7 Powermatic 80 Worn & Wound
Certina Enters Oct 30, 2023

Certina Enters the Affordable Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch Arena with the New DS-7 Powermatic 80

The affordable integrated bracelet sports watch wars have been waged on multiple fronts for many months at this point, and now, in a surprising development to some, they’ve hit the Swatch Group in a major way. Since its introduction, the Tissot PRX has been the standard bearer in the value driven integrated bracelet sports watch market, offering a huge variety of dial colors, sizes, and movement options at a price point that makes them compelling for collectors curious to try out what is undoubtedly still the hottest variety of sporty watch in the greater horological landscape. But now, a new challenger has emerged from within, with the introduction of Certina’s DS-7 Powermatic 80. Certina, at least in the United States, is frequently overlooked, as the brand doesn’t have significant distribution here, but they hold a key spot in the Swatch Group’s roster of brands on the more affordable side of the spectrum, and the new integrated offering here is an interesting and subtle contrast with the vaunted PRX.  The PRX is notable for its highly angular case shape, inspired by a distinctly 1980s design language. Particularly in quartz variants, it feels decidedly retro while still giving more than a whiff of Royal Oak if you just give it a quick glance. The DS-7 as seen here is a very different animal, with a much softer and rounder case shape and bracelet integration. If the PRX conjures the 1980s, the DS-7 feels more like a 1970s throwback, particularly considering som...

Fears Adds a New Mallard Green Dial Variant to the Brunswick Line as a Boutique Exclusive Worn & Wound
Fears Adds Jul 31, 2023

Fears Adds a New Mallard Green Dial Variant to the Brunswick Line as a Boutique Exclusive

Fears is celebrating the one year anniversary of the opening of their flagship showroom in Bristol, England with the release of a pair of watches in Mallard Green, a color that has never been used on a regular production Fears watch before. This release marks what the brand says will be the beginning of a new “Boutique Editions” collection that will expand to every future model in the Fears catalog.  The first watches in the Boutique Editions collection are the Brunswick 38 and Brunswick 40, two representations of the classic cushion cased design that is at the core of the Fears design language. The dark green color used for the new dials is based on the tones seen on the mallard drake duck, and has hints of gray and blue that give the green an additional depth. The finishing process for these dials involves a silver galvanic coating being applied prior to the hand painting of each individual dial with a translucent varnish. Fears says that green pigment is added a drop at a time to achieve the desired tone. The dials also have a sunburst finish which is designed to catch light in interesting ways, and showcase the depth of the green tones.  The dial layout differs slightly from the 38mm watch to the 40mm version. The larger watch is effectively a sector dial design, with an outer ring for the Arabic numerals and minute track in a high contrast white. The inner section has a very subtle “micro guilloche” pattern that contrasts with the outer portion, which is giv...

Sequent Partners with Seconde/Seconde on What they Describe as a Smartwatch with the Most Ungrateful Solar Charging Dial Ever Made Worn & Wound
Casio n when two innovative Jul 25, 2023

Sequent Partners with Seconde/Seconde on What they Describe as a Smartwatch with the Most Ungrateful Solar Charging Dial Ever Made

It’s always a special occasion when two innovative brands partner with one another to create something truly unique. Take, for example, the Sequent SolarCharger F**KING SUN watch, a product made in collaboration between Swiss smartwatch brand Sequent and Seconde/Seconde, a Paris-based artist who uses humor and street art-inspired design to mod vintage watches for the Banksy generation. Romaric André, the mind behind Seconde/Seconde, was tapped by Sequent to add his specific style to their SolarCharge model. With a bit of tongue-and-cheek humor, André balances a minimalist dial with a cartoonish delight. Sequent may be looking to renewable energy sources (like solar), all while Seconde/Seconde’s biting commentary on how the myopic view of everyday problems (like a melting ice cream cone, as seen on the subdial) blinds us to the potential that’s still out there. This collab is a perfect pairing between the often-cited stereotype of Swiss orderliness and the Paris artist’s whimsical cynicism. Adrian Bachmann, CEO and co-founder of Sequent, seems to agree, having added his support of this partnership, “When [André] landed us his first draft, I loved the idea and meaning of it immediately.” Apart from the aesthetics of the watch itself, the Sequent is a great reinterpretation of the smartwatch. While it looks like a standard analog watch, its functionality has all the high-tech gadgetry expected for those looking for a smartwatch that’s designed for health moni...

Archimede Does Classic German Design at a Fair Price with the new 1950-4 Worn & Wound
Ming nod Jul 17, 2023

Archimede Does Classic German Design at a Fair Price with the new 1950-4

The 1950’s were a unique time in terms of both manufacturing and design. Post-war Europe and the United States were, in many ways, still reeling from the previous decade’s global conflict while also enjoying the benefits of a revitalized economy. This, in turn, created a boon of creativity and a sort of mid-century design renaissance that is still admired today. One company that has looked back to the archival design language of the 1950’s is German brand Archimede. The 1950’s collection nods to the design language of this decade with a visually flat dial and an array of small design details which shows a knowledge and respect for this time period. Their latest in the collection, the 1950-4, continues this study in mid-century excellence with new dial executions in green and black, with a variety of strap pairing options to choose from. While the new watches have a subtle charm to them at first glance, it’s the small details that really shine. For starters, each of the references is a 40mm stainless steel ICKLER case with a classic Arabic numeral dial layout and a subsidiary seconds scale at the 6 o’clock mark. A railroad track pattern circumvents the dial, adding just enough detail to be visually appealing without detracting from the overall clean visuals. Most interesting, perhaps, are the lumed hands, numerals, and indices which were inspired by the use of radium in vintage watches, and light up in a charming nod to the past (but don’t worry – it’s not...

Panerai Introduces their First Annual Calendar as Part of the Radiomir Collection Worn & Wound
Panerai Introduces their First Annual Apr 7, 2023

Panerai Introduces their First Annual Calendar as Part of the Radiomir Collection

Among the new releases from Panerai at this year’s Watches & Wonders, we find what amounts to a first from the brand: a pair of annual calendars. While Panerai has dabbled in perpetual calendars, the annual calendar compilation is a new venture. This has always felt like an under-appreciated complication to me in an environment where perpetual calendars tend to get all the plaudits. For the relatively minor inconvenience of having to make a manual adjustment to the calendar on the first day of March, you get a calendar complication that’s very nearly “set it and forget it” at what often amounts to a significant discount over comparable perpetuals. While these new Panerais aren’t exactly rubbing up against the value end of the spectrum (they are both well into the five figures, with cases in precious metals), they do represent something genuinely new in the Panerai catalog, which is always going to be of interest to the brand’s dedicated base of collectors.  The new annual calendars are both found in the Radiomir collection, which is Panerai’s sleeker case design (compared to the Luminor) with vintage style wire lugs and a squared off cushion case shape. Gold and platinum options are available (Panerai refers to their alloys as “Goldtech” and “Platinumtech”) and the cases measure 45mm in diameter. Panerai enthusiasts and collectors will tell you that a 45mm Radiomir case wears quite a bit smaller than the numbers would indicate, because thanks to the ...

Norqain’s Latest Wild One Celebrates the Brand’s Ties to the Music World and the Town of Zermatt Worn & Wound
Norqain s Latest Wild One Mar 22, 2023

Norqain’s Latest Wild One Celebrates the Brand’s Ties to the Music World and the Town of Zermatt

Sometimes a brand will launch a new watch line to intense fanfare, and then seem to forget about it, letting it twist in the proverbial wind while diligently shoring up other more proven collections. It’s a big gamble to launch a new watch collection, and timing follow ups after a big introduction is an inexact science at best. Norqain, with the launch of the Wild One last fall, has taken an aggressive approach to getting the word about their new high end sports watch, with quick follow ups that expand the palate of what the Wild One can be, and rapidly familiarize the watch community with the new platform.  The latest Wild One has a distinct aesthetic impact, and also serves to highlight a new Norqain partnership, all based around a location that is of genuine importance to the brand. The Wild One Zermatt Unplugged Special Edition celebrates Norqain’s involvement in the Zermatt Unplugged music festival, which occurs annually in the picturesque Swiss ski village at the base of the Matterhorn. Zermatt is also the location of Norqain’s flagship boutique, and as a center of outdoor sport it falls right in line with the brand’s bent towards adventure. To bolster their ties to the music festival, Norqain is offering a limited number of the new watches as part of a package that includes a two night stay in Zermatt during the festival along with a VIP ticket and a day of skiing with Olympic medalists Tina Weirather and Ramon Zenhäusern, who are also Norqain ambassadors....

Our Predictions In The Men’s Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panel Is Split In Two Quill & Pad
Sep 27, 2022

Our Predictions In The Men’s Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panel Is Split In Two

The Men’s is one of the more contentious GPHG categories every year because it is filled with amazing watches that may or may not have much in common but do have distinctive aesthetics. Since that is very subjective, our panel is reminded that the category is essentially asking which watch is the most versatile, wearable, and appeals to the broadest demographic. And, yet, our peanut gallery is divided practically down the middle!

English Independents Team Up for the “Fears Garrick” SJX Watches
IWC Portugieser which Apr 29, 2022

English Independents Team Up for the “Fears Garrick”

A pair of watchmakers with English roots, Fears and Garrick have banded together to create a wristwatch that bears the aesthetic of the former while relying on the mechanics of the latter, the Fears Garrick. Founded in 1846 but having gone out of business during the Quartz Crisis, Fears is an English brand that was revived in 2016 by a descendant of its founder. Though it was not in continuous operation, Fears is now one of the oldest, family-owned English watch brands. Its modern-day offerings are all about clean, simple designs inspired by watches from its past catalogue, which are sometimes paired with period-correct, vintage movements. Garrick, on the other hand, was founded in 2014. Sitting in a higher price point than the typical Fears, Garrick’s offerings are constructed with the help of Swiss specialists, including Andreas Strehler, and dressed up with traditional decoration such as engine turning. David Brailsford of Garrick (left), and Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, the great-great-great-grandson of Fears’ founder Initial thoughts The Fears Garrick is essentially a Garrick S1, the brand’s most impressive offering to date, but redesigned to give it a simpler aesthetic. Though intriguing, the open dial of the S1 has been done away with and the result is minimalist but appealing. I actually prefer the look of the Fears Garrick over the S1. But the Fears Garrick does bring to mind the IWC Portugieser, which is a good thing. For anyone who found the movement of ...

Auction Watch: Seven Days of Cartier on Loupe This SJX Watches
Cartier Apr 25, 2022

Auction Watch: Seven Days of Cartier on Loupe This

Online-only watch auctioneer Loupe This has just announced a week of Cartier watches, with two watches being listed daily from April 25 to 29. The lineup is headlined by an original Crash made by Cartier London in 1969 that comes direct from the original owner no less. It has an appropriate hefty estimate of US$500,000-800,000. London Crash Some of the other highlights in the sale include a trio of white-metal Tanks, including a Tank Asymetrique in platinum, one of a hundred made in 1996. Estimated at US$30,000-50,000, it’s smaller than the recent Prive Tank Asymetrique, with dimensions comparable to the classic Tank LC, which is the next watch. Tank Asymétrique This is a rare variant of an otherwise common watch. Produced for several decades in a range of iterations, the Tank Louis Cartier, or “LC”, is commonly found in yellow gold, but less often in white gold, and rarely with a period-correct bracelet. Dating to the 1970s, this has an estimate of US$20,000-30,000. Tank LC Another Tank from the 1970s is this Tank Cintree “Jumbo”, also in white gold and once again with a matching gold bracelet. This is the largest size of arguably the most desirable Tank model, but made slightly more affordable by the fact that it was made in the 1970s instead of the first decades of the 20th century. The estimate is US$50,000-80,000. Tank Cintree The first pair go live on Monday, April 25, Los Angeles time (GMT-7), which will be April 26 for most of the world. You can see them...