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Results for Besançon (France)

365 articles · 15 videos found · page 11 of 13

Attention, Fans Of Both Cycling And Watches: Bravur Launches The Three-Watch-Strong Team Heritage Collection Fratello
Bravur Apr 2, 2024

Attention, Fans Of Both Cycling And Watches: Bravur Launches The Three-Watch-Strong Team Heritage Collection

The people at Swedish brand Bravur are about as crazy about watches as they are about cycling. Last year, the brand from Båstad gave us the Grand Tour Chronograph series inspired by the three grand tours - Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España. This year, the inspiration comes from iconic cycling teams […] Visit Attention, Fans Of Both Cycling And Watches: Bravur Launches The Three-Watch-Strong Team Heritage Collection to read the full article.

Introducing – A Mint Green Palette for the Breguet Reine de Naples 8918 Monochrome
Breguet Reine de Naples 8918 Mar 8, 2024

Introducing – A Mint Green Palette for the Breguet Reine de Naples 8918

As the leading watchmaker of his day, Abraham-Louis Breguet enjoyed the patronage of France’s royalty and aristocracy. Among the names on his A-list was Napoleon Bonaparte’s youngest sister, Caroline Murat, also known as the Queen of Naples. A keen collector of Breguet’s timepieces, one of the 30 pieces she commissioned from Breguet was a watch […]

Sunday Morning Showdown: Serica 6190 Field Chronometer Vs. Studio Underd0g 02Series Field Fratello
Serica 6190 Field Chronometer Vs Feb 18, 2024

Sunday Morning Showdown: Serica 6190 Field Chronometer Vs. Studio Underd0g 02Series Field

Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown! Grab a hot drink and settle in for a brawl between two affordable field watches. Like the upcoming Six Nations game, it’s France versus England, with Serica facing off against Studio Underd0g. Serica started its journey in watches by releasing the 4512 field watch, the predecessor of […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Serica 6190 Field Chronometer Vs. Studio Underd0g 02Series Field to read the full article.

In-Depth – A Week in Japan with Grand Seiko Reveals Secrets of the Brand’s Unique Craftsmanship Monochrome
Grand Seiko Reveals Secrets Jan 19, 2024

In-Depth – A Week in Japan with Grand Seiko Reveals Secrets of the Brand’s Unique Craftsmanship

Stating that Grand Seiko is Japanese is like saying that the Eiffel Tower belongs to Paris. It seems so obvious at first that you might forget that France’s most famous monument wasn’t meant to become a permanent fixture. With Grand Seiko, the Japaneseness of the brand isn’t just about the location. It’s not about making […]

Introducing – The Breguet Reine de Naples 8925 Valentine’s Day Edition 2024 Monochrome
Breguet Reine de Naples 8925 Dec 11, 2023

Introducing – The Breguet Reine de Naples 8925 Valentine’s Day Edition 2024

As the leading watchmaker of his day, Abraham-Louis Breguet hobnobbed with France’s royalty and aristocracy. Apart from his commissions for gentlemen, his celebrity client list also included Queen Marie-Antoinette, Empress Josephine, and Caroline Murat, Napoleon Bonaparte’s youngest sister, aka the Queen of Naples. A keen collector of Breguet’s revolutionary timekeepers, in 1810, Caroline Murat placed […]

Awake Introduces the Summetria, a Concept Watch Inspired by the Inherent Symmetry of the Natural World Worn & Wound
Nov 23, 2023

Awake Introduces the Summetria, a Concept Watch Inspired by the Inherent Symmetry of the Natural World

Over the course of the last year, we’ve been keeping regular tabs on Awake, a microbrand with roots in France that operates within very narrow niches. Their watches are high concept and put a premium on storytelling, which admittedly is not everyone’s cup of tea. But we appreciate their creativity, and believe that this hobby is better and more interesting when brands like Awake are around to remind us that the watch world is encompasses a lot more than black dialed dive watches and vintage reissues. Their latest project, the Summetria collection, is based on perhaps their most abstract idea yet: the inherent beauty in nature, and the symmetry of all living things.  The specific idea of symmetry is tackled here through guilloche dial treatments, which Awake relates to the natural symmetry of things like a butterfly’s wings or flower petals. Awake notes in their press materials for the Summetria collection that to human beings, symmetry seen in nature appears almost unimaginably complex, but the reason it exists at all is because “nature prefers simplicity.” From Awake’s perspective, it’s all about simplicity, and there’s a clear dichotomy there between the inherent complexity of watchmaking (and the application of guilloche) and the visual and functional simplicity of natural symmetry.  Like I said, it’s abstract. But I appreciate that Awake is trying to draw connections between their watch designs and the natural world in ways that other brands do not ...

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Sotheby’s Hong Kong SJX Watches
Richard Mille RM 53-02 Oct 2, 2023

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Sotheby’s Hong Kong

Following our look at notable complications and artisanal masterpieces on offer at Sotheby’s Important Watches I in Hong Kong, we now consider the independent watchmaking highlights in the sale that takes place on October 7. The offerings in the sale range from establishment names like Philippe Dufour – on offer is a Simplicity 37 mm in platinum made after the original run – to newcomers like Pascal Coyon with a Besançon Observatory-certified chronometer. And the highlights also include the headline lot of the auction, the extravagant Richard Mille RM 53-02 in blue sapphire crystal. Important Watches I happens on October 7, 2023. Registration for bidding and the full catalogue can be accessed here.  The Richard Mille RM 53-02 Lot 2116: Pascal Coyon Chronometre  One of the most affordable offerings in the sale is the Pascal Coyon Chronometre, a watch inspired by the French watchmaker’s career as a watch and clock repairer in Bayonne. Though based on a Unitas 6498, Mr Coyon’s hand-wound movement bears a strong resemblance to classical 19th-century pocket watches from the likes of Longines. While the movement is still a Unitas 6498 at its core, it has been dressed up with frosted bridges and a snail cam regulator, amongst other things. Being one of his earlier watches, this has a plain, 42 mm polished steel case with a stepped bezel and a white lacquered dial with red numerals for “12” and “60”, complemented by Breguet-style hour and minute hands. This ...

Hands-On: the Lebois & Co Heritage Chronograph Worn & Wound
Sep 8, 2023

Hands-On: the Lebois & Co Heritage Chronograph

Originally introduced in the early 1930s, Lebois & Co was a brand that flew a bit under the radar for most of its original existence. Based out of France, the brand began making fine Swiss-made timepieces which were used regularly in the military. After going out of business in 1972, the brand sat dormant for 40 years or so, coming back into the world thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. The new stewards of the brand kept much of what made Lebois & Co what it was - quality Swiss manufacturing, and handsome designs. After a few years of crowdfunding, Lebois decided to keep the crowd involved in the design and production in an interesting way. By creating their own “CoLAB” community, fans of the brand can have a direct say in what the next watch from Lebois would look like.  $2750 Hands-On: the Lebois & Co Heritage Chronograph Case Stainless steel Movement LC-450 manual wind column wheel chronograph Dial Silver / Salmon Lume None Lens Sapphire Strap Leather/Suede Water Resistance 50 meters Dimensions 39 x 47.35mm Thickness 10.5mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Push/Pull Warranty Yes Price $2750 That watch is what we’re looking at now - the Heritage Chronograph, a faithful reissue of Lebois & Co’s original chronograph watch from the 1940s. WIth several options open for voting, the people have spoken, and the watches here are a result of feedback from the community. It is really cool to be able to go back to the CoLAB page and see the number of votes and steps in ma...

Bravur Releases the La Grande Boucle III Chronograph, their Latest in an Ongoing Series of Cycling Inspired Watches Worn & Wound
Bravur Jul 4, 2023

Bravur Releases the La Grande Boucle III Chronograph, their Latest in an Ongoing Series of Cycling Inspired Watches

Every year, the Tour de France captivates the imagination and competitive spirit of those who are interested in cycling. While many Americans probably associate the sport with Lance Armstrong, there is an entire population of cycling enthusiasts who watch with bated breath as some of the top athletes in the sport traverse 2,115 miles over 23 days across France. It’s a spectacle of dedication, athleticism, and, yes, a bit of national pride. Swedish watch brand Bravur has tapped into the enthusiasm of the sport with the release of their series of watches dedicated to the Grand Tours, the top three most prestigious cycling events of the year. With the 2023 Tour de France upon us, Bravur has just released their third edition of Le Grand Boucle. The latest in the series to honor the Gallic event, Bravur has taken design elements of previous versions, while making the Le Grand Boucle III entirely new.  Starting with the visuals, the latest from Bravur is a vibrant pairing of yellow (long associated with the Tour winner) and a ceramic black coating on the case, giving it a sporty look that still remains sophisticated. The small details of this watch show that Bravur has done their homework, including the frosted white dial features and dot markers, reminiscent of the legendary polka dot patterns found on the King of the Mountains jersey, awarded to the race’s top climber. Further design themes that nod to the Tour’s history include an inverted “13” on the chapter ring,...

Rolex Shock Drops New Daytona Commemorating 100 Years of LeMans Worn & Wound
Rolex Shock Drops New Daytona Jun 12, 2023

Rolex Shock Drops New Daytona Commemorating 100 Years of LeMans

This weekend marked the 100th running of the 24 hour race of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France, and Rolex took full advantage of the occasion with the release of a new Daytona with a dial that recalls the now famous ‘exotic’ dial, aka Newman dial, of older references. This release is surprising for a few reasons, and may even offer some insight to what we might expect from Rolex moving forward. We’ll get to all that, but in many ways, this is the Daytona that enthusiasts have been asking for since the late ‘80s – it’s the ‘greatest hits’ watch, perfectly capitalizing on the the new Daytona chassis released just earlier this year at Watches & Wonders, which we went hands-on with right here. First and foremost, Rolex is not in the habit of dropping new releases outside of their regular yearly cadence. We last saw it with the release of the Deepsea Challenge in late 2022, the first commercial Rolex to tout their RLX titanium material. While that watch could be considered something of an outlier, given its rather extreme nature, the Daytona is another story entirely. This new reference, the 126529LN officially, joins the new collection as a regular production model. That reference number ends in four characters that have never appeared together in the Daytona family, the 29 indicating a full white gold case and bracelet, and LN, or Lunette Noir, meaning it sports a black Cerachrom bezel. Vintage Rolex Daytona reference 6263 with exotic dial The firs...

Depancel Sticks to a Tried-and-True Formula with the Legend 60s Chronograph Worn & Wound
Mar 23, 2023

Depancel Sticks to a Tried-and-True Formula with the Legend 60s Chronograph

It has been awhile since we’ve checked in on Depancel, an up and coming watch brand based out of the sleepy alpine town, Annecy, France. It was their Serie-A Allure that last caught our attention last year – a dual-register automatic chronograph heavy on the automotive design cues, which for the spry brand, was their first-ever production chronograph. Since then, it seems they’ve come a long way in a relatively short time. Depancel has expanded their collection, defined their design language (primarily auto-inspired), and now they even have a showroom (in Annecy) for those keen on seeing their collection in the metal. Despite the evolution, that doesn’t mean the brand has lost touch with the watch enthusiast community or their passion for all things automotive. Their new Legend 60s chronograph encompasses everything that has made the brand successful thus far.   The brand has heard a growing number of requests from Depancel collectors and enthusiasts alike to return to their racing chronograph roots. Even though they’ve done away with their online questionnaire that allows for the community to directly make suggestions as to what they’d love to see from the brand, the Legend 60s chronograph proves that they firmly still have their ear to the ground. And what better way to return to their “racing chronograph roots” than to develop a watch inspired by the Formula One racing scene in the 1960s. The Legend 60s marks another first for the Depancel, and that com...

Fears and Christopher Ward Collaborate for the First Limited Edition from the British Watch and Clock Makers Alliance Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Collaborate Jan 20, 2023

Fears and Christopher Ward Collaborate for the First Limited Edition from the British Watch and Clock Makers Alliance

We’ve covered the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers a few times since it was founded in 2020. We’ve had Christopher Ward’s Mike France and Roger Smith on our podcast to discuss the origins of the trade group, and we devoted a panel at last year’s Windup Watch Fair in New York City to the coming “British Invasion” of watch brands, which the Alliance is a big part of. Mostly, though, we’ve just seen British brands have a real moment over the last several years, and two of our favorites have collaborated on the first watch released by the Alliance. The all new Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01 takes a slice of what we love about both brands and combines it into a very limited watch that will only be available to Alliance Club members.  It’s worth pointing out from the outset that this watch represents a big part of what the Alliance set out to do upon its founding, which is to foster collaboration between British watchmaking companies. Sharing resources and forging partnerships across the Alliance’s 77 trade members is very much the goal of the organization, and this new watch reflects that in a unique and highly tangible way.  The Alliance 01 is notable for the way it balances the aesthetic language that Fears has established over this most recent period in their history with the technical know-how of Christopher Ward. The stainless steel case is bespoke, made specifically for this project, but will immediately make Fears fans think of the cush...

The Baltic Aquascaphe continues to sell out on a regular basis. Here’s why… Time+Tide
Blancpain s … ContinuedThe post Jan 1, 2023

The Baltic Aquascaphe continues to sell out on a regular basis. Here’s why…

Ah, the French. So stylish, yet so understated. I’m generalising, of course, but if you were ever searching for a watch with a vintage elegance that whispers, but never shouts, France’s Baltic has found their voice. Their Aquascaphe diver is pure mid-century perfection, familiar without ever seeming blatantly derivative. Oh, you’ll catch little glimpses of Blancpain’s … ContinuedThe post The Baltic Aquascaphe continues to sell out on a regular basis. Here’s why… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille Classic Car Exhibition Makes A Comeback Quill & Pad
Richard Mille Classic Car Exhibition Makes Oct 15, 2022

Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille Classic Car Exhibition Makes A Comeback

Chantilly may be known for its famous whipped cream, lace, and horse racing, but since 2014 this town in northern France, an hour’s drive from Paris, has played host to the most beautiful cars on the planet at Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille, a car lover’s garden party uniting both classic and contemporary cars.

The Richard Mille RM 88 Smiley is seriously funny and the feel-good watch of the year Time+Tide
Richard Mille RM 88 Smiley Oct 7, 2022

The Richard Mille RM 88 Smiley is seriously funny and the feel-good watch of the year

Richard Mille never shy away from a piece that’s a little bit “out there”, whether that’s the Bonbon collection, Bubba Watson’s RM38 Pink Watch or the brand new Richard Mille RM 88 Smiley. Incorporating sunshine and rainbows, the Smiley takes inspiration from a 1972 publication of France Soir, which saw the trademarking of the ubiquitous … ContinuedThe post The Richard Mille RM 88 Smiley is seriously funny and the feel-good watch of the year appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Up Close: Yosuke Sekiguchi Primevère Prototype SJX Watches
Jul 21, 2022

Up Close: Yosuke Sekiguchi Primevère Prototype

Though born in Japan, Yosuke Sekiguchi is steeped in the tradition of Swiss watchmaking. He moved first to France and then Switzerland some two decades ago, and is today fluent in French and skilled at watchmaking. After a career at complications specialists like Claret and La Joux-Perret, Mr Sekiguchi established his own brand in 2020 with the goal of building a historically-inspired timepiece of extremely high quality. The concept is a familiar one that has been interpreted in various ways by others, but Mr Sekiguchi arguably succeeds far better in both paying tribute to the historical inspiration and achieving impressive, artisanal quality. His first watch is the Primevère, which made its debut just earlier this year. It is an elegantly designed and clearly rooted in 19th century pocket watches, but also novel in several ways, reflecting Mr Sekiguchi’s unusual approach to the concept. Amongst other things, it is robustly constructed and larger than such wristwatches typically are. And while the movement resembles its vintage inspiration, it is fabricated and decorated in a finer, more artisanal manner than the 19th century original. NB: The Primevère pictured here is the first complete prototype with a gold-plated case, so it still reveals several obvious imperfections in the movement decoration. Mr Sekiguchi promises the the final product will be perfectly finished and I believe that it will be. Initial thoughts Although it appears to be a pocket watch reproducti...

Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret: One Of The Very Top Burgundy Wine Producers Quill & Pad
Jul 19, 2022

Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret: One Of The Very Top Burgundy Wine Producers

Top Burgundy has exploded like a firecracker factory set alight. From very much a second fiddle to Bordeaux when it comes to the great wines of France, Burgundy is now the flavor of the month, attracting prices that have skyrocketed into the stratosphere and beyond, both on release and on the secondary market. Everyone wants the great Burgundies. And Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret is one of the crown jewels.

Business News: Aiôn Attempts to Reestablish French Watchmaking SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Apr 17, 2022

Business News: Aiôn Attempts to Reestablish French Watchmaking

Just as the biggest watch fair of the year opened its doors in Switzerland earlier in April, an industrial-scale watchmaking enterprise was born in France. Conceived as a vertically-integrated watchmaking group that makes movements for its own brands Aiôn Group, wants to establish “Made in France” as a key segment in a luxury-watch arena that’s dominated by Swiss, German, and Japanese players. Backed by government funding, Aiôn has the ambitious goal of producing 400,000 movements per year by 2025 in its new manufacture on the Mediterranean coast near Marseille. Although Aiôn has kept mum about the origins of its industrial capability, it is well known within the Swiss watch industry that the French group took over Swiss movement maker Felsa-Leschot, which was then moved lock, stock, and barrel to France. [Update April 20, 2022: Respected Swiss newspaper Le Temps published an article expressing scepticism about Aiôn, especially about the movement “factory” that Aiôn acquired. The article references the factory owner’s chequered history and involvement in multiple lawsuits. We believe the doubts expressed by the writer at Le Temps are well founded and would encourage everyone to read the article of March 16.] A Swiss foundation One of Aiôn’s founders is Anthony Simao, a French watchmaker who started his career in Swiss watchmaking, having worked at Breitling, Audemars Piguet, and Chronode. He then founded French watch brand Lornet, which has been merge...

Tudor Introduces the Pelagos FXD “Marine Nationale” SJX Watches
Tudor Introduces Nov 10, 2021

Tudor Introduces the Pelagos FXD “Marine Nationale”

Earlier this year Tudor resurrected its partnership with France’s navy, the Marine Nationale, some two decades after it last supplied military-spec Submariners to the navy’s divers. Now the brand has finally revealed a project two years in the making, the Pelagos FXD “Marine Nationale”. Developed together with the members of the Commando Hubert, the navy’s elite combat divers, the Pelagos FXD is an actual military issue timepiece – the unit’s divers wear the same watch during operations – with fixed bars and a no-nonsense aesthetic. The Pelagos FXD is a time-only diver just like the Submariner ref. 9401/0 “MN” issued to divers of the French navy in the 1970s Initial thoughts Images of a Commando Hubert graduation ceremony appeared online several months ago, revealing the watch. So the Pelagos FXD was expected, but still manages to surprise. It is clearly a nod to the ref. 9401/0 “MN” of the 1970s – nicknamed “snowflake” after its hands and dial – and is as close to a vintage Submariner as a modern Tudor can be. But it still has a few extras appeal to military watch aficionados. The fabric strap has a Velcro fastener so it can be adjusted more precisely to any wrist size Most notable are the lugs, which are a reinterpretation of the fixed bars found on vintage military-issue dive watches. They form one piece with the case, making the connection between the case and strap far more robust. It’s certainly over-engineered for anyone who isn...