Results for Chronometer (COSC)

Omega ousts Rolex with brand new technology that promises 0/+2 second accuracy a day

New Spirate™ System debuts new hairspring with ultra-fine 0/+2 regulation capability. The system debuts in new Speedmaster Super Racing watch. Its usage beyond the Super Racing is planned, but consumers will need to wait for new calibres – not just new watches. COSC, METAS, Superlative, and more. There are various chronometer certifications within the industry today, with each, … ContinuedThe post Omega ousts Rolex with brand new technology that promises 0/+2 second accuracy a day appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Earth just broke the record for the shortest recorded day in modern history. What does this mean?

Watch lovers are obsessed with accurate timekeeping, and brands always look to standout with various certifications – whether COSC, METAS or Superlative Chronometer standards among others. Every time I set my watch, I always sync it – to the second – to my Watchville app clock, which effectively displays my iPhone’s highly synchronised time based … ContinuedThe post Earth just broke the record for the shortest recorded day in modern history. What does this mean? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Swatch Introduces the Big Bold Jelly

One of the iconic Swatch watches from its 1980s heyday was the Jelly Fish (ref. GZ010), which was unveiled in 1983, the same year Swatch itself was launched. A quartz movement entirely exposed in a clear plastic case – accented with brightly coloured hands – the Jelly Fish was a bestseller that encapsulated what Swatch was all about: no-frills but fun watchmaking. The Jelly Fish remained in production, in one form or another – there was even a COSC-certified chronometer limited edition (GK124) in 1990 – for over two decades. Now the spirit of the Jelly Fish returns as the Big Bold Jelly, essentially the same idea but in a larger watch case. The Big Bold Jelly features a quartz movement inside a Big Bold case, just like the recent limited editions created in collaboration with fashion label A Bathing Ape (BAPE). The case is a large 47mm in diameter, with the crown unusually positioned at two o’clock. But just as with the original Jelly Fish, the case is clear plastic, while the band is translucent silicone. And the hands are rendered in bright colours – red, yellow and blue – with a bit more colour provided by the gilded wheels within the movement. Key facts and price Big Bold Jelly Ref. SO27E100 Diameter: 47mm Height: 11.75mm Material: Clear plastic Water resistance: 30m Movement: Quartz Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds Strap: Silicone with aluminium pin buckle Availability: At Swatch stores Price: US$110 For more information, visit Swatch.co...

Christopher Ward Launches Two New C60 Trident Dive Watches

Christopher Ward has unveiled two new COSC chronometer certified C6o Trident dive watches just in time for summer.

Testing A Master: Omega And Swiss Federal Institute Of Metrology Announce New Certification Process

A Swiss watch is great, but a Swiss Chronometer is even better; for many customers there is added appeal in a COSC-certified watch. No surprise that some of the largest Manufactures in Switzerland, also have incorporated the Chronometer certification for the majority of their collections. Omega thought it was time to step up the certification […]

Arnold & Son: From Marine Chronometers to Constant-Force Tourbillons

Introducing: The Three-Watch-Strong Lebois & Co Heritage Small Seconds Collection

After a series of chronographs, the Dutch-based brand Lebois & Co returns with a trio of three-handers. Please welcome the Heritage Small Seconds collection. The silver Script, blue Baton, and black Numeral Founder’s Launch editions are COSC-certified chronometers with perks for early adopters. A “Chronomètre Lebois & Co” sweater inspired by Parisian streetwear is waiting […] Visit Introducing: The Three-Watch-Strong Lebois & Co Heritage Small Seconds Collection to read the full article.

Behind the DIN 8330 Standard for Pilot’s Watches

Standards and certifications in watchmaking were primarily developed for chronometry, as well as to reassure the buyer that their watch had been thoroughly tested to a certain level of accuracy. The standards we see most often in the technical specifications are COSC, METAS, and other company or regional chronometry certifications. In modern watchmaking, other key standards like the ISO 6425 dive watch standard, which was developed in the 1990s and followed by watch companies, also come into play. These standards were largely based on various military set standards for watches; however, since each military set their own requirements, there was not one universally followed standard. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published specific requirements and testing procedures for a watch to be officially designated a “Diver’s watch”. While there is no ISO standard for pilot’s watches, there are specific requirements set by militaries around the world. One of the most well-known standards is from the WWII German pilot’s watch known as the “Beobachtungsuhren” or “B-Uhren.” B-Uhren pilot’s watch standards are well documented and are still followed by many watch companies to this day. In March 2012, Sinn lead an initiative in collaboration with the Faculty of Aerospace Technology at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences to create TESTAF – Technical Standard for Pilot Watches. TESTAF was developed so that a pilot’s watch meets all mod...

How marine chronometers shaped horology today

Navigation is definitely taken for granted these days. Not that I don’t personally rely on Google Maps to take me pretty much everywhere, but the art of traversing the globe was one of the most difficult, frightening, and often heroic skills for thousands of years in human history. As if finding your way through icy … ContinuedThe post How marine chronometers shaped horology today appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Wempe’s Stunning Marine Chronometers By Tim Heywood: A Contemporary Spin On What Was Once A Military Secret

While the very first marine chronometers do possess a certain kind of beauty, they were more form follows function. They now have taken on a different role in the maritime industry, as with wristwatches, beauty has become increasingly important. This is why Wempe teamed up with renowned ship designer Tim Heywood.

Hey, HODINKEE!: Watch Hands, First Loves, Chronometers And How They Got That Way, And Display Back Arguments Just Won't Die

Would you still love your boo if they had a display torso?

The Observatory Chronometers that Timed the Tour de France

Watches once owned by prominent personalities are captivating. Paul Newman’s “Paul Newman” Daytona, the Rolex “Bao Dai”, Buzz Aldrin’s Speedmaster Moonwatch, the Henry Graves Supercomplication, and even J. Pierpont Morgan’s lost pocket watch, are amongst most sought after timepieces in the world. In fact, a good number of the most expensive watches ever sold at auction have notable provenance, which turns a mere watch into a historical artefact. Probably the most important timekeepers in cycling, these are a pair of Longines split-seconds stop watches – refs. 7411 and 8350 respectively – that were used by Jean Pitallier, the former president of the French Cycling Federation, to time the Tour de France in the fading glory days of mechanical sports timing, just before quartz stopwatches took over. In fact, the pair of stopwatches are not merely chronographs, but also observatory certified chronometers. Watchmaking once represented the cutting edge research of mechanical engineering. Observatory time trials at Neuchatel, Geneva or Kew were rigorous scientific affairs, with movements Peseux 260 and Zenith 135 competing to be the most accurate movement in the world. But such movements were three-hand, time-only. Aside from tourbillon movements, very few complicated calibres were submitted to timing contests. Mr Pitallier’s pair of Longines were both certified by the Neuchatel observatory. The swan song of competitive timekeeping In modern day watch collectin...

First Look – The Two-Tone & Chocolate Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph 42mm

The Laureato is Girard-Perregaux’s answer to the integrated luxury sports watch. Born in 1975 as a chronometer-certified quartz sports watch, Girard-Perregaux revived the Laureato in 2016 as a limited edition to celebrate the brand’s 225th anniversary, and later as a collection in 2017. Produced three years after Gérald Genta’s landmark Royal Oak but a year […]

In-Depth: TAG Heuer's New Monaco 'Evergraph' Swaps Levers and Springs for Flexible Nickel-Phosphorus Parts – Here's How it Works (Live Pics)

Developed by the TAG Heuer Lab, in close collaboration with Vaucher, the new chronograph, with TH-Carbonspring, COSC-Certification, 5Hz balance, and more, is one of the brand's proudest achievements yet.

First Look – The New Zenith G.F.J. in Tantalum and Yellow Gold, Continuing the Legacy of the Calibre 135

When Zenith brought back the legendary Calibre 135 last year in the G.F.J. collection, it was a tribute to its 160-year history. Also, it signalled the return of one of the most celebrated chronometer movements. Now, the brand expands the collection with two new G.F.J interpretations: a tantalum edition with an onyx dial and diamonds, […]

Live from WWG26: new Ressence release

We are now at Ressence, and we are viewing the Type 11, the first movement made by Ressence. RW01 is the first movement which is COSC compliant with an integrated movement with the ROCS, and usable across all Ressence watches. This has 60 hours power reserve from the double barrel. The movement is manufactured byRead More

In Depth: Laboratoire de Précision

Alongside the launch of the Omega Constellation Observatory, we were among the first members of the public granted access to the Swatch Group’s Laboratoire de Précision (LP), a new independent chronometer testing institute with facilities in Omega’s native Biel/Bienne and Villeret. The new organisation does not redefine chronometer norms, but it has developed a new acoustic certification process that is more automated and provides client brands with a richer performance data set - a unique capability that has implications beyond mere certification. Laboratoire de Précision. Image – Omega Initial thoughts The debut of the Constellation Observatory, the first watch certified by LP and the first-ever two-handed Master Chronometer, was greeted with a mixed feedback from both collectors and the press. Some found the choice to launch a chronometer without a seconds hand heretical, viewing it as a gimmick to promote LP’s new testing process. The Omega Constellation Observatory is the first watch to complete chronometer certification at LP. Regardless of how one feels about the two-handed aspect of the watch - I found the design balanced and appealing, even if the concept is a bit quirky - the launch placed a renewed focus on the way official chronometers are tested and certified. Many were confused by the claimed novelty of acoustic testing, given the universal presence of Witschi machines on watchmakers’ benches. Indeed, the method is not new. What is new is t...

Hands On: Omega Constellation Observatory

At long last, Omega has unveiled the spiritual successor to the beloved ‘Pie Pan’ Constellation, complete with its signature domed dial, observatory medallion, and ‘dog leg’ lugs, the Constellation Observatory. First teased on the wrist of actor Delroy Lindo at the Academy Awards, the Observatory debuts in an expansive range of case materials and dial treatments. The collection also marks the commercial debut of Swatch Group’s Laboratoire de Précision, which has developed a new chronometer testing process capable of certifying two-handed watches. As a result, the Observatory carries the unexpected distinction of being the first Master Chronometer that displays only the hours and minutes. The Observatory in 18k Sedna gold, the brand’s trade name for its proprietary rose gold alloy. Initial thoughts The Observatory embodies Omega’s strengths, capitalising on the brand’s historical pedigree and proprietary materials and technologies, including its own durable alloys and the co-axial escapement. The Observatory in steel. On the other hand, the Observatory suffers somewhat on account of its thickness, relying on a movement platform developed at a time when the trend toward large watches appeared to have no end in sight. That said, the case design does a decent job of reducing the perceived thickness, and it looks and feels thinner than many other watches that share its dimensions on paper. It also demonstrates the immense capabilities of the broader Swatch Grou...

Hands On: Christopher Ward C63 Sealander True GMT

The Christopher Ward C63 Sealander True GMT fills a conspicuous gap in the brand’s catalogue with a proper ‘flyer’ GMT, complete with an independently adjustable local-time hour hand. A handsome, expensive-looking dial conceals the new CW-002 movement, which is COSC-certified and offers a five-day power reserve - a rare pairing. While collectors have noticed that Christopher Ward’s pricing has risen steadily in recent years, the True GMT makes a compelling case that the technical substance has kept pace. The journeyman brand Christopher Ward (CW) is a brand that is evolving unusually rapidly, and seems to have been in a state of almost constant transformation since it was founded in 2004. The brand has cycled through a number of different logos in a fairly short period of time, which has confused collectors. The product mix has also shifted, reflecting more upmarket ambitions that have priced out fans of the brand’s early budget products. This instability has turned off some collectors, which is understandable - most luxury brands are fairly conservative, in part to emphasise the long-lasting social capital that comes with a purchase. That said, CW seems to have finally found an identity worth sticking to. The new logo, which combines England’s St. George’s Cross and the white cross of the Swiss flag, is simple and appealing, and concisely communicates the English/Swiss origin. And while it’s true that prices have crept up, the brand has increased innov...

The Sky Chief Returns: Benrus Bets on Heritage, Restraint, and a 36mm Case

The Benrus Sky Chief returns in a faithful 36mm reissue with a COSC-certified ETA 2894 and vintage-inspired dials.

Christopher Ward C63 Valour Review: The Best Chronograph Under $1,000?

A hands-on review of the Christopher Ward C63 Valour Chronograph, a COSC-certified quartz military chronograph priced under $1,000.

Meistersinger Introduces the Archao

The one handed watch is a curious thing. On the face of it, it seems illogical. On a mechanical watch, stripping away a more precise minute hand in favor of a single hour hand negates one of the things enthusiasts covet most: precision. Or, at least, the relative precision. Things like COSC certification and the hard work and ingenuity that go into making mechanical movements become secondary when you pull back sufficiently far from an ability to clock the time to the exact second (indeed, the COSC will not certify any watch without a seconds hand).  But removing that hand is additive, as well. It forces the designer of a watch to think very critically about how that hand is going to tell the time, and the thing that actually defines one handed watches is not so much the fact that they only have a single hand, but the way in which that hand interacts with any timing markers on the dial. There are different approaches, of course. Avant-garde designs might strip out markers altogether, so that a dial’s texture or material can be the singular focus of a piece. This, to me, feels like the most jewelry oriented option possible. Another approach, and the one most often favored by Meistersinger, a brand known primarily for their one handed watches, is to focus like a laser on readability at a glance, designing markers and indices that are large enough and graduated to a degree that makes it relatively easy to get the precise time at a glance. I often think about the time I spe...

Affordable Vintage: the Longines Grand Prize

Longines is a storied and well-respected Swiss watch manufacture that formed in 1832 and has continued uninterrupted to this day. From the first wrist chronometer in 1911, to groundbreaking flyback chronographs in the 1930s, to the world’s first hi-beat wrist chronometer in 1959, Longines holds their own in the watchmaking world.  My favorite period for watches is the 1950s through the 1970s and Longines was one of the top accessible brands during that time. In 1954 Longines began a marketing strategy of product families, launching the Conquest line of watches. In 1957 they introduced the Flagship line, adding to what would become a large group of watch families, many of which are still made today. Other lines that came later include the Admiral, the Ultra-Chron and the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize line was named in honor of the multitude of watchmaking awards and honors that Longines had accumulated over the decades. It was a relatively short-lived family, produced from about 1958 to 1964 according to my research. I have found that the majority of Longines watches produced during these decades were all fairly equal in quality and craftsmanship, with most of the differences in the families being design related. The Conquests were rugged and sporty, on par with the early non-diver Omega Seamaster watches. The Flagship series were dress watches, while the Admiral line was a mixture of both. The Grand Prize family were pretty much all thin, elegant everyday type dressier w...

Albishorn’s Type 10 Officer Takes Flight

The Albishorn Type 10 Officer is the latest expression of the brand’s “imaginary vintage” philosophy, reworking the familiar codes of the mid-century military chronograph through the lens of a hypothetical Type 20 predecessor. Conceived by founder Dr Sébastien Chaulmontet, the cream-dialled Officer pairs its distinctive, parchment-like textured dial with a proprietary monopusher movement derived from a re-engineered Valjoux 7750 architecture, combining COSC-certified performance with thoughtful ergonomic and aesthetic refinements at a price that undercuts many conventional aviation-inspired chronographs. Initial thoughts Military aviation-inspired watches are a cornerstone of the luxury watch market, but most pay homage to specific historical references like the famed Type 20 of the 1950s. In contrast, the Albishorn Type 10 proposes to ‘recreate’ a hypothetical Type 20 predecessor. The cream-dialled Officer takes this idea further, suggesting a “missing link” is the aesthetic development of the military chronograph, with a lighter-coloured dial for open-air usage away from the front lines. When the Type 10 debuted with black and green dials, I was a bit skeptical of the texture, which reminded me of asphalt. The Officer’s dial features a similar texture, but the off-white colour transforms the look. To my eye, the new dial looks like vintage German etching paper, which is an appealing texture that suits the theme of the watch. Inside, the Officer is as com...

Hands On: Chopard L.U.C. Grand Strike

The 30th anniversary of the Chopard L.U.C. manufacture was one anniversary among many this year, but it will likely be remembered thanks to the Grand Strike, the most complicated watch in Chopard’s history and its first grande sonnerie. Building on the successful Full Strike minute repeater architecture and making full use of the brand’s patented sapphire gongs, the Grand Strike is a chronometer-certified two-train clock watch with a push-button minute repeater. In this context, the presence of the tourbillon is almost a footnote. Initial thoughts I can count on one hand the number of brands that have created their own grande sonnerie wristwatch. It’s one of the few things in watchmaking that’s proven challenging enough to still be rare, even in the days of computer-aided design (CAD) and advanced manufacturing technology like wire erosion. For this reason, the grande sonnerie has a towering cultural presence among watchmakers and collectors, looming above all other complications. For Chopard, the Grand Strike represents the culmination of 30 years of the L.U.C. manufacture, the brand’s haute horlogerie division. The first impression of the Grand Strike is one of extraordinary depth. There’s not much of a dial, save for the minutes scale etched on the inside of the sapphire crystal, and the small concentric sub-dials for the dual power reserve displays. This depth shrinks the watch visually, and it feels dense and compact despite its rather large 43 mm size and...