Quill & Pad
The Andreas Strehler Sirna: It Shocked Me!
The Strehler Sirna is first off the block for Andreas Strehler's new brand. It's a time-only watch with an off-center seconds sub dial, clean chapter rings, and a hand finished dial.
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Quill & Pad
The Strehler Sirna is first off the block for Andreas Strehler's new brand. It's a time-only watch with an off-center seconds sub dial, clean chapter rings, and a hand finished dial.
SJX Watches
In a departure from its usual modern designs, Carl F. Bucherer’s latest is the Heritage Worldtimer. Modelled on a typical 1950s world time wristwatch, the Heritage Worldtimer sports two crowns - on at three to set the time, another at nine to adjust the cities disc. The A2020 movement inside, however, is a modern creation. The automatic calibre features a peripheral rotor, an invention that dates to the 1950s but was only perfected in the 21st century. However, the calibre comes with a caveat: it’s not a true world time complication, and instead relies on just a rotating cities disc. Initial thoughts Tried-and-tested vintage-inspired reissues are often easy wins so they are common. While the Heritage Worldtimer might seem like one of those on its face, it stands out on several counts, including the simple fact that vintage-inspired world-time watches are uncommon. The design is also vintage inspired, rather than a remake of a specific watch, so it has a generic 1950s feel rather than looking like a scaled-up version of a vintage watch. And the novel, modern movement is a useful complement to the historical design. Though the watch is looks like a world time, it is not actually a world time complication. In other words, the hour hand does not move in tandem with the cities disc as on an actual world time. Rather it is a time-only watch with a rotating cities disc that does the job of indicating time zones, but it is not sophisticated in terms of mechanics. Starting a...
Monochrome
While there is plenty to be enjoyed when it comes to a finely crafted mechanical time-only watch, sometimes you want a little more than that, right? From GMT watches to chronographs, and from moon phases to perpetual calendars, there’s an absolute abundance of complexity within the watchmaking industry. But what if you’re looking for a […]
SJX Watches
Christie’s has just announced Watches for ELA, a thematic auction of 11 watches, mostly one-of-a-kind, to benefit the European Leukodystrophy Association (ELA), which supports research into the disorder. The brands that have created watches for the sale include Bovet, Konstantin Chaykin, Girard-Perregaux, Swatch, and most crucially from a value perspective, Richard Mille. While Christie’s is best known for staging Only Watch, a biennial charity auction, the ELA auction is notable for being the brainchild of François-Henri Pinault, the chief executive of French luxury conglomerate Kering, which owns brands like Gucci and Balenciaga. Mr Pinault is on the board of ELA, while Christie’s is owned privately by the Pinault family. Each timepiece in the ELA auction is offered without reserve, with all proceeds going to ELA. The sale takes place on November 11, 2024 as part of Christie’s customary Rare Watches auction. The catalogue and online bidding will be available at end October. Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph Dark Yellow Quartz TPT The flagship offering in the sale, and the only watch with a six figure estimate, the RM 65-01 is one of the most complicated Richard Mille watches, the RM 65-01 is powered by a high-frequency, self-winding rattrapante chronograph movement made by Vaucher. This example is part of a 120-piece limited edition that’s the latest iteration of the RM 65-01. It sports yellow Quartz TPT carbon composite case and is th...
Fratello
What could you do to make a time-only watch distinctive? How about letting the case rotate up to 90° to adjust the dial to the ideal position when driving? You don’t even have to be a petrolhead to appreciate Dutch independent watchmaker Laurens de Rijke and his latest collaboration with Guy Allen. Designs make watches […] Visit Hands-On With The De Rijke & Co. Guy Allen “Land” From The Amalfi Series to read the full article.
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To the average person, an 18-karat rose gold Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso might just look like an ordinary "grandpa watch," paling in comparison to a flashy stainless steel Rolex Daytona. But to those who know, this minut...
SJX Watches
Two years ago Hublot introduced mineral stone dials for the first time and now the brand has returned to Earth’s rare natural stones – and one from elsewhere in the galaxy – with the Classic Fusion Elements II. As with the first edition, the Elements II is a limited edition for Singapore retailer The Hour Glass made up of five different models, each sporting a dial of mineral stone: pink jasper, sodalite, nephrite jade, turquoise, and lunar meteorite. The Elements II is based on Hublot’s signature time-only watch, a minimalist design with the trademark porthole-shaped bezel and case. With just three hands and no date, plus the Hublot logo in gold-powder print, the dial is a blank slate that allows the grain of each mineral stone to stand out. Turquoise Initial thoughts Hublot does two things well, the minimalist, classic Hublot, and artist collaborations, particularly the recent Daniel Arsham and earlier Takashi Murakami. The Elements II is essentially a classic Hublot with a mineral stone dial free of any markings save for the brand logo in gilt print. The clean aesthetic of the dial is maximised to show off the natural graining of various mineral stones. The case is unusual for being entirely in polished titanium, and also two-tone thanks to 18k gold accents, but it’s a perfect complement to the colours of the mineral stone dials. Lunar meteorite This might seem surprising given the clean styling of the watch, but the stone dials would have arguably been even ...
Worn & Wound
I’ve spent a lot of time with the Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto on my wrist over the last year and a half or so. I was lucky enough to pick one up at launch, so I only had to wait a few days before this incredibly special, unexpected, and ultimately charming watch ended up in my possession. Any enthusiast can relate to the incredible excitement of getting a new watch, but we also all know it can be a bit misleading. The honeymoon period, as it’s often referred to, is where you see your new acquisition with nothing but adoration. But, as any enthusiast is also aware, this feeling can fade over time, and that watch you once thought was the greatest thing on Earth begins to lose its appeal. Perhaps it’s a touch larger than you wanted it to be, or the crown annoys you, or it’s just too damn shiny. Whatever it is, you start wearing other watches more and more, and before you know it, that watch you thought you’d love forever is on your “willing to sell” list. The point of this story is that the C1 Bel Canto wasn’t like this. The joy and excitement I got when first putting it on have remained present for the entirety of my ownership thus far. While a new watch or two (just kidding, so many more than that) have entered and exited my collection since, the C1 Bel Canto has remained in constant rotation. It’s easily one of my favorite watches because it does more than most of my watches. Not in terms of functionality, though; yes, it’s the only watch I own that c...
Teddy Baldassarre
I’ve been covering and getting to know the team at Baltic watches for about half a decade now, and in those five years I have watched the brand – with founder Etienne Malec at the helm – transform itself from “microbrand,” playing in the vintage-inspired sandbox, to venerable player in the game, full stop. Where we once heard the Baltic name and immediately thought of watches like the Aquascaphe or Bicompax chronograph, the intervening years have seen launches like the MR-01 micro-rotor model, and the Prismic (foreshadowing) with sprinkles of appearances at Only Watch thrown in for good measure. Returning to the Prismic, that watch debuted earlier this year and represented a venture into fresh territory for a company mostly known for producing tool watches (the MR-01 being the lone prior exception). So when I walked into the Beau-Rivage Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland during Watches & Wonders this year to say hello to my pals at Baltic, I expected to see the entire current catalog and get my hands on those Prismics which I did not yet get a chance to see in person. Little did I know that they would have three surprises on hand… in April… nearly six months before they were et to be released. I am, of course, talking about the three new limited additions to the Prismic lineup which launched this week. They take the same case construction as the existing models – 36mm wide by 9.2mm tall – but pack a real punch by way of the dials. Where the standard Prismic ...
SJX Watches
Founded by the namesake father and son duo, Biver has just debuted its second model, the Biver Automatique. Though a simple a time-only watch with central seconds, in contrast to the preceding Carillon Tourbillon, the Automatique is equipped with an elaborately executed movement that’s arguably the most impressive recent automatic. Besides decorative touches like guilloche on the bridges, the JCB-003 also features details like a grande sonnerie-style winding click. The calibre is paired with a comparably elaborately constructed dial with solid gold appliqués that’s available in a variety of materials, including mineral stone like Pietersite. The JCB-003 Initial thoughts The Automatique is clearly meant to showcase the brand’s ability to create a highly finished and refined time-only watch that can compete with more established producers, both in terms of the movement as well as habillage (namely the dial and case). The highlight of the Automatique is the JCB-003 movement. Developed in partnership with movement specialist Dubois Depraz, the JCB-003 is quite possibly the most refined micro rotor movement on the market today. Though it is functionally simple, the movement boasts decorative and technical details along with a high level of finishing. The over-engineered caliber is meant to serve as a base for future complications, which makes sense considering the high cost involved in constructing such a movement. Amongst the calibre’s notable details is the grande so...
SJX Watches
Urwerk’s highly technical and unique approach to watchmaking is captured in the EMC SR-71, a limited edition of 10 pieces to mark the 10th anniversary of a model that has a built-in user-regulation device. This edition boasts a special and tangible link to military aviation with a crank handle from alloy retrieved from the fuselage of an SR-71 “Blackbird”, the famous Cold War-era, supersonic spy plane. Initial thoughts Although sci-fi and even extravagant in terms of mechanics, materials, and shapes, Urwerk timepiece have a certain hyper-functional, instrument-like quality to them. Trademark features like the “oil change” indicator make its watches feel like actual pieces of machinery. The original EMC was launched in 2014 as an endeavour in blending traditional watchmaking with contemporary electronics and micro computing technology. Though advanced, the EMC complication is esoteric and never really gained traction. However, for a specific niche of watch geeks and nerds, the EMC is an intriguing and original idea. The bit of an SR-71 “Blackbird” in the watch adds to the geeky appeal without being too gimmicky. The EMC is not the only watch with a piece of the SR-71 in it – in fact other such watches are mostly far less expensive – but it is certainly the most advanced and innovative. The Blackbird connection Fundamentally identical in terms of function and mechanics, the EMC SR-71 is special because it features components made from an alloy recast from t...
Video
Five watch experiences completely blew my mind! From Switzerland to Argentina, culminating in the ugly truth about why Hodinkee and Silicon Valley tech culture completely lied to us about two-tone Rolex watches. Are t...
WatchAdvice
TAG Heuer has refined their Aquaracer collection and with many improvements, we wanted to see what all the hype was about. Here’s what we thought… What We Love: Better proportions and size On-the-fly micro-adjust New colours and dial aesthetics What We Don’t: Being a Caller GMT rather than a Flyer GMT Cyclops window over the date aperture Some may find the clasp isn’t as sturdy as other pieces on the market Overall Rating: 8.75/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 TAG Heuer has been on a run of late. At the start of 2023, they brought us a new look Carrera Chronograph “Glassbox” for its 60th anniversary and seemed to knock it out of the park with these. This run continued through 2023 with new variations of the Carrera, but then mid-year, a range of new Monaco’s in titanium with skeleton dials popped up and we saw Max Verstappen sporting a unique version of one of these on his wrist for much of the year. This year, 2024 saw new Carrera variants come out at LVMH Watch Week, including the Dato and a teal green Tourbillon Chronograph and then at Watches & Wonders 2024, the Monaco Split Seconds Chronograph based on TAG Heuer’s Only Watch entry was released to much applause. Oh, and let’s not forget the Formula 1 x Kith collaborations. But, all this left us wondering, what about the Aquaracer? We saw smaller versions of the Aquaracer Northern Lights models at LVMH watch week, which gave us a small taste of what’...
SJX Watches
Having been first seen as a one-off for a charity auction, the Konstantin Chaykin Stargazer is now part of the watchmaker’s catalogue. Originally conceived as a unique piece for the postponed Only Watch 2023, the Stargazer is the independent watchmaker’s most complicated wristwatch to date. Arguably the most successful Russian watchmaker today, Mr Chaykin has long had a passion for astronomy and astrophysics – he created a Martian-time watch in 2018 – so it is unsurprising that the Stargazer is heavily focused on astronomical complications, including a star chart and sunrise-sunset indicator. The complexity of the Stargazer places it in the same rarefied niche of watchmaking occupied by similar grand complications from Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and F. P. Journe. Initial thoughts Virtually identical to the Only Watch unique piece, the regular-production Stargazer remains an exceptional watch. Its complexity is all the more remarkable coming from a small independent outfit, as compared to similar watches developed by large manufacturers. The Stargazer has a strong design with distinctive lines, with a style that evokes some of Mr Chaykin’s past space-inspired watches. This unique aesthetic differentiates it from most other astronomically-oriented timepieces, which are primarily classical. Additionally, the brand’s trademark Wristmon format is put to good use here, because the Stargazer is indeed a two-faced horological beast. The unique piece cr...
Fratello
Handling a time-only watch that bears the name Excelsior Park is odd. We are used to seeing that elongated bottom “E” stroke on chronographs almost exclusively. Yes, Excelsior Park had some time-only pieces in the past, but the bread and butter for the brand has always been chronos. Since its resurrection a few years ago, […] Visit Hands-On With The Excelsior Park EP 884-SI to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet (AP) first unveiled the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked in 2016, in full-sized 41 mm format. It’s a technically interesting take on the brand’s signature luxury-sports watch. While it is a time-only watch, the skeletonised movement sports a pair of mirrored, superimposed balance wheels and hairsprings. Though already available in 37 mm with a sparkly “frosted” case or entirely gem-set, the 37 mm model wasn’t offered in the classic Royal Oak finish. Now the movement makes its debut in a compact 37 mm case in the traditional brushed-and-polished finish. It’s available in either pink or white gold with the open-worked movement colour-matched to the case metal. Initial thoughts The Double Balance Wheel model is something of a halo model for the Royal Oak range. Though it is not complicated in the functional sense, it is equipped with an interesting feature that theoretically contributes to chronometry. Add to that the distinctive aesthetics of the skeletonised movement, and the result is a watch that is classical Royal Oak in design yet more sophisticated in technical terms. The original 41 mm model, however, was fairly large, and the angular form of the Royal Oak accentuated the size. The original 37 mm models were extravagant and perhaps too over-the-top for everyday wear. The new pair is easily more wearable and should appeal to a wider audience. The new models are each priced at US$98,100, which is comparable to the earlier versions...
Quill & Pad
At its core, the O.G. Deep Space is a very simple watch without any gimmicks masquerading as features, allowing it to be observed and appreciated for what it is, a solid time-only watch. It displays the hours and minutes on a supremely clean dial that lacks pomp or flourish, with just enough going on to create a strong first impression.
Video
Welcome to the watch releases update for the second week of July 2026. We have some new watches from Oris, Seiko, IWC and more. Enjoy the video:)
Worn & Wound
Let’s take just a minute with the Modul, Paulin’s bold and colorful time-only watch. The Modul is a collection of 35mm, modular constructed tonneau-shaped watches. The cases are rated to 50 meters of water resistance and use a boxed Hesalite crystal, giving them a vintage charm. Let’s take just a minute with the Modul, Paulin’s bold and colorful time-only watch. The Modul is a collection of 35mm, modular constructed tonneau-shaped watches. The cases are rated to 50 meters of water resistance and use a boxed Hesalite crystal, giving them a vintage charm. The post Just A Minute With The Paulin Modul appeared first on Worn & Wound.
SJX Watches
A new livery for one of Zenith’s most popular models, the Defy Skyline Skeleton White Ceramic shares the styling of its siblings like the Defy Skyline 36 mm but with a few notable tweaks including a white ceramic case and blue-treated skeletonised movement. And though it appears to be a simple time-only watch, the Defy Skyline features a discreet complication in the form of a “lightning” small seconds hand that completes one rotation every ten seconds. Initial thoughts Zenith has recently been playing it safe with new launches by building on current bestsellers, like the Defy Skyline. The new skeleton in white ceramic is a good looking watch, and an excellent execution of one of Zenith’s modern-day classics. The combination is also novel. Although each key element of the watch is common in itself – a skeleton movement plus the white ceramic case and bracelet – they are relatively uncommon together. The Defy Skyline Skeleton on the wrist However, the Defy Skyline arguably tries too hard to capitalise on the recent (and waning) popularity of integrated-bracelet sports watches. It is not difficult to see a resemblance to the Royal Oak, in particular the one-off Royal Oak made for Only Watch 2023, making it a bit cliché. Priced at US$17,500, the Defy Skyline Skeleton in white ceramic is a decent value proposition compared to similar watches, most of which are from pricier brands like Hublot or Audemars Piguet. Besides the ceramic case and bracelet, it stands out ...
From hand-milling plates to carefully bluing screws, the team at Bruno Söhnle Glashütte S/A takes the standard and seal of ‘Made in Glashütte’ very personally. Since 2000, the brand has become the most accessible entry point for watch enthusiasts to step into the world of traditional Glashütte watchmaking. For the uninitiated, the town of Glashütte in Saxony, Germany has been the undisputed heart of prestigious German watchmaking for almost two centuries. With a 60+ year family legacy intertwined with the history of this town, the basic idea behind the Bruno Söhnle brand is to manufacture watches that live up to the all-important ‘Made in Glashütte’ concept and title-but in a way that also makes them affordable for everyone. ‘Made in Glashütte’ can best be compared to champagne. Like champagne, it has regulations that it can only be produced in a specific region. We have the same thing here in Glashütte. We had the unique opportunity of going behind-the-scenes at the manufacture in Glashütte, with the Bruno Söhnle team, to see exactly what it takes to be ‘Made in Glashütte.’ Join us as we interview the brand’s leadership, spend time with their watchmakers, and learn about the standards that define Glashütte-based quality across automatic, hand-wound, and even quartz movements. In fact, Bruno Söhnle Glashütte S/A is the only watch brand around to create quartz movements bearing the ‘Made in Glashütte’ moniker. In this exclusive be...
SJX Watches
Seiko’s Presage Craftsmanship Series is all about dials finished with traditional artisanal techniques from urushi lacquer to enamel matched with affordable price tags. That continues with the Presage Craftsmanship Arita Porcelain Dial SPB445, a time-only watch with a 24-hour indicator. Initial thoughts The Presage Craftsmanship models in general are easy to like because they have classic styling, affordable prices, and unusually fancy dials for the price point. The SPB445 is exactly that, but visibly improved over earlier generations of the model. The dial is a little bit more elaborate with a recessed sector that delineates the chapter ring for the hours, while the case has been reworked to be more refined in terms of style. It’s still a fairly thick watch relative to the design at 12.5 mm high, but the new case helps with that. The only thing I would change is the 24-hour indicator, which isn’t really useful and interrupts the clean layout of the dial. At US$1,900, the new Presage is priced almost identically to the equivalent model from four years ago – despite the upgrades – and remains a good value proposition. An affordable artisanal watch The dial in the SPB445 is a bright, nearly-pure white porcelain with a clear glaze layer on top that is known as hakuji. Seiko once again turned to Shingama Kiln, a porcelain maker established in 1830 that’s still run by the founding family. Located in Arita, a town on Kyushu historically known for its fine porcelain,...
Quill & Pad
Roger Smith holds a special place in the pantheon of independent watchmaking, both on his own merits and as the man who worked most closely with the legendary George Daniels. While any Smith watch is rare, this particular Series 2 is unique: it's the only watch in stainless steel that Smith has yet produced.
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Watch brands that deserve praise: Tudor, Panerai, & more
SJX Watches
The spring auction season in Geneva started dramatically enough with a cyberattack at Christie’s that took down its website and app. Only Watch went ahead as scheduled, however, and raised over CHF28.3 million, with most of that coming from the Patek Philippe Grande Sonnerie ref. 6301A that sold for CHF15.7 million. What transpired at Only Watch also played out in the subsequent auctions over the weekend. The live sales at the four auction houses, Antiquorum, Christie’s, Phillips, and Sotheby’s, sold almost CHF85 million of watches, including fees (excluding Only Watch). This compared to over well CHF110 million for Geneva’s fall season last year. Although the sale season six months ago was buoyed by an extra live auction at Christie’s (that was subject of much chatter), the diminished total for this season reflects the state of the market. The waning sentiment was palpable in all the salerooms. That said, the auctions did throw up a handful of grand surprises, including CHF3.13 million for the Patek Philippe ref. 605 HU world time pocket watch with cloisonné enamel dial at Antiquorum, and CHF1.16 million for the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain I at Phillips. Christie’s sold the most expensive wristwatch this season with CHF2.47 million for a Patek Philippe ref. 1518 “pink on pink” (above), though Antiquorum claimed the title for most valuable timepiece with its ref. 605 HU pocket watch. Image – Christie’s The good and great indies One of the ...
Quill & Pad
What would happen if a watch brand makes a chronograph that looks almost exactly like a simple, time only watch? You end up with the most low-key, under-the-radar, stealth chronograph on the market: the De Bethune DB Eight!
SJX Watches
A no-frills time-only watch, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual is now the brand’s entry-level model that’s available in a variety of dial styles and sizes, including the sought-after “Bubbles” dial. But Rolex has been making watches for long enough that the Oyster Perpetual from many moons ago is now a six- or seven-figure watch. Two of these special Oyster Perpetuals figure prominently in Phillips’ upcoming Geneva auction. They are final two lots on the last day of the sale: lot 218 is the Oyster Perpetual ref. 6098 “Galaxy”, and lot 219 is the Oyster ref. 6102 cloisonné “La Caravelle” with bombe lugs. The Oyster ref. 6098 “Galaxy” The Oyster ref. 6102 “La Caravelle”. Both are time-only watches with Oyster cases, but the opposite of no-frills. They date from the 1950s, when Rolex was experimenting with a diverse range of dials for the Oyster Perpetual (and perhaps the recent 1908 in platinum is a return to form?) The “Galaxy” gets its name from the star-shaped indices on the glossy black dial, while “La Caravelle” refers to the cloisonné enamel dial made by a leading enameller of the period, Margueritte Koch. Today’s Oyster Perpetual with the “Celebration” dial of coloured bubbles Star-crossed Rolex watches with star dials are marvellous watches (which is why it was the inspiration for our Habring² Erwin “Star”). The most famous and expensive type of Rolex with such a dial is the ref. 6062 “Stelline” triple calendar. Less widel...
SJX Watches
One of the most esoteric offerings in Only Watch 2024 is the Barbier-Mueller Mosaïque II. A follow-up to the first edition made in 2017, the Mosaïque II sticks to the same template that was originally inspired by a 19th century pocket watch with an inlaid case. It’s essentially an F.P. Journe Chronometre Souverain with a slightly larger case inlaid with semi-precious stones and a hinged hunter back. This also makes F.P. Journe the only brand with two watches – the other is the Chronomètre Furtif Bleu – in the upcoming charity auction that takes place on May 10, 2024. Initial thoughts I liked the original version because it was recognisable as an F.P. Journe watch, yet entirely different. The Mosaïque II holds the same appeal, albeit at a far higher price given the increased demand for F.P. Journe in the years since. While in 2017 one could reasonably hope to buy the first Mosaïque for a high five-figure price – in fact it sold for a trifling CHF90,000 – the Mosaïque II will almost certainly end up in the high six- or even seven figures. Affordability aside, the Mosaïque II is a little more interesting than its predecessor because of the floral motif as well as the materials; the bloodstone inlays are a particularly striking backdrop for the other stones. The inlays are also more complex, with both the dial and back inlaid with stones in a mix of shapes and sizes. A Geneva museum Located along a small street in Geneva’s Old Town is the Barbier-Mueller Mus...
Fratello
I have a special spot in my heart for Rado. It’s the only watch brand I’ve ever heard my mother talk about. She was a big fan of the black ceramic Diastar watches that Rado put out in the 1980s and ’90s. While that was a defining era for the brand, that’s not where it […] Visit Hands-On With The New Olive-Green Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton to read the full article.
Video
For over a decade, Silicon Valley tech culture and publications like Hodinkee tricked the watch community into believing that gold and two-tone watches were tasteless, pushing a careless "sweatpants" aesthetic as the...
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