Hodinkee
Inside The Manufacture: A Look Through the Exhibition Caseback: Laurent Ferrier’s Finishing Techniques
For Laurent Ferrier, finishing is a big part of what sets a hand-built, in-house movement apart from mass-produced calibers.
4,786 articles · 39 videos found · page 144 of 161
Hodinkee
For Laurent Ferrier, finishing is a big part of what sets a hand-built, in-house movement apart from mass-produced calibers.
SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin gives its most affordable Freak a new look with a blue flinqué enamel dial and rose gold case. The brand has launched three other Freaks with enamel dials over the past two years, but all were small-run, retailer-exclusive limited editions. The Freak X Gold Enamel, on the other hand, is not retailer-specific and will be limited to 120 examples. The watch puts Ulysse Nardin’s investments in silicon fabrication and dial making to good use, and with good results. The combination of traditional métiers d’art with state-of-the-art technology also makes it more approachable to traditionalists than a typical Freak. Initial Thoughts Even as it nears 25 years on the market, Ulysse Nardin’s Freak remains avant-garde in aesthetics and technology. The Freak looks and feels like a small-batch concept watch, rather than the collection staple it’s become. It’s hard to believe you can walk into a retailer and walk out with something like this from a major Swiss brand for less than six figures. A rarely mentioned refinement is the use of clear sapphire jewels, rather than the typical reddish-purple rubies. It’s rare for brands to harmonize jewel colors with the rest of the watch, but it always results in a more cohesive look. Besides striking looks, its also a surprisingly practical watch, with a reasonably sized case, respectable lume, and 50 m water resistance. Overall, a well-rounded package, though the US$10,300 premium for the enamel dial over the regular ...
SJX Watches
A year ago, we covered a self-taught watchmaker who built his first piece by watch, Dewey Vicknair. Now the American gunsmith has completed his second watch, a regulator with a jump hour function that’s once again hand-made. He published a comprehensive photo essay detailing the steps in manufacturing the watch, which is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in a contemporary, yet fully manual watchmaking process. Initial thoughts The story of Mr. Vicknair is unlike most independent watchmakers. Now in his mid-fifties, he long ago built his reputation as a maker and restorer of firearms before turning to watchmaking. Self-taught, Mr. Vicknair is definitely a quick study; he adapted his metal-working skills to horology and produced his first watch swiftly. Even more interesting, perhaps, is the way he creates his own tooling. From a vertical drill press to various cutters and even custom tweezers for bending the hairspring overcoil, Mr. Vicknair seems able to build any tool to cater to his requirements. Artisanal watchmakers usually use restored vintage machines when making watches, but it is very rare that they develop the tools themselves. Mr. Vicknair’s extensive experience as a gunsmith gives him an excellent understanding of machinery that cannot simply be taught in watchmaking schools. His work is clearly that of a very talented mechanical craftsman who just happens to have mastered watchmaking – after having mastered gunsmithing. The watch itself is pre...
Fratello
What happens when one of horology’s most radical voices tries its hand at something classically elegant? You get the MB&F; SP One. At just 38mm across and 12mm thick, it’s the smallest and slimmest watch the brand has ever made. But don’t let that fool you. This might be a more compact, dress-watch-adjacent MB&F;, but […] Visit Hot Take: The New MB&F; SP One Is Classic MB&F; Yet Anything But to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Heinrich, the Stuttgart based indie brand known for reinterpreting classic watch designs of the 1970s (sometimes with lots of color) is back with their latest release, the Radiance. This latest effort from Heinrich is a new take on the dress watch (a trend we’ve been spotting more and more in recent months), and it’s interesting to see the brand’s distinct design language applied to a genre of watch that, on the one hand, they aren’t typically known for, and on the other is also not what we think of when we think of “watches of the 1970s.” That’s perhaps oversimplifying things a bit: Heinrich has made watches that aren’t completely over the top tool and sports watches before (put one of these Helicoprions with a stone dial on a strap, and you’ll be ready for almost any cocktail party), and of course there were plenty of dress watches made in the 1970s and 80s, but it’s fair to say that most of the watch designs pulled from those decades veer toward the sporty. Back to the Radiance, the prevailing idea here seems to be an experimentation on the brand’s part with softer lines and a clean, simple case. The case is stainless steel and 38.5mm in diameter and just 8mm tall thanks to the use of an ETA 7001 manually wound movement. Those are dress watch proportions, to be sure, and the lugs have been gently curved as well to make the watch wear closer to the wrist. Again, dress watch DNA. Finishing is a mix of brushing and polishing, with a clearly defined ...
SJX Watches
The Geneva sales have wrapped up, but the spring auction season continues in Hong Kong, where Phillips will offer a collection of unexpected and wonderful pocket watches made for the Chinese market in the 18th and 19th centuries. As Europeans became enamored with Chinese goods such as tea, silk, and porcelain, the Chinese were equally enraptured by European watches and clocks, often adorned with miniature enamel painting, pearls, gemstones, and hand engraving. Genevan enamelling, in particular, was world-leading and adorned some of the most elaborate timepieces of the 19th century. Proof of that can be found in the Patek Philippe Museum’s extensive collection of Chinese market watches and clocks. Today, Chinese market watches seem alien in their lavish and ornate decoration. Collectors’ tastes have become homogenized over time, particularly today, which makes historical Chinese market watches stand out as a world unto themselves, both in style and mechanics. A mini collection of such watches will be sold during the first session of Phillips’ The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XX at 6:30 pm on May 23, 2025. The extraordinary miniature enamelling found on a clockwatch by L. Vrard & Co. Lot 801 – Perfume Sprinkler Pistol by Moulinié & Bautte & Cie Geneva historically specialized in the manufacture of oddly shaped “fantasy watches” watches during the early 19th century. Common forms include fruits, musical instruments, animals, and flowers. Some of the more exotic fanta...
Monochrome
A couple of years ago, we introduced you to the wonderful work of a self-taught Chinese watchmaker by the name of Logan Kuan Rao. While he wasn’t on our radar until just before that article, he’s actually been practising and perfecting his craft for almost a decade. Making virtually everything by hand and in the […]
Monochrome
The watch trade market has become sprawling. Digital channels have been added to single-brand and multi-brand points of sale: specialised platforms, digital media that have evolved towards an additional retail offering (limited and dedicated series), social networks (Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram) flooded with offers of second-hand (and sometimes new) pieces. A jungle characterised by a common […]
Monochrome
That above is a quote from The Philosophy of Dress by Oscar Wilde, whose wardrobe was a hallmark of the Brit’s flamboyant and eccentric personality. Imagine flowing capes, wide-brimmed hats, luxurious fur and velvet… Regarding dress watches, specific images are almost instinctive: slim profiles, minimalist three-hand layouts, and timeless dial tones – black, navy, white, […]
Time+Tide
A hand-wound calibre on full display, with plenty of hand-finishing... But does the Garrick S3 Deadbeat Seconds justify its price?The post The S3 Deadbeat Seconds becomes Garrick’s most expensive watch, but is it worth it? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
When you buy a high-end mechanical watch, you may expect a few things - a fine guilloché dial, for example, and/or a smoothly sweeping seconds hand. British watchmaker Garrick sure knows how to deliver both of those. However, you get neither of them with the new S3 Deadbeat Seconds. What you do get, though, is […] Visit Introducing: The New Garrick S3 Deadbeat Seconds to read the full article.
Deployant
Breguet releases the new Classique Souscription 2025 wrist watch - a one hand watch with only the minute hand over a pure white enamel dial.
Fratello
Abraham-Louis Breguet was probably the first watchmaker to launch a watch with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. Okay, well, not exactly, but in 1797, he made his 61mm Souscription pocket watch available for order with a 25% down payment. That way, the relatively simple watch with only one hand and a white enamel dial […] Visit Introducing: The Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 - Initiating The Brand’s 250th-Anniversary Celebrations to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Quartz movements get a bad rap from mechanical purists-and I'll never get it. The ticking second hand can apparently leave you feeling cold, especially when you’re used to the smooth sweep of an automatic. But for me, that’s always been a bit unfair. The real question isn’t whether quartz can match mechanicals-it's whether it should have to. Bulova’s HPQ (High-Performance Quartz) Precisionist movement is out to prove that quartz doesn’t just get the job done.
Hodinkee
In part three of this series, we look at the advanced manufacturing and testing processes that go hand in hand with old-school watchmaking at Panerai.
Monochrome
Founded in 2009 by three friends united by their passion for surfing and retro 1970s design, MARCH LA.B’s watches might have square profiles, but are as hip as they come. The French brand’s shaped watches offer a range of functions from dressy Mansart three-hand automatics to day-date and date references, calendar models and GMTs. Earlier […]
Quill & Pad
Judged on the basis of sheer spectacle, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 delivers. Whether presented in the hand or on the arm, the JLC Gyrotourbillon 2 is an event.
SJX Watches
The third iteration of De Bethune’s swivelling, double-faced watch is the Kind of Two GMT “Season 3” conceived in collaboration with American rapper and watch enthusiast Swizz Beatz. Powered by the hand-wound DB2517 movement, the watch indicates one time zone on the front and another on the reverse, with both sides able to be worn face up thanks to patented, pivoting “floating” lugs. Initial thoughts The Kind of Two series employs a useful reversible case, cleverly using the “floating” lug construction of the DB28 to create a double-faced watch. Here one dial is traditional with blued steel hands, and the other an open-worked face revealing the movement that also has a regulator-style display for the second time zone. The clever approach with a unique movement is typical De Bethune, although this loses some novelty as the third double-faced watch in the De Bethune line-up. The Kind of Two GMT is definitely one of the most elaborate two time zone watches on the market, but at over US$200,000, it is pricey for a GMT, even by the standards of independent watchmaking (Voutilainen’s GMT, for instance, costs less). Two-faced The “Season 3” edition adopts a restrained palette of black and gold with blue accents. The 43.3 mm by 11.4 mm case is titanium and zirconium, with blued steel hands and a blue-and-black guilloche dial centre on the front showing local time. Notably, this dial includes a jumping seconds that is driven by a secondary escapement visible on ...
SJX Watches
Just as Watches & Wonders 2025 comes to a close, Patek Philippe is opening the doors of its annual showcase of Rare Handcrafts at its historical home base along the Geneva waterfront. Now open for a period of three weeks rather than two as was the case for the 2024 exhibition, the exhibition features dozens of Dome Clocks, wristwatches, and pocket watches embellished with miniature enamel painting, cloisonné, marquetry, hand engraving, and other artistic forms of decoration. The view from the salon with the historic Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues on the left hidden by trees In addition to the usual nature-inspired themes, this year’s collection plays to nostalgia, including both rose-coloured memories of the past and antiquarian visions of the future. Visiting the Rare Handcrafts exhibit is enjoyable because intellectually it’s a level playing field; it’s mostly the same clocks and watches with the same specs and movements dressed up in different ways. This fact makes it easier to pay attention to one’s own heart, and to get drawn into the creations on an emotional level. Golden Ellipse ref. 5738/50R-020 “Regent Street” Clocks While the selection of clocks is naturally centered around the brand’s iconic Dome Clocks, Patek is also bringing back desk clocks with a new version of the ref. 27001M which sold for more than US$10 million at Only Watch in 2021. For the corporate titan who has everything, the million-franc desk clock ref. 27000M is embellished with e...
Time+Tide
As minimalist as it gets in the hand-made independent space.The post The stunningly simple Raúl Pagès RP2 is austere only at a glance appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2025, the 1816 Chronograph blends a modern integrated bracelet design with more traditional elements drawn from Louis Moinet‘s classic repertoire, in particular from the fascinating and remarkable Compteur de Tierces, one of the precursors of the modern chronograph. Powered by an appealing, traditional hand-wound chronograph movement, this new Louis Moinet […]
Fratello
The team at IFL Watches loves urban art. Quite a few of the brand’s hand-decorated dials are inspired by the colorful art that has graced New York City’s buildings, bridges, and metro trains through the decades. The iconic street art found its roots in NYC in the early 1970s and, from there, spread all over […] Visit IFL Watches Introduces The Bulova Super Seville Mural Inspired by New York’s Iconic Street Art to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Tudor has given its Black Bay Pro a new look with an “opaline” white dial, fulfilling a long-standing enthusiasts’ wish. This new model replaces the black dial launched in 2022, while retaining the same 39 mm case and 24-hour fixed bezel. It’s equipped with a pale orange GMT hand that stands out prominently against the “polar” white dial. Initial thoughts Three years after its initial release, the Black Bay Pro remains one of the strongest value propositions in the sub–US$5,000 segment of dual time zone watches. Priced at US$4,375 on a steel bracelet, the Black Bay Pro is a true GMT with an independently adjustable local hour hand. Plus it features a solid bracelet with a micro-adjust clasp and a high-spec in-house movement. Naturally, the fact that it’s reminiscent of the Rolex Explorer II “polar” doesn’t hurt. The only drawback is the 14.6 mm case that is a little too thick for its compact diameter. Fortunately, Tudor does offer a better proportioned dual time zone with the Black Bay 58 GMT, but that’s only available in black and burgundy for now. Opaline dial The domed white dial is the star of the show. Like the original model, it features applied luminous ceramic-polymer hour markers. Here the markings are in black on a matte white dial, matched with an orange GMT hand. Apart from the dial, the watch remains identical to the earlier Black Bay Pro. It features a 39 mm case housing the COSC-certified MT5652 movement, which operates at 28,800 beat...
Worn & Wound
Now, with a watch called Wild ONE, you may think this introduction is going to reference the hit 2011 song by Flo Rida, featuring Sia. But, unfortunately, there is very little connection between that chart-topper and NORQAIN’s latest 39mm references. That song is cheesy, loud, and awful. These watches, on the other hand, are vibrant, sporty, and unique. In fact, “unique” might be the best descriptor for this new Wild ONE Skeleton 39mm line-up of watches, which is a slightly diminutive version of their signature Wild ONE collection. Made to be smaller and in pastel-colored hues, it’s the perfect addition to the rugged line-up and opens the doors for both genders to enjoy the craftsmanship of this Swiss brand. Like the original Wild ONE, the Skeleton 39mm is crafted from high-tech materials, such as NORQAIN’s proprietary carbon material called NORTEQ, for those who crave a little bit of adventure. The NORTEQ makes this watch ultra-light (clocking in at just 64 grams) while being durable enough to wear, oh I don’t know, mountain climbing or diving or whatever it is athletic people like to do. For the Hyper Pink, Sky Blue, and Purple Ice Blue references, each is powered by a NORQAIN Caliber N08S, a skeletonized, chronometer-certified automatic movement with 41 hours of power reserve. The Mint style, on the other hand, is a limited-edition of just 400 pieces and is powered by a NB08S Black movement, finished in black ruthenium and also promising up to 41 hours of ...
Monochrome
Moser hits the nail on the head when it states that for a straightforward three-hand watch to rise above the generic models populating the field, it requires perfect balance and proportions, high-end finishes and a unique touch. The new Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept ticks all the boxes with its well-finished, balanced case, captivating purple Grand […]
Monochrome
The name of A. Lange & Söhne‘s 1815 watch family refers to the year Ferdinand Adolph Lange was born, the founder of precision watchmaking in Glashütte, Germany. Inspired by F.A. Lange’s pocket watches, all 1815 models are hand-wound and feature classical details like the peripheral railway-track minutes scale. One of the most traditional, understated yet […]
Fratello
In a surprise twist, Tudor goes bigger and bolder in 2025. A completely new introduction at this year’s Watches and Wonders is the 43mm Tudor Black Bay 68. This addition to the brand’s extensive Black Bay lineup gets its name from the year that Tudor came up with the famous Snowflake hand. The brand introduces […] Visit Tudor Adds The Larger Black Bay 68 To Its Extensive Black Bay Lineup to read the full article.
Hodinkee
A new hand-wound caliber with advanced architecture yields a beautiful 8 day power reserve in a Calatrava case.
Fratello
Last week, Breitling introduced its new three-hand Top Time models with the new B31 caliber. Today, the brand releases three more Top Time models housing the well-known chronograph B01 movement. Let’s take a quick look at these three 750-piece limited editions, including a Martini Racing version with its famous colorway. Breitling Top Time B01 Racing […] Visit Hot Take: Breitling Top Time B01 Martini Racing Plus Two Other Limited Editions to read the full article.
Monochrome
It’s not every day that a new Morgan sports car is revealed, but it wasn’t too long ago when we showed you the gorgeous Midsummer. Morgan is a brand that likes to keep things traditional for the most part and, for well over a century, has been building cars the old-fashioned way: by hand! And […]
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