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Results for Beads of Rice Bracelet

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Beads of Rice Bracelet

Mid-century steel bracelet with discrete bead-shaped links; Gay Frères, NSA, Novavit; modern Forstner revival.

Out Of This World - The Benrus Orbit Robot Is Now Available In The Windup Watch Shop Worn & Wound
Mar 1, 2023

Out Of This World - The Benrus Orbit Robot Is Now Available In The Windup Watch Shop

Skin diver watches are generally considered to be more rugged and durable than traditional dress watches, as they are designed to withstand the stresses of underwater use.  They are also popular among watch enthusiasts and collectors due to their unique design and functionality. Today, Benrus brings back a classic of theirs, the Orbit Robot. Like most skin divers, the Orbit Robot is water resistant to 200 meters and features a unidirectional bezel. Skin diver watches are generally considered to be more rugged and durable than traditional dress watches, as they are designed to withstand the stresses of underwater use.  They are also popular among watch enthusiasts and collectors due to their unique design and functionality. Today, Benrus brings back a classic of theirs, the Orbit Robot. Like most skin divers, the Orbit Robot is water resistant to 200 meters and features a unidirectional bezel. The post Out Of This World – The Benrus Orbit Robot Is Now Available In The Windup Watch Shop appeared first on Worn & Wound.

HANDS-ON: The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet in steel is winning over doubters of the collection Time+Tide
Audemars Piguet Mar 1, 2023

HANDS-ON: The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet in steel is winning over doubters of the collection

The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet has been a hot subject of debate since its debut in 2019. It’s fair to say, as historically happened with other references of theirs like the Royal Oak, the collection was not immediately accepted with unanimous approval by watch enthusiasts. With great anticipation built around the release, and an … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet in steel is winning over doubters of the collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing Quick Release: A New Section of Worn & Wound Dedicated to a Wider Variety of Watches, Gear, Drops, and Deals Worn & Wound
Casio nal deals just Mar 1, 2023

Introducing Quick Release: A New Section of Worn & Wound Dedicated to a Wider Variety of Watches, Gear, Drops, and Deals

Each and every day, somewhere around the world there’s a new watch dropping, product deal running, or event being hosted to celebrate the watches and gear we love. The folks who brought you Worn & Wound are launching a new service dedicated to discovering and delivering daily news, drops, event announcements, and deals on a wider variety of watches and gear. This new section of the site is purposefully designated for brands to sponsor coverage of their interesting and unique products. This section, called Quick Release, becomes a bulletin board for our partners to showcase their latest product drops, limited deals and promotions, event announcements, and more. Our commitment to our readers is that we’ll curate a fun mixture of watches you might otherwise never be exposed to, along with the gear and everyday carry (EDC) brands we love. Once a day, you can expect something fresh, distinctive, or informative. We’ll be working with multiple brands across watches and gear to help tell their stories and elevate the products you might not have come across just yet. Quick Release is all about fun, fast product stories that are sure to delight day in and day out, with occasional deals just for our readers and followers. Subscribe to the weekly Quick Release newsletter to get deals delivered to your inbox and follow Quick Release on Instagram. LAUNCH QUICK RELEASE The post Introducing Quick Release: A New Section of Worn & Wound Dedicated to a Wider Variety of Watches, Gear, D...

THE Plus are specialists in Swiss production, and could be the future of “in-house” movements Time+Tide
Feb 28, 2023

THE Plus are specialists in Swiss production, and could be the future of “in-house” movements

If you spend any time on the watch internet whatsoever, you’ll quickly become familiar with ETA and Sellita, eventually recognising Kenissi, Vaucher and others. While the big two manufacturers are responsible for most of the industry’s Swiss movement supply, with other smaller ones filling the gaps, notable manufacturers are often underappreciated. One such maker is … ContinuedThe post THE Plus are specialists in Swiss production, and could be the future of “in-house” movements appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

How Watches are Made - the Engineering of Watchmaking by John McGonigle (Video) Quill & Pad
Feb 28, 2023

How Watches are Made - the Engineering of Watchmaking by John McGonigle (Video)

Master Watchmaker John McGonigle of Oileán Watches, in the first of two presentations, gives a brief history of the development of watches and how they were initially made, their progression to precision instruments, the industrialisation of watchmaking, how modern techniques and materials have been adapted and how current hand-crafted watches fit into all of this.

Five of the best action-movie watches you can still buy at retail Time+Tide
Feb 28, 2023

Five of the best action-movie watches you can still buy at retail

Watches in film, whether or not snobbish enthusiasts are willing to admit it to themselves, are some of the biggest motivators for people to get into watch collecting. First you fall in love with one watch, say the Submariner after watching Sean Connery suavely save the day. But, like a bag of potato chips, you … ContinuedThe post Five of the best action-movie watches you can still buy at retail appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Mothers Of Invention: Behind The Lens With Invention Pieces 1 And 2 By Greubel Forsey - Reprise Quill & Pad
Greubel Forsey Reprise GaryG was delighted Feb 28, 2023

Mothers Of Invention: Behind The Lens With Invention Pieces 1 And 2 By Greubel Forsey - Reprise

GaryG was delighted to take possession of a Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 1 with its inclined double tourbillon, while a good friend of his replied in kind with a purchase of the quadruple-tourbillon Invention Piece 2. Ever since, he has been dying to get these two gorgeous monsters side by side in the light tent. And the time has finally come!

BELIEVE: The watches of the Ted Lasso cast Time+Tide
Feb 25, 2023

BELIEVE: The watches of the Ted Lasso cast

Plenty of television shows can get a bit dark, whether it’s the incestuous violence of House of Dragons, murder mysteries like The Undoing or plots involving ruthless drug cartels like Ozark. So when a happy-go-lucky show like Ted Lasso comes to the forefront, it’s a welcome switch-up. Few shows have earned more smiles per episode from me … ContinuedThe post BELIEVE: The watches of the Ted Lasso cast appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Return To Form: Seiko Introduces an Ensemble of 36mm Field Watches with New Addition to 5 Sports Collection Worn & Wound
Seiko Introduces Feb 24, 2023

Return To Form: Seiko Introduces an Ensemble of 36mm Field Watches with New Addition to 5 Sports Collection

Given the endless amount of watches Seiko offers throughout their various collections and sub-collections, there’s a sure-fire chance that there’s a Seiko for you. But on the rare occasion there isn’t a Seiko that checks all the boxes, then all I can say is, just give it some time, because Seiko has a knack for giving us what we want if we’re patient enough. Whether it’s a different dial color for a particular reference, a change in date window placement (or window shape), or an affordable (Dive) GMT, Seiko has pretty much answered the bell, making the exact watch we’ve described thoroughly in the Instagram comments of a watch that jussssst missed the mark. The newly announced Seiko 5 Sports Mid-Field Collection follows this exact theme. The current line of field watches within the Seiko 5 Sports catalog include a wide variety of dial colors and variations. However as currently presented, every model within that range comes with a stainless steel case that hovers a touch north of 39mm in width. That’s not a slight to this particular model by any means. It’s a simple, straightforward field watch that has a retail sticker that no one can really argue with. I currently own our Worn & Wound 10th year anniversary limited edition with Seiko that uses this exact case and dial platform. My only nit that I have to pick with the watch is that I wish it came in a more compact package. And then yet again, Seiko answered the call, as if they had been reading my mind thi...

Big Watches, Small Wrists Part 1: Rules of Engagement Time+Tide
Feb 24, 2023

Big Watches, Small Wrists Part 1: Rules of Engagement

Editor’s note: Zach has long carried the torch for the #tinywristtribe, advocating on behalf of all watch lovers with smaller wrists. But today the torch is passed to the latest contributor to join our team, Kylie Lloyd-Wyatt. She is equally enthusiastic about finding watches that best suit a smaller wrist, but, rather than shy away … ContinuedThe post Big Watches, Small Wrists Part 1: Rules of Engagement appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

G-SHOCK is Making Us All Feel Old with a New Watch Celebrating 30 Years of the Wu-Tang Clan Worn & Wound
Feb 23, 2023

G-SHOCK is Making Us All Feel Old with a New Watch Celebrating 30 Years of the Wu-Tang Clan

If you’re a watch fan of a certain age, chances are you’re going through something (or about to go through something) that will do nothing less than force you to face your own mortality. It’s been happening for years, in fact, and it has nothing (directly) to do with watches. As my fellow elder millennials know, all the stuff you liked in the 1990s is turning 30. Yes, the unavoidable march of time comes for everyone, but there’s something, I don’t know, kind of insane and troubling about the pieces of popular culture that helped shape your worldview and taste as an adolescent entering their fourth decade of existence. Sometimes, lucky for us, those anniversaries are marked with watches, and the folks at G-SHOCK are celebrating the 30th year of a truly important hip hop group with their latest release. That’s right, it’s a Wu-Tang Clan limited edition. Feeling old yet?  It’s hard to overstate the influence and importance of Wu-Tang, not just on hip-hop but on pop music in general. In addition to releasing albums as a collective that are considered by many to be among the best rap albums ever made, individual members have gone on to have solo successes of their own, discover and produce a new generation of talent, and cross over into other musical disciplines (RZA scored both Kill Bill films, for example). The larger musical sphere of Wu-Tang inspired and bred talent is so significant that artists falling into this category are known as the Wu-Tang Killa Bee...

Brand Video Spotlight: A Heritage of Artistry in Design - The Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series Worn & Wound
Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series Feb 23, 2023

Brand Video Spotlight: A Heritage of Artistry in Design - The Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series

Getting to know Seiko’s Presage Sharp Edged Series Seiko’s carefully crafted Presage collection reflects Seiko’s deep heritage of artistry in design and timekeeping. Timepieces that earn the Presage moniker capture the essence of both classic and contemporary Japanese style. The newest Presage designs from the Sharp Edged Series, convey the cool angularity of today’s Japanese aesthetic. The dial incorporates a Japanese “Asanoha” or hemp leaf pattern, prevalent in Japanese culture for its use in design and a symbol of growth and prosperity. The rich texture of the dial and the angular geometric pattern create a color gradation as it plays with light at every angle. Click here to view on YouTube. Learn more about the Seiko Presage Collection The post Brand Video Spotlight: A Heritage of Artistry in Design – The Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Some of the Toughest New G-SHOCK’s - Now Available in the Windup Watch Shop Worn & Wound
Feb 22, 2023

Some of the Toughest New G-SHOCK’s - Now Available in the Windup Watch Shop

G-SHOCK’s “Master of G” series are some of the toughest watches in G-SHOCK’s lineup. These “master” watches pack some of the most advanced features that G-SHOCK has to offer for those who demand a lot from their digital watches. There are a few categories of models that fall under the Master of G” series, and today, we’re going to take a look at some of the latest additions to the Windup Watch Shop that are ready for whatever you throw at them. G-SHOCK’s “Master of G” series are some of the toughest watches in G-SHOCK’s lineup. These “master” watches pack some of the most advanced features that G-SHOCK has to offer for those who demand a lot from their digital watches. There are a few categories of models that fall under the Master of G” series, and today, we’re going to take a look at some of the latest additions to the Windup Watch Shop that are ready for whatever you throw at them. The post Some of the Toughest New G-SHOCK’s – Now Available in the Windup Watch Shop appeared first on Worn & Wound.

A Tudor Black Bay Bronze 58 became my milestone watch to celebrate taking charge of my mental health Time+Tide
Tudor Black Bay Bronze 58 Feb 22, 2023

A Tudor Black Bay Bronze 58 became my milestone watch to celebrate taking charge of my mental health

Editor’s note: The below story is a submission by Time+Tide reader Chris Antzoulis, who was moved to write it after listening to the Milestone Watches episode on About Effing Time. Here, he shares the story of what he has dubbed his “mental milestone watch”. Ever since I was a kid I loved watches - my … ContinuedThe post A Tudor Black Bay Bronze 58 became my milestone watch to celebrate taking charge of my mental health appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

G-SHOCK Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the Frogman with a Limited Edition Inspired by a Colorful (but Poisonous) Frog Worn & Wound
Feb 21, 2023

G-SHOCK Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the Frogman with a Limited Edition Inspired by a Colorful (but Poisonous) Frog

I’ve long held that you can tell an awful lot about a person by their taste in G-SHOCKs. By now, there are so many types of these watches out there, it’s not hard to get a sense of what kind of message a watch collector is trying to send out into the world about themselves through their choice in G-SHOCK. The hardcore collector types will naturally want to flex the limited or hard to find collabs. Your Rick and Morty and Budweiser editions, for example. I get the sense that people who are most likely to actually use their G-SHOCKs for their intended purpose are drawn toward simple, blacked out, “tacti-cool” watches that don’t draw too much attention. These are the simple, traditional G-SHOCKs being worn as nature intended, by the professionals who put themselves in dangerous situations for a living, or klutzes who know for a fact that their watch is going to become intimately familiar with every door jamb it approaches. And then there are people like me. We’re dabblers, interested in G-SHOCK but not obsessive, who are mostly drawn to aggressively colorful designs like the new GWFA1000APF1 seen here, made for the 30th anniversary of the Frogman.  The Frogman watches, if you need a quick refresher, are G-SHOCKs made with diving and water adventures in mind. While all G-SHOCK watches have ample water resistance, the Frogman series features analog time telling via large, dive watch style hands, and a dual coil motor system designed to quickly move those hands as y...

Insight: Daniels’ Co-Axial Escapement, an Evolution of the Fasoldt Chronometer SJX Watches
Omega Feb 21, 2023

Insight: Daniels’ Co-Axial Escapement, an Evolution of the Fasoldt Chronometer

In the quest for precision chronometry in a mechanical watch, perhaps no other component is as crucial as the escapement – often consisting of an escape wheel and lever that engage with the oscillating organ. The history of watchmaking recounts many an attempt at inventing a better-performing escapement, with some attempts naturally more successful than others. By the 20th century, the watch industry had settled upon the Swiss lever escapement, which has proven itself to be a reasonably solid performer and crucially, one fit for mass production. However, in the latter decades of the century, one English watchmaker attempted to challenge the industry status quo. In 1974, George Daniels invented the “co-axial escapement”, a seemingly novel and practical escapement of his own design that was conceived as an functionally superior alternative to the Swiss lever escapement. Daniels’ invention fulfilled his ambition, at least in part, when it was sold to Omega and then successfully industrialised starting in 1999; today it is found in hundreds of thousands of movements that Omega produces each year. The latest iteration of the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch is kitted out with the co-axial escapement With the merits of the co-axial escapement having been proven in part by its large-scale adoption, my aim here is not to examine its intrinsic qualities, but rather delve into its development. Specifically I will explore the fact that the co-axial escapement might not be an ent...

Scott Carpenter’s Gold Omega Speedmaster, a Piece of NASA History, Now For Sale via Wind Vintage Worn & Wound
Omega Speedmaster Feb 20, 2023

Scott Carpenter’s Gold Omega Speedmaster, a Piece of NASA History, Now For Sale via Wind Vintage

One of the reasons we love vintage watches is for the stories they tell. Yes, that’s a bit of a cliche, but every so often a watch comes to our attention that is truly historic, and really drives the point home. There are watches that hold personal meaning to their owners (family heirlooms passed down through the generations, for example), and watches that hold special and often outsize significance to small groups of collectors (like a Tiffany stamp on a vintage Rolex). But a watch like the Speedmaster Eric Wind listed for sale recently falls into another category altogether. This watch, worn by astronaut Scott Carpenter, exists at the place where watchmaking history and American history meet. It wouldn’t be out of place in a museum, but if you have the cash, it can be yours.  First, a little background on Carpenter, because the fact that this watch was his personal Speedmaster is a huge part of what makes it special, particularly to hardcore vintage watch enthusiasts. Carpenter was an American naval officer and test pilot who was selected as one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts 1959. After John Glenn, Carpenter was the second American to orbit the earth, and was a key figure in the early days of the space program when it both captured the imagination of the world and was arguably at its most dangerous. Carpenter’s space flights did not go off without a hitch – his Aurora 7 spacecraft that flew in the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission famously splashed down 250 mil...

Ahead of Drive To Survive Season 5, a look at the watches of F1 Time+Tide
Feb 19, 2023

Ahead of Drive To Survive Season 5, a look at the watches of F1

The new season of Netflix’s Drive To Survive drops on February 24 (just in time for pre-season testing in Bahrain), and we can’t wait. And now’s the perfect time for a look at the watches of F1 to check out all the watch brand sponsors and their respective teams. Will we get some tasty new models … ContinuedThe post Ahead of Drive To Survive Season 5, a look at the watches of F1 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Vintage Watch Restoration: Should You Or Not? A Guide To The Oft-Controversial World Of Making Things Worse By Trying To Make Them Better - Reprise Quill & Pad
Feb 19, 2023

Vintage Watch Restoration: Should You Or Not? A Guide To The Oft-Controversial World Of Making Things Worse By Trying To Make Them Better - Reprise

Deciding whether or not to restore a vintage watch is a tough decision to make. The internet is awash with tales of watches butchered by an incompetent independent watchmaker or, worse still, the brand itself. Even more confusing is deciding which options offered should be accepted. Refinish the case? Change the hands? Replace the crystal? Here is some help for you.

Watches, Stories, & Gear: Freeride World Tour Displays Shredding the Gnar at its Finest, Never-Before-Seen Footage of the Titanic, Filson’s Tin Cloth Cruiser, & More Worn & Wound
Alpina has been one Feb 18, 2023

Watches, Stories, & Gear: Freeride World Tour Displays Shredding the Gnar at its Finest, Never-Before-Seen Footage of the Titanic, Filson’s Tin Cloth Cruiser, & More

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing tcalara@wornandwound.com Header Image Via: Freeride World Tour Freeride World Tour Golden B.C. Kicking Horse  This past week, Golden B.C. hosted the final qualifying run for the Freeride World Tour. If you’re not familiar with the event, it’s a freestyle ski and snowboard competition where each rider makes their way down a mountain face – the catch here is that they have to do it with a certain style and flare that’s not limited to booking it downhill, dodging in out and out of trees, or doing flips off a narrow ridge. Oh, and if they wipe out or at any point lose their skis or board, then the run does not count. Each run is scored by a panel of judges that base their score on five different categories: line choice, control, fluidity, tricks, and technique. Via Freeride World Tour Alpina has been one of the main sponsors for the Freeride World Tour since 2018, and thanks to them, we were able to get boots on the ground to catch the insaneness of the event in person. Our vantage point was located on a ridge directly across from the mountain face. From there, we witnessed several jaw dropping runs i...

How Panerai Cemented My Love Of Watches WatchAdvice
Panerai Cemented My Love Feb 18, 2023

How Panerai Cemented My Love Of Watches

For any watch lover, there is always that “one watch” that either started their journey, or cemented their love of them. As a lifelong watch lover, Panerai was that brand, and the PAM 312 was that watch! Panerai is one of those polarizing brands. They have a great history, but over the past 10 years of so, they’ve lost their lustre and have been the centre of some controversy in the watch world. However, say what you want, the one thing that people can’t deny is how iconic the Luminor Marina and Submersible are. You see those curved edges on the case and THAT crown protector and you know it’s a PAM – you can spot them a mile off! Just a casual coffee day Others have tried to emulate it, but none have really succeeded in achieving the look and feel that a Panerai has on the wrist. Couple this with its rise in the late 90’s and early 2000’s due to its popularity among action heroes such as Sly Stallone, Jason Statham, Arnie and the like, and it’s easy to see why they became so popular. For me, it was less the action star association, and more that many of the successful people I was working with back in the early to mid 2000’s owned one. Seeing Panerai’s on successful people’s wrist, in hindsight, probably swayed my subconscious mind to want one – being a junior and aspiring professional myself, why not aspire to that? But more than this, I thought they looked great, were big (as was the trend then) and were very unique. Big bold numbers and indices...

Donald Trump shares his thoughts on the Rolex Submariner with us. Well, sort of… Time+Tide
Rolex Submariner Feb 17, 2023

Donald Trump shares his thoughts on the Rolex Submariner with us. Well, sort of…

No, we did not actually speak with former president Donald Trump. The below – where we asked AI to review the Rolex Submariner in the style of Donald Trump – is actually another reflection of how much the ChatGPT technology is evolving. Since we did this earlier in the week, the AI has since been updated to … ContinuedThe post Donald Trump shares his thoughts on the Rolex Submariner with us. Well, sort of… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Grand Seiko Has Forgotten More Winter Themed Watches than You’ll Ever Know. Why the SBGJ217 is a Worthy Addition to a Growing List of Snowy Dials Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko Has Forgotten More Winter Feb 16, 2023

Grand Seiko Has Forgotten More Winter Themed Watches than You’ll Ever Know. Why the SBGJ217 is a Worthy Addition to a Growing List of Snowy Dials

Let’s not beat around the bush: Grand Seiko releases a lot of watches. As the brand has grown, their release strategy has been, well, aggressive, with new references piling up on old before we can gather our thoughts to write about them. While some might criticize Grand Seiko for flooding the market and potentially watering down their brand name, I’ve always been of the opinion that that’s a very silly take coming from a watch enthusiast. More watches are better. Choice is good. Keep them coming.  But it does create something of a conundrum for those of us writing about new releases here at Worn & Wound. We can’t possibly cover everything, so how do we decide which watches to devote a post to, and which ones to skip. There are a lot of factors at play, but mostly it comes down to a combination of striving to provide readers with content we think they’ll find interesting and informative, and asking ourselves the eternal question: Do I have something interesting to say about this watch? These things don’t always come together immediately. As any watch enthusiast knows, it can take time to get your arms around something to the point where you can form a coherent opinion on it. When the SBGJ217 was announced, it didn’t immediately make its way to the editorial calendar. I thought this might be a Grand Seiko release that we skip, or maybe just discuss on a podcast. But I’ve been marinating on it over the last week, and the more I looked at that dial and conside...

Blancpain Celebrates 70 Years of the Fifty Fathoms with Tech Gombessa Worn & Wound
Blancpain Celebrates 70 Years Feb 16, 2023

Blancpain Celebrates 70 Years of the Fifty Fathoms with Tech Gombessa

This year marks the 70th anniversary of one of the most important dive watches ever made, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. To celebrate the occasion, Blancpain will be releasing a trio of Fifty Fathom “Acts”, the first of which was released in January featuring a new 42mm case. The second act of this anniversary year is celebrating Blancpain’s 10 year relationship with Gombessa diving expeditions, and the release of the Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa watch, a modern take on the platform built with a specific purpose in mind. We got our hands on the Tech Gombessa during its launch (which was hosted by our friend Jason Heaton), and discovered a few surprising takeaways.  To fully appreciate the Tech Gombessa, an understanding of the Gombessa diving expeditions is in order. Led by highly decorated wildlife photographer and diver (and Nikon ambassador), Laurent Ballesta, the Gombessa expeditions have studied some of the most elusive marine life and phenomenon on earth. The goals of these expeditions are centered around three pillars: a scientific mystery, a diving challenge and the promise of unprecedented images. To date, there have been five such expeditions, all underwritten by Blancpain, and each producing a wealth of knowledge and stunning visuals. Ballesta was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2017, 2021, and 2022 for his efforts. In order to study and capture the underwater locations and wildlife, the team utilizes closed-circuit rebreather diving techniques, a...

Editorial: An Appraisal of the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Universelle SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Ile are Feb 13, 2023

Editorial: An Appraisal of the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Universelle

Audemars Piguet recently launched more than a dozen new models and predictably it was the Royal Oaks that got the most attention. But the most impressive new release was unquestionably the Code 11.59 Universelle. It’s a grand complication that boasts multiple complications most cleverly executed, in a remarkably compact case – the size of the watch is an achievement in itself. Though the Universelle is positively slender for a grand complication, it’s still a large watch. But criticising the Universelle for its somewhat ungainly looks is to miss the point completely. Just like a mid-engine Ferrari will never be a roomy vehicle capable of conveying four adults in comfort, a grand complication will never be a svelte watch. Even Francois-Paul Journe, a legendary talent who has long specialised in slim complications, needs a lot of volume to contain his most complicated watch, the double-sided Astronomic Souveraine. Grand complications, or more specifically mega complications, like the Universelle, are never pretty. That’s simply a matter of necessity – the mechanical complexity inevitably results in an enormous case and confusing dial. The F.P. Journe Astronomic, Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, and Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Ile are all equally large and confusing. The Astronomic is the smallest of the lot and it’s still 44 mm by 13.7 mm. And the Grandmaster Chime is a titanic 47.7 mm by 16.07 mm. I can confirm the Grandmaster Chime is titanic no matter ho...