Results for Faraday Cage (Antimagnetic Case)

Hands-On: a Few Weeks with the James Brand Elko

For many pocket-dumping EDCers, the knife has pride of place in one’s kit. Bags are commonly rotated depending on the use-case. You likely wouldn’t bring a hiking rucksack to the office. Watches, too, are usually swapped out daily (and for our crowd… maybe more). However, a good pocket knife can be a consistent staple in one’s everyday carry. Especially one small enough to fit conveniently on your keyring – like the Elko from the James Brand – which I’ve gotten to put through its paces the past few weeks. My love of pocket knives predates my watch collecting interests by over a decade. In fact, getting into the mechanical minutiae of blades likely helped pave my way into the field of horology. I think knives are one of the best tools to keep with you daily, and as a result, I’ve lost more than a handful to unplanned metal detectors and security screening processes. So it goes. Therefore, I’m always looking to increase the size of my collection and have a variety of styles on hand, so I’m never without one close by. My knife collection ranges widely, though I tend to opt for blades that are legal to conceal in Colorado: 3.50 inches. It goes without saying that this measurement changes based on someone’s country and state, so do your own research here. The Elko is well under my state’s legal limit – the blade is a petite 1.74 inches – with a total length, including the handle, of 4.33 inches I was smitten with the Elko from the moment of my unboxi...

Hublot’s MECA-10 Movement Gets the Sapphire Case Treatment in this Big Bang Anniversary Set

It’s the year of the Big Bang, and Hublot is marking the occasion with, among other things, a new set of transparent watches, aptly named the Big Bang 20th Anniversary “Master of Sapphire” Set. Now, I know that name may be a lot to work through, but the gist is this: Hublot has taken their impressive MECA-10 movement and - for the first time - cased it in sapphire five times over. Well, sapphire or SAXEM. The “Master of Sapphire” set puts Hublot’s mastery of transparent case materials on full display and includes five versions of the Big Bang MECA-10; one each in transparent sapphire, Water Blue sapphire, Deep Blue sapphire, purple sapphire, and neon yellow SAXEM (a synthetic sapphire material developed by Hublot). Plenty of Hublot fans have been waiting for the brand to introduce the MECA-10 movement - with its unique architecture and 10-day power reserve - to a sapphire case, and the results speak for themselves. It’s worth noting that the MECA-10 movement found here is the original HUB1201, rather than the new HUB1205 which was introduced earlier this year in the 42mm Big Bang MECA-10 and offered some small improvements to the design. Still, the OG MECA-10 is nothing to sneeze at, and the combination seen here is a good sign of things to come. Each of the five watches in this set is, besides the color, identical, with a 44mm case, and a color-matched silicone strap. Each is also marked as an anniversary watch with a ‘20 Years’ engraving on th...

Introducing – The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Honeygold, Now with Solid Gold Case & Bracelet

The Odysseus disembarked at A. Lange & Söhne in 2019, the Saxon brand’s interpretation of a luxury steel sports watch with a personality all its own. Not only was it the first steel model for the brand, but it was also the first model with 120m water-resistance, the first model with a metallic integrated bracelet, […]

Introducing: Ressence Debuts Its First GMT And A New Case Design In The Type 7

The most unrecognizable Ressence could be the most practical one.

Fratello’s Top 5 Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Models

Another Friday, another list! Multiple people on the Fratello team own or have owned a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. One of them is Daan, who has a beautiful Reverso Classic Medium Duoface Small Seconds. He usually wears it on a leather and canvas Casa Fagliano strap. Last week, though, he swapped it for an Arroway mesh bracelet, […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Models to read the full article.

The Quintessential American-Made Watch Movement in a Smaller Case: Int

RGM Watch Company, named for the initials of its founder, independent watchmaker Roland G. Murphy, is the first American watch company to serially produce a mechanical watch movement since 1969 — the year that Lancaster, PA-based Hamilton pulled up stakes for its current HQ in Switzerland. Murphy, formerly Hamilton’s Technical Manager, founded his own eponymous company in Lancaster County, a historical hotbed of watchmaking, in 1992. His fledgling firm made the watch industry, and the worldwide watch-enthusiast community, take notice when it created, essentially from scratch, the groundbreaking Caliber 801 in 2007 —  a horological milestone that no other watchmaker in the United States had achieved in nearly 40 years.  Since then, Caliber 801 has come to define RGM’s distinctive and still very exclusive product family — the brand still makes only around 300 pieces annually — along with its dedication to classically vintage aesthetics, which evoke the bygone days when America reigned supreme as a watchmaking nation. Up until now, however, the smallest RGM watch you could get that housed the Caliber 801 movement, 90 percent of which is made in the U.S.A. and finished and assembled in Lancaster County, was 42mm — not huge, but still a bit intimidating for some would-be owners as case sizes continue to trend smaller. This week, RGM answers that constituency's prayers with the release of the Caliber 801/40 model, whose 40mm stainless steel case represents, accor...

MKII Updates the Classic Fulcrum with a Smaller Case and Thoughtful Details

Imagination is at the heart of any good spy story or thriller, and MKII seems to know that well; with their latest release, the Fulcrum 39, they’ve crafted a watch fit for a speculative undercover mission in the 1970s. A diver-style piece that favors practicality and class over more visually militarized counterparts, the Fulcrum 39 is designed to convey MKII’s “vision of the perfect tool watch”. The Fulcrum 39 is a revised and sized-down successor to MKII’s Fulcrum, originally released in 2013. Aptly named for its discreet 39.50mm case size, the Fulcrum 39 is a watch that could have been made for military and covert ops; MKII has crafted a sort of horological fiction with the watch’s design and heritage. While mainly inspired by timepieces issued to the United States Military in the Vietnam War era, the Fulcrum 39 also tags in elements of more civilian-oriented designs, hence the smaller case size and understated appearance. The idea of a watch with a grounded yet fictional background is unique and lends an air of hushed intrigue to the Fulcrum 39 that helps elevate it from just another dive watch to a very functional gear piece for a theoretical (or real) adventure.  With all these stylistic features in mind, the Fulcrum 39 is unmistakably a tool watch. It totes a 120-click unidirectional bezel, available in either 12-hour or 60-minute diver configurations, maximizing its utility as a dive watch-particularly when paired with its 200m water resistance. The b...

Dispatch: Motorsport’s Ultimate Trophy Doesn’t Live In A Display Case

It's so much more than a carrot at the end of your AD's waitlist. Don't believe me? Ask the drivers who've won a Daytona (and those who haven't).

New Release: Ming 37.09 Uni Dive Watch with Black PVD Case

Ian Skellern did not  like the Ming 37.09 Uni dive watch on first sight. Or second. The ‘industrial’ – to my eyes – rather than elegant ‘chunky’ white minute ring, while practical i.e., highly visible, which is good for a dive watch, just didn’t work for him. But after a couple of days he looked at the dial again and decided that he liked it.

The Latest Chopard L.U.C Models Have Arrived With A Slimmer, Reshaped Case

Maen Rounds out the Manhattan Collection with a New Larger Case Option

Maen Watches, based in Stockholm, Sweden, has been crafting unique timepieces since 2017. With over eight different collections, they have developed a cohesive design language that is instantly recognizable as a Maen watch. Maen entered the integrated bracelet sports watch market about two years ago, although perhaps a tad late. Conversely, they appeared to embrace the resurgence of square(ish) watches early, offering a design that I personally prefer over a more recent controversial cubical release. Although I don’t have any hands-on experience with their watches yet, I have closely followed their development from the beginning and am pretty impressed with their attention to detail and the use of polished facets. This is particularly noteworthy considering their price point. Following the success of their Manhattan 37 Automatic and the Manhattan 39 Ultra-Thin Manual Wind, Maen will launch a new line, the Manhattan 40, with a larger case and automatic caliber.  Two standard models will be available: one in midnight blue and another in copper/salmon. Both will feature vertically elongated Côtes de Genève dials. Additionally, a special-edition model will feature a dial made of green jade stone. Jade is a valued gemstone with a craft history of about 7,000 years, renowned for its toughness and beauty. In China, it rivaled gold and diamonds. The Mayans, Aztecs, and Māori also cherished jade. Ancient Egyptians linked it to love and balance. Today, jade symbolizes goodness...

Franck Muller Introduces a Novel Case Design

In-Depth: The Black Watch Case (Part One)

We've only just scratched the surface.

Introducing: Urwerk Brings A New Case Material To The UR-230 Polaris

The UR-230 gets the polar treatment right in time for the Holidays.

A New Nomos Club Sport in a Smaller 34mm Case

Over the years, my feelings about Nomos have become more and more complex. Like many enthusiasts, the brand was an early discovery on the forums, and felt like an insider’s secret of sorts. Here was a small firm based in the historic German watchmaking community of Glashitte making interesting, immediately identifiable watches with in-house components at an approachable price point – Nomos felt like the primary counter example to the purists who insisted you had to spend well into the five figures for real watchmaking. In recent years, the brand has grown considerably, radically expanding their catalog to include a variety of sportier references in larger sizes, as well as widely proliferating their excellent ultra thin automatic in-house movement throughout their collection.  Watches made by Nomos are objectively good. They are well designed, attractive, colorful (or not) and made to exacting standards that ensure they can be treated like the heirlooms the brand has always implied they are through the suggestion that engraving an important message on the caseback is part of the Nomos experience. But Nomos, in comparison with other brands most would identify as their peers, have been treading water in terms of the introduction of new products. Is that a fair criticism? It might not be. After all, if a Nomos (or any watch) is meant to be a purchase that stays with the owner (or the eventual recipient) for decades, constantly releasing new watches to keep up with a manu...

Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT with Flying Tourbillon: Lightning Fast Monopusher Chronograph using Minimal Energy in a Very Wearable 38mm Case

A foudroyante hand is visually spectacular as it is running faster than the eye can follow – foudroyante is French for lightning fast! But the complication uses a lot of energy, or did until the Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT.

New MAD Editions M.A.D.1S with Slimmer Case: Relatively Affordable and Totally Wild Luxury for the Wrist

MB&F; make fantastic watches but unfortunately, they are expensive. Fortunately for those of us with dreams bigger than out budgets,  Max Büsser launched the M.A.D.1 Editions. And here's the new slimmer M.A.D.1S.

That Day Tim Mosso Very Nearly Got Sacked Over a Waylaid Case with Million Dollars Worth of Watches (Video)

Relive the comedy of errors from the day that almost ended Tim's career in watches. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end.

Opinion: Pedigree, Provenance and a Case for the Newcomers

History is a double edged sword for a budget conscious collector like me. The nerdy half of me loves to get caught up in the horological space race of 1969 and participate in the 1953 drama of debating if Smiths or Rolex wore it best on top of Everest. But while my romantic side finds joy in history, the frugal collector in me has some reservations. This side of me knows that the watch industry is in constant flux as it adapts to new technologies, reacts to wars and navigates economic shifts. It’s the side of me that acknowledges brands brimming with pedigree did not weather this history unchanged, and can’t help but notice the value from those shiny new microbrands with seemingly no history to offer. What is a collector to do when they have a romantic enthusiast on one shoulder telling them the story behind a watch matters and a frugal cynic on the other asking if a plastic chronograph is really worth a premium because its metal counterpart went to the moon? Personally, rambling blog-style until coming to some sort of conclusion aimed at making sense of an often nonsensical hobby has never steered me wrong. Provenance vs Pedigree: A Collector’s Dilemma Historical watch conversations often focus on provenance, which can most simply be defined as the story behind a specific watch. Provenance is what separates Paul Newman’s Daytona from every other “Paul Newman” Daytona. It’s what makes Buzz Aldrin’s out-of-this world, misplaced Speedmaster worthy of obsessio...

Buying Guide – Originality Done Right – 5 Watches With Truly Audacious Case Designs

Considering how time is indicated on most watches – hands rotating 360-degree around the dial – it is no surprise that the vast majority of timepieces available on the market have round cases. But there is always room for creativity, originality and audacity. Watches don’t have to be round to be either striking or elegant. […]

A Week in Watches Ep. 82: The Death of the Circular Watch Case (Well, Not Really)

In episode 82 of A Week in Watches, things turn to the unconventional. Well, unconventionally shaped, that is. Yes, this week features three new watches, each featuring sculptural cases that break the mold. First, we have Anoma making its debut. Then we have Holthinrichs, who have launched a new entry-level line. Lastly, Credor celebrates its 50th anniversary by bringing back a little-known watch by a well-known designer, Gerald Genta. This week’s episode is brought to by the Windup Watch Shop. New in the shop are everyday carry items by Gerber, including knives, multi-tools, and camping utensils. Check those out and their ever-growing catalog of new and interesting watches from brands like Fortis, Louis Erard, Nivada Grenchen, and more. Windup Watch Shop The post A Week in Watches Ep. 82: The Death of the Circular Watch Case (Well, Not Really) appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Inside The Manufacture: A Photo-Filled Visit To Les Boîtiers de Genève And Les Cadraniers – F.P. Journe’s Newly Re-Inaugurated Case And Dial Manufacture

But first, we return to Journe's home headquarters in old town Geneva to see how things have grown.

A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus: Making A Case For Titanium

It still surprises Martin Green just how fast the Odysseus has become a staple collection for A. Lange & Söhne. It has only been three short years, during which time Lange has already launched stainless steel and white gold versions. And at Watches and Wonders 2022, A. Lange & Söhne presented a surprising Odysseus in titanium.

Hands-on – The Patek Philippe Alarm Travel Time 5520RG Ups Its Elegance with a (sort of) Two-Tone Case

While pilot-style watches have now found a comfortable niche within the modern Patek Philippe catalogue, the introduction of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524 in 2015 sparked more than just curiosity: it stirred a veritable commotion. Many were taken aback, feeling it was a departure from the typical Patek Philippe aesthetic. The design, markedly different […]

The Case for Quartz Luxury Watches: Featuring F.P. Journe, Grand Seiko and Accutron

When starting out on a watch journey, one of the first questions to consider is the choice between quartz and automatic watches, with the perception that mechanical watches are "better" and more expensive, while quartz watches are entry-level and lower quality. While this may hold some truth, luxury brands also produce high-end quartz pieces that are equally impressive from a technological standpoint.