Results for Automatic vs Manual Winding

The Spec Sheet: The Breitling SuperOcean Automatic 42

A dive watch with an historical pedigree nearly as impressive as its modern specs.  

Rado Captain Cook Automatic Chronograph Bronze Hands-on Review

Pros: Bold rugged designContrasting golden bronze case with the deep blue dial and bezelNumerous strap options as standard to interchange the look  Cons: The Nato strap makes it wear higher on the wrist, as not as flush as we would likeIt’s a larger watch so not for the faint of wrist Date wheel in white, not blue to blend in with the dial Overall Rating: 8.125/10 Value for money: 8/10 Wearability: 7.5/10 Design: 9.0/10 Build quality: 8.0/10 Rado is one of those brands that does fly a little under the radar, in this writer’s opinion. They have always had good watches, and when it comes to different design materials, like ceramic, they’re up there with the best. I bought my wife a white Rado True Thinline in full ceramic about ten years ago, and it still looks as new as the day I bought it. She loves it and wears it all the time, and is quartz and keeps perfect time (until the battery goes dead, that is!) Which makes me think, why then do guys not think about Rado as they do other mainstream Swiss brands? Maybe it’s because they don’t put giant amounts into marketing with celebrities. Or maybe we’re all too caught up on the hype watches to look elsewhere? In any case, I’ve had the good fortune to try on a few Captain Cook variants this year, and I think Rado is a winner with this model line.   A Watch Line Named After An Adventurer For those that don’t know, the Captain Cook line goes back to 1962 and was aimed at doctors, engineers, athletes, deep sea di...

Quick Takes: the new (W&W;22)Montblanc 1858 GMT Automatic Date

Montblanc offers an intuitive way of keeping track of time in different time zones without hands. One of the most practical complications, the Montblanc 1858 GMT watch function limit of time in two different places at the same time. So, wherever you are on the planet and whatever you are doing, your watch can indicateRead More

Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date Hands-on Review

Pros: The blue glacier pattern dial Interchangeable strap – takes seconds to change between a steel bracelet and a rubber strap Bang for buck Divers watch with all the right features  Cons: 41 hours of power reserve is too short in today’s standardBetween the bracelet and the rubber strap, the rubber strap wears much nicer on the wrist Some may not appreciate the details on the dial Overall Rating: 8.25/10 Value for money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.0/10 Build quality: 8.0/10 Every watch manufacturer has a timepiece that’s iconic to the brand. The Royal Oaks, Submariners, Daytonas, El Primeros, Navitimers, and Speedmasters are all watches that are well known for their respective brands. Can the new 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date be one of those watches for Montblanc?  This new 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date certainly has an element of uniqueness to it. What makes this watch stand out is the new “frozen” dial. When the designers at Montblanc wanted to create a new divers watch, they went for the extreme. While most other watch manufacturers would go to the world’s tropical waters for their diver’s watch inspiration, Montblanc went straight to the glacial lakes of the Mont-Blanc Massif.  The designers ascended the Chamonix Valley to the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice), where they were fascinated by the texture of the glacial ice. The interlocking network of crystals that have been frozen in time for millennia inspired the design of this new 1858 timepiece....

Vintage Watches: A 1976 Audemars Piguet Automatic Dress Watch, A 1978 Rolex Submariner, And A 1940s Universal Genève Climate-Proof

You'd be hard-pressed to find three brands more core to HODINKEE Vintage than AP, Rolex, and Universal.

Vintage Watches: It's Rolex Vs. Rolex In Today's Sport Watch Throwdown

HODINKEE Staff: Submariner or GMT-Master? Check out what they had to say, below.

Junghans max bill Automatic Bauhaus

Introducing the Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman Automatic

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Automatic: Scintillating Diamond-Dotted Delights

Martin Green has a passion for diamond-set watches. For him, these watches add an extra layer of craftsmanship while giving designers new ways of expressing themselves. Some brands do gem-setting extremely well, and Parmigiani with its new Tonda variation is a perfect example.

Introducing: The New Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Automatic Evolves A Classic Design

And it still rings in under a grand. Don't let your yearnings get ahead of your earnings.

A Week On The Wrist: The 43mm IWC Big Pilot Automatic

With a newly downsized case, it's not so Big anymore. Three tiny millimeters make a massive difference.

Entry Level: The Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix Self-Winding

Classic styling ensures versatility that won't rock the boat.

Longines HydroConquest Review: 41mm Automatic Model

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Introducing the Richard Mille RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal

Candy colours so much in vogue these days are nothing new for Richard Mille; what’s new is the variable geometry butterfly rotor spinning within.

Vintage Watches: A 1971 Rolex 'Red' Submariner, A 1970s Zenith El Primero Ref. A385, And A 1960s Longines Conquest Automatic In 18k Rose Gold

Imagine a brand changing just one color or even tweaking one line of text on the dial of its most popular model – what an idea!

Vintage Watches: A 1941 Longines 'Tre Tacche,' A 1960s Omega Speedmaster Ref. 2998-6, And A 1970s Audemars Piguet 'AP Steel' Automatic

Hot on the heels of the Longines Heritage Classic Limited Edition for HODINKEE, a vintage Longines headlines this week's collection from the vintage desk.

Introducing: The Baume & Mercier Hampton Automatic

This '20s-inspired watch is just darb.

Review: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Automatic

How does the brand's new entry-level sports watch stack up?

Hands-On: The IWC Pilot's Watch Automatic Spitfire

Thirty-nine millimeters of pure steel pilot's watch.

Introducing: The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire

Insert orange pun here.

Introducing: The Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Automatic For Classic Car Club Manhattan

The Mille Miglia gets a petrol-fueled punk treatment

Split Decision, The Sequel: Patek Philippe Reference 5370P vs. A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold Chronographs: An Owner’s Perspective

For reasons GaryG still doesn’t fully understand, he has long been drawn to chronographs. One nice thing he finds about comparing the Patek Philippe Reference 5370 against the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold Homage to F.A. Lange is that it’s a fair fight between two purpose-built single rattrapante chronographs of classical construction. Here he puts them head to head.

Vintage Watches: A 1971 Audemars Piguet Automatic In White Gold, A 1960s Glycine Airman, And A 1964 Rolex Datejust In Yellow Gold

Hobnail has to be one of the better words in the world of watches. Hobnail.

Hands-on with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore self-winding Chronograph

First up, let me get something off my chest. I have never been a fan of the movement used in the AP Royal Oak Offshore. As much as I like the style of the watch, I’ve always felt the movement isn’t up to scratch, especially for the price. Of course, not many people will care about this, but one look at how deep-set the date is, and you know clearly that it is a modular construction (module by Dubois-Deprez). And really, at $50k a pop, is it really too much to ask for an integrated chronograph movement? I’m sure there are many out there who will argue that this is part of the charm. It’s what makes the Royal Oak Offshore different. But I have a feeling given how hyped the watches are, people are only too happy to buy one when one is available, and straight away, blinders come on, and the denial begins. Especially when the layout is exactly the same as the ubiquitous ETA 7750 chronographs (12-9-6 sub-dials). Again, nothing wrong with the ETA 7750. In fact, it is one of my favourite entry-level, workhorse movements, but even this one is integrated… Fine. Call me a chronograph snob if you like. As we all know, this hobby is highly personal and highly subjective. I just prefer my chronographs to be integrated. (Although I’m not fussy regarding whether it’s a vertical or horizontal clutch, and whether or not the engagement is controlled by a column-wheel or a cam/lever assembly – I’m sure there are people out there who swears by one form over another…)  This...

Introducing Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Automatic Far Cry 6

Review: Longines DolceVita Automatic makes a case for the sweet life

Recently, Longines had launched a new series of mechanical watches for the DolceVita series. We take a look and see how does the new Longines timepiece fare.

Introducing the Richard Mille RM 40-01 Automatic Tourbillon McLaren Speedtail

Cartier Debuts Ballon Bleu Automatic 40 mm

Having made its debut 15 years ago, the Ballon Bleu de Cartier is an upstart by the Parisian jeweller’s standards – the Santos and Tank, for example, are both over a century old. But the Ballon Bleu was an instant hit, thanks to its classically round case with a quirky and captivating crown, making it one of the brand’s best sellers. Now a new size has joined the line up, the Ballon Bleu 40 mm powered by the in-house 1847 MC automatic movement. It sits in between the 36 mm medium and 42 mm large automatic models, neither too big nor too small for current tastes (Cartier already has a 40 mm that is hand-wind). The new 40 mm automatic also incorporates a practical upgrade: the brand’s proprietary quick-release system for the bracelet and strap. And finally, the new size also includes new dials in a simpler, metallic finish – in either blue and grey – giving it a more contemporary look. The most traditional of the Ballon Bleu variants with a silver guilloche dial Initial thoughts The Ballon Bleu is over a decade old but still attractive in a timeless manner that Cartier’s classic designs always manage to be. But it’s unusual among the brand’s best-known watch designs. While the signature Tank and Santos watches are characterised by straight, hard lines, the Ballon is a made up of spheres and domes of varied sizes – the crown, case, crystal and even the case back are all lightly rounded, giving it a pebble-like feel that’s a little organic. Given the B...

Urwerk Vs. MB&F;: How Do They Square Up? - Reprise

Urwerk and MB&F; are two stalwarts of contemporary watchmaking with, superficially at least, much in common. Here Ian Skellern shares what he thinks are the significant similarities and differences between these two leaders in modern independent watchmaking.

Hands-On: The Longines Spirit Automatic 40mm

Flyboy charm up to the hilt.