4,138 articles · 162 videos found · page 18 of 144
Monochrome
Watch retail partners Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs spotted a niche for robust instrument watches in the late 1950s. Appealing to divers, pilots and soldiers, Ollech & Wajs produced impressively resilient tool watches but managed to keep prices in check by outsourcing production. Following Ollech’s death, Wajs renamed the brand OW and sold it in […]
SJX Watches
An unusual variation of the brand’s bestseller, the Joker Fiat Lux has a skeletonised dial revealing the signature Konstantin Chaykin “rolling eye” module that’s been decorated by hand. Fiat lux is Latin for “let there be light”, and a reference to the see-through dial. It’s limited to 38 pieces and intended for the brand’s retailer in China, West Wood Time in Beijing. Initial thoughts Konstantin Chaykin’s Joker has become a cult classic of sorts and the brand’s strongest seller by far. Since the launch of the original Joker in 2017, it has evolved into an entire collection known as Wristmon, short for “wrist monster”. The brand has put out many, many different Wristmons since, though the original is arguably the purest (while some variants are admittedly gimmicky). Being based on the original, the Joker Fiat Lux stands out. It is almost the same as the original, with identical dimensions, design, and functions, but with a skeletonised dial and an exhibition back, both of which make it more aesthetically pleasing than the original. The dial is skeletonised to show off the display module The Joker Fiat Lux is priced similar to comparable past Wristmon models. It’s relatively affordable for a distinctive and unique example of unconventional independent watchmaking – seen that from that perspective, it is good value. Though the base movement is a no-frills ETA 2824-2, but the display module is built by Chaykin and furthermore hand finished. The ine...
SJX Watches
Launched just last year, Raymond Weil’s “sector” dial is getting new livery with the Millesime Automatic Small Seconds Denim Blue. Not a vintage reissue per se but a modern take on a vintage-inspired design, the Millesime has a “sector” or “scientific” dial segmented into sections, subtly stepped on the periphery and frosted in the centre for a two-tone effect. The case is topped with a box-shaped sapphire crystal and narrow lugs for subtle retro charm. Initial thoughts Family-run Raymond Weil is a brand that might be familiar to watch enthusiasts but not top of mind – that’s because the brand had its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s when it was a major seller of affordable Swiss watches. Since then it has gradually fallen behind the competition with mostly unimaginative products; The New York Times describes the brand as a “mainstay of shopping malls”. With last year’s launch of the Millesime, a watch geared towards enthusiasts, the brand is trying to revive its offerings and reputation. It quickly found some success: the Millesime Small Seconds with a silver dial won the Challenge Prize (for watches retailing for less than CHF3,000) at last year’s Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève. Near-perfect proportions at 39.5 mm in diameter and just over 10 mm high In the hand, it’s obvious the Millesime is much, much better than most recent Raymond Weil creations. Even though the design isn’t exactly original, it shows attention was paid to the de...
Worn & Wound
In recent years, the Windup Watch Fair has played host to a number of notable debuts from some of our favorite watch brands. It’s a great time to launch a watch, after all. With hordes of watch enthusiasts descending on Chicago’s Venue West over the weekend, brands had a captive audience to launch splashy new releases. Christopher Ward, a Windup mainstay for years, keenly understands this, and jumped at the chance this weekend to debut colorful new versions of The Twelve in a new 38mm case size. The enthusiast favorite size rounds out a varied collection of integrated bracelet sports watches that have driven a lot of interest in the brand since they launched a little over a year ago, and Christopher Ward, as always, is having some fun with color in this new batch. The brand has dubbed these the “Ice Cream Collection” for their bright colors, all of which are inspired by ice cream and thus feel perfectly timed as a summer watch release. The new, cleverly named colors are Biel-Berry, Mint 38, Peach Sellita, and Made in Mangohead. They all feature the now familiar Christopher Ward flag motif repeated across the dial, and come on integrated stainless steel bracelets as well as color matched rubber straps. We had a chance to see these in the metal in Chicago over the weekend, and, pardon the cliche watch writer terminology, the colors really do pop. My personal favorite is easily the Peach dial, but talking to fair attendees over the weekend it was clear that all of t...
Hodinkee
A look back at a deeply influential chronograph and its connection to a legendary family brand.
Video
There are few periods in history that shaped Britain’s identity quite like the 1960s. It was a decade when the country seemed to lead the world in music, fashion and design. Standing at the centre of it all were the...
Worn & Wound
For years, Seiko fans have been clamoring for the return of the Pogue. From all corners of the internet, enthusiasts never let an opportunity to request a reissue of Seiko’s classic sports chronograph go to waste. The Pogue, otherwise known as reference 6139-6002, is legendary, famous for being on the wrist of NASA astronaut Col. William Pogue on his flight to Skylab. The watch in question was among the first automatic chronographs and issued in a variety of colorways, but it’s Pogue’s mustard yellow dial with a red and blue bezel that is the most collectible, and certainly the Seiko chronograph most of us picture in our mind’s eye when we think “Seiko chronograph.” For reasons the community can no doubt speculate on endlessly, Seiko never has relaunched the Pogue proper, but they’ve come about as close as they ever have with their latest release, the Prospex Speedtimer reference SSC947. We’ll examine the elephant in the room right upfront: this is not a mechanical chronograph, so is perhaps not the true heir to the Pogue legend. What we have in the SSC947 is a new entry in Seiko’s popular and quite good lineup of solar powered sports chronographs. We’re pretty big fans of these watches, which offer a ton of vintage inspired style and endless practicality in a package that’s extremely approachable. The retail price is $700 for watches in this collection, and they’re sized at a versatile 41.4mm. The special sauce with the Speedtimers is really in the...
Worn & Wound
Monta has announced an upgrade to their popular Noble collection today with the Noble Voyager. This new watch expands on the Noble concept, which is an old-fashioned luxury sport watch with distinct refined details that place just a click outside the “tool watch” category, by adding a GMT complication. This, of course, makes complete sense for a sports watch that was conceived to go anywhere. Now, when you go there (or, anywhere) you’ll be fully able to monitor an additional time zone. The execution here is quite subtle, and unless you were really searching for it, it would be easy to miss the GMT complication entirely. Monta has chosen to make the 24 hour hand a skeletonized clone of the local hour hand rather than a more traditional long hand with a broad arrow tip, or something of that nature. This helps to keep the Noble Voyager’s dial clean so that the drama of the lightly textured dégradé dials (in green or blue) remain intact. This was always my favorite design element of the original Noble, and I’m glad to see that Monta has held this over from the time and date versions of the watch. Besides the additional hand and a 24 hour scale at the dial’s perimeter, this is still very easily recognized as a Noble. The Noble Voyager’s case has nearly the same dimensions as the time and date model, measuring 38.5mm in diameter and 47mm lug to lug. The difference comes in the case height measurement, which is 10.7mm on the Noble Voyager compared to 9.7mm on ...
Time+Tide
The French microbrand gives the MR a breath of fresh air, retaining the novelty of the micro-rotor movement.The post Baltic goes Art Deco with a quartet of new MR Roulette dials appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
![A Closer Look At The New Louis Vuitton Escale Automatic [Video]](https://www.fratellowatches.com/cdn-cgi/image/anim=false/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Louis-Vuitton-Escale-6.jpg)
Fratello
We recently introduced the new Louis Vuitton Escale Automatic collection here. It’s a collection of time-only Escale watches that use Louis Vuitton’s LFT023 movement. In this video, RJ discusses the Louis Vuitton Escale rose gold models in detail. Louis Vuitton Escale Automatic This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Escale collection. Louis Vuitton showed […] Visit A Closer Look At The New Louis Vuitton Escale Automatic [Video] to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Welcome to the Worn & Wound Micro-Brand Digest, a semi-monthly roundup of all the new micro-brand news we’re following, from concepts that show promise, to Kickstarter launches to restocks, and everything in between. Small independents, and affordable micro-brands spurred the creation of Worn & Wound over 10 years ago, and they still drive our enthusiasm in a big way. Here’s what’s caught our eye this month. If you’ve come across a project you think qualifies, hit us up at info@wornandwound.com for inclusion. Monarte Watches Monarte Watches founder Domen faced a dilemma. He wanted a durable dive watch that also had a dressy look so he could wear it to work or for a night out, not just for sports and weekends. After conducting his research, he discovered that the only “hybrid” watches that truly met the requirements were extremely expensive. As a result, he reached out to the online watch community to gather their input and preferences. From this collective effort, he believes he has devised a solution, the Monarte Squid, a highly versatile and capable dive watch adorned with numerous little details that enthusiasts adore. Let us get the elephant in the room out of the way, shall we? Only the original guilloché dial was crafted by hand-operated lathe, and all subsequent dials were CNC machined to replicate it as closely as possible. This cost-saving manufacturing process in no way diminishes their ornateness or splendor. You would be hard-pressed to find more i...
Video
Here's why James Bond REALLY wears an Omega watch. This is the story behind James Bond's shift from Rolex to Omega. 007's Seamaster isn't just a prop; it was a calculated choice by costume designer Lindy Hemming to en...
Worn & Wound
Last year’s Pilot Majetek was one of the strangest releases of the year. Longines has long been incredibly skilled at raiding their own archives – they are perhaps better at this than any other brand – so when they come up with a new vintage reissue, everyone takes notice. The Majetek felt like Longines flexing a little, going a century into the back catalog to show contemporary collectors a vision of the pilot’s watch from a much earlier time. It’s something that only Longines could, at least in a way that feels credible. The Majetek was a surprise hit, so Longines is doubling down this year with a new version of the watch, one that might feel a little more modern to some while still retaining all of the most important vintage cues. The Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition is a limited edition version of the old-school pilot’s watch in titanium, with a muted matte black dial that matches the tone of the case nicely. Titanium, in theory, should make this case considerably more wearable. It’s 43mm and wears every bit of that measurement, so a significantly lighter case material ought to be a very different wearing experience. The key features of the watch remain intact. The coin-edge bezel still rotates a small arrow that can be used for rudimentary timing applications. While we think of this type of bezel as being mostly associated with dive watches, the intended functionality here was to time the duration of an entire flight. Longines was an early pioneer of th...
Worn & Wound
Another week, another green Oris Divers Sixty-Five. Just six days ago, Oris unveiled what could possibly be the ideal, enthusiast focused version of the Divers Sixty-Five. That model has a versatile 38mm case, the brand’s high-spec manufacture movement, no date, and a dial in a color that’s very much of the current moment. The new(er) reference has some on-the-surface similarities, but the details will likely make this one appeal to a very different customer. That’s part of what makes Oris such a compelling brand for both new and old enthusiasts and collectors, though – there’s an incredible variety, and truly something for every taste, even within a single collection. What we have here is a 40mm Divers Sixty-Five with a green dial that Oris says is inspired by the dense forests that surround the company’s original factory in Hölstein. The tone here has a subtle fumé effect, reading as a light, almost pastel green at the dial’s center, transitioning into something more lush and quite a bit darker at the outer edges. With the slightly larger case, we also get a date at the 6:00 position, a function of the Oris Calibre 733 movement that powers the watch. This movement is a rebadged Sellita and offers 41 hours of power reserve. Oris deserves credit, I think, for continuing to produce interesting variants of the Divers Sixty-Five with this more affordable but completely respectable workhorse caliber. Many brands, after introducing a new caliber family like ...
Worn & Wound
Retter is a microbrand founded by New York native Deep Ghosh, and they’ve just released their second watch, the Mistral. The first Retter watch, the 22, was a sub $1,000 integrated bracelet sports watch. The Mistral represents a bigger swing, and could be a sign of the brand growing into itself a little, something you’d hope any brand on their second collection would be doing. The Mistral is described by Retter as a “dress-casual” watch, which I think in most scenarios is actually just a “watch.” It’s unfortunate, in my opinion, that we need to put labels like this onto new designs, but that’s just where we are at the moment I guess. The Mistral has a genuinely distinct visual identity that doesn’t really fit into a particular category. It’s ironic that the brand would use a somewhat toothless descriptor like “dress-casual” to describe something that in practice isn’t nearly as generic as the term would imply. What we have here is a 38mm watch with horn lugs and a thin profile of just 7.4mm (crystal included). Retter is able to accomplish this thanks to a case construction they call “shell-style.” You have a to dig a bit through their press materials to get a handle on what this actually means (it’s not explained in detail on their website), but it’s essentially a clever method of building the case in such a way that it suggests old-fashioned soldered lugs without actually doing the work of soldering them. The lugs are part of an integ...
Worn & Wound
French watchmaker Henry-Louis Belmont established Yema in 1948 and quickly became known for manufacturing ultra-capable tool watches. By 1954 their production reached 130,000 watches and by the mid 1960s they were selling over 400,000 watches annually in 55 countries. Their motto “Time of Heroes” became their official slogan, and their watches were particularly suitable for diving, car racing, and military expeditions. Today, Yema is experiencing a resurgence and is introducing a new modern interpretation of their iconic Skin Diver. The Skin Diver Slim CMM.20 is not just another pretty face. Beneath the beautiful dark grey dial beats their in-house Calibre Manufacture Morteau 20 movement (CMM.20). It is rated for accuracy at -3/+7 seconds a day, has a power reserve of 70 hours, and is extra slim due to its micro-rotor. The watch measures 39mm in diameter, 47mm from lug-to-lug, and only 10mm tall to the top of the double-domed sapphire crystal. Despite being relatively thin, it is water-resistant to an impressive depth of 300 meters. Adding to its vintage styling is a dark grey, faded bezel insert covered by sapphire glass. Its lume pip, along with all the lume on the dial and markers, has that aged radium look, which complements the design very well. The watch comes mounted on a new slimmer Yema Scales bracelet, which integrates better with the Skin Diver’s slimmer profile. The screw-down case back offers a transparent view of the movement, featuring a black ALD (ato...
Hodinkee
In a battle between two cool, bold, and shiny G-Shocks in stainless steel, which one reigns supreme?
Video
With a 41mm wide by 12.60mm tall case, it seamlessly blends tradition with modernity. Presented with either a frosted blue or silver-opaline dial, the new Master Chronograph Monopusher relies on the same architecture...
Monochrome
Eliminating the need for regular hand-winding, the automatic watch harnesses the energy from the natural motion of the wearer’s wrist to wind the mainspring that powers the watch. In general, it contains a rotor, a semi-circular piece of heavy metal that rotates with the motion of the wrist. As the rotor spins, it winds the […]
Worn & Wound
This is a really good time to be interested in avant-garde watches. It seems like every week there are new watches coming to market and being announced that are well outside the confines of the “vintage inspired black dialed diver” that only a few years ago seemed to have been everywhere. Just yesterday we told you about an exciting new release from Holthinrichs, for instance. Before that, the debut watch from Toledano & Chan sold out in just minutes. As I write this I’m simultaneously finalizing my hands-on review of the Amida Digitrend, a throwback and a truly unusual design. And I happen to be wearing my trusty Arcanaut Arc II. If you have adventurous taste, you’re spoiled for choice at the moment with affordable options in all kinds of odd case shapes and dial executions that will surely be nothing like anything else at the local watch meetup. Today, a new watch from a new brand can be added to the conversation: the Anoma A1. Anoma is a new brand founded by Matteo Violet Vianello, a longtime watch collector and one of the first employees at A Collected Man, where he sourced rare watches for clients and worked closely with some of the most prestigious independent brands. If you know A Collected Man, you know how expertly curated every sales listing and piece of editorial content is, and the A1 has the look and feel of a watch created by someone who has seen a lot of watches. Every tiny detail has been carefully considered, and the result is a genuinely unique ...
Worn & Wound
Holthinrichs Watches has been a personal favorite brand of mine since I first encountered them shortly after their launch in 2016. They have always had a completely unique design language and a somewhat uncompromising vision, diving deeper and deeper into their “Horlogerie Brut” philosophy (working with pure metals and creating color through galvanic plating, anodization, or natural patination) with every passing release. A big part of their business model since the inception of the brand has been creating custom pieces for clients, a process that has proven to be expensive and time consuming, especially on complex platforms like the Deconstructed, a watch that pushes their manufacturing capabilities to their limits. As the brand’s ambitions have grown, the prices have come up as well, and for many of us the thought of owning a Holthinrichs at the $5,000-$6,000 level has gradually faded. But a new series from the brand, the Signature line, has put them back in play for value oriented enthusiasts and collectors without sacrificing the signature (get it?) Holthinrichs aesthetic. It’s one of the most exciting releases of the year. There are multiple watches within the new Signature collection to discuss, but they all share a common principle, and it comes down to the case and the way these watches are made. Holthinrichs, since their founding, has been a pioneer in 3D printed cases, which allowed for some of their more avant-garde designs to be more easily realized, ...
Monochrome
Founded in 2017 in Paris, we came across this relatively young and unusual brand in 2022 and can assert that Beaubleu has been a pleasant surprise. Elegant, original and different, there’s something arty and truly imaginative in the design of all collections, particularly in how the hands (a crucial element of a watch, don’t you […]
Fratello
Full-metal versions of G-Shock’s Square and CasiOak models are among the most popular watches in the lineup. The first all-steel G-Shock “Square” was presented at the Baselworld fair in 2018, and an all-steel “CasiOak” had to wait until 2022 to see the light. These premium models are much appreciated and in great demand. After some […] Visit Introducing: The G-Shock GMW-B5000D-2 And GM-B2100AD-2A to read the full article.
Video
"Elegance is an attitude," but mispronouncing your luxury Swiss watches definitely isn't! After years in the watch industry, I teamed up with Longines for a hilarious and humbling French masterclass. We are fixing my...
Worn & Wound
If you’re involved in the watch industry to any degree, even as a collector, you’ve definitely heard of seconde/seconde/, or at least seen his work. Timex, Bausele, Lima, Squale, Atelier Wen, Bamford Watch Co., Spinnaker, Furlan Marri, Maen, Sequent, Isotope, Louis Erard, Vulcain, Nivada Grenchen - high end, entry level, micro brand, independent, and large established companies. Romaric André (seconde/seconde/) has vandalized the world of watches at every level. He makes us smile, and causes many of us to view this large and serious industry with a bit of levity and added consideration. I connected with Romaric via Instagram. During the month of January my hand was broken, so instead of posting my own wrist shots I thought it would be fun to highlight friends in the Instagram watch community. One such friend had a Timex x seconde/seconde/ Polar collaboration with a wonderful whirling penguin rotating for a seconds hand. I made a comment in the caption stating that I wish I had jumped on the Timex x seconde/seconde/ collaboration, and moments later Romaric popped into my DM’s to let me know where I could get one at retail price. It brought me such joy to connect with him and get the watch, but it also opened the door for me to conduct an interview and get to know a bit about the man behind all the fun. Although it might seem like seconde/seconde/ has been part of our community only recently, he’s actually been involved with watches for some time. After going ...
Fratello
For some of you, the bold case shape will be instantly recognizable as a Schofield creation. But while it is indeed symbolic of the brand, this is a very different product of Giles Ellis’s furtive imagination. Does it set the tone for what can be a stand-alone totem of a watch or a new line […] Visit Introducing: The Schofield Obscura - Adding Metallurgic Marvel To A Classic Shape to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A detailed look at the Traser P67 Officer Pro Review and its use of tritium tubes. A solid field watch for around $500. Check it out!
SJX Watches
In 2022 MB&F; launched its first ever chronograph, the LM Sequential EVO. A twin-chronograph constructed by Stephen McDonnell, it was a clever reinterpretation of the split-seconds function. Today MB&F; upgrades the concept with the LM Sequential Flyback Platinum that boasts a revised movement incorporating an additional flyback function. Initial thoughts The LM Sequential Flyback is certainly polarising in terms of style and technique, like most MB&F; creations. The original Sequential EVO was praised for its exceptional and creative movement construction, though the utility of the twin chronograph was debated. The LM Sequential Flyback now adds a flyback function to the package, which may seem excessive. But that misses the point: the question of utility needn’t be answered nor asked. Such a timepiece goes far past the realm of practicality and needs to be judged simply by what it is: an incredible concept painstakingly executed. We already explored in detail how Mr McDonnell implemented the Twinverter system of double chronographs mechanisms while making the complex movement chronometrically-potent, despite the obvious challenges. I recommend reading the original story, as it thoroughly explains the beautiful mechanical subtleties of the watch. In the original Sequential EVO, the layered and complex construction of the movement meant the flyback function couldn’t be reliably implemented. Mr McDonnell ultimately dropped the idea and focused on perfecting the rest of t...
Worn & Wound
Bell & Ross is continuing to fill out their updated BR 03 collection with new references to accommodate the subtly smaller case they introduced last year. Brad Homes went hands-on with the new, more refined case right here, and found the differences to be small, but an overall improvement. It’s important not to underestimate either the scope of the change for Bell & Ross or the potential impact small adjustments can have on a watch case, particularly when you’re dealing with a square design like the BR 03. Bell & Ross fans (I’m raising my hand here) have strong feelings about their iconic square case designs, so any small adjustment is going to be met with the kind of intense critique that can only come from an enthusiast community. It seems, though, that the updates have been well received, and the latest addition, the BR 03 White Steel & Gold, brings a very different flavor to traditional tool watch design. The stated goal of the White Steel & Gold reference is to bring a more sophisticated look to the BR 03 line, one that is, in Bell & Ross terms, “both urban and elegant.” While we still have the vague outline of an aviation inspired tool watch, the details come from an entirely different place. The bezel is rendered in rose gold, and the crisp opaline dial has matching gold tone accents. While the gold is likely the design characteristic that will draw most to the watch initially, the dial appears to have a very fine texture and character to it that could w...
Video
In this hands-on video, we take a closer look at Omega’s redesigned Speedmaster 38 collection, which replaces the previous range with seven new references. The highlight is the black-dial model, reference 324.30.38....
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