Results for Acrylic / Plexiglas Crystal

Hublot Introduces the Classic Fusion Gold Crystal

As a brand known for oversized and aggressively technical watches, Hublot’s latest creation is unusually delicate and intricate. The Classic Fusion Gold Crystal is an all-black wristwatch with a striking gold-patterned dial that has surprising beauty on a small scale. Reminiscent of fossilised plants, the motif on the dial is actually solid gold, formed by vaporising the precious metal, revisiting an idea Hublot first mooted in 2017 with the experimental Gold Crystal watch that relied on gold from rivers around Geneva. According to Hublot, the technique to create the decoration was developed in-house and starts with a tiny amount of pure, 24-carat gold. The metal is heated to its melting point, and then heated some more, creating a vapour-like stream of gold. The tiny gold particles are then channelled to a cold metal plate, causing them to cool instantaneously, which form what Hublot terms “gold crystals”. These tiny pieces of gold are them sorted for size and shape, with only 20% suited for use on a watch dial, according to Hublot. The resulting pieces are then arranged by hand on a black dial, which is then covered with a transparent lacquer – in a vacuum so as to prevent bubbles forming – and then baked in an oven to set the lacquer. The rest of the watch is basically a monochromatic canvas for the gold crystal decor. It’s a stock Classic Fusion in black ceramic – the case, bezel, and back are black ceramic, while the screws are black-coated titanium. Ava...

HANDS-ON: The appeal of Hublot’s Big Bang Unico Magic Sapphire is crystal clear

When Hublot released two takes on sapphire Big Bangs last year – the Unico Sapphire and the All Black version – we suspected that wouldn’t be the last we’d see of the clear case material. Lo and behold, our hunch has proved correct with the release of the Big Bang Unico Magic Sapphire. Compared to 2016’s … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The appeal of Hublot’s Big Bang Unico Magic Sapphire is crystal clear appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

This Limited Nodus Dive Watch Uses Sapphire for More Than the Crystal

There are plenty of ways to make a limited-edition dive watch look different. New colors are easy. Changing the dial material is increasingly common. Nodus and Holme & Hadfield took a cooler route with their new Sector II Dive H&H; Edition, and most of the change happens within a few millimeters of vertical space above the dial.

The Best Minimalist Dress Watch for Around $1,000 Now With A Sapphire Crystal - Max Bill Automatic

Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.

Inside Chopard’s Most Complex Watch Ever: The L.U.C Grand Strike 2025 with Sapphire Crystal Gongs

A $200 Seiko With A Sapphire Crystal & 100M WR That No One Talks About

Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.

Introducing - The Impressive Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Returns in Black Ceramic and Sapphire Crystal Cases

Hublot has never shown a reverence for conservative watchmaking. Starting with its explosively named Big Bang collection, Hublot revels in innovative material combinations and loud, audacious designs. However, when it comes to showing off its horological muscles, Hublot’s Masterpiece suite is where you’ll find the most technically complex models. Last year, Hublot inducted another Masterpiece […]

Hands-on - The Exceptional Duo of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding 34mm with Crystal Sand Dials

Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Selfwinding 34mm in 2020 as the smallest-sized option with mechanical movement. Since its debut, AP has expanded the range with several variations, ranging from simple stainless steel to diamond-covered pink gold versions. For 2024, Audemars Piguet added two new models to the Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding 34mm series-one […]

Bell & Ross debuts an ice blue skull in full sapphire crystal

Introducing: Takashi Murakami Releases A New Flying Tourbillon Flower Watch Made Entirely Of Sapphire Crystal

Murakami's fourth release with Hublot is his most conceptual yet.

Hublot’s MP-15 Takashi Murakami is looking crystal clear

Auctions: This Unique Patek Philippe Uses A Diamond For Its Crystal And Could Sell For $1 Million

Giving a whole new meaning to 'bejeweled.'

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire: a Minute Repeater Housed Entirely in Transparent Sapphire Crystal - Reprise

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the L.U.C collection, Chopard unveiled a minute repeater at Watches and Wonders 2022, which once again demonstrates the technical prowess of the manufacture. Part of an upcoming set called The Trilogy of Sound, the L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire pushes the boundaries of the sophisticated grand complication genre and marks some firsts in the realm of haute horlogerie.

Sunday Rewind: Crystal Gazing: HODINKEE Founder Ben Clymer's Vintage Value Picks, From 2013

A long time ago, on a watch blog not so very far away ...

Review: Crystal Writing Desk - The Bovet Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter One

Bovet takes its writing desk-inspired case to the next level and incorporates it in a most stunning timepiece. Enter, the Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter One.

As Clear as Crystal

With the recent trend for see-through sapphire watch cases gaining momentum, Revolution takes a journey through the looking glass.

Crystal Clear Sound: Chopard L.U.C Full Strike

As L.U.C’s 20th anniversary year comes to an end, the brand presents one of the most delightful and innovative timepieces in its history: the Chopard L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater.

A Technical Perspective - A Comprehensive Guide to Watch Crystals - History, Types, Advantages, and Disadvantages

In the world of watches, the crystal is one of the most crucial yet often overlooked components of a timepiece. This thin transparent cover protects the dial from dust, moisture, and external damage while allowing clear visibility of the watch’s timekeeping functions – and, in many modern watches, its movement, too. Over the years, watchmakers […]

Why do Watches Use Sapphire Crystals? A Brief History and a Few Altern

Watches differ greatly in their sizes, designs, capabilities, straps and bracelets, and even in the materials used to make their cases. The one element that nearly always seems to be present when we peruse watches’ specifications is the use of sapphire for the crystal (for the newest of newbies, that’s the round, glass window over the dial). Over a certain “luxury” price point, a sapphire crystal is not even seen as a benefit but the baseline standard, like tempered laminated glass in a car windshield. How did sapphire come to play this key supporting role in watch manufacturing, and what did watchmakers use before it came along? For that matter, what differentiates different types of sapphire crystals from each other? Which materials other than sapphire are still being used in the watch industry, and why? And is sapphire being used for anything else in horological circles besides crystals? What are the properties of sapphire? Believe it or not, that little lens over the dial of your watch is made from one of the hardest substances on Earth. It is one of two precious gemstones from the mineral variety corundum, the other being ruby. Corundum, a crystallized aluminum oxide, is clear in its purest state; sapphires and rubies receive their blue and red colors, respectively from impurities: traces of titanium, and iron in the former, and of chromium in the latter. Sapphire (above) has a ratio of 9 on the Mohs Hardness scale. Among minerals, only moissanite, a naturally...

Bovet Fleurier Miss Audrey Sweet Art: Real Sugar Crystals On The Dial Glisten Like Tiny Colorful Pearls (No Licking!)

While its convertible Amadeo case allows the Bovet Miss Audrey watch to be easily converted to a pendant or desk clock, the focus of Sweet Art is its incredible sugar crystal dial. Joshua Munchow was skeptical when he first heard about the sugar being used but the results speak for themselves, and it is hard to argue that the dials aren’t indeed gorgeously crafted. You must see this for yourself.

Lume is Overrated, Accuracy Doesn’t Matter, Plexiglass Over Sapphire -

Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.

Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 250 Review: The Military Watch I Waited a Decade to Buy

A hands-on review of the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 250, exploring its military heritage, 36mm sizing, acrylic crystal, and more.

First Look - The Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Chronograph in Navy Blue

Rado’s foray into the world of dive watches in 1962 resulted in the Captain Cook, a somewhat quirky watch that didn’t emulate the rugged tool watches populating the underwater scene. Defined by its less utilitarian character, the Captain Cook had a compact 35mm case, an inward-sloping bezel, a domed acrylic crystal, a pivoting anchor at […]

Introducing - The New TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x fragment Limited Edition

TAG Heuer’s classic Carrera Chronograph has gotten a lot of mileage since its introduction by Jack Heuer in 1963. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, TAG Heuer looked back to the original curved acrylic crystals of the 1960s and 1970s and reinterpreted them in domed sapphire crystal. Known as the Carrera Glassbox, the smooth, domed sapphire […]

Hands-On With The Well-Executed Typsim 200M

Acrylic crystal, aging lume, gilt dial - these are the makings of a vintage dive watch. But the Typsim 200M isn’t old. In fact, it’s brand new and a welcome addition of true watch nostalgia in a fauxtina landscape that only pays visual lip service to the past. The 200M from Typsim is half a […] Visit Hands-On With The Well-Executed Typsim 200M to read the full article.

Let’s be transparent: Tinted and clear sapphire dials are a trend in 2021

Sapphire crystal, the once exclusive, high-end material replacing scratch-prone acrylic and normal glass to protect our watch dials, is now widely available,and employed in some of the best dial designs of this year’s Watches and Wonders. But how is pure sapphire crystal actually made? One of the best (succinct) answers to this comes from the … ContinuedThe post Let’s be transparent: Tinted and clear sapphire dials are a trend in 2021 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Oris Built A 35mm Reissue That Actually Earns Its Heritage

The new Oris Star Edition revisits a 1966 milestone with a 35mm tonneau case, plexiglass crystal, and a dial that stays true to the original.

The ABCs of Time - All About the Different Crystals Used in Watches Today

If you’re not a big watch nerd like us, you likely don’t give a lot of thought to the glass covering watch dials. It’s not just a generic window and a bigger deal than you might think, as we’ll see in this instalment of the ABCs of Time. Some enthusiasts even demand one type over another, […]

How hard is your watch? Demystifying hardness across case materials and crystals

Is steel harder than titanium? Can sapphire actually be scratched by your keys? Buffy finds out.The post How hard is your watch? Demystifying hardness across case materials and crystals appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Lapinist Launches Sapphire Crystals For Vintage Grand Seiko And King Seiko Models

The Lapinist Watch Studio is a well-known source for case restorations of vintage Grand and King Seiko watches. Aside from his work, Kamil Rybarczyk, the Lapinist himself, also handcrafts display backs for these watches. Today, we’re pleased to report that his newest project is ready, and it should be sweet music to the ears of […] Visit The Lapinist Launches Sapphire Crystals For Vintage Grand Seiko And King Seiko Models to read the full article.