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Results for Onyx Dial

5,338 articles · 28 videos found · page 2 of 179

[VIDEO] Our 2024 New Release Season Predictions Worn & Wound
Girard-Perregaux Feb 29, 2024

[VIDEO] Our 2024 New Release Season Predictions

New release season in the watch industry is really heating up, so we thought we’d get a sense of what our team is expecting as we head into Watches & Wonders, and a spring that’s sure to be filled with high profile new watches from brands of all sizes. Maybe it’s a bit of wishcasting, but Zach Weiss and Zach Kazan have similar ideas around the industry getting weird, or at least moving away from some of the predictably crowd pleasing watches we’ve seen dominate the space over the last several years. An entire generation of collectors is maturing, and it follows that they’ll be looking for new watches outside what we’d consider the run of the mill. Is this the year brands respond with accessible craft, new complications, and raw creativity? We hope so!  Are stone dials coming back? This onyx dial from Fears and Collective just dropped last week. Meanwhile, Kyle Snarr is convinced that this is the year of the pink watch. He might be onto something – we’ve already seen a high profile pink dial from Grand Seiko, and we swear this was shot before that release was made known to us. We’ll also be tracking Nina Flanders’s prediction that brands will turn to uncommon materials to garner attention in 2024. Recent releases from Girard-Perregaux and Fears would seem to indicate she might be on the right track.  We want to know what you think: let us know in the comments what you’re expecting brands to headline with as new release season gains steam.  The post ...

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Audemars Piguet Introduces the Code 11.59 Tourbillon “Onyx” SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Introduces Oct 5, 2022

Audemars Piguet Introduces the Code 11.59 Tourbillon “Onyx”

Despite a rocky reception when Audemars Piguet debuted the line in 2019, the Code 11.59 collection is gaining traction, especially after several facelifts that bestowed smoked dials, two-tone cases, as well as open-worked movements on the line. Continuing the evolution – and improvement – is the Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon that combines white gold and black ceramic in a novel two-tone case. More striking is the unexpected simplicity of the dial, which is a polished expanse of onyx stone, resulting in the most striking version of the model to date. Initial thoughts Since the launch of the collection, most Code 11.59 model have been redesigned in a manner that is somewhat formulaic, though the results have been attractive. The makeovers usually involved brighter dial colours or new materials, like the recent Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon that got an aventurine glass dial. In comparison, the latest redesign is a surprise that proves less is more. Stark and minimalist yet far from plain, the onyx dial easily sets the watch apart from its peers in the collection. It does that by streamlining the dial, even removing the Arabic numerals that are a signature element of the Code 11.59. Aside from the onyx dial, I also like the smart application of coloured accents. Though it is mainly in silver and black, it has just the right amount of rose gold details in just the right places to give it warmth and a bit of a vintage feel. And the black is also smartly utilised...

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Jaquet Droz Introduces the Dragon Automaton SJX Watches
Zodiac Sep 8, 2022

Jaquet Droz Introduces the Dragon Automaton

Already a prolific maker of wristwatches with tiny, intricate automatons – with tropical birds and magic lotus being part of its repertoire – Jaquet Droz has turned to the realm of Middle Earth for its latest creation. Featuring an automaton with nine mechanical animations, the Jaquet Droz Dragon Automaton was designed by Canadian illustrator John Howe. When it comes to dragons and fantasy lands, Mr Howe’s credentials are impeccable. Amongst his past roles was one of the two chief designers of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. And aside from the Dragon Automaton, another of Mr Howe’s most recent works was designing The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the Amazon production that’s the most expensive television series in history. Initial thoughts Dragons are a common theme on watches, but usually of the East Asian kind and typically in the Year of the Dragon of the Chinese Zodiac – a simple reflection of where most demand for luxury watches originates. A dragon of the European fantasy genre is less common; in fact, I cannot recall another watch that depicts themes from the fantasy genre. This makes the Dragon Automaton unique, both figuratively and literally. The motif is usual and esoteric so its appeal will certainly be niche at best. This version has an onyx dial with a hand-engraved dragon sculpture set against a similarly engraved mountain backdrop – the aesthetic is entirely The Lord of the Rings But that is exactly the point, since each Dragon Automa...

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Omega Unveils the Speedmaster Calibre 321 in Canopus Gold SJX Watches
Omega Unveils Jan 4, 2022

Omega Unveils the Speedmaster Calibre 321 in Canopus Gold

Omega’s opening act for the year is a splendid reinterpretation of the first-ever Speedmaster, the ref. 2915-1 of 1957. More accurately, it’s a splendidly luxurious take on the vintage original. The Speedmaster Calibre 321 in Canopus Gold is equipped with (almost) the same movement as the ref. 2915, and retains the same dimensions – but it’s entirely in Omega’s proprietary white gold alloy and enhanced with extras like an onyx dial and enamelled tachymeter scale. Entirely in Canopus gold, Omega’s own white gold alloy Initial thoughts Omega is starting 2022 in a big way with a heavyweight timepiece that perfectly encapsulate the brand’s historical greatness – which naturally means a Speedmaster. And it’s not just any Speedmaster, but arguably the ultimate iteration of the Moon Watch: the cal. 321 in a CK2915-1 case. The result is a watch that seems straight out of 1957 at a glance, but one that’s definitely heftier and shinier up close. The new Speedmaster does a good job at evoking a perfectly preserved example from the 1950s, thanks to clean dial that avoids faux patina. The purely modern aesthetic makes sense, since it gives the watch its own identity and clearly distinguishes it from the vintage originals and later remakes, most notably the 1957 Trilogy Speedmaster released in 2017 for the 60th anniversary of the model. That said, the new Speedmaster isn’t particularly creative – it does feel a little like yet another Speedmaster – since i...

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Girard-Perregaux Introduces the Laureato Infinity Edition SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux Introduces Aug 27, 2020

Girard-Perregaux Introduces the Laureato Infinity Edition

Typically offered with a familiar guilloche dial, Girard-Perregaux’s luxury-sports watch has been facelifted with a polished, mineral stone dial. Equipped with glossy, black onyx dial featuring pink-gold hour markers, the Laureato Infinity Edition is a limited edition in two case sizes for men and women respectively. Initial thoughts The luxury-sports watch category is populated by many similar watches, driven by the popularity of the Gerald Genta-designed segment leaders, which are arguably the definitive sports watches with integrated bracelets and blue dials. Few watches manage to differentiate themselves; even the standard Laureato blends in. The Laureato Infinity Edition manages to be different without trying too hard, while also being priced reasonably. The combination isn’t imaginative but it works well. The dial is a glossy black, matched with contrasting hour markers in pink gold, and markings in powdered-silver print – a combination that is clean, classic, but also different from its peers. The only odd element of the design are the rhodium-plated hands, which are probably highly legible, but don’t match the colour of the hour markers. Arguably the only weakness are the in-house movements. Both are robust, reliable calibres that have been around for decades, but they lack many of the upgrades found in newer movements, most notably a longer power reserve. The standard Laureato is already a well priced watch. The Infinity Edition sticks to that formula ...

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Rocking A New Look: The Maen Manhattan Stone Dial Series Fratello
Maen Manhattan Stone Dial Series Aug 11, 2026

Rocking A New Look: The Maen Manhattan Stone Dial Series

There’s nothing wrong with a good stone dial. Even though they’ve been a thing for the past 2-3 years, I never get bored with seeing one. Granted, I do need to like the watch it’s in, and it also needs to fit the style. With the Maen Manhattan, the former is definitely not an issue. […] Visit Rocking A New Look: The Maen Manhattan Stone Dial Series to read the full article.

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Hands On: The Rolex Daytona Enamel Dial Ref. 126502 is More Than Meets the Eye SJX Watches
Rolex Daytona Enamel Dial Ref May 27, 2026

Hands On: The Rolex Daytona Enamel Dial Ref. 126502 is More Than Meets the Eye

Rolex surprised in a big way with the Cosmograph Daytona Rolesium Enamel Dial ref. 126502. Despite being an “off-catalogue” model, the new Daytona was launched publicly, perhaps to emphasise its unusual nature. To start with, it features a grand feu enamel dial – yes, fired vitreous enamel – inside a bi-metal case of mostly steel, with a touch of platinum, plus a new ceramic (or cermet) bezel. It also has a display back and a steep price tag rivalling that of an all-gold Daytona. While last year’s Land-Dweller and its cal. 7135 was chock-full of patents that Rolex explicitly explained, the Daytona ref. 126502 is more typical Rolex in possessing incremental technical innovation that is left unspecified; it probably incorporates multiple patents that Rolex will not elaborate on. The traditional nature of the dial, the materials and production techniques, and even the display back, hint at future developments at the leading champion of industrial quality perfection. The dial is a four-part affair in white grand feu enamel, while the bezel insert in cermet Initial thoughts Let’s start with the obvious: do I like the new Daytona? Yes. Do I think the dial is actually and technically enamel? Yes. Do I think it’s too expensive? No. While it seems pricey on its face, Rolex pricing is practically always reasonable. I believe the seemingly high price here is justified by something in the watch that Rolex hasn’t explicitly divulged. Price aside, it takes a bit of exami...

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