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Results for Day-Date

9,268 articles · 222 videos found · page 223 of 317

Related pages

Wiki · Guide
President Bracelet

Three-link semi-circular Rolex bracelet introduced for the 1956 Day-Date; Crownclasp closure.

Wiki · Guide
Stella Dial Rolex

1970s-80s lacquered colour dials for Rolex Day-Date; red / turquoise / salmon / lavender. Auction range $200k-$1M+.

Reference · Guide
All Rolex Day-Date References (President) Rolex

Every Rolex Day-Date "President": 1803, 18038, 18238, 118238, Day-Date 40 (228xxx), Day-Date 36 (128xxx).

Dimensions · Guide
Case dimensions: Rolex Day-Date 40 Rolex

40 mm × 11.85 mm, lug 21 mm, Cal. 3255

Introducing - The Oris x Bamford ProPilot Altimeter Mission Control Monochrome
Oris x Bamford ProPilot Altimeter Sep 5, 2025

Introducing - The Oris x Bamford ProPilot Altimeter Mission Control

In 2014, Oris unveiled the ProPilot Altimeter, a unique wristwatch that combined an automatic Swiss-made calibre with a mechanical altimeter. Following an update in 2023, that singular idea is revisited this year in collaboration with Bamford Watch Department, bringing fresh design and high-tech case construction to the ProPilot Altimeter. The result is the Oris x […]

Fratello’s Top 5 Releases Seen During Geneva Watch Days 2025 Fratello
Sep 5, 2025

Fratello’s Top 5 Releases Seen During Geneva Watch Days 2025

Another Friday, another list! This week, we will follow up on last week’s article on the brands to watch during Geneva Watch Days. We have seen many great releases from various brands in this super-busy week. Some are hyper-expensive timepieces with grail potential, while others are more affordable stunners from small brands. As a result, […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Releases Seen During Geneva Watch Days 2025 to read the full article.

New Versions Of The A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds And 1815 Tourbillon Fratello
A. Lange & Sohne Sep 5, 2025

New Versions Of The A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds And 1815 Tourbillon

Coinciding with Geneva Watch Days 2025, Germany’s A. Lange & Söhne introduces two new variations of existing models. We get new variations of the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds and the 1815 Tourbillon, both made in very small numbers, and both adding subtle but significant updates. The Richard Lange Jumping Seconds comes in a pink-gold dial […] Visit New Versions Of The A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds And 1815 Tourbillon to read the full article.

A. Lange & Söhne Elevates the 1815 Tourbillon with a Black Enamel Dial SJX Watches
A. Lange & Sohne Sep 5, 2025

A. Lange & Söhne Elevates the 1815 Tourbillon with a Black Enamel Dial

First introduced in 2014 as A. Lange & Söhne’s “entry-level” tourbillon (if there is such a thing for the German brand), the 1815 Tourbillon now returns as a limited edition in a striking, but familiar, guise. The new 1815 Tourbillon features a glossy black enamel dial – similar to that found on this year’s Minute Repeater Perpetual – and the same L102.1 movement found in the original version. Like the much pricier Minute Repeater Perpetual, the new tourbillon is not a Handwerkskunst edition, but still boasts a hand-enamelled dial made in-house. Initial thoughts As the base model tourbillon in Lange’s catalogue, the 1815 Tourbillon is less elaborate than the brand’s other tourbillon offerings. But it is nonetheless impressive as the tourbillon incorporates both a hacking and zero-reset mechanism. At most other brands, such a movement would be a top-of-the line offering. That said, the earlier versions were a bit plain. Even the limited edition with a white enamel dial was a little mundane. The Handwerkskunst version was outstanding, but it was just 30 pieces. The new 1815 Tourbillon isn’t extravagantly different; it is essentially a cosmetic update. But it makes all the difference. The glossy black dial is tremendously more appealing than the white enamel dial from before, especially since it is achieved with the champleve technique, eliminating the need for printed numerals. That said, it feels a little soon after the Minute Repeater Perpetual that has ...

Behrens Teams up With Vianney Halter SJX Watches
Behrens Teams up Sep 4, 2025

Behrens Teams up With Vianney Halter

Behrens teams up with Vianney Halter for the bold, electric meter-inspired KWH Watch, in white or rose gold. A unit of measurement for electricity, KWH is short for “kilowatt-hour” and refers to the electric meter inspiration for the design. The extremely dense movement combines the brand’s chain-driven hour display with rotating minute and power reserve cylinders, and a surprise on the back. It also represents a new frontier for the Chinese brand, as its most expensive offering yet. Initial Thoughts While Behrens’ watches do not always appeal to me aesthetically, I think the brand is an ideal champion for Chinese watchmaking. Unlike some brands marketing Chinese-built watches to global enthusiasts, Behrens is Chinese owned and operated. The brand’s founder, Lin Bingqiang, cut his teeth making parts and custom modules in Shenzhen for brands down in Hong Kong before starting Behrens in 2012. An exploded view of the 870 part movement. Many Chinese manufacturers excel at the engineering and manufacturing side, but have weak soft skills and lack vision. Behrens is strong on all fronts, and this is the brand’s most ambitious, and expensive, project yet. The brand may be over-reliant on computer-generated imagery, but I can confirm these watches are real, functional, and doing the rounds at Geneva Watch Week. Case On the heels of a collaboration with Konstantin Chaykin, Vianney Halter’s partnership is now with Behrens. This comes only days after Mr Halter’s coll...

H. Moser & Cie. has a New Take on the Wandering Hours SJX Watches
H. Moser & Cie has Sep 4, 2025

H. Moser & Cie. has a New Take on the Wandering Hours

Schaffhausen-based H. Moser & Cie. returns to a complication it once offered with the Pioneer Flying Hours, a new take on the wandering hours. The watch indicates the minutes on a central ring, while the hours seemingly jump from one window to the other. With this intriguing new display, the Flying Hours might just be being one of the most interesting jumping hours on the market.  Initial thoughts The Pioneer Flying Hours is not Moser’s first attempt at the wandering hours: the Endeavour Flying Hours was launched some seven years ago and an update on the historical complication. With new Pioneer, however, Moser manages to capture the mystique of both early wandering hours and mysterious clocks with its darting, wandering display. It is a tidy and admittedly novel reinterpretation of the wandering hours, which will surely appeal to collectors. There is something poetic about the minutes scale moving continuously across shuttered apertures, its sweep much like a bridge between points in time, here represented spatially. The combination of the sporty and large Pioneer case is also odd with the wandering hours, historically a complication associated with more formal, slim cases. At almost 43 mm, the case is large even for a sports watch. And to nitpick: if there is anything objectionable from the get-go, that is the name. Strictly speaking, “Flying hours” describes a revolving platform that is only supported from below - like a flying tourbillon. Here the hour disks a...

Hands-On: Behrens and Vianney Halter Collaborate on the Impressive Master Collection “KWH” Limited Edition Worn & Wound
Behrens Sep 4, 2025

Hands-On: Behrens and Vianney Halter Collaborate on the Impressive Master Collection “KWH” Limited Edition

Vianney Halter, the legendary independent watchmaker, has collaborated with Behrens, the Chinese indie that over the last few years has gradually upped the ante in terms of their watchmaking and their own ambitions in the international watch industry. The new watch, the Behrens Master Collection “KWH” Limited Edition, is sure to be one of the most talked about watches of Geneva Watch Days 2025, and should cement Behrens as a real player in the independent watch scene, while reintroducing Halter to a new generation of enthusiasts.  Collaborations within the indie watch world are frequent, so it’s worth spending a moment to contextualize the importance of Vianney Halter working with Behrens on this watch in particular. Halter is considered by many to be on the proverbial Mt. Rushmore of indie watchmakers who set the stage for the modern avant-garde watchmaking moment that we’re in the midst of. His Antiqua, a truly radical design upon its release, is still one of the most influential watches of its era, or any other. That he’s chosen to not just lend his name to a Behrens release but actually create an all new caliber for it feels like the strongest possible endorsement, and a signal that he and the young Chinese brand share a certain watchmaking philosophy.  The chief aesthetic inspiration behind the new piece is the square shape of antique electricity meters and the concept of “pixel nostalgia” (think video games like Snake and Tetris and you get the idea)....

First Look - The Artistic Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bulgari Monochrome
Bulgari If you are attending Sep 4, 2025

First Look - The Artistic Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bulgari

If you are attending the sixth edition of Geneva Watch Days, don’t miss Bulgari’s retrospective of the Octo Finissimo’s impressive trajectory in the ultra-thin watchmaking arena since 2014.  Alongside the record-breaking models is a new Octo Finissimo collaboration model made with Korean artist Lee Ufan, the latest in a long line of artists and architects […]

Introducing: The TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer Fratello
TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer Sep 4, 2025

Introducing: The TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer

For Geneva Watch Days 2025, TAG Heuer has brought a surprising number of new models. One of the favorites is the subject of this article. The Carrera Astronomer is a new addition to the lineup and is available in three references. As we’ll soon see, one is destined for serial production, while two are limited […] Visit Introducing: The TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer to read the full article.

Czapek Introduces the New Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R. Worn & Wound
Czapek Introduces Sep 3, 2025

Czapek Introduces the New Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R.

It’s hard to think that the first Antarctique is just five years old. In that time, what started as a bit of a surprise from a relatively unknown independent brand has become core to our understanding of independent sports watches, and the Antarctique in particular has become one of watchmaking’s most compelling platforms. Whether it be interpreted as a compact time-only sports watch or a highly complicated marvel, the Antarctique has been hard to ignore. Now, Czapek is bringing back one of its most notable variations - with a bit of a twist. The Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante ‘R.U.R.’ builds on what may be the most compelling Antarctiques to date (the GPHG Nominated Rattrapante Ice Blue), but brings in a bit of sci-fi to turn it into something fun and different. The new grey and blue colorway is a big part of this, as is the use of a fictional robotic language inspired by the Predator movies, but the most notable addition when compared to the Rattrapante Ice Blue is undoubtedly the inclusion of a robot’s head at 12 o’clock. This micro-sculpture - which, in titanium, is hand-polished, laser-engraved, and micro-painted to achieve an impressive amount of fine detail and depth - was made for Czapek by MD’Art, who previously collaborated with Czapek to make the mirror-finished dial used on the Antarctique S Mirrored Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition last year. The robot head sits just above the column wheel on the dial side of the watch and has eyes that cha...

What is a Chronograph Watch? Teddy Baldassarre
TAG Heuer Carrera Sep 3, 2025

What is a Chronograph Watch?

Chronograph watches are among the most popular styles of timepieces: iconic models like the Rolex Daytona, Omega Speedmaster, TAG Heuer Carrera, and Breitling Navitimer, for example, have become some of the most famous and collectible watches in the modern era and have contributed to the enduring appeal of the chronograph to generations of enthusiasts. If you're new to the watch game, however, you might be wondering not only what all the buzz is about but what these watches actually do that makes them so special. Read on for a comprehensive primer on chronograph watches, from their earliest ancestors to the most ambitious, avant-garde timekeeping technology available in chronographs today. Chronograph vs. Chronometer As I explore in depth in our guide to chronometers, one of the first hurdles to clear for newcomers to watch appreciation is the clarification of two very common horological categories: Chronometer and Chronograph. Quite simply, a chronometer (from the Greek chronos, meaning time, and meter, meaning measure) is any watch or clock that keeps reliably accurate time, usually as determined by an outside independent testing agency, whereas a chronograph (from chronos and graph, i.e., to “write time”) is any watch or clock with the ability to track and record intervals of time, aka a stopwatch. The terms are not interchangeable but they are also not mutually exclusive: a watch equipped with chronograph functions can also be a chronometer if it has met a s...

Furlan Marri Unveils The Striking New Disco Diamonds Onyx Fratello
Furlan Marri Unveils Sep 3, 2025

Furlan Marri Unveils The Striking New Disco Diamonds Onyx

One of last year’s most surprising releases was Furlan Marri’s Disco Volante series. The trio of watches stylishly revived a classic case shape we rarely see these days. Now, Furlan Marri introduces the next Disco Volante model for Geneva Watch Days 2025. But it’s not just another dial color. For this new Disco Diamonds Onyx, […] Visit Furlan Marri Unveils The Striking New Disco Diamonds Onyx to read the full article.

Sinn U50 Review: The 500m German Diver Under $3,500 Teddy Baldassarre
Sinn U50 Review Sep 2, 2025

Sinn U50 Review: The 500m German Diver Under $3,500

The Sinn U50 felt like a revelation when it was released in 2020. Sure, it was based on the larger U1, a design that dating back to 2005, but the U50 was the first to make this modern expression of Sinn design language approachable to a broader audience. As a result, the U50 falls into a rare sweet spot in size and design that you usually have to go back to the ‘90s to find. In an era when many of the great tool watch brands of yesterday are pushing upmarket with more luxurious offerings, a brand like Sinn stands defiantly committed to its core strengths. After four years of ownership, the appeal hasn’t waned. The U50 is more relevant than ever, and in my world, it remains the bar for dive watches under $3,500. I’m usually quick to point out that we are spoiled for choice when it comes to premium dive watches these days; as a genre, it’s one that many start-up microbrands are drawn to for its broad market appeal. It’s also a space that’s been heavily watered down (no pun intended) as a result. I hear enthusiasts describe modern examples through the lens of great historical examples, as those seem to be common sources for inspiration for many new (and old) brands. Truly novel ideas expressed in the dive-watch space are few and far between, but there are some truly interesting examples out there. Chief among them, as you may have discerned by now, is the Sinn U50.  Sinn U50 In Context The U50 isn’t a watch that feels like anything else. There is no old-school ...

Singer Reimagined Minds its Manners with the Caballero SJX Watches
Singer Sep 2, 2025

Singer Reimagined Minds its Manners with the Caballero

Best known for its Agenhor-powered chronographs, Singer Reimagined has just released its first time-only watch, the Caballero. Inside is the Calibre-4 Solotempo representing another first, being the brand’s first proprietary movement. With four barrels powering the Caballero for six days, the Calibre-4’s distinctive architecture can be discerned from the front thanks to jewel portholes in the dial. Spanish for “gentleman”, the Caballero is available in three colourways; the piano black and empire green colours are familiar from the Heritage Collection chronographs, but the petrol blue colour is new for the brand. Though not strictly a limited edition, the watches will be rare enough, assembled in small quantities at the brand’s atelier in central Geneva. Initial thoughts There tends to be a lot of crossover between the worlds of horology and high-end cars. Fans of the latter are no-doubt familiar with Singer Vehicle Design, which has made a name for itself restoring and modifying vintage Porsche 911s – specifically the 964 of the early 1990s – elevating the model to a standard that would have been impractical in its own time. The watchmaking arm, which operates as an independent sister company, has been quietly making interesting watches since 2017, largely focused on vintage motorsport themes. For the Caballero, this inspiration is conveyed most prominently by the golden needle hub that covers up the base of the hand stack, similar to those used by vintage a...

First Look - Three New Models in the Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Collection Monochrome
Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Collection Sep 1, 2025

First Look - Three New Models in the Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Collection

Hamilton’s latest models from the Khaki Pilot Pioneer collection have been updated with new bezels, dials and strap colours to bring a “civilian” touch to the more conservative, military-inspired watches. The collection is (loosely) based on the World War II Model 23 pocket watch for U.S. Air Force navigators and splinters off into modern 43mm […]

Berneron Jumps Forward with the Quantième Annuel SJX Watches
Berneron Sep 1, 2025

Berneron Jumps Forward with the Quantième Annuel

One of the headline releases from Geneva Watch Days is, without question, the Berneron Quantième Annuel, a symmetrical annual calendar that brings the brand’s vision into sharper focus. Expensively made and cleverly designed inside and out, the Quantième Annuel is a showcase for founder Sylvain Berneron’s attention to detail. A limited run of 480 pieces in platinum, with production spaced evenly over the next decade, the Quantième Annuel is available in two dial configurations; whether the buyer opts for lacquered silver or piano black, the dial itself, along with much of the movement, is crafted from 18k gold. Initial thoughts I’ve written effusively about user-friendly complications in the past so it should come as no surprise that I like the Quantième Annuel’s legible display and intuitive interface. Visually, it’s a world apart from the oozy Mirage, but it exhibits a similar degree of intellectual sophistication and attention to detail. A jumping hour watch with an instantaneous annual calendar, the Quantième Annuel is distinguished by its oversized windows for the hour, day, and month, with a sector-style dial for the minutes and a concentric retrograde date display. The running seconds dial at six o’clock contains the fourth jumping window for the day/night indicator; a useful addition for any calendar watch. The watch is designed for easy legibility, with the time read top-to-bottom and the date read left-to-right. The sector dial for the minute han...

Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex Submariner 16610 Vs. Omega Seamaster 2254.50 Fratello
Omega Seamaster 2254.50 Welcome back Aug 31, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex Submariner 16610 Vs. Omega Seamaster 2254.50

Welcome back to our weekly Sunday Morning Showdown! This week, after several battles between modern watches, we are going back in time. Daan and Thomas will pit two neo-vintage divers against each other. Daan will defend the Omega Seamaster 2254.50, while Thomas will champion the Rolex Submariner 16610. With slender cases, sapphire crystals, aluminum bezel […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex Submariner 16610 Vs. Omega Seamaster 2254.50 to read the full article.

Hublot Square Bang Unico Sapphire Hands-On Review WatchAdvice
TAG Heuer Monaco But as we Aug 31, 2025

Hublot Square Bang Unico Sapphire Hands-On Review

The Hublot Square Bang Unico Sapphire isn’t just a watch. It’s a crystal-clear showcase of bold design and cutting-edge engineering. From the sapphire case to the architectural Unico movement inside, it is a timepiece that redefines transparency and demands attention on the wrist in a way few others can! What We Love Sapphire case is lightweight, transparent and beautifully executed, turninig the watch into a wearable sculpture The Unico 2 (HUB1280 movement) is one of the best chronograph movements in the modern watch market. Despite being 42mm, it wears surprisingly well thanks to the short lugs and rubber strap, and the wrist presence is unparralelled. What We Don’t Circular movement on a square case is visually noticeable in sapphire form, slightly breaking harmony. The transparency of the subdial makes the date harder to read compared to other models in the Square Bang Unico collection. Transparent rubber strap may show ageing or discolouration over time if exposed to strong sunlight. Overall Rating: 8.9 / 10 Value For Money: 9.0/10 Design: 8.5/10 Wearability: 9.0/10 Build Quality: 9.0/10 Few watches turn heads quite like a sapphire-cased Hublot. With the Square Bang Unico Sapphire, Hublot takes transparency to new heights, transforming the bold square chronograph into a mechanical sculpture of light and precision. A square-shaped chronograph is rare in watchmaking, with the most iconic being the TAG Heuer Monaco. But as we know, with Hublot, they simply refu...

Watches, Stories, and Gear: The Jot N Pop, Stirling Timepiece’s Jarvis GMT, and The Return of Iconic Designs From Tom Bihn and Giant Mouse Worn & Wound
Seiko Aug 30, 2025

Watches, Stories, and Gear: The Jot N Pop, Stirling Timepiece’s Jarvis GMT, and The Return of Iconic Designs From Tom Bihn and Giant Mouse

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. This week’s Watches, Stories and Gear is sponsored by Stirling Timepieces. Check out the new Jarvis Diver GMT and a link to their website below. Notorious EDC and Big Idea Design Create the Jot N Pop Photo courtesy of Dave Svarte These days, collaboration is the name of the game. Whether it’s teaming up with a famous soda brand (looking at you Seiko and Jack Mason), or two EDC powerhouse brands creating something entirely different. When our team was at Blade Show this year, we got a sneak peak of the first Jot N Pop prototype and knew it was going to be something special.  According to Tom Medovich, “The Jot N’ Pop is what happens when you mash up Big Idea Design’s Pocket Pro with the Beer Bomb. A titanium pen that’s built to do whatever you throw at it, as long as whatever you throw at it is writing stuff down or opening bottles.”  Regardless of how they came up with this idea, we can’t think of a more perfect tool for staying hydrated and taking notes! Built upon the design of the Pocket Pro, the new Jot N Pop is entirely machined from Grade 5 titanium (no plastic parts!), with a pocket clip made from grade 4 Ti for spring tension. Arguably the mos...

Rolex Daytona Panda Dial Ref. 126500 Review Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Daytona Panda Dial Ref Aug 29, 2025

Rolex Daytona Panda Dial Ref. 126500 Review

The Rolex Daytona is a tricky watch to discuss these days. It’s difficult to separate the watch itself from its status as a barometer to the health of the entire second-hand market — a position that the watch itself surely never asked to be put into. Everyone has an opinion on the Daytona, and these days, those opinions seem to lean more negative due mostly to what it has come to represent. As such, it rarely gets a fair crack at an honest judgment. In fact, it’s a watch I generally shy away from discussing publicly. But I’ve always liked the Daytona, and I take pleasure in wearing mine in non-watch-enthusiast environments. That’s because, behind all the speculation and hype culture, there’s a genuinely good sports watch that’s almost never seen as such. After a year of owning the reference 126500 Rolex Daytona Panda dial introduced in 2023, and amidst a cooling second-hand market, I think it’s time to change that.  Let’s start off by confronting the reality of this watch. The MSRP of the steel Daytona Reference 126500 in either black or white dial (dark or light, in Rolex parlance) is $16,000. The same watches trade for between $27,000 and $32,000 in the open market. This is a serious discrepancy, but it does seem to have stabilized from a high point in 2021. In fact, it seems to be slowly coming down, but not nearly to a price that the watch merits, if you ask me. At its MSRP, the Daytona is a legitimately great watch, but only just. At ~$30,000, this ...

Driving Design: European Cars and a Family Heirloom Seamaster Worn & Wound
Aug 29, 2025

Driving Design: European Cars and a Family Heirloom Seamaster

Ansel Iisaka is an industrial designer, watch lover, and European car enthusiast.  Laid back with a thick beard, and often dressed in 1970s-esque attire, Iisaka doesn’t seem like your average mechanic, nor does he reveal much about his deep knowledge of watches. When asked about his propensity for both, he admits that growing up among the enthusiast cars that his father collected, drove hard, and cycled through may have caused him to feel “desensitized to rare or exotic cars.” Instead, he focused on what he calls, “really well-made, practical cars that I could use every day.” The first of these workhorse vehicles? A Volvo 240, one of the most iconic and reliable European cars ever built. Despite earning ASE certification in automotive service while still in high school, Iisaka chose to pursue the pen-and-paper side of his passion for mechanical artistry, and after completing a degree in industrial design, he found himself drafting concepts for several microbrand watch companies-an area he’d never considered before. While Iisaka states that he can’t reveal those projects due to contractual obligations, he has had a hand in designing field watches and vintage skin divers for a well-known microbrand. “I love all well-built mechanical things, especially those that were designed for longevity and repairability,” he explains.  That appreciation for watches wasn’t immediate, though. It took a very special timepiece, handed down to him from his grandfather ...

Hands On: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel “Shahnameh” SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel “Shahnameh” Aug 29, 2025

Hands On: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel “Shahnameh”

With a swivelling case and unadorned back, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has long served as a canvas for miniature enamelling (or double-faced complications). The Reverso Tribute Enamel “Shahnameh” is a fine example of the art, which is almost synonymous with Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC), one of the first brands to set up an in-house enamel workshop. Originally invented as a watch for polo players – the reversible case is meant to protect the crystal – the Reverso goes back to the historical origins of the game with this set. The quartet is inspired by scenes from Shahnameh, an epic poem written one thousand years ago that recounts the origins of the Persian Empire, and also depicts the ancient game invented by Persians that is today known as polo. Specifically, the four watches reproduce illustrations from the Shahnameh commissioned by Shah Tahmasp, the second ruler of the Safavid dynasty, in the early 16th century. The four piece set comprised of (from left) ‘Siyavush Plays Polo before Afrasiyab’; ‘Faridun Tests His Sons’; ‘Saam Comes to Mount Alburz’; and ‘Rustam Pursues Akvan’. Image – Jaeger-LeCoultre Initial thoughts JLC has long reproduced historical art on the Reverso – including Monet’s Venice series of paintings last year – but the artwork was often Western or East Asian, perhaps reflecting the watchmaker’s biggest markets. The “Shahnameh” set, on the other hand, reproduces scenes from a piece of art that might be less well known in...

Seiko vs. Citizen: Comparing the Icons of Japanese Watchmaking Teddy Baldassarre
Citizen Comparing Aug 28, 2025

Seiko vs. Citizen: Comparing the Icons of Japanese Watchmaking

Seiko and Citizen are the two undisputed titans among Japanese watch brands, known and admired worldwide for their technical excellence, design acumen, and legendary price-to-value ratio, not to mention the role that both brands have played in the technological and cultural evolution of watchmaking in general. And while these world-renowned companies have been fierce competitors from the beginning, they have a lot in common as well. Here we present a side-by-side comparison of Seiko vs. Citizen, starting with their earliest days and concluding with an overview of what each brand is doing today.  Seiko vs. Citizen: Origins of Two Japanese Watch Pioneers With its very high-tech lineup and avant-garde designs, one might be inclined to think Citizen Watch Company is a relatively new player on the worldwide watch scene, but one would be mistaken. The company today known as Citizen was founded in 1918 by Kamakechi Yamazaki as the Shokosha Watch Research Institute. The name “Citizen” first appeared on the dial of a pocket watch that Shokosha produced in 1924; it is believed to have been suggested by Yamazaki’s close friend Shinpei Goto, then the mayor of Tokyo, who believed such a watch should be universally appealing and accessible to all “citizens” of Japan.  Shokosha merged with the Schmid company, a Japan-based manufacturing firm founded by expatriate Swiss watchmaker Rodolphe Schmid, in 1930 to become Citizen. Joining the expertise of Shokosha’s Japanese watchm...

Review: the Héron Mirabel GMT Worn & Wound
Ming ly Aug 28, 2025

Review: the Héron Mirabel GMT

I think we can all agree that watch enthusiasm is often intertwined with a bit of cosplaying. James Bond-esque fantasies of tackling adventures in go-anywhere-do-anything watches have a powerful way of convincing office-dwelling collectors such as myself that over-engineered specs are a necessity. While actual practical need for secret agent-level robustness may be minimal for most collectors (I haven’t engaged in hand to hand combat or an aquatic chase all week), the pervasiveness of often repetitive feeling GADA designs can make avoiding rugged tool watches feel like a chore. This is especially true in the microbrand arena where many brands have made the dive watch their bread and butter and seemingly the format for all other complications, including GMTs. While I’m not here to throw shade (OK, maybe just a little) at the ubiquitous and often unimaginative tool watches that clearly reign supreme for many brands and collectors alike, I would be lying if I said the recent prevalence of dress watches in my Instagram feed hasn’t provided some much welcome variety. But even in this evolving landscape as dressier designs are having a moment, as I scroll through my curated collection of microbrand inspired hashtags, most #dresswatches from small independent brands are notably void of complications beyond a date window. Canadian microbrand Héron (known for their modern approach to neo-vintage inspired tool watches since 2021) seems to have recognized this gap between for...

First Look - The new Parmigiani Toric Petite Seconde Platinum Golden Hour and Rose Gold Dune Monochrome
Parmigiani Fleurier carries great importance It Aug 28, 2025

First Look - The new Parmigiani Toric Petite Seconde Platinum Golden Hour and Rose Gold Dune

The name Toric at Parmigiani Fleurier carries great importance. It was, after all, the very first made by founder Michel Parmigiani when he decided to fly solo. An elegant watch characterised by its gadroons and knurled surfaces, it underwent a significant update last year with the launch of the new Toric collection. But more than just an […]