WristBuzz
Christopher Ward C1 Loco Classic: The Loco Puts on a Suit
The wildly popular Loco gets a dress-watch makeover, and the result is one of the most compelling British-designed watches of the year.
Results for Microbrand Watches
20,203 articles · 163 videos found · page 227 of 679
WristBuzz
Monochrome
Introducing - Urwerk Reconfigures its Time Display with the UR-300 Time Quantum
Since its foundation in 1997, Urwerk has looked at mechanical watchmaking from a very unconventional perspective. Co-founders Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei have developed an unmistakable style, with satellite hours, wandering displays, and retrograde indications. Their watches frequently take inspiration from astronomy, but the new UR-300 Time Quantum looks not to heavenly bodies but to […]
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Urwerk UR-300 Time Quantum
What We Know If you know Urwerk, you know that they've always been looking toward the stars, making instantly recognizable watches with the brand's iconic satellite display that rotates around the dial, with the hour pointing to the minute track as the whole display turns and snaps to reveal each passing hour. They've played with a variety of approaches to this concept, widening the minute track and speeding up the snap as well, but today's release of the UR-300 "Time Quantum" introduces a new mechanic that the brand says is inspired by things at the atomic level. Not to be confused with Urwerk's other atomic-inspired watch (one of my top 10 favorite all-time modern watches, the AMC special), this watch draws from the concept of polarized entities—neutrons and electrons—swirling around. Instead of the rotating single carousel in the past, the new display features a "T-frame" structure. The current hour displays as usual; the flat portion of a triangular hour module is made of beryllium copper, brass, anodized aluminum, ARCAP AP1D, and titanium, and points to the current minute as it travels on a 108º arc. The other hours are rotated 120º on their axis to hide them for legibility. Once it approaches the 60th minute (and transitions to 0), three things happen. Power built up during the rotation forces the T-Frame into rotation in a split second. The frame jumps forward and rotates 72º to put the next hour display into position, also rotating the hour module to be visi...
Monochrome
Portrait - Miyota, The Engine Behind the Watch, And The Rise of the Japanese Movement Maker
For more than four decades, Miyota has been quietly powering watches from brands around the world. As the watch industry evolves, however, the movement manufacturer is increasingly stepping into the spotlight – highlighting not only its technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities, but also the role movements play in the identity, reliability and long-term value of […]
Hodinkee
Introducing: Hermès H08 Bleu de Malte And Blanc Chantilly
What We Know Hermès has released two new versions of its H08 sports watch. It feels like the H08 has lived a lot of lives in the five years since it was originally released at Watches & Wonders 2021, and these latest releases bring yet another new look to a line that has expanded pretty steadily since then. Here, we have two new versions of the H08, each in a braided glass fiber composite case, but where previous watches that have used this material have coated it in a dark blend of aluminum and slate, with these new watches, Hermès has dropped the slate dust. The result is a lighter, brighter finish, complemented by ceramic accents in either bright blue or white. The blue watch also comes equipped with a rhodium-plated, "crystal sandblasted" textured dial, with blue details matching the ceramic bezel, while the white watch has a lacquered white dial. Each has details in Hermès' signature orange. Beyond the new finish and color, these are largely the H08 as we have come to know it, with a cushion-shaped 39mm x 39mm case, rubber strap, and Hermès' hallmark rounded numerals, and are powered by the automatic Hermès Manufacture movement H1837, a movement created exclusively for Hermès by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. Prices for each of these new versions of the H08 sit at $8,600. What We Think This is a pretty straightforward case of a new colorway, but a new colorway done extremely well. The H08 has existed in a funny position for Hermès since its release half a decade...
Hodinkee
Introducing: Ming x Massena Lab 57.09 'Secret Honey'
What We Know It's been five years since Ming and Massena Lab released their first collaboration. In that time, both Ming — the Malaysian-born microbrand founded by Ming Thein — and Massena Lab — the concept studio and curatorial brand created by collector William Massena — have grown and evolved somewhat dramatically, with Ming having moved through several generations of iteration, and Massena having worked with a somewhat staggering number of brands. Now, with each brand having grown up quite a bit, they've come back together to announce the Ming x Massena Lab 57.09 Secret Honey. The new watch, built on Ming's latest design platform, is a time-only watch that evokes similar ideas to the two brands' first collaborative effort half a decade ago, but updates them, bringing to the new watch many of the tricks Ming has developed over the last few years. Put another way, this is still a honeycomb-dialed Ming, just with a little more cheek. Here, Ming has blended the honeycomb concept with their multi-layered "secret" dial to create something dynamic and fun, with a lot of the charm of midcentury favorites in an undeniably contemporary package. Like so many Mings, the dial here is multi-layered, with a dark brown lacquered base dial sitting below a trio of rotating sapphire discs, each of which rotates at a different rate. These three discs are perforated with a different pattern and finished in a different color, with the bottom two layers finished respectively in orang...
Fratello
Is The Tudor Pelagos 39 Better Than A Rolex Submariner?
Put the spec sheets for the Tudor Pelagos 39 and the Rolex Submariner side by side, and the two watches look almost suspiciously similar. Both are roughly 40mm steel or titanium dive watches with in-house automatic movements, ceramic or aluminum bezels, and depth ratings most owners will never come close to testing. On paper, this […] Visit Is The Tudor Pelagos 39 Better Than A Rolex Submariner? to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko 5 Sports vs Invicta Pro Diver: Which Affordable Dive Watch Wins?
Seiko 5 Sports or Invicta Pro Diver? We reviewed both automatic watches and compared their movements, finishing, comfort, and overall value.
Hodinkee
Introducing: Garmin Marq 3 (Live Photos)
What We Know When Garmin launched the Marq collection in 2019, it answered what Garmin customers had been asking for: a premium product with top-end engineering. With today's launch of the third generation, Garmin is pushing that idea further. The collection debuts six new watches—the Marq Adventurer, Athlete, Aviator, Commander, Diver, and Golfer—offering something for everyone. The Marq 3 Diver. Before we get into the six variations, we need to start with the 47mm case, because much of what's new comes from how it's built. Garmin uses a process it calls nano molding technology, which bonds a glass-filled polymer to the titanium at the nanoscale. The polymer sections at the top and bottom of the case give the antennas a non-metal window for transmission, and because the bond needs no gasket, it produces a thinner case. Garmin says that is what made room for the LTE and satellite radios on top of GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. On the left, the Marq 3 Adventurer, on the right is the Marq 3 Golf. It also removes the five button holes in the Gen 2 case. A polymer wall seals the case, and an inductive sensor behind it registers each press, with a tactile element on the outside for the click. Garmin's point is that the crown and pushers are the usual failure point on a dive watch, and here nothing passes through the case. The process also forced a change to the Commander's DLC coating, which is normally applied at a heat that would deform the polymer, so Garmin moved to a lower...
Hodinkee
Vacheron Constantin And Phillips Announce 34 Finalists For The Inaugural Concours D'Élégance Horlogère
Earlier this year, we covered the announcement of a novel idea from the minds at Vacheron Constantin and the Phillips auction house: an open call looking for the best vintage Vacheron Constantin watches in the world for display, appreciation, and eventually the potential to be crowned the best in its category. It was a Concours D'Élégance like any held for cars, except this time for Vacheron timepieces. The underlying raison d'être was not just to show the best of vintage Vacheron but also to show support and appreciation to the collectors who have carried the passion for the brand (and maybe to draw some watches out of hiding). A platinum ref. 6448 from 1962 with JMV RA 13-ligne ultra-thin hand-wound movement (left) and a ref. 30030 from 2006. The jury (all fourteen members) reviewed 550 entries from vintage collectors worldwide. Now we know the 34 finalists in the seven categories (chronographs, Métiers d'Art, Chronomètre Royal, astronomical complications, multiple complications, design, and chiming mechanisms), and there are some truly phenomenal pieces, including some that I did not know existed. And for those in Geneva during the lead-up to GPHG and the fall auction season, you can see the watches on display from November 4th to 8th before the winners in each category—plus a potential "Best in Show"—are announced at a ceremony on November 10th. The legendary retrograde full date and 'Don Pancho' minute repeater from 1940, with a replacement dial faithful to...
WristBuzz
The Nomos Metro Date Power Reserve Gets a New Movement and an Ice Blue Option
Nomos upgrades the Metro Date Power Reserve with a new caliber and adds a cool new dial color to one of its most complete watches
Monochrome
Introducing - The MeisterSinger No03 and Perigraph Special Editions with Turquoise Dials
Watchmaking enthusiasts know MeisterSinger and the foundational idea behind its creations: time does not always need to be read to the nearest second. Two of the Münster-based brand’s long-standing models, the No03 and the Perigraph, now come as special editions that pair the signature single-hand display with a cool new dial colour. Both watches are […]
Fratello
The Wren Vessel: A Surprisingly Wearable Integrated-Bracelet Watch For The Future
After the 41mm Diver One and the fan-favorite Diver 38 Seafoam, New York-based Wrist Enthusiast founder Craig Karger is back with a new Wren watch. Karger felt there were already too many vintage-inspired integrated-bracelet sports watches, so he asked designer Max Resnick to help him develop a future-oriented one. However, there was one challenge: Karger […] Visit The Wren Vessel: A Surprisingly Wearable Integrated-Bracelet Watch For The Future to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Toledano & Chan Dazzles with their Latest Release
Toledano & Chan has introduced their latest release, the B/1 Dazzle. Eagle eyed GPHG watchers might have gotten a small tease of this one when nominations were released a few months back (it’s fairly routine for brands to submit embargoed watches, and they’re often revealed before the official launch as part of the GPHG voting process), but now the cat is fully out of the bag. The Dazzle is actually a pair of watches, both using Toledano & Chan’s now familiar case architecture inspired by the former Whitney Museum building, designed by Marcel Breuer, and Brutalist forms and ideas more generally. Now with several distinct releases under their belt, it’s becoming more and more interesting to see how Toledano & Chan iterate on this platform. The Dazzle might be my personal favorite of the executions of this case design to date. The idea for the Dazzle comes from camouflage used on battleships during the first World War. The so-called “dazzle” camouflage design was not meant to conceal, but to use complex geometry to confuse the enemy by disrupting proportion. The alternating black and white bars painted onto a ship that’s in constant motion would have been difficult for an adversary to pin down. The dazzle design language has been used in art and design for many years since, including on watches, but Toledano & Chan’s version plays with the idea in a few interesting ways that I haven’t seen before. Like the most recent B/1 releases, this one is in titani...
Time+Tide
The new Toledano & Chan b/1 “Dazzle” delivers on its namesake
The new Toledano & Chan b/1 "Dazzle" watches blend the brand's brutalist design with a confounding camouflage inspired by WWI U-boats.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We Reviewed an Affordable American Watch That Gave Us Grand Seiko Vibes
Hands-on review of the Islander Watches Melville GMT, exploring its golf-inspired dial, design, NH34 movement, and everyday wearability.
Fratello
The Toledano & Chan B/1 Dazzle Confuses The Eye And Steals The Show
The watch world doesn’t always embrace those who push creative boundaries. Over the past two decades, however, enthusiasts have become increasingly receptive to watchmakers who challenge conventional ideas. MB&F;, Urwerk, De Bethune, and Greubel Forsey have repeatedly demonstrated what happens when imagination drives the watchmaking process. The resurgence of shaped watches over the past five […] Visit The Toledano & Chan B/1 Dazzle Confuses The Eye And Steals The Show to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The Art of Cloisonné at Patek Philippe
For some eight decades, Patek Philippe has been an important patron of cloisonné enamel, commissioning work that helped sustain the craft when demand for it had all but disappeared. From the enamel maps of Louis Cottier’s world time watches to the signed dials of Anita Porchet, its commissions trace a history of both the technique and the changing recognition of the artists behind it. Today, demand for artisanal dials, particularly those in cloisonné enamel, is at an all-time high. In May 2026, a Patek Philippe wristwatch sold for about US$10.2 million at an auction in Geneva, as collectors competed for a dial featuring a map of South America made with gold wire and enamel. The outcome ended up making headlines. The watch was a ref. 2523 from 1953, and the artist responsible for the dial — supplied by Stern Frères — remains anonymous. The Patek Philippe ref. 2523, with South America map. The story of cloisonné enamel at Patek Philippe is also one of artistic patronage. By choosing subjects, commissioning enamellers and eventually allowing them to sign their dials, the Genevan watchmaker has acted as a curator, shaping a body of work that reflects both its own tastes and the talents of individual artists. Drawing in fire Cloisonné is only one of several enamel techniques. Cloisonné begins with gold wire. The enameller bends it by hand, sometimes working with wire just 0.05 mm thick, to draw the design on the dial. The resulting compartments, or cloisons — Fren...
Monochrome
First Look - The Raymond Weil Freelancer World-Traveller, For the Brand’s 50th Anniversary
Founded in 1976 by Mr Raymond Weil at the height of the quartz crisis with a mission to produce quality watches at affordable prices, the brand remains family-owned and is now in the hands of the third generation. With CEO Elie Bernheim at the helm, Raymond Weil is enjoying a revival thanks to the successful […]
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Bremont Supermarine 500 Full Ceramic In Deep Blue
This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia. What We Know Under the stewardship of CEO Davide Cerrato, we’ve seen a revitalised Bremont experiment with all sorts of things—jumping hours pieces, meteorite dials, space watches—as well as ceramic cases, especially for its Supermarine dive watch. In 2024, they launched their first full-ceramic watch, the Supermarine 500 Black Ceramic, following up with a Jungle Green ceramic limited edition built to take on the tropics. Now, the British brand has debuted a Deep Blue ceramic Supermarine 500 that’s ready for the depths. While this new colored ceramic Supermarine is a follow-up to the Jungle Green, quite a lot has changed in the Supermarine lineup since its launch, including an upgraded movement with an improved power reserve. It also now sports a wave pattern on the dial rendered in black, which provides good contrast against the white Super-LumiNova (with blue emission), and brings some added texture and depth to the dial. The blue ceramic case measures the same dimensions as the rest of the Supermarine 500 lineup at 43mm across with a thickness of 13mm. It’s rated to 500 meters and also features a helium escape valve on the left side of the case that’s finished in a color-matched blue. The bezel insert is ceramic - it's laser-engraved with embossed numerals - yet both the bezel ring and the crown are titanium, not that you'd immediately clock it. Bremont has nailed the color-matching acro...
T
Teddy Baldassarre Excl
Teddy Baldassarre Excl
The Making of an Iconic Movement: The El Primero
We’re joined by Zenith to get the full story of how one of the world’s first automatic chronographs went from near-extinction to an enduring icon that has powered some of the most celebrated watches of all time. Straight from leading experts, we explore the 50+ year history of the El Primero, still widely used by Zenith today, to understand why it remains one of the most iconic chronograph movements of all time.More
Monochrome
Introducing - Timex Goes Surprisingly Classic and Elegant with the New, Affordable Marlin Chatham Automatic
An important part of the recent history of American watchmaking, Timex has long been known for making reliable and accessible watches. As explained by our editor Erik, the brand survived and effectively embraced the quartz crisis of the 1970s and 1980s, becoming one of the biggest and most popular brands in the world. By 1982, it […]
Worn & Wound
Inside the Release Party Omega’s New Bond and Spectre-Edition Seamasters with CEO Raynald Aeschlimann
On Monday evening in Los Angeles, Omega celebrated Global James Bond Day with a launch party for the latest collection of Seamaster Diver 300Ms to join the Omega x James Bond Universe–including their first Spectre-themed watches ever. With CEO Raynald Aeschlimann on-hand and surrounded by a collection of iconic props from the Bond films (including Agent Primo’s bionic eyeball from No Time To Die), Omega displayed some of these new Bond references publicly for the first time. At the core of the new collection are a pair of non-limited steel models, a James Bond Edition (ref. 210.30.42.20.03.004) and a Spectre Edition (ref. 210.30.42.20.01.023). Omega will also offer a duo of limited edition models rendered in platinum-gold: the Bond-themed ref. 210.83.42.20.03.001 and the Spectre-themed ref. 210.83.42.20.01.001. The limited edition watches will be sold exclusively in sets that include one of the limited edition Bond or Spectre watches and a numbered example (1-77) of the corresponding non-limited steel model. The numbered editions of the steel models get their own reference numbers, but don’t differ from the non-limited watches in any meaningful way. So, while the collection technically boasts six new references, it’s really only four new watches. Got it? All of the watches in the new series share the familiar 42mm case diameter with the current production model Seamaster 300M, but the new models are a hair thicker at 14.23 mm. While fans that have been holding ou...
Hodinkee
Happenings: Singapore's Indie-Focused IAMWATCH Returns This November
With the massive rise in interest in independent brands over the past few years, it seems like it's basically impossible to even begin to meet with watchmakers these days, let alone have a meaningful conversation with them or see their watches. I have to field the question "How do I meet ___" at least once a week. No matter the answer, it requires some effort. But what if I told you that you could walk into a room and see Rexhep Rexhepi chatting with Max Büsser, right next to Kari Voutilainen, who is looking at Jean-Claude Biver's watch while Jean Arnault looks at Trilobe. All while Rémy Cools, Theo Auffret, Gaël Petermann, and Florian Bédat are chatting at a table nearby, their watches in hand. That's IAMWATCH in Singapore, and it's happening again from November 12 to 15 at the Singapore Edition. Kari Voutilainen and Jean-Claude Biver. I was there two years ago at the first iteration of what I will say is one of the most "me" watch fairs ever made; you can see my 2024 Photo Report here for a sense of the event. I love the people of the watchmaking as much as I love the watches—maybe even more because I can't afford most of the big-name independents, but I can enjoy talking to them and learning from them all the same. The Hour Glass, one of the world's largest retailers, is also putting it on, and it's run by long-time avowed independent watchmaking acolyte and Managing Director Michael Tay. Proof of how stacked this event is comes from the list of names I'm going to...
Fratello
Hands-On: The CIGA Design Hunter Tourbillon In Blue
CIGA Design is a Shenzhen-based watch brand that has been producing watches since 2016. I’d say the turning point came in 2021, when the brand’s Blue Planet won the Challenge Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Since then, CIGA Design has built a solid model palette across its Aventur, Everest, Zodiac, […] Visit Hands-On: The CIGA Design Hunter Tourbillon In Blue to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introducing - Angelus Puts a Tachymeter on Its Vintage-Inspired Monopusher Chronograph
Angelus continues to revive its historical stopwatch designs with the new Chronographe Tachymètre, a trio of compact monopusher watches that follows last year’s Chronographe Télémètre. The new watches share the same case and hand-wound A5000 calibre as their predecessors, but replace the telemeter scale with a tachymeter designed to measure speed – more on the […]
Hodinkee
Introducing: Angelus Chronographe Tachymètre (Live Pics)
What We Know Angelus has dropped the curtain on three new limited-edition watches built on the same platform as the fan-favorite (and GPHG-winning) Chronographe Télémètre, only not quite. With this trio of novelties — appropriately dubbed the Chronographe Tachymètre — Angelus has dropped the telemeter scale, replacing it with a tachymeter, and bringing with it a slightly sportier look than we've come to expect from Angelus's most compact modern offering. The new model follows up a limited-edition take on the idea of a Chronographe Télémètre released in collaboration with Monochrome Watches earlier this year. But where that watch featured a double-tracked tachymeter and a decidedly vintage aesthetic, these new watches offer a decidedly different take on the concept, leaning into the look of midcentury racing watches. Here, that means you have the same bi-register chronograph layout, but with a single-track tachymeter and subdials finished in contrasting colors. Like the Chronographe Télémètre that preceded it, the new Chronographe Tachymètre is offered in three configurations, with two of those in steel cases and the other in yellow gold. The yellow gold offering — which is limited to 15 pieces — is fitted with a yellow-gold-tone dial with green (really, a very dark grey with a greenish hue) accents. The stainless steel watches are offered with either a salmon dial with grey accents or a grey dial with blue accents. These watches come in editions of 30 an...
SJX Watches
Highlights: Unique Indies at Marteau & Co’s ‘The Encore’
Yesterday Marteau & Co kicked off its fourth sale, The Encore, comprising primarily pièce unique watches from independent watchmakers, which is the founding theme of the online-only auctioneer. Beyond its focus on indies, the auctioneer sets itself apart with its “maker’s fee”, which rewards the maker of the timepiece with 3% of the hammer price for each watch sold Conceived to allow watchmakers to reap the rewards when their products appreciate, this fee is also known as the artist’s resale right, or droit de suite, a concept that’s been codified into law across Europe for fine art. Marteau & Co’s approach is the first instance of its application in watchmaking, and seems successful so far. Lot 9 – Yosuke Sekiguchi Primevere “Interprétation du Japon” pièce unique Yosuke Sekiguchi is Swiss independent watchmaker, born in Japan and trained in France, who cut his teeth at La Joux-Perret and Christophe Claret before pivoting to restoration work in 2016. Around that time he transformed an orphaned Jules Jürgensen pocket watch movement dating to 1871, casing it into a wristwatch, which inspired the Primevère. We covered the prototype of this watch in depth when it debuted in 2021, and shot another (this time in rose gold with a black enamel) earlier this year, but this stainless steel confirmation with a red enamel sub-dial – a look inspired by the Japanese flag – is perhaps the best looking configuration we’ve seen. Beyond its striking looks, this...
Monochrome
Introducing - Glashütte Original Brings Meissen Porcelain to the Senator Cherry Blossom
Following the trio of porcelain-dial watches launched in 2025, German brand Glashütte Original continues its collaboration with Meissen, bringing together two Saxon manufactures, with Glashütte Original responsible for the watch and Meissen for the porcelain dial. While earlier editions explored the “Mystic Maison” and “Collage” motifs, the latest Senator Meissen edition turns to a long-established […]
Time+Tide
Wren’s futuristic Vessel proves the Diver One was only the beginning
Wren leaves dive watches behind with the Vessel, a futuristic integrated-bracelet sports watch with a wild faceted sapphire crystal.