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Results for Caliber 9SA5

633 articles · 2,305 videos found · page 23 of 98

Oris Releases a New Divers Sixty-Five with a “Forest Green” Dial Worn & Wound
Oris Releases Jun 26, 2024

Oris Releases a New Divers Sixty-Five with a “Forest Green” Dial

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 ...

The Latest Panerai Submersible Has Lighting On Demand Worn & Wound
Panerai Submersible Has Lighting Jun 18, 2024

The Latest Panerai Submersible Has Lighting On Demand

Officine Panerai was the brand that launched the “large watch” craze that began in the early 1990s, long before Sylvester Stallone got involved and before anyone else started making oversized watches. Prior to them, 38mm was considered jumbo, and then suddenly, 44mm was the new normal and everyone else was playing catch-up. Since then, watch sizes have come down. However, Panerai is still doing their thing, and they may have outdone themselves with their latest offering, the Submersible Elux LAB-ID, the world’s first fully mechanical watch with electrical luminescence. Yes, you read that correctly and no, there are no batteries. This is not your father’s push-button background illumination. This technology took 8 years to develop, and several patents are pending. The watch houses 6 barrels, 4 of which power the lighting system through microgenerators that convert mechanical energy into electricity, and 2 that are dedicated to time indication. The P.9010/EL caliber is 31mm in diameter and 10.80mm thick, has 55 jewels and a power-reserve of 3 days (roughly 72hrs), plus 30 minutes of on demand lighting. Not to be bested by the inner workings, the 49mm case is made of Panerai’s proprietary Ti-Ceramitech, crafted from ceramized titanium. It took 7 years of research and development and they have filed a patent for their titanium ceramization process through Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation to achieve a very distinctive blue hue. This process transforms the titanium alloy ...

The Latest Seiko 5 Sports Limited Edition Releases are Unveiled Worn & Wound
Seiko 5 Sports Limited Edition Jun 17, 2024

The Latest Seiko 5 Sports Limited Edition Releases are Unveiled

For a brand that has been around since 1881, it only makes sense for Seiko to look back into their archives to recreate some of its most classic watches. That’s exactly what they’ve done with what has been billed the Heritage Design Re-Creation Limited Edition Collection. Drawing from popular styles from the 1960’s and 70’s, Seiko’s Heritage Design takes elements from these retro reference points and has applied them to the ever-popular Seiko 5 Sports model. For the new SRPL03 and SRPL05, the case measures in at a comfortable 38.5mm in stainless steel, perfectly suitable for a variety of occasions. The case is complemented by a steel bracelet that is an updated version of the original, using contemporary design and material upgrades for a more comfortable wear. If you’d rather opt for a strap, you’re in luck – a retro-inspired leather strap, reminiscent of the time when the original model was popular. The main difference between the SRPL03 and SRPL05 is found under the curved Hardlex crystal: the 03 has a modern silver dial, while the 05 has a more classic black option. For both watches in the Heritage Design Re-Creation collection, the watches run on an automatic 4R36 caliber movement, which promises approximately 41 hours of power.  Each reference is limited to 9,999 pieces and will be available July 2024 via Seiko’s website. The retail price for each is $450. Seiko Images from this post: The post The Latest Seiko 5 Sports Limited Edition Releases are ...

The Omega Speedmaster Professional Has Gone Two-Tone (Or, Bi-Color) Worn & Wound
Omega Speedmaster Professional Has Gone Jun 5, 2024

The Omega Speedmaster Professional Has Gone Two-Tone (Or, Bi-Color)

Is two-tone back? Is it on its way back? Has it returned and then left again? I feel like for as long as I’ve been involved in watches as a hobby, people have been saying all of the above regarding multiple metal watches. I think the most common shared perspective is that two-tone watches (that’s usually, but not always, watches made with both steel and gold) were a staple in the 1980s, fell out of favor, and have been threatening a comeback pretty consistently for the better part of a decade. But I think maybe two-tone is as back as it’s ever going to be, meaning just about every signature (“iconic,” if you must) watch collection has a two-tone example. This week, we add the Speedmaster to the list, with two new references featuring Moonshine (yellow) and Sedna (red) gold.  The new two-tone (or “Bi-Color” in Omega terms) Speedys are from the Professional line, meaning these are Moonwatches at their core, even though they have just a bit of bling. That means a manually wound 3861 caliber with METAS certification, and the classic 42mm Speedmaster case. These references see gold applied to the bezel, crown, pushers, center links of the bracelet, and throughout each dial. The Moonshine Gold reference has a silver dial with gold tone subdials, while the Sedna Gold version has a dial coated in Sedna PVD with black subdials. Of course the most immediate question at hand is which one do you prefer, aesthetically? For me, it’s the Sedna Gold reference every day of...

TAG Heuer Introduces a New Skeletonized Monaco Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer Introduces May 28, 2024

TAG Heuer Introduces a New Skeletonized Monaco

Once again, TAG Heuer has released a new Monaco chronograph to celebrate the running of the Monaco Grand Prix, which took place over the weekend in, you guessed it, Monaco. While it’s surely a bit on-the-nose to unveil a new chronograph that is named after the race itself on race weekend, we’ll forgive TAG here given the simple fact that the Monaco Grand Prix’s place in our culture. If it’s not one of the most watched races in the world, it’s certainly one of the most recognizable and well known. The word “Monaco” to many will immediately conjure images of the race, unless it’s heard by a watch collector, in which case iconic square cased chrono is likely to be front of mind. In any event, not introducing a new Monaco on race weekend would likely amount to a tactical error on TAG Heuer’s part, given the intense focus on F1 over the weekend.  The new watch is effectively a new variant of the watch released last year, which introduced skeleton dials to the Monaco collection with brightly colored accents and lightweight titanium cases. Here we have a DLC coated titanium case measuring 39mm across and 15.2mm tall, with a skeletonized dial featuring dark blue and bright yellow accents. Skeleton dials can, of course, sometimes be a bit difficult to read, but time-telling on the skeletonized Monaco is fairly straightforward with sharp white minute markers at the perimeter of the blue minute ring, and oversized lume filled hour markers set against the Caliber 02...

Vertex Commemorates D-Day with the M36 Worn & Wound
Casio n May 20, 2024

Vertex Commemorates D-Day with the M36

This coming June 6 marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Vertex, the UK based watch brand headed by Don Cochrane, supplied 1,776 watches to British forces on D-Day, and to commemorate the occasion the brand has released a new reference. The M36 feels very much like a watch that Vertex could have produced at any time, but it makes particular sense in the context of the D-Day anniversary. It’s impossible to look at a watch in this style (and these proportions) from a brand with the history of Vertex and not think about the past.  The M36 was conceived as a watch that would borrow significantly from vintage military issued timepieces. To a certain extent, all Vertex watches do this. It’s in the brand’s DNA and is inescapable in the watches they make. But the M36 goes a few steps further. The case, for one, is a compact 36mm in size, which is true to the vintage watches that Vertex would have supplied, and makes the new watch a solid option for virtually anyone today. The sapphire crystal is box shaped as opposed to domed, which gives it an additional layer of vintage charm, and the straightforward dial layout with large Arabic numerals and a railroad minutes track are right in line with WWII era watches.  The watch runs on a workhorse automatic Sellita caliber and is equipped with an anti-magnetic Nivarox hairspring. The crown screws down, and provides 100 meters of water resistance. There’s also plenty of molded X1 Super-LumiNova on the dial, which if it glows anyth...

Yema Slims Down the Navygraf in a New Limited Edition Worn & Wound
Yema May 13, 2024

Yema Slims Down the Navygraf in a New Limited Edition

A micro-rotor dive watch? For under $2,000? At first blush, the concept may seem outrageous. After all, micro-rotor movements are typically reserved for high-end dress watches and complicated Indies. They’re hardly at home in the sort of accessible dive watches so many of us like, but Yema has - for the second time this year - dropped a svelte micro-rotor-powered dive watch, and they certainly have my attention. Yema is not a new name in the watch space. The brand has been around in some form or another since 1948 and, since its return to French ownership in 2008, the brand has been working hard to build itself into a leading French watchmaker. While they are best known today for their vintage-inspired dive watches like the Superman, over the last few years, Yema has slowly been building up a quiver of French-made manufacture movements produced in France’s own version of the Vallée de Joux, the watchmaking hub of Morteau. To date, they have introduced three movements in this series of French-designed calibers, with more surely to come. Though still reliant on Switzerland for regulating organs and some movement parts (not a bad thing on any level, even Roger Smith uses Swiss-made mainsprings), these movements have been a big step for the brand, and are far from being simple ETA or Sellita clones, like we so often see. The first of these was the CMM.20, a slim 3.7mm ultra-thin micro-rotor movement, with near-COSC accuracy, an anti-magnetic construction, a 70-hour po...

Eberhard & Co. Debut Two New Chronographs at their First Watches & Wonders Worn & Wound
Breguet numerals Apr 29, 2024

Eberhard & Co. Debut Two New Chronographs at their First Watches & Wonders

Earlier this month at Watches & Wonders in Geneva, Eberhard & Co. unveiled two new chronographs, expanding its 1887 line-up, first developed in 2019. The Swiss brand unveiled both the Chronographe 1887 Édition Limitée and the Chronographe 1887 Automatique. These timepieces represent a fusion of tradition and modernity, paying homage to the brand’s founding date and its rich heritage that has made it a staple on the Swiss market for over 130 years. According to the Maison, the development process of these chronographs was meticulous, involving extensive research and study of original Eberhard & Co. chronographs dating back to the 1930s. Preserved at the Eberhard & Co. Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds, these timepieces served as the primary source of inspiration for the design and technical aspects of the new releases. Both the Chronographe 1887 Édition Limitée and the Chronographe 1887 Automatique are powered by exclusive calibers developed in collaboration with Manufacture AMT. The movements (EB 280 and EB 380, respectively) feature a column wheel and the fly-back complication, a nod to the precision timing required in aviation during the 1930s. The EB 280 in the Limitée is manually wound, while the EB 380 in the Automatique is, as the name of the watch implies, self-winding. The primary aesthetic difference between the two references is the use of baton style hour markers on the Limtée and Breguet numerals on the Automatique. Each is available with white or black dials...

The 10 Best Hamilton Watches for Every Type of Enthusiast Teddy Baldassarre
Hamilton Apr 23, 2024

The 10 Best Hamilton Watches for Every Type of Enthusiast

While it’s been making its timepieces in Switzerland since the 1970s, Hamilton Watch Company, founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1892, has few peers when it comes to being a vital thread in the historical tapestry of American watchmaking. The heritage brand, today a part of the Swiss Swatch Group conglomerate of companies, continues to lean heavily into its New World roots for its diverse collection of product families, which ranges from military tool watches to sporty divers, from elegantly appointed dress pieces to retro-futuristic curiosities - while also maintaining a price-to-value ratio for which the brand has long been renowned. It can fairly be said that there is a Hamilton watch for just about everyone, no matter what style they’re seeking. Here, in the tradition of our previous guide to the best Longines watches, we run down 10 of our favorite Hamilton watches that run the stylistic gamut from sporty to dressy, from high-tech to classically mechanical. For the Military Buff: Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Price: $595, Case Size: 38mm, Thickness: 9.5mm, Lug width: 20mm, Lug to Lug: 47mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 50 meters, Movement: Mechanical Hamilton Caliber H-50 Field watches are an enduringly popular category of timepiece, and without Hamilton, the style as we know it might not even exist. Hamilton basically invented the genre with the “trench watches” that it supplied to American troops during World War I, kicking off a long tradit...

A. Lange & Söhne Celebrates 25 Years of the Datograph Worn & Wound
Audemars Piguet would launch their own Apr 18, 2024

A. Lange & Söhne Celebrates 25 Years of the Datograph

This is a pretty big year for A. Lange & Söhne. We’ve hit 25 years of the Datograph, which made its debut in 1999, and Lange is celebrating with a pair of very special limited editions of their iconic chronograph. One of them is truly off the wall, and we’ll get to that next week. For now, we’ll take a look at the Datograph Up/Down Limited Edition in white gold, with a blue dial. It’s a perfectly lovely example of the watch that many Lange collectors will insist put the brand on the horological map, and a strong counterpoint to the other Datograph that we’ll tell you more about soon.  First, it’s crucial to understand the importance of the Datograph not just in Lange’s collection, but in high end watchmaking writ large. When it was first unveiled in 1999, Lange was a young brand, only five years into their relaunch. They had earned the respect of connoisseurs in the late 1990s, but the introduction of their first in-house chronograph caliber with the Datograph took them to another level. This was years before Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet would launch their own in-house chronograph calibers, in an era where using supplied calibers from chronograph was common for brands at every level, including the absolute upper tier. It can be argued that the Datograph ushered in an arms race of sorts that would find many of the highest end watchmaking manufactures in a constant state of one-upmanship that goes on to this day.  There have been a variety of Datograph...

The 12 Best Luxury Dive Watches for 2026 Teddy Baldassarre
Apr 16, 2024

The 12 Best Luxury Dive Watches for 2026

There are dive watches that you wear to go diving and there are dive watches that you wear - well, maybe afterward, to the country club where you go to talk about diving. It is this latter category that we’re focusing on with this list - so-called “luxury” dive watches, timepieces that still offer all the functionality and toughness one requires of a diver (all of the watches listed come in at 200 meters or more of water resistance) but do so at a higher level of elegance than elevates them from tool watch to dress watch - i.e., precious metal or exotic-material cases, extra complications, exclusive designs, artisanal executions, or a combination of the above, all of which account for their accordingly lofty price points. Here are a dozen that qualify. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Price: $30,500, Case Size: 42mm, Thickness: 14.2mm, Water Resistance: 300m, Crystal: Sapphire, Movement: Automatic Audemars Piguet Caliber 4308 Audemars Piguet added a purpose-built dive watch to its Royal Oak Offshore collection of boldly styled sport-luxury timepieces - which spun out of the original, classic Royal Oak series - in 2010. The Royal Oak Offshore Divers feature 42mm cases that are integrated not into metal bracelets (like those of the core Royal Oak models) but into sleek, sporty rubber straps suited for underwater submergence. The cases are water-resistant to 300 meters and the dials, with the hallmark “Mega Tapisserie” textured motif, host a pair...

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Line Makes a Triumphant Return Worn & Wound
Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Line Makes Apr 15, 2024

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Line Makes a Triumphant Return

When I say Jaeger LeCoultre, you say Reverso! Or Memovox! Or maybe Polaris! Or something to that effect. The point is that Jaeger LeCoultre, JLC to the cool kids, has a few iconic models immediately associated with its vaunted Maison. But the archives run deeper and into stranger horological territories. At Watches & Wonders 2024, JLC refreshed a lesser-known and appreciated line of watches epitomizing its watchmaking chops: the Duometre. First launched in 2007 with a chronograph, the Duometres presented a novel solution to an issue that concerns all watches with complications, that of the complications taking power out of the movement to function, thus decreasing the accuracy of the timekeeping and potentially power reserve. While a lesser issue in date complications, chronographs notoriously wreak havoc on a movement’s amplitude due to the power draw. But, JLC found a solution– to have separate barrels and gear trains for timekeeping and everything else, linked by the escapement. Hence, “duo.” The resulting watches and calibers are dramatic, to say the least. The movements are massive and ornate, with pronounced barrels on one side. To wind the movement, you turn the crown one way and then the other, like a ratcheting system, winding both barrels. Dial side, the duo concept is further played out with the hour and minutes displayed on a decentralized smaller dial to one side of the larger dial and the complication on the other. The seconds, however, is displayed a...

Norqain Doubles Down on Its Wild One Collection with New Colorways and an Innovative Platform Where You Can Create a Custom Model Worn & Wound
Norqain Doubles Down Apr 12, 2024

Norqain Doubles Down on Its Wild One Collection with New Colorways and an Innovative Platform Where You Can Create a Custom Model

When it comes to ones to watch, Norqain definitely makes the list. In the past year in particular, its momentum seems to be steadily growing. Right now, the brand is notching its first Watches & Wonders, and just ahead of the show, seasoned collector Mark Wahlberg was spotted rocking the Wild One Skeleton all around town-I’d say this gives Norqain some serious street cred. Last week, the brand also shared some pretty exciting news: three-time Grand Slam-winning tennis champion Stan Wawrinka is now an invested partner in the company, and he inspired two new versions of the popular Wild One Skeleton. In addition, Norqain has doubled down on the collection, unveiling a totally new platform where you can create your very own piece unique Wild One.  You’ll recall when Norqain’s Wild One got the skeleton treatment last year. The new configuration offered the benefit of a reimagined dial revealing the COSC-certified Caliber N08S (Sellita SW200-1 S c) movement but still fell a bit short in terms of legibility. Still, the model delivered on performance thanks to the brand’s proprietary, ultra-lightweight, rigid, and durable carbon fiber derived NORTEQ material that makes up a large portion of the case body and can withstand shocks up to 5,000g. This feature was a major draw for Wawrinka, who put the turquoise variation to the test on the court at the U.S. Open last year and now brings us two new colorways fit for the upcoming Grand Slam season: a bright coral iteration f...

Back to Basics with the Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome” Worn & Wound
Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome” Some Apr 10, 2024

Back to Basics with the Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome”

Some things are worth the wait. Though the Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT will likely get the most press from the brand’s releases at this year’s Watches & Wonders event, the release of a stripped-down, monochromatic, black and silver, 41mm Black Bay is no less significant. Why? Well, it’s the most obvious colorway for a dive watch, which means it’s bound to be a classic. First launched in 2012, the 41mm Black Bay (just called “Black Bay”) is the watch that reestablished Tudor after some time in horological purgatory. Perfectly timed to ride the wave of vintage-inspired aesthetics that dominated for the decade hence, it showed that Tudor unliked their sister brand, Rolex, was willing to be a bit trendier and fun. Originally powered by ETA movements, it was the first to receive Tudor’s in-house caliber in 2016 and then underwent a third iteration in 2023 when it received the upgraded Master Chronometer certification (and technically a new caliber), as well as a slight redesign in the form of an updated handset, crown, and profile. With the introduction of the Black Bay 58, GMT, and 54 models, new versions of the Black Bay slowed down. Several different colors have been available, from the original burgundy bezel to a steel bezel with date to two-tone models. Yet, despite its tenure, the most obvious model never existed. The model most dive watches come in as a given: simple black-black bezel, black dial, white lume, white or silver markers. No gilt, no red, no fuss....

Piaget Celebrates 150 Years with an Ultra-Thin Tourbillon and a Pair of Polo Dates Worn & Wound
Piaget Celebrates 150 Years Apr 10, 2024

Piaget Celebrates 150 Years with an Ultra-Thin Tourbillon and a Pair of Polo Dates

Piaget is having a major moment in the watch industry right now. Its core design language-with bold aesthetics and a distinctly 1970s flair-is very en vogue, and it’s celebrating a milestone anniversary: 150 years. The brand kicked off the year with the Polo 79, a thoroughly modern interpretation of its very first Polo from 1979. Now, we get another extension of the beloved Polo line in the form of a pair of Polo dates and a new Altiplano that puts Piaget’s proficiency in the realm of ultra-thin calibers on full display. The Polo is a collection that strikes that perfect balance of utility and style. As the name suggests, its roots trace back to the sport, and the original hails from the peak era of luxury sport watches. However, from the onset, Piaget gave the model a sophisticated edge with the use of precious metal, yellow gold to be exact from the original 1979 model. In the four decades since its initial debut, Piaget has iterated on the Polo in many forms, including the introduction of a more traditional stainless steel variation with the Polo S in 2016.  With the two new additions to the Polo lineup (each limited to just 300 pieces), we get that classic stainless steel build along with the addition of a sporty rubber strap in place of the integrated bracelet. However, Piaget elevates each model with the incorporation of rose gold accents on the hands, hour markers, and date window. The 150th anniversary Polo Date comes in two sizes: 42mm and 36mm. I’m a r...

The Oris Aquis Date Collection Has Now Been Updated For 2024 Two Broke Watch Snobs
Oris Aquis Date Collection Has Apr 9, 2024

The Oris Aquis Date Collection Has Now Been Updated For 2024

Oris is one of those brands that we love to talk about here at TBWS, simply for the fact that the team always seems happy to just do their own thing. This year, instead of doing something big and flashy, Oris has moved to update their vast catalog of Oris Aquis Date models for 2024. It's a key collection and this kind of care ensures that the watches don't become stale, as Oris aims to put out the best that they possibly can. The Aquis is just a great, sturdy dive watch from an independent brand and these new models are available in 43.5mm, 41.5mm, and 36.5mm case sizes with a bunch of dial color options and a choice to go with the in-house Oris Caliber 400 on the 43.5mm version. Let's try to wrap our heads around this.

[VIDEO] Hands-on Impressions of the Beautifully Slender Grand Seiko SLGW002 and SLGW003 Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko SLGW002 Apr 9, 2024

[VIDEO] Hands-on Impressions of the Beautifully Slender Grand Seiko SLGW002 and SLGW003

Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 series has, since its inception, been a collection that has veered toward the sporty. The outright sports models are commanding in their wrist presence for sure, but even the “standard” Evolution 9 watches have a robust quality to them that makes them ideal daily drivers. Now, for Watches & Wonders 2024, Grand Seiko has introduced an all new branch of the Evolution 9 collection with a pair of watches they have specifically identified as being in the dress category: the SLGW002 and SLGW003, featuring the all new manually wound 9SA4 caliber.  The cases, crafted in rose gold for the SLGW002 and Brilliant Hard Titanium for the SLGW003, measure 38.6mm in diameter and 9.95mm tall. The lines of the case recall other watches in the Evolution 9 collection (these watches still have a ton of wrist presence thanks a wide stance and clearly executed facets) but are more refined overall. Also, like other Evolution 9 cases, these wear as if the center of gravity is lower, and the watch plants satisfyingly on the wrist, and especially in titanium it feels very ergonomic.  The big news here though is the new movement that allows for such a sleek rendition of the Evolution 9 principles. The 9SA4 caliber is effectively a hand wound version of the 9SA5, Grand Seiko’s next generation high beat rate movement with their proprietary dual impulse escapement. But Grand Seiko has done more than simply strip the 9SA5 of its winding rotor. Much of the gear train has...

Blancpain Finally Gives Fifty Fathoms Fans What They’ve Been Asking For Worn & Wound
Blancpain Finally Gives Fifty Fathoms Apr 1, 2024

Blancpain Finally Gives Fifty Fathoms Fans What They’ve Been Asking For

Last year marked the 70th anniversary of Blancpain’s iconic Fifty Fathoms dive watch, and to celebrate they launched three new watches in three acts. Act One was a contemporary take on the Fifty Fathoms in stainless steel, Act Two was a high-tech modern piece geared toward pro divers in titanium, and Act Three was a historical MIL-SPEC interpretation in 9K Bronze-Gold. Despite the critical acclaim, collectors seemed to have been left wanting. There has been an appetite for a contemporary sub 45mm diameter, non-limited-edition version of the Fifty Fathoms for many years, and for 2024 Blancpain is finally making it happen with new 42mm-diameter Fifty Fathoms Automatic models in the permanent collection. They will be offered in both red gold and corrosion resistant grade 23 titanium. The latter is like grade 5 but has lower oxygen, nitrogen, and iron content. It also has better ductility and fracture toughness, which, according to Blancpain, makes it excellent in saltwater environments. Powering these new Fifty Fathoms is the in-house Blancpain Caliber 1315 automatic movement. Its construction includes three series-coupled barrels that can provide a class leading five days of power-reserve. It is elaborately decorated, at least compared to most divers, and has an 18K red gold oscillating weight sporting an NAC coating, whose design is inspired by the rotor of the original 1953 Fifty Fathoms. All of this, of course, is visible through the screw-down sapphire display back. Th...

Seiko Launches a New Crop of Astrons for a Big Anniversary Worn & Wound
Seiko Launches Mar 26, 2024

Seiko Launches a New Crop of Astrons for a Big Anniversary

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Seiko brand. Now I know, you’re saying, “Hey Griffin, didn’t Seiko celebrate its 110th anniversary last year?” Well, yes. And no. It’s complicated, okay? Alright, it’s not that complicated. The brand that would become Seiko was founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori. They released their first pocket watch - the Timekeeper - in 1895 and they followed that up with their first wristwatch - the Laurel - in 1913. Last year’s celebrations marked the 110th anniversary of that watch. This year’s centenary celebration commemorates the first time the name Seiko was used on a watch dial, something which didn’t happen until 1924, and Seiko has promised nine limited edition watches as part of that celebration. True to that effort, we’ve already seen a recreation of the 1924 Seiko watch released as part of the Presage lineup, alongside special editions of the 62MAS-inspired Marinemaster and Prospex divers, and a new version of the Speedtimer. Now Seiko is bringing the Astron to the party and releasing a brand new model with a never-before-seen combination of features and complications. Leading the pack is the aforementioned SSH156 Astron GPS Solar Kintarō Hattori Limited Edition, a bold black and gold-tone titanium multi-time zone chronograph with an integrated bracelet and full Astron Solar capability. The watch is powered by the all-new Caliber 5X83 movement, the first Seiko Astron movement to include a subdial at ...

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Guide Teddy Baldassarre
TAG Heuer Mar 19, 2024

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Guide

The TAG Heuer Carrera is widely regarded as one of the OGs of racing-inspired chronograph wristwatches, and today - decades after both the model and the deadly road race that gave it its name appeared to have been permanently discontinued - it claims a spot atop the leaderboard in the Swiss watchmaker's modern collection. Here's how the Carrera raced to worldwide acclaim, upgraded its engines along the way, and roared back from the Quartz Crisis to engage and energize a new generation of watch enthusiasts. The company we now know as TAG Heuer traces its history to 1860 and its founder Edouard Heuer; “TAG” would be added to the family business’s name in 1985, when the Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG) Group obtained a majority share. From its beginnings, the company placed an emphasis on sports timing and on optimizing the precision of the hand-held and dashboard-mounted chronograph timepieces that were its specialty. Edouard Heuer’s most significant contribution to timekeeping was the oscillating pinion, patented in 1887. This device, which simplified the construction of chronograph calibers by decoupling the stopwatch mechanism from the timekeeping function, is still used commonly in movements today. In 1911, Heuer developed what is regarded as the first dashboard chronograph for cars and aircraft, the “Time of Trip,” and in 1914 released its first wrist-mounted chronograph (which, like many of its contemporaries, was a repurposed pocket watch with its sin...

Maurice Lacroix and Label Noir Reteam for a New Addition to the Masterpiece Collection Worn & Wound
Maurice Lacroix Mar 19, 2024

Maurice Lacroix and Label Noir Reteam for a New Addition to the Masterpiece Collection

Swiss brand Maurice Lacroix, in collaboration with Label Noir, unveils the latest iteration of its Masterpiece Skeleton, the Masterpiece Skeleton Label Noir. While many in the industry may be getting collab fatigue, it’s hard to deny that this new release isn’t the perfect example of a partnership done right: each party leaning on the other’s strength to make something truly impressive.   Building upon the success of their previous collaboration on the AIKON model in 2020, Maurice Lacroix and Label Noir join forces again to recreate the magic that was this original release. The Masterpiece Skeleton Label Noir pushes the boundaries of design even further for Maurice Lacroix, showcasing that a well-crafted timepiece can, at times, venture outside the box to make something that expands the brand’s identity in new ways. With the Masterpiece Skeleton, Maurice Lacroix pays homage to skeleton watches while embracing modern technology. In particular, the Masterpiece Skeleton uses both CNC and CAD technology to bring a level of minute detail to their eye-catching design. In doing so, Maurice Lacroix’s artisans have produced a product in which every detail of the movement is both precise and reliable, while still maintaining its captivating filigreed appearance.   The mechanical movement of the Masterpiece Skeleton is the Manufacture ML134 caliber, adorned with Grand Colimaçon, sand-blasted finishing and bridges with polished edges. As with all Maurice Lacroix watches, ...

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo “Sketch” is Back Worn & Wound
Bulgari Octo Finissimo “Sketch” Mar 15, 2024

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo “Sketch” is Back

Back in 2022, Bulgari released the “Sketch” version of the Octo Finissimo to equal shares of acclaim and, well, the opposite. Those watches celebrated the Octo’s tenth anniversary, and this year they’re doubling down with new sketches that take the idea to the next logical step on the occasion of Bulgari’s 140th anniversary. We like to poke fun at the anniversaries here as a somewhat craven excuse for brands to sell us new stuff that we certainly don’t need, but in the case of the Octo it’s really worth celebrating. This watch has a profoundly unusual design within a subset of watches that grew in esteem by orders of magnitude over the last several years, while existing in a larger context within an industry that put more value on classic, vintage inspired designs than bold, contemporary ones during the same time period. For the Octo to rise during this period was somewhat unpredictable, and speaks to the enduring quality of the design and of the watch itself. The follow up to the original Sketch watches is sure to garner plenty of attention, and would seem to put most of it on the caliber that makes the Octo possible.  Like the first Sketch LEs, the watches seen here are likely to be somewhat divisive. The original watches, both a chronograph and time-only version, had dials that appeared to be sketched by hand. They took the familiar layout of the Octo but presented it in an illustrated format. These new references (time only models in steel and rose gold,...

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko Mar 12, 2024

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Guide

In their relatively short tenure on the international market, Seiko’s Presage “Cocktail Time” watches have already established themselves in the minds of many enthusiasts as one of the watch industry’s very best value prospects in the realm of automatic dress watches - boasting in-house movements, high-end finishing, and the colorful dials that lend them their nicknames, each inspired by concoctions from Japan’s world-famous high-end cocktail bars. Here is a guide to the Seiko “Cocktail Time,” with highlights and milestones from the modern collection. Happy Hour in Japan Seiko served up the first round of its “Cocktail Time” watches exclusively to customers in Japan. The first of these  “JDM” (Japan Domestic Market) models debuted in 2010 and carried the Reference number SARB065. Now discontinued (and accordingly in high demand by collectors), this watch (above) and its siblings, the SARB066 and SARB068, featured 40mm cases in stainless steel, which were fairly thick at 13.3mm high. The movement inside the cases was Seiko’s Caliber 6R15, with bidirectional automatic winding, a 50-hour power reserve, and an impressive resistance to magnetic fields of 4,800 A/m.  Unlike the many Presage models that followed, the originals were not nicknamed after specific cocktail concoctions but simply for different styles: the SARB065 with its ice-blue dial was “Cool,” the SARB066 with a pale, cream-colored dial was “Dry,” and the reddish brown dial of t...

Seiko Introduces the Presage Classic Series, with Dials Inspired by Japanese Silk Worn & Wound
Seiko Introduces Mar 11, 2024

Seiko Introduces the Presage Classic Series, with Dials Inspired by Japanese Silk

In addition to the announcement of new dive watches in Seiko’s Prospex line last week, the Japanese brand also revealed a total of five new watches in their Presage line, representing an entirely new collection. The Presage lineup has existed since 2016, and has become Seiko’s home for creating watches with a more refined vibe than their pure sports offerings, frequently paying tribute to traditional Japanese craftsmanship. This can come in a variety of flavors, from craft cocktails to watches with dials made in old fashioned craft traditions. These new watches take Japanese silk as their inspiration, and feel tied to previous Presage collections in the way they zero in on a specific facet of Japanese culture.  The new watches are part of what Seiko is referring to as the Classic Series, and are divided between simple three-handers with a date window at 3:00 and two references featuring a 24 hour subdial and an aperture at 9:00 through which you can see the caliber inside. The dials evoke Japanese silk in different ways. The three-handers have a fine texture that Seiko says is inspired by the lustrous qualities of the material, while the open-heart references are meant to evoke raw silk through a radial pattern. As with any dial inspired by something outside the discipline of watchmaking (the natural world, a particular type of craft, etc.), your mileage may vary on how accurately the dial represents a given subject. What matters most, I think, is whether you find it ...

Introducing: The Limited-Edition Sinn 103 St Ty Hd - A Stylized, Hand-Wound Version Of A Classic Fratello
Sinn 103 St Ty Hd Feb 17, 2024

Introducing: The Limited-Edition Sinn 103 St Ty Hd - A Stylized, Hand-Wound Version Of A Classic

The Sinn 103 is one of the oldest models in the brand’s catalog. It is a classic pilot’s chronograph that has been around since the 1960s. Today, the 103 is equipped with an automatic movement. However, some early versions came with hand-wound calibers. This latest limited edition follows that template. Let’s have a closer look. […] Visit Introducing: The Limited-Edition Sinn 103 St Ty Hd - A Stylized, Hand-Wound Version Of A Classic to read the full article.