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Balance Wheel

The oscillating wheel at the heart of every mechanical watch.

Quick Look: The Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Revolution
Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Jan 21, 2013

Quick Look: The Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane

Though it won’t be officially launched until Basel 2013 we thought this was too interesting to keep to ourselves –it’s the latest take on the Zenith “Christophe Colomb” series of watches (part of the Zenith Academy collection.) The Christophe Colomb watches place the escapement and balance in a gimbaled cage, so that no matter what […]

The Business of Watches Podcast: Armin Strom Co-Founders And Top Executives Serge Michel and Claude Greisler Hodinkee
Armin Strom Co-Founders 11h ago

The Business of Watches Podcast: Armin Strom Co-Founders And Top Executives Serge Michel and Claude Greisler

This week on The Business of Watches, a visit with the folks running Armin Strom, a true original in the small but increasingly crowded field of independent watch brands. It takes its name and original inspiration from the eponymous Swiss watchmaker who was best known for his innovative and record-setting skeletonizing techniques on watches and dials.  Childhood friends Serge Michel and Claude Greisler took over the brand in 2006. Michel, who controls the company, came from a family business background (in another field of business), while Greisler was a watchmaker and engineer. Twenty years on, Armin Strom is a true original in Swiss watchmaking, producing unique timepieces pushing the boundaries of contemporary horology from an atelier in Biel / Bienne, where most of the components are produced, decorated and finished for the brand's proprietary, in-house designed movements.  Claude Greisler (left) and Serge Michel, the co-founders of Armin Strom. This week the brand launch a new version of its Dual Time GMT Resonance in a "manufacture blue edition" with a blue mainplate. The watch employs Armin Strom's unique take on the concept of resonance with dual oscillators kept in balance by its proprietary 'resonance clutch.' The story of the development of the brand's take on the concept is a key element in its journey and we explore and unpack that process in-depth in the episode. Currently making about 400 watches a year with a staff of about 55 people, Armin Strom is on...

History of the Cartier Santos: the first pilot watch, and arguably the first proper wristwatch WristBuzz
History of the Cartier Santos: the first pilot watch, and arguably the first proper wristwatch 4 days ago

History of the Cartier Santos: the first pilot watch, and arguably the first proper wristwatch

Louis Cartier built it in 1904 for his aviator friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, who was fed up fumbling for his pocket watch mid-flight. 121 years later the square case with exposed screws is still the sharpest dress-sports piece on the shelf. Here is how it got there.

Hands-On: The Longines Master Collection Launches A New Monopusher Chronograph Alongside A Refresh Of The Triple Calendar Chrono Hodinkee
Longines Master Collection Launches Aug 25, 2026

Hands-On: The Longines Master Collection Launches A New Monopusher Chronograph Alongside A Refresh Of The Triple Calendar Chrono

Earlier this year, Longines started rolling out a refresh of its dressy, polished Master Collection. But while that update was relegated to a large array of time-and-date models, I think today's new product launch brings something much more noteworthy to the table. There are two main additions: one by way of an update to a classic Longines chronograph, and the other, the first monopusher chronograph designed for the Longines Master Collection. The Updated Master Collection Chrono Moonphase The first is a refresh of the Master Collection Chrono Moonphase, ref. L2.962.4.73.2, largely an aesthetic refinement over the outgoing model. First is the consolidation of two case options, 40mm and 42mm, meeting in the middle at a 41mm diameter for the new generation. The thickness of the stainless steel case measures 13.8 mm (down from 14.2mm), and the lug-to-lug comes in at a large but not oversized 48.6mm. The case silhouette remains largely untouched here, reflecting the soft, fully polished case design with little in the way of contrasting lines or faceting on the exterior, which is exaggerated by the polished concave bezel. Most of the changes come by way of the dial, which combines a whole slew of small design changes for what is, in my opinion, a significantly improved design. Iterating on the brand's familiar barleycorn-textured dial, Longines cleans up a lot of the typography for a much more balanced look overall.  It's essential for what is quite a busy dial, needing to cra...

Audemars Piguet Brings Le Brassus to Singapore SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Brings Le Brassus Aug 24, 2026

Audemars Piguet Brings Le Brassus to Singapore

Next month the National Museum of Singapore’s Gallery Theatre will play host to Audemars Piguet’s Perspectives On Time exhibition. The pop-up event will explore 150 years of Audemars Piguet through four curated spaces, each focused on a different aspect of the brand’s history. Especially curated for Singapore, the exhibition is set to bring together both contemporary and archival pieces, including a range of historic Audemars Piguet wrist and pocket watches from the brand’s museum, many of which will be on display in the country for the first time ever. Four distinct spaces will be organised to highlight different aspects of Audemars Piguet’s technical prowess, including astronomical complications, open-worked movements, and chiming complications. Naturally, the exhibit opens with a look at the brand’s history from founding to present day, traced through a range of rare archival pieces and historic milestones. Open from 10:30am-6:00pm each day in 30-minute sessions, admission to the exhibition is free, though limited slots will be available so early registration is encouraged. The brand has thoughtfully set up a dedicated booking portal to simplify the registration process. Walk-ins will also be accommodated subject to availability. Perspectives On Time will be hosted from September 10-13 at The Gallery Theatre at the National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178897. Register online at audemarspiguet.com.  

Sunday thoughts: is Omega a Rolex rival, or is it really Tudor that Omega should be compared to? WristBuzz
Sunday thoughts: is Omega a Rolex rival, or is it really Tudor that Omega should be compared to? Aug 23, 2026

Sunday thoughts: is Omega a Rolex rival, or is it really Tudor that Omega should be compared to?

Every enthusiast has this debate on a Sunday morning. Omega and Rolex have shared a shelf for 60 years, but the market has moved. Is the fair comparison still Rolex, or is Tudor the one that actually shops in the same €4k to €10k drawer? Five reasons for each side.

Introducing: The Legare Chapter 1 AGP Inverted - The First Watch From A New Brand By Wei Koh And Guillaume Tetu Hodinkee
Legare Chapter 1 AGP Inverted Aug 18, 2026

Introducing: The Legare Chapter 1 AGP Inverted - The First Watch From A New Brand By Wei Koh And Guillaume Tetu

What We Know If you've been on "Watch Instagram" since Watches & Wonders, you've likely seen today's big launch. From the minds of Wei Koh and industry insider Guillaume Tetu, the new brand Legare (from the Latin meaning "to bequeath") has been shared around during an extended soft launch to potential clients and some press, starting back during the big watch fair. However, their first watch, the Chapter 1 AGP Inverted, didn't officially launch until today, so if you've been looking for coverage and not finding it, that's why. The Chapter 1 AGP Inverted comes in two distinct executions and immediately caught my attention because of the reference that inspired it (and from which it takes its name). Because of that, it's a watch expressly made for deep-cut watch enthusiasts who know their history and appreciate independent watchmaking. In 1932, a 17-year-old student named Albert-Gustave Piguet undertook a watchmaking challenge that only five others at the Vallée de Joux School of Watchmaking would do from 1932 to 1934: he made a pocket watch regulated by two large split bimetallic balance wheels, averaged by a differential. These six examples are as coveted as they are influential to the watchmaking space. One inspired Philippe Dufour's "Duality." Even more influential was Piguet himself, who later worked at Lemania and on the caliber 2310. Now, his double-balance watch has been revived again by Legare. The watch closely resembles the movement of the Piguet pocket watch, wi...

Hands-On: The Laps Arche Collection Hodinkee
Baltic but Jul 31, 2026

Hands-On: The Laps Arche Collection

Over the last ten years, Paris has emerged as a leading city worldwide in microbrand-style watchmaking—led by Serica and Baltic—but a lesser-known brand is making a case for entry into that conversation, and that brand is Laps. Founded in 2015 by Antonin Mercier, Laps built its name on graphic dials that were hand-assembled in limited editions using unconventional materials like wood, tobacco leaf, exotic skins, and archival prints. With its latest release, the brand steps away from the loud, design-forward quartz pieces that made its name and into something more restrained—an automatic watch built with subtle and balanced style. Paris is obviously known for its major fashion houses, institutions that have stood for centuries, but I come from a world of menswear, and especially over the last few years there's been a wave of smaller, standalone shops popping up alongside those institutions—Husbands, Rubirosa, De Bonne Facture, among others—and I'd argue the same divide is playing out in watches. Complementing the stalwarts are names like Baltic and Serica, and with their new Arche line, I think Laps can now enter that conversation too. Form and function always stay top of mind for me, and sometimes I struggle with watches that skew too far in one direction or the other. Perhaps like a pendulum, my own taste sways from one side to the other from time to time, but its natural resting point is the middle—which is exactly where the brand's latest release, the Arche,...

Baltic Adds a Date to the Aquascaphe MK2 Without Making It Thicker WatchRider
Baltic Adds Jul 31, 2026

Baltic Adds a Date to the Aquascaphe MK2 Without Making It Thicker

The Baltic Aquascaphe MK2 is getting its first date display. This is not a replacement for the clean no-date model and it is not a limited edition. Instead, Baltic has added “Date” as a new choice across the existing MK2 range, giving buyers a useful complication without changing the case size or thickness. That distinction matters because the Aquascaphe MK2 itself is not new. Baltic introduced the second-generation model in September 2025. The news at the end of July 2026 is that customers can now order it with a date window, with deliveries scheduled for the end of August. The date is available with all four current dial colours and both case sizes. The blue and green versions have glossy dials, while the grey and warm silver models use a more textured, grained finish. Baltic does not list separate traditional reference numbers for every combination; diameter, date and strap are selected when configuring the watch. A date window that respects the dial Adding a date to a carefully balanced dive-watch dial can easily create a mess. Baltic has taken the safer route by placing the window at six o’clock, directly above the 30-minute bezel marker. The frame is finely bevelled and the date disc is matched to the dial colour, so the display looks like part of the design rather than a white rectangle added at the last moment. The placement also preserves the vertical balance created by the applied Arabic 12. It replaces the round six o’clock marker, but it does not push t...

Hands On: Singer Reimagined DualTrack SJX Watches
Singer Jul 28, 2026

Hands On: Singer Reimagined DualTrack

Having made its name with auto-racing central chronographs, Singer Reimagined recently debuted its first-ever GMT, the DualTrack. Retaining the aesthetic established by Singer’s chronographs, the DualTrack is a straightforward “caller” dual-time watch with a local time display and independent 24-hour ring. On the back, however, the DualTrack reveals its party trick: a manual wind movement with four visible barrels that combine for six days of power reserve. Developed by an unnamed specialist (that is probably Chronode), the ST5001 has four mainsprings spread out across the movement with the balance hoisted above them, making for an unusual construction and layout. Initial thoughts I like Singer’s original proposition of racing-inspired central chronographs, which are true to the brand’s origins as an offshoot of the cult Porsche 911 mod specialist, Singer Vehicle Design. The Track 1 chronograph was a good debut concept backed by an innovative movement. The DualTrack is similar, but simpler, more affordable, and also more practical. The DualTrack still has the retro-inspired, cushion-shaped case that’s approximately the same as that on the chronograph, making it a little chunky, but the size feels appropriate for a sports watch. It also feels good on the wrist; in contrast, the smaller Caballero with the same base movement feels too small. But instead of a central chronograph, the DualTrack has a pair of useful features: a second time zone and a long power reser...

Owner’s Review: the Serica 5303-3 Worn & Wound
Isotope Jul 27, 2026

Owner’s Review: the Serica 5303-3

Over the last few years, Serica has emerged as one of these small indies or microbrands that has a real identity, seemingly right out of the gate. We often talk about brand like Ming, or Brew, or SpaceOne as new independents that are approachable and have a very distinct design language that you can recognize from across the room, but those brands have a cheat code of sorts in that they make watches that are unapologetically contemporary, or even looking toward the future. Having a genuinely unique perspective aesthetically when you trade in watches that have a vintage vibe about them is a very different proposition. It’s honestly very tough to think of a brand other than Serica that has attempted to do this and managed to pull it off so effectively.  The trick, I think, is that they’ve never attempted to actually recreate anything specific from the past. Rather, they’re inspired by vintage design codes, but feel a sense of freedom to interpret those ideas through their own lens. It’s not a modern lens, necessarily (I think that’s where a lot of brands get tripped up, trying to combine the aesthetic of a bunch of different eras in a single watch), but more of an imagined past, or alternate history.  Serica is not the only brand to take an approach like this. Isotope and Albishorn have both worked in a similar fashion in recent years, sometimes explicitly developing an elaborate fictional narrative to explain a watch (as is the case with Albishorn), and sometime...