23,569 articles · 172 videos found · page 236 of 792
Monochrome
Gerald Genta is surely mostly known for his work with Audemars Piguet (1972, Royal Oak), Patek Philippe (Nautilus, 1976) or his own bold and original creations. There is, however, much more to the man than just these two icons of the luxury sports watch category (think Universal Geneve Polerouter, Omega Constellation or Rolex King Midas). […]
Fratello
The Hermès Cut debuted in April at Watches and Wonders in Geneva. That’s why we were quite surprised when we received an invite from Hermès for a press trip organized around this new watch. Usually, trips like this are organized in advance to focus everyone’s attention on the novelty. It’s also common that the program […] Visit Hands-On With The Hermès Cut On The Calm Greek Island Of Tinos to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Having covered the highlights from independent watchmakers and historical pocket watches at The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVIII on May 24 and 25, we now turn to complicated watches past and present. Amongst the historical are an Omega 30I tourbillon wristwatch tested at the Geneva, Neuchatel and Kew observatories, as well as a pair of chronographs with historical movements, an Excelsior Park with the Venus 179 split-seconds chronograph calibre and a Montblanc with the large, 17”’ Minerva monopoussoir chronograph movement. More recent is the Patek Philippe ref. 5059R London edition with applied Roman numerals and the Girard-Perregaux Opera Two, an ultra-complicated watch that’s a value-buy. The auction is scheduled for May 24 (lots 801-934) and May 25 (lots 935-1083), with online bidding and the catalogue available on Phillips.com. The Patek Philippe ref. 5059R made for the Grand Exhibition in London. 822 – Lange Zeitwerk Honeygold “Lumen” Launched in 2021 to overwhelming demand, the Zeitwerk Honeygold “Lumen” was the A. Lange & Söhne’s second luminous digital-display watch after the “Phantom” of 2010. It was a limited edition of 200 watches and based on the second-generation Zeitwerk, which is visually almost identical to the original model but enhanced with several technical upgrades, including a longer, 72-hour power reserve. Like the earlier “Phantom”, the Zeitwerk Honeygold “Lumen” has a tinted sapphire dial that reveals the luminous numer...
Fratello
This is a story of pioneering adventurers. It is a tale about a group of expert cave divers that may never have surfaced if not for the tireless efforts of volunteers at the Oxford University Cave Club. It was also an opportunity for the watch brand Rolex to test out its Explorer 1016 on the […] Visit “A Great Deal Of Rough Treatment” - When The Rolex Explorer 1016 Went Caving to read the full article.
Monochrome
Now that the dust has settled and we had the time to digest the hundreds of watches we’ve seen and written about at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024 and off the fair, we’ve decided to take some time and talk about it. Somehow a new format for us, we’ve invited our founder, Frank Geelen, and […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Founded in 1839 in Geneva, Patek Philippe has long been the gold standard of high watchmaking, pioneering complications and design elements that are now found widely throughout the watch industry - from the first keyless winding system in 1845 to the first annual calendar wristwatch in 1996, with many other innovations and historic timepieces in between. Throughout the maison’s long and prestigious history, watches from Patek Philippe have proven to be among the most coveted and valuable on the watch-auction circuit, making up nine of the 10 most expensive watches ever sold and 14 of the top 20. What are these record-breaking Patek Philippe timepieces, what makes them so special, and exactly how much money did they fetch when the hammer came down? Below, we count down the top 10, ending with the most expensive watch ever sold at auction. Patek Philippe Gold Chronograph Ref. 1527 ($5.709 million, 2010, Christie’s) Sold at Christie’s in 2010 and still holding its spot in the top 10 most expensive Patek Philippe watches, this exceedingly rare perpetual calendar chronograph with a yellow-gold tonneau case more than doubled its pre-auction estimate. Its matte silver dial features applied Arabic numerals, a tachymeter scale, and three subdials for chronograph minutes, running seconds, date, and moon-phases. Its movement is stamped with the prestigious Geneva Seal, attesting to its elite level of finishing as well as its chronometric performance. 9. Patek Philippe Titaniu...
Worn & Wound
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...
Worn & Wound
Louis Erard continues with their aggressive limited edition release strategy this week with a new collaboration that sees the brand partnering with celebrated watchmaker and jeweler Cédric Johner. Johner began his career as a jeweler at the age of 15 in 1982, and turned to watchmaking later in life. He continues to work out of his Geneva workshop to this day, with a focus on traditional craft, including good old fashioned handwork with traditional tools. He practices what he calls “intuitive watchmaking,” which for him means creating a timepiece without a set plan. This obviously flies in the face of how most modern watches are created, but allows Johner a level of freedom and creativity in his design that would be hard to match otherwise. His work, which consists largely of one-offs and unique pieces, is often characterized by playing with expectations related to geometry and shape, which comes through clearly in this pair of limited edition regulators for Louis Erard. The Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Cédric Johner limited editions consist of two watches in Louis Erard’s less frequently used 39mm Excellence case. The visual impression of these watches is immediately very different from any other Louis Erard collaboration thanks to the hexagonal bezel, which is a Johner hallmark. The dial arrangement, though, will be familiar to anyone who has been tracking these regulators over the years, with running seconds at 6:00, hours at 12:00, and a centrally mounted minu...
Worn & Wound
One of the prevailing narratives to come out of Watches & Wonders 2024 was that it was, across the board, a pretty quiet year. That may have been true for some, but others, like IWC, came to play. A good portion of the attention IWC got this year was (justifiably) directed at the new Portugieser Eternal Calendar that Zach Kazan introduced a few weeks ago, but that watch was far from the only Portugieser IWC brought to Geneva this year. The Portugieser is not the first watch that springs to mind for most of us when contemplating IWC - far more likely would be some sort of Pilot’s Watch or, more recently, the Ingenieur - but it has been, at times subtly, possibly the most important collection in the IWC catalog. I know so many collectors for whom the Portugieser was their first nice watch, and it is a model I continue to see in the wild, especially in cities like New York or London where people still routinely wear suits to work. IWC, like Rolex, is a brand that prefers evolution over revolution when it comes to its designs - one only has to look at the slow transformation of the Pilot’s Watch for evidence of that. The last few years have seen the brand slowly tinkering with the Portugieser line, bringing it up to date and refining what was already a great watch to make it better. This year, they continued that process and introduced a slew of new models and colorways, all of which come together to make up possibly the best lineup of Portugiesers ever assembled. Co...
Worn & Wound
One of the most interesting stories to emerge from Watches & Wonders (and the surrounding events in Geneva that saw literally hundreds of brands exhibiting new novelties) is the seemingly robust state of truly creative watchmaking happening at all price points. Anyone who strolled through the Beau Rivage (where many of these brands were hanging out, either officially or unofficially) can rattle off a list of favorites: SpanceOne, Sartory Billard, Furlan Marri, and Beda’a are just a few that come immediately to mind. Another brand that we saw (in an unofficial capacity – literally a meeting taken in the Beau Rivage lobby) was Amida, which is not a new name in watchmaking, but a rethinking of a heritage brand that we’ll definitely be keeping our eyes on. The new Amida Digitrend is a reimagining of a watch by the same name released in 1976. The unusual case shape takes inspiration from both classic sports cars and modern architecture, and the “driver’s watch” time display is a play on the original LED-style display, designed to be easily viewed from an angle with a hand on the steering wheel. Amida has been relaunched by watch designer Matthieu Allègre (whose clients include Lyrique, Simon Brette, and others) and Clément Meynier, founder of Depancel. Their new venture is timed to mark the 50th anniversary of the original incarnation of Amida, and relies on a combination of heritage and nostalgia, as well as some clever modern watchmaking, to make the brand i...
Worn & Wound
Over the course of three years visiting Geneva with the Worn & Wound team, a handful of traditions have begun to take shape. We carve out a night for a team dinner at Jeck’s, a hole-in-the-wall Singaporean restaurant that we stumbled upon in year one, and is consistently the best meal of the entire trip. We cover Tudor first, every year. I am in the habit of buying a Swatch at the Geneva airport on my way home. And every year, I have a meeting with Hublot, and I write a breathless article about the weird and wonderful stuff I’m shown. It’s consistently the meeting that underscores the “Wonders” bit about the week more than any other. When I first took on the task of writing about the new Hublot novelties at Watches & Wonders, it felt like a defense of sorts. Of the brand, the watches, and even our decision to cover them. I think, thankfully, we’ve all moved on a bit from a time when Hublot was just universally lambasted as a loud and unserious brand for loud and unserious people. They have never really been that in my opinion, but there was a time when the watches, if not really interrogated, could have given you that impression on a surface level. Hublot is covered differently now, and in recent years I’m glad to see them getting their flowers from a watch media that previously skipped them entirely or openly derided them. There are a variety of reasons for that, but a key one has to be that Hublot has, perhaps, calmed down a bit at the entry point in th...
Worn & Wound
Getting outside Palexpo is essential during Watches & Wonders week. Not only because being inside the massive complex for days on end will quickly wreak havoc on your mental and physical health (it’s dry in there, and not seeing any natural light can’t be great for you), but because there’s so much watch related stuff happening in Geneva parallel to what’s going on at Watches & Wonders. Many smaller indies post up at hotels along Lake Geneva and take meetings with media and their dealer networks, and over the last three years these meetings have been some of our favorites to attend. One of them, with Louis Erard, produced an almost obscene level of interest. I think each of mentally bought a watch in the hour we spent chatting with CEO Manuel Emch. The watch you see here, a new collaboration between Louis Erard and atelier Oï, is the only watch we can show you from that meeting. Everything else is under embargo, but will be revealed throughout the rest of the year. But man, I was glad to see this new limited edition on the table almost immediately after sitting down. It’s the same design as a watch in my own collection, featuring a dial made up of deeply cut striated ridges that fan out like a, well, like a fan, I guess. No markers or branding, but each ridge is effectively a minute marker, so telling the time is fairly straightforward after a brief adjustment period. This LE has a gold tone dial, which leaves a very different impression than my silvery gray v...
Fratello
Some Fratello editors have been asked to share their favorites from the Watches and Wonders exhibition last week, so I am happy to share mine. But before doing so, let me share some thoughts on this year’s Geneva watch show. A quick Watches and Wonders 2024 recap This year’s Watches and Wonders wasn’t very exciting […] Visit Fratello Favorites: RJ’s Favorite Watches And Wonders 2024 Releases to read the full article.
Fratello
Walking around in everyday life, you might spot a watch or two. If you’re lucky, you’ll see something interesting on someone’s wrist. Depending on where you live and work, it will likely vary, but these encounters are not exactly common. However, from the minute we stepped onto our Geneva-bound plane, it was clear that this […] Visit Watch Spotting At Watches And Wonders 2024 to read the full article.
Fratello
After a three-week break, Fratello On Air returns. One of us traveled to Geneva, while the other went to Florida. Both of us saw fancy cars, but only one of us saw impressive watches. The question of who might have a surprising answer! Watches and Wonders 2024 has come and gone, and, frankly, it was […] Visit Fratello On Air: Watches And Wonders 2024 - Much Ado About Nothing to read the full article.
This week’s episode of A Week in Watches is coming straight from Geneva! Yes, it’s episode 78, recorded at and during Watches & Wonders 2024, right on the floor of the Palexpo. Zach Weiss and Zach Kazan co-host, go over the watches and some of the wonders they experienced from brands such as Tudor, Grand Seiko, Rolex, and more. Be sure to stay tuned to the end for some outtakes! Episode 78 of A Week in Watches is brought to you by Windup Watch Fair San Francisco. In under 2 weeks, please join us for an incredible showcase of watchmaking and more at Fort Mason – Gateway Pavilion on San Francisco’s Pier 2. This year’s fair is in a new venue that boasts two expansive floors that will set the stage for over 60 presenting brands, including Marathon, Nivada Grenchen, Zodiac, and more. In addition to the main event, there will be live podcast recordings, food trucks, bars, and special giveaways. We will also be holding live panels with our lead sponsors, Oris, Fortis, Christopher Ward, Alpina, and Anordain, as well as a sponsored photo walk with Camera West and a group bike ride sponsored by The Radavist. Things kick off on Friday, May 3, and wrap up on Sunday, May 5. Hours are 12PM – 6PM on Friday and Saturday, and 12PM – 5PM on Sunday. Windup Watch Fair The post A Week in Watches Ep.78 – Watches & Wonder 2024 appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Monochrome
IWC Schaffhausen has undertaken a comprehensive reworking and refinement of one of its most iconic models, the Portugieser collection. At Watches and Wonders this week in Geneva, four new versions are unveiled: two in white gold with blue and sand-coloured dials and two in Armor Gold with black and silver dials. And there’s more to […]
Worn & Wound
The Montblanc Iced Sea Automatic Date collection, already notable for its unique glacial-inspired aesthetics, welcomes two new additions to its line-up: Bronze and Burgundy. Both models expand upon the Iced Sea collection to bring a moodier, more sophisticated look. The first of these, Bronze, marries a black glacier pattern dial with a bronze-tone case, a nod to the golden hues of dusk over frosty terrains. This reference stands out with its use of cupro aluminum for the case – a unique alloy that surpasses traditional bronze in resistance to wear and corrosion, promising durability while aging gracefully into a charming patina. It also introduces a bi-color unidirectional bezel, a new logo reflecting Montblanc’s heritage, and a titanium caseback adorned with a scuba diver motif, all complemented by a versatile black rubber strap with a brown accent. The Burgundy model, on the other hand, captures the deep reds of evening light on ice, paired with a black ceramic bezel. It comes with an interchangeable stainless-steel bracelet, ensuring a perfect fit for the wearer. Both models exhibit the meticulous craftsmanship Montblanc is known for, utilizing a special gratté-boisé technique for the dials to create an impression of depth and luminosity, while the casebacks feature detailed 3D engravings achieved through precise laser work. Each model’s case comes in at 41mm, accompanied by a sapphire crystal and equipped with an MB 24.17/SW200 automatic movement that promises...
Fratello
Patek Philippe does double denim at Watches and Wonders 2024, and I’m all for that. The brand from Geneva is casually showing some laid-back novelties that are, of course, not as casual as they appear to be. The complicated World Time Date 5330G first debuted as a limited edition at Patek Philippe’s “Watch Art” grand […] Visit Patek Philippe Does Double Denim: Introducing The World Time Date 5330G And Nautilus Chronograph 5980G to read the full article.
Monochrome
Back in 2015, on the occasion of the brand’s 260th anniversary, Vacheron Constantin unveiled the Reference 57260, a pocket watch made-to-order for a collector considered the most complicated in the world – with no fewer than 57 complications, including Gregorian, Judaic, and lunar calendars. On the occasion of Watches & Wonders 2024, the Geneva-based manufacture […]
Fratello
The Zodiac Super Sea Wolf GMT has long been one of my favorite GMT watches. Not only do I like its functionality and overall design, but I also appreciate how Zodiac has never been afraid to use some amazingly bright colors for the GMT bezels. As a result, the Super Sea Wolf GMT has always […] Visit Zodiac Releases Two New Versions Of Its Popular Super Sea Wolf GMT to read the full article.
Quill & Pad
Back in the 1970s, Steve McQueen was the king of cool: he was a world-famous movie star and a prominent racecar driver. So it's no surprise that the Heuer Monaco he wore in the film 'Le Mans' instantly became a hit. But what happened to the Monaco models used on set and where are they today? Chris Malburg interviews the propmaster to find out.
Hodinkee
The biggest watch event of the year kicks off next week and we'll be in Geneva to cover the latest and greatest from all your favorite brands.
Deployant
To cover the Watches & Wonders 2024 and the all the watches being presented, here is the camera gear and kit we have brought to Geneva.
Fratello
Watches and Wonders is just around the corner. Last year, while I was there, I also visited a smaller watch fair organized at the Beau Rivage Hotel in Geneva. There, I met SpaceOne co-founder Guillaume Laidet while he was showing people the prototypes of the SpaceOne Jumping Hour. That watch - or should I say […] Visit Introducing: The SpaceOne Tellurium - Bringing The Sun, Earth, And Moon Within Everyone’s Reach to read the full article.
Time+Tide
With Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024 only two weeks away, we wanted to look back at some of our favourites from last year.The post Looking Back: The team’s favourite Watches & Wonders 2023 releases appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
IFL Watches keeps knocking out one fun release after another. Among the brand’s projects, we have seen some amazing dial art that varies greatly in style but is always interesting. As I said in previous articles, my favorites are the Midnight Sky and Galaxy dials used for different models. The technique of pointillism adds great […] Visit IFL Watches Releases The Oris Aquis Atlantis - Exploring The Great Depths Of The Sea to read the full article.
Monochrome
On one side is Maurice Lacroix, a serious brand with a strong position in the accessible luxury watch segment, but also some serious watchmaking skills with its Masterpiece range. On the other side is Label Noir, a Geneva-based customisation atelier in operation since 2011, with an exciting portfolio – which also happens to include a […]
Fratello
Some 25 kilometers north of Geneva, on the shore of the city’s eponymous lake, lies the town of Nyon. This is the place that Renaud Tixier, the latest Swiss independent watch brand launching today, calls its home. It’s the latest collaborative effort between Dominique Renaud - the renowned watchmaker and co-founder of Renaud & Papi […] Visit Reinventing The Micro-Rotor: Renaud Tixier Makes A Mechanically Innovative Debut to read the full article.
Fratello
I think we can all agree here that the Zenith Chronomaster Original is already one of the best-looking chronographs out there. Adding the calendar and moonphase complications on top could’ve ended in absolute disaster. However, it certainly didn’t - quite the opposite, actually. When the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar launched a little over a month […] Visit Hands-On With The Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar - A Real Gentleman’s Chronograph to read the full article.
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