1,479 articles · 54 videos found · page 24 of 52
Monochrome
The One Week is, together with the impressively complex and innovative Resonance concept, one of the most important watches by the Biel-based independent watchmaker. Indeed, it was the first watch to come from Armin Strom after Serge Michel and Claude Greisler took the reins of the company in 2010. It launched the brand’s first manufacture […]
Time+Tide
The Cartier Tressage line-up housed only jewellery until now, when the Watchmaker of Shapes applies its craft to watches.The post Cartier’s sculptural Tressage collection welcomes four delightfully shaped watches (live pics) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Let’s push on several open doors… One, Cartier, the French jeweller-watchmaker, is the master of shaped watches. Second, Cartier’s most emblematic watch is, undoubtedly, the Tank. Third, there are actually dozens of Tank watches, and the depth of the collection goes far beyond the Tank LC and the Tank Normale. With this in mind, and […]
Time+Tide
The oldest continuously operating watchmaker is bringing serious heat.The post Every Vacheron Constantin from Watches & Wonders 2025, including the most complicated wristwatch ever made appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The British independent brand and bespoke French watchmaker have joined forces to officially end winter in the coolest way possible.The post Here comes the Sartory Billard by Studio Underd0g SB05 Sunfl0wer, and I say it’s much more than alright appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Revealed just a few days ago, the RP2 is the second in-house wristwatch of Raúl Pagès, an independent watchmaker with a background in restoration. The RP2 retains the clean, tasteful styling that characterised his first watch, the RP1. But unlike the RP2, his latest creation was conceived to be mechanically simpler – but equally high quality – and more accessible in terms of price and availability. So the question is, does the RP2 live up to the high standards set by his preceding creation? Initial thoughts The answer, in short, is yes. On its face the RP2 is not a surprising watch. Predictably, it’s a time-only watch with a finely decorated movement, which is exactly what many enthusiasts are seeking at the moment. The RP2 is also one of many such three-hand watches that have been launched in the last three years or so. But the RP2 is different for a few good reasons. For one, its creator, Raúl Pagès, is both a watchmaker and restorer. His background can be discerned from many details, particularly in the movement, like the bimetallic balance and concealed screw for the crown wheel. The quality of the watch is impeccable. The high level of execution is especially evident on the movement. Though the movement is clearly styled, it incorporates many refined details in a tasteful manner. The calibre doesn’t try to do too much and it looks right. The dial is even cleaner but again incorporates notable details. That said, it is a little too stark for me, and I would...
Monochrome
German watchmaker Stefan Kudoke has quickly made a name in independent watchmaking, establishing an eponymous Kudoke brand with a distinctive design language for handcrafted timepieces. In 2023, he introduced the Kudoke 3, which built on the success of the Kudoke 1 and Kudoke 2 designs while adding a unique twist – a split-level dial and […]
Monochrome
Independent watchmaker Czapek launched its first luxury sports watch – the Antarctique – with the brand’s first in-house movement in 2020. Avoiding the classic formula of angular bezels that populate this genre, the Antarctique is a stylish, relatively thin model available with time (and date) functions and a sophisticated rattrapante chronograph. To mark the tenth […]
Monochrome
Byrne is an independent watchmaker that debuted in 2021 and is known for its original design and playful dial animations featuring customisable, changing indices. At the heart of its innovation is the Gyro Dial complication, which allows the cuboid indices at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock to rotate instantly at midnight or on demand […]
Deployant
Louis Vuitton collaborates with a top independent watchmaker once again, this time with Kari Voutilainen to release the LVKV-02 GMR 6.
Teddy Baldassarre
German luxury watchmaker Glashütte Original has been on a streak of masterful moon-phase creations in recent years, releasing some absolutely exquisite dial colors in its PanoMaticLunar model (including the green-dial model I review here) and unveiling the first PanoLunarInverse model toward the end of 2024. Today, the brand continues shooting for the moon, in a visual and horological sense, with the launch of two new versions of its Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase family boasting two eye-catching - and historically inspired - new dial colors. Both of the watches’ dials - one in frosted silver, the other in frosted copper, achieved in a galvanic process - are created in homage to the rich mineral deposits once mined in the Ore Mountains, near the state of Saxony and the watchmaking town of Glashütte. Their finely grained surfaces, meant to evoke the thin layers of ice on the mountain rock, play host to the familiar and elegant details of the Senator Excellence family - including hand-applied, blued Roman numeral markers in gold and blued, polished poire hands complemented by a central seconds hand with the brand’s “double G” symbol as counterweight. The watches’ signature functions occupy carefully chosen spots on the dial without disrupting its overall clean, harmonious look. The large “Panorama” date display settles snugly in a double window at 4 o’clock, while the moon-phase elegantly balances it in the opposite corner above, its ...
Time+Tide
France's best-known luxury brand and Finland's master watchmaker collaborate on a 5-piece limited edition.The post Louis Vuitton teams up with Kari Voutilainen on an ultra-elevated tantalum take on the Escale appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Modelled on the first-ever Urwerk wristwatch, the UR-101 T-Rex is the independent watchmaker’s latest entry-level model. Priced at CHF38,000 before taxes, or about US$43,000, the UR-101 combines the brand’s signature wandering hours display with an aged bronze case finished with a scale-like guilloche. Initial thoughts Urwerk doesn’t do vintage-inspired watches often, and when it does the result is restyled enough to make it clearly modern. This is in keeping with the brand founders’ ethos, which looks forward rather than back. That’s the case with the UR-101 T-Rex. Though it takes the same form as the vintage original, it’s recognisable as a new creation. The vintage-inspired concept is appealing, as is the sub-US$50,000 price. While I like the idea of a revival, I find the “T-Rex” pattern a bit too aggressive. A polished finish that replicates the original would have been unimaginative, but more subtle engine turning would be an interesting counterpoint to the avant-garde style of the watch. That said, since the UR-101 is a limited edition of 100 pieces, I can safely assume that new variants are planned for the future. The tab on the back releases the crown to set the time Vintage inspired The new UR-101 is Urwerk’s second historically-inspired watch after the UR-102 “Reloaded” of 2023 that was similarly based on the brand’s early creations. Like its predecessor, the UR-101 retains the form of the vintage original, but is scaled up to 41 mm wide ...
Worn & Wound
After several weeks of speculation, Breitling has made an official announcement that they have acquired Gallett, the Swiss watchmaker that traces its roots back to 1826. The news was first reported by Tony Traina and a small handful of other outlets back in February, but this is the first time Breitling has acknowledged the deal in a public way. Breitling had previously announced their acquisition of Universal Genéve in 2023, a move that immediately led many to wonder of Georges Kern, Breitling’s CEO, might be looking to make additional expansions to bolster his business. Now, with the Gallett acquisition, his plans and those of the Partners Group (the investment firm which has had a stake in Breitling since 2017) appear to be coming into focus. “This acquisition is a natural next step in Breitling’s expansion,” Kern said in a statement. “We are reviving Gallett under the umbrella of Breitling’s expertise and craftsmanship. Our vision is long-term – reviving Gallett as a strong brand in watchmaking, while honoring its legacy and innovation in chronographs.” Unlike watches in the upcoming Universal Genéve collection, it is expected that Gallett will be sold alongside Breitling in the brand’s boutiques and, presumably, other authorized channels. This will provide potential Breitling customers with a lower priced option and is something of a tacit admission that the asking price of a new Breitling has crept up to a level that some new customers might...
Fratello
In 2018, Krayon, the brand founded by independent watchmaker Rémi Maillat, won the Innovation Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) with its Everywhere watch. Four years later, Krayon bagged another GPHG award. That time, the complicated Anywhere won first prize in the Calendar and Astronomy category. With the new Krayon Anyday, a […] Visit Introducing A New Way Of Looking At The Date: The Krayon Anyday Is The World’s First Mechanical Agenda Watch to read the full article.
Fratello
Following Breitling’s acquisition of the renowned Universal Genève brand, the Grenchen-based watchmaker has done it again with another iconic name in chronographs - Gallet. With Gallet, Breitling, and Universal Genève, the group will cover a wide range, from entry-level luxury to the high-end segment and everything in between. Gallet’s heritage In a separate article, Fratello […] Visit Breaking News: Breitling Acquires Another Historic Watch Brand! It’s Gallet! to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Louis Erard has enjoyed a good run of independent watchmaker collaborations recently, and keeps it up with the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x GoS. Following last year’s Vianney Halter edition, the GoS regulator adopts the Swedish watchmaker’s signature material: artisanal Damascus steel forged by the hand of a Swedish swordsmith. The watch retains the usual Louis Erard case and movement, but has a dial of acid-etched Damascus steel hand made by Conny Persson, the knife maker who produces the exotic alloys employed by GoS, which was founded by watchmaker Patrik Sjögren in 2007. Initial thoughts I respect and admire the craft behind GoS watches, which utilise Damascus steel that is sometimes incredibly patterned. But I find the brand’s aesthetic a little too much, especially when the dials are matched with aggressively styled cases. Whereas in the Louis Erard collaboration the heavy patterning of the dial is offset by the clean lines of the no-frills, 39 mm case. More importantly, the GoS regulator is one of the few Louis Erard editions that incorporates an actual example of the collaborator’s craft, as opposed to just being a design exercise. Even though I liked the earlier Vianney Halter and Kudoke editions, they were just watches designed by the respective watchmaker’s input. The GoS regulator, on the other hand, has a dial in an artisanal material – and it remains at the same affordable price as past collabs. Exotic alloy GoS was founded by bladesmith Johan Gu...
Monochrome
As we will see in a few days in an interview we have done with the recently appointed director of Schwarz Etienne, Florian Brossard, the independent watchmaker is about to open a new chapter in its history, with revamped collections and great ambitions to meet with the incredible capacities of this manufacturer, one of the […]
Monochrome
As we’ve seen recently, Orient, a Japanese watchmaker owned by the Seiko Epson Corporation, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Created in 1950, it has since made a name for itself in the accessible segment with watches such as the Mako or the Bambino. There’s another important name that was created that same year; a […]
Monochrome
A micro-brand that should sound familiar to you now, Kurono Tokyo is the brainchild of Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, known for his high-end tourbillons or chronographs. With this brand, Asaoka wanted to deliver his style and design ideas in far more accessible watches, without the highly complex movements, but with an equal taste for […]
Fratello
As a materials engineer, I get excited whenever a watchmaker uses an atypical material. Over the last decade, carbon and ceramics have become more prevalent for watch cases. However, aside from new gold alloys, it has been relatively quiet on the metals front. Using tantalum isn’t new, but it’s so uncommon that it deserves attention […] Visit Introducing: The Ming 21.01 “Project 21” In Tantalum to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
At first glance, the Fears Redcliff Confetti Burlingame Edition appears to be a classy sport watch with splashes of colorful character. But as the fourth collaboration between the British watchmaker and Topper Jewelers (a family-owned retail store in Burlingame, California, that has long served as a major hub of Bay Area watch enthusiasm) the Confetti isn’t just a tasteful splash of pop-art wrapped in a sleek, dressy package-it’s also a symbol of joy, and an ode to overcoming adversity. The Confetti’s unapologetically exuberant dial motif was hand-drawn by John Caplan just after completing three years of chemotherapy in his fight against Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Caplan’s design was emblematic of the relief and joy both he and his family felt following the conclusion of his treatment: “…I kept thinking about how it would feel to be finally finished [with my three years of chemotherapy],” Caplan says. “My father and I discussed the idea of making something inspirational that would both recognize the journey we’ve gone through as a family and also be a joyful thing to look at…after some experimentation, we presented my hand drawn confetti concept to Nicholas [Bowman-Scargill], and after a few discussions, we all knew that we had something worth developing.” The stand-out pastel blue of the running-seconds hand is John’s favorite color, adding an extra touch of triumph and joy to the center of the Confetti concept. “I love using bright colors in my...
Teddy Baldassarre
Vacheron Constantin is one of the oldest watch brands in the world, founded in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron and François Constantin, and also one of the very few firms tracing their origins back to the 18th Century that can boast an uninterrupted history of watchmaking - a history now well into its third century. Like other brands we’ve covered previously in our "Price of Admission" series, particularly Breguet, Vacheron Constantin is inarguably an elite-level watchmaker, with a level of pricing commensurate with its historical and technical renown. Finding the entry-level pieces in the Vacheron Constantin collection - and even defining what "entry-level" means for this brand - is a challenging proposition, but here is a rundown, family by family, of the most attainable timepieces from the Genevan manufacture that are available today. OVERSEAS The Overseas collection, launched in 1996 and given a high-profile revamp and relaunch in 2016, traces its origin to an unusual and now highly collectible watch released during Vacheron Constantin’s 220th anniversary in 1977. That watch, called the 222 and recently re-released as part of Vacheron’s Historiques collection, was short-lived in its original incarnation but established many of the codes now evident in the Overseas: a six-sided bezel inspired by the maison’s Maltese cross emblem; an integrated bracelet with a similar aesthetic, and an overall bold and sport-oriented character. In its contemporary version, ...
SJX Watches
The oldest continuously operating watchmaker, Vacheron Constantin marks its 270th anniversary in 2025. In honour of this milestone, the brand has inaugurated The Quest: 270 Years of Seeking Excellence, an exhibition dedicated to its history and timepieces. Divided into four chapters, the exhibition includes archival materials and exceptional timepieces, illustrating the brand’s impressive heritage and knowhow. Now on show in Abu Dhabi until April 15, The Quest will make its way to other countries around the world over the course of the year. The exhibition’s first section, “Beginning”, delves into the brand’s early years with rarely seen historical documents and objects. Notable milestones include the invention of the pantograph, which standardised watch components by improving tolerances, and the Kallista, a 1970s watches made from a one-kilogram gold ingot and adorned with 118 diamonds, and reputedly the most expensive watch in the world at the time. The second chapter, “Artistic Crafts and Finishing,” highlights the brand’s watchmaking and craftsmanship, including engraving, enamelling, gem-setting, and guillochage. The “High Watchmaking” chapter invites visitors to explore the intricate craftsmanship behind the brand’s most complex movements with displays that magnify the tiny components of a movement. Most notably is a set of six sliding glass panels showcasing the 2,877 individual parts and 63 complications of the most complex watch ever, the Be...
Monochrome
An article by Rob Memel, antiquarian horologist, professional certified watchmaker since 1984, and author of the book The Development Towards Huygens’ Spiral Spring (1660-1676), from which this article is a summary. About two years ago, I embarked on an in-depth investigation into another watch-related invention by Christiaan Huygens: the spiral spring on a balance wheel. […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Havid Nagan is a small independent watch brand based out of Los Angeles that was founded by Aren Bazerkanian a few short years ago. Just released is the new Classic One watch, its third release after the debut HN00 from 2022 and the sophomore release of the HN01 Lucine Moonphase in 2023. Unlike some other independent brand founders, Bazerkanian is not a watchmaker or artisan by trade but rather he is a passionate enthusiast who understands that a watch is the sum of its parts. This parallels the Jean-Claude Biver model, which focuses on the “big picture,” and the result has been one of the more understated yet inarguably impressive runs of a new brand in the post-Covid landscape. The team of industry pros and talent assembled by Bazerkanian for the Classic One includes Guillaume Tetu (previously product manager at TAG Heuer, co-founder of Hautlence, and Director of Product Development at Ralph Lauren Watches & Jewelry) and Aurélien Theurillat of GLS2F, which specializes in design, sourcing, and supply chains. The lineup also includes Romeo Granito of Cadranor, which has previously done the dial finishes for Havid Nagan. Finally, the team at Jean-Rousseau will be making the straps. The Classic One goes in a different direction from the HN00 and HN01 with a more traditional case design that is inspired by pieces like the Parmigiani Tonic and the Daniel Roth-era Breguet Classique. Measuring 38mm wide and 9mm thick with a lug-to-lug measurement of 47mm, the Classic One ca...
Monochrome
Watch brands rarely take the time to explain their strategic shifts to the public, making Yema‘s transparency all the more commendable. In unveiling its new 2025 references, the French watchmaker provided insight into a significant transition: introducing the Superman Swiss Editions. These timepieces, which represent the brand’s entry to the Superman collection, are now powered […]
Fratello
If I were pressed to choose the brand with the most breathtakingly beautiful lineup, Laurent Ferrier would surely receive my vote. The Haute Horlogerie watchmaker eschews the hyper-modern trend and makes elegant timepieces with equally bewitching movements. While I tend toward the classic non-complicated models, today’s latest Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue infuses complications without […] Visit A Stunner: The Laurent Ferrier Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
RGM Watch Company, named for the initials of its founder, independent watchmaker Roland G. Murphy, is the first American watch company to serially produce a mechanical watch movement since 1969 — the year that Lancaster, PA-based Hamilton pulled up stakes for its current HQ in Switzerland. Murphy, formerly Hamilton’s Technical Manager, founded his own eponymous company in Lancaster County, a historical hotbed of watchmaking, in 1992. His fledgling firm made the watch industry, and the worldwide watch-enthusiast community, take notice when it created, essentially from scratch, the groundbreaking Caliber 801 in 2007 — a horological milestone that no other watchmaker in the United States had achieved in nearly 40 years. Since then, Caliber 801 has come to define RGM’s distinctive and still very exclusive product family — the brand still makes only around 300 pieces annually — along with its dedication to classically vintage aesthetics, which evoke the bygone days when America reigned supreme as a watchmaking nation. Up until now, however, the smallest RGM watch you could get that housed the Caliber 801 movement, 90 percent of which is made in the U.S.A. and finished and assembled in Lancaster County, was 42mm — not huge, but still a bit intimidating for some would-be owners as case sizes continue to trend smaller. This week, RGM answers that constituency's prayers with the release of the Caliber 801/40 model, whose 40mm stainless steel case represents, accor...
Monochrome
If you’re a fan of indie watchmaker Laurent Ferrier, you’re likely familiar with the Traveller Globe Night Blue – a UK-only model first introduced in the Galet Traveller series back in 2016. This year, as the brand celebrates its 15th anniversary, it revisits its beloved dual-time watch with a fresh update, now featuring a miniature […]
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