677 articles · 152 videos found · page 26 of 28
Monochrome
Born in the Black Forest and best known for instrument chronographs like the 417 ES and Pioneer series, Hanhart also has a quieter thread that predates its stopwatch fame: the wristwatches of the 1930s (cal. 36/39), valued for clarity and everyday utility. The Silva line infuses that heritage into a modern, time-only series. It is […]
SJX Watches
Piaget pays tribute to the pop-art pioneer and prolific watch collector with the Andy Warhol Watch Collage Limited Edition in the best way it knows how – with an exotic stone dial. Like the watch owned by Warhol himself, the Collage has a black onyx dial, but in between the onyx is yellow serpentine, pink opal, and green chrysoprase, forming a precious stone puzzle carefully assembled by hand. To bring things full circle, this 50 piece limited edition has a yellow gold case, the same alloy Warhol himself wore, and a metal that’s absent from the regular production Any Warhol lineup. Initial Thoughts The first Swiss quartz watches hit the market mere months after the Seiko Astron, powered by the CEH Beta 21 – a large and rectangular movement that gave the oversized watches it powered a distinctive look that I am fond of. Piaget’s ref. 15101, launched in 1972, was one of the most appealing Beta 21 designs by my reckoning. The renowned American artist must have agreed with that assessment as he purchased one in 1973, which Piaget bought back at auction after Warhol’s death. It is also worth noting that Yves Piaget, president of Piaget since 1980, knew Warhol personally. Andy Warhol with Yves Piaget. Image – Piaget The marquetry dial of the Collage puts Piaget’s expertise to good use. It is surprisingly creative, and is not based on a specific Warhol work as already done many times before. Rather, Piaget attempted to recreate Warhol’s process to create a new wor...
SJX Watches
Schaffhausen-based H. Moser & Cie. returns to a complication it once offered with the Pioneer Flying Hours, a new take on the wandering hours. The watch indicates the minutes on a central ring, while the hours seemingly jump from one window to the other. With this intriguing new display, the Flying Hours might just be being one of the most interesting jumping hours on the market. Initial thoughts The Pioneer Flying Hours is not Moser’s first attempt at the wandering hours: the Endeavour Flying Hours was launched some seven years ago and an update on the historical complication. With new Pioneer, however, Moser manages to capture the mystique of both early wandering hours and mysterious clocks with its darting, wandering display. It is a tidy and admittedly novel reinterpretation of the wandering hours, which will surely appeal to collectors. There is something poetic about the minutes scale moving continuously across shuttered apertures, its sweep much like a bridge between points in time, here represented spatially. The combination of the sporty and large Pioneer case is also odd with the wandering hours, historically a complication associated with more formal, slim cases. At almost 43 mm, the case is large even for a sports watch. And to nitpick: if there is anything objectionable from the get-go, that is the name. Strictly speaking, “Flying hours” describes a revolving platform that is only supported from below - like a flying tourbillon. Here the hour disks a...
SJX Watches
The latest iteration of Ulysse Nardin’s most affordable Freak is the Freak X Crystalium, a limited edition that blends the disruptive Freak aesthetic with a novel decorative element in the form of a dial in Crystalium. Though it has an almost organic look, Crystalium is actually the result of crystallised ruthenium deposited via physical vapour deposition (PVD). The advanced, unusual material is decorative, yet harks back to the Freak’s origins as a materials pioneer. Initial thoughts The Freak has been a core collection in Ulysse Nardin’s roster since the first model was launched back in 2001. The line has been defined by disruptive and bold technical construction and a pioneering use of silicon. But lately it feels watered down; the Freak X dials back on the exotic tech to make the iconic design more attainable. And the many iterations of the Freak X don’t help its case. But paradoxically the new Freak X is a return to one of the core values of the Freak series: materials science. Ulysse Nardin experimented with all sorts of materials over the years with the Freak as a platform, ranging from the DIAMonSIL escapement to silicon movement bridges to mono block oscillators. The Freak X Crystalium employs new material, but this time it serves an aesthetic function as opposed to a mechanical one. The large rotating disk which serves as the dial’s foundation is covered in an organic-seeming, quartz-like glittering surface that’s the result of years of research. ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Join us for a special celebration of Blancpain, the world’s oldest watchmaking brand and a true pioneer in haute horlogerie. This exclusive event will highlight the breadth of Blancpain’s artistry, from its iconic tool watches to its most refined expressions of elegance. Discover the legendary Fifty Fathoms, the origin
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Monochrome
While Piaget is rightfully heralded as the precursor of ultra-thin calibres, it was also a pioneer of ornamental stone dials in the early 1960s. A decade or so later, under the direction of Yves Piaget, another milestone was reached with the release of the famous gold Polo sports watch in 1979. Its sleek gold integrated […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Japan’s Seiko has never been shy about going bold and unconventional with its designs, especially when it comes to its divers’ watches, a genre in which the brand has been an undisputed industry pioneer since the 1960s. One of its most off-the-wall and yet most enduringly popular designs is the so-called Turtle, which made its debut in the 1970s and has undergone a successful renaissance here in the 21st Century as part of Seiko’s rugged and sport-centric Prospex line. At the pinnacle of the Turtle sub-family, in terms of luxurious finishing and dominant wrist presence, is the grandly named King Turtle, best represented by the Refs. SRPE03 and SRPE05 released in 2019. Here’s what you should know about them. By the time this watch’s ancestors made their debut, Seiko had already produced some highly unusual, unexpectedly iconic, and cleverly nicknamed dive watches, like the Ref. 6159 “Tuna” (for its chunky tuna-can-like case shape) and the Ref. 6105 “Captain Willard” (thanks to its being famously worn by Martin Sheen’s character in Apocalypse Now.) The “Turtle” nickname first surfaced in 1976, applied to the References 6306 and 6309 - the former, made for the Japanese market, and the latter, for international customers. These watches were notable for their cushion-shaped cases with softly rounded lugs, which brought to mind the silhouette of a turtle when viewed from above. The Turtle gained a modicum of pop-culture visibility when actor Ed Harri...
SJX Watches
The newly-launched Pioneer Retrograde Seconds is the first wristwatch with the complication from H. Moser & Cie. The retrograde seconds complication was developed by Geneva movement specialist Agenhor, in which Moser acquired a stake not too long ago. The Retrograde Seconds features the sporty Pioneer case and a midnight blue fumé dial with a large, 30-second retrograde counter at six o’clock. Every 30 seconds, the retrograde hand jumps back to the starting point with the help of the double-snail cam, which is visible below an open-worked bridge for the seconds hand. Initial thoughts The Pioneer line is home to many of Moser’s unusual complications, such as the Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton and Perpetual Calendar. The Pioneer case is sporty with a 120 m water-resistance rating and vent-like flanks, but not a conventional sports watch like the Streamliner, its more popular sibling with an integrated bracelet. The Retrograde Seconds takes the sportiness a step further with the retrograde counter that resembles an instrument display. The grey-coated scale and bridge of the retrograde seconds fits the overall aesthetic, while also adding contrast to the all-blue dial. Visuals aside, the Retrograde Seconds is a relatively simple yet engaging complication that keeps the watch accessible. Priced at CHF19,900, the Pioneer Retrograde Seconds is one of the most affordable watches in the Moser catalogue. It delivers much that Moser is known for – a minimalist, smoked dial a...
Monochrome
Although Doxa was not a pioneer in the development of dive watches, when it decided to take the plunge in 1967, it consulted experts in the field. Teaming up with US Divers and its chairman, Jacques Cousteau, their input helped develop Doxa’s first dive watch, the professional-grade SUB 300, with an orange dial and a […]
Hodinkee
With stops in NYC and Los Angeles, "The Precision Pioneer" offers a unique chance to see watchmaking at the highest level and without a trip to Switzerland.
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Deployant
Piaget, the pioneer of ultra thin movement debuts their first ever ceramic watch at Watches and Wonders Shanghai 2024. The Piaget Polo Skeleton Ceramic. The bold use of new materials is a testament to the Maison’s commitment to watchmaking excellence and innovation.
SJX Watches
H. Moser & Cie. is marking the 70th anniversary of its retailer in Southeast Asia with the Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD Purple Enamel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition. The first model in the Pioneer line to feature an enamel dial, this is also Moser’s inaugural venture into a grand feu enamel dial in purple fumé, which is translucent, smoked, and executed on an engraved dial base. It’s matched with a two-colour case of 18k red gold with titanium inserts treated with black diamond-like carbon (DLC), containing the manual-wind in-house HMC 808 movement that offers seven days of power reserve and more importantly, the brand’s innovative and concise perpetual calendar mechanism. Initial thoughts The new Pioneer perpetual it showcases typical Moser aesthetics and craft in a restrained style, with the details only apparent up close. At a distance the perpetual calendar is barely discernible with the dial having only the month and date along with two tiny pointers. But the purple flinqué enamel dial is stunning up close, with the textured surface showing through the translucent enamel. And the combination of the Pioneer case that’s rated to 120 m along with the fired enamel dial is unusual, giving the semi-sporty model a more refined aspect. Leaving aside the aesthetics, the watch is notable for the HMC 808 movement, still one of the cleverest perpetual calendar movements on the market two decades after its introduction. The case back is etched with the Sincer...
Monochrome
MELB, does that mean anything to you? The acronym hides a discreet family group, active in various high-added-value fields including, of course, watchmaking. However, one of its components is well-known, through its collections: Endeavour, Streamliner, and Pioneer to name just three. We are talking about H. Moser & Cie and MeylanEdouardLeonoreBertrand (MELB), founded by the […]
Monochrome
Omega is one of the largest luxury watchmakers on the market, carrying multiple emblematic models (Seamaster and Speedmaster, to name a few). However, one vital element of the brand’s success lies in its almost unique take on precision. Omega has long been a pioneer in this field, often ranking first in chronometry contests and introducing […]
Worn & Wound
One of my favorite Watches & Wonders experiences these past few years was the brief time I got to spend with the Moser Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon. All tourbillons are special, of course, but this one is especially unique and I found it to be genuinely kind of awe inspiring in person. As the name of the watch implies, the cylindrical hairspring wraps around the balance spindle vertically, giving what is already a fairly dramatic watch an even more profound sense of depth. It’s a particularly challenging watchmaking feat to pull off, but pays dividends, according to Moser, in reducing friction and improving isochronism, both of which play a role in a more stable rate through the duration of the movement’s power reserve. In the last few weeks, Moser has been busy introducing two new versions of their most impressive tourbillon, this time as part of the Streamliner collection of watches, and in both cases in partnership with the BWT Alpine F1 Team. The watches take a similar aesthetic approach seen in the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon, with a skeletonized dial that prominently highlights the flying tourbillon at 6:00, and a decentralized dial at the 12:00 position. The difference of course is that now we have this complication in a Streamliner case (and on a rubber strap) for a watch (a pair of watches, actually) that might just be the sportiest Moser has ever made. Both versions of the watch use synthetic, translucent minerals for the small decentralized dials. For...
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Monochrome
If you’re in the market for a well-built, well-powered, well-designed, and well-priced dive watch, Mido is almost always a strong candidate. A pioneer in the production of watertight cases since the 1930s, Mido’s Ocean Star 200 collection is the brand’s 21st-century dive watch, a rugged model designed for extreme sports on all terrains. Powering up […]
Monochrome
Armin Strom (1938) has gone down in the annals of watchmaking as a pioneer in the art of hand-skeletonisation. Now in the hands of Serge Michel and master watchmaker Claude Greisler, the independent watchmaking brand with 17 in-house calibres continues the master’s legacy of “transparent mechanics” with showstopping models like its Mirrored Force Resonance and […]
Monochrome
This new creation by H. Moser & Cie. is the brand’s second venture into the skeleton watch category, following the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton introduced in 2022. Notably, a tourbillon watch joined the Streamliner collection the same year, presented in full red gold attire with a Vantablack-coated dial. In 2024, a Tourbillon Skeleton is added […]
Worn & Wound
Watches & Wonders hasn’t started yet, but I think we can safely identify the first honest to goodness trend: brands exhibiting at the show announcing new watches ahead of the big event. We saw it last week with Czapek, and now H. Moser is following suit with what I think can be fairly described as a Watches & Wonders apéritif. The Swiss indie has just announced a pair of watches in their Pioneer line in two distinct shades of green. One is a long awaited new entry in the Pioneer’s 40mm case, and the other is the latest example of Moser’s signature “Concept” dial. First up is the Pioneer Centre Seconds Concept Citrus Green. If you’re unfamiliar with Moser’s Concept dials, they are devoid of markings and visible branding on the dial, and a showcase for whatever color, texture, or design Moser is interested in showcasing for a given watch. It’s a design principle that has become Moser’s signature, and while it’s certainly not for everyone, fans of the brand admire their commitment to showing off what are often vibrant colors and letting a stripped down aesthetic speak for itself. The Citrus Green colorway has a dramatic green fumé effect, with the shade at the center appearing yellow while growing to a darker green shade as we move to the perimeter. This reference is in the larger 42.8mm steel Pioneer case, which is water resistant to 120 meters. The Streamliner notwithstanding, the Pioneer is the closest thing Moser makes to a true sports watch, and...
Teddy Baldassarre
Once a relative rarity, ceramics have today been firmly established as go-to materials in the luxury watch industry, alongside traditional metals such as gold, steel, and titanium. But no single watchmaker is more associated with ceramics in the horological realm than Rado, which has not only made the tough, scratchproof, hypoallergenic material a core part of its identity but continues to pioneer new frontiers in what can be done with it. Here’s the story behind Rado’s host of technical innovations, from early “hardmetal” alloys to today’s signature high-tech ceramic, and how two of the brand’s milestones from 1962 have become inextricably linked in the modern era. From DiaStar to Diver's Watch Rado was founded in 1917 by brothers Fritz, Ernst, and Werner Schlup, who converted their parents’ home in Lengnau, in the Swiss canton of Bern, into a watch factory. Originally dubbed Schlup & Co.,the family firm started out making movements, becoming an important supplier during the World War II years. Forty years after its foundation, in 1957, the company launched the Rado watch brand, taking its name from the Esperanto word for “wheel.” The very first timepiece made under the new Rado banner was the Golden Horse (modern tribute model above), which was also one of the first wristwatches marketed with an emphasis on its antimagnetic properties. It was the harbinger of the technical innovation that the company would adopt as part of its stock-in-trade going forwa...
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Teddy Baldassarre
Headquartered in Saint-Imier, Switzerland since its founding in 1832, Longines takes its name from “les longines,” or the “long meadows” that surround that picturesque Swiss village. For nearly 200 years, the brand has been a watchmaking pioneer and a prolific maker of timepieces in all manner of styles and for all types of users - from sports timing to aviation, from an afternoon of scuba diving to an elegant night on the town. What are the best Longines watches on the market today? It all depends on what you’re looking for in a timepiece. In the curated list below, we showcase some of our recent favorites from the contemporary collection, which offers a style of watch for just about everyone. Retro-Cool Dive Watch: Legend Diver Price: $3,000, Case Size: 42mm, Thickness: 12.7mm, Lug to Lug: 48.2mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 300m, Movement: Automatic ETA A31.L11 Longines updated the Legend Diver, a modern re-issue of a compressor-style dive watch it produced in 1960, with a case made of bronze, a metal historically used in maritime equipment due to its anti-corrosive properties, and paired it with a sea-green lacquered dial. The 42-mm, 300-meter water-resistant case replicates the silhouette of the original and includes that vintage model’s two crowns - one for winding the watch, the other for operating the internal rotating divers’ bezel. The lacquered dial has a gradient effect, with an emerald green center radiating to an outer edge of bla...
Quill & Pad
While Louis Charles Breguet (1880-1955), great-great-grandson of Abraham-Louis Breguet, was best known as an aviation pioneer, he also developed and manufactured the Breguet A2 electric car.
Monochrome
A brand with a distinctive identity, Rado is widely recognised as a pioneer of innovative materials, starting with the world’s first scratchproof material used on board the DiaStar of 1962 and evolving to become a reference in the production of high-tech ceramic cases. Interestingly, Rado has developed these materials in tandem with the brand’s other […]
Monochrome
Dutch 3D-print watchmaking pioneer Michiel Holthinrichs has moved his watchmaking vision in a new direction with the Deconstructed, which we showed you earlier in the year. This mighty impressive creation had a distinct SciFi exoskeleton vibe, and Holthinrichs Watches now expands the line with two more space-themed watches. Capturing the cosmos with each of the […]
SJX Watches
The collaboration between Bucherer and H. Moser & Cie. has given birth to a trio of timepieces: the Pioneer Tourbillon Concept Aventurine and two different takes on the Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aventurine. Bucherer, a renowned Swiss retailer with a global presence that was recently acquired by Rolex, has made blue dials a signature feature of its collaborations. While most Bucherer exclusives sport blue-finish metal dials, this trio have dials of aventurine glass, otherwise known as goldstone. It’s essentially glass with metallic inclusions that give it a speckled, sparkly appearance that evokes the night sky. Initial thoughts The combination of red gold and deep blue dials neatly aligns with both Bucherer’s and Moser’s respective aesthetics. This collaboration continues the retailer’s tradition of unique, blue-themed exclusives that are a variants of familiar models. It is worth noting the three timepieces are derived from models in Moser’s existing product range, including the aventurine dials. Furthermore, the movements, namely the HMC 904 with repeater and the HMC 804 tourbillon, remain unchanged. While this reflects the collaborative effort between Bucherer and Moser, it raises the question of whether even greater imaginative potential could have been explored by both entities. That said, the aventurine dials are appealing, though they come at a price. For instance, the Pioneer Tourbillon Concept Aventurine costs US$71,500, compared t...
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