23,640 articles · 175 videos found · page 272 of 794
Fratello
It was an Oktopus that made me a Linde Werdelin fan many moons ago. At a luxury fair in Amsterdam, I represented a watch magazine and got to wear the edgy, sculpted, and outspoken Linde Werdelin Oktopus for a couple of days. I did the brand’s agent a favor by showcasing the watch, but I […] Visit Discovering The Different Species Of The New Linde Werdelin Oktopus III to read the full article.
Monochrome
Traditionally, watchmakers solve horological problems by adding components. Dr Ludwig Oechslin famously does the opposite, stripping mechanisms down to their absolute essentials. It is a philosophy that has defined Ochs und Junior since its inception and one that reaches one of its purest expressions in the Anno annual calendar. The foundational model, the brand’s annual calendar, […]
Fratello
Even before I got into watches in the second half of the 1990s, I knew what a Rolex Submariner was. It’s such an iconic model, a watch you’d see on the big screen and around you. To me, the Submariner was perhaps the most recognizable Rolex, aside from a Datejust. One of the things that […] Visit The Rolex Submariner: Five-Digit Or Six-Digit — Which Side Are You On? to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Master gunsmith and independent watchmaker Dewey Vicknair returns with a bespoke retrograde hour wristwatch. The American craftsman is a self-taught watch restorer that recently started making timepieces of his own, using just basic tooling. His latest watch was commissioned by a client almost one year ago and the project was completed earlier this month. Initial thoughts There are relatively few artisanal watchmakers still active that limit their output to just a couple of pieces per year. Watchmaking at this scale is not a lucrative proposition, so most independent watchmakers today tend to build for some degree of expansion. This is not the case with Dewey Vicknair, a true artisan who starts with raw sheets of brass and steel and turns the metal into unique timepieces. Along with names like David E. Walter and Jacob Curtis, Dewey Vicknair is one of the few American artisan horologists. His latest delivery is a 39 mm Calatrava-style watch with a fully open-worked dial and endowed with a clever retrograde hour complication. Made at the request of an unnamed collector, the watch features a steel case and is powered by a movement of Mr Vicknair’s own making. The movement in the making. As it was the case with past creations, Mr. Vicknair put together an exhaustive photo essay of his work, which is a recommended read for anyone looking to understand the work required to build a watch from the ground up. Although the look of the watch might not be to everyone’s taste — ...
Fratello
Fears brings more sportiness to its catalog with the sophomore release in the Endurance Specification (ES) series. The new Brunswick 40 Helmsman uses a 316L stainless steel cushion case with heavily brushed surfaces. This approach builds on last year’s Redcliff 39.5mm ES model. That watch featured a hardened, frosted case with black DLC-coated components. This […] Visit Introducing: The Fears Brunswick 40 Helmsman Endurance Specification to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Our 3 for $5k series is back this week with a new entry from Worn & Wound contributor Blake Z. Rong. Blake is a Brooklyn based writer and while his selections here focus on modern watches, they reflect his personal interest in vintage, time tested designs, but in a playful and spirited way. These are not vintage recreations, necessarily, but reinterpretations of classic ideas, sometimes with a lighthearted twist. If I could cut my collection down to three watches, I figure that I could someday live the rest of my life a happy man, satisfied only by the essentials and with no horrible combination of discretionary spending and emotional attachment to finite objects to distract me. So far, that has not proven the case. But if a person only needs three watches to truly be fulfilled in any scenario, then here’s what I would do in an alternate realm: three modern watches from brands both known and worthy of being rediscovered, and versatile enough to carry you from the beach to the boardroom. What are watches if not helping us dream of these scenarios? Citizen Promaster Fujitsubo Titanium – $1,025 The irony of wearing a titanium watch is that it is a tremendously difficult material to work with: not only does it stick to machining tools, according to Citizen, but its discarded shavings also have the tendency to catch fire. And when you’ve made a watch with it, it’s so lightweight that it can feel like you’re wearing a piece of plastic. But that didn’t stop Citize...
Hodinkee
What We Know Since Vulcain's revival in 2022 under the helm of Guillaume Laidet, a name familiar to most here thanks to his hand in brands like Nivada Grenchen and SpaceOne, it's steadily cranked out watches under a few collections, from skin divers to chronographs, and most importantly, its iconic design that is the Cricket alarm watch. While these modern Crickets have largely remained faithful in spirit to their predecessors, today marks a new limited edition from Vulcain with a contemporary twist: the Vulcain Cricket Titanium. The name kind of gives everything away here, with titanium being the main focus of this new run of 100 pieces. The 39mm case, in its slightly upsized modern form, is made this time in grade 5 titanium, polished throughout. The dial is also in titanium, with a stamped guilloché effect paired with white printing for a minutes track and applied indices. The handset comes in a variety of colors, with the skeletonized dauphine minute and hour hands paired with a black seconds hand, and a metallic nickel-plated alarm hand with a blackened arrow tip that points to the printed track to better set your alarm time. But that's not where the titaniumification (I'm going to pretend that's a real word) ends. Here, the Le Locle-assembled and manually-wound Vulcain Cricket Calibre V14 is also produced from titanium movement blanks, meaning that the titanium theme translates all the way to the inside of the watch and can be seen through the exhibition caseback. S...
Worn & Wound
Despite my besten Bemühungen, when it comes to learning the German language, I’ve never found it to be very einfach, dear reader. But I haven’t let that cloud my judgment with German and Swiss brands. Especially those with Teutonic-sounding names like ochs und junior. Now hitting the two-decade mark since it was founded in 2006, the Swiss brand’s latest release shows it has no interest in stepping outside of its distinct design language of highly stylized, stripped-down watches with a clear “Weniger ist mehr” philosophy. We see this throughline in the new anno sandblasted. Available in 39mm and 42mm case sizes, this release upgrades the brand’s existing annual calendar with a sandblasted dial. But as you can see, the calendar display is undeniably the most eye-catching part of this watch, creating something that is just as much about the form of the watch itself as it is about the function. Even so, at first glance, it may be a bit hard to understand (not unlike the genitive case, but I’m not bitter…). To do this, the Ludwig Oechslin designed annual calendar replaces conventional windows and text displays with a series of holes read directly (and I’m told “intuitively”) from the dial. The 31 holes around the perimeter show the date, with the ten-minute markers acting as five-day reference points. For example, the 30-minute marker also marks the 15th day of the month. A smaller group of seven holes shows the weekday, while 12 holes show the month, b...
Monochrome
Seven years after the demise of Baselworld – the once-iconic trade fair whose decline ultimately led to its disappearance – a new jewellery and watch exhibition project is set to bring international business back to Basel. Set to occur in April 2027 and jointly organised by MCH Group (the former organiser of Baselworld and operator […]
Fratello
Nomos Glashütte has expanded the Ahoi Neomatik collection with two new dial colors called Sky and Sand. While these shades already existed within the larger Ahoi Date lineup, this marks their debut in the compact 36.3mm no-date version. The result is a pair of watches that feel familiar yet notably different thanks to their smaller […] Visit The Nomos Ahoi Neomatik Gets New Sky And Sand Dials In The Compact 36.3mm Case to read the full article.
Fratello
Seiko’s Presage Classic Series draws inspiration from traditional Japanese colors, materials, and textures for new dial designs. The new HCC001, HCC002, HCC003, and the limited-edition HCC008 feature dials with a wavy concentric pattern that resembles the graceful drape and texture of finely woven Tomioka silk. The first three are stainless steel models with a super-hard […] Visit Introducing: The Seiko Presage Classic Series Supporting The Tomioka Silk Promotion Organization to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Tudor marks its 100th birthday by reviving the Monarch with a completely new look — one that captures the spirit of the brand’s founding decade, reinterpreted for the 21st century. The Monarch manages to be both sporty and dressy, with a distinctive design and upmarket build that proves Tudor has aspirations beyond the Black Bay. Initial thoughts Tudor turns 100 stronger than it’s ever been. The brand that once trafficked in cheaper versions of Rolex models can now bring compelling products like this to market with impressive regularity. That said, the brand tends to be at its best when it comes to sports watches like the Black Bay — what Tudor calls its ‘classic watches’ have had less market impact. In this context, the Monarch represents a major step forward for Tudor. It’s dressy without looking derivative, and robust enough for everyday wear. In short, the Monarch rules. Image – Tudor Much of Tudor’s current collection takes heavy inspiration from its deep back catalogue. That isn’t the case for the Monarch, which shares nothing with the 1990s and 2000s Monarchs save for the name and shield at 12 o’clock. Instead, the Monarch’s design celebrates the earliest years of Tudor — the 1920s — which was a transitional period in which wristwatch production had not yet equalled that of pocket watches. Watchmakers at the time weren’t yet sure what kinds of wristwatches people wanted, and the era is marked by expressive and experimental designs. Beca...
Hodinkee
What We Know Citizen recently announced two new limited-edition models as part of its celebration of the 50th Anniversary of its light-powered Eco-Drive movements. For those not in the know, Eco-Drive relies on any light source—not just solar—to power the movement and build a pretty impressive power reserve (in most cases). That adage holds true for the watches that they released most recently. Let's start with the one that will probably resonate the most with our audience: the new limited-edition version of "The Citizen." Limited to only 400 pieces, the watch features a relatively classic case design, measuring 40mm by 12.2mm, with the brand's proprietary Super Titanium case treated with Duratect Platinum. This is capped by what the brand calls its deep indigo-blue Tosa washi paper dial, with gold-colored (not true gold) accents on the applied indices and date surround. Washi paper, a special type of Japanese mulberry paper, was hand-dyed using natural lye fermentation to create a deep indigo color while preserving the paper's texture. More specifically, the color, called Kachi-iro, is a deep shade of indigo that is traditionally considered lucky because it is pronounced in the same way as the word for "victory color." Inside the case is the Cal. A060 Eco-Drive movement. When fully powered up, it has 18 months of power when in power-save mode. In addition to hours, minutes, and seconds (and hands and indices with lume), the movement has a clever perpetual calendar set...
Worn & Wound
What is the ultimate first world problem? I can think of a handful. There’s the classic notion that we just have too much content to scroll through, stream, and consume. As the Boss put it, there’s 57 channels and nothin’ on. As I sit here typing up this article on hot early summer day with my AC blasting, I’m realizing it’s getting cold enough in here that I might need to add a layer. Woe is me! Just a few weeks ago, I bought a new iPhone and quickly found that Apple Music hadn’t automatically moved over all of my locally downloaded tunes during the initial data transfer. I was pretty disappointed when I realized only the second half of Turn on the Bright Lights was available to me on a late night drive home over the weekend. I just want to hear “Obstacle 1”! These are all annoyances, for sure. But none of them truly compare to the King of First World Problems, which is very obviously not being able to keep your perpetual calendar sufficiently wound. I mean, have you tried to reset one of these things recently? It can be really frustrating. Plenty of brands, like IWC earlier this year, have made moves to make their perpetual calendar movements more forgiving when resetting. Gone are the days, hopefully, when jumping past the current year means an expensive trip back to the manufacture in Switzerland. Vacheron Constantin has a slightly different solution, which is to enable your perpetual calendar to remain wound for weeks at a time by allowing the wearer...
Hodinkee
The men’s fashion juggernaut shares his detail-driven reactions to the evolved release from Accutron
Worn & Wound
I was trying to think back to when I first really became aware of H. Moser, and I have to think it was probably right around the time the Swiss Alp series was gaining traction (and some notoriety) in the watch community. Obviously that wasn’t the genesis of the brand, but it marked a turning point in the larger awareness of Moser in the cultural imagination of watch enthusiasts. I hate using the word “disruptive” but it really felt that way in the moment, playing as it did with the well understood shape of the world’s most popular smart watch, and making an attempt to send a statement about the importance of traditional Swiss watchmaking through aesthetic codes. It was also around that time that Moser really began leaning into color as a defining trait of their design language, particularly through “Concept” dials which completely abandon markings and branding of any kind. They never really completely turned away from this, but as they’ve expanded into new complications, experimented with Vantablack, and have generally leaned into watches that sit at ever higher price points, some of the purely playful colorful stuff that reminds me of that initial period of Moser discovery has felt like it’s been moved to the background. The latest Pioneer Centre Seconds in a colorway the brand is calling “Sun Berry” is the first reference from Moser in a long time that really brings me back to those earlier, pre-pandemic days. Collectors and enthusiasts will argue...
Hodinkee
This week on The Business of Watches, we take your questions on the business of timekeeping. We're joined by a swath of the Hodinkee team, including Editor-in-Chief James Stacey, Senior Editor Mark Kauzlarich, and Hodinkee Editor TanTan Wang. We're answering your questions and marking 30 episodes of BoW. You submitted some excellent questions, including how changes in 3D printing technology will impact watch movement manufacturing, whether watch brands consider enthusiasts' preferences in their design and release schedules, and what the future of multi-brand watch boutiques looks like. There's plenty of watch business and strategy to discuss, and we hope you enjoy the conversations. Be sure to leave any thoughts or questions in the comments section, and we'll do our best to respond. Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn. Show Notes1:18 F.P. Journe Souscription Chronomètre à Résonance Achieves $13.9 Million – Becomes Fifth Most Expensive Wristwatch Ever Sold (Hodinkee)2:35 Kari Voutilainen 2:47 Marteau: The Heat Wave4:08 The Barrelhand Monolith Has Landed (Hodinkee) 11:45 Ming Polymesh (Hodinkee) 12:40 Seiko Watch Corporation President Akio Naito (The Business of Watches) 13:10 Peanuts Watches by Citizen (collectpeanuts.com) 15:03 Timex 15:50 We Criticize The Wrong Thing When We Attack ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore the best alternatives to the Seiko Turtle when you want a different, affordable diver. See how the models fare across durability, lume, value, and more.
Fratello
Summer is just around the corner, meaning we’re back with our series Fratello Favorites: The Best Summer Watches. It is my turn today, and I decided to pick myself a lighthearted, colorful, cheerful bunch. Why? Well, because I have a big summer ahead of me. While our fearless leader, RJ, expects to expand his family […] Visit The Best Summer Watches — Thomas’s Picks From RZE, Nomos, Doxa, Zenith, And Hublot to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The second-generation Ulysse Nardin (UN) Freak X proves that good things can come in small(er) packages, with an all-new micro-rotor calibre powering the Freak’s signature ‘flying carousel’ architecture. The new movement debuts in a smaller 41 mm steel case with an interchangeable strap system. Initial thoughts There’s a lot to like about the updated Freak X. It retains the wandering tourbillon-style architecture that UN describes as a flying carousel, powered by an all-new micro-rotor calibre that’s been upgraded with the brand’s DiamonSil escapement package. It’s also noticeably smaller than the outgoing model, while boasting superior water resistance thanks in part to the collection’s first screw-down crown. Strap options have been expanded thanks to an interchangeable strap system that includes a stainless steel bracelet. These upgrades come with a modest increase to retail pricing, which starts at US$41,200 — essentially the same price as one of the special edition versions of the first-generation Freak X. Some will mourn the ‘downgrade’ from titanium to steel, but that’s a relatively minor issue given the reduced case size, and furthermore the release of titanium options in the future seems all but guaranteed. Smaller but better When the Freak debuted 25 years ago, it shocked the industry with its novel construction, which integrated the entire going train and escapement into an enormous minutes hand. The Freak X keeps the overall look mostly ...
Worn & Wound
For stuntman Tom Place, watches aren’t simply accessories. They’re tools with a purpose. They also serve as reminders of the people, stories, and qualities that have shaped his life and career. Those qualities of perseverance and passion are at the heart of Hamilton’s America 250 celebration, and you’ll have a chance to experience them firsthand […]
Worn & Wound
Nothing beats the bold and brash hand-painted liveries of motorsports in the 1960s and 1970s, especially compared to the overstimulating and overcorporatized wraps of today’s racecars. No, liveries of old were meant to invoke speed and evoke a sense of romance and adventure—and yes, also to occasionally advertise a sponsor. In celebration of those iconic liveries of the golden years of motorsport, British watchmaker Farer has unveiled a new trilogy of colorful chronographs. Each of the new models takes on a colorway seen on racetracks of yesteryear, while maintaining the motorsport-inspired design of their chronograph lineup. The new Racing Chronographs measure in at a slim 38.5mm in diameter and 13.4mm in thickness, making the stainless steel case comfortable on the wrist for long sessions behind the wheel. Each model features three subdials at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, with hours, minutes, small seconds, and 30-minute and 12-hour counters. A bidirectional bezel with a ceramic insert wears a 12-hour scale and along with the hands and indexes, is filled with Super-LumiNova for legibility and visibility. Inside, and visible through a flat sapphire crystal exhibition caseback, is a Sellita SW510M b Elaboré grade movement. Decorations include skeleton framework, perlage finishing, blued screws, and a custom engraved bridge with the Farer monogram just below center. A 63-hour power reserve ensures that setting the watch down between race days won’t be an issue. I’ve ...
Monochrome
German watchmaker Hanhart presents the new Thermosphere Limited Edition, a model created in partnership with the Baden-Württemberg State Firefighters Association. Based on the robust Aquasphere diving watch, the Thermosphere adapts the concept to an entirely different environment, replacing underwater timing with a system inspired by breathing apparatus monitors used in firefighting operations. Limited to 112 […]
Fratello
We are once again looking to expand our team: Fratello’s reach continues to expand, and we’re growing our content creation capabilities to match the demands of an increasingly engaged global audience. If this sounds exciting to you, and you would like to join our growing team as a photographer on a three-day-per-week basis, read on […] Visit Fratello Is Hiring: Staff Photographer In Our HQ In The Hague, Part Time to read the full article.
SJX Watches
California-based independent watchmaker J.N. Shapiro has unveiled the Infinity Series Radiant chronograph, the brand’s first complicated model available to the general public. Like the special order series released last year, the Radiant is built around a well-known La Joux-Perret monopusher calibre, but this time the watch features a tantalum case and choice of two dial configurations. Initial thoughts The Infinity Series is how it all started for J.N. Shapiro, and while the southern California-based watchmaker subsequently introduced the Resurgence — taking ‘made in America’ to the extreme — the Infinity Series makes use of third-party movements to make the brand’s inventive hand-turned guilloche dials more accessible. The Radiant chronograph takes after the 14-piece limited edition unveiled last year for the Boston-based ‘Escapement’ collector group. The Radiant is functionally identical, using the same La Joux-Perret cal. 5000 monopusher chronograph movement. But while the Escapement chronograph featured a movement that had been customised for fellow Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA) member Ming, the Radiant gets its own anthracite-coated livery complete with the brand’s ‘infinity weave’ logo. The movement itself has its own interesting backstory, but the handmade dials and weighty tantalum case do more to help justify the pricing of US$35,900. By the standards of mass market watchmaking this is a steep ask for a straightforward complication,...
Worn & Wound
It’s easy to think of J.N. Shapiro as a brand largely focused on a style of watchmaking from an earlier generation. But that’s a trap. While the design language is rooted in classicism and J.N. Shapiro prides itself on the highest level execution of traditional guilloche, the brand has also been open to experimenting with materials in a way that many other contemporary indies have embraced to great success in recent years. Their new watch, the Radiant, enters the Infinity Series with a host of exotic materials at its core, and the watch serves as a reminder that while J.N. Shapiro is capable of doing things in an old school way, and might lean into that at times, the brand is not opposed to taking a modern perspective on some of these old fashioned ideas. J.N. Shapiro’s Southern California manufacture sits at the heart of the American aerospace industry, and that connection serves as a loose inspiration for the Radiant, a new monopusher chronograph that is a bit of a sequel to their first chrono, released just last year in a very small run for Escapement, a Boston area collector’s group. Watches that are linked to aerospace are nothing new, but usually watches in this genre are conceived as fit for an astronaut, or something along those lines (there’s been a glut of space-travel oriented watches just this year, from IWC, Bremont, and others). J.N. Shapiro takes a different approach, focusing on materials that are closely tied to the industry and have unique app...
Hodinkee
What We Know Time flies, and it’s been almost 10 months since J.N. Shapiro launched the brand’s first complication, a limited-run monopusher chronograph for a private group of collectors in the Boston area. It featured a salmon-and-black dial and a stainless-steel case, limited to 14 pieces. Now the concept is back, with the same movement, but with some arguable upgrades in how the entire watch is treated. The brand has tapped tantalum and zirconium as major parts of the watch's construction, materials used extensively in aerospace engineering for their special properties. "Our workshop is located in one of the largest aerospace manufacturing hubs in the world," says Shapiro in their press release. "Companies like SpaceX, Boeing, Northrop, and JPL are all nearby. This watch is a nod to that environment, using space-age metals and meteorite to reflect where we come from and what inspires us." The watch comes in two dial variants, both cased in 38mm-by-9.6mm (8.2mm without crystal) tantalum cases. The dark grey material, famously hard to machine, is incredibly heavy, giving the watch a lot of gravitas on the wrist. Photo courtesy J.N. Shapiro. The first dial, which is the most direct homage to the Californian tie with aerospace, features a Meteorite with a blued zirconium chapter ring and blued hands. The chapter ring is engraved with hour markers and Arabic numerals at 3, 6, and 9, plus a minute track, but no specific chronograph scale. The subsidiary dial counter has a...
Fratello
Just a couple of weeks ago, we were recording an episode of Fratello On Air when Balazs brought up the new Timex Atelier collection. Frankly, I had no idea what he was talking about, which is odd because I check out the brand’s website every so often. Lo and behold, when I did hit the […] Visit Watch Out, World: The New Timex Atelier Chronographs Are Really Good to read the full article.
Hodinkee
What We Know Vacheron just brought back its incredibly unique Traditionelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, and it's a welcome sight for dedicated collectors of the brand, along with general enthusiasts of unexpected yet innovative takes on complicated watchmaking. If you're not familiar with the original Traditionelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar, launched back in 2019, the watch offered an incredibly novel solution to a problem often found within perpetual calendar watches. Let's be honest, though the entire appeal and genius of the perpetual calendar is for someone wearing one watch all day, every day, for the whole year, watches like these are most often owned by those with a large collection to begin with. A weekend for a perpetual calendar in a watch box or drawer would mean that the complication would need to be set again after winding, and so Vacheron introduced this perpetual calendar with a whopping 65-day power reserve. To achieve this, rather than putting in an unfeasibly large mainspring in the barrel, the Traditionelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar lives up to its name by offering a new system that allows for switching between two beat rates for the watch—a contemporary high-beat 5Hz frequency with a 4-day power reserve for normal timekeeping during wear, but a much slower 1.2Hz mode with that prolonged power reserve for the "Standby" phase. The Caliber 3610QP comprises two separate gear trains for the two regulating systems, with a series of differentials tha...
Fratello
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we talk about how hype can help or hurt brands. Naturally, there are plenty of other topics on the docket, including television, German culture, and more! This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie settings Hype is a funny […] Visit Fratello On Air: How Hype Can Help Or Hurt A Brand to read the full article.
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