1,617 articles · 30 videos found · page 29 of 55
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Seamaster Diver 300M has been a cornerstone of Omega's dive watch legacy since its introduction in 1993. This year, the Swiss watchmaker refreshes the beloved collection with a duo of vintage-inspired models, blending classic aesthetics with modern performance.
Deployant
We visited Rudis Sylva, in a small village known as Les Bois in the Swiss Jura. And discover the fascinating history of the brand and the village.
Worn & Wound
Just hearing the brand Elka brings back nostalgic memories of my trip to Neuchatel back in 2019, a picture perfect Swiss town bordering a very large lake. It’s often known as the “land of watchmakers” and hosts the headquarters for some of the most renowned Swiss watch brands, including Elka Watches. Elka has launched a watch and whiskey collaboration with the limited release of 25 S series watches, each to be paired with their own unique bottle of golden hued Single Malt Whiskey. Many watch collectors, including myself, take pleasure in the opportunity to enjoy an evening dram of fine Scotch or Bourbon while gazing into the dials of our most prized watches. Oftentimes you can find us comparing notes from the liquor that complement the vibe of the watch, or even superficial aesthetic cues such as the color of the whiskey matching various earthy colors found on the watch – such is the case with this limited pairing from Elka. The Whiskey that comes with this new limited edition watch from Elka is not a Scotch, nor a Bourbon – but rather a single malt by the name of Loch Lat that has been distilled in Neuchatel and aged in Cognac casks. Whiskey that has not been distilled in Scotland lawfully cannot bear the official name of a Scotch (the same goes for Bourbon which needs to be made within the USA) and that’s the case here with this Swiss single malt not bearing either label. This new S series release from Elka is very elegant and dressy in appearance, but ...
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin (VC) has just announced its Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) programme. Focused on recent VC timepieces, the CPO offerings will all be certified and serviced by the brand, and accompanied by a two-year warranty. The CPO programme will also allow clients to trade-in their VC timepieces for a new model. The CPO programme is making its debut with Watchfinder, the pre-owned watch merchant owned by VC’s parent company, the Swiss luxury group Richemont. In time to come, it will progressively be rolled out at VC boutiques, third-party retailers, and even auction houses. Each CPO watch will be accompanied by a two-year international warranty, a “Digital Passport”, and an VC guarantee letter. Watches sold through the CPO programme will be delivered in a VC pouch with a VC seal tag. Strictly speaking, CPO programme isn’t the first time VC is offering pre-owned watches. For several years, select boutiques have carried watches from Les Collectionneurs, vintage VC watches restored and certified by the manufacture. Practically all of the Les Collectionneurs watches are over 40 years old. On the other hand, the CPO programme is distinct as it covers more recent timepieces, including current models.
Deployant
The Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe is a limited-edition timepiece designed to commemorate the Vendée Globe, a grueling solo sailing race around the world. The independant Swiss watch maison, that built its name supplying accurate, reliable marine chronometers to the world’s navies in the 19th century, will serve as an Official Partner and the Official Timekeeper of the Vendée Globe, the World’s largest solo, non-stop, unassisted round the-world sailing race.
Fratello
The new Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe celebrates one of the most taxing sailing races. It’s also the most sustainable watch yet from the Swiss brand. Let’s take a closer look at this sporty and colorful diver. Ulysse Nardin is no stranger to supporting lengthy, challenging races. The Gumball 3000 comes to mind in […] Visit Introducing: The Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A storied example of artisanal independent watchmaking, The Oval was the masterpiece by Derek Pratt (1938-2009), perhaps the greatest unknown watchmaker. Pratt began work on the Oval in 1982 as his magnum opus, the ultimate realisation of his aesthetic and technical vision. While his work for Urban Jürgensen is perhaps his best known, Pratt was an independent watchmaker with a diverse repertoire, including working with George Daniels on the co-axial escapement. Amongst his creations was a replica of John Harrison’s H4 marine chronometer. These projects, as well as the fact that the Oval was mostly hand made, meant the pocket watch took some two decades to complete. Although it’s a sizeable watch, the Oval is finely detailed, reflecting the high level of Pratt’s craft and the years he invested in creating the watch from scratch. Beyond its artisanal execution, the Oval also stands out for its technical achievement. Besides a detent escapement, the Oval also contains a horological first – a constant force mechanism integrated within the tourbillon – along with a thermometer, power reserve display, and moon phase on the dial. We took an in-depth look at the Oval in 2021, thanks to its current owner, Dr Helmut Crott. But now as the Oval heads to the auction block at Phillips, it’s worth one last look before it disappears into a collection. A two-decade odyssey A contemporary and friend of George Daniels (1926-2011), Pratt was one of the most talented horologists o...
SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin’s entry-level Freak has been dressed up with a flinque enamel dial in a limited edition for Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the Middle East’s most prominent luxury watch retailer. The Freak X Enamel Seddiqi features a “Yas Blue” guilloché enamel dial with the signature carousel carrying an oversized oscillator and silicon escapement that acts as a minute hand. Initial thoughts The Freak X is a descendent of the original Freak, but simplified for user-friendliness and affordability. The Seddiqi edition combines the appeal of the Freak X with an artisan ally decorated dial – a combination of contrasts that are complementary. While the enamel might seem contrary to the high-tech nature of the Freak X, it complements the aesthetics of the watch. The striking, translucent enamel forms a pleasing backdrop for the carousel. Priced at AED154,000 or around US$42,000, the Freak X Enamel Seddiqi is a little more expensive than the base model Freak X, but still amongst the most affordable Freak models. Inversed calibre In 2001, Ulysse Nardin revolutionised watchmaking the Freak, a watch that reimagined the conventions of movement construction with an unprecedented design that relocated the going train and oscillator to double as the minute hand. And the watch was the first-ever application of silicon in watchmaking. The Freak X has the trademark carousel minute hand, but features a convenient automatic movement and crown, eliminating the need to wind the watch every f...
SJX Watches
Continuing its annual tradition, Patek Philippe has just revealed its unique creation to benefit Children Action, the Nautilus Ref. 5711/1500A. Slated to be sold at auction with all proceeds going to the Geneva charity, the Nautilus Ref. 5711/1500A is entirely stainless steel and entirely engraved. The engraved Nautilus is the latest one-off wristwatch Patek Philippe has created for the charity founded by Swiss financier Bernard Sabrier that helps disadvantaged children. Past watches include the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time ref. 5524T in titanium and last year’s ref. 5270T in titanium with a green dial that sold for almost CHF10 million. The case, bezel, bracelet, and case back are hand engraved with a “Maori-inspired” motif that’s matched with a dark grey dial. While aftermarket engraving has been applied to various Nautilus models in the past, this is the first factory-original specimen decorated in this manner. Patek Philippe’s catalogue does include several complicated models decorated with engraving, most famously the Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 6002, but they all complicated and in precious metal. This is the first and only Nautilus (or sports watch of any sort) with an engraved case, and also the only steel model with engraving. The watch is accompanied by a pair of matching cufflinks in engraved steel, which are equally unique as Patek Philippe ordinarily only sells gold cufflinks. The matching cufflinks ref. 205.9057A-010 The Nautilus Ref. 5711/1500A will be...
SJX Watches
Although it’s been less than two years since its founding, Biver has already launched its second model, the Automatique. Using that as the base, the brand created the Automatique “Echoes of this Moment”, a unique piece crafted in collaboration with a Swiss artist for TimeForArt, a charity auction taking place in November to benefit the Swiss Institute, a nonprofit focused on contemporary art education. Initial thoughts The standard Automatique is undeniably a finely executed watch, especially the micro-rotor automatic calibre within. Although the aesthetics of the regular-production model aren’t perfectly cohesive, the exquisite quality of the movement and attention to detail make it one of the most interesting new time-only creations from an independent. This unique piece improves the aesthetics of the Automatique because it simplifies the design. The standard version has an elaborately finished dial that combines too many elements – faceted indices, brushed sectors, an engraved seconds track, and sharp polished hands. In contrast, the unique Automatique keeps the look simple, while still having a complex, artisanal dial decoration. Here the handmade dial – that’s both engraved and enamelled – can be admired for what it is, with no distractions. An artful dial The New York-based Swiss Institute was set up to promote contemporary art through events and exhibitions. Now in its second edition, TimeForArt was conceived to benefit the non-profit. Biver is one o...
Monochrome
Rolex… Whether you like the brand or not, whether you appreciate its watches or not, whether you understand the hype or not, it is hard to objectively deny the sheer quality and aura of its timepieces. There are obvious reasons for its success, for it to be the number one Swiss watch brand. And then […]
Fratello
It’s safe to say that 1969 was a strong year on all fronts, including for the watch industry. If the Moon landing is not enough, think of the first automatic chronograph conquering wrists or quartz watches waving their hands to them with a sneer of the coming revolution. That was the general context when Swiss […] Visit #TBT André Le Marquand’s Timeless Spaceman Audacieuse to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Sooner or later, you just knew it was going to happen. For as long as there’s been a Pelagos, and as long as there’s been a Tudor GMT movement, and as long as there’s been a human impulse to speculate, there’s been a call for the Swiss brand to release a Pelagos with the ability to track multiple time zones. It just makes sense for the brand’s most tool-forward dive watch: GMTs are what the people want and it’s an undeniably useful feature. And so, like an infinite number of chimpanzees at an infinite number of typewriters are certain to eventually produce the works of Shakespeare, now Tudor has finally issued a diver with all the features their loyal fans have been asking for. Titanium case: check. GMT movement with chronometer certification: check. Rotating 24 hour bezel: check. Spring bars: hey, no one has it all. The all new Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” might feel like an inevitability on the one hand, but on the other it still has a fascinating mix of little quirks that are capable of surprising even the most loyal Tudor fans (and speculators). Like the very first Pelagos FXD, this one is presented under a partnership with the French military. Specifically, the Zulu Time has been developed with the needs of the Aéronautique Navale (French Naval Aviation) in mind, and according to the brand the watch has been designed for the “adverse real-world conditions” faced by their personnel. For the original FXD, that meant a bi-directional bezel set up in...
SJX Watches
One of the first brands to invert a movement and showcase it on the dial, Glashütte Original just released the PanoLunarInverse, a sibling of the PanoLunarTourbillon and PanoMaticInverse. Like the earlier models, the PanoLunarInverse has key parts of the movement on the dial, including the balance wheel, escapement, and three-quarter plate that’s finished with with pyramid guilloche. In addition, it features the brand’s oversized Panorama date at two o’clock and a large moon phase display. Initial thoughts Older Pano models tended to be conservative in style. The PanoLunarInverse, on the other hand, is modern in colour and decoration, setting it apart from its Pano siblings. The inverted construction is made more interesting with the pyramid guilloche, while the moon phase adds a bit of romance to the technical appearance of the dial. Some models in Glashütte Original’s Pano collection bring to mind the asymmetrical dial layout of another German brand (which is partly why Glashütte Original has never escaped the shadows of its peers), but the PanoLunarInverse feels original because of the combination of colour, decoration, and complication. Priced at US$42,600, the PanoLunarInverse is one of the pricier watches in the Pano collection, but it is reasonably priced considering the platinum case and movement decoration. This is typical of Glashütte Original, which sits in the accessible high horology segment alongside brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre. Inverse German wa...
Monochrome
Ochs und Junior (in reality, it should be written ochs und junior, no capital letters) was founded in 2006 by Ludwig Oechslin, Beat Weinmann and Kurt König – the former being one of the most revered inventors of the Swiss watch industry, the former Director of the International Museum of Horology and the man who […]
Deployant
H. Moser & Cie presents the Pioneer Retrograde Seconds, the Swiss brand's first timepiece with a retrograde seconds display.
Monochrome
The Sherpa was a model name in the Ultrasonic series by the Enicar watch company, created to honour the “indefatigable Sherpas” who played a vital role in the 1956 Swiss Expedition to Mount Everest and Lhotse. The expedition, led by Albert Eggler, was equipped with Enicar Ultrasonic watches for timekeeping. The Sherpas, carrying heavy loads […]
Fratello
It’s not common for a watch of great rarity related to the Space Race of the Apollo Era to appear in a watch or space auction. Even more uncommon is finding several distinctive examples of rare watches from two premier Swiss brands related to mankind’s voyage to the Moon. Within RR Auction’s current Space Exploration […] Visit Space Watches: Edgar Mitchell’s Rolex GMT-Master 1675 And Dave Scott’s Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introduced in 2001, Ulysse Nardin’s Freak watch turned many watchmaking conventions upside down. With no hands, no dial and no crown, the Freak was powered by an in-line movement pivoting on itself every 60 minutes to indicate the time. It was regulated by a dual direct escapement and introduced the watchmaking world to silicium (aka […]
Worn & Wound
If you’ve been paying any attention to H. Moser & Cie. over the last few years, one thing should be abundantly clear - the Swiss watchmaker likes to keep things simple. While they may occasionally indulge themselves with an overwhelming quantity of dial text, or acquiesce to the need for a chronograph scale, Moser has increasingly adopted a minimalist approach in their watch design, with wide open expanses of dial and invisible logos taking center stage alongside hammered enamel finishes, minute repeater strikers, and elegantly finished hands. Today, Moser is throwing all that out, and, in partnership with Massena LAB, the brand is looking back to its history for what is, in many ways, its most traditional release in years. The Endeavour Chronograph Compax would, from anyone else, barely qualify as newsworthy. After all, what brand hasn’t dipped back into the well to create a historically-minded steel sports watch in recent years? Moser hasn’t, and that’s what makes this collaboration so interesting. Even the Heritage model, the closest the brand has come to the format, isn’t so much a recreation as a reimagination, a consideration not of how to make an old watch feel new, but a thought exercise in what H. Moser & Cie. might have made were the modern brand to find themselves in a different era. This new watch is not that. Though not a direct reproduction of any particular model, the new Endeavour Chronograph Compax is a genuine reflection on Moser’s history...
Monochrome
This year, Swiss watchmaking brand Delma celebrates 100 years since the company which led to its creation was founded in Lengnau with a few notable exemplars released to mark the occasion, like the Delma 1924 Tourbillon, made in collaboration with the renowned La Chaux-de-Fonds watchmaker Olivier Mory, or the Delma Heritage Chronograph 100 years. Also, […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Blancpain is the oldest Swiss watchmaker in existence, founded in 1735, as well as one of the most respected and, it is fair to say, one of the most intimidating for a newcomer to approach. This is not just because of the uniformly high prices - nearly all fall within a five-figure range - but also because of the vast diversity within the maison’s collection, which has emerged naturally after literally centuries of uninterrupted watchmaking. Many savvy watch enthusiasts, even ones relatively new to the game, are at least passingly familiar with the brand’s Fifty Fathoms dive watch and its place in that popular category’s historical pantheon, but remain largely unaware of other intriguing timepieces within Blancpain’s portfolio - some simple and understated, others paragons of horological complexity. Moreover, some of these aspirational aficionados are likely seeking out their first Blancpain watch, and attempting to decipher exactly what an entry-level timepiece from the venerable brand would be - what it costs and what it offers for that price. Continuing our “Price of Admission” series (which kicked off with Bilal Khan’s spotlight on Cartier), I will be examining the least expensive choices for an entry-level Blancpain, covering dress and sport options as well as a variety of case materials. Like most any watch brand in the luxury category, Blancpain’s most approachable models from a price perspective are those in cases of steel, rather than pr...
SJX Watches
Released in 1965 as an inexpensive watch for young people, the Tissot Stylist has just been brought back to life for the same reason. Featuring a minimalist, retro aesthetic with a cushion-shaped case, the Stylist is thin at 7 mm high and contains a quartz movement. Retailing for just US$275, the Stylist is one of the most affordable offerings from an establishment Swiss brand, putting it in the same price range as startup micro-brands sold only online. Initial thoughts Tissot is a Swiss brand with a noteworthy history, but now focuses on (very) affordable watches. Though the Stylist is a basic proposition – steel and quartz – it fits perfectly into the Tissot value equation. The Stylist is a vintage-inspired design with a historical basis – and history is something micro-brands lack – at an extremely low price. The version with a gradient blue dial is particularly retro and appealing. For the teenage (or even child) watch enthusiast, this is a good choice. Retro blue The original Stylist was actually a line of various watches launched in 1965 as a watch for the young. Available in a range of case shapes, the Stylist was conceived to be trendy and affordable. The modern Stylist is modelled on one of the cushion-shaped originals, and retains the compact sizing of the original. Its stainless steel case is 32 mm in diameter and just 7 mm. Though basic, the case has a robust modern construction. It is fitted with a sapphire crystal and water resistant to 50 m. Notably,...
Fratello
The Louis Moinet Starman is the latest release from the small Swiss brand that specializes in creating rare and extraordinary watches. The brand often blends exotic materials with high-level complications. Because of their low production numbers, Louis Moinet watches aren’t for everyone, but they’re always worth a look. Every release from Louis Moinet is worth […] Visit Introducing: The Louis Moinet Starman Flying Tourbillon to read the full article.
Fratello
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For the third year in a row, Zenith presents a limited-edition watch to support this noble cause. In 2022, the Swiss brand made a Chronomaster Original with a very pink dial. Last year was the Chronomaster Sport’s turn, and now the Zenith Defy Skyline lends its dial to raise […] Visit Zenith Dresses Its 41mm Defy Skyline In Pink For The Fight Against Breast Cancer to read the full article.
Monochrome
Inspired by some of the most iconic dive watches produced in the 1950s, Titoni introduced its Seascoper 600 dive watch in 2020. Boasting a formidable 600m depth rating and a Swiss-made COSC-certified in-house automatic movement, the Seascoper 600 was joined by a younger brother two years later: the Seascoper 300. With half the water resistance […]
Monochrome
Without a doubt, one of the most iconic chronographs ever produced by the Swiss watchmaking industry is the Omega Speedmaster, born in 1957 (as part of a trilogy of Master watches). However, the Speedmaster shot to notoriety in 1969 when the watch landed on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission – earning its title […]
Monochrome
Although Eska is a “newcomer” today, it’s actually a historic Swiss brand that goes back over a century. In early 2024, the first watch from the revived brand (now based in France) emerged as the Amphibian 250 (ref. 1094), a close remake of the 1959 Eska Amphibian 600. That watch was inspired by the Blancpain […]
Hodinkee
The movement maker's Director of Innovation and Marketing discusses collecting chronographs, Sellita, and what the Swiss watch industry can do better.
Monochrome
Last week’s selection of novelties from Geneva Watch Days were our personal picks from everything new we’ve seen during our stay in the Swiss capital. Looking back at the list, we stand by our choices, but one thing stood out: all but one watch cost tens of thousands of euros, if not more. While that’s […]
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