Watch brandsWatch wikiWatch videosVariousWatch calendarSaved articles
PopularRolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetTudorGrand SeikoCartierSeikoIWCTAG HeuerBreitlingJaeger-LeCoultreA. Lange & SohneZenith

Results for Mainspring Types and Alloys

30,216 articles · 160 videos found · page 296 of 1013

What is 5 ATM Water Resistance? Watches’ Depth Ratings Explained Teddy Baldassarre
Aug 27, 2025

What is 5 ATM Water Resistance? Watches’ Depth Ratings Explained

Watches differ widely not only in their designs, materials, and functions but also in their ability to resist the detrimental effects of water and moisture. Some watch enthusiasts, especially those who wear their timepieces for diving, know exactly what they're looking for in terms of waterproofing, but many others might be unsure exactly how safe it is to wear their watch in the swimming pool or even to wash the car. What do watches' water-resistance ratings like 5 ATM or 10 ATM mean in the real world, and how exactly do industry terms like "bars" and "atmospheres" help you determine how waterproof your watch is? Here we address some commonly asked questions about water resistance in watches and break down what the most common depth ratings mean in practical terms.  What was the first water-resistant watch? Since the invention of the wristwatch, watchmakers have been coming up with solutions to address an inconvenient reality: namely, that water and tiny mechanical parts, such as those inside a watch movement, simply do not mix. The technical challenge of making a portable timepiece that could withstand exposure to water became even more prominent in the mid-20th Century, with the rise of diving as a tactical and eventually also a recreational pursuit. The first innovator to seriously take up the gauntlet was Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf, who developed the now-famous Oyster case in 1926. Its groundbreaking design combined a threaded, hermetically sealed caseback and a cro...

Albishorn Introduces the Marinagraph, a Unique Regatta Timer Worn & Wound
Aug 27, 2025

Albishorn Introduces the Marinagraph, a Unique Regatta Timer

Albishorn has accomplished quite a bit in its first year. It was around this time in 2024 that we were introduced to the brand through a collaboration with Wiiliam Massena. The Maxigraph introduced the tantalizing concept of the brand in an easily digestible way: these would be “imaginary vintage” watches inspired by alternate versions of watch history. It’s a clever spin on the well understood and perhaps overused idea of the “vintage inspired” watch that allows for a great deal more creativity and whimsy. Zach Weiss recently reviewed the Albishorn Type 10 and was impressed with both the execution and concept behind the piece. The new Marinagraph, available in two versions, is the next iteration of the Albishorn project. On its surface, this is a chronograph inspired  by the classic regatta timer. And, in some ways, it’s exactly that. But of course Albishorn has crafted a much more interesting story behind the Marinagraph, which is based on telling the “untold chapter in the evolution of the skin diver chronograph.” Albishorn says that the Marinagraph story starts with the 1958 running of the America’s Cup, the sailing competition that was first contested in 1851. The 1958 race was the first one after a period of dormancy, and introduced 12-Meter class yachts to the competition, which represented a significant advancement in technology to the sport, carrying sailing into a new, modern era.  The Marinagraph is a watch that might have accompanied the cre...

Prix Gaïa 2025 Awarded to Dr Helmut Crott for Scholarship SJX Watches
Aug 25, 2025

Prix Gaïa 2025 Awarded to Dr Helmut Crott for Scholarship

Awarded annually by the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH), one of Switzerland’s leading timekeeping museums, the Prix Gaïa recognises individuals who have contributed to watchmaking in three categories. This year’s winner in the “History [and] Research” category is Dr Helmut Crott. Best known for having founded the eponymous auction house, Dr Crott is also an author, scholar, and former owner of Urban Jürgensen, amongst other roles. In 2021 he authored Le Cadran, an in-depth study of dials and dial making techniques of 20th century wristwatches. Le Cadran by Dr Helmut Crott Past winners of the Prix Gaïa include Reinhard Meis, Jonathan Betts, Pierre-Yves Donzé, Kathleen Pritschard, and Ludwig Oechslin, all scholars and authors who have contributed substantively to the body of knowledge in the field. Alongside Dr Crott, this year’s winners are Jean-Jacques Paolini for “Entrepreneurship”, and Roger W. Smith for “Craftsmanship [and] Creation”. As the successor to Georges Daniels’ brand of English watchmaking, Mr Smith now produces watches under his own name, with his achievements and timepieces well known. Jean-Jacques Paolini Mr Paolini, on the other hand, is less known outside the industry, but he is arguably most responsible for building the enterprise that’s the largest employer in La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1980, Mr Paolini took over his family’s case and bracelet manufacturing business, developing its operations sufficiently that it was acq...

Introducing – The New Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph in Pink Gold Monochrome
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph Aug 19, 2025

Introducing – The New Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph in Pink Gold

Roger Dubuis introduced the Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph in 2023, debuting it in a lightweight carbon case inspired by supercar engineering and embodying the brand’s vision of hyper horology – bold, expressive, and technically advanced watchmaking. Also in 2023, the Excalibur Spider Revuelto Flyback Chronograph was unveiled alongside the launch of the actual Lamborghini Revuelto. […]

An Inside Look At The New Glashütte Original Dial Manufacture Teddy Baldassarre
Glashutte Original Aug 14, 2025

An Inside Look At The New Glashütte Original Dial Manufacture

Here’s the headline: this summer, the namesake and flagbearer of the Glashütte watchmaking region, Glashütte Original, has opened its own, dedicated dial manufacture. You might be asking yourself, “I thought G.O. already did everything in-house, what’s the deal?” And while you would be right to ask, the basis of the question is also correct. Glashütte Original, while owned by Swatch Group, does, in fact, “do everything in-house,” or to be more specific: 95% of everything. However, up to this point, the dials for G.O. watches were made in a facility six hours away in Pforzheim. This move has brought production to a 5,000-plus-square-foot facility that is just a quick float down the babbling Muglitz River - 450 meters, to be exact. In a market where collectors are placing increasing importance on “in-house” everything, this is a big move for a company that has been preaching the Homemade Gospel from the Saxon hilltops for decades. Not only does this allow for more agile production timelines, but it increases G.O.’s production capabilities as a whole. G.O. brought me to Germany to see the new facility and to tour the full manufacture as well. In addition to the photos here, which won’t tell the full story, we also have a full video touring the manufacture.   This sort of care for detail and attention to craftsmanship is deeply ingrained in the region, and in Glashütte Original as a brand. The people at this manufacture take the namesake very seriously...

Hands-on – Some Thoughts about the Rolex Daytona “Alcaraz” 126518LN with Turquoise Lacquer Dial Monochrome
Rolex Daytona “Alcaraz” 126518LN Aug 13, 2025

Hands-on – Some Thoughts about the Rolex Daytona “Alcaraz” 126518LN with Turquoise Lacquer Dial

In recent years, basically since the introduction of the ceramic bezel on the steel edition (the 116500LN), the Daytona has become the hottest watch in Rolex’s portfolio, but also remained a fairly conservative model, with a rather parsimonious use of colours. This hasn’t always been the case, though, and in the past, we’ve seen wild […]

Introducing The Seiko 5 Sports × Pepsi Limited Editions - Are These The First Watches With Official Pepsi Bezels? Fratello
Rolex s GMT-Master was Aug 12, 2025

Introducing The Seiko 5 Sports × Pepsi Limited Editions - Are These The First Watches With Official Pepsi Bezels?

When people mention Pepsi in the watch world, they refer to the red and blue colors on a GMT or dive bezel. Rolex’s GMT-Master was the first watch with such a bezel, but Seiko also made numerous watches with red and blue bezels. In a surprising turn of events, Seiko has now launched two new […] Visit Introducing The Seiko 5 Sports × Pepsi Limited Editions - Are These The First Watches With Official Pepsi Bezels? to read the full article.

Hands-On With The Rubber MoonSwatch Strap On My Mission To Saturn Fratello
Aug 9, 2025

Hands-On With The Rubber MoonSwatch Strap On My Mission To Saturn

Whenever I see a MoonSwatch in the wild, and there are many of them, it’s likely no longer on its original strap. Many people have changed it out for something more comfortable, like a rubber or textile strap. I also wear my MoonSwatch on an aftermarket strap, because even though it’s easy to adjust, the […] Visit Hands-On With The Rubber MoonSwatch Strap On My Mission To Saturn to read the full article.

The 25 Best World Time Watches (2026) Teddy Baldassarre
Aug 8, 2025

The 25 Best World Time Watches (2026)

Any listing of the best world time watches on the market today is best prefaced by explaining the difference between this type of travel watch and the more common GMT watches category. Whereas a GMT watch is designed to simultaneously display the time in both a traveler's local time zone and his or her home time zone, a world-time watch allows its wearer to quickly glimpse the time in numerous other time zones across the world in addition to the local and home time, often in visually spectacular fashion with globe-themed dial designs. Here we've found 25 world-time watches that are worthy of your notice, with price tags ranging from eminently affordable (Tissot, Ball, Nomos) to exclusive and expensive (Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe). Unlike our roundup of GMTs, we didn't disqualify watches with additional complications but we did err on the side of watches more recently introduced to the market. And you'll be happy to discover a few of them that you can purchase directly from our online store. (In the case of the limited editions showcased here, some of which may now be available only on the secondary market, prices listed reflect the MSRP at the time of release.)  A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone Price: On Request, Case size: 41.9mm, Thickness: 10.9mm, Lug Width: 22mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Manually Wound L121.3 The now-iconic Lange 1 has been the flagship of the reconstituted A. Lange & Söhne brand since its introdu...

Hands-on – An In-House Tourbillon… From India! Here’s the Titan Nebula Jalsa Tourbillon Monochrome
Titan Aug 8, 2025

Hands-on – An In-House Tourbillon… From India! Here’s the Titan Nebula Jalsa Tourbillon

For many, watchmaking is synonymous with Switzerland. While the Swiss industry remains influential, several other countries also play significant roles in the production of timepieces. Germany, Japan and China are obvious examples. But India, too, is increasingly important, both as a manufacturing hub and a growing market. At the heart of India’s watch industry is […]

From Homage to Heritage: Why I Traded My Seiko SPB317 for the 6105-8000 Fratello
Seiko SPB317 Aug 6, 2025

From Homage to Heritage: Why I Traded My Seiko SPB317 for the 6105-8000

Every once in a while, a big box with Seiko watches arrives at the Fratello office. It contains the brand’s releases for the upcoming months and allows us to review and photograph them ahead of time. I still remember when I discovered the Seiko SPB317 in there, back in 2022. I immediately fell in love […] Visit From Homage to Heritage: Why I Traded My Seiko SPB317 for the 6105-8000 to read the full article.

We’re Still Doing This, Apparently: the Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold is Revealed Worn & Wound
Aug 4, 2025

We’re Still Doing This, Apparently: the Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold is Revealed

There’s almost nothing you can say to convince me the latest MoonSwatch, the not so elegantly named Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold, is not the product of a ChatGPT prompt entered by a Swatch exec. Maybe it said “What should the next entry in our never ending profit squeezing machine that is the MoonSwatch collection be called?” I can imagine an artificial intelligence suggesting something as silly, and also reminding the good people at Swatch that blue, and gold, and Snoopy are all very critical design characteristics that should be included.  Honestly, I hope AI is the culprit. I’d hate to think that human beings at a brand that I hold in such high regard are responsible for such a shallow mismatch of buzzwords and incoherent thematic elements. Let’s take stock of what we’re looking at here. This is a Bioceramic, quartz MoonSwatch much like all the others. It follows the original Earthphase model from last year and includes not just a moonphase complication, but an “Earthphase” that depicts the “phase” of the earth as seen from the moon. Useful? No. Whimsical? Perhaps.  There are a lot of little details though that are a bit of a grab bag of prior elements of MoonSwatches and Speedmasters of the past. Most notably, Snoopy and Woodstock are depicted right on the dial, watching the cosmic dance play out in front of them. The moons on the moonphase indicator are MoonShine gold plated. The graphical inspiration for the moonphase complication is the...

Bulova Jet Star Review: Retro Design Meets Cutting-Edge Precision Teddy Baldassarre
Bulova Jul 30, 2025

Bulova Jet Star Review: Retro Design Meets Cutting-Edge Precision

The Bulova Jet Star is one of those watches that leaves no room for doubt as to the decade from which its distinctive design originates. Revived in 2023 to commemorate the original's 50th anniversary, in a trio of diverse colorways, all the modern Jet Star models vibe “‘70s throwback” in a major way, with their unconventional, turtle-shaped cases and boldly colorful dials. However, they’re also very avant-garde in ways that their predecessors simply weren’t able to be, particularly in their use of Bulova’s high-frequency Precisionist calibers, their elevated level of finishing, and the almost three-dimensional degradé effect enhancing their dials. Scroll down for a closer look at each of the 50th anniversary Bulova Jet Star watches. Bulova Jet Star Case And Bracelet The modern Jet Star case is more angular and multifaceted than the curvilinear “turtle” shape of its 1970s predecessor. Strictly speaking, the case is octagonally shaped and topped with a round bezel that hugs the domed sapphire crystal. Measuring 40mm in diameter, approximately 45mm lug to lug, and 12.5mm thick, it boasts an array of polished and brushed finishes that accentuate those multiple, subtle edges and surfaces and lend the Jet Star an air of luxury in addition to its unmistakable retro charm. The lugs themselves are relatively short, with a 20mm lug width to accommodate the bracelet (on the two steel versions) or strap (on the gold-tone model and the steel limited edition). The crown...

Our Favorite Watches Worn in Movies Worn & Wound
Jul 30, 2025

Our Favorite Watches Worn in Movies

Obviously, we love watches here at Worn & Wound. But many members of our team also have a shared passion for movies, and we’ve found that there’s a lot of crossover between these two worlds. “Watch spotting” in movies is a pastime many of us hold dear and have become quite proficient at. Since we’re at the height of the summer blockbuster season, we thought now would be a good time to check in with the team and ask them identify their favorite watches featured in movies.  This is an extremely broad challenge, and the choices from our staff reflect the many ways watches work themselves into the art of filmmaking. Some choices are truly iconic and feature watches as actual plot points, while some are completely obscure and will likely be news to many readers, even the most accomplished cinephiles.  We’d love to know your favorite watches found in movies (or TV shows) so let us know in the comments below.  Zach Weiss  The opening sequence of Apocalypse Now is a hallucinogenic montage of haunting imagery layered over The Doors’ “The End,” setting the tone for one of the most brilliant yet brutal films ever made. There is no easing into the story; the scene that immediately follows features the protagonist of the film, Captain Willard, portrayed by Martin Sheen, having a mental breakdown in a hotel room in Saigon. As a way to introduce a character, it’s deeply unsettling. Drunk, manic, and eventually stripped naked, he loses his grip on reality to such a...

Hands-On With The Norqain Independence Skeleton 40mm Fratello
Norqain Independence Skeleton 40mm Earlier Jul 30, 2025

Hands-On With The Norqain Independence Skeleton 40mm

Earlier this month, I covered the release of the Norqain Independence Skeleton 40mm. I was relatively keen on the watches due to their compact case design and dimensions. It turns out that our readers also wanted to see more, so I messaged the folks at Norqain UK, and they quickly dispatched the stainless steel and […] Visit Hands-On With The Norqain Independence Skeleton 40mm to read the full article.

Hamilton Murph 38 Review Teddy Baldassarre
Hamilton Jul 29, 2025

Hamilton Murph 38 Review

Before getting into the Hamilton Murph, you know I have to put it into the context of the film it’s so tightly connected to. It is hard to believe more than a decade has passed since Interstellar hit theaters in late Fall, 2014. The movie was the first post-Batman Trilogy film from then-loved but not-yet-immortally-loved Christopher Nolan. Having not been a Nolan devotée up to that point, and also having been a staunch defender of John Williams in the wake of what I then felt was a premature coronation of Hans Zimmer (I’m sorry, but the Batman scores were more tonal exercises than music), I went into Interstellar excited, but I tempered it as best I could. The Hamilton Murph And Interstellar We also cannot forget that, one year prior to the film’s release, Nolan released one of the better teasers of the 21st century, complete with an original score that we would soon learn Zimmer had completed prior to the cameras rolling. I immediately noticed that this was a different Nolan and a different Zimmer. So when I sat down in the cinema, the subtle whisper of Zimmer’s theme, “Dreaming of the Crash,” slowly built over the Paramount Pictures logo and into the film’s opening, I knew I was in for capital-C cinema. For the next two-plus hours, I let the film envelop me. A sentimentalist, I fell hard and easily for the generational family story that was being told and the way the melody of the score manipulated my emotions. Sure, there were bits of Kubrick cribbing, b...

An Interview With Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert Fratello
Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert Jul 29, 2025

An Interview With Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert

The Reverso took a prominent spot during Watches and Wonders 2025. Not only were the new Reverso watches the highlight of the Jaeger-LeCoultre booth, but they were also the talk of the town. Earlier this year, before Watches and Wonders, I traveled to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s headquarters in Le Sentier to see the new Reverso collection in […] Visit An Interview With Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Jérôme Lambert to read the full article.

A Unique Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Starwheel [Updated with Sale Result] SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Starwheel [Updated Jul 29, 2025

A Unique Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Starwheel [Updated with Sale Result]

Continuing with its longstanding support for charities in Singapore, one of its key markets globally, Audemars Piguet (AP) has just revealed the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Starwheel SG60, a unique piece created expressly to raise funds for the National Museum of Singapore (NMS). Featuring a red lacquer dial and customised rotor, this one-of-a-kind Starwheel will be sold at auction on August 15, 2025, with all proceeds going to the museum. The watch is also a nod to Singapore’s 60th year as an independent nation, hence the “SG60”. [Update August 15, 2025: The unique Code 11.59 Starwheel sold for 480,000 Singapore dollars, equivalent to US$375,000.] Initial thoughts The Starwheel is my favourite Code 11.59 model, but the regular production version is only available in one guise for now. Unlike the standard model that’s dressed in dark, muted colours, the SG60 edition is bold and striking. The elements specific to the occasion are subtle, like the red “60” on the minute scale, but this is easily distinct from the regular production equivalent. I certainly think it is more appealing. That said, I would have preferred more extensive changes to the dial colour, especially since the black hour discs are now at odds with the rest of the dial that is mostly in red and silver. The only downside, of course, is the fact that it’s a unique piece that will probably sell for three times the retail price (and probably more). More generally, I like the fact that AP is doin...

40 Best Chronograph Watches (2026) Teddy Baldassarre
Jul 28, 2025

40 Best Chronograph Watches (2026)

Watchmaking, at its core, has always been about functionality. By wearing a timekeeper, not only did you get an instant update on at what point in the day you are in, but dependent on complication, you also had the opportunity to see at what point the moon was at in its cycle, what year you are in and even the opportunity to time various events (the big race or dinner). Since their invention more than 200 years ago, chronographs have established themselves the most versatile additions to the field of timekeeping. The very first was conceived as an aid to astronomical observations; over the years, chronographs have proven visually appealing as well as useful in day to day life. While nobody is entirely sure when the first chronograph was conceived, we do often point to Mr Nicolas Rieussec’s creation of 1821, which saw a spot of ink dropped onto a rotating disc of paper and dropped another when the timed event came to an end. Since then, it has become a complication we have seen from almost every brand out there. As we begin a new year, we felt the time was right to spotlight some of the best chronographs that are on the market in 2026. Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SSC813 Price: $695, Case Size: 39mm, Thickness: 13.3mm, Lug-to-Lug: 45.5mm, Lug Width: 20mm, Water Resistance: 100m, Crystal: Sapphire, Movement: Seiko Solar Caliber V192 The original Seiko Speedtimer, released in 1969, was among the world’s first self-winding chronograph watches, equipped with the legendary Calib...

Introducing: The Futuristic CIGA Design Z Series Hunter Automatic Skeleton Fratello
Jul 25, 2025

Introducing: The Futuristic CIGA Design Z Series Hunter Automatic Skeleton

When I think of CIGA Design, the first thing that immediately comes to mind is the brand’s highly successful Blue Planet. The watch is not only instantly recognizable, but it has also won numerous prizes. Still, there is another side to the CIGA Design that is far more modern and futuristic. The new Z Series […] Visit Introducing: The Futuristic CIGA Design Z Series Hunter Automatic Skeleton to read the full article.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono Review Teddy Baldassarre
Tudor Jul 23, 2025

Tudor Black Bay Chrono Review

The Tudor Black Bay Chrono hit the market, somewhat unexpectedly, in 2017, boldly elevating the already red-hot Black Bay collection into a new tier of horological prestige and marking the debut of a collaboration (again, rather unexpected) between Rolex-owned Tudor and its Swiss sport-watch competitor Breitling. Nearly a decade later, the model still represents the highest level of complication in Tudor’s 21st-Century lineup, and yet this Tudor chronograph also remains very manageable, as a subfamily, in terms of material, size, and colorway options - an area in which the larger Black Bay collection, some might argue, has gone a bit far in the opposite direction, now encompassing three distinctive iterations: original Black Bay, Black Bay 58, and Black Bay 54 (which we reviewed here), all touting different sizing and multiple colorways and materials. And this doesn’t even include the other “complicated” extension of the line, the Black Bay GMT, which recently debuted in the “58” sizing and which seems to unveil a new bicolor bezel or dial color every year since its 2018 debut. Originally called the Heritage Black Bay - as it was clearly an homage to vintage dive watches from Tudor’s watchmaking history, which began in 1946 - the OG Black Bay model traces its aesthetic roots to the Oyster Prince Submariner, released in 1954, one year after big brother Rolex rolled out its own much more famous Submariner watch. This original version, Ref. 7922, used the ...

Omega Adds a New “Orange” Seamaster to the Collection Worn & Wound
Omega Adds Jul 21, 2025

Omega Adds a New “Orange” Seamaster to the Collection

The Omega Seamaster is one of the most enduring of watch collections. Over the course of decades, it’s become akin to a household name, as long as your household includes at least one watch collector, or a fan of Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig era James Bond. It’s also one of the most fussed over of all sports watches. As popular as it is, it seems like fans of the collection (and its detractors, of course) always have gripes. That’s watches, obviously. But the overwhelming variety in Seamaster World over many years lends itself to sniping about the smallest details. The latest entry into the collection, a new Diver 300M in orange ($6,500), keeps the tradition alive.  It’s a bit of a misnomer, I think, to call this an “orange” watch. The watch is black, with notable orange accents on the seconds hand, the cardinal hour markers, and the strap. Like other recent Seamaster releases (the bronze-gold burgundy release from earlier this year, the James Bond 60th anniversary watch from 2022, and last year’s monochromatic releases teased by Daniel Craig at the Olympics) this one features an aluminum bezel and no date complication. It also forgoes the wave dial for a more subtle, lightly grained matte black. It’s all quite subdued for a watch supposedly defined by citrus.  Much of the commentary around this watch in the days since its unveiling centers on the bezel. It seems many would have preferred an orange bezel that would have clearly evoked the classic Planet...

IWC Debuts Pale Blue Ceramic with the “Top Gun” Miramar SJX Watches
IWC Debuts Pale Blue Ceramic Jul 21, 2025

IWC Debuts Pale Blue Ceramic with the “Top Gun” Miramar

IWC continues to grow its line of ceramic-cased pilot’s watches with the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar (ref. IW389409). A limited edition of 1,000 pieces unlike most other ceramic models that are regular production, the Miramar joins the pilot’s watches with ceramic cases in white, dark green, dark blue, beige, and of course classic black. For someone who wants the same colour, but for half the price, IWC has also launched the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 with a “Miramar blue” dial and stainless steel case (ref. IW388117) that’s regular production. Initial thoughts The IWC aviator’s watches with ceramic cases are generally appealing, the ceramic cases add a cool factor to an otherwise standard and functional design. But there are now a lot of them in multiple colours. The range of colours feels a little much, especially for a watch that meant to be rooted in aviation instruments. Because of the historical basis of IWC’s pilot’s watch line, the collection has always seemed a bit more serious minded, but the many colours run counter to that. That is, the Miramar itself is a likeable watch. The colour is unusual and fun while also being different. It brings to mind the fashionable shade of baby blue associated with Tiffany & Co., but is clearly different in being darker. And IWC’s build quality is always reliable; the cal. 69380 inside is an industrial workhorse found across the brand’s catalogue. The Miramar is also priced correctly, th...

Sinn 556 Review Teddy Baldassarre
Sinn Jul 17, 2025

Sinn 556 Review

Founded in 1961, Frankfurt, Germany-based Sinn is one of those watch brands that has a rich history to back it up, and continues to produce well-thought-out and reasonably priced watches, but has yet to be catapulted into the watch enthusiast spotlight that other brands have achieved. This, in my opinion, is something of a shame, but the hipster in me also likes to think that its lack of over-hype is also one of the brand’s strengths. While we over here at the Teddy team have given lots of (well-deserved) attention to the Sinn 104 ST, today, I’m going to give some more love to another equally deserving piece within the brand’s contemporary catalog: the Sinn 556 I.  One could argue that a no-nonsense black-dial watch is a dime a dozen. Pretty much every brand under the sun has one, if not several, to choose from. But unpacking and picking apart what immediately looks to be simple is a watch journalist's bread and butter after all, so it is quite literally my job to get down to the nitty gritty of the unique ways in which the Sinn 556 I is compelling, and, for those in the market, to break down the reasons why (or why not) it should be on your list of watches to consider. I will also argue that simplicity is often the easiest design element to mess up. How many times has one watch been thrown off by too much unnecessary text and branding, a date window that breaks up the dial’s overall harmony, or those little details that people free from watch obsession would easi...

Voutilainen Realises a Collector’s Dream, the 28 Kohan SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Jul 17, 2025

Voutilainen Realises a Collector’s Dream, the 28 Kohan

Voutilainen recently completed a custom commission with the 28 Kohan, a one-off example of its signature chronometer wristwatch that blends Finnish cultural symbols with Japanese decorative arts. Much of the decoration on the watch is maki-e, traditional Japanese lacquer, that is the work of artisan Tatsuo Kitamura, a frequent collaborator who was also responsible for past Voutilainen maki-e timepieces. Initial Thoughts Unique pieces and commissioned watches were historically the norm at the highest end of the watch market, which was then much smaller. Clients could be more demanding, and for the watchmaker, the risk of being unable to find a buyer was very real. Today off-the-rack watches dominate, largely for commercial and production reasons. Even brands with a long history of bespoke or custom watchmaking eschew custom dial colours. Some, however, keep the practice alive, like Vacheron Constantin with its Les Cabinotiers. Many independents also remain amenable to customisation, even established names that no longer need to, like Voutilainen, albeit with a long wait. Bespoke watches are inherently difficult to criticise – such watches are a success as long as the commissioner is satisfied, even if it’s the most hideous thing ever. Fortunately that isn’t the case here, the adjective that comes to mind is bedazzling. I suspect maximalist designs are often common on Voutilainen’s custom watches because collectors want to make the most of the opportunity. Some deta...