Hodinkee
In-Depth: Built To Last: The Oris Caliber 400
With this mighty movement (which powers the Aquis Date), Oris has made simplicity a virtue.
448 articles · 6 videos found · page 3 of 16
Hodinkee
With this mighty movement (which powers the Aquis Date), Oris has made simplicity a virtue.
Quill & Pad
This is the story of the final watch – or, truthfully, pair of watches – that GaryG happened upon at a Sotheby’s auction in late 2017 and felt that he just had to have: two 1970s prototype pieces made by Jaeger-LeCoultre. But why "unsalable"?
Hodinkee
When in-house hits a little closer to home.
Hodinkee
An Oris of a different color, you might say.
Hodinkee
A Doppelchronograph by any other name.
Revolution
The new Carrera models get subtle upgrades with an emphasis on the watch’s motorsport heritage.
Revolution
Once again, the global editors of Revolution weigh in on the best timepieces of the year, as well as the personalities that shaped the watch industry.
Revolution
Anchoring the corner of fashionable Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and quiet Rue Boissy d’Anglas, and a block away from Place de la Concorde and the Tuileries Garden, sits Hermès’ hulking Paris emporium and headquarters. The impressive flagship houses not only the gorgeous Hermès boutique and offices, but also a new Émile Hermès Museum, which features […]
Revolution
Fratello
An incredibly cool video went online the other day on The Slow Mo Guys’ YouTube channel. The guys (Gav and Dan) used insane equipment to get the frame rate to 10,000 per second and the magnification to 10× for some seriously close and slow footage inside the miniature marvel of Omega’s caliber 1869. That’s right […] Visit [Video] Going Inside A Speedmaster Movement With The Slow Mo Guys to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The snobs sit down and revisit the Omega 321 Speedy release while running through better ways to spend $14k.
Time+Tide
Finally, we have the last additions to the “Watch & Act!” Auction. Lot 22: TAG Heuer – Unique Piece, Autavia Caliber 5 ‘Watch & Act!’ Edition First released in 2019, this collection represented the first time the name Autavia had been given to a time-only watch, which is originally a portmanteau of automobile and aviation … ContinuedThe post “Watch & Act!” Auction – The Final Additions #2 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Oddly enough, one of the year’s highlights is a quartz watch that costs almost US$17,000 – but it is the most accurate wristwatch ever, rated to run within a second a year and probably less in practice. The Citizen Caliber 0100 slightly plain but the technology within is mighty impressive. Also impressive is the thought and effort put into developing the movement; that is extremely Japanese. It feels slightly anachronistic given the alternatives that can sync with GPS or radio waves and keep just as good time, but it is still mighty impressive. The top of the line model is in 18k white gold, explaining the price tag, but fortunately there’s a titanium model with the same movement for half the price. The Citizen Caliber 0100 The 0100S movement Sporty-ish and value For almost exactly the same price, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph scores high in terms of value for money. It’s an ultra-thin – really, really thin – chronograph with a second time zone function that continues Bulgari’s streak of extra-flat Octo watches. Though the design is thoroughly modern, its slimness and proportions give it a graceful air. But at 42mm the case is verges on looking like a biscuit because it is flat and wide. And the thinness of the movement, combined with a rather small balance wheel, inevitably invite questions about its robustness. The Octo chronograph That is very flat More expensive but also strong value for money is the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus. Looks-wise, it...
SJX Watches
Nineteen-sixty nine was a watershed year in watchmaking – the culmination of the race for the world’s first automatic chronograph. It was a three-way contest between two Swiss watchmakers and one from Japan. Both Swiss movements – the Zenith El Primero and the Heuer-Breitling-Buren-Dubois-Depraz Caliber 11 – have enjoyed a following to this day, but the third – the Seiko 6139 Speedtimer – remains relatively obscure as it went out of production in 1979. The 6139 was a single-register chronograph with a 30-minute totaliser at six o’clock and a quickset day-date display. Crucially, it had a column wheel and vertical clutch. And an even lesser known fact is that Seiko produced its first chronograph – the “Crown” with a column-wheel and mono-pusher – just five years before, in 1964 to coincide with that year’s Tokyo Olympic Games. In short, the 1960s were a major decade for Seiko in terms of chronographs. The Seiko “Crown” chronograph of 1964 with its characteristic black plastic bezel Hence, to mark the 50th anniversary of its first automatic chronograph, as well as the 55th anniversary of its first chronograph, Seiko has unveiled a pair of limited editions, both chronographs, naturally. The two editions are each limited to 1000 pieces and powered by the same calibre, the in-house cal. 8R48 that was introduced in 2014. The first and the more modern looking of the two, is the Prospex 50th Anniversary Automatic Chronograph ref. SRQ029. I...
One of the most dramatic technological innovations in recent memory is the OMEGA Co-Axial caliber 8508. It is resistant to magnetic fields greater than 1.5 tesla (15,000 gauss), far exceeding the levels of magnetic resistance achieved by any previous watch movement and solving a problem that has challenged watchmakers for many decades. The mechanical movement […]
Fratello
Zenith’s caliber 135 continues its revival within the brand’s modern lineup with a new version. After the restored vintage-powered editions from 2022 and the following G.F.J. releases in 2025 and 2026, the brand now adds a special, limited collaboration with Naoya Hida to the collection. This time, the focus shifts toward Japanese independent watchmaking. The […] Visit Introducing: The Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed With Naoya Hida & Co. to read the full article.
Fratello
Having been a part of the Fratello team for more than five years, I suspect some people might find it mildly shocking that it’s taken me this long to add a Speedmaster to my collection. With Fratello being so closely associated with the mighty Speedy, not owning one almost felt sacrilegious. The truth is simpler. […] Visit Why My First Speedmaster Had To Be The Calibre 321 to read the full article.
Hodinkee
The brand's business calendar caliber with a 10-day power reserve is back.
Fratello
The first Speedmaster to hit retail with a six-figure price is here! Well, that’s if you don’t count the complicated Speedmaster Chrono Chime. Omega introduces the platinum Speedmaster Calibre 321 with a material-matching flat-link bracelet, and at our local AD in The Hague, the price of that most prestigious Speedy is €107,500. If you’re in […] Visit Get Your €100K+ Speedy Now! Omega Offers The Speedmaster Calibre 321 With A New Platinum Flat-Link Bracelet to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Omega’s opening act for the year is a splendid reinterpretation of the first-ever Speedmaster, the ref. 2915-1 of 1957. More accurately, it’s a splendidly luxurious take on the vintage original. The Speedmaster Calibre 321 in Canopus Gold is equipped with (almost) the same movement as the ref. 2915, and retains the same dimensions – but it’s entirely in Omega’s proprietary white gold alloy and enhanced with extras like an onyx dial and enamelled tachymeter scale. Entirely in Canopus gold, Omega’s own white gold alloy Initial thoughts Omega is starting 2022 in a big way with a heavyweight timepiece that perfectly encapsulate the brand’s historical greatness – which naturally means a Speedmaster. And it’s not just any Speedmaster, but arguably the ultimate iteration of the Moon Watch: the cal. 321 in a CK2915-1 case. The result is a watch that seems straight out of 1957 at a glance, but one that’s definitely heftier and shinier up close. The new Speedmaster does a good job at evoking a perfectly preserved example from the 1950s, thanks to clean dial that avoids faux patina. The purely modern aesthetic makes sense, since it gives the watch its own identity and clearly distinguishes it from the vintage originals and later remakes, most notably the 1957 Trilogy Speedmaster released in 2017 for the 60th anniversary of the model. That said, the new Speedmaster isn’t particularly creative – it does feel a little like yet another Speedmaster – since i...
SJX Watches
Having explored the Citizen Caliber 0200 last week, we now focus on arguably the most important aspect of the watch – the cal 0200 within. An important achievement for Citizen, the cal. 0200 is the brand’s first high-end automatic movement. The fact that the watch was named after its movement indicates its significance, and also the fact that the watch was constructed around the movement, rather than vice versa. The Caliber 0200 wristwatch is high quality, particularly in the finishing of its case and bracelet. That’s all the more impressive given its US$6,000 price tag, which leaves the best of class in its price segment in terms of finishing and quality. But the Caliber 0200’s merits are all encompassing – its movement is as accomplished as the external components. The cal. 0200 is an all-new, in-house automatic with with the features expected of a modern movement, and a little bit more. Beyond its intrinsic qualities, it is also notable for being a fusion of Japanese and Swiss watchmaking: its development, production, and assembly is done by Citizen in Japan, but with a key contribution from Swiss movement maker La Joux-Perret, which makes the base plate and bridges, and helped to refine the movement decoration. The rest of the movement – from development and construction to finishing and assembly – is done by Citizen at its headquarters in Tokyo. In fact, Citizen set up a specialised workshop, the Mechanical Watch Elements Development Department (or ME...
SJX Watches
Citizen is one of the world’s biggest watchmakers, with its timepiece division generating about US$1 billion in sales each year – an output of several hundred million watches and movements annually. That vast manufacturing expertise means Citizen knows how to produce a fine mechanical movement. Now Citizen has finally accomplished it, and installed the movement inside a brilliant new watch. Launched earlier this month, The Citizen Caliber 0200 is equipped with the brand’s first mechanical movement developed from scratch as a high-end calibre (“The Citizen” is the name of the collection, while Caliber 0200 refers to movement as well as this specific model). Although the brand did launch a version of The Citizen with an automatic movement in 2010, the new Caliber 0200 is radically different, and tremendously superior. While the highlight is the new Caliber 0200, the entire watch is executed extremely well. The case and bracelet are outstanding, fabricated and finished so well there is nothing else that comes close in the same price segment. The quality of the watch was apparent in the press photos, which made me want to see it in the metal. I got my hands on a prototype for a couple of days earlier this month, an experience that left me substantially impressed. [Editor’s note: The watch pictured is a prototype, so it does contain a handful of hard-to-spot imperfections.] Initial thoughts On paper, the Caliber 0200 might seem uninteresting, being yet another sp...
WristBuzz
Nine new references, a better bracelet, and the Spring Drive UFA making its way into classic Evo9 cases. Here's what actually changed.
WristBuzz
The Le Locle manufacture launches a new collaboration program, and its first partner is the most talked-about independent in Japan
Hodinkee
One of JLC's best calibers returns in rose gold.
Revolution
SJX Watches
The Star Caliber 2000 occupies a peculiar position in the history of grand complications. It was never the most complicated watch in the world. At its debut it ranked fourth — behind Patek Philippe’s own Calibre 89 and Graves Supercomplication, and the Leroy 01 — and in the quarter-century since, the complexity record has moved further still, most notably to Vacheron Constantin. The complication arms race the Calibre 89 inadvertently triggered ran its full course, and the Star Caliber 2000 was never part of it. What it did instead was something harder to measure and, as it turns out, more durable. It demonstrated that the tradition’s inheritance of unsolved problems — the desynchronised equation, the imperfect melody, and the moon exiled from the sky — was not inevitable. That each problem had a solution. And that the solutions, taken together, produced a different kind of watch: not necessarily more complicated but more coherent; not a larger accumulation of independent mechanisms but an integrated instrument in which every display refers to a single source of truth. The arms race In early 1989, as Switzerland prepared to celebrate the most complicated portable timepiece ever made, the man who had just assembled it returned to his bench. Paul Buclin had spent years assembling and setting up the Calibre 89 by hand — 1,728 components driving 33 complications. Weighing most of a kilogram, the watch itself required its own carrying case. The watch was a monument...
Fratello
When you type in “retrograde” in the search box on the Fratello homepage, the results are watches in the upper echelons of high horology. The presence of a Longines is the exception that proves the rule. However, there is a brand that can be categorized as “affordable luxury watchmaking” and has quite a reputation for […] Visit Introducing: The Maurice Lacroix 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde With The Brand’s 26th Masterpiece Caliber to read the full article.
Hodinkee
The new Chronomaster Sport Chronograph brings a slew of technical updates to the El Primero caliber.
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