Results for Le Sentier

I’ll Never Own It, but AP’s 38mm Royal Oak Chronograph Finally Feels Right

A broke watch snob’s take on why the Audemars Piguet 38mm Royal Oak Chronograph finally makes sense, even if ownership is never on the table.

Portrait - Speaking to Bernard Van Ormelingen and Bernard Braboretz, the Watchmaking Duo Behind L’Atelier Bernard

Although some might argue it has never lost its touch, it must be said that the independent watchmaking scene feels rejuvenated and stronger than ever. Just a couple of years ago, creative souls looking to make a name for themselves struggled to find traction and lure collectors to make their dream come true. Established names […]

Revolution Awards 2025: Best Astronomical Watch - Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grande Complication La Première

Inside Chopard’s Most Complex Watch Ever: The L.U.C Grand Strike 2025 with Sapphire Crystal Gongs

Holiday Horology: Something old, Something new, Something special - Sheng Lee, Digital Writer

The Lord Elgin “Chevron” Direct Read 7775 Jump Hour: Mid-Century Watch Design at Its Peak

Never has there been a more attention-grabbing timepiece in my watch box than the Lord Elgin Direct Read 7775, commonly nicknamed the Chevron by enthusiasts. Every collector has a watch (or two, or three, or four, or five, or…) they’ve always wanted to add to their collection but can’t, for reasons like price, availability, or both. The Chevron has been near the top of my list for many years. When it was released to the public in 1957, it cost customers $79.50, the equivalent of roughly $917.67 in 2025. While fortunately not fetching that price on the market currently, a rough condition example can still set a collector back hundreds of dollars. The disheartening state of my wallet has made acquiring one infeasible and, even more so, impractical. However, when I saw a Chevron in good condition pop up on eBay for a solid price a few months ago, a good friend of mine and I worked out a deal to acquire it and finally add one to my collection (thanks again, Mike!). Now, with an example of my own, I can rest assured knowing that my years of yearning were not in vain–this watch is truly a joy to own.  History and Rundown on the Direct Reading Line When my love for the Chevron model first began, very little information regarding the watch’s history was available online. Outside of the occasional blog post or auction listing, there were no published articles or deep dives available (or at least easily locatable). Research conducted for this article was sparked when I ca...

Parmigiani Marks Founder’s Birthday with La Ravenale Minute Repeater

Insight: Shaping the Rolex Identity with a Century of Strategic Positioning

The marketing history of Rolex shows a brand building its public face step by step through symbols, carefully chosen moments, and tightly controlled messages. From its beginnings in 1905, Rolex shaped a clear, recognisable image, with a strong emphasis on visibility, control and consistency. The company spent real effort defining what the name Rolex should evoke and how that image would appear in print, in shop windows and on people’s wrists. Where many watchmakers leaned on language around heritage and handcraft, Rolex developed a communication style rooted in achievement, trust and broad recognition. The brand favoured association: with pilots, swimmers, climbers, tennis players, orchestras, laboratories and prize-giving institutions. Sponsorships, endorsements and even model names formed a linked pattern, presenting the Rolex watch as the natural companion of records, frontiers and public success. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder, treated promotion and product as parts of the same task. He saw that a claim about performance gained weight when tied to a visible test or public event, and that reputation could grow through displays of endurance, accuracy and elegance under pressure. The waterproof Oyster case, observatory trials, Channel swims, aviation flights and Himalayan expeditions all served as stages on which the watch and the story moved together. Across the decades this approach produced one of the most coherent brand stories in modern watchmaking. Through long-standi...

In-Depth - The Back-To-Basics-Watch of Roger Dubuis, the Hommage La Placide

Roger Dubuis is a name that can be seen from different angles. It is one of these names that feels twofold in the collecting community. One side of the name refers to the man himself, a talented watchmaker who, back in the 1990s, created his eponymous independent brand, with early-production watches becoming highly collectable youngtimer […]

Introducing La Vallée COSMO

L.Leroy Osmior Bal du Temps: A return to the ballroom of complications

Introducing: Roger Dubuis Marks 30 Years With The Hommage La Placide

Thirty years in, the Maison celebrates its origins with a tribute to its founder.

Business News: LVMH Buys Minority Stake In Swiss Movement Maker La Joux-Perret From Japan's Citizen Group

Deal for minority stake gives luxury giant access to Swiss-made watch movements at a significant scale and comes as the industry consolidates.

Industry News - LVMH Watches Division Acquires a Strategic Stake in Swiss Movement Maker La Joux-Perret

In a press release issued just a few hours ago, the LVMH Watches Division announced having acquired a minority stake in yet another key player in the Swiss watch industry. As a reminder, the LVMH Watches Division comprises brands Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith and is under the direction of Jean-Christophe Babin, also CEO of […]

Introducing - Roger Dubuis is Back to Classic Designs, with the new Hommage La Placide Perpetual Calendar

For many years, you’ve probably known Roger Dubuis for its bold, angular watches with openworked movements and tourbillon(s), most of them under the Excalibur collection. And while most are technically very impressive, this isn’t exactly the style that Mister Dubuis defined when he created the brand in the mid-1990s. The earliest watches, known as the […]

Casio Just Dropped the Coolest $70 Watch You’ll See This Year

The Casio Vintage AQ-240E is a new analog-digital watch with retro styling, compact dimensions, and a stainless steel build-all for under $70.

Showcasing Incredible Watches You May Have Never Seen With Kevin O'Lea

Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.

How L.Leroy Became The Watchmaker To Kings And Queens

Remembering Günter Blümlein: an icon of the century

Today marks the 24th anniversary of the death of Günter Blümlein. Let us take a moment to remember this great man, whom I am privilaged to know.

Bvlgari Unveils Its Latest Special Edition With Artist Lee Ufan

Happenings: Astronaut Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr.'s Speedmaster On Display At The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

The watch that made it to the Moon has touched down in Florida.

Hands-On: Aera's New M-1 Is A Decidedly Modern Field Watch That Transcends The Limits Of Its 20th-Century Inspiration

While British microbrand Aera's new M-1 may draw inspiration from the iconic Dirty Dozen field watches, it is not bound to or limited by its source material.

Photo Report: From Centre Court To Old Bond Street: An Afternoon With Roger Federer At Rolex

While Wimbledon fever gripped the city, the tennis legend held court at Rolex's newest European boutique in a gathering that reminded us why he transcends sport.

How Citizen’s unrivaled expertise with titanium has been cultivated for over half a century

In-Depth: A Guide to Every Equation of Time Watch by A.-L. Breguet

Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823) stands among the most revered names in horology, celebrated for innovations that shaped modern watchmaking. While his tourbillon, self-winding mechanism, and anti-shock system are widely acknowledged, his work in astronomical timekeeping, particularly equation of time (EOT) watches, remain one of Breguet’s most intricate yet less-explored achievements. With 2025 marking the 250th anniversary of his birth, this guide offers the most comprehensive study of every known EOT timepiece made during his lifetime, including pocket watch no. 160 “Marie Antoinette”, expanding on our prior analysis of the complication (in parts I and II). No. 160 as pictured at the recent exhibition in London’s Science Museum. Image – Baruch Coutts Looking at the stars Breguet operated in an era where precision timekeeping was dictated by astronomy, and his workshop, positioned at the heart of Paris’s scientific and commercial networks, was uniquely placed to serve scientists, navigators, and royalty who required accurate solar and mean time readings. Rather than settling on a single method for displaying and correcting the EOT, he explored multiple mechanical solutions, refining some while revisiting earlier ideas when necessary. His approach does not follow a strictly linear evolution but instead reflects a dynamic cycle of innovation, mechanical experimentation, and adaptation. Breguet’s cam-driven system with feeler to indicate EOT, as found in pocke...

In-Depth: The Patek Philippe Ref. 2497, Part 1: Patek's First Serially Produced Center Seconds Perpetual Calendar

In part one, we cover everything there is to know about the ref. 2497, its dials, cases, and general design history.

Auctions: A.-L. Breguet to F.P. Journe at Christie’s Geneva

Rare Watches in Geneva kicks off the spring auction season for Christie’s. Some of the highlights amongst the sale’s 183 lots illustrates the history and evolution of horology, most notably with timepieces by Abraham-Louis Breguet and Francois-Paul Journe. The notable F.P. Journe offerings include a Resonance pre-souscription and a Ruthenium full house, complete with numbered box. The standouts from Breguet include a pocket watch first owned by Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s younger sister, an early striking carriage clock, and an intriguing Type XX precursor literally gone askew. F.P Journe Principally inspired by the work of A.-L. Breguet and Antide Janvier, Francois-Paul Journe’s landmark Chronomètre à Résonance was the first attempt at synchronised, coupled oscillators in a wristwatch. The first numbered 20 examples were reserved for a Breguet-style souscription series – paid in advance by the client – but were not the first made. Image – Christie’s A handful of pre-production watches were made for Basel 1999, followed by the pre-souscription series to which this watch belongs. About 20 watches starting from “21” onwards are pre-souscription, and this is “041/00R”. Notably, one example prior, “040/00R”, sold for a little under CHF1.4 million including fees at Christie’s in 2023, setting a record. Image – Christie’s  The Ruthenium collection, built in 99 examples each across five models from 2001 to 2005, includes the Octa Calendrie...

Introducing: Bremont Evolves The MB With The New Altitude Collection In 904L Steel And Titanium

Faced with the challenge of updating the brand's core model, Bremont used Watches and Wonders to debut a thoughtful evolution of the MB.

Brunch with H. Moser: the Pioneer Center Seconds Sunny-Side Up

My favorite version of the H. Moser brand is the one that acts as a gentle troll in the watch community, and puts their idiosyncratic sense of humor on full display. Not every brand can get away with a watch made of cheese, or a watch seemingly made from the disparate parts of so many Swiss Icons. To be fair, some would say that even Moser can’t get away with it – their most provocative watches are their most divisive, and the haters have a loud voice on the internet. And while I have no desire to strap a block of Swiss cheese to my wrist, I enjoy the fact that a high end indie brand is willing to infuse some watch industry commentary into the watches themselves. Moser’s latest piece, the Pioneer Center Seconds Sunny-Side Up, is not likely to be as controversial as some of the brand’s other releases, but it’s hard not to see them edging into satire.  The cost of eggs, of course, has been on everyone’s mind. And the cost of watches, while not as universal a concern, has also been much discussed. So a watch from H. Moser that evokes an egg seems like a release meant to start a conversation. For the record, the retail price of the Sunny-Side Up is $15,900. The retail price of the first Moser Pioneer with a 40mm case introduced in 2023 was $14,200 at launch. A roughly 12% increase in price over a two year period is honestly not the craziest rate in the luxury watch industry. Egg prices? Between March 2023 and March 2025, the cost of a dozen eggs rose around 120% a...

Bring a Loupe: An Historically Important Rolex Deep Sea, A Doré Dial Patek QP, And A 19th Century Eccentric Breguet

All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.