20,940 articles · 5,867 videos found · page 311 of 894
Quill & Pad
Technically, this F.P. Journe watch is called the “Chronomètre Optimum Black Label,” but it should be called the “Ultimate.” That’s how much Tim Mosso reveres and admires a timepiece Journe himself describes as the most accurate mechanical watch he knows how to construct.
Fratello
You may have never heard of Cimier, but in the early 1970s, the brand produced over 1.5 million watches annually. Unfortunately, despite developing a quartz movement, Cimier struggled during the Quartz Crisis. Eventually, the company reopened its doors in 2003 after mechanical watches had become “cool” (again), opened the Watch Academy in 2010, and started […] Visit Hands-On With The Chunky But Funky Cimier 711 Heritage Chronograph to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Repeaters are one of the most complicated mechanisms in watches and over the years the complication has been refined by successive generations of watchmakers. Now, perhaps more than ever, watchmakers dedicate absolute attention to perfecting the quality, speed, accuracy, and durability of the striking works. Various components are required to chime the tunes of time with hammers and gongs. Paradoxically, amongst the most crucial parts of a chiming watch are those that work quietly, or silently, in the background – the governor. One of the most recent new repeater calibres, the A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Minute Repeater What is a governor? The governor regulates the speed of the striking pattern, in other words the pace of the individual chimes. A repeater movement contains a separate gear train for the repeating works, which are powered by their own smaller, auxiliary spring. The last component of this train consists of the governor. The governor’s task is to introduce resistance in the repeater train, allowing it to be regulated. Therefore, less resistance accelerates the striking speed, while more resistance slows down the repeater chimes. The Vacheron Constantin cal. 1731 with the secondary spring visible between the hammers The fine-tuning of the repeater’s speed is prized as an essential factor in ensuring a perfect series of chimes. If the pace is too fast, the vibrations of the gongs produce jarring overtones that cancel each other out. If too slow, not o...
Monochrome
Co-founded by Swiss industrial designer Andrea Furlan and watch collector Hamad Al Marri, Furlan Marri launched on Kickstarter in 2021 with a beautifully designed vintage chronograph powered by a hybrid mecha-quartz engine. The next act, in 2022, was an equally handsome vintage black sector dial equipped with a mechanical movement that won over the MONOCHROME […]
Fratello
The Seiko SKX is one of the most popular entry-level mechanical watches ever. There is a good chance that you, as a Fratello reader, have owned one at some point or still do. In any case, this is true for me. However, the original bracelet of that watch has always been controversial. It is infamously […] Visit Upgrade Or Switch Styles With The Forstner Model J And Model O For The Seiko SKX to read the full article.
Video
Fratello
I love to read stories about watch selections that follow a theme. When I spotted Thor’s list of unusual rectangular watches last Saturday, I instantly started to put together a list of my own featuring rectangular vintage watches. Well, here we are! Besides two crazy mechanical complications, you will also find classic style and even […] Visit #TBT A Vintage Take On Alternative Rectangular Cool With Mido, Tissot, Wyler, And Seiko to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
What was your first watch? Not your first mechanical watch, not your first nice watch, but actually your first watch. If you’re around my age, I’d hazard a guess that it was probably something fun. Neon Shark watches, bright G-Shocks, and outdoorsy Timexes were the thing on my playground growing up, and it’s a recipe that still works just as well approaching (or beyond) 30 as it did approaching 10. All this is to say that colorful and waterproof is a recipe for success, and one brand that really gets this is Vero. I don’t exactly remember the first time I crossed paths with a Vero, but I do remember the minty green dial standing out against the stark black bezel, and that I found myself pretty taken with their line of colorful dive watches from the get. It’s an interest I haven’t really shaken, and one only compounded by the latest iteration of their signature dive watch, the Open Water, now in a 38mm case. The big headline here is a series of subtle refinements to the Open Water model, all of which add up to a stark evolution of Vero’s flagship diver. To look at the new Open Water 38 in isolation, one might be hard-pressed to call out many of these changes but put the old and new models next to each other, and the difference will be clear. The most visually dramatic of these changes is the shift from a black DLC finish on the bezel to a boldly colored Cerakote treatment. A stark black bezel has been a key visual hallmark of the Vero Open Water, so moving...
Monochrome
One of my most memorable experiences when tumbling down the mechanical watchmaking rabbit hole is handling my very first tourbillon watch. I had already been writing for MONOCHROME for a while when it happened, and I knew about the complication and its function, but I had never handled one in person. It was at the […]
Fratello
Hello there, and welcome to another episode of Fratello Talks. This week, Thomas, Lex, and Nacho discuss Seiko watches. A Seiko is a staple of most watch enthusiasts’ collections, whether it’s a first-ever mechanical watch or an inexpensive curiosity, a vintage rarity in museum-worthy condition, or anything in between. And though there will certainly be […] Visit Fratello Talks: Why Everyone Loves Seiko Watches to read the full article.
Monochrome
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s dream of mechanical independence materialised in 1996 with the presentation of Chopard‘s first in-house movement known as calibre 1.96. Produced in Chopard’s Fleurier manufacture, the calibre was fitted inside the first L.U.C 1860 watch, writing a new chapter in the brand’s high-end watchmaking journey. Recognised as one of the finest ultra-thin micro-rotor automatic […]
Video
Time+Tide
A mechanical watch may be the sustainable option for the environment, but does the same apply when it comes to your wallet?The post How much does a lifetime of servicing actually cost? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Can the Tissot PRX become any more popular than it already is? With a full collection of quartz and mechanical models in different sizes, the PRX is one of the biggest success stories of the watch industry in recent history. It makes you wonder how Tissot can make that story even better. One simple way […] Visit Tissot Introduces New Green Dials For Its PRX Automatic Chronograph And Powermatic 80 Models to read the full article.
Monochrome
There is a vast swathe of the watch market awash with affordable watches, models that really deliver a lot of bang for the buck. But how many well-built, well-designed mechanical watches out there can you get for under 300 euros? Not many (the sporty Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic is a serious contender too). Producing watches that […]
SJX Watches
Among the many different escapement types, one in particular stands out, the detent escapement. Taking its name from détente, French for “trigger”, this system is often considered to be the purest type of escapement due to its efficiency and virtually lubrication-free operation. Any sort of mechanical clock or watch requires an escapement, a mechanism that transfers torque from the power source to the regulating organ. The escapement bridges the steady rotation of the gears in the going train and the oscillation of the balance. As a result, the escapement fulfils a double function, both maintaining the swing of the balance and regulating the discharge speed of the mainspring and going train. The detent escapement was invented in the second half of the 18th century, somewhat simultaneously but independently by the English watchmakers Thomas Earnshaw (1749-1829) and John Arnold (1736-1799). A somewhat similar escapement was prototyped by the Frenchman Pierre Le Roy (1717–1785) some three decades earlier, but the modern detent escapement is derived mostly from Earnshaw’s design. Initially, the escapement was conceived for use in marine chronometers, explaining why it is also known as a chronometer escapement. The chronometer escapement also inspired many innovative subsequent escapements, like the Breguet’s natural escapement, the Robin escapement, and the Daniels co-axial. Drawings of detent escapement types taken from ‘The Marine Chronometer: Its History and ...
Monochrome
One of the earliest models in the so-called luxury sports watch category, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato, was released in 1975 and powered by a quartz movement. In 1984, mechanical movements found their way into this original barrel-shaped watch, and this has become the norm since the return of the watch in 2016. Now an established collection […]
Video
Fratello
A tourbillon is less relevant now than ever. What was once advantageous in a pocket watch became less so in a wristwatch, which is naturally subject to a broader range of motion. With cheaper quartz modules outperforming all but the most accurate mechanical movements, a tourbillon remains a display of watchmaking ability and intricacy. A […] Visit Hands-On With The CIGA Design Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition to read the full article.
Monochrome
The Calpyso line was Maurice Lacroix‘s best-selling luxury sports watch during the 1990s and was powered by a mix of mechanical and quartz movements. Gauging the current market appetite for luxury sports watches for consumers without five-figure budgets, the Calypso underwent a fundamental overhaul and was transformed into the Aikon. Launched in 2016 with quartz […]
Quill & Pad
When starting out on a watch journey, one of the first questions to consider is the choice between quartz and automatic watches, with the perception that mechanical watches are "better" and more expensive, while quartz watches are entry-level and lower quality. While this may hold some truth, luxury brands also produce high-end quartz pieces that are equally impressive from a technological standpoint.
Monochrome
Some of the standout highlights of the 2024 Watch Week in Geneva undoubtedly revolved around ultra-thin watches. Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC now reigns as the world’s thinnest mechanical wristwatch, boasting an astonishing 1.70mm profile. Meanwhile, Piaget clinched the record for the thinnest tourbillon ever with its Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, measuring a mere 2mm! […]
Monochrome
It’s done, it’s over and it has been another wild ride: Watches & Wonders 2024. Quite literally the biggest watch fair of the year, it’s the social gathering where watchmakers bring their A-game. Brands high and low have presented countless new watches, setting records in the process. Records for ultra-thinness, for instance, or out-of-this-world accuracy. […]
Video
Time+Tide
First debuted in a piece unique for Only Watch 2023, TAG Heuer's first mechanical split-seconds chronograph is now in mainline production.The post The TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph is a high-octane, high-horology take on the brand’s legendary motorsports chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin presents the world’s most complicated watch once again, surpassing its own record set by the Reference 57260 in 2015. Commissioned by the same American collector who owns the 57260, the Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers “The Berkley” Grand Complication boasts many of the complications found in its predecessor but gains a world first, a perpetual Chinese calendar. Made by the elite three-man team responsible for the 57260, the Berkley is a unique mechanical achievement with over two faces and over 60 complications. It joins a major collection of pocket watches that includes not only the 57260 but also the King Farouk I grand complication made by Vacheron Constantin for the Egyptian monarch in the 1930s. Initial thoughts Named after its owner, the Berkley cannot be compared to commonplace high horology. Instead it sits among the historical greats – which happen to all be pocket watches – like the the Breguet Marie Antoinette, Leroy 01, and of course the Patek Philippe duo of the the Graves Super Complication and Calibre 89. But now the Berkley trumps them all, having pushed the boundaries of possibility to sit at the zenith of watchmaking. The owner of the Berkley, insurance tycoon William R. Berkley, evidently has a keen appreciation of mechanical excellence. The watch is a masterpiece in the extreme art of micro engineering. But not only is it exceptionally complicated, it boasts a first in watchmaking – a perpetual Chinese calendar com...
SJX Watches
TAG Heuer’s flagship launch at Watches & Wonders 2024 is the Monaco Split Seconds Chronograph, the brand’s first-ever mechanical split-seconds chronograph wristwatch. Initially launched as a piece unique for the postponed 2023 edition of Only Watch, the Monaco Split Seconds now enters regular production in red and blue liveries. Titanium inside and out with an integrated movement developed by Vaucher – the movement bridges and plates are titanium – the Monaco Split Seconds is a premium product with a premium price that puts the brand in the haute horlogerie segment, which also communicates a mixed message given the brand’s focus on affordable chronographs. Initial thoughts While sports timekeeping is core to TAG Heuer’s DNA, the brand’s only wrist-worn split seconds chronographs to date were of the quartz and digital variety. And given the delayed sale of the Only Watch example, the Monaco Split Seconds will be TAG Heuer’s first mechanical split-seconds chronograph sold publicly, enhancing the collector appeal. One of the most iconic square watches in history – and probably the only recognisable sports chronograph with a form case – the Monaco has proven adaptable to both retro and futuristic designs over the years; the Split Seconds is of course the latter. While I find the overall styling a bit over the top, especially the X-shaped braces that form part of the dial, I can’t help but admire many of the details, such as the stepped box sapphire crysta...
Quill & Pad
The Lang & Heyne Hektor is a complicated watch. No, it’s not a mechanical complication, but its place in the L&H; universe requires some explaining.
Quill & Pad
Nothing can stir up the watch world these days quite as much the launch of a new Apple watch. For some it's a must-have gadget, for others it just isn't a real watch. But quartz watches face perhaps more competition from smartwatches than mechanical watches. Does quartz even have a real future?
Video
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.