Hodinkee
Business News: Confirmed: President Trump’s Mystery Desk Clock Came From Rolex
Rolex presented the clock to the U.S. people as part of a visit by business leaders last week aimed at strengthening relations, according to a letter.
Results for AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants)
3,202 articles · 302 videos found · page 32 of 117
Hodinkee
Monochrome
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 […]
Time+Tide
11 of the best 1970s watches from the grooviest of decades
Inarguably one of the most influential decades in watch design, the 1970s saw the emergence of the integrated bracelet luxury sports watch - as well as many other iconic models.The post 11 of the best 1970s watches from the grooviest of decades appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Interview: Marc Michel-Amadry, Managing Director of Girard-Perregaux
Appointed Managing Director of Girard-Perregaux (GP) in early 2025, Marc Michel-Amadry has over two decades of leadership experience spanning both the auction world and fine watchmaking. A former head of Sotheby’s Switzerland and Chief Commercial Officer of IWC, he steps into the role at a pivotal moment for GP, which has spent the past three years refining its identity as an independent brand, alongside its sister brand Ulysse Nardin in the Sowind Group. I sat down with Mr Michel-Amadry not long after he took office to discuss what he has in store. Our conversation touched on the enduring relevance of the Laureato, the renewed importance of in-house innovation, and his plans to restore GP to its former glory. The interview was edited for length and clarity. SJX: You’ve covered a wide range of the industry, having worked with niche brands, major brands, and big groups. Tell us how you ended up at GP. MMA: People often tell me I don’t have a typical career path. Usually, you start somewhere and stay within the same group. But for me, every step has to have a purpose. I’ve always wanted to work for a brand that means something. By coincidence, I was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds - the home of GP. It’s a brand I’ve always followed. I met Luigi Macaluso early in my career and was struck by the sophistication and beauty of the brand. Beyond its know-how and history, GP has always expressed its own design because everything is in-house. Luigi “Gino” Macaluso, forme...
Teddy Baldassarre
Why Watches Use IIII Roman Numerals Instead Of IV
Watches with Roman numerals on the dial are among the most stylish and classically elegant of timepieces, despite the fact that most of them have what we might today refer to as an egregious typo. Then again, it’s not really a typo if it’s intentional, right? And the use of a "IIII" in place of the standard Roman numeral "IV" is clearly a conscious decision, as it's been commonplace for centuries. In this article, we offer some possibilities as to why. As anyone familiar with the Roman alphabet knows - and nowadays that probably includes anyone who pays attention to Super Bowl advertising - the Arabic numerals 1, 2, and 3 are rendered, respectively, as I, II, and III, but the format changes with the numeral 4, which is rendered as “IV,” and 5, which is simply “V.” Without getting too bogged down in an ancient alphabetization lesson, the first three numerals after zero (and after 5) are additive, while the one before the next major character, representing 5, is subtractive: “IV” stands for 4 because it’s five (V) minus one (I). And yet, take a glance at just about any watch dial, or clock dial, for that matter, that uses Roman numerals to denote its hours and most often you will find not a “IV” but a “IIII” - the so-called “clockmaker’s 4,” which differs from the Roman numeral we’re familiar with today. Making watches, as any aficionado knows, is one of the most meticulous, time-intensive, and detail-oriented pursuits in the world...
Video
This $300,000 Watch Really Does Have One Weird Trick | Watchfinder & Co.
Teddy Baldassarre
Les Must de Cartier: The Misunderstood Entry-Level Cartier
The Cartier of today is undeniably a symbol of luxury and has strategically manufactured that imagery. From its quintessential deep red boxes with gold filigree border to its looping cursive script, even before you get to the object itself, whether it be jewelry or a watch, the brand has carefully crafted the entire experience of its product to position it as such. But today, we’re taking a look at an anomaly in the maison’s past, for which Cartier descended from its luxurious heights to extend its hand to the mass market. Les Must de Cartier is representative of a pivotal time in the history of watchmaking, and its contrasting accessibility played a crucial role in the maison’s longevity and its ability to weather shifting market trends. Down below, I’ll be walking you through how Must de Cartier came to be, some significant design codes, how the line has reemerged after its discontinuation, and share some musings and philosophical ponderings about this strange chapter in Cartier’s history. Les Must de Cartier Context From its relatively humble beginnings as a local, artisanal jewelry workshop in 1847, by the turn of the 20th century, Cartier had already established itself as a global luxury powerhouse, operating in London, New York, and Paris by 1909. Each independent branch of Cartier at this time was operated by a trio of Louis-François Cartier’s grandsons, and while they often collaborated, each location developed its own unique flair and catered to ...
Worn & Wound
Review: Looking Forward (and Back) with the Vario Futurist
Time travel doesn’t exist. I mean, maybe they did crack that code deep in an underground bunker on the east end of Long Island between the 1950s and 1980s during what’s known as the Montauk Project. Our civilian watch enthusiast selves will never know the truth. Admittedly, I’ve been rewatching The X-Files a little bit too much lately and recently camped out in the Camp Hero parking lot to do some fishing. Fortunately (I have ZERO desire to mess with that) the closest we can get to time travel is courtesy of watch brands like Vario. They’re making some seriously cool, vintage-inspired pieces that hit on nostalgic elements of classic watches while providing all the convenience of modern construction, movements, and water resistance. Really, you’re getting the best of both worlds – vintage looks paired with modern construction. Today, we’re looking at the Futurist. A new watch from the Singapore-based brand that features a 39mm case, old-school faceted crystal, and a unique crown position that really got me thinking about why the default position is somewhere around 3 o’clock. Let’s take a closer look at this green-dialed stunner. Case The first thing I noticed about the Futurist is the lack of traditional crown placement. No, there’s no crown at 3 or even 4 o’clock. It’s positioned at the top of the case, nestled between the lugs at 12 o’clock. The wide, flat crown has textured edges that make it easy to manipulate. Simply pull it out, set the ti...
Teddy Baldassarre
Watches of the Navy SEALs: A History of Service
Before getting into the watches of the Navy SEALs, it's worth establishing some context about these modern-day Spartans. Officially established in 1962, the Navy SEALs, one of the U.S. military’s most elite special operations units, has its origins in World War II, with the formation of organized maritime commando teams for covert reconnaissance of landing beaches and the mounting of coastal defenses. At first designated as Amphibious Scouts and Raiders, and later as Underwater Demolitions Teams (UDTs), the graduates of the Joint Expeditionary Base in Little Creek, Virginia served admirably in the European and Pacific Theater in the years following the 1942 attack on Pearl Harbor. In the Korean War that began in 1950, an expanded force of UDT operatives played a key role, turning their covert and demolition expertise to tunnels, bridges, and other coastal targets, as well as mine sweeping and infiltration. With another Southeast Asian conflict heating up in Vietnam, President John F. Kennedy urged Congress to allocate more of the military budget to strengthen America’s capabilities in much-needed “unconventional warfare.” The result was the evolution of the UDTs and other special forces into guerrilla and anti-guerilla units that would be able to operate on “Sea, Air, and Land” - the Navy SEALs. SEAL team members, the first generation drawn from the ranks of the UDTs, were trained not only in amphibious activities but skills like hand-to-hand combat and hig...
Fratello
Introducing: The Studio Underd0g × Massena Lab 03Series Champagne & Caviar
The Studio Underd0g × Massena Lab 03Series Champagne & Caviar has just been uncorked, and it’s as spirited as its name suggests. This limited-edition monopusher chronograph merges Studio Underd0g’s tongue-in-cheek British design with William Massena’s connoisseur’s eye. The resulting watch celebrates excess. The dial blends the soft glow of champagne with the dark sheen of […] Visit Introducing: The Studio Underd0g × Massena Lab 03Series Champagne & Caviar to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Windup Watch Fair NYC 2025 Recap: Ten Years In and Still Breaking the Mold
Ten years in, and the Windup Watch Fair still feels like a completely new way to interact with the watch industry. For three days in midtown Manhattan, Center415 transformed from a sleek Fifth Avenue venue into the living, breathing heart of watch enthusiast culture. No velvet ropes, no VIP lists-just open doors, multiple halls full of watches, and a community that’s grown from a scrappy gathering of enthusiasts into one of the most important fixtures on the watch industry’s calendar, with over 11,000 attendees. This year marked the fair’s tenth anniversary, and we didn’t celebrate quietly. We expanded the layout to four full halls, bringing together more than 140 brands from 17 countries. We’d like to sincerely thank our Lead Sponsors: Bremont, Bulova, Christopher Ward, Oris, and Shinola. Without these strong anchors this experience wouldn’t be free and open to everyone. We’d also like to express our gratitude to each and every brand who participated, bringing some of the most interesting watches and products to the event and continuing to nudge the industry forward! When guests arrived, they entered through the EDC Expo, presented by Topo Designs-an energetic reception area filled with the gear, tools, and accessories that round out modern enthusiast life: knives, pens, packs, and all the small essentials that speak the same design language as the watches themselves. Beyond that, three additional halls awaited, each blending independent and enthusiast b...
Video
Does A Casio G-Shock Look Good With Khakis And A Button Down? And, What's A Calatrava Dial?
SJX Watches
In-Depth: Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 in Stainless Steel
Many superlatives have been ascribed to what might be the most valuable watch this fall auction season – the Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in stainless steel. Headlining Phillips’ upcoming auction in Geneva, the steel ref. 1518 is paradoxically extraordinary and ordinary all at once. As the first serially-produced perpetual calendar-chronograph wristwatch, the ref. 1518 is already a landmark Patek Philippe wristwatch, one that spawned a lineage that includes the refs. 2499, 3970, and 5970. And then there’s the ref. 1518 in steel – only four are known. The steel ref. 1518 has rarity, historical importance, and an eight-figure value; but on the wrist, this “holy grail” is compact, lightweight, and monochromatic, discreetly low-key. At a diminutive 35 mm in diameter, the ref. 1518 is small by today’s standards. The watch doesn’t look like much on the wrist from across a room; in fact, it isn’t immediately obvious to a layperson (or even a casual watch enthusiast) that the watch is worth more than most houses and vintage Ferraris. Yet the ref. 1518 in steel is appealing for many intellectual reasons: extreme rarity, historical lineage of the perpetual calendar chronograph, even sheer value. This is a trophy in many senses. Historically, the ref. 1518 was important even in its time. It was once Patek Philippe’s most complicated regular production wristwatch, and the steel ref. 1518 was likely the most expensive steel Patek Philippe when it was in the catalogue. ...
Worn & Wound
The Yema Navygraf is the Latest Diver to get the Mother of Pearl Treatment
There is something about mother-of-pearl that seems to be catching watchmakers’ eyes lately. While I highly doubt it has to do with the fact that “Mother of Pearl” is a phenomenal drag name, I can’t totally rule that out as a possibility. Instead, more likely, it has to do with the ease in which adding the iridescent substance onto an existing design gives it new personality without really reinventing the wheel. Case in point: Yema’s Navygraf Pearl. Undoubtedly, the Navygraf is a handsome watch. But, like a drag queen, sometimes it’s hard to describe something as both “handsome” and “pretty” simultaneously. At least, that was my first impression of this French-made watch. Using the classic dive watch model, like the Navygraf, and inlaying mother-of-pearl seemed, in a way, incongruous to the steely, masculine athleticism of the silhouette. But, upon examining the bezel and dial a little more closely, I’m more inclined to think this is less of a gimmick and more of a thematic appreciation for the beauty and sport that the ocean provides (unfortunately, I’m only speculating – the press release was more focused on the technical specs of this Navygraf). So, what are the specs? This is a thinner Navygraf variant, equipped with a micro-rotor caliber CMM.2, meaning that the 316L stainless steel case measuring 39mm, only clocks in at 9.75mm thickness. The CMM.2 caliber also promises around 70 hours of power reserve, making it suitable for any diving trips ...
SJX Watches
Micro-Brand Fair Spring Sprang Sprung Returns to Singapore
Now taking place for the fifth year, Spring Sprang Sprung (SPRG) is a watch fair dedicated to micro-brands that is returning in November 2025. The Singapore-based event has grown from 22 brands in its first year to over 50 this year. The exhibitor list this year includes brands from Finland to China, as well as names that are arguably more established than the average micro-brand, like Oris, Nivada Grenchen, and Seagull. Also exhibiting are accessories makers, like Yi Leather that makes watch straps. As with past iterations of SPRG, the event includes workshops, one of which is a leather working class led by the proprietor of Yi Leather. SPRG’s founders are a pair integral to the micro-brand scene in Singapore: Sugiharto Kusumadi, who was a pioneering retailer of micro-brands when he founded Red Army Watches in 2004, and Yong Keong Lim, who owns Feynman Timekeepers and runs retailer BIG Time. According to its founders, SPRG aims to be “casual, welcoming, and inclusive… [bringing] together independent watch brand owners, enthusiasts, and newcomers to share their passion for horology”. SPRG takes place at the at the National Design Centre, November 8-9, 2025, from 11 am-7 pm. National Design Centre 111 Middle Road Singapore 188969 The event is open to the public, but workshops are ticketed with tickets available at Spring-sprang-sprung.com.
SJX Watches
J.P. Morgan Jr.’s Watches Emerge, Including First-Ever Cartier Mystery Clock
Philips’ upcoming sale in Geneva from November 8-9 includes two timepieces owned by John Pierpont Morgan Jr., widely known as Jack Morgan. Heir to a financial empire, Morgan was the first chairman of what is now JPMorganChase, and more pertinently, inherited the sensibilities of his father, J. Pierpont Morgan Sr., in collecting and gifting. Morgan Sr. was a collector on a grand scale, and across categories. The catalogues of his collections spanned volumes – two books for Chinese porcelain, four for miniatures, and a single volume for his watches and clocks, albeit a 350-page tome that weighed almost 6 kg in its original edition. The penchant for collecting was passed on to Jack Morgan, who evidently had sharp tastes in watches and clocks. The two timepieces going on the block at Phillips illustrate that. One is the first-ever Cartier mystery clock, a Model A sold to Morgan in 1913. And the other is one example of the “Morgan caliper”, a series of minute repeating, split-second chronograph, tourbillon pocket watches made for J.P. Morgan & Co., which were gifted by Morgan Sr. and Jack Morgan to the firm’s partners and important associates. Titans of finance In 1913, Louisiana senator Arsène Pujo formed the Pujo Committee to investigate the growing concentration of financial power in the United States. The committee found that an inner circle of partners at J.P. Morgan & Co. and its two largest proxies held 341 directorship positions across the boards of 34 majo...
Teddy Baldassarre
30 Of The Best Titanium Watches
Titanium is by no means a new material in the watch industry. In fact, it’s been used on a commercial level in case construction for more than 50 years. Titanium in its raw form as a structural metal is 40% lighter than stainless steel while still just as hard. Among its appeal for watchmaking purposes are the facts that it is also highly resistant to corrosion by the elements as well as being hypoallergenic. There are different grades of titanium as well, which offer different characteristics based on how it’s alloyed with other metals. Titanium ranges in color from dark gunmetal grey to a steely silver which gives it versatility in different applications. Perhaps the most enticing aspect of titanium, particularly from the consumer side, is that despite its high-quality characteristics, there isn’t a massive discrepancy between its price versus that of stainless steel. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of 30 outstanding titanium watches in a range of price categories. Citizen Promaster Super Titanium Armor Case Size: 41 mm, Integrated 23.5 mm Bracelet, Thickness: 10.5 mm, Lug-to-Lug: 43.7 mm, Water Resistance: 100 m, Movement: Eco Drive J810, Crystal: Sapphire, Price: $625 In 1970, Citizen launched the very first titanium wrist watch called the X-8 Cosmotron Chronometer. Today, Citizen uses what it calls Super Titanium, a titanium alloy coated with a proprietary hardening agent that increases the hardness of the metal to five times that of stainless steel. ...
Video
OMEGA DAYS: The Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep | OMEGA
Worn & Wound
The Seiko A031-5019: Seiko’s First Digital Alarm Wristwatch
A rabbit hole that I’ve always loved delving down within the watch hobby is one of firsts––the trailblazers of horology that pioneered the use or creation of new functions, features, materials, etc. (especially when they’re pieces I can afford). I had always kept my eye on the market for when one of these A031 models popped up because, as I’m sure you’ve seen from the title already, this movement was Seiko’s first digital watch with an alarm function. I’m not one for actually utilizing the functions included in or on the watches I own, but that doesn’t mean I can’t or don’t appreciate their ingenuity; the same rings true (pun intended) for this watch. Besides being the first digital alarm Seiko, is 1977’s A031-5019 worth picking up for your collection? Let’s take a deep dive together. The A031’s History, Aesthetics, and Functionality As is custom for a lot of the watch models I have a fascination with, very little information is available regarding the A031’s creation and initial popularity on the market. Thankfully, however, my favorite database for digital timepieces, Rare Digital Watches, has a copy of the A031 Parts List and Technical Guide available for free on their website. I cannot recommend taking a look at these materials enough. I always hunt down physical or digital documents like this for Seiko pieces I pick up. Typically, another passionate hobbyist has taken the time to photocopy them and make them available for the public to ad...
Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko SPB149 Review: The Blue Dial Prospex Diver
An outsized part of Seiko’s history is within its dive watch heritage, going all the way back to 1965 with the company's first dedicated diver, the 150-meter 62MAS, released as the 6217-8000, and later, its larger-crowned sibling, the 6217-8001. It was the beginning of a lineage that went on to include legendary references like the Willard, the Turtle, the Marinemaster, the Tuna, and the SKX, just to name a small assortment of them. Today, Seiko’s broad dive-watch lineup is well-known for its rugged dependability: from the entry-level Prospex models to the elevated Luxe variants like the Seiko SPB149, there’s a Seiko diver for every enthusiast. Seiko has paid tribute to the 62MAS design in the past with limited editions, but in the 2020s, the brand has seen a slew of regular-production, and short-lived models – like the SPB143, 239, and 149, which stand as the most faithful renderings of the 62MAS, characterized by the brand as the Prospex 1965 Heritage Diver’s Watch. Although this model family came with different dial variants at its 40.5mm case size, today, we’re going to showcase the discontinued SPB149 before looking at the current production SPB143 and other modern day options which continue the 62MAS legacy. We will go through the standard points of its case, wear, dial, and movement, and then share concluding remarks about its overall legacy in 2025. Seiko SPB149 Context In Spring of 2020, Seiko dropped a quartet of watches - the SPB143, SPB145, SPB1...
SJX Watches
Complicated Collectors: John Pierpont Morgan
As part of a continuing series on great watch collectors, following the first studies dedicated to Elliott Cabot Lee and Thomas Engel, the third instalment turns to the horological world of John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (1837-1913). Based on the famous 1912 Chiswick Press catalogue, this analysis reflects the range and typological structure of his collection. These watches span devotional and allegorical forms, astronomical instruments, and multi-functional works of mechanical synthesis. While Morgan’s approach has sometimes been described as encyclopaedic rather than selective, the collection itself tells a different story, one in which historical resonance and technical refinement consistently overlap. The selection offers a tangible expression of Morgan’s collecting logic, in which cultural meaning, mechanical ingenuity, and symbolic intent were sought in equal measure. The man In the pantheon of American capitalists, J. Pierpont Morgan occupies a singular place: titan of industry, consolidator of empires, and paradoxically, one of the greatest cultural preservationists of his age. Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1837, the son of an ambitious transatlantic banker, he came of age amid the expanding architecture of American finance. His education, from early childhood, was European. He studied in Switzerland and later in Germany, where a brief period at the University of Göttingen introduced him to the German language and the foundations of art history. These formative ...
Worn & Wound
Watches, Stories, and Gear: The NEO Humanoid, Samsung’s Nutrition Tracking, and New Peak Design Straps
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. NEO: The Humanoid Robot Earlier this week, 1X announced the NEO, a $20,000 humanoid robot designed to transform your life at home. “Neo is a humanoid companion designed to transform your life at home. It combines AI and advanced hardware to help with daily chores and bring intelligence into your everyday life,” said Dar Sleeper, 1X’s VP of product and design in a recent USA Today article. While intended to become a fully autonomous household assistant, the NEO will only support a limited number of actions at its launch, and will be able to “learn”as time goes on. Weighing in at 66 pounds and standing just over five feet, the NEO can lift over 150 pounds and actively carry over 50 pounds. While there’s an expected learning curve for new technology, a recent video from Marques Brownlee dives into just how much (or how little) the NEO can currently do, and what to expect moving forward. With this technology just around the corner, will you be adding a humanoid robot into your household? Nutrition Tracking in Your Smart Watch Since their introduction, Smartwatches have continued to gain capabilities and become more useful if you integrate them properly....
Teddy Baldassarre
The Eight Best Italian Watch Brands in 2026
Watchmaking is a trade that draws artisans and enthusiasts from around the globe, though as an industry it has taken root in only a relative handful of nations. Switzerland, of course, is widely recognized as the world leader in the horological arts, but nations including Japan and Germany have also made a name for themselves on the world watchmaking stage. As watch connoisseurship grows in the 21st century, former watchmaking powers like Great Britain, the United States, and France have started increasing their footprint in the industry. Italy, another country historically renowned for its meticulous craftsmanship and bold, stylish design language, has exerted its own small but impactful influence on the world of watches: it’s the birthplace of Panerai, for example, a brand that essentially opened the door for old-school military tool watches to enter the rarefied air of luxury. It’s also the ancestral home of Bulgari, which, despite being more famous for its jewelry, has earned awestruck respect in the watch world for its record-breaking, boundary-pushing ultra-thin complications. Even Italy’s world-famous luxury sports-car marques - Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati - have exerted a muse-like influence on watchmakers worldwide, in both design and technology, often through direct partnerships. Watches actually made in Italy, however, are relatively few - Panerai and Bulgari are far too rooted in Switzerland nowadays to be considered for this list - but each co...
Video
🐐From Tom Brady to Lewis Hamilton, how do IWC get the GOATs as their ambassadors? 🐐
Monochrome
Review – The Urwerk UR-150 Blue Scorpion, Streamlined, Redefined, Still with the Same Bite
Urwerk has spent nearly three decades rewriting the rules of how a wristwatch tells time. Since Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner founded the brand in 1997, the core idea has stayed very consistent: wandering satellite hours sweeping past retrograde minutes, executed as a sort of kinetic sculpture. Models like the UR-103 put the satellite carousel […]
WatchAdvice
Review: The Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar In Lapis Lazuli
A forgotten 1970s prototype finally brought to life, the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Lapis Lazuli is Zenith at its poetic best. A celestial twist on a historic design, this is a watch that feels as timeless as the night sky it represents! What We Love The Lapis Lazuli stone dial is genuinely stunning. A vibrant, rich, and ever-changing under light, perfectly capturing Zenith’s celestial identity. The El Primero 3610 movement keeps the brand’s DNA alive with that iconic 36,000 vph beat and flawless integration of the triple calendar and moon-phase. Despite the dial’s visual complexity, the blue-and-white contrast and colour-matched calendar wheels keep everything clean, legible, and refined. What We Don’t The straight lugs don’t curve down enough, meaning the case can sit slightly proud on smaller wrists. At 14 mm, it’s not overly chunky, but some may find it a little tall, especially under tighter cuffs. As a complete calendar, it still requires five manual date changes a year, not a deal-breaker, but something to note for practicality. Overall Rating: 8.9/10 Value for money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build quality: 9/10 The story of the Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar is a fabled one, as it is about a timepiece that never made it to production, up until almost 54 years later, when Zenith went through their archives and found the original plans for this timepiece. While we can say that Zenith might’ve missed out on an incred...
SJX Watches
Office-Dweller: Rolex Debuts Submariner Desk Clock and Gold Cufflinks
Rolex has just unveiled a fully branded line of accessories for office dwellers, featuring both cufflinks and a genuine Submariner desk clock. The move not only extends the brand’s product range, but reinforces its lifestyle dominance beyond its traditional domain. With its decades-long reputation for precision, quality and retail discipline, Rolex has planted a new flag: high-end accessories built with the same seriousness and iconic design language as its wristwatches. Initial thoughts Rolex has earned its dominant position in the Swiss watch industry in large part by taking everything it does very seriously. So it’s not surprising to see that the formal launch of a full line-up of accessories is treated with due seriousness. This is not the first time that Rolex has offered cufflinks; some references were exhibited at Watches & Wonders this year and have been quietly available for purchase at brand boutiques for some time. But the formal roll-out on the website is a decisive step, and reveals that Rolex wants to give its legions of fans another touchpoint with their favourite brand. On the other hand, the official desk clock is new and quite surprising in its execution, though perhaps it shouldn’t be. Rendered in a heavy 80 mm stainless steel body with a real Cerachrom ceramic bezel and sapphire crystal, it feels like a true Submariner (albeit one that is not water resistant). In terms of value, the accessories are expensive in an absolute sense but are priced rea...
Worn & Wound
Nomos Plays the Hits: Introducing the Tetra Origins Collection
Nomos has had an incredibly interesting trajectory among watch enthusiasts over the past decade or so. If you got into the hobby at a certain time, Nomos was almost certainly one of the first “forum brands” that you’d be introduced to as a level up from some of the core enthusiast watches that you might be able to scrounge for in your local department store or pick up on Amazon. Nomos (and Sinn, and a handful of other brands) required a bit more expense, and a bit more effort to get your arms around, but once you did, you really felt like you were part of the club (no pun intended). And then things kind of settled. The enthusiasts who cut their teeth on Nomos did what enthusiasts always do, and discovered other cool things as the watch community migrated from the antiquated forums to Facebook and Instagram. Nomos never stopped releasing good watches, but there was a sliver of time when it felt like they were improving rapidly and we’d have exciting new releases from them on a regular basis. It didn’t really turn out that way – they’ve largely iterated on core designs, offering new sizes (usually bigger) and sportier specs (bracelets, and better water resistance). The hypothetical Nomos chronograph that I can recall so many anonymous forum users speculating about never materialized, and it seems like the brand has become very comfortable simply being Nomos and making Nomos watches. Things changed a bit this year at Watches & Wonders with the release of the...
Worn & Wound
Exaequo Adds New References to their Lineup of Dali Inspired Melting Watches
It’s hard to overstate the impact that Salvador Dalí-and, by extension, the Surrealist movement-had on popular culture. What might now feel like a strange detour in an art history textbook was, in reality, a radical reimagining of what art could be. Dalí’s obsession with the unconscious, symbolism, and dream logic reframed art as a psychological response to culture, rather than just a mirror of it. In doing so, Surrealism paved the way for the Avant-Garde, Pop Art, and the way we think about art today. It’s no surprise, then, that Dalí’s legacy continues to ripple through design and (not to be dramatic here) time itself. Brands have long used his vision as a jumping-off point for their own explorations of time and perception, most notably, of course, through reinterpretations of some of Dali’s most famous works, like his 1931 The Persistence of Memory. The Cartier Crash, with its iconic “melting clock” case, is probably the most famous representation of this style; but it is not the only one. In fact, Exaequo has been producing its own version of a melting watch since 1990, with its latest references, the Polyhedron series, debuting at Time to Watches in Geneva earlier this year. While there will undoubtedly be comparisons between Cartier’s and Exaequo’s two versions of a wobbly little timepiece, there is a marked difference between the two brands’ approach to the same reference source (not least of all the price). For the Polyhedron, Exaequo...
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