3,033 articles · 501 videos found · page 34 of 118
Revolution
Collector and writer, George Cramer is known the world over for his love and scholarly pursuit of Cartier’s watchmaking. But did you know that the man also happens to be an URWERK fan and even owns an early 103.03?
Deployant
Legitimacy and provenance for watchmaking brands in particular are a very delicate matter, is it necessary for a brand to be completely transparent?
Deployant
Lange Akademie serves to demonstrate that the level of dedication spent on each watch is what makes A. Lange & Söhne such an object of admiration
Revolution
Last year in my article ‘Coloured Dials! The World Between Black & White‘ I ended my post in saying something that I would not be surprised if the watch industry in general, would bring us more colour at Baselworld 2015. And indeed Baselworld presented some color this year, but the brand where I did not […]
Revolution
[Backdrop] A. Lange & Söhne Sax-O-Mat Perpetual Calendar, Adjusted To Positions, Temperature, And Isochronism When it comes to performance in watches, the single most important element to the owner is generally “accuracy,” and by that, is usually meant the ability of a watch to keep time as measured against a certain reliable external standard. Internet […]
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Revolution
The rumours are true: one can pick out very decent deals amid the top-dollar tickers brandished at the annual Swiss watch fairs. To save you the legwork, we’ve sussed out two of the handsomest and most wallet-friendly models from the 2013 Geneva watch fairs. In one corner is the 1950s-inspired Clifton Automatic in stainless steel, […]
Deployant
Series of ultra macros…abstractions Today I will feature a watch from Roman Gautier…the Logical 1…but only abstract images. The full watch will be shown on Monday. Click on image above for 1920 wide full screen wallpaper. Note: Watches (one in gold, another in platinum) photographed are prototypes, and have been travelling the world shown toRead More
Deployant
I wrote about Laurent Ferrier’s Gallet Tourbillon before. See this post for the earlier post. I caught up with Laurent and his crew in Geneva during the recent GTE where he was showing a peek-a-boo dial…which features a fan shaped opening on the dial which opens to reveal a favourite picture…painted by no other thanRead More
Monochrome
Not so long ago, this summer, ArtyA, the avant-garde, family-run Geneva atelier steered by Yvan Arpa, launched the Luminity Wavy collection, debuting 40mm timepieces, pairing sculpture-like titanium or full-sapphire cases. Inside was the brand’s first proprietary micro-rotor calibre, AMR-02, developed with the specialist movement maker Telos. The idea was to let movement and light do […]
Time+Tide
Sculptural cases, an impressive in-house micro-rotor movement and lots of customisation options make this ArtyA a very compelling package.The post This new ArtyA Luminity Wavy debuts a new AMR-02 calibre appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Monochrome
Minerva, founded as H. & C. Robert in 1858 in the Swiss Jura village of Villeret and renamed Minerva SA in 1929, remains one of the great guardians of traditional chronograph craftsmanship. Its first chronograph movement, the Calibre 19-9, debuted in 1908, and for over 165 years, its workshops have produced some of the finest […]
Monochrome
ArtyA, the avant-garde, family-run Swiss watchmaker known for its expressive, often unconventional horological creations of its founder Yvan Arpa, introduces the next evolution of its Luminity collection with a significant update: the launch of its first proprietary micro-rotor movement, the calibre AMR-02. Combining a visually open design with chronometric performance, this new collection keeps movement […]
Monochrome
On the occasion of its 160th anniversary, Zenith celebrates its legacy in the field of precision watchmaking, bringing back to life the venerable calibre 135, the most awarded movement from the golden age of observatory chronometer competitions. In 2022, Zenith released an exclusive limited edition of 10 watches, powered by vintage 135-O movements, restored and […]
SJX Watches
Described by Habring² as “a relative of Felix“, the Oskar shares the brand’s signature A11 movement but gains a calendar module, with the seconds at six or central. Launched to mark the 20th anniversary of Habring², the Oskar makes its debut in three different variants, a pair with date-and-moon and the final model with just a moon phase. All three feature the same classical aesthetic with Breguet numerals and a compact, 38.5 mm case. Initial thoughts The Oskar is an excellent example of what the Austrian independent has to offer – appealing, clean aesthetics paired with the excellent, proprietary A11 movement, and a price tag of well under US$8,000. And the Oskar also reflect Habring²’s technical competence that the brand managed to squeeze the complication module into a 9 mm high case, with the movement alone being just 5.5 mm high. Admittedly, the vintage-inspired styling might be a little generic, although it is easily appealing. The design is well-executed with a properly proportioned dial and thoughtful details. As is typical for Habring², the Oskar is an honest product and an excellent value proposition, with the moon phase model priced at €6,050 and the moon phase with pointer date about 10% more. Mid century style The case is a simple, fuss-free affair that is similar to that found on other Habring² models, including the Felix. Entirely polished, the stainless steel case is 38.5 mm in diameter and 9 mm in thickness for both versions. All three m...
SJX Watches
Having unveiled the top-of-the-line 9SA4 movement earlier this year, Grand Seiko has now installed the new calibre in a pair of vintage remakes, the Heritage Collection 45GS Re-creation SLGW004 and SLGW005. A limited edition in either steel or 18k yellow gold, the 45GS Re-creation is one of Grand Seiko’s few vintage reissues with its latest-generation calibre that boasts a high-frequency balance and Grand Seiko’s proprietary Dual Impulse Escapement. Initial thoughts This is Grand Seiko’s first remake of the 45GS, but if the new pair look familiar, that’s because Grand Seiko launched a 44GS remake in 2013. Though the 44GS and 45GS are different models launched just a year apart in the late 1960s, they were different models. The 45GS was an upgrade over the 44GS in terms of the movement, though it retained similar styling. In the same manner, the modern-day remakes are most notable for having different movements. Amongst Grand Seiko’s many remakes, the 45GS stands out for the 9SA4 inside. It’s a large, slim, and sophisticated calibre that’s a substantial improvement over the manual-wind movements found in past remakes. Because of the movement, the 45GS remakes are amongst the more expensive manual-wind Grand Seiko models at US$9,700 in stainless steel and US$30,000 in yellow gold. Moreover, the two priced comparably to the SLGW002 and SLGW003, which are modern designs but powered by the same calibre. While not as affordable as other Grand Seiko models, the 45G...
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SJX Watches
Founded by the namesake father and son duo, Biver has just debuted its second model, the Biver Automatique. Though a simple a time-only watch with central seconds, in contrast to the preceding Carillon Tourbillon, the Automatique is equipped with an elaborately executed movement that’s arguably the most impressive recent automatic. Besides decorative touches like guilloche on the bridges, the JCB-003 also features details like a grande sonnerie-style winding click. The calibre is paired with a comparably elaborately constructed dial with solid gold appliqués that’s available in a variety of materials, including mineral stone like Pietersite. The JCB-003 Initial thoughts The Automatique is clearly meant to showcase the brand’s ability to create a highly finished and refined time-only watch that can compete with more established producers, both in terms of the movement as well as habillage (namely the dial and case). The highlight of the Automatique is the JCB-003 movement. Developed in partnership with movement specialist Dubois Depraz, the JCB-003 is quite possibly the most refined micro rotor movement on the market today. Though it is functionally simple, the movement boasts decorative and technical details along with a high level of finishing. The over-engineered caliber is meant to serve as a base for future complications, which makes sense considering the high cost involved in constructing such a movement. Amongst the calibre’s notable details is the grande so...
SJX Watches
Oris has tweaked its popular dive watch resulting in the Divers Sixty-Five Calibre 400 38 mm. The latest creation from the Holstein-based manufacturer gently reworks the original design, including shrinking the case to 38 mm and removing the date window while retaining the in-house movement. The cleaner look is matched with a green dial with a gradient finish that fades from metallic green to black on the dial’s periphery. Initial thoughts The Divers Sixty-Five is Oris’ bestseller and has been an experimental playground for the brand to iterate case sizes, materials, and dial colours, including a steel-and-bronze version Chinese watch magazine Ctime. The new 38 mm version illustrates this. Although it doesn’t look strikingly different from its predecessors at first glance, the new Divers Sixty-Five is the culmination the progressive development of the model. It combines the in-house Calibre 400 and 38 mm case size, along with the removal of the date window that watch enthusiasts will applaud. The green sunburst dial pops While the vintage-inspired aesthetic is somewhat generic (and green a common colour for dive watches), the new Divers Sixty-Five is a decent value proposition at US$3,900, especially considering the in-house automatic movement with an unusually long five-day power reserve. Vivid green Unlike past 38 mm models that were equipped with Sellita movements, the new Divers Sixty-Five is the first 38 mm model in the line to feature the brand’s proprietary ...
Quill & Pad
After seven decades carefully stored away in the Zenith archives, ten of the original chronometry competition-winning movements find their way into a limited set of new watches thanks to Phillips, legendary independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, and Zenith's current management.
Time+Tide
A couple of weeks ago, T+T reported how Swatch were suing the Malaysian government after it seized 172 of their watches from stores. The reason for the seizure? The watches, which come in either rainbow colours or a single colour with a rainbow trim, were released in support of Pride, the movement that promotes the … ContinuedThe post Wear this Pride-themed Swatch in Malaysia and you face a three-year jail term appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
In this episode of On-Wrist Reaction, we have dig into three watches that bring a lot of newness to their respective brands. To kick things off, Zach and Thomas take a look at the Oris Calibre 473 that houses Oris’ brand new in-house movement. The Calibre 473 marks the tenth in-house movement since the Hölstein based brand started the Oris Movement Creation Program and visibly highlights the 5 day power capacity on the backside of the movement via a 120 hour reserve indicator. Next up, the duo checks out the Vulcain Skindiver. Now the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Vulcain is their alarm-equipped Cricket, so naturally a diver from the brand in a tidy 38mm case was interesting to have in hand. A conversation about the BOLDR Odyssey Freediver GMT, its Miyota 9075 movement, and how the gang uses a GMT complication rounds out the episode. Check out the on-wrist reaction for all three watches in the video below, and stay tuned to this space for a more in-depth look at each watch within this week’s OWR selection. Big Crown Calibre 473 Celebrates a Decade of Oris Movement Creation Program The latest release from Oris uses a familiar design in their point date dial layout and a cotton candy blue dial color similar to that of a previous Oris limited edition collaboration with Cervo Volante. But the main draw here is Oris’ new hand wound Calibre 473 movement with a power reserve indicator on the backside of the movement. Check out Thomas Calara’s initial co...
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SJX Watches
Having already designed its own El Primero limited edition, Phillips has collaborated with Zenith and Voutilainen to create the Calibre 135 Observatoire, a limited edition of 10 watches each powered by a cal. 135-O. The movement was the specially-regulated variant of Zenith’s flagship chronometer wristwatch movement of the mid-20th century, conceived solely to participate in observatory chronometer contests. As such, the movements were never cased and sold, until now. Contained in a platinum case, the movements were light decorated by Voutilainen, which also supplied the guilloche dial via its dial making subsidiary Comblemine. Initial thoughts The Calibre 135 Observatoire is a good looking watch. It’s evidently modelled on the vintage model and doesn’t change too much of the original design, but instead injects a few elegant details that give it more refinement, like the guilloche chapter ring. These discreet flourishes are enough to set it apart as a higher end watch than the vintage original, which are more of a functional precision chronometer. More broadly, it’s a three-way collaboration that reflects the strengths of the collaborators to different degrees. For Phillips, the Observatoire is a sensible collaboration since it chimes with its strength in selling both vintage and modern watches at the top end of the price spectrum. And it also a perfect base for the auctioneer to utilise the discerning eye of the gentlemen behind the project, namely Aurel Bacs a...
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
Appropriately for the 90th anniversary of famed reversible wristwatch, Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) has debuted the ultimate Reverso. Boasting 11 complications, including a tourbillon, minute repeater, and instantaneous perpetual calendar, the Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque is a monumental wristwatch with four faces and a movement made up of 800 parts. Initial thoughts The Calibre 185 Quadriptyque is smaller than the Reverso Grande Complication à Triptyque – which was so big as to be almost unwearable for most – but still sizeable enough to be clunky. It measures 51.2 mm by 31 mm, while standing 15.15 mm high, making it larger than the biggish Nonantième that was launched at the same time. Granted, the size is necessary for the ultra-complex, four-faced movement. Majority of the complications within the new grand complication can be found in past JLC watches, making the Calibre 185 Quadriptyque something of a greatest-hits compilation for the brand. Impressive as it is, the Calibre 185 feels dated, in the sense that watches with numerous complications stacked up were a “thing” in the 2000s; the Triptyque was launched in 2007 and truly exotic in its day. Now that such watches are fairly common, with many leading brands having their own grand multi-complications, the concept is less impressive, regardless of the technical achievement. It’s also worth pointing out that the watch is elaborately decorated – mainly with Clous de Paris guilloche ...
SJX Watches
TAG Heuer’s first collaboration with streetwear guru Hiroshi Fujiwara of Fragment Design was the Fragment Design Carrera Heuer 02 of 2018. The vintage-inspired watch went down well and sold out quickly. Now the second collaboration has just been unveiled. Once again limited to 500 watches and powered by the same Heuer 02 movement, the TAG Heuer x Fragment Design Calibre Heuer 02 Automatic Chronograph is modelled on the Autavia models of the 1960s and 1970s, but again given a minimalist makeover by Mr Fujiwara, who happens to be a vintage watch aficionado himself. Initial thoughts As a watch collector, Mr Fujiwara no doubt understood the cushion-shaped Autavia case, sometimes known as the “C-case”, is an instantly recognisable Heuer that has presence, making it a good candidate for a collaboration. However, unlike earlier Fragment Design watch that looked almost like a real vintage watch, the latest edition looks far more contemporary, thanks to the high-contrast colours. The use of red is restrained, especially with the tiny hour markers, just enough to give the watch the right amount of auto-racing flair. While I am generally not a fan of a date window at six o’clock, it is nicely done here. The date disc is black to match with the dial, allowing the date display to blend into the dial. And the Fragment Design double lightning bolt logo at 12 o’clock serves as a visual counterweight to the date. The case has been upsized to 44 mm from the 42 mm of the o...
Quill & Pad
The mechanical diva on the stage of the Oris Big Crown ProPilot X Calibre 115 movement is the big kahuna itself: the extremely large mainspring visible at 12 o’clock, which provides more than 10 days of power reserve. And quite a bit more according to Anders Modig.
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