1,519 articles · 3 videos found · page 35 of 51
Monochrome
Alpina celebrated the brand´s 140th anniversary in 2023 by launching a new Heritage collection. Until now, the collection comprised the round-shaped Automatic, the Carrée Automatic, the Diver 300 Heritage model, and a funky Startimer Pilot with bumper movement. This year for Watches and Wonders, Alpina added a manually wound model to the line-up, a compact, […]
Monochrome
Since its introduction in 1932, many consider the Calatrava reference 96 as the paragon of an elegant dress watch. Although the collection has expanded in different directions, fans of the classical, timeless, time-only, ultra-slim, manual-winding dress watch will be pleased to learn about the latest Calatrava released during Watches & Wonders 2025. With its vintage-inspired […]
Monochrome
Patek Philippe introduces a new and powerful manual-winding calibre for the equally new Calatrava 8 Day Ref. 5328G. As you have gleaned from the name, the new twin barrel movement delivers an impressive 192-hour or 8-day power reserve. While the watch is officially a Calatrava, it shares traits with the more casual aesthetic of the […]
SJX Watches
Known for good looks and good value, Nomos has just introduced a new version of its popular dual-time complication, the Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer. Thanks in part to the new DUW 3202 automatic movement, the Worldtimer offers a rare combination of functionality, robustness, and slimness. Available in two colourways, dark blue or silver, the latter with a ‘Pepsi’ home time scale, the Worldtimer comes on a stainless steel bracelet and is rated to 100 m, making it quite versatile. Initial thoughts I have a soft spot for Nomos, and I like the brand’s unique approach to making sporty watches. Instead of going after the usual macho design cues like dive bezels and tachymeters, the brand has instead taken its signature Bauhaus-inspired design and just bulked it up a bit. This approach resulted in the Club Sport collection, and I was immediately intrigued to see this line-up expand to include the Worldtimer. Key to the Worldtimer’s appeal are its dimensions, which measure a compact 40 mm by 9.9 mm. That makes it quite thin for a dual-time watch, but despite its slim form it still manages a full 100 m of water resistance. And for added security, the crown features a red anodised ring to alert the owner when the crown has been left unscrewed. The stainless steel case is paired with a simple three-link bracelet that is quite bland and probably the weakest element of the design. The dial features a central disc with a sunray finish in either silver or dark blue, surrounded...
Monochrome
Bianchet, an independent watchmaking brand founded in 2021 and based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, has quickly established a distinctive identity with its modern tonneau-shaped designs. Earlier this year, the brand introduced the B 1.618 UltraFino, a milestone model release that brought several firsts: an ultra-thin case, a metal bracelet, and an automatic movement. Now, to mark […]
Monochrome
There’s a certain tyre manufacturer from Italy that claims “Power is nothing without Control”, and to an extent, that is very true about mechanical watches as well. Sure, you can have the most beautifully constructed watch, but if you don’t harness the energy that’s generated by winding it properly, it’s useless. Luckily, we’ve figured out […]
Monochrome
The Nomos Minimatik is a small family of slim watches, a 35.5mm model with just two dial variations, powered by the brand’s in-house DUW 3001 Neomatik automatic movement. Expanding the collection, Nomos Glashütte now introduces three new references, the Minimatik 39 Date, marking the brand’s latest addition to the dress watch category. The new Nomos […]
Monochrome
The Intra-Matic’s origins are rooted in Project 99, developed with Büren, Heuer, Breitling and movement specialist Dubois-Depraz. The result of this joint effort was presented in 1969 with one of the first automatic chronograph movements called Chrono-Matic, or Calibre 11, depending on the brand using it. Alongside, Hamilton presented in the late 1960s the Chronograph […]
SJX Watches
Echoing its own contrasting approach to design, MB&F; is growing its affordable M.A.D. Editions with the addition of the more conventional M.A.D.2. Conceived by Eric Giroud, a longtime designer who designed the very first MB&F; watch, the M.A.D.2 has a 42 mm round case that contains a self-winding movement with a bidirectional jumping hour. Modelled on a DJ’s turntable, the M.A.D.2 debuts in two variants. Orange is available only to MB&F; owners, otherwise known as “The Tribe”, as well as “Friends”, associates and partners of the brand. Green will be available to the public and sold via an online raffle as was the case for earlier M.A.D. Editions. Initial thoughts Two things stand out about the M.A.D.2. One is that it’s a fairly conventional round watch, as opposed to the more exotic style of the M.A.D.1. This is a logical evolution of the affordable-MB&F; concept since it echoes the segmentation of MB&F;’s own catalogue between the sci-fi Horological Machines and classical Legacy Machines. The second notable aspect is that it’s Swiss made like the recent M.A.D.1S; the base movement is La Joux-Perret G101 while the jump hour module is also Swiss according to MB&F;. In contrast, the original M.A.D.1 was assembled in Switzerland with imported components, including a low-cost Miyota base movement (however, the Swiss G101 is actually based on a Miyota construction). While being “Swiss made” doesn’t make it a better watch or necessarily mean every component is m...
Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko is releasing a new Vanac collection this week, and with it, a new automatic movement. The Vanac made its first appearance in the King Seiko catalog back in 1972, complete with all the funky design details you’d expect of a watch of this era. A large, prism-like case with flat surfaces, faceted crystals, and highly dynamic dial textures and colors left a big impression, and that’s exactly what Seiko is looking to recapture in modern guise with the new King Seiko Vanac. It’s not a re-issue, but it is a throwback, and one that will look to set a modern foundation, and if it’s anything like its predecessor, we can look forward to plenty of variety to come. The original Vanac was short lived, but its flame burned brightly, with a wide range of references released, most of which featured bright dials and integrated bracelet designs. Seiko says that the original meaning of the word "Vanac" has been lost to time, so they’ve come up with a modern acronym to suit the modern personality of the new collection: Vibrant; Active; Novel; Alternative; and Comfortable. The message Seiko is trying to convey with this watch is one of innovation, and breaking barriers, and the brand views buyers of this watch as trailblazers and visionary types. Make of that what you will. The new Vanac picks up where the original left off, with a sharp, angular case boasting large flat surfaces that transition between brushed and polished finishes. This is set to an integrated bracelet tha...
Fratello
There are two ways to “handle” the peculiar watches in the picture - with a focus on the design or the specs. Both are impressive. The steel and rose-gold-PVD-treated models are available in a limited run of 100 pieces each. Because there’s an automatic Miyota 9075 “flyer” GMT movement inside their architecturally shaped cases, the […] Visit Let’s Start The Week Being “Brutally” Honest - I Love The Papar Anillo GMT to read the full article.
Quill & Pad
The first association for many on hearing the word "Seiko" is likely to be affordable quartz watches or automatic divers. However, Seiko offers much more, particularly in terms of luxury timepieces. Grand Seiko, which became its own brand under the Seiko Group in 2017, produces some of the most competitive luxury watches on the market, rivaling the best Swiss brands at prices that are still (somewhat) attainable.
Monochrome
Marking a first for the recently introduced 38mm iteration of Code 11.59, Audemars Piguet equips its most compact reference with an automatic flying tourbillon. Not just any tourbillon, mind you, but AP’s ultra-thin calibre 2968, aka RD#3. Representing the best of both worlds, the new Code 11.59 Tourbillon fuses a state-of-the-art movement with a graceful […]
Monochrome
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore debuted in 1993 as the Royal Oak’s bolder, more virile brother with a muscular case and bold juxtaposition of materials. In 2021, the “Beast” was given a facelift, resulting in a more ergonomic 43mm case with redesigned pushers housing the brand’s integrated automatic flyback chronograph movement. No stranger to ceramic […]
Monochrome
Last year, Audemars Piguet announced the end of the calibre 5134, the automatic movement that has powered most of its modern perpetual calendar watches for the past 10 years – mostly, the classic RO Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar, which performed its swan song with a limited edition made with John Mayer. But the 5134 was not […]
Fratello
History repeats itself. You know of the debate about which automatic chronograph came first. Was Zenith’s El Primero, the Caliber 11 developed by Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton, and movement specialist Dubois Dépraz, or the Speedtimer by Seiko the first? Now we have a new case of “Who came first?” It involves two watches - the Hublot […] Visit Introducing: The Hublot Big Bang Unico Magic Ceramic - The First Production Watch Featuring Multicolored Ceramic to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that our enthusiast romance associated with a mechanical movement can be another’s annoyance. Our beloved rituals of winding and setting, feeling the grinding clicks in your fingertips, and double-checking you’ve set it correctly can act as a barrier to entry for some, leaving a mechanical watch inside a dresser drawer. That is why I am a proponent of luxury brands exploring quartz calibers, particularly within their more popular collections. Removing that barrier and often lowering its price point means that the watch and the hobby as a whole can be accessed by more people, which is the ultimate goal, after all. All that being said, if a luxury brand is going to make a quartz watch and charge a luxury price, you have to make it a good one. Stepping off of my soap box, I’ll happily admit that when TAG Heuer released the Aquaracer with a solar quartz caliber inside, I too scoffed at the price and questioned its purpose. While the design language spoke to me with its warmly hued titanium construction and tasteful accents, I just didn’t understand why TAG Heuer would charge a price many multiples of what other solar quartz calibers commonly sell for. That was until I had the opportunity to have a period of hands-on time with it. I found myself enjoying its lightweight yet solid construction, the fun application of lume, and even became a bit enamored by the angular case lines, which had previously been a bit off-putting. So when I s...
Fratello
Miyota is synonymous with high-quality, affordable mechanical movements. Collectors of independent and microbrand watches know the name well. This year is special for the brand because it marks the 50th anniversary of the popular Caliber 82 series. To celebrate this automatic movement’s success, let’s examine its core elements. In a world where small, creative watch […] Visit Miyota Celebrates 50 Years Of The Caliber 82 Series to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Perhaps the crown jewel of Grand Seiko’s automatic watches, the 62GS was the brand’s first to feature an automatic movement. Vintage 62GS pieces championed subtlety with small crowns, “bezel-less” crystals, and smooth, polished edges. The 62GS has lived on through many contemporary iterations, and most hold on to that understated elegance as a key design feature. The current lineup of Heritage Collection pieces reflects almost all the hallmarks of the 62GS that it’s based on, albeit with dials themed for the 24 solar terms of the Japanese sekki. Grand Seiko’s newest 62GS piece continues the seasonal motif of the Heritage Collection lineup but adds even more color by enveloping it in 18-karat rose gold. This rose gold reference, SBGH368 in the Grand Seiko catalog, is meant to symbolize cherry blossoms covered in snow, featuring a textured copper pink dial encased in a dual curve sapphire crystal. The indices, dauphine hands, date window frame, and screw-down crown match the case material, as does Grand Seiko’s logo positioned just above the brand’s name, below the double-thick 12 marker. An exhibition case back showcases the Hi-Beat 9S85 automatic movement, which features 37 jewels and a 55-hour power reserve, as well as 100-meter water resistance. In terms of sizing, the SBGH368’s case measures 38mm in diameter and 12.9mm in thickness, maintaining the standard specs of the 62GS line. The 20mm lug width promises easy strap-swapping, though the included...
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko’s latest offering is unusual – it’s a 30 mm self-winding model specifically conceived for ladies, in contrast to the vast majority of the Grand Seiko catalogue that’s made up of men’s or mid-sized watches. The Heritage Collection 62GS Mechanical 30 mm measures just 10.5 mm thick, making it the brand’s slimmest mechanical model to date. Notably, the new 62GS pair, STGK031 and STGK033, are the first to adopt a case design found on men’s watches, refining it for a smaller format as a ladies model. Initial thoughts In my view, the 62GS case stands out as the most appealing configuration in Grand Seiko’s extensive lineup. While it retains a distinctly Japanese design heritage, it remains one of the few Grand Seiko models that blends vintage and modern styles. As an owner of the 40 mm 62GS, I can personally attest to its versatility on the wrist, largely due to its slim case profile. The new 62GS 30 mm is essentially a scaled down version of the 40 mm model. It stands out for being the first ladies’ models that adapt a design of a men’s watch. In contrast, earlier Grand Seiko ladies watches had a cushion-shaped case that is arguably less appealing since it doesn’t have a distinctive Grand Seiko style. While Grand Seiko’s continued emphasis on nature-inspired dials may feel somewhat overused, the 62GS 30 mm is priced similar to its men’s counterpart and still represents good value. 62GS The Grand Seiko catalogue does include mid-sized watches...
Fratello
In 2019, Hamilton launched a limited-edition Chrono-Matic 50 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Calibre 11. Along with Breitling, Heuer, Dubois-Dépraz, and Buren, Hamilton was one of the original partners in the development of the automatic Calibre 11 that debuted in 1969. The 2019 version of the Chrono-Matic 50 had a black dial, […] Visit Introducing: The Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition In Blue And Orange to read the full article.
Hodinkee
The brand goes back to Mt. Iwate to find inspiration for their new hi-beat automatic release.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko’s latest release, the Evolution 9 Hi-Beat 36000 SLGH027 Limited Edition, is all about the textured dial as is typical of the brand. Inspired by the ridges of Mount Iwate, a volcano that’s near Grand Seiko’s Shizukuishi workshop, the radial dial motif is more deeply textured than earlier iterations of the “Mount Iwate” pattern. The rest of the watch is typical of the Evolution 9 “SLGH” model – a high-frequency automatic movement inside a Zaratsu-finish case in from Ever-Brilliant steel, a proprietary alloy with superior corrosion resistance and a brighter finish than conventional steel. Initial thoughts Of the many Grand Seiko dials, the new Mount Iwate motif stands out. While the latest dial shares the same radial style as the earlier “Mount Iwate” pattern, found on the Tentagraph SLGC001 amongst others, the dial of the SLGH027 has a deeper texture and more pronounced grooves, giving it an elevated aesthetic that is more striking. With so many variants, Grand Seiko’s textured dials are a little cliche at this point, but there is no denying that the watches are still impressively crafted and offer strong value, rivalling the strongest Swiss competition (except in terms of the bracelet). At US$10,500, the SLGH027 is priced similarly to equivalent prior models. While it is substantially more expensive than the average time-and-date Grand Seiko, the price is justified by the top-of-the-line cal. 9SA5, as well as the excellent case and dial wor...
Fratello
Today, Grand Seiko introduces the SLGH027 “Mountainscape,” a limited-edition watch celebrating the brand’s 65th anniversary. The piece features the automatic Hi-Beat 9SA5 caliber, which debuted in 2020. As part of the Evolution 9 collection, this watch is not retro at all but a modern reference with stunning details. Grand Seiko always has a strong start […] Visit Introducing: The Grand Seiko SLGH027 “Mountainscape” Hi-Beat 65th Anniversary Limited Edition to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
For those in the know, Breguet is a name in the history of watchmaking that commands instant respect, and even reverence. The brand’s legendary founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, is rightfully lauded as the inventor of the tourbillon, but his lifetime horological resumé goes far beyond even that: he made the first self-winding movement, the first watch that was wound by a crown rather than a key, the pare-chute shock protection system, and the gong system for repeater watches, among other innovations. His customers included historical figures like King Louis XVI of France, Queen Marie-Antoinette, and Napoleon Bonaparte. He even invented a style of hands that many other watchmakers other than Breguet still use today. The modern brand that bears his name is one of the undisputed, upper-echelon Swiss watch maisons, alongside names like Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet, and the jewel in the crown of the Swatch Group. All that said and acknowledged, a newcomer to Breguet, especially the prospective owner of his or her first Breguet watch, may find all of this background intimidating. And make no mistake, Breguet is unapologetic in both its embrace of historical renown and its timepieces’ exalted level of luxury. The brand’s modern-day stewards harbor no illusion that they offer anything that would be any aficionado’s “first watch.” The whole concept of “entry level” must be stretched a bit at this venerated tier of watchmaking: like Patek Philippe, A. Lan...
Fratello
In general, the watches on the Timex website are all quite affordable. You can get an Easy Rider for as little as €50, but even for the rest of the watches, €100–300 is often enough. However, that’s not true with the watches in Timex’s Giorgio Galli collection. The automatic S1 with a Japanese Miyota movement […] Visit Introducing: The Limited-Edition Timex Giorgio Galli S2Ti With A Titanium And Forged Carbon Case to read the full article.
Monochrome
It’s now widely known that Citizen can be pretty aggressive when it comes to its price policy. Whatever the range of watches you’re looking at, you’ll always end up with great value for your money – the EUR 299 Tsuyosa is a great example, but so are the Promaster Automatic Diver or the Challenge Diver […]
Fratello
Today, after a two-year absence, Farer reintroduces the new GMT Bezel Collection. Four watches comprise the lineup. They include two diameters and several color options. Automatic movements, a healthy spec sheet, and affordable pricing make the return of these watches a welcome one. While Farer continues to offer different styles of GMT watches, the GMT […] Visit Introducing: The Return Of The Farer GMT Bezel Collection to read the full article.
Deployant
TAG Heuer adds a special edition automatic chronograph created in collaboration with Oracle Red Bull Racing with 4 new colour-ways in the core collection.
Monochrome
Montoir is a fairly new microbrand that launched its first dive watch in late 2023 and now has a follow-up on Kickstarter with new dial and bezel colours. We were impressed with Montoir’s first release as the watches were stylish, had serious 200m water-resistance and included a well-proven Sellita automatic. While the general formula remains […]
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