1,280 articles · 411 videos found · page 35 of 57
Quill & Pad
In Paris on the 21st of January 1910, a flash flood caused the Seine river to rise 8 meters/25 feet and devastated the city. While much of the damage was what you might expect, something unusual did occur: thousands of clocks stopped at 10:50 am. Here's why.
Teddy Baldassarre
When the Zenith Chronomaster Sport won the Chronograph Prize at the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie Genève, the watch world’s most prestigious awards, it was emphatically something new and different: the first chronograph watch able to measure 1/10-second chronograph readings on its bezel scale. However, despite the fact that the Chronomaster Sport collection can still be considered “new” in a practical sense, its origins, both aesthetic and technical, can be traced back much further, all the way to some of the earliest horological milestones of Zenith, one of the Swiss watch world’s most honored and accomplished watchmakers and the inventor of the groundbreaking movement that animates all the Chronomaster models, including the Sport. I spoke with Zenith’s Head of Heritage, Laurence Bodenmann, to help trace the evolution of the Chronomaster Sport and its strong ties to several noteworthy models of the past. Zenith traces its impactful watchmaking history all the way back to 1865, and an ambitious 22-year-old watchmaker named George Favre-Jacot. A contemporary of the influential Swiss artist and designer Le Corbusier, a pioneer of avant-garde architecture, Favre-Jacot adopted a similarly modernist approach to watchmaking when he founded his atelier in Le Locle in the Swiss Jura. Taking cues from American watch firms like Waltham and Elgin, which had found success by introducing mass production into the traditionally artisanal trade, Georges Favre-Jacot & Co.,...
Worn & Wound
Welcome to the Worn & Wound Micro-Brand Digest, a semi-monthly roundup of all the new micro-brand news we’re following, from concepts that show promise, to kickstarter launches to restocks, and everything in between. Small independents, and affordable micro-brands spurred the creation of Worn & Wound over 10 years ago, and they still drive our enthusiasm in a big way. Here’s what’s caught our eye this month. If you’ve come across a project, you think qualifies, hit us up at info@wornandwound.com for inclusion. Canister Fieldmaster The Fieldmaster is Canister’s inaugural wristwatch. Its inspiration comes from a career as an active-duty member of the Canadian Armed Forces, and first-hand knowledge of the consequences when tools and equipment fail. As a result, Canister’s aim is to make rugged and dependable tools built for a purpose. As such, the Fieldmaster has been rigorously tested in Brandon, Manitoba, where extreme winter conditions of minus 40 are common, as are 14-hour workdays. The Fieldmaster is made of 316L stainless-steel, has a flat sapphire crystal and a ceramic bezel insert. Powering it is the upscale Miyota 9015 automatic movement and the dial numerals and hands are coated with a generous amount of C3 SuperLumninova. The size is 41mm in diameter, 50mm from lug-to-lug, 12mm thick and its lug width is 20mm. It is also water-resistant to 200m. Three dial colors are available (black, blue, and white) and it comes with a stainless-steel bracelet, a ru...
Fratello
The Omega Seamaster (Professional) Diver 300M has been around since 1993. It has seen several revisions and a major overhaul in 2018. With the current generation turning six this year, we wonder: is it due for an update, or is the 300M still one of the best dive watches under 10 grand? Join us as […] Visit Is The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Due For An Update? to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko is celebrating the 20th anniversary of 9R Spring Drive movement with a pair of limited editions featuring dials inspired by the sunrise at Mount Hotaka, a peak near the Grand Seiko workshop in Shiojiri. The first model is the Heritage Collection Caliber 9R 20th Anniversary “Pink Snowflake” (SBGA497) that revisits the first ever watch model with the 9R but with the trademark “snowflake” dial in pink. And the second is the Sports Collection Spring Drive GMT Caliber 9R 20th Anniversary (SBGE305) combining a black ceramic bezel with a dark red sunburst dial. Initial Thoughts The invention of the Spring Drive calibre is arguably one of Seiko’s most important achievements. It encompasses most of the advantages of mechanical movement while retaining the accuracy of quartz. Similar to a fully mechanical movement, it is powered by a spring rather than a battery, while timekeeping is regulated by a quartz crystal. As the first-ever commercially available Spring Drive variant, 9R marks an important feat for Grand Seiko. Nevertheless, despite the two new releases being celebratory models for the 20th anniversary of the 9R Spring Drive movement, they don’t seem to offer anything remarkable or unprecedented. Rather, the choice of a Hotaka mountain-inspired dial for both watches seems cliche, considering how pink and red colour dials have been relatively common in the brand’s catalogue. Plus, the inspiration behind Grand Seiko’s dial seems rather repetitive, a...
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WatchAdvice
We’ve gone hands on with the Australian limited edition Squale MATIC, sold exclusively through StarBuy. Here’s what we think! What We Love The green gradient dialWearability for a large watchTropic strap is very comfortable in Summer What We Don’t Crown at 4 o’clock is hard to useDomed crystal reflects a lot of lightNot for the faint of wrist Overall Rating: 8/10 Value for money: 7.5/10Wearability: 7.5/10Design: 8/10Build quality: 9/10 Squale may not be a brand you would have heard mentioned too often. It dates back to the 50’s when Charles and Helene Von Buren established the Von Büren SA watch factory in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Being passionate divers, their focus was on developing watches specifically for underwater use, which at the time in 1950 was 3 years prior to the Submariner and Fifty Fathoms making their debut. However, it would be almost 10 years before they are able to obtain a patent and register the Squale brand name, and then another 3 before their first watches would hit the market in 1962. The rest as they say is history (quite literally) and today, the brand is still solely focused on dive watches and what you would call a quintessential tool watch. They’re designed for a purpose – to be easy to use and read underwater with maximum legibility and functionality. They’re less a fashion statement, but then again, most watches that are fashionable were originally intended as something else. The form is now greater than the function they’v...
SJX Watches
Hublot’s flagship launch at LVMH Watch Week 2024 is the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System, an enormous and outlandishly complicated wristwatch that takes a novel approach to each of its key functions: telling the time, winding, and regulation. The time is indicated by rolling cylinders, while the movement is regulated by an inclined flying tourbillon, and the mainsprings wound by a novel mechanism that relies on the linear motion of twin sliding weights. All the mechanical intricacy is visible under a panoramic, wraparound sapphire crystal curved on three different planes. Initial Thoughts Although Hublot is best known for its simpler models like the Classic Fusion, and sometimes gets flak for the basic movements used in those watches, the brand has long specialises in intricately-mechanical complications, most notably the MP-05 LaFerrari with a movement shaped like an automobile engine and the MP-07 with a 40-day power reserve. The MP-10 continues the series in the same oversized, hyper-modern format. The movement combines several unusual complications that have been found elsewhere, but never altogether. These include the cylindrical time display and inclined tourbillon, but more notably the linear winding mechanism. This is probably the most dynamic complication in the watch, since the twin weights on each side of the case will slide up and down with the motion of the wrist. Winding a movement with sliding weights has been tried several times in the past, includin...
Fratello
The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo isn’t a watch that really needs a lot of color to stand out. Its extremely flat and geometric design already makes it one of the most original watches to wear. However, for this year’s LVMH Watch Week, Bvlgari is launching two colorful versions of its 10-year-old icon. The first is a […] Visit Bvlgari Launches Two Octo Finissimo Models At LVMH Watch Week - One In Yellow Gold, The Other In 904L Steel to read the full article.
Hodinkee
An all-new complete calendar caliber pays tribute to a rare El Primero prototype from 55 years ago.
WatchAdvice
What’s it like to own the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M? In our Owner’s Perspective, we find out! This article was originally published as The Owners Perspective: Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M Why I Bought It A love of James BondLove the dive watch lookWas a grail piece when I was young The Ownership Reality Bracelet a little outdated and chunky claspWore it on the rubber more than notPolished Ceramic dial can be glary Overall Rating: 8.875/10 Value for money: 9/10Wearability: 9/10Design: 8.5/10Build quality: 9/10 This isn’t the first time that I’ve owned a Seamaster. I had a 2005 quartz version almost 20 years ago. At that point I’d only owned a Tissot PRS 200 as a “good” Swiss watch. As a fan of James Bond, (and what young male isn’t?), I always wanted his watch. I mean how cool was the wave dial, the deep blue bezel and at the time, that unmistakable bracelet. It looked great in the office and on weekends at the beach. I loved it. Financial issues meant I had to sell it about 7 months after buying it, and that hurt. About 15 years and many watches later, I decided it was time to purchase another, this time the latest iteration of the SMP 300. I chose the black polished ceramic dial with the laser etched waves, date at 6 o’clock, glossy, almost silky polished ceramic bezel with white inset dive indicators. And this time, on the steel and opting to add the rubber strap too. Very versatile and with the steel bracelet and rubber strap, two very diff...
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Monochrome
As was expected, LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company, has announced record revenues for 2023. At EUR 86.2 billion, revenues are up 9% while the organic growth was +13%. The progression of revenues was higher in the fourth quarter than in the third quarter with organic growth of 10% versus 9%, despite some uncertainties […]
WatchAdvice
The latest microbrand from Australia is about to launch, and we’ve been wearing their launch model, the HZ.01 for the last week getting a feel for it and the brand! What We Love The vintage-inspired lookThe ability to dress up or downThe circular graining on the dial and green outer track that pops What We Don’t Slightly on the smaller sizeDate window a little too smallLack of lume on the numerals Overall Rating: 8.5/10 Value for money: 9/10Wearability: 8.5/10Design: 8.5/10Build quality: 8/10 It’s not every day that you get to go hands on with a watch prior to its launch, well, not for an extended period of time and even rarer to wear it for a week or so and have fun with it to review. And when this is the launch model for a brand-new microbrand from Australia, then it is a privilege to test it out, and not only give feedback back to the brand, but let the general watch-buying public know about it and help support a fellow enthusiast-turned-watch maker with their new endeavour. A Bit Of Background HZ Watches is the brainchild of Matthew Zillman, a Melbourne local who, like many of us, developed a love for watches at an early age. Having had some early model Seiko’s, he got into watch modding and building after doing a movement swap on a Seiko 5 with the 7s26 movement. And in his words: “Before I had time to blink, I was modding and creating different custom SKX mods for myself and a few friends at university, which soon blossomed into Seiko Mods Australia” One ...
Deployant
The Panerai Luminor Due was a collection which was first introduced in 2017, as the mid-sized, unisex Luminor model. The movement then was designated as the OP XXXIV which is assumed to have been renamed the P.900 caliber which is now found inside the new Due. The 42mm case Luminor Due bears the same crown guard as the iconic Luminor Marina, but with only 50m water resistance. Its slim profile and polished case is a marked stylistic variation from the original dive watch. The new dial color adds a nice statement to the hybrid classic timepiece.
Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward, a founding brand of the Alliance of British Watch and Clockmakers, is gearing up for a significant presence at the British Watchmakers’ Day on March 9th, 2024, hosted at Lindley Hall in London. The focal point of their participation is the exclusive release of the Bel Canto 9324, a limited edition of only 10 pieces, that will be auctioned off using a raffle system during the event. What makes this particular model unique is two-fold. The first being a laser-etched Union Jack on its platine, which was then given a deep blue color treatment with elaborate decorative touches, including polishing as well as Clous de Paris and Finque guilloche patterns. The second being that this is the first time Roman numerals have been used on a Bel Canto. All profits generated from the sale of these exclusive timepieces will be directly donated to The Alliance of British Watch and Clockmakers. British Watchmakers’ Day serves as a platform to showcase the finest in British horology. Attendees can anticipate exploring the latest releases from renowned brands, engaging with the creators behind these timepieces, and gaining valuable insights into the artistry and innovation that defines the British watchmaking landscape. In addition to Christopher Ward, many of the brands we cover here on Worn & Wound will be in attendance, including Fears, Farer, and Studio Underd0g. You can find out more about British Watchmakers’ Day here. And if you can’t make it, watch this ...
Quill & Pad
While the original L.U.C 1860, with caliber 1.96, was spot on for the era, the current L.U.C 1860 in Lucent steel is just that again. It shows once more that trends come and go, but circle.
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Deployant
We began last week with the countdown to the top 10 posts of 2023 with 6th to 10th places. Today, we complete the countdown with the Best 5!
Deployant
Counting down to the end of 2023, and before welcoming 2024, here are the best posts on Deployant for 2023. Part 1 lists the no6 to 10 spots.
WatchAdvice
The 75th Anniversary Seamaster Professional Diver 300M “Summer Blue” may just be the perfect watch for Summer and we’ve taken it out to see if it really is. What We Love The gradient blue dialComfort factor of the rubber strapWears smaller than stats suggest What We Don’t Colourway could limit it’s versatility across the yearThis version on the bracelet, get the rubber!No display caseback on this version Overall Rating: 9/10 Value for money: 8.5/10Wearability: 9.5/10Design: 9/10Build quality: 9/10 This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Omega Seamaster, and to celebrate, the brand released the “Summer Blue” Collection in one of the most iconic locations, Mykonos Greece. In a unique move, Omega released a Summer Blue variant of each watch in the Seamaster lineup (which you can read our coverage of here) designed to mimic the Aegean Sea, and the deeper the watch’s depth rating, the darker the blue. It’s a cool concept. The Omega 75th Anniversary Summer Blue Seamaster Collection Now it’s Summer here in Australia, it felt timely to take possibly the best-known, and most popular of the Seamster collection, the Diver 300M on rubber strap out and about to see if this is “THE” watch for the Summer. Initial Thoughts The Omega Seamaster Diver isn’t an unfamiliar watch for me. I’ve now owned two of them: an original Seamaster Diver James Bond Quartz, and then more recently, the current SMP300 with the black dial and bezel. You can read my Owners Perspe...
Monochrome
While being strongly driven by the release of new models in recent years, Grand Seiko does carry a few emblematic models in its collection; watches that have barely changed over the last 10 to 20 years. We can immediately think about the cream-dial Elegance GMT reference SBGM221. Another important model for Grand Seiko is a […]
WatchAdvice
We’ve gone hands on with the new Riviera GMT launched at the start of the year, and we must say that it’s been a bit of a surprise package! What We Love Wave motif silver dialQuick change strap systemComfortable bracelet What We Don’t No secondary strap to utilise the quick change systemNo GMT bezel, limiting true GMT functionalityLack of a screw-down crown Overall Rating: 8/10 Value for money: 8/10Wearability: 8/10Design: 7.5/10Build quality: 8.5/10 Baume & Mercier has had its ups and downs over the years, and more recently, I feel they’ve been relegated to the bottom of the Richemont stable of brands. However, this year, with the 50th Anniversary of the Riviera, Baume & Mercier have breathed some new life into their steel sports diver and designed it for a new wave of watch lovers. For those not very familiar with Baume & Mercier, first a very quick history lesson… The new Baume & Mercier Riviera GMT Travel Time Launched in 1973, the Riviera immediately made a splash with its dodecagonal case and its slimline metal strap. At this time, very few brands had really ventured into the luxury integrated steel bracelet models, with maybe the exception of Rolex and Audemars Piguet, making the Baume & Mercier Riviera one of the first brands to do this. Interestingly, the original design was done by Jean-Claude Gueit, the father of Emmanuel Gueit who designed the Royal Oak Offshore, so the Riviera has some design provenance and links back to that era as well. The Riviera...
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WatchAdvice
We go hands on with Bremont’s newly released Supermarine GMT Diver, the S302. With a bright and vibrant blue/green bezel and blue rubber strap, we think this could be a quiet hit for the British Brand! What We Love Contrasting blue and green bezelSuper comfortable rubber strapNicely proportioned and easy to wear What We Don’t Bezel action could be smootherUni-directional bezel on a GMTLack of quick change strap system Overall Rating: 8.5/10 Value for money: 8.5/10Wearability: 9/10Design: 8.5/10Build quality: 8/10 Bremont’s new Supermarine GMT collection was launched last month, a refreshed and refined range under their new CEO, Davide Cerrato. We covered this release (which you can read here) with three models, including a Jet Black, a Blue/ Green on blue rubber, and the limited edition Ocean in grey with Bremont’s new brand ambassador, marine biologist, shark and marine conservationist – Ocean Ramsey. The new Bremont Supermarine GMT Diver collection Since taking the helm at Bremont, we’ve been keen to see what Davide Cerrato would do as his first move when it came to the actual watches, and with a focus on their core lines, the first to be given a refinement was the Supermarine collection, starting with the S302 Diver GMT. Bremont is one of those brands that you want to win. They’ve a great origin story, and this for me is a major part of what makes a watch brand appealing. Why does it exist and what was the rationale for it being started outside of it being...
Worn & Wound
It’s that time of year again to reflect and give thanks and spend time with loved ones. If you are fortunate (or perhaps unfortunate) enough to have a watch enthusiast in your circles – or are one yourself – it’s also the season to begin racking your brain for thoughtful gift ideas. Watch guys and gals are notoriously difficult to shop for, but we’re here to save the day with 10 special bundles here at the Windup Watch Shop. If getting clotheslined in a Wal-Mart scramble is not your cup of tea, you’re in the right place. Kick back, grab a coffee, and get a jump start on holiday shopping by checking out these Black Friday bundles. Lastly, the Windup Watch Shop Team expresses our utmost gratitude to our readers and community. It is an honor and privilege to bring you the very best in watches, accessories, and gear. It’s that time of year again to reflect and give thanks and spend time with loved ones. If you are fortunate (or perhaps unfortunate) enough to have a watch enthusiast in your circles – or are one yourself – it’s also the season to begin racking your brain for thoughtful gift ideas. Watch guys and gals are notoriously difficult to shop for, but we’re here to save the day with 10 special bundles here at the Windup Watch Shop. If getting clotheslined in a Wal-Mart scramble is not your cup of tea, you’re in the right place. Kick back, grab a coffee, and get a jump start on holiday shopping by checking out these Black Friday bundles. Lastly, th...
Deployant
Armin Strom introduced the Tribute 1 in steel with new fumé dials and guilloché plates. Four dial colours, each limited to 10 pieces.
Quill & Pad
I estimate I’ve seen - and have personally moderated 10 Dubai Watch Week Horological Forums talks - around 80 of these ‘events’, and many have been very, very, good: either. But at the 2023 fair I saw one that just blew me away (and I’m a jaded old industry veteran). Don't miss this!
Deployant
MB&F; adds to their Horological Machine collection with the new HM11 "Architect", and introducing their 21st caliber, inspired by architecture of the 1960s.
Video
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