Results for Swiss vs Japanese Watchmaking

SJX Podcast: AP Reinvents the Chronograph, Big Brands vs. Indies, and VC CEO

On episode 12 of the SJX Podcast, SJX shares his hands-on impressions of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5, the fifth and final watch from the brand’s R&D; skunkworks. We also address listener questions about the (great) leadership at Vacheron Constantin, and whether brands like A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin can gain market share from independents – why not? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.  

Seiko vs Grand Seiko: What 10 Years of Testing Reveals About Value

Thinking of upgrading from Seiko to Grand Seiko? After 10 years of reviewing both, here’s when the jump makes sense and when it doesn’t.

Bremont’s New Direction: Davide Cerrato on Challenges, Vision, and British Watchmaking

It’s not hyperbole to say that Bremont’s presentation at Watches & Wonders 2024 was one of the most hotly discussed and contentious events in the watch industry in years. The British brand, long associated with their founders, brothers Nick and Giles English, was now under the control of a new CEO, watch industry veteran Davide Cerrato, and a new ownership group. We knew ahead of time that the watches presented at the show would represent a new direction for the brand, one that would apparently see them reaching for the mass market, well beyond the deep enthusiast core audience they had cultivated so carefully since the brand’s founding. What we didn’t know at the time was the watches, a new logo, and a surprising new look and feel for the brand itself would cause so much consternation.  It’s a common complaint that watch media types are soft on watches that are objectively bad. Think of all the times you’ve seen a comment on an Instagram post or a watch article asking sarcastically if a piece of editorial content is bought and paid for by a brand. That somewhat ridiculous line of thinking is a topic for another day, but I think it’s fair to say no one accused any real writer of being soft on Bremont during Watches & Wonders 2024 and in the weeks shortly thereafter. Our own post was, I thought, a fairly balanced critique compared to some. My opinion in the days after the show was very much a first, hazy impression of a brand that had suddenly lost its footin...

Trilobe Takes Up the Mantle of French Watchmaking with the Trente-Deux

Best known for its signature time display comprised of three off-center discs, Trilobe has introduced its first sport watch, the Trente-Deux. It’s yet another sports watch with an integrated bracelet, but the Trente-Deux is more notable for being the debut platform for the new X-Nihilo caliber, which for movement geeks will overshadow the launch of the new collection itself. The X-Nihilo is a relatively simple automatic caliber, and many of its components are produced in Trilobe’s own newly established CNC workshop near the French capital. It remains to be seen whether this domestic manufacturing initiative will prove viable long-term; the recent past is full of false starts aimed at rebuilding the French watchmaking industry. Initial thoughts I admit a certain fascination for watches without hands, that indicate the time with jumping windows, wandering displays, and revolving discs. The Trente-Deux, like the brand’s other watches, is an example of the latter. The hour is read at the top of the dial, using the logo as a pointer. The minutes slip by through a window in the dial, and the seconds disc rotates around a central hub embellished with stamped Clous de Paris. The asymmetrical layout is visually compelling and results in a pleasing amount of negative space that somehow doesn’t feel empty. This might be due to the sunray pattern, which emanates outward from the center of the seconds disc. In terms of colour, grey and navy blue are safe, pragmatic choices tha...

Gagà Laboratorio: A Swiss Watch Brand with Italian Soul

The Roger W. Smith Series 6 is a Reminder of Why I Love Traditional Watchmaking

I love Roger Smith’s watches. If I won the lottery tomorrow (or had I won it this past weekend, when the Powerball reached a high of $1.7 billion), my first call wouldn’t be to a banker, or a lawyer, or even to my family. There’s a very real chance my first call would be to Roger Smith to beg for a spot on his very long waitlist - I might not even wait to cash the check to start dialing. I tell you this not because this is an article about how my watch collecting would change were I to come into an inconceivable amount of money overnight (though that might be a fun game to play at some point), but because Roger Smith has just announced the Series 6, his first new model since 2019, and the watch I am undoubtedly most excited about this year, even if it may be some time before I get to see one. The Series 6, like all Smith’s watches, is clear in its origin, building on the vocabulary steadily developed by Smith over the last few decades. In execution, the watch is most closely linked to the Series 4, a triple calendar with moon phase wrist watch introduced in 2015 that set itself apart not only in craftsmanship (a given for Smith) but in layout. That watch introduced a floating central dial with a radial date display, complete with “traveling aperture.” This evolution of the pointer date made the Series 4 incredibly legible, and strikingly modern, despite the classical styling. With the Series 6, Smith has brought the “traveling aperture” to a comparatively...

Business News: Hot Offerings From Swiss Watchmakers Wrestle For Attention With Tariff Price Talk At Geneva Watch Days

More price increases are coming, including Patek, MB&F;, and Moser, executives say, without a better U.S. tariff deal.

The Blümlein Effect: Why Günter Blümlein Is Still the GOAT of Watchmaking Today

Off to India: The Celebration of Indian Watchmaking

How Traditional “Tsuiki” Japanese Metalwork Shaped This G-SHOCK MRG-B5000HT

Seiko vs Citizen: What 10 Years of Testing These Brands Reveals

Here’s what you need to know before deciding on Seiko or Citizen, based on insights from 10 years of reviewing both brands hands-on.

Industry News - The Surge of Watchmaking in India and Discovering an Underrated Giant: the Titan Group

The luxury watch industry is facing a period of uncertainty: global economic headwinds, shifting consumer behaviours, and escalating tariffs have all taken a toll. China, once the growth engine for the luxury watch industry, continues to falter. Meanwhile, the U.S. market – though long resilient – now faces the effects of rising tariffs… In this […]

Jalsa by Nebula, Celebrating Indian Watchmaking and Culture | A Revolution Exclusive

Business News: 39% Tariff On Swiss Imports, Including Watches, Is Now In Effect

A deal could not be reached in time to prevent the tariff from being implemented. Here's what you need to know about the new levies that could impact how much you pay for your next watch.

Trump, Tariffs, And Sydney Sweeney: Does Woke Culture Belong In The Swiss Watch Industry?

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Vs. Zenith Chronomaster Sport: Head To Head - Reprise

Day one for the Zenith Chronomaster Sport was January 21, 2021. And it seemed like everyone had the same reaction: “That is one aggressive Rolex tribute.” Tim Mosso thinks that the Chronomaster Sport is a distinctive product with its own identity and takes a look here at how it stacks up against the ever-popular Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.

U.S. Slaps 39% Tariff On Swiss Imports

Interview: Dr. Woo on the Unexpected Parallels Between Watchmaking and Tattooing, and His Latest for Roger Dubuis

As you well know, we here at Worn & Wound are big fans of collaborative watches – we’ve had the pleasure of doing quite a few of our own over the years. Watch collaborations are nothing new, but they haven’t always been as trendy or prevalent as they are today. Sure, adjacent industries like sport, diving, and racing have long found ways to co-create. Rolex and the German luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz marks one of the earliest examples of such a partnership tracing back to the 1920s. Still, it wouldn’t be until the later part of the 20th century that co-branded watches would really rise in popularity and become as commonplace as they are now.  In the current market, mashups have gone far beyond the usual suspects. Watch brands have been getting creative and tapping anyone and everyone from DJ Steve Aoki to Cohiba cigars and Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Today, we’re going to dig deeper into one such collab that has taken us by surprise, one between Roger Dubuis and the renowned tattoo artist Dr. Woo.  For the uninitiated, Brian Woo, better known as Dr. Woo, is a Taiwanese American tattoo artist based in Los Angeles. He’s known for his intricate, single-needle black and gray tattoos marked by ultra-fine lines and minimalist designs that mimic drawn sketches. Over the years, he’s developed a cult following among celebrities like Emilia Clarke, Drake, Miley Cyrus, and Zoe Kravitz, resulting in a long waitlist to get a seat in his chair.   View this p...

These Are The Best Classes You Can Take To Sharpen Your Watchmaking Knowledge

From Atlantic to Pacific and even online, several brands, organizations, and specialists have opened their doors to let you get hands-on with the craft that goes into your timepieces.

A New Class on Polishing and Bluing in Watchmaking Designed for Watch Enthusiasts

Business News: What Richemont And Swatch Group’s Financial Results Say About The State Of The Swiss Watch Industry

Watchmakers are suffering from weak demand and sales, particularly in China, but there are signs of surprising strength and potential stabilization.

Hands-On: F.P. Journe's Tourbillon Souverain Vertical Joaillerie Rubis - The Largest Baguette-Cut Rubies Ever Used In Watchmaking

Journe's maximalist approach to a tourbillon meets a maximalist approach to gem-setting for one of the most outrageous watches the brand has ever made.

Fam Al Hut | China’s Trailblazer in Independent Watchmaking

Business News: New Swiss Auctioneer Aims To Bring 'Artist's Resale Right' Concept To Independent Watchmaker Sales

Launched by former Phillips and Richemont executives, Marteau & Co. will compensate  independent watchmakers directly when their watches are sold on its auction platform.

How Ulysse Nardin’s Freak-Mentality Has Taught the Industry to Keep Watchmaking Forward-Thinking and Fun

When Ulysse Nardin unveiled the Freak in 2001, it set off a chain of events that forever changed the course of history for the brand and for the industry at large. The model seamlessly flexed a combination of technical and design achievements. The Freak offered material innovation that was far ahead of its time, introducing the use of silicon in the escapement wheels-a technology that is now used by almost every major watch brand from Rolex to Patek Philippe, Girard-Perregaux, Breitling, and Jaeger-LeCoultre, just to name a few. It also presented an entirely new set of aesthetic codes for watch design with an expression of time that notably lacked a traditional dial, hands, or crown. With the Freak’s overall success, it immediately established the brand as a thought leader, an innovator, and (perhaps most importantly) a rebel in an industry often paralyzed by its reverence and steadfast commitment to tradition.  In the nearly 25-years since the first Freak, we have seen Ulysse Nardin infuse this spirit in each subsequent Freak model and its catalog at large-from the Blast collection to its UFO clocks and, most recently, in its record breaking Diver [Air], the world’s lightest mechanical dive watch.  The first Freak We all know record setting has become a bit of a thing in watchmaking. Particularly in the past decade or so, we have witnessed brands embark on the race to claim the next world record title. Since 2014, Bulgari has set a whopping ten for the ultra-thi...

How Fam Al Hut is Putting China on the Independent Watchmaking Scene

Urban Jürgensen: A Family’s Journey to Reinvent a Watchmaking Icon

Inside Van Cleef & Arpels’ ‘Precious Jewels Telling Time’: An Ode To The Maison’s Artful Perspective On Watchmaking

Inside Hour Precision, the Machine Shop Determined to Revitalize American Watchmaking

Usually when watchmakers brag about space cred, they bring up models that have gone to space or that are made of rocks from space or that take inspiration from the solar system. Zach Smith has them all beat: the Ohio-based horological craftsman makes aerospace engineering components (among other things) at his workshop, Hour Precision. Smith had hoped from the start that Hour Precision would make watches, and found along the way the machines and expertise you need to machine intricate watch movement pieces translate well to making parts for semiconductors, medical equipment, and, of course, aerospace components. That move into non-horological industries came relatively recently for Smith, however. Before the micro-machining and before he founded Hour Precision, Smith was a high-school-aged watch enthusiast who landed a job in a jewelry school. “I was fixing heart rate monitor watches. There was a brand called Polar before the Apple Watch that made fitness watches, and I started off doing that and then moved,” said Smith. “My boss at the time was selling pre-owned Rolex. He would buy product from walk-ins and from other suppliers and refurbish the Rolex watches, polish them, etc., and then sell them. After a while where I was doing well with the Polar watches, he asked me if I wanted to start doing that.” Zach Smith, front left, upon graduation from watchmaking school. Image courtesy Zach Smith @zachsmiami From there, Smith moved to another store that processed betw...

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Review: THE Near-Perfect Swiss Watch and it’s Relatively Affordable

Tissot was a brand that Raman Kalra knew about and he often saw their watches, but they never really sparked any interest. Then the PRX was released, and he started to take an interest and took the plunge. As an owner here are his impressions of the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80.