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Wiki · Guide
Eric Giroud

Architect-trained Geneva designer behind MB&F\'s entire HM and LM series, plus Bovet, Manufacture Royale, Greubel Forsey commissions.

Exclusive · Guide
MB&F HM12 The Guardian: The Robot Watch That Actually Transforms

MB&F's twelfth Horological Machine is a flying-tourbillon wristwatch that docks inside a 15 kg, nearly 400 mm tall transforming robot companion, and only 36 will ever exist

Hands-On With Three Striking Rado Anatom Models With High-Tech Ceramic Bracelets Fratello
Rado Anatom Models May 29, 2025

Hands-On With Three Striking Rado Anatom Models With High-Tech Ceramic Bracelets

When Rado announced the comeback of the Anatom series, it brought back many memories. I vividly remember that my mother was a big fan of the black ceramic Rado watches in the 1990s. So while I was checking out the promo materials of Pete Sampras and his Movado Museum Watch back then, my mother was […] Visit Hands-On With Three Striking Rado Anatom Models With High-Tech Ceramic Bracelets to read the full article.

Bell & Ross Introduces the Stealthy New BR-03 Diver Lum Outline Worn & Wound
Bell & Ross Introduces May 29, 2025

Bell & Ross Introduces the Stealthy New BR-03 Diver Lum Outline

Love it or hate it, Bell & Ross is committed to their iconic, oversized, and squared-off designs. But despite what their haters say, they don’t just do squares. Or rather, they layer other shapes over squares sometimes. Confused? Good. Let’s get into it.  The brand’s popular BR-03 Diver platform is home to a healthy handful of references, all of which measure in at 42mm in diameter, and feature the brand’s classic “circle within a square” design that varies in color and material between models. Basically, the iconic Bell & Ross square case remains, with a diver’s bezel laying on top, giving each model a stacked, utilitarian aesthetic. The design is effectively functional and deeply polarizing, as is B&R;’s forte.  Last year, the French brand began updating BR-03 Diver timepieces by introducing optimized changes to the movement and materials, ceramic bezels and inserts, and revised typeface, hands, and strap designs. The latest BR-03 Diver release, the Lum Outline, is perhaps the most emblematic of the line’s emphasis on functionality and capability without sacrificing stylistic panache.  The Lum Outline’s case, bezel, dial, and strap options-one rubber, and the other black synthetic fabric-are all a uniform matte black. Normally, I would say that this is tame or even boring, but the micro-blasted texture of the ceramic gives the watch a more interesting and layered look than a monochrome design usually would. The case is a solid 13.35mm thick, and...

A New Independent Watchmaker In Town: In Conversation With Annelinde Dunselman Of Dunselman Watchmaking Fratello
May 29, 2025

A New Independent Watchmaker In Town: In Conversation With Annelinde Dunselman Of Dunselman Watchmaking

I turned my car into Annelinde Dunselman’s yard somewhat apprehensively. Was I in the right place? Nothing suggested I was about to walk into the atelier of a high-end independent watchmaker. Bathing in the spring sun, the building looked more like a sentient member of a lively family in the eastern Dutch city of Zwolle. […] Visit A New Independent Watchmaker In Town: In Conversation With Annelinde Dunselman Of Dunselman Watchmaking to read the full article.

Breitling Top Time Martini Racing Review: A Winning Partnership WatchAdvice
Breitling Top Time Martini Racing May 29, 2025

Breitling Top Time Martini Racing Review: A Winning Partnership

The Breitling Top Time Martini Racing is a stylish tribute to the brand’s motorsport heritage, blending retro 1960s design with the iconic flair of Martini Racing, and here is how it performs in the modern-day watch world… What We Love The vibrant colours and dial stand out on the wrist A super easy-wearing watch thanks to its dimensions and lightness A great If You Know, You Know (IYKYK) collaboration What We Don’t The 38mm size wears on the smaller side, and may not suit larger wrists The domed crystal does distort the tachymeter scale on the outer section of the dial Start function on the chronograph is a little stiffer than expected Overall Rating: 8.6 / 10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 Two Brands, One Shared Passion Normally when watch brands embark on collaborations with companies or brands outside the watch world, there is normally a pre-existing association in place. Usually through a sponsorship of an event, or partnership with a movie, that kind of thing. However, with the new Breitling Top Time Martini Racing, this is not quite the case. What it is, however, is a partnership based on a shared passion – Motorsport. Interestingly, neither Breitling nor Martini Racing are motoring brands either. Before you say, “But Martini Racing is one of the most iconic motorsports brands out there!” to which you are right, I’ll preface that statement. Martini Racing is part of Martini & Rossi, the alcohol brand base...

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Review: Is This the Most Versatile Luxury Watch? WatchAdvice
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Review May 25, 2025

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Review: Is This the Most Versatile Luxury Watch?

I took the latest Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface Small Seconds for a spin to see if it really lives up to the hype. Is it truly as versatile and elegant as it looks? Here’s everything you need to know! What We Love Fits perfectly, even on my smaller 16cm wrist size! This is a very versatile watch that can suit a variety of occasions and outfits. With its dual time functionality, it is also an ideal travel timepiece. The flip mechanism of the Reverso never gets old, it is just fun to see! What We Don’t The manual wound movement might not be for everyone in today’s automatic world. A 30m water resistance isn’t ideal if you want to use the watch as daily. Price point can be a little high, especially for newcomers to the Reverso family! Overall Rating: 8.6/ 10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 9/10 The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is a watchmaking icon that was born in 1931, created to meet the demands of British polo players who wanted a watch that could withstand the rigours of the sport. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ingenious design of a reversible case protected the delicate watch during matches, with the dial being turned over to “hide” from impact. The Reverso blended functionality with Art Deco elegance of the 1930s, leading to a timeless design. Over the decades, the Reverso has gone from being a practical sports watch to a symbol of sophistication, elegance and innovation in the world of horology. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ...

The Evergreens – The Complete History of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Series Monochrome
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Series May 23, 2025

The Evergreens – The Complete History of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Series

Is there anything new to say about the origins of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak? As the watch marked its 50th Anniversary in 2022, countless stories, insights, and personal accounts surfaced worldwide, deepening our understanding and enriching watchmaking culture. Yet to kick off today’s look into the ultra-thin 39mm “Jumbo” editions of this legendary series, […]

The New Micromilspec Milgraph Sabotage Edition Gets The Black Badger Treatment Fratello
May 22, 2025

The New Micromilspec Milgraph Sabotage Edition Gets The Black Badger Treatment

With the Milgraph, Norwegian microbrand Micromilspec released one of last year’s highlights. The brand’s rugged GMT chronograph turned out to be a surprisingly versatile watch that offers great functionality and combines that with a brilliant injection of modern design. The result was one of my favorite hands-on experiences of 2024. In the next step for […] Visit The New Micromilspec Milgraph Sabotage Edition Gets The Black Badger Treatment to read the full article.

Zenith Introduces a Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar with a Lapis Lazuli Dial Worn & Wound
Zenith Introduces May 21, 2025

Zenith Introduces a Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar with a Lapis Lazuli Dial

One of my favorite releases from Watches & Wonders (and one of the best watches Zenith has made in years, in my opinion) was the G.F.J., a study in blue and a celebration of the brand’s 160th anniversary. The G.F.J. is something of a no-expenses-spared dream watch, with a platinum case and optional bracelet that basically doubles the price (because why not?) as well as a finely finished movement and loads of history built into the watch’s story, with a focus on the brand’s historic pursuits in chronometry. When I had that watch on my wrist I wondered how the G.F.J. line might expand, and if this watch was an opening salvo in a more ambitious series of releases to come. I don’t know that we have any answers to those questions, necessarily, with the release of the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Lapis Lazuli today, but there’s certainly some connective tissue between Zenith’s newest novelty and the G.F.J. we saw a few months ago.  Looking at the latest Zenith Triple Calendar, it’s impossible not to notice a certain aesthetic similarity to the G.F.J. Both make prominent use of lapis lazuli, one of the most common precious stones used in watchmaking. On the G.F.J., lapis is what makes up the majority of the dial space, with the stone in the main dial nicely complementing the blue mother of pearl in the subsidiary seconds. On this new Triple Calendar, the lapis is truly the star of the show, dominating the dial and only yielding for the three subregisters i...

Hands-On: the Vaer G5 Meridian GMT Worn & Wound
May 20, 2025

Hands-On: the Vaer G5 Meridian GMT

Before receiving the G5 Meridian, I had what I thought was a clear idea of Vaer in my head: mil-spec watches at an affordable price. Founded in Venice, California in 2016, the brand has built themselves a reputation of earnest capability and practical styling that appeals to budding enthusiasts looking for an everyday watch that leans towards rugged simplicity rather than fast-fashion. Vaer watches have been built in the States since 2018, with their first mechanical piece coming to market in 2019.  Whether through my own lack of in-depth research or via social media algorithms showing me exclusively the brand’s field watches for some reason, I had apparently missed the relatively diverse other half of their catalog, spearheaded by the release of their first dive watch in 2020, first solar diver in 2021, and first chronograph in 2022. Since then, they’ve expanded each category into multiple references that cover a wide array of functions and styles, shirking my own narrow-minded ideas and, apparently, their own social media advertising algorithms. Thus, with a heap of welcome and humble surprise, I received the new G5 Meridian GMT and began my Vaer re-education. Unboxing My G5 arrived in a slim navy box with a clean, minimalistic design-appropriate for its price range, but not “cheap”-feeling in any way. I prefer minimal packaging (what the hell am I going to do with all these empty boxes anyways), and Vaer has done a nice job presenting the G5 as a serious, ent...

Doxa Adds a Steel Bezel to the SUB 200 Diver Worn & Wound
Doxa Adds May 19, 2025

Doxa Adds a Steel Bezel to the SUB 200 Diver

Doxa added a GMT to their collection for the first time in years to much fanfare recently (we covered it here). This watch got quite a bit of press and stirred considerable interest within the enthusiast community, but to my mind it was only the second best watch the brand showed us when we met with them in Geneva last month (that’s second out of two, just to be clear). I’m not sure what it is, exactly, but I’m a little over the whole “put a GMT on it” approach to product development that the industry has been stuck in for the last few years. Do we really need the ability to track two or more time zones on every watch? And should we really be doing it with movements that perform this function almost by accident and are nearly impossible to use correctly if you’re actually traveling? I’m trying not to be a hater, really I am, but every time I see a new GMT equipped watch that’s just a riff on an existing diver or chronograph, as if a GMT complication is just an extra side on a barbecue platter, I ask myself what it is that we’re doing here, really.  A new version of the Doxa SUB 200 was the other watch Doxa was showing in Geneva last month, although it was embargoed until last week, so I couldn’t come out of that meeting with the blistering hot take that it actually makes a lot more sense as a watch than the SUB 250T GMT, which to me feels like something ChatGPT might invent if you asked it to think of Doxa watches that don’t yet exist. This SUB 200 i...

Rolex Explorer II 16570: The Best Value Rolex GMT Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex May 14, 2025

Rolex Explorer II 16570: The Best Value Rolex GMT

My first Rolex was an Explorer II 216570 with black dial and I absolutely loved that watch. It was rarer than the GMT-Master II or Submariner, and didn’t have the ceramic bezel, which I found to be a little too glossy and “luxe” for what I was looking for in a watch at the time. I kept and wore the heck out of that watch for almost six years until I just felt like it didn’t speak to me anymore. The 42mm wide “Maxi” case seemed too big and the big, thick hour and minutes hands just began to bug me. I can’t explain why I was so dead set on the 216570 rather than the older 16570 at the time but I can certainly say that now, in 2025, the Rolex Explorer II 16570 is not just my preferred iteration of the modern spelunking watch, but an all-timer from Rolex. I’ve started to refer to the 16570 as a “Forever Rolex” because it ticks all the boxes - size, reliability, dual-time functionality, and discrete aesthetics - all while remaining one of the few Rolexes that isn’t immediately recognizable to every casual observer. Let’s take a look at why I’m such a big fan of this old-school Rolex. Case and Specs: The Other Rolex GMT Measuring 40mm wide and 12.2mm thick with a 47mm lug-to-lug height, the 16570 is an eminently wearable Rolex. And while this is very obviously a sport/tool watch, these proportions make for a very versatile and subdued piece. No, there isn’t a rotating bezel with a nickname-ready color combo here. Rather, there is a demure, fixed ...

Only One More Week To Go Before TimeFest Opens Its Doors Again In Bordeaux Fratello
May 10, 2025

Only One More Week To Go Before TimeFest Opens Its Doors Again In Bordeaux

Next weekend, on May 17th and 18th, TimeFest will once again take place in Bordeaux, France. This is the second year for the event, and it promises to be even bigger and better than last time. The number of exhibiting brands went up from almost 50 to 65, and because the event moved to the […] Visit Only One More Week To Go Before TimeFest Opens Its Doors Again In Bordeaux to read the full article.

The Seiko SKX173: An Owner’s Retrospective Worn & Wound
Seiko SKX173 May 9, 2025

The Seiko SKX173: An Owner’s Retrospective

It was December of 2011 when I picked up the Seiko SKX173 – the watch that got me into watches. I’d say it was all downhill from there, but I think I’ve managed to contain myself relatively well when it comes to watch enthusiasm – I’m more practical when it comes to collecting (don’t even consider myself a collector) since I really like to wear what I have. I do tend to lean towards the sentimental side, hence the Seiko SKX173 on my wrist today that’s been a part of my horological journey for the better part of the last 14 years. Although a lot has happened between then and now, I remember choosing the Seiko after hitting the watch forums and getting a better idea of what kind of watch I wanted. I wanted something that was rugged, durable, cool looking, and mechanical. At the time, I only had limited experience with some Timex quartz watches, and the SKX felt like a huge bump up. I paid roughly $250 for the SKX on Amazon and in a few days, the watch arrived.  It came on a rubber strap, which immediately got me searching around for other options. I ended up buying a WJean Super Oyster bracelet (which looking at it now is more jangly than it is super), a single pass leather nato (didn’t know that leather on a diver was a faux pas), and a chunky military-style nato from CountyComm. For me, that was all I needed. A solid watch, a few strap options, and that’s all. Man, how times were simpler. The Seiko SKX was a springboard for me, launching me into the worl...

Introducing the Swatch SCUBAQUA Collection, a Series of Colorful Divers, Just in Time for Summer Worn & Wound
Swatch May 9, 2025

Introducing the Swatch SCUBAQUA Collection, a Series of Colorful Divers, Just in Time for Summer

If there’s one drum I’m constantly banging in the watch enthusiast discourse, it’s that the Swatch MoonSwatch is probably among the least interesting watches made by the brand. I know, I know. They are a phenomenon. They have probably introduced untold numbers of new collectors to our hobby. And they are meant to be fun and I should just chill out. This is all incredibly valid. But as a somewhat older, somewhat more grizzled watch collector who fondly remembers a pre-MoonSwatch era, I’m very much of the opinion that Swatch remains on the vanguard of creativity, you just have to walk past that MoonSwatch display briefcase in the boutique.  This week saw the release of what I think is a great example of a watch that is more impressive in just about every way than a run of the mill MoonSwatch. The new SCUBAQUA Collection even uses the same Bioceramic material found in the MoonSwatch, but in a way that, to my eye, is more uniquely Swatch. Based on the classic Swatch Scuba collection, the new SCUBAQUA watches are a thoughtful update using new materials with enhanced specs and a more contemporary feel.  The new SCUBAQUA watches are all about color and transparency, achieving what the brand calls the “jelly effect,” a principle common to many similarly transparent and colorful Swatches over the years. Each watch combines Bioceramic in the solid color sections of the case with castor oil derived biosourced materials for the transparent components. The dials in each v...

Hands On: The Unique Rolex Daytona “Zenith” Platinum Ref. 16516 SJX Watches
Zenith Platinum Ref 16516 May 9, 2025

Hands On: The Unique Rolex Daytona “Zenith” Platinum Ref. 16516

Sotheby’s upcoming Geneva auction that takes place on May 11 is a relatively compact affair. But the 124 lots includes notable highlights, with the top lot of the sale being the especially unique Rolex Daytona “Zenith” ref. 16516 in platinum with a pink mother-of-pearl dial. This watch is one of just four Daytonas combining the El Primero movement and platinum case – the only platinum specimens in the 16500-series Daytona – all of which were made at the behest of former Rolex chief executive Patrick Heiniger in 1999. Famous for being powered by the cal. 4030 derived from the Zenith El Primero, the 16500-series was the first-ever self-winding Daytona. The model was never commercially available in platinum; the four examples in platinum are truly unique. Moreover, each of the four are one-of-a-kind, each fitted with a different dial in exotic materials. Sotheby’s sold the prior three examples, starting with black mother-of-pearl in 2018, lapis lazuli in 2020, and turquoise in 2021. While those three featured applied Arabic numbers, this example has diamond hour markers. Initial thoughts The unique nature of this Daytona is unquestionable. Amongst automatic Daytonas this ranks amongst the rarest and most valuable. Two of its platinum siblings sold for over US$3 million each, making them the priciest modern-day Daytonas. Of the four platinum Daytonas, however, this example is the most paradoxical. It’s the most unusual in having diamond indices, but also the most...

Introducing – The New Ulysse Nardin Diver Hammerhead Shark Limited Edition Monochrome
Ulysse Nardin Diver Hammerhead Shark Limited May 7, 2025

Introducing – The New Ulysse Nardin Diver Hammerhead Shark Limited Edition

Few brands are as deeply embedded in maritime chronometry as Ulysse Nardin. With nearly 180 years of watchmaking heritage, the brand’s ties to all things nautical find expression in the more classical Marine collection and the brazenly contemporary Diver family. Following the 2018 relaunch of the Diver Chronometer 44mm series and a series of Diver […]

In-Depth: The Breguet Sympathique, From the Duc d’Orléans to “No. 1” SJX Watches
Breguet Sympathique From May 7, 2025

In-Depth: The Breguet Sympathique, From the Duc d’Orléans to “No. 1”

This spring, one of the most important horological creations of the late twentieth century returns to public view. As part of The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI taking place on May 10 and 11, Phillips will offer the Breguet Sympathique No. 1, the first of twenty exceptional clocks commissioned by Breguet in the early 1990s. The primary creator of this landmark clock was none other than Francois-Paul Journe, then a young watchmaker. Completed in 1991 for the Art of Breguet auction, No. 1 is not just the prototype of the modern Sympathique series, it is its most ambitious. The example, paired with a tourbillon wristwatch, is equipped with a constant-force remontoir and moonphase display. In retrospect, it reads as a mechanical manifesto, foreshadowing Journe’s later independent work. More than a highlight of its upcoming sale, No. 1 represents a rare continuation of one of watchmaking’s great inventions, a direct link to Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. Detail of Sympathique no. 1 Of Breguet’s many breakthroughs, from the tourbillon to the pare-chute, none captured the marriage of mechanical brilliance and poetic vision quite like the Pendule Sympathique. Designed to wind, set, and regulate a paired watch automatically, it embodied a new kind of horological harmony: a master timekeeper caring for its portable counterpart. The calendar on Sympathique no. 1 By the late 20th century, these clocks had become near-mythical. Only a handful were ever built, most housed in royal coll...

Modifying Your Vintage Watch With A Sapphire Case Back Fratello
Seiko ref 45-7001 45KS Now May 6, 2025

Modifying Your Vintage Watch With A Sapphire Case Back

It will come as no surprise to our regular readers that I love vintage watches. Some of you may remember that I recently purchased a vintage King Seiko ref. 45-7001 45KS. Now, some months into owning that vintage King Seiko, I have decided to modify it with a sapphire case back. After some research, I […] Visit Modifying Your Vintage Watch With A Sapphire Case Back to read the full article.

Hands-On: Taking The MeisterSinger Kaenos Open Date Out For A Spin Fratello
MeisterSinger May 5, 2025

Hands-On: Taking The MeisterSinger Kaenos Open Date Out For A Spin

Not too long ago, I expressed my frustration regarding watch brands with no history of releasing sports watches with an integrated bracelet. I wrote, amongst other things, “get a grip on your FOMO, embrace the JOMO, and do something else, please.” As I expected, I was not alone in my opinion. One of the comments […] Visit Hands-On: Taking The MeisterSinger Kaenos Open Date Out For A Spin to read the full article.

Record Breaking Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing Debuts at Auction SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Calibre 89 ref 989J May 2, 2025

Record Breaking Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing Debuts at Auction

If you want to own the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing, you’ll have to fight for it at The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI, which will see the first production example go under the hammer. The 1.65 mm stature of the ThinKing is even more impressive coming from a small Russian independent watchmaker, considering previous records were set by big Swiss brands ranging from Piaget to Richard Mille. Notably, this is not the first time a landmark release has been trusted to an auction that isn’t linked to a charity. The most famous example of this was the Patek Philippe Calibre 89 (ref. 989J) back in 1989 at Antiquorum’s thematic sale. The ThinKing will be sold in the first session of the auction, which starts on May 10, 2025, at 2 pm. The ThinKing in profile. Image – Phillips Mr Chaykin achieved the record-setting height with clever construction, including a “double balance wheel” system that places an intermediate wheel between the balance and escapement, allowing both to sit on the same plane. Another notable technical feature is a barrel that is open on both sides, and no thicker than the mainspring itself. And unlike most serially-produced Konstantin Chaykin watches, each ThinKing is made, finished, and assembled by Mr Chaykin himself. Wearability is enhanced by the bolt-on protective shroud in titanium christened “PalanKing”. This increases the height to 5.4 mm, but adds key-less setting and winding, and automatic winding by a...

[VIDEO] Owner’s Review: the Fears Brunswick Aurora Worn & Wound
Fears May 1, 2025

[VIDEO] Owner’s Review: the Fears Brunswick Aurora

I’ve never really thought of myself as someone who jumps on trends. When it comes to music, movies, and other things I enjoy, I don’t pay much attention to whatever is in the zeitgeist at the moment. Or, more accurately, I don’t let whatever that is define my taste. I tend to be somewhat skeptical of whatever is becoming hyper popular at the moment. In watches, it’s fairly easy to spot a trend when it’s happening, but a bit more difficult to figure out what’s going to take hold before it actually happens. Jumping onto a trend in watches always seemed particularly silly to me. Watches have an heir of permanence embedded into them, so a “trend” in this hobby is anachronistic to what watch ownership is all about, and what a “good watch,” or one that ultimately stands the test of time, really is. Being trendy in watches carries a larger risk that you’ll wind up with regrets. Example: I don’t feel bad at all that I got really into Canadian post-rock when it had a moment during my college years. Twenty years later, it’s passed, but I still get excited when a new Godspeed You Black Emperor record is announced. Will watch enthusiasts who have collected every MoonSwatch variant still lose their minds over plastic watches a decade from now? Maybe, but it seems unlikely.  I’m not naive to the fact that we’re experiencing a trend with respect to mother of pearl and stone dials. It’s quite possible that at this very moment we might actually be on the ta...

Introducing the Kudoke 5, with a 24-Hour Display and a Slimmer Case Worn & Wound
May 1, 2025

Introducing the Kudoke 5, with a 24-Hour Display and a Slimmer Case

In 2019, the last year of Baselworld, I remember roaming the hall of AHCI and visiting Stefan and Ev Kudoke to see their new Kudoke 1 and Kudoke 2 models. The Kudoke 2 was an instant winner for me with the small hand engraved 24-hour day/night disc. Later that year, the Kudoke 2 won the “Petite Aiguille” GPHG award for the best watch under CHF 10,000. This put Kudoke as a brand on every collector’s radar.  My first impression of the Kudoke 5 is that it is a natural progression or a logical conclusion to the K2 model with the 24-hour day/night disc as the dial. While the small disc in the K2 works as a nice indicator, the full blown 24-hour dial with a large day/night sky is more poetic and truly feels like it naturally belongs as a dial.  The other noticeable thing about the K5 is that it is a brand-new case that is much slimmer than the previous models. It is officially listed at 7mm without the domed crystal (it’s 38mm in diameter and 47mm from lug to lug). Even though the domed crystal on the watch presented in Geneva last month was a prototype, it did not appear to add any height to the watch. This is the slimmest Kudoke watch I have seen.  According to Stefan, engraving the day/night disc is a complex process involving relief engraving. The stars, moon, and triangle remain in place during engraving and the rest of the elements must be lowered. The whole engraving process takes several days. The biggest challenge he faces is not denting the disc during this ...

Garrick Takes a Huge Step Forward with the S3 Deadbeat Seconds Worn & Wound
Garrick Apr 25, 2025

Garrick Takes a Huge Step Forward with the S3 Deadbeat Seconds

One of my favorite stories in independent watchmaking over the last few years has been the evolution of Garrick, the Norwich based brand specializing in meticulously finished, custom made watches. In a relatively short time, the brand has transformed itself into something of an experimental haute horlogerie specialist. The first Garrick watch I can recall writing about was the S4, upon its announcement, which represented the entry point into the brand at around £4995 (in 2021). That watch was, and is, impressive, with a great deal of hand-work and a dizzying level of customization possible. But it would have been tough to predict that just four years later Garrick would be playing at another level entirely, flirting with GPHG honors, and offering bespoke watches that, if made by other, larger brands or more established watchmakers, would likely have price tags sailing into the six figures.  The new S3 Deadbeat Seconds release feels like a statement of purpose from Garrick. It is, as the brand puts it, “the pinnacle of Garrick ownership.” The watch itself is effectively a combination of two ideas the brand has been playing with over the last few years, the S3 Mk II (the GPHG finalist from last year featuring a completely openworked dial, focusing on the brand’s finishing capabilities), and the deadbeat seconds complication, as seen in the S2 Deadbeat. The new watch, then, features a deadbeat complication but is given an aesthetic treatment similar to the S3 Mk II, w...

Hands On: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon SJX Watches
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Apr 25, 2025

Hands On: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon

Bulgari made its debut at Watches & Wonders this year, having previously exhibited outside the fair. It was a fitting occasion to launch the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, the thinnest tourbillon watch ever at just 1.85 mm thick. Housed in the brand’s signature matte grey titanium case and limited to just 20 pieces, the Ultra Tourbillon is paired with an equally thin and silky titanium bracelet. Bulgari is deeply invested in its leadership in ultra-thin watchmaking, and the Ultra Tourbillon shows the brand is willing to do whatever it takes to own as many records in this field as possible. Initial thoughts Despite its record-breaking slimness, there was surprisingly little buzz about the Ultra at Watches & Wonders. This may be due to record fatigue, since the previous record was set just last year by the Piaget AUC Tourbillon. It could also be due to the diminishing returns of these types of records, which are now being broken by almost imperceptible margins. On its exterior, the Ultra Tourbillon is quite similar the 1.7 mm-thick Octo Finissimo Ultra introduced last year. It features a 40 mm case made from a combination of titanium and tungsten carbide, and is impressively open-worked, revealing just about every wheel and pinion on the dial side of the watch. But this watch is all about the headline figure of its 1.85 mm thickness, which endows the Ultra Tourbillon with a delicate, almost weightless feel. The case in profile. Image – Bulgari Like all ultra-thin recor...

Timex x Bespoke Post Field Watch: A Retro Mil-Spec Revival for Just $150 Two Broke Watch Snobs
Timex x Bespoke Post Field Apr 24, 2025

Timex x Bespoke Post Field Watch: A Retro Mil-Spec Revival for Just $150

If you're like me and you can never get enough of the whole vintage military watch thing, then Timex’s latest collaboration with Bespoke Post might be right up your alley. Based on a 1970s gem from their Viscount collection, this throwback is wrapped up in a 36mm steel case that’s just the right size for something that looks rugged without feeling cumbersome.

Retrospective: True Joy With A 100-Plus-Year-Old Plato Flip Clock Fratello
Apr 24, 2025

Retrospective: True Joy With A 100-Plus-Year-Old Plato Flip Clock

I feel a strong sense of nostalgia for the old flipping scoreboards I remember from my childhood. That’s probably why I adore digital jump-hour watches and quartz flip clocks so much. When I first saw the Plato Clock, patented in 1903, I froze in amazement. I believe I’m pretty strong when it comes to controlling […] Visit Retrospective: True Joy With A 100-Plus-Year-Old Plato Flip Clock to read the full article.

[VIDEO] Christopher Ward Changes the Game, Again – C12 Loco Review with Video Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Changes Apr 23, 2025

[VIDEO] Christopher Ward Changes the Game, Again – C12 Loco Review with Video

Is it too dramatic to say that just about three years ago, in November of 2022, Christopher Ward changed the watch industry as we knew it? Perhaps. But what fun is a watch review without some hyperbole? And frankly, it’s not a far-off statement either. I’m talking, of course, about the launch of the C1 Bel Canto. Not only did that watch set Christopher Ward on a new trajectory as a brand, but it also proved what smaller independent brands were capable of. Since then, we’ve seen a surge of ingenuity in the industry. But I’m burying the lede. It’s 2025, and Christopher Ward has done it again with the launch of the C12 Loco: a full-fledged vision of independent watchmaking that, perhaps most impressively, maintains the brand’s value-focused ethos. But to fully appreciate the C12 Loco, we must rewind to 2014. That’s when Christopher Ward did the unthinkable and received little to no attention for it: they launched an in-house movement called the SH21. Back then, “in-house” was a term that got thrown around a lot. It was always a big deal when a brand announced an “in-house” movement. But, it was the territory of the very large or the very high-end, and the idea that smaller, more accessible independents could produce an in-house caliber was almost absurd. When a brand announced an in-house movement, everyone took notice, and sometimes brands were called out for using the term too loosely (including other British brands…). So, when the SH21 debuted, it w...

Studio Underd0g Targets Copycats With The Av0cado And Guacam0le 01Series Watches Fratello
Studio Underd0g Apr 23, 2025

Studio Underd0g Targets Copycats With The Av0cado And Guacam0le 01Series Watches

Studio Underd0g continues to defy conventions with two new colorful additions to its 01Series chronograph range. The Av0cado and Guacam0le continue the playful mantra of Studio Underd0g by infusing color combinations to invoke various types of food. Adding these two style options may seem a bit old hat for Studio Underd0g since it has evolved […] Visit Studio Underd0g Targets Copycats With The Av0cado And Guacam0le 01Series Watches to read the full article.

Tudor Pelagos Ultra Review Teddy Baldassarre
Tudor Apr 22, 2025

Tudor Pelagos Ultra Review

The Tudor Pelagos has consistently been something of "the other watch" in the broader Tudor lineup, sitting in the shadow of the Black Bay. It is also decidedly more modern in its design and is intended as Tudor’s more contemporary, dive-ready tool. What started as a 42mm mode then morphed into a watch in varying sizes, lug construction, and case construction. In 2025 it now sits as a somewhat diversified collection of its own. Is it a Black Bay in terms of scale and breadth of the collection? No, it is not, but it is also no longer a one trick pony. That concept is no more evident than in the Watches & Wonders 2025 release of the Pelagos Ultra, a 43mm riff on the Pelagos theme that aligns it more closely with the Rolex Deepsea than the Sea-Dweller or Submariner. This is a big, brash, and burly dive watch, intended for a very specific segment of the watch world. If you thought the Pelagos FXD was specific, the Ultra turns the dial up to 11. Case So as I mentioned above, the case is made from the traditional (for a Pelagos) titanium material, a combination of grade 2 and grade 5 to be specific. The side of the case opposite the crown features a discreet helium escape valve. The case may seem big from the specs alone, but the 52mm lug-to-lug makes it such that it isn’t a behemoth. The case thickness is a proportional 14.5mm and due to the overall size, you will be looking at a lug width of 22mm. The bezel insert is made of a matte titanium housed in a titanium bezel. The...