4,980 articles · 145 videos found · page 39 of 171
Revolution
The SIHH closed last Friday and we are now selecting the loads photographs and videos we took during the meetings with the brands. Last week I posted about Cartier’s Fine Watch Making Collection 2014, since the mainstream collection I only photographed last Friday. There were some remarks that there was not much news in the […]
Revolution
There are few grande complications greater in technical difficulty to the minute repeater and the ultra-thin movement may also be considered a complication in its own right. This “latest embodiment of virtuosity” while a bombastic turn of marketing-speak for Piaget is an accurate description of their SIHH 2013 offering. For me, the Piaget Emperador Ultra-Thin […]
Worn & Wound
Elliott O’Donavan’s go-to watch is his IWC Mark XVIII. His go-to camera is his Leica Q3. The DC-based photographer has taken portraits of seemingly everyone in town. Corporate executives, activists, politicians, journalists - his client list is a veritable who’s who of Washington, DC, with famous faces like CNN’s Jake Tapper and former Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth popping up on Elliott’s Instagram feed. And he sees a lot of overlap in his profession and his approach to collecting watches. “The way that I look at watches really describes the way that I photograph portraits. I don’t want my portraits to look dated. I don’t want them to look like something that was shot in the early aughts or in a certain decade. I want it to be like, ‘He could have taken that shot yesterday, or that could be a shot from 1960 or 1970,’” said Elliott in an interview with Worn & Wound. Elliott’s interest in watches traces back to the digital Casios his dad wore when Elliott was a child. “That was very much just for utility,” said Elliot. “But also to me, it had, like a certain element of style to it.” That interest in his father’s watch became an opportunity for father-son bonding, with Elliott recalling that his dad would take him out to buy inexpensive watches starting when he was about seven. “I would usually get the same watch that he had,” said Elliot. Over the years, his tastes evolved and his budget grew. Today, Elliott has a neovintag...
SJX Watches
First launched in 2019, the Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar remains one of the most fascinating watches in its category. Thanks to a movement with a secondary, low-power mode, the Twin Beat has an extended power reserve measured in months – all contained in a reasonably sized, 41 mm case. The original version of the Twin Beat was complex and finicky. Now Vacheron Constantin (VC) has refined and upgraded the movement, resulting in a second generation model with an extra five days of power reserve in Standby mode – which means the watch will run for 70 days. Initial thoughts I described the original Twin Beat as a “genuinely interesting, albeit pricey, watch”. Even though several years have passed, the Twin Beat remains genuinely interesting. It is a novel concept executed in a sophisticated manner. In contrast to majority of ultra-long power reserve watches, the Twin Beat is ordinarily sized. I am certainly glad VC has revived the concept and made it better. The original probably had a few kinks in the movement that made production difficult so the first generation never really made it to market in significant numbers. The kinks have been resolved with the new version, which is probably also more robust from a usability point of view. The same holds true today of the price, though given the overall price index of the market, the new Twin Beat is arguably less expensive in relative terms. The first generation model Two running modes On ...
Worn & Wound
As is always the case with Tudor, it seems that the internet is divided on their major new Watches & Wonders releases in the days after their unveiling. But while comments are volleyed back and forth on whether the of the Black Bay 54 Blue is actually too purple, or the Monarch should have been smaller, one new release that actually might be kind of perfect is going under the radar. Ok, “perfect” could be overstating it, but the newly relaunched Tudor Royal really impressed me. If there’s a “most improved” award to be handed out to a collection, the Royal might grab it. There are three sizes, 30mm, 36mm, and 40mm, all with manufacture calibers for the first time in the collection. The 40mm Royal has a day-date indication that is similar (identical, really) to the execution of the day-date on the Rolex Day-Date. All of the movements (MT5201, MT5412 and MT5633) are chronometer certified. Aesthetically, these are integrated bracelet sports watches that veer more toward the elegant end of the sports watch spectrum. Long a staple for Tudor in the Asian market, they’re looking to expand the Royal’s reach this year with some very noticeable finishing improvements. The bezel in particular is very nicely executed, with sharp notches and a very high polish that works particularly well on the two tone models, where it is rendered in gold. I think another factor working in Tudor’s favor with respect to the Royal is the current broad acceptance of smaller watche...
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe updates its Celestial line for the third time, following the addition of a pointer date in 2012 this generation adds the time of sunrise and sunset, and a daring new design for the formidable, space-age 47 mm lug-less case. It also introduces a novel way to account for the transition between summer and winter time, solving a significant shortcoming of astronomical watches for users in Europe and the Americas. Initial thoughts I’ve long thought that Patek Philippe’s greatest strength, other than its massive industrial investments, was its remarkable design diversity. Today brands seem to pursue a unified design language across all of their watches. And while this result is a strong visual identity for the brand, it is extremely limiting. Patek Philippe has no such limits, and the brand has about two dozen different case styles in the current collection, and hundreds in its back catalog. While this leads to its fair share of design misses, at least to my sensibilities, it can also lead to striking successes. I’m sure many will disagree, but I see the new Celestial as the latter. A wristwatch with the time of sunrise and sunset is long overdue from Patek Philippe, and this watch adds the ability to adjust those indications to account for daylight savings time. This addresses the complication’s greatest flaw, but as it is pre-programmed for Geneva, it is somewhat moot if you live at very different latitudes, a flaw the planisphere also shares. Historical...
Worn & Wound
The official role of Heritage Director seems to be growing in prominence across watch brands. It makes sense – a reverence for history has always been at the heart of the art of watchmaking. With that in mind, it is likely there have long been resident historians at established maisons or perhaps even those holding the title Heritage Director working behind the scenes. But more and more, we are seeing these individuals at the forefront, and there seems to be a direct correlation with what is happening in the industry at large within the vintage and pre-owned spaces. For more than five years now, we have seen the vintage and pre-owned market grow in new ways with both a greater emphasis and prevalence of reputable dealers and marketplaces and a greater interest and demand from collectors. In turn, more and more brands seem to be getting invested in the acquisition, preservation, and in some cases redistribution of their own vintage pieces. While the role of Heritage Director was perhaps once limited to elements like museum curation and historically contextualizing modern collections, the position seems to be expanding into new realms. Heritage Director Matthieu Sauret Jaeger-LeCoultre is the perfect case study. Matthieu Sauret stepped from the role of Director of Product to the maison’s Heritage Director 2013 after starting his career at Yves Saint Laurent, another historic brand whose legacy spans more than six decades. “In 2019, Catherine Rénier, our CEO called...
Monochrome
Released just three weeks ago, Louis Erard surprised the watchmaking scene with its first integrated sports watch, the 2340. A sporty-chic titanium and steel watch with a sophisticated integrated bracelet, the 2340 marked a radical, new direction for the brand, which has relied extensively on its classic Regulator watch for numerous collaborations. Surprising us yet […]
SJX Watches
Piaget pays tribute to the pop-art pioneer and prolific watch collector with the Andy Warhol Watch Collage Limited Edition in the best way it knows how – with an exotic stone dial. Like the watch owned by Warhol himself, the Collage has a black onyx dial, but in between the onyx is yellow serpentine, pink opal, and green chrysoprase, forming a precious stone puzzle carefully assembled by hand. To bring things full circle, this 50 piece limited edition has a yellow gold case, the same alloy Warhol himself wore, and a metal that’s absent from the regular production Any Warhol lineup. Initial Thoughts The first Swiss quartz watches hit the market mere months after the Seiko Astron, powered by the CEH Beta 21 – a large and rectangular movement that gave the oversized watches it powered a distinctive look that I am fond of. Piaget’s ref. 15101, launched in 1972, was one of the most appealing Beta 21 designs by my reckoning. The renowned American artist must have agreed with that assessment as he purchased one in 1973, which Piaget bought back at auction after Warhol’s death. It is also worth noting that Yves Piaget, president of Piaget since 1980, knew Warhol personally. Andy Warhol with Yves Piaget. Image – Piaget The marquetry dial of the Collage puts Piaget’s expertise to good use. It is surprisingly creative, and is not based on a specific Warhol work as already done many times before. Rather, Piaget attempted to recreate Warhol’s process to create a new wor...
Revolution
SJX Watches
Greubel Forsey bids farewell to what was once its smallest watch, the Balancier Contemporain, with a final edition in stainless steel with a blue dial. The brand aims to finish the run of 33 watches later this year, after which the Balancier Contemporain will be no more, marking the end of its just-under-40 mm case. Notably, this is not a move away from mid-sized watches; in fact, the brand intends to double down on them with future launches. Initial Thoughts When launched in 2019, the Balancier Contemporain was the Greubel Forsey’s smallest watch – relatively speaking. The brand’s quality may be irreproachable, but wearability is another matter – several of its watches are well over 44 mm – and as consumers’ tastes gravitate back to mid-sized watches, Greubel Forsey was arguably in a tricky position with its near pocket-watch-sized calibres. But the brand was prepared for that. Just last year, Greubel Forsey set a new direction with the Nano Foudroyante EWT, a flyback chronograph (and flying tourbillon with lightning seconds) that was just under 38 mm in diameter and 10.5 mm thick. And even before that, the Convexe sports model cases already helped wearability massively – I’d even say the nominally larger Balancier Convexe and Double Balancier Convexe wear better than the Balancier Contemporain. So while the Balancier Contemporain is still a great watch, I’m not sad to see it go. As Greubel Forsey transitions to small-diameter watches, I expect to see it...
Worn & Wound
Peak Design Launches the New Pro Tripod Line If you ask Peak Design, six years ago they re-imagined what a tripod could be with their Travel Tripod. Designed to be lightweight, compact, and most importantly, useful, the tripod took the market by storm, becoming the “go to” option for many photographers. Taking what they learned from this first release, along with some input from Jimmy Chin (Oscar-winner, outdoor fanatic, and talented storyteller), they’re back with a brand new collection, the Pro Tripod. Featuring similar design language to the original travel tripod, this new line allows customers to choose between portability (Pro Lite) and rigidity (Pro Tall) for the ideal addition to their kit. Each of the three models features a newly designed ball head with a “quicker and stronger camera attachment”, fluid panning, and a single adjustment ring that locks (and unlocks) the ball head. Additionally, Peak Design has re-engineered their leg locks to allow for faster setup and tear down. With over $2.8 million dollars pledged and 3,000 plus backers at the time of writing, it’s clear that people are excited about this new line of tripods. You can check out the new series of tripods in each of the Peak Design stores or on their kickstarter page, here. Denis Villeneuve Tapped for the Next Bond Film There was some big news in the world of James Bond this week. While the world waits to see who will be tapped to play the superspy following Daniel Craig’s run,...
Hodinkee
The Armoury and Drake's owner brings his eye for aesthetics to watchmaking, crafting bespoke gold bracelets inspired by Cartier's heritage.
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage Omega Seamaster DeVille This may not be one of the famous Omega Seamasters with fat lugs, or the iconic divers, but this Seamaster DeVille is a great dress watch. The 35.5 yellow gold fill case is in good shape, with sharp edges and classy thin lugs. The caseback has a beautiful hand engraved personalization for 25 years with GTE Sylvania, dated 1974. The crown is original and signed with the Omega logo. The acrylic crystal is scratched and could use a good polish, but the silver dial underneath looks super clean. Classic simple Omega dial with applied gold baton markers and gold stick hands. Mo movement picture but the seller states it runs and keeps time. View auction here Vintage Seiko 5 Here’s a nice, simple vintage Seiko 5, with original bracelet and a Seiko box. I’m not 100% sure this box is original, but it certainly looks to be from the correct period. The steel case is in beautiful shape, unpolished and with the original brushed finish. The silver dial is clean as a whistle, with cool applied steel baton markers that have large lume plots. The steel hands have matching lume filled plots as well. The dial has the ubiquitous day/date window at three o’clock, and...
Revolution
Worn & Wound
Was there ever any doubt that this was where this year was headed? Ever since it was announced that LVMH, and specifically TAG Heuer, would be taking over Formula 1 timekeeping responsibilities from Rolex as part of a broader 10-year partnership between the two, it was clear that 2025 would (for TAG Heuer) be all about racing. We just didn’t know what that would look like, at least when it came to the watches. Now we do, and surprise, surprise, TAG Heuer is kicking it off with a brand new generation of (what else?) The Formula 1 Chronograph. Motorsport and TAG Heuer have long been linked (something Zach recently explored), and one obvious example of this is the Formula 1. TAG Heuer launched the first generation of the Formula 1 way back in the ‘80s, and the simple, colorful, quartz watch helped to clearly establish a new sensibility for the brand. Since then, the Formula 1 has evolved, eschewing the almost toy-like quality of the earliest releases to bear the name and moving upmarket while still acting as the clear entry point into the brand’s chronograph offering - a quartz Formula 1 can still be had for under $2000, an almost shocking price tag in the context of the modern market. These new Formula 1s are a decided step up from those watches but still come in under the price of the latest generation of Carrera chronographs. The watches themselves are bold and clearly represent a step into a new generation of design language for the Formula 1 - a refreshing chan...
Monochrome
Calendar indications are a classic of watchmaking. But not all calendar watches are born equal. As our own Xavier Markl explained in this Technical Perspective article, calendar watches range from basic date displays to the ultra-rare and highly complex secular calendar mechanism and everything in between. Next to the highly praised perpetual calendar, there is […]
Hodinkee
The GPHG picked the hyper-accurate secular perpetual calendar (one of the world's rarest complications) as the best watch of the year, while I was originally less than glowing. With an open mind, I take a second look.
Worn & Wound
Remember the Paris Olympics? It seems, somehow, like they took place a lifetime ago, but it was just this past summer – mere months ago. It was a crazy time. Lots of conversation about the pollution in the Seine, an all time great gymnastics competition, and, of course, Daniel Craig teased a new Seamaster in a conspicuously inconspicuous way. If you’re a Seamaster fan who has been waiting with baited breath for the full details of that mystery watch to be announced, it appears that Omega is making all of your wishes come true this week, with the announcement of not, but two new Seamaster references that seem aimed directly at the enthusiast market (and James Bond fans). The new versions of the Seamaster Diver 300M are actually a significant departure from the current generation of the watch, which history will likely remember as being absolutely loaded with one of the key watchmaking materials of this generation: ceramic. The standard issue Seamaster we’ve become familiar with over these last few years has not only a ceramic bezel, but a polished and laser engraved ceramic dial. While many collectors and enthusiasts obviously find a certain appeal in the brightly colored and/or meticulously polished ceramic, these watches always had a lot of it, and dive watch fans looking for a daily wearer with more classic tool watch vibes were likely left wanting with the current Seamaster. These updated references remove ceramic from the equation entirely. There are two new ...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing info@wornandwound.com. The Return of the Universal Geneve Polerouter Things are stirring at Universal Geneve. Just a few weeks ago in this very column, we brought you news of the reformed brand’s exhaustive new website, which features a ton of info on UG’s history, and seems purpose built to be a home for the new collections when they arrive sometime in the next year or so, give or take. This week, another new development: the introduction of three apparent one-off versions of the classic Polerouter. As reported in Revolution and elsewhere, the release marks the 70th anniversary of the first SAS polar flight (for which the collection is named) and features a trio of meticulously recreated Polerouters. Unfortunately, these are not meant for the public at large – a stainless steel version with gilt accents and a gorgeous red gold edition with a black dial are both going straight to the UG archives. A white gold version with a blue dial and matching white gold bracelet is set to be auctioned next year at Phillips, with proceeds going toward Geneva’s CFP Arts school, which focuses on teaching students ...
Hodinkee
After coming back to earth, the watches will be auctioned by Christie's in New York to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Revolution
Worn & Wound
Swiss watchmaker Louis Erard has recently collaborated with Donzé Cadrans, a veteran in the enamel dials field since 1972. As a first for Erard, the Le Régulateur Grand Feu Enamel model is adorned for the first time with a traditional grand feu enamel dial. This partnership shows an expansion for the Swiss brand into new territory – and done with impeccable taste. The use of grand feu enamel here marries technical precision and artisan craftsmanship. Each dial has to be made by hand, involving a meticulous process where layers of enamel are applied and fired at temperatures exceeding 800°C. This technique not only ensures vibrant and long-lasting colors but also demands an exceptional level of skill and patience, as even the slightest imperfection can require the entire piece to be redone. The result is a unique and exquisite timepiece, where no two dials are exactly alike, showcasing the harmony between tradition and innovation in watchmaking. The Le Régulateur model has an ivory-colored grand feu dial against the polished stainless steel case, giving a classic look for just about any occasion. The dial also features an hour and seconds counter subdials stacked at both the 12 and 6 o’clock mark. The colors are offset with a vibrant blue that both contrasts and marries the look together. With an automatic movement running on a Sellita SW266-1 calibre, you’ll have no trouble keeping time with this watch. The Régulateur is pulled together with a grey grained cal...
Worn & Wound
A few years ago, I bought my first luxury watch on eBay, an Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300m ref. 2220.80.00. It was a watch I had first noticed on the wrist of Daniel Craig in Casino Royale over a decade earlier, and one which I had coveted. I spent way too much money on it, and accidentally (eBay defaulted to the wrong payment method) used my parents’ credit card to buy the watch. It was a boneheaded move, compounded by eBay’s then-nascent authentication program taking over two months to actually get the watch to me. But don’t worry, I did pay my parents back in relatively short order and eventually got the watch. And I got a fun story out of it that I am unlikely to soon forget. I would posit that many of us have similar stories about how we wound up making our first big watch purchase. Benoit de Clerck, who introduced himself to me as Ben, certainly does. “My first salary was a camera, a Nikon - you know, these old cameras and all that - but my second salary was an IWC Pilot’s Watch, 3706, and the story is, I did not have enough money to pay for it.” “So I paid it part on my credit card; part on cash; borrowed money from friends, brothers, sister, and friends; and post-dated checks,” he told me, “And the guy had never seen someone who wanted to do that for a watch, and of course, I wanted that watch now, obviously.” You might be amazed to know that Ben walked out of the boutique that day with his watch. “The owner of that store took a r...
Worn & Wound
This week marks the unofficial (but also kind of official) beginning of a busy season of new watch releases with LVMH Watch Week. In recent years, LVMH Watch Week has served as an initial showcase for new novelties from the big brands that fall under the LVMH umbrella, and sets the stage for a period that culminates with Watches & Wonders in April. The timeline is a holdover from an era when trade shows were truly trade shows and watch brands would lock in their sales to worldwide dealer networks for the year. These days, that still happens, but it’s also full of very public launches and an all out media blitz by the brands. If the past is any indication, we’re likely to see splashy new release announcements from brands in the other big luxury groups as well as many independents in the coming months, but it kicks off with LVMH, and specifically Zenith, today. Zenith’s big new LVMH Watch Week announcement this year is the return of the El Primero Triple Calendar, a favorite reference among collectors going back decades for its mix of sportiness and old-school refinement. The triple calendar has faded in popularity as a complication over the course of time, largely due to movement availability, but also simply thanks to a trend toward cleaner and less complicated designs. But the El Primero execution of the triple calendar has always been particularly well balanced in the way it conserves dial space and makes use of the chronograph subdials to draw the eye where it n...
SJX Watches
Ten years after it arrived on market, Girard-Perregaux revived its most notable modern-day invention with the Neo Constant Escapement. Operating on the same principles as the original, the Neo Constant Escapement (NCE) features an upgraded movement inside a more compact case. A combination of a historical concept originating with Abraham-Louis Breguet and cutting edge horology, the NCE retains the defining invention of the original – a true constant-force escapement. “True” because the constant-force mechanism, comprising a lozenge-shaped silicon spring, is integrated with the pallet lever, which in turn interacts with a “natural” escapement of twin escape wheels. While the key concept has been retained, the rest of the NCE, however, has been improved over the original, with wearability in particular having been enhanced. Initial thoughts The fundamental concept of the NCE is appealing because it successfully combines a significant historical invention, Breguet’s double-wheel escapement, with an innovation that is entirely 21st century, a compliant mechanism in silicon. Both are brought together in an elegant yet ingenious manner. The basis of the movement is Breguet’s échappement naturel, the “natural” escapement with two wheels that has been adopted in the modern day, in a variety of modified forms, by Voutilainen, F.P. Journe, and Charles Frodsham. But the natural escapement here has been enhanced with a constant force mechanism made up of a single pi...
Hodinkee
Is it a pilot's watch? Is it cool? We dig into the details.
Quill & Pad
2023 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore collection. Here Alexey Kutkovoy look at the ROO Diver watches, perhaps the most impressive and important non-chronograph design in the Offshore collection.
Worn & Wound
This week, Louis Erard caps a fruitful, multiyear relationship with Alain Silberstein that has had a profound impact on the stock of both parties in the larger watch space. Silberstein, after a period where his watches were all the rage, had faded somewhat from our collective memory by 2021, and Louis Erard, too, was adrift. They made very high quality and unique watches for the money, but weren’t really the focus of enthusiasts and collectors. Now, through a series of collaborations with Silberstein and others, Louis Erard occupies a very different niche in the collector arena, and we’ve seen a renewed interest in Silberstein’s work as well in the years since his design language has been put spotlighted by these collaborations. Now, in what feels like a culmination of the work they’ve done together, Louis Erard has released a limited edition box set that adds a new color option to a prior collaboration, and, oh yeah, a tourbillon. No big deal. The Le Triptyque Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Khaki is a new spin on their second collaboration, a collection of three watches (available as a collector’s set) featuring a unique titanium case framed with brancards. The watches in that collection featured a regulator, a day-date complication, and a chronograph, all with the hallmark Silberstein combination of colorful shapes in lieu of traditional hands. For this set, the black dials have been swapped for a dark green khaki, and the chronograph is now a tourbillon. It...
Revolution
Join us on an educational journey alongside Constant, where we delve into the world of Richard Mille guided by none other than Wei Koh, the founder of Revolution and an extremely passionate Richard Mille enthusiast, and for good reason. We’ll explore the remarkable evolution of Richard Mille, tracing its trajectory from its inception of the […]
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