22,991 articles · 2,426 videos found · page 396 of 848
Time+Tide
Continuing to push for material innovation in the watch industry, ArtyA brings us a case made from an underutilised stone. The post ArtyA pushes case material boundaries with the new Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Announced last year, Swatch’s AI-DADA platform is now live, enabling customers to design and build their own custom Swatch with a design that will never be repeated. With a low entry price and quick turnaround, I took the platform for a spin. Why AI Swatch has been a design-oriented brand since its debut in 1983. Not only has Swatch produced a dizzying array of original designs of its own, over the years the brand has collaborated with celebrated artists and leading institutions to democratise access to wearable art. About a decade ago, Swatch’s world-class logistics infrastructure enabled it to offer customised watches via an online configurator that enabled customers to mix and match different elements from a pre-selected range of options. That was quickly followed by the ability to generate a custom-printed design, by dragging a Swatch template over a selection of human-created patterns and designs. The AI-DADA system, launched earlier this year, builds on this basis in way that only Swatch could pull off. The system leverages an undisclosed large language model (LLM) to generate a custom design based on a user’s 300-character prompt. The result is a made-to-order Swatch of the customer’s own design, delivered in as few as five days. What’s more, the cost is little more than an off-the-shelf model, at just US$195. With little to lose, I took the plunge. AI-DADA Swatch watches are powered by standard quartz movements in the typical New Gent case size. Three str...
SJX Watches
IWC started the year with a dramatic new look for a classic, the Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium. Almost 30 years old but ageless, the Portugieser Chronograph gains an all-black look and Ceratanium case with this appealing, but pricey, limited edition that encapsulates the brand’s strengths and weaknesses. Initial thoughts In the mid to late 2000s, the all-black look was one the major fads in watchmaking, having been pioneered by Hublot, then at the beginning of its renaissance led by Jean-Claude Biver. All-black watches were everywhere yet desirable, and some even sold for multiples of retail. The Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium is two decades late for that fad, and too early for the next one. But it is still an appealing watch in itself, though expensive compared to the standard version. It’s essentially a Portugieser chronograph dressed entirely in black with a case in ceramic-coated titanium. As a result, it has of the elements that make the model appealing: a symmetrical design, good proportions, slimness, and a distinctive style despite the simplicity. The all-black livery adds to the design, since it goes well with the clean styling. Though complementary aesthetically, the all-black finish and Portugieser design don’t quite pair conceptually, since the Portugieser is a historically inspired dress watch. Despite the incongruity, the Ceratanium chronograph looks and feels good on the wrist. More broadly, the watch illustrates IWC’s strengths and weakness...
Monochrome
Introduced in 2024 as a project to encourage independent watchmaking, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives has gathered great interest among the watch community, depsite being backed up by the world’s largest luxury conglomerates. A truly interesting initiative in the field of independent and high-end horology, it now a biennial prize that celebrates […]
Worn & Wound
We live in a (watch) world where brand names reign supreme and terms like “in-house” carry a lot of weight. However, I find it much more interesting when a watchmaker is willing to peel back the curtain and highlight the great minds and hands that go into crafting the watches we love. Recently, Nomos gave us one of those unique opportunities to sit down with the man behind the design of one of its core collections: the Metro. The Metro first came into the Nomos catalog back in 2014. At the time, it made waves thanks to its debut of the brand’s proprietary swing escapement system, which was developed over seven years with the Fraunhofer Institute and TU Dresden. The structure notably features a tempered blue balance spring and offers superior precision, efficiency, and compactness with a thickness of approximately 3.2mm, which perfectly lends itself to Nomos’ sleek and effortless timepieces. While perhaps considered secondary at its initial introduction, the form of the new collection was given just as much attention as the function. In typical Nomos fashion, the caliber was housed in a modern and minimalist design echoing the tenets of German watchmaking but with a twist. This creation was the brainchild of industrial designer Mark Braun. The project marks Braun’s first and only foray into the watch space. The artist has worked in nearly every medium under the sun from furniture to kitchenware and birdhouses to shaving kits, light fixtures, jewelry, calligraphy p...
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Worn & Wound
Having none myself, I’m always a bit impressed when it comes to those who have artistic talent – and that goes doubly for those who can appreciate the everyday beauty around them. This is especially true when those two virtues combine to form a beautiful little timepiece, like the Altmann × Isotope Osaka Cloisonné Enamel, a new collaboration between English watchmaker Isotope and designer, illustrator, and typographer Björn Altmann. The first, and perhaps only, thing you will notice about this watch is its dial, which is based on a municipal manhole cover featuring Osaka Castle. Now, you may be asking yourself, why Japanese manhole covers? I can assure you that you are not alone in that. Apparently, after a Wikipedia deep dive, it is something of an urban art form and a show of civic pride throughout Japan. In fact, more than 15 million manhole covers across the country feature some sort of carved, imprinted, or painted design. This was a niche interest of Isotope founder José Miranda, which eventually led Miranda to Björn Altmann’s book Manhole Covers of the World. This, in turn, led to this collaboration you see before you today. The intricacy of the dial does not stop with its source material. The dial itself is made in grand feu cloisonné enamel, using fine silver wires and multiple rounds of firing to build out the design and color. The process took close to a year to develop, and in the end only five dials were successfully completed, which helps explain ...
Monochrome
ArtyA is an independent Geneva-based brand founded by Yvan Arpa in 2009, best known for turning unconventional, often shocking materials, into fully wearable watches. The brand’s latest excursion in the vast jungle of materials involves moissanite, an extremely hard silicon carbide with a bright, highly dispersive surface often used as a diamond alternative in jewellery. […]
Monochrome
Doxa’s diving watch legacy is second to none, and the brand’s signature helmet-shaped case design, introduced with the SUB 300, stands out from across the room. Yet, it’s not all they do, as the SUB 200 collection simplifies things a bit and has a design of its own, despite being a typical Doxa. Introduced in […]
Fratello
Dive watches remain the most democratic category in watchmaking. While certain icons now cost several thousand euros, the truth is that the core DNA of the dive watch, robustness, legibility, and reliability, is still alive and well in far more accessible territory. In fact, €1,000 might just be the sweet spot. At this level, you’ll […] Visit What Are 10 Of The Best Dive Watches Under €1,000? - Featuring Citizen, Seiko, Baltic, Doxa, Certina, And More to read the full article.
Monochrome
Krayon, founded by Rémi Maillat, is a highly focused, conceptually consistent independent watchmaking brand. Since its debut in 2017 with the groundbreaking Everywhere, it has explored a singular theme: our relationship with time as shaped by sunlight, geography, and personal experience. From Everywhere to Anywhere and, more recently, Anyday, each creation has translated complex astronomical […]
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Teddy Baldassarre
For over a century, the traditional round case has dominated the horological landscape, granting a sensible, utilitarian canvas for reading the time. However, for those who seek to venture off the beaten path, the tonneau or barrel-shaped watch affords a thrilling and historically rich alternative. The silhouette of the tonneau watch features gently bowing, convex sides that transition into straight or slightly curved ends that allow the case to sit more securely and comfortably than a straight-edged shape. At the same time, the straighter ends give it enough structure to maintain presence and balance, rather than feeling overly soft or shapeless. First introduced in the early 20th century as a stylish departure from the ubiquitous pocket watch, the tonneau case came forth as a defining silhouette of the Art Deco movement, its beautifully curved architecture proving inherently ergonomic and capable of tracing the natural shape of your arm. Today, the attraction of the tonneau or barrel-shaped case is stronger than ever. It has become a highly popular alternative to the classic circle, occupying a middle ground between sporty and dressy. Whether you are looking for an integrated sports watch that screams 1970s chic, an aggressive contemporary skeletonized masterpiece, or a refined dress watch, the tonneau and barrel configurations of today represent a conscious and stylish rebellion against the ordinary. [toc-section heading="Tissot PRX Damascus Powermatic"] Price: $1,175, ...
Worn & Wound
The beauty of Venice lies in the fact that, despite the precipitous threat of falling into the ocean and being permanently patinated by tourists, pigeons, and the brackish lagoon water of the canals, there is an elegance to it that can’t easily be matched. The irony is not lost on me, dear Reader, to write about the merits of growing older when my forehead is currently pinpricked with 20 milliliters of Botox. And yet, I don’t have the beauty of Venice – nor the self-assuredness of La Serenissima when it comes to aging gracefully. But, luckily for us, Venezianico has developed a watch to honor the changing beauty of the city through its latest watch, the Nereide Verdigris. The idea behind the watch comes from the way Venice evolves over time. Salt air, humidity, and lagoon water gradually transform the city’s metal surfaces, giving copper and brass the green and turquoise tones that have become part of Venice’s visual character. With the Nereide Verdigris, Venezianico brings that same effect to the dial. Each one begins with a brass base that goes through a controlled oxidation process to develop its verdigris patina. Because the metal reacts differently depending on small shifts in temperature, oxygen, and surface conditions, no two dials come out exactly the same. The end result is a heavily textured surface that shifts between green, turquoise, and blue depending on the light, revealing multicolored tones across the dial that is quite bellissima, if you ask me....
Deployant
Review of the Raymond Weil Millesime Small Seconds 39mm Tuxedo Dial, Winner of the 2023 Challenge Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet (AP) is increasing its presence in what’s historically been the territory of Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. Not only is AP returning to Watches & Wonders, the industry’s flagship event held each year in Geneva, the brand is also expanding its footprint in the city’s suburb of Meyrin with an expanded case and bracelet manufacture. What and where Meyrin was already the home of AP’s case and bracelet manufacture, but the brand has been bulking up on industrial capacity and took over a U-shaped building, completed in 1965 for a pharmaceutical company, in 2023. The new facility increases its Geneva footprint almost four-fold, to 9,000 square metres, with room for 350 staff. While the brand has built new structures closer to home, the choice to renovate an existing historical building is notable. Fortunately AP’s employees won’t be stuck in the past, as the building has been modernised for energy management and to accommodate modern machines. The building is a short jaunt from Les Boîtiers de Genève, F.P. Journe’s case and bracelet manufacture, in what’s already a hotbed of horological activity, home to brands like Roger Dubuis and Chopard. In addition, the new facility will be home to what the brand is calling its New Technologies hub, presumably part of the brand’s new approach to research and development, known internally as the ‘Fab Lab.’ Industrial excellence We recently had the chance to hear directly from AP’s chief indu...
Monochrome
I’ve always been a big fan of watches that have something moving on the dial, other than the smooth and consistent running of hour, minute and second hands. Whether it’s a dial-mounted balance wheel, a tourbillon escapement or even a winding rotor, I just love to see some type of action that goes beyond pure […]
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Monochrome
For almost all modern watches, besides a few exceptions (there is always an exception to the rule), the crown is literally the command centre that winds the mainspring, sets the time and controls common complications like dates, calendars and GMTs. Supplementary controls like pushers complement the crown, but they’re limited to specifics like chronographs or […]
Monochrome
Ayrton Senna da Silva. No one needs an introduction to that name, as he’s considered sporting greatness personified. Making an indelible mark in Formula 1 through sheer, unbridled talent and a relentless approach to racing (“if you no longer go for a gap, you’re no longer a racing driver”), he’s considered the greatest to have […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
I've come close to pulling the trigger on a few of Citizen's higher-end Eco-Drive watches over the years, and each time I talked myself out of it. Not because the watches weren't impressive, but because the right one never quite lined up with the moment. Now, Citizen is making the decision a little harder. The brand has just announced "The Citizen" Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary Edition (ref. AQ4091-56W), marking five decades since it introduced the first solar-powered analogue watch back in 1976.
Teddy Baldassarre
In general, a conversation about the top watch producing countries centers around two nations: Switzerland and Japan, with Japan often occupying the more affordable end of the spectrum and Switzerland more commonly associated with luxury watches and high watchmaking. Of course, this is an overgeneralization of the highest degree, as Japan is home to some of the finest purveyors of high watchmaking, and there are indeed great deals to be found from Switzerland. However, the real tragedy here is the omission of the often overlooked superpower in watchmaking that is Germany. Home to dozens of brands, including some of the best in the business according to a variety of metrics, Germany is an excellent country for watchmaking. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best German watch brands to provide an overview of names you should know if you’re new to German watches. In each synopsis, We'll begin with a bit of history, share a few of the brands' major accomplishments or best-loved models, and say a bit about what they’re up to these days. [toc-section heading="Laco"] Laco began life as Lacher & Co. in 1925 in Pforzheim, where it is still based today. The company is most famously known for being one of the five brands contracted to produce flieger watches (such as the Beobachtungsuhr) for pilots in the German Luftwaffe ― alongside A. Lange & Söhne, Stowa, and Wempe. The Laco of today continues to be popular for its flieger watches. And unlike IWC an...
Time+Tide
From the Oscars red carpet to a home vlogging setup, hollywood celebs do their best to infiltrate the watch world.The post Unreleased watches hit the red carpet, AP opens new manufacture, Russell Crowe starts watch vlog appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Worn & Wound
I missed the Academy Awards on Sunday for the first time in, oh I dunno, 30 years? It’s a cliche to say that something is “my Super Bowl” but the Oscars really are. It was more than a little strange to catch up on the awards conversation the way most people do these days: through social media clips, podcasts, and, in our little community, celebrity watch spotting. The Oscars are known as “Hollywood’s biggest night” but it could be argued, based on the volume of press releases in my inbox, that it’s the watch industry’s biggest night as well. Worn & Wound doesn’t typically cover celebrity watch spotting – we think it’s all a little silly given that most of the watches you see on wrists are placed there by stylists or are simply contractual obligations. But I hope you’ll indulge me a bit because I have some thoughts on what we’ve seen recently from one of the most talked about movie stars of the last several years, by cinephiles and watch enthusiasts alike, and I think it could be a watershed moment in how independent watches enter the cultural conversation. I’m talking of course about Timothée Chalamet, star of Marty Supreme and three time Academy Award nominee. Chalamet has made news among the watch spotting crowd for the way he has casually worn some of the highest end and most sought after timepieces over the course of the last year. On Oscar night, he was wearing an Urban Jürgensen UJ-2, a six figure watch introduced less than a year ag...
Monochrome
Indie watchmaking is very much on the rise, and we see a surge of cool new watches high and low. From the ever-intriguing industrial wonders of Otsuka Lotec to the ultra-artisanal The Owl by L’Atelier Bernards, it all seems to find its audience across the globe. Yet some of these low-volume watchmakers are challenging to […]
SJX Watches
Watches & Wonders is less than a month away, so for episode 32 of the SJX Podcast we’re talking about what we’d want to see from some of the major brands like Patek Philippe, Grand Seiko, and Tudor. It’s always difficult to make predictions, and the best releases from every year are usually a surprise, but Andrew put together a few picks that we believe would be crowd-pleasers, were they to be released. SJX and Brandon also discuss the latest minute repeater from Girard-Perregaux, and SJX’s own sold-out collaboration with Habring²: the Chrono-Felix Medicus chronograph. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Teddy Baldassarre
It’s easy to think of watches as falling purely within the accessory realm, valued for their aesthetic and their finish detail. Sure, they fulfill a practical utility by telling the time, but that could be considered a redundant byproduct these days, as most of us are rarely outside of reach of any number of devices that provide the same utility. How watches serve their purpose today is very different from how they were used in the past. While much of that is out of necessity for the sake of self-preservation, the humble, purpose- built tool watch carries a deep history of use as just that, a vital tool used by servicemen and women. The stories that these watches tell serve as a reminder of the role watches once played, and connect with a new generation of enthusiasts. Every military across the globe has a history of using specialized tools in their endeavors, and watches have been a big part of that kit - from UDT divers and their dive watches, to pilots relying on their wrist-bound timers to calculate fuel flow rates. These watches enjoy an enviable lore that inspires many of the designs we see today from brands large and small. One particular outfit known for its use of spec-built watches is the British Special Air Service, or the SAS. While much of the information about the SAS is highly classified, we do know a thing or two about the watches these specialized service members have employed throughout the years. [toc-section heading="A (Brief) History of SAS"] P...
Teddy Baldassarre
Blancpain, founded in the Swiss village of Villeret in 1735, has been making timepieces for almost 300 years, but perhaps its most impactful contribution to wristwatch history was relatively recent - and began its heralded life as a military tool rather than a luxury item. In 1953, Blancpain was headed by Jean-Jacques Fiechter, an avid diving enthusiast who had long wanted to develop a watch that would be ideal for his hobby. Fiechter worked with Captain Robert Maloubier, a French naval officer, to design a reliable, mission-ready timepiece that Maloubier’s elite combat diving team could wear. Here we will take a look at the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, a more everyday take on the iconic diver. [toc-section heading="Blancpain Fifty Fathoms: A Historic Divers’ Watch"] The watch, called the Fifty Fathoms, had a 42mm steel case - exceptionally large for the time - and it was water-resistant to 91.45 meters, or 50 fathoms, the maximum depth recommended for scuba divers. Its dial was black and its numerals were luminescent for greater legibility underwater. It was the first divers’ watch with a self-winding movement, the first with an antimagnetic case, and the first to employ the patented, double-sealed crown that Fiechter had developed. Most notably, the Fifty Fathoms was the first watch to include a lockable bezel with dive-time scale that rotated in only one direction. This practical and potentially life-saving innovation prevented a diver from acciden...
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