Revolution
The Creation of the Valjoux/ETA 7750
A young team headed by a 24-year-old movement specialist pulled off a technological coup that resulted in the robust, low-cost, ubiquitous Valjoux/ETA 7750.
4,138 articles · 162 videos found · page 4 of 144
Revolution
A young team headed by a 24-year-old movement specialist pulled off a technological coup that resulted in the robust, low-cost, ubiquitous Valjoux/ETA 7750.
SJX Watches
After a few quiet years, David Candaux has introduced the DC12 MaveriK – the brand’s fourth model and its first without a tourbillon. A deceptively complicated time-only watch, the DC12 features twin escapements linked by a differential, a mechanism deeply rooted in the twentieth century history of the Vallée de Joux. Housed in an organic 39.5 mm titanium case, the DC12 is the most affordable watch yet from the Le Solliat-based watchmaker, but retains the brand’s signature push-button crown below the dial. Initial thoughts An experienced constructor who can count the MB&F; HM6 and Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie among his credits, David Candaux launched his eponymous brand in 2017. But he would be the first to tell you it was not an easy start, managing to sell just 14 watches during his first four years in business. This is not uncommon in the world of independent watchmaking; look around at some of the most popular independent brands today and you’ll hear a similar story about their early days. Mr Candaux’s business subsequently picked up some momentum, and in the past four years the brand claims to have made an additional 42 pieces. If true, it’s an encouraging sign for a watchmaker with something of a chequered past as an independent constructor, who is said to have had difficulty meeting obligations to client brands. In some ways, the DC12 is the embodiment of this journey, being simpler and cheaper than Mr Candaux’s previous models....
Time+Tide
Understanding ETA’s best-selling calibres will give you an insight into most Swiss watches, so here are the most important movements.The post All the ETA movements you should know about appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two incredibly historically significant Royal Oaks have gone under the hammer for big bucks.The post VIDEO: Hands-on with the AP Royal Oak A2 and the black magic of Karl Lagerfeld’s customised watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The watch landscape has changed massively over the last 20 years with an increased trend towards in-house calibers. No longer is ETA the only outlet for brands to source movements with Sellita effectively cloning ETA ebauches and Japanese providers such as Seiko, Miyota, and Citizen filling the void for even more cost-effective solutions. That being … ContinuedThe post Watches by movement: From Tudor to Doxa, 7 watches powered by the ETA 2824 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
The case back is easy to overlook. After all, it spends most of its time pressed against your wrist, hidden from view. But turn a watch over, and the case back can reveal a completely different side of the design. For...
Time+Tide
Within the watch community, you will hear the phrase “in the metal” a fair bit. With some watches it is as simple as paying a quick visit to an authorised dealer to become more acclimated with a watch. However, not all watches are available to view in-store – and no, this is not a conversation … ContinuedThe post Getting some Eichi, or Wisdom, from macro monster @horomariobro appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
At issue is whether Sellita really will be able to compete with ETA in an open market for mechanical watch movements.
Quill & Pad
The Swiss press is reporting that the tug of war between Swatch Group and Comco is now back on the table – and could result in dire consequences for the entire industry as soon as 2020, when ETA may stop delivering movements to outside brands. Get the story here.
Monochrome
Self-winding calibres are undeniably an advancement, especially those boasting extended autonomy. Yet, there is a timeless ritual, almost archaic, the deliberate act of winding a watch by thumb and forefinger, each click of the ratchet wheel a symphony for the discerning ear. This tactile dance, this connection to the mechanics, is a pleasure some aficionados […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Benrus Type 1 Mil Spec review after a week of wear, covering its 39.5mm case, military-inspired design, ETA 2892 movement, comfort, and more.
Video
This is What You Get When a Watch Designer Designs His Own Watch
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Revolution
In the past, Breitling’s calibres were assembled and refined to chronometer standards from commercially available ébauches, ranging from Lemania-based movements (the calibre B11 and B12 were based on Lemania 1873 and 187 calibres, respectively) to Valjoux 7750-series and ETA 2892 movements (the latter, equipped with Dubois Dépraz chronograph modules). Then in 2009, the company revealed […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Benrus DTU-2A/P brings historically accurate proportions together with modern upgrades and an ETA automatic movement.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Tutima Flieger T5 brings a smaller titanium case and a familiar ETA-based automatic to the brand's modern pilot-watch family. A TBWS first look.
Worn & Wound
Hublot has never trafficked in subtlety. The Big Bang chronograph first made its presence known with a 44mm size, hefty ceramic bezel with contrasting screws, and a rare combination of rose gold and rubber, which contrasted different textures with clashing case finishes. So what if it had an ETA movement-which, at the time, seemed more plebeian than the in-house movements of rival luxury chronographs? In that maximalist, McBling era, the stance and the presence were all that mattered. Hublot has only taken its flagship model to more audacious heights. At this year’s Watches & Wonders Geneva, the Big Bang Reloaded enters the collection, following the 20-year anniversary of the Big Bang, by combining the intricate case with Hublot’s in-house chronograph movement, the Unico calibre, bringing together all the things that Big Bang enthusiasts love. The Reloaded exemplifies Hublot’s adherence to high-tech materials: available in titanium, scratch-resistant 18-karat “Magic Gold,” and three options of ceramic: black, blue, and dark green. The strap, still in textured rubber, matches the case colors. Hublot introduced its Unico calibre in 2010, and now the HUB 1280 UNICO makes an appearance from behind a skeletonized and multi-layered dial: redesigned to match the stencil-style numbers, a date window at between 4 and 5 o’clock, and horizontally-placed chronograph registers. It’s an automatic flyback chronograph, with 43 jewels and a power reserve of 72 hour...
Video
TUDOR just quietly released one of the coolest watch collaborations we've seen in a long time: a 500-piece Limited Edition Left-Hand Drive Pelagos celebrating Beretta's 500th anniversary. Why is no one talking about t...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Benrus Sky Chief returns in a faithful 36mm reissue with a COSC-certified ETA 2894 and vintage-inspired dials.
SJX Watches
Based in the southernmost corner of Russia, Rashid Tsoroev is a watchmaker who got his start in 2019 with fairly simple time-only watches powered by the oversized ETA Unitas calibre. Now Mr Tsoroev has upgraded his work, both stylistically and mechanically, with the debut of the Evo Arrow that is priced affordably at US$5,000. Still a three-hand watch but now equipped with a La Joux-Perret (LJP) automatic, the Evo Arrow sports a hand-hammered brass dial – a technique is sometimes described as tremblage – that he makes himself. Mr Tsoroev relies on suppliers for other components like the case, but he finishes all the components in his own workshop. Initial thoughts Like many independent makers in this price segment, Mr Tsoroev outsources several aspects the watch, but he applies his skill to key aspects, including producing and finishing the dial and hands; this contrasts with brands that merely design and assemble watches. Mr Tsoroev’s attention to detail is admirable, considering the price of the watch. Elements like the font he designed for the watch and the rounded arms of the hands reflect the thought put into the design and execution. Granted, there are constraints imposed by the retail price and presumably Mr Tsoroev’s location (where there are probably no suppliers in a radius of hundreds of kilometres), but the Evo Arrow feels like an honest creation by a craftsman. The only thing I would change is the movement. I would swap the LJP calibre for a Russian ...
Time+Tide
One of the things that sets Yema apart from their competitors, whether you ever considered them a microbrand or not, was that they had their own affordable in-house movement. The YEMA2000 was definitely an improvement upon the off-the-shelf calibers from ETA or Sellita that we would expect to see, however its use was more of … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Yema Wristmaster Traveller Micro-Rotor is a charming take on the integrated bracelet sports watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The relationship between the Swatch Group and Tissot brings a host of benefits to the table. As the powerful parent company, the Swatch Group can deliver enviable command over economies of scale and a direct line to movement manufacturing with ETA. Being able to tap into such mighty resources enables Tissot to react quickly to … ContinuedThe post A month on the wrist with the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 – an integrated bracelet wristwatch for the people appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: One of Tudor’s lesser-known model ranges, the 1926 is an admirable everyday watch with a number of great benefits. For a start, it’s powered by a tried and true ETA movement, not one of Tudor’s in-house calibres. Why is that a good thing? Well, for a start, it keeps costs down, as evidenced … ContinuedThe post The Tudor 1926: a great daily timepiece for the classically inclined appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
James Stacey had the incredible opportunity to go behind the scenes with Tudor, tracing the journey of a Tudor watch through their supply chain and manufacturing network. For a closer look at how each watch – from t...
SJX Watches
Self-taught Russian clock- and watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin, who has built notably complex timepieces, is ironically best known for the Joker, a relatively simple watch. The Joker is powered by an ETA 2814 base movement with an in-house module of just 61 parts that drives the novel time display: two sub-dials, positioned like eyes in a face, for hours respectively minutes, and a moon phase at six o’clock resembling a smiling mouth – the funny face of time. When first unveiled the inaugural Joker in steel at Baselworld 2017, the 99-piece limited edition sold out quickly. The watch also enjoyed critical acclaim; the subsequent Joker Clown won the Audacity Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve 2018. Konstantin notes he was particularly surprised how eagerly the love-or-hate design was embraced by collectors of high-end watches. So his extended the Joker concept to the top-end of the price spectrum, with the limited edition Joker automaton developed with fellow independent watchmaker Svend Andersen. And then Konstantin recently revealed he was participating in charity auction Only Watch 2019 – alongside peers like Akrivia, F.P. Journe, Urwerk and De Bethune – which piqued my interest, so I reached out to Konstantin to find out more. The Joker automaton by Andersen and Chaykin Inspiration strikes As Luc Pettavino, the founder of Only Watch, was planning the 2019 event, he approached Konstantin to suggest a straightforward variant of the origin...
Time+Tide
Tudor’s BB Chrono has been one of the most talked about movements of the year. It has a formidable set of specs, and the collaboration with Breitling is a bold (and smart) play. But it’s far from Tudor’s first step on the road from ETA to movement autonomy. Here’s what they’ve achieved in a few … ContinuedThe post LIST: A short timeline of Tudor’s movement technology appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Tudor has a track record of using third party movements to power its iconic and now highly collectible watches. Fleurier, Valjoux, Schilds and ETA have all provided calibres to drive one of horology’s biggest success stories since the 1940s. At Baselworld this year Tudor announced the name of its latest collaborator - another big name in the industry - Breitling.
Monochrome
Whenever movements are discussed, attention tends to focus on the Swiss, which is understandable, but it excludes some of the biggest movement manufacturers. Seiko, Miyota and so on, let alone the Chinese, produce far more movements per year on their own than ETA or Sellita do, for instance. To put this into some form of […]
Worn & Wound
Jack Carlson is ending 2023 how he started it: With a Zodiac collaboration. The new Rowing Blazers x Zodiac “Rouchefoucauld” Super Sea Wolf World Timer follows January’s Rowing Blazers x Zodiac Harry’s Bar Super Sea Wolf, and is just the latest in a line of playful watch collaborations from Carlson’s clothing brand-this one with a subtle nod to Trading Places, the the 1983 classic comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. In the film, Akroyd’s WASPy Louis Winthorpe III tries to pawn his (fictional) watch, the Rochefoucauld, which he describes as “the sports watch of the 80s,” with the notable detail that it tells time in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome, and Gstaad. “It’s not a real watch of course-but for a long time, I’ve thought: this should exist,” said Carlson. The Rouchefoucauld nod is peak Rowing Blazers: preppy and fun, with a touch of whimsy. It’s a sensibility that is found not just in RB’s watches, but in Carlson’s personal watch collection as well. He owns some of the classics, of course, like a Seiko SKX, and a no-date Rolex Submariner and Rolex GMT-Master from the 1980s, but Carlson has a taste for the colorful and unique. Take, for example, the digital Pac-Man watch, Mickey Mouse Timex, and Tin-Tin watch that can be found in his watch box. Or the Domino’s-branded Rolexes, which the pizza brand used to give to franchisees who hit certain sales goals and which Carlson now collects. Carlson called the wat...
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