Teddy Baldassarre
Breguet Updates Marine Collection With More Nautical Style
Breguet numerals and a new guilloché pattern give the Marine collection a closer connection to the brand’s past.More
Results for Guilloché
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Exclusive · Guide
Ming x J.N. Shapiro 37.06 Lightning: Traditional Guilloché Gets a Contemporary Jolt
Two of indie watchmaking's sharpest voices combine heat-coloured titanium and hand-engraved guilloché into something that feels genuinely new
Exclusive · Guide
Venezianico Redentore Levius: Titanium Case, Italian Movement, Hand-Guilloché Dial
Venezianico goes lighter and more Italian with the Redentore Levius, pairing a titanium case with a hand-guilloché dial and an in-house-spirit movement made on home soil.
Wiki · Guide
Guilloché
Engine-turned geometric dial patterns; Breguet since 1786.
Teddy Baldassarre
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Newly Revamped Breguet Marine 5517 Time-and-Date And 5527 Chronograph
What We Know A refresh of Breguet's Marine line, inspired by Abraham-Louis Breguet's history of marine chronometers and scientific instruments, has been coming for some time now. If you've been following the sometimes sweeping, sometimes subtle, almost always welcome changes to Breguet's catalog over the last few years (and especially last year during the brand's year-long 250th fête), you knew the Marine was one of the few stones left unturned. While the Experimentale 1 (a groundbreaking achievement) launched a new design language for the Marine last year, today's refresh is more subtle. The first thing that you probably will notice is that the eponymous "Breguet" numerals now replace the Roman ones on the previous models. But wait. There's more. Previous versions of both models had either soleil finishing centered around the boxed brand name (and number) or a larger, irregular wave guilloché, depending on the execution. In both new models, the watches now feature the new, finer "Quai de l'Horloge" guilloché pattern launched to honor the brand's 250th Anniversary last year, with a circular brushed hour track. Rather than just doing the same dial treatment for each case material, regardless of the complication, the brand has a mix of dials ranging from blue (in different shades) to grey and black. In general, the case material matches the tone of the hands, but there is an exception. The cases and movements have remained largely the same, 42.3mm by 13.9mm with a 50.7m...
![Ulysse Nardin gives the Freak [ONE] its first taste of decorative arts - in two very different flavours](https://timeandtidewatches.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Ulysse-Nardin-Freak-One-Guilloche-Freak-One-Blue-Enamel-feature.jpg)
Time+Tide
Ulysse Nardin gives the Freak [ONE] its first taste of decorative arts - in two very different flavours
Ulysse Nardin gives the Freak [ONE] its first taste of decorative arts in two very different flavours: Guilloché and Blue Enamel.
Time+Tide
Making light work: The 48-gram Venezianico Redentore Levius
The Venezianico Redentore Levius pairs a featherweight grade 5 titanium case with hand-turned guilloché and an Italian-made V5000 movement.
SJX Watches
Daniel Roth’s Gilty Pleasure
Daniel Roth has unveiled the Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt, a new variant of the brand’s elegant time-only model featuring a gilt black dial. Unlike many contemporary watches that misappropriate the term, this is a true gilt dial by definition, where the gold seen on the dial is in fact the dial plate shining through where the dial finish hasn’t been applied. Initial thoughts Daniel Roth is keeping up its momentum at a thoughtful pace; the latest Extra Plat is quintessential Daniel Roth in style, though it stands in stark contrast to earlier versions of the model. Though the new Extra Plat is unchanged in form and movement, it has a strikingly different feel, akin to a dress watch with a bit more flair. Daniel Roth’s line-up, then and now, was dominated by pale-coloured dials. Though the brand made watches with black dials in its original incarnation back in the 1990s, they were uncommon, making the “Rose Gold Gilt” dial both historically correct and novel. Dial aside, the rest of the watch is familiar. The compact dimensions are spot-on for an old-school dress watch, but unconventional in form thanks to the double-ellipse case. And the movement is simple but finely executed, and decidedly superior to the workmanlike Frederic Piguet calibre in the 1990s original that inspired this. A true gilt dial Creating the dial finish is a multi-stage process. Daniel Roth start with the solid 5N rose gold dial plate and apply a pinstriped guilloché, executed by hand on a straig...
SJX Watches
De Bethune Revives the Digitale in Style
One of De Bethune’s earliest models was a jumping hours wristwatch and now the brand has returned to concept with the DB25 Digitale. While largely similar to the earlier version in terms of function, the latest Digitale is presented in a new format. This is the third iteration of the Digitale – the second was introduced some 12 years ago – and the most elaborate yet in decorative terms. The case is in the wearable DB25 style, but the dial is decorated with the brand’s hallmark techniques, wavy guilloche and star-studded heat-blued titanium. Initial thoughts The DB25 Digitale revives one of De Bethune’s initial concepts, the “digital” time display, but now presented in the De Bethune greatest-hits livery of expansive blued titanium decorated with both the sea and the stars. With its striking, high-contrast colours, the new Digitale looks more current than its predecessor that carried something of an Art Deco pocket watch aesthetic. Admittedly, the DB25 Digitale is a cosmetic makeover and doesn’t add much novelty in technical terms. But it is still very much up to date in technical terms, illustrating the remarkable technical innovation, driven by Denis Flageollet, which continues to serve as De Bethune’s foundations. The DB2144V3 movement remains a sophisticated calibre even though it’s over two decades old. In fact, it arguably boasts substantially more technical content that “new” movements recently debuted by startup independent watchmakers. At CH...
SJX Watches
Striking Resemblance: The Piaget Polo Minute Repeater
More than a decade after unveiling its first in-house minute repeater, Piaget has revived the once-record-setting calibre in a familiar-looking guise. The new Polo Minute Repeater pairs the ultra-thin, micro-rotor cal. 1209P with the modern Polo case and a striking, partially open-worked guilloche dial. Initial thoughts The Polo Minute Repeater is a new watch, but it bears a striking resemblance to the Emperador Coussin of 2013. This isn’t that surprising, since the contemporary Polo — refreshed in 2016 — borrows significantly from the Emperador’s case design. But in this case the similarity is more than skin deep, since the Polo Minute Repeater shares the same movement as its predecessor: the cal. 1209P. This ultra-thin calibre was once the world’s thinnest minute repeater — a title it maintained for three years before the launch of the Bulgari BVL 362, based on a 1980s Gerald Genta calibre. The Polo is big but flat, measuring 48 mm wide but just 9.3 mm thick. The size is partly due to the movement construction, which spreads out the major component groups into two slim planes with the escapement, micro-rotor, and twin minute repeater hammers on on one level, and the racks and centripetal governor on top. This 2010s-era sizing is arguably out of step with current fads where small watches are all the rage, but the watch is elegant and evokes 1970s “jumbo” watches with its wide-but-flat profile. In any case, wearability is probably a moot point considering t...
Monochrome
Introducing - The Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Animal Kingdom
Vacheron Constantin has long been one of the great names in artistic watchmaking, regularly using engraving, enamelling, guilloché and other traditional crafts to transform the dial into a canvas. For this new collection, part of the Maison’s “One of Not Many Crafts Programme”, the project brings together six artists and six disciplines into the world […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Jack Mason Extends the Canton Automatic Watch With a Day-Date
Jack Mason expands its Canton line with the Day-Date, an automatic with a milled guilloché dial, panoramic day display, and US assembly.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Bernhardt Captain Review: An Unexpected Dress Watch From an American Microbrand
Bernhardt Captain review featuring the Cypress green guilloché dial, rose gold PVD case, Miyota 9039 movement, and compact 38mm dimensions.
Monochrome
First Look - The Watch Ho & Co. x Selten Yum Cha, A Heartfelt Tribute to Hong Kong’s Tea House Tradition
Since its launch, Watch Ho & Co(mmunity) has taken a very personal approach to collaborative watchmaking. Founder Jackie Ho has consistently built projects around stories and culture. Previous collaborations with Selten, such as the Jui series with hand-guilloché mother-of-pearl dials inspired by Hong Kong’s Bauhinia flower, demonstrated that approach well. To celebrate the community’s third anniversary, […]
WatchRider
The Ultimate Affordable Rolex Alternative: Meet the New Citizen Tsuyosa 60 (NK0022-50A & NK0030-51X)
We all love the timeless elegance of a luxury watch, but not everyone has thousands of dollars to drop on a Rolex. Fortunately, you don’t have to drain your savings to get that premium, high-end “Rolex energy” on your wrist. Citizen has just expanded its legendary Tsuyosa line with two stunning mechanical models: the NK0022-50A and the NK0030-51X. Featuring exquisite guilloché textured dials, upgraded automatic movements, and sleek integrated bracelets, these models offer major luxury watch vibes for just a fraction of the price. A Tale of Two Sizes Citizen recognized that watch enthusiasts have different wrist sizes and style preferences, so they released these two models with distinct personalities. The Bold and Classic: Citizen NK0022-50A If you love the unmistakable presence of a gold Rolex Datejust, the NK0022-50A is designed to catch your eye. To clarify, the comparison is with the Datejust, not the Day-Date, because the Tsuyosa has a date display but no day of the week display. Pairs a modern, 40mm gold-tone ion-plated stainless steel case and integrated bracelet with a textured, silver-white guilloché dial. It’s loud, it’s proud, and it looks like a million bucks on the wrist (even if it costs less than a decent weekend getaway). The Refined and Compact: Citizen NK0030-51X Sized at a sweet-spot 37mm, this stainless steel beauty features a mesmerizing teal guilloché dial. For those who prefer a more understated look or have smaller wrists, the...
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Breguet Classique Tourbillon 7357
If there was a way to celebrate the 225th anniversary of Breguet patenting the tourbillon, re-launching a version of the brand's iconic ref. 3350 was the obvious crowd-pleasing option. There was always something charming about that original tourbillon from the 1980s, but there were some downsides too. The new ref. 7357 is Breguet's best effort to solve those downsides, modernize, and give buyers what they say they've wanted for a long time. At a true-to-vintage 35mm diameter by 9.2mm thick (43mm lug-to-lug), with 30m of water resistance, it's the same but different. In a lot of great ways. For those not in the vintage or neo-vintage space, Breguet created an all-time great watch when Daniel Roth (prior to his own brand) worked for Breguet and modified a Nouvelle Lemania ébauche into a compact and impressive tourbillon wristwatch. You can see an original platinum ref. 3357 example below (the quick successor to the 3550). The tourbillon bridge design is different between these generations (both front and rear). The guilloché pattern, finishing, and even the movement-side treatment are different, with a very neo-vintage hand engraving on the earlier example. That watch would forge the future of the Breguet brand and, after Breguet's then-owner, Chaumet, went bankrupt, push Roth to found his own brand, where the tourbillon became a focal point. So let's look at those changes a bit more closely. First things first, the new 7357 is, by no means, a budget option. Coming in at...
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Haim Watch Co. Annum
Haim Watch Company, a Chicago-based microbrand, marked its fifth anniversary in 2025 by introducing an intriguing new timepiece called the Annum. I first saw the watch last fall at the WindUp Watch Fair in New York City, where the brand's founder, M. Zakir Miah, brought along a prototype that immediately caught my attention. Visitors at the event received a sneak peek of the Annum alongside previous creations like the Viajero worldtimer, a model I reviewed last year. Since that initial preview, the Annum has undergone a bit of an evolution, including a subtly redesigned case and a few small tweaks to the dial. In its final iteration, the Annum offers a compelling complete calendar watch that punches well above its weight and continues what Haim Watch Company has achieved with its Viajero: creative, supremely wearable takes on complications that stand out the price point. The Annum comes in three dial variations. "Dark Cobalt" and "Stone White" are solid-colored dials with a sunken-in CNC guilloché center section and applied hour markers on the grained outer dial ring. But when it was time to pick which variant I'd spend some time with for this hands-on, it was the semi-transparent "Fumée" dial that I wanted to see, and it wasn't even close. From afar, the Fumée iteration reminds me of the dials of great skeletonized perpetual calendars of old, thanks to the display of the module underneath the smoked PVC (plastic) dial. On this dial, the subdial rings and minutes track ...
SJX Watches
Hands On: Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux
Parmigiani Fleurier (PF) continues its exploration of “mysterious complications” with the Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux, a fully functional and surprisingly legible chronograph that is indistinguishable from a normal three-hand watch — until it isn’t. Pressing the conveniently placed chronograph monopusher summons a chronograph on demand, fully equipped with central minutes and hour totalisers, which disappears just as easily. Despite being one of the most ambitious chronographs on the market, it is priced relatively accessibly, at least in steel. Initial thoughts At first glance, the Chronographe Mystérieux is nearly indistinguishable from a normal three-hand watch, unless you spot the pair of rose gold hands secreted under the mean time hands. Depressing the chronograph button at eight o’clock causes these, along with the sweep seconds hand, to fly back to zero and being timing intervals up to 12 hours. The concept is not unlike that of the Maurice Lacroix Memoire 1, little-known halo piece that debuted in 2007 for EUR300,000. The Chronographe Mystérieux would work the same way without its hour and minutes hands, but their presence ensures the user can still read the time when the chronograph is running. The result is a highly legible dial, enhanced with an almost excessively fine grain d’orge guilloché that, like the undersized 18k gold hour markers, gets out of the way of the hands. At launch, PF offers two variants of the Chronographe Mystérieux ...
Time+Tide
At US$630 or less, how does Zelos make a profit with on its detail-driven Helica design?
The Zelos Helica lineup comes in 11 different congifurations, between 39mm and 42mm sizes, with CNC-guilloché dials – all under US$630.
Monochrome
First Look - The new Maurice Lacroix 1975 Legacy Brings Refinement to the Collection
Maurice Lacroix introduced the 1975 collection last year to mark its 50th anniversary. Since then, the line has expanded to include GMT and day-date models, as well as the 1975 Master Grand Date Retrograde, which was released earlier this year. Now, the Swiss brand welcomes the new 1975 Legacy with a machine-guilloché petite seconde display that sits […]
Worn & Wound
Presenting the Lead Sponsors of Windup Watch Fair Chicago 2026 and More!
Summer means Windup Watch Fair returns to Chicago, and we’re thrilled to once again bring hundreds of watches, great conversations, and unforgettable experiences to our brand-new venue, Morgan MFG. Alongside more than 70 exhibiting brands, special events, and panel discussions, we’re proud to announce our Lead Sponsors for Windup Watch Fair Chicago 2026: Atelier Wen, Christopher Ward, Citizen, eBay Live, and Oris. First, here are the necessary details: Windup Watch Fair Chicago Friday, July 10 – Sunday, July 12, 2026 Morgan MFG 401 N Morgan St Suite #100 Chicago, IL 60642 Free and open to everyone. No registration necessary. Each of our Lead Sponsors is bringing exciting new products and experiences to Chicago that you won’t want to miss. Here’s a sneak peek at just a few of the highlights you’ll find during Windup weekend in the Windy City. Atelier Wen: Perception V3 Founded to celebrate the richness of Chinese craftsmanship through a modern lens, Atelier Wen has become one of the most compelling independent brands in contemporary watchmaking. Their latest release, the Perception V3, elevates the integrated sports watch with hand-turned guilloché dials and a beautifully finished French-made Pequignet movement, representing the fullest expression yet of the brand’s unique identity. With a hand-guilloché dial crafted by master artisan Cheng Yucai and a French-made Pequignet caliber featuring bespoke finishing inspired by Chinese motifs, the Perception V3 ...
Monochrome
Introducing - The New De Bethune DB25xs Sand Winds
One of the most distinctive indie brands on the scene today, it’s impossible to mistake a De Bethune watch. Some of the signature aesthetic clues, developed by master watchmaker and co-founder Denis Flageollet, are heat-treated titanium components and random guilloché patterns. As a counterweight to the more futuristic and flagship DB28 family, the more classical […]
Worn & Wound
Is it the Year of the Clock? Timex Introduces the Waterbury America 250 Table Clock
I don’t really have a ton of evidence to support this, but I have a vague sense that clocks are maybe about to have a moment. There seem to be some signs. There’s the Audemars Piguet x Swatch collaboration, which, for all the ink spilled about the disaster of a rollout, has the potential (still!) to be a big pop culture moment this year, and I have a feeling many future owners of the Royal Pop will use it as a desk clock in some fashion. There was the recent launch of a new Horological Machine from MB&F; which is, basically, a big robot clock. Earlier this year, a real highlight of the Louis Vuitton slate was a clock made in partnership with L’Epée (also a collaborator on the MB&F;). It just seems like an unusual amount of clock activity, coupled with a similarly unusual amount of interest in said clocks. That leads me to one of the more unexpected and interesting things I’ve seen from Timex in a bit, the new Waterbury America 250 Table Clock. Part of a series of releases commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the clock draws on classic pocket watch design language and is a pretty attractive hunk of stainless steel that I think would look good on many a desk, whether it belongs to a watch lover or not. The clock case is a mix of brushed and polished steel, with star accents along the caseband and a guilloche engraving with a gold tone emblem on the retractable lid. A button on the side of the case releases the lid ...
SJX Watches
Textile Textures: Seiko Brings ‘Tomioka Silk’ to the Presage
Seiko’s Presage series has long been the brand’s standard-bearer for affordable dress watches, and the latest Presage Classic Series ‘Tomioka Silk’ celebrates Japan’s 19th-century silk industry, which earned a UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2014. With an easy-wearing 38 mm case and an enthusiast-oriented no-date format, the ‘Tomioka Silk’ collection spans four colourways including an on-trend pistachio green flavour dubbed wakatake-iro. The embossed dial pattern results in a silk-like texture shimmer Initial thoughts Seiko’s Presage Classic Series has been treating watch collectors to a tour of historical Japanese hand crafts, with dials made from materials like Arita porcelain and urushi lacquer. The ‘Tomioka Silk’ collection toes a similar line, but uses a clever optical illusion to simulate the shimmer of the region’s famous silk more convincingly than past editions. While real silk dials do exist, they are understandably uncommon. Seiko’s time-tested approach to textile-textured dials involves embossing a metal dial with a pattern that, at arm’s length, resembles the source material, such as linen, or in this case, Tomioka silk. HCC002 Most watch brands would call this concentric multi-lobed motif ‘guilloche‘, but Seiko correctly avoids this term, choosing instead to emphasise the silk-like visual presentation of the stamped pattern. The dial quality is quite good for the price, which barely breaks four figures. I understand Seiko’...
Hodinkee
Bring a Loupe: A Broken Mulco Chronograph, A Gold Rolex Paul Newman, And A Lot In-Between
Go Knicks. That is all. Scorekeeping last week's picks: the Grand Seiko sold for $29,700; the Patek Philippe 570 is still available; the Certina CD sold for €120; and the LeCoultre Uniplan sold, but the auction house didn't upload the final price. Strays Photo courtesy Goodwill. Here's a Breguet Classique 5907 on Goodwill. Yes, a Goodwill in Minnesota received, as a donation, a solid-gold Breguet with a four-day power reserve, a manual-wind 510DR movement, a full guilloché dial, Breguet hands, and, as if all that weren't enough, the watch comes with its original box. As Warren G advised, mount up. Beyond that heavy-duty watch in the least likely place, this Dodane Diver is very cool, and this Vincent Calabrese (who also made the Corum Golden Bridge) Wandering Jump Hour on Meticulist is incredibly cool. Apparently, it's my time—or a good time generally—to be excited by rectangular-cased non-Reverso JLC models, and if you've been after a Juvenia Architect, this one seems like it'll be gorgeous once it's cleaned up a bit. I don't know anyone who collects Verity watches, but this diver sure looks great with its classic Monnin case and—there's no other word for it—rad hand set. Finally, here's another IYKYK from Zenith, this time a 40T, which has absolutely nothing going for it other than a beautiful, simple case and a dial marking beneath the handset that has to be one of the coolest movement-related badges on any model I'm aware of. In an effort to balance out last...
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Vulcain Cricket Titanium
What We Know Since Vulcain's revival in 2022 under the helm of Guillaume Laidet, a name familiar to most here thanks to his hand in brands like Nivada Grenchen and SpaceOne, it's steadily cranked out watches under a few collections, from skin divers to chronographs, and most importantly, its iconic design that is the Cricket alarm watch. While these modern Crickets have largely remained faithful in spirit to their predecessors, today marks a new limited edition from Vulcain with a contemporary twist: the Vulcain Cricket Titanium. The name kind of gives everything away here, with titanium being the main focus of this new run of 100 pieces. The 39mm case, in its slightly upsized modern form, is made this time in grade 5 titanium, polished throughout. The dial is also in titanium, with a stamped guilloché effect paired with white printing for a minutes track and applied indices. The handset comes in a variety of colors, with the skeletonized dauphine minute and hour hands paired with a black seconds hand, and a metallic nickel-plated alarm hand with a blackened arrow tip that points to the printed track to better set your alarm time. But that's not where the titaniumification (I'm going to pretend that's a real word) ends. Here, the Le Locle-assembled and manually-wound Vulcain Cricket Calibre V14 is also produced from titanium movement blanks, meaning that the titanium theme translates all the way to the inside of the watch and can be seen through the exhibition caseback. S...
Monochrome
Introducing - The J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series Radiant Tantalum Monopusher Chronograph
In just a few years, J.N. Shapiro, initially a niche American independent focused on exceptional guilloché dials, has become one of the most ambitious names in contemporary American watchmaking. Founder Josh Shapiro’s Resurgence project demonstrated that high-end mechanical horology can once again be produced in the United States, and the Infinity Series has allowed him […]
SJX Watches
California Chronograph: J.N. Shapiro Unveils Infinity Series Radiant
California-based independent watchmaker J.N. Shapiro has unveiled the Infinity Series Radiant chronograph, the brand’s first complicated model available to the general public. Like the special order series released last year, the Radiant is built around a well-known La Joux-Perret monopusher calibre, but this time the watch features a tantalum case and choice of two dial configurations. Initial thoughts The Infinity Series is how it all started for J.N. Shapiro, and while the southern California-based watchmaker subsequently introduced the Resurgence — taking ‘made in America’ to the extreme — the Infinity Series makes use of third-party movements to make the brand’s inventive hand-turned guilloche dials more accessible. The Radiant chronograph takes after the 14-piece limited edition unveiled last year for the Boston-based ‘Escapement’ collector group. The Radiant is functionally identical, using the same La Joux-Perret cal. 5000 monopusher chronograph movement. But while the Escapement chronograph featured a movement that had been customised for fellow Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA) member Ming, the Radiant gets its own anthracite-coated livery complete with the brand’s ‘infinity weave’ logo. The movement itself has its own interesting backstory, but the handmade dials and weighty tantalum case do more to help justify the pricing of US$35,900. By the standards of mass market watchmaking this is a steep ask for a straightforward complication,...
Worn & Wound
J.N. Shapiro Introduces the Radiant, a Monopusher Chronograph and an Expansion of their Infinity Series
It’s easy to think of J.N. Shapiro as a brand largely focused on a style of watchmaking from an earlier generation. But that’s a trap. While the design language is rooted in classicism and J.N. Shapiro prides itself on the highest level execution of traditional guilloche, the brand has also been open to experimenting with materials in a way that many other contemporary indies have embraced to great success in recent years. Their new watch, the Radiant, enters the Infinity Series with a host of exotic materials at its core, and the watch serves as a reminder that while J.N. Shapiro is capable of doing things in an old school way, and might lean into that at times, the brand is not opposed to taking a modern perspective on some of these old fashioned ideas. J.N. Shapiro’s Southern California manufacture sits at the heart of the American aerospace industry, and that connection serves as a loose inspiration for the Radiant, a new monopusher chronograph that is a bit of a sequel to their first chrono, released just last year in a very small run for Escapement, a Boston area collector’s group. Watches that are linked to aerospace are nothing new, but usually watches in this genre are conceived as fit for an astronaut, or something along those lines (there’s been a glut of space-travel oriented watches just this year, from IWC, Bremont, and others). J.N. Shapiro takes a different approach, focusing on materials that are closely tied to the industry and have unique app...
Worn & Wound
Review: the OG Deep Space Blue
There’s a riskiness to Oliver Gallaugher’s approach to watch design that I can’t help but admire. His aesthetic is clean, lending a stripped-down, contemporary look, but his methods are complex, resulting in elaborate manufacturing and higher costs. What looks, at a glance, like something simple, like a hand, never is. In fact, the hands of his watches, of which there have been two series, with the first sold out, are notably complicated, even featuring a “world’s first.” Further, though his watches are two-handers, rather than using a standard Swiss off-the-shelf movement, he has, thus far, used highly finished bespoke calibers. The result, and here is the dangerous part, is watches that don’t scream why they cost what they do. They aren’t for people who want or need an obvious element to point to, like a guilloche dial or a complication. The OG Watches Deep Space Blue is both a follow-up and an evolution of the Deep Space concept that the brand debuted with. It takes the same overarching concept, a minimal watch with a dial inspired by the night sky, but developed and refined seemingly every element, stripping back further, and yet increasing the complexity of manufacturing. It also uses a bespoke movement from Le Temps Manufactures, which is known for its work with very high-end independents. Beginning with the case, the first model was 41mm x 10.2mm thick and made of 316L steel. The new model is 38mm x 8.8mm and made of 904L. Given the spacious dial and...
Worn & Wound
Watches, Stories, & Gear: the Latest Atelier Wen Perception, a New Leica Projector, and “The End of Oak Street”
“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. Atelier Wen Perception V3 A lot of the attention around Atelier Wen’s Perception has gone to the dial, and for good reason. The hand-turned fish-scale guilloché comes from Cheng Yucai’s workshop in Henan, which gives each watch a level of craft that has helped separate it from the larger field of integrated-bracelet sports watches. With V3, Atelier Wen brings that same level of focus to the movement, adding a customized Pequignet EPM03 with a 65-hour power reserve, hacking seconds, and finishing developed around the brand’s Sino-French identity. Through the exhibition caseback, you see wind-shaped bridges and blue aventurine lacquer, a marriage of form and function. The familiar Piāo ice-blue and Xiá salmon versions return, joined by Yún, a new bamboo green reference featuring a micro-frosted case and bracelet – the first addition to the Perception lineup in four years. Piāo and Xiá retain the brushed and polished finishing. The Perception V3 is priced at $4,850, with first deliveries expected to begin in September 2026. Leica Cine Compact 1 Of course, we know (and love!) Leica for its range of cameras, but did you know the German brand has also dabbled i...
SJX Watches
Ming Taps J.N. Shapiro for the 37.06 Lightning
Ming has joined forces with J.N. Shapiro for a decidedly contemporary twist on traditional guilloche. The 37.06 Lightning proves its possible to combine disparate design languages cohesively, and to offer meaningful hand craftsmanship for less than five figures, with a few sensible trade-offs. Initial thoughts Ming and J.N. Shapiro are two of the three members of the Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA), a loosely affiliated coalition of brands that also includes Fleming. The Lightning is not the first time that Ming and J.N. Shapiro have worked together — they co-developed a tantalum bracelet designed to fit watches from each brand — but it is the first time they’ve collaborated on a wristwatch. And while J.N. Shapiro is best known for more traditional designs and an obsessive focus on in-house production in the United States, the brand’s expertise in guilloche clearly translates beyond its own house style. The radiant polychromatic dial looks right at home in a minimalist Ming. The artisanal dial makes intuitive sense paired with Ming’s typical look, especially considering the lume plots and brand logo are engraved on the underside of the sapphire crystal. This approach means the dial does not have to be touched post-heat treatment, and the shimmering guilloche pattern can extend edge to edge without interruption. The Lightning is priced at a relatively accessible CHF6,750, a price point that entails a few trade-offs elsewhere in the watch — namely the move...
Worn & Wound
Ming and J.N. Shapiro Launch the 37.06 Lightning
When the Alternative Horological Alliance was formed in 2024, I think many of us who care about this sort of thing immediately began speculating about possible collaborations between the brands involved. The teams at Ming, Fleming, and J.N. Shapiro (as well as Fears and Massena LAB, two brands added after the founding of the alliance) have clear affinity for one another. And while there might not be obvious ties between the watches they make, clearly there is a perspective on the watch landscape itself that’s shared among the group, and sometimes that’s what makes for the best partnerships. Today, Ming and J.N. Shapiro have announced the launch of the 37.06 Lightning, which amounts to the first watch released collaboratively by members of the Alternative Horological Alliance (although Ming and J.N. Shapiro did work together on the AHA tantalum bracelet and the tantalum cases for the Ming Project 21). The star of the show is a dial that combines elements of what both brands excel at, and is notable as each individual dial has a bit of handcraft applied by the founders of both brands. You would expect, I think, a J.N. Shapiro branded watch to feature hand guilloche of some type as that is really the brand’s calling card at this point, and the 37.06 Lightning is no exception. It distinguishes itself, though, in the guilloche pattern used, which is referred to by the brands as “lightning guilloche” and is being used for the first time by Shapiro on this watch. Sh...