Hodinkee
Introducing: The New Automotive-Inspired Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto 40
Laurent Ferrier and team are bringing the '70s back, with a touch of Porsche and Le Mans history.
3,245 articles · 12 videos found · page 40 of 109
Hodinkee
Laurent Ferrier and team are bringing the '70s back, with a touch of Porsche and Le Mans history.
SJX Watches
Louis Erard gained a cult following collaborations with partners ranging from independent watchmakers to industrial designers. Now, the brand has teamed up with Switzerland-based watch influencer Amr Sindi, better known by his Instagram handle The Horophile. Their project, the Le Petite Seconde Metropolis, draws direct inspiration from Art Deco with its clean, distinctive dial. Initial thoughts Following their recent collaboration at Raketa, it comes as no surprise that Louis Erard chief Manuel Emch (who’s also helping run Raketa) and Mr Sindi have once again united their creative forces. While deviating from the contemporary design accented by Mr Sindi’s trademark purple that characterised his past creations, the trio of timepieces represent a unique interpretation of 1920s style. The watches evoke the era without being remakes of 1920s watches. They are distinctive yet unbranded, enabling the design to be conveyed clearly. Aside from the Art Deco hour numerals, there is absolutely no text on the dial whatsoever. In my view, this exemplifies how watch brands should design a retro watch, rather than simply generating a remake based on archives. While the dial is new, the rest of the watch is identical to the regular production model. That means a relatively thick case, which is the only major shortcoming of the design. The Le Petite Seconde Metropolis is priced at US$2,900, which is roughly in the same price range as the standard version of the model. Although the pr...
Teddy Baldassarre
Founded in 1853 by the father-son team of Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile Tissot in the Swiss Jura town of Le Locle, Tissot is today one of the largest Swiss watchmakers in the world, with a versatile and varied collection of timepieces for men and women, from dressy to sporty to high-tech, all offering one of the industry’s best value propositions across the board (every watch we showcase here comes in under $2,000). With such a breadth of options, it's difficult to compile a list of the standouts, but for this (admittedly very subjective) compilation of the 21 best Tissot watches we strove to include just about all of Tissot's major collections, with an emphasis on men's watches with mechanical movements, particularly spotlighting the variations on the proprietary Powermatic Caliber 80. (For those who find themselves enthralled by one or more particular models on this list, most are available right here at TeddyBaldassarre.com; just follow the shopping links.) TISSOT SEASTAR Seastar 2000 Professional Powermatic 80 Price: $1,075, Case size: 46mm, Thickness: 16.3mm, Lug Width: 22mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 600 meters, Movement: Automatic Powermatic 80.111 Tissot's ruggedly attractive Seastar family of dive watches, which debuted in the 1960s, welcomed its most robustly engineered member in 2021. The ISO-certified Seastar 2000 entices deep-sea enthusiasts with its integrated helium release valve at 9 o’clock, unidirectional dive-scale bezel with en...
Worn & Wound
The latest release from Oris, and one that highlights their ongoing Change for the Better initiative, is a sequel of sorts to a watch that became a cult hit when it was released in 2021. The Dat Watt Limited Edition II is very much in the same vein as the original Dat Watt Limited Edition, but with a few twists to make this new LE its own thing. Its release comes alongside an announcement from Oris that they’ve extended their relationship with the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS) by another two years, the organization that works to protect the Wadden Sea, which provides the inspiration for the new watch. The Wadden Sea covers 11,500 square kilometers in northern Europe, and includes shoreline in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. This intertidal zone is a unique geographical space in that it happens to be the world’s largest unbroken tidal flats system, and is in a largely undisturbed state, thanks in part to the efforts of the CWSS. Because of the area’s size and the fact that it has been so well protected, it’s an important area for the study of the 10,000 species that live there. The Wadden Sea has held UNESCO World Heritage Site status since 2009 based on its importance to global biodiversity. Like the first Dat Watt Limited Edition, this new release uses the Aquis diver as a platform, here in its 43.5mm footprint. The dial’s green tone is inspired by the waters in the Wadden Sea’s salt marshes, which act as critical natural storage for CO2. Thi...
Hodinkee
Plus a throwback Breitling Re-edition LE and a Breguet Moonphase in this week's curated selection of what the Hodinkee Shop has to offer.
SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton has redesigned its trademark wristwatch some two decades after it was introduced. In contrast to its predecessors, the Louis Vuitton Tambour has been refined and condensed into a thin, streamlined wristwatch that’s just 8.3 mm high. Sporting a touch of 1970s style, the new Tambour is equipped with the LFT023, an automatic movement featuring a micro-rotor. Representing the first of a new generation of Louis Vuitton movements, the LFT023 was developed by movement maker Le Cercle des Horlogers and features novel details like frosted bridges with relief borders and clear jewels. The new Tambour replaces all existing Tambour models, save for the high-end complications, like the automatons and minute repeaters, as well as the entry-level Street Diver. As a result, the once diverse and occasionally confusing offer of watches is rationalised to essentially three lines – Street Diver, the new Tambour, and complications. Initial thoughts Now 20 years old, the Tambour has been around long enough to become easily recognisable as Louis Vuitton’s trademark watch case. The original Tambour was an appealing design, particularly when paired with complications – I am personally a big fan of some complicated Tambour models – but it felt chunky even on a smaller scale. So the new Tambour is everything that the original was not – svelte and restrained. On its face it is not as recognisable as the original, but in profile it is clearly evolved from the original. The sl...
Worn & Wound
Last year’s Massena LAB collaboration with Louis Erard, a regulator in an unmistakably classic style with variants in gold and rhodium dial executions, was a success for both brands, with the watch being shortlisted for the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. This week, that release gets a follow up in the form of the new Le Chronographe Monopoussoir Louis Erard x Massena LAB, a monopusher chronograph that shifts the design language of last year’s release to a new complication. The driving force behind Massena LAB, to make a style of watchmaking typically reserved for only the most well heeled collectors accessible to anyone, is very much apparent in the new monopusher, as it takes both a complication and visual aesthetic that are often associated with a certain level of opulence and made them quite a bit more approachable. The monopusher is an interesting counterpoint to last year’s regulator. In terms of mechanical complexity, the monopusher has a clear edge, yet the design here is striking in its restraint. The regulator shows its time telling information in a busy cluster of hands and subdials, but with the monopusher we only get one additional register, a 30 minute counter at the 12:00 position. It’s a simple and straightforward execution of a complication that can often be something of an eye chart, and with the single pusher that simplicity is carried over to the chronograph’s literal operation as well. Aesthetically, we get a similar treatment on the ...
Worn & Wound
The week’s episode of A Week In Watches takes a look at new releases from Longines, Seiko, Rolex, MB&F;, and …Seiko. Yes we’ve got multiple Seiko watches to discuss here and yes, they are both pretty awesome. The sporty theme continues with a new Daytona released by Rolex during the 100th running of the 24 hour race of Le Mans. It brings back the exotic dial and nails a lot of details in the process. In what may prove to be more relevant news, Longines has introduced a smaller Spirit Zulu Time GMT, now available in a trim-ish 39mm case. The newest Spirit Zulu Time comes at a perfect time, sitting alongside the 42mm variant we saw released last year. More choices is always better for enthusiasts, and we think you’ll find a lot to love in not just this release from Longines, but what’s yet to come. Don’t miss out live pics of the 39mm Zulu Time in our introduction right here. This week’s episode was brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop. For an excellent and ever-growing catalog of watches, straps, clocks, and more, head to windupwatchshop.com. The post A Week In Watches Ep. 54: Throwbacks Galore; Speedtimers & Daytonas; Longines Dials In the Zulu Time appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Worn & Wound
Sometimes, weird things happen on the watch release calendar that result in an almost mystical kind of synergy. We didn’t plan today as “racing inspired chronograph day,” but the surprise release of a new Rolex Daytona paying tribute to the 100th anniversary of Le Mans and an equally surprising new Seiko chronograph with more than a little racing and competitive timing heritage means that today is all about the many flavors of tracking elapsed time. Rounding out a trilogy of new chronographs today, we have news of the latest limited edition from Porsche Design, a special variant of the Chronograph 1 celebrating 75 years of Porsche. As car enthusiasts are likely well aware, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the first Porsche, the 356 No. 1 roadster. In the decades since, Porsche has become not just one of the most important carmakers in the world, but one of the most recognizable brands of any type. Porsche vehicles are known all over the world, and their iconic silhouettes and designs can be easily recognized even by people who don’t count themselves as car aficionados. The new watch, according to Porsche Design, is a tribute to the culture and legacy Porsche has built. The Chronograph 1 75 Years of Porsche Edition is very similar to the 1972 Limited Edition variant of the watch released last year, and discussed by Blake here. The differences are honestly so minute, they might only be appreciated by the most rabid Porsche Design collectors, but this is a ...
Worn & Wound
This weekend marked the 100th running of the 24 hour race of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France, and Rolex took full advantage of the occasion with the release of a new Daytona with a dial that recalls the now famous ‘exotic’ dial, aka Newman dial, of older references. This release is surprising for a few reasons, and may even offer some insight to what we might expect from Rolex moving forward. We’ll get to all that, but in many ways, this is the Daytona that enthusiasts have been asking for since the late ‘80s – it’s the ‘greatest hits’ watch, perfectly capitalizing on the the new Daytona chassis released just earlier this year at Watches & Wonders, which we went hands-on with right here. First and foremost, Rolex is not in the habit of dropping new releases outside of their regular yearly cadence. We last saw it with the release of the Deepsea Challenge in late 2022, the first commercial Rolex to tout their RLX titanium material. While that watch could be considered something of an outlier, given its rather extreme nature, the Daytona is another story entirely. This new reference, the 126529LN officially, joins the new collection as a regular production model. That reference number ends in four characters that have never appeared together in the Daytona family, the 29 indicating a full white gold case and bracelet, and LN, or Lunette Noir, meaning it sports a black Cerachrom bezel. Vintage Rolex Daytona reference 6263 with exotic dial The firs...
SJX Watches
Ending months of speculation, Audemars Piguet (AP) has finally filled the role of chief executive officer after outgoing boss Francois-Henry Bennahmias revealed his intention to depart last year. The Le Brassus watchmaker famous for the Royal Oak just announced that the top job will go to Ilaria Resta, formerly the president at a privately-held fragrances giant headquartered in Geneva. According to the announcement, Ms Resta joins AP in August this year and officially assumes the chief executive role on January 1, 2024. Mr Bennahmias will remain to assist with the transition until the end of 2023. A thirty-year veteran of the brand, the flamboyant Mr Bennahmias quadrupled AP’s annual revenue during his tenure, with its sales last year hitting the CHF2 billion mark. His successor’s résumé, however, suggests the board might be looking for someone who understands branding on a global and mass-market scale. With a long and accomplished career in fast-moving consumer goods, Ms Resta’s background is unusual for the leader of a major luxury watch brand. She was most recently President of Global Perfumery & Beauty President at Firmenich, a Swiss firm that is one of the world’s largest fragrances companies and, like AP, family controlled. For over two decades until 2020, Ms Resta held a range of roles at Procter & Gamble, covering sectors ranging from laundry to hair care. “Her proven record of delivering results through a clear strategic thinking based on deep consumer...
Time+Tide
The Swatch x Jean-Michel Basquiat collection marks the final collaboration of the Art Journey project Previous collaborations were with MoMA, Magritte, Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Le Gallerie Degli Uffizi The triptych includes three quartz-driven pieces inspired by Basquiat’s ‘Ishtar’, ‘Untitled’, and ‘Hollywood Africans’ artworks Swatch as a brand, not the conglomerate group, is widely credited … ContinuedThe post Swatch wraps up their 2023 Art Journey with new Jean-Michel Basquiat triptych appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Konstantin Chaykin introduces a new one-eyed monster in collaboration with Louis Erard Le Regulateur is available in both 39 and 42mm variants These timepieces are inspired by Stephen King, Goya and the Slavic monster Lykho Louis Erard has always specialised in elegant, fairly affordable Swiss watchmaking. Of late, however, thanks to the guidance of interim … ContinuedThe post Monster mash-up: Louis Erard and Konstantin Chaykin team up for a fearsome collab appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
When you enter Palexpo, the enormous convention center that is home to Watches & Wonders, you have an immediate decision to make: right or left? A glance to the left and you see the Tudor, Rolex, and Patek Philippe booths. These brands, in a lot of ways, anchor the entire show, and dominate much of the conversation for the duration of the fair. If you look to your right, you’ll be greeted by something entirely different. This year, it was a giant Ingenieur, spread across the top of the IWC booth at the end of the hall, and it was hard not to get the message that this watch, and this watch alone, was the brand’s sole focus for Watches & Wonders this year. Building your Watches & Wonders presence around a single watch was a trend that came into sharp focus at this year’s event. The IWC booth at Watches & Wonders, viewed from the opposite end of the hall. Whether brands took a literal one watch approach (like Ulysee Nardin, who only showed the new Freak ONE this year) or put the lion’s share of their backing behind one release but dropped a few additional under the radar pieces (like IWC), it’s a strategy that makes for a stark contrast with what feels like a more traditional practice of overwhelming everyone in the meeting with tray, after tray, after tray of new watches to try on, photograph, write about, and otherwise consider. The single watch strategy communicates a sense of confidence, that a brand has hit on something so good that they don’t need to muddy...
WatchAdvice
Early March – Tissot released its new look line up of a revived model line, the Chemin des Tourelles, named after the location of the brands first headquarters in Le Locle. I had the pleasure of going hands on with several of its key pieces, and in particular the 39 mm version, with sunburst blue dial and brown leather strap. What we like Beautifully finished deep blue sunburst dialCase wears comfortably on the wristSmart, classic design What we don’t like Crystal reflects the light a lot, detracting from the dialClasp isn’t as sturdy as you would expectMovement could be finished better with the see-through case back Overall rating: 7.125/10 Value for money: 7/10 Wearability: 7/10 Design: 8/10 Build quality: 6.5/10 Now I should start out by stating that this watch retails for AUD $1,175, which by many people’s standard in the crazy world of watches we live in, could be considered quite cheap. However, this is a great entry level price point for a Swiss watch, and as such, I’m reviewing it with this in mind, and to be honest, I’ve worn plenty of watched that are 3x or more in price that are probably on par if not a little less appealing or well built! So, here we go… Tissot holds a fond place in my heart. It was the first ever Swiss watch I bought. I had my first ever job in Sydney, and even though I wasn’t earning much, being a junior sales co-ordinator at a major radio network, I wanted to reward myself. So one lunch time I went to one of the local watch d...
Revolution
A long-serving employee of Hermès, Hermès Horloger CEO Laurent Dordet has strove to establish the maison as a respected creator of fine watches. He has endeavored to develop watches like the H08, Arceau le Temps Voyageur and Arceau Hermès Story that are instantly recognizable from afar. At Watches and Wonders 2023, the H08 returns in […]
Quill & Pad
Finnish independent watchmaker Torsti Laine’s timepieces feature strong individualization, bespoke designs, “dream color” dials, movements, colors, guilloché, lovely hands, and applied numerals – especially Breguet style – in any shape or language. Avid Quill & Pad reader Thomas Brechtel visited Laine in his workshop in Le Locle, Switzerland, and shares what he learned there with us right here.
Time+Tide
The sun sets at the 24 hours of Le Mans. It’s your umpteenth time around the track. And, as you make your way down the Mulsanne Straight, the sparks from your Porsche 911 RSR light up the night sky. That’s the image Porsche and TAG Heuer had in mind with their newest release, the fiery … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Withstand the heat with the new TAG Heuer Carrera x Porsche Orange Racing appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Spotting and identifying watches worn in movies is one of the most popular pastimes among wristwatch aficionados as well as serious cinephiles. Most of the time, such watches serve largely as props, elements of a character’s wardrobe and/or equipment that help to define who that character is: who could forget, for example, Steve McQueen's Heuer Monaco in Le Mans or Daniel Craig's Omega Seamaster in Casino Royale? Every so often, a timepiece plays a more pivotal storytelling role, as was the case of a very recognizable, albeit harshly damaged Jaeger-LeCoultre watch in the 2016 Marvel film Doctor Strange, and more recently in its sequel, 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title character in the movie, world-renowned neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange, and in classic Marvel origin-story tradition, the first time we meet him he is anything but heroic. While he uses his brilliant mind and skilled hands to save lives, his motivation for doing so tends to be more financial than altruistic. He turns down patients who can’t afford his enormous fees, treats co-workers callously, and generally embraces the high-end trappings that his fame and wealth affords him, including a Lamborghini and a drawer full of high-end timepieces meticulously mounted on winder cuffs- among them, according to sharp-eyed viewers, a Rolex Daytona and TAG Heuer Monaco. The watch that Strange appears to hold in particularly high regard is the one ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Swiss watch manufacture Zenith traces its roots to 1865, when it was founded in the village of Le Locle by precocious 22-year-old watchmaker Georges Favre-Jacot. As one of the first watchmaking maisons to integrate all aspects of the watchmaking process under one roof, from case manufacturing to movement production to final casing and assembly, Zenith has long prided itself on its quest for timekeeping precision. The company has earned a record number of chronometry prizes over the years, and its most influential contribution to watchmaking history is its El Primero chronograph caliber, released in 1969. (Learn more about El Primero here.) In that same pivotal year, Zenith also released an avant-garde wristwatch series called Defy, whose bold, edgy design proved to be ahead of its time, and found its expression in the now-legendary Ref. A3642. The Original Defy (1969) That watch was nicknamed the “coffre-fort,” a French term translating to “bank vault” or “safe,” a reference to its robustly angular, octagonal case, 14-sided bezel, and high-for-the-time water resistance of 300 meters, secured by its crown, caseback, and mineral crystal, all of which screwed securely into the case. Its “ladder-style” bracelet from legendary chainmaker Gay Frères also made the original reference notable. The Defy was positioned as Zenith’s toughest watch, featured in an advertisement in which six of the watches were strapped to the spokes of a motorcycle in a speed test a...
Time+Tide
The Cartier Tank shape has seen many changes throughout its over a century-long history. What began as the Tank Normale, shifted into the L.C., Must, Américaine, and finally, in 1996, the Tank Française. While more models followed in the 2000s, it’s the late 90s Française that’s the focus of today, as Cartier has fully refreshed … ContinuedThe post Cartier unveils new refined Tank Française range for 2023 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Welcome to A Week In Watches episode 32 with Managing Editor, Blake Buettner jumping in to chat about some of the new watches released during LVMH Watch Week. We’ve got some bombastic Hublots, an anniversary LE of the TAG Heuer Carrera alongside a low-key killer Aquaracer, and of course, some new Skyline references from Zenith. If none of that is your thing we’ve also got some news from Oris, who released a new caliber this week within a lovely Big Crown Pointer Date. Find links to all these stories below and hit the video for the full episode. Share your thoughts on YouTube (and subscribe to the channel while you’re there), or right here in the comments section. This week’s episode was brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop. For an excellent and ever-growing catalog of watches, straps, clocks, and more, head to windupwatchshop.com. The Carrera Turns 60 this Year, and TAG Heuer is Celebrating This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Carrera chronograph, and if you thought TAG Heuer was going to let even a month go by without acknowledging what is perhaps their most famous and admired watch, well, you must be new. The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary is exactly what you probably want to see if you’re a fan of classic Heuer racing chronographs, as it’s modeled after one of the most legendary Carrera references, the 2447 SN, and matches it detail for detail. Read the full story here. Hublot Asks: Why Settle for Steel When You Could Have SAXEM? ...
SJX Watches
Le Concours de Complexité is probably the smallest watch auction ever conducted by Phillips. Taking place online from January 13-20, the sale comprises just 11 watches. But all 11 are F.P. Journe watches, including important models like a Sonnerie Souveraine, Chronomètre à Résonance Ruthenium, and Centigraphe Anniversaire. So while the quantity is modest, the quality and value are high. And the watches all come with impeccable provenance. The former owner is a prominent businessman from Southeast Asia who is active real estate development. He purchased most of them brand new and has clearly kept them in immaculate condition. Le Concours de Complexité begins on January 13 and will run until January 20. Bidding and the catalogue can be accessed on Phillips.com. Below we round up a trio of highlights from the sale. The Sonnerie Souveraine Lot 8001 – Chronomètre à Résonance Ruthenium Synonymous with the independent watchmaker, the Resonance is correctly regarded as one of the most ingenious creations in contemporary watchmaking. Francois-Paul Journe was the first to implement the concept in a wristwatch, having been inspired by 18th century clocks operating on the principle of resonance. This example is one of the Ruthenium series that was launched in 2001. The name comes from the fact that the dial and brass movement bridges are plated in ruthenium, giving them a dark grey finish. Notably, the Ruthenium editions are the last F.P. Journe models to utilise brass m...
Time+Tide
Ah, the French. So stylish, yet so understated. I’m generalising, of course, but if you were ever searching for a watch with a vintage elegance that whispers, but never shouts, France’s Baltic has found their voice. Their Aquascaphe diver is pure mid-century perfection, familiar without ever seeming blatantly derivative. Oh, you’ll catch little glimpses of Blancpain’s … ContinuedThe post The Baltic Aquascaphe continues to sell out on a regular basis. Here’s why… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Out on the town with the crystal-covered T80 X Judith Leiber LE.
Quill & Pad
The last couple of GPHGs were hit by COVID, but the 2022 GPHG was finally again an event and a party as it should be! Tout le monde was in Geneva, celebrating watchmaking at its finest. Here are our thoughts on the winners and how well we did at predicting them.
SJX Watches
After rolling out the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black and then white ceramic – making them the first all-ceramic Royal Oaks – Audemars Piguet put new colours on hiatus, until now. The Le Brassus watchmaker has just unveiled the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ref. 26579CS in blue ceramic, making it the first Royal Oak entirely in coloured ceramic (aside from black or white). Initial thoughts Though ceramic has long been a favoured case material at Audemars Piguet (AP), it is typically employed for certain components, usually the bezel, to create two-tone appearance. AP has rarely made entirely watches in ceramic until recently. Even now AP only has eight Royal Oak models entirely in ceramic, out of dozens of references in total. And of the eight, six are black ceramic. So the latest Royal Oak is special just because of the colour. Admittedly, the colour is not unique in watchmaking. And the all-blue aesthetic is certainly polarising. But an all-ceramic Royal Oak is always attractive in terms of look and feel, because the case and bracelet finishing is exemplary. More broadly, the electric blue Royal Oak perhaps captures the zeitgeist of contemporary watch collecting perfectly with its brash colour, unusual materials, and integrated bracelet – it is a watch of the times. It costs CHF129,000, making it more expensive than the equivalents in steel or titanium, but there’s nothing else quite like it, which helps make the price a bit more digestible. High-tech blue ...
Time+Tide
Driving gloves and a racing watch. It’s a combination that gets the blood flowing of any watch collector who dreams of being Steve McQueen in Le Mans or Paul Newman in his actual day to day life. Even I’ll admit the image of slowly tightening your gloves before accelerating off the starting line comes to mind … ContinuedThe post Racing watch owners rejoice: Dents driving gloves are a dream come true appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
The Tambour is Louis Vuitton’s most well-known watch design. The fashion mega-brand has been slowly but surely establishing itself as a top-tier watchmaker since establishing Le Fabrique Du Temps, their dedicated watch manufacture, in 2014. Since then, several of Louis Vuitton’s watches have earned the Geneva Seal, a rarified standard of Swiss watchmaking reserved for … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Exploring the deep-cased majesty of the Louis Vuitton Tambour Twenty appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Last week, Oris unveiled a Big Crown LE in support of the philanthropic organization. In this episode, we take it for a ride into the jungle.
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