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Results for Watch Dial Text Conventions

24,847 articles · 222 videos found · page 411 of 836

Introducing - FounderFest, Time+Tide’s Music-Inspired Collection of Seven Collaborative Watches Monochrome
Aug 13, 2026

Introducing - FounderFest, Time+Tide’s Music-Inspired Collection of Seven Collaborative Watches

Over the past decade, Time+Tide has evolved from an Australian online watch publication into one of the influential platforms dedicated to watchmaking, and independent watchmaking in particular. Alongside its editorial content, the company has expanded into retail with its Watch Discovery Studios in Melbourne, London and New York. This year, the company is launching FounderFest, […]

Seiko Revisits the 1913 Laurel With New Enamel and Urushi Presage Models HCC005 and HCC006 WatchRider
Seiko Revisits Aug 13, 2026

Seiko Revisits the 1913 Laurel With New Enamel and Urushi Presage Models HCC005 and HCC006

Seiko has introduced two new Presage Classic Series Craftsmanship watches that return to one of the most important designs in its history. The HCC005J1 uses a handmade white enamel dial while the HCC006J1 takes a darker route with black Urushi lacquer and a yellow-gold-coloured case. Both were announced on 13 August 2026 and are scheduled to reach Seiko boutiques and selected retailers in September 2026. These are not simple colour changes. Each model uses a traditional Japanese dial technique and each has its own character. The white version is the clearer tribute to Seiko’s original Laurel wristwatch from 1913. The black model keeps the same basic layout but changes the mood completely through lacquer, gold details and a warm case finish. A Return to the 1913 Laurel The Laurel is important because it was Japan’s first wristwatch. Its white enamel dial, expressive Arabic numerals and red 12 became a clear visual signature. Seiko has used those details before, but the HCC005J1 brings them together in a convincing modern package. The red numeral at 12 immediately catches the eye while the curved black numerals and blue hands keep the design easy to recognise. The new watches also add a 24-hour display at six o’clock. It gives the dial a little more depth without disturbing the balance of the numerals. This is not an independently adjustable second-time-zone function. It follows the main time and shows whether the watch is indicating the first or second half of the day...

Albishorn Just Expanded its Marinagraph Collection With Two Ultra-Classic Colorways Worn & Wound
Albishorn Just Expanded Aug 13, 2026

Albishorn Just Expanded its Marinagraph Collection With Two Ultra-Classic Colorways

It wouldn’t be summer without a proper skin diver or regatta timer, or how about both? Roughly one year ago, we got the latest reimagining from Albishorn, giving us a mash up of two seafaring classics with the brand’s signature vintage-inspired spin. The result was the Marinagraph, originally offered in two colors, one with a sunburst black dial with lume-filled applied silver indices called the “Classic Racing” and one with a bolder sunburst Paraíba tourmaline green dial with lume-filled black indices called the “Paraíba Racing.” The Classic Racing variant got its own pops of color with green accents on the bezel along with a red strap highlighting the red accents seen across both versions in the chronograph hand, tide indicator, regatta timer, and model name printed beneath the brand name in retro script. Needless to say, the debut duo of Marinagraph Classics offered an audacious combination of styling and functionality. This summer, Albishorn presents another pair of colors to join the collection, this time with a slightly more classic and sober design, aptly named the Classic Fume and simply the Classic. As a refresher, the foundation of the Marinagraph design draws inspiration from the America’s Cup crews, in particular those in the race’s renaissance. The 1958 edition marked the race’s return after a long hiatus post-war, and one of the standout vessels was Columbia, the American yacht representing the New York Yacht Club. This vessel notably feat...

Introducing - IWC Celebrates 140 Years of Mercedes-Benz With A Special Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Proset Monochrome
Ming together Aug 13, 2026

Introducing - IWC Celebrates 140 Years of Mercedes-Benz With A Special Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Proset

Two companies, at the forefront of mechanical innovation, coming together to mark 140 years of history – that’s what IWC’s latest watch is all about. The brand has a long-standing partnership with Mercedes-Benz, exemplified through not only the Mercedes-Benz AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team special editions, but also through the various road-car-themed watches. The new […]

Seiko Doesn’t Rest On Its Laurels: Introducing Two Seiko Presage Classic Series “Craftsmanship” Watches Fratello
Seiko Doesn’t Rest Aug 13, 2026

Seiko Doesn’t Rest On Its Laurels: Introducing Two Seiko Presage Classic Series “Craftsmanship” Watches

Seiko’s and Japan’s very first wristwatch, the 1913 Laurel, is one of the prettiest watches I have ever seen. More than a century after its conception, it still looks fresh. It’s also, as you can imagine, a rather important watch. To underline that and make it possible to wear a watch that honors the beginning […] Visit Seiko Doesn’t Rest On Its Laurels: Introducing Two Seiko Presage Classic Series “Craftsmanship” Watches to read the full article.

Hands-On: the Bernhardt Captain Worn & Wound
Aug 12, 2026

Hands-On: the Bernhardt Captain

Bernhardt’s Captain collection is a new range of dress watches that I think loosely falls in the Calatrave-esque trend that has been emerging, most notably through a variety of Japanese indies and micros, over the last few years. As interest in chunky divers and sports watches appears to wane a bit, enthusiasts are (finally) willing to look at watches in other genres, and brands are delivering with a variety of takes on the dress watch format.  This is a fundamentally good thing for the community, but it’s not easy to make a dress watch. It is, conversely, very easy to attempt to make a dress watch and actually make a regular old daily driver, the type of watch that most people who had any desire to wear any watch at all would have owned in the middle part of the 20th century.    $749 Hands-On: the Bernhardt Captain Case Stainless steel Movement Miyota 9039 Dial Silver Lume None Lens Sapphire Strap leather Water Resistance 50 Dimensions 38 x 45mm Thickness 9.55mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Push/pull Warranty yes Price $749 A dress watch, to me, is a very specific thing. If it’s mechanical, it’s manually wound. It’s more likely to not have a seconds hand, and indices and other markings should be minimal. It obviously should be quite thin and relatively small in size, and if I were really being a snob about it, I’d insist it should be in a precious metal, but I’m not a snob and that’s ridiculous. It does speak, though, to the idea that when you use the word “d...

Introducing: Panerai’s Luminor Marina PAM01707 Is All Classic Everything, Except For The High-Tech Composite Case Hodinkee
Panerai s Luminor Marina PAM01707 Aug 12, 2026

Introducing: Panerai’s Luminor Marina PAM01707 Is All Classic Everything, Except For The High-Tech Composite Case

What We Know As one of the more recognisable watch designs, period, the current Panerai Luminor shape has been rendered in many different materials since the 1955 introduction of the crown protection device. This latest take, the Luminor Marina PAM01707, is cased in Carbotech, a composite material combining carbon fibre sheets and polyether ether ketone, resulting in excellent anti-corrosion properties and lightness. Though Panerai’s products now comfortably sit in the luxury watchmaking category, it hasn't stopped them from using avant-garde materials suited to the original intent of their designs. Measuring 44mm across and 14.5mm thick, the PAM01707 has all the hallmarks of a classic Panerai, with its cushion-shaped mid-case sandwiched by a round, striated Carbotech bezel and a DLC-treated titanium caseback. The signature bridge, which spans the right-hand side of the case and protects and locks the crown, is also rendered in carbon, matching the uneven, textured finish of the rest of the case. This sanga-based analogy can be expanded on for the dial, another Panerai hallmark. The textured, matte top plate features cut-outs for the stick indices and Arabic numerals at the cardinal points, as well as the small seconds indicator at 9 o’clock, allowing the fauxtinated Super-LumiNova bottom layer to shine through. Here pictured on brown calf leather, Panerai also includes an “Officine Panerai”-branded black rubber strap so you can actually take the watch swimming, th...

Brew Introduces the Limited Edition Retrograph Stone Blend Worn & Wound
Brew Introduces Aug 12, 2026

Brew Introduces the Limited Edition Retrograph Stone Blend

Just last week, I wrote about the stone dial trend and how it’s all getting just a little tiresome. And while I certainly stand by my position, we have to acknowledge and accept that there will continue to be stone dial watches announced and released while the trend continues (or peters out) that are interesting and worth covering. Being able to hold two conflicting ideas in your head at the same time is an essential piece of being an adult, after all, and certainly it matters in the watch world as well, and is something we do all the time (we know buying watches is an objectively bad financial decision, we do it anyway, etc.).  With that being said, Brew has introduced a new watch with a stone dial that I think is actually very nice and not part of the crop of stone dial watches that we’ve seen as of late that appear to be haphazardly slapped together for the sake of capitalizing on an opportunity. The new Retrograph Stone Blend Automatic is a new limited edition featuring a pietersite stone dial inspired by the signature visual element of coffee culture: the moment when milk is poured into a coffee and begins to swirl and blend together.  Specifically, Brew says that the Stone Blend is meant to conjure the patterns created as milk is added to cold brew coffee, which of course is often served in a translucent glass that allows one to see the two liquids come together in a sometimes dramatic way. Who hasn’t been transfixed by this at one point or another? Pietersit...

Twelve on Time - PS Horology’s Peter Speake and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches Monochrome
Aug 12, 2026

Twelve on Time - PS Horology’s Peter Speake and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Twelve on Time is a conversation series that invites leading personalities from the watch industry to step beyond their work and speak more personally about their relationship with time, creativity, and craft. Through a set of twelve questions, the column aims to lift the veil on both the individual and their perspective on watchmaking, revealing […]

They Grow Up So Fast! Meet The Casio Edifice Automatic EFK-200 Fratello
Casio Edifice Automatic EFK-200 Fast-track Aug 12, 2026

They Grow Up So Fast! Meet The Casio Edifice Automatic EFK-200

Fast-track evolution. In just one year, Casio launched its first automatic mechanical watch, the Edifice EFK-100, and rapidly improved it. Now, the third generation of the Casio Edifice automatic is here. The EFK-200, a sporty-chic yet affordable watch with an integrated bracelet/strap, comes in five variations and looks to be a very mature watch. There […] Visit They Grow Up So Fast! Meet The Casio Edifice Automatic EFK-200 to read the full article.

Seiko Turns Keisuke Takahashi’s Yellow RX-7 FD3S Into a Limited Initial D Chronograph WatchRider
Seiko Turns Keisuke Takahashi’s Yellow Aug 11, 2026

Seiko Turns Keisuke Takahashi’s Yellow RX-7 FD3S Into a Limited Initial D Chronograph

Seiko has returned to the world of Initial D with a new chronograph dedicated to Keisuke Takahashi and his yellow Mazda RX-7 FD3S. The model continues the manga’s 30th-anniversary celebrations after the earlier Takumi Fujiwara AE86 watch. Orders opened in Japan in early August 2026, while deliveries are scheduled to begin in late January 2027. Production is limited to 1,995 individually numbered watches, matching the year Initial D began serialization. The connection is immediately clear. This is not a standard Seiko with a small logo added to the dial. The complete colour scheme and several smaller details come from Keisuke’s car, while the official campaign artwork places the watch beside the driver and his RX-7. The Initial D collaboration links the Seiko chronograph directly to Keisuke Takahashi and his yellow RX-7 FD3S. Image: PREMICO. The yellow RX-7 on the wrist The bright yellow dial copies the most recognizable feature of Keisuke’s RX-7. A black tachymeter bezel provides strong contrast and gives the chronograph a clear motorsport look. Three black subdials use red markings inspired by the illuminated instruments inside the car. The RedSuns team name appears at three o’clock beside the Seiko logo, while the Initial D symbol is placed inside the lower subdial. The yellow dial, red instrument-style subdials and RedSuns logo refer to Keisuke’s RX-7. Image: PREMICO. One of the best details sits at 12 o’clock. Instead of a normal hour marker, Seiko uses a t...

Hands On: Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 5227G-015 “Rose Gilt” SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref 5227G-015 “Rose Aug 11, 2026

Hands On: Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 5227G-015 “Rose Gilt”

Patek Philippe’s headline launches this year included the surprising Celestial ref. 6105G and Nautilus 50th anniversary editions, but also more classical, yet under-the-radar, watches, like the Calatrava ref. 5227G-015 with a “rose-gilt” dial and hinged case back. Though the Calatrava ref. 5227 with its distinctive “officer’s case” has been in the catalogue for well over a decade, the latest iteration is the best yet. The combination is somewhat formulaic – “salmon” dial and white gold case – but it is good looking and evocative of old-school Patek Philippe dress watches. At the same time, this new variant of the ref. 5227 contains a latest-generation automatic movement. Initial thoughts Ironically two of the standout launches by Patek Philippe during Watches & Wonders were fairly basic, essentially facelifts of references that have been in the catalogue for decades. One was the ref. 5396R-016 Annual Calendar, and the other is this, the Calatrava ref. 5227G-015. Though both are entirely different in function and price, they are similar in style. The designs are both restrained and evocative of vintage Patek Philippe watches; both also have dials in popular shades. “Salmon” is definitely overdone as a dial colour, but it doesn’t stop this Calatrava from being really appealing. The ref. 5227 is typical Patek Philippe in form. Even though it’s at the larger end of the range for Calatrava models, it still feels elegant. The case is thin and sits fla...

Inside The Manufacture: Making A Tudor: A Behind-The-Scenes Look, From Raw Material To Finished Product [Video] Hodinkee
Tudor Aug 10, 2026

Inside The Manufacture: Making A Tudor: A Behind-The-Scenes Look, From Raw Material To Finished Product [Video]

Earlier this year, Tudor invited a small group of watch media into its Swiss manufacturing network to see what "Swiss Made" actually means in practice—not a one-stop visit in a single day, but the full process from start to finish over multiple days. I've been on plenty of manufacturer tours, and I've never had access like this. The result is one video, broken into three parts: cases and bracelets; hand-painted and hand-lumed dials; movements and assembly. Case and Bracelet We start by looking at cases and bracelets. I've had my Tudor Pelagos 39 on my wrist for a couple of years now, and until recently I'd never given much thought to what "Swiss Made" on the dial actually meant, beyond the concept and branding tied to those two words. So, using my own Pelagos as the starting point, this segment traces how a titanium dive watch's case and bracelet are actually made, moving through three Swiss companies closely linked to Tudor: Joseph Baume, Orolux, and Detech. Titanium case blanks are the start of the story.  The progressive evolution of Tudor cases at Joseph Baume.  Heat treating in a special furnace.  The case begins at Joseph Baume, an independent forge where steel components are cold-stamped through up to fifteen strikes, while titanium cases, like that employed by my Pelagos, undergo hot stamping instead, heated to nearly 950 degrees Celsius and pressed into shape by a robotic arm. It's a more physical, almost blacksmith-like process than I ever would have expecte...

Uncorking the Louis Moinet 1816 Chronograph Champagne: A Hands-On Experience Fratello
Louis Moinet 1816 Chronograph Champagne Aug 10, 2026

Uncorking the Louis Moinet 1816 Chronograph Champagne: A Hands-On Experience

The man who brought the Louis Moinet watch brand to life sadly died very recently. Jean-Marie Schaller, the owner and creative force behind Louis Moinet, passed away peacefully on May 16th at the age of 66. The watch industry lost one of its brightest characters, but the brand continues, and it does so in its […] Visit Uncorking the Louis Moinet 1816 Chronograph Champagne: A Hands-On Experience to read the full article.

In Depth: Louis Cottier’s Legacy SJX Watches
Aug 10, 2026

In Depth: Louis Cottier’s Legacy

Sometime around 1949, in a workshop above a stationer’s shop in Carouge, Louis Cottier built a worldtime watch out of a piece of cardboard. Movado had asked him to fit their famous Ermeto — a small purse-watch that was wound by opening and closing its case — with a device to read the hour in any country. What Cottier delivered was a piece of card: two columns listing the 12 antipodal city pairs, with a sliding paper scale of hours. Open the case, slide the scale, read New York against Rome. It was ingenious to a fault. Movado’s verdict was blunt, and fair: it ignored the running of the watch entirely and “…could just as well be made on an address-book or a diary,” they wrote on February 4, 1950. The brand concluded that “Nobody would want to carry such a piece.” The 1949 World Time cardboard maquette proposed to Movado. Image – SJX composite/Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève The cardboard maquette survives, in an archive of some 260 items — letters, patents, notebooks, photographs, a school exercise book, a golf-scoring mechanism — that comprise the most complete record we have of the man the watch world calls the father of the worldtimer. But the story revealed by this evidence is more nuanced than Cottier’s reputation suggests. The legend, briefly The received Louis Cottier is easy to summarise, because everyone summarises him the same way. He was born in Carouge in 1894, and trained in Geneva. After losing his job in the aftermath of th...

SJX Podcast: Independent Watchmaking Retrospective SJX Watches
Franck Muller Aug 10, 2026

SJX Podcast: Independent Watchmaking Retrospective

Ahead of Geneva Watch Days — which will feature 71 brands, many of them independent — episode 49 of the SJX Podcast looks back at how independent watchmaking became the phenomenon it is today. SJX and Brandon trace its evolution from 1970s pioneers like George Daniels and François-Paul Journe through the arrival of Daniel Roth, Philippe Dufour, and Franck Muller. The conversation also examines the avant-garde boom of the 2000s, the renewed emphasis on traditional finishing, and the role of digital photography and social media in transforming a solitary pursuit into a global collecting community. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.  

Dressing Down Your Rolex: Why Taking It Off The Bracelet Can Be A Good Idea Fratello
Rolex Why Taking It Off Aug 8, 2026

Dressing Down Your Rolex: Why Taking It Off The Bracelet Can Be A Good Idea

There’s a particular kind of tunnel vision that sets in around steel sports Rolexes. You picture a Submariner, and the mental image arrives fully assembled: black bezel, black dial, and, welded to it, as if it were cast in one piece, an Oyster bracelet. It’s the same with a GMT-Master, Datejust, Sea-Dweller… In fact, it’s […] Visit Dressing Down Your Rolex: Why Taking It Off The Bracelet Can Be A Good Idea to read the full article.

The New Casio Pro Trek PRJ-B001EX-1 Hides a Pocket in Its Strap WatchRider
Casio Pro Trek PRJ-B001EX-1 Hides Aug 8, 2026

The New Casio Pro Trek PRJ-B001EX-1 Hides a Pocket in Its Strap

Casio is preparing a new Pro Trek that approaches outdoor usefulness from a different direction. The PRJ-B001EX-1 does not add a compass, altimeter or barometer. Instead, it takes the familiar PRJ-B001 Hiker Line watch and gives it a reversible cloth band with its own storage pocket. Planned for release in August 2026, the watch is a special version of Casio’s compact analogue-digital outdoor model. Casio says the design was created after studying how campers carry small essentials. The Casio Pro Trek PRJ-B001EX-1 combines the analogue-digital Hiker Line watch with a wide reversible cloth band. A strap with a useful secret The wide fabric band includes a small zipped pocket beside the watch. It is intended for coins, a parking ticket or another tiny item that would otherwise disappear into a backpack. It will not replace a wallet, but it gives the wearer quick access to something small without opening a bag. This also gives the PRJ-B001EX-1 an EDC (Everyday Carry) angle, since the pocket can hold a coin, folded banknote or another small essential. The entire band can also be reversed and folded around the watch. In this position it covers the case and mineral crystal, creating a compact pouch that protects the watch while it is not being worn. A carabiner can be attached to the strap so the PRJ-B001EX-1 can hang from a backpack, belt loop or the inside of a tent. A zipped pocket beside the watch can hold coins, a parking ticket or another small item. On the wrist it work...

Hands-On: The New TAG Heuer Monaco Returns To Its 1969 Roots WatchAdvice
TAG Heuer Monaco Returns Aug 7, 2026

Hands-On: The New TAG Heuer Monaco Returns To Its 1969 Roots

I take the new TAG Heuer Monaco Chronographs in blue and green for a hands-on review to see how this watchmaking icon has evolved for a new generation! What We Love: Improved ergonomics for slimmer wrists Distinctive dial colours with different personalities Substantially upgraded TH20-11 movement What We Don’t: Limited strap options Square case still wears large 13.9mm thickness remains noticeable Overall Rating: 8.7/10 Value for Money: 8.8/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.7/10 Build Quality: 8.7/10 Few watches in the world of horology are as instantly recognisable as the TAG Heuer Monaco. Even more than five decades after its introduction, the iconic timepiece’s square silhouette remains one of its most distinctive features. If you aren’t familiar with the story of the Monaco, it was first introduced in 1969—and it has quite the story behind it. The Monaco arrived during one of watchmaking’s most defining technical contests: the development of the first automatic chronograph. The birth of the Monaco was closely linked to the Calibre 11 movement, which was developed through a collaborative effort between Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton-Büren and chronograph specialist Dubois-Dépraz. The Calibre 11 was essentially part of a movement “race” against Zenith’s El Primero Calibre 3019 PHC and Seiko’s Calibre 6139. The new generation of TAG Heuer Monaco Chronographs presented in blue and green dials. Jack Heuer, who was one of the driving forces behind the Cal...

The Summer of Ana-Digi: a Helpful Guide to the Retro Format Worn & Wound
Casio silhouette Aug 7, 2026

The Summer of Ana-Digi: a Helpful Guide to the Retro Format

Analog and digital timepieces used to wage war on the wrists of horological enthusiasts. Nowadays, though, they’re more of a united front against the tide of smart watches and phones, offering wildly differing price points, use cases, and aesthetics. No longer is a digital calculator watch seen as “nerdy”, as celebrities and public figures like New York mayor Zohran Mamdani are frequently seen rocking the classic Casio silhouette. And despite their seemingly anachronistic focus on tactile functionality and focus, analog watches have never been more popular with young people looking to escape the crushing presence of their digital lives. That’s where the analog-digital (“ana-digi”) format comes in. A clever combination of the best features of both types of “old school” timekeeping, new iterations like the Autodromo Group C Turbo Sport are priced compellingly, and cast a wide net despite sometimes venturing outside of most design conventions. They can be a great introduction to the larger world of watches, and unique conversation pieces in their own right. So, let’s dive in and take a look at some notable ana-digi watches from watchmakers you already know and love, and what sets them apart from their more traditional stablemates.  G-SHOCK Starting with the undisputed king of digital watches, Casio’s G-SHOCK sub-brand has a frankly staggering amount of ana-digi options on hand. Their aptly-named Analog-Digital collection boasts over 100 models currently a...

Introducing: Unimatic UT1-PD Hodinkee
Unimatic UT1-PD What We Know Aug 7, 2026

Introducing: Unimatic UT1-PD

What We Know It's been two years since Unimatic announced their "Toolwatch" collection, and it's possible that you may have forgotten about it. Like all Unimatics, the watches have a strict design language that can make releases blend together. Small tweaks, like today's release of the UT1-PD (Prodiver, in their terms), might look like something you thought existed before, but this is very much a new watch. So what makes the Toolwatch line, and what makes this limited release of 250 pieces different? The UT1-PD has a sandblasted stainless steel case with a 40mm diameter (41.5mm including bezel overhang), 13.6mm thickness (13.3mm without the crystal), and a 49mm lug-to-lug. This is designed as a strict dive watch, meeting all your needs, with a unidirectional 120-click rotating bezel, 300m water resistance, a screw-down crown, and a reliable Seiko VH31A quartz movement. Yes, we love mechanical watches, but quartz does the trick for many needs.  The matte dial has white printing with round, triangular, and rectangular hour markers (unlike the previous version, which had Arabic hour markers), and the watch features Super-LumiNova C1 on the hour markers, hour and minute hands, and bezel pip. There are also drilled lug holes, and the watch comes with a black TPU two-piece strap. But the core of Unimatic's Toolwatch line is that the watches meet the U.S. Department of Defense MIL-STD-810H specs, which outline a range of environmental tests to evaluate the durability, ruggedness...

Twelve on Time - Urwerk’s Felix Baumgartner and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches Monochrome
Urwerk s Felix Baumgartner Aug 7, 2026

Twelve on Time - Urwerk’s Felix Baumgartner and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Twelve on Time is a conversation series that invites leading personalities from the watch industry to step beyond their work and speak more personally about their relationship with time, creativity, and craft. Through a set of twelve questions, the column aims to lift the veil on both the individual and their perspective on watchmaking, revealing […]

Hands On: Breguet Classique Tourbillon Sidéral SJX Watches
Breguet Classique Tourbillon Sidéral Aug 7, 2026

Hands On: Breguet Classique Tourbillon Sidéral

The Tourbillon Sidéral debuted last year to mark Breguet’s 250th anniversary. This year, the brand is celebrating the 225th anniversary of its founder’s best-known achievement: the tourbillon. For this occasion, Breguet released a quartet of new references, among them the Classique Tourbillon Sidéral ref. 7255PT, a 50-piece limited edition in platinum, once again featuring an in-house aventurine enamel dial. Initial thoughts Despite being the brand’s first-ever flying tourbillon, the Tourbillon Sidéral feels somewhat familiar. That’s because its cal. 187M1 is derived from the brand’s original wristwatch tourbillon movement, the cal. 558, released in 1989. That explains the familiar off-centre dial arrangement and full-plate architecture visible through the case back. Within this lineage, the Tourbillon Sidéral can be considered the spiritual heir and technical successor to the Classique Tourbillon Messidor 5335 released 2007, a watch that seemed to suspend its tourbillon in mid-air. In fact, this mystery tourbillon was driven by a sapphire crystal drive wheel, and its upper pivot was supported by a sapphire crystal bridge. The Tourbillon Sidéral elevates this concept to its natural conclusion, dispensing with the upper support bridge entirely, resulting in a true flying tourbillon. Unfortunately, the two-armed tourbillon cage itself spans almost the entire width of the opening, and at times resembles an upper support bridge, at least until the eye registers ...

First Look - The Yema Superman Bronze CMM.10 Returns in Three new Colours Monochrome
Yema Superman Bronze CMM.10 Returns Aug 6, 2026

First Look - The Yema Superman Bronze CMM.10 Returns in Three new Colours

Yema adds three new Bronze CMM.10 references to its increasingly capable and diversified Superman collection. While the French brand has explored bronze before through limited series, including a very cool Superman Bronze CMM.10 with a blue sandwich-style dial, these new watches bring updated gilt dials and a trio of glossy colour options. Retaining the compact […]

Seiko’s Edo Purple Collection Adds a Speedtimer to the Astron, Alpinist, Presage and Seiko 5 Sports WatchRider
Seiko s Edo Purple Collection Aug 6, 2026

Seiko’s Edo Purple Collection Adds a Speedtimer to the Astron, Alpinist, Presage and Seiko 5 Sports

Seiko’s 145th-anniversary Edo Purple collection is not one watch in a new colour. It is five very different watches using the same dark violet palette and gold-coloured details: the Astron HAB011, Alpinist HBC006, Speedtimer HBJ005, Presage HCB006 and Seiko 5 Sports HDB003. All are limited editions scheduled for October 2026. Edo purple, five ways Edo purple is a traditional Japanese colour associated with historic Tokyo, once called Edo. Here, Seiko uses it with more restraint than the name “purple anniversary” might suggest. Dials shift between violet and near-black, while the gold-coloured accents give every model some warmth without making them look like birthday decorations. Astron HAB011: the technical flagship The HAB011J1 is the high-tech member of the Edo Purple collection. Image: Seiko. The HAB011 is the outlier because its 5X83 GPS Solar calibre receives time and time-zone information from satellites. It combines dual time, a 1/20-second chronograph, a perpetual calendar and 38-city world time in a 43.3mm titanium case. The ceramic-and-titanium bezel and dual-curved sapphire crystal help it look properly finished rather than merely busy. It is limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide. Seiko has confirmed Japanese pricing, but no U.S. price yet. The graduated purple dial and ceramic centre bracelet links set the Astron apart. Image: Seiko. Alpinist HBC006: compact and capable The HBC006J brings Edo Purple to the Alpinist’s compact case and leather strap. Image: ...

Finding The Best Seiko Divers In The Brand’s Prospex Collection Fratello
Seiko Divers Aug 6, 2026

Finding The Best Seiko Divers In The Brand’s Prospex Collection

About a week ago, I wrote an article about two classic Seiko divers. For many watch fans, including the majority of the Fratello team, Seiko divers hold a special place in their collections. If it wasn’t your first mechanical watch, it was often one of the first that helped grow your love for watches. After […] Visit Finding The Best Seiko Divers In The Brand’s Prospex Collection to read the full article.

Book Review: ‘Universal People Universal Dreams’ SJX Watches
Patek Philippe before landing Aug 6, 2026

Book Review: ‘Universal People Universal Dreams’

Universal People Universal Dreams is a large-format book that explores, in great detail, a collection of 111 Universal Genève chronographs, and only chronographs. The 384-page book is also a record of the collecting journey of its author, Luca Mignini, who reflects on the lessons learnt and people encountered in his pursuit of watches across the world. A longtime watch collector who is now a professor at Milan’s Bocconi University, Mr Mignini had a long career in the consumer goods industry, culminating in a spell as chief operating officer at Campbell’s, the American food giant famous for its canned soups, after which he retired in 2019. The globe-crossing nature of his career took him from his homeland of Italy to Shanghai and New Jersey, giving him the opportunity to collect internationally, a phenomenon that professionals who travel extensively for work will find familiar. Having been interested in watches since he was a teenager, Mr Mignini made his way through the usual suspects like Rolex and Patek Philippe, before landing on Universal Genève during a trip to Tokyo in 2010. In the time since, he has accumulated the impressive collection of Universal Genève detailed in this book. I met Mr Mignini last year in Geneva and he is clearly obsessed with Universal Genève. His tremendous passion for the brand  makes it almost a given Universal People Universal Dreams will be laser focused on Universal chronographs yet exceptionally wide in scope within the narrow s...