Hodinkee
In-Depth: The Zenith Chronomaster Sport, With The El Primero Caliber 3600
The new Chronomaster Sport Chronograph brings a slew of technical updates to the El Primero caliber.
Results for Zulu Strap
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Hodinkee
Fratello
When A Watch Brand’s “Entry Point” Is The Best Option
There’s a small, stubborn truth that keeps resurfacing whenever you walk into a boutique, scroll pre-owned listings, or stare at your wrist: the best daily watch is often the one that sits at a brand’s “entry point.” Big Swiss maisons spend years distilling their DNA into a watch that captures the soul of the brand […] Visit When A Watch Brand’s “Entry Point” Is The Best Option to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Business News: Fossil Is Restructuring As Debt And Tariffs Take Toll
Once a global watchmaking giant, owner of Zodiac, Swiss STP movements, and a slew of fashion watch brands, Fossil files a court application to restructure after mounting financial losses.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Breguet Four-Minute Tourbillon No. 1890
In the coming weekend, one of the most important watches of this auction season will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Breguet’s 250th anniversary thematic sale November 9 – Breguet no. 1890, a pocket watch with tourbillon and natural escapement made by the firm by Breguet while Abraham-Louis Breguet himself still helmed the company. The gilt dial with a regulator-style layout might seem familiar – the recent Classique 7225 reproduces this dial design. In fact, Breguet no. 1890 isn’t the only watch in this style; it belongs to a series of pocket watches all equipped with a four-minute tourbillon and échappement naturel from the early 19th century that were among the finest watches of the time. Breguet built just eight four-minute tourbillons with natural escapement, all of which thankfully survive, and only three with gold dials. King George III ordered the most famous example – almost identical to this watch – during the Napoleonic wars. For context, that would be like Churchhill (who owned a Breguet himself) ordering an A. Lange & Söhne watch during the Second World War. As such, it was signed Recordon, Breguet’s London agent, to disguise its French origins. Whirling About Regulator Almost 225 years ago, the French Ministry of the Interior granted A.-L. Breguet a patent for his most famous creation, the tourbillon – a clever exercise in lateral thinking. For a mechanical watch to keep the same time across all vertical positions the combined balance, st...
SJX Watches
J.P. Morgan Jr.’s Watches Emerge, Including First-Ever Cartier Mystery Clock
Philips’ upcoming sale in Geneva from November 8-9 includes two timepieces owned by John Pierpont Morgan Jr., widely known as Jack Morgan. Heir to a financial empire, Morgan was the first chairman of what is now JPMorganChase, and more pertinently, inherited the sensibilities of his father, J. Pierpont Morgan Sr., in collecting and gifting. Morgan Sr. was a collector on a grand scale, and across categories. The catalogues of his collections spanned volumes – two books for Chinese porcelain, four for miniatures, and a single volume for his watches and clocks, albeit a 350-page tome that weighed almost 6 kg in its original edition. The penchant for collecting was passed on to Jack Morgan, who evidently had sharp tastes in watches and clocks. The two timepieces going on the block at Phillips illustrate that. One is the first-ever Cartier mystery clock, a Model A sold to Morgan in 1913. And the other is one example of the “Morgan caliper”, a series of minute repeating, split-second chronograph, tourbillon pocket watches made for J.P. Morgan & Co., which were gifted by Morgan Sr. and Jack Morgan to the firm’s partners and important associates. Titans of finance In 1913, Louisiana senator Arsène Pujo formed the Pujo Committee to investigate the growing concentration of financial power in the United States. The committee found that an inner circle of partners at J.P. Morgan & Co. and its two largest proxies held 341 directorship positions across the boards of 34 majo...
Fratello
Minase Introduces Handcrafted Yusai Dials For Its 5 Windows Mid, 7 Windows, And Divido Watches
Tokyo-based artist Towa Takaya creates pigments from soil, plants, and minerals gathered during her travels, which she then uses to craft watch dials. Now, Minase is introducing handcrafted Yusai dials made by her for its 5 Windows Mid, 7 Windows, and Divido watches. Takaya’s goal is to create a dial showing the essence of nature […] Visit Minase Introduces Handcrafted Yusai Dials For Its 5 Windows Mid, 7 Windows, And Divido Watches to read the full article.
SJX Watches
In-Depth: J. Player & Son Supercomplication – All 77 mm of It
Phillips’s upcoming sale in Geneva has the most attention-grabbing roster of the Geneva auctions, including the return of a record-setting Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in steel. Yet it was the J. Player & Son No. 11’901 that most affected me. Dubbed the “hyper” complication by Phillips, the watch belongs to a rarified group of swan-song supercomplications that memorialise the final days of English fine watchmaking. Despite being over a century old, the watch easily holds its own against the fine watchmaking of today, both in decoration and mechanics. By the turn of the century, the traditional watchmaking centers of England and France were besieged by vertically integrated American super-factories from the West, and cheap but skilful Swiss labour from the East, both of which benefited greatly from mechanisation. During the waning years of English fine watchmaking, the most prestigious firms responded by attempting to move even further upmarket with highly complicated watches, and the firms remained confident in the appeal of their products. “If they are more expensive, as they must necessarily be, they last the purchaser a lifetime,” said a representative of Nicole, Nielsen & Co., the company that built this watch, said of English watches in 1912, “The better classes, indeed, have always bought, and will always buy, English-made watches, and will not buy any others”. Swiss prelude This watch started life in Switzerland as ebauche number 7’321, according to Fr...
Monochrome
Industry News – With Tariffs Now in Place, Swiss Watch Exports to the U.S. Have Dropped 56% in September 2025
This announcement shouldn’t come as a surprise and was largely anticipated by the industry. Yet, now that the 39% import taxes imposed by the U.S. administration on Swiss goods entering American soil, also known as the tariffs, are effective (since the beginning of August), we clearly see the effects. And yes, there is no other […]
Hodinkee
Auctions: Previewing Phillips’ Massive ‘Decade One’ Auction and Reflecting on Ten Years of Phillips with Bacs and Russo
The auction blends reflection with foresight on the next ten years. It will also likely set the record for the largest total sale price in the history of watches.
Fratello
The Rolex GMT-Master That Flew Around the World - Cliff Tait’s Extraordinary Journey
When pilot Cliff Tait took off in 1969 to fly solo around the world in a tiny aircraft, he carried with him a Rolex GMT-Master 1675 - a watch that became as vital as any flight instrument. This is the story of the man, the machine, and the timepiece that circled the globe together. On […] Visit The Rolex GMT-Master That Flew Around the World - Cliff Tait’s Extraordinary Journey to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Introducing: Seiko Brings Back The 'Rotocall', A Digital Quartz Reissue That Turns Our Bezel
With a rotating bezel, this digital watch was chosen by a slew of space travelers, giving it another nickname, the 'Seiko Astronaut.'
SJX Watches
Mechanical Wonders at the Louvre, From Ancient Egypt to Vacheron Constantin
Having opened on September 17th to coincide with the 270th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin, a philanthropic partner of the museum, Mécaniques d’art is an exhibition at the Louvre dedicated to mechanical art objects, specifically 10 historically significant clocks and watches (though some of the oldest are merely fragments). On display in the Sully wing until November 12th, the exhibit casts a welcome light on an often-overlooked facet of the museum’s decorative arts collection; objects that blend technical mastery with mankind’s insatiable desire to measure time and understand the heavenly bodies. The centerpiece (literally, as it’s in the center of the room) is La Quête du Temps, the spectacular astronomical clock unveiled last month by Vacheron Constantin. For those unable to visit, it’s worth a look at the remarkable objects on display, presented here in historical order. Exhibition overview Fragment of a Clepsydra Egypt, c. 332–30 BC At approximately 2,300 years old, the oldest clock on display predates mechanical clocks by centuries. Its age explains its condition – a mere fragment is all that remains of an ancient Egyptian clepsydra, or water clock. As old as this water clock is, the underlying technology was centuries old when it was built. The device was essentially a flat-bottomed vessel with a hole in it, precisely drilled so that water would leak out at a predictable rate; experts estimate that this type of clepsydra could measure time t...
Fratello
Hands-On: Two Sporty New Variants Of The Cartier Santos - One In Titanium, The Other In Steel With A Black Dial And Lume
By now, everyone is aware that the Santos de Cartier is hot stuff. Cartier has certainly realized this and keeps releasing new versions of its square all-metal sports watch. I still love my Santos Galbée XL ref. 2823. However, as a true Cartier Santos fan, I can’t get enough of all the new variations La […] Visit Hands-On: Two Sporty New Variants Of The Cartier Santos - One In Titanium, The Other In Steel With A Black Dial And Lume to read the full article.
Monochrome
Just Because – The MB&F; LM101 Longhorn & M.A.D.1S 20th Anniversary Pieces… That Will Be Offered!
In 2005, a man with a vision created a brand that would become one of the greatest successes of the independent watchmaking scene. Max Büsser, coming from Jaeger-LeCoultre and Harry Winston, decided to fly solo and gave life to something unique, something that went beyond traditions, a horological concept laboratory, a venture inviting friends to […]
Fratello
Introducing: The Kiwame Tokyo Kurotsuki And Usuki Models
Switzerland, Germany, and Japan make up my “big three” of the watchmaking world, with France on the rise. Yet, of all these hubs, Japan has been slow to embrace the microbrand trend. Big brands, including Seiko, Grand Seiko, Citizen, Orient, and Casio, dominate the market. Recently, however, independents such as Kurono Tokyo, Hajime Asaoka, Kikuchi […] Visit Introducing: The Kiwame Tokyo Kurotsuki And Usuki Models to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds: A Hard to Find Seiko Diver, a Dressy Omega, and a Couple of Cool Vintage Chronos
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion. Seiko Sportsmatic SilverWave 69799 Starting off this week with a killer vintage Seiko, and one you don’t see for sale often. This 1964 Sportsmatic SilverWave is just really cool. The SilverWave is one of Seiko’s earliest divers, with a water resistance rating of 30 meters and an internal rotating countdown bezel. The 38mm steel case is a great size, and it’s in good shape. The original crown is at 4 o’clock, and when it’s in the “in” position, you can turn it to rotate the inner bezel. The silver dial is nice, showing a touch of aging as is the bezel. The snap-on caseback still shows the Seiko wave log and the serial number which dates it to April 1964. The automatic movement is clean and it runs well per the seller. This comes on a Seiko beads of rice bracelet which isn’t original, but looks great. Nice example of a hard to find early Seiko diver! View auction here Vintage Bulova Chronograph Here’s a real beauty, a vintage Bulova chronograph that features a stunning slate blue dial with dual silver subdials. The 37mm squarish case looks good, still exhibiting the original brushed finish on the top. The dial looks mint, with nice steel stick markers and hands. Ther...
Worn & Wound
Frederique Constant Updates the Classics Premiere Line with New Dials and a New Bracelet
In some ways, Frederique Constant remains an outlier in a market that thrives on hype. Traditionally, the Swiss brand has built somewhat of a reputation as being a tortoise – slow and steady, releasing classic styles – versus the hares who seemed more concerned about virality than crafting a timeless piece. Because of this, even the smallest changes to their collections can raise the proverbial eyebrow and gain a little attention. Case in point: the newest in their Classics Premiere line-up. During Geneva Watch Days, it was a series of small adjustments that caught our attention. Most notably, the release of two new colors (blue and salmon – previously only a EU exclusive), the Art Deco-inspired Arabic numerals, and the release of a new steel bracelet. Each of these small components ultimately make an otherwise standard watch within the Frederique Constant line-up feel a little refreshed among its peers. For those unfamiliar with the Classics Premiere collection, it’s a smaller series, coming in at just 38.5mm (or a “delicate” size, as Frederique Constant’s marketing team puts it – isn’t that cute?). Within that petit (or would it be klein? I never know in Switzerland) stainless steel case houses a FC-301 automatic caliber (base LJPG100), giving the wearer an impressive 68-hour power reserve. Regarding the design of this particular pair, the new use of Breguet style numerals complements the overall vintage charm of the Classics Premiere. This is further...
Fratello
Stolen Watch Alert: A List Of Timepieces To Watch Out For
Unfortunately, one of our friends was robbed of several watches. Without going into detail about what happened, we will share the list of stolen watches along with their serial numbers (if known) below. This list aims to alert collectors, dealers, and private buyers so that these timepieces can be recognized if offered for sale. If […] Visit Stolen Watch Alert: A List Of Timepieces To Watch Out For to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Dennison Doubles Down on Their Stylish Stone Dials (Real Shots)
Minimal, quartz, stone dial dress watches with “TV-cases” would have been a hard sell with watch enthusiasts just a few years ago, but you wouldn’t know it from Dennison’s rapid rise in popularity. The historic British brand, twice revived, has been one-to-watch in the last year, having launched the ALD line of watches fitting the description mentioned above just last October (2024) to great success. Perfectly timed for the seemingly capricious swings of the enthusiast zeitgeist, the combination of a 60s/70s shaped case, clean, expansive stone dials, effortless style, and approachable price point made them an easy sell for those who wanted to dabble with an aesthetic that was previously the domain of luxury jewelry watch brands. Less than a year since launch, Dennison is back and, quite literally, doubling down on their inaugural line’s success with the ALD Dual Time. An extension of the first line, as the name suggests, the Dual Times can tell the time in more than one location, but do so in a decidedly direct and retro method. They have two movements. Positioned on either side of the dial, with independent crowns on either side of the case, these twin quartz tickers (though it should be noted there are no seconds hands) allow for differences down to the minute. Convenient for the rare 15 or 30-minute timezone change, or perhaps tracking a friend who is always 10 minutes late, this layout is as easy to read as it is visually dynamic. The close proximity of the t...
Worn & Wound
Ed Jelley’s Accidental Small Business: How a 3D Printing Experiment Led to the Miniphone Ultra, an EDC Inspired Case for the Apple Watch Ultra
When does an Apple Watch go from being a watch to being something else? I’m sure, for some, the answer is something like, “As soon as you walk into an Apple Store,” but (as I’ve discussed before) the Apple Watch has, especially in its last few iterations, really come into its own. Thanks to additions like GPS and cell service, it’s even become a decent phone replacement for those days when you want to leave your phone at home. Personally, I love the freedom I feel walking out of the house for a hike or bike ride without my phone, secure in the knowledge that if someone really needs to get a hold of me, they can (that I could also theoretically call for help isn’t the worst thing either). But despite that wonderful feeling, I still don’t love wearing an Apple Watch, especially not when it so often comes at the expense of wearing one of the many other watches I’ve picked up over the years to fill that bottomless hole that exists somewhere deep inside every collector. That’s where the Miniphone Ultra comes into play. Designed by our close friend and Worn & Wound Contributing Editor, Ed Jelley, the Miniphone Ultra is a case that transforms the Apple Watch Ultra (or Ultra II) into a kind of phone replacement, freeing up your wrist space, but still giving you the flexibility to leave the phone at home. Admittedly, using one screen to limit your use of another would sound ridiculous to our great-great-grandfathers, but it’s an elegant solution to what is a ver...
Monochrome
First Look – The new Parmigiani Toric Petite Seconde Platinum Golden Hour and Rose Gold Dune
The name Toric at Parmigiani Fleurier carries great importance. It was, after all, the very first made by founder Michel Parmigiani when he decided to fly solo. An elegant watch characterised by its gadroons and knurled surfaces, it underwent a significant update last year with the launch of the new Toric collection. But more than just an […]
SJX Watches
Massena Lab and Vianney Halter Team Up for Steampunk Regulator
Massena Lab’s latest collaboration is a steampunk regulator wristwatch created together with Vianney Halter. Blending the best of both their respective styles, the Old Soul is an unusual yet appealing proposition for collectors looking to get a sampling of the independent watchmaker’s best known works. The Old Soul displays the time regulator-style, with the hours, minutes, and seconds on separate registers. But it indicates the minutes with a clever trick: a “floating” minute pointer on a clear sapphire disc. Inside is a vintage Minerva movement that’s been dressed up for the occasion but still recognisable as an early-20th century calibre. Initial thoughts The Old Soul a continuation of the collection that began with the Old School made together with Luca Soprana. If Massena Lab founder William Rohr’s aesthetic sensibilities prevailed with the earlier watch, it is Mr Halter’s signature style that dominates the Old Soul. The Old Soul is unquestionably quirky - both as a whole and in the details. The watch looks like a regulator, but lacks the traditional vertical sub-dial arrangement. It also lacks a central minute hand, featuring instead a “floating” diamond-shaped pointer. The “floating” hand is a nifty optical illusion but it’s a straightforward concept that replaces the hand with a clear disc. Inside the piece ticks an equally unexpected movement, a “new old stock” Minerva cal. 17.22. According to Massena Lab, it was the discovery of a fo...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Best Solar Watches
Solar watches are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional quartz watches with lithium battery-powered movements. Watches with solar-powered movements still maintain the accuracy and reliability of quartz technology, which makes them much more precise than any mechanical watch. Here's a brief history of solar technology in watchmaking and a selection of notable solar watches on sale now. Solar Watch Technology - A Brief History In the late 1960s, the Swiss watch industry was on the precipice of a technical revolution that would ultimately threaten the very existence of traditional mechanical watchmaking while simultaneously ushering in the dawn of mass-produced electronic watches. By the 1970s, quartz movements had won out over a handful of other early technological approaches to producing electronic watches (you can delve a bit more into that history here), giving rise to the era now known known within the industry as the Quartz Crisis. Experiments with using solar power to charge watches, however, go all the way back to the '60s, to the development of the first solar-powered movement by American engineer Roger Riehl. This technology was introduced to the market in 1972, with the first prototype called the “Synchronar” and the first production piece, the Synchronar 2100, released later that same year. Priced at nearly $500 (about $3,200 in today's money), the Synchronar 2100 was considered something of a luxury product and struggled to compete in...
Teddy Baldassarre
Snoopy Watches: How Brands are Embracing the Beloved Peanuts Character
Charles M. Schulz published his first Peanuts comics strip in 1950, setting the foundation for a world of iconic characters like Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, and perhaps most famously, Charlie Brown’s dog Snoopy, an irrepressible beagle originally based on a drawing of Schulz’s childhood pet, Spike. Peanuts grew from humble beginnings (syndicated in just seven newspapers) to become the most popular and influential comics strip in the world, published in more than 2,600 newspapers from 1950 to 2000 and claiming a worldwide readership of 355 million in 75 countries. It also spawned an entertainment and marketing phenomenon, with numerous animated film and TV specials that have stood the test of time and a flood of branded products that continues into the modern era. Snoopy, including all his various, beloved “fantasy life” iterations - like the World War I Flying Ace and the beatnik-inspired, shades-wearing “Joe Cool” - remains one of the most famous and recognizable characters in the world. His likeness can be found on merchandise from backpacks and sweatshirts, to notebooks and wrapping paper, to mugs and glassware, to the world’s most famous giant parade balloon. It was more or less inevitable that Snoopy, and others from the Peanuts gang, would also find their way onto watches, the first one coming from New York-based Armitron in 1956 (above). The last original Peanuts cartoon strip ran on February 13, 2000, one day after Charles M. Schulz die...
Fratello
Hands-On: The Traska Commuter 38 - A Daily Driver That Leaves A Lasting Impression
In a fast-paced world, slow and steady progress is not often the chosen growth path for small watch brands. However, Traska has chosen this path and, as a result, has cultivated a passionate and dedicated following that loves the brand and its strategy. I have been keeping an eye on Traska over the past couple […] Visit Hands-On: The Traska Commuter 38 - A Daily Driver That Leaves A Lasting Impression to read the full article.
Fratello
Introducing: New Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Turquoise Watches In 38 And 41mm
Calling the new Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Turquoise watches in 38 and 41mm summer watches would sell them short. Because of the vibrant turquoise dial with a black gradient effect, these two newcomers don’t look like “Ibiza watches,” but more like timepieces in the style of Terceira Island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. […] Visit Introducing: New Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Turquoise Watches In 38 And 41mm to read the full article.
Time+Tide
The Draken Kruger V2 is the perfect lightweight tactical chronograph
Featuring a rugged titanium case and either a mecaquartz or automatic movement (plus lots of other customisable options), this Kiwi chrono has a South African soul.The post The Draken Kruger V2 is the perfect lightweight tactical chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
The Pepsi Challenge: Seiko Continues their Summer of Licensing
A few months ago when Seiko unveiled their Jaws watch, I didn’t really think much of it. Jaws is one of the most popular movies ever made, and it’s celebrating a big anniversary this year. In a world where watch brands collaborate with all kinds of silly entities for all kinds of silly reasons, it seemed like a pretty normal release. Then, just in the last week, Seiko announced a trio of watches bearing the Datsun name. OK, a Japanese car – a cult classic car at that – doesn’t require a whole lot of mental gymnastics to figure out. But then yesterday, when I opened Instagram over my morning coffee and saw the new Seiko “Pepsi” watches, reader I have to admit: it broke my brain a little. At first I thought it must be a prank or a joke. Maybe Seiko’s account got hacked and one of these new AI engines built an entire marketing campaign around the most on-the-nose “collaboration” yet? But no, a little digging revealed that the two new Seiko 5 Sports watches with blue and red Pepsi bezels were indeed an endeavor bearing the name of the number 2 cola in the country. We’ve been referring to bezels in this colorway as “Pepsi” bezels for longer than I’ve been involved in the watch industry, as a hobbyist and certainly as a professional. It certainly never occurred to me that one day the beverage company would sign on as what amounts to an official partner with a watch brand. But it’s a testament to the ultra-corporatized watch world we’re all livin...
Worn & Wound
We’re Still Doing This, Apparently: the Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold is Revealed
There’s almost nothing you can say to convince me the latest MoonSwatch, the not so elegantly named Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold, is not the product of a ChatGPT prompt entered by a Swatch exec. Maybe it said “What should the next entry in our never ending profit squeezing machine that is the MoonSwatch collection be called?” I can imagine an artificial intelligence suggesting something as silly, and also reminding the good people at Swatch that blue, and gold, and Snoopy are all very critical design characteristics that should be included. Honestly, I hope AI is the culprit. I’d hate to think that human beings at a brand that I hold in such high regard are responsible for such a shallow mismatch of buzzwords and incoherent thematic elements. Let’s take stock of what we’re looking at here. This is a Bioceramic, quartz MoonSwatch much like all the others. It follows the original Earthphase model from last year and includes not just a moonphase complication, but an “Earthphase” that depicts the “phase” of the earth as seen from the moon. Useful? No. Whimsical? Perhaps. There are a lot of little details though that are a bit of a grab bag of prior elements of MoonSwatches and Speedmasters of the past. Most notably, Snoopy and Woodstock are depicted right on the dial, watching the cosmic dance play out in front of them. The moons on the moonphase indicator are MoonShine gold plated. The graphical inspiration for the moonphase complication is the...
Time+Tide
New releases from Minase, Bremont, Konstantin Chaykin × Behrens and more
Emerging brands are working hard to be present in these slow weeks when most of the industry is on vacation.The post New releases from Minase, Bremont, Konstantin Chaykin × Behrens and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.