22,379 articles · 2,276 videos found · page 425 of 822
Fratello
We have continued to add more items to our Black Friday selection in our shop. You can find everything from caps to straps, pocket knives, and, of course, watches! We’re offering a discount of up to 30% on certain products. More Black Friday deals on Fratello: Pouches & Straps You will find several more straps, […] Visit Discover More Black Friday Deals On Fratello to read the full article.
Fratello
I will be highly opinionated today, and I am ready to take a few punches if you disagree with me. No matter how simple a Cartier design is, it’s heavy. Heavy for self-esteem, that is. There are exceptions, but generally speaking, I don’t see Cartier as a door-opening brand for watch collecting, whether modern or […] Visit #TBT Reinventing My Tastes With Cartier Vermeil Trinity Watches to read the full article.
SJX Watches
For its third outing supporting the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, F.P. Journe created a unique Chronomètre à Résonance that sold for S$4.00 million – equivalent to US$2.98 million – during the charity’s annual gala dinner in Singapore. As a friend of the Monegasque ruler, François-Paul Journe has long supported his namesake charity. Now once of the most valuable recent F.P. Journe watches ever sold, the Resonance follows the LineSport Rattrapante of 2018 and the Chronometre Optimum of 2022, which have cumulatively raised several million for the charity that supports environmental causes around the world. Echoing the livery of the Optimum of 2022, the unique Resonance has a platinum case with a burgundy dial and ruthenium sub-dials. Notably, two forms of Chinese characters: modern simplified Chinese characters on the right sub-dial, while the left register has markings in oracle bone script, the oldest form of written Chinese. The movement is engraved on the barrel bridge: “S.A.S. Albert II Singapore 2024” More than double the result of the Optimum in 2022, the big number for the Resonance is no surprise given the recent record-setting sale of the 1993 F.P. Journe tourbillon prototype. This arguably demonstrates that F.P. Journe has gone beyond a watchmaker or even watches, but a brand. This desirability of the F.P. Journe brand is reflected in not just the value, but how easily and quickly it was achieved at the auction during the dinner event. Thoma...
Monochrome
Louis Erard continues to expand its portfolio of special editions made with renowned watchmakers and designers – such as Kudoke, Alain Silberstein, Cédric Johner or Massena LAB. The latest instalment is a collaboration with Vianney Halter, resulting in two versions of the new Régulateur Louis Erard, which draw inspiration from Steampunk aesthetics and showcase Halter’s […]
Worn & Wound
Today, Americans sit down at their Thanksgiving table with their friends and family, and consider all that they’re thankful for. Good health, a warm home, great company, and a delicious meal will top many lists, as they should. But if you’ll allow a quick thought experiment (really, all of this is just one big thought experiment, if you think about it) and narrow the focus of thanks to the watch world, I’d have to say that the singular event of the last few years that I’m most thankful for is whatever transpired during the first meeting between the team at Louis Erard and watchmaker Vianny Halter. It led to a collaboration that launched a thousand other collaborations (slight exaggeration, but maybe not), and brought an affordable indie brand and a Capital I Independent watchmaking legend together in a genuinely interesting way. There’s a compelling case to be made that the first Louis Erard x Vianney Halter collaboration was the seed of many similar LEs to come, from Louis Erard and other brands, so it makes sense that just like that first collab, their second drops on Thanksgiving weekend, bringing one of the most interesting stories in contemporary watches full circle. While the first collaboration with Halter felt like one of his watches in spirit, the new Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter II takes steps to make the physical object feel more like a watch that could have come out of Halter’s workshop. Using Halter’s iconic Antiqua as inspiratio...
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SJX Watches
Having unveiled its first Vianney Halter collaboration in 2020, Louis Erard now follows up with the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter II that’s notably superior in style and details. Modelled on the Antiqua perpetual calendar, the Le Régulateur Vianney Halter II retains the usual Louis Erard regulator format, but smartly tweaked to replicate key elements of the Antiqua, including the rivets on the bezel, case profile, and multi-part dial. The new regulator is offered in two limited editions of 178 pieces each: the one with a silvered dial and gilt chapter rings is available only on Louis Erard’s online store, while the second edition with an inverted dial finish will only be sold at the brand’s retailers around the world. The Louis Erard e-commerce exclusive (left), and the retailer edition Initial thoughts Louis Erard has rolled out numerous collaborations with independent watchmakers. Most of them are convincing tributes to the original, but of varying levels of customisation. A good number of them employ the stock regulator case but with an edition-specific dial, which was the case for the first Vianney Halter collab. The new Vianney Halter regulator, on the other hand, features components unique to this model, giving it a distinctive look. The dial, case, bezel, and case back are all made for this edition, with only the movement being stock. As result, this captures the look and feel of the original watch that inspired it much better than past collabo...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe used to be seen as something like a younger sibling to the classic Fifty Fathoms but after more than a decade in production (of the current iteration, at least) I would now classify it as the more modern sibling. The clean lines and sleek angles work particularly well in what is typically the bulkier category of diver chronographs, let alone flyback chronographs. But, the Bathyscaphe Chronograph Flyback Chronograph seen here, done in a ceramic case and green colorway, manages to exceed expectations and defy any baggage or preconceptions the category may bring with it. One thing you won’t get from the images alone is just how lightweight the watch is, due to its black ceramic case. Ceramic is one of my favorite materials for a watch case (in addition to titanium) not just because of the weight but also the scratch resistance that comes with it. It also looks great, especially contrasted against that wonderfully vibrant green used on the dial and bezel here. Divers' chronographs are a particular challenge because, well, operating a chronograph underwater presents some serious water-resistance issues. That said, Blancpain is confident in its assertion that the chronograph can safely be activated underwater. And for those not familiar, a flyback is significantly more complex than a typical chronograph because it does not have to be stopped before resetting. While we’re on the topic, the F385 caliber deserves some love because it ...
SJX Watches
The latest from Ressence is a departure from the usual cosmetic variation. Created for its Tokyo retailer Shellman, the Type 8 Indigo features a dial inlaid with indigo-dyed Japanese silk thread that’s been tightly packed into shallow recesses on the dial surface to form a swirling motif. This watch is one of several editions conceived by Shellman that are cumulatively known as the Indigo project. Each is a collaboration with an independent watchmaker that sports a blue dial, in a nod to the traditional Japanese indigo dyeing technique. Initial thoughts The Type 8 was originally the entry-level model within the brand’s catalogue, fulfilling founder Benoît Mintiens’s wish to make his distinctive watches more accessible. At CHF25,000, the Type 8 Indigo cost almost double the basic Type 8. So it is no longer entry level, but the price is justified by the hand-made dial that takes two days to complete according to Ressence. Importantly, the silk-inlaid dial looks good and complements the brand’s aesthetic perfectly. While the Ressence is not typically known for traditional decoration crafts, the dial decoration adds a little more variety to the brand’s watches, which are typically minimalist and hyper modern. At the same time, this is also more interesting than Ressence’s recent limited editions, most of which have been simple dial variations. Indigo-dyed silk Being based on the standard Type 8, the Indigo edition retains the same titanium case that’s 42.9 mm in...
Fratello
The all-new Ressence Type 9 is a sleek creation in either warm gray or a fresh shade of aqua blue. Its pebble-like titanium case measures 39mm wide, making it the smallest Ressence timepiece ever. The watch is a slimmed-down and refined version of the Type 8 and shows only the hours and minutes. It’s not […] Visit Introducing The All-New Ressence Type 9 In Warm Gray And Fresh Aqua to read the full article.
Fratello
Hello, and welcome to Fratello Talks! Today, we are celebrating our 100th-episode milestone with a special Q&A;. We asked you to send us your questions, and you delivered. We’ve gathered, sorted, and selected said questions over the past few weeks, and in today’s episode, Nacho, RJ, and Thomas come together to answer them. We cover […] Visit Fratello Talks: The 100th-Episode Q&A; Special to read the full article.
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Worn & Wound
I feel like every time I look at Czapek, they’re doing something great. This time, they’ve released a new limited variant of the Antarctique, the Antarctique Purple Storm, with an otherworldly purple dial produced by Swiss dial maker Metalem. The Antarctique has been one of the great success stories of the indie watch world in recent years, and Czapek has managed to iterate on the watch beautifully, offering up a consistent stream of new and interesting executions on the model without losing any of what makes it so compelling. This latest release pairs a familiar steel execution of the independent brand’s signature integrated bracelet sports watch, with a new version of the hand-varnished dial first seen in the 10-piece limited edition Antarctique Orion Nebula. While that watch was meant to evoke very specifically the look of galactic bodies in astral photography, almost looking like it could have come straight from the Webb telescope, more recent implementations of the technique have had a more lava-lamp-like quality; ethereal and non-corporeal. The Purple Storm fits into the latter group presenting onlookers with colors ranging from dark blacks to vibrant purples and every shade in between. Each of the 18 dials in this series is completely unique, and the celestial-inspired dials are entirely sterile - though the Czapek logo is present, it looks to be printed on the underside of the sapphire crystal (an increasingly common, but nonetheless appealing technique). ...
Monochrome
Hublot has always been associated with the fusion of disparate materials, starting with Carlo Crocco’s surprising cocktail of a gold case and rubber strap on board the flagship Classic Original. Hublot’s latest watch dedicated to tennis legend Novak Djokovic takes the “art of fusion” to unimaginable levels and even slips in the much-desired sustainability card. […]
Worn & Wound
The eagle-eyed watch enthusiast may have noticed a theme shift on the Circula website very recently. A new layout, new graphics, even a new logo. No, this is not some quarterly refresh, but rather a sign of things to come. Enter the Facet. A new flagship model from the brand positioned as an elevated everyday or dress watch following in the integrated bracelet sport watch wave that has swept throughout the industry. Now, the Facet may not technically have an integrated bracelet (it’s available on a strap as well), though it certainly leans into a similar look and feel. While this might be an introductory piece for a portion of this audience, Circula is a brand that has been on my radar for a while now with the Protrail Field watch making its way into my collection. I can honestly say too that I was a fan of the former direction of the brand, aiming to provide good value in the roughly $1,000 sports watch segment of the market. So, does this departure from the previous trend towards another signal my exit from the bandwagon or blow a signal for full steam ahead? Let’s face it, the landscape of the watch industry has changed creating a more crowded and competitive market than we have ever seen before. In an effort to stand out, Cornelius Huber, the current caretaker of Circula and 3rd generation at the helm, has partnered with designer Guy Bove, previously of TAG Heuer amongst others, in designing the Facet to stand out in the pack. Utilizing new finishing techniques, a ...
Fratello
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! We’re a little later this week than usual because we decided to record this episode in person in London. We discuss several topics but end with a brief holiday gift guide. Our watch content starts after approximately 20 minutes. This podcast player is blocked because you did […] Visit Fratello On Air: An In-Person Recording And Holiday Gift Guide to read the full article.
Monochrome
Brands today are enthusiastically revisiting the watch designs of the 1970s, riding a wave of nostalgia that has struck a chord with consumers. These retro-inspired pieces often feature updated characteristics, adding modern functionality to vintage aesthetics. Among the standout designs of that era is the driver’s watch-a timepiece with a digital side display. While this […]
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Fratello
This year, designer Matthieu Allègre and Depancel founder Clément Meynier brought back the Amida Digitrend. Its ultra-’70s makes heads turn, and with updated technology inside, it’s now more reliable than ever. The Digitrend Take-Off Edition sold out in a flash, so now it’s time to introduce you to the watches that will join the brand’s […] Visit Introducing: Two New Editions Of The Amida Digitrend In Black And Gold to read the full article.
Hodinkee
The Ōtsuka Lōtec No. 6 might be one of the hardest watches to get this year, as a fun and surprising piece of affordable steampunk watchmaking.
SJX Watches
Historically known for cutting-edge solar-powered watches – including the most accurate wristwatch ever – Citizen has more recently embarked on growing its lineup of mechanical watches. That began with the well-received Calibre 0200 wristwatch, and continued this year with the 100th Anniversary of the First Citizen Watch Special Limited Edition, a vintage-inspired pocket watch equipped with the all-new cal. 0270 movement. Initial thoughts The anniversary pocket watch is surprising: the watch isn’t quite what it appears to be. At a distance it could pass for a vintage pocket watch, albeit a new-old-stock example, reflecting a design that stays faithful to the aesthetics of the railroad pocket watches that Citizen supplied to Japanese railways in the 20th century. However, it reveals itself to be a modern watch up close, firstly because of the unusual dial texture that mimics Japanese paper but is actually achieved with metal deposition. More importantly, the cal. 0270 is a newly developed movement. It was evidently constructed with old-school pocket watches in mind, but it features modern elements like a free-sprung balance and sharply-shaped bridges. As with the automatic cal. 0200 before, the quality of construction and finishing of the cal. 0270 is impressive, especially given the price. Amongst hand-wind movements in the US$10,000-and-below category, the cal. 0270 easily ranks amongst the best. However, the anniversary pocket watch is still a pocket watch, which m...
Fratello
I like a headline that gets straight to the point, and I think I nailed it with this one - no clickbait in sight. As is made exceedingly apparent, Delugs recently introduced four new patterns to its straight-end CTS (Cut-To-Size) rubber straps - Pilot, Mosaic, Waffle, and Tropic. Ken sent me one of each of […] Visit Delugs Expands Its Line Of CTS Rubber Straps With Four New Patterns - Pilot, Mosaic, Waffle, And Tropic to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Last week, Jacques Bianchi released what is probably their most boring watch in recent memory, and the results speak for themselves. Compared to many of the brand’s recent releases, the new Jacques Bianchi JB300 is inarguably their most conventional, forfeiting many of the details that helped set the many iterations of the JB200 apart. But in that simplicity there’s magic, and this latest entry in the Jacques Bianchi catalog is a strong new addition to the military-inspired dive watch category, offering collectors a rock-solid option at a fantastic value. Put simply, the JB300 is a classic military diver in the truest sense, while still managing to hold onto a little bit of the dramatic flair we’ve come to expect from a brand that typically decorates their dials with divers and cephalopods. The JB300 draws the bulk of its inspiration from the original JB300, an early ‘90s dive watch issued by the French Army to combat divers. While not an exact 1-to-1 reproduction of that watch, which seems to have been produced in extremely limited quantities (less than 1000 by most counts), the new JB300 is a very close facsimile. Jacques Bianchi has done a good job updating the original JB300 for a modern audience though, toying with the specifics of both dial and case to bring them more comfortably into the 21st century. Part of this was likely dictated by necessity. A cursory search will find that most vintage examples of the JB300 feature the symbol for l’Armée de Terre (t...
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Monochrome
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic Laureato, first introduced by Girard-Perregaux in 1975. Its distinctive design-centred around a tonneau-shaped case, slim, raised octagonal bezel with circular plinth, and integrated bracelet-has evolved over decades while remaining true to the original spirit, a tradition upheld by the latest releases. The two new time-only Laureato […]
Worn & Wound
In late October/early November, I started seeing various “rumor mill” sites teasing some new cameras from Sony. While my initial hope was for something in the Alpha 7 line, it was quickly determined that Sony was updating the A1, their sports/action camera line. This new camera has been dubbed the A1 II, although I’ll frequently refer to it as “Mark 2” to avoid any confusion when comparing models and specs. One of the best ways I’ve found to describe this camera is that it updates the A1 with features from other flagship models, which should position this camera as the “go to” professional camera for both photo and video, if you’re in the market for such a camera. One of the newest features, a first for the Alpha line of cameras, is a “dynamic subject recognition” which allows it to switch between various modes, without any intervention from the photographer. Additionally, the new mark 2 features impressive in-body image stabilization, offering 8.5 stops for the center of the frame. Among the list of features that have carried over, the mark 2 has the newest AI chip which boosts auto focus capabilities (30% improvement in eye detection for animals and humans and a 50% boost in bird eye detection), 30 frames per second image capture, and a 50 MP sensor. It’s my understanding that Sony has targeted wildlife and action photographers with the A1 line, and this mark 2 should suit the needs of these photographers with ease. Just as every watch needs a str...
Fratello
Now here is something special! A space-flown Omega Speedmaster Professional 3570.50 and the EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity) glove it was worn over in space will be up for auction on December 3rd at Koller Auctions in Zurich, Switzerland. Cosmonaut Padalka’s space-flown Omega Speedmaster and EVA glove This watch was on the wrist of cosmonaut Gennady Padalka […] Visit A Space-Flown Omega Speedmaster And Glove Up For Auction On December 3rd to read the full article.
Monochrome
In late 2022, luxury powerhouse Louis Vuitton announced a rather surprising but promising concept, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. A biennial prize organized by its Swiss-based watch manufacture, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, its mission is “to recognize a passion for watchmaking savoir-faire, creativity, and innovation in the pursuit of excellence, […]
SJX Watches
A record was set last night in Geneva when the Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1500A “Children Action” sold for CHF6.7 million, equivalent to US$7.56 million. The result surpasses the US$6.5 million for the Nautilus ref. 5711/1A-018 “Tiffany & Co.” that was set in 2021, the very peak of the integrated-bracelet-sports-watch craze. The fad for such sports watches has since petered out, but anything Patek Philippe that’s unique clearly remains highly desirable. The record price is arguably less about the watch being a Nautilus than it is a one-off, fully-engraved Patek Philippe. This year’s auction once again took place during the charity’s dinner event in an auction conducted by Aurel Bacs of Phillips. Both room and phone bidders competing for the Nautilus that is entirely engraved with a “Maori-inspired” theme on its case and bracelet, with only the polished centre links of the bracelet left unadorned. The Geneva watchmaker has long supported Children Action, which aids disadvantaged children around the world. The organisation was founded by Bernard Sabrier, a well-connected private banker in Geneva. The ref. 5270T-010 of 2022 Over the years, Patek Philippe has contributed one-of-a-kind watches that sell at the organisation’s annual gala dinner, raising tens of millions for the charity. Past Children Action watches have included the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time ref. 5524T in titanium that sold for CHF2.3 million in 2018. And two years ago, the ref. 5270...
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