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1,659 articles · 180 videos found · page 43 of 62

Rolex Ventures Into Cutting-Edge Atomic Timekeeping SJX Watches
Breguet was born there Jul 28, 2025

Rolex Ventures Into Cutting-Edge Atomic Timekeeping

In a surprising move from the conservative watchmaker, Rolex has quietly set up Rolex Quantum SA, a new entity dedicated to atomic timekeeping, the most precise form of timekeeping ever invented by man. Rolex chief executive Jean-Frederic Dufour will sit on the board of Rolex Quantum, with engineer Fabien Droz serving as director of the venture. With Rolex Quantum, the watchmaker plans to develop and sell atomic clocks, conceivably for industrial or scientific purposes. Being somewhat removed from the core Rolex offering of wristwatches, the atomic clocks will be developed separate from the main Rolex brand. The new venture strengthens the brand’s ties with CSEM (Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology), the Swiss technical institute most famous in watchmaking for having developing silicon component for watch movements. The venture will benefit from Rolex’ broad industrial research and development capabilities, while also leveraging CSEM’s experience with atomic timekeeping. The establishment of Rolex Quantum was first reported by Swiss newspaper Arcinfo. Neuchâtel timing Despite the cutting edge nature of its work, Rolex Quantum will be located on historic grounds, namely on the same street as the Neuchâtel Observatory, which is current home to CSEM’s atomic timekeeping laboratory. The location also has historical resonance as the city has long played a role in watchmaking and chronometry over the years. Abraham-Louis Breguet was born there and the obs...

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Introducing the Bell & Ross BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic Worn & Wound
Bell & Ross BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic Jul 10, 2025

Introducing the Bell & Ross BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic

Like a moth to the flame, I am drawn to Bell & Ross novelties. I can’t help myself. This is a brand that many have levied legitimate criticisms at. They are too expensive, too big, there are too many releases, and on and on. And I’ll be honest, the core watches, the normal ones (the watches the brand probably needs to sell a ton of to remain in business) do very little for me. But if you put a skull on the dial, or inject luminescent material into the case, or add several timing scales that are almost impossible to read with the naked eye, well, I find those watches hard to resist. My beloved BR-03 Multimeter looms large in my mind here. There are times, even recently, where I’ve thought to myself “I really should sell this – I just don’t wear it much.” But then I take it out of the box, put it on, and am charmed by it once again. How could I part with something so strange? The latest release from Bell & Ross is not as wild as the Multimeter, or a watch with a skull for a dial, but it’s a few clicks out from the norm, and adventurous in its own way. The BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic sees the brand playing in a genre that just a few years ago was reserved for only the highest end watches from the highest end brands: integrated bracelet sports watches in ceramic with skeleton dials.  The BR-05, at this point, feels like a mature collection. It’s kind of hard to believe it’s been around for more than five years at this point. But it was, in fact, one of ...

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Hands-On With The Full-Titanium Chronoswiss Pulse One Sand: An Integrated-Bracelet Sports Watch With A Twist Fratello
Chronoswiss Jun 30, 2025

Hands-On With The Full-Titanium Chronoswiss Pulse One Sand: An Integrated-Bracelet Sports Watch With A Twist

Chronoswiss is by no means the biggest name in watchmaking, but the brand from Lucerne is always instantly recognizable. For instance, it has a reputation for using the biggest crowns in the business. Joking aside, Chronoswiss’s use of XL onion crowns, coin-edge bezels, and regulator-style dials in bold and bright colors made the brand stand […] Visit Hands-On With The Full-Titanium Chronoswiss Pulse One Sand: An Integrated-Bracelet Sports Watch With A Twist to read the full article.

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Hands-On With The Exquisite Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition - A Certified Dream Watch Fratello
Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Jun 27, 2025

Hands-On With The Exquisite Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition - A Certified Dream Watch

As you might know, Chopard produces watches with two distinct certifications. In its Geneva atelier, the brand creates L.U.C timepieces that bear the engraved Poinçon de Genève. The Geneva Seal is primarily concerned with the aesthetic quality and craftsmanship of the movement. While watches bearing it must also meet specific, strict chronometric requirements, the sternest […] Visit Hands-On With The Exquisite Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition - A Certified Dream Watch to read the full article.

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Introducing: The Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater III - Don’t Fight The Regulator WristMonster; Wear One! Fratello
Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Jun 23, 2025

Introducing: The Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater III - Don’t Fight The Regulator WristMonster; Wear One!

Let’s start with a riddle. What has one eye, one mouth, two hands, and a rebellious soul? You got it - the Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater III. The million-dollar question is whether humor belongs in luxury watchmaking, but when it looks good, it doesn’t matter if you think the watch […] Visit Introducing: The Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater III - Don’t Fight The Regulator WristMonster; Wear One! to read the full article.

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Hands-On With The Updated And Upgraded 40mm Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Fratello
Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Jun 16, 2025

Hands-On With The Updated And Upgraded 40mm Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture

Let’s be thankful that, in the watch world, “evolution” doesn’t always mean “getting larger.” Take the new 40mm Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture (FC-776SAL3H6) as an example. This watch’s predecessor debuted in 2016 in a 42mm case. It was an important introduction because it was the market’s most affordable mechanical perpetual calendar watch when […] Visit Hands-On With The Updated And Upgraded 40mm Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture to read the full article.

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Rado Introduces Three New Colorful Anatom References Worn & Wound
Rado Introduces Three New Colorful Jun 10, 2025

Rado Introduces Three New Colorful Anatom References

When it comes to watches from big, corporate owned brands, it’s sometimes hard these days to find designs that feel fresh and inventive. This just the way of the watch world. Particularly in an environment where it might be difficult to sell a watch (Swiss exports are down, tariff threats loom, etc) you can forgive the biggest brands for playing it safe, putting products on the market that they know will sell to their core customers. They might not be the most creative watches ever devised, but if they exhibit a “first, do no harm” mentality, that’s probably a win in the eyes of many brands.  One of the things I’ve always appreciated about Rado is that it feels like they’ve been given a longer leash, and the opportunity to fully embrace what makes them unique among Swatch Group brands. Rado is, at their core, about materials, and they lead with design. Sure, the Captain Cook is a staple, and there are other watches in the Rado catalog that have a hint of the generic, but when I think about the brand, the watches that come to mind feature colorful ceramic and interesting shapes. The Anatom has been a favorite of mine since Rado reissued it a few years ago. It’s an 80s cult favorite, and the modern reinterpretation holds up remarkably well and offers a unique spin on the integrated bracelet sports watch trend.  Rado has just announced a trio of new Anatoms in bright colors that should appeal to enthusiasts who might be after something colorful and a bit whims...

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Highlights: Phillips NYWA XII SJX Watches
Patek Philippe ref 1518 Jun 2, 2025

Highlights: Phillips NYWA XII

As the Hong Kong auctions have wrapped, we move to the final sales of the spring season in New York City. Phillips will offer a healthy mix of new and old, common and rare, across 144 lots. The sale includes many of the expected top-of-the-line offerings, with the headline lot a Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in yellow gold, and staples like a pair of ref. 5004s. But there are plenty of interesting watches to be down catalog too, including some fresh faces and value buys. Highlights include the best of English watchmaking made by Charles Frodsham a century apart, the auction debut of American independent Keaton Myrick, an unusual F.P. Journe Résonance, along with a Cartier pocket watch made by complications specialist THA. We round up these and a few more from The New York Watch Auction: XII, which takes place from June 7-8, 2025. The full catalogue is available on Phillips.com. Lot 11 – A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph “2022 Best of Show, Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este” Since 2012, A. Lange & Söhne has been a sponsor of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, a classic car shown that takes place in spring on the picturesque shores of Lake Como. Each year, the owner of the event’s best car is presented with a unique Lange watch. While past winners have received a fairly conventional Lange 1 Time Zone, the brand upgraded the prize in recent years to a striking 1815 Chronograph. In 2022, the winner was Andrew Pisker with a Bugatti 57 S from 1937. He received th...

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Introducing – The Platinum Edition of the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Tourbillon Le Petit Prince Monochrome
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Tourbillon May 26, 2025

Introducing – The Platinum Edition of the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Tourbillon Le Petit Prince

IWC forged a fruitful partnership with the heirs of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in 2006, the famous French author of Le Petit Prince, who was also a pilot and adventurer. The first Big Pilot’s Watch to seal the relationship appeared in 2013, setting the flight path for the Le Petit Prince sub-collection with retro styling and […]

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Highlights: Complicated Watches at Phillips Hong Kong SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre exotic tourbillon May 21, 2025

Highlights: Complicated Watches at Phillips Hong Kong

Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong auction encompasses excellent complications at a range of price points. Highlights at the top end include the controversial Patek Philippe ref. 3448 “Senza Luna”, a massive Jaeger-LeCoultre exotic tourbillon, a skeletonized Credor chronograph, and a special-order Patek Philippe that was presumably a gift from parent to son. Also on the block are fine pocket watches for the Chinese market on the first day of the sale, while the second and third sale days include notable examples of independent watchmaking. The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XX takes place from May 23-25, 2025. The full catalogue, and more, is available on Phillips.com. Lot 839 – A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split In 2004, A. Lange & Söhne introduced the Double Split, a chronograph with both split-seconds and split-minutes–a feat previously only accomplished in pocket watches. Never one to stand still, Lange added split-hours into the mix with the Triple Split in 2018. The case is the brand’s typical fare, with distinctive stepped-out lugs, and continues its tradition of placing the split-button in the case band, rather than in the crown, as is the convention for wristwatches. This rose gold variation, of which only 100 were made, is matched with a handsome blue and silver dial. To create the Double Split, Lange built on the landmark L951 movement of the Datograph, adding a pair of rattrapante mechanisms, one for seconds and the other, minutes. From there, Lange added an hour...

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Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips Hong Kong SJX Watches
Greubel Forsey May 19, 2025

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips Hong Kong

Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong auction is a three-day affair that starts with enamelled Chinese market masterpieces of the 18th and 19th century, followed by a two-day main sale that includes several notable examples of independent watchmaking. Some, including watches from Greubel Forsey and Urwerk, might be value propositions and comparably accessible entries into the brands, while others will be six figures but arguably worth it – like the Piaget Gouvernor Grande Sonnerie that was produced by a young Francois-Paul Journe in the mid 1990s. We round up those and a few more indie highlights from The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XX that takes place from May 23-25, 2025. The full catalogue is available on Phillips.com. The Piaget Gouvernour Grande Sonnerie with a movement made by François-Paul Journe in 1997 Lot 893 – Krayon Anywhere in pink gold & Lot 965 – Krayon Anywhere in white gold The sale includes not one, but two examples of the Krayon Anywhere. Conceived by engineer Rémi Maillat, the Anywhere indicates sunrise and sunset times anywhere in world, thanks to a set of cams and levers that can be adjusted for a particular locale. The chapter ring on the periphery of the dial is composed of overlapping discs that move with the seasons, indicating sunrise and sunset as well as the seasonal length of the day. A sub-dial at six indicates the calendar, which is linked to the sunrise and sunset indicator. Hand finished to a high level by specialists in the Vallée de Joux...

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Fears Introduces the EXPERIMENTAL 01 and the Brunswick 40 “Odyssey Edition” Worn & Wound
Fears May 15, 2025

Fears Introduces the EXPERIMENTAL 01 and the Brunswick 40 “Odyssey Edition”

Never one to shy away from their heritage as a British watchmaker, Fears has cooked up yet another savvy partnership that highlights their ability to innovate while holding down a cohesive aesthetic. This time, however, the collaboration isn’t with another watchmaker or boutique. Rather, it comes to us in the form of a watch built for “A Great British Odyssey” in which ultra endurance athlete Angus Collins will attempt to become the first person to complete an unsupported, solo row around mainland Great Britain. Fears has signed on as Collins’ official timekeeping partner, and has designed and produced a purpose-built timepiece for the task-a special version of their Brunswick 40mm, the EXPERIMENTAL 01.  A savvy British watch fan may pause here and say, “hang on-since when does Fears do tool watches?” The EXPERIMENTAL 01 is the brand’s first foray into the ultra-utility category of timekeeping since the 1970s, and though it’s based on the structure of the Brunswick 40 (originally launched in October 2022), it also features eight highlighted improvements that make it purpose built for Collins’ task: a fixed bar attachment (laser-welded onto the lugs), a satinised case finish, 300 meters of water resistance, a glare resistant dial, Grade X2 Super-LumiNova on the hands and appliques, ultra-contrast hands, an MN Elasticated strap, and rigorous in-house precision time testing.  Style-wise, the EXPERIMENTAL 01 draws heavily from its source material, the B...

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Portrait – For Professionals Only, Worldwatch.market, a Brilliant New Approach to the Global Watch Trade Monochrome
May 15, 2025

Portrait – For Professionals Only, Worldwatch.market, a Brilliant New Approach to the Global Watch Trade

The watch trade market has become sprawling. Digital channels have been added to single-brand and multi-brand points of sale: specialised platforms, digital media that have evolved towards an additional retail offering (limited and dedicated series), social networks (Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram) flooded with offers of second-hand (and sometimes new) pieces. A jungle characterised by a common […]

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Zenith Defy Skyline Review Teddy Baldassarre
Zenith May 13, 2025

Zenith Defy Skyline Review

While the El Primero movement architecture may serve as the face of the Zenith brand, it is the Defy collection that remains its soul. The Defy represents an historically significant ethos for Zenith, a creative foundation that is just as important to the Swiss brand’s past as it is to its future. Originally meant to be a showcase of innovation and ideas, the Defy collection serves dual purposes: to preserve and celebrate innovations of the past in the “Revival” subfamily, and to continue innovating for the future in the series’ other branches. In 2022, the brand took a big step toward the future of the collection with the release of the Zenith Defy Skyline, a watch that simultaneously looked to build on successful elements of the past and also to capitalize on the integrated-bracelet sport watch trend that had taken hold of the industry. The Zenith Defy collection has roots in the 1960s and ‘70s, when many of the brand’s most iconic and exciting references were released (you can read a more in-depth history here). Many of these have been reborn in the form of modern Revival references, allowing a new generation of enthusiasts to discover them again, or for the first time. These designs weren’t afraid to take risks, from the shape of the case, to the bracelet integration, right into the dial colors and textures. The Defy name quickly came to signify a huge amount of character, and that’s on full display within the brand’s current stable.  In finding a mo...

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Hands On: The Unique Rolex Daytona “Zenith” Platinum Ref. 16516 SJX Watches
Zenith Platinum Ref 16516 May 9, 2025

Hands On: The Unique Rolex Daytona “Zenith” Platinum Ref. 16516

Sotheby’s upcoming Geneva auction that takes place on May 11 is a relatively compact affair. But the 124 lots includes notable highlights, with the top lot of the sale being the especially unique Rolex Daytona “Zenith” ref. 16516 in platinum with a pink mother-of-pearl dial. This watch is one of just four Daytonas combining the El Primero movement and platinum case – the only platinum specimens in the 16500-series Daytona – all of which were made at the behest of former Rolex chief executive Patrick Heiniger in 1999. Famous for being powered by the cal. 4030 derived from the Zenith El Primero, the 16500-series was the first-ever self-winding Daytona. The model was never commercially available in platinum; the four examples in platinum are truly unique. Moreover, each of the four are one-of-a-kind, each fitted with a different dial in exotic materials. Sotheby’s sold the prior three examples, starting with black mother-of-pearl in 2018, lapis lazuli in 2020, and turquoise in 2021. While those three featured applied Arabic numbers, this example has diamond hour markers. Initial thoughts The unique nature of this Daytona is unquestionable. Amongst automatic Daytonas this ranks amongst the rarest and most valuable. Two of its platinum siblings sold for over US$3 million each, making them the priciest modern-day Daytonas. Of the four platinum Daytonas, however, this example is the most paradoxical. It’s the most unusual in having diamond indices, but also the most...

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Introducing – The New Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono Pink “Giro d’Italia” Cycling Monochrome
Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono Pink May 7, 2025

Introducing – The New Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono Pink “Giro d’Italia” Cycling

Two years ago, Tudor announced its entry into the world of cycling, partnering with cycling legend Fabian Cancellara to create the Tudor Pro Cycling Team. As the sole sponsor of the team, Tudor unveiled a special edition Black Bay Chrono, available exclusively to team members. Last year, on the occasion of the Giro d’Italia 2024, […]

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Hands-on – The Bremont Altitude MB Meteor, the Comeback of the Martin-Baker Concept and Trip-Tick Case Monochrome
Bremont Altitude MB Meteor May 6, 2025

Hands-on – The Bremont Altitude MB Meteor, the Comeback of the Martin-Baker Concept and Trip-Tick Case

In the past two years, many things have changed at Bremont, one of the most important watch brands active on British soil. First, the founding brothers, Nick and Giles English, are not actively part of the company anymore. Second, there’s a new owner – American investor Bill Ackman – and a new CEO – industry […]

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Hands On: Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time “Only Watch” SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time “Only May 6, 2025

Hands On: Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time “Only Watch”

While the most valuable lot at Phillips’ upcoming Geneva auction will likely be the Breguet Sympathique clock no. 1, the sale also includes a few unexpected and interesting lots. One standout is the Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time “Only Watch”, a unique piece created for the Only Watch charity auction in 2019. Consigned by the original owner – who is a prominent collector whom I greatly respect – the Spin Time is a flamboyant, gem-set take on Louis Vuitton’s signature complication. The centrepiece is a miniature enamel dial by Anita Porchet depicting a motif inspired by tattoo art. This unique Spin Time originally sold for CHF280,000 at Only Watch 2019. Now carrying an estimate of CHF40,000-80,000, the watch will go on the block at Phillips’ upcoming Geneva auction taking place on May 10, 2025. Initial thoughts I was a fan of this Spin Time when it was first revealed in 2019. In fact, I bid on it at Only Watch, but I was laughably uncompetitive and far from the CHF280,000 hammer. In contrast to the latest generation of Spin Time that is both refined and discreet, this watch is over the top and I like it because of that. The aesthetic is a lot, maybe too much, but it works. Most importantly, the watch is not just about extravagant styling. The dial is the work of Anita Porchet herself, combining both miniature painting and champleve. Certainly the motif is not for everyone, but the quality of craft is unmistakeable. A rose among the thorns This unique Spin Time...

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Hot Take: Two New Certina DS-1 Big Date Watches With Matte Cases Fratello
Certina DS-1 Big Date Watches May 1, 2025

Hot Take: Two New Certina DS-1 Big Date Watches With Matte Cases

Today, we’ll briefly examine two new Certina DS-1 Big Date Collection variants. While we’ve typically covered some of Certina’s sportier watches here on Fratello, it’s important to remember that models like the DS-1 form the foundation for a brand. Watch nerds aside, pieces like this sell in large numbers. The DS-1 Big Date was introduced […] Visit Hot Take: Two New Certina DS-1 Big Date Watches With Matte Cases to read the full article.

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Timekeeping at the Edge of the World: Four Watches Across Iceland Two Broke Watch Snobs
Apr 28, 2025

Timekeeping at the Edge of the World: Four Watches Across Iceland

Iceland is a place of extremes: glaciers, geothermal hot springs, and black sand beaches shaped by volcanic fury. It’s also a place where time seems to slow down and I thought it was ideal for reflecting on both nature and time spent with family-shaping memories I'll never forget. Watches were also part of the journey, of course. And as I prepared for the trip, the exercise behind choosing which timepieces to bring was something I deeply enjoyed. Now that I'm back, I just wanted to reflect on those choices and how they played a role in my first trip outside the US since the COVID era. I needed it, and it was awesome.

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Auctions: A.-L. Breguet to F.P. Journe at Christie’s Geneva SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Apr 27, 2025

Auctions: A.-L. Breguet to F.P. Journe at Christie’s Geneva

Rare Watches in Geneva kicks off the spring auction season for Christie’s. Some of the highlights amongst the sale’s 183 lots illustrates the history and evolution of horology, most notably with timepieces by Abraham-Louis Breguet and Francois-Paul Journe. The notable F.P. Journe offerings include a Resonance pre-souscription and a Ruthenium full house, complete with numbered box. The standouts from Breguet include a pocket watch first owned by Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s younger sister, an early striking carriage clock, and an intriguing Type XX precursor literally gone askew. F.P Journe Principally inspired by the work of A.-L. Breguet and Antide Janvier, Francois-Paul Journe’s landmark Chronomètre à Résonance was the first attempt at synchronised, coupled oscillators in a wristwatch. The first numbered 20 examples were reserved for a Breguet-style souscription series – paid in advance by the client – but were not the first made. Image – Christie’s A handful of pre-production watches were made for Basel 1999, followed by the pre-souscription series to which this watch belongs. About 20 watches starting from “21” onwards are pre-souscription, and this is “041/00R”. Notably, one example prior, “040/00R”, sold for a little under CHF1.4 million including fees at Christie’s in 2023, setting a record. Image – Christie’s  The Ruthenium collection, built in 99 examples each across five models from 2001 to 2005, includes the Octa Calendrie...

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