Hodinkee
Business News: U.S. Steel Watch Shortage Good For Gold
U.S. retail sales of gold watches rose 19% in value in the first half of 2019, according to the NPD Group.
Results for Proprietary Gold Alloys
2,429 articles · 567 videos found · page 44 of 100
Hodinkee
Revolution
Just For Good Reasons; Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph
Piaget has always had, and still has, the company policy that they only craft watches out of gold or platinum. Presumptuous? No, Piaget simply knows its own strength. For decades they have delighted the world with some of the most refined precious metal watch cases, and bracelets, the industry has seen. It is therefore not […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Omega Speedmaster MK40 Review: A Colorful Cult Classic
When you think of the Omega Speedmaster, the first thing that comes to mind is likely the brand’s golden child, the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional. It’s a modern grail with its NASA connection, and its intertwined history with the Moon landing and space exploration is its calling card. But today, we’re looking at a different Speedmaster that has been eschewed from Omega’s current lineup. One that’s a little more playful, a little more unconventional, than the brand’s well-established Moonwatch Professional formula: the Speedmaster Mk40. Down below, I’ll be breaking down the history, context, and all the aesthetic oddities of the watch, all of which work together to create one of the most compelling non-Moonwatch Speedmasters of all time, in my humble opinion. [toc-section heading="Some Speedmaster Context"] Image: S.Song From first glance, the Speedmaster Mk40 that made its debut in the ‘90s defies all the utilitarian, tool-watch-oriented austerity that is the key DNA of the Moonwatch Professional, from its functionality to its experimentation with color, shapes, and typography. But the Mk40 is part of a short-lived and often forgotten legacy of Omega’s experimentation with the Speedmaster formula, before things were so rigidly codified as they are today. It is also important to note that the moniker “Mk40” itself is a completely enthusiast-driven nickname, which Omega itself has never officially used (the brand denotes the different models wi...
Quill & Pad
Annual Calendars Are Goldilocks Complications: Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold, Just Right
Sometimes perpetual calendars are too complicated but a simple calendar just doesn't cut it anymore because nearly half the months have less than 31 days, making it five adjustments a year too many for some. But don’t fret, there is a middle ground between the most basic calendar watches and complex perpetual calendars: the annual calendar automatically adjusts for each month with 30 or 31 days, meaning just one adjustment per year for the owner in February. Here's a brief history of the complication.
Fratello
Astronomical Exclusivity: Rolex Introduces Three New Daytona Watches With Meteorite Dials
This year, Rolex introduced no fewer than eight new Daytona references, but only one made it to the brand’s press room during Watches and Wonders. The seven other iterations remained hidden. Luckily, a visit to the brand’s Brussels offices revealed that 2025 marks the year Rolex introduces three new Daytona watches in three gold alloys […] Visit Astronomical Exclusivity: Rolex Introduces Three New Daytona Watches With Meteorite Dials to read the full article.
Video
Why is Cartier called the watchmaker of shapes?
Deployant
New: A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Honeygold
A. Lange & Söhne unveils the Odysseus Honeygold, the brand's first sports watch rendered in proprietary honey-gold alloy, limited to 100 pieces only.
Fratello
Introducing: The Ming 21.01 “Project 21” In Tantalum
As a materials engineer, I get excited whenever a watchmaker uses an atypical material. Over the last decade, carbon and ceramics have become more prevalent for watch cases. However, aside from new gold alloys, it has been relatively quiet on the metals front. Using tantalum isn’t new, but it’s so uncommon that it deserves attention […] Visit Introducing: The Ming 21.01 “Project 21” In Tantalum to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introducing – The Norqain Independence Skeleton 42mm, now in Grey
Norqain’s Independence family is home to many of the brand’s most coveted models, including the recently released Independence Skeleton Chrono with a proprietary manufacture calibre developed with GMT. The Independence is also home to the robust carbon fibre Wild One, conceived with Jean-Claude Biver, as well as the brand’s first skeletonised model introduced in 2021. […]
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Recreates 45GS with Calibre 9SA4
Having unveiled the top-of-the-line 9SA4 movement earlier this year, Grand Seiko has now installed the new calibre in a pair of vintage remakes, the Heritage Collection 45GS Re-creation SLGW004 and SLGW005. A limited edition in either steel or 18k yellow gold, the 45GS Re-creation is one of Grand Seiko’s few vintage reissues with its latest-generation calibre that boasts a high-frequency balance and Grand Seiko’s proprietary Dual Impulse Escapement. Initial thoughts This is Grand Seiko’s first remake of the 45GS, but if the new pair look familiar, that’s because Grand Seiko launched a 44GS remake in 2013. Though the 44GS and 45GS are different models launched just a year apart in the late 1960s, they were different models. The 45GS was an upgrade over the 44GS in terms of the movement, though it retained similar styling. In the same manner, the modern-day remakes are most notable for having different movements. Amongst Grand Seiko’s many remakes, the 45GS stands out for the 9SA4 inside. It’s a large, slim, and sophisticated calibre that’s a substantial improvement over the manual-wind movements found in past remakes. Because of the movement, the 45GS remakes are amongst the more expensive manual-wind Grand Seiko models at US$9,700 in stainless steel and US$30,000 in yellow gold. Moreover, the two priced comparably to the SLGW002 and SLGW003, which are modern designs but powered by the same calibre. While not as affordable as other Grand Seiko models, the 45G...
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Introduces the SLGW002 and SLGW003 “Birch Bark”
Grand Seiko has introduced the Evolution 9 “Birch Bark” SLGW002 and SLGW003, in rose gold and “brilliant hard titanium” respectively. Named after the dial pattern, the “Birch Bark” is powered by a new manually-wound, high-beat caliber that features the brand’s proprietary dual-impulse escapement. The only completely new model introduced by Grand Seiko at Watches & Wonder this year, the new references introduce a new, notably slimmer aesthetic to the brand’s Evolution 9 collection. Initial thoughts Grand Seiko has earned a devoted following in recent years, but collectors have been asking for slimmer options for some time; this release proves the brand is listening. While there’s nothing revolutionary about it, the watch has been nipped and tucked in all the right areas, getting the case down to 38.6 mm in diameter and just under 10 mm in thickness. Compared to the most similar existing watch in the catalog, the Spring Drive SLGA009 “White Birch” launched two years ago, the new Evolution 9 feature a new movement, a thinner case, slimmer dial markers, and a horizontal interpretation of the brand’s signature white birch-inspired dial texture. The slimmer profile is made possible thanks to the new 9SA4 movement, which is essentially a 9SA5 without automatic winding. This makes it the first manually wound caliber from Grand Seiko’s latest generation of mechanical movements, and also the first to be available without a date function. Perhaps the onl...
Video
Fratello Talks: Could This Be The Next New Rolex?
Time+Tide
Antiques Roadshow delivers the feels (again) with this old solider’s white-gold Rolex Day-Date
Let’s not sugar-coat things here: life can often be a cold, hard bitch. But if you know where to look, you can still find plenty of feel-good moments to brighten the inevitable gloom. Some things, in fact, are guaranteed serotonin boosters that simply cannot fail to lift sagging spirts. Being welcomed home by a happy … ContinuedThe post Antiques Roadshow delivers the feels (again) with this old solider’s white-gold Rolex Day-Date appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
INTRODUCING: The Hublot Classic Fusion 45mm Bronze Brown Limited Edition
As a materials expert, Hublot has done it all. Steel, titanium, carbon, proprietary precious alloys, and ceramic and sapphire in endless colourways. So, to say that there is now an opportunity to grab a watch from Hublot in an uncommon material may come as a bit of a surprise. But, the truth is Hublot does … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Hublot Classic Fusion 45mm Bronze Brown Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Review: IWC Portugieser Minute Repeater Ref. IW5242-02. Old but gold.
The year 1995 was as eventful as it gets. It was the year the first Toy Story movie was released, the year Operation Desert Storm officially ended, and it was the last time AFC Ajax won the UEFA Champions League. It also marked the debut of a classic IWC timepiece: the original Portugieser Minute RepeaterRead More
Time+Tide
VIDEO: One final loving glance at the now phased out (and much cheaper) Omega Speedmaster “Sapphire Sandwich”, which will only be in store while final stocks last
Editor’s note: Today, Omega did what they had been hinting at for months: they launched eight new Speedmaster references across four models, all with the new Master Chronometer Calibre 3861. The four references include regular versions with Hesalite and Sapphire and precious metal versions in Omega’s proprietary Canopus gold and Sedna gold, all with options … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: One final loving glance at the now phased out (and much cheaper) Omega Speedmaster “Sapphire Sandwich”, which will only be in store while final stocks last appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Review: Rolex Yachtmaster 40 Everose Rolesor Ref 116621
We review the new Rolex Yachtmaster 40, the first Yachtmaster to feature a combination of stainless steel and Rolex's proprietary Everose Gold.
Video
Seagull 1963 ICON - a modern reinterpretation of a cult classic
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe’s Celestial Ref. 6105G Blasts Off
Patek Philippe updates its star chart “Grand Complication” for the third time with the Celestial Sunrise Sunset Ref. 6105G. The ref. 6105G adds the time of sunrise and sunset – cleverly integrated into the date scale – and a daring new design with a formidable, space-age lug-less case in white gold that’s 47 mm across. The ref. 6105G also introduces a novel way to account for the transition between summer and winter time, adding a corrector that shifts the sunrise and sunset scales, solving a significant shortcoming of astronomical watches for users in Europe and the Americas. Initial thoughts I’ve long thought that Patek Philippe’s greatest strength, other than its massive industrial investments, was its remarkable design diversity. Today brands seem to pursue a unified design language across all of their watches. And while this result is a strong visual identity for the brand, it is extremely limiting. Patek Philippe has no such limits, and the brand has about two dozen different case styles in the current collection, and hundreds in its back catalog. While this leads to its fair share of design misses, at least to my sensibilities, it can also lead to striking successes. I’m sure many will disagree, but I see the new Celestial as the latter. A wristwatch with the time of sunrise and sunset is long overdue from Patek Philippe, and this watch adds the ability to adjust those indications to account for daylight savings time. This addresses the complication...
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Marks 50th Years of The Nautilus with Two Hands and a Pocket Watch
Patek Philippe celebrates the semicentennial of its coveted sports watch with the 50th Anniversary Nautilus Collection, a trio of two hand precious metal watches in white gold and platinum – and an unexpected pocket watch desk clock. The deletion of the seconds hand is a return to the line’s aesthetic roots, also demonstrated by a new 38 mm case size, very close to that of the original. But, it remains on the precious metal path Patek Philippe began in 2021 when it axed the steel ref. 5711. Initial Thoughts These anniversary editions are the truest to the original Nautilus that we’ve seen in recent memory. The sans seconds ref. 3700/1A, launched in 1976, was powered by the JLC 920-based cal. 28-355C, which the calibre 240 was meant to replace. While Audemars Piguet stuck to the two hands plug date format with the Royal Oak Jumbo, Patek Philippe migrated the Nautilus to its new sweep-seconds platform. I believe something was lost when Patek Philippe added a sweep seconds hand to the Nautilus, though understandable from a business perspective given that watches with seconds hands generally have broader appeal than those without. That is recovered here, and the deletion of the calendar sets it apart from the original enough to not be a “reissue”. A smaller 38 mm Nautilus, with better proportions than the existing Ladies models, in also appreciated. The 38 mm platinum ref. 5610/1P-001. It is a shame then that the return of a two hand Nautilus is to be a fleeting one,...
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Facelifts the Iconic American 1921
Vacheron Constantin has gently updated one of its most distinctive time-only watches, the Historiques American 1921. Now kitted out with a silver grained dial, the 1921 retains its characteristic dial layout, along with blue Breguet numerals and hands. Like its predecessor, the new 1921 is also available in two sizes, 36.5 mm and 40 mm, but only in pink gold for now. Initial thoughts Ordinarily, cosmetic variations would not be that interesting, but the 1921 has not been iterated upon too often, despite being almost 20 years old. In fact, the 1921 is a fixture in the VC catalogue, yet has varied little given its tenure. As a result, the facelifted model is appealing and also arrives in a timely manner. Though the changes are subtle, namely to the dial texture plus hand and numeral colour, they give the dial a little more life. The updates also make the watch feel a little more modern, but the result still sits comfortably with the historical design. A driver’s watch Sometimes known as a “driver’s watch” for its off-the-vertical dial layout, the 1921 was modelled a small number of watches made by VC in 1919 and subsequent years. The unusual dial alignment was reputedly to improve legibility while driving, or while preaching at the pulpit for one of the owners of the 1920s originals was an American clergyman. The latest version retains the same design and layout as past iterations, with the dial 45 degrees off the vertical and the crown at two o’clock. Instead of a...
Monochrome
Introducing – The New Norqain Wild One Skeleton Chrono
Norqain’s Wild One high-performance sports watch collection was developed with input from industry maverick Jean-Claude Biver. Launched in 2022, it introduced the brand’s proprietary Norteq material, a carbon fibre composite six times lighter than steel and 3.5 times lighter than titanium. Launching at Watches & Wonders 2026, Norqain unveils the Wild One Skeleton Chrono with […]
Monochrome
Introducing – Delbana Celebrates 95 Years with the Della Balda Limited Editions
Delbana, founded in 1931 by Goliardo Della Balda, has always delivered classical Swiss watchmaking at approachable prices. The brand launched the stainless steel Della Balda in 2021, later followed by a PVD yellow gold version in 2022, as a tribute to Goliardo and also returned to using mechanical movements. For its 95th anniversary, the brand […]
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Luxury Quality Microbrand Money - Top Microbrand Watches Who Offer Luxury for Affordable Prices
SJX Watches
Raymond Weil Marks 50 Years with 50 Year-Old Valjoux 23
Building on the success of its retro wristwatch, Raymond Weil is marking its 50th anniversary with the Millesime “The Fifty”. While it retains the familiar “sector” dial of the Millesime, the Fifty boasts upgraded mechanics in the form of a “new old stock” Valjoux 236 dating from 1976, the year of brand’s founding by the eponymous Raymond Weil. The Fifty combines the vintage movement with a thoughtful design that includes an appropriately sized 37 mm case – steel but with a white gold bezel no less – and novel texturing on the “sector” dial. Notably, the Fifty is also priced well at under CHF9,000. Initial thoughts The base model Millesime is good for what it is, combining an appealing design with an affordable price. The Fifty is more expensive, but arguably even better, because it still has an appealing aesthetic, but now with an excellent movement and a fair price. Watches powered by a vintage Valjoux 23 usually cost more – Singer Reimagined’s equivalent costs almost double – making the Fifty a good value proposition. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that it evokes the Patek Philippe ref. 1436 “Tasti Tondi”. But it’s more than just accessible; the design of the basic Millesime has been elaborated on in a concise and logical manner. The result is a watch that clearly resembles the standard model, but with finer details, including the linear patterning on the dial centre. I disagree with some minor details, like the luminous hands that don...
Fratello
Introducing: The Dominique Renaud Pulse60 - A Slow-Swinging 1Hz Watch With A Human Heartbeat
The Dominique Renaud Pulse 60 has the same rhythm as a normal resting human heart, which is around 60 beats per minute. The slow-beating 1Hz watch also has deluxe-industrial looks created with Haute Horlogerie methods. The Pulse60, which comes in a Grade 5 titanium or pink gold and Grade 5 titanium 40mm case, is a […] Visit Introducing: The Dominique Renaud Pulse60 - A Slow-Swinging 1Hz Watch With A Human Heartbeat to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
IWC Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium Review
In 2017, IWC introduced a proprietary alloy called Ceratanium, or ceramized titanium, a hard, lightweight material that combined the best of ceramic and titanium. Oh, and it happened to look pretty cool as well. The material has been used sparingly in the intervening years, largely appearing across the brand’s sport-watch portfolio, from the Pilot to the Aquatimer collections. This week, Ceratanium is making its first appearance in the Portugieser collection with a new, limited-edition 41mm chronograph featuring a Ceratanium case affixed to a black rubber strap. In an effort to drive the point home, the rest of the watch is fully murdered out making the IWC Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium a decidedly sporty take on this otherwise dressier collection. [toc-section heading="What's New"] The new watch is the Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium, and it turns the classic chronograph layout on its head by rendering every detail in shades of black (insert Henry Ford quote here). The Portugieser is a historic watch with roots that date back to the late 1930s, and its modern aesthetic is largely referential to that history. That underlying design remains intact here, with a large, open dial hosting Arabic numerals at each hour, and a set of leaf hands tracking the time against them. The two subdials are arranged vertically, retaining a symmetric layout that recalls the original time-only references that had subsidiary seconds located at 6 o’clock. Using Ceratanium (which ha...
SJX Watches
Orient Star’s M34 F8 Skeleton is Space-Age Tech
Orient Star marks a milestone with the M34 F8 Skeleton Hand Winding 75th Anniversary, combining the brand’s technically adept, manually wound skeleton calibre with a novel, laser-engraved meteorite pattern in a maximalist open-worked package. The M34 F8 Skeleton also stands out for the tech inside the mechanical movement: proprietary silicon escape wheel with a novel, optimistic geometry that helps the M34 punch above its weight from a technical standpoint. Initial thoughts Last year, Orient Star launched the brand’s first manually wound moon phase – made of mother-of-pearl no less – for fans of understated, formal watches. Now celebrating its 75th anniversary, Orient Star has cast aside restraint to mark the occasion with something for a more maximalist breed of collector. The new skeleton has a blacked-out case and bracelet and an open-worked version of its top-of-the-line F8 movement. Notably, the movement plates are bridges, which are exposed front and back, are decorated with a laser-etched meteorite motif that is impressively detailed. This skeletonised anniversary limited edition also features the latest technology from its powerhouse parent company Seiko Epson, including a silicon escape wheel with an especially advantageous design. While silicon is increasingly common in the watch industry, it is used primarily for hairsprings. This puts Orient on the list of short brands with a proprietary silicon escape wheel that includes blue-chip names like Patek Phil...
SJX Watches
Hands On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked
Audemars Piguet (AP) has updated the coveted Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked, which makes its debut on the next-generation perpetual calendar platform that debuted last year. The new calibre allows for individual adjustment of each calendar indication using just the crown – no stylus (or toothpick) necessary. The first outing for the skeletonised version of this class-leading perpetual calendar is in titanium, with mirror polished accents in scratch-resistant Palladium BMG and pops of rose gold on the dial and case back, though more colourways are sure to come in due time. Initial thoughts The latest generation of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is arguably AP’s strongest product. It is heir to the archetypal integrated bracelet perpetual calendar sports watch, which, until recently, was held back to some extent by what had become a dated movement. In fairness, the same can be said of its obvious competitors from Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. That changed in 2025 when the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar was upgraded with the AP’s latest perpetual calendar movement, a significant release befitting the brand’s 150th anniversary year. The calibre 7138 introduced individual correction of the date, day, month, and moon phase using only the crown, allowing for quick adjustment without tools and with greater flexibility, and support for more indications, than existing solutions. And while we already understood the movement’s clever functionality, it rema...
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