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Results for Vallée de Joux

23,002 articles · 2,447 videos found · page 443 of 849

Ulysse Nardin’s Entry-Level Freak in Crystalium SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin s Entry-Level Freak Sep 4, 2025

Ulysse Nardin’s Entry-Level Freak in Crystalium

The latest iteration of Ulysse Nardin’s most affordable Freak is the Freak X Crystalium, a limited edition that blends the disruptive Freak aesthetic with a novel decorative element in the form of a dial in Crystalium. Though it has an almost organic look, Crystalium is actually the result of crystallised ruthenium deposited via physical vapour deposition (PVD). The advanced, unusual material is decorative, yet harks back to the Freak’s origins as a materials pioneer. Initial thoughts The Freak has been a core collection in Ulysse Nardin’s roster since the first model was launched back in 2001. The line has been defined by disruptive and bold technical construction and a pioneering use of silicon. But lately it feels watered down; the Freak X dials back on the exotic tech to make the iconic design more attainable. And the many iterations of the Freak X don’t help its case.  But paradoxically the new Freak X is a return to one of the core values of the Freak series: materials science. Ulysse Nardin experimented with all sorts of materials over the years with the Freak as a platform, ranging from the DIAMonSIL escapement to silicon movement bridges to mono block oscillators. The Freak X Crystalium employs new material, but this time it serves an aesthetic function as opposed to a mechanical one. The large rotating disk which serves as the dial’s foundation is covered in an organic-seeming, quartz-like glittering surface that’s the result of years of research.  ...

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In-Depth: Ferdinand Berthoud Tests the Limits of ‘Hand Made’ SJX Watches
Chopard Sep 4, 2025

In-Depth: Ferdinand Berthoud Tests the Limits of ‘Hand Made’

Few brands approach marine chronometer-style wristwatches with the intensity of Ferdinand Berthoud (FB). Fewer still have the capacity to produce a watch that is truly hand made. The brand has leaned into these strengths to good effect with the Naissance d’une Montre 3, which is perhaps the most labour-intensive wristwatch ever created. Marking the third official chapter of the Time Æon Foundation’s Naissance d’une Montre project, the Montre 3 is the byproduct of a six year quest to thoroughly document the steps required to make a chain and fusee wristwatch using only hand-operated tools. While the production of the Montre 3 involves more than 80 individuals from both FB and its parent Chopard, the labour involved equates to roughly a full year’s work for five people to produce each of the 11 pieces that will be made in the coming years. Initial thoughts It’s easy to feel jaded about the smoke and mirrors of luxury watch marketing, with terms like ‘hand made’ and ‘in-house’ used all too freely, making it difficult to separate the signal from the noise. Make no mistake, the Montre 3 is, in some ways, what all traditional haute horlogerie watches aspire to be, and takes the concept of hand craftsmanship to its absolute limit. The Montre 3 is neither inventive nor complicated, but the intrinsic quality of its construction is immediately obvious and breathtaking in its own right. To some extent, the simplicity of the 44.3 mm white gold case demonstrates the ...

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In-Depth – The Return of the TAG Heuer TH-Carbonspring Oscillator, Inside new Carbon Monaco and Carrera Models Monochrome
TAG Heuer TH-Carbonspring Oscillator Inside new Sep 4, 2025

In-Depth – The Return of the TAG Heuer TH-Carbonspring Oscillator, Inside new Carbon Monaco and Carrera Models

Since Christiaan Huygens paired a balance wheel and spiral spring in 1675, the hairspring has been the beating heart of every mechanical watch. Its material has always dictated chronometric performance. Steel, used for centuries, suffered from magnetism and temperature drift. Special alloys developed in the 20th century improved reliability – from Elinvar to Nivarox/Nivachron, made […]

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First Look – The Artistic Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bulgari Monochrome
Bulgari If you are attending Sep 4, 2025

First Look – The Artistic Octo Finissimo Lee Ufan x Bulgari

If you are attending the sixth edition of Geneva Watch Days, don’t miss Bulgari’s retrospective of the Octo Finissimo’s impressive trajectory in the ultra-thin watchmaking arena since 2014.  Alongside the record-breaking models is a new Octo Finissimo collaboration model made with Korean artist Lee Ufan, the latest in a long line of artists and architects […]

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In-Depth: TAG Heuer Achieves Carbon Hairspring Industrialisation SJX Watches
TAG Heuer Achieves Carbon Hairspring Industrialisation Sep 4, 2025

In-Depth: TAG Heuer Achieves Carbon Hairspring Industrialisation

TAG Heuer is marking the rollout of its new-and-improved, and in-house, carbon hairsprings – timed to coincide with the 350th anniversary of the hairspring’s invention – with a pair of chronographs: the Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring and Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport TH-Carbonspring. More than just two new watches, the TH-Carbonspring is a notable technical achievement that might promise an entirely new generation of TAG Heuer movements equipped with oscillators that boast all of the advantages of silicon, but with added robustness. Protected by several patents, TH-Carbonspring is also the result of a fascinating process of research and development to overcome a surprising problem. Kitted out in carbon composite dials and cases, the two watches are centred on TAG Heuer’s latest-generation carbon-nanocomposite balance springs, with each being a limited edition of just 50 pieces Initial thoughts Both models serve as a launch platform for TAG Heuer’s improved and industrialisation-ready carbon hairspring. While the brand has been flirting with carbon hairsprings since 2019, its use of the technology has been intermittent and on limited scale. TAG Heuer explains previous attempts at carbon springs were not up to the brand’s standards, which is to say the hairsprings did not perform as expected and could not be produced at scale. The new TH-Carbonspring indicates TAG Heuer has perfected the technology to make reliable hairsprings, which m...

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Hands-on – The New Laurent Ferrier Classic Tourbillon in Teal Green (Incl. Video) Monochrome
Laurent Ferrier Sep 4, 2025

Hands-on – The New Laurent Ferrier Classic Tourbillon in Teal Green (Incl. Video)

Laurent Ferrier is among the most laureled independent watchmakers in recent years, and for good reason. The brand seems to effortlessly blend shapes, colours and mechanics into fascinating yet elegantly discreet watches, even if we’re dealing with a world timer or a tourbillon watch. A prime example is the Sport Auto, one of Frank Geelen’s (our […]

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Creating Cultural Moments at the Windup Watch Shop’s Brooklyn Showroom with the “Giles” Film Premiere Worn & Wound
Sep 3, 2025

Creating Cultural Moments at the Windup Watch Shop’s Brooklyn Showroom with the “Giles” Film Premiere

When we first opened the doors to our Windup Watch Shop’s Brooklyn-based showroom in December of last year, the idea was simple: create a space where people could engage with watches and gear in a more meaningful way. Over the past nine months, that idea has grown into something larger-a cultural hub where community, creativity, and horology all intersect. Recently, the showroom took on a new role as a screening space for the documentary short Giles. Directed by filmmaker and documentarian Taylor Scott Mason, and featuring the work of photographer-turned-watchmaker Giles Clement, this doc dives into the process of designing and building a watch from scratch. On the night of the premiere, the showroom transformed into a small theater with seating for our special guests. Collectors, enthusiasts, and friends of the brand gathered for the screening, which was followed by a live Q&A; with both the director and subject of the film. The conversation offered a behind-the-scenes look not only at the making of the film, but also at both the creative and quirky ups and downs of bringing a watch concept to life in Brooklyn. Taylor Scott Mason brings a rich, global perspective to the film. Originally from Washington state and now based in Brooklyn, Mason moved to New York City in 2006 and has since built a diverse body of work across documentary, commercial, and editorial filmmaking-working in over 50 countries and highlighting his robust experience in storytelling through visual ...

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Czapek Introduces the New Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R. Worn & Wound
Czapek Introduces Sep 3, 2025

Czapek Introduces the New Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R.

It’s hard to think that the first Antarctique is just five years old. In that time, what started as a bit of a surprise from a relatively unknown independent brand has become core to our understanding of independent sports watches, and the Antarctique in particular has become one of watchmaking’s most compelling platforms. Whether it be interpreted as a compact time-only sports watch or a highly complicated marvel, the Antarctique has been hard to ignore. Now, Czapek is bringing back one of its most notable variations - with a bit of a twist. The Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante ‘R.U.R.’ builds on what may be the most compelling Antarctiques to date (the GPHG Nominated Rattrapante Ice Blue), but brings in a bit of sci-fi to turn it into something fun and different. The new grey and blue colorway is a big part of this, as is the use of a fictional robotic language inspired by the Predator movies, but the most notable addition when compared to the Rattrapante Ice Blue is undoubtedly the inclusion of a robot’s head at 12 o’clock. This micro-sculpture - which, in titanium, is hand-polished, laser-engraved, and micro-painted to achieve an impressive amount of fine detail and depth - was made for Czapek by MD’Art, who previously collaborated with Czapek to make the mirror-finished dial used on the Antarctique S Mirrored Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition last year. The robot head sits just above the column wheel on the dial side of the watch and has eyes that cha...

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What is a Chronograph Watch? Teddy Baldassarre
Sep 3, 2025

What is a Chronograph Watch?

Chronograph watches are among the most popular styles of timepieces: iconic models like the Rolex Daytona, Omega Speedmaster, TAG Heuer Carrera, and Breitling Navitimer, for example, have become some of the most famous and collectible watches in the modern era and have contributed to the enduring appeal of the chronograph to generations of enthusiasts. If you're new to the watch game, however, you might be wondering not only what all the buzz is about but what these watches actually do that makes them so special. Read on for a comprehensive primer on chronograph watches, from their earliest ancestors to the most ambitious, avant-garde timekeeping technology available in chronographs today. Chronograph vs. Chronometer As I explore in depth in our guide to chronometers, one of the first hurdles to clear for newcomers to watch appreciation is the clarification of two very common horological categories: Chronometer and Chronograph. Quite simply, a chronometer (from the Greek chronos, meaning time, and meter, meaning measure) is any watch or clock that keeps reliably accurate time, usually as determined by an outside independent testing agency, whereas a chronograph (from chronos and graph, i.e., to “write time”) is any watch or clock with the ability to track and record intervals of time, aka a stopwatch. The terms are not interchangeable but they are also not mutually exclusive: a watch equipped with chronograph functions can also be a chronometer if it has met a s...

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First Look – The Furlan Marri Disco Volante Diamonds Onyx, a Brilliant Flashback Watch Monochrome
Furlan Marri Disco Volante Diamonds Onyx Sep 3, 2025

First Look – The Furlan Marri Disco Volante Diamonds Onyx, a Brilliant Flashback Watch

When you hear the word ‘Disco’, your mind will probably wander to the era of bell-bottom jeans, platform shoes, funky music and glitter balls. But with the Disco Volante, indie watchmakers Furlan Marri travel back in time even further, rekindling design codes from the 1930s. You see, the ‘Disco’ part refers to a saucer, and […]

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Sinn U50 Review: The 500m German Diver Under $3,500 Teddy Baldassarre
Sinn Sep 2, 2025

Sinn U50 Review: The 500m German Diver Under $3,500

The Sinn U50 felt like a revelation when it was released in 2020. Sure, it was based on the larger U1, a design that dating back to 2005, but the U50 was the first to make this modern expression of Sinn design language approachable to a broader audience. As a result, the U50 falls into a rare sweet spot in size and design that you usually have to go back to the ‘90s to find. In an era when many of the great tool watch brands of yesterday are pushing upmarket with more luxurious offerings, a brand like Sinn stands defiantly committed to its core strengths. After four years of ownership, the appeal hasn’t waned. The U50 is more relevant than ever, and in my world, it remains the bar for dive watches under $3,500. I’m usually quick to point out that we are spoiled for choice when it comes to premium dive watches these days; as a genre, it’s one that many start-up microbrands are drawn to for its broad market appeal. It’s also a space that’s been heavily watered down (no pun intended) as a result. I hear enthusiasts describe modern examples through the lens of great historical examples, as those seem to be common sources for inspiration for many new (and old) brands. Truly novel ideas expressed in the dive-watch space are few and far between, but there are some truly interesting examples out there. Chief among them, as you may have discerned by now, is the Sinn U50.  Sinn U50 In Context The U50 isn’t a watch that feels like anything else. There is no old-school ...

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Orient Gilds the Retro World Map SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Breguet Sep 2, 2025

Orient Gilds the Retro World Map

Orient celebrates its 75th anniversary with a limited edition World Map, inspired by a 1969 fan favourite and priced under US$400. Distinctly retro in style, the World Map features an unusual world time arrangement using a striking map and rotating bezel for global time zones. It’s well priced and well made, and a break from the brand’s usual staples, which tend to be affordable but plain. Initial Thoughts It seems 2025 is a year of many anniversaries: Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, and of course, Orient. While never the most prominent Japanese watch manufacturer, Orient has built up a strong back catalog over 75 years, which includes the World Map. That said, I’d have preferred a reissue of the more formal looking World Trip, though I imagine the brand is saving that for the up-market Orient Star line. Beyond the watch, it’s important to remember that while Orient is a relatively small brand, it’s part of Seiko Epson, the company behind the Spring Drive UFA that made headlines this year (though a distinct entity from Seiko Watch Corporation that markets and sells Seiko and Grand Seiko watches). For the brand’s 60th anniversary, Orient equipped the Orient Star Skeleton with Japan’s first (and only) silicon escapement. With that in mind, it’s worth keeping an eye on Orient this year, as the brand has more to offer than just a pretty face. Post War Travel Ban and Boom In the aftermath of the Second World War Japan was devastated and isolated. ...

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Introducing – The Armin Strom × Revolution Dual Time GMT Resonance “Tremblage” Monochrome
Armin Strom × Revolution Dual Time Sep 2, 2025

Introducing – The Armin Strom × Revolution Dual Time GMT Resonance “Tremblage”

Possibly the most practical complication for travellers, a GMT watch allows you to consult the time in two distinct time zones at a glance. Interpreted by countless brands, Armin Strom’s take on the GMT goes one step further by incorporating the phenomenon of resonance onboard its Dual Time GMT Resonance editions. Offering two independent time […]

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Singer Reimagined Minds its Manners with the Caballero SJX Watches
Sep 2, 2025

Singer Reimagined Minds its Manners with the Caballero

Best known for its Agenhor-powered chronographs, Singer Reimagined has just released its first time-only watch, the Caballero. Inside is the Calibre-4 Solotempo representing another first, being the brand’s first proprietary movement. With four barrels powering the Caballero for six days, the Calibre-4’s distinctive architecture can be discerned from the front thanks to jewel portholes in the dial. Spanish for “gentleman”, the Caballero is available in three colourways; the piano black and empire green colours are familiar from the Heritage Collection chronographs, but the petrol blue colour is new for the brand. Though not strictly a limited edition, the watches will be rare enough, assembled in small quantities at the brand’s atelier in central Geneva. Initial thoughts There tends to be a lot of crossover between the worlds of horology and high-end cars. Fans of the latter are no-doubt familiar with Singer Vehicle Design, which has made a name for itself restoring and modifying vintage Porsche 911s – specifically the 964 of the early 1990s – elevating the model to a standard that would have been impractical in its own time. The watchmaking arm, which operates as an independent sister company, has been quietly making interesting watches since 2017, largely focused on vintage motorsport themes. For the Caballero, this inspiration is conveyed most prominently by the golden needle hub that covers up the base of the hand stack, similar to those used by vintage a...

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Introducing – The Appetising H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Smoked Salmon Monochrome
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Sep 2, 2025

Introducing – The Appetising H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Smoked Salmon

From its refined case constructions and intelligent movements to its seductive fumé dials and dashing minimalism, H. Moser & Cie. knows how to captivate the senses. Another in-house speciality is Moser’s skill in simplifying complex displays, a feat revealed with its first perpetual calendar complication in 2005. A triumph of simplicity, elegance and user-friendliness, Moser’s […]

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First Look – Three New Models in the Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Collection Monochrome
Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Collection Sep 1, 2025

First Look – Three New Models in the Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Collection

Hamilton’s latest models from the Khaki Pilot Pioneer collection have been updated with new bezels, dials and strap colours to bring a “civilian” touch to the more conservative, military-inspired watches. The collection is (loosely) based on the World War II Model 23 pocket watch for U.S. Air Force navigators and splinters off into modern 43mm […]

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