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Results for Vallée de Joux

23,023 articles · 2,256 videos found · page 490 of 843

Raymond Weil Introduces the Millesime Shellman Edition SJX Watches
Breguet numeral Jan 28, 2025

Raymond Weil Introduces the Millesime Shellman Edition

Japanese retailer Shellman has given Raymond Weil’s vintage-inspired Millesime a gentle makeover with the Millesime Centre Seconds Shellman Limited Edition. While staying faithful to the original in overall style, the Shellman edition incorporates numerous subtle tweaks that reflect the detail-oriented approach of Japanese watch enthusiasts. The Shellman edition features a domed, “sector” dial with a two-tone “champagne gold” finish with a single Breguet numeral at 12 o’clock. But more notable is the case, which resembles the standard version on its face, but is actually thinner at just 9.25 mm, giving the watch a surprisingly slim profile. Initial thoughts In keeping with Shellman’s past limited editions, the new Millesime is vintage inspired and thoughtfully designed. Though it resembles the standard models in many ways, the Shellman edition is substantively different in several key respects, including with the two-tone, domed dial and thinner case. These refinements enhance the vintage flavour of the watch, and also give it better proportions. However, the typography for the brand name and “Automatic” is identical to that of the standard model. While the modern font doesn’t have the same vintage feel as the rest of the design, the print is in dark grey and less prominent. The Shellman edition is priced at JPY308,000 with taxes, or around US$1,950, which is about the same as the standard model. With its greater appeal and limited numbers, it is an ea...

Autodromo Introduces the Monoposto Mobil 1 Edition Worn & Wound
Breitling clocks Jan 28, 2025

Autodromo Introduces the Monoposto Mobil 1 Edition

From Steve McQueen’s Heuer Monaco to Breitling clocks in Bentley GTs, there’s simply no denying how inextricably linked cars and wristwatches are. The mechanical artistry exhibited in both of their productions demonstrates how creativity and engineering can produce incredible pieces of technology with a hint of style and flair. Autodromo––a watch brand inspired by the history and allure of the automotive industry––is set to release a limited-edition variant of their Monoposto timepiece in collaboration with Mobil 1 to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary of their synthetic motor oil. Limited to 100 pieces for the stainless-steel variant and 50 pieces for the gold tone variant, this model is the first re-issue of the original three-hand Monoposto produced by Autodromo in 2012.  Let’s start off with the Mobile 1 Edition’s specs. Both steel and gold tone cases have a rather large 43mm diameter, employing the design principles utilized in “the oversized dashboard gauges of 1950s ‘monopostos’ or single seater racing cars,” according to Autodromo. The watch’s wire lugs support 20mm handmade Italian buffalo leather straps fitted with stainless roller buckles. Powering the piece is the dependable Miyota 9039, an automatic 24-jewel movement with hacking and hand winding, beating at a solid 4 Hz with a power reserve of approximately 42 hours. The movement can be admired through the exhibition caseback featuring Mobil 1 branding and other informatio...

Why the Seiko Astron Might be the Most Important Watch of the 20th Cen Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko Jan 28, 2025

Why the Seiko Astron Might be the Most Important Watch of the 20th Cen

Among today’s Seiko watch models and collections, it’s fair to say that the Seiko Astron does not receive nearly the amount of love from enthusiasts and collectors as do its contemporaries, like the Prospex and Presage models and even the budget-friendly 5 Sport series. And yet I believe a substantial case can be made that the Astron — at least, the first watch to bear that name, way back at the collection’s inception in 1969 — is the most important watch of the 20th Century. The first watch to the market with a quartz movement, the Seiko Astron was a game-changer for the entire watch industry, with an impact that is still being felt today. When Seiko revived the Astron in 2012 after a long hiatus, it was with the recognition that the model represented a quantum leap in watchmaking technology and the determination to take it to the next level. Seiko has fulfilled that promise with subsequent editions of the modern Astron, which brought GPS technology into watchmaking much as the original brought quartz. Here is the story of the Seiko Astron and its 50-plus-year journey to the cutting edge of technology. The Road to Quartz: 1952 - 1968 The quartz watch movement, as with many other groundbreaking inventions, did not emerge from a single burst of creative vision, but ultimately proved to be the most workable version of many such mechanisms, all aimed toward addressing the same industry-wide challenge. As I explore in greater depth in my article on the History of Tim...

First Look – The Punchy Pink Louis Erard Regulator x Sylvie Fleury Monochrome
Louis Erard Regulator x Sylvie Fleury Jan 28, 2025

First Look – The Punchy Pink Louis Erard Regulator x Sylvie Fleury

Under Manuel Emch’s capable and creative leadership, Louis Erard has evolved from relative obscurity to become an exciting player on the watch scene, offering original timepieces by contemporary artists, designers and watchmakers. However, what makes Louis Erard’s doubly attractive is the combination of original content with accessible prices. The notion that a handcrafted Grand Feu […]

Aquastar Introduces the Benthos Heritage II SJX Watches
Doxa also Jan 28, 2025

Aquastar Introduces the Benthos Heritage II

A historical brand that was recently revived, Aquastar continues to mine its past catalogue with the Benthos Heritage II, a contemporary interpretation the original Benthos diver’s watch of 1970. Drawing on sketches from Aquastar’s archives, the new release has a typical 1970s style with a “turtle” case that’s a suitably compact 40 mm in diameter, but with a modern-day ceramic bezel insert and Sellita movement. Initial thoughts The Benthos Heritage II is essentially an affordable, wearable dive watch with contemporary specifications and materials. While the brand’s earlier Benthos was a substantial 42 mm by 15.4 mm, the new model is scaled down, reduced by 2 mm in diameter and 3.5 mm in thickness, giving it the smaller, vintage-like proportions that are popular today. However, Aquastar is just one of many brands producing vintage-inspired dive watches. In fact, its owner was also behind the relaunch of Doxa, also a brand specialising in vintage-remake dive watches. As a result, the new Benthos is not a unique concept, but it is well considering the price. Priced at US$1,490 on a stainless steel bracelet, the Benthos Heritage II is a decent value proposition. It’s priced similarly to other micro-brand offerings of comparable quality, but unlike startup brands, it comes with the historical background of the Aquastar brand. Part of its affordability is explained by the pre-order sales model, which means orders placed and paid for now will only be fulfilled in Ma...

The Sea-Gull Split-Second Chronograph Limited Might be the Most Affordable Rattrapante Ever Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Jan 27, 2025

The Sea-Gull Split-Second Chronograph Limited Might be the Most Affordable Rattrapante Ever

We probably sound like a broken record, saying it over and over again, but there’s really nothing quite like a genuine surprise in this hobby. It’s just that there’s so much predictability, month after month and year after year, it’s naturally the quirky and strange stuff that stands out and makes us really take notice. There are also, sometimes, watches that come along that present a truly shocking value proposition, which for those of us with watch budgets that fluctuate but are very much finite, is something that really gets us excited. Lately, we’ve taken notice of a number of independent brands offering previously exclusive complications at prices that only a few years ago would have been unheard of. We can call this the Bel Canto Effect, if you’d like, because it’s a trend that, if it didn’t start with Christopher Ward, is still very much exemplified by their affordable chiming watch. Perhaps even more unlikely than Christopher Ward dropping a chiming watch in a haute horlogerie design language, now we have word of Sea-Gull’s release of an affordable split-second chronograph, a complication that for years has been associated with the highest end brands.  The Sea-Gull Split-Second Chronograph Limited, as it’s known, is a $3,649 rattrapante chronograph presented in a classical style. It’s extremely under the radar, so much so that we genuinely wonder why more people are not talking about it. Just in case you need a refresher on what a split-secon...

Introducing – The Minimalist and Enigmatic Ulysse Nardin Blast x Amoureuxpeintre Monochrome
Ulysse Nardin Blast x Amoureuxpeintre Jan 27, 2025

Introducing – The Minimalist and Enigmatic Ulysse Nardin Blast x Amoureuxpeintre

In what might be considered a surprising change of course, Ulysse Nardin announces its collaboration with Amoureuxpeintre, an edgy urban fashion designer who has been invited to reinterpret the Blast Skeleton X. Adopting the stark minimalism associated with Amoureuxpeintre’s design philosophy, the grey monochromatic suit and blurry, frosted windows of the Blast Skeleton X give […]

Introducing – Mike Horn’s New Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro PAM01676 Monochrome
Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro PAM01676 One Jan 27, 2025

Introducing – Mike Horn’s New Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro PAM01676

One of the most publicised adventurers and a Panerai ambassador for around two decades, Mike Horn has been known to push the limits of his gears – watch included – to levels that you and I would probably never dare to imagine. Should his polar expeditions, high-altitude climbs or even underwater explorations be considered a […]

Up Close: Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé Repeater Triple-Axis Tourbillon SJX Watches
Breguet numerals Jan 27, 2025

Up Close: Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé Repeater Triple-Axis Tourbillon

Hermès is a brand with a distinctive, often whimsical, visual identity that translates well across products, even on its most complicated watches like the Arceau Duc Attelé, which combines a triple-axis central tourbillon (containing a high-frequency escapement) with a minute repeater featuring novel “tuning fork” gongs. Large, thick, and very complex, the Duc Attelé still manages to capture the elegant aesthetic of the brand, even in subtle details of the H1926 movement, like horse-shaped hammers for the repeater. Customised for Hermès, the calibre has an intricate, dense construction but is recognisable as being produced by a specialist. Initial thoughts The Duc Attelé demonstrates the strength of the Hermès house style. On the front, it looks elegant despite the size, while the movement feels appropriate even though it is third party. The watch does sit big on the wrist, though the titanium version is a little lighter in weight and visually smaller due to its dark colours. But the Arceau case has tiny lugs, so it doesn’t feel clunky. And although the case is almost 20 mm high, a good part of that is due to the highly domed crystal that accommodates the tourbillon’s height. All of the design elements, however, give it an elegant feel. These include the Breguet numerals on the domed chapter ring and the “Lift” motif tourbillon cage modelled on the elevator in the brand’s flagship store in Paris. But more than anything else, this is a watch characterise...

Aquastar Benthos H2: Revisiting the Past, With an Eye on the Present Two Broke Watch Snobs
Jan 25, 2025

Aquastar Benthos H2: Revisiting the Past, With an Eye on the Present

Aquastar's Benthos 500 holds an important spot in dive watch history. First unveiled in 1970, it stood out from the crowd with its unique chronograph-like functionality and slow-moving 60-minute elapsed-time counter. It was bold, unconventional, and ahead of its time-until the Quartz Crisis swept the industry off course. But what if quartz hadn't disrupted the market so quickly? The new Aquastar Benthos H2 wonders just that, providing a design inspired by archival drawings from the late '60s while moving it towards modern tastes and technologies.

Watches, Stories, & Gear: Rolex Discontinues the Celebration Dial, an A.I. Debate Erupts over The Brutalist, and a Big Innovation in Soup Worn & Wound
Vacheron Constantin 222 we can hardly Jan 25, 2025

Watches, Stories, & Gear: Rolex Discontinues the Celebration Dial, an A.I. Debate Erupts over The Brutalist, and a Big Innovation in Soup

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing info@wornandwound.com. A Soup Innovation Are you feeling pessimistic about the general state of the world? Are you plagued with thoughts that maybe America’s best days are behind it? Well we’re here to tell you not to let anyone tell you that this country is in decline, because Progresso – yes, the soup brand – just unveiled what has to be one of the most innovative products to hit store shelves in a generation. Are Soup Drops, a soup flavored hard candy, the product of an Oppenheimer level genius and a Manhattan Project-like initiative marshaling all of our most critical resources. Probably. Like a blue dialed Vacheron Constantin 222, we can hardly believe it took so long for someone to think of this.  The Brutalist and AI in Hollywood A debate is brewing in Hollywood over the use of AI, specifically in the newly minted 10 time Oscar nominee The Brutalist. Last week, news broke that the film makes use of an AI tool to make some of the Hungarian dialogue in the movie (spoken in voiceover) sound more authentic. It effectively takes Adrien Brody’s actual voice and augments it to make him sound mor...

REVIEW: What We Love About The New Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton WatchAdvice
Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Jan 24, 2025

REVIEW: What We Love About The New Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton

For LVMH Watch Week, Zenith adds to their Defy Skyline collection, taking their Defy Skyline Chronograph and giving it the skeleton treatment. And it’s good! What We Love The skeleton dial looks stunning, especially in blue It has a great wrist presence Quick change strap and bracelet makes it easy to change looks What We Don’t No date! But I can maybe overlook that. Bracelet has no micro-adjust, so a perfect fit isn’t as easy to achieve The lume could be brighter on the hands and indices Overall Score: 8.9 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 For those of you who are familiar with Zenith’s Defy Skyline range the new Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton will be a watch that has come as no surprise to you. It’s the natural evolution of the Defy Skyline range as we saw last year with the Defy Skyline Skeleton coming out and then the Defy Skyline Chronograph. This new model does justice to both of those models in a fusion that works wonderfully well. RELATED READING: Hands On Review With The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph So when I heard that the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph was getting a makeover and the skeleton treatment, I was a little excited to see how these would look, and more importantly, how they looked on the wrist in daylight. If I cast my mind back to the middle of last year when I had the trio of Skyline Chronographs at my disposal, I recall that they all looked great and felt great on the wrist. I ended ...

Hands-On: the Astor+Banks Sea Ranger M2 Worn & Wound
Jan 24, 2025

Hands-On: the Astor+Banks Sea Ranger M2

Earlier this month when Kat Shoulders and I were discussing the concept of the “gateway watch” on the Worn & Wound podcast, the Astor+Banks Sea Ranger M2 was sitting just out of reach on my desk. I didn’t mention the newest iteration of the Sea Ranger concept in our discussion, but I very easily could have. This is a rock solid sports watch made by a micro-brand that has proven to be foundational in the space over the years, with just a little bit more than meets the eye when it comes to the finer details. Those details are the kinds of things that make a watch buyer a watch enthusiast, and there’s no doubt about it, Astor+Banks is an enthusiast focused brand. Still, the Sea Ranger M2 strikes me as the type of watch that, if it existed ten years ago, would be an easy recommendation for someone just starting out.  The Sea Ranger M2 is positioned as a do-it-all adventure and tool watch, with a litany of impressive specs: 300 meters of water resistance, soft iron plates shielding the movement from magnetism, a pair of screw down crowns, a quick-adjust clasp (more on that later) and a La Joux-Perret movement with a 68 hour power reserve. These, for the most part, are calling cards of the modern tool watch, a baseline for what a brand has to do in order to claim their watch is a true go-anywhere-do-anything kind of timepiece. The micro-brand space is saturated (perhaps oversaturated) with watches in this genre, so it takes some work to stand out from the crowd. I don...

Christopher Ward Introduces the Dune Aeolian Collection Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Introduces Jan 24, 2025

Christopher Ward Introduces the Dune Aeolian Collection

Watching Christopher Ward’s progression over the last twenty years has been a joy. From a plucky micro-brand, it has grown into the most significant watch brand in the UK. When watch industry veteran Mike Pearson joined their team as North American Brand Director about a year ago, I knew our side of the pond was in for a treat. It wasn’t long before he took Christopher Ward on the road throughout the continent, and luckily for me, one of the stops was in my backyard. We had been friends for years online, and this was finally an opportunity to meet in person. Seeing many Christopher Ward watches in the metal was also a great opportunity. It was a real treat to experience the Bel Canto in person and handle the newly released C60 Lumière dive watches. I was also incredibly excited to see the Twelve X, a piece I had written about a few months earlier. One item that was notably missing from the lineup was their Oracle collaborative piece, the C65 Dune Shoreline. This omission was understandable since it was limited to just 100 pieces. However, if you liked that design, we have some great news. Christopher Ward is launching a new collection called C65 Dune Aeolian, featuring textured wave dials, available in two case materials, with a GMT option. The Dune Aeolian Automatic features the stainless steel C65 light catcher case, which has a diameter of 38mm, a thickness of 11.9mm, and a lug-to-lug length of 43.7mm. This makes it universally wearable on wrists of all sizes. Ther...

Introducing – The Nomos Ludwig Neomatik Limited Edition x Doctors Without Borders Monochrome
Nomos Ludwig Neomatik Limited Edition Jan 24, 2025

Introducing – The Nomos Ludwig Neomatik Limited Edition x Doctors Without Borders

Nomos, the independent German watch brand based in Glashütte, the cradle of Germany’s finest watchmaking traditions, was founded in 1990 and has earned a merited reputation for high-quality craftsmanship, in-house movements and minimalist designs. As the largest producer of mechanical watches in Germany, Nomos is also keen to lend a helping hand to humanitarian associations […]

Introducing – The Hermès Arceau Petite Lune Returns in a Blue Lacquered Version Monochrome
Hermes Jan 24, 2025

Introducing – The Hermès Arceau Petite Lune Returns in a Blue Lacquered Version

One of France’s oldest family-owned and run luxury companies, Hermès started life in 1837 as a producer of harnesses and saddles in Paris. Renowned for its impeccable artisanal craftsmanship and intrepid artistic flair, Hermès manages to endow its watches with a singular dash of poetry. The equestrian-inspired profile of the Arceau, which has hosted poetic […]

Editorial: LVMH Reveals Movement Strategy with Bulgari Serpenti Automatic SJX Watches
Bulgari Serpenti Automatic Bulgari’s flagship Jan 24, 2025

Editorial: LVMH Reveals Movement Strategy with Bulgari Serpenti Automatic

Bulgari’s flagship launch at the recent LVMH Watch Week was the mechanical version of its signature watch, the Serpenti Automatic. Available as a Seduttori with a conventional bracelet and a Tubogas multi-loop bracelet version, the Serpenti Automatic is stays faithful to the model in terms of design. But the new Serpenti is notable for what’s inside: the newly developed Lady Solotempo BVS100 movement, which reveals LVMH’s plans for its watch division, which is now led by Frédéric Arnault. Conceived as a compact workhorse with a useful 50-hour power reserve, the BVS100 is an industrial calibre created by Bulgari, but it will be produced by sister brand Zenith, creating an “ecosystem” for the LVMH watch brands. The Serpenti Tubogas Automatic with its distinctive flexible, looped bracelet Initial thoughts The Serpenti is iconic Bulgari, and the BVS100 is an interesting, albeit industrial and cost-efficient, movement. But the most interesting section in the announcement of the Serpenti Automatic wasn’t about the watches themselves, but the background of the calibre: “The BVS100… developed and currently produced by Bvlgari in Le Sentier, is expected to be included in the future catalog of in-house movements available to other LVMH group Maisons and to be manufactured by Zenith… Bvlgari is proud to contribute to the manufacturing ecosystem established by LVMH in support of Watchmaking excellence and craftsmanship in Switzerland.” The “catalog of in-house ...

Bulgari Introduces the Serpenti Automatic SJX Watches
Bulgari Introduces Jan 24, 2025

Bulgari Introduces the Serpenti Automatic

Bulgari upgrades its signature snake-inspired watch with an all-new, in-house movement. Retaining the familiar oval case, the Serpenti Automatic debuts in two variants, the Serpenti Seduttori Automatic and Serpenti Tubogas Automatic, both equipped with the BVS100 calibre. A hint of where the LVMH watch brands are going, the BVS100 is a compact, workhorse automatic movement developed by Bulgari and slated to be produced by sister brand Zenith for other brands in the LVMH stable. Initial thoughts The historical Serpenti in enamel is arguably an iconic women’s watch, and the modern-day take on the design is bigger, bolder, and sports cleaner lines. While the Serpenti Seduttori is more subtle, the Tubogas version is especially compelling with its double-twirl bracelet that is classic Bulgari. The in-house movement is a worthy upgrade for this iconic design, although the movement is an industrial calibre rather than a high-end creation. That, however, is reflected in the relatively affordable price of the entry-level models, which start at about US$10,000. While the price is on the high side for a time-only watch with a straightforward automatic movement, it can be rationalised by the iconic design and excellent bracelet work, even on the base models. All-new movement The Serpenti Seduttori is offered in seven distinct variations - stainless steel, yellow gold, rose gold, rose gold two-tone, and white gold - with the option of diamond settings for the yellow gold and whit...

Ming Introduces the 37.09 Uni SJX Watches
Ming Jan 24, 2025

Ming Introduces the 37.09 Uni

Ming has unveiled the 37.09 Uni, the latest addition to its line of dive watches. Sharing the same architecture as its predecessor-the 37.09 Bluefin, the “Uni” has a black-and-orange aesthetic along with 600 m of water resistance. According to Ming, the livery of the 37.09 Uni takes inspiration from the sea urchin, uni in Japanese. The watch features a DLC-coated stainless steel case and an orange scaled on the inner sapphire dial that measures elapsed time. Initial thoughts I appreciate the distinctive Ming aesthetic with its signature flared lugs and minimalist here. Here it’s combined with a sapphire dial and subtle orange accents, and the result is appealing. The 37.09 Uni, however, costs CHF5,250, which is steep price tag for what it is. Although the overall execution is elaborate, it’s still a micro-brand dive watch equipped with an inexpensive (albeit customised) Sellita movement. While there was a moment during the pandemic where micro-brand offerings somehow made sense at various points of the price spectrum, due in part to the unavailability of everything else, but that time has passed. For Ming fans, the new diver is an appealing watch, but for everyone else there are alternatives. Uni Designed in the familiar Ming style, the DLC-coated stainless steel case is compact at 38 mm in diameter, though it has the height of a dive watch at 12.8 mm in thickness. Entirely matte brushed, the case sports a stepped bezel and domed sapphire crystal. Two oversized c...