31,422 articles · 131 videos found · page 493 of 1052
Fratello
It’s no secret that we’re Speedmaster fans here at Fratello. RJ, our founder, is an avid collector of these chronographs and the mind behind #SpeedyTuesday. But not all Speedies are created equal. Today, we’re looking at some of the best modern Omega Speedmaster models. RJ, Thomas, and Nacho have tasked themselves with selecting their top […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Best Modern Omega Speedmasters to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Ming has announced their latest release, a follow up to the 29.01 Worldtimer which launched in 2023. The new 29.01 Midnight is conceived as the flipside to the original, which was presented in titanium with a blue/black gradient dial. The new watch is a blacked out version, with a DLC coating on the titanium case, and a black dial with layers of sapphire and, as we often see with Ming, loaded with lume. The release follows a bit of a pattern we saw with the 37.09, which debuted with the bright and colorful Bluefin about one year ago, and saw a darker sibling emerge several months later with the Uni. The colorway of the 29.01 Midnight is, in fact, directly lifted from the Uni, providing yet another connection between Ming watch families. The 29.01 is one of my personal favorite examples of Ming’s higher end, haute horlogery offerings, as the worldtimer format really allows the brand to flex a bit. While I think many probably associate Ming with a certain strain of minimalism, the 29.01, by necessity, is throwing a lot at you, and it’s a great accomplishment on Ming’s part that the watch is able to communicate so much so clearly. Here’s how it works. The cities representing the world’s time zones are printed on a sapphire upper dial. Below that, a metal base dial with a very subtle grained finish has the 24 hour scale printed on it. Throughout the day, the base dial rotates so that the 24 hour scale lines up with the correct time in each world city, hour by hou...
Teddy Baldassarre
My first Rolex was an Explorer II 216570 with black dial and I absolutely loved that watch. It was rarer than the GMT-Master II or Submariner, and didn’t have the ceramic bezel, which I found to be a little too glossy and “luxe” for what I was looking for in a watch at the time. I kept and wore the heck out of that watch for almost six years until I just felt like it didn’t speak to me anymore. The 42mm wide “Maxi” case seemed too big and the big, thick hour and minutes hands just began to bug me. I can’t explain why I was so dead set on the 216570 rather than the older 16570 at the time but I can certainly say that now, in 2025, the Rolex Explorer II 16570 is not just my preferred iteration of the modern spelunking watch, but an all-timer from Rolex. I’ve started to refer to the 16570 as a “Forever Rolex” because it ticks all the boxes - size, reliability, dual-time functionality, and discrete aesthetics - all while remaining one of the few Rolexes that isn’t immediately recognizable to every casual observer. Let’s take a look at why I’m such a big fan of this old-school Rolex. Case and Specs: The Other Rolex GMT Measuring 40mm wide and 12.2mm thick with a 47mm lug-to-lug height, the 16570 is an eminently wearable Rolex. And while this is very obviously a sport/tool watch, these proportions make for a very versatile and subdued piece. No, there isn’t a rotating bezel with a nickname-ready color combo here. Rather, there is a demure, fixed ...
Monochrome
While Piaget is rightfully heralded as the precursor of ultra-thin calibres, it was also a pioneer of ornamental stone dials in the early 1960s. A decade or so later, under the direction of Yves Piaget, another milestone was reached with the release of the famous gold Polo sports watch in 1979. Its sleek gold integrated […]
Worn & Wound
Seeing a watch made by Naoya Hida & Co. in person for the first time was one of those moments when you truly realize that you have to experience a watch in the metal before casting judgement. At the time, the brand was only in its second full year, and most of the people commenting on the watches in online forums, Instagram, etc. were reacting to what they perceived as an exorbitant price tag. These specific watches, after all, used a (highly) modified Valjoux 7750 as the base movement – not exactly high horology. But when you handle one of these watches, wear it, and, importantly, turn the crown, you realize you’re dealing with an object that’s largely handmade, a fully fleshed out complete thought with a singular perspective. That’s a pretty rare thing, as are the hand carved dials that have become an aesthetic signature of the brand, and truly require magnification to fully grapple with. Naoya Hida & Co. has just unveiled their new slate of watches for 2025, and I imagine we’re heading for some of the same conversations we’ve heard before, but there’s a new watch in this crop of releases that should quiet at least some of the naysayers. The marquee release in this year’s lineup is the NH Type 6A, Naoya Hida’s most complicated watch to date and their first perpetual calendar. The 6A is made in the same vintage inspired style as all of Naoya Hida’s other watches, evoking classic pieces by Patek Philippe and others (but mostly Patek, let’s be honest...
SJX Watches
Despite everything, including tariffs and a strong Swiss franc, the Geneva auction season turned out to be a strong one, with some of the strongest results being in the most surprising segments. The bigger winner this season was Phillips, which sold a bit under 200 lots for CHF43.4 million including fees, while also claiming the most valuable lots for the season, reflecting Phillips’ strong leadership and team. Despite being the market leader by some margin, the Phillips catalogue was arguably the riskiest as it included several high-value pocket watches and clocks – timepieces that not part of mainstream collecting today. Yet the gamble paid off with the most valuable timepiece this season being its Breguet Sympathique no. 1 that sold for CHF5.51 million. Christie’s achieved CHF21.2 million with a similar number of lots that were arguably more conventional in taste and format than at Phillips. One of its most valuable lots was a Cartier Crash “NSO” with a special order dial that sold for CHF736,000 – one of the biggest surprises of the season but proof that being eye-catching enough for social media is a big factor in desirability and value today. Interestingly, the Crash sold for exactly the same as the Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari. The Crash went for about 15 times the original retail, while the RM UP-01 was about half of retail. The Crash NSO “nickele” grey. Image – Christie’s Over at Antiquorum, the tally was CHF10 million – from almost 800 lot...
Hodinkee
The dark side of the Ming, if you will.
Fratello
Many love an excellent mecaquartz chronograph. Brands can spend more money on the looks of such watches thanks to their affordable movements. These watches often punch above their weight, at least visually. Others say they are cheap interpretations of the real deal, a timepiece with a mechanical movement. I received the new Nivada Chronosport Blue […] Visit Hands-On With The Nivada Grenchen Chronosport Mecaquartz Salmon to read the full article.
Hodinkee
With a super-compressor-style case and a ton of color, this could be a great pick for an elevated and exciting summer diver.
Monochrome
Girard-Perregaux has a rich history and has produced quite a few exceptional timepieces over time. The 1969 Deep Diver Ref. 9108 may not be as complex and elaborate or iconic as some of the brand’s better-known creations (Laureato, Tourbillons or Bridges, both historical and modern), but it left its mark as a rare dive watch […]
Fratello
As many of you know, the late ’60s and the first half of the ’70s were an era of design experimentation in the watch industry. While Girard-Perregaux might not be the first name on people’s tongues when it comes to funky watches from this period, don’t think the brand didn’t have any. With the Casquette […] Visit Girard-Perregaux Reintroduces The Deep Diver In Collaboration With Bamford Watch Department to read the full article.
Time+Tide
GP reimagines a funky dive watch from its 70s back catalogue with the help of British bespoke atelier Bamford Watch Department.The post Girard-Perregaux and Bamford join forces to unveil a retro classic from the past, the Deep Diver appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
What happens when you take the 2755 QP movement out of the 2017 Traditionnelle Calibre 2755 (ref. 80172/000R-B406), update the design so it caters to an audience with a more contemporary taste, and put it in the sportiest of watch designs available? You get the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Grand Complication Openface. This limited-production watch is […] Visit Introducing: The Titanium Vacheron Constantin Overseas Grand Complication Openface to read the full article.
Monochrome
It’s certainly not the first time we’re talking about Naoya Hida & Co., a niche, artisanal watchmaking company from Japan, but it’s always with great pleasure that I write these articles. NH is one of these hidden gems from the Land of the Rising Sun, a rather young company that focuses on high-end, classic designs […]
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin (VC) continues its 270th anniversary festivities with its first minute-repeating sports watch, the Overseas Grand Complication Openface. In addition to the repeater, the manually wound movement also features a perpetual calendar, tourbillon, and rear-facing power reserve indicator. All of this is housed in a titanium case rated to 30 m, which is a notable degree of water resistance for a chiming watch. This is also the first Overseas model with the “Openface” treatment, which pays homage to rock crystal dials found in vintage clocks and pocket watches with a clear sapphire dial exposing the perpetual calendar works. Image – Vacheron Constantin Initial Thoughts It’s unusual, but a chiming sports watch makes sense considering the direction of consumer preferences for complications. That said, the minute repeater has been slow to make its way into sports watches, despite enjoying renewed popularity for the past few decades, due to the challenges of waterproofing the charging slide and preserving sound quality. This has created a perception of water resistance and sound being mutually exclusive, which has only recently been challenged. Audemars Piguet was an early pioneer with water-resistant repeaters, and now Vacheron Constantin has entered the fray with a water-resistant minute-repeating integrated-bracelet sports watch of its own. While 30 m of water resistance is low compared to other models in the Overseas collection, it’s significant for a ...
Worn & Wound
The Ship of Theseus paradox involves the legendary vessel that Theseus––a Greek mythological hero who rescued the children of Athens and slayed the Minotaur of Crete––traveled on. To honor his valiant efforts, the Athenians preserved the ship and, over time, swapped parts that decayed or had become damaged, eventually replacing all of its original components. This, in turn, begs the question: is it still Theseus’ ship even if all the parts have been replaced? If not, at what point did it cease to be the original? Now that our history lecture is over, I want to utilize this idea of time and identity to talk about a topic near and dear to our watch-collecting hearts: patina. A number of journalists and enthusiasts have discussed what patina is, how it can be defined in a horological sense, and the many forms it can take, but no one (to my knowledge) has discussed when deterioration or damage becomes patina. This may seem like a rather abstract subject to discuss, but most, if not all, collectors take condition into consideration when shopping for a watch. The two main questions that will help get to the bottom of this patina paradox are: 1.) At what point does damage become patina? and 2.) Is patina just a buzzword to market a watch with lots of aesthetic flaws? The Evolution of Flaws to Patina One of patina’s most essential characteristics is its dependability on age. The natural degradation of luminous material, the color-changing properties of a dial often...
Teddy Baldassarre
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...
Monochrome
While the name Presage has been around since the 1960s, it remains one of these hidden gems that only Japan could enjoy, being one of the numerous JDM-only (Japan Domestic Market) ranges. Things changed in 2016, as Seiko decided to revamp the collection entirely and open it to the world. Since then, this collection has […]
Quill & Pad
Today, secondary prices for many brands sit are at 4-year lows, while retail prices climb ever-higher – particularly due to the impact of tariffs in the US. As the gap between retail and market widens, the secondary market now offers some of the best deals seen this decade.
Monochrome
Long considered the domain of delicate watches, grandes complications (in the more extensive use of the term, and not the traditional definition of the grande complication – repeater + chrono + calendar) have found their way into collections designed for adventure. The incorporation of complications reflects a broader change in watchmaking, where tradition is no […]
Fratello
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss a recent news story about another questionable vintage watch. We aren’t taking sides, but it allows us to mention, yet again, the pain it causes the hobby. Still, plenty of great pieces are out there if you do your homework. This podcast […] Visit Fratello On Air: How Vintage Watch Shenanigans Hurt The Hobby to read the full article.
Fratello
Maybe you can’t call it a comeback - thanks, LL Cool J - but in a way, Corum is making a comeback. Founded in 1955 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the brand recently announced a return to Swiss ownership. It was part of the Hong Kong-based Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group for 12 years. But following a […] Visit Corum Is Making A Swiss-Owned Comeback - What Can We Expect? to read the full article.
Monochrome
German watchmaking company Stowa has been around for more than a century, and throughout that time, it became primarily known for two things: pilots’ watches and marine chronometers. These instruments were crucial in the early days of navigating the seas, as they were vital instruments in pinpointing where you were on your journey and where […]
Hodinkee
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Switzerland has climbed to the front of the queue for trade deals.
Teddy Baldassarre
The Grand Seiko “Snowflake” is not just a watch that helped define Grand Seiko as a luxury brand to be reckoned with in the 21st Century: it is also at the vanguard of an industry-wide movement toward making dials more beautiful, enticing, and unique - not only with the bold use of color, but with textures that play with the concept of 3D space and the interplay of light and shadow. Nearly every Grand Seiko model of note can claim a dial (and often a nickname) with a distinctly eye-catching motif, usually inspired by the breathtaking natural wonders of the company’s native Japan. Other luxury watch brands have noticed and followed suit - from luxury leaders like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet, to attainable brands like little-brother Seiko and its main competitor, Citizen. The “Snowflake,” Grand Seiko’s first and still most famous textured dial, is arguably the OG of this trend; here is the story of how it came to be and where it stands today. As success stories for new watch brands go, it’s hard to find a better case study in the past decade than Grand Seiko. The Japanese high-luxury watchmaker has, in its relatively short stint in the international market, elevated itself in the eyes of many collectors to the upper echelon of watchmaking prestige and collectibility, competing for connoisseur attention and dollars with well-established maisons from Switzerland and Germany. This plaudit, of course, comes with a caveat: Grand Seiko is not ...
Time+Tide
Hitting the open water? We highly recommend adding one of these watches to your kit list before setting sail.The post The 8 best sailing watches to wear on the open seas appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Collaborations are one of the hottest trends in watchmaking today, as brands, high and low, team up with artists, retailers, collectors – you name it – to create special customised editions. The latest collaboration involves Italian powerhouse Bulgari and Gübelin, the Swiss, family-owned jewellery and watch retailer. The model selected is the Octo Finissimo Skeleton […]
Worn & Wound
It’s deja vu all over again. Just last week, we brought you news of Tudor’s latest release in carbon fiber, a Black Bay Chronograph made to celebrate their partnership with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 team. Just days after that announcement, Tudor followed up with yet another carbon chrono, this one built on the FXD platform. As with all of Tudor’s carbon watches to date, this new FXD Chrono has a very specific sports tie in as well, demonstrating that Tudor’s connections to the sports world are broad, and they’re likely to continue supporting their partners with new watches along the way. The new Pelagos FXD Chrono “Pink” is a sequel of sorts to the Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” released a year ago. Both releases were timed to coincide with the Giro d’Italia, the famed Italian cycling race for which Tudor is the official timekeeper. Last year’s watch had prominent red accents, a design meant to evoke the colors of the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, this one has gone pink as a tribute to the race itself. The leader at the beginning of each stage dons a pink jersey, the “Maglia Rosa,” so the color has a deep connection to the race and Italian cycling culture. The pink accents on the tachymeter scale and the 9 and 3 o’clock subdials, contrast nicely with the black dial, and complement the fabric strap with pink striping down the center. As with last years Cycling release, the tachymeter scale here is set up to time cycling speeds as oppo...
Deployant
Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils the Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in pink gold, fitted with a Milanese bracelet and dial also in pink gold.
Fratello
Vertex is a brand with a storied past. It was one of the watchmakers that provided watches to the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) during World War II. The watch we are looking at today, the Vertex M36, pays homage to that watch from the 1940s. Let’s take a look. Recently, I spent several weeks […] Visit Hands-On With The Vertex M36 to read the full article.
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