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Results for La Joux-Perret

3,618 articles · 10 videos found · page 50 of 121

Introducing: The Oris ProPilot X Gonzo Edition (Live Pics) Hodinkee
Oris ProPilot X Gonzo Edition Sep 2, 2026

Introducing: The Oris ProPilot X Gonzo Edition (Live Pics)

What We Know Oh hey. It's me, your resident Muppets enthusiast here at the 'Dink. I'm a proud owner of the first collaboration between Oris and The Muppets, the ProPilot X Kermit Edition, and last year, I covered the follow-up ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition, which took the creative exercise in a very different direction. In all honesty, I thought that might have been the end of the partnership between Oris and Disney regarding the Muppets, but it looks like they're not quite done yet. Today, Oris announces its Muppets hat trick with the new ProPilot X Gonzo Edition. Gonzo in his peppery shirt. © Disney. The third entry continues to see an iconic Muppets character introduced and incorporated into a different model within the ProPilot X line. Kermit showed his face on the date window of the 39mm ProPilot X Cal. 400 in titanium, and Miss Piggy hid on the winding rotor of the 34mm ProPilot X in steel. For the third entry in the Muppets series, Oris has taken "go big or go home" in a much more literal sense by pairing the Great Gonzo, the death-defying stuntmuppet, with the largest watch in the ProPilot X line, the ProPilot X Calibre 115. The titanium case of this grade 2 titanium ProPilot X has a diameter of 44mm, a thickness of 12.6mm, and an expansive lug-to-lug measurement of 52mm. But the case is large because the movement is very large, with the manually wound Calibre 115 inside featuring a giant mainspring barrel that gives the watch a whopping ten days of power reserve....

Introducing: The Oris Social Club Edition II Hodinkee
Oris Social Club Edition II Sep 2, 2026

Introducing: The Oris Social Club Edition II

What We Know As part of the brand's varied releases for Geneva Watch Days, Oris has announced the Social Club Edition II, a special creation sold exclusively online in partnership with the Oris Social Club. The group spans some 62 chapters all over the world, and the latest offering to the acolytes is a handsome expression of the Aquis Relief that incorporates a green nylon NATO-style strap.  Measuring in at 43.5mm, the Social Club Edition II builds upon the standard Aquis Relief by complementing the steel bezel design with a frosted silver finish for the dial. Look a bit closer, and you'll see that there is an easter egg for the date, too, as the first-of-the-month position will feature an image of Oris' mascot, the Oris Bear. Flip the watch over, and you'll find a custom caseback showing the Oris factory in Holstein and "OSC | INT" to mark the club's international membership.  The full specs are provided below, but the Oris Social Club Edition II is 13.1mm thick and 51mm lug to lug with 300 meters of water resistance protecting the Oris 733 movement within. The 733 is based on the Sellita SW 200-1 and is an automatic, Swiss-made movement that ticks at 4 Hz and offers a date, which, for this model, is at 6 o'clock.  Perhaps most interesting – or perhaps I just like NATO straps – Oris has elected to fit lug adapters to the Aquis' proprietary lugs to enable the use of a green NATO strap. The Oris Social Club Edition II is not limited and will be available in Septembe...

Paying Homage To “The Troublemaker Of Watchmaking” With The M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese Fratello
Sep 1, 2026

Paying Homage To “The Troublemaker Of Watchmaking” With The M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese

Ask any watch fan about the different M.A.D.Editions, and you’ll probably hear about the wacky, colorful aspects of the M.A.D.1 or the bonkers and fun modifications to the standard off-the-shelf caliber that powers the watches. For the new M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese, the brand presents a watch that almost looks deceivingly modest. But we all know […] Visit Paying Homage To “The Troublemaker Of Watchmaking” With The M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese to read the full article.

Miroir Image: Berneron Inverts the Mirage SJX Watches
Montblanc Unveiled Secret” Sep 1, 2026

Miroir Image: Berneron Inverts the Mirage

Berneron is following the release of its most complicated model with its simplest: the Mirage Miroir. An inverted variant of the popular Mirage 38, the Miroir flips the script to put the golden calibre on display in lieu of a traditional dial. Initial thoughts I’ve been looking forward to the launch of the Miroir since seeing the 3D-printed plastic prototype earlier this year. The inverted format is not especially new, but the Miroir is probably hitting the trend in stride. Beyond the popularity of the mirrored concept itself, Berneron’s house style for movement finishing suits being put on display. Unfortunately, the inverted format precludes a dial. This isn’t a critique of the Miroir as much as it is a weakness shared across the category. Of course, watches like this exist because for many collectors, the opportunity to see the movement — which in this case offers a rich palette of materials and textures — is preferable to looking at a dial. Rather than expose the relatively uninteresting dial side of the main plate, Berneron has opted for a closed case back, similar to the Montblanc “Unveiled Secret”. This choice gives the compact watch surprising heft and a low-profile feel on the wrist. The Miroir also introduces the brand’s first bracelet, which embodies the same detail-oriented approach to construction that Berneron puts into its watches. I tried on an early example of the bracelet back in April, and even then the quality was obvious — the alterna...

Murphy Cooper’s Choice: The Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm With A New Blue Dial Fratello
Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm Sep 1, 2026

Murphy Cooper’s Choice: The Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm With A New Blue Dial

I bet that, if given a choice, Murphy Cooper would wear a different watch. In Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (2014), “Murph” wears a black-dial watch with vintage elements, like cathedral hands, and probably a 42mm case. This gift from her father is pretty similar to the 2019 commercial release. A 38mm watch would fit her wrist […] Visit Murphy Cooper’s Choice: The Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm With A New Blue Dial to read the full article.

You Don’t Wanna Mess With The Black-Dial Certina DS-2 Powermatic 80 On A Steel Mesh Bracelet Fratello
Certina DS-2 Powermatic 80 Aug 29, 2026

You Don’t Wanna Mess With The Black-Dial Certina DS-2 Powermatic 80 On A Steel Mesh Bracelet

Yes, this watch’s origins unmistakably lie in the 1960s. Still, the black-dial Certina DS-2 on a steel mesh bracelet seems to be in the right place at the right time. Its black lacquered dial, sharp lines, and steel mesh bracelet give it a look you don’t want to mess with. We almost didn’t dare tell […] Visit You Don’t Wanna Mess With The Black-Dial Certina DS-2 Powermatic 80 On A Steel Mesh Bracelet to read the full article.

Introducing - The Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Animal Kingdom Monochrome
Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Tribute Aug 28, 2026

Introducing - The Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Animal Kingdom

Vacheron Constantin has long been one of the great names in artistic watchmaking, regularly using engraving, enamelling, guilloché and other traditional crafts to transform the dial into a canvas. For this new collection, part of the Maison’s “One of Not Many Crafts Programme”, the project brings together six artists and six disciplines into the world […]

Vacheron Constantin’s Adventures in the Animal Kingdom SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin s Adventures Aug 28, 2026

Vacheron Constantin’s Adventures in the Animal Kingdom

As part of the brand’s “One of Not Many Crafts” programme, Vacheron Constantin is experimenting with a series of concept watches decorated with unexpected artisanal crafts, Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Animal Kingdom. Some of the decorative method have never before used by Vacheron Constantin, or even watchmaking at large. The series is made up of six creative watches – each a unique creation – that run the gamut of rare crafts, some that are traditional in watchmaking, like gold embroidery, but others that are surprising, like origami. Each watch has a whimsical name stemming from the subject and method: Feathersnake, Glassoctopus, Oraygami, Tigerbroidery, Papercroc, and Woodenwings. From left: Woodenwings, Feathersnake, and Tigerbroidery Initial thoughts These are one-off concept watches, so both availability and price are moot points. But they are impressive, both in terms of technique and visuals, so I imagine Vacheron Constantin will be turning to these artisans for more watches eventually. All are striking, but a few stand out. Papercroc might well be my favourite of the lot, though Vacheron Constantin missed the opportunity to make a paper tiger. On the other hand, when the exotic technique on a tiny scale and quality of the result are taken together, Tigerbroidery is arguably one of Vacheron Constantin’s greatest achievements in the rare crafts field. Papercroc Others stand out for the technique. Part of Glassoctopus’s appeal is the rawness of the ...

Doxa and Belmont Watches Team Up for the Sub 300 Beta “Frogger” Limited Edition Worn & Wound
Rado Aug 27, 2026

Doxa and Belmont Watches Team Up for the Sub 300 Beta “Frogger” Limited Edition

Doxa is on a historic, Anne Hathaway-like tear in 2026. The Oscar winning actress will appear in a total of five films by the end of the year, including The Odyssey (a huge hit), The Devil Wears Prada II (also a huge hit), and Mother Mary (very much not a hit but one of my personal favorites of the year so far). Doxa, similarly, is on a bit of a heater, releasing the Sub 200 T.Graph, a well received collaboration with Hodinkee, a Clive Cussler LE, and another LE with Topper Jewelers all in rapid succession. This week, they show that they still have some gas left in the tank for an additional late summer release, this time with San Diego based Belmont Watches.  The new Doxa Sub 300 Beta “Frogger” plays into the military history of San Diego. The city is currently home to the Naval Amphibious Base Colorado and SEAL Team 1, and was formerly the headquarters of the Navy Underwater Demolition Team, known commonly as the Frogmen. The watch, then, is appropriately tool-forward, the type of watch Doxa and Belmont figure might be on the wrist of a SEAL at some point, either on a dive or topside. The dial is in a dark green tone with a prominent texture, the hands are a bright contrasting orange (and the same style as those found on the Doxa Army), and this edition incorporates applied markers. Most notable however, is the fully sandblasted case and bracelet, which is a first for Doxa. That’s a bit of a surprise, to me, given how beloved these watches are as dive tools by rea...

Fratello Talks: How Microbrands Have Changed The Game Fratello
Aug 27, 2026

Fratello Talks: How Microbrands Have Changed The Game

Microbrands have come a long way. What were once largely associated with inexpensive, enthusiast-driven watches have developed into a much broader part of the industry. Today, small brands are experimenting with materials, movements, manufacturing techniques, and design in ways that can make them serious alternatives to more established names. In this episode of Fratello Talks, […] Visit Fratello Talks: How Microbrands Have Changed The Game to read the full article.

Introducing: The Maison Alcée x MB&F; Nostromo Hodinkee
MB&F; Aug 26, 2026

Introducing: The Maison Alcée x MB&F; Nostromo

What We Know Maison Alcée jumped headlong into the watch community consciousness in 2023, winning the GPHG 'Audacity Prize' in recognition of the brand's unique do-it-yourself, high horology, clock-building kits. Championed by Ben, who served on the GPHG jury that year, the French husband-and-wife team of Alcée and Benoit Montfort went on to craft a highly successful LE collaboration with Hodinkee (with lume!) that quickly sold out. Now Alcée and Benoit are back with another collaboration that takes their clock-making kit to the next level. Collaborating with MB&F;, who have long supported Maison Alcée by showcasing and selling their work at their Mad Gallery locations, the Maison Alcée x MB&F; Nostromo leans hard into the well-established alien aesthetic the Geneva-based creative force is known for.  Adding to the intrigue is that this clock was designed by MB&F;'s Creative Designer, Maximilian Maertens. He's the young German who is slowly and purposefully starting to take the lead on some of MB&F;'s pieces, as Max Büsser begins to step back and give up a bit of creative control over the collective brand project he founded more than two decades ago.  So what makes this Maison Alcée kit interesting and different? It's certainly expressive of the MB&F; design language, with the arched base legs or feet giving it an extraterrestrial personality. Maertens says he's a fan of and inspired by the late Swiss artist H.R. Giger (check out the wild Giger Museum in Gruyères if y...

Introducing: Ming's New 57.05 'Comet' Worldtime Is Out Of This World Innovation Hodinkee
Ming s New 57.05 Comet Aug 26, 2026

Introducing: Ming's New 57.05 'Comet' Worldtime Is Out Of This World Innovation

What We Know It feels like Ming has another hit on its hands here. The new 57.05 "Comet" immediately looked like a cool watch before I even looked at the press release, but once you dig into the specifics, it's pretty impressive, with all the usual Ming flair to boot. That means, yes, there's a pretty cool dial (that has a touch of vintage inspiration). There's an intensely stylized case. There's lume used aplenty (and creatively), and yes, there's innovation in a new patent-pending daylight saving time (DST) world time adjustment system. Let's start from the outside and work our way in. The 316L stainless steel case measures 40mm by 10.3mm with a 47.8mm lug-to-lug. This is a part of Ming's 57 Series design language, so it's got triple-stepped lugs (requiring nine individual components for the lug construction). The next step is the world time bezel. That's where the magic really starts. With a normal 24-hour world time display, you can get by just fine. Yes, not all DST adjustments happen at the same time (if they happen at all), but adjusting for any of them is a problem. Ming has arranged all cities with DST on the outer bezel; non-DST cities are on the inner bezel. You can rotate the outer bezel one click (15º) to move only the DST cities forward by one hour against the 24-hour scale. The bezel will stay fixed in either position, but if you're trying to figure out whether or not DST is engaged or not, you can just look at the small aperture between eight and nine on t...

Introducing: The Doxa Sub 300 Beta "Frogger" (Live Pics) Hodinkee
Doxa Sub 300 Beta Frogger Aug 25, 2026

Introducing: The Doxa Sub 300 Beta "Frogger" (Live Pics)

What We Know If you thought Doxa was done for the summer, well, we've got one more for you, and it's a good one at that. Made in collaboration with San Diego–based jeweler and watch dealer Belmont Watches, Doxa has reinvented the Sub 300 Beta, bringing a decidedly military execution to its most fashion-forward model, directly inspired by San Diego's longstanding military history. If you're slightly surprised to hear that last part (maybe because when you think of San Diego you think of beaches, surfing, golf, the Padres, or the San Diego Zoo), trust me when I tell you that San Diego is a proper military town, with a significant Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard presence. It is also — most importantly for this watch — the home of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, and with it, SEAL Team 1. This watch pays homage to that team's predecessors, the Navy Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), better known as Frogmen, from whom the ranks of the original SEAL Team 1 were populated. So, what does that look like? Well, in this case, it means reinterpreting the existing Doxa Sub 300 Beta with a fatigue-esque kelp-green grained dial, a handset straight off the Doxa Army (as seen recently on our own limited edition with Doxa), and a first-of-its-kind (for Doxa) fully sandblasted stainless steel case and bracelet. Like other watches in the Sub 300 Beta lineup, the "Frogger" is thinner than you'd expect from a Doxa diver, at 11.95mm, but otherwise retains proportions similar to the 300T, measu...

First Look - The Updated Longines Master Chronograph Moonphase (Incl. Video) Monochrome
Longines Master Chronograph Moonphase Incl Aug 25, 2026

First Look - The Updated Longines Master Chronograph Moonphase (Incl. Video)

As the most complex expression of Longines’ watchmaking capabilities, the Master Chronograph Moonphase can be considered not only the collection’s flagship, but also one of the brand’s poster boys. Ever since its introduction in 2005, it has been part of the Master line-up, pairing some of the most classical and well-loved indications into a single, […]

Revewing The Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Water Blue Sapphire: A Serious Watch That Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously WatchAdvice
Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Water Aug 24, 2026

Revewing The Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Water Blue Sapphire: A Serious Watch That Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously

The Hublot Big Bang MP-11 forms part of Hublot’s Manufacture Piece collection, and for good reason. Now, it’s time to take it out for a test drive… What We Love The Water Blue colour is sensational in person The movement is Hubot showcasing what it does best The undeniable wrist presence What We Don’t It is a large watch, and not for those with smaller wrists The older-style rubber strap is not easy to get the perfect fit, when compared to the newer style Will be out of the price range for many watch buyers and is a substantial investment Overall Rating: 8.4 / 10 Value For Money: 8/10 Design: 9/10 Wearability: 8/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 There are some watches that look impressive in a press release, but when you finally see them in the metal, they somehow manage to be not as much. Then there are watches like the Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Water Blue Sapphire, where the opposite is true. The photographs give you an idea of what the watch is all about, but they really do not prepare you for what it looks like on the wrist. The MP-11 has always been one of Hublot’s more outrageous creations. First introduced in 2018, it was designed around a movement with seven series-coupled barrels and a 14-day power reserve, all packaged inside a relatively conventional Big Bang-style case. The Water Blue Sapphire version takes that already unconventional construction and places it inside a transparent blue sapphire case that allows almost every part of the movement to remain visi...

The Evolution Of “Ultimate Simplicity” - Introducing The Minase Mastercraft J3 Fratello
Minase Aug 24, 2026

The Evolution Of “Ultimate Simplicity” - Introducing The Minase Mastercraft J3

As time passes, you often accumulate stuff. Visualize what’s in your attic, and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Now, Minase is doing the opposite. The new J3 is a model inspired by the M3, but instead of adding details to that watch, Minase removes what it deems unnecessary. You’re looking at the evolution of […] Visit The Evolution Of “Ultimate Simplicity” — Introducing The Minase Mastercraft J3 to read the full article.

Wei Koh and Guillaume Tetu Launch Legare with the Chapter 1 AGP Inverted Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer Aug 20, 2026

Wei Koh and Guillaume Tetu Launch Legare with the Chapter 1 AGP Inverted

Just ahead of Geneva Watch Days, we see the debut of a new haute horlogerie brand, brought to us in part by Wei Koh, founder of Revolution and the Rake, and a longtime fixture in the watch media landscape. The new brand, Legare, was founded by Koh and Guillaume Tetu, a watch industry veteran who counts Hautlence as well as TAG Heuer and Ralph Lauren on his resume. Koh and Tetu are incredibly well connected professionally, and the first watch out of the gate for Legare reflects that particularly well – this is the product of a lot of collaboration between many partners, and has plenty of pure watch nerd DNA in its inspiration as well.  The brand’s first watch is the Chapter 1 AGP Inverted, and takes inspiration from a rare pocket watch made by Albert-Gustave Piguet, who would ultimately become well known in the watch industry for his work on the Lemania 2310 caliber. But the watch that Legare credits with shaping the Chapter 1 is a pocket watch he created while a student at the Vallee de Joux School of Watchmaking in 1932, when he was just 17 years old. That watch featured two large split bi-metallic balance wheels, whose rates were averaged by a differential. According to Legare, only six total examples of this pocket watch were completed.  Legare’s conceit in making the Chapter 1 is essentially an answer to the hypothetical question of what if Piguet’s idea behind this movement had continued to evolve? This is an entirely original movement architecture (and diff...

Introducing: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Hodinkee
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Aug 20, 2026

Introducing: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition

What We Know The 1950s were big years for Blancpain—first in 1953 with the introduction of the Fifty Fathoms, then a few short years later in 1956, when the Bathyscaphe arrived as a "civilian counterpart" as diving gained popularity. Revived in 2013, it's remained a core part of the modern Fifty Fathoms lineup ever since. We're not strangers to the Bathyscaphe here at Hodinkee, either—we teamed up with Blancpain on our own limited edition back in 2019. Today, to mark the Bathyscaphe's 70th anniversary, Blancpain is releasing a 300-piece limited edition that takes inspiration from the 1968 reference and updates it in all the right ways. The homage to the '68 piece is evident at a quick glance; the first thing I noticed was the vintage Blancpain logo, which sets the tone for what the brand is trying to do here. The sunburst meteor grey dial is lifted straight from the 1968 piece as well, as are the baton hands and indexes in 18k white gold, both filled with a vintage-colored Super-LumiNova that gives the lume a warmer, aged look straight out of the box. The steel bezel extends into a ring at the base of the box crystal—another detail pulled directly from the '68 watch—and its ceramic insert with lacquered numerals swaps out the original's black hesalite. That same fidelity carries through to the case. At 37.4mm in stainless steel, it's sized to match the 1968 piece on which it draws inspiration, rather than the smaller 35mm case Blancpain used on the original 1956 Ba...

Essays: Georges Daniels At 100 And A Personal Reflection By Roger W. Smith OBE Hodinkee
Roger W. Smith Aug 19, 2026

Essays: Georges Daniels At 100 And A Personal Reflection By Roger W. Smith OBE

On the 100th anniversary of the birth of the legendary horologist and watchmaker Dr. George Daniels CBE, Hodinkee is honored to publish an essay from Daniels protege and friend, Roger W. Smith OBE, who has taken up the mantle of continuing the legacy of Daniels and his method of watchmaking. The bond between the two of them, though decades apart in age, has revitalized the rich legacy of British watchmaking. After the article, we'll share excerpts from an interview with Smith about his relationship with Daniels. — Hodinkee George Daniels at 100, A Personal Reflection by Roger W. Smith OBE On 19 August 2026, Dr. George Daniels CBE would have celebrated his 100th birthday. For most people, a centenary is an opportunity to look back. For those of us fortunate enough to have known him, it is also an opportunity to reflect on ideas that remain remarkably relevant today. The George Daniels Grand Complication from 1987. Throughout his lifetime, George made just twenty-four pocket watches and two wristwatches. I remember chatting with him on the opening night of his 'Retrospective Exhibition' at Sotheby's in 2006. Before the exhibition cases had been filled, he told me he had been sitting beside the assembled collection of his life's work. It fitted into just two A4-sized foam-lined metal trays. Yet those twenty-six watches contained ideas that fundamentally changed modern mechanical timekeeping. Few, if any, watchmakers have produced so little, yet influenced so much. "The Blue...

Introducing: Seiko x Tradman's Bonsai Presage Classic Series Hodinkee
Seiko x Tradman's Bonsai Presage Aug 18, 2026

Introducing: Seiko x Tradman's Bonsai Presage Classic Series

What We Know It may not always come as a surprise when Seiko releases a new collaboration, at least in the abstract. Still, it is always exciting to see just who Seiko has chosen to partner with, and what that partnership can turn into. This time, Seiko has paired itself with Tradman's Bonsai, a Japanese creative collective whose mission is to celebrate and continue exploring the traditional art of Japanese Bonsai through both the creation of Bonsai spaces and the pursuit of collaborations with brands in the street culture, fashion, and art worlds. The result here is the latest addition to Seiko's Presage line, Seiko's dressier alternative to other, more technical watch families likeProspex. It's also the line Seiko often uses to celebrate heritage Japanese aesthetics and artistry, making it a perfect canvas for Seiko to honor Bonsai, an art form that involves growing, cultivating, and shaping small-scale trees with rigorous dedication and precision. With this watch, Seiko has evoked Bonsai trees in several ways, most clearly with the introduction of a new dial color and texture. Inspired by the bark of aging pine trees, the new pattern gently spirals outward from the center of the dial and is paired with a deep green gradient treatment and a dual-curved sapphire crystal with an AR coating on the inside. A 38mm stainless steel case with a fluted bezel and yellow-gold-tone finish houses the dial and the watch's 6R51 movement, a time-only automatic from Seiko with a 72-hour ...

Hands-on - The Summer Vibes Of The Nomos Club Campus Full Rose and All Olive Monochrome
Nomos Club Campus Full Rose Aug 17, 2026

Hands-on - The Summer Vibes Of The Nomos Club Campus Full Rose and All Olive

Do you know many brands that embrace colour as confidently as Nomos Glashütte? Watchmakers often introduce brightly coloured dials as limited seasonal releases, yet Nomos has made them part of its identity, particularly within the Club Campus collection. We have seen everything from Future Orange and Absolute Grey to Starlight and Night Sky, Nonstop Red […]

Recommended Reading: ERG’s “Grand Seiko” Book Is How Modern Brand Books Should Be Done Hodinkee
Grand Seiko Book Aug 17, 2026

Recommended Reading: ERG’s “Grand Seiko” Book Is How Modern Brand Books Should Be Done

Over the past few weeks, I've been taking a slightly overdue look through a backlog of recent acquisitions for my library. As I pointed out recently in a story on Taschen's "Ultimate Collector Watches," buying more books scratches the knowledge-acquisition part of my brain while saving me from writing a check the watch-collector side of my brain can't cash. Yes, I already have a few bins full of books lying around, and piles around the living room. But New York apartment sizes be damned, I'm acquiring more books. I recently had a spinal fusion and, while I'm recovering just fine, I'm still sorting out how to photograph watches without bending or twisting for a few months. All the books in my backlog are under 10 pounds (just barely), so my doctor can't get mad at me for lifting. So I'm going to turn this into a short weekly column to go through some books I have that deserve coverage. And the first one I picked up (both originally a few months back and again, for this column) was the succinctly titled and gorgeously produced "Grand Seiko" by ERG Media published earlier this year. As an official Grand Seiko-approved product, everything carries the brand's (often exacting) seal of approval. But it's also anything but a sanitized and soulless look at a brand's heritage and history. Instead, "Grand Seiko" weaves a beautiful look at watches and watchmaking with Japan's culture and landscape, and Grand Seiko's New York flagship. But first, you've got to appreciate the packaging....

Sheffield Unveils a Chronograph for a Great Cause Worn & Wound
Ming accident Aug 17, 2026

Sheffield Unveils a Chronograph for a Great Cause

If you’ve attended a recent Windup Watch Fair in Chicago, there’s a very good chance you’ve run into Doug LaViolette. Doug is the founder of the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation, a Wisconsin based watch enthusiast, and honestly one of the nicer people you’ll encounter in this hobby. For years, the scholarship foundation named for his late son has raised money for over 1,200 scholarships for students across the United States and abroad, and now a new watch from Sheffield, a limited edition of just 95 pieces, will help in the cause.  Before we get to the watch, it’s important to have some context and understand the story behind it. Brian LaViolette was given his first watch at the age of four. It was a Green Bay Packers themed watch, and it kicked off a fascination with watches and watch collecting that would last until his life was tragically cut short at the age of 15 in a swimming accident. The LaViolette family founded the scholarship foundation shortly after Brian’s death, and Doug’s own watch enthusiasm continues in earnest to this day.  Sheffield is a natural choice as a collaborator for the LaViolette family. For starters, there’s some geographical proximity. Founder Jay Turkbas grew up in Minneapolis, and that is where his fascination with watches began. There is also some symmetry in the origins of Sheffield as we know it today. The original incarnation of Sheffield, a historically British brand, was the maker of the first watch Turkbas eve...

The Citizen Series 8 880 GMT Turns You Into a Local, Twice Over Fratello
Citizen Series 8 880 GMT Aug 16, 2026

The Citizen Series 8 880 GMT Turns You Into a Local, Twice Over

Ask me about my current favorite Citizen models, and I’ll quickly point to the brand’s Series 8 watches. It’s Citizens’ collection of modern mechanical watches that falls somewhere between the high-end “The Citizen” line and the brand’s affordable offerings. The Series 8 collection was unveiled in 2021, and two years later, the brand added the […] Visit The Citizen Series 8 880 GMT Turns You Into a Local, Twice Over to read the full article.

The ABCs of Time - The History of Metal Bracelets for Wristwatches Monochrome
Rolex Gérald Genta Aug 15, 2026

The ABCs of Time - The History of Metal Bracelets for Wristwatches

With few exceptions, metal bracelets are a 20th-century phenomenon, really surfacing in the 1920s as wristwatches became a cultural and fashion phenomenon. Three names are generally recognised as part of the rise of contemporary bracelets – Rolex, Gérald Genta and Gay Frères – although there’s much more to the story, and the latter arguably plays the […]

The Petrolhead Corner - Singer and Louis Vuitton Go To Extremes With Two Bespoke Porsche 911s Monochrome
Louis Vuitton Go Aug 15, 2026

The Petrolhead Corner - Singer and Louis Vuitton Go To Extremes With Two Bespoke Porsche 911s

Collaborations between watch companies and other industries come in all shapes and sizes, and extend well beyond the usual realms of fashion and art. We’ve seen pretty much anything we’d say, but every now and then, one comes along that surprises us, regardless of how natural the connection might be in hindsight. One such collaboration […]

Bring a Loupe: An Alpina-Gruen Techni-Quadron, A Universal Genève "Eric Clapton," A Cartier "Bebe Guillotine," And More Hodinkee
Cartier Bebe Guillotine Aug 14, 2026

Bring a Loupe: An Alpina-Gruen Techni-Quadron, A Universal Genève "Eric Clapton," A Cartier "Bebe Guillotine," And More

You're halfway through August, Baller. August. The mind positively reels that yesterday saw the first pre-season NFL games, and soon enough even pope-themed hats and baseball games will be in the rearview, and we'll be pulling coats from closets (for those of us in the northern latitudes, anyway). Scorekeeping from last week—the Zodiac Poor Man's Heuer sells tomorrow, the Seiko 7018 passed, and the JLC Master Calendar Meteorite is still available, as is the Patek 5000R. For those who want to know more about the 5000, I strongly encourage you to read this phenomenal article by Edouard Henn on Collectability about the model, which I would have linked last week had I been bright enough to know it existed. Strays Photo courtesy of Interencheres. This Tissot Antimagnetique is worth a serious look, even though it's missing its second hand. Certainly, we'll all be missing plenty of original parts when we're as old as the watch (also, as cool as the model is, it's not so precious that its value would be dinged too much by sourcing a close-enough replacement). If that Harwood from last week's strays got your attention, here's another lovely one. Cartier Pashas have never quickened my pulse, but man oh man, this one's got its hooks in me. Solid gold Polerouter? Solid gold Polerouter. Speaking of gold, this Gubelin is both a) nothing all that special and b) impossibly beautiful, and if those gold offerings still aren't enough for you, fine, here's a Patek 3800/1 from 1995 that come...