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Results for Vallée de Joux

23,030 articles · 2,485 videos found · page 504 of 851

My Year in Watches: Community as the Center of Enthusiasm Worn & Wound
Tudor Dec 24, 2024

My Year in Watches: Community as the Center of Enthusiasm

It’s a sneaky secret, but the truth is everyone in the watch world occasionally gets a little tired of watches. Okay, I can’t speak for everyone, and ‘tired’ might be the wrong word, but anyone who has ever worked in an enthusiast field would probably tell you that balancing your own enthusiasm with a professional life can be a tricky thing. Enthusiasm itself is not a boundless resource, and sometimes you can find yourself in need of a cool-down period (something Nathan Schultz described beautifully here). Coming into 2024, I had no idea this year would be one of those cool-down periods (it can be hard to notice one while it’s happening) but looking back at the last twelve months, it’s hard to deny the characterization. It’s not that I love watches any less than I did last year, it’s just that, as I wade deeper into the watch universe, my own collecting has taken a backseat. Going into 2023, I made a conscious decision I wouldn’t buy any watches. Instead, I would save up and make one big purchase at the end of the year. Then I got to March, bought a G-Shock, and opened the floodgates. So when Zach asked me to put a New Year’s Resolution on paper back in January of this year, I went the other way, stating with intention that this would be a buying year and that I would likely end the year with a Tudor, a NOMOS, or both. Instead, I’m ending the 2024 calendar year having bought just three watches, none of which cost more than $110 dollars. I’ve been wh...

Hands-On: D__b__ Journey Hugger 30L Backpack Worn & Wound
Dec 24, 2024

Hands-On: D__b__ Journey Hugger 30L Backpack

For those unfortunate souls who have found their way into my gear bins, you know that I am a gearhead through and through, able to easily outfit a family of five for a week-long camping trip in just about any weather condition. One particular area of weakness for me is in the bag category. Tote bags, sling bags, fanny packs, large backpacking packs, duffles, I believe they all serve their purpose and that you should have one for every scenario. Finding the perfect bag though can be an impossible task leading you to spend hours researching boutique brands only to be disappointed in the one lacking feature you need, accompanied by a significantly lighter pocketbook. So, when I spotted a dirty worn-in backpack with a unique silhouette gliding through a sporting goods store in Denmark, the hunt was on.  It didn’t take long as a few quick turns had me standing in front of an entire wall display holding an array of different designs from the new-to-me brand D__b__. Now, it was the early days of my trip and I did not have a lot of room in my luggage to spare, so I snapped a few pictures, residing myself doing downtime research into this exciting company. Despite its large global presence, D_B_ Journey does not seem to have made the push into the States, finding a small home inside of a select number of scattered retailers. This may be in part due to the crowded and hyper-competitive market, or potentially due to the recent forced rebranding stemming from marketing problems wit...

The Worn & Wound+ Community Picks their Favorite Watches of 2024 Worn & Wound
Tudor stan it pains me Dec 24, 2024

The Worn & Wound+ Community Picks their Favorite Watches of 2024

It’s been a great year over on Worn & Wound+, our dedicated Slack channel for Worn & Wound readers, and watch and gear enthusiasts of all kinds. At the moment, we have over 1,000 people from all over the world in our Slack channel talking about watches and many, many other topics. There are dedicated channels to discuss EDC and gear, movies and television, photography, and more. There’s a marketplace channel where members can safely buy and sell watches, and there are channels where members can arrange local in-person or virtual watch meetups. It’s also, of course, a great place get insider info on deals from the Windup Watch Shop – you never know what watches might turn up for sale in the Slack channel before they’re made available anywhere else.  All that said, it’s the great watch discussions that are really at the heart of Worn & Wound+, so as the year draws to a close, we thought we’d ask members of the Worn & Wound+ community to tell us about some of their favorite new releases of the year. And if you’re still not signed up for Worn & Wound+, be sure to hit this link and check it out. It’s completely free, and we’d love to see you join the community.  Andrew Iveagh – Omega Speedmaster “First Omega in Space” As a long time Tudor stan, it pains me to say my favorite of 2024 was the Omega Speedmaster FOIS. Between the reduced size, the blue gray dial, and the tan/fauxtina lume, it’s a vintage inspired lover’s dream. I’m usually a dive/g...

Best of 2024: Surprises and Unexpected Developments SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Cubitus leaving aside Dec 24, 2024

Best of 2024: Surprises and Unexpected Developments

There were relatively fewer surprises in 2024, perhaps because of the overall slowdown in demand for luxury watches. There were a few big surprises though, including the biggest one of all, the Patek Philippe Cubitus, leaving aside the leak thanks to a premature publication of Fortune magazine. Perhaps even more surprising and even bigger, both figuratively and literally, was the Bugatti Tourbillon, a hypercar inspired by a watch. Also notable was the fact that there was little unexpected from independent watchmakers, which perhaps underlines the still-robust demand for watches by the indies, which stick to safe bets that are easy to sell. Here’s a look at our team’s take on the unexpected launches of the year. Biver Automatique – SJX The first Biver watch was a carillon minute repeater with tourbillon that was finely finished, inside and out, but it was big, thick, and expensive. The follow-up, in contrast, was almost the opposite. The Automatique is compact and elegantly wearable, with a clean design that has just the right amount of vintage flavour. The only aspect where the Automatique stays true to its predecessor is in the finishing, which is outstanding, inside and out. The surprising bit about the Automatique is the movement. For one, it was developed by Dubois Depraz, better known as a maker of chronograph- and perpetual calendar modules mounted on ETA movements. Second, it arguably exceeds the movement of the Carillon Tourbillon in terms of design and decor...

My Year in Watches: A No “New Watch Alert” Year Worn & Wound
Seiko stable but Dec 23, 2024

My Year in Watches: A No “New Watch Alert” Year

My year in watches this year has been…unique in the time since I started collecting watches oh so many years ago. What’s different this year? I didn’t purchase a single watch! For the first time in over 20 years I went the whole year without adding any watches to my collection. For over two decades I’ve always bought some, sold some, or traded some so that I end up at the end of each year with a more refined collection that is usually in the plus column. I have to say that I didn’t even realize this year was different until our illustrious editor Zach gave us this assignment. I’m still always looking at and for watches though, especially for a few specific models. My bi-weekly eBay Finds column keeps me poring through the eBay listings on a regular basis, and I do still see lots of great pieces on Instagram. But how did I end up in this rarest of predicaments, finishing the year without any new additions to the collection? Like most things in life, the reasons are myriad. I would have to say the biggest factors would be that I’m pretty darn happy with the state of my collection as it currently stands, and there are few watches (that I can afford to buy) that I’m still searching for. I mean, I’m always on the lookout for a nice vintage Squale, and there are some pieces that I would still love to add to the Seiko stable, but the models I’m looking for are quite hard to find for sale in the condition I desire. So it’s not that I didn’t want to add any ...

The Zenith PILOT Big Date Flyback Porter Is A Watch That Will Turn Heads WatchAdvice
Zenith PILOT Big Date Flyback Dec 23, 2024

The Zenith PILOT Big Date Flyback Porter Is A Watch That Will Turn Heads

Where aviation heritage meets contemporary design, the Zenith x Porter PILOT Big Date Flyback Chronograph delivers bold style and functionality! What We Love The khaki green colour for the case and dial Orange accents stand out beautifully The case isn’t big, even for slimmer wrists What We Don’t The black crown and chronograph pushers seem out of place with the rest of the watch’s colour scheme. Different font are used throughout the dial Velcro strap won’t suit everyone, especially with slim wrists. Overall Score: 8.6 / 10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 The Zenith X Porter Pilot Big Date Flyback Porter stands out as a shining example of thoughtful design and craftsmanship in a world where collaborations feel like the norm. This collaboration was a bit unexpected; however, it is a great way to end 2024 with one of the best-looking timepieces released as a dual project. The latest collaboration between Zenith & Porter by Yoshida & Company results in a beautiful khaki green PILOT Big Date Flyback Chronograph This watch, as expected, revolves around the theme of travel. Porter is a Japanese bag brand that has a variety of styles for travel bags. For this collaboration, Porter by Yoshida & Company has supplied the velcro straps for the timepeices. They are also throwing in a specially developed bag that has been made with Zenith’s input, in Porter’s signature khaki-green colour. Zenith, on the other hand, has a long ...

Best of 2024: Independent Watchmaking SJX Watches
Dec 23, 2024

Best of 2024: Independent Watchmaking

Independent watchmaking continued its hot streak in 2024, with interest and demand for this niche segment holding up better amidst an industry-wide slowdown. But surprisingly – or unsurprisingly depending on how you look at it – there were relatively few outstanding new creations from the indies. A handful, however, did stand out. We look at the team’s highlights of the year, which range from Konstantin Chaykin’s thinnest-watch-ever to the debut by Swiss-based Japanese watchmaker Takahiro Aigaki. Aigaki Direct-Impulse Tourbillon – Brandon Moore I still remember the moment I stumbled across Takahiko Aigaki’s Instagram profile earlier this year, because the close-up image of the tourbillon cage made me do a double take. Sure, it was well finished, but in 2024 good finishing no longer provides the competitive advantage it once did; the top end of the market is just too competitive. No, what struck me was the unusual double direct-impulse escapement. When the Direct-Impulse Tourbillon was finally revealed, it was worth the wait. While arguably a bit plain on the outside, the movement exhibits a degree of grace and technicality that is still quite rare. The watch is truly a sleeper, in the sense that the case and dial reveal little of the horological magic within. Daniel Roth Tourbillon – Brandon Moore It’s counterintuitive to be writing about the launch of the Daniel Roth brand in 2024, considering the man himself was one of the seminal independent watchmakers ...

W Worn & Wound
Worn & Wound
Dec 22, 2024

A Week in Watches Ep. 96: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a Speedmaster!

Well, it’s finally arrived, the end of 2024. Typically, around this time we put together an annual wrap, but the brands had other plans. You see, they kept releasing watches. So, for episode 96 of A Week in Watches, we’re still covering new releases, with a particular focus on that last-minute Speedmaster drop, and, boy, do we have some thoughts on that one. This episode was brought to by the Windup Watch Shop. When the winter break is behind you, and you’ve returned the awkward sweaters and novelty socks, head on over to the shop and get yourself something you really want. Perhaps some straps, a utility knife, or even a watch. And, if you happen to be near NYC, you can set up a time to come to the new showroom and pick something out in person by following this link. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 96: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a Speedmaster! appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Diving with the Ball Watch Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer Quill & Pad
Ball Watch Engineer Master II Diver Dec 22, 2024

Diving with the Ball Watch Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer

When Ball Watch asked Dietmar Fuchs to test dive one of the company’s newest watches, the Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer, he hesitated at first. Ball didn’t jingle a diving bell for him, but something else from its history jangled: a brand’s “history” section is always the first thing he checks before testing a watch and he discovered Ball Watch has the credentials. So he dove in and now shares his experience and thoughts on the watch here.

Watches, Stories, & Gear: A Profile of RaMell Ross, the Year of the Smart Lock, and Death of a Unicorn Gets a Trailer Worn & Wound
Dec 21, 2024

Watches, Stories, & Gear: A Profile of RaMell Ross, the Year of the Smart Lock, and Death of a Unicorn Gets a Trailer

“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 Special Edition of a Great Pack from Triple Aught Design  We are at the point where time is, frankly, not on your side if you’re looking for last minute holiday gifts. But we couldn’t help but include this new edition of the highly regarded FAST Pack Litespeed from Triple Aught Design as a last minute holiday gift for the gear and EDC enthusiast, Or for yourself, no judgement, we promise. The Black Magic Edition is, as you’d expect, a completely blacked out rendition of the 22 liter pack. It features Challenge Sailcloth’s ULTRA 400 fabric, an uncommonly lightweight, strong, and waterproof material. The retail price is $550, and more information can be found here. The Year of the Smart Lock is Coming  The end of the year always brings a slew of think pieces from many of our favorite publications on what to look for in the new year in terms of trends, tech, and just about everything else. Over at The Verge, they’ve got a story on 2025 being the year of the smart lock that caught our attention. Smartlocks make a lot of sense – they can be tied to an app on your phone, an...

Introducing – The Chronoswiss Delphis Firestarter, with a World-First Material Monochrome
Chronoswiss Dec 20, 2024

Introducing – The Chronoswiss Delphis Firestarter, with a World-First Material

Chronoswiss, founded by Gerd R. Lang in 1983, gained a reputation for its classical regulator-style displays and was one of the first brands to manufacture this distinctive dial arrangement in a wristwatch. In the hands of the Ebstein family since 2012, Chronoswiss has maintained the regulator and other traditional displays but injected new life into […]

Explained: The Rolex Parachrom Hairspring SJX Watches
Patek Philippe turning Dec 20, 2024

Explained: The Rolex Parachrom Hairspring

Over the last decade, metal alloy hairsprings seem to fallen out of favour across watchmaking, with even conservative, haute horlogerie brands like Breguet and Patek Philippe turning to silicon balance springs. Not to mention large-scale makers of sporty watches like Omega and Tudor, which already transitioned to silicon balance springs. Rolex, however, stands out. The Geneva marque continues to employ a hairspring fabricated of its proprietary blue alloy – the Parachrom hairspring. The Parachrom hairspring inside the cal. 4131 of the Cosmograph Daytona The advantages of alloy The use of blue Parachrom is rooted in the simple fact that the right metal alloy boasts performance that is at least on par with its silicon counterpart – while offering some distinct advantages missing in silicon. Alloy hairsprings are traditionally made of Nivarox (and its family of related alloys), a special alloy that neither oxidises nor change its dimensions with variations in temperature. Invented in 1933 and almost a century old, Nivarox is a mix of nickel and iron, making it a ferromagnetic alloy, thus susceptible to influence from magnetic fields.  The cal. 3255 of the Day-Date 40 is equipped with a Parachrom hairspring. Image – Rolex In order to make its hairsprings more resistant to magnetism and to bypass the Swatch-imposed monopoly on Nivarox hairsprings (Nivarox-FAR being one of the key companies of Swatch Group), Rolex set out to develop its own hairspring alloy in the early 2...

My Year in Watches: ‘Cause You Only Turn 40 Once Worn & Wound
Dec 19, 2024

My Year in Watches: ‘Cause You Only Turn 40 Once

At the end of last year, we made “resolutions,” and while I forgot we had done that until writing this post, I stayed pretty true to what I had said. I wanted to consolidate, focus, and potentially go big on a watch for my 40th birthday. I had to do the first to make the last part come true, and the second just kind of happened naturally. My tastes have changed quite a bit over the last two years, perhaps starting with the Bel Canto (shameless review plug). As such, I find myself drawn to a specific type of indie watch more and more, and frankly, I find most releases from large brands kind of boring. While that might be more of a “it’s not you, it’s me” kind of thing, I don’t see it changing anytime soon. But, back to my birthday, turning 40 was something I ignored until it was upon me. I’m not a big birthday celebration guy, but 40 felt different; it’s a bit of a terrifying number, thus it needed to be marked meaningfully. And, well, I can’t turn down a good opportunity to horologically spoil myself. However, to go big, I had to let several things go. While I’ll avoid the details, all said and done, I sold six watches and traded one, though in fairness, not all before making my purchase (you know how it is). I went down a rabbit hole of options, obsessing, as I tend to do, to such an extent that I even dreamed about scrolling Chrono24. Custom pieces, indies, vintage, big Swiss, maybe nothing; I pondered them all, even creating renders of potential be...

Holthinrichs Ends the Year with a Limited Edition Collaboration with The Horology Club Worn & Wound
Holthinrichs Ends Dec 19, 2024

Holthinrichs Ends the Year with a Limited Edition Collaboration with The Horology Club

One of my favorite stories to cover over the course of 2024 has been the evolution of Holthinrichs, a brand I’ve long been fascinated by for their unique Horlogerie Brut design language and apparently boundless ambition. The brand shifted course quite dramatically in 2024, moving away from a reliance on 3D printing for their case construction, and focusing on a more affordable CNC-machined product that they hope will allow them to scale and reach new clients without sacrificing the brand’s vision. At the same time, they’ve also developed an insanely complex haute horlogerie piece that is easily their most ambitious watch to date. We covered the new affordable Signature collection earlier this year, as well as Ornament Nouveau, and we even had brand founder Michiel Holthinrichs on the podcast to walk us through all of it. To say it’s been an eventful year at Holthinrichs would be an understatement, and yet they’ve found time in the last days of 2024 to unveil yet another new piece, a collaboration with The Horology Club, a Hong Kong based collector community.  The limited edition Signature Ornament “Concrete Jungle” can perhaps best be viewed as a creative spin on the current stone dial trend. The dial is made from lume infused concrete, which according to Holthinrichs makes this the first luminous concrete dial ever made. We believe them, simply because concrete dials are incredibly rare (though not completely unheard of). Concrete, of course, is not a natur...

Hands-On: the Beaucroft Element “Forest Green” Worn & Wound
Dec 19, 2024

Hands-On: the Beaucroft Element “Forest Green”

Since their founding in 2020, Beaucroft has worked to blend historic timekeeping techniques with a bit of modern style to create watches at an affordable price point and attract a new generation of watch enthusiasts. Located in Cambridge, England, this independent British brand has partnered with Horologium for final assembly, testing, and regulation, creating a collection of watches with notable British provenance. Beaucroft’s newest watch, the Element, aims to become your new “GADA” (Go Anywhere, Do Anything”) watch with a touch of modern flair while retaining classic sport watch features. With six different dial colors currently available, you can find an Element to be as bold, or as stealthy, as you want. Within the independent and micro-brand space, first impressions of a brand are a critical moment in the relationship with the consumer, setting a tone that will either be reinforced or broken over time. For many consumers out there, the unboxing of a watch is often this first impression, as many of our favorite brands ship directly to consumers. While unboxing the Beaucroft for the first time, I was greeted with a dark teal leather service pouch, embossed with Beaucroft’s logo on the front flap. While service pouches are quite common in the industry, I always like seeing one included with a watch as it allows your watch to have a transportable “home”, for those moments when it does leave your wrist.  More so, it gives an appearance that the brand knows ...