Deployant
New: Favre Leuba Deep Raider Rennaisance Malachite and Meteorite dials
Favre Leuba extends their Deep Raider Rennaisance line with two new models in a malachite dial and a meteorite dial. Details within.
5,059 articles · 38 videos found · page 53 of 170
Deployant
Favre Leuba extends their Deep Raider Rennaisance line with two new models in a malachite dial and a meteorite dial. Details within.
Monochrome
Presented in 2024, the Biver Automatique is the brand’s vision of a classic 3-hand watch. The collection kicked off with 4 models: two showcasing monochromatic dial-and-case combinations and two from the Atelier Series featuring distinctive stone dials. A few other versions have been introduced since then, and on the occasion of Dubai Watch Week 2025, Biver Watches […]
Worn & Wound
Dubai Watch Week is here, and with it, so are a lot of new watches. Ressence is marking the moment with a new limited edition take on their Type 1°, pairing what is maybe the most core model in their lineup with a rose gold-plated dial to create something that feels both familiar and novel all at once. Produced in a limited edition of 70 pieces worldwide, this is the Ressence Type 1°RG. Ressence, as a brand, is many things to many people. For some, it’s a colorful, exuberant exploration of the fun side of independent watches - a very high-end G-SHOCK of sorts, a balm for the soul weighed down far too often by the staid and serious watches that so often clog our Instagram feeds. For others, Ressence is that staid, serious watch; a brand pushing to the extremes of what a watch can be, exploring not just the complexities of modern watchmaking, but challenging the very nature of how time can be displayed and perceived. Naturally, each of these slightly pretentiously phrased extremes captures only a part of the whole; like most things, the reality of Ressence falls somewhere in the middle of these two perspectives. Still, Ressence is a brand that deservedly invites interest, and this latest release is no exception. In practice, the Type 1° is the prototypical Ressence, a pretty straightforward summation of what it takes to be a Ressence watch, and, as such, it has often served as a platform for the brand to play with its own aesthetic. In the past, we’ve seen Ressence ...
Fratello
The Grand Seiko SBGM255 and SBGM257 bring two new dials to the classic Elegance Collection GMT. Both models preserve the 39.5mm stainless steel case and mechanical caliber 9S66 but introduce fresh dial designs inspired by the seasons. These new references serve up a restrained evolution of a design that has been a Grand Seiko cornerstone […] Visit Introducing: The Grand Seiko SBGM255 And SBGM257 - New Dials For The Dressy GMT to read the full article.
Fratello
Tokyo-based artist Towa Takaya creates pigments from soil, plants, and minerals gathered during her travels, which she then uses to craft watch dials. Now, Minase is introducing handcrafted Yusai dials made by her for its 5 Windows Mid, 7 Windows, and Divido watches. Takaya’s goal is to create a dial showing the essence of nature […] Visit Minase Introduces Handcrafted Yusai Dials For Its 5 Windows Mid, 7 Windows, And Divido Watches to read the full article.
Monochrome
Born from the French Ministry of Defence’s Type 20 brief in the mid-1950s, the Type 20 Chronograph watches featured a black dial, a flyback (retour en vol) function, a rotating bezel, and pilot-proof robustness. Alongside fellow suppliers like Breguet, Mathey-Tissot, and Auricoste, Airain’s Type 20 quickly became one of the most recognisable field chronographs. A […]
Teddy Baldassarre
If you’re new to your appreciation of fine watches, you have undoubtedly read a lot of references to and heard a lot of opinions about watches’ bezels. It is somewhat of an esoteric term but it describes something very simple and essential. The bezel is the front part of the case (often but not always ring-shaped) that frames the dial and secures the crystal. Bezels can be made of the same material as the case middle and/or the caseback, but can also be made of a different material. Here we run down the various types of watch bezels you’re likely to encounter. Polygons and Exposed Screws Watch cases, of course, are not uniformly round, which means that bezels, the front-facing parts of those cases, can also be found in a variety of shapes - sharply squared or rectangular, like the Cartier Tank and Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso (above); softy cushion-shaped, like the Panerai Luminor and Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921; oval-shaped, like the Breguet Reine de Naples and other luxury ladies’ models; tonneau (“barrel”-shaped), like the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang and many Richard Mille models; and a host of others that combine elements of these and other polygonal shapes. The shape that has proven to be the most popular and influential is the octagon: eight-sided bezels have proliferated ever since Audemars Piguet launched the Royal Oak (above) in 1972, and watchmakers have also dabbled in other unconventional shapes: the sharply faceted bezel of the Zeni...
Worn & Wound
The age of the textured dial is upon us, and there’s no escaping it. No longer are we limited to Grand Seiko and similar legacy brands to bring us the third dimension on our wrists, with microbrands pitching in their own-often more innovative-takes on texture. Farer has joined the fray with their new Three Hand Series III collection showcasing three new models, each with a unique approach to the intersection of texture and color. The Three Hand collection was one of Farer’s first, and remains one of the British brand’s most emblematic. Previous iterations of the collection showcased varied numeral and index styles, and of course a huge variety of color, but with the III collection, Farer has opted for a smaller initial release of three watches. To achieve the texture, the dials are stamped with a custom press and then spray-painted, with multiple colored layers added for gradient effects. A clear lacquer layer comes next, with high gloss polishing to seal in the texture. Before we dive into the different dials, let’s take a look at the functional aspects of the Three Hand collection. With a minimalistic design and large crown at 3 o’clock, the 316L stainless steel case appears simple, but boasts some nifty construction considerations, namely a new monobloc mid-case. Sizing is on the smaller side, with a 39mm diameter and 45mm lug-to-lug span, which suits the eye-catching dial designs well. A screw-down crown ensures 100 meters of water resistance, and a b...
Worn & Wound
There’s something exciting about seeing two brands you admire collaborate, especially when those brands represent relatively different aesthetics, if shared sensibilities. So, when we heard that Ressence, the independent watch brand known for its unique ROCS dial displays and futuristic aesthetic, was teaming up with The Armoury, a traditional menswear retailer and tailor, our collective interest was piqued. And the result is, well, oddly exactly what one might expect: a more formal take on Ressence’s most wearable watch to date, the TYPE 9. Called the TYPE 9 Shattering Sun, it meets the two brands in the middle. The TYPE 9, which came out at the end of last year, is the smallest Ressence in diameter, and very thin at 39mm x 42.5mm x 11mm. Additionally, it’s one of the lightest at 39 grams for the head. Unlike other Ressences, it pushed the minute index from under the glass to an external bezel, which further compresses it visually. I reviewed that watch earlier this year and was taken with its wearability. It puts the unique aesthetic and dial display Ressence is known for into a form that would be easy to wear daily. Identifying this, the ever sartorially-savvy and horologically inclined Mark Cho, founder of The Armoury, took the TYPE 9 and remixed it to lean toward dress watch aesthetics, and, more importantly, work with a suit. The dial, originally in silver or teal, has been rendered in warm, copper-toned salmon with a subtle sandblast finish. The explorer-esque...
Fratello
It seems like Ressence’s Type 9 is in high demand, at least when it comes to limited editions. At the end of last year, Benoît Mintiens, the founder of Ressence, introduced the minimalist Type 9. With a 39mm case, it’s the brand’s smallest watch, and it comes with either an aqua blue or gray dial. […] Visit Meet The Tailor-Made Ressence × The Armoury Type 9 Scattering Sun to read the full article.
Hodinkee
What a difference a dial (and bracelet) makes.
Time+Tide
Two striking takes on a classical dial-making technique that's resulted in very modern and contrasting watches. The post Oracle Time joins forces with Isotope for two living dials appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Minimal, quartz, stone dial dress watches with “TV-cases” would have been a hard sell with watch enthusiasts just a few years ago, but you wouldn’t know it from Dennison’s rapid rise in popularity. The historic British brand, twice revived, has been one-to-watch in the last year, having launched the ALD line of watches fitting the description mentioned above just last October (2024) to great success. Perfectly timed for the seemingly capricious swings of the enthusiast zeitgeist, the combination of a 60s/70s shaped case, clean, expansive stone dials, effortless style, and approachable price point made them an easy sell for those who wanted to dabble with an aesthetic that was previously the domain of luxury jewelry watch brands. Less than a year since launch, Dennison is back and, quite literally, doubling down on their inaugural line’s success with the ALD Dual Time. An extension of the first line, as the name suggests, the Dual Times can tell the time in more than one location, but do so in a decidedly direct and retro method. They have two movements. Positioned on either side of the dial, with independent crowns on either side of the case, these twin quartz tickers (though it should be noted there are no seconds hands) allow for differences down to the minute. Convenient for the rare 15 or 30-minute timezone change, or perhaps tracking a friend who is always 10 minutes late, this layout is as easy to read as it is visually dynamic. The close proximity of the t...
Worn & Wound
I’ve reached the age where I regularly feel the temptation to say things along the lines of “back in the day…” This applies to various things, such as life without smartphones, dial-up modems, and Napster, among others, but occasionally, it also applies to watches. You see, it wasn’t that long ago that things were quite different. Dive watches were all north of 40mm, in-house movements were rare under $5k, microbrands were dismissed as a passing trend, and, most relevantly to this review, mechanical chronographs under a certain price were primarily powered by Valjoux 7750s or a close variant. With sub-dials at 12, 6, and 9, day-dates at three, two-pushers, cam-actuated, and always automatic, approachably priced mechanical chronographs were limited in their design options. Even 3, 6, 9 layouts were rare, powered by 7753s or ETA 2894s, and often limited to Swatch group brands. The point is that in 2025, it’s almost hard to imagine a world of such limited chronograph options. Today, thanks largely to Sellitta, 3, 9, and 3, 6, 9 layouts are typical (I actually miss 12, 6, 9 now), monopushers are no big deal, manual winding is an option, flybacks, GMTs, and even column-wheels are on the table. Simply put, it’s a good time to be a chronograph fan. Yet, even in this golden-age of chronographs (ok, that might be a stretch), there is room to stand out. Enter Albishorn, which launched in 2024 with a series of chronographs powered by a bespoke movement, based on a fun r...
Hodinkee
The Glaswegian brand, known for its colorful and labor-intense dials, steps out from enamel.
Fratello
Just in time for summer, Clément Gaud presents us with the lightest and smallest Laventure watch to date. The Marine Type 3, available with either a black or full-lume white dial, features a case crafted from Grade 23 titanium. Like all of Clément’s watches, the Marine Type 3’s design takes inspiration from vintage timepieces. This […] Visit Hands-On With The Laventure Marine Type 3 - A Specialized Instrument In Grade 23 Titanium to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Half a century after the Bvlgari Bvlgari was conceived by Gianni Bulgari and then redesigned by Gerald Genta, the Bulgari is making the occasion with Italian marble dials – without a date window – in both large and small sizes. This is the first instance the model sports a stone dial, which is paired with an in-house movement for the large mechanical model. Initial Thoughts In 50 years, the Bvlgari Bvlgari has gone through innumerable permutations in design and materials while retaining its key design element of a flat, engraved bezel. The 50th anniversary edition is mostly faithful to the original, with only one minor misstep: the bezel engraving is done by machine and lacks the character of the hand-engraved original. The addition of a seconds hand and display back to the automatic version will likely bolster sales, but detracts from the simplicity and refinement of the design. I do appreciate the unsigned crown and dropping the date. Also in its favor is pricing, which is reasonable for a solid gold watch from a major brand. Marbleous New Dials Initially conceived by Gianni Bulgari in 1975 as a digital watch gifted to top clients, the Bvlgari Bvlgari was subject to a 1977 redesign by the prolific Gerald Genta that made it a breakout success for the Roman jeweller. The case design was inspired by coins minted by the Roman Empire, which were struck with the current Emperor’s name along the perimeter. Genta’s 1977 Bvlgari Bvlgari of 1977 (left), and the original di...
SJX Watches
Ressence is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its retailer in the United Arab Emirates, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, in distinctly granular manner with the quirky, sand-filled Type 9 S75. A limited edition of only 20 pieces, the S75 is based on the recently introduced Type 9, the brand’s minimalist, entry-level model. The dial is coated with sand sourced from the seven Emirates that make up the desert country in the Arabian peninsula. Initial Thoughts Typically, sand, or any sort of grit for that matter, in watches is undesirable, but Ressence is challenging that perception. The hands do not cut through the sand as it may first appear. Instead, the sand is suspended in a clear adhesive, bonding it to the titanium discs that show the time. This might be somewhat disappointing for those who hoped that Ressence had overcome the physics of materials, but perfectly logical. Filling the watch with loose sand would create a more dynamic dial, it’d also require enormous torque to push through. Since sand is a coarse and rough natural abrasive that gets everywhere, it’d likely destroy the module anyway. Past Seddiqi editions by other brands did actually have loose sand within the case, but contained within a sealed module entirely separate from the movement and dial. While the sand might seem like a gimmick on the face of it, the granular surface adds a different, earthy, and even organic, texture to the traditional Ressence aesthetic of sleek, smooth, and mechanical. Moreover, cl...
Time+Tide
Real sand from all the seven Emirates features on the dial of the new Ressence Type 9, celebrating 75 years of Seddiqi.The post Ressence celebrates Ahmed Seddiqi’s 75th anniversary with a literally sandy Type 9 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
A flyback chronograph makes a return to the Riviera range, and for the first time ever, we also get a Riviera Chrono with a panda dial.The post Baume & Mercier give enthusiasts what they want, expanding the Riviera range with panda dials and a flyback chrono appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Hong Kong's Selten offers exceptional patterned grand feu enamel dials at an exceptionally affordable price.The post Selten’s Métiers d’Art Collection showcases artisanal enamelled dials that won’t break the bank appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
There's a stone dial watch our there to suit most tastes.The post 12 of the best stone dials from labradorite to pietersite appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
The Rolex Day-Date has long been the brand’s flagship model. We sometimes forget that fact due to all the new Rolex releases every year. We usually only see new dial variations for the Day-Date. But that makes sense; after all, why drastically change something if it’s already so good? This is why we decided to […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Day-Date Models With Exotic Dials to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
If there’s one thing Grand Seiko is known for, it is its textured dials….and Spring Drive…and Zaratsu polishing... Okay, one of the things Grand Seiko is known for is its textured dials. Often inspired by the beauty of the natural landscape surrounding Grand Seiko's manufacture in Japan, these dials are now often imitated but never truly replicated. We asked our editorial team here at Teddy to choose their favorite GS dial and, unsurprisingly, we got some really stunning picks here. So, without further ado, here are our Editors’ Picks for favorite Grand Seiko dials. Bilal Khan: SBGA011/SBGA211 "Snowflake" The Grand Seiko SBGA211 (originally the SBGA011), aka the Snowflake, is where it all began. Back in 2004, the watchmakers at the dial workshop in the Shinshu watch studio were given a novel task: create a dial that would capture the beauty of the natural surroundings of where the Spring Drive movement was born. The answer was in front of their eyes when they gazed at the snow-capped mountains that commanded their views for half the year. Creating this dial was a challenge but they found inspiration from an old 56GS watch dating back to 1971, which had a texture similar to what the team wanted to achieve. It took some trial and error but they found success through a silver plating method that would go on to birth the now-iconic "Snowflake" dial. It might look somewhat demure and less dramatic than more recent textured dials, but this is the quintessential Grand Sei...
Fratello
It’s no secret that we are fans of the Tissot PRX here at Fratello. Multiple team members, including yours truly, own a PRX Powermatic 80, so we meet any new addition to the lineup with great interest. The latest expansion of the extensive PRX collection is a pair of red-dial versions of the PRX Quartz […] Visit Introducing: Bright Red Sunburst Dials For The Tissot PRX Quartz to read the full article.
Monochrome
At the opening of the Watches and Wonders 2025 salon, Rolex presented quite a lot of new models, starting with the all-important Land-Dweller collection, as well as a new white gold and ceramic dial GMT-Master II Sprite and a fantastic new metal bracelet (named Settimo) for the 1908 collection. There was also a new, bold […]
Monochrome
Piaget’s swank 15102 reference, better known as the Black Tie watch, captured the zeitgeist of the early 1970s with its oversized 45mm cushion-shaped gold case, dramatic sweeping gadroons and sleek black dial. Reputedly American Pop artist Andy Warhol’s favourite model, Piaget was given the green light last year to rename its cult watch the Andy […]
Hodinkee
The modern dial design gets paired with the anniversary year's new Maltese cross guilloché motif.
Teddy Baldassarre
German luxury watchmaker Glashütte Original has been on a streak of masterful moon-phase creations in recent years, releasing some absolutely exquisite dial colors in its PanoMaticLunar model (including the green-dial model I review here) and unveiling the first PanoLunarInverse model toward the end of 2024. Today, the brand continues shooting for the moon, in a visual and horological sense, with the launch of two new versions of its Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase family boasting two eye-catching - and historically inspired - new dial colors. Both of the watches’ dials - one in frosted silver, the other in frosted copper, achieved in a galvanic process - are created in homage to the rich mineral deposits once mined in the Ore Mountains, near the state of Saxony and the watchmaking town of Glashütte. Their finely grained surfaces, meant to evoke the thin layers of ice on the mountain rock, play host to the familiar and elegant details of the Senator Excellence family - including hand-applied, blued Roman numeral markers in gold and blued, polished poire hands complemented by a central seconds hand with the brand’s “double G” symbol as counterweight. The watches’ signature functions occupy carefully chosen spots on the dial without disrupting its overall clean, harmonious look. The large “Panorama” date display settles snugly in a double window at 4 o’clock, while the moon-phase elegantly balances it in the opposite corner above, its ...
Deployant
Delma release two new editions to their 1924 Tourbillon, featuring two dial colours: blue and salmon graind de riz guilloché.
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