Results for Plongeur Hand (Lollipop)

Hands On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept KAWS “Companion”

Launched a few months ago, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion” 43 mm is Audemars Piguet’s first collaboration with Kaws, the contemporary artist best known for work inspired by Mickey Mouse and The Simpsons. While the Kaws edition is not the first AP pop culture collab, it is arguably the best. Initial thoughts I like the Royal Oak Concept Kaws, more than any of AP’s other pop culture collaborations. I like the aesthetic, feel, and execution (though not the oversized case), which put this amongst the best contemporary art crossovers in watchmaking. The Hublot-Murakami series is another outstanding artist-watchmaker collab, but the AP-Kaws watch is executed to a much higher level of quality (and price). Visually, the Kaws is big and bold, but rendered in muted, monochromatic grey – a paradoxical but complementary combination. At a distance the watch seems like yet another oversized Royal Oak, but up close it gets more interesting, starting with the fact that it has no hands in the traditional sense. The lack of hands (which are replaced with peripheral pointers) make this a little more interesting, since the cal. 2979 is a new movement that’s a variant of AP’s more conventional tourbillon calibre. I appreciate the fact that the movement was developed for this watch, both in order to accommodate the figure on the dial and to incorporate the “padded” Kaws aesthetic into the movement bridges on the back. Adding a mechanical complication to the Kaws s...

Hands-On With The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton

What would happen if you started working out in 1969? How would you look today? Well, if you were a watch, you would probably look like the 42mm Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton. When the athletic Defy A3642 came to life 56 years ago, the watch, with its muscular octagonal case and chiseled tetradecagonal (14-sided) […] Visit Hands-On With The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton to read the full article.

Hands-On With The New Christopher Ward C65 Dune Aeolian Automatic And GMT

It’s no secret that I have a huge soft spot for Christopher Ward’s C65 Dune series. I own the first-generation C65 Dune GMT, and the C65 Dune Automatic models are easily among the best affordable daily wearers. It came as a bit of a surprise that the brand decided to update the Dune lineup with […] Visit Hands-On With The New Christopher Ward C65 Dune Aeolian Automatic And GMT to read the full article.

Hands-On With The New Citizen Tsuyosa 37mm - A Sweet Spot In The Market Is Now Also A Sweet Spot In Size

The Citizen Tsuyosa lineup has always impressed us as an absolute sweet spot in the market. I struggle to think of any watch offering more for the price. The Tsuyosa collection, then, can make you think twice about anything fancier. So what if you want all of that but in a more classical, elegant size? […] Visit Hands-On With The New Citizen Tsuyosa 37mm - A Sweet Spot In The Market Is Now Also A Sweet Spot In Size to read the full article.

Hands-On With The Ollech & Wajs C-1000 A

When Ollech & Wajs released the C-1000 A, I knew I had to spend some time with it. This watch is an interesting one that pays homage to the brand’s groundbreaking Caribbean 1000 from 1964. Ollech & Wajs is a brand that does not enter the mainstream conversation much, which is a shame because there’s […] Visit Hands-On With The Ollech & Wajs C-1000 A to read the full article.

Hands-On With The Holthinrichs Signature Lab Series And The Impressive Ornament Nouveau

At the end of 2023, Michiel Holthinrichs showed me the first sketches of his new Ornament watches at his atelier in the center of Delft, here in the Netherlands. In May 2024, he finally felt confident enough to officially announce the watches. I hadn’t seen them in real life yet, though, so I was very […] Visit Hands-On With The Holthinrichs Signature Lab Series And The Impressive Ornament Nouveau to read the full article.

Hands-On With The New Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC IV

Ask a random watch enthusiast about the great diving watches in history, and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms will be on the tip of many tongues. In 2023, Blancpain celebrated the 70th anniversary of its legendary Fifty Fathoms in three acts. With a trio of completely different releases, the brand gave us a good idea of […] Visit Hands-On With The New Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC IV to read the full article.

[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Zenith Defy Revival Diver

For most of my watch-buying life, fun dive watches have mostly been big dive watches. Colorful, loud, capable waterproof options have tended to correspond with case dimensions of equal impact and presence, while the sub-40mm dive watch space has belonged to relatively sedate interpretations of the classic dive watch formula - and even then, 39mm has been the sweet spot for ‘small’ divers. But over the last few release cycles (if those even exist anymore), we’ve started to see signs of a shift, and I can think of few better examples of this change than the Zenith Defy Revival Diver A3648, released last year as part of Zenith’s grand re-entry into the dive space. Last summer, I got to spend a few weeks with the Zenith Defy Revival Diver’s bigger, brasher brother, the Defy Extreme Diver, and I came away wildly impressed. The Defy Extreme Diver was a watch that punched way above its weight class (or at least its price point) while feeling like a genuinely novel take on a modern dive watch from a brand with shockingly little history in the space. So when I had the chance to spend some time with that watch’s vintage-inspired counterpart, I jumped. This extended visit with the Revival Diver wasn’t my first hands-on experience with the watch - I got to spend a few minutes with it when I went to pick up the Extreme Diver back in June - but on that day, I didn’t find myself particularly taken with the Revival. While I’ve long admired Zenith’s dual identity...

Anoma updates its shaped A1 with a new Slate dial, and we got our hands on it

Anoma brings its second-ever watch to market, with a new dark grey dial colour, small changes to the case and an increase price.The post Anoma updates its shaped A1 with a new Slate dial, and we got our hands on it appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On: The MK II Fulcrum 39

One of my favorite games to play when visiting family is something I like to call “Guess, That, Price!” Here’s how it works: I excitedly dump out my rolls and pouches to reveal to the group what watches I have in for review at that time. They then pour over the details, proudly identifying the features of each watch, and then guess the retail price of each piece to see who comes the closest. On my most recent episode of “Guess, That, Price!” I had with me a trio of watches, one of which being the new MK II Fulcrum 39. As it made its rounds, they began calling out features such as the bezel action, the weight of the watch, and the overall rugged visual appearance. When prompted, the three contestants gave me their estimated MSRP of $22,000, $26,000, and finally $31,000. Yes, they are pretty bad at this game. However, what they lack in accuracy is made up for in providing an interesting data point for me. This watch has the potential to carry a higher perceived value than its actual asking price which is not something that typically happens. It pushed me to explore the watch further.  From the outset, I’ll admit I was a little disappointed with the new Fulcrum. A massive fan of MK II and Tornek-Rayville, I had inflated expectations that this piece would blow me away. To put it bluntly, this is my least favorite watch they have produced to date. I hate that I am writing that, and I hate that I am admitting that, but at the end of the day sometimes things fall sho...

Hands-on – A Quick Encounter with the Salmon Art-Deco Cartier Tank Américaine in Platinum

The name Tank at Cartier means far more than just a watch… It’s an entire range of watches, all distinguished by some design elements first defined by the so-called Tank Normale of 1917. From there, the collection expanded to dozens of designs, such as the Tank Louis Cartier, the Cintrée, the Française and the Asymétrique, […]

Fears and Topper Collaborate Again on the Redcliff 39.5 Burlingame Edition ‘Confetti’

At first glance, the Fears Redcliff Confetti Burlingame Edition appears to be a classy sport watch with splashes of colorful character. But as the fourth collaboration between the British watchmaker and Topper Jewelers (a family-owned retail store in Burlingame, California, that has long served as a major hub of Bay Area watch enthusiasm) the Confetti isn’t just a tasteful splash of pop-art wrapped in a sleek, dressy package-it’s also a symbol of joy, and an ode to overcoming adversity. The Confetti’s unapologetically exuberant dial motif was hand-drawn by John Caplan just after completing three years of chemotherapy in his fight against Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Caplan’s design was emblematic of the relief and joy both he and his family felt following the conclusion of his treatment: “…I kept thinking about how it would feel to be finally finished [with my three years of chemotherapy],” Caplan says. “My father and I discussed the idea of making something inspirational that would both recognize the journey we’ve gone through as a family and also be a joyful thing to look at…after some experimentation, we presented my hand drawn confetti concept to Nicholas [Bowman-Scargill], and after a few discussions, we all knew that we had something worth developing.” The stand-out pastel blue of the running-seconds hand is John’s favorite color, adding an extra touch of triumph and joy to the center of the Confetti concept. “I love using bright colors in my...

Introducing the New Sinn 613 St and 613 St UTC

The new year has already seen a slate of new Sinn timepieces with fresh color schemes, designs, and materials. But the German brand hasn’t forgotten the importance of the watch as a tool, either, and the new 613 St and 613 St UTC are prime examples of Sinn’s dedication to functionality in tandem with form.  With a crisp matte black dial and white chronograph subdial at 6 o’clock, the 613 St embodies Sinn’s most recognizable principles of legible design. Day and date windows sit at the 3 position, with Sinn’s Ar-Dehumidifying Technology logo at 4, indicating that the 613 St comes with the proprietary anti-fogging technology. A second subdial-black with light gray borders and numerals-occupies the 9 o’clock position, giving the 613 St both 60-minute and “running seconds” stopwatch functions.  The 613 St UTC variant adds another layer of complication, with a second time zone featuring light gray 24-hour markers around the inside of the dial. Here, a UTC text detail also replaces the day window and the 60-second subdial is infringed upon, but all else remains the same between the two siblings design-wise. Indices and the hour, minute, and second hands on both models are luminescent, as is the key mark on the minute-ratcheting captive diver’s bezel. An anti-reflective sapphire crystal sits atop the dial. Both 613 St variants are protected by the same bead-blasted stainless steel case, measuring 41mm in diameter. A screw-down crown and caseback seal in th...

Hands on Review – The Ultra-Chron Carbon is one of Longines’ Most Exciting Watches in Recent Memory

Hands-On With The Doxa Sub 200T Divingstar - Could This Yellow-Dial Diver Have A Place In My Collection?

Ever since Hodinkee Editor-in-Chief James Stacey posted an image on social media of a Doxa Sub 200T Divingstar, I knew I had to do a hands-on with one. Yellow is a color that keeps drawing me back. The Divingstar had already been on my radar, but seeing it time and time again wore down my […] Visit Hands-On With The Doxa Sub 200T Divingstar - Could This Yellow-Dial Diver Have A Place In My Collection? to read the full article.

Hands-On With The Mk II Fulcrum 39 Date That You Might Recognize From Somewhere…

Mk II first released its Fulcrum dive watch in 2013. This is nothing spectacular in itself, although it is remarkable to realize that it was 12 years ago. The inaugural model was a 42mm dive watch inspired by the great military watches of the 1970s. The new Mk II Fulcrum 39 is an optimized version […] Visit Hands-On With The Mk II Fulcrum 39 Date That You Might Recognize From Somewhere… to read the full article.

Hands-On: The Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060M - The Pinnacle Of No-Date Dive Watches?

I am sure some of you have “the one that got away.” You know - that one watch you missed out on or simply never got around to chasing down. For me, weirdly, that is probably my favorite watch of all time, the Rolex Submariner ref. 14060M. When I was in a position to buy […] Visit Hands-On: The Rolex Submariner Ref. 14060M - The Pinnacle Of No-Date Dive Watches? to read the full article.

14 of the best left-handed watches for southpaws and serious operators alike

These watches cater to every orientation of the population.The post 14 of the best left-handed watches for southpaws and serious operators alike appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-on – The Orologi Calamai GMT Automatico, an Accessible and Stylish Italian Travel Watch

Orologi Calamai isn’t a household name in the industry, but this small Italian brand has been producing intriguing, aeronautical-inspired watches since its founding in 2012. Unfortunately, MONOCHROME can’t cover the entire array of small, independent brands out there (we try, believe me), but Orologi Calamai definitely caught our eye, and we’ve covered them in the […]

The Cornell Watch Company Introduces Two New References, and Announces a Partnership with Hour Precision to Produce Watches in America at Scale

When John and Chrissy Warren relaunched the Cornell Watch Co. in 2023, it was something of an experiment. They wanted to revive luxury watch making in America … at scale. Now, with their launch year behind them, the Warrens have proven there is an appetite for high-end American watches, having sold and delivered their first 15 build slots for the beautifully crafted 1870 Classic Enamel. Now the Warrens are moving on to the next phase of their company: moving from producing small numbers of artisanal watches to producing hundreds of watches a year that compete in quality with Swiss brands. Part of the appeal of Cornell’s first watches in the relaunch, the 1870 Classic Enamel, was that the watch was put together by America’s leading watchmaker, Roland Murphy. Murphy’s reputation as an artisan who produces work of the highest quality made him an ideal partner for an American brand. His name leant credibility to the project and his years of experience running RGM Watch Co. meant the watches would be beautiful examples of craftsmanship. But relying on RGM Watches to assemble Cornell’s watches had a downside: the high-level hand-finishing they utilize means RGM doesn’t produce huge quantities of watches. And, of course, Cornell isn’t even the center of RGM’s business, meaning the 15 Cornell 1870 CEs produced by RGM in 2024 - 16 if you include a piece unique that was auctioned off - represent roughly what could be expected from the partnership year-over-year: ...

Hands-On With The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Bronze Gold “GoldenEye”

I bought my first Omega Seamaster Diver 300M in 2000 when I was still a student (with a job). It was - and still is - a remarkable watch, and Omega didn’t use inspiration from any vintage models when designing and developing it. Omega created the Seamaster Diver 300M from scratch in the early 1990s […] Visit Hands-On With The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Bronze Gold “GoldenEye” to read the full article.

Ace Jewelers and echo/neutra Unveil their Averau 39 Moon Phase Noctilum Limited Edition

From their distinctive lower-case name to their cohesive brand aesthetics, echo/neutra has upheld a reputation of stylized simplicity since their founding in 2019. With the Averau 39 Moon Phase, released in 2022 as a follow-up to the original Averau field watch, the young Italian brand proved that they could introduce complications without sacrificing the clean design ethos they’ve since become known for. A “Big Moon” version with both black and white dial options would follow in 2024 and become arguably the brand’s most recognizable watch, due to its strikingly photo-realistic moon disc.  For the new Averau 39 Moon Phase Noctilum, however, echo/neutra has plucked the traditional double-moon phase indication from the first Moon Phase model and given it a new minimalist look. A limited edition project joint-helmed by echo/neutra and Ace Jewelers of Amsterdam, the Noctilum emphasizes bold legibility-while the subdial at the 6 o’clock position remains, the realistically-textured moons have been replaced by contrasting black and luminous white alternatives. Continuing with the paring-down of design elements, the hands and 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock indices are the same matte black as the dial, but feature luminous white borders, creating an impressively emotive and legible “inverted lume” effect in dark conditions.  Further deviating from the original, the Noctilum deletes the Arabic hour numerals and the “2649 MSLM” script between 7 and 8 o’clock. The r...

Hands-On With The Timex Ironman 8-Lap Gray Shades

Retro watches have been all the rage for more than a decade now. When we review those releases, though, most are analog and inspired by highly collectible vintage timepieces with lengthy stories. But what about the omnipresent everyman’s watches we took for granted as kids or teenagers? Every so often, they return too, and if […] Visit Hands-On With The Timex Ironman 8-Lap Gray Shades to read the full article.

Hands-On With The RGM Model 207-EB Featuring A Beautiful Blue Engine-Turned Dial

It’s been a while since we covered a watch by the North American brand RGM. The company is known for its high-quality watches with classic styling and extensive customizability. Today, we’re looking at the RGM Model 207-EB with a blue guilloché dial. Its 35mm case feels a bit un-American as it isn’t oversized by any […] Visit Hands-On With The RGM Model 207-EB Featuring A Beautiful Blue Engine-Turned Dial to read the full article.

Hands-On with the 100% Swiss-Made Piccola & Jofrette PJ1

It’s not entirely uncommon for my first encounter with a brand to be when they inquire about attending Windup Watch Fairs. There are a lot of brands out there, more every year, so it’s hard to keep up with every new launch. Conveniently, Windup is a great way for new brands to meet enthusiasts and potential customers (sorry, this wasn’t meant to be a Windup pitch), resulting in a natural amount of outreach. When new brands come in, whether to me or a colleague, we give them a quick review to see if they are a conceptual fit for the fair, which they are more often than not. Occasionally, a new brand will stand out, for one reason or another, and they’ll get the seal of approval and an immediate request for a sample to review. Such was the case with Piccola & Joffrete. What stood out wasn’t the watch’s design, though it is altogether pleasant if conservative; rather, it was what appeared to be a high level of finish and a dedication to Swiss manufacturing. Many watches say Swiss-made on them, the definition of which I’ll elaborate on below, but few say 100% Swiss-made like the Piccola & Joffretes. Typically, those that are 100% Swiss (which is also hard to tell as transparency isn’t a strength of the watch world) cost significantly more, likely starting in the five figures. So, the final aspect that made Piccola & Joffrete (PJ) stand out was their relatively reasonable price point, Swissness considered, of 2500 CHF. There are several criteria a watch must mee...