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4,364 articles · 16 videos found · page 54 of 146

Hands-On: BA111OD’s Chapter 7 Skeleton Gets a Light and Airy Stainless Steel Build Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Sep 24, 2026

Hands-On: BA111OD’s Chapter 7 Skeleton Gets a Light and Airy Stainless Steel Build

I had heard the name but was not aware of the unforgettable spelling until I got a sample of my first BA111OD watch, the latest addition to the brand’s catalog: the Chapter 7 Skeleton. While BA111OD traces its roots back deep into the history of watchmaking, its modern incarnation has taken shape over the past seven years with several different chapters. One of the biggest evolutions we have seen in the brand’s contemporary catalog is in its movements. While early chapters got flack for keeping costs accessible with Chinese calibers, Chapter 3 incorporated the first Swiss caliber into the Swiss-based Maison’s lineup in 2022. The brand’s next installment, Chapter 4, continued to build on this trajectory with the BA111OD caliber BA.01. This movement was notably developed in collaboration with watchmaker Olivier Mory whose La Chaux de Fonds workshop has given rise to movements for brands across the industry, from Louis Erard to Yema. Then, BA111OD’s Chapter 5 went on to introduce the Maison’s first automatic chronograph thanks to the ETA Valjoux 7750. Next, Chapter Delta entered the lineup with a major shakeup thanks to another movement co-created with Olivier Mory, this time featuring a unique hypocycloidal mechanism. Instead of a standard central rotating hand, a satellite hour wheel rolls around a fixed central wheel. This creates a deltoid path where the hour dot naturally slows down and speeds up during its rotation cycle. Here, traditional circular minutes c...

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Hands-On Review: Going Green With IWC’s Ingenieur 42 Green Ceramic WatchAdvice
IWC s Ingenieur 42 Green Sep 23, 2026

Hands-On Review: Going Green With IWC’s Ingenieur 42 Green Ceramic

IWC went green this year with the Ingenieur 42 Ceramic, and while we thought the black was good, this could be better! What We Love: The shade of green ceramic works extremely well The gold accents elevate the watch nicely The finish & light play make this a standout on the wrist What We Don’t: Still, the lack of the quick-link adjustment system on the bracelet The 42 mm case size may not suit all wrist sizes and types A full ceramic watch may not be for everyone, or suit some people’s lifestyles Overall Rating: 8.75 / 10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 9.5/10 Build Quality: 9/10 When IWC released the black ceramic Ingenieur last year, I was pretty impressed with how well the watch worked in the metal, or ceramic, I should say. The Ingenieur is already a very distinctive design, and creating it in ceramic could easily have changed the proportions or feel of the watch, but IWC managed to retain what makes the current Ingenieur work while giving it a completely different feel on the wrist. IWC CEO Chris Grainger-Herr talked to us about this last year, and how much research and development went into making a 42mm-sized ceramic version to mirror the proportions, look and feel on the wrist as the standard steel 40mm. It was an interesting chat, which you can read all about here. It’s not easy being green, as the frog once said! But maybe, in this case, it is! Not content to rest on its laurels, IWC released a green ceramic version for Watches & Wonde...

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Hands On: Blancpain Lady B SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre cal 101 which Sep 23, 2026

Hands On: Blancpain Lady B

The charming and compact Lady B extends Blancpain’s collection of elegant ladies watches while upholding the brand’s longstanding commitment to mechanical calibres. At just 19 mm in size and almost spherical in form, the Lady B contains an upmarket automatic movement that transcends the quartz-powered norms for this segment of watchmaking. Initial thoughts The Lady B is the spiritual successor to the Ladybird Bullet, which introduced the world’s smallest round mechanical movement when it debuted 70 years ago under the leadership of Betty Fiechter, the first woman to lead a major Swiss watch brand. The “round” qualifier is important because the smallest mechanical movement — then, as now — was the Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 101, which is still in production but in extremely limited numbers, and reserved for high jewellery collections. The Lady B (left) with the original Ladybird Bullet from 1956 The Lady B is larger than the vintage Bullet, but at just 19 mm it’s still small enough that the size is the main point of intrigue. The watch is almost spherical being 13 mm thick, but rather than feeling too thick this aspect gives the watch a charming bead-like feel similar to the original Bullet. The spherical feel is completed by the absence of conventional lugs; the Lady B instead features a pass-through channel for a selection of interchangeable straps. This hypothetically allows multiple Lady B’s to be “stacked” on the same strap for a jewellery-like look, b...

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Hands-On: The Straum Expedition Hodinkee
Straum Sep 18, 2026

Hands-On: The Straum Expedition

If wearing the Straum Expedition on and off for the last few weeks has reminded me of anything, it's this: It's been a little too long since I last had a good outdoor adventure. For me, 2025 was a year all about getting outside. So far, 2026 hasn't been. That's not necessarily a bad thing — I've sated my need for adventure in other ways this year, and I have found a few days here and there to climb a small mountain or two — but it is a thing, and the new Expedition from Straum has been a definite reminder of that, because this is a watch that's all about getting outside. To me, a watch's success comes down largely to intent. Put another way, does the execution of a watch line up with the story it's trying to tell? It's a harder needle to thread than you might expect, but when a brand gets the balance right, it's magic. Still, I do recognize that wearing a watch, especially a mechanical watch, in 2026 is largely an emotional affect, and most people don't actually need their watches to live up to the promise on the tin. That might help explain why there are so many "dive watches" on the market with minimal water resistance, or why I see so many people on the subway wearing fashion watches with fake pushers and subdials that seem to do nothing. And that's what makes a watch like the Straum Expedition so special—it is exactly what the brand claims it is. A (Very) Brief Primer On Straum If you already know Straum, it's probably thanks to the Jan Mayen. While the Jan Mayen...

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Hands-on - The Tudor Northflag, an Improved Successor to the North Flag, now with GMT Function Monochrome
Tudor Northflag Sep 18, 2026

Hands-on - The Tudor Northflag, an Improved Successor to the North Flag, now with GMT Function

First presented in 2015, the Tudor North Flag was an important watch for the brand. It introduced a new design, drawing on the angular, exploration-inspired character of the 1970s Ranger II, but its real significance was mechanical: it was the first Tudor fitted with a manufacture movement (calibre MT5621), itself the first Tudor movement visible […]

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Hands On: Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt SJX Watches
Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Sep 18, 2026

Hands On: Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt

Daniel Roth’s svelte time-only watch remains compact but gains presence with the Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt. While it is just a cosmetic update, the black dial with “gilt” markings create a high contrast look that is unusual for ultra-thin dress watches. The formal aesthetic on the front is matched by the DR002 on the reverse. Made by La Fabrique du Temps (LFT), the DR002 is a constructed and finished to a high level, continuing the philosophy of the revived Daniel Roth brand, which has been to recreate historical models, but enhanced superior, proprietary movements. Initial thoughts Style wise the Extra Plat is essentially a remake, albeit with nips and tucks to the design. The tweaks to the design are thoughtful but minimal, and preserve the original design. This is not a groundbreaking creation, but it is handsome and intrinsically appealing. This specific iteration is the best looking of the Extra Plat collection to date. The gold-on-black livery is striking. Unlike earlier versions of the model that are more conventional in colours, this is a more powerful combination, but still remains a formal dress watch. Moreover, the “gilt” dial itself is more complex than it appears: the gold markings are not print but instead the solid gold dial base below showing through the black coating. This illustrates the impressive manufacturing quality of Daniel Roth in general, or more specifically LFT. The Extra Plat retails for CHF55,000, which is competitive in today’s hi...

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Has Longines Mastered The Monopusher Chronograph? (Hands-On) WatchAdvice
Longines Mastered Sep 17, 2026

Has Longines Mastered The Monopusher Chronograph? (Hands-On)

Longines has put a new spin on another classic complication, but does the function translate to form? Let’s find out! What We Love: Modernised take on heritage design Big but easy to wear Ludicrous value proposition What We Don’t: Dial feels slightly shrunken Unusual clasp system Is a manual wind chrono still the way to go? Overall Rating: 9.25/10 Value for Money: 10/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 Watch brands pay tribute to their heritage in different ways. Some do this by way of lineage, where iconic aspects of their design or craftsmanship are carried forward into the modern day. Others do this through innovation, respecting their history of disruptive advancement by introducing new technical breakthroughs with every consecutive piece. However, esteemed watch brand Longines takes a different route: reviving and overhauling watches from its exhaustive archives. Even a slight glance towards its catalogue is indicative of such dedication. Almost all of Longines’ watches, through both design and engineering, uphold what is nearing two centuries’ worth of tradition. But for as often as it loves to resurrect archival pieces, it does so in a way that feels organic to the brand’s longstanding philosophies. Earlier this year, that ethos manifested itself in the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve, a reintroduction of a timepiece from the lesser-known horological history of the 1950s. This time, they’ve gone even further back to the early...

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Hands-On: The Apple Watch Series 12 And Ultra 4 Hodinkee
Ming from several versions back Sep 17, 2026

Hands-On: The Apple Watch Series 12 And Ultra 4

Another year, another generation of the Apple Watch. Like last year's Series 11 and Ultra 3, things have largely stayed the same. That said, there are still a few major under-the-hood updates and some new aesthetic changes, but we're still carrying over the Apple Watch's subtle tenth-anniversary redesign from a few years ago, so the familiar dimensions remain. That also holds true for the Ultra 4. Across the board, the main improvements come in a new, more powerful chip and a vastly improved health sensor equipped on the back of each watch. With iterative improvements like this in the yearly refresh cycle, this new generation offers a solid upgrade for those coming from several versions back, and less of a temptation for those fresh off last year's models. But there will always be those who avidly find every chance to upgrade to the next year's latest and greatest—Apple's got you covered with some fun additions, too. A Return To Ceramic 46mm Night Blue (left) and 42mm Pearl White (right) ceramics. To me, the most exciting news from this year's Apple Watch announcements was the return of ceramic as a case material. Titanium is cool and all, especially since all the latest titanium cases since last year have been 3D-printed, but there's something a little nerdier about an Apple Watch in ceramic. Apple introduced ceramic on the Apple Watch as early as the Series 3 in 2017. I was a happy owner of a 2019 Series 5 Apple Watch Edition in white ceramic, so my interest has natura...

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Hands On: Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons SJX Watches
Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog Sep 16, 2026

Hands On: Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons

Hublot has just unveiled the Classic Fusion Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons, its latest — and arguably most striking — collaboration with a contemporary artist. Crafted from anodised aluminium, the case of the watch is delicately machined to almost perfectly replicate the creased, metallic look of a mylar balloon. The plump inflated look extends to the dial and strap, and the watch can be had in three different colours — red, blue, and silver — each of which is limited to 200 pieces. The Balloon Dog is powered by the HUB1710, an upmarket execution of the in-group Zenith Elite platform. Initial thoughts Jeff Koons is likely one of the few contemporary artists with mainstream name recognition outside the world of fine art. While he is arguably best known for his large-scale sculptures, including the Balloon Dog referenced by his collaboration with Hublot, he has had a prolific career and worked in numerous mediums. But it is his ability to replicate the tight, creased look of inflated latex and mylar in materials like stainless steel and aluminium that have cemented his status in the world of contemporary art. The Classic Fusion Balloon Dog taps exactly this expertise, crafted in anodised aluminium with a rounded, puffy form that transforms the sharp, angular Hublot style into something more soft and playful. The result is immediately recognisable thanks to the thoughtfulness of the execution. The familiar Hublot details are present, but have been carefully machined to loo...

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Hands-On: The Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog By Jeff Koons Hodinkee
Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog Sep 16, 2026

Hands-On: The Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog By Jeff Koons

Hublot is no stranger to opening its doors to outside creativity, with some of its most memorable (and often infamous) releases of the past few years in collaborations with artists and designers—Takashi Murakami, Daniel Arsham, and Samuel Ross, to name a few. Late last week, the brand dropped the news that the next big name in line for a collaboration would be the contemporary American artist Jeff Koons, most widely known for his series of bright, shiny balloon dog sculptures in a whole range of colors. Image courtesy of Hublot Balloon Dog (Orange) - Image courtesy of Christie's Rabbit - Image courtesy of Christie's Koons' name has reached a certain level of infamy and popularity alike in the art world, as the world's most expensive living artist today. His Balloon Dog (Orange) piece hammered at Christie's in 2013 for a whopping $58.4 million dollars, breaking auction records for an artwork by a living artist. Then, in 2019, his 1986 Rabbit piece shattered that result, selling for more than $91 million and taking the title. To this day, both pieces remain among the top ten most expensive artworks by living artists. Naturally, Koons faces criticism from critics and the wider public, from the overt commercialism and kitchiness of the art to the factory-style production methods he employs. Regardless, it's impossible to deny how iconic and recognizable the Balloon Dog series is worldwide. With that iconic look and a touch of infamy, the Balloon Dog feels like the perfect su...

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Hands-On Impressions of the New Bremont Terra Nova 35mm Jumping Hour Watches Worn & Wound
Bremont Terra Nova 35mm Jumping Sep 15, 2026

Hands-On Impressions of the New Bremont Terra Nova 35mm Jumping Hour Watches

Maybe this would be better saved for a Hot Takes episode of the podcast, but I’ll go ahead and spill it here instead: the new Bremont Terra Nova 35mm Jumping Hour watches are the best they’ve made since the big rebrand a few years ago. The fact that they are part of the Terra Nova collection is itself interesting, as this collection in particular was met with so much skepticism (including by us) when they were launched. But now, over two years removed from the drama of the brand’s big shift, there is a real sense that they’ve settled in, and the watches, when laid out on a table together in the way you experience them at a Geneva Watch Days meeting, feel more coherent.  I’ve always felt that these Terra Nova Jumping Hour watches were charming, but there was something a little ungainly about the size. The smaller montre à guichet style jump hour pieces at 38mm in diameter, wear every bit of that dimension and a little more simply because most of what you see when you look down to check the time is bare metal. The larger 40.5mm Jumping Hour pieces with an aperture arrangement running right to left across the dial felt similarly oversized for a complication that historically is characterized as something kind of delicate.  But when I picked up the new 35mm pieces, particularly the montre à guichet on a bracelet, the size felt really dialed in. I’ve been thinking a lot about the “correct” size for certain watches after reviewing smaller versions of Moser’...

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Hands-On: the Benjamin James Deerhurst Regulator Worn & Wound
Sep 15, 2026

Hands-On: the Benjamin James Deerhurst Regulator

The trajectory of my watch enthusiasm over the past several years can be boiled down to one basic principle: seeking things that are different. It’s what led me to Arcanaut, briefly owning a M.A.D.1S, a devotion to the works of Jiro Katayama, and, ultimately, boredom with brands owned by the big conglomerates. It’s been, honestly, an exciting time to reject the mainstream, as there seems to be a neverending stream of microbrands doing interesting things either well outside the norm or just slightly tilted away from it. Benjamin James is a Hong Kong based microbrand that falls into the latter category. Their watches are not avant garde or challenging works of outsider art, exactly, but they represent the distilled point of view of their founder, and the Deerhurst regulator surprised me with its overall quality and some of its touchpoints.  $1702 Hands-On: the Benjamin James Deerhurst Regulator Case Stainless steel Movement Sellita SW266-1 M Dial Burgundy Lume None Lens Sapphire Strap Leather strap or bracelet Water Resistance 50 meters Dimensions 36 x 42mm Thickness 9.1mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Push/pull Warranty Yes Price $1702 The Deerhurst is a slim, 36mm dress watch available in three dial variations. My sample is in burgundy, but it’s also available in “Old English White” and “Denim Blue.” The design feature of the watch that will either charm you or make you roll your eyes is the Clous de Paris bezel, which in 2026 is perhaps one of the most old-fashioned...

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Hands On: Ferdinand Berthoud FB 3SPC.4-1 SJX Watches
Ferdinand Berthoud Sep 15, 2026

Hands On: Ferdinand Berthoud FB 3SPC.4-1

The slate of truly new releases from Geneva Watch Days was fairly limited, but among the many new variants of existing models, the Ferdinand Berthoud FB 3SPC.4-1 stood out for its lightweight and richly tactile ceramised titanium case and casual, almost sporty look. Initial thoughts Ferdinand Berthoud (FB) is no stranger to exotic case materials, having used ceramised titanium before (for the FB 1RES.4) as well as carburised stainless steel and bronze. But the FB 3SPC.4-1 is just the second FB 3SPC to come dressed in a non-precious metal case, and the first with a ceramised coating. The FB 3SPC arguably gives up some ground in the looks department, though this is subjective; many collectors find the exposed movement preferable to a conventional dial, since it makes it easier to appreciate the finishing without taking off the watch. That said, the design impacts legibility and some aspects of the layout seem counterintuitive, such as the upside-down orientation of the dial-side balance wheel. The FB 3SPC debuted in 2022 and remains the high-end brand’s entry level model, though with a retail price approaching US$200,000, it’s priced in line with complicated models from established brands. The value proposition of this time-only watch hinges on the appeal of the cylindrical hairspring — which while not unique in contemporary watchmaking is executed superbly — and the no-expense-spared approach to finishing that FB is known for. The pricing also reflects the low-volum...

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Is A. Lange & Söhne’s Saxonia 36 Annual Calendar The Best Dress Watch Ever? (Hands-On) WatchAdvice
A. Lange & Sohne Sep 13, 2026

Is A. Lange & Söhne’s Saxonia 36 Annual Calendar The Best Dress Watch Ever? (Hands-On)

A. Lange & Söhne put their best foot forward at Watches & Wonders 2026, but does it hit all their exacting standards? Let’s find out! What We Love: A compact watch that makes its presence known Legible despite its size Highly complex & beautifully finished What We Don’t: Little negative space; a consequence of compaction Date corrector disrupts symmetry Would you request the price? Overall Rating: 9.25/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality:9.5/10 Of all the richness within German watchmaking, A. Lange & Söhne could be considered the most emblematic of the region. The veritable golden boy of German horology, it has often been cited as the mainstream leader in what best comprises the country’s ethos around mechanics and craftsmanship. Depending on who you ask, the history of the brand does get fuzzy, though not for any fault of their own. The realities of the Second World War, Soviet occupation, and consolidation under the Iron Curtain may never unscramble Glashütte’s complex past. What cannot be questioned, however, is the quality of work A. Lange & Söhne routinely produces. It’s why they’re often cited as the first step into luxuriously acquired taste, the first bold venture beyond the grip of the Swiss or Japanese industries, opening the veritable Pandora’s box that is haute horlogerie. As of late, though, they’ve even been shirking that archetype, rising to compete as one of the greatest watch brands around, regard...

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Hands-On: The Tudor Northflag Hodinkee
Tudor Northflag It's been Sep 11, 2026

Hands-On: The Tudor Northflag

It's been a big year for Tudor. The brand is in the midst of a major anniversary celebration, with 2026 marking 100 years since Hans Wilsdorf filed the first paperwork that eventually led to Tudor's creation. Appropriately, that anniversary has been the dominant story this year, and it was reflected in their major novelty for Watches & Wonders 2026: the Tudor Monarch. That watch was, I think, largely a successful launch for the brand, and the supporting releases, though subtle, were meaningful and (in some cases) necessary. Still, for those of us who find ourselves generally drawn to Tudor's more utilitarian offerings, it was easy to feel a little overlooked coming out of Watches & Wonders. That changed last week with the launch of the new Northflag. The new watch is an update on the North Flag from 2015, and is aimed squarely at those looking for a compelling everyday adventure and exploration–ready watch. It does that, but it also brings the same maturity that has begun to permeate the Tudor lineup. But more on that in a minute, because before we talk about the Northflag, I want to talk about the North Flag (I know, vaguely confusing), and to do that, I need to talk about anniversaries. The Tudor North Flag I'm on record in several places as having my doubts about whether this was really the year for Tudor to mark the 100-year milestone. An even cursory look at Tudor's history quickly reveals that, while the Tudor wordmark may have been trademarked in 1926, and while e...

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Hands On: Chopard L.U.C 1963 Heritage Regulator SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Sep 11, 2026

Hands On: Chopard L.U.C 1963 Heritage Regulator

One of the most appealing releases of Geneva Watch Days was the Chopard L.U.C 1963 Heritage Regulator. While not an altogether new model, the watch incorporates a number of welcome updates, including a smaller case and a more refined dial that resembles an instrument panel on the wrist. The L.U.C 98.02-L movement remains in service, and is both COSC and Poinçon de Genève-certified. Moreover, the calibre achieves an impressive nine days of power reserve and is neatly finished, as is typical for Chopard’s higher-end offerings. Initial thoughts Chopard has long been a steward of the regulator format. In fact, the 1963 Heritage Regulator marks 20 years since the brand’s first contemporary regulator wristwatch. The regulator format is strongly associated with precision clocks, but Chopard’s interpretation reminds me of an automotive dashboard — perhaps intentionally, since the brand’s co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele is known for his affinity for vintage cars. The latest example is substantially improved over prior generations, with several nips and tucks that result in a move wearable and less busy package overall. The watch is tangibly well made, with an expensive bill of materials and refined execution. The 1963 Heritage Regulator is priced at about US$50,000, and is limited to a concise run of 25 pieces in (ethically sourced) 18k white gold. By current standards, it’s a reasonable proposition, but still slightly above the going rate for a Patek Philippe...

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Hands-On: The Pattern Recognition B-Theory Series 1 Hodinkee
Audemars Piguet Sep 10, 2026

Hands-On: The Pattern Recognition B-Theory Series 1

About a year ago—or maybe two—I remember sitting in an Uber with Ben and some of the Hodinkee team as we drove down the Rue de Lausanne in Geneva, heading to Watches & Wonders. We had just grabbed a quick breakfast when Michael Friedman unexpectedly joined us. Yes, that Michael Friedman. The "AP, Michael Friedman, my friend's cooler" rap lyric guy. The guy who just so happened to have also formerly been a curator at the Willard House & Clock Museum and the National Watch & Clock Museum, Head of Watches at Christie's New York, a client advisor to people like Eric Clapton (during his pièce unique Patek years), and most recently the Head of Complications at Audemars Piguet. Okay, maybe you don't know Michael Friedman. But I knew him well and had some formative early-career experiences bumping into and getting to know him. I also knew he was working on a new brand, but had absolutely zero idea what it was. "It's wild," said Ben—or some approximation of that. "It's not so much a watch as a cuff, with a bunch of diamonds." What could that even mean? I had ideas in my head, but as they spiraled, they got further from the truth. As of a few months ago, we have the answer, and it's not what I had envisioned. The B-Theory Series 1 from Friedman's new brand Pattern Recognition is, as Ben said, far from a watch in most respects, but closer than I expected. Yes, it's jewelry. There are diamonds. And yet it's got the bona fides of technical watchmaking and connections with the pa...

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Hands On: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor Sep 10, 2026

Hands On: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor

Girard-Perregaux (GP) is on the rebound after a few quiet years, and the Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor 39 mm is a compelling addition to the premium sports watch arena. Featuring an all-new automatic tourbillon calibre and expensively crafted dials — with optional grand feu enamel — the Laureato Fifty Tourbillon embodies the strides GP has taken to reposition itself in the industrial-haute horlogerie segment. Initial thoughts I tend to feel somewhat jaded about tourbillons squeezed into sports watches, but I was pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful execution of the Laureato Fifty Tourbillon, from its grand feu flinqué enamel dial to the (surprisingly) solid gold bridges of the all-new cal. GP8410. Moreover, the brand managed to maintain the nearly ideal proportions of the Laureato Fifty while adding a finely finished free-sprung tourbillon to the lower half of the dial. While the 39 mm format is familiar, the cal. GP8410 is one of four new automatic calibres the brand has introduced in roughly the past year, after the workhorse GP4800, the automatic minute repeating cal. GP9530, and the GP9620 with the brand’s emblematic “three gold bridges” architecture. The nearly simultaneous release of these four distinct platforms hints at the investment put into GP since the group’s management buyout in early 2022. Priced at almost exactly US$100,000, both variants of the Laureato Fifty Tourbillon are positioned squarely against watches like the Vacheron Consta...

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Hands On With The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Date Power Reserve WatchAdvice
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Date Sep 9, 2026

Hands On With The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Date Power Reserve

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Master Control Chronometre collection is a hit. Now we put the Date Power Reserve model under the microscope… What We Love Great integrated bracelet design, & a first for Jaeger-LeCoultre Super comfortable on the wrist  Bridges both sports and dress watch genres easily What We Don’t No lume, so a better watch for day wear vs an all-around sports watch The bezel could be larger or have more detailing for greater balance Need a corrector tool to change the date, so it isn’t easy to do when out and about. Overall Rating: 9.25 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9.5/10 Mario has had his say on the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Date, but now it’s my turn, and for this review, I’m getting hands-on with the Master Control Chronometre Date Power Reserve. Yes, the name is a mouthful, but that is ok, I’ll forgive Jaeger-LeCoultre as this is (spoiler alert) a fantastic watch that I really had a hard time faulting. Since seeing the full collection first-hand at Watches & Wonders this year, I had been keen on trying them for a longer-term review. I do love the rose gold variants, but the sensible part of me thought it best to give the steel version a try, as this is probably the more everyday-wearing watch, and design-wise, sits nicely between the date model and the perpetual calendar. First Impressions I’ll say this. My first impressions of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronomet...

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Hands-On Impressions of the New M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese Worn & Wound
MB&F; Sep 9, 2026

Hands-On Impressions of the New M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese

One of the splashiest Geneva Watch Days releases this year was the all new M.A.D.3, the latest entry in the ongoing series from M.A.D.Editions, the popular MB&F; spinoff. You’re probably pretty familiar with the M.A.D. project at this point, but just in case you’re stumbling onto it here for the first time, a brief primer.  Coming from many of the same people behind MB&F;, M.A.D.Editions was originally conceived as a way for brand founder Max Busser to thank his many longtime collaborators with an affordable watch that kept to the same avant-garde spirit of the high end luxury watches MB&F; has been making for years. That first watch was, apparently, not intended to ever be made widely available, a story that is perhaps apocryphal given the incredible success of the project across several release cycles. M.A.D.Editions is now a full fledged microbrand, with watches made available via highly competitive raffles on a regular basis. The brand has pledged to keep their watches affordable, relatively speaking, even as the overall quality of the pieces has been leveled up since the first watches appeared (they have moved to Swiss movements, and the finishing is noticeably nicer on newer watches, including the M.A.D.2 introduced last year).  The new M.A.D.3 leans deeper into an idea we saw with the M.A.D.2, which is to make these watches a genuine collaboration with a friend of the brand. That watch was designed by Eric Giroud, a longtime MB&F; collaborator and one of the more ...

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Hands-On: the Chronoswiss Pulse GMT Worn & Wound
Chronoswiss Pulse GMT I love Sep 8, 2026

Hands-On: the Chronoswiss Pulse GMT

I love the experience of a truly unique watch. A watch that, despite doing what the rest of them do, for all intents and purposes, is still unlike anything you’ve strapped to your wrist. This goes beyond the dial to the case, bracelet, time-telling, movement, etc. It doesn’t have to encompass all of those things, but when it does, it reminds you that there is still creativity in the watch world. The Chronoswiss Pulse GMT is one such watch. It’s almost hard to describe the Pulse GMT. It’s something between an integrated-bracelet sports watch and a conceptual neo-futurist travel thingamajiggy. Frankly, had I been told it was a prop from *Gattaca* or another stylized sci-fi film, I might have believed it. Its lines are fluid and complex, except when they aren’t, touching on biomorphic forms while also speaking to the traditional inspirations the brand was founded on. It’s not an easy watch to digest at a glance, presenting conflicting forms, and yet it works. Well, for me it does, but I like weird watches. And regulators. And weird regulators. Starting with the case and bracelet, though integrated, there is a merging of two concepts. Ignoring the bracelet entirely, the central case measures 41.4mm x ~48mm x 13.6mm to the top of the slightly domed sapphire crystal and draws from the brand’s historical DNA, but mutates it substantially. The coined-edge bezel and caseback become notched instead. Less ornate but still textural, it gives more diver than pocket watch....

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Hands On: Bulgari Octo Finissimo x Vianney Halter SJX Watches
Louis Erard Sep 7, 2026

Hands On: Bulgari Octo Finissimo x Vianney Halter

Bulgari had a number of surprises in store for Geneva Watch Days, which helped the brand stand out from a somewhat quiet field. At the top of the list was the Octo Finissimo Dual Time x Vianney Halter, which shoehorns the steampunk aesthetic developed by Jeff Barnes and Vianney Halter into Bulgari’s minimalist Octo Finissimo platform. The confluence of designs mostly succeeds, whether in sandblasted titanium or 18k rose gold. The latter recalls Vianney Halter’s beloved Antiqua, but the flat and wide Octo case gives this collaboration a distinct personality. Initial thoughts Bulgari is no stranger to collaborations, and neither is Vianney Halter, who is surely one of the most prolific collaborators in the field of independent watchmaking. At Geneva Watch Days alone, three different brands exhibited watches with his name attached to them. Notably, the French watchmaker has collaborated with Massena Lab, Louis Erard, and even Behrens, the upstart from Shenzen. For Bulgari’s part, the brand’s product director Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani has developed the Octo Finissimo into a platform for experimentation, lending its sleek footprint to renowned architects, painters, and even tattoo artists, often to good effect. The versatility of the Octo Finissimo is due in large part to its singular character — its wide, aggressively tapering bracelet and ultra-slim construction make it recognisable with or without the Bulgari logo or other decorative treatments. The collaborat...

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