27,535 articles · 267 videos found · page 541 of 927
Two Broke Watch Snobs
I’m really excited to see a more classic silhouette behind the handset and pricing that isn’t entirely absurd; when you consider some of the previous Spring Drive and high-end automatic variants.
SJX Watches
Just revealed at Watches & Wonders 2020, the Les Cabinotiers Astronomical Grand Complication “Ode to Music” is the latest chiming watch to emerge from Ateliers Cabinotiers, Vacheron Constantin’s dedicated department for commissions and ambitious unique pieces that showcase the brand’s technical as well as artisanal skills. If the watch looks familiar, that’s because it is based on the Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600, the most complicated wristwatch ever created by Vacheron Constantin at the time of its launch in 2017, but more importantly, the most comprehensive astronomical complication wristwatch ever made. The new Ode to Music retains all of its astronomical prowess, but replaces the tourbillon with a minute repeater, while omitting the tide indicator and power reserve display. Rebuilt grand comp As a result, the Ode to Music retains the same astronomical display module but is actually constructed on an entirely different base movement from the Celestia. While the Celestia relied on a base movement with a tourbillon and six barrels, the Ode to Music utilises the minute repeating cal. 1731, a wide but ultra-thin movement measuring just 3.9 mm high. Comprising a total of 600 parts, the resulting cal. 1731M820 is hand-wound, with a frequency of 3Hz and a 60-hour power reserve on a single barrel. Because of the thinner base movement, the Ode to Music clocks in at a relatively svelte 12.45 mm high, versus 13.6 mm for the Celestia. ...
SJX Watches
Now 15 years old, the IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar was almost always a 44.2 mm watch powered by a 7-day automatic movement (though IWC installed the same movement in the smaller, 42.3 mm ref. 5022 for several years). For Watches & Wonders 2020, IWC debuts the all-new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 that’s simpler and far more affordable. Instead of the long-standing 7-day calibre, the Perpetual Calendar 42 is powered by a simpler but nevertheless robust movement with a more conventional 60-hour power reserve. The new calibre is also thinner, resulting in a case just 13.8 mm high, versus 14. 9 mm before. And as the model name implies, the Perpetual Calendar 42 has a 42.4 mm case, which is available in pink gold, or stainless steel – a first for the regular collection. Until now, with the exception of a 2014 limited edition, IWC has only ever offered the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar with a gold or platinum case. All of that means making the perpetual calendar is significantly more affordable – the steel version costs half of the 7-day model in 18k gold. An unusual perpetual While the dial retains the traditional perpetual calendar configuration with three sub-dials for the calendar – making it cleaner and more legible the the 7-day version – it also includes a central seconds hand, which is extremely uncommon on a perpetual calendar watch. Functionally, the perpetual calendar is similar but simplified as compared to the 7-day iteration. As with all IWC...
SJX Watches
At a glance, Panerai’s latest Luminor unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2020 might look like, well, just another Luminor. But the Luminor Marina Titanio DMLS (PAM01117) is more than that. It incorporates a new type of luminous paint with an extra-bright glow, while boasting a titanium case produced via a process similar to 3D printing. And most crucially, the watch is covered by a 70-year warranty. Given that Panerai’s identity is inextricably linked with legible, glow-in-the-dark dials, the new “lume” found on the Luminor DMLS makes sense. The watch features Super-Luminova X – a lot of it. Beyond the usual dial and hands, the new Luminor also had luminous paint on the flange around the dial, crown locking bridge and lever, and the stitching of the fabric strap. The use of “lume” as a decorative element brings to mind the Lumen series of A. Lange & Söhne (which is a sister brand of Panerai within Swiss luxury group Richemont), but here the luminous paint is executed in clean lines for a geometric pattern. Though the Luminor DMLS is a large 44 mm in diameter, it is only 100 g, making it the lightest Panerai watch with a metal alloy case. The case is produced via direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), the same process to make the case of the Lo Scienzato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanio PAM00578 from 2016. DMLS is a form of 3D printing where a laser is used to melt titanium powder tiny amounts at a time, layer by layer as the case is built up. The nature of the p...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
If you're looking for an environmentally friendly watch for around $140, this is for you. But know that you may be making concessions on visual design...
SJX Watches
Amongst independent watchmakers, Rexhep Rexhepi has found swift and significant success since he founded Akrivia, now one of the hottest niche brands. After his Chronomètre Contemporain took the prize of best men’s watch at the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), collectors have been eagerly anticipating his next creation – which is on track despite the pandemic-induced disruptions. How has the COVID-19 coronavirus affected Akrivia? Now still crafting watches in his workshop at the heart of Geneva’s Old Town, Rexhep answers. Rexhep, still at the workshop in Geneva’s Old Town. Photo – Rexhep Rexhepi What impact has the crisis has on your business? The first impact was human. A month ago, when social distancing was first implemented in Switzerland, the atmosphere was grim. I could feel employees’ morale was affected; their motivation was low. I offered them the choice to stay home with partial unemployment or keep coming to the atelier, while respecting all health and hygiene measures, of course. Most of them opted to keep working, so we are still open at the moment and working almost normally. Even my partner [Jean-Pierre] Hagmann is back now. Production-wise, we feared for some of our subcontractors, like the [specialist that does] rhodium plating for example, but they are also working, even if only part time, for one week out of every two. But since we have [vertically] integrated a lot of our production, like making our own cases, and we have...
SJX Watches
One of the more interesting complicated watches launched in 2019 was a surprising one, the Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Tourbillon. While “Chronometer Tourbillon” might seem to be a pair of impressive words meaninglessly strung together as is often done for high-end watches, the Chronometer Tourbillon actually takes them seriously. Though the new watch doesn’t look particularly interesting – the design is handsome but conventional – it combines a particularly logical set of complications that were conceived for exact setting of the time, namely a hacking tourbillon with zero-reset carriage (and not just the seconds hand), and a minute hand that is set in discrete, one-minute steps. In fact, the Chronometer Tourbillon derived from the already sensible, but less fancy, Senator Chronometer that has many of the same time-setting functions. Though the Chronometer Tourbillon is an expensive watch by the standards of Glashütte Original, it is eminently sensible and smart from a technical perspective. And to prove that chronometric competence, Glashütte Original also tests the Chronometer Tourbillon to the German chronometer standard, DIN 8319, laid out by the country’s all-encompassing federal standards body. Testing takes place at the Sternwarte Glashütte, the town’s astronomical observatory, which was given a new lease of life by German watch retailer Wempe, which also has its own line of chronometer wristwatches. The process, however, is conduc...
Time+Tide
The more watches you see, the less likely it becomes that you see something you’ve never seen before. The Girard-Perregaux Absolute Rock, however, is absolutely unlike anything I’ve seen before. While the case shape and dial layout has been seen, in different references within the Laureato collection, the eye-catching element of this watch is the … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The precious mineral Girard-Perregaux Absolute Rock appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Since Louis Vuitton acquired complications specialist La Fabrique du Temps (LFDT) in 2012, the trunk maker has made impressive strides in its haute horlogerie. The newly launched Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève encapsulates Louis Vuitton’s complicated watchmaking – confident, modern styling combined with a first-rate calibre. Granted, the Tambour Curve is pricey – US$250,000 pricey – but it is clearly catered for a specific consumer. That buyer wants an ultra-high end, contemporary, and slightly sporty watch, the type of watch found in the segment dominated by Richard Mille and Hublot. But Louis Vuitton has executed the Tambour Curve extremely well, creating an appealing – and importantly, cohesively designed – wristwatch that is more than just looks. The LV 108 movement inside was developed and made by LFDT, which is led by veteran watchmakers Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, both of whom I hold in very high regard. Louis Vuitton long-term strategy in developing its watchmaking – essentially do it well and expensively – is demonstrated by the quality of the Tambour Curve. The brand could have gotten away with building a so-so watch, just because it is Louis Vuitton. But it didn’t, and the Tambour Curve exhibits a notable level of attention to detail in styling and craft. CarboStratum The Tambour Curve is a big watch with a streamlined, rounded form that is almost organic. Not only is the case round, its flanks are concave, whil...
Quill & Pad
It’s no secret that GaryG is a big fan of Vianney Halter and his work. He strongly believes that one of the defining moments of his development as a watch collector was taking the plunge and buying one of Halter's landmark Antiquas in pink gold. But how do two of these rare watches look side by side under the unforgiving lens of GaryG's camera? Find out here!
Deployant
The watch is priced at US$6,990. It's got a nice dial, a fun complication and is rather good looking. Considering its approach, the brand might be going for a more accessible 'Van Cleef & Arpels' Poetic collection. At 40mm, the watch is large for most ladies' wrists, especially for the Asian market.
WatchAdvice
The German watch manufacturer Sinn is a well-known brand for creating aviation watches. Sinn was founded in 1961 by a flight instructor and pilot, Helmut Sinn. The brand has quite an aviation history, including securing the rights and design plans from Breitling during the Quartz era, to their iconic Navitimer timepiece. With these plans, Sinn produced an inexpensive and a reliable equivalent to the Navitimer – the Sinn 903. What many people may not know is that Sinn has also got quite a reputable collection of diving watches, made from some of the highest tech materials. Sinn was also one of the first companies in the watchmaking industry to produce diving watches in compliance with European diving equipment standards, while also being the first to test and certify the watches for resistance to pressure and fogging. We have our hands on Sinn’s U1 Phantom. The Phantom edition is part of Sinn’s diving watch U1 collection. These are robust timepieces made to endure some of the most extreme conditions. The U1 collection is known as the “diving watch made of German submarine steel” and can be taken diving to a depth of 1000m. The U1 does come in several limited edition and special versions, with the U1 Phantom being one of them. The U1 Phantom is exclusive to Define Watches only, making it even more special . It features much of the same characteristics as the standard U1 model, with the variances coming in the form of materials and appearance changes. Much l...
SJX Watches
A brand specialising in affordable watches priced under US$2,000, Emile Chouriet has a fairly generic line-up, but with one obvious exception, the Héritier à Guichets. Showing the time and calendar in windows, the watch is inspired by timepieces of the 1920s, while having a titanium case with fancy lugs. Named after a 17th century French watchmaker, the brand was founded in 1998 by a Swiss businessman but acquired a decade later by Fiyta, a Shenzhen-based watchmaker best known for producing the chronograph issued to Chinese astronauts. Consequently, Emile Chouriet now focuses its efforts on the Chinese market, but the Héritier à Guichet combines an Art Deco style and novel time display that doubtlessly has wider appeal. Digital time displays became fashionable during the Art Deco period, with pocket watches sporting jumping or wandering hours, or even full calendar displays in an elongated window. The Héritier à Guichet takes inspiration from that early 20th century style, reproducing it in an affordable manner. A pale metallic grey with a radial-brushed finish, the dial consists of four windows, with the two closest to the centre showing the hours and minutes, while the outer apertures with wider bevels displaying the day and date. The hours and minutes, however, are not instantaneously jumping displays, instead they are “dragging” indicators that continually move just as conventional hands would. Also unusual is the case: though it has a moderate 40 mm di...
Time+Tide
My position on wearing a watch while playing sports is already well established – I think it is a very bad idea. However, recent footage of UFC legend Conor McGregor hitting the reflex bag with a series of “bare knuckle pin pointers” has once again stirred up quite the storm in watch land. Why? Well, “The Notorious” … ContinuedThe post Tools of the trade: The sports stars that actually wear their mega-luxury watches when they play appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor have just announced leaving Baselworld to create a new watch show in Geneva with the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie's Watches & Wonders. The show will be held in early April 2021 at Geneva's Palexpo. This is going to be one interesting year full of new thoughts and ideas. Get out the popcorn!
SJX Watches
The unravelling of what was once the world’s largest watch and jewellery show has finally reached its unsurprising climax as the biggest exhibitors at Baselworld – Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard, and Tudor – have just announced their withdrawal from the event. Instead the all-important brands – Rolex is the world’s largest luxury watch brand by turnover – will decamp to Geneva to show their new products at a new, as-yet unnamed watch fair that will merge with Watches & Wonders (W&W;). In the announcement signed by representatives of all five brands, the departing brands cited the “unilateral decisions taken by the management of Baselworld, including the postponement of the Fair in January 2021, as well as its inability to meet the expectations and needs of brands” as reasons for their withdrawal. With that, the centre of gravity for watch trade shows will shift definitely to Geneva, and marking the end of Baselworld as a crucial event on the industry’s calendar. Not only does it call into question the viability of Baselworld, it might even be a mortal blow for the watch fair’s parent company, MCH Group, which also owns Art Basel. Hello Geneva What started with the Swatch Group’s shock exit from Baselworld in 2018 accelerated this year, with the show’s exhibitor’s committee, led by a senior Rolex executive, politely demanding a refund of fees paid for the cancelled 2020 show. The negotiations between exhibitors and fair organisers have ob...
Quill & Pad
If you’re like GaryG, you’ve been spending some time during the current pandemic-driven lockdown monitoring online watch publications, including Quill & Pad, and you’ve likely seen at least a few comments in response to posts that go something like this, “How in the world can you possibly be focused on something like watches at such a terrible time?” Well, Gary is here to tell you.
Time+Tide
The Cartier Pasha is a watch surrounded by curiosity, so let's find out what made Buffy decide to pick up one of these interesting watches.The post What Sealed The Deal – Buffy’s Cartier Pasha, a weird, wonderful and waterproof oddity appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
![Review: Audemars Piguet [Re]master01](https://i0.wp.com/deployant.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AP-Remaster-dial-detail.jpg?fit=1200%2C811&ssl=1)
Deployant
We go hands on with the newly released Audemars Piguet [Re]master01, a very special re-issue watch from the grand old maison.
Time+Tide
The history of quartz watches is a long and controversial one, with many blaming the technology for destroying the watch industry.The post Quartz, the killer – A history of quartz watches, Part 1 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A contemporary take on the brand’s iconic watch – itself based on a 18th century pocket watch – the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Plasma Ceramic is a sleek and modern open-worked wristwatch, now in a new, high-tech case material. Originally available in ordinary ceramic, the watch has now been given a case of “plasma ceramic”, an unusual material that’s best described as a ceramic that resembles metal. The material begins are white ceramic that’s treated with a plasma gas, essentially ionised gas created at 20,000°C. The process of plasma carburising transforms the surface layer of the white ceramic into a metal oxide, giving the ceramic a grey, metallic finish while retaining all of the desirable properties of ceramic including hardness, low density and scratch resistance. Though plasma ceramic has been a hallmark of the Swatch Group and its many brands, including Rado, Omega and Blancpain, it is being used for the first time by Jaquet Droz. The case measures 41.5 mm across and 12.48 mm high, making it a tad larger than its gold counterparts, which is typically the case for ceramic cases due to the necessities of construction in an ultra-hard, but potentially brittle, material. Unusually for ceramic that is typically mirror-polished all round, the case is finished with contrasting surfaces – the bezel and top surfaces of the lugs are brushed while the case band has a polished finish. A clear sapphire disc forms the Grande Seconde dial, wit...
Revolution
The Maillon de Cartier is Cartier’s latest debut, a part-watch, part-jewellery design that takes its famous chain-link bracelet style to new heights.
Time+Tide
When it comes to celebrity endorsements, Patrick Swayze’s sixth cousin once removed John Cameron Swayze is simply not modern watch brand ambassador material. A news anchor and game show host during the ’40s and ’50s, Chris Hemsworth he wasn’t. The 1960s, however, was the perfect era for Swayze to take to timepiece advertisements. Whether being … ContinuedThe post The pointy end of the Timex revival, a short history of the breakout Marlin collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
It’s a surprisingly vexed question. You get voted into office as a Prime Minister or President, and suddenly the public’s attention turns to your wrist. Do you continue to wear the watches you’ve worked so hard to acquire? Or do you suddenly downgrade your wrist to what you were wearing when you were in short … ContinuedThe post Swatch or Patek, what would you wear if you were President? USA vs Australian Presidents and PMs decide… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
The watch talk show is back!
Two Broke Watch Snobs
After its release in 2013, the Swatch Sistem51 collection has proven itself as a fun, geeky, and affordable option for the mechanically-obsessed collector looking for more out of the Swatch brand.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: ‘Modding’ a watch is not a trend in watchmaking, it is a trope. It has, and always will be, a part of the watchmaking and watch-wearing world as companies and individuals seek to personalise and individualise watches. A uniquely modified watch becomes more of a statement. And it offers an alternative to a ‘Piece … ContinuedThe post The Modifier’s Series – Artisans De Genève and their 5 best models so far appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
If we’re considering new brands coming onto the scene, this watch is pretty atypical compared to the wave of 1000m divers you’ll find on Kickstarter.
SJX Watches
French watchmaker Cyril Brivet-Naudot made his debut two years ago with the Eccentricity, a time-only watch that’s fascinating and impressive on many fronts. Not only is it almost entirely made by hand, the Eccentricity is intriguing in design and mechanics – from the overall architecture to details like the key-winding mechanism and regulator-style time display with a twist, and above all, the proprietary escapement. Just 29 years old, Mr Brivet-Naudot began working on the Eccentricity after graduating from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), one of Switzerland’s best technical universities. Prior to that, he earned a diploma in watchmaking from the Lycée Edgar Faure in Morteau, a small town in eastern France that borders Switzerland. The school has gained a reputation for producing imaginative watchmakers, many pursuing a similar style that’s inspired by 19th century pocket watch movements, including Theo Auffret, a peer of Mr Brivet-Naudot. The result of three years of development, the Eccentricity is very much in the same vein as the watches produced by Mr Brivet-Naudot’s fellow graduates. It artfully combines a 19th century aesthetic sensibility with exotic features, including a novel, free-eccentric escapement, for which the watch was named. And it is built by hand: with the exception of the mainspring, hairspring, jewels and crystals, every component of the watch was made from scratch by Mr Brivet-Naudot, without the aid of CNC machine...
Hodinkee
Elapsed time, no-deco, and more.
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