Watch brandsWatch wikiWatch videosVariousWatch calendarSaved articles
PopularRolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetTudorGrand SeikoCartierSeikoIWCTAG HeuerBreitlingJaeger-LeCoultreA. Lange & SohneZenith

Results for AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants)

3,202 articles · 304 videos found · page 55 of 117

Piaget Introduces the Andy Warhol Clou de Paris SJX Watches
Piaget Introduces Oct 31, 2024

Piaget Introduces the Andy Warhol Clou de Paris

Elegant and distinctly 1970s in style, the Piaget Andy Warhol Clou de Paris is modelled on an oversized quartz wristwatch once owned by Andy Warhol. Originally known as the Black Tie Vintage Inspiration, the model has now been renamed thanks to Piaget’s recently inked partnership with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, making it the first timepiece bearing the name of the American artist. Part of Piaget’s catalogue for a decade, the new Andy Warhol wristwatch gains a reworked bezel decorated with Clou de Paris, replacing the stepped bezel on the preceding version. The latest iteration sports a blue meteorite dial, but the model can be customised via Piaget’s “Made to Order” programme that includes a variety of mineral stone dials as well as dial and case options. The original version with a stepped bezel, here with a malachite dial Initial thoughts Andy Warhol was a watch collector who own over 300 timepieces – all of which were sold at Sotheby’s after his death – including seven by Piaget. One of them as a chunky yellow gold watch with powered by the Beta 21, a pioneering Swiss quartz movement. Piaget is making the most of this association by renaming the Black Tie model and expanding the options offered to clients. Piaget does several things well, including ingenious, record-setting ultra-thin movements, but it really excels at elegant, retro dress watches like the Andy Warhol. While the original Black Tie model was essentially a remake of th...

Tudor Announces the FXD “Zulu Time,” the First Pelagos with a GMT Complication Worn & Wound
Tudor Announces Oct 30, 2024

Tudor Announces the FXD “Zulu Time,” the First Pelagos with a GMT Complication

Sooner or later, you just knew it was going to happen. For as long as there’s been a Pelagos, and as long as there’s been a Tudor GMT movement, and as long as there’s been a human impulse to speculate, there’s been a call for the Swiss brand to release a Pelagos with the ability to track multiple time zones. It just makes sense for the brand’s most tool-forward dive watch: GMTs are what the people want and it’s an undeniably useful feature. And so, like an infinite number of chimpanzees at an infinite number of typewriters are certain to eventually produce the works of Shakespeare, now Tudor has finally issued a diver with all the features their loyal fans have been asking for. Titanium case: check. GMT movement with chronometer certification: check. Rotating 24 hour bezel: check. Spring bars: hey, no one has it all.  The all new Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” might feel like an inevitability on the one hand, but on the other it still has a fascinating mix of little quirks that are capable of surprising even the most loyal Tudor fans (and speculators). Like the very first Pelagos FXD, this one is presented under a partnership with the French military. Specifically, the Zulu Time has been developed with the needs of the Aéronautique Navale (French Naval Aviation) in mind, and according to the brand the watch has been designed for the “adverse real-world conditions” faced by their personnel. For the original FXD, that meant a bi-directional bezel set up in...

Universal Genève Returns with Gregory Bruttin at the Helm SJX Watches
Roger Dubuis who was Oct 30, 2024

Universal Genève Returns with Gregory Bruttin at the Helm

Having been acquired last year by Breitling’s private equity owners, Universal Genève is now officially back in business with both a new chief as well as website – though the new watches will only arrive in autumn 2026. Breitling chief executive Georges Kern takes the same role at Universal, but the managing director will be Gregory Bruttin, a two-decade veteran of Roger Dubuis who was its longtime head of product. An engineer and constructor by training, Mr Bruttin will oversee the development of Universal’s new collection of watches. A once-storied brand founded in 1894, Universal has been dormant for a decade or more. While its historical timepieces like the Tri-Compax and A. Cairelli split-seconds are desirable, the brand has not launched a hit product in a long time. The Tri-Compax Mr Bruttin has no doubt been tasked to fix that. His technical credentials are impeccable – he led the creation of an impressive stable of in-house movements at Roger Dubuis, though his past work was far from the heritage-focused brand that Universal will be. While challenging, Mr Bruttin’s job will be made easier by the fact that Breitling has its own manufacture and corresponding in-house chronograph calibres. The 1950s split-seconds chronograph made for the Italian air force While the launch of the rebooted brand’s first collection is still two years away, Universal is embarking on an immediate plan of brand building. In November the brand will mark the 70th anniversary of t...

Rolex Yacht-Master & Yacht-Master II: The Comprehensive Guide to the K Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Oct 29, 2024

Rolex Yacht-Master & Yacht-Master II: The Comprehensive Guide to the K

The Rolex Yacht-Master occupies a prominent but, for many, difficult-to-define area within the company’s overall portfolio. It’s regarded as a popular dress watch but is firmly positioned within the “Professional” collection. It looks a lot like a Submariner but isn’t really a dive watch, so it’s really not like a Submariner at all. It’s designed as a men’s watch but has become a canvas for some very feminine executions. And unlike other Rolex models that offer an original “I” and a second-generation “II” version, like the GMT-Master and Explorer, the Yacht-Master I and II are scarcely related in their design or functions at all. And yet, the Yacht-Master remains a top-tier timepiece both for Rolex and its legions of fans, and in its relatively short span on the market has welcomed a number of innovative materials and technologies into the Rolex fold. Read on to discover more about the Rolex Yacht-Master (in all its various versions) and what makes the model unique among its Oyster Perpetual brethren. 1967 - 1969 - The Prototype: Cosmograph Yacht-Master Rolex Cosmograph Yacht-Master, circa 1967 (photo: Rolex Magazine.com) While the Yacht-Master as we know it today traces its genesis only to 1992, the name appeared on a Rolex dial several decades before - on a watch that resembled more an evolution of the Daytona than of the Submariner - indicating that a sailing-themed watch was something that Rolex had been tinkering with as an organization for...

Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow Review Teddy Baldassarre
Zenith Oct 28, 2024

Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow Review

There are some watches that kind of stay with you. They may not be in your wheelhouse as far as taste is concerned (or at least what you think your taste is), but something about them just resonates. This is how I feel, and have felt, about the Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow, a watch that has been in production for some time, one that I have reviewed in the past, and one that I still do not own but which continues to take up valuable real estate in my brain.  The version of the watch that I got turned onto was the only one available until recently - a blasted-finish, black-coated titanium chronograph in the retro A384 case format that plays on the past but brings a decidedly modern design sensibility to the overall package. The dial is a matte, flat black and the text on it is well thought-out in terms of the vintage effect, down to the printing of the logos and numerals. It’s as if you’re looking at a museum artifact, except that it's packed with one of the best modern automatic chronograph movements in the game, Zenith's own El Primero, and at 37mm it fits perfectly on my 6.25-inch wrist. If you have been paying attention to Zenith over the past half-decade or so, you are sure to notice that the brand has done quite a job in balancing vintage revivals with innovative new releases. It’s the only brand I know that revives a watch and keeps everything true to form down to the clasp on a bracelet. I recall handling another Shadow model – the Defy Shadow ...

Awake Gives Us a Lesson in Creating Watches for Future Generations Worn & Wound
Oct 28, 2024

Awake Gives Us a Lesson in Creating Watches for Future Generations

The concept of a “mid-life crisis” has long had a negative connotation thanks to the word “crisis” implying a moment of difficulty, but I’d suggest we rethink this as a mid-life turning point. For Lilian Thibault, founder of Awake, this moment came when he reached a certain age and his kids began to grow. He took the opportunity to turn a mid-life crisis into a mid-life reinvention. After years of investing in other successful businesses, he decided to invest in himself and his own passions. Lilian had been an avid watch collector for more than two decades, and in 2018 he set out to create his own brand-Awake was born. “As my kids are growing older, I’ve started to think more and more about the legacy that will be left behind for them,” Lilian told me. “I decided I wanted to bring my own brand to market that reflects the vision I would like to see in the world for the next generation. This is, in fact, why I chose the name ‘Awake,’ I have a mission to awaken people’s attention to beauty and what really matters in life.” Lilian Thibault To bring his vision to life, Lilian launched a Kickstarter to raise funds for production in 2018. The campaign was originally planned to run for a month, but the brand reached its goal of $30,000 within an hour and ended up raising $400,000-Lilian was clearly onto something, and his vision was resonating. A year later, the brand unveiled its first collection aptly named “Origins.” In the spirit of thinking a...

Recapping the Tudor x Worn & Wound Windup Watch Fair NYC Kick-off Event Worn & Wound
Tudor x Worn & Wound Oct 25, 2024

Recapping the Tudor x Worn & Wound Windup Watch Fair NYC Kick-off Event

Just dip into the Worn & Wound YouTube channel search for Tudor. Whether it’s ongoing interest in our hands-on videos with their watches or the popularity of our Thunderdome series, it’s clear that Tudor is an extremely important brand to our enthusiast audience. So when they offered their Tudor Boutique within the Tourneau space in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan as a venue for the kick off event of the Windup Watch Fair NYC weekend, we were both honored and excited. The Thursday before any Windup weekend is filled with anticipation that you can genuinely feel. Fairgoers seem to be gearing up for either battle, a concert by their favorite band, or a little of both. The Tudor Boutique was a perfect place to both harness that energy and build on it for the rest of the long weekend. Their boutique is designed to be a part showroom and part gathering space for the Tudor-curious. Last Thursday night, it was filled to capacity with fans of both the Worn & Wound and Tudor brands. This was most evident in the sheer amount of interesting and unique Tudor watches on the wrists of multiple attendees! Attendees were greeted with a signature cocktail called the “METAS Manhattan,” referring of course to the Master Chronometer certification. A comprehensive standard that covers the main functional characteristics of a watch including: precision, resistance to magnetic fields, waterproofness and power reserve. Watches like Tudor’s Black Bay Ceramic, the Black Bay, and the...

Introducing: The Spinnaker Fleuss 40 Automatic Seconde/Seconde/ For Halloween 2024 Fratello
Christopher Ward Desk Diver Oct 25, 2024

Introducing: The Spinnaker Fleuss 40 Automatic Seconde/Seconde/ For Halloween 2024

Romaric André, aka seconde/seconde/, is a busy man these days. I have barely recovered from the Christopher Ward Desk Diver, and now he is back with a collab with Spinnaker. It goes to show that the often snobby watch world is looking for some lighthearted fun. Well, lighthearted fun is what we get today! This […] Visit Introducing: The Spinnaker Fleuss 40 Automatic Seconde/Seconde/ For Halloween 2024 to read the full article.

The Strangest Seiko Dive Watches in Years Worn & Wound
Seiko Dive Watches Oct 24, 2024

The Strangest Seiko Dive Watches in Years

There was a time not too long ago when the new watches that Seiko debuted this week would have broken the internet. The new SPB481, SPB483 and SPB485 are, plain and simple, some of the strangest releases we’ve seen from Seiko in quite some time. It used to be that even a middling release from the brand, particularly if it was in the sports watch category, would generate days worth of discussion and hype on Instagram, forums, and group chats where watches are discussed. But it’s been about three days since these were made public and not only are they not dominating the enthusiast conversation, they’ve been met with what I can only describe as a collective shrug.  You can see in these images why these watches are noteworthy. What we have here are a trio of Seiko divers in the Prospex collection with octagonal bezels in what appears to be an entirely new case design and a radical new bezel profile. The rounded octagonal bezel is matched to a 41.3mm case that comes in at 12.8mm tall and has lines that accentuate flowing curves at every angle. It feels very different for Seiko and kind of makes you see their core designs in a new way, most of which feature much harsher angles and severe geometry that these watches completely lack.  Three variants make up the new range. The SPB481 has a beige dial matched to a glossy black bezel insert, the SPB483 is a blue on blue design, and then there’s the SPB485, which to my eye is the most striking of the group, featuring a brown...

A. Lange & Söhne Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of their Relaunch with Two Lange 1s (LIVE PICS) Worn & Wound
A. Lange & Sohne Oct 24, 2024

A. Lange & Söhne Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of their Relaunch with Two Lange 1s (LIVE PICS)

A 30th anniversary is no small thing for a brand. For some perspective, only 25% of new companies even survive for 15 years. As such, it’s rightly a cause for celebration. This year, A. Lange & Söhne is celebrating two anniversaries, the 25th anniversary of the Datograph, and the 30th anniversary of the brand being relaunched. For the Datograph, we saw four exceptional and highly exclusive pieces. At Watches & Wonders, they launched the elegant Datograph Up/Down Limited Edition in white gold with a blue dial, as well as the über Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen.” That duo was followed up by the recently announced Datograph Handwerkskunst and Datograph Up/Down “Hampton Court Edition.” The Handwerkskunst is an über watch of a different nature than the “Lumen,” demonstrating the brand’s dedication to handcraft and the artistry of watchmaking. Anthony de Haas, Director of Development, described the process of creating the dial, which consists of an “outer ring, the main carriage dial, and then the sub-dials, all four out of solid yellow gold. We take a milling machine and take away all the material, except for the numerals and the letters and the text, so they are in relief.” The process then goes to an engraver, who meticulously applies “tremblage,” creating the uniform stippled texture across all surfaces. This task is made even more difficult as the engraver must navigate all of the engraved details, such as the arching logo. To get...

The Seiko SKX173: A Lesser-Known Take On The SKX007 Dive Watch With A Neo-Vintage Dial Design Fratello
Seiko SKX173 Oct 24, 2024

The Seiko SKX173: A Lesser-Known Take On The SKX007 Dive Watch With A Neo-Vintage Dial Design

Seiko’s SKX007 dive watch is a modern classic. Today, we’re looking at a different and, I’ll argue, better-looking version. The watch is known as the Seiko SKX173. Read on. Recently, I wrote about Seiko’s SKX007 dive watch. This was not a review, per se, but an assessment of the SKX007’s role in 2024. The article […] Visit The Seiko SKX173: A Lesser-Known Take On The SKX007 Dive Watch With A Neo-Vintage Dial Design to read the full article.

Introducing the Alterum Worldtimer, a Minimalist Take on a Notoriously Busy Complication Worn & Wound
Oct 23, 2024

Introducing the Alterum Worldtimer, a Minimalist Take on a Notoriously Busy Complication

You might be familiar with the work of Justin Walters through his work with Marin Instruments, which burst onto the microbrand watch scene back in 2021 with a unique, contemporary spin on the classic skin diver. Justin has just launched a new brand, the Alterum Watch Company, which he’s been teasing to those of us in the industry for nearly as long. It’s great to see the watch finally made public, and to see Justin fully emerge as one of the most interesting watch design minds working today. Between this initial release for Alterum and the ongoing work with Marin, we’re seeing a clear, modern aesthetic evolve right before our eyes. Best of all, these watches are accessible to just about anyone, proving once again that you don’t need to spend a small fortune for thoughtful and interesting design.  The working principle behind the Alterum Worldtimer is one of simplicity, or “cutting away the chaos,” as Justin puts it. We’ve heard and seen this before, of course. Many brands attempt to reach a minimal design, but it’s hard to think of one that starts with a worldtimer, a genre of watch that’s busy almost by definition. But it’s a good test, when you think about it. If the goal of Alterum as a brand is simplicity and clarity, finding success with a worldtimer would seem to bode quite well for future projects. In many ways the Alterum Worldtimer feels familiar, at least in its functionality, but when you really start digging into the details you come to und...

Introducing the Ming 37.02 Minimalist with new “Polar White” Lume Worn & Wound
Ming Oct 23, 2024

Introducing the Ming 37.02 Minimalist with new “Polar White” Lume

My Geneva Watch Days meeting with Ming Thein was easily one of my favorites of that whirlwind week. It was one of those hours where you’re presented with watch, after watch, after watch, and you kind of can’t help but get lost in all of the cool stuff you’re seeing. Ming was incredibly kind to pull out watches that have been out (and sold out) for years, just so I could get a look at random pieces here and there from throughout the brand’s history that I may have missed. Seeing the full scope of the brand, though, is important in understanding the newest piece, one that I saw under embargo in that meeting, that Ming is incredibly proud of. The 37.02 Minimalist is not the flashiest or most expensive Ming, but it feels like a watch that sees the brand entering a new and exciting phase.  According to the brand, the 37.02 is the first watch in the Ming catalog to be designed, engineered, and managed by Horologer Ming SA, the brand’s new Swiss entity. Horologer Ming SA was created in an effort to streamline and internalize Ming’s complex engineering and production processes while maintaining as much control as possible over the supply chain. This, ultimately, is what the brand hopes will lead to the shorter lead times that their collectors (and would-be collectors) have been asking for for years.  That’s exemplified nicely in the 37.02, a watch that leans on core Ming design characteristics that have been developed since the brand’s founding, while also pushin...

REVIEW: Hands On With The Seiko 5 Sports 1968 Heritage Design Re-creation WatchAdvice
Seiko 5 Sports 1968 Heritage Oct 23, 2024

REVIEW: Hands On With The Seiko 5 Sports 1968 Heritage Design Re-creation

With a chic vintage style, retro sporty looks, and a design blueprint pulled from 1968, The Seiko 5 Sports 1968 Heritage ticks a lot of boxes! What We Love: The silver brushed dial with touches of colour on the seconds hand and writing The vintage racer strap gives off those retro vibes The size will suit most wrists What We Don’t: The bracelet design doesn’t look as good as the strap Bi-directional beel is smooth rotating, with nothing to lock it in place at a reference point The case style may not be to everyone’s liking Overall Rating: 8.5/10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 8/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 Vintage has been the theme this year for Seiko, and while it may seem we’ve reviewed this piece already, fear not, as this is another vintage re-creation that Seiko has pulled from their archives from 1968. During the middle of the year, Seiko released the Seiko 5 Sports 1968 Heritage Design Re-creation, a piece that has been done as a faithful tribute to the 1968 Seiko 5 Sports, and in their words, done as close to the original as possible. “Reproduced in a size and shape as close as possible to the original, the reissued design is powered by the tried-and-trusted Calibre 4R36 automatic movement. The new creation strikes a perfect balance between the nostalgic design of the original and the modern watchmaking technology of today.” Seiko The original Seiko 5 Sports from 1968. Image courtesy of Seiko RELATED READING: REVIEW: Hands On With Th...

Inside the 2024 Overland Expo Worn & Wound
Rado Oct 22, 2024

Inside the 2024 Overland Expo

The Overland Expo was held in Loveland, Colorado this past August 23 to 25, 2024. Founded in 2009 by Roseann and Jonathan Hanson, the Expo celebrates its fifteenth anniversary this year. What began as a trade show has grown into an internationally recognized event with four locations throughout the United States: Redmond, OR; Flagstaff, AZ; Loveland, CO; and Arrington, VA. The Overland Expo is described as the “world’s premier event series for do-it-yourself adventure travel enthusiasts.” Attendance at the Mountain West venue seemed to verify that claim – over eighteen thousand participants from forty-nine states flocked to Colorado during the Expo weekend to learn from experienced instructors and shop for gear. Attendees could choose from a list of 250 classes, with themes ranging from legal advice for content creators to winter survival tips in extreme backcountry conditions. An impressive list of over 300 exhibitors with pop-up booths covered every inch of green lawn at the outdoor venue. To passersby on the interstate, the Expo probably looked like the mother of all farmer’s markets… if farmer’s markets catered to the needs of suped-up overlanding rigs. Photo by Meg Tocci Having grown up in Colorado, I’ve always loved the outdoors. However, my interest in exploring and connecting with nature has grown throughout my twenties and is something I’m continually prioritizing for myself. My recent purchase of a Bronco Sport this summer encouraged me to dip m...

Grail Watches: The Holy Trinity – Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin – And What is a ‘Grail Watch’ Anyway? Quill & Pad
Vacheron Constantin Oct 19, 2024

Grail Watches: The Holy Trinity – Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin – And What is a ‘Grail Watch’ Anyway?

“The Holy Trinity,” as any watch nerd knows, refers to the triumvirate of Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin. Colin Smith takes a look at what we mean – or think we mean - when we describe PP, AP, and VC as the “Holy Trinity” of watchmaking and when we describe a timepiece as our “grail watch.”

Oris Debuts the New Divers Date Worn & Wound
Oris Debuts Oct 18, 2024

Oris Debuts the New Divers Date

Oris is reaching a huge milestone, and that’s the 60th anniversary of their renowned Divers Sixty-Five, a watch collection that’s always been imbued in 1960’s nostalgia. Today they’re updating the Divers Date, a collection that on first glance may look quite familiar to you, but upon closer inspection reveals an entirely new concept.  Apart from the obvious changes such as the new dial options, which have now moved from the previous more outgoing array, to what can now be perceived as a more subdued industrial chic black, blue, and beige – the watch has gone through a substantial technical upgrade in both its aesthetic and its functionality. Oris has always catered to a loyal base of watch enthusiasts, ensuring they only produce high value mechanical watches with meaningful heritage behind them. The new Divers Date really follows along this line of thinking, but augments the owners experience with this new release. Some of the notable aesthetic changes include a slight thickening and increased weight to the case, to create a touch more presence and more compact feeling on the wrist, as explained by their designer Lukas Bühlmann. The side profile of the case has also been reshaped, giving it a more mature and substantial style. The most impressive material upgrade has to be the new ceramic bezel insert, which was previously aluminum. This was a much-anticipated upgrade for the collection, seeing that most other watch brands have moved to ceramic in the past few...

Albishorn Introduces the Type 10, the Next Chapter in their “Imaginary Vintage” Thought Experiment Worn & Wound
Massena Lab Oct 17, 2024

Albishorn Introduces the Type 10, the Next Chapter in their “Imaginary Vintage” Thought Experiment

One of the most interesting new watches (and new brands) to surface at Geneva Watch Days this year was the Albishorn Maxigraph, made in collaboration with Massena LAB. Now, just a few months after their debut, Albishorn is back with their second effort, the Type 10. This might seem like a rapid pace for a brand to be moving at, but once you understand Albishorn’s backstory, it begins to make a little more sense. The brand is the brainchild of Sébastien Chaulmontet, a watch industry veteran who is currently Director of Innovation and Marketing at Sellita. There are probably few individuals in the watch space better positioned to make a quick start than Sébastien, and after chatting with him briefly about his brand and his plans for it at Geneva Watch Days, it’s no surprise to see the Type 10 surface now, and it will be even less of a surprise to know that Sébastien has a an even longer term release roadmap planned out well in advance. The conceit of Albishorn, you’ll likely remember, is that of a brand that creates “vintage watches that never existed.” These are not vintage reissues, or even inspired, necessarily, by actual vintage watches. Rather, the watches that will make up the Albishorn collection will exist as thought experiments, imagining parallel histories in which a watch like the Type 10 or the Maxigraph could have been designed, but weren’t. It’s a subtle but important twist on the notion of a vintage inspired watch, and one that, I think, shoul...

Take It Easy, Everyone - It’s Only The New Ulysse Nardin Freak One Navy Blue Fratello
Ulysse Nardin Freak One Navy Blue Oct 17, 2024

Take It Easy, Everyone - It’s Only The New Ulysse Nardin Freak One Navy Blue

Bow down. The Freak deserves your respect. In fact, the Freak is the mack daddy of everything we call Nouvelle Horlogerie. In 2001, a bizarre and unexpected watch appeared from the Ulysse Nardin atelier in Le Locle, and it shook the world of watchmaking on its very foundations. This world was not yet ready for […] Visit Take It Easy, Everyone - It’s Only The New Ulysse Nardin Freak One Navy Blue to read the full article.

Transmission from an Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch Skeptic: the Citizen Tsuyosa Small Second Worn & Wound
Citizen Tsuyosa Small Second I Oct 15, 2024

Transmission from an Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch Skeptic: the Citizen Tsuyosa Small Second

I have a confession to make: I’m a bit of an integrated bracelet sports watch skeptic.   As the watch community went crazy for integrated, Gerald Genta inspired designs over the last few years, I largely observed from the bench. Watches like the Royal Oak, the Nautilus, and newer challengers like Moser’s Streamliner and Chopard’s reissued (and heavily redesigned) Alpine Eagle have always been curiosities at best, for me. I’ve never lusted after an integrated bracelet sports watch. It feels like that’s almost transgressive to say, or at least would have been at the height of Royal Oak mania a few years ago – but it’s just never been a real point of interest for me.  Now, part of the reason for that is certainly the prohibitive price point of many of the most sought after integrated bracelet sports watches. I don’t have thirty thousand dollars (or more) to spend on a watch, and quite frankly if I did, I think I could find other watches I’d prefer for the money.  But it’s not just the expense. I’ve never been a fan of the way these watches look on my wrist. Even if I admire the craftsmanship of a Royal Oak bracelet – because it’s honestly undeniable – something about the hard angles just didn’t do it for me.  Anyway, skeptic though I am, part of the deal when you work in the watch media world is that you just get to see and try on a lot of stuff. And so there I was at Windup Chicago earlier this year, checking out watches at the Citizen boot...

Industrial Design: Loosely Explained Worn & Wound
Oct 15, 2024

Industrial Design: Loosely Explained

It’s a hot, muggy Saturday afternoon, and as a parent you find yourself at a local splash pad for a 3-year-old’s birthday party with 37 other people. Most of them are adults you don’t know, or you do know but have definitely forgotten their names. After your kid finally sheds the shy cling to your leg and runs off to the water features with their buddies, you begrudgingly gravitate toward a few unidentified parents talking. Upon entering the circle, you present your name and state whose parent you are before an awkward silence falls, and you hear those words: “So, what do you do for work?” Because at this point it’s either that or the weather, and the circle has already covered the later topic one too many times. Work-it’s that inevitable question we’re all asked during those awkward, seemingly weekly toddler birthday parties. “I’m an Industrial Designer” isn’t the most glamorous or self-explanatory response. That’s ok though, because after a few back and forth questions and answers in the circle many start to realize how much around them is designed, considered, and produced to make our lives a bit better. But like all coins, there are always two sides to the story. Making more things is not necessarily the answer, but I believe making things that speak to us, move us, and change our lives even in the slightest is what makes good industrial design great. At its core, Industrial Design is the process of creating physical products for mass manufa...

The Habring² Oskar is a Classical Moon Phase SJX Watches
Breguet numerals Oct 15, 2024

The Habring² Oskar is a Classical Moon Phase

Described by Habring² as “a relative of Felix“, the Oskar shares the brand’s signature A11 movement but gains a calendar module, with the seconds at six or central. Launched to mark the 20th anniversary of Habring², the Oskar makes its debut in three different variants, a pair with date-and-moon and the final model with just a moon phase. All three feature the same classical aesthetic with Breguet numerals and a compact, 38.5 mm case. Initial thoughts The Oskar is an excellent example of what the Austrian independent has to offer – appealing, clean aesthetics paired with the excellent, proprietary A11 movement, and a price tag of well under US$8,000. And the Oskar also reflect Habring²’s technical competence that the brand managed to squeeze the complication module into a 9 mm high case, with the movement alone being just 5.5 mm high. Admittedly, the vintage-inspired styling might be a little generic, although it is easily appealing. The design is well-executed with a properly proportioned dial and thoughtful details. As is typical for Habring², the Oskar is an honest product and an excellent value proposition, with the moon phase model priced at €6,050 and the moon phase with pointer date about 10% more. Mid century style  The case is a simple, fuss-free affair that is similar to that found on other Habring² models, including the Felix. Entirely polished, the stainless steel case is 38.5 mm in diameter and 9 mm in thickness for both versions. All three m...