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A Collector’s Perspective: The Cartier Crash SJX Watches
Cartier Crash Sep 27, 2024

A Collector’s Perspective: The Cartier Crash

A fever dream - form that bent and curved the very idea of what a wristwatch could be. The Cartier Crash, born out of myth and mystery, is no conventional timepiece. As established notions of purpose and design in watchmaking, the Crash exists at the intersection of watchmaking and sculpture. To the uninitiated, the Crash may seem bizarre, wildly eccentric for the sake of it, but to those steeped in horology, it is an icon. For me, Crash was more than just an addition to my collection; it was the culmination of years of passion, patience, and persistence. The author and his special order Crash A product of Swinging Sixties London There are watches that tell time, and then there are watches that tell stories. The Crash belongs to the latter category. Beyond its appearance, the allure of the Crash also stems from its founding myths. Introduced in 1967 by Cartier London – the jeweller was then three separate companies in Paris, New York, and the British capital – the Crash is easily the most avant-garde watch design ever produced by Cartier. Its warped, melted form defies the conventional standards that most watches adhere to, making it as much an artistic statement as a timekeeper. An example of a vintage London Crash To truly appreciate the significance of the Cartier Crash, one must delve into its history, which is almost as enigmatic as the watch itself. One popular origin story is macabre: a Cartier client wearing a Baignoire Allongée was in a car crash that damag...

Hands-On With The Louis Moinet Speed Of Sound Chronograph Fratello
Louis Moinet Sep 26, 2024

Hands-On With The Louis Moinet Speed Of Sound Chronograph

Today, we go hands-on with the Louis Moinet Speed of Sound chronograph. This is a stunning modern watch with a vintage heart. As we’ll see, the rare vintage movement has been modified functionally and cosmetically to offer a novel moonphase display. Credit is due to Louis Moinet for creating innovative ways of displaying traditional time-related […] Visit Hands-On With The Louis Moinet Speed Of Sound Chronograph to read the full article.

MIL-SPEC Watch Design: How Military Needs Shaped the Modern Wristwatch Teddy Baldassarre
Sep 26, 2024

MIL-SPEC Watch Design: How Military Needs Shaped the Modern Wristwatch

Nearly everything we regard as a modern luxury was once a military necessity. Okay, maybe that’s too broad a statement. But when you consider the impact of inventions like the Internet (set up as a Department of Defense communications network in 1969) and GPS navigation (which still uses military satellites from the 1970s) - not to mention the rise of the Jeep from humble troop conveyance to luxury SUV; the ubiquity of microwave ovens (which emerged from NATO radar experiments); and the enduring civilian stylishness of accessories like cargo pants and aviator sunglasses - a substantial case can be made that goods made to military specifications, or MIL-SPEC, have made an inestimable impact on everyday life. Nowhere is this influence seen more strongly than in the world of wristwatches - not only those intentionally designed for a military or tactical look, but in many styles and genres throughout the industry.  From Waistcoat to War: Origin of the Wristwatch While it’s unlikely that a distinctly elegant timepiece, like a Patek Philippe Calatrava or a Vacheron Constantin Patrimony, will put you in the mind of battlefields and trenches, the truth is that wristwatches themselves are essentially a military invention - at least, the ones designed for men. Women had been wearing timepieces on pendants and bracelets for decades, since the middle of the 19th Century, but it was the utilitarian needs of soldiers in World War I that ushered them into general usage for ...

The New Leica Q3 43mm Has Arrived: Hands-On Impressions From Camera West Worn & Wound
Sep 26, 2024

The New Leica Q3 43mm Has Arrived: Hands-On Impressions From Camera West

Editor’s Note: This post on the new Leica Q3 43mm from Ben Carpenter, Director of Marketing at Camera West, appears in a longer version on the Camera West blog.  Today, Leica announced the Leica Q3 43, a highly anticipated addition to their popular Leica Q series. At Camera West and Leica Store San Francisco, we’ve long been hoping for a longer focal length in the Q lineup, and many of those that we meet through our stores have expressed the same. It’s exciting to finally see this come to fruition with the release of the Q3 43mm. The Leica Q3 43mm offers a “sweet spot” focal length between 35mm and 50mm. This seemingly odd focal length isn’t new for Leica-past cameras like the Minilux, CM, and CL featured a 40mm focal length, which have their own dedicated fan base. While the original 28mm Q lens has its enthusiasts, the 43mm provides a more compressed field of view that some photographers may prefer. Both the Q3 43mm and the Standard Q3 (28mm) share the same internal components, including the 60MP BSI sensor, autofocus system, and OLED viewfinder, but the standout feature of the Q3 43 is its 43mm f2 APO-Summicron ASPH lens, which delivers superior microcontrast and precision thanks to Leica’s advanced optical design. Details At A Glance – The Leica Q3 43mm APO-Summicron 43mm F2 lens contains 4 aspherical elements and a leaf shutter just like its predecessors ISO Range of 50-100k  60mp BSI Sensor with triple resolution technology (18/36/60MP) and 8k vid...

W Worn & Wound
Worn & Wound
Marathon Sep 26, 2024

Enthusiast Spotlight: Navy Diver Brock Stevens Takes on Marathon’s New OSAR-D

For this latest edition of our ongoing Enthusiast Spotlight series, we’re excited to introduce you to 2nd Class Petty Officer Brock Stevens, a Navy Diver with over 5 years of active duty experience. During his service, he’s accumulated more than 9,000 minutes of bottom time. He is currently stationed at the MARMC Dive Locker in Norfolk, VA, and serves as a Ship Husbandry Repair Specialist, maintaining aircraft carriers, submarines, and other surface ships. As a proud co-founder of the MARMC Dive Locker ROV team, Brock leads a group dedicated to utilizing cutting-edge ROVs for underwater inspections and retrievals. Outside of his military role, Brock is a tool watch enthusiast with an ever-growing collection of dive watches. Additionally, he’s passionate about photography and pursues this passion by documenting his adventures, watches, and EDC on Instagram as @deepsea.edc. For this edition, we’ve equipped him with Marathon’s brand new reissue of the first of their iconic SAR line. The watch famously featured a MIL-SPEC Type I dial with a cyclops date. It relaunches today as the 41mm OSAR-D (Original Search and Rescue with Date). Hey Brock, Thanks for joining us for this latest edition of Enthusiast Spotlight. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do for a living. My name is Brock Stevens. I’m a US Navy diver. I’ve been a diver for a little over five years now as a Ships Husbandry Specialist working on repairing aircraft carriers and submarines. When...

#TBT Going Green With The Vintage Bulova Spinnaker Ref. 7203 Fratello
Bulova Spinnaker Ref 7203 I Sep 26, 2024

#TBT Going Green With The Vintage Bulova Spinnaker Ref. 7203

I don’t know if it’s because summer officially ended or if it’s these past two weeks of heavy rain here in Europe, but the urge for a colorful dial won me over. Besides that, I stumbled upon an interesting green-and-white-dial Bulova Spinnaker this week… I got a new hairdo yesterday. I needed it badly. The […] Visit #TBT Going Green With The Vintage Bulova Spinnaker Ref. 7203 to read the full article.

First Look – The Lightweight Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic in Titanium Monochrome
Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Sep 26, 2024

First Look – The Lightweight Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic in Titanium

Integrated sports watches have been a hit since the 1970s when the Royal Oak and Nautilus changed everything, and affordable options are all the rage today. Look no further than Tissot’s PRX Powermatic 80 as an example. Maurice Lacroix’s Aikon Automatic perhaps does it best with a masterful combination of luxury and attainability. Usually comprised […]

Franck Muller Introduces the Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition SJX Watches
H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Perpetual Sep 26, 2024

Franck Muller Introduces the Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition

Southeast Asian retailer Sincere Fine Watches is marking its 70th anniversary with a series of limited editions, with the latest being the Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition, equipped with a hand-wind, seven-day movement. The Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition features a case and movement bridges of Damascus steel, a pattern-welded alloy composed of two types of steel that create a distinctive grained surface. Limited to 28 pieces, it follows Sincere’s prior anniversary editions, including the Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon and H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD. An exotic alloy The Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition combines the trademark Franck Muller tonneau-shaped case, an unusual case alloy, and one of the brand’s more interesting movements, a skeleton calibre with a seven-day power reserve. The Vanguard case is an evolution of the classic Franck Muller Cintrée Curvex, with modern lines echoed in the movement, which has a geometric and linear bridge layout. The case, crown, buckle, and movement bridges of the Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition are made of an unusual steel alloy known as Damascus steel, or wootz steel. The material gets its name from the ancient high-quality steel used for bladed weapons over a thousand years ago. The modern-day Damascus steel employed here is created with powder metallurgy, namely mixing various steel powders before ...

The Raymond Weil Millesime is Now 35 mm SJX Watches
Raymond Weil Sep 26, 2024

The Raymond Weil Millesime is Now 35 mm

Essentially smaller versions of the preceding models, the Millesime Central Seconds and Millesime Moon Phase in 35 mm are the latest additions to Raymond Weil’s successful line of vintage-inspired watches. Debuting with five different variants, the new Millesime models retain the aesthetic that made the earlier versions popular: a contemporary interpretation of “sector” dial watches of the early 20th century. Initial thoughts Regarded as a “mall watch” brand for years – but nonetheless a profitable business of decent scale – Raymond Weil hadn’t been on the radar of most watch enthusiasts for some time. So when the Millesime won the award for watches under CHF3,000 at last year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), many of us were surprised. The Millesime, however, is more than a “mall watch”. It has good proportions with a “sector” dial that is well-balanced, and underneath is a no-frills, reliable Sellita movement. It is an affordable watch and has the build quality to match, but that is a fact rather than a criticism. Priced between US$1,650 and US$2,575 depending on the model, the 35 mm Millesime remains good value. It brings the “sector” dial-look to someone who wants a smaller watch. Vintage-inspired aesthetics The new Millesime takes after the original model, which was just under 40 mm. The case is nearly identical in design, a three-part affair with a flat bezel, large, fluted crown, and “glass box” sapphire crystal that ...

Introducing: The New Venezianico Arsenale Collection Fratello
Venezianico Arsenale Collection Venezianico Sep 26, 2024

Introducing: The New Venezianico Arsenale Collection

Venezianico is a young brand from Venice that continues to roll out new releases. Today, the Arsenale joins the lineup, and while it contains familiar styling details, the watch can claim a historic local building as the source of inspiration. This is a watch that should please those looking for value and refinement. I’ve now […] Visit Introducing: The New Venezianico Arsenale Collection to read the full article.

Fears Introduces the Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour, with a Module by Christopher Ward Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Back Sep 25, 2024

Fears Introduces the Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour, with a Module by Christopher Ward

Back in January 2023, Fears and Christopher Ward collaborated on the Alliance 01, the first limited edition watch made specifically for the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers. The watch became an immediate cult sensation, partly due to its unusual jump hour complication, and partly because it was just plain rare, right from the start. The watch was only available to members of the Alliance, a smaller group for sure than the typical audience for either brand. But when a watch like this appears, something with a highly specific complication that also strikes a chord with the community, we know that it’s only a matter of time before a version comes along that’s more widely accessible. Well, that time is now. Today, Fears introduces what they refer to as an evolution of the Alliance 01, the all new Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour.  At its core, this is still very much the watch that we saw back in early 2023. It keeps the 40.5mm Brunswick case, a cushion case design that splits the difference nicely between sporty and something more refined. I happen to own a Brunswick, and find that the case is something of a chameleon – on the right strap it feels like a true dress watch, and on a bracelet, worn casually, it has an almost Datejust-like quality, which is to say it’s right in the middle of that dress/sport spectrum.  But the real heart of the watch is Christopher Ward’s module, also carried over from the Alliance 01, that allows for the jumping hour complication. ...

[VIDEO] The Hamilton Khaki Field Goes Quartz Worn & Wound
Hamilton Khaki Field Goes Quartz Sep 25, 2024

[VIDEO] The Hamilton Khaki Field Goes Quartz

When you work in the watch industry, one of the questions you get asked over and over again is “What’s the best watch for $XXX?” The dollar amount is constantly shifting depending on who is asking the question or their level of horological curiosity, but over time I think most of develop a stock answer to questions like these. My favorite recommendation for almost anyone asking about watches under $1,000 is some version of the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical. These are, and have always been, fantastic watches. They’re affordable, easy to read, and now come in a variety of sizes, dial colors, and case metals to suit just about any taste. But the not-so-secret weapon, in my opinion, is the manually wound movement. If using a watch like this everyday, dutifully winding it as needed, doesn’t hook you on this hobby, I kind of don’t know what will.  My own admiration for the mechanical versions of these watches aside, it comes as no real surprise that Hamilton would want to expand the potential reach of the Khaki Field by offering an even easier to wear quartz version. And that’s what we have here. It’s a somewhat strange proposition, taking a watch whose identity, such as it is, is based around a mechanical caliber, and removing it entirely from the equation, but it turns out that even in a quartz configuration the Khaki Field retains a lot of its character.  The new Khaki Field Quartz watches are available in both the familiar 38mm and a new 33mm size in whit...

Hands-On With The Newest Blancpain Air Command - A Green-Dial Version In Titanium Joins The Squadron Fratello
Blancpain Air Command - Sep 25, 2024

Hands-On With The Newest Blancpain Air Command - A Green-Dial Version In Titanium Joins The Squadron

Blancpain aims for air superiority by strengthening its Air Command “squadron” with a new version of its reimagined 1950s US Air Force flyback chronograph. The 42.5mm model comes in a lightweight titanium case with a black bezel insert, an olive-green dial, a black bezel, and beige lume, numerals, and markings. Is this new creation pushing […] Visit Hands-On With The Newest Blancpain Air Command - A Green-Dial Version In Titanium Joins The Squadron to read the full article.

First Look – The New Bulgari Octo Roma Striking 8 Days Monochrome
Bulgari Octo Roma Striking 8 Sep 25, 2024

First Look – The New Bulgari Octo Roma Striking 8 Days

Bulgari’s personality is intrinsically shaped by Rome, incorporating elements of the city’s magnificent imperial architecture into its fabulous jewellery and watches. The iconic Octo family, which includes the invincible legion of ultra-thin, record-breaking Octo Finissimo models, welcomes the new Octo Roma Striking 8 Days. If the watch looks familiar, it’s because the movement powering this […]

Introducing: The Colorful Charm Of The Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour Fratello
Fears Sep 25, 2024

Introducing: The Colorful Charm Of The Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour

Fears Watches is one of the small-brand success stories of this decade. Nicholas Bowman-Scargill revived his family’s brand with the Redcliff in 2016. Since 2020, the brand seems to have gone from strength to strength, and the new Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour shows this. This year the brand opened a boutique in its hometown […] Visit Introducing: The Colorful Charm Of The Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour to read the full article.

Introducing – Junghans Updates the Popular Pilot Chronoscope Monochrome
Junghans Updates Sep 25, 2024

Introducing – Junghans Updates the Popular Pilot Chronoscope

In the mid-1950s, Junghans produced watches for the newly established German army following World War II. The pilot chronographs had rotating timing bezels and specifically the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) chronograph has become a bit of a legend, serving as the inspiration for two new Pilot Chronoscope models. They’re variants of the exisitng Meister Pilot […]

Hands-On With The Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm In 18K Pink Gold Fratello
Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm Sep 25, 2024

Hands-On With The Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm In 18K Pink Gold

It takes guts to walk around wearing a large, all-gold integrated-bracelet sports watch. This genre is not for the faint of heart. I like to think I’m fairly spunky, so I figured, “Why not?” I reached out to Girard-Perregaux and asked if I could try the latest gold Laureato 42mm models. When a rather weighty […] Visit Hands-On With The Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm In 18K Pink Gold to read the full article.

Hublot Returns to Mineral Stone Dials with Classic Fusion Elements II SJX Watches
Hublot Returns Sep 25, 2024

Hublot Returns to Mineral Stone Dials with Classic Fusion Elements II

Two years ago Hublot introduced mineral stone dials for the first time and now the brand has returned to Earth’s rare natural stones – and one from elsewhere in the galaxy – with the Classic Fusion Elements II. As with the first edition, the Elements II is a limited edition for Singapore retailer The Hour Glass made up of five different models, each sporting a dial of mineral stone: pink jasper, sodalite, nephrite jade, turquoise, and lunar meteorite. The Elements II is based on Hublot’s signature time-only watch, a minimalist design with the trademark porthole-shaped bezel and case. With just three hands and no date, plus the Hublot logo in gold-powder print, the dial is a blank slate that allows the grain of each mineral stone to stand out. Turquoise Initial thoughts Hublot does two things well, the minimalist, classic Hublot, and artist collaborations, particularly the recent Daniel Arsham and earlier Takashi Murakami. The Elements II is essentially a classic Hublot with a mineral stone dial free of any markings save for the brand logo in gilt print. The clean aesthetic of the dial is maximised to show off the natural graining of various mineral stones. The case is unusual for being entirely in polished titanium, and also two-tone thanks to 18k gold accents, but it’s a perfect complement to the colours of the mineral stone dials. Lunar meteorite This might seem surprising given the clean styling of the watch, but the stone dials would have arguably been even ...

Up Close: Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Chronograph Moon SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Chronograph Moon Jaeger-LeCoultre Sep 25, 2024

Up Close: Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Chronograph Moon

Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) debuts the revamped Duometre line earlier this year, including the Duometre Chronograph Moon (and the entry-level Quantieme Lunaire). The watch incorporates almost every possible complication, some clever and others barely related, to create a chronograph that incudes a host of other simple functions, ranging from a day-night indicator to twin power reserves. Traditionally, the Duometre was centred on the chronograph, which makes this the line’s flagship model. It’s essentially an evolution of the first-generation model, retaining a chronograph mechanism that is compact and clever, but gains additional complications that feel extraneous. The platinum model gets a copper or “salmon” dial Initial thoughts The Duometre Chronograph Moon reflects many of JLC’s strengths, particularly as a movement maker. The movement inside is the sophisticated cal. 391 that makes logical use of the two-train construction to power a smartly designed chronograph mechanism. Visually, the movement is appealing and boasts quality, workmanlike finishing with details like a free-sprung balance and grande sonnerie-style winding clicks. Although it is industrial haute horlogerie, the calibre is clearly best in class. The cal. 391 Both barrels each sport grande sonnerie-style winding clicks But the cal. 391 is nearly identical to the cal. 380 found in the first-generation Duometre introduced in 2007. While it is an accomplished movement, the cal. 391 is hardly novel. Ins...

It’s Cocktail Time Again: Seiko Introduces Two New Limited Editions in their Long Running Series of Cocktail Inspired Watches Worn & Wound
Seiko Introduces Two New Limited Sep 24, 2024

It’s Cocktail Time Again: Seiko Introduces Two New Limited Editions in their Long Running Series of Cocktail Inspired Watches

There are a handful of constants in the watch world that are truly worth celebrating: the annual crush of people on Geneva each spring for Watches & Wonders, the annual debate over whether a “summer watch” is a thing, and that first comment on any IG post that begs a watch to be a millimeter or two smaller. Like clockwork (pardon the pun) you can count on these things, year in and year out, and there’s comfort in that. Another reliable watch industry trope comes to us on a regular basis from Seiko in the form of the Cocktail Time limited edition, a tradition that began with a watch that is a true enthusiast icon, and now stands as a running series of just plain good dress watches that Seiko is somehow able to keep at a remarkably affordable price point.  The legend of the Cocktail Time really begins in earnest with the SARB065, a Japanese domestic market release that caught on with collectors in an earlier era of watch enthusiasm (the early 2010s) when message boards ruled the day. This particular watch is one that I can remember owning years ago and also being among the chorus of internet commenters recommending it to new enthusiasts when the inevitable question of “what dress watch under $XXX should I buy?” would come up. The new Cocktail Time watches, references SRPK93 and SRE015, are said to be inspired by the city of Tokyo at night, and the “Night-time Tokyo” cocktail created by STAR BAR owner Hisashi Kishi. Kishi is a celebrated creator of craft cockta...

Lorca Model 2 Chronograph Review Teddy Baldassarre
Sep 24, 2024

Lorca Model 2 Chronograph Review

Sophomore releases are always tricky business. Just ask Depeche Mode, or Kiss. An innovative or evocative debut sound before the artist has really had a chance to flesh out their own voice can lead to unrealistic expectations from fans. Small, independent watch brands face a similar challenge, often expressing an exciting vision for a single watch without a firm framework to expand upon. This isn’t always the case, however, and just like Pearl Jam or The Strokes, there are some emerging watch brands with freshman success that manage an equally compelling follow-up vision. This is exactly what New York-based Lorca, founded by Swiss-Canadian Jesse Marchant, is looking to do with its new Model 2 Chronograph, hot on the heels of their popular initial release, the Model 1 GMT. The visionary behind the brand, Jesse Marchant, is also a recording artist, and is no stranger to the process. The Model 1 GMT was a revelation when it was first revealed in early 2023. The design was subtle, and the execution well considered. All the little details worked, and it was a watch that managed to find its own style and identity in a sea of watches that had neither. The Model 1 didn’t break any new ground mechanically, but it did present a unique vision that touched on multiple genre points in a cohesive manner. It also featured a somewhat polarizing bezel that would ultimately add to the depth of its character. Beyond that, the bracelet, case, and overall fit and finish of the watch unders...