22,482 articles · 219 videos found · page 58 of 757
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Today the watch world was stunned when word got out that Swatch and Omega have collaborated to bring us a set of 11 new, affordably-priced "Speedmasters." Now, considering the available color options, the proprietary BioCeramic cases, and reliable quartz movements - it's clear that these will be a hit with everyone from budget-conscious collectors to hardcore Speedy fanatics.
Time+Tide
Standing in the Omega HQ in Bienne, Petros Protopapas is visibly excited. The Brand Heritage Director of Omega is holding forth under a vast cosmic backdrop that depicts the planets in technicolour detail in a star-lit sky. “This revolutionises the Swiss watch industry for me,” declares Petros with tangible emotion in his voice. “This is what … ContinuedThe post Omega x Swatch blast off together on the BioCeramic MoonSwatch collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
If you were there, you won’t forget it soon. And if you weren’t, you are still going to be hearing about it for a very long time indeed. GaryG posits that the November 2021 Geneva auction week will be remembered as the point in time at which either the value of collectible watches reached a new plateau from which they only continued to climb or the bubble in prices for pieces from certain makers reached its most outrageous dimensions before deflating or imploding. Here's what happened.
SJX Watches
Founded by Romanian native Andy Bica-Popi but based in Switzerland, Peren styles itself as a Transylvanian watch brand. The micro-brand’s offerings are characterised by a clean, functional aesthetic, a style encapsulated by the Nera Rogue. Peren’s first dive watch is loosely inspired by the Tornek-Rayville TR-900, a rare and obscure dive watch that’s actually a rebadged Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, which the Swiss watchmaker made for its American agent who in turn supplied them to the US Navy in the 1960s. Utilitarian and cleanly styled, the Nera Rogue takes after the TR-900, which is reflected in the hour markers and bezel, but is evidently not a vintage remake. And in a nod to today’s fashionable colour, the Nera Rogue has dark-green dial. Initial thoughts Granted, the population of micro-brands is ever increasing, especially those making dive watches, but a handful are both interesting and affordable enough to be worth a second look. Since micro-brands typically rely on the same few outsourced movements (often Sellita or Miyota), it falls to design to distinguish one from another. And Peren manages to set itself apart – albeit only on the second try. The Nera Rogue is actually Peren’s second go at the design. What’s really new on the Nera Rogue is actually its bezel – which is the primary element inspired by the TR-900 – while the rest of the watch is actually identical to a past model known as the Nera that was equipped with a smooth, unmarked bezel, m...
SJX Watches
Launched in 1983 – with the driving force behind its conception being Ernst Thomke, the then-chief of movement manufacturer ETA – Swatch set out to be the antithesis of the traditional Swiss-made watch. Cased in plastic and quartz, the Swatch watch was cheap, cheerful, and vividly colourful. But it was a hit, with its unusual, funky styling making the Swatch a fashion statement – a million watches were sold in the first year. To celebrate the occasion, Swatch constructed a 13-tonne, 162 m-long mega-watch and hung it from the front of the Commerzbank skyscraper in Frankfurt. A homage to London’s Big Ben, the giant clock was a brilliant publicity stunt that boldly announced the ambitions of Swatch. The oversized watch indicated the time and three pieces of information: “Swatch”, “Swiss”, and the retail price of “DM60”. Now Swatch is remembering 1984 with a quintet of watches, each a recreation of the year’s bestsellers, but with a twist. Instead of plastic as the originals were, the remakes have cases of Bioceramic, while the straps are made of bio-sourced plastic – making the entire watch a little friendlier to the environmental than the 1980s originals. Initial thoughts Given the diverse and imaginative offerings at Swatch, it’s unusual for the company to reissue vintage watches, though it’s done a couple in the recent past. Interestingly, the 1984 collection resonates with the broader, luxury-watch market, which frequently returns to past hit...
Hodinkee
And it's not who you might expect.
SJX Watches
Established in 2014, Cramain recently unveiled its first wristwatch, the Mark II Constant Force. Technically the brand’s second model – the Mark I was never commercialised – the Mark II is a hand-wound, time-only wristwatch equipped with a 20-second remontoir, and produced almost entirely by Kilian Leschnik, one half of the founding duo, the other being Dr Julian M. Stiels, a Swiss medical doctor with a keen interest in watches. Just 28 years old, Mr Leschnik completed his watchmaking studies in 2016. But the German watchmaker was already working on his own wristwatch in 2014, a timepiece that evolved out of his school watch. Cramain is a means to “live his dream as a mechanical artist”, says Mr Leschnik. Mr Leschnik and Dr Stiels developed the Mark II together, with Dr Stiels having taught himself computer-aided design, allowing him to construct do the construction of the watch and its movement. Starting two years ago, Dr Stiels has made Cramain his full-time calling. The pair are the sole owners of the brand, which is entirely self-funded. Part of it was made possible by prototyping work Mr Leschnik has done for various Swiss watch brands. Initial thoughts Impressive in both function and fabrication, the Mark II is evidently a wristwatch of extremely high quality, and one created by a watchmaker with a dedication to quality in form and finish. The Mark II’s design is a contemporary techno-mechanical style that is reminiscent of Greubel Forsey, which works i...
SJX Watches
Switzerland has declared a state of emergency as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Almost everything is closed, including schools, shops, and restaurants, with only businesses offering the basic necessities, like banks and supermarkets, being allowed to open. There is bad news from Switzerland’s neighbours as well; the virus has spread fast in Italy. A recent poll showed that only 8% of the Swiss population feel they are in great danger. I can assure you that 100% of watch brands are feeling the pressure. Many watch factories, particularly the privately-held brands, have shut down completely or are about to. That includes Rolex, which just closed all its facilities for two weeks starting March 17. Watch sales are falling all around the world, with some brands suffering drops of 30-40% in February, and duty-free sales – which are substantial for the watch industry – falling by up to 90% in major airports. We have seen many crises, but this is unprecedented. But the biggest blow to the industry so far – the cancellation of the major watch fairs, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) and Baselworld. Even though very little is actually sold at the fairs, they were universal events that brought everyone together, almost like an annual reunion of old friends (and competitors). The fairs were a major, major part of the larger imagination, so the cancellations feel like a massive blow for everyone in the industry. The accelerating fallout First, the timeline of the virus’ i...
SJX Watches
George Daniels’ contributions to horology, as a watchmaker, historian and educator, were multi-dimensional. Most are widely known, and his watches are now incredibly valuable. But one of his creations – the “Unfinished Daniels” – remains tantalisingly incomplete, residing in the Clockmakers’ Museum within London’s Science Museum (which is also now home to Daniels’ Space Traveller II pocket watch). Even though he completed only a small number of watches – 23 pocket watches and four wristwatches made by hand, along with the serially-produced Millennium watches – Daniels’ inventions, techniques and philosophy have been deeply influential. His successor Roger W. Smith now practices the Daniels method with his own hand-made watches, but other notable watchmakers, including Francois-Paul Journe, have cited Daniels as an inspiration. The unfinished Daniels movement in the George Daniels exhibit in the Clockmakers’ Museum. Photo – Science Museum Like many great watchmakers over the ages, Daniels’ pursued perfect chronometry throughout his career; inventing a novel, superior escapement was perhaps his greatest achievement. And he managed to do it twice. Having observed that the sliding friction in the conventional Swiss lever escapement affects the rate of a movement over time, he set about developing solutions. He invented two escapement types: one inspired by a 18th century Abraham-Louis Breguet idea, while the other was the entirely original and mo...
SJX Watches
Designer of some of the most striking wristwatches of the 1960s, jeweller Gilbert Albert (1930-2019), passed away in his hometown of Geneva on October 1 , 2019. He was 90. Son of a newspaper deliveryman, Albert trained as a jeweller at Geneva’s l’Ecole des Arts Industriels and was only in his mid 20s when he joined Patek Philippe in 1955 as a designer. In his seven years at the watchmaker, which was then led by Henri Stern, himself a trained jeweller, Albert was responsible for some of the most radical watch cases of the era. These strikingly asymmetrical timepieces, like the Asymétrie wristwatches and Ricochet pocket watches, are still incredible designs six decades on. Gilbert Albert. Photo – lenouvelliste.ch He then set up his own workshop in 1962, where he became known for the use of unusual materials like coral and meteorite, all installed in quirky, unique jewellery desirable enough that frequent fakes eventually emerged. Albert also designed watches and jewellery for other watchmakers, most notably Omega, where he created several collections, including the Maille d’Or and Arabesque d’Or, all characterised by a distinctive, almost organic style. With his success, Albert built a small but highly regarded jewellery business. He opened his first store in his hometown in 1973, sited on rue de la Corraterie, a street just outside the walls of Geneva’s Old Town. Ten years later that was followed by a boutique in Zurich. Albert’s boutique in Gen...
SJX Watches
Contemporary Patek Philippe pocket watches are uncommon, and Rare Handcrafts examples – all of which are unique one-offs – are even more scarce. More objet d’art than portable timekeeper, only a handful are made each year. Sold at Sotheby’s late last year for almost US$290,000, the Rare Handcrafts ref. 982/159G “Japanese Cherry” pocket watch is a particularly delicate example of Patek Philippe’s enamelling. Rare Handcrafts pocket watches are often figurative or detailed in the extreme. This year’s line-up of pocket watches feature decorations that include a leopard, several landscapes, and a miniature of Vermeer’s The Wine Glass. The “Japanese Cherry”, on the other hand, takes a difference approach to its art; the decoration is simple yet vivid in colour and form. Unveiled in 2015, the “Japanese Cherry” watch was arguably the most important piece of the Rare Handcrafts collection that year, because the Japanese cherry motif formed the cover of the year’s catalogue. It’s a Lépine pocket watch, with the crown and sub-seconds arranged in a line (as opposed to a hunter movement that has them at right angles to each other). A plant synonymous with the country, the Japanese cherry produces the cherry blossom, or sakura, a cultural icon of Japan. On the watch branches of the cherry tree are depicted against a pale beige background. The branches are hand engraved in relief, with the individual cherries being bright red fired enamel with a g...
Time+Tide
Sports tie-in watches play a - if you’ll pardon the pun - dangerous game. On the one hand there’s a lot of gloss (and potential sales) to be earned from the association with an event that’s under the spotlight. The downside, though, is you might end up with a watch that looks more like a souvenir … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Game, set, match…point. A closer look at Rado’s HyperChrome Match Point appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Our second installment of ‘One Woman, One Watch’ sees Helen Cruden and Justin Hast team up again to bring you a glimpse into a quintessential London scene paired with the Cartier 2017 Tank Américaine, which was recently unveiled in celebrating the Tank’s 100th anniversary.
Revolution
The story of the Fifty Fathoms and Blancpain’s love affair with the oceans begins in 1953. Unlike a great number of contemporary dive watches, which are sea-worthy only in name, the Fifty Fathoms was forged in the crucible of actual dive experience. In 1952, war hero Capt. Robert “Bob” Maloubier was in the process of […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We compare the Casio F-91W and KommandoStore Elektronika 55B hands-on to see whether spending more actually buys a better cheap digital watch.
Worn & Wound
Since its inception in 1969, Zenith’s groundbreaking El Primero movement – the first automatic, integrated, high-frequency chronograph caliber – has been synonymous with the classic complication. Now, Zenith takes the essence of this historically significant movement and highlights the high-frequency component with its first time-only application in the Chronomaster line. With the new Chronomaster Solo Sport, form and function go hand in hand. The three-hand display offers a design that is decidedly less sporty than its chronograph counterparts. However, the new collection continues a throughline we’ve seen within the Chronomaster lineup, making it both fresh and familiar to the model family. The Solo Sport has a 40mm build that fits well within the Chronomaster range of 37mm for the vintage-inspired revival models up to 41mm for the standard chronograph sport models. As we’ve also seen in the typical sport models, the Solo Sport models feature a ceramic, unidirectional rotating bezel. Ceramic extends to the dial, which presents a new “Z” pattern. Depending on the version – white, black, or brown – this pattern is engraved on either a sunray-finished white ceramic dial or a polished black or brown ceramic surface. Additionally, the black version is also offered in a no-date variant for a total of four Solo Sport styles. The “Z” motif is repeated once more on the stylization of the seconds hand. The more geometric elements of this dial design continue ...
Monochrome
The Chronomaster Sport is one of Zenith’s most recognisable modern series, featuring a contemporary sports-watch case and, naturally, an El Primero chronograph movement. For 2026, however, Zenith takes an unexpected turn. The new Chronomaster Solo Sport removes the chronograph and debuts as a three-hand watch yet remains powered by one of the manufacture’s high-frequency El […]
Time+Tide
Will the new Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport just be a mere drop in the water in the saturated dive watch segment? Or will it make big waves?
Teddy Baldassarre
The new Oris watches for Geneva Watch Days 2026 includes the new ProPilot X Gonzo Edition as well as other new releases.
Fratello
Parmigiani Fleurier introduces a new 30-piece limited edition Tonda PF Skeleton Rose Gold Milano Blue. It builds upon the other four Tonda PF Skeleton configurations — Rose Gold Graphite, Steel Platinum Graphite, Platinum Milano Blue, and Steel Platinum Slate Green. Although this might seem like another version of the same thing, those who know and […] Visit An Elegant Skeletonized Watch: The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton Rose Gold In Milano Blue to read the full article.
Deployant
The global watch community turns its eyes to Thailand from September 22–27, as the highly anticipated Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week makes its return.
Deployant
Here is your hub for all the latest happenings in Geneva Watch Days 26, as it happens! We are covering the show and will bring you our usual live coverage.
Deployant
Here is your hub for all the latest happenings in Geneva Watch Days 26, as it happens! We are covering the show and will bring you our usual live coverage.
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. The Pitt Season 3 Trailer As many of you may know, I live in the Pittsburgh area, and while I wouldn’t say I have any hometown pride – I’ve been trying to leave this place for the better part of a decade – it’s always funny to see the Steel City onscreen. Sure, we have Flashdance, The Deer Hunter, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but Pittsburgh also remains a reliable stand-in for Middle America and salt-of-the-earth people. And no show on TV right now exemplifies that more than The Pitt which has become, somewhat inexplicably to me, one of HBO’s breakout dramas. While I don’t really like medical shows (I’m squeamish) it is fun to hear the local references scattered throughout the series, with even more likely now that the season 3 trailer has just dropped. The new season picks up a few months later, with Noah Wyle’s Dr. Robby returning to the emergency department after some time away. We’re also likely to see more of the hospital’s ongoing fallout from the previous season, including the staff’s changing dynamics, emergency psychiatry, and the policy changes affecting day-to-day care. The new season of The Pitt is set to premiere on HBO ...
Teddy Baldassarre Videos
On another edition of our popular Watch Shopping series, comedian Mark Normand is in store looking for his next watch. He's relatively new to the world of luxury watches and looking for something he can wear regularly. He's used to wearing a digital Timex, but the strap broke and Mark figured it's as good a time as any
Deployant
From TAG Heuer to Rolex, Citizen and Trilobe, I reflect on how my watch collecting journey —and my definition of a good watch—has evolved.
Hodinkee
What We Know Seiko has launched a new version of their popular vintage-inspired 1965 Heritage Diver, with a dial and color palette chosen by you. Okay, well, maybe not you directly, but through a fan-selection process that Seiko launched last year to mark the 60th anniversary of the original 62MAS diver. Seiko fans were presented with four variants of a watch that would eventually reach production, each inspired by a different tone and color the ocean can take on over the course of a day. In the end, the winner of last summer's campaign was this "Daytime Blue" color, which evokes the clear blue waters you'll find in tropical locales where the water is clear and the sun is shining. Other options included a bright yellow, deep green, and orange-y red. It's not wholly surprising that the blue dial would have won in a public ballot, but each is compelling, and I'll be curious to see whether Seiko, having developed and shown off the full range, ever chooses to release any of the other colors. The watch itself is a familiar one. The HBC011 shares a spec sheet with the enthusiast-favorite (and James') favorite SPB lineup of dive watches, specifically with the '20MAS' generation released in 2024, which brought with it a host of quality-of-life improvements, including a refined case and new movement. That case, which Seiko claims to be 40mm wide, 13mm thick, and 46.6mm lug-to-lug (and which James measured at 40.2mm wide, 13.4mm thick, and 46.6mm lug-to-lug in his Hands-On), is agai...
Fratello
Geneva Watch Days returns September 2nd–6th, 2026, bringing 71 independent watchmaking maisons to Geneva for five days of presentations, exhibitions, discussions, and events. Now in its seventh and biggest edition yet, GWD retains its decentralized format, with brands presenting from individual showrooms across the city. The Pavilion and Blue Box provide two central locations for […] Visit Geneva Watch Days 2026: The Biggest One Yet to read the full article.
Monochrome
The Atelier Wen Inflection collection (2025) marked an important step up for the brand, with its complex, fully curved case, an integrated bracelet made almost entirely from tantalum, high-end dials, and a customised movement supplied by Girard-Perregaux. For Geneva Watch Days 2026, Atelier Wen has partnered with New York-based creative studio Massena LAB on a […]
Hodinkee
This week on The Business of Watches, we're getting a preview and history lesson of Geneva Watch Days. Born in the dark days of the pandemic in 2020, it was a new kind of watch industry gathering that prioritized access and community over exclusivity. Jean-Christophe Babin, the former Chief Executive Officer of Bulgari, has been there from the beginning. He tells us why Geneva Watch Days started and why it's still needed. We discuss what to expect at this year's event and what the future of watch industry events might bring. Jean-Christophe Babin.Photo courtesy LVMH With some 71 brands exhibiting, GWD has more marques than that other big watch show in Geneva that happens each spring, but it's very different in tone and feel. Using a 'decentralized' concept, brands pay fees based on their size and revenue and the show allows for plenty of smaller, boutique brands to show off their wares. Open to the general public, it certainly isn't as glitzy nor as pricey an event as some others. Babin says the entire budget of GWD is likely less than the cost of staging and running a major booth at Watches and Wonders. A veteran who has served as the head of LVMH's watch unit as well as the CEO of TAG Heuer, Babin has seen the industry through a myriad of cycles, giving him a unique perspective on where the watch sector has been and where it's going. There's plenty of watch business and strategy to discuss, and we hope you enjoy the conversation. Be sure to leave any thoughts o...
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