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Results for Swiss vs Japanese Watchmaking

4,970 articles · 18 videos found · page 63 of 167

Longines Impressively Expands The Master Collection

Longines Impressively Expands Aug 25, 2026

Longines Impressively Expands The Master Collection

Within the Longines lineup, the Master collection focuses on the rich history of the brand’s craftsmanship and watchmaking elegance. Back in June, the time-and-date Master models got a complete overhaul. Longines now introduces a new dial variation of the Master 41, an updated version of the Master Chrono Moonphase, and the impressive Master Chrono Monopusher. […] Visit Longines Impressively Expands The Master Collection to read the full article.

Minase Built Its New Automatic Watch Around a Miyota Movement

Two Broke Watch Snobs

Minase Aug 24, 2026

Minase Built Its New Automatic Watch Around a Miyota Movement

Minase takes a simple approach with the 37mm Mastercraft J3, pairing detailed Japanese case finishing with a Miyota 90S5 automatic movement.

Spending Time With The New Ollech & Wajs Early Bird EB-24

Spending Time With The New Ollech & Wajs Early Bird EB-24

There are watches named after places, people, and the animals their designers admired on long-ago fishing trips. And then there is the Ollech & Wajs Early Bird, a watch named after a satellite. I liked this watch so much that I bought the re-edition. I have a bit of a long-term fascination with the Swiss […] Visit Spending Time With The New Ollech & Wajs Early Bird EB-24 to read the full article.

Hands-On With The Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement - Could We Catch The Purple “Butterfly” Inside?

Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement — Aug 22, 2026

Hands-On With The Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement - Could We Catch The Purple “Butterfly” Inside?

Why use a traditional, coiled balance spring when you can use a 14-micron-wide and 120-micron-“thick” silicon blade instead? With the latter, Girard-Perregaux set out to overcome the inherent challenge of fluctuating power delivery in mechanical watches. The goal for the 235-year-old Swiss watchmaker from La Chaux-de-Fonds was to achieve consistently superior precision. The quest involves […] Visit Hands-On With The Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement — Could We Catch The Purple “Butterfly” Inside? to read the full article.

Hands-On: The Sylvain Pinaud Tourbillon

Hands-On: The Sylvain Pinaud Tourbillon

Earlier in April, right before the kickoff of Watches and Wonders, Swiss independent Sylvain Pinaud announced his third major creation since the founding of his workshop in 2018. First came his Monopoussoir Chronograph, then arguably the more recognizable time-only Origine series. This third entry in the collection is the pragmatically named Sylvain Pinaud Tourbillon—any guesses what complication this watch holds? I kid, but the new watches are an absolute treat to see and handle in person. Even though the intense wave of new releases from dozens of brands in Geneva may have quickly steered the online conversation away from these new watches toward Jubilee dials and Nautilus desk clocks, these watches did not go unnoticed by collectors. Thirty of them, to be precise. The Sylvain Pinaud Tourbillon was announced in three limited editions of ten pieces each, priced at CHF 180,000, and all three variants sold out within days. But before we get to the new watches, you might be asking what the situation is with the watchmaker these days, given that every decently well-known high-end independent watchmaker seems never to struggle with demand. That's pretty much the case here, too. Long story short, Pinaud and his team of 8 produce around 25 watches per year, and the Origine series has been fully allocated through its planned run through 2027. Given the sell-out of the Tourbillon and the sunsetting of the Origine, it kind of sounds like there isn't much to offer a prospective ...

Maen Jumps on the Stone Dial Bandwagon with New Versions of Its Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin

Maen Jumps Aug 21, 2026

Maen Jumps on the Stone Dial Bandwagon with New Versions of Its Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin

Ahead of the launch of the new stone dial editions of Maen’s Manhattan 37 Ultra-Thin, I got to test drive the Obsidian Snowflake variation. This was my first time seeing one of the models from the collection in the metal in addition to previewing one of the new dial materials. While stone dials have been used in watchmaking for decades and aren’t an entirely novel trend, I do feel they’ve been a bit overdone. However, I tried to put aside my eye roll for yet another stone dial and appreciate what’s interesting about these particular executions. So, here are my hot takes after going hands on. First off, I have to give the brand credit for the choice of the stones for the collection, which are relatively unique. Instead of the typical trifecta of tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, and malachite, Maen has opted for onyx, golden swan, and obsidian snowflake. While onyx is another mainstay, you can’t go wrong with the classic look of an all-black dial, this time with a stone twist. Moving on, I’ll admit even as the resident woo-woo girl, I was not too familiar with golden swan. Even though I didn’t see this one in person, the photos look gorgeous – the mix of rust and black give the same versatile look as your go-to tortoise shell sunglasses. This variant seems like it would literally go with everything and make a great daily wear. Saving the obsidian snowflake for last, this stone is perhaps the most artful and offbeat of the lot. If you’re a person who loves neutr...

Twelve on Time - ArtyA’s Yvan Arpa and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Twelve on Time - ArtyA’s Yvan Arpa and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Twelve on Time is a conversation series that invites leading personalities from the watch industry to step beyond their work and speak more personally about their relationship with time, creativity, and craft. Through a set of twelve questions, the column aims to lift the veil on both the individual and their perspective on watchmaking – […]

Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon “Julie” Aug 21, 2026

Just Because - The Unique Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon “Julie” and New Personalisation Horizons for the Brand

Customisation or unique pieces are nothing new in the Swiss watch industry, but are usually reserved for high horology or smaller ateliers, necessitating a level of flexibility that more established and mainstream brands can hardly achieve. That said, we had the opportunity to go hands-on with a unique piece recently that, besides its intrinsic singularity […]

Bespoke One-Of-A-Kind And Off-Catalog Watches: A Story As Old As Time

Bespoke One-Of-A-Kind And Off-Catalog Watches: A Story As Old As Time

If you don’t like what you see, ask the maker to make something just for you. That’s sort of the principle behind bespoke watches. And all the historical high-end watchmakers have plenty of experience with that because custom-made timepieces are exactly how the watchmaking industry started centuries ago. Creating one-of-a-kind timepieces for demanding customers is […] Visit Bespoke One-Of-A-Kind And Off-Catalog Watches: A Story As Old As Time to read the full article.

Hands-On with the Studio Underd0g 02SERIES (Gen2): A Refreshing New Take on the Famous Dirty Dozen

Studio Underd0g 02SERIES Gen2 Aug 20, 2026

Hands-On with the Studio Underd0g 02SERIES (Gen2): A Refreshing New Take on the Famous Dirty Dozen

In the span of six short years, independent brand Studio Underd0g has positioned itself as a leader in the contemporary British watchmaking wave. Founded by designer Richard Benc in 2020, the brand quickly made a name for itself in the industry with an irreverent and cheeky style that adds a refreshing spin to the sometimes stodgy business of watch design. Studio Underd0g pairs unique colors with quality finishing while “reject[ing] all that needs to go, like stuffiness, pomposity, and the reluctance to try anything new.” The 02SERIES brings together that fun-loving spirit and the brand’s commitment to boundary-pushing innovation. This summer’s release of Gen2 – the second iteration of the field watch collection – makes meaningful improvements to a fan-favorite. Studio Underd0g’s 02SERIES offers a modern take on the famous Dirty Dozen – a group of twelve watch brands tasked by the British Ministry of Defence to create a field watch for military-issue during the last half of World War II. Chief among a long list of specifications the brands had to meet, the watches were to be tough, reliable, and highly legible. Nearly all field watches today pull their aesthetic from the form-factor popularized by the Dirty Dozen, and I was curious to find out what Studio Underd0g could offer apart from the typical iterations so often seen in this space. After a week on the wrist, I can say that the 02SERIES (Gen2) is unlike any field watch I’ve encountered before and is ...

Kiwame Tokyo’s New Automatic Dress Watch Takes Minimalism Seriously

Two Broke Watch Snobs

Kiwame Tokyo Aug 20, 2026

Kiwame Tokyo’s New Automatic Dress Watch Takes Minimalism Seriously

The new Kiwame Tokyo Yane pairs a rectangular case with Japanese architectural references, a minimalist lacquer dial, and a Miyota automatic movement.

First Look - The new Czapek Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue

Czapek Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue Aug 20, 2026

First Look - The new Czapek Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue

Independent watchmaking brand Czapek introduced the Promenade collection in 2024 as a more classic and elegant vision of its contemporary watchmaking. Since then, the model has been used for several creative dial executions, such as the Plissé, Diamond Drops, and Goutte de Rosée editions, as well as the Promenade Transparencies Viridian Green, made in collaboration […]

First Look - Cleaner and More Compact, The new Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph

Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph Glashütte Original Aug 20, 2026

First Look - Cleaner and More Compact, The new Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph

Glashütte Original has a long history with chronographs, going back more than 80 years to the development of wristwatches for short-time measurement in the Saxon watchmaking town. Among the important chapters in that history was the UROFA calibre 59, developed in the early 1940s as one of the first modern Glashütte wristwatch chronographs. The contemporary […]

Hands On: Credor Locomotive “Dawn Blue” GCCR995

Credor Aug 20, 2026

Hands On: Credor Locomotive “Dawn Blue” GCCR995

A new day is dawning for Credor, which made its Watches & Wonders debut with the Locomotive “Dawn Blue” ref. GCCR995. Designed by Gerald Genta, the Locomotive was once the brand’s flagship sports model in the same vein as its more famous Swiss siblings, but with a quirky integrated-unintegrated bracelet. The obvious quality of the titanium case and bracelet make up for a weak spec sheet, but leave room for the Locomotive to grow alongside the newly international Credor marque. Initial thoughts The Locomotive is a great example of a watch that is more than the sum of its parts. In fact, it’s (almost) inexplicably nice for a watch with such a strange design, a mundane movement, and a micro-adjust-less pin-and-collar bracelet. While it’s cliché to say a watch looks better in person than photographs — and underestimates what a good photographer can do — I would say the Locomotive feels much better in person, like a watch of its price point should. The defining update for this edition of the Locomotive is its embossed dial, which features a repeating hexagon motif. The grooves that fill each cell are oriented at different angles, giving the dial a shimmering personality that changes with shifting light. At some angles, the dial is a uniform blue, while other angles produce an almost chequerboard-like effect. This backdrop is coated with layers of clear lacquer, enabling the Credor wordmark and (superfluous) “Automatic” text to float neatly above the three-d...

Hands-on - The Yellow Gold Minerva The Unveiled Chronograph Limited Edition 30

Minerva Aug 19, 2026

Hands-on - The Yellow Gold Minerva The Unveiled Chronograph Limited Edition 30

Minerva‘s Unveiled Chronograph series is an exercise in turning conventional watchmaking inside out. Instead of hiding the movement under the dial, which would require taking the watch off the wrist to admire its calibre through the display caseback, the manufacture reverses its architecture, making the chronograph mechanism and its distinctive hand-finished components the main attraction […]

Essays: Georges Daniels At 100 And A Personal Reflection By Roger W. Smith OBE

Roger W. Smith Aug 19, 2026

Essays: Georges Daniels At 100 And A Personal Reflection By Roger W. Smith OBE

On the 100th anniversary of the birth of the legendary horologist and watchmaker Dr. George Daniels CBE, Hodinkee is honored to publish an essay from Daniels protege and friend, Roger W. Smith OBE, who has taken up the mantle of continuing the legacy of Daniels and his method of watchmaking. The bond between the two of them, though decades apart in age, has revitalized the rich legacy of British watchmaking. After the article, we'll share excerpts from an interview with Smith about his relationship with Daniels. — Hodinkee George Daniels at 100, A Personal Reflection by Roger W. Smith OBE On 19 August 2026, Dr. George Daniels CBE would have celebrated his 100th birthday. For most people, a centenary is an opportunity to look back. For those of us fortunate enough to have known him, it is also an opportunity to reflect on ideas that remain remarkably relevant today. The George Daniels Grand Complication from 1987. Throughout his lifetime, George made just twenty-four pocket watches and two wristwatches. I remember chatting with him on the opening night of his 'Retrospective Exhibition' at Sotheby's in 2006. Before the exhibition cases had been filled, he told me he had been sitting beside the assembled collection of his life's work. It fitted into just two A4-sized foam-lined metal trays. Yet those twenty-six watches contained ideas that fundamentally changed modern mechanical timekeeping. Few, if any, watchmakers have produced so little, yet influenced so much. "The Blue...

Louis Erard s Manuel Emch Aug 19, 2026

Twelve on Time - Louis Erard’s Manuel Emch and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Twelve on Time is a conversation series that invites leading personalities from the watch industry to step beyond their work and speak more personally about their relationship with time, creativity, and craft. Through a set of twelve questions, the column aims to lift the veil on both the individual and their perspective on watchmaking – […]

Introducing - Henri Grandjean & Cie Unveils the Magician Atrivm Green Sapphire and Atrivm Red Sapphire

Introducing - Henri Grandjean & Cie Unveils the Magician Atrivm Green Sapphire and Atrivm Red Sapphire

Henri Grandjean (1803-1879) was a master watchmaker from Le Locle, renowned for his precision marine chronometers and for his pioneering role in Swiss chronometry. The name was recently revived by entrepreneur and collector Sohail Aziz and positioned as an independent brand specialising in exquisite high-end contemporary haute horlogerie. Making an impressive debut, Henri Grandjean & […]

Introducing: Seiko x Tradman's Bonsai Presage Classic Series

Seiko x Tradman's Bonsai Presage Aug 18, 2026

Introducing: Seiko x Tradman's Bonsai Presage Classic Series

What We Know It may not always come as a surprise when Seiko releases a new collaboration, at least in the abstract. Still, it is always exciting to see just who Seiko has chosen to partner with, and what that partnership can turn into. This time, Seiko has paired itself with Tradman's Bonsai, a Japanese creative collective whose mission is to celebrate and continue exploring the traditional art of Japanese Bonsai through both the creation of Bonsai spaces and the pursuit of collaborations with brands in the street culture, fashion, and art worlds. The result here is the latest addition to Seiko's Presage line, Seiko's dressier alternative to other, more technical watch families likeProspex. It's also the line Seiko often uses to celebrate heritage Japanese aesthetics and artistry, making it a perfect canvas for Seiko to honor Bonsai, an art form that involves growing, cultivating, and shaping small-scale trees with rigorous dedication and precision. With this watch, Seiko has evoked Bonsai trees in several ways, most clearly with the introduction of a new dial color and texture. Inspired by the bark of aging pine trees, the new pattern gently spirals outward from the center of the dial and is paired with a deep green gradient treatment and a dual-curved sapphire crystal with an AR coating on the inside. A 38mm stainless steel case with a fluted bezel and yellow-gold-tone finish houses the dial and the watch's 6R51 movement, a time-only automatic from Seiko with a 72-hour ...

Twelve on Time - A. Lange & Söhne’s Wilhelm Schmid and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

A. Lange & Sohne Aug 17, 2026

Twelve on Time - A. Lange & Söhne’s Wilhelm Schmid and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Twelve on Time is a conversation series that invites leading personalities from the watch industry to step beyond their work and speak more personally about their relationship with time, creativity, and craft. Through a set of twelve questions, the column aims to lift the veil on both the individual and their perspective on watchmaking – […]

Seiko turns to the Bonsai specialist TRADMAN’S for its latest collaborative Presage Classic Limited Edition

Seiko turns Aug 17, 2026

Seiko turns to the Bonsai specialist TRADMAN’S for its latest collaborative Presage Classic Limited Edition

Seiko continues its celebration of Japanese traditional arts with a new Presage Classic limited edition inspired by the art of Bonsai.

SJX Podcast: Big Brands to Beat

Patek Philippe Aug 17, 2026

SJX Podcast: Big Brands to Beat

Episode 50 of the SJX Podcast rounds up recent reviews, including a review of a new book about Universal Genève chronographs, and the latest updates to long-running platforms from Breguet and Patek Philippe. The discussion also explores the intensifying competitive landscape in high-end watchmaking as big brands like Patek Philippe, Breguet, and A. Lange & Söhne close the gap with many artisanal independent brands. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Timex Automatic E Line Grows to 38mm With Three New Integrated-Bracelet Models

Timex Automatic E Line Grows Aug 15, 2026

Timex Automatic E Line Grows to 38mm With Three New Integrated-Bracelet Models

Timex has introduced a larger 38mm version of the Automatic E Line, turning the compact design that returned in 2024 into a more substantial watch with an integrated-bracelet appearance. The new range includes the silver TW6A00500, the two-tone TW6A00600 and the teal TW6A00700. All three share the same case dimensions, Japanese automatic movement, horizontally textured dial and date display. The teal TW6A00700 brings the strongest colour to the new 38mm Automatic E Line. This is not the first modern E Line. Timex revived the design as the Automatic 1983 E Line Reissue with a 34mm rounded-square case. That watch followed the size and simple character of the original more closely. The 38mm models keep the familiar TV-shaped outline but move the collection in a more modern direction. They are larger, thicker and fitted with a conventional butterfly clasp instead of the tool-free expansion band used by the smaller version. A 1983 Timex design in a much larger case The E Line name reaches back to a Timex watch from 1983. Its rounded-square case became known as a TV dial shape. The E Line name was connected to New York’s E subway line, which carried commuters toward Manhattan’s business district. The modern 34mm reissue brought that idea back in November 2024 with a stainless-steel case, an acrylic crystal and a Japanese automatic movement. The new watch is better described as a larger update inspired by that reissue rather than a strict recreation. Its 38mm stainless-steel ...

Alpinist to Astron: Seiko Celebrates 145 Years

Seiko Celebrates 145 Years Kintaro Aug 14, 2026

Alpinist to Astron: Seiko Celebrates 145 Years

Kintaro Hattori is considered the father of the Japanese watch and clock industry, having opened K. Hattori & Co. in Tokyo 145 years ago. Hattori’s humble store eventually evolved into an empire that made Seiko the largest watch manufacturer in the world during the 1980s. To mark the anniversary, Seiko has dressed six of its greatest hits in regal “Edo purple” livery. The standouts include the compass-bezel Alpinist ref. HBC006 built the take on the Japanese Alps, the luxe titanium-and-ceramic Astron Dual-Time Chronograph ref. HAB011, and the spacefaring Rotocall ref. HFL001. Seiko Prospex Alpinist HBC006 Last year, Seiko’s iconic green-and-gilt Alpinist turned 30; this year it turns purple. The Alpinist line dates back to 1959 but this case style launched in 1995, designed by Shigeo Sakai — the same designer responsible for the amusing inflatable Seiko Airpro. The green-and-gilt colourway inspired by Mr Sakai’s Mini Cooper became a sales success, defying conventional wisdom that green watches are niche products. I can’t predict if that will hold true for purple, but with 7,000 units Seiko seems to think it will. The colour is certainly eye-catching, which will help it stand out on social media and boost collectibility. The US$$900 price tag helps too, making it a good value considering its solid specifications. Upmarket details include a Diashield-protected stainless steel case, a sapphire crystal with sapphire date magnifier, an unexpected 200 m test depth,...

Introducing - The New Kiwame Tokyo Yane

Grand Seiko Aug 14, 2026

Introducing - The New Kiwame Tokyo Yane

Kiwame Tokyo, the independent Japanese microbrand, is something of an anomaly in a country dominated by big players like Seiko, Orient, Citizen and Grand Seiko. Based in Asakusa, the historical centre of Tokyo, the brand founded by Masami Watanabe produces stylish Calatrava-inspired dress watches at relatively affordable prices. Named after the Japanese word for roof […]

Twelve on Time - Christiaan van der Klaauw’s Pim Koeslag and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Christiaan van der Klaauw s Pim Koeslag Aug 14, 2026

Twelve on Time - Christiaan van der Klaauw’s Pim Koeslag and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Twelve on Time is a conversation series that invites leading personalities from the watch industry to step beyond their work and speak more personally about their relationship with time, creativity, and craft. Through a set of twelve questions, the column aims to lift the veil on both the individual and their perspective on watchmaking – […]

Twelve on Time - A. Lange & Söhne’s Wilhelm Schmidt and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

A. Lange & Sohne Aug 14, 2026

Twelve on Time - A. Lange & Söhne’s Wilhelm Schmidt and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Twelve on Time is a conversation series that invites leading personalities from the watch industry to step beyond their work and speak more personally about their relationship with time, creativity, and craft. Through a set of twelve questions, the column aims to lift the veil on both the individual and their perspective on watchmaking—revealing not […]

The Seven Special Edition Watches Of Time+Tide's FounderFest

Ming next month Aug 13, 2026

The Seven Special Edition Watches Of Time+Tide's FounderFest

New watch season is right around the corner, and our friends at Time & Tide are among the first to move, thanks to not one but seven new watches arriving in September. The watches coincide with the launch of the brand's own watch fair, FounderFest, a show built around independent watchmaking and live music in equal measure. Rather than one exclusive location, FounderFest spans Time & Tide's three Watch Discovery Studios: New York (460 Broome St), Melbourne (178 Collins St), and London (Portland House, 4 Great Portland Street), running 19–20 September, with New York serving as the event's HQ, hosting founders, live interviews, and musical performances. I recently had the chance to see—and photograph—every new piece coming next month. The watches go up for sale globally on 22 September via thefounderfest.com, which will also host the festival online for anyone not on the ground in one of the three cities. Let's jump right in! AWAKE — Sơn Mài Frosted Leaf 'Ultraviolet' Awake may only be seven years old, but in that short time, word has spread quickly on the Sơn Mài and its lacquer dials. For those unfamiliar, these dials are built from layers of natural lacquer applied by hand to the dial surface, then carefully sanded back, worked, and reapplied, a process repeated until the desired depth, texture, and visual effect are met. For the 'Ultraviolet' edition, they've added pure silver-leaf gilding and natural purple and black pigments, resulting in pieces of silver s...

Introducing - FounderFest, Time+Tide’s Music-Inspired Collection of Seven Collaborative Watches

Introducing - FounderFest, Time+Tide’s Music-Inspired Collection of Seven Collaborative Watches

Over the past decade, Time+Tide has evolved from an Australian online watch publication into one of the influential platforms dedicated to watchmaking, and independent watchmaking in particular. Alongside its editorial content, the company has expanded into retail with its Watch Discovery Studios in Melbourne, London and New York. This year, the company is launching FounderFest, […]

Seiko Revisits the 1913 Laurel With New Enamel and Urushi Presage Models HCC005 and HCC006

Seiko Revisits Aug 13, 2026

Seiko Revisits the 1913 Laurel With New Enamel and Urushi Presage Models HCC005 and HCC006

Seiko has introduced two new Presage Classic Series Craftsmanship watches that return to one of the most important designs in its history. The HCC005J1 uses a handmade white enamel dial while the HCC006J1 takes a darker route with black Urushi lacquer and a yellow-gold-coloured case. Both were announced on 13 August 2026 and are scheduled to reach Seiko boutiques and selected retailers in September 2026. These are not simple colour changes. Each model uses a traditional Japanese dial technique and each has its own character. The white version is the clearer tribute to Seiko’s original Laurel wristwatch from 1913. The black model keeps the same basic layout but changes the mood completely through lacquer, gold details and a warm case finish. A Return to the 1913 Laurel The Laurel is important because it was Japan’s first wristwatch. Its white enamel dial, expressive Arabic numerals and red 12 became a clear visual signature. Seiko has used those details before, but the HCC005J1 brings them together in a convincing modern package. The red numeral at 12 immediately catches the eye while the curved black numerals and blue hands keep the design easy to recognise. The new watches also add a 24-hour display at six o’clock. It gives the dial a little more depth without disturbing the balance of the numerals. This is not an independently adjustable second-time-zone function. It follows the main time and shows whether the watch is indicating the first or second half of the day...