3,247 articles · 12 videos found · page 66 of 109
Fratello
Today, we’ll look at the new Moritz Grossmann Enamel Roman Vintage. This is a limited-edition watch celebrating the 16th anniversary of the brand’s revival. As always with Moritz Grossmann, the focus is on finishing and mechanical prowess. For fans of Moritz Grossmann watches, the new Enamel Roman Vintage isn’t a new model. It’s a variant […] Visit Sweet 16: The Moritz Grossmann Enamel Roman Vintage to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Over three days in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the 2024 Heuer Collector's Summit brought together the brand's most ardent fans.
SJX Watches
Having stepped in to acquire Brodbeck Guillochage in 2022, Voutilainen has announced the opening of a new, larger facility in Fleurier that is poised to become a new centre of excellence for guilloché. Retaining the name Brodbeck Guillochage in honour of its founder Georges Brodbeck, the new facility is located in what was once the local watchmaking school of Fleurier, the town adjacent to Voutilainen’s hilltop headquarters at Chapeau de Napoléon. The new home of Brodbeck Guillochage in Fleurier Initial thoughts This is welcome news for a number of reasons. First, it will help perpetuate the legacy of Mr. Brodbeck, ensuring that his life’s work will continue to have a positive impact watchmakers and lovers of fine objects for years to come. Second, the steady hand of Kari Voutilainen, whose accomplishments as an entrepreneur rival his skills as a watchmaker, should help the new enterprise navigate potential industry downturns in the future. Finally, the impressive scale of the operation should be a magnet for talent, improving the economic prospects for young artisans interested in guilloché. A new centre of excellence A self-taught guillocheur, Mr Brodbeck founded his eponymous firm in 2004, gradually building up a stock of more than 30 antique engine turning machines, each restored to working order by Mr Brodbeck himself. In 2023, Mr Brodbeck was awarded the Prix Gaïa, arguably the highest award in the Swiss watch industry, for his contributions to the preservati...
Fratello
Brellum is back with another limited-edition watch, the Pandial Bicompax Black DLC Ti Chronometer. As we’ll see, it has a familiar case shape with a new case color. Also, it’s the second piece from the brand to use a chronometer-certified La Joux-Perret movement. Brellum focuses on small runs. Therefore, the releases come frequently. The latest […] Visit Introducing: The Brellum Pandial Bicompax Black DLC Ti Chronometer to read the full article.
Fratello
The Sinn 717 debuted in 2021 and has won at least two major German design awards. It’s a large and legible chronograph with looks inspired by the NaBo 17 cockpit clocks from the legendary Tornado jet fighter. We’ll look at the 717 again and shed light on an interesting NaBo 17-related story that surfaced. My […] Visit Hands-On With The Cockpit-Clock-Inspired Sinn 717 to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Today, Americans sit down at their Thanksgiving table with their friends and family, and consider all that they’re thankful for. Good health, a warm home, great company, and a delicious meal will top many lists, as they should. But if you’ll allow a quick thought experiment (really, all of this is just one big thought experiment, if you think about it) and narrow the focus of thanks to the watch world, I’d have to say that the singular event of the last few years that I’m most thankful for is whatever transpired during the first meeting between the team at Louis Erard and watchmaker Vianny Halter. It led to a collaboration that launched a thousand other collaborations (slight exaggeration, but maybe not), and brought an affordable indie brand and a Capital I Independent watchmaking legend together in a genuinely interesting way. There’s a compelling case to be made that the first Louis Erard x Vianney Halter collaboration was the seed of many similar LEs to come, from Louis Erard and other brands, so it makes sense that just like that first collab, their second drops on Thanksgiving weekend, bringing one of the most interesting stories in contemporary watches full circle. While the first collaboration with Halter felt like one of his watches in spirit, the new Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter II takes steps to make the physical object feel more like a watch that could have come out of Halter’s workshop. Using Halter’s iconic Antiqua as inspiratio...
Worn & Wound
In late October/early November, I started seeing various “rumor mill” sites teasing some new cameras from Sony. While my initial hope was for something in the Alpha 7 line, it was quickly determined that Sony was updating the A1, their sports/action camera line. This new camera has been dubbed the A1 II, although I’ll frequently refer to it as “Mark 2” to avoid any confusion when comparing models and specs. One of the best ways I’ve found to describe this camera is that it updates the A1 with features from other flagship models, which should position this camera as the “go to” professional camera for both photo and video, if you’re in the market for such a camera. One of the newest features, a first for the Alpha line of cameras, is a “dynamic subject recognition” which allows it to switch between various modes, without any intervention from the photographer. Additionally, the new mark 2 features impressive in-body image stabilization, offering 8.5 stops for the center of the frame. Among the list of features that have carried over, the mark 2 has the newest AI chip which boosts auto focus capabilities (30% improvement in eye detection for animals and humans and a 50% boost in bird eye detection), 30 frames per second image capture, and a 50 MP sensor. It’s my understanding that Sony has targeted wildlife and action photographers with the A1 line, and this mark 2 should suit the needs of these photographers with ease. Just as every watch needs a str...
Monochrome
In late 2022, luxury powerhouse Louis Vuitton announced a rather surprising but promising concept, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. A biennial prize organized by its Swiss-based watch manufacture, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, its mission is “to recognize a passion for watchmaking savoir-faire, creativity, and innovation in the pursuit of excellence, […]
Fratello
Recent auctions in Geneva concluded with a relative bang. Eye-watering results occurred for some truly rare pieces. For many watches, though, the sales were solid but not awe-inspiring. I’ll kick off today’s article with my thoughts on the market, and then we’ll look at several lots. My colleague Lex recently penned an article about the […] Visit The November 2024 Geneva Auctions Retrospective - Highlights to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Watch history is often the story of unsung heroes. Zenith is commonly credited as the creator of the first automatic chronograph, while their collaborator Movado is often a footnote, if mentioned at all. The Omega Speedmaster, famously the first watch worn on the moon, gets most of the street cred when discussing out-of-this-world watches. However, any mention of the actual first watch worn in space, the Sturmanskie, is a deep cut rarely discussed. Mid-century watch cases tend to follow the same trend. While brands like Rolex, IWC and Zenith were busy becoming household names, the third party manufacturers making the cases of their renowned classics worked diligently in the shadows. One such case designer and manufacturer was Dennison, a brand you may never have heard of, but undoubtedly handled if you are a fan of vintage luxury Swiss watches. Founded in 1874 by Aaron Lufkin Dennison (who the ALD collection is named after), Dennison became a powerhouse of both design forward and spec focused watch cases. Their patented air and water tight cases could be found on the wrists of members of the British Military, housed the famous Smith dials that submitted Everest in 1953 and even accompanied Lt. Commander Lithgow when he broke the world air speed record. Dennison went dormant after the 1960’s and, like many other once-defunct brands that followed suit with the emergence of the quartz crisis, has risen from the ashes. Resurrection stories can be hit and miss, leading many e...
Fratello
Today, we’ll go hands-on with the new Piaget Polo Skeleton Ceramic. This is a modern-looking take on the brand’s entry into the sports-dress category. As we’ll see, the lack of an integrated bracelet and textured dial helps provide this watch with an identity of its own. The current Piaget Polo lineup features many models, including […] Visit Hands-On With The Piaget Polo Skeleton Ceramic to read the full article.
Monochrome
Independent Swiss watch brand Titoni has been run by the Schluep family since 1919. Originally registered under the name Felco in 1919 and then Felca AG, this Grenchen-based watch manufacturer embraced foreign markets early in the game, surviving the vicissitudes of the 20th century intact. Titoni’s Heritage collection is inspired by some of the brand’s […]
SJX Watches
The fabled Breguet no. 160 “Marie Antoinette” (pictured above, image credit Baruch Coutts) was reputedly made for the last queen of France, but was so complicated that it took decades to complete, by which time the queen was long dead. Stolen in 1983 and then recovered in 2007, the legendary watch started by Abraham-Louis Breguet will be on display for the first time outside of the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art In Jerusalem since its recovery. From December 12, the Breguet “Marie Antoinette” will be on show at the Science Museum in London (which is also home to important George Daniels creations, including the unfinished watch and the Space Traveller II). The Breguet Marie Antoinette is part of Versailles: Science and Splendour, an exhibition dedicated to the scientific and technology discoveries related to the French royal court in the 17th and 18th centuries. The exhibition explores a 120-year span of scientific progress at Versailles, illustrating the scientific endeavours accomplished during the reigns of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. The mythical watch While the exhibition will include over 100 exhibits, watch enthusiasts will know the highlight is Breguet no. 160, the grand complication commissioned in 1783, by Marie Antoinette’s lover according to legend, hence its longstanding nickname. A no-expense-spared commission, watch no. 160 was only completed in 1827, having been delayed by A.-L. Breguet’s exile during the French Revolution. By the t...
SJX Watches
Continuing from part I of the history of the equation of time. In the late 17th century, London’s clockmaking landscape experienced a remarkable surge of innovation and collaboration, fuelled by interactions among prominent horologists and the broader scientific community. Among this period’s leading figures were Christian Huygens and Robert Hooke, who made substantial strides in crafting clocks that could precisely display solar time without the need for cumbersome equation tables. This era marked the advent of the equation cam, a revolutionary mechanism designed to reconcile the disparities between solar time and mean time. Inspired by the analemma-a figure-eight pattern illustrating the Sun’s varying positions in the sky throughout the seasons-these mechanisms featured a distinctive mathematically calculated kidney-shaped cam, symbolising a pivotal step forward in horological precision and accuracy. At the heart of this innovation lies the cam and lever mechanism, an integral component of the invention. It comprises a shaft propelled by the clock’s mechanism, completing a full rotation annually. Affixed to this shaft is a meticulously crafted kidney-shaped cam, tailored precisely to match the annual fluctuations outlined by the equation. This cam engages with a follower and a connected lever, facilitating the seamless translation of its rotational motion into practical adjustments within the timepiece. Drawing of an equation pendulum by Ferdinand Berthoud (1...
Fratello
Over the past year, I’ve enjoyed smaller, simpler watches from the ’40s and ’50s. This change in my collecting course has been fun and relatively inexpensive. Does that mean I’ve given up on later vintage and more modern pieces? Absolutely not, but as you’ll see with the majority of today’s pre-owned and vintage favorites, the […] Visit The Fratello Watch List: Mike’s Pre-Owned And Vintage Favorites From Cartier, Vacheron, And Rolex to read the full article.
Fratello
Do you want to use a Seagull ST-1901 movement in your new watch? Sure, that’s no problem, but you’ll need to order a minimum of 10,000 units. That’s something you want to hear as a small brand when asking the Chinese movement manufacturer about possibly supplying you with calibers. But instead of looking for possible […] Visit Introducing: The Third-Generation Studio Underd0g 01Series - A New And Improved Breed to read the full article.
Monochrome
Jaguar is one of the great British car manufacturers, perhaps only rivalled by Aston Martin when it comes to style, class, and heritage. It started out as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922, making motorcycle sidecars before moving into the production of cars in the mid-1930s, with the first-ever car being the SS Jaguar 2.5L […]
Worn & Wound
Black Friday Deals Live Now The More You Spend, the More You Save It’s that time - we’re kicking off our Black Friday Sale in the Windup Watch Shop with exciting deals and promotions to help you kick the holiday season into gear, including discounts on some products that never go on sale. As an added incentive, we’ve brought back our tiered discount system - the more you spend, the more you’ll save! As always, the Windup Watch Team is available via consultation to answer any questions you have. In addition, all of these products are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US. Black Friday Deals Live Now The More You Spend, the More You Save It’s that time - we’re kicking off our Black Friday Sale in the Windup Watch Shop with exciting deals and promotions to help you kick the holiday season into gear, including discounts on some products that never go on sale. As an added incentive, we’ve brought back our tiered discount system - the more you spend, the more you’ll save! As always, the Windup Watch Team is available via consultation to answer any questions you have. In addition, all of these products are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US. The post Black Friday Deals Live Now In The Windup Watch Shop appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Teddy Baldassarre
The best bit of trivia I’ve heard about the Ball Watch Company, founded by its eponym, Webster Clay “Webb” Ball in 1891 — and one I have admittedly kept alive in conversations over the years — is that the expression “on the ball” actually has its origins in the world-renowned accuracy of the railroad watches the company produced in the early 20th Century. The legend, likely apocryphal, has it that “on the ball,” which today denotes a general sense of efficiency and promptness, once referred to a train being dependably on time thanks to the conductor’s use of one of Webb Ball’s meticulously adjusted pocket chronometers. Whether or not any of this is true, what cannot be disputed is Ball Watch’s impressive track record in making tool watches — initially for keeping the railways that knitted together the modern, interconnected United States running smoothly, and eventually pieces engineered specially for divers, pilots, firefighters, and even storm chasers. Ball’s latest release is the Roadmaster M Model A, a timepiece that ushers a mechanical alarm function (that’s the “A”) into the lineup for the first time. As a diehard fan of the somewhat niche complication (I sing its praises and explore its storied history here), I was excited when the Ball Watch team sent me the heads-up on the model several months ahead of its debut and even more eager to get my hands on it for a review. As with most Ball watches, the case of the Roadmaster M Mode...
Monochrome
Earlier this year, Tissot introduced a revised version of its classic 1960s watch, the PR516 Chronograph Mechanical. Stylish with just the right retro touch, well-proportioned, featuring a hand-wound movement and offered at an accessible price, it got very positive reactions from the watch community – and from us, too. Lo and behold, another model is […]
Monochrome
Chronoswiss, founded in 1983 in Munich by the late Gerd Lang, acquired renown for the celebrated watchmaker’s regulator models and distinctive design language. Now in the hands of Oliver Ebstein, with headquarters in Lucerne, the brand’s traditional regulators have been given a 21st-century visual punch and reinterpreted with vivid colours and textures. Pushing the envelope, […]
Deployant
The Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe is a limited-edition timepiece designed to commemorate the Vendée Globe, a grueling solo sailing race around the world. The independant Swiss watch maison, that built its name supplying accurate, reliable marine chronometers to the world’s navies in the 19th century, will serve as an Official Partner and the Official Timekeeper of the Vendée Globe, the World’s largest solo, non-stop, unassisted round the-world sailing race.
Worn & Wound
Search for “vintage watch” on Kickstarter and you’ll be met with page after page of watches that seek to capture the charm of watches from decades past. Some will be near-replicas that look more like carbon copies than modern interpretations. Others will find a balance of paying homage to iconic designs while still maintaining an air of originality. While the approaches vary, vintage inspired designs remain pervasive – they’re just about everywhere. Last year, Toronto based Fleux joined the ranks of brands crowdfunding their vintage inspired freshman releases with the FLX001 and FLX002– taking the amalgamation route by drawing inspiration from a variety of classic skin divers. The FLX001 featured chunky lume plots and a blocky orange hour hand that brought to mind images of Squale and Vulcain. The FLX002 featured a California dial, a layout of half Roman and half Arabic numerals that was popularized by brands like Rolex and Panerai. Changing gears to pay homage to a single watch rather than a genre, the FLX003 unapologetically draws its inspiration from the Omega Seamaster 300 Big Triangle- also known as the “Big T”. The Watch Lets address the elephant in the room: When considering a $500 NH38 powered Omega inspired dive watch, it’s fair to ask how it differs from the other Omega-inspired designs on the market. Afterall, a 200 meter, Seiko powered watch from Pagani Design can be yours for about $100. I’ve personally owned (and worn with pride) many of t...
Monochrome
Sector dials, with their unique segmented layouts designed over a century ago for improved readability, have a lasting appeal that continues to inspire modern watchmakers. Today, many brands incorporate sector dial watches into their collections, and Louis Erard – founded in 1929 during the peak of this design’s popularity – is no exception. Its Excellence […]
Fratello
What better way to celebrate the dark day of Halloween than with some scary wristwear? I’m not talking about electrified watches that’ll zap you in the night, but it could mean some newfound color for your watch box. In fact, some Halloween watches are cool all year round. This year, I have found great examples, […] Visit Halloween Watches: Be Afraid, Very Afraid This Year! - Ghoulish Wristwear From Bell & Ross, Mr Jones, Scurfa, And More to read the full article.
SJX Watches
One of the most intriguing and significant watches in Christie’s upcoming Geneva auction on November 11 is Breguet no. 3218, a tonneau-shaped wristwatch with a perpetual calendar and retrograde date sold in 1935. In all likelihood the first wristwatch ever with these complications, no. 3218 is also notable for its provenance: the original owner was Paul Iribe, Coco Chanel’s romantic partner. The watch is going under the hammer with a low estimate of CHF100,000 – modest considering its significance. According to Christie’s, there are only four known wristwatches with perpetual calendar and retrograde date made in the first half of the 20th century, regardless of brand, and this is one of them. Two others were also made by Breguet, while the final example is the unique Patek Philippe ref. 96 (no. 860’182) that is the classic round Calatrava case. This watch, no. 3218, is the earliest of the four, making it likely the first-ever perpetual calendar wristwatch with retrograde date. (Another wristwatch retrograde perpetual calendar and minute repeater is known, the Vacheron Constantin “Don Pancho” that is also tonneau-shaped.) The 18k white gold case remains well preserved Beyond its intrinsic features, no. 3218 is also historically interesting for its first owner. The watch was sold by Breguet in May 1935 – for a then-astronomical 10,000 francs – to Paul Iribe, a French designer who is perhaps most famous for being Coco Chanel’s lover. In September 1935, not...
Worn & Wound
Tennis is having a bit of a moment. From the tennis-core revival Zendaya seems to have inspired to the hordes of people (and celebrities, who we all know aren’t people) who descended on Flushing Meadows earlier this fall for what turned out to be the most attended tennis tournament ever, tennis has taken center stage in a way few might have expected even a few years ago. And for all those looking to lean into the undeniably great looks of the tennis world, Maurice de Mauriac has you covered with the latest iteration of their Rallymaster tennis watch, produced in collaboration with Racquet Magazine. Historically, tennis players don’t wear watches and, yet, tennis and watches have long been visibly connected. Pretty much every top-flight player on the WTA at ATP tours has some sort of watch deal, and post-match pressers have become ripe material for watch-spotting. Despite this link, the concept of a ‘tennis watch’ remains somewhat nebulous. Tennis-themed watches have been around for a while (Timex made tennis-themed Snoopy watches as far back as the early ‘70s, or even late ‘60s), but the idea of the on-court tennis watch - like the highly technical pieces worn by players like Rafa Nadal or Jess Pegula - is relatively new. In the context of the Maurice de Mauriac Rallymaster series, what we have is a tennis watch in the more traditional sense. By this, I mean to say that the Rallymaster line falls more in line with the Snoopy tennis watches of old (or of ear...
Monochrome
With CEO Davide Cerrato at the helm, Bremont has streamlined its offer into three fundamental pillars, offering rugged tool watches for airborne, seaborne and land exploration. The Terra Nova is Bremont’s vintage-styled field watch inspired by early 20th-century military pocket watches with contemporary specifications. The latest Terra Nova is a new take on the 40.5mm […]
Monochrome
Roger Dubuis, the “Hyper Horology brand” (as it calls itself), has embraced a Middle Ages myth since 2013 with the launch of its Knights of the Round Table series, crafting several métier d’art pieces since. The first edition featured 12 intricately engraved micro-sculptures of the legendary knights, their swords drawn and pointing towards the centre. […]
Fratello
Today, we’ll briefly examine the new De Bethune DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon, a thin titanium watch with a visible movement. Of course, it uses the brand’s characteristic spring-loaded, floating lugs that hug the wrist. It’s a lovely piece worth checking out! We spent time with De Bethune at Geneva Watch Days 2024 and saw several […] Visit Hot Take: The New De Bethune DB28XP Steel Wheels Tourbillon to read the full article.
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