3,618 articles · 10 videos found · page 68 of 121
Monochrome
anOrdain, the Glasgow-based independent watchmaker celebrated for reviving enamel artistry in contemporary timepieces, now broadens its repertoire with the Model 2 Porcelain. Building on the success of its Model 2 with the vitreous enamel dials, this new chapter sees anOrdain take a step into the world of true porcelain, developed over a three-year period in […]
Worn & Wound
Ever since its introduction, the Formex Field Automatic has been a favorite of enthusiasts in search of a modern twist on the tried and true field watch. At the same time, it also felt a little like an outlier in the Formex collection. For a brand that has built a reputation on clever manufacturing innovations, the Field was remarkably simple and, for Formex, pretty subdued. That’s the nature, though, of a field watch, and at the end of the day, Formex’s version of it has always been a well made, if rudimentary, take on the genre. For the Field Automatic Gen 2, Formex has mostly stuck with what worked with the first Field, but upped the complexity of the dial and, as you’d expect, added some new colors to the collection. Available in three colors (Ice Blue, Coho Salmon, and Basalt Grey), the new dial design adds considerable depth and texture to the experience of the Formex Field. Each dial is constructed from two parts, a center section with a sunburst finish and a sloped minute track that gives the dial what the brand refers to as a “saucer-like” profile. Adding to the perception of depth on the new dials is an hour track positioned between the minute track and central section with a contrasting smooth texture and recessed, stenciled, lume filled numerals. Formex’s stated goal here is to create a three dimensional effect, something that we don’t normally associate with the typically “flat” dials of most field watches. The case is unchanged from the ...
Hodinkee
The Le Brassus-based watchmaker is celebrating the opening of a new boutique with a weekend of fun in NYC.
Monochrome
In haute horlogerie, few relationships have shaped timekeeping history quite like that of John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet. Bound by shared respect and a deep commitment to mechanical innovation, their friendship helped lay the groundwork for modern precision watchmaking. Arnold & Son’s latest release, the Constant Force Tourbillon 11, is a tribute to that legacy […]
Teddy Baldassarre
In the world of watches, as with pretty much every niche of consumer goods, brands begin to become associated with the things that receive the most praise and attention. While the hyped watches in question undoubtedly earn the adoration of the masses for many reasons, whether it be their unique historical context, utility, or just plain and simple great looks, there are many other watches that get relegated to the sidelines that deserve another look. Since I personally love to root for an underdog, I wanted to take some time to shine a spotlight on some watches from the big popular watch brands that we know and love that often get lost in the shadows cast by the more popular catalog compatriots. From Rolex and Omega to Tudor and beyond, below you’ll find watches that deserve a little more love than they typically get. Rolex 1908 I’m beginning with the watch that has quite literally been relegated to the bottom of Rolex’s own website with the Rolex 1908. Given that this is the most dressy model within The Crown’s contemporary collection, I would argue that it's also the watch that flies under the radar the most. The 1908 isn’t something that you spot across the room at a crowded restaurant or at a bar and immediately clock as a Rolex watch, which is ultimately why I find it endearing. It’s something that needs to be appreciated up close and personal. The world's most popular watch brand has made recent attempts to breathe some new life into the Rolex 1908 with...
Worn & Wound
Originally released in 1957 as part of Omega’s “Professional Line” trilogy, the Railmaster joined the Seamaster and Speedmaster as the brand’s offerings to professionals in railway, automotive racing, and ocean diving, respectively. Where it lacked in naming convention creativity, the original Railmaster excelled in innovation, with anit-magnetic properties that were, at the time, jaw-droppingly effective, protecting the watch from magnetic fields of up to 1,000 gauss, where other pieces tended to cap out at 60 gauss. It’s no surprise, then, that the Professional Line trio has remained among Omega’s most popular and iconic models, and 2025 sees the launch of two new stainless steel Railmaster models. Both new Railmasters measure in at 38mm in diameter and wear all-new gradient dials. The first variant bears no text details save for the Omega logo below the 12 numeral and the Railmaster name in script above the 6, with a gray dial that fades into a black gradient. The second option shakes it up with a beige-into-black dial that squishes the Omega logo and Railmaster logo together under the 12, and places a small seconds subdial above the 6. Both models feature Super-Luminova on the numerals, indexes, and hands, and come on a leather strap-black for the gray-to-black model and Novonappa brown for the beige-to-black version-or a stainless steel bracelet. Inside, Omega’ Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8806 movement proves that it’s leaps and boun...
Monochrome
The TAG Heuer Monaco needs little to no introduction. Launched in 1969, this distinctive square-shaped chronograph emerged during the golden age of motor racing. At that time, Heuer was renowned for its chronographs, stopwatches and dashboard instruments, integral to motorsport timing. In the same period, in a collaboration with other makers, Heuer presented one of […]
Quill & Pad
Tamim Almousa has always maintained that lume is the least impressive part of any luxury watch. If you want to get a sense of just how unimpressive it is, try explaining it to a layman and see how long you last before inevitably describing it as “glow-in-the-dark paint.”
Hodinkee
Watchmaker bested rivals to buy the Breguet Pendule Sympathique No. 1 and says it will be a key part of a new museum dedicated to his work and its place in horology history.
SJX Watches
With the recent election of Pope Leo XIV-the first American and Augustinian pontiff-a rare opportunity arises to revisit one of the most intriguing intersections between horology and the papacy. While much attention has historically centered on Pope Leo XIII’s Jubilee in 1888, when Patek Philippe crafted commemorative watches for the occasion, the relationship between watchmaking and the Vatican stretches further back, rooted in the values and vision of Patek Philippe’s co-founder, Antoine Norbert de Patek. A devout Catholic and Polish émigré, Patek viewed watchmaking not merely as a commercial enterprise but as a moral and cultural calling. His personal faith and longstanding connection to the Catholic Church helped shape the company’s enduring ties to religious institutions, most notably the Vatican. This ethos of sacred precision and spiritual patronage found material expression in a number of papal commissions, the most prominent of which emerged during the reign of Leo XIII. Complementing Patek Philippe’s contributions, Vacheron Constantin also played a significant role in this narrative. In collaboration with Parisian retailer Ratel, they produced devotional timepieces that transcended mere functionality, serving as instruments of spiritual reflection. These watches, rich in symbolism and craftsmanship, further exemplify the deep connections between horology and the papacy. Papal Precedents: The Watches of Pius IX Before Leo XIII’s Jubilee, the tradit...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Casio F-91W is the best-selling wristwatch of all time, with more than 100 million units sold. This statement comes a pretty significant caveat, which depends on whether or not you consider the Apple Watch - well, a watch. I am a defender of “smartwatches,” but I think they have evolved to the point where “wearable” is a more appropriate term given the fact that their functionality when it comes to communication and health monitoring exceeds what any watch has ever done. So, with that established for the sake of this article, let’s put the 300 million Apple Watch sales aside for now. Casio F-91W History And "Controversy" The Casio F-91W was introduced all the way back in 1989 and is still in production, with the astonishing figure of 3 million units per year. What's even more remarkable is the fact that the Casio F-91W you can buy in 2025 basically looks the same as one you could have bought when it first launched 36 years ago. It was also the first watch designed by Ryuusake Morai, the prolific designer behind some of the most iconic Casio G-Shocks seen today. When a watch has been around as long as this, it can transcend fads and trends, but few can claim immunity/teflon status to an unfortunate PR association like the F-91W when it was used as a timer for explosives. I would absolutely not call it a “controversy,” because that would just be silly, but the always-excellent Watches of Espionage has a fantastic article dedicated to the topic, which you ...
Deployant
Omega has refreshed the Railmaster for 2025, bringing a modern twist to a watch with deep historical roots. Originally launched in 1957 as part of Omega’s “Professional Line,” the Railmaster was designed for railway workers, engineers, and scientists who needed a timepiece resistant to magnetic fields. Over the years, it has seen multiple revivals, but this latest iteration is particularly striking.
Monochrome
As you might know now, after our initial article, Breguet is celebrating its 250th anniversary, and we’ll be seeing a fleet of new models released throughout the year, all made of 18k Breguet gold and paying tribute to some of the most important inventions of its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet. Initiated by the launch of the […]
Fratello
Did you know an amagnetic mechanical watch is a key part of an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) diver’s equipment? Admittedly, I didn’t. However, as it turns out, the slightest magnetic disturbance can set off explosives, rendering any battery-powered watch dangerous to EOD divers. Because of this, the French Navy turned to Serica for an amagnetic […] Visit Hands-On With The New Serica 5303 PLD - Made In Collaboration With The French Navy to read the full article.
Fratello
As many of you know, the late ’60s and the first half of the ’70s were an era of design experimentation in the watch industry. While Girard-Perregaux might not be the first name on people’s tongues when it comes to funky watches from this period, don’t think the brand didn’t have any. With the Casquette […] Visit Girard-Perregaux Reintroduces The Deep Diver In Collaboration With Bamford Watch Department to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Another day, another cool Vacheron Constantin release. Barely a month on from Watches & Wonders (where I will remind you, Vacheron dropped the most complicated wristwatch ever made), the iconic brand, currently celebrating its 270th anniversary, has released another high complication heater - a skeleton dial, perpetual calendar, minute repeater with tourbillon dressed up as a titanium Overseas. Coming into 2025, it was pretty clear to see that Vacheron was ready to make some noise. For one thing, the brand was (as I mentioned) celebrating its 270th birthday, something the marketing folks at Vacheron have not been shy about, but more than that, the brand has been on a pretty incredible run over the last few years. Even without the cover of an anniversary year, recent new releases from Vacheron Constantin have increasingly been greeted as objects of interest, both in a technical and cultural sense, and there’s a real feeling that someone at Vacheron HQ clearly knows what they’re doing. The new Overseas Grand Complication Openface is an objectively impressive offering. Measuring in at 44.5mm across and 13.1mm thick in grade 5 titanium (a material also seen in last year’s Overseas tourbillon) this latest Overseas does feature slightly reworked case proportions, with a narrower bracelet relative to its smaller siblings and what looks to me to be a slightly longer lug to lug and thinner bezel, relative to its admittedly larger case size. The watch is also water resistant...
Monochrome
Collaborations are one of the hottest trends in watchmaking today, as brands, high and low, team up with artists, retailers, collectors – you name it – to create special customised editions. The latest collaboration involves Italian powerhouse Bulgari and Gübelin, the Swiss, family-owned jewellery and watch retailer. The model selected is the Octo Finissimo Skeleton […]
Monochrome
Hublot has never shown a reverence for conservative watchmaking. Starting with its explosively named Big Bang collection, Hublot revels in innovative material combinations and loud, audacious designs. However, when it comes to showing off its horological muscles, Hublot’s Masterpiece suite is where you’ll find the most technically complex models. Last year, Hublot inducted another Masterpiece […]
Fratello
It’s Sunday morning, and you all know what that means. It’s time for another Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we paired two legendary chronographs because we found that we hadn’t pitted these particular versions against each other. It’s been roughly a year since Omega released the white-dial Moonwatch, but it feels like it was much […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Vs. Rolex Cosmograph Daytona to read the full article.
Monochrome
Since its return in its current form back in 2019, the Seiko 5 Sports collection has become an inescapable option when it comes to acquiring an accessible, robust, dive-inspired automatic watch from an established brand, even though Citizen is also hitting hard in this market. Today, we’ll be talking specifically about the most emblematic version of […]
Fratello
I saw some potential in its attractive dial. But since it was so simple and powered by a pretty standard Valjoux movement, I truly didn’t expect this blue-dial Gallet to become my beater. It’s funny how, every so often, a watch I’d least expect finds a way to wriggle itself into my heart. Despite what […] Visit Retrospective: Tomas Sports A Puzzling Late Blue-Dial Gallet Chronograph to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
The Apple Watch is not a very good watch. I’d even go so far as to say that it represents everything I don’t like in a watch. It’s disposable, generic to the point of ugly, and demands a level of focus and engagement I find downright offensive. To borrow a phrase from the inimitable Peter Griffin, “It insists upon itself.” And yet, the Apple Watch has become an invaluable, irreplaceable part of my life. This spring marks a decade since the Apple Watch first went on sale. I bought mine shortly after launch, in anticipation of my freshman year of college, at a point when I was still trying to sort out what interests and identity I would carry with me into that new phase (turns out, tech-head, sort of no; watch geek, undoubtedly yes). The Apple Watch, along with a beat-up Victorinox and a vintage Hamilton, made up my total stable of wrist-borne options my first year in Granville, Ohio. You’d think with that few watches available to me, the Apple Watch would have gotten a lot of wrist time, and it did, at least for the first few months. Still, by the end of my freshman year, I was basically done with the Apple Watch. It was clear even then that the premise had some promise, but I felt like I’d gotten all I could out of the nascent device. The first Apple Watch was, if I’m being honest (and I think Tim Cook would agree with me), kind of useless - more a proof of concept or statement of intent than a finished product. It did very little, and what it did do was ...
Monochrome
Originally an American brand with a long history, Hamilton gained real-life experience in waterproof watches from a model used by US Navy underwater demolition teams. Dating back to 1943, Hamilton’s diver with an unusual locking mechanism on the crown was part of the Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs) gear and used on mine-clearing missions. The […]
SJX Watches
This spring, one of the most important horological creations of the late twentieth century returns to public view. As part of The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI taking place on May 10 and 11, Phillips will offer the Breguet Sympathique No. 1, the first of twenty exceptional clocks commissioned by Breguet in the early 1990s. The primary creator of this landmark clock was none other than Francois-Paul Journe, then a young watchmaker. Completed in 1991 for the Art of Breguet auction, No. 1 is not just the prototype of the modern Sympathique series, it is its most ambitious. The example, paired with a tourbillon wristwatch, is equipped with a constant-force remontoir and moonphase display. In retrospect, it reads as a mechanical manifesto, foreshadowing Journe’s later independent work. More than a highlight of its upcoming sale, No. 1 represents a rare continuation of one of watchmaking’s great inventions, a direct link to Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. Detail of Sympathique no. 1 Of Breguet’s many breakthroughs, from the tourbillon to the pare-chute, none captured the marriage of mechanical brilliance and poetic vision quite like the Pendule Sympathique. Designed to wind, set, and regulate a paired watch automatically, it embodied a new kind of horological harmony: a master timekeeper caring for its portable counterpart. The calendar on Sympathique no. 1 By the late 20th century, these clocks had become near-mythical. Only a handful were ever built, most housed in royal coll...
![[VIDEO] An Exclusive New Bulova Snorkel for the Windup Watch Fair San Francisco](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2025/05/Devin_SF005_web.jpg)
Worn & Wound
In this video, we take a minute with the new limited-edition celebration model of the Bulova Snorkel. Commemorating the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco, this particular Snorkel features a Golden Gate color scheme and a custom artistic case back. It comes paired with an ADPT nylon strap, a Riverstone Case, and a commemorative box. Check it out at this year’s Windup Watch Fair in SF before they’re gone. If, on the off chance, any are left after the weekend, they will be available at the Windup Watch Shop while supplies last. In this video, we take a minute with the new limited-edition celebration model of the Bulova Snorkel. Commemorating the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco, this particular Snorkel features a Golden Gate color scheme and a custom artistic case back. It comes paired with an ADPT nylon strap, a Riverstone Case, and a commemorative box. Check it out at this year’s Windup Watch Fair in SF before they’re gone. If, on the off chance, any are left after the weekend, they will be available at the Windup Watch Shop while supplies last. The post [VIDEO] An Exclusive New Bulova Snorkel for the Windup Watch Fair San Francisco appeared first on Worn & Wound.
SJX Watches
If you want to own the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing, you’ll have to fight for it at The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI, which will see the first production example go under the hammer. The 1.65 mm stature of the ThinKing is even more impressive coming from a small Russian independent watchmaker, considering previous records were set by big Swiss brands ranging from Piaget to Richard Mille. Notably, this is not the first time a landmark release has been trusted to an auction that isn’t linked to a charity. The most famous example of this was the Patek Philippe Calibre 89 (ref. 989J) back in 1989 at Antiquorum’s thematic sale. The ThinKing will be sold in the first session of the auction, which starts on May 10, 2025, at 2 pm. The ThinKing in profile. Image – Phillips Mr Chaykin achieved the record-setting height with clever construction, including a “double balance wheel” system that places an intermediate wheel between the balance and escapement, allowing both to sit on the same plane. Another notable technical feature is a barrel that is open on both sides, and no thicker than the mainspring itself. And unlike most serially-produced Konstantin Chaykin watches, each ThinKing is made, finished, and assembled by Mr Chaykin himself. Wearability is enhanced by the bolt-on protective shroud in titanium christened “PalanKing”. This increases the height to 5.4 mm, but adds key-less setting and winding, and automatic winding by a...
Fratello
Today, we’ll briefly examine two new Certina DS-1 Big Date Collection variants. While we’ve typically covered some of Certina’s sportier watches here on Fratello, it’s important to remember that models like the DS-1 form the foundation for a brand. Watch nerds aside, pieces like this sell in large numbers. The DS-1 Big Date was introduced […] Visit Hot Take: Two New Certina DS-1 Big Date Watches With Matte Cases to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Massena LAB has announced their latest limited edition, a third collaboration with independent watchmaker Raúl Pagès. The new Noctograph also represents the first release from Massena LAB since it was revealed that the brand would now be part of the Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA), a group founded last year by Ming, Fleming, and J.N. Shapiro (the alliance also added Fears at the same time as Massena LAB). The Noctograph, then, is a watch that celebrates independence as well as collaboration in a way that Massena LAB has been doing since the brand’s inception, and makes them a natural fit with their new AHA partners. If you’ve followed Massena LAB since William Massena launched the project, you’ve probably gotten a sense of his taste. The brands he likes, the watches he collects, and so on. Massena LAB is essentially a vehicle for Massena and his collaborators to put a new spin on the ideas and watches that have shaped his taste over decades. Sometimes those watches are somewhat straightforward reissues of classics that are just slightly tweaked, and sometimes they are more imaginative and high concept. But they always showcase some very specific hallmarks and design cues, sharing inspiration from watches of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, and allow Massena an opportunity for storytelling and sharing watch history through a watch’s design. So it’s interesting that one of Massena’s key partners over these past few years has been an indie watchmaker who is v...
Worn & Wound
We have officially reached that point in the integrated bracelet sports watch trend where the late entrants are getting their second generation, “improved” models to market. Case in point, Nivada-Grenchen and their F77. The F77 launched in March of 2023, a time period that most would agree saw the hype around this genre of watch begin to cool in a significant way. That doesn’t take anything away from the F77 as a watch, of course. I’m rather fond of the size and geometry of this one, and it’s a genuine part of Nivada’s heritage. But in terms of its timing, it did debut at “peak” integrated bracelet sports watch mania. And so here we are, two years later, and Nivada has launched a Mark II version of the F77. We’re now at a point, I think, where integrated bracelet sports watches are just part of the landscape, and a required offering for any brand wishing to cast even a somewhat wide net. It makes sense, then, that Nivada would work to improve theirs. From the looks of it, they’ve made some fairly substantial changes to the case that could have a real impact on how the F77 wears, and it certainly has an impact on the overall aesthetic of the watch. The case measures 12.2mm thick, which is not appreciably different from the previous version, but the lugs have been completely redesigned. The first F77 had lugs that were quite flat and, for an integrated bracelet sports watch, fairly long. The new F77 Mark II has lugs that are much more dramatically curve...
Monochrome
It seems that the integrated sports watch trend shows no signs of slowing down, and for the most part, we’re not complaining about that. It’s always good to see brands adapt and evolve, and to offer diversity and originality in a sense. Of course, following trends can be risky and time-sensitive, but in today’s industry, […]
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