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21,480 articles · 223 videos found · page 692 of 724

Fratello’s Top 5 Chinese New Year Watches - Featuring Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet, Blancpain, And More Fratello
Jaeger-LeCoultre Breguet Blancpain Feb 9, 2024

Fratello’s Top 5 Chinese New Year Watches - Featuring Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet, Blancpain, And More

Another Friday, another Top 5! This week, we’ll focus on watches that celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. Tomorrow is the start of the Year of the Dragon, which prompted many watch brands to release amazing limited-edition pieces depicting the animal that symbolizes luck, prosperity, and wisdom. The dragon is also an imperial icon that […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Chinese New Year Watches - Featuring Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet, Blancpain, And More to read the full article.

Worn & Wound: A Home for Enthusiast Communities Worn & Wound
Feb 8, 2024

Worn & Wound: A Home for Enthusiast Communities

Two years ago, I penned a letter to you, our audience, titled Worn & Wound – a Place to Discover Watches and Experience Enthusiasm. The premise was pretty simple: we’d grown over the years as a company, as people, and as a community, so the scope of our coverage was changing to reflect that. What tied the old and the new together was, and still is, our genuine enthusiasm for what we do. In the time since our growth has accelerated, and so has our need for introspection. We reached a turning point as a company, a brand, and perhaps an industry that has inspired us to think about what we do and why we do it. Conveniently, we had the beginnings of our answer in the tagline we unveiled two years ago: Experience Enthusiasm. Seeking, creating, and expressing enthusiasm have always been the undercurrent of what we do. What we missed was an acknowledgment that enthusiasm goes far beyond watches.  Enthusiasm is the force that unites groups of people with passions and interests. It’s why some of us can stare endlessly at watches, others at camera stats, others at pens, knives, and cars, and… well, you get the picture. Worn & Wound wants to bring these passions and communities together because while the products or experiences at the center of these communities differ, the enthusiasm is shared and can be exceptionally infectious. I could go on, but this time, we thought it would be best if you heard the thoughts of the members of the Worn & Wound team that run our various de...

Fratello Talks: Affordable Watches That Punch Above Their Weight Fratello
Hamilton Feb 8, 2024

Fratello Talks: Affordable Watches That Punch Above Their Weight

In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, we’re taking a look at three affordable watches that punch above their weight. Nacho, Thomas, and Morgan have set their sights on sub-€500 offerings. This is a space in which the likes of Seiko, Hamilton, and even Tissot once reigned supreme. Today, it’s the battleground for many microbrands, […] Visit Fratello Talks: Affordable Watches That Punch Above Their Weight to read the full article.

12 Pink-Dial and Salmon-Dial Watches from Affordable to Luxury Teddy Baldassarre
Feb 7, 2024

12 Pink-Dial and Salmon-Dial Watches from Affordable to Luxury

Watches with pink dials used to be fairly rare, and confined almost exclusively to dainty timepieces aimed at jewelry-loving ladies. In recent years, however, pink tones have found their way to a wide variety of timepieces, ranging from dressy and elegant to casual and sporty - many of which have found an avid audience among male enthusiasts as well as female. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we’ve compiled a list of pink-dialed watches (along with several that qualify more as “salmon,” pink’s peach-toned, more muted cousin) in a variety of price ranges from under $1,000 up to $25,000. While many would primarily be regarded as ladies’ watches, the goal here is to spotlight timepieces with unisex appeal: every timepiece here is 34mm or larger, and almost none have a trace of jewelry. Maurice Lacroix Aikon Tide Pink Price: $750, Case Size: 40mm, Thickness: 11mm, Water Resistance: 100m, Crystal: Sapphire, Movement: Quartz  Introduced in 2022, Maurice Lacroix’s beach-ready Aikon Tide has a case constructed from a revolutionary composite material that combines ocean-recovered plastic with glass fiber. The resulting substance is twice as hard as standard plastic and five times more resistant, with the added bonus of also having a smaller carbon footprint than regular PET. This model’s pink dial bears the familiar aesthetic hallmarks of the brand’s flagship Aikon sport-luxury collection, including the distinctive “clawed” case, somewhat Royal-Oak-...

Introducing – The Junghans Meister Chronoscope Gets a Sleek Grey Dial Monochrome
Junghans Meister Chronoscope Gets Feb 7, 2024

Introducing – The Junghans Meister Chronoscope Gets a Sleek Grey Dial

Despite offering a plethora of well-designed and attractively priced watches, coupled with a rich history, Junghans relishes its somewhat under-the-radar reputation. Integral to Junghans’ contemporary image are the original Meister timepieces dating back to the 1930s and the iconic Max Bill collection, which debuted in the 1960s when the esteemed Bauhaus designer collaborated with the […]

Wristwatch Precision: Why the Fundamental Purpose of Watches is Playing Second Fiddle and How to Fix This Quill & Pad
Feb 5, 2024

Wristwatch Precision: Why the Fundamental Purpose of Watches is Playing Second Fiddle and How to Fix This

Mechanical watches have become about so much more than precision. They are status symbols, works of art and passion, a testimony of human ingenuity, and much more. Precision, as long as it reaches a certain standard, plays second fiddle. Martin Green thinks that brands should devote more emphasis to precision and he has an idea to encourage that.

Introducing – The Grand Seiko Sport Spring Drive GMT SBGE305 honours Caliber 9R 20th Anniversary Monochrome
Grand Seiko Sport Spring Drive GMT Feb 5, 2024

Introducing – The Grand Seiko Sport Spring Drive GMT SBGE305 honours Caliber 9R 20th Anniversary

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Grand Seiko‘s introduction of the 9R movement, featuring its revolutionary Spring Drive technology. The concept, conceived in the 1970s and which took decades to implement, aimed to blend the force of a mainspring with electronic watchmaking technology and surpass the precision of conventional mechanical watches. Now, 9R-family calibres […]

Sunday Morning Showdown: Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Vs. Tank Must SolarBeat Fratello
Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Vs Feb 4, 2024

Sunday Morning Showdown: Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Vs. Tank Must SolarBeat

Welcome to another edition of Sunday Morning Showdown! This week, we have a face-off between two watches from the same house. It’s a battle of old versus new, gold versus steel, and most of all, unabashed luxury versus (relative) affordability. We would like to know which Cartier Tank you would spend your money on. Would […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Cartier Tank Louis Cartier Vs. Tank Must SolarBeat to read the full article.

Hands-On With The Imposing G-Shock Rangeman GPR-H1000 Fratello
Feb 3, 2024

Hands-On With The Imposing G-Shock Rangeman GPR-H1000

G-Shock is slowly introducing new versions of its classics within the Master of G line. This series of professionally specced watches contains some of the brand’s most famous models. Among them are the Mudman, Mudmaster, Gravitymaster, Frogman, and Rangeman, the last of which is the subject of today’s review. At first glance, the new G-Shock […] Visit Hands-On With The Imposing G-Shock Rangeman GPR-H1000 to read the full article.

REVIEW: Hands On With The Squale MATIC Australian Limited Edition WatchAdvice
Squale Feb 3, 2024

REVIEW: Hands On With The Squale MATIC Australian Limited Edition

We’ve gone hands on with the Australian limited edition Squale MATIC, sold exclusively through StarBuy. Here’s what we think! What We Love The green gradient dialWearability for a large watchTropic strap is very comfortable in Summer What We Don’t Crown at 4 o’clock is hard to useDomed crystal reflects a lot of lightNot for the faint of wrist Overall Rating: 8/10 Value for money: 7.5/10Wearability: 7.5/10Design: 8/10Build quality: 9/10 Squale may not be a brand you would have heard mentioned too often. It dates back to the 50’s when Charles and Helene Von Buren established the Von Büren SA watch factory in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Being passionate divers, their focus was on developing watches specifically for underwater use, which at the time in 1950 was 3 years prior to the Submariner and Fifty Fathoms making their debut. However, it would be almost 10 years before they are able to obtain a patent and register the Squale brand name, and then another 3 before their first watches would hit the market in 1962. The rest as they say is history (quite literally) and today, the brand is still solely focused on dive watches and what you would call a quintessential tool watch. They’re designed for a purpose – to be easy to use and read underwater with maximum legibility and functionality. They’re less a fashion statement, but then again, most watches that are fashionable were originally intended as something else. The form is now greater than the function they’v...

Louis Erard’s Latest Limited Edition is a Collaboration with a Swiss Abstract Artist, and their Most Challenging Work Yet Worn & Wound
Louis Erard s Latest Limited Edition Feb 1, 2024

Louis Erard’s Latest Limited Edition is a Collaboration with a Swiss Abstract Artist, and their Most Challenging Work Yet

There’s a whole category of watches that I have come to genuinely love that I think can be fairly described as highly impractical art objects that also tell time. I wrote about one quite extensively here, and if you follow me on Instagram or have chatted with me in real life or in the Worn & Wound+ Slack community (which, to be fair, is technically “real life”) you know that I gravitate more and more toward the avant-garde, and love challenging designs that try to break what a watch even is. The new limited edition regulator from Louis Erard fits into this category nicely, and indeed was made in partnership with a Swiss abstract artist with a reputation for this type of challenging work. The new Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Olivier Mosset is perhaps the brand’s most purely abstract creation yet.  Let’s start with the obvious question: how do you tell the time on this thing? This is not an unreasonable query – many who have encountered this watch on Louis Erard’s Instagram feed since its unveiling on Tuesday morning have been confused enough to send their question into the void. I won’t say it’s “simple” because even I have to admit that telling the time on this thing is probably difficult in a pinch, but the idea is straightforward. It’s a regulator, with the top hand reading the hours, the middle the minutes, and the bottom the seconds. But the task of actually reading the time is intentionally (I’m assuming) made more challenging for a few reas...

Introducing: The Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Fratello
Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy Jan 29, 2024

Introducing: The Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System

Today, Hublot is releasing a fascinating timepiece, the likes of which most of us have probably never seen. According to CEO Ricardo Guadalupe, “I gave our designers and watchmakers carte blanche, and this is the fruit of their labors.” Well, they certainly didn’t hold back! Let me introduce you to the Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight […] Visit Introducing: The Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System to read the full article.

Zenith Revives the El Primero Triple Calendar SJX Watches
Zenith Revives Jan 29, 2024

Zenith Revives the El Primero Triple Calendar

Zenith revisits one of its signature historical models with the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar. It is the Chronomaster Original we know and love, but with a twist: the addition of the day, month, and moon phase while maintaining the same dimensions as the chronograph-only model. Powered by the latest-generation El Primero 3610 with “lightning” seconds, the Triple Calendar makes its debut in three colourways, white, grey and a boutique-exclusive green. Initial thoughts Although popular among enthusiasts, the Chronomaster Original is arguably undiscovered territory for many because it has been overshadowed by Chronomaster Sport, a watch famous for resembling the Rolex Daytona. However, the Chronomaster Original offers better aesthetics and proportions compared to its slightly derivative Sports sibling. The compact 38 mm case sits comfortably on most wrists, while having enough presence to feel like a larger sports watch. Compared to the standard Chronometer Original, the Triple Calendar adds a few complications into the mix and evokes the well known vintage original. Importantly, it is not only a vintage remake since it utilises the latest-generation El Primero movement with a “lighting” central seconds. The Triple Calendar is, however, pricey. It costs US$13,400 on a calfskin strap and a bit more on a stainless steel bracelet. That’s about 30% more than the base model Chronomaster Original, which feels like a lot for simple-calendar functions. That said, th...

Longines Revives Novel Central Power Reserve Display SJX Watches
Longines Revives Novel Central Power Jan 25, 2024

Longines Revives Novel Central Power Reserve Display

Longines’ latest launch is unexpected in featuring a novel take on a useful complication: the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve has a power reserve indicator positioned at the centre of the dial, on the same axis as the hands. Though unusual, the central power reserve is actually found in the Conquest ref. 9028 from 1959, making this something of a vintage remake, which makes its debut just in time for the 70th anniversary of the Conquest collection. Initial thoughts The current Conquest collection is somewhat forgotten because it’s positioned between Longines’ sports watches like the Spirit and the vintage-inspired Heritage and Master models. Fortunately the new Conquest is interesting enough to stand out. Even though it’s not a new invention, the central power reserve indicator is uncommon. Furthermore, this particular power reserve display is a clever two-disc construction that makes the indicator a bit more life, so it adds visual flair to the dial. The central power reserve is arguably more legible than conventional indicators that are smaller. At the same time it gives the dial a pleasing symmetrical layout. Because of the symmetry, the date indicator at 12 actually works well and improves the dial design. Perhaps only downside of the design is the seemingly chunky case. Like many other Longines models, this Conquest appears to have thick lugs despite being fairly compact in diameter. In terms of price, the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve is mor...

A Hands-On Introduction To The Nomos Orion Neomatik New Black In Three Iterations Fratello
Nomos Orion Neomatik New Black Jan 25, 2024

A Hands-On Introduction To The Nomos Orion Neomatik New Black In Three Iterations

It’s the little things that matter. If you believe so, please take a closer look at the new Nomos Orion Neomatik New Black, which comes in three iterations. At first glance, these watches all look pretty much the same, but they’re not. There are three sizes, for instance, and Nomos also plays with different color […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The Nomos Orion Neomatik New Black In Three Iterations to read the full article.

Zenith Introduces Pilot Pair in Blue SJX Watches
Zenith Introduces Pilot Pair Jan 24, 2024

Zenith Introduces Pilot Pair in Blue

A year after revamping Pilot collection with fresh-faced aesthetics, Zenith releases a pair of boutique editions – the Pilot Automatic and Pilot Big Date Flyback. Both feature blue dials with a linear horizontal pattern inspired by stamped aluminium body panels of vintage aircraft. Initial thoughts Zenith is best known for El Primero of 1969, a high-frequency chronograph calibre now in its second generation, which is the movement found in both new Pilot models, although the former is not a chronograph. Both, however, share the same design that defines the current Pilot line-up. Unveiled last year, the Pilot has a friendlier, more modern face than most aviator’s watches that tend to be military-inspired. It has all of the hallmarks of a pilot’s watch, including large Arabic numerals and legibility, but manages to look distinct from all the other pilot’s watches on the market. Although blue is hardly a novel colour, the new patterned dials adds to the contemporary look, being even less military-esque than last year’s models in conventional black. The Pilot Automatic retails for US$7,500, while the Pilot Big Date Flyback retails for US$11,500. The time-and-date automatic is relatively pricey for a simple watch, although the high-beat, in-house movement helps justify the price somewhat. On the other hand, the chronograph is competitive against similar watches from rival brands, particularly since the calibre inside is the latest generation of the El Primero. Moreov...

REVIEW: Hands On With HZ Watches – The Latest Australian Microbrand! WatchAdvice
Seiko s he got into Jan 24, 2024

REVIEW: Hands On With HZ Watches – The Latest Australian Microbrand!

The latest microbrand from Australia is about to launch, and we’ve been wearing their launch model, the HZ.01 for the last week getting a feel for it and the brand! What We Love The vintage-inspired lookThe ability to dress up or downThe circular graining on the dial and green outer track that pops What We Don’t Slightly on the smaller sizeDate window a little too smallLack of lume on the numerals Overall Rating: 8.5/10 Value for money: 9/10Wearability: 8.5/10Design: 8.5/10Build quality: 8/10 It’s not every day that you get to go hands on with a watch prior to its launch, well, not for an extended period of time and even rarer to wear it for a week or so and have fun with it to review. And when this is the launch model for a brand-new microbrand from Australia, then it is a privilege to test it out, and not only give feedback back to the brand, but let the general watch-buying public know about it and help support a fellow enthusiast-turned-watch maker with their new endeavour. A Bit Of Background HZ Watches is the brainchild of Matthew Zillman, a Melbourne local who, like many of us, developed a love for watches at an early age. Having had some early model Seiko’s, he got into watch modding and building after doing a movement swap on a Seiko 5 with the 7s26 movement. And in his words: “Before I had time to blink, I was modding and creating different custom SKX mods for myself and a few friends at university, which soon blossomed into Seiko Mods Australia” One ...

Franck Muller Adds Manga Dragons to the Cintrée Curvex SJX Watches
Breguet Classique Instead it’s Jan 23, 2024

Franck Muller Adds Manga Dragons to the Cintrée Curvex

Now best known for its extravagant and occasionally provocative timepieces, Franck Muller tapped on a Japanese artist who specialises in manga-style paintings for the Cintrée Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon Limited Edition. This collaboration, which will only be available at the brand’s stores in Asia, transforms the mythical beast into a playful character with doll-like features typical of Ryoko Kaneta’s work, with 12 dragons on a turquoise dial bearing the brand’s signature oversized Arabic numerals.  Initial thoughts Unlike most dragon-themed watches that take themselves seriously, the Cintrée Curvex dragon edition leaves behind the traditional, regal portrayal of the creature as seen in Parmigiani’s automaton clock or the recent Breguet Classique. Instead it’s a fun timepiece that blends the trademark Franck Muller style with contemporary Asian art and a trendy colour palette. A look through Ms Kaneta’s portfolio shows her aesthetic has been successfully ported over onto the watch, with the dragon characters sharing the manga-doll appearance of her characters. Unlike most character-theme collaborations that feature bold figures at the dial’s centre, the manga dragons are integrated into the numerals, evoking the traditional concept of dragons navigating through the clouds. That said, I would have liked Ms Kaneta to add her touch to the branding on the dial for a more complete visual makeover. With a price of around US$13,400, this limited edition is somewha...

Three New Watches Celebrate the Year of the Wood Dragon Worn & Wound
Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Dragon Since Jan 22, 2024

Three New Watches Celebrate the Year of the Wood Dragon

The Lunar New Year is set to begin on Feb 10th, coinciding with the date of the new moon, which will fall at 22:59 UTC on February 9th. This will be the Year of the Wood Dragon, which is said to bring authority, prosperity, and good fortune. We are in luck, as the good fortune starts early with multiple releases from many brands celebrating the new Lunar Year. Here are three stand out releases.  First up, the Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Dragon. Since 2020, the Blast Tourbillon has been Ulysse Nardin’s symbol of unconventional know-how and for this Lunar New Year, they are quite literally releasing their inner dragon. They have crafted a 5N rose gold hand-sculpted dragon that coils its way around and through the skeletonized “X” structure. The entire case is made of 5N rose gold and DLC coated titanium. Limited to 88 pieces, it is 45mm in diameter and the MSRP of $100,600.  Next up is the Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar. In 2012 Blancpain achieved a world first, with a watch that combined both the complex Chinese calendar and a Gregorian date and moonphase. To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Blancpain has engraved a dragon on the red gold rotor flanked by a red ruby. This ultra complicated movement has 464 individual components on 6 layers and its complexity nearly matches that of a minute repeater. The dial has been created in full fired grand feu enamel, its green color harmonizing with the red gold case. Limited to 50 pieces, it is also 45mm in d...

Industry News – Richemont Reports Sales up by 8% For Third Quarter, Jewellery Taking the Lead over Watches Monochrome
Cartier IWC JLC Jan 18, 2024

Industry News – Richemont Reports Sales up by 8% For Third Quarter, Jewellery Taking the Lead over Watches

Switzerland-based luxury conglomerate Richemont Group has just issued its trading update for the nine months ended 31 December 2023. The group, which includes brands such as Cartier, IWC, JLC and Vacheron, reports sales up by 8% at constant exchange rates and by 4% at actual exchange rates to EUR 5.6 billion for the last quarter […]

Omega Introduces a New Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 with a More Detailed Lunar Surface Inspired Dial and a Saturn V Seconds Hand Worn & Wound
Omega Introduces Jan 16, 2024

Omega Introduces a New Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 with a More Detailed Lunar Surface Inspired Dial and a Saturn V Seconds Hand

A January launch of a new Speedmaster (on a Tuesday, of course) has become a bit of a tradition for Omega over these past few years. Today, Omega has announced a new Dark Side of the Moon Speedmaster, which at first glance (and maybe a second and third glance) will look a whole lot like an earlier iteration of the popular ceramic version of the chronograph. The newest addition, though, has a few little updates that are likely to appeal to the most hardcore Speedmaster collectors. “Little” is the operative word here for at least one of them, which also might be the most technically impressive. The Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 is a follow up to the first edition of this watch, which was released in 2018 to mark the 50th anniversary of the mission. That original Apollo 8 watch was an immediate hit. It combined a lot of the modern tech and materials of contemporary ceramic Speedmasters with the familiar and highly regarded manually wound movement that is so much a part of the Speedy’s DNA. The rendition of the lunar surface on the dial was also particularly well executed and impressive.  The new Apollo 8 features an updated movement, Calibre 3869, which is analogous to Calibre 1869 used in the previous version. This new movement has been specced to match Calibre 3861, the manually wound caliber at the heart of the current Moonwatch. It’s a significant upgrade from the older movement, and has been fitted with a co-axial escapement and meets all the requir...

Review: Monta Oceanking (Version III) Worn & Wound
Monta Jan 12, 2024

Review: Monta Oceanking (Version III)

It was early summer in 2020 and it felt like the entire world was on fire. The Coronavirus was running rampant, and the Quebec Government had instituted draconian lockdown measures, which included a nightly curfew. If residents were not in their homes by 8pm, fines were issued. It was a horrible time. My wife and I had no choice but to work from home, and both of my boys were attempting homeschooling for the first time. My oldest was in his second year of college and my youngest was in his last year of high school. We all struggled with this new way of doing things. On the bright side however, all this togetherness allowed me to introduce my kids to some of my beloved film franchises. We went through all the Die Hards, Lethal Weapons, Beverly Hills Cops and Aliens. The latter really stuck with them and my oldest found a video game called Alien Isolation, which he insisted we try. So, we did. Coincidentally Monta had sent me an OnceanKing to review and to this day, in my brain, this watch is linked to the Alien franchise and the great time I had with my boys kicking Alien posterior! I really, really liked the Monta OceanKing version II, nevertheless it was not without its flaws. Some of which have been addressed with the new version III which I’ve been lent for review. So, let’s dive in and see what they have done. The dimensions have remained very similar, with a diameter of 40.5mm (down from 40.7mm), a thickness of 12mm (same as the previous model) and a lug-to-lug le...

Seiko Brings “Prospex Black Series” into Regular Production SJX Watches
Seiko Brings “Prospex Black Series” Jan 12, 2024

Seiko Brings “Prospex Black Series” into Regular Production

After implementing the all-black aesthetic only in limited editions, Seiko has revived the Prospex Black Series but now as part of the standard catalogue.  Based on familiar models from the current lineup – the Prospex Sea “Turtle” diver (SRPK43) and the Prospex Speedtimer solar-powered chronograph (SSC923). Whilst the monochromatic black-on-black palette is a favourite for sports watches, the standout feature of the new pair is the green luminous paint on the hands and indices that has a retro feel, being reminiscent of the luminous radium applied to watch dials for most of the 20th century. Initial thoughts It’s gratifying to know the once limited Black Series is now accessible as part of the regular product line, since it’s an appealing, affordable sports watch. Admittedly this will be disappointing to some owners of past models that were limited editions, but it is not surprising considering the success of the earlier versions from 2017 and 2020. As for the watches themselves, the green Lumibrite on the hands and markers is the key differentiating factor, with the rest of each watch having the same design and dimensions as their standard steel equivalents. A useful extra would have been additional strap or bracelet options for a wider range of looks, particularly since all-black watches are now often paired with high-contrast straps. The Speedtimer is priced at US$700, while the Turtle retails for US$725. Each cost slightly more than the standard steel vers...

Montblanc Braves the Cold with their Latest 1858 Geosphere Worn & Wound
Montblanc Braves Jan 11, 2024

Montblanc Braves the Cold with their Latest 1858 Geosphere

In 2015 Montblanc launched the Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphere Vasco da Gama, an ultra-high-end Minerva based word timer, which featured southern and northern hemisphere displays. Later in 2018, they introduced a more affordable non-tourbillon version called the 1858 Geosphere, but this time the hemispheres were displayed on a vertical axis. Since then, there have been multiple different color combinations and materials, such as bronze and titanium, on bracelets, and even on a bund strap. New for 2024 is the 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole Limited Edition.    This new 42mm x 12.8mm piece is crafted in lightweight titanium, with a blue aluminum bezel insert, which features green lumed cardinal points. The hour and minute hands, along with the numbers and markers also glow green. While the two domed hemisphere globes, together with the second time zone displayed at 9 o’clock glow blue. The dial features a sfumato iced blue glacier pattern, which must be seen in person to truly admire. It comes with a matching interchangeable titanium bracelet and a gray rope patterned textile strap. The neat thing about these watches is their caliber 29.25 movement, a combination of a Sellita SW300 base and a proprietary world-time module. The latter allows you to independently control the hour hand via the crown, as well as the second time zone via a hidden pusher at 10 o’clock, making it a perfect travel companion and explorer. The 0 Oxygen in the model name means there ...

Blancpain Revisits the Traditional Chinese Calendar for the Year of the Dragon SJX Watches
Blancpain Revisits Jan 11, 2024

Blancpain Revisits the Traditional Chinese Calendar for the Year of the Dragon

Originally introduced 12 years ago, Blancpain’s Villeret Chinese Calendar was the first serially-produced wristwatch to feature this specific calendar. To mark the start of the new year, the brand unveils the Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar “Year of the Wood Dragon“. Featuring both the Chinese and Gregorian calendar, the limited edition is presented in an unusual combination of green enamel and rose gold, a first for the model. Initial thoughts Though it is not longer unique, the Villeret Chinese Calendar was the first of its kind at launch in 2012, making it a landmark for Blancpain. However, the aesthetic went unchanged for all of that time, so a new dial is certainly welcome. While watch brands can often iterate a model too often, Blancpain certainly wasn’t guilty of that here. The new model is more striking than its predecessors. The dial departs from the white enamel that’s been standard for the model since the beginning. Though green is an unusual choice, it suits the complication well as it evokes the colour of jade, which is also thematically congruent with the theme. While it is good thing to see this watch with a new dial colour, it would have been even better to see an upgrade to the movement in some way, as the calibre has been unchanged since its introduction. While the movement is still impressive and complicated, it is big. In fact, a significant mechanical upgrade could be retaining the exact same calendar functions, but in a smaller or thin...