Just Because: The Pros, Cons, Cost, And Convoluted History Of Platinum
The fiery birth and strange life of the ice queen of precious metals.
828 articles · 37 videos found · page 7 of 29
The fiery birth and strange life of the ice queen of precious metals.
Hodinkee
Vintage-style lume: friend or faux?
Two Broke Watch Snobs
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
Want to know what TBWS is planning for their 6,000 Instagram follower giveaway? Be sure to listen in this week to find out! This episode also details some of the pitfalls and benefits collectors experience when deciding to pursue the vintage game.
Revolution
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Monochrome
Haute-Rive is a young, independent watchmaking brand rooted in a long family tradition. Founded by Stéphane von Gunten, an engineer and watchmaker with experience at Patek Philippe and Ulysse Nardin, the brand takes its name from the historic workshop of his ancestor Irénée Aubry, established in 1888 on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel. Aubry was […]
SJX Watches
One of the highlights in Christie’s upcoming Geneva auctions taking place on May 11, 2026, is the Audemars Piguet “Coussin Tortue” single-button chronograph wristwatch, serial number 41’849. It is an exceedingly rare watch, being one of a batch of three examples that were the first ever chronograph wristwatches made by Audemars Piguet (AP). Moreover, the watch has been in the same family since new, and is consigned by a descendent of the original owner who bought the watch in 1943. Also notably is the fact that this watch has been comprehensively – but sympathetically and artfully – restored by AP. This “cushion turtle” wristwatch has a platinum case and two-tone, solid gold dial, while the movement is a LeCoultre, just like the others in the batch of three watches. The first of the three was in white gold, following by two in platinum, including this example. Interestingly, this watch was delivered to retailer Veuve Louis Goering in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1937, but only sold six years later. The tepid demand for such watches perhaps explains why, according to Christie’s, AP made a total of six single-button chronograph wristwatch movements, but the remaining three were only cased and sold over a decade after this one. Restored perfectly Besides being extremely rare and also unexpectedly beautiful, this watch stands out for having been enjoyed “extensive” restoration at Audemars Piguet. Ordinarily restoration would be frowned upon, but the watch was pre...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko has been revisiting its 1968 Diver's platform for years now, and the Prospex Heritage family keeps getting more interesting with each wave of releases. The latest additions are the HBC001 and HBC002, two new references that bring a mechanical GMT complication to the lineage for the first time. Both watches reference the 1968 original while expanding what the modern Prospex Heritage line can do. Availability is set for May this year. The post The Iconic Seiko 1968 Diver Gets A New Automatic GMT Movement appeared first on Two Broke Watch Snobs.
Monochrome
In contrast to the sportier dive watches we associate with Oris, the Artelier Collection, launched in the early 2000s, is the brand’s elegant dress watch family. For 2026, Oris has decided to shake off the cobwebs and entrust a young product designer to refresh the look and feel of the Artelier Complication. The result is […]
Worn & Wound
Because of the Artemis II launch earlier this month, the moon is all the rage again. That’s why the timing for Bremont’s Supernova Chronograph feels so auspicious: not only because it was designed with the stars in mind, but because it might actually go to the moon itself. To promote the Supernova-which is an entirely new family, and not just a single release-Bremont is partnering with the aerospace company Astrolab, which is planning to send a FLIP (FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform) rover to the moon’s surface. In a future spacefaring reality, the Flexible Logistics & Exploration (FLEX) rover can traverse lunar and Martian terrain, delivering cargo with a 30-kg payload. That’s more than enough room to fit a Supernova, which will net Bremont as the first watch permanently placed on the moon’s surface. The Supernova Chronograph ticks the boxes of a terrestrial sports watch: with 100-meter water resistance, stainless-steel construction, and an integrated bracelet and optional rubber strap, it carries a bold presence that seems much tougher than the current lineup. The primarily brushed case, measuring 41mm and featuring smaller polished contrasts, is cushion-shaped, harkening to the midcentury enthusiasm for space exploration. The black bezel is made from ceramic and cut into ten sides. The Supernova’s dial features contrasting triangular arrows and a geometrically aligned waffle pattern. On the main dial they’re both black, but in the subdials the triang...
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Yves Piaget, fourth-generation member of the Piaget family, joined the company in the 1960s and cultivated the brand into a visible and global luxury player. Pushing the brand’s historical ultra-thin mechanical calibres 9P and 12P, and its ultra-slim quartz 7P movement into jewellery terrain, a new generation of fashionable jewellery watches with bright-coloured hardstone dials […]
Deployant
For the fiftieth anniversary for family owned maison Raymon Weil, they celebrate big with the Millesime The Fifty. Here is our hands on quick impressions.
Monochrome
Any watch bearing “Hybris” in its name represents the pinnacle of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mechanics and craftsmanship. Representing the third pillar of the elite Hybris family, the new Inventiva series is dedicated to single, groundbreaking complications. The first in line is the extraordinary Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon à Stratosphère Calibre 178. Building on two decades of multi-axis […]
Fratello
The Grand Seiko Spring Drive family takes center stage at Watches and Wonders 2026 with three new releases. From the SBGY043, a relatively restrained daily wearer, to the SBGD228, a full-blown jewelry watch, this beloved Japanese brand covers a wide spectrum while sticking to its unique design ethos. What stands out this year is how […] Visit Three New Grand Seiko Spring Drive Models For Watches And Wonders 2026 - The SBGY043, SBGD228, And SBGZ011 to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Two polar-opposite takes on the same watch for two of the biggest names in the Hublot family from the world of sports.The post Mbappé and Usain Bolt Get Opposite Takes on the Hublot Big Bang Reloaded appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Chronoswiss, now in the hands of the Ebstein family, has not forgotten the legacy of the brand’s founder, Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, who pioneered the modern mechanical regulator dial in wristwatches. Adapting the precision-focused layout of the regulator clock to the wrist, Lang forged a distinctive brand identity marked by coin-edge bezels, onion crowns and straight lugs. […]
Hodinkee
Raymond Weil turns 50 this year, and the head of the Geneva-based, independent family-owned brand tells us how it started and how it's going. But first, Ben drops in to talk chronographs and the new Rexhep Rexhepi RRCHF.
Fratello
Happy birthday, Raymond Weil. This year, the independent, family-owned Geneva-based brand celebrates its 50th anniversary in great horological style. The brand managed to get its hands on 50 historic Valjoux 23-6 chronograph movements, restored and hand-decorated them, and put them inside a Millesime watch. The 37mm The Fifty might very well be the best-looking RW […] Visit Introducing: The Raymond Weil Millesime The Fifty - Featuring A Historic Valjoux 23-6 Chronograph Movement to read the full article.
Fratello
Let me introduce you to Mo Coppoletta and Luca Soprana, founders of the new watch brand Desder. Italian-born Coppoletta, who’s based in London, is best known as a tattoo artist, designer, and art director. He founded the influential London studio The Family Business in 2003, which became a global reference point for high-end tattooing, before […] Visit Introducing: The Streamlined Desder D001 - A Wrist-Worn Sculpture With A Triple-Axis Tourbillon to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Mitchell Wein discusses the family business that sells 80% of its watches to governments and militaries.
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Fratello
A round case is hardly a radical idea in watchmaking. For Bianchet, though, it absolutely is. At Watches and Wonders 2026, the brand will present the UltraFino Rotondo, and while it clearly belongs to the same family as the watch we’ve previously known as the UltraFino, this isn’t just a simple reshaping exercise. It marks […] Visit Introducing: The Bianchet UltraFino Rotondo - The Brand’s First-Ever Round Watch to read the full article.
Monochrome
The launch of a new collection from a brand as important as Omega is always a significant event. In this particular case, however, it is not strictly the introduction of an entirely new design, but rather the unveiling of a new family of Constellation watches inspired by a historical model’s aesthetics. What also makes this […]
SJX Watches
Having teased its newest collection with a family and friends edition last year, Kollokium has finally taken the wraps off the Projekt 02 Variant B, which offers a low-profile die-cast stainless steel case and a terraced topographical dial. A massive box-form crystal contains the scene, offering a panoramic view of the 67 pieces that comprise the nine layers of the dial. A limited edition of 399 pieces, the Variant B is a well-priced entry point to the world of independent watchmaking, and could easily be worn daily. Initial thoughts Kollokium is a relatively new name in independent watchmaking, but the company’s three founders, collector Amr Sindi, designer Barth Nussbaumer, and Louis Erard managing director Manuel Emch, bring a trained eye and a fresh perspective to the brand. With a strong emphasis on design, underpinned by a simple but competent calibre, Kollokium seems to have mastered the game of trade-offs required to market a distinctive watch at an affordable price. Left to Right: Amr Sindi, Barth Nussbaumer, Manuel Emch. The Variant B is fundamentally a simple time-only watch, powered by an off-the-shelf La Joux-Perret cal. G101, an increasingly common base movement prized for its economy and autonomy, with a healthy 68-hour power reserve. But Kollokium’s watches are anything but ordinary, owing to the brand’s unusual dial treatments and case processing. The Variant B is technically the first publicly available version of the Projekt 02, which debuted last ...
SJX Watches
Last month Vontobel published its annual report on the Swiss watch industry, revealing a startling shakeup for the pecking order, with a rapidly growing share of the market going to industry giants, anaemic growth, and a few signs of hope. Another of the key points made in the report published by Vontobel, a family-controlled Swiss private bank, is influence of external factors beyond the industry’s control, like the strong Swiss franc and continuously climbing gold prices, but which have nonetheless played a major role in its recent development. Long the go-to publication for industry insiders, the Vontobel watch report has been published annually for well over a decade - and since 2021, the report has been authored by Jean-Philippe Bertschy, the bank’s head of Swiss equity research (pictured above). The strong franc Before getting into the numbers, it’s worth looking at the broader macroeconomic environment affecting the industry. The strong franc and weak dollar are headwinds for the export-oriented Swiss watch industry, and, like erratic US trade policy and soaring gold prices, entirely outside its control. In nominal terms, total Swiss watch exports declined for the second year in a row, down 1.7% to CHF25.5 billion, following a 2.8% decline the year before. However, the Swiss franc’s appreciation casts a more sympathetic light on these numbers. For example, if you sold a watch for US$100 this time last year, that revenue would have converted to about CHF90....
Deployant
Today, we welcome the Year of the Fire Horse, and take the day off our usual publishing schedule to wish all our readers, friends and family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!
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