Deployant
New: IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff
IWC extends their Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL in a three way collaboration with Toto Wolff and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
Results for Three-Quarter Plate (3/4-Platine)
2,761 articles · 39 videos found · page 7 of 94
Deployant
Worn & Wound
Bell & Ross Expands their BR 03 Dive Watch Collection
Bell & Ross has significantly expanded their lineup of BR 03 divers this week, launching a total of five new references in the collection of sports watches inspired by aircraft instrumentation. The BR 03 line has been the subject of many incremental upgrades over the past year, and just as we saw with the pilot’s watches, these divers seem to be operating under the philosophy of “less is more” when it comes to making changes in the lineup. The BR 03, and Bell & Ross square watches in general, have always been a bit of a cult object, loved all out of proportion by their fans. The divers are a particularly strange subset within the product line. The “pilot” and “diver” aesthetics rarely match up, but there’s something almost logical here about an overbuilt, square watch designed to get wet. Somehow, we can take the instrument cluster aesthetic inspiration out of the equation once we’re told we’re dealing with a dive watch. What we’re left with is my favorite type of Bell & Ross: something that’s just simply and deeply strange, a watch that feels like it shouldn’t exist but has an obvious appeal anyway. The 42mm divers introduced this week come in five variants, which, as you’d expect, progress from fairly banal to positively strange. There are three steel references with white, blue, and black dials. These, as you can probably surmise, are the more straightforward watches in the collection. They have the same general appearance of an aviation ...
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Cartier Santos Dumont That Tells Time Backwards (You Read That Right)
Plus the return of the lacquer dial with Santos Dumont four ways, in three colors, and three metals.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko Expands Their Limited Edition Black Series For 2024
A quick look at three new Seiko Black Series watches just announced for 2024. Get a rundown on specs, view photos, and more.
Worn & Wound
Rado Brings their Ongoing Work with the Foundation Le Corbusier to the True Square Line with Three New Limited Editions
When two masters in their respective industry collide, something magic is sure to happen. That’s exactly the feeling one gets when looking at Rado, the Master of Materials, and Le Corbusier, the master of design, as the two legacies meld into a release of new references. Adding three new colorways selected from the 63-shade Architectural Polychromy palette to the distinct True Square collection, we’re seeing a heightened look at craftsmanship and design that shows the sum is often greater than its parts. Rado has long had a relationship with the Foundation Le Corbusier for their True Thinline set of watches, but these three new releases from the brand are the first to utilize the sportier design of the True Square silhouette. This design is marked by a high-tech ceramic case coming in at a comfortable and discreet 37 x 43.3 mm, perfect for nearly any wrist size. The real beauty of this watch is the balance of technical precision and everyday use, mixing a Rado caliber R420 quartz movement with high-tech innovative ceramic that Rado has become known for within the industry. For the three colorways themselves, each taken from the Architectural Polychromy, they’re a sleek and subtle scheme that fits perfectly against the backdrop of both Le Corbusier’s and Rado’s Swiss heritage. This collection includes Natural Umber, Iron Grey, and Ivory Black. The use of ceramic perfectly matches the tonal qualities of these three references, as Rado has perfected color blending w...
Video
The Swiss Abandoned this Watch Segment..Now it's Booming
Swiss watch sales keep going down down down, but there is one segment of the watch industry that is booming! I went to find out why.
SJX Watches
Interview: Cyrille Vigneron, Philosopher King of Cartier
After a quarter century at Cartier, Cyrille Vigneron was tapped for the top job in 2016, becoming President and Chief Executive Officer of perhaps the grandest name in jewellery. Under his stewardship Cartier’s lustre has only grown. Not only is the jeweller the second-largest watchmaker by sales, it is such a coveted marque that LVMH chief Bernard Arnault recently commented in the Wall Street Journal, “Cartier is a fantastic brand [but] it’s not for sale.” During Watches & Wonders, I met Mr Vigneron for an interview that ran longer than expected, but we barely touched on watches or jewellery. Dressed in a grey turtleneck, Mr Vigneron possessed the air of an intellectual, very much atypical for an industry where leaders are often big personalities and dressed to match. Yet Mr Vigneron is actually something of a social media influencer, albeit a professional one with over 82,000 followers on LinkedIn. His latest post on the professional social media platform posed the question, “What is true beauty?”, accompanied by a photo of a fallen autumn leaf. It received over a thousand likes and almost 100 comments. His posts on the network usually discuss abstract concepts while offering sharp insight, which is why I decided to leave out the watches (which we have already amply covered) and instead seek his perspective on bigger topics. The interview was edited for clarity and length. SJX: I follow your LinkedIn posts and find there’s always a philosophical, reflective...
Hodinkee
A Week On The Wrist: The 43mm IWC Big Pilot Automatic
With a newly downsized case, it's not so Big anymore. Three tiny millimeters make a massive difference.
Time+Tide
Three years ago Andrew pulled apart a Hublot tourbillon and here’s what he found out…
Editor’s note: Nearly three years ago, although it seems like a lifetime, Andrew was able to visit the Complications Department of the Hublot Manufacture, and get up close and personal with a Hublot tourbillon. He admitted his terror of the mind-bending complexity involved in assembling the 69 different components that make up the tourbillon cage, … ContinuedThe post Three years ago Andrew pulled apart a Hublot tourbillon and here’s what he found out… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Cartier Introduces the Santos-Dumont XL Hand-Wound (with Live Photos)
Conceived by Louis Cartier for Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont – who needed a timepiece he could read while flying – the Santos-Dumont wristwatch has the double distinction of being the first wristwatch designed from the ground up for men, as well as being the first-ever pilot’s wristwatch. Now the 116-year old design has just received its latest update with the unveiling of the hand-wound Santos-Dumont XL. [Update March 23, 2020: Read the review with more photos.] Though the Brazilian pilot got his wristwatch in 1904, it took until 1911 for the design to be sold commercially. For most of the century since, the Santos-Dumont has been part of the Cartier line-up in one way or another, often in gold but occasionally in platinum (one outlier was a special edition in titanium with a skeleton movement). The most recent facelift happened in 2005, which saw the unveiling of a version without a bezel. The new Santos-Dumont XL in all three versions Last year, the latest generation of the Santos-Dumont was unveiled, marking a return to the iconic Santos bezel with screws. For the first time ever, the Santos-Dumont was available in steel as well as two-tone steel and gold, along with the traditional all-gold case. However, the new Santos-Dumont didn’t quite receive unanimous acclaim because it was quartz movement. But now Cartier has finally unveiled what was long expected, the mechanical Santos-Dumont XL. Measuring 46.6 by 33.9 mm and just 7.5 mm in height...
WatchAdvice
Zenith Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Adventure Review
Zenith introduced the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Adventure as part of the unveiling for their 2019 Baselworld line up. The Chronograph was released alongside the Type 20 Extra Special Adventure which is the three-hand layout of the Pilot model. Zenith does have a vibrant history with pilot models, which stretches back to the early 19th century. The Zenith Type 20 Montre d’Aéronef released around 1939 is a timepiece that closely resembles the current Pilot Type 20 editions. The iconic cathedral hands with the Gothic-font Arabic numerals and the large knurled bezel have all been carried over from the original Type 20 Montre d’Aéronef model. The pilot models only lasted up until 1960, where Zenith stopped production of their aviation watches bar one or two models so that the brand could more solely focus on racing chronographs. In 2010 however, the brand came back to its aviation pedigree and once again started the manufacturing of pilots watches, which was when the modern Pilot Type 20 collection was born. It’s great to see a design of a watch remain unchanged for almost eight decades and shows how true to their history Zenith are. Zenith has given the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Adventure a more 21st century modern and urban look. Typically when thinking urban colours or colours of nature, one is drawn to the likes of green and brown. Zenith has utilized these colours extensively throughout the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Adventure. The 45mm casing has been produce...
Video
Dive Bars & Vintage Rolex! 🍺⌚︎
Sure we’re all screwed! But did you know that when German immigrants settled in North America, particularly in the Midwest, Appalachia, and Pennsylvania, they brought their sausage making traditions and reinterprete...
Revolution
SIHH 2018: Cartier’s Tank Cintrée Steals the Show
Three new 2018 Tank Cintrée was presented earlier this month, at SIHH in Geneva.
Time+Tide
HANDS-ON: Seiko show their dark side with the Prospex SSC673P and SNE493P
Seiko has just released three limited edition black divers, and they couldn’t be hotter. We’ve already shown you the automatic SRPC49K, but there are two solar options on the table as well. The SSC673P is a stealthy version of the SSC618P we looked at a little while ago. It’s worth noting that in these images … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Seiko show their dark side with the Prospex SSC673P and SNE493P appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
WristBuzz
Longines Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback Go Sky Blue for 2026
A fresh sky blue dial option lands on both Spirit Pilot references, and it works better than you might expect
WristBuzz
Grönefeld 1941 Quadrivium: Bart and Tim Combine Their Four Greatest Hits Into One Movement
The Dutch brothers unite the remontoire, tourbillon, and signature design cues from their most celebrated references into a single tour de force
WristBuzz
Gallet Multichron Pilot: A Proper Revival of the 1969 Classic Chronograph
Gallet is back, and the Multichron Pilot is the watch that proves the brand still has something real to say.
Video
You will make these 7 Mistakes collecting watches
I asked my subscribers for their biggest Watch collecting regrets, these were the top 10.
WristBuzz
IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team: Purple Is the New Black
IWC drops a bold purple-dialed Pilot chronograph timed to the Singapore Grand Prix, and it's one of the more striking F1 collabs we've seen from Schaffhausen in a while.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Cartier Privé Les Opus
The many shapes of Cartier were on full display at Cartier during Watches & Wonders, where the brand released the Privé Les Opus, a trio of platinum models with burgundy accents to mark the 10th anniversary of the brand’s Privé collection. The Crash Squelette is the only all-new model — with a new open-worked calibre — and the only limited edition. The Tank Normale and Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir tread little new ground, but the platinum-and-burgundy livery is easy to like, and manages to be both distinctive and discreet. Initial thoughts Cartier occupies an enviable position in the luxury watch landscape, being the only brand among the top 10 luxury watchmakers (by revenue) with a sizable jewellery business. Perhaps for this reason, it’s also the only brand to achieve this level of success primarily on the basis of design, rather than technical innovation or haute horlogerie complications. The Opus trio proves why. Cartier earned its reputation as the “watchmaker of shapes” over more than a century, and today enjoys a rich back catalogue of designs. The three models chosen to represent the 10th anniversary of the brand’s high-end Privé line — the Tank Normale, the Crash, and the Tortue Monopoussoir — are among the fan favourites. The Tank Normale — especially on this bracelet — is one of my favourite Cartier models, offering a truly vintage look with modern build quality. Reflecting Cartier’s growth as an industrial watchmaker, each watch...
SJX Watches
Hands On: Cartier Santos-Dumont Obsidian is Volcanic Class
Amongst Cartier’s crowd favourites launched this year is a new take on its elegant aviator’s watch, now upgraded with a mesh-link bracelet. The standout is the Santos-Dumont LM Obsidian that matches the yellow gold case and bracelet with a dial that is actually volcanic glass. This sticks to the classic Santos-Dumont template with a slim case containing an even slimmer Piaget movement, but the dial gives this a distinctly different feel from the conventional versions of the model. And unusually given the dial material, this is regular production. Initial thoughts Even though the original 1904 Santos was conceived as a professional’s “tool” watch of sorts, the modern-day Santos-Dumont is undoubtedly a dress watch, but one with a little flair. The form case and screws on the bezel set it apart from the average dress watch that is usually plain. This takes the design to another level with the bracelet and obsidian dial. The bracelet is a little showy since it is entirely yellow gold, but the links are fine enough that it still feels elegant. Similarly, the dial is high contrast but arguably passes as a dress watch. The case is compact and slim, so this still passes as a dress watch, one that is both ostentatious and elegant. If anything, I would have wished it was one size larger. This, along with the other variants of the Santos-Dumont on a bracelet, is in the “LM”, or “large model”, format. At under 32 mm in diameter, the case size is reminiscent of a vint...
WatchAdvice
Does Cartier’s Tank Américaine Live Up To The Legacy? (Review)
The short answer: Yes! The Cartier Tank Américaine is a standout watch that looks and feels a lot more versatile than it lets on. Let’s find out why! What We Love: A versatile yet elegant design A sportier remix of a legendary icon Wears comfortably on the leather strap What We Don’t: Readability suffers in the first and third quarters The crown is small and fiddly Where’s the display caseback? Overall Rating: 8.5/10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 8/10 I think that, since I began working at WatchAdvice, my opinion on Cartier has changed the least. I’d already heard so much about it from every corner of culture; rap songs and rom-coms sing equal praise of the Parisian powerhouse. So, when this opportunity came along, it simply allowed me to get closer to a brand I had already learned to appreciate. With closeness, though, comes closer scrutiny. Cartier bears the weight of a rich legacy on its shoulders, and even the smallest deviation can have Cartier fans questioning their loyalty. Its model lines, in both jewellery and watchmaking, have become so iconic that remixing them is a massive risk. Getting it wrong, depending on who you ask, is intolerable. These are the stakes Cartier faces with the Tank Américaine. How could they possibly change the formula of such a universally popular watch collection while preserving the original DNA? That’s what I aimed to find out when I took the Tank Américaine for a spin some time ago...
Hodinkee
Video: Patek Philippe CEO Thierry Stern Sits Down With Ben Clymer To Discuss The 2026 Novelties
Thierry Stern sat down with Ben Clymer at Watches & Wonders 2026 to walk through Patek Philippe's novelties, and his passion for the product comes through immediately. Nowhere is that more evident than with the Nautilus's 50th anniversary pieces. Compared to the 40th, this is an exercise in restraint. "My idea is to do the counter-steps," Stern said. The three limited-edition anniversary Nautiluses are stripped to hours and minutes only—no date, no seconds—perhaps the most compelling of which is a 38mm platinum case recalling the medium-size Nautilus models of the 1980s, powered by the 2.53mm Calibre 240, its micro-rotor engraved with "50 1976–2026". The wildcard—a personal highlight for Ben—was something genuinely unexpected: Patek's first-ever Nautilus desk clock, the ref. 958G, limited to just 100 pieces. Its white gold case translates the porthole-inspired Nautilus design to 50.65mm, with a hinged caseback that doubles as a stand. Technically a pocket watch, yet perhaps it's better suited to the table. Mr. Stern gives us a peek behind the curtain on how it came to be—and the story behind it is one you'll definitely want to hear. Thierry also walked Ben through the 5840P—the Cubitus's first grand complication, a skeletonized perpetual calendar he'd conceived early in the collection's development but deliberately held back, wanting the design language to land before the mechanics got complicated. The vintage Patek market is certainly booming, with the ref. ...
Video
Hands On: Bumblebee & Ushio (and accidentally Exposing Nico Leonard)
These New Tudor and Grand Seiko watches look amazing, but who is their target audience?
SJX Watches
Cartier Privé Les Opus is a Trio of Greatest Hits
Cartier’s crowd favourite Privé line is now 10 years old and the jeweller is returning to its greatest hits for the occasion with two offerings, the first being the flagship Cartier Privé Les Opus. “Opus” is a trio of watches, all in platinum, each being of the most desirable models in the Privé collection – Tank Normale, Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir, and Crash Squelette. Both the Tank Normale and Tortue Monopoussoir are variants of earlier models, retaining the same case and movement as before, but now with silvered dials featuring red markings. The Crash skeleton, on the other hand, is a new model powered by a new calibre, the 1967 MC, a hand-wind movement with hand hammered bridges. The Crash skeleton is limited to 150 pieces, while the other two models are regular production The second anniversary trio is Cartier Privé La Collection, yet another trio of greatest hits, but in yellow gold and not limited edition, which we’ll detail in another story. Cartier Privé La Collection made up of the Tank Cintree, Tank Normale, and Cloche Initial thoughts It is now a given that Cartier will mine its rich archive for new launches and Les Opus is exactly that. Given the strength of Cartier’s iconic designs, all three watches in the collection are appealing, with the Crash being a little more novel than its siblings in the line-up thanks to its skeleton movement. None of the three watches win any awards for imagination or innovation, but that is arguably besides...
Teddy Baldassarre
IWC Pilot's Watches: The History and Ultimate Guide
Few watch brands are as readily identified with aviation and the history of pilot’s watches than IWC, which not only gave the watch world two of the genre’s most iconic (and widely emulated) timepieces, the Big Pilot’s Watch and the Mark 11, but also has used both these groundbreaking models as foundations for a sprawling and diverse collection of contemporary aviation-inspired watches today. Here is the story of IWC Pilot’s Watches, from the Special Watch for Pilots to the Spitfire to the Top Gun, from simple three-hand to perpetual calendar, and everything in between. F.A. Jones’ International Dream (1860s - 1930s) IWC founder Florentine Ariosto Jones Other than the fact that he came to Switzerland in 1868, at the relatively tender age of 27, to become the first American-born founder of a Swiss watch company, little is known about the life of IWC patriarch Florentine Ariosto Jones. He was born in New Hampshire in 1841 and fought in the American Civil War for the Massachusetts Infantry. His postwar career at the renowned Massachusetts watchmaker E. Howard & Co. led to his European sojourn and the establishment of the International Watch Company in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. From the outset, Jones’ business plan was to marry the generational watchmaking expertise of the Swiss with the then-new, assembly-line production techniques of the U.S.A. His decision to locate his factory in Schaffhausen, near Switzerland’s northern border with Germany, rather tha...
SJX Watches
Cartier Watchmaking Prize is Open for Submissions
Now in its 28th year, the Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow is open for candidates. This year’s theme is “Shifting the Balance: Reading and Perceiving Time Differently” and encourages applicants to propose novel or unusual time displays, inspired by the recently revived Tank à Guichets. The prize is open to third and fourth year apprentice watchmakers and techniciens ES en Microtechniques in Switzerland, or young people in any equivalently rigorous program in France, Germany, Belgium, or employed at Cartier (which unsurprisingly is one of the largest employees in the Vallee de Joux). The brand will also consider applicants outside this scope on a case-by-case basis. Cartier accepts applications in French, English, and German, which must include an introduction video, project pitch, and sketch of the creation. This portal closes on October 31 2025. A five member jury, which includes Kari Voutilainen, will select six technicians and six apprentices, to be announced in December. The 12 chosen candidates will pair up with a mentor and have only 80 hours over three months to construct their respective vision using a Cartier cal. 012 alarm clock movement and a budget of CHF500. The application includes normally proprietary technical documentation on this movement to help the prospects plan their projects. Candidates will document the build in a digital logbook, recording and explaining each step, and keeping track of the 80 hour time budget. The reconvened...
SJX Watches
A Collector’s Perspective: The Cartier Crash
A fever dream - form that bent and curved the very idea of what a wristwatch could be. The Cartier Crash, born out of myth and mystery, is no conventional timepiece. As established notions of purpose and design in watchmaking, the Crash exists at the intersection of watchmaking and sculpture. To the uninitiated, the Crash may seem bizarre, wildly eccentric for the sake of it, but to those steeped in horology, it is an icon. For me, Crash was more than just an addition to my collection; it was the culmination of years of passion, patience, and persistence. The author and his special order Crash A product of Swinging Sixties London There are watches that tell time, and then there are watches that tell stories. The Crash belongs to the latter category. Beyond its appearance, the allure of the Crash also stems from its founding myths. Introduced in 1967 by Cartier London – the jeweller was then three separate companies in Paris, New York, and the British capital – the Crash is easily the most avant-garde watch design ever produced by Cartier. Its warped, melted form defies the conventional standards that most watches adhere to, making it as much an artistic statement as a timekeeper. An example of a vintage London Crash To truly appreciate the significance of the Cartier Crash, one must delve into its history, which is almost as enigmatic as the watch itself. One popular origin story is macabre: a Cartier client wearing a Baignoire Allongée was in a car crash that damag...
Worn & Wound
Bulova Brings their Precisionist Movement to the Marine Star
Bulova’s latest announcement heralds a significant leap forward in the evolution of the Marine Star collection, as they integrate the groundbreaking Precisionist High-Performance Quartz technology. This milestone underscores their commitment to seamlessly blending traditional craftsmanship with state-of-the-art upgrades, showing that a brand dating back to 1875 can still find ways to improve. The collection introduces three new “Series C” styles, each featuring a robust 43mm polygon case crafted from stainless steel. Notable for their impeccable accuracy, the Precisionist movement boasts a smooth sweeping second hand, which beats an impressive 16 times per second. The vibrant dial colors-bright yellow, silver, and rich chocolate-are tonally pitch-perfect, balancing both a sporty look with a subtle richness. Each dial is enhanced by a wave pattern, inspired by the ocean. This background makes a great canvas for luminescent hour markers and bold handset. A date window at the 3 o’clock mark, a black ceramic bezel, and a bold logo at 12 complete the look of this series of watches. All watches are now available via Bulova’s website. The three watches featured in this series are all priced depending on the color and strap option. The yellow watch is paired with a black rubber strap and is priced at $695. The white dial option has a simple stainless steel bracelet, priced at $795. And, finally, the brown dial with rose gold finishes is available for $750 with a blac...
Video
Greymarket-Dealer: "APs downfall has begun."
In this episode we are talking about the new AP x Swatch releases. Has AP really lost the plot?