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Certina DS Action Diver 38mm Review Teddy Baldassarre
Certina DS Action Diver 38mm May 22, 2025

Certina DS Action Diver 38mm Review

The Certina DS Action Diver 38mm is a dive watch that has been largely off the radar of many U.S. watch enthusiasts until somewhat recently but is having a moment in our current era, in which sporty utility, striking colorways, value for money, and understated sizing reign supreme in the watch market. How much do you know about the DS Action Diver, including the meaning of “DS,” or about the not-so-famous but very historic Swiss watch brand that produced it? Read on, and you’ll be up to speed. Origins Of Certina Certina traces its roots to 1888, but it wasn’t called Certina back then. That year, a pair of Swiss brothers, Adolf and Alfred Kurth, set up a watchmaking workshop in an annex to their family home in the town of Grenchen (above), initially, to make movements and parts to sell  to other watch companies in the region. By 1906, however, they were making enough of their own complete timepieces that they introduced a brand name: Grana, which was a shortened version of the Latin word “Granatus,” referring to Grenchen. The early Grana watches found success, but for several years the Kurth brothers continued to also make and supply movements to other companies; the name “Certina” - another Latin-derived word, from “certus,” for “sure” or “certain” - began appearing on the company’s timepieces in the 1930s. The name, which was also easier to pronounce than “Grana” in more languages, was registered in 1933 and eventually became the c...

L’Epée 1839’s Surprising Imperial Hot Air Balloon Desk Clock SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton tapped L’Epée 1839 May 19, 2025

L’Epée 1839’s Surprising Imperial Hot Air Balloon Desk Clock

Swiss clock maker L’Epée 1839’s latest desk-bound timekeeper is the Imperial Hot Air Balloon, a unique piece that is uncharacteristically classical compared to the brand’s recent launches that have tended towards modernity. It’s essentially a highly decorated, elaborately styled variant of the no-frills Hot Air Balloon clock of 2018. L’Epée 1839 was absorbed into LVMH last year, and this shift towards more traditional clocks chimes with the luxury group’s focus on higher-end and artisanal watchmaking. Notably, Louis Vuitton tapped L’Epée 1839 for its own hot air ballon-shaped desk clock. Initial thoughts While most of L’Epée’s creations are undoubtedly interesting, blending sculptural mechanics with proprietary clock movements, the clockmaker was historically a maker of classically traditional mantlepiece clocks. Most of its creations from earlier decades were styled after carriage clock. While entirely sculptural in form, the Hot Air Balloon manages to look as it belongs to a bygone era of watchmaking. A métiers d’art creation, the unique piece is restrained and ornate, while being modern only in the way it displays the time. Otherwise, the miniature flying object would sit comfortably in a historical residence. Not to say that other L’Epée are not well executed, but their modern and structural constructions don’t usually allow for classic artisanal crafts to be put to good use. The Hot Air Ballon’s centrepiece is the blue enamelled surface...

The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional Solargraph Review: Diamonds Included! WatchAdvice
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional Solargraph Review May 17, 2025

The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional Solargraph Review: Diamonds Included!

In this review, my wife road-tested the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph in pink with diamonds. I asked her what she thought of the piece… What We Love The elegant but sporty look Great size for smaller wrists It’s light-powered, so no battery! What We Don’t The crown and protectors protrude a little Maybe on the thicker side for some as a smaller-sized ladies’ watch Clasp took a little while to get used to wearing being larger than an integrated bracelet with a butterfly clasp Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 9/10 The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph in the pink dial and diamonds was a piece that came out just prior to Watches & Wonders in mid-March along with a few other Aquaracer Solargraph drops. Similar to the Northern Lights collection that dropped at last year’s LVMH Watch Week it adds to the smaller 34mm sized Solargraphs with a choice of coloured dials and diamonds on the dial and bezel. Now, this isn’t a piece I would wear, but I could see many ladies out there having this as a daily watch. I mean, what’s not to love about it? It is a great size at 34mm so it’s not too small or too large for smaller wrists. It has the diamond indices which gives it a little more of that elegant or dressy look, and the pink dial is a nice pop of colour for those that want something a little more lively than blue, black or white. Sporty elegance with the TAG Heuer Aquar...

Hands-On: the echo/neutra Chrono GMT Worn & Wound
May 13, 2025

Hands-On: the echo/neutra Chrono GMT

Sometimes, no matter how many hours we spend scrolling on Instagram and monitoring various watch-focused group chats, things slip through the cracks. Watches that check all the right boxes to rise above the noise of a crowded market go unnoticed and become sleeper hits instead of hits, and creativity that deserves widespread celebration instead receives a splattering of quiet applause. For collectors that enjoy witnessing brands evolve and develop distinct design DNA in real time, it can be a bummer to discover your radar missed something great. But on the bright side, this scenario allows for instant gratification and the opportunity to speed run a brand’s evolution to the present day. This was my experience when Italian microbrand echo/neutra released the Rivanera at the end of last year. Like many of you, I was pleasantly caught off guard by the rugged take on the classic rectangular dress watch, but didn’t recognize the name divided by a distinct slash on the dial. This sent me digging through surprisingly sparse reviews and forum threads where I discovered that the Rivanera was far from beginner’s luck, and was actually the result of a year’s long evolution that began in the way many do, with a safe and somewhat generic field watch on Kickstarter. Watching aging YouTube videos, this actual first release called the Averau (which later included a very cool moon phase) looks like exactly the type of watch I would’ve chased in 2019 when specs and MSRP were my pr...

Hands On: Patek Philippe Calatrava 8-Day Ref. 5328G SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Calatrava 8-Day Ref 5328G May 8, 2025

Hands On: Patek Philippe Calatrava 8-Day Ref. 5328G

One of several strong new releases from Patek Philippe this year, the Calatrava 8-Day Ref. 5328G is a simple day-date watch distinguished by an all-new manually wound, eight-day movement. Carrying on the contemporary aesthetic of the Calatrava ref. 5226G and Annual Calendar ref. 5326G, the new watch features a grained fumé dial and an 18k white gold case with a middle fully encircled with clous de Paris guilloche. The ref. 5238G is purposeful in its design, which gives it a casual, almost tool watch-like appearance that offers a pleasing contrast to its overtly luxurious case and movement. Initial thoughts Patek Philippe put on a good show at Watches & Wonders this year, and the ref. 5328G might be my favourite of the bunch. The watch has a strong presence thanks to its hobnail case band and instrument-like dial, but it really stands out when you turn the watch over and see the vintage-inspired bridge architecture. Patek Philippe is usually pretty utilitarian when it comes to movement design, so it’s nice to see them let their hair down and have some fun with this one. The fumé navy blue dial features an asphalt-like texture first seen on the ref. 5226G introduced in 2022. The ref. 5328G also benefits from this predecessor’s lumed syringe hands and clean Arabic numerals, which give it the earnest, purposeful feel of a deck watch. Patek Philippe is not known for its typographical expertise, but here even the numerals on the date ring strike the right tone. The watch f...

Oris ProPilot X Review Teddy Baldassarre
Oris ProPilot X Review Oris May 7, 2025

Oris ProPilot X Review

Oris made its first watch for aviators, the original Big Crown, way back in 1938, and has been riffing on that ingenious and influential design ever since. Defined by its large, fluted winding crown, designed to be easy for gripping by hands in heavy pilot’s gloves, the modern Big Crown series - now hosting both the sporty ProPilot and the more elegant Pointer Date versions - has become a major pillar in the independent Swiss brand’s portfolio. In 2020, Oris launched Caliber 400, the first in-house automatic movement it had made in its long history, and debuted it inside a watch from its popular Aquis diver collection, following that model up with a Caliber 400 version of its other divers’ model, the retro-styled Divers 65. In 2022, Oris finally arranged a marriage of its oldest watch model - well, a descendant of it, anyway - with its newest exclusive movement, introducing the first ProPilot X Caliber 400 models. Now available in a variety of avant-garde colorways, these siblings to the larger, Sellita-equipped ProPilot Date models (example below) offer a marked contrast with their predecessors while still carrying the banner of the overall series. Here is what you should know about the ProPilot X, where it came from, and what Oris has been doing with it lately. The Brand History: Paul Cattin and Georges Christian founded Oris in 1904, in Hölstein, Switzerland, naming the company after a nearby brook. A maker of pocket watches and, by 1925, the increasingly...

Hands-on - The Bremont Altitude MB Meteor, the Comeback of the Martin-Baker Concept and Trip-Tick Case Monochrome
Bremont Altitude MB Meteor May 6, 2025

Hands-on - The Bremont Altitude MB Meteor, the Comeback of the Martin-Baker Concept and Trip-Tick Case

In the past two years, many things have changed at Bremont, one of the most important watch brands active on British soil. First, the founding brothers, Nick and Giles English, are not actively part of the company anymore. Second, there’s a new owner – American investor Bill Ackman – and a new CEO – industry […]

Casio Duro Teddy Baldassarre
Casio Duro It’s hard May 6, 2025

Casio Duro

It’s hard to believe that the Casio Duro has only been around for fourteen years now. It’s been at the top of affordable dive watch lists so consistently that you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s been around since the 1990s, but indeed, 2011 was the year this S-tier value proposition hit the market. The original Casio Duro MDV-106 was a mainstream success, selling over 600,000 units in its first decade. And it’s not difficult to understand why the Duro was such a crowd pleaser: a 200-meter water-resistant diver with classically appealing sporty aesthetics and genuinely nice finishing for $50 at launch (it retails for a still downright cheap $70 these days). Even for a brand known for its affordable classics, Casio had a genuine hit on its hands and over the years added colorways like blue and gilt, along with several bezel variants. And, of course, being the watch of choice for Bill Gates certainly didn’t hurt in cementing the Duro’s reputation. Here, I will get into why the Casio Duro is one of the best affordable offerings of the last quarter of a decade. And since I know you’re thinking it, I’ll begin by addressing the smaller 38mm model and why I don’t categorize it as a “True Casio Duro.” Casio Duro Case and Wearability: Let’s start with the admission of the fact that the 44mm case size is the Casio Duro’s biggest flaw. Yes, it’s a pretty big diver measuring 44.2mm wide and 12.1mm thick with a lug-to-lug height of 48.5mm. To address the no...

Tudor Adds a Limited Edition Carbon Chrono to the Black Bay Chronograph Lineup Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer whose parent company LVMH May 5, 2025

Tudor Adds a Limited Edition Carbon Chrono to the Black Bay Chronograph Lineup

We haven’t remarked on it all that much to this point, but one of the inescapable trends at Watches & Wonders this year was a prevalence of F1 cars making appearances around the Palexpo. If you scheduled your meetings in a particular way, you could easily be convinced that every Swiss watch brand has some level of involvement with the sport. IWC, of course, is just beginning to promote F1, the highly anticipated new film starring Brad Pitt that is said to feature many, many IWC watches. And then there’s TAG Heuer, whose parent company LVMH secured a lucrative deal with Formula 1 in the off season, and returned TAG to official timekeeper status. Both of these brands had actual cars in their booths, and they drew a crowd all week. Then there’s H. Moser, a sponsor of the Alpine team, and finally (please get in the comments if I’ve missed one) there’s Tudor, a partner of the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team, who took this weekend’s Miami GP as an opportunity to release their latest racing themed watch, the Black Bay Chrono Carbon 25.  The limited edition (2,025 numbered examples) chronograph is modeled on the Black Bay Chronograph, a watch that has seen its share of special editions in the last few years, mostly by way of colored dials. This watch is a little different as it represents an all new case material for the Black Bay Chrono, making use of Tudor’s carbon fiber composite material (the caseback, pushers, and crown are all rendered in titanium ...

Omega Speedmaster Snoopy Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Omega Speedmaster Snoopy Guide May 2, 2025

Omega Speedmaster Snoopy Guide

The Omega Speedmaster “Moonwatch” is one of the most legendary and collectible watch models in the world, its fame derived from its pivotal role in history as the first watch worn on the moon. Now the undisputed flagship of Omega’s vast and diverse watch portfolio, the original Speedmaster has changed very little from the timepiece worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Apollo 11 mission more than 50 years ago. However, over the course of subsequent years, Omega has released dozens of special editions of the “Speedy,” many in commemoration of milestone moments in NASA history, which have featured distinctive differences from the core model and have gained an avid following of their own. Perhaps no Speedmaster best exemplifies both the watch’s enduring collectibility, as well as its significant role in the Space Race and beyond, more so than the "Silver Snoopy'' editions. How did Snoopy, the beloved cartoon beagle from Charles M. Schulz’s iconic “Peanuts” comic strip, find his way onto the dial of a spacefaring Swiss watch in the first place, you ask? Here’s the story.  As related in far more depth in my article on the history of the Moonwatch, the Omega Speedmaster was launched in 1957 and originally intended as a wristwatch for timing motorsports. In the 1960s, however, the watch was submitted as one of a handful of chronographs tested by NASA to endure the rigors of space travel. After emerging victorious in the competition, the Speedmaster wa...

Introducing: Louis Vuitton High Watchmaking Novelties Fratello
Louis Vuitton High Watchmaking Novelties Regarding May 1, 2025

Introducing: Louis Vuitton High Watchmaking Novelties

Regarding watchmaking, Louis Vuitton is best known for its Tambour models. These integrated bracelet models were reinvented in 2023 and capitalized on the 2011 purchase of La Fabrique du Temps. While some hardcore watch fans have taken time to accept the brand as a watchmaker, it’s becoming harder to ignore the products. Now, Louis Vuitton […] Visit Introducing: Louis Vuitton High Watchmaking Novelties to read the full article.

Massena LAB and Raúl Pagès Unveil the Noctograph, their Third Collaboration Worn & Wound
Massena Lab Apr 29, 2025

Massena LAB and Raúl Pagès Unveil the Noctograph, their Third Collaboration

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...

Fratello’s Top 5 Current Breguet Models Fratello
Breguet Models Apr 25, 2025

Fratello’s Top 5 Current Breguet Models

This year is full of watch brands celebrating all kinds of anniversaries, but if there’s one with a milestone anniversary, it is Breguet. The house celebrates its 250th anniversary this year. Yesterday, the festivities began with the release of the new Breguet Classique Souscription 2025. It’s a brilliant first step in a new direction under […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Current Breguet Models to read the full article.

Breguet Turns to Tradition with the Classique Souscription SJX Watches
Breguet Turns Apr 25, 2025

Breguet Turns to Tradition with the Classique Souscription

The opening salvo in Breguet’s 250th anniversary has just been revealed: the Classique Souscription 2025BH. Although typically Breguet in style, the watch is a novel combination of elements, at least by the conventions of Breguet, a traditionally staid brand. Presented in a case of the new design made of a gold alloy of a new formula, it’s a wristwatch inspired by the one-handed souscription pocket watches of the 18th and 19th centuries. The fired enamel dial replicates that of the pocket watch, while inside is the VS00, a calibre that is descended from the movement of the La Tradition. Initial thoughts As storied a brand as it is, Breguet certainly has a lot to live up to for its 250th anniversary. I expect more to come from Breguet in the coming months, but the Classique Souscription is a strong start, though a little pricey. It’s essentially an elaborately executed time-only watch, precisely the sort of watch that is popular now when made by independent watchmakers, but big brands face more scepticism with such timepieces. The VS00 Though it might seem typical Breguet on its face, the Classique Souscription is an unusual proposition; it’s inspired by various elements from across Breguet’s history, some several centuries apart. The dial and movement are inspired by a 19th century pocket watch, while the case comes much later. But everything works well and the whole manages to look like a Breguet. Traditionalists might mourn the departure from familiar elements ...

Hands On: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon SJX Watches
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Apr 25, 2025

Hands On: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon

Bulgari made its debut at Watches & Wonders this year, having previously exhibited outside the fair. It was a fitting occasion to launch the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, the thinnest tourbillon watch ever at just 1.85 mm thick. Housed in the brand’s signature matte grey titanium case and limited to just 20 pieces, the Ultra Tourbillon is paired with an equally thin and silky titanium bracelet. Bulgari is deeply invested in its leadership in ultra-thin watchmaking, and the Ultra Tourbillon shows the brand is willing to do whatever it takes to own as many records in this field as possible. Initial thoughts Despite its record-breaking slimness, there was surprisingly little buzz about the Ultra at Watches & Wonders. This may be due to record fatigue, since the previous record was set just last year by the Piaget AUC Tourbillon. It could also be due to the diminishing returns of these types of records, which are now being broken by almost imperceptible margins. On its exterior, the Ultra Tourbillon is quite similar the 1.7 mm-thick Octo Finissimo Ultra introduced last year. It features a 40 mm case made from a combination of titanium and tungsten carbide, and is impressively open-worked, revealing just about every wheel and pinion on the dial side of the watch. But this watch is all about the headline figure of its 1.85 mm thickness, which endows the Ultra Tourbillon with a delicate, almost weightless feel. The case in profile. Image – Bulgari Like all ultra-thin recor...

The Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 single-handedly kicks off the brand’s 250th anniversary celebrations Time+Tide
Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 single-handedly Apr 24, 2025

The Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 single-handedly kicks off the brand’s 250th anniversary celebrations

The new Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 celebrates the brand's 250th anniversary with a watch inspired by its 1790s pocket watches.The post The Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 single-handedly kicks off the brand’s 250th anniversary celebrations appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing: The Panerai Submersible Chrono Marina Militare Experience Edition Fratello
Panerai Submersible Chrono Marina Militare Apr 24, 2025

Introducing: The Panerai Submersible Chrono Marina Militare Experience Edition

Panerai has unveiled the new Submersible Chrono Marina Militare Experience Edition PAM01699. This tool-ish 47mm titanium watch is a limited edition of 35 pieces worldwide. However, as its name and €50K+ price suggest, the whole package includes much more than a heavy-duty timekeeper… The relationship between Panerai and the Italian Navy is a key part […] Visit Introducing: The Panerai Submersible Chrono Marina Militare Experience Edition to read the full article.

[VIDEO] Christopher Ward Changes the Game, Again - C12 Loco Review with Video Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Changes Apr 23, 2025

[VIDEO] Christopher Ward Changes the Game, Again - C12 Loco Review with Video

Is it too dramatic to say that just about three years ago, in November of 2022, Christopher Ward changed the watch industry as we knew it? Perhaps. But what fun is a watch review without some hyperbole? And frankly, it’s not a far-off statement either. I’m talking, of course, about the launch of the C1 Bel Canto. Not only did that watch set Christopher Ward on a new trajectory as a brand, but it also proved what smaller independent brands were capable of. Since then, we’ve seen a surge of ingenuity in the industry. But I’m burying the lede. It’s 2025, and Christopher Ward has done it again with the launch of the C12 Loco: a full-fledged vision of independent watchmaking that, perhaps most impressively, maintains the brand’s value-focused ethos. But to fully appreciate the C12 Loco, we must rewind to 2014. That’s when Christopher Ward did the unthinkable and received little to no attention for it: they launched an in-house movement called the SH21. Back then, “in-house” was a term that got thrown around a lot. It was always a big deal when a brand announced an “in-house” movement. But, it was the territory of the very large or the very high-end, and the idea that smaller, more accessible independents could produce an in-house caliber was almost absurd. When a brand announced an in-house movement, everyone took notice, and sometimes brands were called out for using the term too loosely (including other British brands…). So, when the SH21 debuted, it w...

Christopher Ward Introduces the C12 Loco SJX Watches
Christopher Ward Introduces Apr 23, 2025

Christopher Ward Introduces the C12 Loco

Out to replicate the success of the Bel Canto and prove it’s not a one-hit wonder, Christopher Ward has introduced the C12 Loco. While the integrated bracelet look is now commonplace, the Loco breaks new ground for the British brand in terms of its differentiated movement architecture, and features an inverted free-sprung balance on the dial side of the watch. Spiritual successor to the Bel Canto, the C12 Loco paints a picture of Christopher Ward’s ambitions as a brand. Like Louis Erard, which is on a similar mission to make traditional craft and independent design more accessible, Christopher Ward is looking to redefine what collectors should expect from entry level watchmaking. Initial thoughts The Twelve is Christopher Ward’s foray into integrated bracelet sport watches. Its launch in 2023 was not without some controversy, being seen as too similar to the Czapek Antarctique; it turned out both designs came from the mind of designer Adrian Buchmann. Despite the rocky start, the collection has been a commercial success and the brand has done a commendable job developing the line-up and keeping prices in check. The Loco is the most ambitious Twelve to-date, with an off-center time display that opens up space at six o’clock for an exposed balance wheel and escapement. Like the Bel Canto, the watch does not feature the Christopher Ward brand name on the dial. In an era when attention is the name of the game, it’s nice to see a small brand with the confidence to let...

Longines Legend Diver Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Jaeger-LeCoultre Enicar Apr 23, 2025

Longines Legend Diver Guide

The Longines Legend Diver, introduced in the mid-aughts but tracing its origins all the way back to the embryonic era of modern dive watches in the 1950s and ‘60s, is the epitome of retro-vintage cool for many lovers of sport watches. Here’s how the watch, and its hallmark and still-rare Super Compressor case design, found a successful niche, and an avid audience, in the 21st century.  1959: The Inspiration As with many now-common watchmaking innovations, Longines was one of the pioneers in waterproofing timepieces, making its first water-resistant case as early as 1937, and introducing its first wristwatches purpose-built for recreational diving in the late 1950s. Unlike many of its predecessors and contemporaries in that fertile era of iconic dive watches - like the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Rolex Submariner (both 1953), and Omega Seamaster Professional (1957) - Longines’s Super Compressor Diver Ref. 7042, launched in 1959 and the most direct ancestor of today’s Legend Diver - did not employ the now-ubiquitous, external, unidirectional rotating bezel for its dive scale. Instead, the watch was designed in the so-called compressor style, also used by brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Enicar, and Universal Genève, whose case design included an inner dive-scale ring, positioned on the dial’s flange and mounted under the crystal, which rotated in both directions, operated by an additional crown at 4 o’clock. The “Super” in Longines’ “Super Compressor”...

Hands On: Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar 270th Anniversary SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual C... Apr 22, 2025

Hands On: Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar 270th Anniversary

Vacheron Constantin is marking its 270th anniversary with the record-setting, most-complicated-watch-ever, the Solaria Ultra Grand Complication. Fortunately, the celebratory line-up also includes the more affordable: one step down in the collection is the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar 270th Anniversary. Less complicated than the Solaria, but still one of the top-of-the-line anniversary offerings, the Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is an entirely new model, rather than an existing model dressed in anniversary livery. The Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar combines the self-winding cal. 2160 with a perpetual calendar mechanism, while both the dial and movement get the 270th anniversary-exclusive treatment. Initial thoughts The Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is a fairly large but thin watch, with a clean, traditional design with tasteful elaboration. Formal on its face, the watch gets more interesting up close with the anniversary decor on the dial and movement. Overall, the look and feel is elegant; essentially the type of watch that Vacheron Constantin (VC) does well. The execution is high quality and typical of an established, industrial-artisanal brand. The tourbillon bridge and cage stand out as being especially finely finished. Notably, the guilloche on the dial is done the traditional way, on a hand-operated straight-line engine – which is necessary for a watch of this price – while on the entry-level anniversary models the same pattern is achieved via stam...

Brunch with H. Moser: the Pioneer Center Seconds Sunny-Side Up Worn & Wound
H. Moser Apr 18, 2025

Brunch with H. Moser: the Pioneer Center Seconds Sunny-Side Up

My favorite version of the H. Moser brand is the one that acts as a gentle troll in the watch community, and puts their idiosyncratic sense of humor on full display. Not every brand can get away with a watch made of cheese, or a watch seemingly made from the disparate parts of so many Swiss Icons. To be fair, some would say that even Moser can’t get away with it – their most provocative watches are their most divisive, and the haters have a loud voice on the internet. And while I have no desire to strap a block of Swiss cheese to my wrist, I enjoy the fact that a high end indie brand is willing to infuse some watch industry commentary into the watches themselves. Moser’s latest piece, the Pioneer Center Seconds Sunny-Side Up, is not likely to be as controversial as some of the brand’s other releases, but it’s hard not to see them edging into satire.  The cost of eggs, of course, has been on everyone’s mind. And the cost of watches, while not as universal a concern, has also been much discussed. So a watch from H. Moser that evokes an egg seems like a release meant to start a conversation. For the record, the retail price of the Sunny-Side Up is $15,900. The retail price of the first Moser Pioneer with a 40mm case introduced in 2023 was $14,200 at launch. A roughly 12% increase in price over a two year period is honestly not the craziest rate in the luxury watch industry. Egg prices? Between March 2023 and March 2025, the cost of a dozen eggs rose around 120% a...

Jacques Bianchi Introduces the JB200 Aquastrike Collection Worn & Wound
Apr 17, 2025

Jacques Bianchi Introduces the JB200 Aquastrike Collection

I don’t know this for a fact, but I imagine it’s a real challenge to be a brand focused on dive watches in 2025. The dive watch is ubiquitous, and transcends the sport of diving. It’s become a shorthand for “sports watch” or “everyday watch” among many (but certainly not all) people who consume watches. And they are so simple, by design. The whole point of them is to be incredibly legible, reliable, and easy to use. Over decades, that’s translated to certain design codes that are just standard across the genre. Big lume filled hour markers, an easy to grip bezel, a robust and sporty case. Once you incorporate these necessities, it’s got to be tough to find ways to insert creativity and brand identity into a finished product. And then, of course, there’s the simple fact that many dive watch customers don’t even want brand identity or creativity in their dive watch, hence the enormous archive or articles on this very site and many others that seek to highlight innumerable watches that all kind of look alike.  This is all a big windup to say that Jacques Bianchi has figured out a way to put their own unique spin on the genre with every release. Their watches have a playfulness and romanticism to them that feels very much their own, whether it’s a fully lumed dial (which, OK, is common enough) or a SCUBA diver motif, there’s a sense of whimsy to their releases that is hard to ignore. Their latest collection, a reintroduction of the JB200 Aquastrike, ...

First Impressions of the Zenith G.F.J. Worn & Wound
Zenith G.F.J Apr 17, 2025

First Impressions of the Zenith G.F.J.

A few months back I was given an opportunity to get a little preview of Zenith’s Watches & Wonders novelties in New York. More and more brands do this every year – it’s a great help to those of us in the media charged with photographing and writing about dozens upon dozens of new releases that all appear in the span of a few hours on an April morning in Geneva. So photographer Garrett Jones and I made our way to meet with our Zenith press contacts in midtown Manhattan, not knowing for sure what we’d see. In short order, the bright blue ceramic “Chronograph Trilogy” anniversary models were unveiled. In discussing the watches I casually mentioned that these would probably be a big hit at Watches & Wonders, and I must have inferred that these three watches would be this year’s halo pieces for the brand. I was quickly corrected, and told that there was something else coming that Zenith was holding back – the first watch in an entirely new collection – that would be a big surprise as we got closer to its release. I didn’t even try to elicit a hint about what it might be – I was happy to be surprised.  Eventually the press release for the new G.F.J. hit my inbox, and I was indeed surprised. While Zenith, as a brand, has always been quite chronometry forward, I had gotten into the habit of thinking of them as a sports watch brand. Yes, the movements are very good, but lots of brands have very good movements. I admit that the yearslong focus on building out ...