22,525 articles · 225 videos found · page 708 of 759
The aviation tool-watch genre. Cartier Santos (1904), the WWII B-Uhr, the French Type 20 flyback, the RAF Mark XI, the Breitling Navitimer.
Louis Cartier built it in 1904 for his aviator friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, who was fed up fumbling for his pocket watch mid-flight. 121 years later the square case with exposed screws is still the sharpest dress-sports piece on the shelf. Here is how it got there.
Deployant
I am quite fascinated by the world of the Grand Seiko. Here is a real atypical watch manufacturer. Hard core to the bone…and yet not manufacturing at the traditional heart of watchmaking in Switzerland. Their superb factory and workshops, especially the Micro Artisans Studio in Shiojiri, where I visited some years ago, make wonderful products.Read More
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The engraving department within A. Lange & Sohne is perhaps rather famous. Every watch produced carries a hand engraved balance cock. These bear the signatures of the engravers, and can be recognised by them with a quick examination. But equally interesting, and arguably perhaps more so, are the engraving and enameling work done for theRead More
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Kari Voutilainen’s simple time only watch…a la Dufour’s Simplicity is the Observertoire. I had the oppportunity to photograph this masterpiece in Motiers in January, after the SIHH when I visited with some good friends. The dial shows great restraint, and looks extremely handsome. The rose engine turned dial is made onsite at Kari’s premises. IRead More
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The Hamilton Watch Company is one with an illustrious history. Founded in Lancaster, Pensylvania in the US in 1892, nearly 120 years ago, it stood right at the forefront of high precision watchmaking. They focussed in those days principally in the production of railroad watches. Pocket watches which often with two timezones though sometimes onlyRead More
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Greubel Forsey is one of the independent watchmakers to watch…they are very innovative, and creates timepieces which are wonderful to the eye…like landscapes…and fully deserve what I call watchscapes…landscapes of watches. Started by two veterans from Renaud et Papi – the firm bears the name of the founders…Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey. Robert is French,Read More
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The watch, in White Gold. Limited to an edition of 20 pieces, this is No 1. A closer look at the front dial The rear of the watch… A Side view of the watch, showing the engraving with Singapore’s lattitude: A closeup of the tourbillon, showing the special design of the tourbillon cage Slide openRead More
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The JLC Triptyque Grand Complication…announced in SIHH 2007. This is a magnificent watch. I recently managed to have the opportunity to photograph this piece at a local dealer’s where it was on its way to being delivered to its owner. One of the more complicated watches made by JLC, the watch is based on theRead More
Deployant
Am a bit tied up preparing for my book…more about this later…and for SIHH 2011, so am lagging a bit on watchscapes…a new word I coined for watch photographs…especially those with extreme macros, making the watch elememts look abstract and like landscapes. To tie the watch fans, here is a photograph of the older RolexRead More
Deployant
Imagine if you will…a designer…talented, no doubt. But who has worked designing cars, and electric guitars. Imagine that this same designer took his thoughts on a watch, discarding all the normal ideas on watch design…like having hands, like the way you show time. Imagine if he was unlimited by traditional watchmaking…and the movement is mechanical,Read More
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The Lange Annual Calendar…the first Lange watch to bear this complication is shown below: The annual calendar offers a lower cost alternative to the perpetual calendar…and also a cleaner, easier to read dial layout. Very handsome watch, clean dial layout, very legible. Movement again in characteristic Lange finish. The annual calendar movement is under theRead More
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Vianney Halter is an exceptional watchmaker. Supremely creative in his approach. His first watch to be unveilled to the world is a result of a collaboration with Jeff Barnes. The legend goes that Jeff and Vianney were having a drink, when the latter challenged the former, who is an industrial designer, to design a watchRead More
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The Urwerk White Shark…limited Edition in 12 pieces, especially for The Hour Glass and Chronopassion. A closer look at the time indication mechanism. The red numeral is also the limited edition number…12 examples, so allows each watch to be individualised with its limited edition number in red on the hour indicator. Nice touch. A closerRead More
Deployant
The newest member of the Lange 1 family is the automatic Daymatic. Lange used this as the teaser for SIHH10, and indeed in this forum, Edwin has posted the press releases of the watch. Here in full glory: At first glance looks like the regular Lange 1. But its almost a mirror image of theRead More
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Watchscape of the Patek Philippe Ref. 5101 Tourbillon in a rectangular case with form movement in platinum. A gem of a rare watch.
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Interesting dive watch…big, bold, beautiful: the Richard Mille RM28
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This is the iconic watch of the century…created by grand master watchmaker Philippe Dufour…after many years of only making super complicated watches…his portfolio before the Simplicity was the world premiere of a Grand et Petite Sonnerie on a wristwatch, and the world premiere of a wristwatch featuring dual, escapements to a single train known asRead More
Deployant
Very interesting watch by JLC. Dual train, one running a constantly running foudroyante hand…furiously spinning in 1.6s steps at the rate of 1 revolution per second…mesmerising to watch. Here are our watchscape photographs of the Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire. As usual, images will open up 1920 pixels wide as wallpapers when you click on them.Read More
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The MB&F;’s latest creation the Horological Machine No. 4 is an imposing watch…quite large, though it sits well on the wrist. MB&F; HM4 Thunderbolt Made from titanium and sapphire crystal, the watch is a rather interesting piece of sculpture…reminiscent of a rocket ship or a jet engine. Two engine like scuptures, I guess that isRead More
Worn & Wound
Porsche x La Marzocco 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Collection It’s well established that I’m not a car guy. And it’s also well established that I have the palate of my Midwestern forebears, meaning gas station coffee is just fine by me, thank you very much. But when it comes to design, I’m a bit of a snob, looking to both Porsche and La Marzocco as the pinnacles of who I’d want to be, had life and a trust fund turned out differently for me. Put those two together and – mein Gott – all I can say is mamma mia. The two brands are teaming up for a second time, this time taking inspiration from the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7. The centerpiece is a limited-edition version of La Marzocco’s Linea Micra espresso machine, available in historic Porsche color combinations including Grand Prix White and Green and Tangerine and Black. Carrera RS lettering, the historic Porsche logo and a cup rail shaped after the car’s famous ducktail spoiler carry the reference through the machine. There’s also a matching Pico grinder, along with a smaller collection of coffee accessories and apparel in the same RS 2.7 colors. The collection is available now through Porsche’s online store with prices ranging from $59 to, ahem, $7, 911. Major Changes Could Be Coming to Zenith Not very often in this little space of mine do I get to write about hard-hitting watch industry news, but a report from Revolution caught my eye this week. According to reporting cited by Revolution from Le Temps and Bus...
Teddy Baldassarre Videos
In this video, Teddy curates a list of watches at different price tiers for a variety of wardrobe styles. Check out the full video to see which style fits you best, and let us know in the comments which watch you’d choose for your own personal wardrobe!
Worn & Wound
What is a microbrand? I think about this a lot, never more than in the days and weeks after a Windup, and particularly the days and weeks following the New York City version of our fair, which is the largest and most diverse in terms of the types of brands represented. We often hear people describe Windup as “the microbrand show” or something similar. Not in a pejorative way, necessarily, but as a way to distinguish it from an event like WatchTime (which is more focused on traditional luxury brands) or IndiesNYC (which, yup, is focused on “indies,” another hard to define term when you step back and actually try). I don’t have an answer for what a “microbrand” actually is. Defining it gets more complicated when you consider all of the other small niches that pop up in the space. Terms like “micro-indie” and “challenger brand” have been thrown around a lot in the last few years, seemingly as an attempt to subvert a negative connotation with the microbrand moniker. But these terms have their own issues. Micro-indie implies, at least in how this publication has used it, that an element of the watch has some handmade craft or traditional watchmaking techniques behind it, but maybe uses a shortcut (like a case made in China, or an off-the-shelf movement) to save money. Not all brands and makers want to be seen as making compromises, even though essentially everyone short of, I dunno, Roger W. Smith and Philippe Dufour are making something about the proc...
Hodinkee
What We Know Early this year, SJX and Habring released their second collaboration with Habring² for the Chrono-Felix Medicus, which seemed to be an overwhelming success with two variations. Now they're throwing things back to their first release, the Erwin "Star," with a new, more complicated base model. The new Habring² and SJX Watches Chrono Felix Perpetual "Star" uses a relatively new (for Habring) movement design of a monopusher chronograph and a Dubois-Depraz perpetual calendar module to make a watch that's still a great value for how complicated it is. The watch is very obviously inspired by vintage "Galaxy" style watches, like the famous Rolex Stelline dials that fetch incredible prices. The watch uses a black glossy lacquer dial with matte black subdials (with a concentric snailed finish). The dial features eight applied gold-plated star indices, matching hands, and even a gold-plated moonphase to match the entire design. Various other indices (especially for the calendar) are also printed in gold. The case is made in stainless steel, 38.5mm by 13mm, with a mix of brushing and polishing. The triple-stepped bezel helps mask the calendar module while housing the adjustment pushers along the edge. The manually wound movement runs at 4Hz and offers a 48-hour power reserve. The base is that Habring² A11 chronograph base, visible through a display caseback. The finishing of the levers (straight graining on the top and polishing on the bevels) was done in Germany by th...
Hodinkee
What We Know Happy birthday, A. Lange & Söhne. It’s October 24th, which marks another anniversary since the name was revived in Glashütte watchmaking in 1994. For the past few years, the brand has often used this milestone day to release a heavy hitter or two—the 30th-anniversary Lange 1s and the second-generation Zeitwerk come to mind. Today, Lange is dropping something absolutely nuts—a 50-piece limited edition of the Datograph Perpetual in platinum, with a diamond-baguette-adorned dial and a platinum bracelet. Yes, that’s right. Odysseus aside, this is A. Lange & Söhne's first commercially available watch with a bracelet since the long-gone Wellendorf days. And boy, is it a doozy. The dial retains the familiar layout seen in past iterations of the Datograph Perpetual, with the oversized date window at twelve o’clock, the two offset subdials below, and a moonphase at six o’clock. The subdials, which convey both information for the chronograph and the calendar complications, feature two small interruptions (subdials on top of subdials, basically) by way of a day/night indicator and the perpetual calendar’s leap year pointer. Aside from those two elements, the month, day of the week, running seconds, and thirty-minute counter are all contained within these two areas. What immediately stands out (and even more so in person) is a big twist that feels quite different from typical Lange—baguette-cut diamonds are used in place of baton indices for the hou...
Hodinkee
We're back in the saddle again, riding the bucking bronco that is the auction market. But as a salve to the wounds of the usual suspects of whatever the market is hyped on these days, today we're looking at the Monaco Legend Auction catalog, which takes place October 31 and November 1 in—you guessed it—Monaco. I won't be there this time (though I am hoping to return in the future), but here's my view from afar. I haven't seen any watches in person, so I won't go into depth on quality—do your own research—but hopefully this gives you a jumping-off point. The Top Lots Lot 50, Rolex ref. 6062, with an estimate of €1,000,000 to €2,000,000 As I like to do, I feel like I have to acknowledge some of the top lots. The auction feels more like a return to Monaco Legend's older catalog, where much of it is super rare, but it's not the loud, flashy stuff you'd find elsewhere. But to have your top watch be a very, very clean Rolex ref. 6062 in steel, carrying an estimate of €1,000,000 to €2,000,000, is a massive flex. The watch comes from the collection of Auro Montanari and, frankly, the estimate may be a bit conservative. Watches like this, especially in this condition, are rare, and the buyer pool is also thin. The watch could go for triple the low estimate without surprising me, as long as the right buyers don't already have one. Lot 208, Audemars Piguet Triple Calendar Moon Phase, estimate € 200,000 – 400,000. Lot 181, Patek Philippe ref. 3974, estimate € ...
Hodinkee
Throughout history, there are countless examples of the inherent and primal human desire to explore the unknown. This wanderlust is more than the urge to chart a course to new destinations. It's the instinct to break free from the ordinary, leave the noise behind, and chase what lies beyond. Driven by these aspirations, we've built timepieces ready for wherever adventure calls. It's these same principles that have anchored watchmakers and their designs, which have long served as loyal companions to adventurers on their journeys. Gallet is one such brand with two centuries of history tied to adventure within aviation, motorsport, and yachting. On the monumental year of its 200th anniversary, the brand is in a modern renaissance with new collections manufactured by Breitling that are rooted in this lineage while considering the needs of today's voyagers. These adaptable designs feature interchangeable quick-release straps that allow the watches to evolve with every environment and expedition. We sat down with Gallet Managing Director Erwan Rossignol to discuss the brand's re-emergence amidst its historic anniversary. Hodinkee When you're reintroducing 200 years of history, how do you decide which pieces come back and which stay in the archive? ERWAN It's about finding the right balance between honoring the heritage and staying relevant. We never wanted to become a museum brand. We went into the archives and identified the iconic names: the Flying Officer, the Clamshell, the ...
Hodinkee
There's no such thing as overdoing the celebration of the impact of George Daniels on the horological landscape, especially in the year that marks the 100th anniversary of his birth. Coinciding with the opening of IAMWATCH in Singapore, a celebration of the modern independent watchmaking scene, a scene that would likely not exist if not for Daniels—Phillips and The Hour Glass are exhibiting 22 of his watches. That list, which hasn't fully been made public, includes—for the first time—reuniting the Space Traveller I and Daniels' personal Space Traveller II. Photo courtesy Phillips and The Hour Glass. The fact that there will be twenty-two of Daniels' watches in one place is even more remarkable considering that, during his lifetime, Daniels alone made only twenty-four pocket watches and two wristwatches (the Spring Case Tourbillon and the Four-Minute Tourbillon) before the Millennium and Anniversary done with Roger W. Smith (not accounting for some other pieces that were made by Smith under Daniels' direction). For acolytes of Daniels, lovers of horology, and people who appreciate once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, the exhibition in Singapore is something you can't miss. Luckily, you'll have at least two chances to see the exhibition. Photo courtesy the George Daniels Educational Trust. For even more context, the Space Traveller and Space Traveller II are particularly important watches in the annals of watchmaking history. Both were made in 1982; the first was made and...
SJX Watches
Urwerk’s latest interpretation of the wandering hours complication ventures beyond classical physics with the UR-300 Time Quantum, which debuts a cleverly constructed jumping display inspired by quantum mechanics. Housed in a sleek new titanium case with a choice of finishes, the UR-300 is almost as cutting-edge on the inside as its futuristic design makes it out to be, with LIGA-formed levers and wheels that catapult the display forwards in the blink of an eye. Initial thoughts According to Urwerk, the design of the UR-300 was inspired by the property of quantum entanglement, which informed the functional design of the new jumping wandering hours module. This explains why when one of the two “atoms” responsible for the hours flips, so does the other. I got a preview of the prototype movement earlier this year and was immediately taken by the new display and the elegance of its mechanism, which takes a familiar look and adds a surprising, jumping twist. The final design of the space ship-like case suits the concept, making it immediately recognisable as an Urwerk. Ultimately, the unique selling proposition of this watch is aesthetic, but it’s an aesthetic that only works thanks to clever engineering. That said, the roughly US$200,000 asking price is steep by the standards of high-end wandering hours complications, whether from Urwerk or larger brands like Audemars Piguet that, admittedly, have vastly different economies of scale. But no brand does futurism quite li...
SJX Watches
Yesterday Marteau & Co kicked off its fourth sale, The Encore, comprising primarily pièce unique watches from independent watchmakers, which is the founding theme of the online-only auctioneer. Beyond its focus on indies, the auctioneer sets itself apart with its “maker’s fee”, which rewards the maker of the timepiece with 3% of the hammer price for each watch sold Conceived to allow watchmakers to reap the rewards when their products appreciate, this fee is also known as the artist’s resale right, or droit de suite, a concept that’s been codified into law across Europe for fine art. Marteau & Co’s approach is the first instance of its application in watchmaking, and seems successful so far. Lot 9 – Yosuke Sekiguchi Primevere “Interprétation du Japon” pièce unique Yosuke Sekiguchi is Swiss independent watchmaker, born in Japan and trained in France, who cut his teeth at La Joux-Perret and Christophe Claret before pivoting to restoration work in 2016. Around that time he transformed an orphaned Jules Jürgensen pocket watch movement dating to 1871, casing it into a wristwatch, which inspired the Primevère. We covered the prototype of this watch in depth when it debuted in 2021, and shot another (this time in rose gold with a black enamel) earlier this year, but this stainless steel confirmation with a red enamel sub-dial – a look inspired by the Japanese flag – is perhaps the best looking configuration we’ve seen. Beyond its striking looks, this...
Monochrome
Retrograde complications, in which a hand sweeps across an arc or sector and snaps back to zero, are prized for their theatrical jumping display. While retrograde displays have been around for centuries and were popularised by watchmakers like Lépine and Breguet, a surprisingly wide range of brands still feature them today. H. Moser & Cie.’s Pioneer […]
Hodinkee
The fall auction season is already upon us. Or, I guess you could say, it's been here since the strong showing by Sotheby's in Hong Kong—though that technically ended right before the official start of fall. The Cartier Cheich in white gold (which traded hands among dealers and collectors for a few years at far less than that) sold for $3.4 million, setting a record as the most expensive Cartier and most expensive quartz watch ever sold. Weeks later, if you asked me what this means for the market, I'd probably stare at you blankly. Ben would probably do the same, as he's said on the site that it's just hard to make sense of prices both at retail and at auction anymore. Let's chat about that all first. What The Heck Is Going On With The Market? As we head into the bulk of the auctions, I currently feel far less confident telling you where prices will land. I think most prognosticators—myself included—would say that we have to be nearing the height of the bubble for F.P. Journe and A. Lange & Söhne. But then again, over breakfast the other day, a friend asked if I knew someone who'd want a very historically important watch from a more traditional brand that went underpriced nearly 10 years ago and now was available for double that—into the seven figures. Some things (like that very vague story, probably) make sense; some can leave you scratching your head. European Watch Co. has this Tourbillon Pour le Mérite listed for $1,100,000 right now. There was an interestin...
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