3,618 articles · 15 videos found · page 73 of 122
Monochrome
Independent watchmaking is the very fabric of MONOCHROME, the stuff that gets us excited the most, our literal raison d’etre. It’s been part of our DNA since the start of our platform, and naturally, we continue to advocate our love and bring you the best of the very best from Indie brands the world over. […]
Worn & Wound
I had the opportunity to meet Zakir Miah, the founder of Chicago-based Haim Watch Co., at a timepiece-related event in Canada this past September. Before that, I had only admired his watches online, and I was especially drawn to the L2 Chronograph, which features a pink gold dial with blued hands and numerals. Zakir was gracious and patient enough to walk me through his entire lineup despite the line of people waiting to chat with him. It took nearly all my willpower to walk away without purchasing one. One of their most popular collections is the Legacy Automatic, a custom-built timepiece designed to order. This model marks several milestones for the brand, including its first custom-designed HWC-1 automatic movement based on ETA architecture assembled in the United States. Each watch is crafted specifically for the buyer. The Legacy Automatic has a hand-finished titanium TA2 (commercially pure grade 2) case with a coin-edge bezel and exhibition case back. Today, Haim is launching a new limited edition Legacy to celebrate their second collaboration with WatchesArabized x OPTO WATCH CO. This edition, named the Arabized (Al-Nimer), which translates to “The Tiger,” will feature a dial made of Tiger’s Eye stone. Tiger’s Eye is a chatoyant gemstone, typically classified as a metamorphic rock, recognized for its golden to red-brown color and silky luster. As part of the quartz group, its distinctive appearance is created through the intergrowth of quartz crystals and al...
SJX Watches
As we look back on the year, we take pride in the stories we’ve shared and extend our sincere appreciation to all our readers for their support. As 2024 draws to a close, we revisit some of our standout features, spanning in-depth explorations of complex movements, historical perspectives on timekeeping, and comprehensive reviews of the latest watch releases. Our founder SJX looked at some of the most significant watches to emerge in 2024, including the record-setting F.P. Journe Tourbillon à Remontoir d’Égalité “15/93” prototype, and the fascinating Patek Philippe ref. 767 grand complication with double split-chronographs (which means triple elapsed time measurement) that was acquired by none other than the Patek Philippe Museum. Together with David Ichim, he also co-authored a series of stories explaining notable Rolex innovations, including the brand’s most complicated watch, the Sky-Dweller; the instantaneous Day-Date; and the Deepsea with its unparalleled pressure resistance. Based in Seattle, Brandon Moore nonetheless travelled to Geneva, where he visited the Vacheron Constantin manufacture in Geneva suburb Plan-les-Ouates and the Akrivia workshops in the city’s historic Old Town. Brandon also managed to visit the Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts exhibition at the brand’s Geneva Salon, resulting in his photoessay. And in between all that, he pondered the last two decades of the perpetual calendar’s evolution, a span that has arguably given birth to s...
Worn & Wound
I have a confession: I previously dismissed Orion for the wrong reasons. As an avid collector of microbrands, somewhere along the way I subconsciously created an arbitrary value scale based solely on movements. Collecting primarily in the sub $500 range, most watches that have passed through my watchbox have been powered by Seiko NH movements- the long reigning king of budget friendly 3rd party workhouse movements. On the occasions that I crossed that $500 threshold, I’ve been conditioned to expect a Miyota 9000 series, slightly more expensive, and considered an upgrade largely thanks to an extra two beats per second and the resulting sweeping second hand. Truth be told, I could care less about beat rates, but owning something deemed more premium is hard to pass up. It’s this human desire for the seemingly better thing that led me to shy away from Miyota powered watches over $700. Afterall, having $700 to drop on a microbrand opens up the option to own a watch powered by a Sellita SW200, a Swiss movement synonymous with luxury. Of course, this is a deeply flawed way to collect watches and judge value. And, (spoiler alert) a guaranteed way to miss out on value-packed brands that don’t blow their entire budget on a movement. After spending time with Orion’s Miyota 9039 powered Sylph collection, which hovers just over $700 like much of their catalog, I’ve gained a new appreciation for brands that prioritize finishing and design over being the best bargain by spec sh...
Worn & Wound
At the end of last year, we made “resolutions,” and while I forgot we had done that until writing this post, I stayed pretty true to what I had said. I wanted to consolidate, focus, and potentially go big on a watch for my 40th birthday. I had to do the first to make the last part come true, and the second just kind of happened naturally. My tastes have changed quite a bit over the last two years, perhaps starting with the Bel Canto (shameless review plug). As such, I find myself drawn to a specific type of indie watch more and more, and frankly, I find most releases from large brands kind of boring. While that might be more of a “it’s not you, it’s me” kind of thing, I don’t see it changing anytime soon. But, back to my birthday, turning 40 was something I ignored until it was upon me. I’m not a big birthday celebration guy, but 40 felt different; it’s a bit of a terrifying number, thus it needed to be marked meaningfully. And, well, I can’t turn down a good opportunity to horologically spoil myself. However, to go big, I had to let several things go. While I’ll avoid the details, all said and done, I sold six watches and traded one, though in fairness, not all before making my purchase (you know how it is). I went down a rabbit hole of options, obsessing, as I tend to do, to such an extent that I even dreamed about scrolling Chrono24. Custom pieces, indies, vintage, big Swiss, maybe nothing; I pondered them all, even creating renders of potential be...
Fratello
Mühle Glashütte is a German watch brand with a deep fan base. The company is known for its robust and affordable watches. While the original brand began in 1869, the modern incarnation was resurrected in 1994. Today, we’ll highlight the sixth generation of the family now working with the company. We’ll also mention the final […] Visit Mühle Glashütte Celebrates 30 Years With The Teutonia IV Big Date Edition 1994 to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
I’ve become a pretty big fan of De Rijke & Co. over the past few years, and am glad to see them experiencing so much success recently (I’m basing this on their booth at the New York City Windup Watch Fair being mobbed to the point that I couldn’t find room to introduce myself to brand founder Laurens de Rijke until the last day of the show). If I’m being honest, though, I’ve been a bit mystified by the whole Miffy thing. The Miffy Moonphase watches have become something of a viral sensation for De Rijke, but I’ve always assumed the limited editions were snatched up by an international audience with more Miffy familiarity than the typical American watch consumer. But earlier this year, traveling back from Geneva Watch Days, I had a connection in Amsterdam, and waiting at the gate I noticed an American family (the Boston accents gave it away) with two young children and several shopping bags full of Miffy memorabilia purchased, I assume, somewhere in Schiphol Airport. It dawned on me then that the Dutch cartoon was not some closely held regional secret – it was just I’m, as usual, painfully out of touch. Today, De Rijke launches a pair of new Miffy Moonphases with green dials that follow the format of their previous releases closely. This, according to De Rijke, is the final Miffy Moonphase release in a steel case, and it consists of both a single and double moonphase, each in an edition of 50. The double moonphase watches have been particular favorites sin...
Monochrome
Now that we’re in countdown mode for the holiday season, here’s a watch for those with a passion for pilot-themed action-packed watches lucky enough to be wintering in Zermatt. Hamilton’s Khaki Aviation collection, where you’ll find vintage-inspired pilot’s watches and state-of-the-art flight instruments, is home to the X-Wind Auto Chrono, an impressive tool watch bristling […]
Fratello
Let me give you a little look behind the scenes at Fratello. Usually, we have watches in the office for a relatively short time. That can be from a few days to a couple of weeks. But rarely do we have the chance to try out a watch for a longer period. I had that […] Visit Hands-On With The Brilliant Nodus Contrail GMT Terra to read the full article.
Monochrome
Following a drastic change of strategy in recent years, Louis Vuitton‘s watchmaking division is being primed to become a serious player. As part of the new strategy, Arnault has taken the flagship Tambour watch, launched in 2002, and revisited it as a luxury sports watch, while the Louis Vuitton Escale was reintroduced as a time-only […]
Monochrome
It has become a pretty recurring thing for Omega to release new models, or at least new editions of existing watches, with very little or no fanfare. While this has happened in the Planet Ocean and Speedmaster collections, it’s mostly the Aqua Terra family that sees these discreet releases dropping regularly. Following the addition of […]
Worn & Wound
On a new release calendar that’s full of limited edition collaborations that don’t always make a ton of logical sense, it’s refreshing to see one come across our desks that feels like a genuine meeting of the minds. Oak & Oscar is a longtime fixture in the micro/independent brand space, and at this point it’s fair to say that they’ve carved out a pretty recognizable niche for themselves. When you think of Oak & Oscar, you probably immediately think of the brand’s midwest roots, a love of the outdoors, and, of course, bourbon. Their latest release, a 50 piece limited collaboration with the St. Louis County Rescue Squad, combines at least two of these ideas, and the result is a handsome, sporty GMT that first right in Oak & Oscar’s wheelhouse. For context, the St. Louis County Rescue Squad is made up of volunteers who provide lifesaving services to outdoor enthusiasts visiting northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). As Oak & Oscar explains, the BWCA is an “outdoor-lover’s dream,” featuring hiking trails, camping, canoeing, and more. Oak & Oscar became a member of the Boundary Waters Business Coalition in 2021, a sign of their commitment to the preservation of the BWCA. To that end, the new Humboldt GMT SAR Edition serves as a reminder of that commitment, as well as a means to help fund the efforts of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad (a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these watches will be donated to the Squad). This new lim...
SJX Watches
To mark founder Michel Parmigiani’s 74th birthday, Parmigiani Fleurier created the L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse, a minute repeater without a tangible time indication on the face. Instead, the enamelled, guilloché dial on the front is purely decorative, with the repeater to tell the time on the wrist. But there is the time on the back of the watch thanks to a pair of discreet, peripheral hands. Initial thoughts Among the many complications, the minute repeater is one of my favourites. The beauty of a minute repeater lies in its acoustic time indication, which makes hands redundant in some ways. The L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse takes this concept to its logical conclusion in a gorgeously executed manner. The elaborate dial and case, however, result in the watch being very large, big enough that it loses some of the refinement and details present in a smaller case. Several notable artisans contributed to the watch, including Vanessa Lecci for the enamelling. The movement was supplied by Renaud & Papi, which is a fine, high-end movement but it’s a bit of a shame that Parmigiani didn’t utilise one of its in-house repeater calibres. A fascinating complication Like many historical Parmigiani models, the styling of the L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse is inspired by Ancient Greece. The fluted case middle is modelled on Doric columns, while the engine turning on the dial and the back are inspired by the Fibonacci sequence. It’s a large watch, w...
Fratello
Straum’s recent release of the Micro-Adjust Clasp for its bracelets is a godsend. It’s the accessory I knew I needed but perhaps not quite how much. As a proud owner of a Jan Mayen Fratello Limited Edition, I was excited to see how this upgrade would enhance the watch’s overall experience. Spoiler alert: it does […] Visit Hands-On With Straum’s New Micro-Adjust Clasp For The Jan Mayen Integrated Bracelet to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
1974. The year that launched Skylab 4, The Godfather Part II, and the very first Casio digital watch. Fifty years later, Casio has relaunched the Casiotron for the modern era. With updated sizing, a sleek black and gold color scheme, and a vintage Casiotron logo at 6:00, it’s a bold statement with retro styling to match. The Casio solar quartz 3542 module packs in all the features enthusiasts have come to expect from the brand, a whole suite of features including an alarm, automatic calendar, and world time zone tracker. As always, the Windup Watch Team is available via consultation to answer any questions you have. In addition, all of these products are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US. 1974. The year that launched Skylab 4, The Godfather Part II, and the very first Casio digital watch. Fifty years later, Casio has relaunched the Casiotron for the modern era. With updated sizing, a sleek black and gold color scheme, and a vintage Casiotron logo at 6:00, it’s a bold statement with retro styling to match. The Casio solar quartz 3542 module packs in all the features enthusiasts have come to expect from the brand, a whole suite of features including an alarm, automatic calendar, and world time zone tracker. As always, the Windup Watch Team is available via consultation to answer any questions you have. In addition, all of these products are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US. The post Just A Minute With The Casio Casiotron All Black appeare...
Fratello
Last week, we organized an evening with Breitling at the brand’s impressive boutique in our hometown of The Hague, Netherlands. We invited a fairly large group of Fratelli to look at the current Breitling collection. But Fred Mandelbaum, our special guest, was also there, and he brought part of his extensive vintage Breitling collection. So […] Visit Event Report: Celebrating Breitling’s 140th Anniversary At The Brand’s Boutique In The Hague to read the full article.
Fratello
Mühle Glashütte is known for its sporty and reliable timepieces. For 2024, the brand has big news with a brand-new line of watches. The Sportivo collection consists of three models made for sports, the office, and everywhere else. We’ll provide a brief overview of each release. The Mühle Glashütte Sportivo line includes a chronograph, GMT, […] Visit Mühle Glashütte Introduces The New Sportivo Line to read the full article.
Between the office holiday party, family get-togethers, and galavanting around town-’tis the season for leveling up your go-to timepiece for special occasions and cold weather layering. There are only so many options out there when it comes to a COSC-certified chronograph with a sweet selection of both case materials and colors. The Longines Spirit Flyback collection, with its wildly useful quick reset chrono functionality, is the perfect companion to ensure you won’t be late to any of those special events or last minute holiday sales. We managed to get our hands on three different variants and styled them for the season. The post Lookbook: Get into the Holiday Spirit with the Longines Spirit Flyback appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Fratello
In a move that should delight customers, IWC now offers a customization program for the Portugieser Chronograph. Buyers can visit a participating IWC boutique and configure a bespoke model, which can be delivered in just three weeks. Plus, new dial colors are available as part of the program. It’s nice to see a large brand […] Visit Now In IWC Boutiques: Portugieser Chronograph Customization to read the full article.
Fratello
The Sinn 717 debuted in 2021 and has won at least two major German design awards. It’s a large and legible chronograph with looks inspired by the NaBo 17 cockpit clocks from the legendary Tornado jet fighter. We’ll look at the 717 again and shed light on an interesting NaBo 17-related story that surfaced. My […] Visit Hands-On With The Cockpit-Clock-Inspired Sinn 717 to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Today, Americans sit down at their Thanksgiving table with their friends and family, and consider all that they’re thankful for. Good health, a warm home, great company, and a delicious meal will top many lists, as they should. But if you’ll allow a quick thought experiment (really, all of this is just one big thought experiment, if you think about it) and narrow the focus of thanks to the watch world, I’d have to say that the singular event of the last few years that I’m most thankful for is whatever transpired during the first meeting between the team at Louis Erard and watchmaker Vianny Halter. It led to a collaboration that launched a thousand other collaborations (slight exaggeration, but maybe not), and brought an affordable indie brand and a Capital I Independent watchmaking legend together in a genuinely interesting way. There’s a compelling case to be made that the first Louis Erard x Vianney Halter collaboration was the seed of many similar LEs to come, from Louis Erard and other brands, so it makes sense that just like that first collab, their second drops on Thanksgiving weekend, bringing one of the most interesting stories in contemporary watches full circle. While the first collaboration with Halter felt like one of his watches in spirit, the new Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter II takes steps to make the physical object feel more like a watch that could have come out of Halter’s workshop. Using Halter’s iconic Antiqua as inspiratio...
Worn & Wound
In late October/early November, I started seeing various “rumor mill” sites teasing some new cameras from Sony. While my initial hope was for something in the Alpha 7 line, it was quickly determined that Sony was updating the A1, their sports/action camera line. This new camera has been dubbed the A1 II, although I’ll frequently refer to it as “Mark 2” to avoid any confusion when comparing models and specs. One of the best ways I’ve found to describe this camera is that it updates the A1 with features from other flagship models, which should position this camera as the “go to” professional camera for both photo and video, if you’re in the market for such a camera. One of the newest features, a first for the Alpha line of cameras, is a “dynamic subject recognition” which allows it to switch between various modes, without any intervention from the photographer. Additionally, the new mark 2 features impressive in-body image stabilization, offering 8.5 stops for the center of the frame. Among the list of features that have carried over, the mark 2 has the newest AI chip which boosts auto focus capabilities (30% improvement in eye detection for animals and humans and a 50% boost in bird eye detection), 30 frames per second image capture, and a 50 MP sensor. It’s my understanding that Sony has targeted wildlife and action photographers with the A1 line, and this mark 2 should suit the needs of these photographers with ease. Just as every watch needs a str...
Worn & Wound
Editor’s Note: Today, the final installment of The Greatest Horological Inventions of All Time. Here, Andrew Canter examines the story behind the co-axial escapement, invented by George Daniels, industrialized by Omega, and now considered one of the great watchmaking innovations of all time. You can find more of Andrew’s work at the Mr. Watchmaster website here. George Daniels (1926 – 2011) was raised in London in poverty. Aged five, he pried open his family’s alarm clock and realised that it was a metaphor for his life – always moving inexorably onwards, but without outside assistance. He was determined to learn horology, despite his parents’ opposition. He was conscripted into military service in 1944 which unleashed his innate mechanical skills, and following the end of the war, he studied horology, while repairing watches in North London. He gained access to the work of the greatest watchmakers, particularly Abraham-Louis Breguet, through a meeting with a collector, and when it seemed that quartz technology would overwhelm traditional watchmaking, Daniels ensured this would not come to fruition. He made a series of increasingly ingenious mechanical watches, heavily influenced by Breguet, teaching himself to make every part, now referred to as the ‘Daniels Method’. Essentially, he devised a virtually oil-free escapement – the now iconic co-axial escapement – which was later mass-produced by Omega. It was anything but an easy journey, but George D...
Fratello
Recent auctions in Geneva concluded with a relative bang. Eye-watering results occurred for some truly rare pieces. For many watches, though, the sales were solid but not awe-inspiring. I’ll kick off today’s article with my thoughts on the market, and then we’ll look at several lots. My colleague Lex recently penned an article about the […] Visit The November 2024 Geneva Auctions Retrospective - Highlights to read the full article.
WatchAdvice
As A. Lange & Söhne celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic Lange 1, we thought we’d join the party, and what better way to help celebrate than to take the Lange 1 Time Zone out and about? What We Love The asymmetrical dial Ease of legibility of 2 time zones The impeccable finishing all over the watch What We Don’t The date window with no 0 in front of 1 through 9 It is probably not an everyday watch for many people Like most world time watches, it doesn’t take into account daylight savings automatically Overall Score: 9 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9.5/10 2024 has been a celebratory year for A. Lange & Söhne. The Saxony brand has celebrated two birthdays this year, the first being the 25th Anniversary of the Datograph, which was showcased at Watches & Wonders this year with the stunning Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen and the Datograph Up/Down, but the second, and maybe the most important was the 30th Anniversary of the Lange 1, the first modern watch the brand created after being brought back to life. RELATED READING: Happy 30th Birthday to A. Lange & Söhne’s Lange 1! So, it is safe to say that the Lange 1 is a special piece when it comes to A. Lange & Söhne, and when we interviewed A. Lange & Söhne’s Asia Pacific Managing Director, Nicolas Gong, a couple of months ago, he had this to say about the Lange 1, and I think he summed it up perfectly: “It’s the first watch that we launched...
Worn & Wound
Earlier this month, Managing Editor Zach Kazan shared his thoughts on “Watches We Don’t Wear.” We thought this represented a good opportunity to get our staff and Worn & Wound contributors together to find out what watches are just kind of sitting in their own watch boxes, and why. Find those stories below, and let us know in the comments if you have a watch you don’t wear, but just can’t bring yourself to part with. Devin Pennypacker Did you know that you can order a pack of clear acrylic watch stands on Amazon for less than $15? Well, now you do. This year, I finally decided to do something with the pair of watches that paradoxically I will not wear and yet will never get rid of. Near and dear to my heart, these two watches spring from different eras of my watch enthusiasm and, of course, my preference for collecting. The first is a black-on-black Nixon Time Teller fitted with a rubberized genuine faux leather strap. Dead long ago, the blacked-out seconds hand sits idle which would typically bother me but for the fact that it is backdropped by black hands and a black dial making legibility all but impossible. It was never practical, but boy did I feel cool wearing it. Stemming from my angsty youth and fascination with action sports, I would frequently stop into my local skate shop to try on visually loud Nike SB Dunks, flip through the clothing racks of black hoodies and cargo pants, and of course, oggle the well-lit Nixon display case. So, when I got my ...
Fratello
Today, we’ll go hands-on with the new Piaget Polo Skeleton Ceramic. This is a modern-looking take on the brand’s entry into the sports-dress category. As we’ll see, the lack of an integrated bracelet and textured dial helps provide this watch with an identity of its own. The current Piaget Polo lineup features many models, including […] Visit Hands-On With The Piaget Polo Skeleton Ceramic to read the full article.
Fratello
This weekend, Max Verstappen will vie for victory in the Formula 1 World Championship in Las Vegas. The Dutchman won his first F1 title in 2021 and could now win his fourth consecutive title to become the sixth driver to achieve that milestone. As most of you know, TAG Heuer is a proud partner of […] Visit Hands-On With The Latest Vibrant TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Last night, we saw our London Discovery Studio transformed into a pizza parlor for what would prove to be a pizza party to remember.The post Our Studio Underd0g Pizza Unique sold for a record-breaking amount! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
The fabled Breguet no. 160 “Marie Antoinette” (pictured above, image credit Baruch Coutts) was reputedly made for the last queen of France, but was so complicated that it took decades to complete, by which time the queen was long dead. Stolen in 1983 and then recovered in 2007, the legendary watch started by Abraham-Louis Breguet will be on display for the first time outside of the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art In Jerusalem since its recovery. From December 12, the Breguet “Marie Antoinette” will be on show at the Science Museum in London (which is also home to important George Daniels creations, including the unfinished watch and the Space Traveller II). The Breguet Marie Antoinette is part of Versailles: Science and Splendour, an exhibition dedicated to the scientific and technology discoveries related to the French royal court in the 17th and 18th centuries. The exhibition explores a 120-year span of scientific progress at Versailles, illustrating the scientific endeavours accomplished during the reigns of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. The mythical watch While the exhibition will include over 100 exhibits, watch enthusiasts will know the highlight is Breguet no. 160, the grand complication commissioned in 1783, by Marie Antoinette’s lover according to legend, hence its longstanding nickname. A no-expense-spared commission, watch no. 160 was only completed in 1827, having been delayed by A.-L. Breguet’s exile during the French Revolution. By the t...
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