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Reference · Guide
All Rolex Explorer & Explorer II References Rolex

Every Rolex Explorer (1953-) and Explorer II (1971-): 6098, 1016, 14270, 124270; 1655, 16550 Polar, 226570.

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Worn & Wound
Fortis Marinemaster M-40 Across Europe’s Jun 30, 2025

Tool/Kit: Niklas Marc Heinecke Takes the Fortis Marinemaster M-40 Across Europe’s Largest Glacier

For this latest edition of Tool/Kit we’re recounting the experience of explorer and photographer, Niklas Marc Heinecke, as he traversed the glacier at Vatnajökull, Iceland. With him is a small troop of scientists and the Fortis Marinemaster M-40, together making the trek… “for the sake of knowledge.” We’re honored to share his story. Vatnajökull, Iceland. At 5:00 a.m., somewhere in the heart of Europe’s largest glacier, I peel my hand from the warmth of a down sleeping bag to check my tool watch. The Fortis Marinemaster M-40 ticks relentlessly, a constant in a landscape defined by change. Outside, the silence of fresh snow blankets a frozen world still recovering from the night’s storm.   The post Tool/Kit: Niklas Marc Heinecke Takes the Fortis Marinemaster M-40 Across Europe’s Largest Glacier appeared first on Worn & Wound.

How Ulysse Nardin’s Freak-Mentality Has Taught the Industry to Keep Watchmaking Forward-Thinking and Fun Worn & Wound
Jaeger-LeCoultre just Jun 25, 2025

How Ulysse Nardin’s Freak-Mentality Has Taught the Industry to Keep Watchmaking Forward-Thinking and Fun

When Ulysse Nardin unveiled the Freak in 2001, it set off a chain of events that forever changed the course of history for the brand and for the industry at large. The model seamlessly flexed a combination of technical and design achievements. The Freak offered material innovation that was far ahead of its time, introducing the use of silicon in the escapement wheels-a technology that is now used by almost every major watch brand from Rolex to Patek Philippe, Girard-Perregaux, Breitling, and Jaeger-LeCoultre, just to name a few. It also presented an entirely new set of aesthetic codes for watch design with an expression of time that notably lacked a traditional dial, hands, or crown. With the Freak’s overall success, it immediately established the brand as a thought leader, an innovator, and (perhaps most importantly) a rebel in an industry often paralyzed by its reverence and steadfast commitment to tradition.  In the nearly 25-years since the first Freak, we have seen Ulysse Nardin infuse this spirit in each subsequent Freak model and its catalog at large-from the Blast collection to its UFO clocks and, most recently, in its record breaking Diver [Air], the world’s lightest mechanical dive watch.  The first Freak We all know record setting has become a bit of a thing in watchmaking. Particularly in the past decade or so, we have witnessed brands embark on the race to claim the next world record title. Since 2014, Bulgari has set a whopping ten for the ultra-thi...

Watches & Wonders Announces 2026 Dates SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Jun 17, 2025

Watches & Wonders Announces 2026 Dates

Anchored by brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Cartier, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) is the world’s biggest luxury watch fair  and it will take place at its traditional time of early spring, April 14-20, 2026, once again at Palexpo. As is now convention, the final three days, April 18-20, will be open to the public, who can access the fair by buying a ticket. The first four days will only be open to invited guests, namely members of the trade, primarily brand executives, retailers, media, as well as select clients. W&W; will also stage events outside Palexpo, the convention centre near the airport, with several events planned in downtown Geneva. In past years, these have included exhibitions, talks, and social gatherings. The exhibitors for 2026 have yet to be announced, but the establishment brands are a certainty, including the brands owned by Richemont like A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin, and the LVMH marques like TAG Heuer and Hublot. There has been talk of brands joining (or returning to) the list of exhibitors – Bulgari was a newcomer in 2025 – but this will soon be known once W&W; publishes the exhibitors directory.  

Introducing: The Tudor Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Blue” Fratello
Tudor Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Jun 13, 2025

Introducing: The Tudor Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Blue”

Tudor’s Black Bay line has become the foundational building block for the modern brand. The Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Blue” brings the summer vibes in the form of a 37mm dive watch. Let’s take a look. Tudor was once a more affordable entry point into the Rolex stable, sharing many parts, including cases, crowns, and […] Visit Introducing: The Tudor Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Blue” to read the full article.

The 45 Best Pilot Watches For Every Budget In 2026 Teddy Baldassarre
Jun 7, 2025

The 45 Best Pilot Watches For Every Budget In 2026

Some of the most interesting and coveted watches on the market were designed as tools for professionals in fields that are more exciting than those of the average nine-to-fiver. Divers, race car drivers, and pilots have spurred on many of the most popular tool watch designs on the market today. Take, for example, the Rolex Submariner, designed for divers, the TAG Heuer Monaco, used for auto racing both onscreen and off by Steve McQueen, and the Breitling Navitimer, an aviation icon for decades. More than just jewelry, the timekeepers worn by these professionals, plying trades in which seconds count, were depended upon in some cases to save their lives. Pilots had to rely on their watches for critical information like calculating the distance traveled and the amount of fuel left. However, thanks in large part to digital tech, much has changed, and many great pilot’s watches are now used as heritage-infused time tellers in less austere circumstances, though the watches themselves are still more than capable. But, before we get too far ahead, what do we mean when we talk about pilot’s watches? Today, there’s an entire genre of watches dedicated to aviation. Some are homages to vintage designs, while others are modern variations on those earliest pilot’s watches. Some pilot watches are still tools, and act as backups to onboard instrumentation for professional pilots, while others are simply accessories for frequent fliers. In either case, the pilot watch genre ...

The Evergreens – The History of The Citizen Aqualand, The Diving Icon Celebrating 40 Years Monochrome
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms State Jun 3, 2025

The Evergreens – The History of The Citizen Aqualand, The Diving Icon Celebrating 40 Years

Traditional dive watches have never waned in popularity, despite modern diving computers and even smart watches pushing them into technical obsolescence. The dawn of early divers in the 1950s is defined by two brands and two watches – the Rolex Submariner and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. State of the art at the time and able […]

Dubai Watch Week Returns in November 2025 SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Van Cleef & Arpels May 15, 2025

Dubai Watch Week Returns in November 2025

Now a decade old and an established event in the annual horological calendar, Dubai Watch Week (DWW) will take place November 19-23, 2025. Most notably, DWW will move to a new venue, a 200,000 sq ft space next to Dubai Mall, departing its longtime home of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The 2025 event will host over 90 brands, ranging from giants like Rolex to micro-brands such as Studio Underd0g. The biggest names will have standalone spaces, including Rolex and Tudor, Audemars Piguet, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chanel. DWW traditionally took place at DIFC, pictured above But independents will still have a prominent role in the event, since DWW got its start as an indie-centric event. The 2025 edition will give independent brands room to breathe with a dedicated space. Exhiitors include leading independents like Rexhep Rexhepi, Voutilainen, and Roger W. Smith. DWW takes place from November 19-23, 2025 in Burj Park, the landscaped area surrounding the Burj Khalifa and adjacent to Dubai Mall. Entry is free but registration is required. For more, visit Dubaiwatchweek.com.  

This is the Company Quietly Making the Rubber Straps for Nearly Every Brand in the Industry Worn & Wound
Blancpain May 8, 2025

This is the Company Quietly Making the Rubber Straps for Nearly Every Brand in the Industry

Rubber straps are relatively new in the centuries-old history of wristwatches, and their widespread popularity is even more recent. Like many elements of watchmaking, rubber straps first came into use for a specific utilitarian purpose, and now-in a world that no longer needs watches as practical tools-rubber straps no longer need to be purely functional. They can simply be a fashion statement.  The first rubber straps appeared in the 1960s throughout the catalogs of brands like Rolex, Tudor, IWC, and Blancpain. Fittingly, these rubber straps were perfect for sport models like dive watches thanks to their lightweight build, durability, and resistance to the elements. Still, it would be another three decades before the rubber strap would transform from an occasional companion for a tool watch to a prominent bracelet material seen across styles and brands at all price points.  Hublot was at the forefront of shifting the perception and prevalence of the rubber strap. In 1980, the brand debuted the material in its catalog in a surprising way. The Classic Original (later revived as the Classic Fusion) featured Hublot’s signature porthole shaped case rendered in polished and brushed gold, complete with a black rubber strap, perfectly complementing the model’s black dial. The watch was not only the brand’s first to showcase a rubber strap but also the first luxury wristwatch ever to combine a rubber strap with a precious metal case as opposed to stainless steel. The d...

Tudor GMT: The Definitive Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Tudor May 7, 2025

Tudor GMT: The Definitive Guide

Before getting into the Tudor GMT guide, let's put the brand in context as it has experienced a modern renaissance since returning to the U.S. market with the Black Bay collection in 2012. No longer content as a mere sub-brand of big brother Rolex, Tudor has established itself as the de facto tool-watch manufacture in the $3,000 - $6,000 range, and the brand has done it through methodical progress within the Black Bay, Ranger, and Pelagos families. In 2016, Tudor introduced its first in-house caliber in the North Flag, and has since established its own movements throughout the portfolio, allowing Tudor to approach complications in its own way. Arguably, the most important of these complications is the GMT, which made its modern debut with the Black Bay GMT in 2018. But that’s not the first GMT from the brand.  In this guide, we’ll take a look back at what may be some forgotten GMT references from Tudor, and make our way through the now expansive modern stable of watches boasting the reference today. A GMT is likely the most most requested feature when it comes to new Tudor watches, and lately, the brand has been particularly in tune with those demands - to the point where it’s safe to say that we’re spoiled for choice these days. That’s not to say that there aren’t a few expressions of this complication that we’d still like to see, and I’ll outline some of those in closing.  The GMT complication is a foundational part of the Rolex identity, with Tudor'...

Sunday Morning Showdown: Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Vs. Frederique Constant Highlife Worldtimer Fratello
Frederique Constant Highlife Worldtimer It’s Sunday May 4, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Vs. Frederique Constant Highlife Worldtimer

It’s Sunday morning again, so it’s time for another installment of our famous Showdown. Last week, we featured two rather expensive and hard-to-get watches - the new Rolex Land-Dweller and the new 40mm Patek Philippe Cubitus. That’s why we’re going for something a little more affordable and readily available this week. Both Nomos and Frederique […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Vs. Frederique Constant Highlife Worldtimer to read the full article.

Hands On: Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 6196P-001 SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Apr 21, 2025

Hands On: Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 6196P-001

Patek Philippe came to Watches & Wonders 2025 with a deep bench of strong new releases, but for fans of the classic Calatrava, the standout was without question the Calatrava Ref. 6196P-001. It’s an easy watch to love, with good proportions, a hefty 38 mm platinum case, a lively “salmon” dial, and is powered by the brand’s latest generation movement. Though the brand was arguably overshadowed this year by its suburban Geneva neighbors Rolex and Vacheron Constantin, at lower and higher ends of the price spectrum, respectively, Patek Philippe demonstrated its ability to deliver in every category, from simple dress and sport watches to mid and high complications. Initial thoughts In February 2017 I was asked what I wished to see from Baselworld that year. I said I’d like to see a successor to the ref. 5196 with a case-filling movement and a large balance. Eight years later, Patek Philippe delivered more or less exactly what I imagined, keeping the proportions and details of the classic Calatrava with a more advanced movement than the outdated cal. 215 that was used at the time. So in a sense, this watch was made for me.  But I had not anticipated a “salmon” dial. Officially labelled “rose-gilt opaline” by Patek Philippe, such dials have become popular among collectors, and are now a staple across the Patek Philippe collection. Naturally, a vivid colour like this helps an otherwise simple watch stand out, but personally I look forward to more toned down iter...

Bell & Ross Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the BR-03 with New Skeleton Models Worn & Wound
Bell & Ross Celebrates Apr 15, 2025

Bell & Ross Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the BR-03 with New Skeleton Models

It’s a common refrain here at Worn & Wound: every year is an anniversary. Like death, taxes, and Photoshop renders of what collectors predict the new Rolex will look like, the celebration of anniversaries in the watch industry is a certainty. We’re not complaining. An anniversary of an important watch or collection is a great time to take stock, and there have certainly been plenty of desirable releases over the years centered around big anniversaries. This year, Bell & Ross is celebrating 20 years of the BR-03 collection, their iconic square watch that has become the “face” of the brand over the past two decades.  The celebration begins with the new BR-03 Skeleton, a collection of three watches that capitalizes on a big trend across all sectors of watchmaking while removing the BR-03 from its aviation themed roots, at least a little bit. Bell & Ross has been making skeletonized watches for years (often as part of their Skull series), and these watches highlight their proficiency in that area, and also take advantage of their creativity with lume.  The new BR-03 Skeleton is available in three variants: Black Ceramic, Grey Steel, and Lum Ceramic. All three feature 41mm cases and a new movement, the BR-CAL.328, designed specifically for these watches. While the specs of the caliber are in line with previous time only movements used in recent BR-03 releases (like those, it has a 54 hour power reserve) its architecture has been adjusted, highlighting an “X” motif...

SJX Podcast: Watches & Wonders 2025 Roundup SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin were standouts – Apr 13, 2025

SJX Podcast: Watches & Wonders 2025 Roundup

With Watches & Wonders 2025 having just concluded, we discuss the best watches seen at the fair, as well as developments and happenings at the year’s biggest watch fair. We cover the establishment brands – Rolex and Vacheron Constantin were standouts – and the independents. (For a written take on the fair, read my editorial.) Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.  

[VIDEO] Owner’s Review: Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M 2220.80.00 Worn & Wound
Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M Apr 11, 2025

[VIDEO] Owner’s Review: Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M 2220.80.00

“That makes perfect sense, since MI6 looks for maladjusted young men who’d give little thought to sacrificing others in order to protect queen and country. You know, former SAS types with easy smiles and expensive watches - Rolex?” “Omega.” I’m not James Bond. I know it may come as a surprise, but I don’t spend my time playing in high-stakes poker games (or baccarat, if you prefer the books), I don’t chase terrorists across European cities, and I don’t save the world from a colorful megalomaniac every few years. But I do have a bit of a crush on Eva Green, and I do wear an Oh-meeg-uh, so I guess I can forgive the confusion. Specifically, and for about the last half-decade, I’ve been wearing a reference 2220.80.00 Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M, the same watch worn by Daniel Craig in the infamous train car scene of Casino Royale quoted above, and, for my money, the best Seamaster to come out of Bern, maybe ever. I don’t make that claim lightly. The Seamaster is, by the standards of a ‘luxury’ watch, remarkably ubiquitous. I see Seamasters a lot - on the wrists of my bartenders, on the subway, and almost every time I move through an airport. A lot of that is thanks to one thing: Bond. But while most people know the Seamaster thanks to its starring role in three decades worth of Bond films, the name goes back far further - all the way to 1946.  Granted, those first Seamasters have very little to do with the dive watches we most associ...

Fratello Talks: Watches And Wonders 2025 Highlights Fratello
Tudor Apr 3, 2025

Fratello Talks: Watches And Wonders 2025 Highlights

On this rapid-fire episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho and Lex take a short break from their busy schedules to discuss some of their Watches and Wonders 2025 highlights. On location at the YouTube studio at the show, they quickly run through some of the most notable releases, starting with Rolex and Tudor and moving on […] Visit Fratello Talks: Watches And Wonders 2025 Highlights to read the full article.

First Look – The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson Limited Edition Monochrome
Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Apr 2, 2025

First Look – The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson Limited Edition

Introduced in 2018, the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere series brought a unique world-time complication to the forefront, featuring two rotating globes depicting the northern and southern hemispheres. Designed with a distinctive vintage tool-watch aesthetic, it was Montblanc’s answer to the ultimate explorer’s timepiece – a rugged and reliable companion for mountaineering and outdoor adventures. Since its […]

W Worn & Wound
Worn & Wound
Tudor rerelease Mar 27, 2025

Join Us Live for Watches and Wonders Reactions

Watches and Wonders is right around the corner. Soon enough, we’ll know all about the latest and greatest releases from the biggest names in horology and all of our burning questions will be answered. Are those Rolex “leaks” real? Will Tudor rerelease the Montecarlo? What kind of sandwiches will be served in the press room? I don’t know about you, but my favorite part of the Watches & Wonders experience is finally getting the chance to chop it up with fellow watch nerds about the new releases. That’s why we’re going live. On Tuesday, April 1st from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET, I’ll be joined by my colleague Devin Pennypacker on the Worn & Wound YouTube channel for a special Watches & Wonders Reaction Livestream. We’ll break down all the news, giving our takes on the biggest drops, and, of course, fielding your questions and hot takes in real time. Our editorial team will be on-site in Geneva for the show, bringing you the latest coverage straight from the floor. Expect a steady stream of articles, social content, and videos highlighting the most exciting releases. And, wifi permitting, we’ll do our best to have someone from the team call into the livestream to give us their impressions from Geneva. So grab a coffee (or something stronger), pull up a chair, and join us for a couple of hours of watch talk. And don’t forget to bring your hot takes. Set your reminders now, and we’ll see you in the chat. The post Join Us Live for Watches and Wonders Reactions a...

[VIDEO] Owner’s Review: the Grand Seiko SBGN003 Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko SBGN003 One Mar 27, 2025

[VIDEO] Owner’s Review: the Grand Seiko SBGN003

One of the first things that you may be thinking is “wow, cool Explorer II homage”. I’d say you’re not totally wrong either because that’s how I made my way to the SBGN003. I was looking hard at 5 digit Explorer II’s, but still had a hard time committing to that much spend on a watch, especially with a 9 month old baby in the house and the pandemic still being very much a thing. I remember seeing the Grand Seiko SBGN003 pop up in my Instagram feed and started to do my deep dive. There was a lot to like about the watch, and being that I already had another GS with a 9F movement in my collection, I more or less knew what to expect. Once it hit the Watch Recon alerts page, I knew it would end up in my collection. If you’re able to set a Watch Recon alert without buying the watch, you are a stronger person than I.  When the watch showed up on a hot August afternoon, it just immediately clicked. The finishing on the 39mm steel case was perfect. It fit my 6.75” wrist like a glove and quickly rose to the top of my most-worn watches. Let’s take a closer look at this highly accurate, easy to wear GMT from Grand Seiko and how it’s held up over my tenure with the watch.    $3400 [VIDEO] Owner’s Review: the Grand Seiko SBGN003 Case Stainless steel Movement 9F86 Dial Black Lume Yes, hands and markers Lens Sapphire Strap Stainless steel bracelet Water Resistance 100 meters Dimensions 39 x 46mm Thickness 12.1mm Lug Width 19mm Crown Screw down Warranty Yes Price $...

Can We Appreciate The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms As Just A Good Dive Watch? Fratello
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms As Just Mar 24, 2025

Can We Appreciate The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms As Just A Good Dive Watch?

Last year, I asked, “Can we appreciate the Rolex Submariner as just a great dive watch?” That question and article sparked a lot of debate. Today, I am asking a similar question of the Submariner’s spiritual competitor, the 42.3mm Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique. “Icon” is one of the most overused terms in the watch world. […] Visit Can We Appreciate The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms As Just A Good Dive Watch? to read the full article.

Exploring Evergreens: Thomas Goes Hands-On With The Original Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3700/1A Fratello
Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref 3700/1A After Mar 19, 2025

Exploring Evergreens: Thomas Goes Hands-On With The Original Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3700/1A

After spending time with the Rolex Submariner ref. 5508 and the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph, I get yet another chance to explore a personal grail watch today. Yes, life can be good when you have special access to some of the world’s finest watches. This time, I got to strap on a 1978 […] Visit Exploring Evergreens: Thomas Goes Hands-On With The Original Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3700/1A to read the full article.

Insight: Regulating a Mechanical Watch Movement SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Mar 7, 2025

Insight: Regulating a Mechanical Watch Movement

A mechanical watch is not always spot on; less-than-perfect timekeeping can happen, often due to an unruly oscillator. The solution is direct adjustments to the hairspring and balance assembly, either slowing down or speeding up the oscillator, a practice known as regulation. Watchmakers have devised multiple innovations to achieve this, including the free-sprung balance, exemplified by the Gyromax of Patek Philippe and Microstella of Rolex. While a simple concept in principle, the mechanics and practice of regulation are nuanced. Here we’ll delve into the theory of regulation and the primary regulating systems: the curb-pin regulator and the free-sprung (or variable inertia) balance. The Lange L043.4 with a screwed balance inspired by pocket watches Basic concepts In order to better understand watch regulation, we need to first cover some of the basic physics behind the watch oscillator: The component responsible for the running rate of a movement is its regulating organ. The regulating organ is made up of a hairspring paired to a balance, which together are also known as a harmonic oscillator. The natural oscillation period is the time it takes the balance to make a full swing, back and forth. The period is made up of two vibrations, one for each direction of the balance motion, with the escapement being unlocked at each vibration. Notably, the natural period of a balance wheel is intrinsic to itself and does not depend on the escapement type or the going train ratio. ...

The MoonSwatch '1965' Review Teddy Baldassarre
Feb 26, 2025

The MoonSwatch '1965' Review

If you’re a Speedmaster fan, you know the story. NASA sent out an RFP for an official watch of the space program – a watch that would undergo a litany of tests (pressure, temperature, corrosion resistance, shock, acceleration, and vibration to name more than a few) to prove that it could withstand the rigors of space exploration. Three watches came in for testing: A Longines Wittnauer 235T, a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6238, and an Omega Speedmaster ST105.003 dating to 1964. As you know, the Speedmaster won the contract and on March 1, 1965, it became the aforementioned official watch of the space program. That designation has since been engraved on the caseback of every Moonwatch in production today. This week, the Swatch Instagram account was buzzing with retro video content that would always end with a title card reading “1965.” Today, we know why. Celebrating 60 years since the flight qualification of the Speedmaster, and nearly 60 years from the moment Ed White took a Speedy for a 20-minute space excursion during Gemini IV, Omega and Swatch have announced a celebratory MoonSwatch that marries the past to the present. The first thing you’re going to notice is the white dial, a detail that harkens back to Snoopy MoonSwatch, but more importantly, to the 2024 White Speedmaster that set the watch world on fire after DanielCraig wore it to Planet Omega in New York in 2023. For all of you who wince at the sight of yet another MoonSwatch – and there are plenty of you – ...

Introducing – Bucherer Releases 3 High-End Exclusive Watches from Chopard, Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin Monochrome
Girard-Perregaux Feb 10, 2025

Introducing – Bucherer Releases 3 High-End Exclusive Watches from Chopard, Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin

Bucherer, one of the world’s oldest and most esteemed watch retailers, now owned by Rolex, has long been a leader in the industry, and for a few years, offers its customers exclusive access to limited-edition timepieces created in collaboration with renowned partner brands. For years, collectors and enthusiasts have enjoyed unique adaptations of existing models, […]

Just Because – Patek Philippe Discontinues Multiple Models Incl. the Nautilus Moonphase 5712A, and Some Predictions for its Future Monochrome
Patek Philippe Discontinues Multiple Models Incl Feb 3, 2025

Just Because – Patek Philippe Discontinues Multiple Models Incl. the Nautilus Moonphase 5712A, and Some Predictions for its Future

Models come and go from brands’ portfolios. There’s nothing extraordinary in this, it’s just standard practice and lifecycle management. Rolex, for example, did it last year with the Yacht-Master II Regatta Chronograph (not necessarily a bad idea…) Patek Philippe is no stranger to this concept, as we’ve seen in the past – basically every year, […]

Hublot’s Latest SAXEM Release is a Green Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Worn & Wound
Hublot s Latest SAXEM Release Jan 22, 2025

Hublot’s Latest SAXEM Release is a Green Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic

While I haven’t been doing “this” as long as some who have been in the watch media trenches since a time when you could reliably get a discount on a brand new Rolex at an authorized dealer, I’ve been doing it long enough to get a sense of the rhythms of a new release season. We are, as of yesterday, in the thick of it. LVMH Watch Week is the unofficial (but also kind of official) kick off of a new year in novelties from big luxury group brands, and within the confines of the LVMH experience there’s one tradition that stands out to me that’s become something I look forward to and get genuinely excited about: seeing what kind of crazy sapphire or SAXEM cased watch Hublot has come up with. Pretty reliably, on a year to year basis, Hublot shows us a wild and colorful and extremely expensive watch in an exotic, glass-adjacent material. This year, like clockwork, they’re back with the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Green SAXEM, a watch whose name is nearly doing my job for me. I’ve made no secret over the years of how much I enjoy these oversized, translucent watches. If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be the purple sapphire Big Bang Tourbillon from 2022, but I’ll thank you in advance for not actually making me choose, because frankly these watches all do their thing equally well, and choosing the one you like best is like picking your favorite Coen Brothers movie. Some days it’s Fargo and on others it’s No Country for Old Men but maybe on Sunday...

TAG Heuer’s Long Awaited Formula 1 Update is Here Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer s Long Awaited Formula Jan 21, 2025

TAG Heuer’s Long Awaited Formula 1 Update is Here

Was there ever any doubt that this was where this year was headed? Ever since it was announced that LVMH, and specifically TAG Heuer, would be taking over Formula 1 timekeeping responsibilities from Rolex as part of a broader 10-year partnership between the two, it was clear that 2025 would (for TAG Heuer) be all about racing. We just didn’t know what that would look like, at least when it came to the watches. Now we do, and surprise, surprise, TAG Heuer is kicking it off with a brand new generation of (what else?) The Formula 1 Chronograph. Motorsport and TAG Heuer have long been linked (something Zach recently explored), and one obvious example of this is the Formula 1. TAG Heuer launched the first generation of the Formula 1 way back in the ‘80s, and the simple, colorful, quartz watch helped to clearly establish a new sensibility for the brand. Since then, the Formula 1 has evolved, eschewing the almost toy-like quality of the earliest releases to bear the name and moving upmarket while still acting as the clear entry point into the brand’s chronograph offering - a quartz Formula 1 can still be had for under $2000, an almost shocking price tag in the context of the modern market. These new Formula 1s are a decided step up from those watches but still come in under the price of the latest generation of Carrera chronographs. The watches themselves are bold and clearly represent a step into a new generation of design language for the Formula 1 - a refreshing chan...

The Least Expensive Panerai Watches Teddy Baldassarre
Panerai Jan 8, 2025

The Least Expensive Panerai Watches

Panerai might be the most in-your-face example of the quintessential Tool Watch That Made Good as a Luxury Item. Unlike many other contenders for that title, a Panerai watch today looks essentially the same as it did back in the 1940s, when Italian navy frogmen wore them into underwater combat. Few concessions have been made to modern tastes and trends: the luminous material on the dials is no longer radioactive (inarguably a positive change), Rolex no longer makes the cases, and you no longer have to be a naval commando to own one, but otherwise the relatively few models that make up the Panerai family have stubbornly adhered to their military-issue origins. It is this adherence that makes Panerai, for many, an all-or-nothing proposition — either you’re in the brand’s worldwide, rabid coterie of fans and collectors, proudly self-dubbed the Paneristi, or you roll your eyes at the notion of ever owning one: they’re too big, too flashy, too clunky, too Stallone.  This article, the latest in our series of Price of Admission guides, is aimed at those aspiring to join the former group — in other words, those wishing to pull the trigger on their first Panerai but possibly intimidated by the breadth of choices — and, of course, by the ticket price for entry to that first tier of Paneristi-land. Without further ado, let’s find the most affordable Panerai watches in each of the current product families. RADIOMIR The Radiomir, first conceived in 1935 but tracing its m...