4,409 articles · 677 videos found · page 75 of 170
Monochrome
Grande sonnerie watches are often regarded as the pinnacle of haute horlogerie and watchmaking complications – only a handful of brands, around ten or so, have ever produced them. By a twist of timing, after Chopard last week, it is now Blancpain’s turn to present a grande sonnerie watch. The Grande Double Sonnerie 15GSQ is […]
Time+Tide
There's much more to watch materials than just steel and gold. Here, we break down some of the most common materials used in watchmaking.The post Everything you need to know about the most common watch materials appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Atelier Wen has spent the last few years building a very different picture of Chinese watchmaking. After the recent launch of its flagship Inflection collection, the brand has shifted attention back to the Ancestra line, which was always meant to serve as the more artisanal counterpoint. That timing feels deliberate. The Inflection models reintroduced Atelier […] Visit Introducing: The New Atelier Wen × Revolution Ancestra Yáo to read the full article.
Monochrome
Independent watchmaking loves a good origin story, and Vanguart has got one. Founded in 2017 by APRP alumni Axel Leuenberger and Jérémy Freléchox, designer Thierry Fischer and F1-insider Mehmet Korutürk, the brand debuted with the Black Hole Tourbillon in 2021. That first watch featured a levitating flying tourbillon, concentric automaton discs that warp time around […]
Monochrome
Atelier Wen has spent the past few years rewriting what “Made in China” can mean in watchmaking. Founded in 2018 by Robin Tallendier and Wilfried Buiron, the brand builds its pieces around Chinese crafts and culture (grand feu enamelling, guilloché, and case finishing) while partnering with serious movement makers. With the Ancestra line, introduced with […]
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Fratello
Jaeger-LeCoultre has a reputation for revered watchmaking, all within a single facility in Le Sentier, in the Vallée de Joux. For 2025, La Grande Maison unveils two new Master Ultra Thin timepieces. Both feature a soft, almost terracotta-like shade of copper. The grainy texture also lends the aesthetic a touch of ruggedness. Yet, the playful […] Visit Introducing: Two New Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Watches In Distinctive Copper Hues to read the full article.
Time+Tide
You know those supersized watch movements you sometimes see at brand boutiques? Wish you could buy one? Well, now you can, thanks to Swiss firm Keris.The post The Keris MECA01 and Winding PUSH allow watch lovers to immerse themselves in horological mechanisms appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Two of the boldest design approaches in independent watchmaking have been brought together-and it works.
Monochrome
Frederique Constant and Bamford Watch Department approach watch design from opposite corners of the industry, yet both operate within clear, self-defined parameters. Frederique Constant has built its reputation on accessible mechanical watchmaking, manufacturing calibres in-house and maintaining a pragmatic, function-first approach to design. Bamford, by contrast, is known for reinterpreting established forms through high-contrast palettes, […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The Oris Big Crown ProPilot Date has a prestigious history starting with the founding of the independent Swiss brand that makes it. Oris began making watches in 1904, when it was founded in Hölstein, Switzerland, by Paul Cattin and Georges Christian, who named the company after a nearby brook. A maker of pocket watches and, by 1925, the increasingly popular wristwatches, Oris enjoyed a long period of growth and expansion throughout the following decades and even made its own movements. Losing its independence during the consolidation years of the Quartz Crisis, Oris regained it in the 1980s, when a management buyout transformed the company and solidified its mission to make only mechanical watches going forward. Today, Oris has become a staple for value-conscious collectors of Swiss-made watches, particularly sport-oriented models. Among the brand’s modern pillars are the dressy Big Crown Pointer Date and the more aviation-centric Big Crown ProPilot, which trace their existence all the way back to 1938. That year marked the launch of the first Oris watch dubbed “Big Crown,” named after its signature element, an oversized, fluted winding crown meant to be easy to grasp and to operate by a pilot wearing heavy gloves. The modern edition of the Big Crown ProPilot debuted in 2014 (example above), notably adding what is today one of its signature features: a knurled bezel that resembles a jet turbine. Oris has revamped, tweaked, and added complications to the original, ...
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Monochrome
Not many contemporary watchmaking creations have influenced our perception of time display as dramatically as the 2001 Ulysse Nardin Freak and Urwerk’s wandering-hour satellites. Both were born from the late-1990s creative surge, when mechanical horology strongly demonstrated its experimental and innovative spirit. Ulysse Nardin’s Freak redefined the mechanical wristwatch by eliminating the dial, hands, and […]
SJX Watches
The Ulysse Nardin UR-Freak brings together two of contemporary watchmaking’s most inventive forces. A collaboration between Ulysse Nardin and Urwerk, it merges the Freak’s revolving-movement architecture with Urwerk’s signature wandering hours display to create something that feels both inevitable and extraordinary. The partnership amplifies the strengths of each brand: Ulysse Nardin’s mastery of silicon technology and mechanical architecture, and Urwerk’s futuristic approach to time display. More than a meeting of aesthetics, the UR-Freak unites two brands that have long challenged convention. Both rose to prominence around the turn of the millennium by rewriting mechanical rules-Ulysse Nardin with its revolutionary 2001 Freak, and Urwerk with its satellite-hour timepieces that reimagined a traditional complication. Two decades later, their paths converge with a 100-piece limited edition in sandblasted titanium. Initial thoughts Some collaborations seem obvious in hindsight; the Ulysse Nardin UR-Freak is one of them. The collaboration plays to the strengths of both brands, with Urwerk’s signature wandering hours display plugging seamlessly into the UN Freak architecture. It turns out that Urwerk’s signature satellite wandering hours display feels right at home grafted onto Uylsse Nardin’s flagship. Frankly, they could have left it at that and called it a day. But the fact is Ulysse Nardin went the extra step to reimagine the Freak’s signature flying to...
Teddy Baldassarre
Along with their more refined timepieces, Swiss luxury brands have staked their claim in the field watch space as well. Tudor’s offering in the category is the contemporary 39mm Ranger, a name that features prominently throughout the brand's history. Descended from the 1950s Tudor Oyster Prince Reference 7909, Tudor introduced the 34mm Ranger Reference 7995 in 1965, with the model name remaining in the lineup all the way through the 1980s. It was the 7995 that established the Ranger’s design language, with its 12-3- 6-9 dial layout and iconic spade hour hand, all of which later made a comeback in 2014 in a somewhat oversized 41mm version. The Ranger got a reboot in 2022 as a 39mm model, with a fully brushed case and COSC-certified MT5402 movement, and it serves as not only a nod to Tudor field watches of yore, but also as a throwback to the tool-watch aesthetics of the Rolex Explorer 1016 from Tudor's parent brand. Released in July of 2022 to mark the 70th anniversary of the British North Greenland Expedition, the modern Ranger 79950 is a welcome update from that discontinued 41mm model of 2014. With a versatile 39mm case and a COSC-certified manufacture movement, the Ranger is a strong value play, hovering around $3,500 on the bracelet. Much like the vintage Ranger (and the original Rolex Explorer that provided much of its DNA), it’s a fantastic daily driver, with a fully satin-brushed finish and 100 meters of water resistance. And if you crave a more authentic tool...
Fratello
The new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Three Gold Bridges is the latest introduction to celebrate the iconic watch’s 50th birthday. Just last month, the Fifty debuted to great fanfare with its purely retro appearance. Today’s release blends the original look with one of Girard-Perregaux’s most well-known contributions to watchmaking. The triple-bridge movement was introduced in 1867, so […] Visit Introducing: The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Three Gold Bridges to read the full article.
Monochrome
It’s revival season in the watchmaking world, as revered names like Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth find a new lease in the capable hands of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton (LFTLV) manufacture. A pivotal figure in the rebirth of Breguet and the return of high-end mechanical watchmaking, Daniel Roth’s story makes for a fascinating […]
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Monochrome
Fam Al Hut has quickly become one of the most talked-about independent watchmakers in the world, a rise underscored by their Möbius timepiece winning the prestigious Audacity Prize at the 25th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), otherwise known as the “Oscars of Watchmaking.” An accomplishment for any new entrant, Fam Al Hut’s rapid rise […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The story of Tornek-Rayville is one that represents a significant chapter in both watchmaking and military history, from the earliest purpose-built watches for divers in the 1950s up to the re-emergence of the cult-classic brand (in a notably new form) in the 21st Century. And it begins with the development of the world’s first modern dive watch: the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. [toc-section heading="Blancpain Fifty Fathoms History"] Founded in 1735 in Villeret, Switzerland, Blancpain is the oldest luxury watchmaker in the world, but its most famous timepiece in this modern era began its life as a tool watch for military divers in the (relatively) recent year of 1953. Jean-Jacques Fiechter, who headed Blancpain at the time, was an avid diving enthusiast who had long wanted to develop a watch that would be ideal for his hobby. Fiechter worked with Captain Robert Maloubier, a French naval officer, to design a reliable, mission-ready timepiece that Maloubier’s elite combat diving team could wear. The watch’s 42mm steel case - exceptionally large for the time - was water-resistant to 91.45 meters, or 50 fathoms, the maximum depth recommended for scuba divers. Its dial was black and its numerals were luminescent for greater legibility underwater. It was the first divers’ watch with a self-winding movement, the first with an antimagnetic case, and the first to employ the patented, double-sealed crown that Fiechter had developed. Most notably, the Fifty Fathoms was the ...
Monochrome
We have exciting news from the United States, and it has nothing to do with the Trump Administration’s Swiss watch import tariffs or their recent reduction. Avoirdupois, a New York City-based brand founded in 2017 by designer/engineer James Stumpf, has expanded its product mix beyond retro-styled furniture and lighting products to include watches. Designed and […]
SJX Watches
In order to mark the spiral hairspring’s 350th anniversary and celebrate its inventor Christiaan Huygens (1629 – 1695), Japanese watch retailer Shellman presents a two-week exhibition event in Tokyo, The Origins of Time = Astronomy. Opening November 19 and slated to run through December 2, the Shellman exhibit is a collaboration with the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and showcases the larger extent of Huygens’ work, from horology to optical observation devices. Themed around the Dutch scientist credited with building the first pendulum clock and with inventing the hairspring, the exhibit also explores larger fields of horology, with a focus on astronomy and modern independent watchmaking. Original drawings showing early attempts at making a sprung balance. Beyond his practical applications in horology, Huygens left marks on many other scientific fields, from geometry to physics and astronomy. He notably discovered Saturn’s largest moon Titan and cemented the wave theory of light propagation. One could say that he was interested in the celestial bodies as much as he was in understanding motion and measuring time here on Earth. In his honour, the exhibit leans on the astronomical theme as well. The exhibition is accompanied by a selection of special watches available for sale. Visitors will have the chance to acquire the world’s smallest wristwatch planetarium, the Planetarium Christiaan Huygens Limited Edition, created by the Du...
Monochrome
Founded by former A. Lange & Söhne watchmakers Johannes Kallinich and Thibault Claeys, indie watchmaking atelier Kallinich Claeys has quickly become one of the most interesting names in contemporary Glashütte watchmaking. Their debut watch, the Einser Zentralsekunde, introduced a clear design approach and a thoughtfully constructed, in-house movement with central seconds and a linear power reserve […]
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Hodinkee
Watchmaking as moving as the beating heart it animates.
Fratello
What can you do in Le Noirmont, a town of 1,629 inhabitants situated in the Swiss canton of Jura? You can go for a hike in the mountains surrounding the village. And if you’re into watches, a visit to the Musée de la Boîte de Montre (The Watch Case Museum) is a good idea. It’s […] Visit Hands-On With Four Versions Of The Louis Erard 2340 In Steel And Titanium to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Among Japan’s best-kept secrets, Orient Star occupies an intriguing middle ground between tradition and technology. Its latest creation, the Orient Star M34 F8 Date Green, captures that duality perfectly by combining an old-school movement with state-of-the-art dial and escapement components drawn from the vast capabilities of its parent company, Seiko Epson. The result is a watch that feels distinctly Japanese in both spirit and execution. The M34’s new green dial is embossed with a hand-engraved stamp and coated with an optical multi-layer film that creates shifting hues without a trace of pigment - an effect more often associated with much costlier watches. Beneath its shimmering surface lies Orient Star’s enduring in-house F8 movement, which continues a lineage that dates back to 1971. Initial thoughts The dial of the M34 immediately distinguishes it within its segment. Its engraved texture, embossed from a hand-engraved die, gives the surface a natural radiance, while the iridescent green tone - created through a PVD-applied optical multi-layer film - shifts fluidly under changing light. It’s a distinctly upmarket look that signals the depth of the Epson manufacturing ecosystem behind it. The case reflects that same industrial prowess, made entirely in-house within Seiko Epson’s facilities, using 316L stainless steel finished with Sallaz (more commonly known as ‘Zaratsu’) polishing to achieve distortion-free mirrored bevels. The 40 mm size and ...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo collection has been a presence in the larger luxury-watch universe for just slightly over a decade now, but its impact has been tremendous - blazing trails of ultra-thinness in watchmaking that few brands have attempted and fewer have even attempted to rival. Today, the Octo Finissimo, in its simplest and most complex iterations, is regarded by enthusiasts as the creative cornerstone of the Bulgari brand, which up until very recently has been known more for high-jewelry watches than ambitious, record-setting mechanical complications. Here’s how the Octo Finissimo became an icon in 10 short years - starting from the very beginning. [toc-section heading="Bulgari History (1884-1934)"] Sotirios Voulgaris, the only survivor of 11 children from a family of silversmiths in the Greek town of Paramythia, was born in 1857 and learned the family craft from his father, making jewelry as well as sword sheaths and belt buckles. After Ottoman invaders set fire to the town in 1873, the family moved to the Isle of Corfu, where Voulgaris met the man who’d become his mentor, Macedonian goldsmith Demetrios Kremos. The two artisans decided to start a business in Italy, settling first in Naples, and eventually in Rome, where they opened their first shop in 1884. After just a few months, however, the partnership ended and Voulgaris - who had now changed his name to the more Italianate “Sotirio Bulgari” - opened up his own shop, which found success sel...
Time+Tide
Complex calendars - annual, perpetual or otherwise - are expensive. But could they be the next battleground for innovation in watchmaking?The post Are complex calendars the next great opportunity in accessibly priced complications? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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