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Time+Tide
Metallurgy is one of those rare studies which still manages to feel like magic in the 21st century, even when we have all the science we need to understand it. For most people however, the mystery ends with the simple knowledge that silver is a white metal, and gold has a couple of different numbers … ContinuedThe post The Time+Tide guide to universal hallmarks appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
On an unusually warm day in early March, I was invited to visit Sinn headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. Sinn had prepared a special program including a special exhibition showcasing their technologies over the last 30 years in the main foyer. This was followed by a factory tour, and finally seeing their latest collection. Most of us are familiar with the origins of Sinn, which all started with Helmut Sinn, who was a flight instructor, and former World War II pilot. The company’s core business under his ownership was the manufacturing of navigation clocks and pilot chronographs. In 1994, certified engineer Lothar Schmidt acquired the company from Helmut Sinn and renamed it to “Sinn Spezialuhren GmbH”. Lothar Schmidt worked previously with IWC, and was also part of Günter Blümlein’s team to revive A. Lange & Söhne. This year Sinn is celebrating 30 years since Mr. Schmidt acquired the company. It was a coincidence that the day of my visit, news broke regarding Mr. Schmidt’s succession plans. He will celebrate his 75th birthday this year, and announced plans to create a foundation similar to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, that will own the shares of Sinn and its subsidiary companies. Mr. Schmidt also owns the SUG casemaker in the famous watchmaking village of Glashütte. Over the past 30 years, Mr. Schmidt, with his engineering background, has developed several technologies for Sinn watches. In 1995, Ar-Dehumidifying Technology was introduced for the first tim...
Monochrome
Awake, a spirited French watchmaking brand, initially grabbed our attention with its NASA-themed series (now sold out), followed by the Time Travellers collection featuring meteorite dials (also sold out). Towards the end of last year, Awake unveiled the Summetria collection, boasting dials adorned with coloured guilloché patterns, which are still available. Now, the brand introduces […]
Fratello
Hello, and welcome! Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Nacho, Morgan, and Daan pick their desert island watches. Say one day you were unfortunate enough to become stranded on a desert island; which watch from your collection would you want there with you? Now, let’s say it’s not a […] Visit Fratello Talks: Desert Island Watches to read the full article.
Fratello
We’re back with another episode of Fratello On Air, discussing several great recent watches that were quickly forgotten. Attention spans are short these days, which can be unfair to some excellent releases. We shed light on some of our favorite unheralded pieces. Enjoy the show! What have you done for me lately? We live in […] Visit Fratello On Air: Great Recent Watches That Were Quickly Forgotten to read the full article.
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Hodinkee
Distinct takes on color, from a vintage-reissue Zenith to innovative laser techniques and a serene take on green from Grand Seiko.
![[VIDEO] Hands-On with Sinn’s New Releases at Time to Watches](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2024/05/Sinn_U50_07.jpg)
Worn & Wound
The Time to Watches show in Geneva, which runs at the same as Watches & Wonders but is not affiliated with that show in any way, offers a very different experience than what we found in Palexpo. It’s smaller, for sure, but also much more easygoing, less hectic, and calmer in every way. Much of that comes down to the brands that exhibit at Time to Watches, which tend to be small, enthusiast focused, and largely more affordable than the high end luxury brands on the other side of town. The show, in fact, is so relaxed that meetings are barely required. On the day we attended, you could simply walk up to a booth at pretty much anytime, sit down, and talk about the watches on display. But we did carve out time to talk to some of the brands that are squarely in our wheelhouse at Time to Watches, and the first on the docket was Sinn. As accessible as Sinn is, relatively speaking, we don’t often have the chance to go hands-on with their newest releases fresh out of the gate, so we were excited to be able to spend some time with the new HYDRO U50 dive watches and their latest aviation inspired chronograph, the 103 St Ty Hd. In these videos, Zach Weiss takes us through the new HYDRO U50, a watch that many Sinn fans have been anticipating for some time. These oil filled watches combine the practicality of Sinn’s U50 diver with the over-the-top engineering of legendary tool watches like the EZM2 and provide incredible legibility. We also have Zach Kazan on the new 103 St Ty...
Fratello
People sometimes ask me on Instagram and in person which watches they should get. They often expect me to suggest watches from big names like Rolex, Cartier, and Omega. And yes, those brands make and offer great watches, but they’re also rather expensive for most people. In this series, we’re looking at our favorite watches […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €2,500 - Daan’s Picks From Mido, Oris, And Polo Ralph Lauren to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Underpromise and over deliver pretty much sums up Aukland, New Zealand’s Beaufort Watches. Their goal is to create timeless pieces that fit all the criteria we look for in watches. A great story, a captivating design, and capabilities that can go beyond their specifications. Self-described as a brand that wants to invigorate the present with designs from the past, they seem to have successfully done so. New for 2024 is the Pulsatimer, which is Beaufort’s version of a pulsometer chronograph. Unlike previous models, there is a clear inspirational shift, and Brutalist styling has been at the forefront of Beaufort’s new design language following their rebranding in late 2023. This new piece is the first model following this shift in focus. Informed by the harsh angles of Brutalist architecture, throughout the watch, you will notice many steps. From the pulsations ring, subdials and the stepped bezel, all drawing from two main sources of inspiration: The Faculty of Fine Arts, University of La Laguna, and University Campus, UTEC Lima. The aim was to give the Pulsatimer an old school industrial look with a touch of dressiness. Made of 316L stainless-steel, it features a mix of brushed, polished and media-blasted finishing. Measurements are 39mm in diameter, 13.8mm thick to the top of the box-domed sapphire crystal, and 47mm from lug tip to lug tip. Powering the Pulsatimer is the manually wound Sellita SW510 and it has a power-reserve of 63 hrs. It is also water-resistant ...
SJX Watches
With the current popularity of independent watchmaking, the proportion of auction catalogues dedicated to the genre has grown. At the same time, the obvious slowdown in the market means prices have moderated. The result is a more diverse offering of independent watchmaking, and at lower prices than 18 months ago. The upcoming Phillips’ Geneva auction illustrates this. We take a look at some of the notable examples of independent watchmaking, including a Middle East edition from F.P. Journe, a glow-in-the-dark Voutilainen World Timer, and a trio of time-only watches that are all interesting yet entirely different from Philippe Dufour, Paul Gerber, and Charles Frodsham. The Geneva Watch Auction: XIX takes place over two days on May 11 and 12 the Hotel President in downtown Geneva (a change from the traditional venue of La Reserve). The full catalogue is available on Phillips.com. 62 – F.P. Journe lineSport Chronograph Rattrapante Eastern-Arabic numerals Notably good value in titanium, the lineSport Chronograph Rattrapante is less affordable in platinum but certainly more special, and much more substantial. While the titanium and gold versions are relatively conventional in terms of aesthetics, the platinum version is unusual with its purple dial that works surprisingly well. Like most F.P. Journe movements, the calibre inside is slim, a feat considering the additional height required for the rattrapante mechanism. The split-seconds is done in the traditional manner with...
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Deployant
At Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024, Hermés released a new model lineup which they call CUT. We got our hands on one, and here is our review.
SJX Watches
You can never be too rich or too thin – a quote attributed to Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, but it might as well have come from Piaget, which just debuted the thinnest tourbillon wristwatch in history, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th Anniversary. Covered in-depth at launch, the AUC Tourbillon is just 2 mm thick, including the case and crystal; that makes the watch thinner than a Swiss five-franc coin. While its record-breaking dimensions are headline-grabbing, it’s the watch’s overall design and ergonomics that make it look and feel almost miraculous on the wrist. The AUC Tourbillon next to the five-franc coin; it’s also slimmer than the two-franc coin, and equivalent to about 20 sheets of A4 printer paper Initial thoughts Record-chasing, whether in terms of thickness, weight, water resistance, or complications, is a common theme in the watch industry, but the results are often gimmicky and impractical. When I heard that Piaget would be introducing the thinnest tourbillon in history, I rolled my eyes. But my perspective changed as soon as I picked up the AUC Tourbillon, a moment that stands out in my memory as a highlight of Watches & Wonders 2024. The watch is thin, of course, but the immediate impression is one of substance; it feels far more substantial than it looks. This is in part due to the M64BC cobalt alloy case, the extreme rigidity of which makes the watch’s 2 mm thinness possible. Furthermore, the ergonomics of the case, which is...
Fratello
Another Friday, another Top 5! After a little break last week, we are back with our articles highlighting outstanding pre-owned watches. One of the most talked-about watches during Watches and Wonders inspired this week’s list. Is the new full-gold Rolex Deepsea truly an unnecessary statement of opulence? Many people questioned whether the existence of a […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Pre-Owned Full-Gold Rolex Sports Watches - Featuring The GMT-Master, Submariner, And More… to read the full article.
Monochrome
Recently, we’ve discovered the new haute horlogerie creations of Louis Vuitton, which included a trio of artistic models inspired by the universe of Gaston-Louis Vuitton, as well as a striking take on horology by architect Frank Gehry. There was a third watch introduced, one that really made an impression on us with its combination of […]
SJX Watches
MB&F; has released the third instalment of its automobile-inspired wristwatch, the HM8 Mark 2. Now in blue CarbonMacrolon, the latest HM8 Mark 2 follows on the green and white iterations introduced last year. Inspired by 1970s sports cars like the Lamborghini Miura, the new Mark 2 retains the model’s signature speedometer-like display for the time and “double bubble” sapphire crystal. Although the CarbonMacrolon panels of the case are also found on earlier versions, the material has been tweaked to incorporate ingredients also found in automotive paint, giving the case a metallic, sparkly blue finish resembling a car’s paintwork. Initial thoughts Though only a cosmetic update to the model, the latest HM8 Mark 2 is the most striking to date. Though the change of colour might seem like a trivial matter, the new paintwork is a perfect complement to the styling and concept of the watch – the metallic finish really does evoke the paintwork of a high-end automobile. Interestingly, the new Mark 2 feels sleeker than the earlier versions thanks to the paintwork, even though the watch is identical in dimensions and form. The rest of the watch is identical to the standard version, and the same movement is visible in the “engine bay” through the sloping sapphire crystal. The Girard-Perregaux calibre has been MB&F;’s base movement of choice almost since its founding two decades ago, so something more interesting would be a useful upgrade, particularly since the movement i...
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SJX Watches
A smaller, feminine iteration of the famous chronograph, the Omega Speedmaster 38 mm is set apart by an unusual dial design characterised by oval sub-dials and a matching oval date window. Now the brand has grown the range to include new dial finished in metallic brown or green, both available in either steel or Omega’s proprietary gold alloys. Initial thoughts The new offerings grow the Speedmaster models catered to female consumers. Though the changes are mostly cosmetic, they are done well, with the diamonds set on the sub-dials being a particularly thoughtful detail that emphasises the oval form of the registers. At the same time, the new dial colours, which are physical vapour deposition (PVD) like other recent Omega dials, are attractive, though not new. That said, the Speedmaster 38 mm is essentially a scaled-down version of the Speedmaster Moonwatch. Though shrinking a man’s watch is often the formula for ladies watches, this would have been more interesting with more substantive changes. This is particularly relevant in terms of the case thickness, which is almost 15 mm, resulting in chunky proportions that don’t complement the styling. The new models are priced as expected for chronograph set with diamonds: starting at US$17,400 in steel on a strap, and rising to US$46,400 in gold on a bracelet. The Speedmaster 38 mm in steel, 18k Moonshine Gold, and 18k Sedna Gold Diamonds and more The latest iterations are essentially luxury upgrades to the existing Spe...
Time+Tide
Omega expands the Speedmaster 38mm collection with a multitude of new models, choice of three materials, and two dial colours. There’s a choice of steel or Omega’s proprietary Sedna and Moonshine Gold alloys, and either brown or green sunburst dials, with the solid gold bracelets being a first for the collection. The pieces are powered … ContinuedThe post Omega launches a set of dazzling 38mm Speedmasters, with some collection-firsts (live pics and video) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The “unobtanium” phenomenon isn’t limited to watches from the past, there are a variety of references for which supply seems to lag demand. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the current market for select steel sports watches. Here GaryG highlights some interesting dynamics caused by that imbalance, led by a loud chorus of complaints from prospective buyers.
SJX Watches
Established in 2015, the F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition is an annual affair to recognise the next generation of watchmakers. Applicants present a timepiece of their own design and construction, which is judged by on its complexity, craftsmanship, and aesthetics by a jury including Philippe Dufour, Giulio Papi, and Francois-Paul Journe. While last year’s winner was a Swiss-Italian clockmaker, this year’s winner is 23-year-old Frenchman Thomas Aubert, who entered his wristwatch Séléné, a unique piece crafted in his final year at the Edgar Faure High School in Morteau, France. Amongst the standout features of the Séléné is its key-winding and -setting as well as the clever “shooting star” display on the back. The Séléné pays tribute to classical watchmaking in both style and technique, but each reinterpreted with a modern twist. As is often the case with such school watches, the movement is based on the Unitas 6497, although it underwent extensive reworking. For example, the timepiece doesn’t feature a crown; instead winding and time-setting are done via a key that goes into dedicated slots on the case back. The front of the Séléné is classical and tastefully done, with a “grated” finish on the dial that is set on a frosted plate backdrop. The exposed balance bridge is mirror polished and chamfered. The screwed balance beats at 2.5 Hz and features a prominent Breguet overcoil hairspring. Mr Aubert is fascinated by astronomy, a passion that he...
Monochrome
While colours have always been part of brands’ collections, they have long been used mostly for the dials – and sometimes, but not always, for the straps… We’ve seen trends for blue or green dials in recent years, as well as a continuous love for salmon-toned watches and even purple making a discreet appearance. But […]
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Worn & Wound
This is a pretty big year for A. Lange & Söhne. We’ve hit 25 years of the Datograph, which made its debut in 1999, and Lange is celebrating with a pair of very special limited editions of their iconic chronograph. One of them is truly off the wall, and we’ll get to that next week. For now, we’ll take a look at the Datograph Up/Down Limited Edition in white gold, with a blue dial. It’s a perfectly lovely example of the watch that many Lange collectors will insist put the brand on the horological map, and a strong counterpoint to the other Datograph that we’ll tell you more about soon. First, it’s crucial to understand the importance of the Datograph not just in Lange’s collection, but in high end watchmaking writ large. When it was first unveiled in 1999, Lange was a young brand, only five years into their relaunch. They had earned the respect of connoisseurs in the late 1990s, but the introduction of their first in-house chronograph caliber with the Datograph took them to another level. This was years before Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet would launch their own in-house chronograph calibers, in an era where using supplied calibers from chronograph was common for brands at every level, including the absolute upper tier. It can be argued that the Datograph ushered in an arms race of sorts that would find many of the highest end watchmaking manufactures in a constant state of one-upmanship that goes on to this day. There have been a variety of Datograph...
Fratello
Today, the Zodiac brand is predominantly associated with dive watches. But if we look back in time, we can find the Zodiac Hermetic family, which hides a few very interesting non-diving models. Among the Valjoux 72-powered chronographs and 24-hour Aerospace Jets sits one very appealing dresser that got my attention about four years ago. In […] Visit #TBT A Virgin-Like Zodiac Hermetic Small Seconds to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Watches & Wonders 2024 just closed its doors earlier this week, and as usual attendance was up. Visitors increased 14% over last year, reaching some 49,000. It certainly felt more crowded, though sentiment was muted. Glamour, however, was delivered by the visits of Gisele Bündchen and Kylian Mbappé at IWC and Hublot respectively. Interestingly, there seemed to be fewer notable independent watchmakers walking around the halls then before, perhaps reflecting their success (which means they needed to meet clients). Gisele Bündchen sporting the new Portugieser chronograph. Image – Watches & Wonders Destiny On the topic of people, the inevitable questions about who’s going where were circulating as usual. When will Cartier’s Cyrille Vignernon retire and who will replace him? Will there be management changes at the LVMH watch division with Frederic Arnault in charge? Insiders have some idea and the rest of us will have to wait. Questions were also asked about brands, specifically smaller players with mixed fortunes – whether they will be sold or simply shut down, like Rebellion was a few months ago. There is of course the perennial sale of Parmigiani, but that isn’t really news – the brand has been quietly on the market for years with no takers. Some brands might have been lucrative exits for their owners a year ago, but now the discussion about a dimmer fate reflects the palpably normalised watch business. Where the outlook is always bright. Image – Watches & W...
Fratello
In 2013, Oris released the Aquis Depth Gauge, which spawned a new collection of modern dive watches. This deep diver had a unique mechanical depth gauge, highlighting the brand’s ambition to create practical applications rather than superfluous complications. The Aquis was made a bona fide collection when the core design cues of the Depth Gauge […] Visit Introducing: The Updated Oris Aquis Date Range to read the full article.
Monochrome
Denis Flageollet, the founder of De Bethune, is renowned as a master watchmaker who has steered his reverence for ancestral horological craftsmanship into radically contemporary settings. Perhaps his credentials should also include ‘master alchemist’ because when Flageollet starts playing with fire in his workshop (which includes a blacksmith), the results are out-of-this-world spectacular. The latest […]
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