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Vacheron Constantin Brings Back the Traditionelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar Worn & Wound
Vacheron Constantin Brings Back Jun 17, 2026

Vacheron Constantin Brings Back the Traditionelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar

What is the ultimate first world problem? I can think of a handful. There’s the classic notion that we just have too much content to scroll through, stream, and consume. As the Boss put it, there’s 57 channels and nothin’ on. As I sit here typing up this article on hot early summer day with my AC blasting, I’m realizing it’s getting cold enough in here that I might need to add a layer. Woe is me! Just a few weeks ago, I bought a new iPhone and quickly found that Apple Music hadn’t automatically moved over all of my locally downloaded tunes during the initial data transfer. I was pretty disappointed when I realized only the second half of Turn on the Bright Lights was available to me on a late night drive home over the weekend. I just want to hear “Obstacle 1”! These are all annoyances, for sure. But none of them truly compare to the King of First World Problems, which is very obviously not being able to keep your perpetual calendar sufficiently wound. I mean, have you tried to reset one of these things recently? It can be really frustrating. Plenty of brands, like IWC earlier this year, have made moves to make their perpetual calendar movements more forgiving when resetting. Gone are the days, hopefully, when jumping past the current year means an expensive trip back to the manufacture in Switzerland.  Vacheron Constantin has a slightly different solution, which is to enable your perpetual calendar to remain wound for weeks at a time by allowing the wearer...

Happenings: The Patek Philippe Museum Celebrates 50 Years Of The Nautilus With A Special Museum Exhibition Hodinkee
Patek Philippe Museum Celebrates 50 Years Jun 17, 2026

Happenings: The Patek Philippe Museum Celebrates 50 Years Of The Nautilus With A Special Museum Exhibition

If you have ever been through Geneva but missed visiting the Patek Philippe Museum, you have missed the full horological experience. We should be thankful to the recently departed Mr. Philippe Stern, who passed away earlier this week, for leaving a legacy that extends not just to the work he did at Patek Philippe (of which his family has been caretakers of for generations) but also for providing a beautiful and robust celebration of watchmaking history through the Patek Philippe Museum. The space on Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers houses some of the most historically significant watches, not only from the storied brand's past but also from the broader history of watchmaking in Switzerland and abroad. And from June 2026 to early 2027, the museum is celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of their most important, influential, and coveted models: the Nautilus. Photo courtesy Patek Philippe. I've been to the museum a number of times, and the Nautilus has never taken a particularly prominent place in any display. With hundreds, if not thousands, of Patek Philippe watches on display, many of them unique, many of them complicated or artistically oriented, the Nautilus is truly only a small part of the brand's history. But it's also been the avenue through which the brand has reached its broadest audience, and the watch has made a massive impact on popular culture at large. So it's a watch worth celebrating. Patek is doing so in the way that feels most "them," with a very historically mi...

Industry News - The EPHJ 2026, Where the Future of Watchmaking Takes Shape Behind The Scenes Monochrome
Jun 17, 2026

Industry News - The EPHJ 2026, Where the Future of Watchmaking Takes Shape Behind The Scenes

Every June, Geneva becomes the meeting point for the world of high precision. Held annually at Palexpo (June 16 to 19, for the 2026 edition), the EPHJ trade show brings together more than 20,000 visitors and over 800 exhibitors from the watchmaking, jewellery, microtechnology and medical technology sectors, making it the largest high-precision industry exhibition […]

Hands-On With The Farer Pilot Series II Curtis - A Fresh Take On The Pilot’s Watch Fratello
Farer Pilot Series II Curtis Jun 16, 2026

Hands-On With The Farer Pilot Series II Curtis - A Fresh Take On The Pilot’s Watch

When I think of Farer, I don’t necessarily associate the brand with pilot’s watches. Moreover, I don’t link it to any particular watch category at all, even though I’ve previously reviewed a couple of iterations of the Farer World Timer. Instead, the brand is best recognized for its compelling use of color. That said, the […] Visit Hands-On With The Farer Pilot Series II Curtis — A Fresh Take On The Pilot’s Watch to read the full article.

Obituary: Philippe Stern, Pivotal Leader of Patek Philippe SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Philippe Stern who served Jun 15, 2026

Obituary: Philippe Stern, Pivotal Leader of Patek Philippe

Philippe Stern, who served as general director and later president of Patek Philippe from 1977 to 2009, died yesterday at the age of 88. Under his stewardship, the Geneva manufacture was transformed from a small, workshop-scattered operation into the global benchmark for fine watchmaking, a position it holds to this day. He was the third generation of the Stern family to lead the company. His grandfather Charles, alongside his brother Jean, had acquired Patek Philippe from insolvency in 1932 from their position as the firm’s trusted dial supplier. His father Henri had built the company’s modern international distribution network and established the Henri Stern Watch Agency in New York, laying the commercial foundations on which Philippe would build. Father and son, Henri and Philippe Stern. Image – Patek Philippe Philippe Stern became managing director in 1977, at the height of the quartz crisis. The timing could not have been more demanding. Swiss watch industry employment was collapsing, from roughly 90,000 workers to a fraction of that figure within a few years, as electronic timekeeping rendered the mechanical watch commercially marginal almost overnight. Many established manufacturers collapsed, merged, or abandoned mechanical production entirely. Stern’s response defined his presidency. He kept the tooling, retained his engineers, and committed Patek Philippe irrevocably to mechanical watchmaking at the precise moment the industry consensus ran in the opposit...

Honorary Patek Philippe President Philippe Stern Passes Away: 1938-2026 Hodinkee
Patek Philippe President Philippe Stern Passes Jun 15, 2026

Honorary Patek Philippe President Philippe Stern Passes Away: 1938-2026

Philippe Stern, the visionary executive who led Patek Philippe through the end of the quartz crisis, kept the family company independent and secured its position at the top of Swiss mechanical high horology, died on June 14th at the age of 88. The Geneva-based company announced Philippe Stern's passing in a statement calling the Patek Philippe Honorary President a "pioneering and visionary spirit" who "left an indelible mark on the history of the family manufacture, preserving its independence and establishing its global stature." Philippe Stern. Photo courtesy Patek Philippe. Stern led Patek Philippe as President from 1993 to 2009. During his tenure, he consolidated Patek Philippe's manufacturing at a new flagship manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. He integrated its production capabilities to bring as much as possible in-house. He also oversaw the launch of the Nautilus sport watch in the 1970s, the multi-year project to build the Caliber 89, the most complicated portable mechanical watch at the time, boasting 33 complications. In 2001, he inaugurated the Patek Philippe museum in Geneva, an unparalleled exhibition of not only Patek Philippe but of the entire history of horology. Philippe Stern was born in 1938 into a family already at the center of Swiss watchmaking: his grandfather, Charles Stern, had recently acquired the Patek Philippe manufacture in 1932, and his father, Henri Stern, had just joined the company. After studying economics and commerce, Philippe Ste...

The Inaugural Buying Time Auction is Officially Open with Proceeds Going to a Worthy Cause Worn & Wound
Ming Jun 15, 2026

The Inaugural Buying Time Auction is Officially Open with Proceeds Going to a Worthy Cause

In 2017, Simon Jeffs, an aero-mechanical engineer, founded Brooklands Watch Company with the help of his son Michael. The inspiration for the brand came from the historic track where British motorsport was born and the world’s first motor racing chronograph was invented in 1907 along with the father-son duo’s mutual love of timepieces. Five years after its founding, Michael tragically passed away from cancer at the incredibly young age of 28. Two years following his death – the year Michael would have turned 30 – his mother, Sandra, launched the 30 for 30 campaign, aiming to raise £30,000 in his memory for charities that had helped them during Michael’s illness. The response was extraordinary, and they went on to raise £132,642. This generosity gave Michael’s family the confidence to think beyond a single year of fundraising and to create a long-term legacy in his honor, which led them to establish the Buying Time auction opening today and running for one month until July 14. The auction is made possible in partnership with the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, who embraced the idea of creating a charitable foundation supported by the watch community. Each of the watches up for sale is brand new, unworn, and generously donated by the brand, maker, or authorized partner exclusively for this auction. Every pound raised will go directly to the organizations’ partner charities, whose applications are reviewed quarterly to ensure every grant is thought...

Introducing: The Doxa Sub 200 T-Graph II Hodinkee
Doxa Sub 200 T-Graph II Jun 15, 2026

Introducing: The Doxa Sub 200 T-Graph II

What We Know Just in time for the hot and humid summer ahead, Doxa has just unveiled a new generation of its distinctive, cushion-cased dive-watch-slash-chronograph with the new Sub 200 T.Graph II. The best part? It's no longer a limited edition, but rather a permanent offering for the brand. Oh, and thankfully, it's priced less than that previous 300-piece LE. At a quick glance, nothing seems to have changed on Doxa's tribute to its 1969 design, and you'd be sort of correct. The dial layout, with two subdials at 3 and 9 o'clock, along with an oversized arrowhead chronograph seconds hand, remains the same in this new generation. But the main changes here are sure to make almost everyone happy: a slight reduction in diameter and case thickness. While the previous Sub 200 T.Graph measured at 43mm in diameter with a thickness of 15.15mm, the steel case on the Sub 200 T.Graph II measures 42mm in diameter and 14.6mm in thickness.  Rather than the new old stock Valjoux 7734 chronograph caliber that the limited edition housed, this new T.Graph II uses a contemporary automatic Sellita SW510 chronograph caliber, with a slightly higher 56-hour power reserve and a much higher beat rate of 28,800 VpH. New to the Sub 200 T.Graph II is also another dial color, Caribbean (Doxa's name for blue), which is a familiar livery within the brand's other models but never before offered on a T.Graph. The dark, slightly dusty navy dial joins the three other colorways found in the original design: ...

Breaking News: F.P. Journe Souscription Chronomètre à Résonance Achieves $13.9 Million - Becomes Fifth Most Expensive Wristwatch Ever Sold Hodinkee
Patek Philippe Jun 14, 2026

Breaking News: F.P. Journe Souscription Chronomètre à Résonance Achieves $13.9 Million - Becomes Fifth Most Expensive Wristwatch Ever Sold

It felt inevitable. Just over six months after an F.P. Journe narrowly missed joining a certain historic list of wristwatches dominated by Patek Philippe and Rolex with the $10.75 million sale of Francis Ford Coppola's personal FFC at Phillips New York (a record for the brand), one finally reached that rarified air. François-Paul Journe invented it. He made it. The market made it historic. The F.P. Journe Souscription Chronomètre à Résonance no. 007 is now the fifth-most expensive wristwatch ever sold and the third-most expensive watch sold not for charity. Arguably Journe's most important and emblematic model, a confluence of details made this example—which crossed the auction block on Saturday, June 13—the one to own, at least according to bidders. To the tune of almost $14 million, no less. In some ways, it seems the perfect cap to a wild shift in the market where, in less than a year, F.P. Journe has become more closely watched than other previously preferred blue-chip brands and references. And yet, the market is so hot that there were a number of remarkable results from the New York, Geneva, and Hong Kong auctions.  Not for nothing, but a Patek Philippe 5004 is now a $5 million watch, not only blowing out the previous non-charity record ($1.5 million for Michael Ovitz's platinum example, which was sold last fall), but eclipsing the 5004T for OnlyWatch (which sold for $4 million, give or take, back in 2013). And the fresh-to-market pink gold, satin-cased Pate...

Hands-on - The Revival of a Charming Chimer with the Angelus Tinkler 1958 Quarter Repeater Monochrome
Angelus Tinkler 1958 Quarter Repeater Jun 13, 2026

Hands-on - The Revival of a Charming Chimer with the Angelus Tinkler 1958 Quarter Repeater

Unveiled by Angelus at Watches & Wonders 2026, the Tinkler 1958 Quarter Repeater is a re-edition of the brand’s pioneering mid-century automatic, waterproof quarter repeater wristwatch, which was already a rarity in its day. Engaging sight, sound and touch, we’re going hands-on with the more luxurious, 15-piece limited edition of this charming chiming revival piece […]

The Hanhart 417 TI Desert Pilot Chronographs Offer A Fresh Take On The Brand’s Icon Fratello
Jun 13, 2026

The Hanhart 417 TI Desert Pilot Chronographs Offer A Fresh Take On The Brand’s Icon

If you were to ask me for a list of cool chronographs, the Hanhart 417 ES would definitely be on it. Of course, the fact that Steve McQueen famously wore one adds tremendously to the cool factor. But a single glance at the 417 ES will tell you it fits the bill, regardless of whether […] Visit The Hanhart 417 TI Desert Pilot Chronographs Offer A Fresh Take On The Brand’s Icon to read the full article.

Hands-On With The Wolbrook Pan4Timer Automatic - Brilliant Or Needlessly Complicated? Fratello
Wolbrook Jun 13, 2026

Hands-On With The Wolbrook Pan4Timer Automatic - Brilliant Or Needlessly Complicated?

When people ask me for the time, I naturally tend to show them my watch rather than tell them. I am not quite sure why I do this. Maybe I feel they won’t believe me unless I let them see for themselves. Maybe I have issues… In any case, this didn’t work at all when […] Visit Hands-On With The Wolbrook Pan4Timer Automatic — Brilliant Or Needlessly Complicated? to read the full article.

Review: the OG Deep Space Blue Worn & Wound
Ming ly every element stripping Jun 12, 2026

Review: the OG Deep Space Blue

There’s a riskiness to Oliver Gallaugher’s approach to watch design that I can’t help but admire. His aesthetic is clean, lending a stripped-down, contemporary look, but his methods are complex, resulting in elaborate manufacturing and higher costs. What looks, at a glance, like something simple, like a hand, never is. In fact, the hands of his watches, of which there have been two series, with the first sold out, are notably complicated, even featuring a “world’s first.” Further, though his watches are two-handers, rather than using a standard Swiss off-the-shelf movement, he has, thus far, used highly finished bespoke calibers. The result, and here is the dangerous part, is watches that don’t scream why they cost what they do. They aren’t for people who want or need an obvious element to point to, like a guilloche dial or a complication. The OG Watches Deep Space Blue is both a follow-up and an evolution of the Deep Space concept that the brand debuted with. It takes the same overarching concept, a minimal watch with a dial inspired by the night sky, but developed and refined seemingly every element, stripping back further, and yet increasing the complexity of manufacturing. It also uses a bespoke movement from Le Temps Manufactures, which is known for its work with very high-end independents. Beginning with the case, the first model was 41mm x 10.2mm thick and made of 316L steel. The new model is 38mm x 8.8mm and made of 904L. Given the spacious dial and...

Bell & Ross Introduces the BR-05 36MM Blue Diamond Eagle Diamond Worn & Wound
Bell & Ross Introduces Jun 11, 2026

Bell & Ross Introduces the BR-05 36MM Blue Diamond Eagle Diamond

Lately, no matter where I turn, I feel that I’m confronted with small watches, with exotic dials, and, with increasing frequency, set with diamonds or precious stones of some kind. It’s a well established trend at this point across both very high end luxury brands and more accessible fare, so it should never really be a surprise when a watchmaker takes a stab at something small and blingy. What is sometimes interesting to clock, however, is how a brand positions a watch like this, because there are multiple clear strategies and I think it’s interesting to consider what it says about the brand depending on the route they take. Watches in this category, or watches that bump against this category, tend to be watches that can traditionally be marketed toward women exclusively. If they’re relatively small and set with diamonds, they can be seen as inherently feminine, almost across the board. Some brands, however, lean into the current moment that is seeing men and women appreciate watches in this category.  Bell & Ross, who have just released the BR–05 36MM Blue Diamond Eagle Diamond (yes, that’s the actual name of the watch) have taken the former approach. The watch “asserts a femininity that is both timeless and contemporary,” according to their press release. The Blue Diamond Eagle Diamond (let’s go with BDED from here on out, an acronym that will almost certainly never be repeated in these pages) is a new take on the just released (in March) BR-05 36 mm ...

Introducing: The Christopher Ward C60 Pool Diver With Seconde/Seconde/ Fratello
Christopher Ward C60 Pool Diver Jun 11, 2026

Introducing: The Christopher Ward C60 Pool Diver With Seconde/Seconde/

Christopher Ward and seconde/seconde/ team up for the fourth time. This time, we get the Christopher Ward C60 Pool Diver, a lighthearted take on the holiday/vacation watch. At its core, this is still the capable C60 Trident Reef, but it is covered — and I mean absolutely covered — in gags. If it’s a full […] Visit Introducing: The Christopher Ward C60 Pool Diver With Seconde/Seconde/ to read the full article.

MAT Watches Introduces The Whimsical Egg Master II Fratello
Jun 11, 2026

MAT Watches Introduces The Whimsical Egg Master II

Generally, watches are serious business. At least to most of us, they are. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for some fun. Some good examples are the many seconde/seconde/ collaborations we have seen from various brands. Obviously, the theme should appeal to you and make you like one of these whimsical timepieces. If there […] Visit MAT Watches Introduces The Whimsical Egg Master II to read the full article.

Max Maertens Dishes on His Creative Process in Designing the New MB&F; HM12 Worn & Wound
Vacheron Constantin Cartier Jun 10, 2026

Max Maertens Dishes on His Creative Process in Designing the New MB&F; HM12

I first met Max Maertens at Dubai Watch Week last year. The young designer already has a storied career under his belt, working on projects with brands like Chopard, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, and MB&F;, where he started out as an intern. Here, something clicked. For several years, Maertens firmly fell in the “F” or “friends” category of the brand, collaborating with MB&F; and L’Epée on the T-Rex clock before being given free rein to create the TriPod and the Orb. But his legacy with MB&F; is only just getting started. Through these projects on several horological objects, the brand’s founder Max Busser saw something special and took him under his wing as his protégé and future successor. Today, we see Maertens’ first take on a more traditional MB&F; wristwatch – well…. sort of. Making its grand entrance is the HM12 Guardian, the next chapter in the brand’s horological machines. It started with a “simple” brief (though we all know, nothing MB&F; does is simple. “I was in Max’s office, and he said to me, ‘wouldn’t it be cool to create a watch that’s also a robot’s head?’ And somehow, immediately in that moment, a vision popped in my mind of how it should look,” recalls Maertens. “In the end, I would say this final concept of the HM12 is about 80% of what I had in my mind from that first idea.” Yes, the concept still originated from the mind of Busser himself, but the design of the new HM12 Guardian – a wristwatch with a “very...

Introducing the Autodromo Group C Turbo Sport, the Brand’s First Ana-Digi Watch Worn & Wound
Jun 10, 2026

Introducing the Autodromo Group C Turbo Sport, the Brand’s First Ana-Digi Watch

Few innovations in automobile engines have been as impactful as the turbocharger, first brought to production cars in the 1960s and popularized in the United States largely thanks to the iconic turbodiesel 1978 Mercedes-Benz 300SD. With a telltale whistle accompanying that extra boost of power, the turbocharger soon became synonymous with motorsports and performance cars of the 1980s: the Audi Quatto’s breathy flutter, the 930 Porsche 911 Turbo’s heartpounding lag, and the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth’s European rally dominance all helped propel the decade into the “golden era” of turbocharged performance.  With their latest release, motorsport-inspired watchmakers Autodromo are bringing another homage to a period of automotive innovation, this time highlighting the Group C “prototype” class of sports cars from the 1980s, many of which featured bold (and sometimes dangerous) turbocharged power. The basis of this new collection is their already-successful Group C digital watch, initially released in 2023, and the new Turbo Sport models draw inspiration from the analog tachometers of turbocharged ‘80s motorsports legends to create an ani-digi design that straddles the classic and modern eras of automotive and horological design.  First, the dimensions: measuring in at 38.5mm in case diameter and 40mm lug-to-lug, the Group C Turbo Sport is compact, and sits fairly lightly on the wrist with a 11.4mm case thickness measurement. The case itself is anodized aluminum ...

Introducing: The Autodromo Group C Turbo Sport Chronograph Hodinkee
Breitling s Aerospace Jun 10, 2026

Introducing: The Autodromo Group C Turbo Sport Chronograph

What We Know It's been a while since we've heard from Autodromo. The motorsports-inspired boutique brand is a longtime favorite of many here at Hodinkee. Heck, we did a pretty cool LE with them back in 2023, featuring a special-edition series of Group B Chronographs. That same year, the brand unveiled its Group C, a watch that captured the spirit of digital '80s watches rather nicely.   Today, Autodromo is launching its first totally new model since then. Meet the Autodromo Group C Turbo Sport, a fresh take on the practical analog-digital (ana-digi) watches like the Tissot Two Timer, the Heuer Manhattan Chronosplit GMT, and, of course, Breitling's Aerospace and Pluton that once adorned wrists behind the wheel and at the track a couple of decades back.   The case is 38.5 millimeters in diameter and made from anodized aluminum – that's the alloy that your BMX bike parts used to be made from back in the day – or at least mine were. The new Group C Turbo comes in three anodized aluminum flavors, clear, grey, and gold. Each has a stainless steel caseback and features a grid dial that's meant to evoke the tachymeter instruments of the Group C Turbo racing era that ran from the early 1980s until about 1993, and was defined by European endurance events including the 24 hours of Le Mans. The Group C cars of the era that inspired these watches featured clean lines, ground effects that delivered high downforce, and turbochargers, offering outsized horsepower that demanded physi...

Introducing: The Makina Cassiel II - A Brutalist Chronograph From The Philippines Fratello
Jun 10, 2026

Introducing: The Makina Cassiel II - A Brutalist Chronograph From The Philippines

Philippine microbrand Makina returns with the Makina Cassiel II. This second iteration looks nothing like the original Cassiel. However, it looks much more like a Makina now, and that’s a good thing. Join me for a closer look at a distinctly brutalist, design-first chronograph. The Makina Cassiel II goes on presale today, priced at US$1,850. […] Visit Introducing: The Makina Cassiel II — A Brutalist Chronograph From The Philippines to read the full article.

Max-imum cool: MB&F; HM12 “The Guardian” SJX Watches
MB&F; Jun 10, 2026

Max-imum cool: MB&F; HM12 “The Guardian”

After more than 20 years, avante garde independent MB&F; returns to its roots and looks to its future with HM12 The Guardian. It combines a Horological Machine with a high-end shaped movement, flying tourbillon the most elaborate – and coolest – watch stand imaginable: a nearly 400 mm tall, 15 kg robot. Better yet, The Guardian can shift into battle mode at a moments notice, deploying armor to protect its weak points. Initial Thoughts MB&F; marks its 20th anniversary with HM12 The Guardian, or would have, had it been ready in time. Instead HM12 celebrates MB&F;’s future, as the first project led solely by the brand’s creative director (and Max Büsser’s heir), Max Maertens. Mr Büsser kicked the project off about four years ago by pitching a robot with a watch for a face, following up on the brand’s robot Melchior and Balthazar desk clocks. After that, Max 2.0 was left to his own devices, with this as the result. It is a very reassuring result for those concerned about the brand’s future after Maximilian Büsser’s eventual retirement, which isn’t yet imminent, but something the brand is clearly preparing for. Interestingly, Eric Giroud, who has designed just about every MB&F; watch, was not involved in the project either. Max (left) and Max (right). Image – MB&F; While discussing the project, Mr Büsser told me that Mr Maertens actually modelled the robot himself in SolidWorks, which goes well beyond the normal duties of a designer. That Maertens did the har...

MAXimum Cool: MB&F; HM12 “The Guardian” is a Robot Watch-Clock SJX Watches
MB&F; Jun 10, 2026

MAXimum Cool: MB&F; HM12 “The Guardian” is a Robot Watch-Clock

After more than 20 years, avant-garde independent MB&F; returns to its roots and looks to its future with HM12 The Guardian. The HM12 is a Horological Machine containing a high-end shaped movement featuring a flying tourbillon, nestled in the most elaborate – and coolest – watch stand imaginable: a nearly 400 mm tall, 15 kg robot. Better yet, The Guardian can shift into battle mode at a moments notice, deploying armor to protect its weak points. Initial Thoughts MB&F; marks its 20th anniversary with HM12 The Guardian, or would have, had it been ready in time. Instead HM12 celebrates MB&F;’s future, as the first project led solely by the brand’s creative director (and founder Max Büsser’s heir), Max Maertens. Mr Büsser kicked the project off about four years ago by pitching a robot with a watch for a face, following up on the brand’s robot Melchior and Balthazar desk clocks. After that, Max 2.0 was left to his own devices, with this as the result. It is a very reassuring result for those concerned about the brand’s future after Maximilian Büsser’s eventual retirement, which isn’t yet imminent, but something the brand is clearly preparing for. Interestingly, Eric Giroud, who has designed just about every MB&F; watch, was not involved in the project either. Max (left) and Max (right). Image – MB&F; While discussing the project, Mr Büsser told me that Mr Maertens actually modelled the robot himself in SolidWorks, which goes well beyond the normal duties of a...

Photo Report: Inside Hermès Horloger Manufacture Hodinkee
Hermes Jun 9, 2026

Photo Report: Inside Hermès Horloger Manufacture

We've all been told at least once in life to stick to our own lane. It's an old trope that historically holds merit. Stick to one discipline, master it, and you'll succeed. But in 2026, the rulebook has changed in almost every aspect of life, and sometimes those one-trick ponies aren't the ones leading the charge; they're actually left in the stable. La Montre Hermès S.A in Brugg, Switzerland. In watchmaking, it transpires that the latest crop of brands to realize this are the names we most associate with being wider fashion houses. Empires sustained by hand-stitching legacy into cloth, amplified in the theatre of the catwalk, now play in the watchmaking arena. We've witnessed many of these names turn to watchmaking as an additional arm to their already bulletproof name, and crucially, they're delivering watches with real merit. For Hermès, despite having a presence in watchmaking since the early 20th century, with Universal Genève as the brand's watchmaking partner from the 1930s and the production of exclusively Hermès-signed pieces such as desk clocks, this rise has been built brick by brick since the 1970s. Outfitting horses came first, then their riders, and it quickly proved that true luxury comes from mastery, not scale. During the 1970s, the maison decided to build schools to train artisans the Hermès way, passing along hand-stitching, leather cutting, and scarf-printing techniques from master to apprentice. While other names pursued mass production or outsour...

The Swatch Collaboration Effect - Here’s What Happened (This Time) Fratello
Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop Jun 9, 2026

The Swatch Collaboration Effect - Here’s What Happened (This Time)

The Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop watch resulted in long queues at Swatch boutiques worldwide. We witnessed the chaos and mayhem at several of them on May 16th. Police had to enforce order, stores had to close, mall owners were angry, and managers of nearby shops were pissed because they couldn’t open or had […] Visit The Swatch Collaboration Effect — Here’s What Happened (This Time) to read the full article.

Rolex Oyster 100 Years Exhibition in Shanghai SJX Watches
Rolex Oyster 100 Years Exhibition Jun 9, 2026

Rolex Oyster 100 Years Exhibition in Shanghai

Making its debut in Shanghai, Oyster Story is an all-encompassing, immersive exhibition to mark the centenary of the Rolex Oyster water-resistant watch case, arguably the foundational achievement of the world’s largest luxury watch brand. Oyster Story takes place at June 10-28 at the West Bund Dome Art Center, a former cement factory in a district that was once an industrial area but is now being transformed into an arts and culture hub. The large, domed-shaped building on the banks of the Huangpu River covers almost 100,000 square feet, allowing for a comprehensive journey into the Oyster and Rolex history. The exhibition includes historical Rolex watches, including the actual timepieces worn by explorers and adventurers on landmark expeditions. The watches on show comprise those owned by Rolex “as well as privately owned watches kindly loaned for the event” according to the brand. Also on show is an in-depth look at modern-day Rolex watchmaking. “Cases, bezels, bracelets, dials, materials, movements: every stage of watchmaking is showcased here”, allowing a look into arguably the most advanced high-end-industrial watch manufacturing in Switzerland. The brand’s advances in timekeeping are also illustrated by the atomic clock developed by Rolex. Amongst other things it serves as a reference clock for Rolex watchmaking. Oyster Story is free to enter and open to the public.  

Timex Expands their Atelier Line with New Chronographs Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Atelier Wen Jun 8, 2026

Timex Expands their Atelier Line with New Chronographs

Lots of ink has been spilled in the short span of time since the launch of the Formex Aria on the topic of small brands (microbrands, if you must) going upmarket and playing at significantly higher price points than consumers are accustomed to. When a brand releases a watch that is multiple times the cost of the watches they are already associated with, it can cause a near panic in the watch enthusiast community. Lots of “HOW COULD THEY?” type comments appear on websites like ours, Instagram, and over beers at local meetups as collectors grapple with the idea that watch brands, which are also businesses that support the lives of real human beings, might attempt to make the most of the increased popularity our hobby has received in these past few years.  And that’s really what it is, right? The mainstreaming of watches has led brands like Formex, Christopher Ward, Atelier Wen, and others to feel confident in their expansion upmarket. Gone are the days when microbrands appeal solely to value conscious consumers – they have the eye of at least some traditional luxury buyers as well, and the ambitious watches they’ve developed and the prices being asked are a reflection of that. Timex, of course, is not a microbrand, but their Atelier line is a significant move into a higher pricing tier, and some of those same dynamics are in play, I think with the release of two new chronographs in the brand’s highest end line of watches.  You might remember the Atelier collect...