4,971 articles · 39 videos found · page 84 of 167
Monochrome
One of the founding fathers of watchmaking in Glashütte, together with F.A. Lange, Moritz Grossmann also established the German School of Watchmaking. This important name returned in 2008, when trained watchmaker Christine Hutter founded a manufacture of classically German, high-end watches. For its 17th anniversary, the brand is about to release a first: a watch […]
SJX Watches
Appointed Managing Director of Girard-Perregaux (GP) in early 2025, Marc Michel-Amadry has over two decades of leadership experience spanning both the auction world and fine watchmaking. A former head of Sotheby’s Switzerland and Chief Commercial Officer of IWC, he steps into the role at a pivotal moment for GP, which has spent the past three years refining its identity as an independent brand, alongside its sister brand Ulysse Nardin in the Sowind Group. I sat down with Mr Michel-Amadry not long after he took office to discuss what he has in store. Our conversation touched on the enduring relevance of the Laureato, the renewed importance of in-house innovation, and his plans to restore GP to its former glory. The interview was edited for length and clarity. SJX: You’ve covered a wide range of the industry, having worked with niche brands, major brands, and big groups. Tell us how you ended up at GP. MMA: People often tell me I don’t have a typical career path. Usually, you start somewhere and stay within the same group. But for me, every step has to have a purpose. I’ve always wanted to work for a brand that means something. By coincidence, I was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds - the home of GP. It’s a brand I’ve always followed. I met Luigi Macaluso early in my career and was struck by the sophistication and beauty of the brand. Beyond its know-how and history, GP has always expressed its own design because everything is in-house. Luigi “Gino” Macaluso, forme...
Monochrome
Vanguart is a young independent watchmaking brand founded by four men: Thierry Fisher, Jeremy Frelechox, Axel Leuenberger and Mehmet Korutürk. Both Leuenberger and Frelechox previously honed their skills at Audemars Piguet. Fisher is in charge of design. Korutürk has a background in finance and was working for a private equity company. Presented in 2021, their […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Here in the watch world of the 21st century, we’re living in the heyday of the vintage revival, with just about every brand returning to their archive, and trying to find the magic heritage design that will resonate with a contemporary audience. Seiko has one of the most extensive catalogs – vintage or modern – in the watchmaking world, and in today’s guide, I’ll be digging into the brand’s past and matching it with the watch that has carried its torch into the present. With the 10 vintage Seiko watches below, we’re going to run the gamut of style and utility, but each piece is an icon of Seiko’s past and present in its own right. 62MAS: Seiko’s first diver At the time of its introduction in 1965, the Seiko 62MAS was the first dive watch to ever come out of Japan. Featuring a deep grey dial with luminous, trapezoidal indices, a unidirectional dive bezel in black, and a date window at three o’clock, the 62MAS was water resistant 150 meters, and actually accompanied members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition from 1966 to 1969. For Seiko’s (and Japan’s) first diver, the brand has gone the heritage reissue route, releasing a faithful modern take on the watch with the Seiko Prospex SPB143. Despite being in the brand's more expensive Luxe tier, I would say the SPB143 is among the brand’s most popular watches at the moment. Even outside of its heritage connections, the SPB143 is a capable, versatile piece that’s as good-looking as it is ...
Time+Tide
Designed in collaboration with the Swiss Air Force., Fortis' Flieger collection is super-legibile and tough: this GMT is a particular standout.The post Fortis’ fliegers for the 21st century, like this F-43 Triple GMT, are now in the Time+Tide Shop! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Gautier Massonneau didn’t set out to become a watchmaker; he just wanted a nice watch. Nearly a decade later, the thirty-something Frenchman finds himself on the verge of re-establishing industrial watchmaking in the French capital with Trilobe. His partner in this evolution, Volcy Bloch, has helped steer Trilobe from design-led start-up to a vertically integrated enterprise capable of producing its own movements and, increasingly, of charting its own future. Having surrounded himself with an experienced team of watchmakers and engineers in the city’s upscale 9ᵗʰ arrondissement, Mr Massonneau has built something quietly radical: a young brand that began as an idea sketched in a Paris apartment that is now in transition to becoming a full-fledged manufacture. Initial thoughts It’s difficult to discuss the rebirth of French watchmaking without acknowledging the turbulence of the past half-century. France was once a powerhouse of horological innovation, home to Breguet, Lépine, and the great marine chronometer makers of the 18th and 19th centuries, but the industrial base began to erode after the Industrial Revolution and never truly recovered. By the late-twentieth century, the last national movement manufacturers had either collapsed or been acquired, their ambitions thwarted by globalisation and Switzerland’s ascendance. Lip, for example, was an early pioneer in electronic timekeeping, but the company’s head start wasn’t enough to insulate them from the rap...
Monochrome
At MONOCHROME, we have a soft spot for… well, monochrome. The balance of light and shadow on a dial, the quiet elegance of a perfect photograph… something about removing colour to reveal form, texture, and contrast that we find so immensely appealing. So when we learned that Elka Watch Co., the young Swiss brand known […]
Fratello
Few names are as closely linked in motorsport-themed watchmaking as TAG Heuer and Ayrton Senna. The latest TAG Heuer Ayrton Senna editions continue that relationship with two Formula 1 chronographs that pay tribute to the Brazilian driver’s legacy. Rather than chasing nostalgia, these models acknowledge Senna’s influence with a modern interpretation. Both watches - one […] Visit TAG Heuer Honors Racing Legend Ayrton Senna With Two New Formula 1 Chronographs to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Next week is Veterans Day, which for the last several years has marked an important moment for Vortic, the Colorado based watch brand specializing in repurposing vintage pocket watch movements and dials into wrist worn cases that serve as special tributes to America’s watchmaking past. Each year on Veterans Day, Vortic releases their Military Edition, a special series of watches that incorporate movements and dials sourced from watches commissioned by the United States military. The watches have been a big hit for Vortic since their introduction, usually selling out within minutes of going on sale. They draw not only watch collectors, but of course have a natural appeal to history lovers and collectors of military odds and ends – they really thread the needle perfectly across multiple bands of enthusiasm. This year’s release has some additional special significance as a total of three distinct options will be available when these watches launch, including the first ever Vortic watches running on a vintage Swiss movement. A quick recap of what the Military Edition actually consists of as a watch is probably the best place to start. Watches in the Military Edition are sourced from the AN5740-1 pocket watch, also known as the “Master Navigational Watch”, built to the specs of the Army Air Corp during World War II by Elgin, Waltham, and Hamilton. As with other historic watches built to military specs, the dials were standardized across all manufacturers, and each M...
Monochrome
The Seiko Presage Classic Series has been on a quiet roll. Last year’s SPB463/465/467 trio set the tone with soft, bowl-shaped cases, curved dials inspired by silk, and a 3-day automatic movement that made the Presage feel both more Japanese and more purposeful. The open-heart SPB469/471 extended the idea with radial “raw silk” textures and […]
Hodinkee
The Swiss brand is making literal waves with its popular PRX model.
Monochrome
Since its introduction in 2021, the PRX collection by Tissot has never ceased to amaze and to grow in size. This range, one of the most accessible and compelling Swiss-made sporty-chic watches with an integrated bracelet, has become a commercial hit and has been offered in an array of colours, sizes, complications and materials. From […]
Fratello
If you’re celebrating 270 years of uninterrupted watchmaking history, you’ve seen it all, and sometimes you need to find new challenges to keep things exciting. A new collection of Les Cabinotiers timepieces titled La Quête (The Quest) keeps the watchmakers at the world’s longest continually operating watch brand on their toes and the collectors happy. […] Visit Introducing: A Complicated Trio Of One-Offs From Vacheron Constantin With Astronomical Themes to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Titanium is by no means a new material in the watch industry. In fact, it’s been used on a commercial level in case construction for more than 50 years. Titanium in its raw form as a structural metal is 40% lighter than stainless steel while still just as hard. Among its appeal for watchmaking purposes are the facts that it is also highly resistant to corrosion by the elements as well as being hypoallergenic. There are different grades of titanium as well, which offer different characteristics based on how it’s alloyed with other metals. Titanium ranges in color from dark gunmetal grey to a steely silver which gives it versatility in different applications. Perhaps the most enticing aspect of titanium, particularly from the consumer side, is that despite its high-quality characteristics, there isn’t a massive discrepancy between its price versus that of stainless steel. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of 30 outstanding titanium watches in a range of price categories. Citizen Promaster Super Titanium Armor Case Size: 41 mm, Integrated 23.5 mm Bracelet, Thickness: 10.5 mm, Lug-to-Lug: 43.7 mm, Water Resistance: 100 m, Movement: Eco Drive J810, Crystal: Sapphire, Price: $625 In 1970, Citizen launched the very first titanium wrist watch called the X-8 Cosmotron Chronometer. Today, Citizen uses what it calls Super Titanium, a titanium alloy coated with a proprietary hardening agent that increases the hardness of the metal to five times that of stainless steel. ...
Monochrome
Released just three weeks ago, Louis Erard surprised the watchmaking scene with its first integrated sports watch, the 2340. A sporty-chic titanium and steel watch with a sophisticated integrated bracelet, the 2340 marked a radical, new direction for the brand, which has relied extensively on its classic Regulator watch for numerous collaborations. Surprising us yet […]
Fratello
There’s something about a classic dress watch that resonates beyond fleeting trends. For me, it all started with the vintage IWC “Calatrava” Cal. 89 that I inherited from my grandfather. It is a watch from a bygone era when watchmaking was all about understated elegance, mechanical mastery, and timeless design. Recently, my Fratello colleagues discussed […] Visit Why Every Watch Collector Needs A “Calatrava” to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
When you think of Rolex, the first colors your mind usually conjures up are green and gold, long the emblematic colors of the Swiss power brand and its world-famous “crown” logo. (Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf is said to have settled on these colors because they symbolized wealth and success.) Blue, on the other hand, is not a color that most watch aficionados readily associate with Rolex, though many will associate it with other watch brands, like Breguet, Breitling, and Rolex’s own little brother, Tudor. However, when Rolex does decide to do blue - whether it’s for dials, bezels, or some combination of both - it does so in a way that really speaks to the brand’s avid fan base. Over the years, some blue-dialed Rolex watches, in fact, are not only popular but have become recognized as classics. Here are seven Rolexes with blue dials - some discontinued and collectible, others still available in the current collection - that have demanded enthusiast attention. (Price estimates for the discontinued models on the list are courtesy of WatchCharts.) Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41, Ref. 126334 ($11,100) Rolex released the Datejust in 1945, and the model is today regarded as one of the world’s most classically elegant dress watches. The Datejust brought two now-familiar elements to the world of watch design, one of which can be found throughout the watch industry, the other being still closely associated with Rolex. The first was the addition of a date disp...
Teddy Baldassarre
Watchmaking is a trade that draws artisans and enthusiasts from around the globe, though as an industry it has taken root in only a relative handful of nations. Switzerland, of course, is widely recognized as the world leader in the horological arts, but nations including Japan and Germany have also made a name for themselves on the world watchmaking stage. As watch connoisseurship grows in the 21st century, former watchmaking powers like Great Britain, the United States, and France have started increasing their footprint in the industry. Italy, another country historically renowned for its meticulous craftsmanship and bold, stylish design language, has exerted its own small but impactful influence on the world of watches: it’s the birthplace of Panerai, for example, a brand that essentially opened the door for old-school military tool watches to enter the rarefied air of luxury. It’s also the ancestral home of Bulgari, which, despite being more famous for its jewelry, has earned awestruck respect in the watch world for its record-breaking, boundary-pushing ultra-thin complications. Even Italy’s world-famous luxury sports-car marques - Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati - have exerted a muse-like influence on watchmakers worldwide, in both design and technology, often through direct partnerships. Watches actually made in Italy, however, are relatively few - Panerai and Bulgari are far too rooted in Switzerland nowadays to be considered for this list - but each co...
Fratello
So far, we’ve introduced you to Abraham-Louis Breguet, who set up shop 250 years ago, and the “Breguet of the 20th Century,” English watchmaker and inventor of the Co-Axial escapement, George Daniels. In the spirit of independent watchmaking and the brand’s 30th anniversary, Fratello now invites you to get acquainted with Monsieur Roger Dubuis (1938–2017), […] Visit Who Was Roger Dubuis? - The Life And Work Of The Master Watchmaker With A Taste For The Extravagant to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Cycling and watchmaking might have more in common than you might think.
Monochrome
For our latest independent watchmaking discovery, we talk to Alex Goetschi, a young self-taught watchmaker from Switzerland with a very interesting story. Under the name of Manteio, which comes from the Greek word for Oracle, he finds inspiration in Greek mythology. And what better topic for your first watch than the ‘King of the Gods’ […]
Monochrome
Northern Watches, launched by the Norwegian-born and Swiss-based watchmaker Stian Lofstad, arrives with a clear message: show the whole day at a glance, keep the design clean, and build it in Switzerland with proven movement. The debut range splits into two references, the bronze-cased NW1 Bronze Age and the steel NW2 Northerner, but the concept […]
SJX Watches
While Aubert and Ramel is a new brand, and the Ouréa is a new watch, Thomas Aubert and Alexis Ramel-Sartori aren’t new to independent watchmaking, both having worked for a prominent name in the space. That experience is evident in a strong – and decidedly on-trend – debut that stands out even in a crowded market. Initial Thoughts It seems there are many finely decorated time-only watches on the market today; the two contributed to some of the better ones in their earlier careers. Now the pair strike out under their own name, and unsurprisingly, their first watch is quite good. Though the duo seem to know that already, as they have priced it close to, just a little below, leading independents. The Ouréa’s “scraped” dial brings to mind the wildly successful Chronomètre Artisans from Simon Brette. That probably isn’t coincidental, as the two both worked for Simon Brette. However, I perceive an even stronger, and more general, influence of Greubel Forsey in the Ouréa. It also calls back to Thomas Aubert’s Séléné, winner of last year’s F.P. Journe young talent competition. The scintillating teal accents, applied by atomic layer deposition, are a nice touch to set the watch apart, and the hands are incredibly well made. Interestingly, the filling in the hands is white lacquer rather than luminous material. That seems like a missed opportunity as the appearance would be nearly identical if it were lumed. It is also a shame that Mr Aubert’s recoiling sho...
Time+Tide
The '60s were a particularly groovy and innovative time for watchmaking - here's some of the highlights.The post 8 of the best 1960s watches, an era dominated by science, motorsports and space appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Farer has managed to carve out its own niche in the new wave of British-founded, Swiss-made brands, with playful (and skillful) use of colour and accessible pricing. Two new additions to the Moonphase collection continue that pattern: the Stratton and Burbidge feature Farer’s signature cushion-shaped case and crisp detailing that gives them an unmistakably contemporary feel despite their traditional inspiration. The Stratton is the second Farer model to feature a natural stone dial, this time in Eisenkiesel quartz, while the Burbidge, limited to just 100 pieces, flaunts trendy Eastern Arabic numerals and a playful blue-and-pink palette. Initial thoughts Farer’s brand identity is rooted in British design and Swiss production; in this respect it’s similar to Christopher Ward and Fears. The brand offers a playful, and often colourful, twist on traditional tool watch motifs. The Moonphase collection is among the brand’s dressier offerings, and the Stratton and Burbidge are each interesting in their own right. The most eye-catching of the pair is the limited edition Burbidge with Eastern Arabic numerals for the dial and date wheel. The blue and pink colourway is charming and the exotic numerals will likely prove to be something of a ‘secret handshake’ among those who are up-to-date with collector culture. The Stratton, named for British astronomer Frederick Stratton OBE, sticks to regular numerals but features a natural stone dial made of Eisenkiesel. The thickness...
Monochrome
CIGA Design has carved out a distinct lane in contemporary Chinese watchmaking: bold industrial design, visible mechanics, and aggressive value. Founded by industrial designer Zhang Jianmin, the brand built early recognition with skeletonised mechanical pieces and unconventional case forms, then vaulted onto the global stage with the award-winning Blue Planet, cementing its credibility beyond the […]
Monochrome
Founded in 1893 and rooted in the Saxon cradle of German watchmaking, Union Glashütte has never shied away from character. The brand´s Belisar series is famous for its automotive-inspired editions, and needless to say, the design cues of the Speedster editions have always been taken from a German car. This year, for the first time, […]
SJX Watches
Phillips’s upcoming sale in Geneva has the most attention-grabbing roster of the Geneva auctions, including the return of a record-setting Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in steel. Yet it was the J. Player & Son No. 11’901 that most affected me. Dubbed the “hyper” complication by Phillips, the watch belongs to a rarified group of swan-song supercomplications that memorialise the final days of English fine watchmaking. Despite being over a century old, the watch easily holds its own against the fine watchmaking of today, both in decoration and mechanics. By the turn of the century, the traditional watchmaking centers of England and France were besieged by vertically integrated American super-factories from the West, and cheap but skilful Swiss labour from the East, both of which benefited greatly from mechanisation. During the waning years of English fine watchmaking, the most prestigious firms responded by attempting to move even further upmarket with highly complicated watches, and the firms remained confident in the appeal of their products. “If they are more expensive, as they must necessarily be, they last the purchaser a lifetime,” said a representative of Nicole, Nielsen & Co., the company that built this watch, said of English watches in 1912, “The better classes, indeed, have always bought, and will always buy, English-made watches, and will not buy any others”. Swiss prelude This watch started life in Switzerland as ebauche number 7’321, according to Fr...
Monochrome
Editor’s note – As our long-time readers might know, MONOCRHOME is usually quite (to say the least) technical. We like to go in-depth, to look at the ins and outs of watchmaking, sometimes tackling highly complex topics. This was the main objective behind our “Technical Perspective” series, where we’ve covered some of the most complex […]
Monochrome
Graduating from his watchmaking studies in Switzerland this year, young indie watchmaker Ivan Berets is set to launch his first watch. Simply called the Series 1, it is based on his graduation project watch, more poetically known as the Montre d’Ecole in French. With Russian roots, Ivan now resides in Italy and has unveiled the Sereis […]
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