Quill & Pad
Why I Bought It: Vintage Mathey-Tissot Type 20 Big Eye Chronograph
This is the story of GaryG's pursuit, and eventual capture, of a classic vintage watch: a Type 20 “big eye” flyback chronograph manufactured by Mathey-Tissot.
Results for Watches and Wonders Geneva
35,374 articles · 249 videos found · page 845 of 1188
Quill & Pad
Fratello
Fratello Talks: Microbrands Vs. Entry-Level Legacy Brands
Hi there, and welcome to Fratello Talks. Would you rather buy a watch from a microbrand or an entry-level legacy brand? That’s the question Nacho, Thomas, and Lex ask themselves today. As we’ve begun to see microbrands develop and offer better quality and undeniable value while entry-level big-name brands stand relatively still, this has certainly become […] Visit Fratello Talks: Microbrands Vs. Entry-Level Legacy Brands to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Omega drop another surprise holiday release: a Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M in turquoise
It seems Omega just can't stop surprising us with new watches this holiday season, treating us with a tasty turquoise fumé Aqua Terra.The post Omega drop another surprise holiday release: a Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M in turquoise appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Panerai Submersible Elux LAB-ID PAM01800
The Submersible Elux LAB-ID PAM01800 is Panerai’s fourth LAB-ID “concept” watch, but probably the most interesting watch in its current catalogue from a technical standpoint. It’s a big, complex watch – inside the 49 mm ceramised titanium case is a movement with six mainsprings. More accurately, it has a conventional movement with twin barrels, plus an illumination module with four of its own mainsprings that generate enough to light up the dial, hands, and bezel for a lengthy 30 minutes. Initial thoughts For the most part I prefer traditionally-styled Panerai watches, either the vintage remakes or the 1990s-type 44 mm models (though I admit the brand’s recent calendar complications are done well). The Submersible Elux hardly resembles a vintage Panerai, but is one of the rare modern creations that is appealing, both in terms of concept and execution, but not so much price-wise. The Submersible Elux is both ridiculous and cool. It’s enormous at 49 mm and also costs just under US$100,000. But it’s arguably the greatest evolution of the historical Panerai speciality of glow-in-the-dark dive watches. And the price is explained in part by the small scale of production in Switzerland. Granted, at this price the PAM01800 isn’t a practical diving instrument, but the technology inside is interesting and notably sophisticated compared to past attempts at light-up watches, all of which suffered from impractically short illumination or power reserve. In time, the te...
W
Worn & Wound
Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward’s Dallas Showroom: Experience a Piece of England, Deep in the Heart of Texas
Christopher Ward is one of those brands that’s been doing it their very own way from the beginning. Between its direct-to-consumer business model to its recent expansion into approachable haute horology, the Christopher Ward team has been willing to experiment with new technologies and marketing strategies, pushing the industry forward-whether they like it or not. We recently had the chance to sit down with a familiar face, Michael Pearson is Christopher Ward’s Brand Director for the North America region. We chatted about the brand, the watches, and most importantly we discussed the opening of the company’s first showroom outside of England, located near Dallas, TX. We were also honored to be the team chosen to officially photograph the space for the public. Please enjoy both our conversation and these first-glimpse photos of Christopher Ward’s ambitious expansion. The post Christopher Ward’s Dallas Showroom: Experience a Piece of England, Deep in the Heart of Texas appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Monochrome
Video Review – The F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Vertical, One of the Only Tourbillon Wristwatches that Makes Sense
If you’re reading this article and MONOCHROME on a regular basis, you should certainly all about the tourbillon, this device where the regulating organ is placed in a constantly rotating cage, counteracting the negative effect of gravity. But we have to keep in mind that the tourbillon, conceived and patented by Breguet in 1801, was […]
Fratello
Introducing A Tougher Shade Of White: The Urwerk UR-230 Ceramique
If you compare horology and science, Urwerk must be fundamental science. The house does not ask what people need. Instead, it asks what is possible on the fringes. The Urwerk UR-230 is a prime example. Its dual-turbine system allows the user to regulate the watch’s winding. Does anyone need that? No. But who cares? It […] Visit Introducing A Tougher Shade Of White: The Urwerk UR-230 Ceramique to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Nomos Tangente 2Date Review
Germany’s Nomos Glashütte has built its avid following on an adherence to minimalist, Bauhaus-style simplicity in its watch designs, and it has the Red Dot awards to prove it. In all of its similar but subtly distinct product families — particularly the Tangente, the brand’s acknowledged flagship — Nomos has approached complications with great care, mostly focusing on the understated and utilitarian. Sometimes, however, even the most restrained watchmaker wants to have some fun, to make a watch with an added function that isn’t really necessary or even practical but adds an indisputable cool factor. Such is the case with the Tangente 2Date, unveiled earlier this year, which, as its cheeky name implies, is the first Nomos watch that displays the date in two different ways. And even though that sounds like an idea from the Department of Redundancy Department, don’t knock it until you’re tried it — as I had the opportunity to do recently, with Nomos sending me a review model of the Tangente 2Date with a sunray-brushed blue dial. Case: Like all Nomos watches, particularly those in the flagship Tangente collection, the 2Date is recognizably Bauhaus in its aesthetic. The 37.5mm case is practically bezel-free, with just the narrowest hint of one framing the wide dial opening. At just 6.75mm high (6.65 on the version without a sapphire caseback), the case weighs lightly on the wrist and slips easily under a shirt cuff. The lugs are thin and angular, from the front...
Deployant
New Video: Czapek Manufacture – the suppliers
Czapek CEO takes us on a tour of two suppliers: enamel dials at Donzé Cadrans and titanium case/bracelets at Ab Products & Ab Concepts.
Monochrome
Introducing – The New Urwerk UR-230 Polaris in White Ceramic
Typically, Urwerk leans heavily on darker tones for its case designs, with few exceptions, such as the EMC Time Hunter in its Stormtrooper-like white ceramic. However, the new Urwerk UR-230 Polaris marks another bold and refreshing departure. With a case crafted from a ceramic-based white composite, this release feels surprising and perfectly natural, expanding the […]
SJX Watches
The Urwerk UR-230 Arrives in White Ceramic Composite
Urwerk is best known for its all-black, sci-fi watches, so the UR-230 Polaris departs from the norm. Cased in white ceramic composite, the UR-230 Polaris incorporates several advancement in terms of materials: the white case is milled from a proprietary fibreglass-reinforced ceramic that is more resistant to impact than conventional ceramic. Notably, the material was developed in-house according to Urwerk. Initial thoughts Although Urwerk has introduced many iterations of the UR-210/220/230, the Polaris is arguably the most interesting to date because of the material. It retains the familiar design of the series, but represents an achievement for Urwerk with the proprietary ceramic-fibreglass composite. The fact that Urwerk is going beyond complications and case design is laudable. The composite addresses one of the weakness of pure ceramic, which is vaunted for its durability and immunity to scratches – that very hardness makes it fragile. Dropped onto a hard surface, for instance, ceramic may crack or break. Moreover, such damage is impossible to repair, making case replacement necessary (and inevitably expensive). The UR-230 Polaris is more expensive than the other models in the series that sport conventions case materials. The higher price is arguably justified considering the new material, although if this new material makes its way into more affordable Urwerk models, then the material would lose some of its novelty. Satellite complication Fibreglass-reinforced cera...
Time+Tide
We drop the top on the Porsche Design Chronograph 718 Spyder RS
The perfect watch to wear with your high-powered convertible... Or keep it strapped on while it's too wet to drop the roof.The post We drop the top on the Porsche Design Chronograph 718 Spyder RS appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Hands-On With The New Black Omega Seamaster Diver 300M
This story all started with Daniel Craig…again! Indeed, many Omega stories do nowadays. The former on-screen secret agent wasn’t that secretive about wearing a new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M during the Paris Olympics earlier this year. As always, watch enthusiasts took notice, and that’s when the internet went crazy. It started the rumor mill that […] Visit Hands-On With The New Black Omega Seamaster Diver 300M to read the full article.
Quill & Pad
Watchcharts November 2023 Secondary Watch Market Update
With the Overall Market Index now at a two-and-a-half year low, the broad-based nature of the declines across the market continues: Rolex prices are now also at a 30-month low, while Patek Philippe has hit a 26-month low, and Audemars Piguet is at a 27-month low.
WatchAdvice
Review: Is The IWC Portugieser Chronograph Dune The Watch You Didn’t Know You Wanted?
The IWC Portugieser is one of the Schaffhausen brand’s most iconic models, and with a new lineup this year, we thought we would take the new Portugieser Chronograph ‘Dune’ out to see how it feels on the wrist. What We Love The watch’s ability to pair with most outfits The dial finishing is excellent, with the sunray finish looking stunning The design is timeless and won’t date easily What We Don’t The monochromatic coloured dial could use some contrast to aid with legibility The clasp is a little hard to open The lack of a date window gives it less functionality Overall Score: 8.6 / 10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 9/10 2024 has been a stellar year for IWC Schaffhausen. They launched the new look Portugieser collection at Watches & Wonders 2024, which I felt was one of the best collections released at the fair this year. Whilst other brands focused their efforts on just a few models or high complications, IWC took the opportunity to re-vamp the entire line, with new colourways reflecting the times of the day and in steel and precious metals. They also had an epic soundtrack playing in their booth, which could be heard throughout the Palexpo, so it was almost as if IWC provided the soundtrack to Watches & Wonders 2024. They also released the Portugieser Eternal Calendar as part of this collection which was the brand’s contribution to the high-end pieces we saw throughout the fair, which then went on to break the Guin...
Fratello
Introducing: The Robot Minor Arctic LE
As many of you know, Robot is a brand offering high-quality Czech-made mechanical watches. The Minor, inspired by the Aero Minor racing car, is one of Robot’s most renowned models. Today, in a limited series of only 12 pieces, Robot introduces the Minor Arctic LE. This edition is a tribute to explorer František Běhounek, the […] Visit Introducing: The Robot Minor Arctic LE to read the full article.
Fratello
The New Oak & Oscar Humboldt GMT SAR Edition
Seven months have passed since Oak & Oscar released its Atwood hand-wound chronograph. However, it seems that founder Chase Fancher and the team were already plotting the next model, the Humboldt GMT SAR Edition. To be fair, this is a limited offering designed with a search and rescue team in mind. However, it deserves attention […] Visit The New Oak & Oscar Humboldt GMT SAR Edition to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Oak & Oscar Introduces the Humboldt GMT SAR Edition
On a new release calendar that’s full of limited edition collaborations that don’t always make a ton of logical sense, it’s refreshing to see one come across our desks that feels like a genuine meeting of the minds. Oak & Oscar is a longtime fixture in the micro/independent brand space, and at this point it’s fair to say that they’ve carved out a pretty recognizable niche for themselves. When you think of Oak & Oscar, you probably immediately think of the brand’s midwest roots, a love of the outdoors, and, of course, bourbon. Their latest release, a 50 piece limited collaboration with the St. Louis County Rescue Squad, combines at least two of these ideas, and the result is a handsome, sporty GMT that first right in Oak & Oscar’s wheelhouse. For context, the St. Louis County Rescue Squad is made up of volunteers who provide lifesaving services to outdoor enthusiasts visiting northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). As Oak & Oscar explains, the BWCA is an “outdoor-lover’s dream,” featuring hiking trails, camping, canoeing, and more. Oak & Oscar became a member of the Boundary Waters Business Coalition in 2021, a sign of their commitment to the preservation of the BWCA. To that end, the new Humboldt GMT SAR Edition serves as a reminder of that commitment, as well as a means to help fund the efforts of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad (a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these watches will be donated to the Squad). This new lim...
Monochrome
Video – What Armin Strom has Achieved in 15 years… Resonance!
Fifteen years of Armin Strom… witnessing how far they have come in one-and-a-half decade is more than impressive. Claude Greisler and Serge Michel took over the watch business from Mr. Armin Strom, who had made a name for himself as a specialist in hand-skeletonizing. Claude and Serge had a different ambition: to put their own […]
Hodinkee
Hands-On: First Spotted On The Wrist In A U-2 Spy Plane – The New Flight Qualified Omega Speedmaster 'Pilot'
It is not quite a Flightmaster, but it is flight-tested and now here for civilians and military pilots alike.
Monochrome
Introducing – The New Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified
While the Speedmaster started its life as a racing chronograph destined to measure average speeds (hence its name), it quickly changed vocation when, during the 1960s, it became the watch of choice for US Air Force pilots and, of course, NASA astronauts. From there, the Speedmaster became one of the most famous pilot’s chronographs and […]
Time+Tide
Omega launches the Speedmaster Pilot to the public – no pilot’s license required
A new Speedmaster from Omega is dedicated to pilots with colourful features anyone who works in a cockpit will recognise.The post Omega launches the Speedmaster Pilot to the public – no pilot’s license required appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Review: the amazing Rudis Sylva RS14 Titane
We had the Rudis Sylva RS14 Titane on hand for the best part of the month, and here is our in-depth comprehensive review of this amazing watch.
Monochrome
Introducing – This New Mido Multifort Mechanical Gives Back the Mundane Unitas its Necessary Credentials
The Unitas, known under the names ETA 6498 and 6497 (depending on its configuration, Lépine or Savonette), is without a doubt one of the most important and most long-lasting movements of the Swiss industry. This simple, no-nonsense but reliable hand-wound movement has been produced since the 1950s, yet originates from classic pocket watch calibres. Often […]
![Hands-On With The Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified [With Video]](https://www.fratellowatches.com/cdn-cgi/image/anim=false/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Omega-Speedmaster-Pilot-Flight-Qualified-332.10.41.51.01.002-Watch-38.jpg)
Fratello
Hands-On With The Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified [With Video]
It’s here! The Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified debuted as a pilot-only watch a few months ago, but Omega decided to make a slightly different version available for people like you (assuming you aren’t a US military pilot) and me. Originally for US military pilots At the end of September, we showed you the US military […] Visit Hands-On With The Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified [With Video] to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Insight: The Modern Performance Chronograph Movement
High-end chronograph movements of today tend to have in common a vertical clutch and column wheel. Such “performance” chronographs are typically also automatic, and practically every high-end watchmaker, from Audemars Piguet to Vacheron Constantin, has its own take on the modern “performance” chronograph. The chronograph movement as we know it today is actually a fairly recent invention. Despite being common in today’s chronograph constructions, the vertical coupling, or at least its concept, is decades-old. The Pierce cal. 130/134 launched in the 1930s is regarded as the first commercially available wristwatch with a vertical clutch. There are examples of even older stopwatches that relied on crude forms of the vertical clutch, but most were either prototypes or small-batch production. But the large-scale use of the vertical clutch only started in the late 1960s, when Seiko debuted the cal. 6139. Launched in 1969, the Seiko cal. 6139 was a vertical clutch movement produced on an industrial scale. Not only was it among the first-ever automatic chronographs, but the cal. 6139 also was objectively the most advanced amongst them. Compared to the modular construction of the Breitling-Heuer Chronomatic Caliber 11 and the fairly classical architecture of the Zenith El Primero, the Seiko cal. 6139 was endowed with a vertical clutch and a novel construction all around. It was, however, an industrial, no-frills movement at heart. The one that started it all – the cal. ...
SJX Watches
Zenith’s 1/100th Second Chronograph Inlaid with Tiger’s Eye
Zenith has given its 1/100th-of-a-second El Primero 21 an unusual attire – pusher protectors and a dodecagonal bezel in tiger’s eye mineral stone. Matched with a dial featuring tiger stripes and green accents, the Defy Extreme Jungle retains the trademark double balance wheels of the model. The movement features a conventional timekeeping balance operating at 36,000 beats per hour (5 Hz), and a smaller regulator for the chronograph that beats 10 times as fast, 360,000 beats per hour or 50 Hz, enabling the chronograph to record times with a resolution of up to to 1/100th of a second. Initial thoughts I have long thought that the Defy Extreme was too similar to other, more famous oversized sports chronographs, that is, until I actually got to try on the Defy Extreme Jungle in person. The new Defy still evokes other designs, but it is finely executed, with the minerals stone inlay being notably well done. At the same time, the tiger’s eye elements add some originality to the design, so this easily stands out as the most interesting model in the Defy line. The tiger’s eye components, especially since they are prominently positioned, are likely more fragile than the same on the equivalent titanium model, but they add texture and colour so are arguably worth the sacrifice of practicality. At US$26,900, the Defy Extreme Jungle is pricier than the average Zenith chronograph, but still a reasonable proposition given the exotic material and 1/100th of a second movement. Tige...
Time+Tide
The ArtyA Gears collection brings bespoke, unique pieces for under $20k
Unique pieces in unique case materials are the topic of ArtyA's latest chronograph release, the Gears collection.The post The ArtyA Gears collection brings bespoke, unique pieces for under $20k appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
First Look – The Grand Seiko Icefall Returns, with the 40mm Titanium SBGH349
In September this year, Grand Seiko unveiled a rather striking new model, the Icefall SBGH347. Not only did this watch come with a new dial pattern and a stunning colour, but it also celebrated an important milestone in the brand’s history, the launch in 1998 of the purely mechanical 9S series. This initial Icefall watch […]
Worn & Wound
First Look: Élge Returns with the French-Made Chamonix
Reviving defunct watch brands is more common than it once was. Previously, the idea caused excitement, though not without trepidation. Would this reincarnated brand bring back interesting pieces from its archives, be a contemporary reinterpretation of the brand’s spirit, or just be a hollow attempt to cash in on some old name? It was always a waiting game to see which, and we saw all three. But in the years since the strategy for revivals has been refined. Respect for historical designs and proportions is a given, but with so many brands having made similarly styled watches in the past, it’s less provocative to have a vintage-looking watch with a vintage name. What makes a newly revived brand stand out now is its execution and story, if there is one to share. This brings me to this article’s subject, the return of Elgé. Elgé is not a brand I was aware of before being told of their relaunch, and I imagine that is likely the case for most enthusiasts, at least in the US. This immediately presents both a challenge and an opportunity. On one hand, no preconceived notions would lead to expectations. On the other, there is no existing reverence for the brand. Ultimately, they will have to rely on the quality of their designs and the watches themselves, which, in fairness, should always matter more than history, at least in my eyes. So, who is Elgé? Well, information on them is sparse, and based on a quick search, every description appears to be nearly identical, all rif...