Hodinkee
Introducing: Omega Sets A New Standard Of Accuracy With The Speedmaster Super Racing (Live Pics & Pricing)
The caliber 9920 isn't just accurate, it arrives with a new method of regulation.
3,146 articles · 206 videos found · page 86 of 112
Hodinkee
The caliber 9920 isn't just accurate, it arrives with a new method of regulation.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A look at the newest diver from Nodus Watches, the Sector Deep. Read more for original photos, specs, and pricing.
Worn & Wound
Airain, the heritage watch brand that made a triumphant return in 2020 with their Type 20 reissue, is back with a new spin on the popular (and historic) chronograph that gives it a sleek and under the radar look. Airain, you might remember, is one of the original French manufacturers of the Type 20 chronograph, the military aviator’s watch issued to French pilots in the 1950s and 60s. Several watchmakers were contracted by the French Ministry of Defense to produce the watches to spec, including Mathey Tissot, Dodane, and, most famously, Breguet. Vintage examples of the Type 20 are highly collectible, and Breguet of course still produces a variety of excellent chronographs under the moniker. Brands like Hemel and Massena LAB have also gotten in on the Type 20 action recently, which might harken a boom in interest in these very specific chronographs. The specificity, I think, is part of the charm. Like other watches built for military purposes, the Type 20 was made to a certain standard, with certain key features, regardless of the manufacturer that actually produced it. In the case of the Type 20, those requirements included a black dial with registers at 3:00 and 6:00, giving the wearer the ability to time events up to 30 minutes in duration, along with a 38mm case diameter, a rotating 12 hour bezel, lumed hands and Arabic numerals, and accuracy to within 8 seconds per day. The other key feature was that the chronograph needed to have flyback functionality, a requireme...
Time+Tide
The Tangente launched as one part of a quartet of watches designed by Susanne Günther in 1992, marking the beginnings of NOMOS Glashütte. Throughout the years, the Tangente has likely become the most recognisable NOMOS model, achieving that with the minimum amount of overt design possible. It has shifted in size and colour options, adopted … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: How the new NOMOS Tangente Blaugold fits into the iconic line-up appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Last month, Cartier relaunched the Tank Francaise, a bestseller in the 1990s and early 2000s and also the first Tank to feature an integrated bracelet. Retaining the design elements of the 1996 original, the new Tank Francaise nonetheless sports a sleeker form and a more modern appearance overall. In many ways it’s not merely a remake but an entirely new watch. Initial thoughts When Cartier revealed the revamped Tank Francaise 27 years after the original, I was sceptical for several reasons. One because the original isn’t yet vintage enough to be a classic, but it is old enough that it might be stale. Another is the fact that it has been around for so long – the heyday of the original was the late 1990s but it remained in the catalogue until recently – the design feels too familiar. So I naturally wondered if the brand would do it justice to the model in redesigning it. After checking out the new Tank Francaise, I can certainly say it is well done and just right (apart from a few minor shortcomings in execution, like the date on the large model). The large model in steel The new Tank Francaise retains the style of the original, so it still has a bit of retro, 1990s style but not too much so it manages to look current. It still has the look of the original, with a similar outline and profile, but now with cleaner lines and neater details like a recessed crown. Other details like the brushed finish and sticker-appliqué numerals on the dials adds texture and visu...
Deployant
One of the most notable aspects of the Bulova Astronaut Re-Edition is its design. The watch features a 41mm stainless steel case with a black dial and luminous hands and markers, similar to the original watch. It also features a distinctive Day/Night bezel which helps the wearer track two time zones simultaneously. The watch is powered by a Swiss-made automatic movement, which ironically makes it no longer the 'most accurate watch in the world'; a phrase used to describe the original 1968 model with the 214HN sub-caliber.
Worn & Wound
Boston-based streetwear giant, Bodega, is known for being one of the premier retailers and collaborators in the world of sneakers and fashion since 2006. On February 17th, the brand is releasing their latest collab, and this time it’s one you can wear on your wrist. G-Shock has been in the watch world for a staggering 40 years, and they’ve come up with a heck of a release to celebrate. Based on the original G-Shock, the familiar square DW-5600, this new collar has some added flair that makes it truly something special. Building upon the theme of “Anytime and Anywhere”, the watch draws inspiration from the global reach that both brands have. The ability to throw on a G-Shock and have it work anytime and anywhere rings true to the theme. Instead of the standard matte black resin, the case and bracelet are crafted from a smoke gray translucent resin that adds some depth to the design. They’ve also incorporated a steel bumper bar to add an extra rugged touch. Co-branding on the dial is complete with gold and red accents that really pop off the rest of the gray watch. One of the coolest parts of this collaboration is the old school globe design that’s rendered in red on a green background when the backlight is activated. Flip the watch over and the globe motif is repeated on the engraved case back. This watch comes with the classic resin band and a unique additional strap with a built-in carabiner. Make use of the included tool and extra set of endlinks, and you can...
Time+Tide
Some extinct brands that get revived for the modern mechanical boom are often raised in mystery, bought out by private companies who heap glory on their adopted heritage to distract from the lack of modern substance. Fears is the direct opposite of that, not only being reincarnated by a member of the original family but … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The triumphant story of the Fears Brunswick appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
These days it’s not as impressive as it once was to have a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign. If you have a watch with an original design that offers good value for money, then you’ve got a great chance of hitting your goal. What’s not as easy to do is become your country’s most funded watch … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Tusenö Windseeker is a handsome watch with 1970s swagger appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
In this spotlight, photographer and bonafide collector, Erin Comite (a.k.a. @pockettrinkets) takes us through her love of gear, photography, and NOMOS Glashütte watches. Hey Erin, thanks so much for taking part in our latest spotlight. Tell us a little about yourself! Hi, I’m Erin Comite. I live in NYC with my husband and a miniature dachshund. By day, I work fully remote as a network engineer. Any downtime I have is typically spent somehow absorbed in the watch realm, where I’m either taking photos and editing them, or obsessively researching timepieces. I have a couple of small collections of timepieces, pens, and other trinkets-and I like to photograph and share them in groups where others do the same. You recently spent some time with the new NOMOS Club Sport neomatiks. What are your initial thoughts and impressions? The new NOMOS Club Sport neomatiks, both the 37mm in petrol green and the 42mm date in blue, are great everyday watches. The 42 is the bigger brother and was released a year earlier. Apparently, it’s popularity led NOMOS to release a new, smaller size. I’m intrigued by the versatility of being able to keep it on the metal bracelet 100% of the time, or swapping straps out easily with the quick change spring bars. I don’t need to go into detail over the anxiety-inducing process that is changing straps and hoping to not scratch your watch… or worse. But if you’re up for it, NOMOS makes a tool kit to help make adjusting links on the bracelet...
Worn & Wound
Between the Astronaut and Lunar Pilot models, Bulova has a serious history with watches worn in space. One of the most common bits of feedback was the size of the Lunar Pilot, and they’ve taken that to heart. They’ve shrunk the case down to the original proportions of the actual watches worn in space – bumping from 45mm down to the historically accurate 43.5mm. Between the Astronaut and Lunar Pilot models, Bulova has a serious history with watches worn in space. One of the most common bits of feedback was the size of the Lunar Pilot, and they’ve taken that to heart. They’ve shrunk the case down to the original proportions of the actual watches worn in space – bumping from 45mm down to the historically accurate 43.5mm. The post The New Bulova Lunar Pilot 43.5 – Now Available In The Windup Watch Shop appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A full, detailed review of the Imperial Royalguard 200 dive watch with original photos, specs, pricing, and more.
Teddy Baldassarre
Seven key talking points on the most elegantly understated watch from the Seamaster family Considering adding an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra to your watch collection? Here is a rundown of what you should know about the watch from its design history to its movement to its role in sports and pop culture. The Aqua Terra sports a design that calls back the dressy design of the original 1948 Seamaster. The Omega Seamaster as most of us know it nowadays traces its existence to 1957, which was the year that the Seamaster 300, Omega’s first truly purpose-built “professional” dive watch, made its debut alongside the Speedmaster (whatever happened to that model, anyway?) and the recently revived Railmaster. But the first Seamaster was in fact launched in 1948 as a dressy gents’ watch that just happened to boast the same water-resistant structure that Omega had developed in the wartime years prior for the military watches it provided to the British Royal Air Force and other Allied units. The Seamaster Aqua Terra, usually abbreviated simply Aqua Terra, hit the market in 2003 and has served ever since as a more elegantly understated sibling of the sporty, more robustly built Seamaster Diver and Planet Ocean models. Like the 1948 Seamaster, Aqua Terra models eschew the rotating divers’ bezel and other tool-watch accouterments for a more streamlined style. The dials are characterized by simple wedge-shaped hour markers inspired by the silhouette of a sailboat, a triangular ho...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Longines Ultra-Chron takes its most direct inspiration from a dive watch the brand introduced in 1968, but it also represents the culmination of Longines’ expertise in making high-frequency watch movements, which goes back more than 100 years. Longines’ century-plus quest for high-frequency timekeeping precision started in 1914, when it produced the first hand-held stopwatches (like the one below) with movements that measured time to 1/10 second thanks to their high-frequency movement, Caliber 19.73N, whose balance wheel oscillated at 36,600 vph. It continued with a modification of that caliber to achieve an astonishing rate of 360,000 vph, and a stopwatch accuracy of 1/100 second, in 1916; hit a new milestone with the launch of the Observatory Chronometer in 1959, the first wristwatch with a 36,600-vph movement; and culminated with the introduction of the Ultra-Chron Diver (below) in 1968, which became the world’s first high-frequency divers’ watch, housing the 36,600-vph Caliber 431. (Yes, this predates by one year the most famous high-frequency movement, the Zenith El Primero, though that movement also incorporated automatic winding and a chronograph.) The Ultra-Chron Diver provides the template for the all-new Ultra-Chron model, whose cushion-shaped stainless steel case spans a contemporary 43mm in diameter and 13.6mm thick as well as a 300-meter water resistance - an improvement on the vintage model’s 200-meter rating. Like its predecessor, and in th...
Quill & Pad
The Saxon One Chronograph offers a lot of watch for the price (€4,600). It does so many things so well, but it is most of all, an original proposition. The big question for Martin Green is, strap or bracelet?
SJX Watches
Twenty twenty-three is the 110th anniversary of the first-ever Seiko wristwatch, an occasion that has resulted in series of limited editions, starting Presage SBP359 and continuing with Prospex SPB333 “White Birch”. Now the anniversary edition goes upscale with Grand Seiko. The brand has debuted a remake of the first Grand Seiko, the ref. 3180 nicknamed “First”, but with a twist. The Grand Seiko Watchmaking 110th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGW295 takes after the vintage original in terms of design, but does so with a titanium case and striking dial finished in black urushi with gold-powder markings. Initial thoughts Grand Seiko has done several reissues of the “First”, most of which look virtually the same. So yet another limited-edition remake of the 3180 would certainly be much less compelling. The SBGW295, however, is notably different, in a good way. At first glance, it’s apparent that the dial of the SBGW295 is special. Urushi has a deep, glossy finish that will contrast perfectly with the markings in sprinkled gold powder, also known as maki-e. Add to that the titanium case and the result is a handsome watch with a high-contrast aesthetic that is atypical of Grand Seiko. But the SBGW295 does cost US$13,800, which is expensive for a time-only watch of this quality and specification, as well as being pricey relative to Grand Seiko’s own offerings. It costs 50% more than the equivalent titanium model of the most recent “First” remake, albeit ...
Hodinkee
To me, there's only one Bond Seamaster – the original. The one from Goldeneye. Yes, the movie. But also the video game.
Time+Tide
The Hamilton Jazzmaster Face-2-Face III is released 10 years after the original version. The Face-2-Face III ditches the oval shape for a round one. It’s limited to 999 pieces. Hamilton definitely aren’t the first brand to come to mind when the topic of reversible watches comes up. However, as more independent brands tackle the flipping … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Hamilton Jazzmaster Face-2-Face III appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
First conceived over two decades ago, Power Design Project was an exercise in avant-garde watch design. After a 14-year hiatus, it has returned with Rebirth, an exhibition that will run until February 19, 2023, in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku district. An annual affair centred on a specific theme each year, the original Power Design Project was an experimental programme spearheaded by independent industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa. Intended to inject new energy and ideas into the Seiko’s offerings, the original project invited designers, both in-house and external, to reimagine the concept of timekeeping. The project gave birth to unorthodox timepieces, including one that was a lightbulb with the filament forming the hands. The project has been revived with a showcase of seven timepieces, each originally an iconic brand design that has been reimagined for today – hence the exhibition theme, “rebirth”. By exploring the possibilities of a watch in both design, purpose, and function, Seiko is perhaps giving us a peek into the future of its watchmaking in the decades to come. For instance, Seiko’s famous “tuna” dive watch has been transformed into a watch for children. Presented in three colourways, blue, pink, and yellow, the “tuna” for kids is scaled down and made into robust watch for active children, echoing the purpose of the deep sea-diving original. “Shikakuro”, a modern take on the “Monaco” chronograph from 1971 “Radiant Time” is a King S...
Time+Tide
The new Hublot Classic Fusion Original collection pays homage to the watch that birthed the luxury watches on rubber trend.The post Hublot’s revival of the OG Classic Fusion is good. This would make it great… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Space may have been the final frontier for the Starship Enterprise. But for watch brands it’s become a pretty well-travelled destination. Last year’s biggest watch release, Swatch’s BioCeramic MoonSwatch, was a playful homage to the original Moonwatch, and resulted in nine watches each connected to nine planets in the solar system. Yet beyond that, the … ContinuedThe post Why three guys decided to blast a MoonSwatch into space appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The Glashütte-trained watchmaker presents his first in-house complication A minimalist, modern take on a moonphase complication Heavily modified and extensively hand-decorated Unitas movement Felipe Pikullik launched his eponymous brand in 2017, upon completion of his studies in Germany’s cradle of watchmaking – Glashütte. In that short period, Mr Pikullik has already introduced four different collections, … ContinuedThe post The Independedit: Felipe Pikullik Mondphase 1 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
At LVMH Watch Week 2023, Zenith did not only unveil new novelties for the Defy Skyline collection, but added a second revival model of the original Defy collection from 1971. The Defy Revival A3691 is a follow-up to last year’s limited edition remake of the genre-defining A3642 “coffre-fort”, now with a glossy red dial with […]
Worn & Wound
The personalization of high end watches will probably always be a hot topic in the watch community. As long as wealthy collectors are buying watches, some will have an urge to completely revamp them to make them their own. By the same token, the collecting community will always have a segment of purists who find that any tinkering with a brand’s original design amounts to a crime against horology itself. Regardless of your personal feelings and taste, however, I think it’s hard to argue that there are a handful of firms offering custom work at an extremely high level, and Artisans de Genève is certainly at or near the top of a very small list. If gaudy and out of control diamond and gem setting is what comes to mind when you think of custom watches, Artisans de Genève is worth a look, as their house style is rooted in traditional aesthetics executed at a very high level. Because Artisans de Genève doesn’t actually produce and sell their own watches (when browsing their website, you’re reminded at every turn that they aren’t affiliated with Rolex or any other brand, and that they offer custom work for individual clients who provide their own watches), it’s a little hard to get your arms around what they’re working on. That’s largely intentional on their part, of course, but from time to time they will highlight a custom job that is particularly unique or visually beautiful. The Honey Green Project, recently unveiled to the public, is one such example of a...
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage Bulova Ambassador Here’s a sweet vintage Bulova Ambassador, complete box and original strap. The steel case is 35mm wide and in great shape, with nice slim lugs and clear deeply engraved ‘Ballerina’ caseback logo. Gorgeous silver dial with simple steel stick markers and hands and a date window at 3 o’clock. The original acrylic crystal looks perfect and has the correct internal date magnifier window. This is front-loading case so no surprise that there is no photo of the movement. This beauty comes with the original Bulova strap, and maybe even the original Bulova buckle, although there is no photo of it and the seller doesn’t say. Boxes are included which is nice, although the seller states the inner box is damaged. View auction here. Eterna-Matic Centenaire This vintage Eterna-Matic Centenaire is one you don’t see too often, which is a shame as it’s a great looking watch. That said, here’s your chance at one! The 35mm steel case is simple with slim lugs like the Bulova above, with the biggest difference being the crown is neatly recessed into the case giving is a streamlined look. The dial is white with killer applied steel faceted arrow markers and the class...
Worn & Wound
Yesterday, Blake took you through all the details of Hublot’s latest reinterpretation of their Classic Fusion with the updated Classic Fusion Original. For the Hublot historians out there (are you out there?), this was surely a welcome sight, as it calls back to the earliest days of the brand when a luxury watch on a rubber strap was a truly transgressive idea. We’ve come a long way since then, and so has Hublot. The brand has had ups and downs with the watch community (to the say the least), but in recent years they’ve leaned into experimentation with materials (especially colored ceramics and sapphire) that have gotten the attention of open minded and adventurous collectors and enthusiasts, while making watches like the Classic Fusion Original feel almost sleepy by comparison (sorry, Classic Fusion Original). Hublot’s latest envelope pushing novelties are insane in the way only modern Hublot can pull off, and while they likely won’t find a home in the watch box of any Worn & Wound staffers anytime soon, they’re too crazy not to share. First up, a watch in the same vein as my beloved Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Purple Sapphire, the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM. This tennis ball colored, translucent tourbillon uses the same HUB6035 automatic tourbillon movement as the purple version released last year, and fills out the same enormous 44mm Big Bang form factor, but uses a slightly different synthetic sapphire material in the case construct...
SJX Watches
Twenty twenty-three marks the 70th anniversary of Blancpain’s landmark dive watch, the Fifty Fathoms. Introduced in 1953, the diver was revived in 2003. Kicking off the commemorative editions is the Fifty Fathoms “70th Anniversary Act 1”, the first instalment in a year’s worth of anniversary models. Like the current model, the “Act 1” is inspired by the vintage model, but sports dimensions patterned after the original from seven decades ago, with a reduced case diameter of just over 42 mm. Initial thoughts The familiar form of the modern dive watch is due in part to the Fifty Fathoms – whether that or the Rolex Submariner was launched first is an endless debate – so it is unsurprising that Blancpain’s current catalogue includes a vast array of Fifty Fathoms-inspired timepieces. Thankfully, Blancpain has done something to cater to watch enthusiasts with the anniversary model that has a smaller diameter, perhaps in response to criticism that the closest equivalent in the line-up is 45 mm wide (Blancpain does offer dive watches with smaller cases, but they are either limited editions or the Bathyscaphe). Even though the anniversary watch is broadly similar to the standard Fifty Fathoms in terms of design, it has been refined and arguably improved, especially on the dial. Blancpain skipped the easy route of copying the earlier model and scaling it down. Instead the designers commendably captured the spirit of the original with the vintage typography un...
SJX Watches
In an unexpected, end-of-year announcement, Audemars Piguet unveiled the Code 11.59 Starwheel, reviving the wandering hours complication that had been absent from its catalogue since 2003. Inspired by a 17th century clock, the wandering hours made its way into wristwatches thanks to Audemars Piguet (AP), which debuted the first wristwatch with the display in 1991. Retaining the familiar three-disc hour display, the new Starwheel is nonetheless an entirely different watch from the compact original. Powered by an in-house movement contained in the Code 11.59 case, the Starwheel has physical presence by virtue of its size, but also a surprising degree of refinement thanks to the excellent finishing of the dial and case. Initial thoughts With a modern look defined by dark colours and instrument-like numerals, the Code 11.59 Starwheel looks pretty much the same as it does in photos – but it is far more appealing than expected. In the metal the watch has an impressive degree of visual detail, particularly the polished bevels on the dial components, and a reassuringly solid feel, all of which give it a great deal of tactile appeal. The refinement in terms of visual detail also translates into the movement, which is in-house both in terms of the base and module. Although it functions identically to the original Star Wheel, the Code 11.59 model has an improved display mechanism. Instead of the periodic rotation found in the original model, the discs rotate continually throughout ...
Time+Tide
Two dive watches have long battled for the title of the original diver’s watch: the Rolex Submariner and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Technicalities can drag this debate into murky deep waters, but irrefutably the pair are the founding blueprints of what we all expect from a dive watch. Born in 1953, the Fifty Fathoms has … ContinuedThe post What is so special about the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Most brands, especially the establishment names, stuck to the evolutionary rather than revolutionary in 2022, which also held true for the latest complications for the year. Nearly all of the year’s most notable complications were derived from past concepts. But the result can still be impressive, as demonstrated by the Ulysse Nardin Freak S. The latest version of a watch that was revolutionary when it was introduced in 2001, the Freak S embodies the ideas that made the original Freak a milestone, including the unorthodox movement construction and the liberal use of intricately-shaped silicon components. But above all it boasts a far more complex regulator that takes the form of twin oscillators connected by a differential. As outlined in our in-depth review, the twin-balance setup was mostly found on classical (and expensive) chronometers from the likes of Greubel Forsey and Philippe Dufour, making the Freak S an outlier with its hyper-modern design. And at US$137,000, it is also more affordable than similar complications from other makers. Standing in stark contrast to the aggressively contemporary styling of the Freak S is the Cartier Masse Mystérieuse. Typical of Cartier with its Roman numerals and ruby cabochon in the crown, the Masse Mystérieuse is inspired by the mystery clocks made by the jeweller in the first half of the 20th century. The result of over eight years of research and development, the Masse Mystérieuse was the final complication devised by C...
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