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Results for WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program)

39,967 articles · 233 videos found · page 884 of 1340

Up Close: MB&F; HM10 Bulldog SJX Watches
MB&F; Mar 24, 2020

Up Close: MB&F; HM10 Bulldog

MB&F; has always been about pushing the boundaries of aesthetic and conceptual creativity in watchmaking, lassoing in everything from pop culture to science fiction to build its Horological Machines. Reminiscent of the HM3 Frog and HM9 Flow, the HM10 Bulldog is the tenth watch in the series and another intergalactic timekeeper reassembling a robotic animal. While MB&F; has historically been all about less-than-friendly animals, like a cyclops-chicken, luminous jellyfish, or giant spider, the HM10 is modelled on a domestic favourite (and perhaps also takes inspiration from the LM1). The design language of the HM10 is a familiar one as it borrows liberally from MB&F;’s past machines. Bulging eyes in the form of rotating displays take their cues from the HM3, while the suspended balance wheel under a high domed crystal is also found in the Legacy Machine series, and finally the mobile jaw that’s also a power reserve display brings to mind the vertical indicator on the LM1. An elaborate body It’s a complex-looking watch, so an explanation is in order. Available in either titanium, or red gold with titanium accents, the HM10 has a flat, elongated body with a protruding pair of collets for the crowns, as well as two domed sapphire crystals on the front and back to accommodate the time display and power reserve indicator respectively. At 54 mm by 45 mm, the HM10 does have a large presence – which is usually the point of a Horological Machine – but the overall shape, pa...

Up Close: Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Hand-Wind SJX Watches
Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Hand-Wind Though Mar 23, 2020

Up Close: Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Hand-Wind

Though Cartier has a huge range of watch case styles, many are iterations from a handful of original designs that were usually created in the early 20th century. Only a handful stick closely to the design of the vintage originals, most notably the Tank Cintree and Crash, and now the new Santos-Dumont XL, newly launched at Watches & Wonders 2020. Originally (re)launched in last year in two sizes – both with quartz movements only – the Santos-Dumont is now available with a hand-wind, mechanical movement in a larger, but not too large, case. The elegant design that channels the spirit of the vintage original remains, with only the dimensions and movement changed. And the new hand-wind Santos Dumont XL is also well priced enough that it would be a value proposition in more ordinary times. Not only is the new model available in steel, which was absent before, the 18k gold version is almost 30% cheaper than the equivalent from the earlier generation. The Santos-Dumont XL in steel And in two-tone steel and 18k pink gold, which is a very 1980s look Since 1904… The watch gets its name from Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian inventor and aviator who spent his adult life in Paris. A minor celebrity in France for exploits in planes and airships, Santos-Dumont was a larger than life character: in the family history recently published by Francesca Cartier Brickell, The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire, Santos-Dumont is described as travelling betw...

RECOMMENDED READING: Platinum is back, baby Time+Tide
Mar 21, 2020

RECOMMENDED READING: Platinum is back, baby

A short while ago, Nick Foulkes, writing for How To Spend It, espoused that the last 24 months have seen a significant rise in the popularity and production of solid platinum watches. Foulkes postulates that this may be, to a degree, down to the relatively recent vogue of steel watches, as platinum - at least from … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Platinum is back, baby appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Breguet Introduces the Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante 5887 SJX Watches
Breguet Introduces Mar 21, 2020

Breguet Introduces the Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante 5887

One of the most exotic Breguet watches in production today, the Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante 5887 combines a tourbillon regulator, perpetual calendar, and running equation of time. Complexity aside, the watch is mechanically fascinating: the traditional complications within are executed in a modern and practical way. The equation of time, for instance, relies on an open-worked cam produced via the high-tech LIGA photolithography technique. And the tourbillon cage is lightweight titanium with a silicon escapement, while the automatic winding is equipped with a peripheral rotor. Breguet has now introduced a new version of the grand complication, in pink gold with a slate-grey dial. While it is mechanically identical to the two earlier versions – in platinum with a blue dial or pink gold with a silver dial – the new watch is striking and harmonious, shedding a bit of the sports-watch aesthetic of the Marine by way of the richer colours. Being a facelift, the dimensions of the watch remain unchanged. It is still a massive 43.9 mm in width, though a svelte 11.75 mm high, thanks to the ultra-thin movement inside. Like the movement, aesthetics across the case and dial are very much a blend of new and old. The case has the traditional fluted band, but is paired with modern integrated lugs. Similarly, the dial is solid gold and decorated with traditionally-executed guilloche engraved with a rose engine, but in a modern, stylised wave motif. In a nod to the age-o...

Ikepod Introduces the Megapod Automatic SJX Watches
Mar 20, 2020

Ikepod Introduces the Megapod Automatic

After the successful launch of its debut line of quartz watches in 2018, the resurrected Ikepod has now unveiled the Megapod, a remake of the quintessential Ikepod design, but now with an automatic movement. As with its earlier quartz offerings, the Megapod is an affordable, crowdfunded project. Originally founded by Swiss businessman Oliver Ike and legendary industrial designer Marc Newson in 1994, Ikepod gained a cult following for its incredibly distinctive, organic-UFO design. But hindered by high prices and artsy marketing, the brand’s watches never really sold widely, leading it to struggle financially. Ikepod folded in 2006, before being revived shortly after and then going under again in 2012, when Mr Newson finally parted ways with the brand. The Megapod M001 with a blue, sunray-brushed dial In contrast, today’s Ikepod is all about the same signature aesthetic, but matched with affordability. Led by a three-man investor group that includes Christian-Louis Col, an old hand in the luxury goods business who was most recently sales director at glassmaker Lalique. Recognising that the main draw of Ikepod’s watches lay in the inimitable design, and not finishing or movements, the brand now relies on low-cost production: it assembles the watches in Hong Kong, using dials and hands from Taiwan and cases made in China. As with the initial quartz-powered models, the Megapod has a stainless-steel case in the original Ikepod shape. It is a tad larger than the quartz mo...

Tudor BB36 review WatchAdvice
Tudor BB36 review Since Tudor’s Mar 19, 2020

Tudor BB36 review

Since Tudor’s inception in 1926, the brand has served as a feeder market of sorts to its big brother Rolex. For decades, Tudor watches shared cases, bracelets and crowns with Rolex, leaving the brand feeling like the lesser amongst watch enthusiasts. However, Tudor has seen a resurgence in popularity since the introduction of the Black Bay range in 2012. In 2016, the world welcomed the Tudor Black Bay 36. Has Tudor finally cemented itself as a peer of its creator, or is there work still to be done? The Tudor Black Bay 36, as the naming convention suggests, features a 36mm wide case constructed of both satin brushed and polished stainless steel. The case bears remarkable resemblance to the oyster style cases used by Rolex, and it’s not a surprise to see Tudor go with something similar in the Black Bay 36. After all, if it aint broke, don’t fix it right? The watch is comfortable and familiar on the wrist, so don’t let the 36mm sizing throw you off. Whilst it seems a little on the smaller side for a modern men’s offering, the Black Bay 36 feels like a modern watch on the wrist. It carries itself remarkably well, thanks to the incredible build quality and contrast between the finishes on the case and the character exuding from the dial. There is a high polish executed on the non-rotating bezel that catches the light and your eye at every opportunity. The bezel acts as a perfect frame for the deep, glossy black dial and stark white indices. The dial on the Tudor Black...

Business News: Swiss Watch Exports to Hong Kong Post Biggest Fall in 20 Years SJX Watches
Mar 19, 2020

Business News: Swiss Watch Exports to Hong Kong Post Biggest Fall in 20 Years

Trade body Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) just released its monthly export figures for Swiss watches – a proxy for the broader luxury watch market since Swiss timepieces dominate – and the February numbers are bleak. The month’s statistics illustrate two obvious trends that have shaped in the industry recently: the COVID-19 coronavirus is having a massive impact, and low-cost Swiss watches are being trounced by low-cost smartwatches. An Asian crisis, for now Compared with February last year, the value of exports globally declined by 9.2% – with export volume plunging 22.2% – but as the report notes darkly, the drop “does not yet fully reflect the actual situation in certain markets.” Unsurprisingly, the steepest declines were in the biggest Asian markets – China and Hong Kong – which suffered the worst period of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in the first two months of the year. The biggest fall was in Hong Kong, where exports fell 42% – the largest monthly decline in 20 years. The city imported just CHF143m of Swiss watches, compared to CHF246m for the same month last year. Exports to China fell 51.5% to CHF73m, from CHF151m for February 2019. February was merely an acceleration of a months-long decline. For the first three months of the year, exports to Hong Kong have fallen 33% compared to the same period last year, while exports to China are down 22%. Though exports to other large markets like the United States, Singapore, and Germa...

London, New York, Paris, Tokyo: The limited edition Hublots that celebrate the big 4 cities Time+Tide
Hublot s Mar 18, 2020

London, New York, Paris, Tokyo: The limited edition Hublots that celebrate the big 4 cities

Hublot has decided to celebrate their love of Britain’s capital city in quite a literal way – by producing this, the Hublot Classic Fusion Special Edition London. Based on the standard Classic Fusion, the 45mm case of the new London edition features bespoke elements such as a polished black ceramic case, black satin-finished bezel and … ContinuedThe post London, New York, Paris, Tokyo: The limited edition Hublots that celebrate the big 4 cities appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

INTRODUCING: The Franck Muller Vanguard Classic that can take you from boardroom to beach Time+Tide
Franck Muller Vanguard Classic Mar 17, 2020

INTRODUCING: The Franck Muller Vanguard Classic that can take you from boardroom to beach

Fans of Franck Muller will know there is something in the Vanguard collection for everyone. With more than 30 different references in the current lineup, including chronographs, tourbillons and skeletonised movements, the independent watchmaker has ensured that no matter where you want to take your watch, there is a generously curved creation for you. Despite … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Franck Muller Vanguard Classic that can take you from boardroom to beach appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Up Close: Grand Seiko Spring Drive “Blue Snowflake” SBGA407 SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Spring Drive “Blue Snowflake” Mar 16, 2020

Up Close: Grand Seiko Spring Drive “Blue Snowflake” SBGA407

One of the all-time best-selling Grand Seiko watches is the Spring Drive “Snowflake”, which gets the name from the its distinctive textured dial. And until recently, the snowflake dial was only available on models with bracelets, save for a few pricey limited editions with gold cases. That changed last year when Grand Seiko debuted the Spring Drive “Blue Snowflake” SBGA407. It combines the famous dial with a more classical case, and a good deal of practicality – date, Spring Drive accuracy, and a surprising 100 m water resistance. On the wrist While most Grand Seiko watches are pretty discreet on the wrist, the “Blue Snowflake” makes a statement due to its colour. The styling is most definitely old school, but the pale-blue dial is both modern and unusual; it’s an unorthodox colour for a man’s watch, especially one that leans towards the dress-watch category, but it works. And the “Blue Snowflake” is also a manageable but modern size. The case is a bit over 40 mm in diameter, and fairly thick, while the bezel is narrow. The result is a watch that wears well and has a good presence on the wrist (with one caveat that is common to Grand Seiko watches on straps: the band has odd proportions, with one side being unnecessarily long). The snowflake story The original “Snowflake” was the Grand Seiko Spring Drive ref. SBGA011 (now known as the SBGA211) that made its debut in 2005. While it did have a titanium case and bracelet, which was fairly uncommon a...

Land, Sky or Sea - 5 Bremonts whose claim to fame is toughness Time+Tide
Bremont s whose claim Mar 14, 2020

Land, Sky or Sea - 5 Bremonts whose claim to fame is toughness

British watchmaker Bremont may have only been around since 2002, but in that time they’ve earned respect for watches that are durable and robust to an extreme degree, and British to a tee at all times throughout. Few breakthroughs have helped this reputation quite as much as the significant percentage of watches Bremont produce being … ContinuedThe post Land, Sky or Sea – 5 Bremonts whose claim to fame is toughness appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

IN-DEPTH: The Apple Watch Series 5 review for people on the go Time+Tide
Mar 13, 2020

IN-DEPTH: The Apple Watch Series 5 review for people on the go

As I mentioned in my video review of the Apple Watch Series 5, this isn’t the sort of watch that Time+Tide typically reviews. But since 2017, when the Series 2 was launched, the Apple Watch has made headline after headline as it sold millions of units and increasingly worried Swiss watch executives. This shifted the … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The Apple Watch Series 5 review for people on the go appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Report Card: Seiko’s 2020 novelties so far Time+Tide
Seiko s 2020 novelties so Mar 11, 2020

The Report Card: Seiko’s 2020 novelties so far

We may only be three months into 2020, but Seiko is dropping new novelties like the world could end tomorrow … which, given the current state of affairs, does feel ever so slightly plausible. Anyway, I know what you’re thinking: “enough of the doom and gloom, what about the watches?” Well, the Japanese watchmaker has … ContinuedThe post The Report Card: Seiko’s 2020 novelties so far appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Stefan Ketelaars Introduces the 3D Terra in Motion SJX Watches
Mar 11, 2020

Stefan Ketelaars Introduces the 3D Terra in Motion

Twenty-nine year-old Stefan Ketelaars started his eponymous brand in 2017, producing watches based on the ETA Unitas 6497 and 6498 but modified in a novel manner while still being affordable, starting at just €3,800, or about US$4,300. His signature complications are the “flying regulator” time display and spherical day and night display, but most notable is the balance wheel repositioned to the front of the watch. The most recent model unveiled by Ketelaars Watches, the 3D Terra in Motion with Reverse Balance. The new watch builds on his earlier creation that features a miniature Earth that functions as a day and night display, but adds on the elevated balance wheel. Like the rest of his watches, the 3D Terra in Motion is powered by a heavily modified Unitas 6497. But unlike the usual modified-Unitas fare in this price range that reshape the bridges for a new look, Mr Ketelaars retains most of the components on the back and instead reworks the front. From the back, the distinctive Unitas bridges retain the same shape, but enhanced with pronounced, sloping bevelling on all the edges. The anglage is wide enough that its top edge almost touches the countersinks for the nearby screws and jewels. A Ketelaars Unitas 6497 with a standard balance wheel on the back; the bridges are finished with radial graining and anglage The Reverse Balance The most significant modification on the new 3D Terra in Motion is the repositioning of the balance wheel. Instead of being on the...

Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date Review WatchAdvice
Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Mar 11, 2020

Oris Big Crown Bronze Pointer Date Review

“Beauty drives our decisions. In beauty, we find attraction, love even, which drives us to invest. We buy what we love. With a watch, that’s very true. Most often, the heart rules the head.” Those words are from Oris’s Joint Executive Officer; Rolf Studer. The brand celebrated a very important historical role of the Big Crown Pointer Date by giving the latest edition a solid bronze casing and a unique finish on the dial that makes each watch different from one another.  The original Big Crown Pointer Date played a significant role for Oris during the 1970s Quartz Crisis and the revival of the Swiss watch industry. When Oris decided to only build mechanical watches during the mid to late 1980s, the Big Crown Pointer Date was vital in this decision. The watch carried a presence of history and emotional value along with a driven purpose that many of the quartz-powered timepieces in the era of the Quartz Crisis couldn’t compete with. The Big Crown Pointer Date become a signature for not only Oris but also the revival of the mechanical Swiss watch from the Quartz Crisis.  In 1938, the creators of the Big Crown Pointer Date designed the watch so that it was well suited for the aviation industry. Timepieces that were designed in the early days for the aviation industry had to be easily readable at a glance so that pilots were able to do calculations quickly. They also needed to be easily adjustable while also being sturdy and reliable enough to withstand the turbulenc...

You make me crazy - the Franck Muller Crazy Hours ladies Time+Tide
Franck Muller Crazy Hours ladies When Mar 11, 2020

You make me crazy - the Franck Muller Crazy Hours ladies

When we see something repeatedly, over time, our brains quickly form habits that enable us to infer what we are seeing, bypassing the need to analyse every bit of information. That’s why we can make perfect sense of a paragraph made up of words that are missing their vowels, and why we can read the … ContinuedThe post You make me crazy – the Franck Muller Crazy Hours ladies appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Diving through the decade - Seiko’s latest dive watches pay tribute to three classics Time+Tide
Blancpain Rolex Omega DOXA … Mar 9, 2020

Diving through the decade - Seiko’s latest dive watches pay tribute to three classics

Blancpain, Rolex, Omega, DOXA … these are the watchmakers we normally associate with being the doyens of creating dive watches. However, as Seiko is keen to point out in their latest trilogy release, the Japanese firm has been deeply submerged in the art form of birthing amphibious timepieces for quite some time too – 55 … ContinuedThe post Diving through the decade – Seiko’s latest dive watches pay tribute to three classics appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Cartier Ronde Louis Cartier Regard de Panthère: Titillating Tessellations Quill & Pad
Cartier Ronde Louis Cartier Regard Mar 8, 2020

Cartier Ronde Louis Cartier Regard de Panthère: Titillating Tessellations

The Cartier Ronde Louis Cartier Regard de Panthère is a stunning mosaic watch that must be seen and handled personally for the full effect. Often jewelry pieces can look stunning on the screen, however Joshua Munchow feels that this piece as a work of art is not best represented in digital pixels but perfectly suited for a real-life experience.

Weekend watch spotting with JR: Labour Day edition Time+Tide
Mar 8, 2020

Weekend watch spotting with JR: Labour Day edition

It’s the Labour Day long weekend here in Victoria, which means that while the rest of the country is experiencing their weekly dose of Mondayitis, us southerners get one more day in the sun. And, in the interest of entertaining you all, I did the right honourable thing and went out in search of what … ContinuedThe post Weekend watch spotting with JR: Labour Day edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.