233 articles · 197 videos found · page 9 of 15
Fratello
Hello, and welcome to Fratello Talks. In today’s episode, we’re taking on the challenge of building a €15,000 watch collection. Nacho, RJ, and Lex have crunched the numbers and leafed through the catalogs and each selected three modern (currently available at retail) watches that they would buy if they had a €15K budget. It’s a […] Visit Fratello Talks: Building A €15,000 Watch Collection to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Thomas Schnelle’s journey began in northern Germany, where he pursued studies in toolmaking. After completing his technical college education, Schnelle found himself at a crossroads. While he contemplated studying design, a lack of confidence initially held him back. It was at this juncture that fate intervened, leading him to Chronoswiss, then owned and operated by Gerd-Rüdiger Lang in Munich. Chronowiss and Lang could be a long story in itself since Lang had mentored and influenced a lot of the next generation of watchmakers and brands. In 1991, 21-year-old Schnelle approached Lang, and it paid off when Lang entrusted the young newcomer with a significant project – creating a series of 99 escapement models. Schnelle officially started his career in the watchmaking industry as a supplier to Chronoswiss, later becoming a freelancer for the Bavarian brand. In 1995, Schnelle completed his watchmaking studies in Würzburg, and had the honor to be recognized as Germany’s best young watchmaker in competition. He continued to work as a freelancer for Chronoswiss until 2012, when Lang sold the company to the Ebstein family in Switzerland. Schnelle also repaired Cartier Tank watches for nearly 20 years for the Richemont group. He even took on side projects like milling air stream chambers for Infineon, and offering his technical design services. In August 2024, I visited Schnelle at his home atelier in Munich, and his workshop was filled with photographs, technical de...
Monochrome
Chronoswiss, founded by Gerd R. Lang in 1983, gained a reputation for its classical regulator-style displays and was one of the first brands to manufacture this distinctive dial arrangement in a wristwatch. In the hands of the Ebstein family since 2012, Chronoswiss has maintained the regulator and other traditional displays but injected new life into […]
Monochrome
Chronoswiss, founded in 1983 in Munich by the late Gerd Lang, acquired renown for the celebrated watchmaker’s regulator models and distinctive design language. Now in the hands of Oliver Ebstein, with headquarters in Lucerne, the brand’s traditional regulators have been given a 21st-century visual punch and reinterpreted with vivid colours and textures. Pushing the envelope, […]
Fratello
Even if I do favor the cool expressions of indie brands, the majority of my watches are traditional. But my €2K Otsuka Lotec got the strongest reaction I’ve ever seen at Geneva Watch Days this year. As usual, I was trying to wear an inoffensive but interesting watch. I didn’t want it to clash with […] Visit Multiple Displays: Are They The Coolest Thing Since Tourbillons? - Examples From MB&F;, Vianney Halter, Cartier, And More to read the full article.
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Monochrome
The Ebstein family acquired Chronoswiss from founder Gerd R. Lang in 2012. Respecting many of Lang’s signature complications and design language, including his iconic Regulator, CEO Oliver Ebstein and his team have infused the brand with a refreshing contemporary spirit. Classical decorative techniques are injected with eye-catching colours and textures, producing a repertoire of vibrant […]
SJX Watches
At Watches & Wonders 2024, Rolex refreshed the Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller collection with two new models in 18k gold matched with a Jubilee bracelet, giving a new face to its most complicated watch. The Sky-Dweller was the brand’s most complex wristwatch at introduction in 2012 and remains so a dozen years later. Despite its technical sophistication, the Sky-Dweller is very much a Rolex, incorporating innovations geared towards practicality and functionality. Combining the Saros annual calendar with a second time zone in 24-hour format, the cal. 9002 of the Sky-Dweller boasts several patents, marking out the Sky-Dweller as one of the most innovative Rolex watches of the 21st century. Rolex’s take on the annual calendar in particular is perhaps the most unique in contemporary watchmaking. It relies on clever mathematics and gear mechanics, while doing away with traditional levers or cams, in order to maximise reliability and useability. The second-generation Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller movement, the cal. 9002 that succeeded the cal. 9001 Notably, Rolex managed to incorporate all of the complications of the Sky-Dweller into a design that preserves the classic Oyster silhouette thanks to the innovative Ring Command system. The case has no pushers or buttons, but instead relies on the bezel as a clever function selector mechanism that transforms the signature fluted bezel into a functional device while eliminating the need for an additional crown or pushers. The Oyster ...
Monochrome
Chronoswiss was founded in 1983 in Munich by the late Gerd R. Lang, a celebrated watchmaker with a penchant for classical regulators. Now in the hands of Oliver Ebstein and based in Lucerne, Switzerland, Chronoswiss maintains its repertoire of dynamic regulator layouts with old-school decorative techniques jazzed up with wild colours. The Chronoswiss Delphis, launched […]
Fratello
Another challenge accepted, and this time, it’s a hard one. As you know, €5,000 is not the Rolex-bag-filling stash it once was. Yes, I’m old, but it wasn’t that long ago that €5K was big money. Finding the best watches under €5,000 is not easy these days. I say that reasonably subjectively, even understanding Lex’s […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €5,000 - Thor’s Picks From IWC, Christopher Ward, Oris, And More to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Among the many decisions facing a prospective watch buyer before pulling the trigger on a new timepiece, is choosing which type of strap or bracelet it should have. We covered the various types of watch straps in this article; read on for our rundown of the most popular watch bracelets, focusing on some of the influential, proprietary styles from brands like Rolex and Breitling, which have impacted numerous other brands’ designs, as well as more niche-oriented options geared to collectors and historical-minded enthusiasts. Oyster Bracelet Rolex’s iconic Oyster bracelet is the template from which many other three-link bracelet styles have been drawn. Its name comes from its association with the Oyster case, which Rolex first introduced in 1926 and for which the original version of this bracelet served as an extension. Oyster bracelets are recognizable for their wide center links bordered by thinner end-links. Rolex patented the design in 1947 and fitted one on a watch in 1948. In the early versions, the links were riveted; these were phased out in favor of a “folding” style in 1967, which eventually gave way to the modern, solid-link style in 1975. Three-link bracelets like the Oyster and its various descendants are particularly popular on sports watches and dive watches. President Bracelet The Rolex Day-Date appeared on the market in 1956 and with it came a new three-link bracelet called the President. Intended as the epitome of Rolex’s luxurious bracelet optio...
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Fratello
The team at Fratello continues its yearly quest to highlight some of our favorite watches available on the market today. We are currently deep into exploring those that we consider to be the best watches under €2,500. After missing out on the sub-€1K picks, I’m pleased to provide my two cents at this price point. […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €2,500 - Nacho’s Picks From Aquastar, Baltic, And Hamilton to read the full article.
Monochrome
Founded in 1983 by Gerd R. Lang in Munich, Chronoswiss has quickly become one of the leading representatives of a classic complication, the Regulator – a type of display that splits the three main indications of time and pays tribute to master clocks of the old days of watch regulation. As you can imagine, the […]
Worn & Wound
Depancel has carved out a nice little niche for themselves making highly specific automotive and racing inspired watches. These watches are frequently geared directly at watch collectors who are already steeped in car culture, with colorways inspired by classic racing liverys and case designs that emulate specific vehicle designs. Their square shaped watch, the Série-R, might appear somewhat derivative of another famous square watch connected to the racing world, but it has its own thing happening that sets it apart just enough. And this one, surprisingly, is the first chronograph in the Série-R collection. Previous iterations of the Série-R have primarily been the home of a calendar complication with an execution that is chronograph-like, featuring subdials at 3, 6, and 9 for the calendar indicators. The new Série-R, in a “Tangerine” colorway and limited to 300 pieces, could have been easily predicted by Depancel fans. We get effectively the same layout as the calendar, but we’ve entered race mode with a three register chrono. The new Tangerine colorway looks great, with a blue base dial with a sunray finish in the interior circular section and vertical ridges outside to fill the square. Orange and white accents figure prominently throughout, with a bold stripe down the dial’s left side, crossing the 9:00 subdial. The case might appear like a standard square at a glance, but there’s a little more going on. The shape is meant to evoke a radiator grille,...
Monochrome
Once upon a time, Alpina clearly demarcated between its Alpiner collection geared for land adventures and its Seastrong models designed for underwater exploration. In 2022, Alpina beefed up its Alpiner sports watch with a powerful 200m water-resistant Extreme case with new embossed dial textures. Today, the brand fuses the distinctive Extreme cushion-shaped case with the […]
Fratello
I’m glad to realize that choosing these three watches was difficult for me. For less than €1,000, there’s a boatload of options. Even though I’m the last one to contribute to this sub-€1K series - there were seven colleagues and their lists before me - I didn’t pick any of the watches that had already […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €1,000 - Gerard’s Picks From Yema, Ligure, And… to read the full article.
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Worn & Wound
Last year marked the 70th anniversary of Blancpain’s iconic Fifty Fathoms dive watch, and to celebrate they launched three new watches in three acts. Act One was a contemporary take on the Fifty Fathoms in stainless steel, Act Two was a high-tech modern piece geared toward pro divers in titanium, and Act Three was a historical MIL-SPEC interpretation in 9K Bronze-Gold. Despite the critical acclaim, collectors seemed to have been left wanting. There has been an appetite for a contemporary sub 45mm diameter, non-limited-edition version of the Fifty Fathoms for many years, and for 2024 Blancpain is finally making it happen with new 42mm-diameter Fifty Fathoms Automatic models in the permanent collection. They will be offered in both red gold and corrosion resistant grade 23 titanium. The latter is like grade 5 but has lower oxygen, nitrogen, and iron content. It also has better ductility and fracture toughness, which, according to Blancpain, makes it excellent in saltwater environments. Powering these new Fifty Fathoms is the in-house Blancpain Caliber 1315 automatic movement. Its construction includes three series-coupled barrels that can provide a class leading five days of power-reserve. It is elaborately decorated, at least compared to most divers, and has an 18K red gold oscillating weight sporting an NAC coating, whose design is inspired by the rotor of the original 1953 Fifty Fathoms. All of this, of course, is visible through the screw-down sapphire display back. Th...
Fratello
The sub-€1,000 segment used to be teeming with amazing watches from microbrands and long-established mainstream brands alike. Today, a lot of them have crossed the €1K mark. It can almost make you feel as if €1,000 isn’t a boatload of money, which it is, especially if it’s all in pennies. Jokes aside, although there may […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €1,000 - Thomas’s Picks From Seiko, Lorier, And RZE to read the full article.
Fratello
For most of us, having a budget to work with is a reality in this passion for watches. As a result, increasing prices are not without personal side effects. Until recently, the go-to brand under €4K was Tudor. With prices going up, however, that reality has shifted. It’s safe to say that it could be […] Visit A Closer Look At The 2024 Tudor Price Increases - Will They Have An Effect On The Brand’s Success? to read the full article.
Monochrome
For the majority of the time we have been running the Petrolhead Corner, we have been predominantly focussing on four-wheeled fun. That changed a while back when our contributor Erik, a knowledgeable and experienced rider, and I, a novice rider who bought his first bike less than a year ago, started to write about motorcycles […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Unlike dive watches, most of which share many common technical and aesthetic elements geared toward their intended underwater use, sailing watches and yachting watches are harder to define. Sailing watches range from a simple three-hander with a nautical design influence, one to wear while chilling on the deck of a cruise ship or at the yacht club, to a tool-oriented timepiece geared toward competitive regatta racing, with countdown functions, tides indicators, and other utilitarian features. In this feature, just in time for the closing weeks of summer sailing season, we’ve rounded up some of our favorites in every style, listed from eminently affordable and functional to luxurious and exclusive. Timex Intelligent Quartz Tides Watch Price: $136, Case Size: 45mm, Thickness: 13mm, Lug Width: 16mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 100 meters, Movement: Timex Intelligent Quartz Caliber What mass-market Timex may lack in horological prestige, it makes up for in clever utility with its Intelligent Quartz Tide Temp Compass. What makes this watch’s quartz movement “smart?” Basically, it’s an open-ended tech platform that uses onboard sensors and microprocessors in the movement to drive individual functions on analog displays, providing an array of information from perpetual calendar to world clock to flyback chronograph to an array of nautical-navigation features, which include a tide tracker, compass, and thermometer. The compass incorporates an adjustable declina...
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Worn & Wound
This week’s episode of A Week in Watches starts off on a sad note with a quick memorial to Gerd Rüdiger Lang, who passed away at 80 just last week. A pioneer in the independent space, his contributions to the world of watchmaking were vast. Our condolences to his family and friends. From there, we move to new releases. This week we have a colorful Mido with a flyer GMT and world time bezel that will surely be popular. Then we move on to the Mission to Moonshine – look it’s news, so we had to cover it, right? Lastly, Seiko finally adds mechanical GMTs to their Prospex diver line, and we’re happy about it. This week’s episode was brought to you by Quick Release. Quick Release is a place where Worn & Wound’s partners showcase a wider variety of watches, product drops, limited deals and promotions, event announcements, and more. Check back daily, follow Quick Release on Instagram, and subscribe to our mailing list so you don’t miss a thing. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 40: FINALLY! Seiko Mechanical GMT Divers + More! appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Revolution
For the latest Grail Watch project, we delve into the history of Chronoswiss, a brand founded in 1983 by watchmaker turned entrepreneur Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, who refused to capitulate to the onslaught of quartz watch popularity that manifested after the 1970s. He was part of a group of luminaries who recognised the desperate need to preserve […]
Teddy Baldassarre
History First introduced in 1961, the Seiko Alpinist was a significant milestone in the Japanese brand's history It was the first ‘Sports Watch’ for Seiko. Like all great watch designs, it was created with a purpose in mind. The Alpinist was geared up to take on the great outdoors with Japanese mountain climbers. It needed to be rugged and legible. In this story, we will aim to share the full Seiko Alpinist lineup (going back some!). And then finally, although we think you will be sold within the first paragraph or two - why you should consider one! Let’s get into it. In 1961 we saw the first Alpinist, the Laurel. It is, in collecting circles, the holy grail Alpinist! Produced in black and cream dials, it was categorized by the now iconic arrow markers at 12, 3, 6, and 9. Later in 1963 saw the introduction of the Alpinist Champion 850, this Alpinist reference was instantly recognizable by its bold central lines which extended to the hour markers. A year later in 1964, it was time for the gold variation, the “85899” (interestingly it did not boast the central hour markings like the previous reference). Many, many years later in 1995, we were presented with the Red Alpinist, with the now legendary red writing at 6 o’clock and Arabic numerals at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. The early 2000s saw the introduction of the Alpinist 8f56 which used the same inner bezel compass as the 1995 Prospex, and there was even a limited edition of 500 pieces in a blue dial made for SS...
Hodinkee
The new award kicks off in the New Year and is geared toward furthering creativity and entrepreneurship in horology.
Hodinkee
A conversation with Chronoswiss founder Gerd-Rüdiger Lang.
Video
The wait is over! New models are out and this year they did not disappoint.
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