Results for Foudroyante (Lightning Seconds)

GONE IN 60 SECONDS: See the world in colour with Montblanc’s 4810 Orbis Terrarum

[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/157997150″] When I was in high school we had to buy an atlas/geography textbook from a publisher called Heinemann. Don’t ask me why I remember this – it’s just one of the scores of useless trivia facts that are stuck in my head, while much more important information (such as reference numbers and calibre names) seem … ContinuedThe post GONE IN 60 SECONDS: See the world in colour with Montblanc’s 4810 Orbis Terrarum appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

GONE IN 60 SECONDS: Automatic for the people - the Seiko Presage SPB039J1 video review

At their packed Baselworld press conference Seiko announced that 2016 was to be the year of their middle-tier Presage collection. The lion’s share of attention has been on the truly excellent limited edition Presage Chronograph, but there’s a lot to love in the rest of the collection too. Presage honours the spirit of fine mechanical watchmaking … ContinuedThe post GONE IN 60 SECONDS: Automatic for the people – the Seiko Presage SPB039J1 video review appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

GONE IN 60 SECONDS: The Tissot Bridgeport Lepine, partying like it’s 1899

[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/189240316″] It’s 2016, so why would anyone wear a pocket watch? That’s the question I found myself asking this week as I took the Tissot Bridgeport Lepine for a test drive. And look, I’m not going to lie to you, it took more thought to integrate this 45mm little number into my life. But … ContinuedThe post GONE IN 60 SECONDS: The Tissot Bridgeport Lepine, partying like it’s 1899 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

GONE IN 60 SECONDS: Dress blues - the Bell & Ross BR 126 Aeronavale video review

[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/187579238″] After their square instrument pieces, Bell & Ross has made quite an impression with their vintage collection – a range of more classically styled round pieces that often riff on the icons of aviation. The BR 126 Aeronavale is a little different. The handsome, gold-accented blue chronograph is directly inspired by the uniforms, … ContinuedThe post GONE IN 60 SECONDS: Dress blues – the Bell & Ross BR 126 Aeronavale video review appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

GONE IN 60 SECONDS: New kid on the (luxury steel sports) block - the Piaget Polo S

In one of the more unexpected watch releases of the year, Piaget – makers of slender dress watches par excellence – muscled into the crowded and competitive high-end steel sports watch category. The Polo S puts the Geneva-based brand up against popular options such as the Patek Philippe Nautilus (and Aquanaut) models, as well as … ContinuedThe post GONE IN 60 SECONDS: New kid on the (luxury steel sports) block – the Piaget Polo S appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

GONE IN 60 SECONDS: Come to the Dark Side with the Bulgari Octo Ultranero

Few would contest that Bulgari’s Octo is a great watch – a distinctive design jam-packed with legacy. What could possibly make it better? Well, how about a mean, stealthy and downright cool black ADLC coating? Yeah, that’ll do the trick. If you’ve been on the fence about Bulgari, the Octo Ultranero will convert you. Don’t … ContinuedThe post GONE IN 60 SECONDS: Come to the Dark Side with the Bulgari Octo Ultranero appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Review: Habring² Doppel 3 Split Seconds Chronograph

The full hands-on analytical review of the Habring2 Doppel 3 Split Seconds Chronograph, with high resolution photographs, specifications and price.

GONE IN 60 SECONDS: The biggest (bronzest) Tudor yet, meet the Black Bay Bronze

[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/159277925″] After four years of Black Bay releases we expected the collection to take a well-earned rest on the Tudor bench in 2016. Well, that didn’t happen. Not only did the entire collection get an in-house upgrade and a new blacked-out model, but it was also given a bulkier, bronzed body. Meet the big daddy of … ContinuedThe post GONE IN 60 SECONDS: The biggest (bronzest) Tudor yet, meet the Black Bay Bronze appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

GONE IN 60 SECONDS: The most complicated wristwatch ever made - the Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega video review

[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/154855593″] Franck Muller has the rather grandiloquent sobriquet of ‘The Master of Complications’ – and this watch is the reason why. Superseding Patek Philippe’s Calibre 89 for the most complicated title when it was released in 2010, the Aeternitas Mega features a staggering 36 complications, 21 hands and a movement with no fewer than 1483 parts. More impressive … ContinuedThe post GONE IN 60 SECONDS: The most complicated wristwatch ever made – the Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega video review appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

GONE IN 60 SECONDS: A new take on the Big Bang. The Hublot Meca-10 All Black video review

You’re looking at the Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 All Black. Further proof, if any were needed, that the brand is on a roll right now. The Meca-10 combines the best of classic Hublot (that case, the All-Black concept) with increasingly confident movement and dial design – not least the Meccano-inspired industrial skeletonisation and deep movement … ContinuedThe post GONE IN 60 SECONDS: A new take on the Big Bang. The Hublot Meca-10 All Black video review appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Review: A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds

We review the new Richard Lange Jumping Seconds with full hands-on analysis, comparisons, live photographs and price.

SIHH 2016: A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds with pricing

Introducing the A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds for 2016, featuring a some nifty technical features which aid in precision timekeeping

Introducing the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds

Introducing the new H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds, the first sports watch from Moser!

BaselWorld 2014: Belles of the Fair: H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Small Seconds

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” This quote from the great Leonardo da Vinci is very apt in describing H. Moser & Cie.’s watches, and particularly the new Venturer Small Seconds. One of the things that appeals me (and probably many H. Moser & Cie. Collectors) would be the looks of their watches. The brand pridesRead More

Sub Seconds @ Six; The Moser & Cie Mayu!

In between a dress watch and a sports watch is what the Mayu, Sub Seconds @ Six from independent watchmakers H. Moser & Cie is. A simple looking, but gorgeous mens watch with a plain uncluttered dial. The Mayu is certainly not a new model, but it’s one of those watches that needs to be […]

Chronoswiss Goes Stone: The Small Second Jasper and Serpentine Are the Brand's Most Tactile Dials Yet

Two new limited editions bring natural stone dials to the Small Second collection for the first time in Chronoswiss's Modern Mechanical era

Hands-On: the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde

“Quiet luxury.” That’s the phrase that kept getting thrown at me during my week with the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde. “This is so quiet luxury.” It was an almost near-universal response, a constant chorus scoring my time with one of the most talked about new dress watches of 2024. Weirdly, that wasn’t my experience of the watch at all. To me, the Toric Petite Seconde was a dress watch for the guy who doesn’t need to get all that dressy. The guy more likely to be caught in a green chore coat than a cashmere sweater.  Cards on the table, my wardrobe is not all that luxurious. I tend to prefer Levi’s with Blundstones or L.L. Bean flannels and Patagonia Jackets over Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli. A sizable portion of my clothing has been purchased at REI. It’s an aesthetic my brother jokingly calls my “man of the people look” and, while I think that may be an overstatement, it’s probably not far off the mark. Unsurprisingly, my taste in watches tends to skew in a similar direction - I have a predilection for great dive watches and solid steel three-handers. Sure, a two-tone Datejust might make its way into the rotation here or there, but, to balance it out, I’ve spent a good portion of this year falling back in love with digital watches. I tell you all this so I can say, honestly, that when a brand like Parmigiani Fleurier releases a watch like the Toric, a small seconds dress watch available exclusively in platinum or rose gold, I...

Hands-On: Two Wild Dials From Ming, With The "Peepshow" and J.N. Shapiro Collaboration "Lightning"

You could easily argue that Ming is a materials and manufacturing incubator masquerading as a watch company. Lume that glows white. The lightest ever mechanical watch. The world's first 3D-printed titanium bracelet-strap hybrid. All of these are associated with pretty incredible products, but, to some extent, I think it's fair to say the watches themselves are vehicles for showcasing cool innovation. That's not to say the watches are anything but great. But on occasion they're solutions looking for a problem. I kind of love the brand for it. That kind of innovation also extends to dial making, where Ming has recently released two really interesting dial-making exercises in their collaboration with J.N. Shapiro for the 37.06 "Lightning" and standalone 29.06 "Peepshow." I recently had the chance to go hands-on with a few novelties from Ming. The brand, of course, had a great coup when the 37.09 "Bluefin" beat Tudor and a few others for the best sports watch at GPHG in 2024. They followed up with the 37.09 Uni, which I would say is their most practical release of late. The 56.00 "Starfield" is pretty wild but not to my taste, so I gravitated toward covering the two more dial-focused releases of this year (and their LW01 lightweight watch, which will get a future story on its own). It seemed fitting to start with the Ming x J.N. Shapiro 37.06 "Lightning," since I was actually photographing Shapiro's most recent release the same day. And boy, is the watch stunning in person. Th...

Hands-on - More Than Just a Camera-Inspired Watch, The Compact Leica ZM 12 Small Seconds

Leica’s relationship with mechanical watches is still relatively young (even though some watches have existed during the 1990s), yet it has a solid foundation, as we explained in our article here, and in an interview with Dr Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG, who has been a key player in […]

H. Moser Introduces the New Pioneer Centre Seconds “Sun Berry”

I was trying to think back to when I first really became aware of H. Moser, and I have to think it was probably right around the time the Swiss Alp series was gaining traction (and some notoriety) in the watch community. Obviously that wasn’t the genesis of the brand, but it marked a turning point in the larger awareness of Moser in the cultural imagination of watch enthusiasts. I hate using the word “disruptive” but it really felt that way in the moment, playing as it did with the well understood shape of the world’s most popular smart watch, and making an attempt to send a statement about the importance of traditional Swiss watchmaking through aesthetic codes.  It was also around that time that Moser really began leaning into color as a defining trait of their design language, particularly through “Concept” dials which completely abandon markings and branding of any kind. They never really completely turned away from this, but as they’ve expanded into new complications, experimented with Vantablack, and have generally leaned into watches that sit at ever higher price points, some of the purely playful colorful stuff that reminds me of that initial period of Moser discovery has felt like it’s been moved to the background. The latest Pioneer Centre Seconds in a colorway the brand is calling “Sun Berry” is the first reference from Moser in a long time that really brings me back to those earlier, pre-pandemic days.  Collectors and enthusiasts will argue...

Ming and J.N. Shapiro Launch the 37.06 Lightning

When the Alternative Horological Alliance was formed in 2024, I think many of us who care about this sort of thing immediately began speculating about possible collaborations between the brands involved. The teams at Ming, Fleming, and J.N. Shapiro (as well as Fears and Massena LAB, two brands added after the founding of the alliance) have clear affinity for one another. And while there might not be obvious ties between the watches they make, clearly there is a perspective on the watch landscape itself that’s shared among the group, and sometimes that’s what makes for the best partnerships.  Today, Ming and J.N. Shapiro have announced the launch of the 37.06 Lightning, which amounts to the first watch released collaboratively by members of the Alternative Horological Alliance (although Ming and J.N. Shapiro did work together on the AHA tantalum bracelet and the tantalum cases for the Ming Project 21). The star of the show is a dial that combines elements of what both brands excel at, and is notable as each individual dial has a bit of handcraft applied by the founders of both brands.  You would expect, I think, a J.N. Shapiro branded watch to feature hand guilloche of some type as that is really the brand’s calling card at this point, and the 37.06 Lightning is no exception. It distinguishes itself, though, in the guilloche pattern used, which is referred to by the brands as “lightning guilloche” and is being used for the first time by Shapiro on this watch. Sh...

Introducing - The New Bradley Taylor Ardea, With Retrograde Seconds Indication

Our search for the most intriguing artisanal, independent watchmakers takes us to the far corners of the world. While the majority is still in or around Switzerland, we regularly take virtual excursions to Japan, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and beyond. Back in 2021, we introduced you to Bradley Taylor, an upcoming, talented watchmaker based in Vancouver, […]

First Look - Holthinrichs Presents the Signature LAB Series 1 Small Seconds and GMT

10 years ago, a young architect named Michiel Holthinrichs had the idea to create watches… But not like every other young indie watchmaker. What made it unique? The Ornament 1 was the world’s first 3D-printed stainless steel watch. And it certainly had a design of its own, inspired by Michiel’s previous career. The specially-commissioned watch […]

First Look - The New Yema Wristmaster Slim Small Seconds, Including a Surpising Camo Version

Founded in 1948 by Henry Belmont, Yema was France’s top producer and exporter by the 1960s. Renowned for legendary models such as the Superman, which appealed to professional and amateur divers alike, Yema went the way of many other mechanical watch brands during the quartz crisis and changed hands, including a stint with Seiko, until a French […]

Revolution Awards 2025: Best Design Watch - Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds

Inside An A. Lange & Söhne Split-Seconds Chronograph

Exploring the intricacies of the rattrapante at A. Lange & Söhne.

The ABCs of Time - Why are there 60 Seconds in a Minute, 60 Minutes in an Hour, and 24 Hours in a Day? And Other Oddities

Time is a little more than a measurement of our observable universe. For example, the Earth rotates on its axis counterclockwise every 24 hours, so we measure a day based on this consistency. The Earth also revolves around the Sun every 365 days, so we measure a year based on that consistency. That said, why […]

Introducing - The New Lebois & Co Heritage Small Seconds Collection

A historical name of the watch industry (founded in 1934), Lebois & Co was revived in 2015 by Tom van Wijlick, a Dutch entrepreneur who’s also responsible for the comeback of Airain and its Type 20 and 21 pilot’s watches. Although still hesitant at the beginning, the brand truly found its stride with the 2022 release of the […]

Fratello Dress Watch Season: Round 1, Match 2 - Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition Vs. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds

Welcome to the second match in the Fratello Dress Watch Season contest, our effort to identify the best new dress watch of 2025. The series continues with a duo of proper heavy hitters. Match two in round one sees Jorg defending the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition. Daan will make his case for […] Visit Fratello Dress Watch Season: Round 1, Match 2 - Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition Vs. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds to read the full article.

First Look - The New Mid-Size Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Monoface Small Seconds

Born in 1931 to withstand the rigours of polo and defined by its unmistakable Art Deco geometry, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has evolved into one of the most enduring designs in watchmaking. Its swivelling steel case, conceived to protect the crystal from stray mallets, remains as ingenious today as it was nearly a century ago. Over […]