326 articles found · page 9 of 11
Monochrome
The BR-03 collection by Bell & Ross has been around for nearly two decades, and by now, its square case with a round dial is one of the most recognisable designs out there. Originally launched in 2006 as a 42mm alternative to the larger 46mm BR-01, the collection was updated in 2023 with a slightly slimmer […]
SJX Watches
Among the independent brands officially exhibiting at Watches & Wonders, Ressence was a standout. The design-forward Belgian independent took a major step forward with the Type 11, powered by the brand’s first proprietary calibre, the RW-01. The Type 11 is tangibly appealing and priced well considering both its unique design and technical content. Initial thoughts When I first saw images of the Type 11 and its RW-01 movement, I had the same feeling as when Urwerk launched the EMC back in 2013. At the time, the EMC felt like the start of a new era for a brand that had, up to that point, primarily put its proprietary modules atop widely available off-the-shelf calibres. The EMC proved Urwerk was willing to rethink the movement in its entirety to realise a specific vision. The RW-01 reveals Ressence is moving in that same direction. After 15 years of adapting its Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) modules to ETA-derived calibres, the brand has taken the next step in its development and partnered with an adept supplier to construct a proprietary movement uniquely suited to its signature design. The new calibre was engineered with Ressence’s ROCS module in mind. The movement layout appears purpose-built for winding and setting via the case back, lacking an ordinary stem, and dual serially coupled mainspring barrels extend the power reserve to 60 hours — quite long considering the mass of the ROCS module. While I would have been delighted to see a free-sprung balance, I...
Monochrome
Thirty years ago, Chopard’s co-president, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, opened the Manufacture in Fleurier. The first in-house calibre, L.U.C 1.96, a slim automatic micro-rotor movement, made its debut inside the L.U.C XPS 1860 the following year. Rapidly ascending the complications ladder, in 2006, Chopard celebrated the tenth anniversary of its Manufacture with the release of the L.U.C […]
Monochrome
Chopard marks the 30th anniversary of its first in-house movement produced in the brand’s Fleurier Manufacture. A pivotal moment for Chopard, the calibre 1.96 was released in 1996 and is still regarded as one of the finest ultra-thin micro-rotor movements today. The first watch to feature the calibre was the L.U.C 1860, presented in a […]
SJX Watches
Independent watchmaker Ressence unveils the Type 11, powered by a proprietary movement for the first time. The trailblazer of oil-filled mechanical modules, Ressence has so far relied on third-party base movements to power its eccentric creations. The Belgium-based watchmaker has finally taken the next step and developed its own calibre, dubbed the Ressence-Werk RW-01. Initial thoughts Ressence watches are instantly recognisable for their inventive and minimalist way of telling the time, using the patented Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) to put a new spin on the classic time display. Using a clever arrangement of planetary gears powered by a base movement, Ressence has achieved an original functional design that remains unique to this day. In terms of design, Ressence has an unmistakable, contemporary look, not unlike that of Apple. As a result, partnerships like those with industrial designer Marc Newson feel natural. The concept behind Ressence’s signature time display is the use of clear silicone-based oil which fills the hermetically sealed ROCS module to the crystal. The fluid medium cancels out total internal reflection, leading to the illusion that the turning disks sit right under the crystal itself. In this respect, Ressence dials can at times look like an OLED screen in a smartwatch. The Type 11 continues the signature streamlined minimalism of past Ressence models, but adopts a less complicated display. There are hours, minutes and seconds, arrange...
Monochrome
Since the AK-01 was presented in 2012 under the Akrivia brand, Rexhep Rexhepi has gained incredible recognition, evidenced by the prices of his watches at auction. Yet, it has been a while since we have seen a new model from the young independent watchmaker, the latest ones being the Chronomètre Contemporain RRCC II in 2022 […]
Monochrome
As you might remember, Louis Vuitton and De Bethune recently introduced the third chapter in LV’s ongoing journey through independent watchmaking, the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project, following the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie made with Rexhep Rexhepi, founder of Atelier Akrivia, and the LVKV-02 GMR 6 made with Finnish-born watchmaker Kari Voutilainen. While we were expecting to […]
Monochrome
The BR-05 was introduced in 2019 in 40mm as Bell & Ross’s answer to the luxury integrated bracelet sports watch trend, translating the BR-01’s cockpit instrument looks into a more contemporary, everyday design. In tune with contemporary trends for more compact, unisex diameters, Bell & Ross presented a 36mm version in 2025. The latest BR-05 […]
Monochrome
Here’s the third of the five collaboration watches done by Louis Vuitton with some of the most revered independent watchmakers. Indeed, following the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie made with Rexhep Rexhepi, founder of Atelier Akrivia, and the LVKV-02 GMR 6 made with Finnish-born watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, it’s time now for LV to unveil its project […]
SJX Watches
Having recently given the Monaco a rattrapante makeover, TAG Heuer has unveiled the Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph, the first-ever split-seconds chronograph in the history of the storied Carrera line-up. The watch combines the brand’s contemporary ‘glassbox’ case design with the Vaucher-derived TH81-01 movement, the only split-seconds calibre in production capable of tenth-of-a-second resolution. Built of grade 5 titanium inside and out, the Carrera Split-Seconds is positioned as both a technical showcase and a halo product for the brand. Initial thoughts It’s more than a little surprising that the Carrera, one of the most storied names in sports chronographs, has never been made in a split-seconds variant until now. In the vintage era, many of Heuer’s peers introduced split-seconds chronographs with movements sourced from Valjoux, which also supplied the ebauches for the Carrera, which suggests the technology was well within reach. That said, the Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph is arguably worth the wait, marrying the contemporary glassbox case design with the one of the only split-seconds chronograph calibres capable of tenth-of-a-second resolution. It’s a coherent product in more ways than one, carrying on the brand’s history of commercialising third-party calibres in design-forward, performance-oriented watches. In terms of design, the Carrera Split-Seconds feels more refined than the Monaco Split-Seconds, avoiding the superfluous “rattrapante” a...
Fratello
A decade after its revival, Czapek once again surprises with an intriguing creation - the Time Jumper. This is a modern interpretation of a 19th-century pocket watch crafted by François Czapek. The 40.5mm wristwatch with a half-hunter cover presents a fresh twist on traditional guilloché and partially conceals the new open-worked caliber 10.01. In celebration […] Visit Introducing: The Czapek Time Jumper - A Flying-Saucer-Shaped Half-Hunter Watch With A Spacy Optical Effect to read the full article.
Monochrome
Founded by Ming Thein in 2017 and based in Kuala Lumpur, MING is a design-led indie brand with a distinctive and recognisable aesthetic built on contemporary design, where minimalism, luminescence, layering and colour are key players. MING’s first dive watch surfaced in 2019 with the 18.01 Abyss Concept prototype, leading to the regular production model […]
Monochrome
Bell & Ross has gotten a lot of mileage from its distinctive cockpit instrument-inspired watches with round dials in square cases and four exposed screws in the corners. Fusing these traits, the first BR-01 of 2005 with its whopping 46mm diameter squarely put the French brand on the horological radar. A year later, Bell & […]
Monochrome
It’s been 20 years since Parisian brand Bell & Ross released its emblematic BR-01 collection, a striking design – known as the “circle within a square” – inspired by dashboard instruments found in fighter jets. This strong connection with military planes and pilots of all sorts has long been the brand’s defining style, pushing the […]
Worn & Wound
Kollokium came on the watch scene almost two years ago shrouded in mystery. The Projekt 01 was not only a daring exercise in the avant-garde, it was from a brand that was, in some ways, kind of formless. Founded by watch industry veterans Manuel Emch, Barth Nussbaumer, and Amr Sindi, the pedigree was high but the teasing messages on their website and social media could lead you to think it was all a goof. Kollokium, in the years since, have evolved their Projekt 01 design with multiple colorways and lume treatments, always keeping the same signature “dial” effect, which is an array of hundreds of precisely sized cylinders that when viewed together show rough hour markers through undulations (like on a pin-art board) that allow for time telling. It’s all very sci-fi, and high concept, but Kollokium became a “real” brand at some point along the way, and have captured a devoted following of owners and prospective owners, always awaiting the next drop. Well, the next drop is here (sort of) and it debuts a striking new design. No points for creativity here, but the watch is simply called the Projekt 02, and according to Kollokium the design is rooted in the initial concepts that came from the brainstorming that eventually produced the Projekt 01. The brand describes it as a bit more organic, but very much still in their “neobrutalist” wheelhouse. Instead of those lume filled cylinders we saw in the Projekt 01 releases, the dial here is created from a total of ...
Monochrome
Kollokium, the project-led collective founded in 2020 by Manuel Emch, Barth Nussbaumer and Amr Sindi (The Horophile), follows its debut series with a second, fundamentally different object. Projekt 02 pivots from the “pin dial” language of Projekt 01 to a sculptural, topographical dial built from stacked plates, housed in a slimmer monobloc case. The Friends, […]
SJX Watches
On the heels of its successful Projekt 01 with topographical pin dials, Kollokium tries something different, but not too different, with the Projekt 02 FFF&F; Edition, short for “Friends, Family, Fools, and Flippers”. This 199 piece limited edition will first be offered to the original owners of the Projekt 01 F&F;, with the balance available to the public. Initial Thoughts Kollokium will only offer this initial variant of the Projekt 02 to original owners of the first “Friends & Family” edition at a slightly discounted rate – fools and flippers also get to enjoy the lower price presumably. That is a gracious nod to its supporters, but also a smart way to build exposure leading up to the public launch. Projekt 02 takes all the elements that made Projekt 01 a success to build something is still obviously a Kollokium watch, but different enough that neither is redundant. In fact, the Projekt 02 looks very similar at a distance, but is discernibly different in hand, especially with the new case design that feels a little more compact than the original, though it measures essentially the same. The dial also gives off a very different vibe compared to the first model, with the relief motif looking like a military topographical map from a sci-fi movie. The Projekt 02 isn’t really “good value” in the conventional sense (like a high-spec Tudor), but if you ignore spec sheet the watch has a lot to offer for not that much. Besides, Kollokium lacks the economies of scal...
Monochrome
Ready for take-off…? There’s a new chapter in the flight instrument collection by Bell & Ross and it’s named the BR-X3. While the Parisian brand’s history goes back to 1992, B&R; is mostly known for its striking aviation-inspired watches, following the launch of the BR-01 in 2005. Sometimes design-oriented, sometimes functional, but almost always linked […]
Monochrome
MeisterSinger is well known for its single-handed collections with popular lines like ?01 & ?03 and Neo with their classic styling and accessible prices. The latest Pangaea Aventurine model takes the best of the above collections and adds a starry nighttime vibe and a stylised, classic needle-shaped hand (the latter from the 365 series). The […]
Deployant
We explore the high resolution capability of the 24 Mp Leica SL3-S with the multishot mode, which is capable of delivering images at 96 Mpages at 96 Mp.
![[VIDEO] A Closer Look at Ming: Our Favorite Designs and Personal Pieces](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2025/06/Ming_Hands-on_video_02_.jpg)
Worn & Wound
Ming launched their first watch, the 17.01, back in the summer of 2017. That watch sold out quickly, as did subsequent watches, and over a relatively short span of the time, the brand achieved an almost reverential status among affordable independent and micro-brands. The watches, from the beginning, have been stylish, highly distinctive, and have pushed design boundaries. Our thoughts on Ming have evolved along with the brand itself. While the 17.01 is still easily recognizable as quintessential Ming, it’s remarkable to consider how much the brand has accomplished since that watch’s debut. Through rigorous roadmapping and experimentation, Ming has evolved into a significant indie brand with an ultra-clear design language. In the brand’s earliest days, it would have been easy to lump them in with other small brands finding their way in a competitive watch landscape. But over time, and particularly with their most recent crop of releases, it’s become clear that their ambition and ingenuity set them apart. Some examples? Both are discussed in this video, but the use of white emitting lume on the 37.02 Minimalist and the impressive water resistance of the 37.09 are both illustrative of ways in which the brand is willing to invest in finding new ways to make their watches. The creative use of luminescent material has been a hallmark of Ming watches from the very beginning, and they’re rightly proud of figuring out a way to mix lume that truly emits white, somethi...
Monochrome
Bell & Ross, with its extensive range of highly graphic pilots’ watches inspired by cockpit instruments, consolidated its identity with the BR-01 and BR-03 references (and subsequent derivations). Moving from high-altitude missions to underwater adventures, in 2017, Bell & Ross adapted its archetypal “circle in a square” aesthetic to create the BR-03 Diver, a 300m […]
Monochrome
If you ask yourself what’s the most classic dress watch ever made by Patek, and probably one of the most important models of the category, the answer should ultimately be the Calatrava. Not much to debate here. The collection, created in 1932 with the reference 96, has had such an influence on the watch industry […]
Worn & Wound
Twenty years after the release of the Bell & Ross BR-01, which first showcased the square case shape and bold legibility that would become their aesthetic hallmarks, the Franco-Swiss brand is celebrating with new iterations of their most popular and recognizable watches. Among these new editions are four versions of the BR-05 36mm, which gives the model a smaller size and new dial colorways. The most noticeable update to the BR-05 is right there in its name-the smaller and thinner satin-polished steel case measures at 36mm in diameter and 8.5mm in thickness, giving it significantly less heft than the previous 40, 41, and 42mm models. Four screws ensure that the upper section of the case is hermetically sealed to the bottom, and give the iconic rounded square extra urban-industrial character. An integrated bracelet furthers the watch’s sporty-yet-elegant silhouette, secured by a folding satin-finished buckle. A screw-down crown flanked by guards and emblazoned with the Bell & Ross ampersand logo ensures 100 meters of water resistance, while a Caliber BR-CAL.329 automatic movement ticks away inside, maintaining a 54-hour power reserve. Each of the four new models features identical applique numerals and indexes, and skeletonised hour and minute hands (all filled with white Super-LumiNova X1). However, each dial varies in both color and material, all of which lean towards chic-versatility (yes, I did make that phrase up), but maintain a cohesive aesthetic. The first o...
Monochrome
One of the most recognisable models of Bell & Ross, the French brand that finds inspiration in the dashboard instruments of military aeroplanes, is the BR-03. Debuting in 2006 as a smaller version of the whopping 46mm BR 01, the BR-03 was updated two years ago and revisited in smaller 41mm cases. Benefitting from the […]
Monochrome
Since its introduction in 1932, many consider the Calatrava reference 96 as the paragon of an elegant dress watch. Although the collection has expanded in different directions, fans of the classical, timeless, time-only, ultra-slim, manual-winding dress watch will be pleased to learn about the latest Calatrava released during Watches & Wonders 2025. With its vintage-inspired […]
Revolution
A look back at the movements behind the most significant Calatrava models, from the first cal. 12-120 in the ref. 96 to the latter-day cal. 30-255 PS in the Clous de Paris ref. 6119.
Fratello
In the world of independent watchmaking, few brands make an impression right out of the gate. WRK Timepieces, however, did just that with its debut ACF-01 last year. Now, with the release of the ACF-02, the brand refines its design language while maintaining the bold, lightweight approach that made its first model stand out. WRK […] Visit Hot Take: The WRK Timepieces ACF-02 Refines a Winning Formula to read the full article.
Monochrome
It was twice around the clock again in Daytona, Florida, as the 2025 edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona kicked into high gear this past Saturday at 01:40 pm local time. The stage for the 63rd running of the legendary endurance race is of course the Daytona International Speedway. The world’s top drivers lined […]
Monochrome
For the independent watchmaking brand MING, the deep-sea adventures began a few years back when the company released its 18.01 Abyss Concept, followed by the 18.01 H41 Titanium models, both with a 1000m water-resistance, both a step away from the dressy lineup MING was known for at the time. Last year, based on the 37 […]
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