Watch brandsWatch wikiWatch videosVariousWatch calendarSaved articles
PopularRolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetTudorGrand SeikoCartierSeikoIWCTAG HeuerBreitlingJaeger-LeCoultreA. Lange & SohneZenith

Results for The Royal Oak Launch Story

40,824 articles · 5,580 videos found · page 92 of 1547

Arcanaut Introduces the D’Arc Roast, with a Dial Made from Coffee Worn & Wound
Feb 21, 2025

Arcanaut Introduces the D’Arc Roast, with a Dial Made from Coffee

Coffee and watches. They go together like peanut butter and jelly, movie theaters and popcorn, fireworks and the Fourth of July. OK, it might be the most obvious pair, but there are deep connections if you look for them. There’s a culture of hardcore enthusiasm associated with each, for one. And there’s even an entire brand (an incredibly popular and beloved one in our community) inspired by coffee culture. And, for some reason I’ve never really been able to put my finger on, watch photographers have become incredibly fond of staging watches near coffee mugs, coffee beans, and anything remotely coffee related. The reasons for this, frankly, are puzzling. But there’s one exception: if the dial of your watch is actually made of coffee, I think you’ve earned the right to feature some beans in your shot.  The latest watch from Arcanaut, then, gets a pass if you’re one of the lucky 33 collectors able to acquire one. Built on the ARC II platform with that highly contoured, futuristic 40.5mm stainless steel case, the new D’Arc Roast limited edition features a brown dial that is made, in part, from coffee grounds. It’s right in line with Arcanaut’s mission to experiment with unusual materials, and also reflects the deep love of coffee in the brand’s home country of Denmark, which is the home of four of the seven winners of the Barista World Championship (store that one in the back of your brain for trivia night).  So how is the dial made? According to the bra...

eBay Finds: A Funky Speedmaster, a Hamilton LED, and a Beautiful Benrus with the Full Kit Worn & Wound
Hamilton LED Feb 14, 2025

eBay Finds: A Funky Speedmaster, a Hamilton LED, and a Beautiful Benrus with the Full Kit

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 Benrus Starting off this week with a classic Benrus 3 Star vintage dress watch. The yellow gold fill case has a nice slim bezel and slim lugs, and is in excellent condition. The silver dial has a really neat radial brushed finish that radiates outward to the right from the 9 o’clock side, very unusual. There is a gold framed round date window at 6 o’clock that has a matching round date magnifier window in the original acrylic crystal. The watch comes on a gold tone stretch bracelet that probably isn’t original but is definitely period correct. This gem comes in the original Benrus box. Runs well per the seller, but no picture of the automatic movement.  View auction here Vintage Hamilton LED Watch Another week, another vintage LED watch. These seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately for some reason. But I’m glad they are because they are just too retro-cool. This example is a vintage Hamilton with its original bracelet and box and hangtag. The watch is gold plated, with a slim, space-age case and integrated bracelet. The seller states the bracelet will fit a 7.25” wrist max, and snugly at that, so keep this in mind if you have a larger wrist. The watch runs, and ...

Sarpaneva Adds “Digital” Hours to the Moomin Wristwatch SJX Watches
Sarpaneva Feb 12, 2025

Sarpaneva Adds “Digital” Hours to the Moomin Wristwatch

Sarpaneva returns to the Swedish comic, but this with a twist: the Moomin 80 features a skeletonised steel dial with a “shooting star” aperture that reveals the hours on a rotating disc. Making its debut in two versions, the latest Moomin edition retains the signature elements of its predecessors, including the familiar Sarpaneva case with flared flanks and a hand-finished dial filled with multi-coloured Super-Luminova. As with the Sarpaneva x Moomin release four years ago, the dial draws inspiration from a comic book scene. Initial thoughts This is the third Moomin edition, with the last one, a diver’s watch, launched a year ago. It would have been repetitive if this was instead a rehash with a different scene on the dial, but the latest edition stands out for the unique hour display. Although the hours are mechanically straightforward, it is different enough to make this distinct from the preceding Moomin models. Priced at €13,500, the Moomin 80 costs a little more than the earlier version that was €12,000. The price remains competitive considering the overall craftsmanship, most of which lies in the hand-finished dial that is also painted by hand. Both the rotor and case are also high quality and made in-house by Sarpaneva, adding to the value proposition. The two versions of the Moomin 80 Intricate dial works The Moomin 80 employs the trademark Sarpaneva case made of Finnish stainless steel. It’s chunky but appropriately sized and creates a coherent aesthet...

Applying The Art Of Speculation To The Current Vacheron Constantin Overseas Collection Fratello
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Collection Please be Feb 10, 2025

Applying The Art Of Speculation To The Current Vacheron Constantin Overseas Collection

Please be aware that the headline does not refer to The Art of Speculation, a 1931 book by Philip Carret (1896–1998), a man considered a Wall Street legend and a leading thinker in basic value investing. Rather, I’m speculating what Vacheron Constantin has in store for us this year. As you’re probably well aware, this […] Visit Applying The Art Of Speculation To The Current Vacheron Constantin Overseas Collection to read the full article.

Zenith Skeletonises the Defy Skyline Chronograph SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Jan 21, 2025

Zenith Skeletonises the Defy Skyline Chronograph

Zenith’s latest release is an evolutionary take on its popular sports chronograph with an integrated bracelet: the Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton builds upon the original version by open working the dial and main plate of the El Primero calibre. The dial is skeletonised to form a star, Zenith’s longtime emblem and a recurring theme of its skeleton watches. Apart from the open-worked dial, the new Defy remains essentially unchanged from the standard model, keeping the same 42 mm octagonal case topped by a 12-sided bezel. Initial thoughts Zenith’s El Primero was a milestone as one of the first automatic chronograph calibres. The new Defy is equipped with the second-generation El Primero, the cal. 3600, which is one of the biggest strengths of the watch. Notably, the movement has a lightning chronograph seconds completing a full revolution every 10 seconds, allowing the chronograph to measure up to 1/10th of a second (if your fingers work the pushers fast enough). That said, the watch does feel a little derivative in terms of design. While the look is not particularly creative or original, it nonetheless presents a visually striking aesthetic. The combination of satin-brushed and polished surfaces on the case and bracelet are done well. Compared to other watches it resembles (from the likes of Audemars Piguet and Hublot), the Defy is arguably better value. Priced at US$15,500, the Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton is one of Zenith’s pricier offerings, but arguably...

It’s Time To Play The Music, It’s Time To Light The Lights, It’s Time To Meet The Oris ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition Tonight Fratello
Oris ProPilot X Miss Piggy Jan 9, 2025

It’s Time To Play The Music, It’s Time To Light The Lights, It’s Time To Meet The Oris ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition Tonight

It’s The Muppet Show with our special guest star, the Oris ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition! So please welcome to the stage the very first 34mm version of the ProPilot X, a fabulous collaboration with Miss Piggy. The striking pink dial befits the most fabulous pig in the universe, and so does the glimmering baguette-cut […] Visit It’s Time To Play The Music, It’s Time To Light The Lights, It’s Time To Meet The Oris ProPilot X Miss Piggy Edition Tonight to read the full article.

Introducing – IWC Discreetly Drops New Red Gold Versions of the Updated Portugieser 40 and 42 Automatic Monochrome
IWC Discreetly Drops New Red Jan 7, 2025

Introducing – IWC Discreetly Drops New Red Gold Versions of the Updated Portugieser 40 and 42 Automatic

2024 was all about the Portugieser at IWC, the brand’s most classic and elegant collection. Of course, the star of the show was the Portugieser Eternal Calendar, a secular calendar watch that made it to our list of the best watches of the year. There were many more updated versions of this emblematic watch launched […]

Our 2024 Watches of the Year Worn & Wound
H. Moser x Studio Underd0g “Passion Dec 31, 2024

Our 2024 Watches of the Year

It’s the last day of the year, and once again we’re closing out December with our “Watch of the Year” post. We asked Worn & Wound staff and contributors to pick their favorite 2024 release, and their selections, as always, reveal the huge scope of the watch world.  Happy New Year to everyone who has joined us in these pages all year – we can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store. And of course, be sure to drop your own favorite watch from 2024 in the comments below. Zach Kazan: H. Moser x Studio Underd0g “Passion Fruit” Collaboration  I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few weeks looking back through articles I’ve written and the camera roll on my iPhone anticipating what I might write for my own “Watch of the Year” submission. I also have the luxury of seeing what my colleagues and our contributors have picked for themselves, so I’m truly awash in end of year watch stuff, as I imagine most watch media types are right about now. One thing has become abundantly clear as I’ve scrolled, read, and thought about the last twelve months in watches: it’s been a really great year.  A narrative emerged early on, even before Watches & Wonders, that 2024 would be “slow” or “conservative” in terms of new releases. To a point, that proved to be correct. While there were certainly some very good watches released by the likes of Tudor, Rolex, IWC, and other big brands this year, they weren’t gamechangers or the watch equivalent of a pop song th...

The Gear that Mattered to Me in 2024 Worn & Wound
Dec 30, 2024

The Gear that Mattered to Me in 2024

Okay. Confession time. I’m not the most organized guy on the planet. Pretty much anyone in my life could confirm that for you. Pedantic, yes; OCD, diagnosed; but organized? No, not really. As somewhat befits my lifestyle and career, I like to be surrounded by things I love. I’m not a hoarder, but I’m also not a big believer in sterility. I like to be able to see my tools, my things. Open shelving is my friend, and I am very careful about how I use drawers: Drawers are where things go to die. A consequence of this is that my desk is, more often than not, coated in stuff. Pictures, books, stationary, watches, camera gear - it’s all within arms reach. In short, my desk is a pretty great representation of how my brain works. Put another way, my desk is a cacophony of seemingly disparate things connected only by a shared surface and a network of invisible threads that will only ever make sense to me. Also, there are a lot of watches. I love watches, and they take up a huge amount of my time, as well as my physical and mental real estate. But I’m not interested in watches in a vacuum, none of us are (at least not in my experience). Like any hobby, watch enthusiasm is a fluid thing, frequently intersecting and colliding with other interests, passions, and obsessions. An interest in dive watches might lead one collector to learn how to dive, while hours spent on Instagram might encourage a genuine passion for photography in another. Regardless of what parallel interest...

My Year in Watches: Community as the Center of Enthusiasm Worn & Wound
Tudor Dec 24, 2024

My Year in Watches: Community as the Center of Enthusiasm

It’s a sneaky secret, but the truth is everyone in the watch world occasionally gets a little tired of watches. Okay, I can’t speak for everyone, and ‘tired’ might be the wrong word, but anyone who has ever worked in an enthusiast field would probably tell you that balancing your own enthusiasm with a professional life can be a tricky thing. Enthusiasm itself is not a boundless resource, and sometimes you can find yourself in need of a cool-down period (something Nathan Schultz described beautifully here). Coming into 2024, I had no idea this year would be one of those cool-down periods (it can be hard to notice one while it’s happening) but looking back at the last twelve months, it’s hard to deny the characterization. It’s not that I love watches any less than I did last year, it’s just that, as I wade deeper into the watch universe, my own collecting has taken a backseat. Going into 2023, I made a conscious decision I wouldn’t buy any watches. Instead, I would save up and make one big purchase at the end of the year. Then I got to March, bought a G-Shock, and opened the floodgates. So when Zach asked me to put a New Year’s Resolution on paper back in January of this year, I went the other way, stating with intention that this would be a buying year and that I would likely end the year with a Tudor, a NOMOS, or both. Instead, I’m ending the 2024 calendar year having bought just three watches, none of which cost more than $110 dollars. I’ve been wh...

The Petrolhead Corner – 55 Years After Its Debut As A Concept Car, The Bertone Runabout Enters Production Monochrome
Nov 30, 2024

The Petrolhead Corner – 55 Years After Its Debut As A Concept Car, The Bertone Runabout Enters Production

Few design institutions have left such a lasting mark on automotive design than Bertone. Just going through the studio’s palmares reveals some absolute masterpieces. The Alfa Romeo B.A.T. series, the Lamborghini Marzal, and the Lancia Stratos Zero, for instance. And those are just design studies, concept cars that would influence production cars further down the […]

Hands-On: The 37mm Ebel Sport Classic - A Go-To Watch Of Yesteryear Is Still Relevant Fratello
Ebel Oct 28, 2024

Hands-On: The 37mm Ebel Sport Classic - A Go-To Watch Of Yesteryear Is Still Relevant

To put it mildly, Ebel is not the most active brand. But if the products are okay, that goes a long way. Ebel was a force to reckon with back in the 1980s and early 1990s. The brand was everywhere, from the wrists of the world’s best tennis players to those of kids who had […] Visit Hands-On: The 37mm Ebel Sport Classic - A Go-To Watch Of Yesteryear Is Still Relevant to read the full article.

Meeting The Omega “Speedy White” - From Miami To Germany And Back Fratello
Omega Speedy White” - From Oct 22, 2024

Meeting The Omega “Speedy White” - From Miami To Germany And Back

March is not my favorite month. It is still cold, windy, and often rainy in Germany. So, what is there to do to beat the early spring gloominess? Book a trip to a warm place with a subtropical climate, preferably across the pond. That’s how I ended up in New York…okay, eventually in Miami, but […] Visit Meeting The Omega “Speedy White” - From Miami To Germany And Back to read the full article.

Artisanal Humour in the Hermès Slim d’Hermès Flagship SJX Watches
Hermes logo Oct 9, 2024

Artisanal Humour in the Hermès Slim d’Hermès Flagship

A clever play on words, the Slim d’Hermès Flagship features a hand-painted dial depicting the flagship Hermès store in Paris as a sailing ship. Executed with a gold appliqué and miniature painting on an aventurine-glass dial, the “flagship” transforms the famous store at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré into the hull of the ship with sails billowing above it. As is often the case with Hermès’ métiers d’art watches, the dial is based on a scarf bearing the same motif designed by Dimitri Rybaltchenko, an artist based in Paris who’s a longtime designer for Hermès. Initial thoughts Both the motif and presentation of the Flagship encapsulate what Hermès does well. It’s typical Hermès – whimsical, elegant, and finely executed. And it’s not just about aesthetics: the depth and detail of the dial decoration is outstanding. Beyond the dial decor, the Flagship also incorporates subtle touches that reflect an attention to detail, like the spinning star disc on the dial and the slightly retro yellow gold case. Slim and witty An aventurine glass base serves as the base for the dial decoration. The store building is a solid gold appliqué that’s hand-engraved with a burin to fill out the fine details of the structure. It’s then painted by hand to add colour to the windows and “Hermes” logo. The rest of the dial, including the sails and starry sky, is done in miniature painting, specifically acrylic paint applied by hand and then baked in an oven to set...

MIL-SPEC Watch Design: How Military Needs Shaped the Modern Wristwatch Teddy Baldassarre
Sep 26, 2024

MIL-SPEC Watch Design: How Military Needs Shaped the Modern Wristwatch

Nearly everything we regard as a modern luxury was once a military necessity. Okay, maybe that’s too broad a statement. But when you consider the impact of inventions like the Internet (set up as a Department of Defense communications network in 1969) and GPS navigation (which still uses military satellites from the 1970s) - not to mention the rise of the Jeep from humble troop conveyance to luxury SUV; the ubiquity of microwave ovens (which emerged from NATO radar experiments); and the enduring civilian stylishness of accessories like cargo pants and aviator sunglasses - a substantial case can be made that goods made to military specifications, or MIL-SPEC, have made an inestimable impact on everyday life. Nowhere is this influence seen more strongly than in the world of wristwatches - not only those intentionally designed for a military or tactical look, but in many styles and genres throughout the industry.  From Waistcoat to War: Origin of the Wristwatch While it’s unlikely that a distinctly elegant timepiece, like a Patek Philippe Calatrava or a Vacheron Constantin Patrimony, will put you in the mind of battlefields and trenches, the truth is that wristwatches themselves are essentially a military invention - at least, the ones designed for men. Women had been wearing timepieces on pendants and bracelets for decades, since the middle of the 19th Century, but it was the utilitarian needs of soldiers in World War I that ushered them into general usage for ...

The New Leica Q3 43mm Has Arrived: Hands-On Impressions From Camera West Worn & Wound
Sep 26, 2024

The New Leica Q3 43mm Has Arrived: Hands-On Impressions From Camera West

Editor’s Note: This post on the new Leica Q3 43mm from Ben Carpenter, Director of Marketing at Camera West, appears in a longer version on the Camera West blog.  Today, Leica announced the Leica Q3 43, a highly anticipated addition to their popular Leica Q series. At Camera West and Leica Store San Francisco, we’ve long been hoping for a longer focal length in the Q lineup, and many of those that we meet through our stores have expressed the same. It’s exciting to finally see this come to fruition with the release of the Q3 43mm. The Leica Q3 43mm offers a “sweet spot” focal length between 35mm and 50mm. This seemingly odd focal length isn’t new for Leica-past cameras like the Minilux, CM, and CL featured a 40mm focal length, which have their own dedicated fan base. While the original 28mm Q lens has its enthusiasts, the 43mm provides a more compressed field of view that some photographers may prefer. Both the Q3 43mm and the Standard Q3 (28mm) share the same internal components, including the 60MP BSI sensor, autofocus system, and OLED viewfinder, but the standout feature of the Q3 43 is its 43mm f2 APO-Summicron ASPH lens, which delivers superior microcontrast and precision thanks to Leica’s advanced optical design. Details At A Glance – The Leica Q3 43mm APO-Summicron 43mm F2 lens contains 4 aspherical elements and a leaf shutter just like its predecessors ISO Range of 50-100k  60mp BSI Sensor with triple resolution technology (18/36/60MP) and 8k vid...

Introducing: The Minase × Fratello M-3 “Shiro” Exclusive Edition Fratello
Minase Sep 17, 2024

Introducing: The Minase × Fratello M-3 “Shiro” Exclusive Edition

The third time’s the charm. Well, the Minase × Fratello M-3 “Shiro” exclusive edition sure is charming. Fratello’s third take on the M-3 again makes the versatile model available outside Japan, and it looks crispier and cooler than ever. This time, the star of the show is a frosty white dial that is clean and […] Visit Introducing: The Minase × Fratello M-3 “Shiro” Exclusive Edition to read the full article.

Roaring Through The Stages With The Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gumball 3000 Fratello
Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gumball 3000 Sep 12, 2024

Roaring Through The Stages With The Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gumball 3000

The Gumball 3000 kicks off on September 14th in Saigon and culminates in Singapore on September 22nd. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the rally-style event that blends exotic cars, celebrities, and five-star treatment, and the Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gumball 3000 is the official watch for the event. If participants don’t purchase all […] Visit Roaring Through The Stages With The Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gumball 3000 to read the full article.

First Look – The Tissot PRX 40 Powermatic 80, now with Gradient Dials or in Full Forged Carbon Monochrome
Tissot PRX 40 Powermatic 80 Sep 5, 2024

First Look – The Tissot PRX 40 Powermatic 80, now with Gradient Dials or in Full Forged Carbon

One of the Swiss watch industry’s main successes from recent years, and Tissot‘s star collection, the PRX range has become a true hit since its inaugural release in 2021. Since then, this collection has been drastically enlarged to offer more movements, more colours, more materials, more straps and more dimensions. While we thought the mint […]

A Holthinrichs Progress Report: Updates on the Signature Collection and the Ornament Nouveau Worn & Wound
Holthinrichs Progress Report Updates Sep 4, 2024

A Holthinrichs Progress Report: Updates on the Signature Collection and the Ornament Nouveau

Earlier this spring, when the Worn & Wound team was in Switzerland for Watches & Wonders, we had a somewhat impromptu meeting with the Holthinrichs team at a very pleasant but nondescript Geneva coffee shop, somewhat off the beaten path of watch fair hysteria that grips the city during show season. It was there that we got our first look at the Signature Collection, a major shift in strategy for the brand, now planning to offer watches with a familiarly intricate case design but at a much lower price point than previous collections, thanks to new manufacturing partnerships and a retreat from 3D printing, a process that simply became to expensive as the brand’s designs became more complex. Founder Michiel Holthinrichs also told us about an ambitious new project during this meeting, the Ornament Nouveau, a watch that sits squarely in the haute horlogerie space. At that last meeting, Michiel only had renders of the Ornament Nouveau to show us on his phone, and some crude 3D printed prototype cases (in plastic) of the Signature Collection. Just a few months later, I sat down with Michiel and his team once again, at that same coffee shop, and was able to lay my hands on real watches that were every bit as impressive as I had hoped they’d be. It was a particular treat to see the Ornament Nouveau, a watch that the team is immensely proud of.  A quick caveat – we’re still dealing with prototypes here in the case of the Signature Collection pieces. The team had hoped to be...

Unimatic’s Latest LE is a Modello Cinque Made in Collaboration with the Armoury Worn & Wound
Unimatic Aug 30, 2024

Unimatic’s Latest LE is a Modello Cinque Made in Collaboration with the Armoury

Considered one of the finest menswear retailers on the planet, The Armoury has been dressing men since its inception in 2010. Since then, it’s grown to become as much a store as a brand itself. Under the discerning eye of founder Mark Cho, every element of The Armoury is a considered approach to traditional, classic, and lasting style. It’s no wonder, then, that their latest release, in partnership with Italian brand UNIMATIC, would hold these same values. The UNIMATIC x The Armoury Modello Cinque U5S-TA ‘Blu Notte’ is a timepiece that balances classic design elements without ever veering into the fussy – while also being incredibly contemporary in its approach to creating a timepiece for today as well as tomorrow. Designed to be a daily wear watch, this watch has just enough design elements to keep the eye interested without veering into being ostentatious. For instance, the rich blue dial is a perfect neutral, while the concentric circles pressed into the dial give it a bit of depth. This is then offset against a cool grey seconds rail and dial trims, and all brought together with white hour and minute hands, filled with Super-LumiNova for visibility in a variety of conditions (like, say, cocktails in your best suit). The watch comes with a  ‘Blu Notte’ tapered quick-release two-piece TPU strap and a nylon strap is also included for more versatility.  Within the 36mm stainless steel case is an automatic caliber Sellita SW200-1b, promising approximately 41...