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Above the Date Window: Steve McQueen's Monaco and What Sotheby's Catalogues Really Tell You

How a sliver of dial real estate above the date window decodes provenance on every screen-worn Heuer Monaco that has passed through Sotheby's and Phillips.
Hands On: Grand Seiko Spring Drive UFA Ushio 300 Diver SLGB025 and SLGB023 SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Spring Drive UFA Ushio Apr 27, 2026

Hands On: Grand Seiko Spring Drive UFA Ushio 300 Diver SLGB025 and SLGB023

At Watches & Wonders, Grand Seiko launched its best dive watch yet, the Evolution 9 Spring Drive Ultra Fine Accuracy (UFA) Ushio 300 Diver SLGB023 and SLGB025. As a product, it is both shocking and obvious, combining everything Grand Seiko collectors have longed for: a moderately sized case, an improved bracelet and clasp, and a 300 m depth rating. It all comes packaged in a titanium case and an enthusiast-favourite no-date format, and retails for slightly less than Grand Seiko’s existing premium dive watches. It’s a strong statement from a brand looking to gain traction in the luxury sports watch segment. Initial thoughts Seiko’s dive watch pedigree is one of the strongest in the industry, from their iconic saturation divers of the late 1960s to the gone but not forgotten SKX. Yet the flagship Grand Seiko brand has struggled to field a compelling dive watch. Bulky cases, strange proportions, odd depth ratings, and clumsy clasps held back past offerings. Fortunately, Grand Seiko has finally overcome these shortcomings and can finally boast a highly competitive diver’s watch. I made a wishlist for Watches & Wonders 2026 not long ago, at the top of which was my vision for a Grand Seiko UFA Spring Drive diver. To be clear, I’d already known a dive watch using the new cal. 9RBx family of Spring Drive movements was coming based on trademark filings, but I wished for something that many Grand Seiko collectors have wanted for years – a moderately sized dive watch, wit...

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Hands On: Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5610P and Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin Comparison Apr 27, 2026

Hands On: Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5610P and Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin

Comparison is often said to be the thief of joy, but the numerous attributes of the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5610P and Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Thin ref. 2500v are arguably best understood in a side-by-side format. The watches are extraordinarily similar — each watch features a platinum case and bracelet, a slim micro-rotor automatic movement, and a rare two-hand, no-date configuration. Beyond their tangible similarities, both watches are limited editions priced within 7% of one another, and were launched to mark milestone anniversaries of their respective collections. Initial thoughts Rarely do rival brands treat collectors to such a perfect match-up. Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin could hardly have done more to go toe-to-toe, and have unexpectedly made 2026 the golden age of the platinum sports watch. The original Patek Philippe Nautilus from 1976 was provocative precisely because it was made in steel at a time when ‘high-end’ still meant precious metal. Five decades later, the steel sports watch trend has arguably peaked, making the stealthy platinum ref. 5610P a fitting tribute. It captures the look of the original without diluting its legacy with yet another steel variant. While Vacheron Constantin has dabbled in steel sports watches since as far back as 1977 with the 222, the Overseas collection only debuted in 1996. Now in its third generation, the Overseas has evolved into a substantive rival to both the Patek Philippe Nauti...

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Our Favorite Complicated Watches From Watches & Wonders 2026 Teddy Baldassarre
Apr 23, 2026

Our Favorite Complicated Watches From Watches & Wonders 2026

Our editors might still be reorienting themselves to their local timezone after being on Geneva time the past week, but the challenges of Watches & Wonders Editors' Picks must continue while the show is fresh in their minds. For this edition, we tasked our editors with selecting the watch complication that has stuck with them most from this year's lineup. From the sophisticated to the decidedly playful, down below, you'll find the watch complications that have risen above the pack, as decided by our editorial team. Explore our full editorial coverage of this year's show here.  D.C. Hannay: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Perpetual Calendar Another luxury watch pick, another slam dunk for Jaeger-LeCoultre. Whichever way the wind is blowing in the Vallée de Joux, it’s been doing wonders for JLC of late, exemplified by the new Master Control Chronometre series. The brand has finally gone and made a modern, real-deal integrated luxury model, and enthusiasts are pricking up their ears. Along with the sleek Chronometre Date and the symmetrically gifted Chronometre Date Power Reserve, they’ve come up with a truly breathtaking riff on one of the most complicated complications, the Chronometre Perpetual Calendar. Absent of the hype surrounding the Royal Oak or the Nautilus, we’re presented with a beautifully balanced dial and cohesive design, packaged in a startlingly svelte 39mm case just 9.2mm thin. Also available in a glowing pink gold with a complementary br...

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Roger Dubuis Debuts Biretrograde Calendar in Steel SJX Watches
Roger Dubuis Debuts Biretrograde Calendar Apr 15, 2026

Roger Dubuis Debuts Biretrograde Calendar in Steel

Following the introduction of the same model (sans bracelet) in 18k pink gold last year, the new ‘cosmic blue’ variant of the Roger Dubuis (RD) Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar offers the brand’s signature retrograde day and date complication in a more accessible stainless steel package. Initial thoughts As a maker of big, bold, avant-garde watches, RD has found itself out of step with mainstream collector culture, which lately has favoured smaller, more elegant designs. The brand seems to understand the implications of these latent trends, and just last year introduced the Hommage La Placide, which was widely praised. The new 40 mm Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar is another step in the right direction, bridging the gap between RD’s more flamboyant instincts and contemporary collector preferences. In this context, the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar is clearly a watch designed to resonate more widely - the 40 mm stainless steel case paired with a blue dial is a commercially popular and almost universally appealing configuration. It works in part because the striking Excalibur design and unmistakeable biretrograde day and date functionality keep it from looking too much like anything else. The stainless steel bracelet is also noteworthy. It’s not the first time the brand has offered a steel bracelet - and it has produced this same design in titanium in the past as well - but it might as well be new since the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar will probably appea...

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Watches & Wonders: Roger Dubuis Debuts an All-New Perpetual Calendar Caliber Alongside a Sporty Version of its Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar Worn & Wound
Patek Philippe Apr 14, 2026

Watches & Wonders: Roger Dubuis Debuts an All-New Perpetual Calendar Caliber Alongside a Sporty Version of its Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar

Roger Dubuis’ latest releases at Watches and Wonders are steeped in the brand’s history. For the occasion, the maison introduces two complicated pieces – a perpetual calendar and day-date calendar – each in the brand’s patented biretrograde display. Prior to founding his namesake maison, Mr. Roger Dubuis was a prolific watchmaker for several brands, from Patek Philippe to Longines. One such project came in 1989 when he and fellow watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht collaboratively pioneered and patented their famous biretrograde display, which reworked the traditional concept and made it more streamlined. This approach eased assembly and improved the stability and readability of the hands on the ecliptic retrograde counters. Soon after, the pair engineered a double retrograde perpetual calendar module, which was notably used in a timepiece for Harry Winston. A year after the brand’s official founding, Roger Dubuis introduced its own biretrograde display timepiece and later the perpetual calendar complication in its iconic Sympathie and Homage collections. Today, we see the next evolution of these concepts highlighted in a rather modestly sized 40mm version of its Excalibur line. The Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar is notably powered by an entirely new movement: the RD850. Here, the maison builds upon the work set forth four decades ago with a self-winding caliber built from 435 components in-house at Roger Dubuis’ Geneva manufacture. A key functional i...

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Patek Philippe’s New Celestial Blasts Off SJX Watches
Patek Philippe s New Celestial Blasts Apr 14, 2026

Patek Philippe’s New Celestial Blasts Off

Patek Philippe updates its Celestial line for the third time, following the addition of a pointer date in 2012 this generation adds the time of sunrise and sunset, and a daring new design for the formidable, space-age 47 mm lug-less case. It also introduces a novel way to account for the transition between summer and winter time, solving a significant shortcoming of astronomical watches for users in Europe and the Americas. Initial thoughts I’ve long thought that Patek Philippe’s greatest strength, other than its massive industrial investments, was its remarkable design diversity. Today brands seem to pursue a unified design language across all of their watches. And while this result is a strong visual identity for the brand, it is extremely limiting. Patek Philippe has no such limits, and the brand has about two dozen different case styles in the current collection, and hundreds in its back catalog. While this leads to its fair share of design misses, at least to my sensibilities, it can also lead to striking successes. I’m sure many will disagree, but I see the new Celestial as the latter. A wristwatch with the time of sunrise and sunset is long overdue from Patek Philippe, and this watch adds the ability to adjust those indications to account for daylight savings time. This addresses the complication’s greatest flaw, but as it is pre-programmed for Geneva, it is somewhat moot if you live at very different latitudes, a flaw the planisphere also shares. Historical...

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Patek Philippe’s Celestial Ref. 6105G Blasts Off SJX Watches
Patek Philippe s Celestial Ref 6105G Apr 14, 2026

Patek Philippe’s Celestial Ref. 6105G Blasts Off

Patek Philippe updates its star chart “Grand Complication” for the third time with the Celestial Sunrise Sunset Ref. 6105G. The ref. 6105G adds the time of sunrise and sunset – cleverly integrated into the date scale – and a daring new design with a formidable, space-age lug-less case in white gold that’s 47 mm across. The ref. 6105G also introduces a novel way to account for the transition between summer and winter time, adding a corrector that shifts the sunrise and sunset scales, solving a significant shortcoming of astronomical watches for users in Europe and the Americas. Initial thoughts I’ve long thought that Patek Philippe’s greatest strength, other than its massive industrial investments, was its remarkable design diversity. Today brands seem to pursue a unified design language across all of their watches. And while this result is a strong visual identity for the brand, it is extremely limiting. Patek Philippe has no such limits, and the brand has about two dozen different case styles in the current collection, and hundreds in its back catalog. While this leads to its fair share of design misses, at least to my sensibilities, it can also lead to striking successes. I’m sure many will disagree, but I see the new Celestial as the latter. A wristwatch with the time of sunrise and sunset is long overdue from Patek Philippe, and this watch adds the ability to adjust those indications to account for daylight savings time. This addresses the complication...

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A. Lange & Söhne’s Saxonia Annual Calendar Returns SJX Watches
A. Lange & Sohne Apr 14, 2026

A. Lange & Söhne’s Saxonia Annual Calendar Returns

A. Lange & Söhne has introduced the Saxonia Annual Calendar, the brand’s most compact annual calendar to date. Available in 18k white or pink gold, the Saxonia Annual Calendar plays to the strengths of Germany’s foremost watchmaker, combining a compact 36 mm case with an intuitive and legible ‘outsize date’ design reminiscent of the brand’s famed perpetual calendars. The new cal. L207.1 hints at future developments while incorporating refined details such as gold chatons around the going train jewels - a finishing touch that has been absent from the brand’s ‘entry-level’ automatic movements until now. Initial thoughts There’s been a palpable trend toward smaller watches in recent years - Lange’s 34 mm 1815 released last year was a major hit, and it seems like there’s more of a focus on dimensions and thickness than at any other time in the past decade or so. In this context, the Saxonia Annual Calendar should be well-received. At just 36 mm in diameter and under 10 mm thick, the watch is compact even by the standards of time-only watches. In fact, it’s the most compact annual calendar yet from Lange, and the small size of the dial makes the big date format especially convenient for those, like myself, who have trouble reading pointer dates at arm’s length. In fact, I’d argue the enhanced legibility and differentiated design of the big date makes the Saxonia Annual Calendar competitive with more complicated (but equally compact) perpetual ca...

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New releases from Ressence, M.A.D. Editions, Rexhep Rexhepi and more Time+Tide
Ressence M.A.D Editions Rexhep Rexhepi Apr 11, 2026

New releases from Ressence, M.A.D. Editions, Rexhep Rexhepi and more

This has been an incredible week for independent watchmaking. Ressence has announced its first-ever in-house movement, M.A.D. is presenting two new editions for those who want to own a piece of MB&F; engineering without the price tag, and Rexhep Rexhepi has unveiled a new project. Moments like this don’t come around often, and when they … ContinuedThe post New releases from Ressence, M.A.D. Editions, Rexhep Rexhepi and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Bonniksen Reborn with Handmade Le Carrousel SJX Watches
Greubel Forsey CEO Michel Nydeggar Bonniksen Apr 7, 2026

Bonniksen Reborn with Handmade Le Carrousel

Bonniksen makes its debut with the aptly named Le Carrousel, a 30-second carrousel wristwatch that will launch under the secondary banner of Naissance d’une Montre 4, which means it will be fully handmade. Le Carrousel’s completion date has not been announced, but good things take time, especially when made without the assistance of automated machinery. Left to right: Bonniksen co-founder and CEO Jason Chevrolat, Greubel Forsey CEO Michel Nydeggar, Bonniksen co-founder Maximin Chapuis, and David Bernard from the Time Æon Foundation. Initial thoughts It’s shaping up to be a big year for independent watchmaking, with a number of new and old names making their debuts. Bonniksen is among the latter, and looks to be a good-faith effort to do justice to the legacy of the inventor of the carrousel. While the rebirth of an old name is a familiar (if not tiresome) formula, one can’t help but appreciate the care with which the name of Bonniken makes its return. For one thing, the movement, which still exists only in sketches and models, is a true carrousel, built to co-founder Maximin Chapuis’ design after 5,500 hours of technical research. In other words, it’s not just an old name attached to an off-the-shelf calibre. The fact that it will debut as a Montre 4 in the Naissance d’une Montre project is another reason to take the effort seriously. If that weren’t enough, the brand has apparently been given the blessing of Bonniksen’s living descendants, which helps t...

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Stellar Small Seconds: Orient Star M45 F7 SJX Watches
Orient Mar 17, 2026

Stellar Small Seconds: Orient Star M45 F7

Orient Star doubles down on dress watches with the dignified M45 F7 Small Seconds in three new colours inspired by the night sky. With its small seconds layout, power reserve indicator, no-date format, and sub-40 mm case size, the M45 is clearly targeting the enthusiast market. Initial thoughts While more casual and “sporty” watches have been the foundation of the watch market for decades, Orient, and its upscale sibling Orient Star, are arguably known best for its more formally coded watches, such as the entry-level Orient Bambino. From there, Orient Star’s M45 collection represents a tempting upgrade, featuring a slew of refinements inside and out that make it a good value proposition despite the higher price. Beyond the technical specifications, the M45 F7 Small Seconds also reflects Orient Star’s ongoing effort to carve out a distinct identity within the broader Japanese watch landscape. While brand has long been appreciated for delivering strong value, the M45 line shows a growing confidence in formal watches, which is needed given the fierce competition from micro-brands in the sports watch segment at the same price point. Visually, the watch could benefit from being even smaller, as the small seconds sub-dial is too close to the centre of the dial, but that is true of many, if not most, of its (few) competitors in this price segment that offer a small seconds format. Collectors have come accept this as a normal trade-off of contemporary watches that use hist...

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Hands On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 38 mm SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 38 Feb 13, 2026

Hands On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 38 mm

One of the longest tenured models in the Audemars Piguet (AP) catalogue, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38 mm has been upgraded with a new manufacture calibre and sapphire case back for the first time, while only slightly tweaking the iconic design and price tag. Inside the new ref. 26450 is the cal. 6401 that incorporates with welcome quality-of-life improvements such as a longer power reserve, higher beat rate, and instantaneous date. The new movement accomplishes all of this without significant tradeoffs in size, but it arguably falls somewhat short in aesthetics. Minor shortcomings aside, the modestly sized Royal Oak Chronograph is a strong offering that enters the field at the top of its class. Initial thoughts In the same fashion as last year’s updated Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, the new 38 mm Royal Oak Chronograph takes an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, step forward, being essentially the same watch, only better. AP clearly knows better than to mess with a winning formula, but the brand also faced challenges, both in manufacturing and customer experience, that came with a nearly four-decade-old movement platform, sourced from Swatch Group no less. The changes are slight, even insignificant at first glance, but are the sort things that come to be appreciated with long-term ownership, especially within a smaller collection where increases in power reserve and performance are most noticeable. It even looks slightly better – the dial is less cram...

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Grand Seiko’s Smallest High-End Quartz Models Yet SJX Watches
Grand Seiko s Smallest High-End Quartz Feb 12, 2026

Grand Seiko’s Smallest High-End Quartz Models Yet

Grand Seiko has installed its high-end quartz calibre 9F in a 33 mm stainless steel case with fan-favourite textured dials, making one of the most advanced analogue quartz movements available in the smallest and slimmest format to date. The compact proportions of the Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Quartz 33mm “Snowflake” SBGX359 and “Skyflake” SBGX361 are possible thanks to a new member of the 9F family: the cal. 9F51. Though smaller, the new calibre retains all the technical bells and whistles of this class-leading quartz platform. Ref. SBGX359 (Snowflake). Initial thoughts While Grand Seiko’s quartz models are generally known as good value propositions, with the cal. 9F in particular representing a lot of movement for the money, that has generally been less true of the brand’s smaller models. These maintain the brand’s standout case and dial work but with relatively pedestrian cal. 4J movements. Though above average in terms of quality and technology, the cal. 4J lacks the torque necessary to accommodate the exceptionally large and refined hands found on most Grand Seikos. Ref. SBGX361 (Skyflake). Given the brand’s recent emphasis on Spring Drive technology, seemingly at the expense of battery-powered quartz movements, that seemed unlikely to change. In this context, this duo is a pleasant surprise, with more likely to follow, and offers a no-compromise Grand Seiko experience in a smaller size without the high price tags of the ladies automatic line. A ...

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Vacheron Constantin Introduces a New Titanium Tourbillon with a Deep Red Dial Worn & Wound
Vacheron Constantin Introduces Feb 3, 2026

Vacheron Constantin Introduces a New Titanium Tourbillon with a Deep Red Dial

One thing I loved about graduating from a relatively small district in rural Pennsylvania is that it wasn’t necessarily like the high school experiences I saw reflected in television. Due to the general population at my school never hitting above 200 students, cliques were permeable and caste systems were divided more by how often you had class with the same people versus, say, any general interests. While we are led to believe that high school is a microcosm of real life, and that people can generally be categorized by such surface-level things like hobbies or intelligence, I think my upbringing has allowed for me to see that one thing can contain multitudes. Because of this, I’d hate to box the new Vacheron Constantin addition to their Overseas Collection, a titanium tourbillon model, into one category or the other. It’s sporty and technical – or, if we’re keeping with the high school theme– a jock and a geek. Now that I’ve beaten that analogy to death, we can go onto the specifics of this latest reference from the Swiss watch brand. From a design standpoint, it has all the hallmarks of Vacheron Constantin design language: clean lines, a classic silhouette, and a balance of keeping it traditional without being boring. Even so, the design’s deep red sunburst dial, visible tourbillon movement, and use of titanium add just enough of an update to the collection to be notable. Of course, these aren’t all for aesthetiques. The use of Grade 5 titanium and an u...

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In-Depth: Breguet’s Constant-Force Magnetic Escapement SJX Watches
Breguet s Constant-Force Magnetic Escapement Dec 4, 2025

In-Depth: Breguet’s Constant-Force Magnetic Escapement

Earlier this week, Breguet rounded off its grandiose 250th anniversary with the unexpected launch of the Expérimentale 1 chronometer in Paris. Showcasing modern Breguet’s most impressive innovation to date - a magnetic constant-force escapement - the watch left many scratching their heads simply because the novel invention defies easy explanation. Here we explain the actual functioning of this remarkable invention, and why it represents such a significant step forward in terms of chronometry and escapement technology. The origins of the concept Before turning to the decidedly modern and futuristic Expérimentale 1, we must first take a short trip to the past and consider how the idea of using magnets in mechanical escapements first came to life. For that we must turn to the late 1930s, when Cecil Frank Clifford, Fellow of the British Horological Institute (BHI), started experimenting with oscillators maintained by magnetic rails or escape wheels.  He was granted a British patent in 1954 for a variety of magnetised escape wheels paired with elastic vibrating magnetic blades. The device would operate silently and Clifford envisioned it being used for naval underwater torpedoes, so the lack of ticking would be harder to pick up by sonars.  Iterations of Clifford magnetic escapements. His designs were rudimentary. The principle was that the escape wheel would be braked by a vibrating pair of magnetised blades (in several possible configurations), while simultaneously ...

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A Novel Sales Model: This New MoonSwatch Is Only Available When It Snows In Switzerland Fratello
Nov 30, 2025

A Novel Sales Model: This New MoonSwatch Is Only Available When It Snows In Switzerland

This new MoonSwatch Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold will become available on December 4th. However, after that date, this MoonSwatch model will be available only when the Swiss see snowflakes. Though it will be for sale at select Swatch boutiques worldwide, it will be subject to local weather conditions in Switzerland. And the sales of […] Visit A Novel Sales Model: This New MoonSwatch Is Only Available When It Snows In Switzerland to read the full article.

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Brooklyn Meets Bauhaus: Recapping Our Junghans Showroom Experience Worn & Wound
Junghans Showroom Experience Last week Nov 28, 2025

Brooklyn Meets Bauhaus: Recapping Our Junghans Showroom Experience

Last week, the Windup Watch Shop’s Brooklyn showroom transformed into a full-on Junghans universe-part design gallery, part biergarten, and easily one of our most successful showroom activations to date. Junghans has long been a top performer for us-one of our top five brands online and the number one by sales in the showroom. But we kept hearing the same thing from shoppers: the biggest reason they hadn’t pulled the trigger on a Junghans yet was simply not being able to see the watches in person. A complete Junghans takeover of the showroom changed that in a big way. For the entire weekend, the space became a design-forward Junghans shop-in-shop. Center tables and rear shelving were filled out with the full lineup-Max Bill icons, Meister classics, and the newest releases-all displayed in a way that encouraged lingering, comparing, and hands-on discovery. Junghans content looped across the main monitor, tying the whole activation together. Collectors and first-time visitors loved finally getting the chance to handle models they’d only ever seen online. A Bauhaus Biergarten Event The weekend kicked off with a high-energy evening that blended biergarten warmth with Bauhaus modernism. Guests stepped into a space decorated with themed touches, curated snacks, and plenty of beer-everything tuned to evoke that distinctly German mix of hospitality and design.   The vibe was lively and relaxed, with friends and new acquaintances swapping impressions and leaning in...

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Louis Erard and Konstantin Chaykin are Back with a New Limited Edition in a New Case Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Nov 24, 2025

Louis Erard and Konstantin Chaykin are Back with a New Limited Edition in a New Case

If you read Worn & Wound with any regularity, you know that we’re pretty big fans of Louis Erard’s limited edition collaborative regulators around here. What can we say? There’s something incredibly fun and appealing about having a great independent watchmaker tied to a watch that’s on the accessible side. That said, there are fair criticisms of these limited editions, particularly as they’ve been “normalized” and we’ve all been conditioned to just kind of expect them two or three times per year. The one I hear most often is that Louis Erard is that each new collaboration effectively amounts to a dial variant, a skin grafted onto the the brand’s regulator format doesn’t necessarily reflect the creativity of the watchmaker being referenced. But on handful of occasions (like with Alain Silberstein and Vianney Halter) Louis Erard allow themselves to expand beyond the dial and add flourishes to the case as well. These editions, in my mind, are even more effective because they represent another rung of ambition in this ongoing project. The brand’s latest collaboration, another release with Konstantin Chaykin, follows this tradition with a reimagined case construction and dial layout while maintaining a real connection to Chaykin’s aesthetic. The Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin Unforgettable is based on the Slavic myth of the Frog Princess, and the dial looks like, well, a frog, with big reptilian “eyes” at 9 and 3. If you’re used to Louis Erard’...

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Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Vs. Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060 Fratello
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Nov 23, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Vs. Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060

Welcome to another installment of Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we put the new Omega Planet Ocean 600M to work. We’re not giving it an easy start to life, pitting it against the mighty Rolex Submariner “No-Date” ref. 124060. Jorg has the honor of defending the new Omega, while Thomas sides with the Rolex. Now, […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Vs. Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060 to read the full article.

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Introducing – Audemars Piguet Unveils an Innovative Setting Device for its RO Perpetual Monochrome
Audemars Piguet Unveils Nov 19, 2025

Introducing – Audemars Piguet Unveils an Innovative Setting Device for its RO Perpetual

Perpetual calendars are one of the most fascinating and elegant complications. Their sophisticated mechanism automatically adjusts the date throughout the year, accounting for the varying lengths of months and the leap year cycle, eliminating the need for manual correction. Yet one challenge is that if your watch stops, resetting it can be complicated, often requiring […]

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Chopard’s Striking Vision Fully Realised – L.U.C Grand Strike SJX Watches
Chopard s Striking Vision Fully Nov 19, 2025

Chopard’s Striking Vision Fully Realised – L.U.C Grand Strike

Chopard marks 30 years of the Chopard Manufacture with the L.U.C Grand Strike – its most ambitious complication to date, a minute repeating clock watch with grande et petite sonnerie striking on a pair of sapphire gongs. This comes on the heels of Chopard’s sister brand, Ferdinand Berthoud’s Naissance d’une Montre 3, making 2025 arguably the most significant year for Chopard, product wise, since the 1997 launch of L.U.C. Initial Thoughts For hundreds of years the sound of clocks coordinated human society. In fact, the very word “clock” comes from the Latin word clocca, meaning bell. Before the noise pollution of the modern day, the bells of clock towers could disseminate accurate time over several miles. It is only that many first complicated the first watches, which were made by clock makers during the 16th century, were equipped with strikes. In 2016 Chopard launched its first self-developed chiming watch, the L.U.C Full Strike, a two-train trip repeater with sapphire gongs. It is not much of a surprise, I’ve multiple people speculate that a grande sonnerie was the next step given the design depictions Chopard made with the Full Strike. Even the name, “Full Strike” sounds like the name of a grande sonnerie, not just a repeater. The Grand Strike is class leading technically, it’s only weakness, the middling strike work power reserve is easily forgiven when considering its size. Aesthetically, however, the watch struggles, at least for me, though the si...

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Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips Hong Kong Fall 2025 SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton resurrected Nov 17, 2025

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips Hong Kong Fall 2025

A window into the early days of contemporary independent watchmaking, the upcoming Phillips Hong Kong auction offers an unexpectedly diverse line-up, including a single-owner collection of 1990s watches. The indie selection ranges from Daniel Roth in the late 1980s to Philippe Dufour’s influential finissage. And the historically-minded enthusiast will also notice the catalog includes work from an era when star independent watchmakers, such as Louis Cottier, counted brands as their clients. Lot 982 – Daniel Roth Ref. 2187 Tourbillon “Double Face” After helping establish Breguet as a Swiss watchmaker, Daniel Roth established his eponymous brand in 1988 with his inaugural model being the ref. C187/2187, a tourbillon wristwatch with two faces. The front indicates the time and showcases the tourbillon at six o’clock, while the reverse is home to the date and power reserve indicator. Despite the strikingly exotic look for the time – remember this was the late 1980s – the tourbillon actually employs the familiar Lemania tourbillon calibre, unsurprising given that Mr Roth helped with the construction of the calibre while he was at Breguet. While the bones are Lemania, the aesthetic is uniquely Daniel Roth. The grey dial has a pinstripe guilloche while the three-armed seconds hand indicates the time on a three-layer scale. Just last year, Louis Vuitton resurrected the Daniel Roth marque with a new generation of the iconic tourbillon powered by an all-new calibre deve...

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Hands On: Petermann Bédat’s Reference 1825 Does More with Less SJX Watches
Petermann Bédat Oct 15, 2025

Hands On: Petermann Bédat’s Reference 1825 Does More with Less

Petermann Bédat has just unveiled its third model, the Reference 1825, which arrives two years after the Reference 2941 Split-Seconds Chronograph. The brand’s simplest watch to date, the 1825 is three hands but far from basic. In fact, the 1825 illustrates the cliche that less is more. Founded by duo Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat, the brand departs from current fashion with the 1825, which has a restrained aesthetic front and back, though the movement incorporates enough subtle flourishes to make it distinctive and distinguished. The proliferation of open-dial time-only watches with overwrought finishing makes the quiet presence of the 1825 stand out. The cal. 233 of the 1825 Initial thoughts The recent enthusiasm for independent watchmaking has tended to focus on time-only watches of a specific sort, with open dials, exposed movements, and lots of finishing techniques. Naturally, independent watchmakers and brands have delivered in response to that demand. In comparison, the 1825 is old school in style and form, almost plain in fact, but I like it precisely because of that. The 1825 is appealing on two levels. One is tangible – it is an appealing watch on the wrist and clearly executed to a high level. The other is philosophical – I applaud Petermann Bédat for not going with current fads. The 1825 isn’t imaginative or radical, it is simply a simple watch of high quality that feels like it was conceived and executed by sincere, competent watchmakers. All ele...

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Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Land-Dweller Alternatives Fratello
Rolex Land-Dweller Alternatives Another Friday Oct 10, 2025

Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Land-Dweller Alternatives

Another Friday, another list! After three weeks of affordable watches, it’s time for a change. Today, we want to focus on the newest Rolex collection. To be more precise, we want to look at alternatives to the Rolex Land-Dweller. Six months ago, The Crown unveiled the new Land-Dweller collection during Watches and Wonders. Since then, […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Land-Dweller Alternatives to read the full article.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Control Calendar Goes Granular Two-Tone SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre s Master Control Calendar Sep 30, 2025

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Control Calendar Goes Granular Two-Tone

Jaeger-LeCoultre has just introduced the Master Control Calendar Limited Edition, the latest addition to a long line of triple calendar watches going back decades. Packaged in the 40 mm Master Control case we’ve become familiar with, this new 500-piece stainless steel limited edition is all about the dial, which features a richly textured silver and grey livery on a “sector” layout. Despite the classical aesthetic, the Master Control Date is thoroughly modern on the inside with the cal. 866 featuring a silicon escapement that supports a 70-hour power reserve. Initial thoughts The triple calendar moon phase has long been a staple of the Jaeger-LeCoultre line-up; Pablo Picasso famously wore one. Add to this lineage the brand’s unique jumping date pointer, which jumps in a wide arc from the 15th to the 16th of the month to avoid confounding the moon phase display, and the result is a watch that manages to be both charming and technically distinctive. It’s also easily wearable in a 40 mm case, that, while larger than the vintage originals, gives the indicators on the dial plenty of space to breathe. Of course, the movement is the cal. 866, effectively a cal. 899 with a triple calendar module, which helps keeps the overall package quite sleek at 10.95 mm – on par with many simple time-and-date watches in this category. Upgraded a few years ago with a silicon escapement, the movement now runs for 70 hours when fully wound, adding convenience to wearability. Naturall...

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Tudor’s First-Ever Moon Phase Wristwatch SJX Watches
Tudor s First-Ever Moon Phase Sep 25, 2025

Tudor’s First-Ever Moon Phase Wristwatch

In a surprise launch from a brand best known for its dive watches, Tudor just rolled out the 1926 Luna. It’s a thinnish, 39 mm dress watch with a moon phase – a first for Tudor – as well as a date, though in the typical Tudor style the case is still rated to 100 m and fitted to a solidly constructed steel bracelet. And unusually for a new launch from Tudor, the 1926 Luna is equipped with an ETA (or Sellita) calibre, which means lower specs than models powered by Tudor’s in-house movements, but also substantially more affordable at just US$2,800 or CHF2,400. The 1926 Luna debuts in three dial colours, including a champagne iteration that was conceived with the help of Jay Chou, a Taiwanese singer who’s one of the most famous musicians in the Mandarin-speaking world. Initial thoughts Tudor has long excelled at sports watches with high specs and low prices – making them some of the best value propositions out there – but dress watches have always been a weakness. The brand has made several attempts at dress watches with mixed results. The 1926 Luna, on the other hand, is much more promising. The design is classical, even a little conservative, but the look is appealing. The brushed dial in metallic colours give this a much more modern look than the rest of the 1926 line, which appears a little dated. Purists will complain about the date window, and it probably looks better on a leather strap than a bracelet, but the 1926 Luna is a strong proposition in its price...

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