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Oct 2, 2026

A New “Windtona” has Arrived Courtesy of Eric Wind and True North

One of my favorite celebrity couples of all time is Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, who embodied that grungy sort of early-’90s aesthetic that, thirty-odd years on, I still gravitate toward. But one of the best bits of their relationship lore came in 1990, when Depp had WINONA FOREVER tattooed on his arm as a tribute to his undying love for the young starlet (they broke up three years later, and Depp eventually modified the tattoo to read “Wino Forever.”) I say this because the latest edition of Eric Wind and True North’s ongoing collaboration has arrived, and looking at the photos, I’m beginning to wonder if it wouldn’t hurt for Eric to get WINDTONA FOREVER tattooed across his own bicep. The Vintage Rally Timer IV “Dreamsicle” is the fourth watch the two companies have produced together, and once again, I’m reminded why I like these collaborations so much. It has the compact proportions and vintage chronograph cues that have defined the series from the beginning, reimagined this time in what I can only describe as “elevated sherbet.” The Dreamsicle pairs a pale orange dial with a light green tachymeter bezel and violet, blue and yellow registers, continuing the pastel palette introduced with last year’s VRT III. Wind’s affinity for pale orange, while his daughters’ love of pastel colors also played a role in the combination. The Paul Newman Daytona reference that gave the series its “Windtona” nickname is still central to the design, particul...

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Oct 1, 2026

Onwer’s Review: the Favre Leuba Raider Harpoon 42

Favre Leuba is a slightly curious brand. Despite being able to trace its origins back to 1737 (beaten only by Blancpain), the brand has undergone a succession of relaunches in recent decades as it attempts to re-forge its identity. As a result, it doesn’t perhaps register on the radar of many watch enthusiasts in the same way as other storied names. On their website, Favre Leuba are rightly proud to present a timeline of important events in their history, and it’s worth checking out, but the abridged version begins as follows: Abraham Favre begins making watches in Le Locle in 1737. The family business becomes A. Favre & Fils in 1792 under the stewardship of Abraham’s son and two grandsons. By 1815, the next (fourth) generation of the Favre family joins forces with August Leuba, and the Favre-Leuba name is seen for the first time. Many important developments are scattered through the next century and a half, including single-button chronographs, altimeters and barometers, and collaboration with Jaeger-LeCoultre. As was the case with many Swiss watch brands, the Quartz Crisis had a severe impact on Favre Leuba. The Favre family’s eighth generation was the last to be involved in the business before ownership was first transferred to Benedom SA, then LVMH, and Valentin SA. In 2011 the Titan Company Limited took ownership, and it was under their stewardship that the watch I’m writing about today was made. The Raider series of watches was influenced by cushion cased w...

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Oct 1, 2026

The Science of Colored Ceramic Through Three New Hues in Earthen Company’s Summit MK II

It started with a topic that’s readily on watch collectors’ minds over the past few years in particular – a topic we even discussed on a recent podcast: watch prices are climbing and pricing younger collectors out of the hobby. Jonathan Chan, a collector himself and co-founder of The Horology Society (a Hong-Kong based global collector community), decided to create the brand he wanted to see in the market. After two years of conceptualization, research, development, and prototyping, he founded Earthen Company in 2025 with a mission to democratize watches with a focus on high-tech ceramic and a goal to keep price tags below $1,000. The brand’s inaugural offering, the Summit Collection, presented a mix of old and new, past and present with dichotomy of vintage pilot and field watch design codes rendered in modern ceramic. Over the past year, Earthen Company’s offerings have continued to expand with an evolution of the original line called the Summit Mark II and a totally new addition with the Aventurine Collection. The Summit MK II refined the composition of the collection that started it all. It retained the original proportions and signature ceramic build while upgrading the finer details like dial symmetry and legibility. Now, we get the latest additions to the MK II lineup with a trio of new colors.As a journalist in this industry for the better part of almost 15 years, I’m often a bit underwhelmed when the headline of a new release is simply a new colorway. ...

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Ming far too well acquainted Sep 30, 2026

Collecting: the Records Explain the Watches

If you follow me on Instagram, or if you know me in the real world, you’re probably aware that I’m currently in the uncomfortable but exciting process of packing up my life into a neverending series of cardboard boxes, destined for a moving truck. After several years of becoming far too well acquainted with members of the Amtrak Acela crew, I’ve decided to put those relationships on hold, and relocate to New York City. I signed a lease on a too small, too expensive Brooklyn apartment, and I honestly cannot wait to live in it. It’ll be a great opportunity to work more closely with my Worn & Wound colleagues who I see primarily in Google Meet windows and fleetingly on my office visits and to experience the watch industry from the center of it in the United States. It’ll also be fun to finally have a direct flight to Geneva (and so many other places – I will not miss you Logan International) and to have access to any kind of dumpling whenever I want.  But moving itself is not fun, and as I’ve gone through the mental and now very real exercise of figuring out what to keep and take with me, sell or give away, discard to the dumpster, or store temporarily in my childhood home with my very kind parents, I’ve thought a lot about collecting, the stuff we acquire, and how it shapes us and moves with us (or not) through life.  It goes without saying, I hope, that my watches are coming with me. They are small and easy to transport, and while I’ve sold a handful of ...

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Sep 30, 2026

Ianos Introduces the Amfivios, a Civilian Version of their Military Issued Dive Watch

We’ve been saying it for years, but one of the things that makes the microbrand and small independent scene so exciting is that there is truly a watch for everyone. It’s a playing field that allows makers to be incredibly obscure, follow their own strange and otherwise hard to understand impulses, and bring watches to market that simply wouldn’t exist without that individual jolt of creativity. Ianos is a great example. This is a brand that exists to explore Greek diving culture (which has a rich history) and has built a design language around traditionally Greek motifs that simply don’t exist elsewhere in watchmaking. It doesn’t really get more niche than that.  Their latest watch, the Amfivios, comes on the heels of an Ianos that couldn’t be purchased by a normal civilian enthusiast. The OYK, introduced last year, was the by the brand’s account the first Greek-designed watch ever commissioned for a military unit. The watch was made in small numbers for active members of the Underwater Demolition Command unit, and presented to that unit by Greece’s Prime Minister. It was an important moment for the brand, and naturally when word spread of the OYK’s existence, Ianos loyalists and other collectors began to request a version of the watch they could own themselves.  The new Amfivios, like the Oyk, is built on the same platform as the Dytis, which we covered here. The Dytis is really an exercise in style and design, though, whereas the Amfivios is more of a...

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Ming Sep 30, 2026

Who’s Coming to Windup NYC 2026? The Full, Updated Brand Lineup

The post Who’s Coming to Windup NYC 2026? The Full, Updated Brand Lineup appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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Norqain Adventure Sport One Sep 29, 2026

Owner’s Review: the Norqain Adventure Sport

One of the recurring topics of conversation I’ve long heard among watch collectors is the fantasy of a pared down collection. Sometimes, the dream is by the numbers – a seven-watch collection (one for each day of the week), the sweet spot three-watch collection (dress, sport, and wild card), or the ultra-ambitious one-watch collection (but how could you ever choose just one?!). Other times, the musings on a pared down collection get more specific – a single brand, a single style, a single material. For me, the collecting fantasy revolves around color – or rather, the absence of color – an all-white collection. At the current moment, I only have three, but there is one in particular that has solidified my love of white watches not just for summer but all year round (yes, white watches look just as good on snow bunnies). This is the story of my Norqain Adventure Sport. For those of you who know me outside the page, I’m the antithesis of the all-black New Yorker. Perhaps it’s my southern roots showing (shoutout ATL), but in recent years, I’ve become a self-proclaimed rainbow girl. This wasn’t always the case. In high school, I hailed from the emo era, and to the horror of my fairly traditional Midwest parents and southern upbringing, I dyed my hair dark, cut asymmetrical bangs, painted my nails black, and wore clothes that matched my angst and musical taste (btw we will circle back to this seemingly superfluous detail later on in the story, stay tuned). When...

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Breguet Revamps Sep 29, 2026

Breguet Revamps Its Iconic Marine Collection

Breguet has long been a brand with a deep reverence to its history spanning over 250 years. In this tradition, Breguet’s designs have remained consistent and timeless. The brand’s Marine collection is a core part of this lineage, with roots that trace back to 1815 when Abraham-Louis Breguet was appointed watchmaker to the French Royal Navy by King Louis XVIII. At the time, these marine chronometers were crucial scientific instruments, but as years passed and needs changed, the collection later evolved throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. On the coattails of Breguet’s 250th anniversary last year, we’re really seeing the brand’s offerings come into the modern era with new design updates. The latest comes to the Marine collection, which the brand has revamped with a new aesthetic that aligns with its latest stylistic codes.Two references anchor the contemporary Marine line: the 5517, a classic time and date version, and the 5527, a chronograph. For the first time, both the Marine 5517 and 5527 will feature Breguet numerals and the “Quai de l’Horloge” guilloche pattern that was unveiled to mark the 250th anniversary. This motif takes its name from the address on the Ile de la Cite where Abraham-Louis Breguet established his workshop and where his early marine chronometers were produced. Its design draws inspiration from two sources: first, the contours of the Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint-Louis as well as the repetitive movement of ocean waves. Several other ...

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Formex Introduces Sep 29, 2026

Formex Introduces the New AirField

Earlier this year when Formex unveiled the Aria, which is unquestionably their most ambitious watch to date, with a price point to match, there was a lot of talk among enthusiasts about what a higher price point could signal. The fear that Formex could be leaving behind more affordable watches (even though, for what the Aria is, it’s quite affordable – but that’s a separate topic) was something we saw articulated all over the Watch Internet. Of course, there was never any real danger of Formex abandoning value oriented watches, and the release of the new AirField, built on their popular field watch format, proves that point.  What we have here is fairly straightforward. The AirField borrows the titanium case architecture of the Formex Field, and adds a reconfigured dial and hand set with a more directly aviation inspired look. The design brief here seems to be immediate legibility and clarity, filtered through a Formex aesthetic in a way that feels similar to how the Formex Field took easy wearing utility in the same direction. The basic touch points of pilot watches that we all understand are very much present here: broad, sword shaped hands, matched with clean and easy to read Arabic numerals (filled with lume, of course). Formex has even included the traditional 12:00 triangle in this dial execution.  The case measures 40mm in diameter and Formex says it weighs just 54 grams. It also has a surface treatment that the brand claims results in a surface hardness rat...

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Tudor England Sep 28, 2026

A Majestic Journey Through Clocks & Watches Made for Royalty: The Victorian Age of Time - Queen Victoria and the Watchmaking Revolution

From the imposing astronomical clocks of Tudor England to the exquisite pendant watches of Victorian Britain, timekeeping has long been a symbol of power, prestige, and technological marvel within Europe’s royal courts. This new series explores the fascinating evolution of clocks and watches crafted specifically for royalty, tracing how these intricate masterpieces reflected the tastes, ambitions, and innovations of monarchs. Through the lens of craftsmanship, artistry, and historical significance, we reveal how these royal timepieces marked the passage of dynasties and empires. Victoria (1819-1901) was the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland between 1837 and 1901 and empress of India from 1876 to 1901. She was the last monarch of the House of Hanover and a queen whose reign defined an age known as the Victorian Era. It was a period of immense change and expansion that shaped Britain and the modern world. Under her rule, the monarchy evolved into the symbolic, ceremonial institution it is today. Victorian Britain was the workshop of the world, a place where science, engineering and artistry converged to define a new age of progress. From railways and telegraphs to the marvels of the Great Exhibition, innovation pulsed at the heart of empire. In horology, too, Britain played a commanding role with its precision chronometers keeping the navy supreme, while its watchmakers and clockmakers set standards of craftsmanship that resonated across Europe.  In...

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Sep 28, 2026

Gear Guide: Car Camping Essentials

Summer camping seems to get all the attention, but camping in the fall is the real MVP: changing leaves, cozy flannels, and way fewer mosquitoes buzzing in your ear. Two years ago I made the switch from sleeping in tents to spending the night in my Bronco Sport and I’ve learned a thing or two about best practices. Here’s my super condensed guide to enjoying the great outdoors from within your vehicle’s four doors. Mattress fitted to your vehicle Like almost everything in the gear world, quality can come with a steep price tag. The good news is there’s a wide array of options at different price points when it comes to a mattress to use in your car camping set-up. This option from deepsleep is spec’ed to my car and is frequently lauded by fellow owners in my Bronco forums. I didn’t want to drop $200 until I was sure car camping was for me, and went with a $70 option off Amazon. Amazon has a feature that will let you know if a piece of equipment is approved for your make and model, and it was accurate in my case – though I still measured the back of my car to check.  Car lantern Nature can be dark… like, really dark. Flashlights are fine when you’re on the move, but for camping in my car I definitely prefer a lantern. It casts a wider glow and stands on its own hands-free. Some people hang strings of lights from their trunks and I’m so here for the Pinterest aesthetic. It’s just not super practical for the way I do things. A no-frills Coleman lantern ce...

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Sep 26, 2026

Watches, Stories, & Gear: A New Chuck Klosterman Book, A Gorilla-Shaped Pencil Sharpener, and the Dumb Phone Argument Continues

Rock* by Chuck Klosterman I was first acquainted with Klosterman’s work when I was in high school, doing absolutely everything I could to seem cooler than everyone around me. I figured a book called Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto gave me the street cred I was looking for among my Pitchfork-reading, Urban Outfitters-wearing peers. And you know what, dear Reader? It absolutely did. I haven’t thought much about Klosterman since around 2009, but his new book, Rock*: A Mainstream Alternative History of Alternative Mainstream Music, sounds intriguing. The premise begins in 1967, imagining a world where The Velvet Underground & Nico becomes a massive hit and the Velvet Underground supplants the Beatles as the defining band of the era. The book runs roughly from 1967 through 2002 and is narrated by a fictional version of Lester Bangs who survives into the 21st century and becomes a successful older rock editor. Klosterman tells GQ writing it required him to first work out a conventional history of rock over that period and then “reverse engineer” it around the Velvet Underground’s altered success, accounting for how one change would affect everything that followed. Though I do have a mental allergy to most modern books (this is another pretension of mine, of course), I have to admit the premise is pretty intriguing. And anywhere that Nico is preferred over Yoko is a universe I want to live in. GorillaSharpener I have to be honest with you, I have mi...

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Omega Seamaster  Going Sep 25, 2026

eBay Finds: a Wild LED Watch with a Great Name, an Unusual Favre-Leuba, Classic Seiko, and More

eBay Finds is back! This bi-weekly 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 Omega Seamaster  Going to start this week off with a brilliant tropical dial vintage Omega Seamaster. The 14k yellow gold filled case measures 35mm, has classic slim lugs and is in solid, unpolished condition. The embossed Hippocampus caseback medallion is nice and bold. The black dial has a pleasing, even patina that gives it a mottled chocolate look. It has applied gold stick markers and gold stick hands. No date window. I’m not always a fan of patina, but I can definitely make the case for this example! The crown is signed with the Omega logo as it should. This is a front loading case and there are no pictures of the automatic movement but the watch runs per the seller.  View auction here Vintage Lord Elgin Millbrook  Next up is a sweet vintage Lord Elgin Millbrook tank watch from the 1950s. This beauty has a wonderful Art Deco look to it. The small (likely 25mm or so) case is in 14k yellow gold fill, and is in superb condition. It’s squarish with fancy angled lugs that look really sharp, no pun intended! The butler silver dial is excellent, with applied gold markers. The markers are Art Deco stylized Arabic numerals for 12, 2, 4, 8 and 10, with a small sub-seconds dial...

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Venezianico Introduces Sep 25, 2026

Venezianico Introduces the New Redentore Levius

Colin Chapman, founder of the legendary automotive marquee, Lotus, once stated that “simplify, then add lightness” was his philosophy. It’s an oft-celebrated, frequently misquoted, and pervasively genius idea: removing all but the essentials to create something that transcends its own design. Italian watchmaker Venezianico has taken that mantra in stride with their new Redentore Levius, promising a timepiece that strips all but the essentials away, and is more refined because of it.  The Redentore Levius’ quest for lightness begins with the 38mm Grade 5 titanium case, which comes in a lithe 8.9mm in thickness and just 48 grams in weight, including both the case, internals, and strap. It’s a stupendous line of stats, and the brushed and polished dual finish of the case brings the level of elegance and refinement expected of a dress watch, without taking up valuable visual space. Inside, a hand-wound V5000 caliber movement manufactured by OISA and designed by Fausto Berizzi and Andrea Menegazzo allows for the thin-and-light profile of the watch, while remaining visible through an exhibition caseback.  The real showstopper of the Redentore Levius, though, is the dark blue dial. In order to fully encapsulate the theme, a guilloche motif  is used to evoke the essence of wind. Named “Zefiro” after Zephyrus, the Greek god of the West Wind, the motif was designed in-house at Venezianico specifically for the Levius. Like its namesake, it aims to capture the tender ...

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Casio ns Sep 25, 2026

Understanding the Poetry of Time Through Buci’s Founder and Its Newest Collection: Nouvelle

Nousseima Baraket founded Buci in 2022 with a Kickstarter campaign that funded her first collection aptly and simply named “Garde-temps” or “timepiece.” Baraket is of African and French origins, with her parents hailing from Tunisia and raising her and her siblings in the French watchmaking region of Franche-Comte, located on the northwest border with Switzerland. The name Buci comes from a street in an artistic area of Paris, a city Baraket later lived in and used as a source of motivation and inspiration to create her own watch brand (but more on that later). In addition, her North African roots also help lay the foundation for the literary-inspired watches she’d create. “My parents grew up in a farming community in an area known for its olive trees,” Baraket shares, “Neither of my parents went to school. So, for me and my siblings, education was very important. My mother would take us to the library every week and encourage us to read. As I got older, I would also go to museums to learn about authors and poets. So, poetry and literature were always very important to me.” Watches were also a big part of Baraket’s life. “Growing up in this part of France on the Swiss border, watchmaking was all around us. In my family, we began to give watches as gifts for birthdays or special occasions, and a lot of my friends went on to work at watch companies in the area.” Still, it wasn’t until Baraket was working in Paris and wanted to make a watch purchase ...

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Bulova Chronograph Hits Sep 24, 2026

Edward R. Murrow’s Gold Bulova Chronograph Hits the Auction Block Next Month

There are rare occasions in this line of work when you encounter real history that resonates with you. I’ve been fortunate enough through the years to handle a number of important vintage watches, owned by notable people, or simply incredibly rare and historic markers for their makers. These watches are visible and tangible links between the past and present and it’s always a thrill to be able to bear witness to one of these objects, even if only for a moment.  But let’s face it, most of the time when we’re talking about historically important vintage watches, we’re talking about watches that are historically important to the watch industry itself, and the history of watchmaking. New Hampshire’s Jones & Horan auction house, which specializes in horological auctions and has a knack for finding all kinds of unique and genuinely important pieces, will be selling a watch in their October auction that feels genuinely significant, and hits that Venn Diagram overlap of so many of my personal interests.  The gold Bulova chronograph seen here was owned by Edward R. Murrow, the famed CBS newsman, who influenced countless journalists and broadcasters and reshaped his industry multiple times. The watch is spectacular, incredibly well preserved, and interesting on a number of levels simply as a horological object. Adding Murrow’s incredibly well documented ownership of the watch into the mix makes it that much more special.  There are many photographs of Murrow wearing...

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Accutron Frédérique Constant Sep 24, 2026

Celebrating a New Home for Watch Enthusiasts in Eastern Montana with Citizen Watch America and Riddle’s Jewelers

Last week, Worn & Wound and Citizen Watch America headed west to Billings, Montana, for an evening of watches, conversation, and a little bit of Windup Watch Fair previewing at Riddle’s Jewelry’s Shiloh location.  Following our enthusiast night in Salt Lake, the Billings event was another chance to bring the Windup experience to a community that doesn’t always get the opportunity to see this kind of collection of watches in person. But more than anything, the evening was about establishing Riddle’s Jewelers as a welcoming home for watch enthusiasts in Eastern Montana—and kicking off what we hope becomes a new tradition of getting together, talking watches, and, naturally, buying a few new timepieces along the way. The evening welcomed local enthusiasts, longtime collectors, curious newcomers, and Riddle’s clientele, all with one thing in common: an appreciation for a good watch and an excuse to talk about them. With food and drinks on hand, the evening had the easygoing feel we love about enthusiast gatherings. Watches came off wrists, new ones went on, and conversations bounced from movements and materials to personal favorites and the watches everyone had been quietly keeping an eye on. Of course, there was plenty to get excited about on the watch front. The collection included standout pieces from Citizen, Bulova, Accutron, Frédérique Constant, and Alpina, including several watches that aren’t exactly easy to find sitting in a display case. And our new ...

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Louis Erard Sep 24, 2026

Hands-On: BA111OD’s Chapter 7 Skeleton Gets a Light and Airy Stainless Steel Build

I had heard the name but was not aware of the unforgettable spelling until I got a sample of my first BA111OD watch, the latest addition to the brand’s catalog: the Chapter 7 Skeleton. While BA111OD traces its roots back deep into the history of watchmaking, its modern incarnation has taken shape over the past seven years with several different chapters. One of the biggest evolutions we have seen in the brand’s contemporary catalog is in its movements. While early chapters got flack for keeping costs accessible with Chinese calibers, Chapter 3 incorporated the first Swiss caliber into the Swiss-based Maison’s lineup in 2022. The brand’s next installment, Chapter 4, continued to build on this trajectory with the BA111OD caliber BA.01. This movement was notably developed in collaboration with watchmaker Olivier Mory whose La Chaux de Fonds workshop has given rise to movements for brands across the industry, from Louis Erard to Yema. Then, BA111OD’s Chapter 5 went on to introduce the Maison’s first automatic chronograph thanks to the ETA Valjoux 7750. Next, Chapter Delta entered the lineup with a major shakeup thanks to another movement co-created with Olivier Mory, this time featuring a unique hypocycloidal mechanism. Instead of a standard central rotating hand, a satellite hour wheel rolls around a fixed central wheel. This creates a deltoid path where the hour dot naturally slows down and speeds up during its rotation cycle. Here, traditional circular minutes c...

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TAG Heuer Sep 23, 2026

Six of the Most Obscure Watch and Car Tie-Ins You’ve Likely Never Heard Of

In terms of analog intricacy and an unyielding enthusiasm for the vintage and enduring, watches and the automotive realm are a natural A-to-B: it should come as no surprise that the Venn diagram of watch nerds and automotive nerds is eerily close to a circle.  Yet, there’s more to the world of branded cross-promotion than, say, TAG Heuer and Porsche. Some of the most off-the-beaten-path collaborations are worthy of deep dives, and the six examples highlighted here (including many from Heuer!) are collectible and worthy of appreciation by those who know. Because there’s only so much that can be represented by Steve McQueen, in that white racing suit, giving the British equivalent of the middle finger. Thankfully, the world of mechanical fascination runs so much deeper than that.  IWC Mark XII x Saab “Born from Jets” was the advertising slogan of the now-defunct Saab for the last 20 or so years of its life, and while there was a distinct difference between Saab AG the defense contractor and the General Motors-owned division, it made for some really, really cool television ads. IWC, who built its reputation on pilot’s watches, lent its flagship Mark Series to a Saab tie-in in 1997: if you put down the deposit for a limited-edition 900 Mellow Yellow Cabrio, you were awarded one of these Mark XIIs, each one customized with a yellow leather strap and “Saab Automatic” on the dial instead of the usual “Mark XII Automatic.” Today, if you can find one, they go fo...

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Albishorn Sep 23, 2026

Héron Introduces the Continental, a New Vintage Inspired “Go Anywhere, Do Anything” Watch

Héron, the Montreal-based microbrand that had a legitimate hit on its hands with the release of the Mirabel GMT last year, is back with their take on the classic “go anywhere, do anything” sports watch, met with the brand’s typically refined design codes. Héron exists at a time when the straight up vintage inspired watches that dominated the scene a decade ago are fading in popularity, but they remain distinct and relevant for putting a truly personal and distinctive spin on the genre. These are not recreations of well known vintage references, but seem to exist in that type of “alternate reality” space imagined by brands like Serica, Albishorn, and others. There’s just a little extra charm to these watches that sets them apart, and make them feel like they aren’t part of a playbook.  The new Héron Continental is, according to the brand, inspired by watches worn “during the great age of exploration.” They want us to think of early transcontinental flights, mountaineering expeditions, and important midcentury scientific breakthroughs. This, of course, is not new ground for watch brands. Many that existed during this age of exploration remind us of it on a regular basis, and newer brands do their best to conjure. To Héron’s credit, they make their inspiration explicit in their press materials, citing watches like the Rolex Explorer, Universal Geneve Polerouter, and Longines Conquest as touchpoints. But the Continental is its own thing, borrowing cert...

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Girard-Perregaux Presents Sep 22, 2026

Girard-Perregaux Presents a Pair of Laureato Watches for the Williams F1 Team

Last month, Girard-Perregaux announced its latest involvement in the Formula 1 scene with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team. We knew a collaborative watch would soon follow, and the moment has unfolded. Here, we get the debut duo of watches in the new Laureato Williams Edition lineup. If you’ve been reading my take on timepieces for a while, you know I’m a longtime fan of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato. In the vast world of integrated bracelet sport watches, I’ve always found it to be one of the most refined and easily dressed up while remaining subtle and effortless enough for daily wear. With these new interpretations of the iconic design for the Atlassian Williams F1 Team, we get some of the sportiest takes on the model, proving the Laureato offers a versatile canvas that can truly embody both the “luxurious” and “sporty” sides of the luxury sport watch. As the brand’s flagship line, the Laureato has long served as the foundation for Girard-Perregaux’s collaborations and has taken many sizes, styles, and shapes over the years. However, the choice of this particular collection for the debut models in partnership with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team runs deeper. The Laureato was born in 1975, and the Atlassian Williams F1 Team was born just two years later in 1977, giving the duo roughly 50 years of shared history and evolution. Girard-Perregaux brings us two iterations for its inaugural line honoring the partnership: a chronograph alongside a classic time an...

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Grand Seiko Introduces Sep 22, 2026

Grand Seiko Introduces the SBGW325 ‘Arabic Blue’ Limited Edition

On the surface, the new Grand Seiko SBGW325 ‘Arabic Blue’ Limited Edition is almost aggressively normal. This is a 37mm dress watch that is part of a well established line for the Japanese brand with a tried and true 9S64 manually wound movement. Grand Seiko has made a bunch of these over the years in an endless series of dial variants, often in limited editions made for specific regions, tied to ADs, or to highlight different aspects of Japanese culture. So why does the SBGW325 feel almost confrontational in its boldness? The answer lies right there in the name of the watch. It is so incredibly rare for Grand Seiko to use Arabic numerals on their watch dials, that a watch built around them feels like it’s from another planet, or an alternate reality.  For that reason, I think the SBGW325 is probably destined to be some kind of cult classic. This isn’t a judgment based on the success of the visual design of the watch (though I do quite like it), but more a comment on how the Grand Seiko community will seize on this reference as a special thing and hang to it, probably for years. Mark my words: there will be collectors who miss out on this watch, and forlornly make “WTB” posts on Reddit and elsewhere in search of one well into the 2030s. Let’s see if I’m right.  You can set your reminders on your smart phone to DM me in October 2033 to check my work. For now, let’s take a closer look at the SBGW325, which becomes available through Grand Seiko channels ne...

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Worn & Wound

Sep 21, 2026

Moser Dips Its Toe Back in the Digital Realm with the New Limited Edition Streamliner Off-Grid

Moser has long been a brand who’s unafraid to experiment and test boundaries, creating many designs that have elicited conversation or even debate. Now, the brand is making waves with a new digital timepiece. Here, a skeletonized dial reveals an architecture that combines digital technology with traditional watchmaking in the new Limited Edition Streamliner Off-Grid. Moser first experimented with a hybrid analog/digital timepiece last year with the Streamliner Alpine Mechanics Edition. The model features a sober black dial evoking the same vibe as the brand’s trademark Vantablack, but instead of the innovative coating, this black backdrop reveals a digital display at 6 o’clock. Appearing to hover above is the classic analog component in Moser’s typical blue fume. The model was released as a part of the brand’s collaboration with Alpine Motorsports and marked a world first as a timepiece engineered specifically for the needs of a Formula 1 crew, helping them communicate faster, shave off those crucial fractions of a second, and overall streamline operations (pun intended) through the capabilities of the digital display. Now, we get the next evolution of this hybrid style design. While Moser is certainly no stranger to rather out-there designs, the brand does have its own distinct design language, and even with this digital timepiece, we still see those stylistic signatures come through. At the base is, once again, the brand’s iconic Streamliner case with its ple...

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Christopher Ward Sealander – Sep 21, 2026

Review: the Christopher Ward Sealander - the Best Boring Watch Money Can Buy

Christopher Ward introduced the C63 Sealander in 2021 as a go-anywhere, do-anything watch. It was meant to be the brand’s contemporary, bread-and-butter line: a less specialized variation of the C60 Trident diver that had long been its core, while avoiding vintage pastiche. The Sealander was simple, easy to digest, and versatile. It was also, somewhat, a return to Christopher Ward’s original bang-for-your-buck ethos. When the C63 launched with a $695 three-hand automatic, it was a statement about the brand’s values, not just value. The GMT, meanwhile, started at $950 on a strap. Both offered a lot of Swiss-made mechanical watch for the money. the Sealander in 2021 Fast-forward five years, and I don’t know if any watch brand has changed quite as much as Christopher Ward. The Bel Canto arrived in 2022 and totally reframed how the company was perceived. The Twelve followed in 2023 and raised the standard of its core watches. Then came the Twelve X, which put its in-house movements and finishing capability in the spotlight, and finally the Loco, which proved the Bel Canto was not a one-off. Christopher Ward was redefining what value could mean in the context of avant-garde independent watches. As such, the brand that launched the C63 in 2021 is very different from the one releasing its replacement in 2026. It is bigger, has a much larger customer base, enjoys far greater awareness, and, frankly, has a better reputation. The new Sealander reflects that transformation, r...

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Heuer Universal Genève Tudor Sep 19, 2026

Watches, Stories, & Gear: Watches on the Runway, A Second Look at Bremont, and Lancaster Watch Weekend

J. Press’ Vintage Watches New York Fashion Week wrapped this week, and I was lucky enough to attend a few shows, most notably J. Press, which is now under Jack Carlson’s leaderhsip. From my front-row seat, there was plenty to take in, from the Fall-Winter 2026 collection and the debut of J. Press womenswear to John Slattery from Mad Men sitting across the runway from me. But once the show started, I was more focused on the models’ wrists than anything else. For the show, Jack Carlson worked with Eric Wind and Wind Vintage, who brought a collection of 50 vintage watches to New York for Carlson to choose from. Pieces from Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Heuer, Universal Genève, Tudor, and Dunhill found their way onto the runway, selected and paired with looks throughout the collection. Now showing his second season, Carlson’s vision for the brand is coming into focus, where his knack for worldbuilding and getting the fine details perfected continue to shine through. Insta360 Luna Pro I’m going to be 35 years old in two weeks and, I have to tell you, thank God I’m not any younger. I grew up at the perfect time for being online. While I’m not a digital native, I’d say I’m a digital green card holder. I’ve been online long enough to understand the lingo, but I didn’t grow up completely immersed in the culture. Had I been, I definitely would have had a YouTube channel. And an embarrassing one at that. I would have sung on there (à la Millie Bobby Brown), tried m...

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Grand Seiko s new U.F.A movement Sep 18, 2026

Introducing the Apiar Carbon1.0 OG

Think about where we are in watchmaking in 2026. You could argue, pretty reasonably I think, that the problem of chronometry has basically been solved. We have access to mechanical watches that are accurate to seconds per month, and quartz watches that are accurate to seconds per year. There are advancements around the edges (Grand Seiko’s new U.F.A. movement comes to mind, the most accurate watch powered by a mainspring, accurate to 20 seconds per year), but it’s hard to imagine an advancement in timekeeping at this point that would actually be meaningful in our daily lives. For movement geeks, sure, shaving off seconds here and there will always be a fun new development, but for many we’ve reached a point of diminishing returns, where all that really matters are bragging rights by the brands (and those matter a lot – big marketing campaigns are built around them).  So where do the advancements come from in the years ahead? Many people with a lot more experience in this industry than me have discussed materials science as the next big step for watch brands, and we’ve certainly seen a lot of alternative materials used in cases and movements over the last few years. Once you go beyond the traditional steel, titanium, and precious metals that watch cases are normally made from, you open yourself up to manufacturing and creative options that are typically encountered across other industries, like the aerospace sector and medical manufacturing.  The UK based brand ...

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Stowa Sep 18, 2026

Review: the Stowa Fieldwatch Terra

More commonly found in the sky than the field, Stowa watches are well known for their lineup of classic Pilot’s watches. They’ve branched out a bit over the years, but the Pilot lineup is what comes to mind for me most often when thinking about the brand. Today, we’re taking a look at their modern take on the field watch, aptly named the Fieldwatch Terra. The Terra comes in at 38mm, features a PVD coated steel case, and an impressive spec sheet that makes for an excellent watch to complement your EDC. Let’s take a closer look. $950 Review: the Stowa Fieldwatch Terra Case PVD coated stainless steel Movement Sellita SW 200 Dial textured matte green Lume white and orange SuperLuminova Lens Sapphire Strap woven elastic nylon Water Resistance 200 meters Dimensions 38 x 46.9mm Thickness 11.5mm Lug Width 20mm Crown screw down Warranty yes Price $950 Case Measuring in at a very comfortable 38mm wide by 46.9mm lug-to-lug, the Terra complements my 6.75” wrist nicely. The compact proportions are balanced out by the relatively large, wide open, and highly legible dial. Now that I’m thinking about it a little bit more, the watch probably wears bigger than the measurements imply, and that’s due to the slim outer bezel and large dial. More on that later. The case itself is crafted from stainless steel and then treated with a dark grey PVD coating. PVD stands for physical vapor deposition — it’s a technique that turns a solid material (the coating) into a vapor, and then...

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Louis Vuitton Foundation Sep 17, 2026

In Conversation with Jeff Koons on His New Collaboration with Hublot

Watch collaborations have saturated the market in recent years, but when I heard Jeff Koons was getting involved in designing a model, my ears perked up. His Celebration series featuring his Balloon Dog sculptures makes up one of the most memorable works of art to emerge in my lifetime as a child of the 90s. I wasn’t surprised this would be the source of inspiration for the watches he’d create.  The artist and self-proclaimed weirdo in me has always appreciated the daring and disruptive nature of Koons’ creations, but to the masses, they’ve been polarizing. It was clear that his approach to design wouldn’t be the right fit for just any watch brand – it would need to be with a maker who was equally daring, disruptive, and perhaps even polarizing itself. Enter Hublot, who has long received scrutiny for its audacious models that buck Swiss tradition. “I remember maybe about 15 years ago, I was at an event for the Louis Vuitton Foundation, and I had a conversation with Bernard Arnault,” Koons recalls. “He said, ‘you know, Jeff, you should make a watch,’ but we never did. Years later, our sons became friends, and Frederic said to my son Sean, ‘your dad should make a watch – Hublot has a lot of interest in partnering with him.’ And I was really excited about this idea of working with new materials and working with time.” All that said, the goal has never been a shock factor – it’s about authenticity – Koons’ identity as an artist and Hublo...

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Porsche Design Sep 17, 2026

Fortis, Berneron, and More Join Watches and Wonders 2027, Now Featuring 75 Brands

Watches and Wonders 2027 is still months away, but the specifics of the event are beginning to come into clearer focus. News broke this morning that the roster of brands has grown once again, and now numbers 75 in total. It had previously been announced that Breitling (along with their House of Brands cohorts Universal Geneve and Gallet) would be joining the fair, and this morning’s news sees several additional brands joining them that sit across a variety of price points and segments of the industry (including a brand that has attended its fair share of Windup Watch Fairs).  The headline grabbers in terms of participation are likely Berneron and Porsche Design. Porsche Design has grown considerably in recent years with an aggressive release schedule iterating on their iconic Chronograph 1 design. Berneron is arguably the hottest independent brand at the moment, and has been the subject of much discussion just in the last weeks following the public sale of a Mirage for over $500,000 on Loupe This (the retail price sits around CHF 51,000).  While those two brands likely have the highest profiles of the newcomers to Watches & Wonders, there are several others that I think are interesting from an enthusiast and business point of view. Kerbedanz, a Swiss brand that for much of its 15 year history has made custom watches exclusively for private clients, has been making a concerted effort to get their name into the minds of watch lovers this year, exhibiting at Geneva Watch ...

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Sep 17, 2026

The Foundation Haute Horlogerie Expands the FHH Academy by Partnering with the Gemological Institute of America

In 2014, the Foundation Haute Horlogerie (FHH) introduced the FHH Academy, a series of courses that span the fundamentals of watchmaking to culture and heritage as well as more advanced technical curriculums, catering to both industry professionals and enthusiasts. One of the most unique aspects of the program is that it’s offered entirely online in 11 different languages, resulting in participants across 20 countries worldwide. While accessibility has been at the FHH Academy’s core, there are also select courses offered in-person at the FHH headquarters in Geneva as an extension of the platform. Now, the academy is expanding once again as the FHH announces a new partnership with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The GIA is globally acknowledged as the foremost authority in gemology and a leader in the gem and jewelry sector. Since its founding in 1931, the organization has set the standard, educating more than 200,000 professionals worldwide across its seven campuses throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. With its longstanding commitment to education and the dissemination of specialist knowledge within the luxury jewelry industry along with its global reputation and reach, the GIA presented itself as an incredible partner to expand its offerings into the world of horology and for the FHH to expand its in-person training. The partnership marks the first time the GIA has worked with an external entity and allowed trainers outside the institute to teac...

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