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Patek Philippe s Calatrava 96 May 18, 2026

Introducing the Horologically Unique HU-01 “Finale”

Last year’s HU-01 took the watch world by storm, paying homage to Patek Philippe’s Calatrava 96 and offering it for a fraction of the source material’s price. Horologically Unique stuck closely to the Calatrava’s design language but added their own embellishments and twists. The original HU-01 modernized a classic to some degree, taking the original’s case dimensions of 31mm and bulking them up to 36mm, using a high-domed sapphire crystal, and installing an exhibition case back. Horologically Unique’s newest model, named the HU-01 Finale, takes the same general formula but adds a hint of luxury and a dash of more historically-accurate design elements. The Finale positions itself somewhere between the first HU-01 and the original Calatrava 96, both in aesthetics and pricing. So what makes the Finale a cut above its predecessor? The first notable difference can be seen with the two dials on offer: one in a brushed grey finish and the other with a stone dial made of jade. The latter model, nicknamed the “Yu” or “玉” meaning jade in Chinese, exhibits a gorgeous greenish-blue hue courtesy of the Burmese jade. It’s unlike most other stone dials I’ve seen, and I’m sure it will be a sight to behold in-person under direct lighting. Adorning both dials are a series of lab-grown diamonds, three baguette cut and eight round brilliant cut. Adding a bit of bling to a sterile dial is a unique choice, one I think helps add more character to what otherwise would ...

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A. Lange & Sohne May 18, 2026

Honeygold Takes Center Stage Across the Case and Dial in This Lesser-Known A. Lange & Söhne Collection, the Cabaret

It’s been a few years since we last saw A. Lange & Söhne fold one of its lesser-known collections back into its catalog: the Cabaret. Making a comeback, the newest addition marks the only rectangular model among the brand’s current offerings. It also puts the maison’s proprietary alloy, Honeygold, on full display across the case as well as the dial for only the second time, with the first being the Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange” from 2020. The rectangular case shape of the Cabaret is certainly unique for A. Lange & Söhne, who’s become synonymous with more traditional round designs like its instantly recognizable Lange 1. However, for me, despite the highly wearable 29.5mm x 39.2mm x 10.3mm proportions, the material composition and finishings of this model are really the star of the show. Here, you have the pleasing alloy – not quite yellow gold, not quite white gold, not quite pink gold but a soft and beautiful shade all its own – featured in its original form across the case and dial accents. The material is also used for the dial but has received a black-rhodium treatment.    At first glance, this looks like just another handsomely executed A. Lange & Söhne dial, but upon closer inspection, there are more layers to unpack (literally). The result is four subtle elevations on the dial giving it interest and depth. This dial composition consists of three parts: the main dial plus two auxiliary dials for the seconds and the power-...

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Ming from May 16, 2026

Watches, Stories, & Gear: An Enormous Ruby, a New Release from Liberum Watches, and Images from the Cannes Film Festival

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Liberum Watches Finding new ways to stand out in the watch market doesn’t have to be limited to a new silhouette, a new strap, or colorway. Sometimes, it’s about being innovative with materials. Take Liberum’s RE-XHAUST, a new release coming from the Italian brand through its Kickstarter campaign. As Liberum notes, traditional stainless steel production relies on mining raw materials and an energy-intensive manufacturing process. By working with Termignoni (an Italian brand that specializes in motorcycle exhausts) Liberum recycles the exhaust material into the RE-XHAUST’s watch cases. In doing so, Liberum has added a sustainable – and perhaps competitive – angle to its release, coming later this month. Keith Haring Auction This week, Sotheby’s began auctioning off a series of works by Keith Haring, from the private collection of his friend Kermit Oswald. With a friendship that originated in their childhood, Oswald’s selection of items on the block show an intimacy with the Haring that few were able to achieve within the artist’s short life (Haring died when he was 31 due to complications with AIDS). Within the collection, Oswald has included some fasc...

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Ming May 15, 2026

A Fistful of Jade: Windup in a Bay 2026 with Marathon & Prometheus Design Werx

There are few places on earth that feel as mythologized and untamed as California’s Big Sur coastline. The cliffs seem too steep, the Pacific too violent, and the roads too beautiful to be entirely real. It’s the sort of place that attracts a particular kind of person, someone who sees adventure not as spectacle, but as a pursuit. For Windup in a Bay 2026, that pursuit led to Jade Cove. What began years ago as a loose gathering of watch enthusiasts and divers has quietly evolved into one of the most distinctive traditions orbiting the Windup Watch Fair. This year’s expedition, organized with support from Marathon Watch Company and Prometheus Design Werx, brought together divers, military veterans, writers, firefighters, instructors, photographers, and gear obsessives for a weekend that became less about the treasure hunt that it began as, and more about rediscovering why people chase experiences like this in the first place. Windup in a Jade Cove The origins of the “Windup in a ____” concept were humble. When Windup first came to Chicago in 2022, a small group of enthusiasts who had connected online through watches, diving, and social media decided it would be more meaningful to actually spend time together outside the convention hall. What started as an informal Lake Michigan dive jokingly called “Windup in a Lake” gradually evolved into something larger, eventually becoming a recurring series of adventure-focused gatherings tied loosely to Windup events aro...

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Grand Seiko May 15, 2026

Review: the Venezianico Arenale Calendario

Venezianico makes a lot of watches. This is a fact that’s become unmistakably clear over these last few years as their footprint has expanded in the enthusiast community. Regardless of whether you know them for watches like this or watches like this, there’s a good chance they also make a watch that’s completely unlike anything you’ve already seen from them.  Making a huge variety of watches at a high volume can be a bit of a gamble in this industry. There’s a sense among many enthusiasts that exclusivity is something to be protected, and when a watch brand casts a very wide net, it can dilute their messaging. We had a great discussion along these lines concerning Grand Seiko in a recent podcast. Clearly there was a moment a few years ago when that brand was flooding the market with new stuff, and their identity was a little lost. “Analysis paralysis” is a term often used by consumers to describe the feeling of shopping a brand that has too much stuff to sift through.  The counter argument of course is right there in the Seiko family. No enthusiast would say that too many watches in the Prospex, Presage, and Seiko 5 lines, among others, is a bad thing. Between the many branches of the Seiko family tree, there are accessible options for everyone, and that’s historically been seen as a good thing for the community and the sign of a healthy brand appealing to a broad market.  What this really comes down to is whether a brand is positioning itself as luxury ...

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May 14, 2026

Bringing Hands-On Watchmaking to Windup Watch Fair San Francisco 2026 with DIY Watch Club

One of the most memorable additions to Windup Watch Fair San Francisco 2026 wasn’t a new release, a panel discussion, or even a brand activation. It was the twist of tiny screwdrivers, movements clicking into place, and attendees experiencing the satisfaction of building a mechanical watch with their own hands. For the first time ever at a Windup Watch Fair, DIY Watch Club hosted live watchmaking workshops throughout the weekend, giving attendees the opportunity to assemble their own watches from the ground up right on-site at Fort Mason’s Gateway Pavilion. Led by DIY Watch Club founder Quinn Lai and his partner Rebecca Lai, the classes quickly became one of the Fair’s most talked-about experiences, drawing everyone from seasoned enthusiasts curious about the mechanics behind their collections to total newcomers looking for a deeper connection to watchmaking. Each workshop guided participants step-by-step through the process of assembling a functioning mechanical watch, including casing the movement, setting the hands, and completing the final assembly. Participants each built one of DIY’s White Dial Stainless Steel GMT, giving them not only a hands-on introduction to watchmaking, but also a genuinely wearable travel-ready mechanical watch to take home at the end of the session. While some attendees arrived slightly intimidated by the process, the atmosphere in the workshop area quickly became collaborative, energetic, and surprisingly relaxed as participants reali...

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Seiko Introduces new Astrons Including May 14, 2026

Seiko Introduces new Astrons, Including a Limited Edition, for their 145th Anniversary

This year marks the 145th anniversary of Seiko, and while 145 isn’t exactly the most notable round number anniversary, it’s still, well, a very long time. And as we’ve mentioned countless times in these pages, the watch industry simply doesn’t let an anniversary year go to waste. Seiko has just announced a new collection of watches in the Astron line to mark the occasion, because of course it makes a lot of sense to commemorate longevity and a proud history with the most modern contemporary line in the catalog. Right?  Kidding aside, the Astron holds a special place in the Seiko collection for a few reasons. It was the name of the brand’s very first quartz watch, famously introduced on Christmas Day in 1969. It was a watch, and a technology, that not only changed the company, but the watch industry altogether. It ushered in the Quartz Crisis across most of the watchmaking world, except of course in Japan, which rose to a level of prominence in watchmaking as a result of quartz.  Today, the Astron is special as it is reserved for the most newfangled Seiko technology available, very much in keeping with the tradition inherent in its name. That means, primarily, tech forward GPS enabled timekeeping, as well as the use of Seiko’s solar technology. Astron watches typically inhabit a very contemporary design language, which tends toward sporty, angular, and often oversized.  The anniversary watch introduced this week is the new GPS Solar Dual Time Chronograph, ref...

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May 14, 2026

The Three Watch Collection for $5,000: Reader Edition – Paul Pessagno

After a bit of a break, 3 for $5k is back! The reader edition of this series has always been a favorite, as it allows Worn & Wound’s audience to chime in on the watches they own, or would buy, with a hypothetical $5,000 budget. The fun with these is always in the approach, and today we have a unique spin from reader Paul Pessagno. His Instagram handle is @bigwristwatchguy, which should give you an idea of his perspective on collecting. With a nearly 9 inch wrist, Paul sought out watches for this exercise that look appropriate on a big wrist, but still represent a balanced collecting philosophy.  Let us know what you think of Paul’s picks in the comments below, and stay tuned for future editions of The Three Watch Collection for $5,000: Reader Edition. The modern watch industry has a clear darling right now, the 38mm to 40mm “sweet spot.” Brands are downsizing across the board, digging into their archives, and championing historically accurate, compact proportions. But having an 8.85 inch wrist fundamentally changes how a timepiece wears. When you fall outside the industry average, those celebrated mid-century dimensions can easily end up looking less like a serious horological instrument and more like a vintage toy.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Paul Pessagno (@bigwristwatchguy) Building a versatile three watch rotation presents a unique challenge for the larger wristed collector. A great collection isn’t just about stubbornly picking the bi...

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Frederique Constant May 13, 2026

Windup Watch Fair San Francisco 2026 Recap: Our Biggest Bay Area Weekend Yet

If there was any doubt that Windup Watch Fair San Francisco had evolved into something far bigger than a traditional watch show, this past weekend erased it completely. Over three unforgettable days at Fort Mason’s Gateway Pavilion, over 7,000 enthusiasts, collectors, first-timers, industry veterans, and curious passersby packed the waterfront for what became our most ambitious and experiential Windup San Francisco to date. Watches were still the heart of it all, of course, but this year the Fair expanded in every direction imaginable: panels, parties, padel, live art, whisky tastings, DIY watchmaking, EV Broncos, giveaways, podcast recordings, and more all combined into a weekend that felt less like a trade show and more like a full-scale enthusiast festival. None of this would have been possible without the support of our incredible Lead Sponsors: Bremont, Brew, Christopher Ward, Frederique Constant, and Oris, all of whom helped bring new energy, new releases, and memorable experiences to this year’s Fair. From Bremont’s rugged space-watch presence to Christopher Ward’s endlessly crowd-drawing Bel Canto conversations, from Frederique Constant’s padel panel and activation to Brew’s playful industrial design language, and not to mention Oris celebrating 60 years of mechanical freedom—each Lead Sponsor helped define the personality of the weekend in a different way. The show floor itself was nonstop from open to close every day. Approximately 90 brands from ar...

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De Rijke May 13, 2026

De Rijke and Co.’s Balancing Act

The watches made by Dutch independent De Rijke & Co. are all charming and considered designs, but it’s difficult to trace any defined throughline between them. While most upstart brands tend to find their lane and iterate on a concept ad nauseam, De Rijke has consistently kept us on our feet while avoiding the creative quicksand that can come with a successful watch.  The brand first made a splash with the Amalfi, a smart, Bauhaus-informed driver’s watch with a clever two-piece case design that could be rotated through 90 degrees to orient the dial at the ideal angle for the wearer to read while their hands gripped a steering wheel or handlebars. The Amalfi had a timeless design and a romantic origin story that involved the brand’s founder, designer and engineer Laurens De Rijke, embarking upon an 11,000 kilometer Vespa tour of the Amalfi Coast. It was a basic design that De Rijke could’ve played with and re-editioned to death, and while the brand has iterated on the Amalfi concept, the approach they’ve taken was wholly unexpected.  The watches that followed the debut Amalfis were a series of limited edition collaborations featuring the iconic Dutch cartoon character “Miffy.” The Miffy collabs have featured everything from moonphase designs, to enameled dials, to ceramic cases. While they were a surprisingly playful and whimsical way to follow up an elegant, functionalist watch like the Amalfi, these limited editions all became bonafide hits–to the point ...

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Audemars Piguet Royal Pop” Arrives May 12, 2026

Get in Line: the Swatch x Audemars Piguet “Royal Pop” Arrives this Weekend

Well, it’s here. After a great deal of speculation, Swatch and Audemars Piguet’s new “Royal Pop” collaboration has been unveiled. Only a few years ago, a partnership between Swatch, known mostly for inexpensive, colorful quartz watches that often serve as a gateway to a life of watch enthusiasm, and Audemars Piguet, a “Holy Trinity” brand that makes the Royal Oak, one of the most exclusive and coveted watches in the world, would have felt impossible. But the MoonSwatch changed all that, and now it seems like just about anything is possible in the world of high/low collaborations.  The first thing to point out is the very obvious fact that this is not a wristwatch. These are, in fact, pocket watches, in bioceramic Royal Oak shaped cases. There are eight watches in total in two different styles, and they are powered by manually sound SISTEM51 movements.  The Royal Oak design motifs are easy to identify here. Each has the expected “Petite Tapisserie” dial that the Royal Oak is known for, as well as an 8 sided bezel. They even included the hexagonal screws.  Let’s go through the multiple variants of the Royal Pop. First we have the “Lépine” style case, which has a crown located at the 12:00 position. There are six colorways of the Lépine style case: Otto Rosso (pink and red), Huit Blanc (white with rainbow accents), Green Eight (green on green), Orenji Hachi (navy with orange accents), Blaue Acht (lime green and light blue) and Ocho Negro (black and ...

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Seiko Adds New Seiko 5 May 12, 2026

Seiko Adds New Seiko 5 References with Compass Bezels

Every watch enthusiast has gotten the question from a newly watch-curious friend: “what should be my first real watch?”  Of course, designating any watch as “real” over another is a bit silly, but the sentiment remains. For newbies to the horological hobby, there are few “first” watches better than any model from the ever-expanding and always-iconic Seiko 5 lineup. From skin divers to field watches and way beyond (especially if you look at vintage…), there’s a Seiko 5 for everyone, and not just new fans, either. Most serious enthusiasts can attest to having a 5 in their collection, or at least having owned one (or many) in the past. So, when Seiko comes out with a new 5 entry, it’s hard not to be excited, and four new Seiko 5 Field models have arrived to continue that tradition. The HDB006, HDB007, HDB008, and HDB009 bring a lot of the hallmarks of Seiko 5 field watches, including wearable dimensions at 41mm in diameter and 13.2mm in thickness, strong LumiBrite coating on the hands, indices, and bezel markings, and trademark Seiko robustness and reliability thanks to the 4R36 caliber automatic movement, which provides 41 hours of power reserve, a stop second hand function, and a day/date complication. While none of these features are particularly remarkable or innovative, they prove the everlasting utility of a field watch as an everyday timepiece. The new HDB00- models do have an extra party trick up their sleeves in the form of a simple compass on the ...

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Ming May 12, 2026

Marathon Celebrates America’s 250th with a Limited Edition Pilot’s Navigator

As many are likely well aware, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and as we approach the 4th of July, there are going to be a lot of reminders of America’s big birthday. The watch industry, as we know, loves an anniversary, and Marathon has gotten in on the act with the new edition of their Navigator pilot’s watch with a handful of patriotic nods to America’s founding.  Marathon has been supplying the Department of Defense and various branches of the United States military with MIL-SPEC watches for many years, and the Pilot’s Navigator in particular has special resonance within their collection as it was originally developed in partnership with Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonia, TX in 1986. It’s a signature watch for Marathon and directly tied to the Canadian brand’s longstanding relationship to the American military, so it serves as a natural canvas for a limited edition.  Various aesthetic features of the new Anthracite Stainless Steel Pilot’s Navigator have been inspired directly by the U.S. flag and the Star Spangled Banner. According to Marathon, the anthracite stainless steel case (coated in black ion-plating) is inspired by the line “the twilight’s last gleaming” in the national anthem. Similarly, the single red tritium tube at 12:00 is a reference to “the rockets’ red glare”. Lastly, a “1776” stamp can be found on the dial just under 12:00. It’s circled by stars, and a visual refer...

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Ulysse Nardin are May 12, 2026

Ming, How’s the Peeping? Introducing the 29.06 Peep Show

Naming a watch is important. This goes without saying, probably, but it’s something we don’t really talk about or think about enough. Just last week I was having a conversation with a colleague about how unfortunate it is that Grand Seiko seems to keep missing the mark with naming conventions. With so many releases, it’s tough to keep individual reference numbers at the front of the mind, and “Tentagraph” has yet to permeate watch culture in the way the brand perhaps thought it would. Some brands have a knack for coming up with catchy and distinctive names for watches that both make a ton of sense and are easily remembered and associated with a given watch. The team at Ulysse Nardin are the kings of this. The Freak? The Super Freak?? The Blast??? All immediately iconic in my opinion.  Today, Ming joins the Watch Name Hall of Fame (side note: that’s an article idea we’ll be pursuing shortly, I’ve just decided) with the Peep Show. When the Ming team first showed us a prototype of the Peep Show at Geneva Watch Days last year, we were led to believe it was a working name, or a code word for a product that was not fully fleshed out. Obviously we all thought it was pretty amusing at the time. But just last month, during Watches & Wonders week, when I learned that Peep Show was indeed the official name of the watch, well, let’s just say I was surprised and delighted, because it’s honestly perfect.  What is the Peep Show, you might be asking yourself at this ...

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May 11, 2026

Finding the Right Snoopy Watch

One of my most vivid childhood memories is sitting on my grandmother’s lap reading the comics, or “funnies,” as we called them. I grew up in Atlanta, but both of my parents are from Kansas City, and all our extended family remains there. We took at least two trips back each year for as long as I could remember: one over summer vacation and then every Christmas. Each morning during those stays, I would run from my bed in mom’s childhood room to the “new room,” a small sunroom my grandparents added to the modest 1950s ranch home. Here, my grandmother had what I consider to be the most quintessential grandmother’s chair: oversized, plush, pink, floral, spacious for one, and the perfect fit for her and me to cuddle up – it was made for us. On a small ottoman nearby, the day’s Kansas City Star would be neatly folded until I b-lined toward the paper, tossing away the superfluous sections until I extracted the comics from the bunch. We had several favorites, but the one that rose above the rest was undeniably Peanuts. I couldn’t tell you the last time I picked up a physical newspaper or read the “funnies” like we used to do. As I grew older, and went off to college, my grandmother would mail me clips, and I’ve since framed some of those and tucked them around my New York City apartment. Today, I perpetuate this memory in a way my grandmother would never understand or consider a comparable replacement for the comics section – I follow an Instagram accou...

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Baltic Introduces their Latest Tour May 11, 2026

Baltic Introduces their Latest Tour Auto Limited Edition

Last week was a big one for Baltic, as it saw the release of their collaboration with SpaceOne, the Seconde Majeure, which is easily one of our favorite watches of the year so far. With all the teases for that watch in the lead up to its release at the end of the week, you may have missed another Baltic launch that took place right before it. To celebrate the brand’s fourth consecutive year as the official timekeeper of the Tour Auto (the modern version of the classic Tour de France Automobile, which began all the way back in 1899) Baltic has released a limited edition rally timer, a combination stopwatch and dashclock, that in its own way is every bit as idiosyncratic as the Seconde Majeure.  This of course is not the first time Baltic has released a limited edition for the Tour Auto (see our coverage of their 2024 and 2025 releases here and here), but it is the first time that release hasn’t included a wristwatch. The 2024 release did include a similar rally timer combo, but not as a standalone effort – it was bundled with a chronograph that surely would have been the main draw for most buyers.  Here, Baltic is centering an unusual timing device, but one that is core to racing, much more than a wristwatch. The rally timer as conceived by Baltic consists of two separate instruments. First, a stopwatch, with a light blue dial, which is powered by a manually wound Hanhart caliber with flyback functionality. The flyback mechanism is particularly well suited to racing...

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Timex May 9, 2026

Watches, Stories, & Gear: a 90s Throwback from Timex, a Trailer for the Anthony Bourdain Biopic, and a Deep Dive into HBO’s The Dark Wizard

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Space Jam 30th Anniversary x Q Timex Limited Edition I can only imagine the experience I had seeing Space Jam for the first time, at five-years-old and living in Kentucky, is akin to others’ experience seeing Casablanca or Star Wars: A New Hope. Having previously grown up on a diet of Barney and Disney VHS tapes, I thought that Space Jam was pure cinema (so much so, I used to cover the fact that I was gay by saying that Lola Bunny was my first crush on a girl). Having since revisited this classic in recent years, I can now only assume there was a gas leak at Warner Bros. And yet, I’m happy to say that others must similarly hold a soft spot for this movie, since Timex has just released a limited-edition Q Timex to celebrate the film’s thirtieth anniversary. What’s particularly lovely about this release is how they didn’t try to modernize or upgrade the graphics or design language of Space Jam – this watch could have easily been released in 1996. Bugs is seen shooting a hoop at 9 o’clock while a basketball attached to the second hand slowly rotates around the dial, coming into contact with a basket at 3 o’clock. With this edition limited to just 1,000 pie...

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Grand Seiko 4522-8000  Next up May 8, 2026

eBay Finds: A Very Cool Wittnauer, a Classic Diver from Seiko, and Funky Longines Comet

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 Favre Leuba Chronograph  Got a nice one to start off this week, this vintage Favre Leuba chronograph. The chunky 35mm cushion case is gold plated, and is in excellent condition. Nice edges and original brushed finish with stainless steel back. The back has the cool Favre Leuba hourglass logo engraved. It has a really nice chocolate brown dial with gold hands and applied gold hour markers. The subdials are also the same color brown, with red accents on the 3 o’clock dial. The large winding crown is also signed with the hourglass logo as it should. The gold and brown combo gives it a rich look. The watch is powered by the venerable Valjoux 23 manual wind chronograph movement. I have a chronograph with the same movement, and I can tell you that it is as buttery smooth as they come. The movement is clean and the watch runs well per the seller.  View auction here Grand Seiko 4522-8000  Next up is a fantastic vintage Grand Seiko 4522-8000 hi-beat dress watch. The 36mm steel case is the epitome of Seiko’s “Grammar of Design” aesthetic, with broad flat planes, razor sharp edges, and a mix of brushed and polished finishes. Often these have been polished, and even the slightest...

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Kiwame Tokyo May 8, 2026

Omakase and the Measure of Time: What Kiwame Tokyo and Sushi Teru Reveal about Japanese Craft

There is a specific moment, perched at the hinoki wood counter of Sushi Teru in the West Village, when you realize you are no longer ordering a meal, you are surrendering to it. This is the soul of omakase: “I leave it up to you.” It is an exercise in radical trust, a silent pact […]

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Baltic May 8, 2026

Baltic and SpaceOne Collaborate on the All New Seconde Majeure

It’s tough to think of two accessible indie brands that are more diametrically opposed in terms of their general aesthetic than Baltic and SpaceOne. One is focused largely on classic, vintage influenced designs, while the other is firmly contemporary, futuristic, even, and has made a name for itself by innovating new ways to make high end complications accessible. But they have similar sensibilities, I think, when it comes to widening the aperture of watch enthusiasm in general. They make it feel easy to break into a once difficult to access hobby with watches that are genuinely interesting and cool irrespective of price.  And so a collaboration between Baltic and SpaceOne (both French brands) is maybe not as absurd as it would appear at first blush. Their first watch made in partnership, the Seconde Majeure, takes elements of what makes both brands special and smashes them together in a very satisfying way. It’s one of the best watches I’ve had a chance to see so far this year (it was being previewed at Chronopolis in Geneva last month, and at our Windup event in San Francisco just last week).  The Seconde Majeure is designed around a jumping hour module designed by Theo Auffret with three visible components. A large minute disc sits atop a control wheel that makes a full rotation every 60 minutes, and provides a hand-free readout of the minutes from a central location on the dial. As the minute disc completes a rotation, it engages with a star wheel that has 12 t...

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Ming Naoya Hida releases May 7, 2026

Hands-On with the New Releases from Naoya Hida

One of my favorite days on the watch media calendar every year is the Naoya Hida preview day. Every spring for the last few years, watch media types make appointments at the Armoury on the Upper East Side to get a look at the upcoming Naoya Hida releases for the year. It feels like a very old fashioned way of doing things. Yes, there’s a press release sent out ahead of time, but Naoya Hida only makes one announcement like this per year – there are no mid-cycle drops or limited editions released to coincide with some later event. Members of the Naoya Hida team are present and there to explain the collection, piece by piece.  This year, Naoya Hida will produce a total of 10 models, 7 of which are new designs. We won’t go through each one here, but rather focus on the references that are completely new and those that have the most notable upgrades.  The reference that immediately caught my eye and was easily the most unexpected of the bunch is the new NH TYPE2C-2. To this point, Naoya Hida has really been defined, in my estimation, by their dial aesthetic, which prominently features elaborate hand engravings in the dial surface. It’s a very traditional and inherently ornate way to make a dial, and the execution is always top notch. It’s a type of craft that’s a true “IYKYK” proposition, though. From a distance the handwork on these dials might not be obvious, but they really come alive under close examination, especially under a loupe.  Anyway, the TYPE2C-2...

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Girard-Perregaux Introduces May 7, 2026

Girard-Perregaux Introduces the Laureato Chronograph in a Rich Chocolate Brown

After taking my French lessons in Duolingo for the better part of three years, I’m happy to say that some of those grammar tips are still rolling around in the ol’ noggin when I have to type such names as Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph in Chocolate – hey, if no one else is going to toot my horn, I might as well, right? Now, enough about me. This latest edition from the brand (which, impressively, has been around since 1791) gives the overall appearance of the Laureato model (which, only slightly less impressively, has been around since 1975) a warmer character with a brown hobnail dial, a matching rubber strap, and rose gold details against the slightly colder steel case. The Laureato elements haven’t gone anywhere on this iteration, they’ve just been updated to complement the chocolate tones. The octagonal bezel, crown, and chronograph pushers have all been executed in rose gold. The integrated rubber strap and tonneau-shaped 904L steel case keep the model’s trademark style while working within what Girard-Perregaux has described as “sporty-chic,” a phrase I’m not too fond of, but can’t deny does describe this watch quite well. The real depth and warmth come from the dial itself. Girard-Perregaux uses a brown Clou de Paris hobnail pattern, with matching subdials and rose-gilt baton markers and hands. The rubber strap I briefly mentioned above continues that same Clou de Paris texture, tying the Chocolate colorway together and keeping things in b...

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Bravur May 6, 2026

Bravur Introduces the Grand Tour Sprinter Chronograph

Bravur, the Swedish watch brand that has developed a very specific niche dedicated to cycling themed watches, has announced their latest in that ongoing series, the Grand Tour Sprinter. To this point, most of Bravur’s cycling watches have been limited releases tied to specific races. A cycling race, it turns out, really lends itself to creative watch design, as it allows a brand like Bravur to take advantage of the unique jersey colors associated with specific races as well as easy to recognize timing and texture nods that cyclists will immediately recognize but would be very subtle (and unobtrusive) for everyone else. The Grand Tour Sprinter is a little different. Rather than taking inspiration from any particular race, the Sprinter pulls from a racing concept and an important individual on any competitive cycling team.  A sprinter on a cycling team plays an important role reserved for the race’s final moments. Over the course of a long race, the sprinter is held back and protected by the rest of the team. Near the end of the race, the sprinter is repositioned with assistance from the rest of the team to make a break for it at the 1 kilometer mark. Timing the sprinter’s final run and orchestrating that moment is critical in a close race.  The Grand Tour Sprinter is a chronograph with many subtle and not-so-subtle nods to cycling and the role of the sprinter that is very much in keeping with previous Bravur watches in the same vein. Like other watches in this serie...

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Rado May 6, 2026

Over the Hill: Understanding High-Tech Ceramic on the Material’s 40th Birthday

Material innovation is increasingly becoming a core pillar within the watch industry. Whether borrowing and reconfiguring materials from different industries or composing your own from the ground up, it is clear materials matter when it comes to both technical feats and aesthetics achieved in watchmaking today. Sometimes, I like to think of these cutting-edge materials as mile markers on the highway of horology. I am always considering the world 50 or 100 years from now, when the watches of the present will become the watches of yesteryear, when what we consider modern will become vintage. I believe that the application of new materials will be a mark of this era of watchmaking that will serve as a milestone moment in the ever-unfolding history of horology. For Rado, the story starts with a sapphire crystal. While the brand was not the first to use this in place of acrylic or other weaker options, it was among the early adopters. However, Rado took it a step further by patenting a sliding water-sealed mechanism with a tension-fit construction. Here, the thick, faceted sapphire crystal was secured under high pressure into the oval-shaped hard metal case with a specialized gasket, designed to be exceptionally tight. Its effectiveness sparked further curiosity – what if this same scratch resistance and robustness could be applied to other parts of the watch or the watch in its entirety? With that guiding principle, the quest that would lead to the creation of high-tech cera...

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Raymond Weil May 5, 2026

Why this Watch: the Fears Redcliff Onyx for Collective Horology

“Why This Watch?” focuses on a member of the watch enthusiast community and digs into their decision making process for why they’ve collected a particular watch. We all have reasons, justifications, and sometimes even purpose behind our collecting decisions, and this series aims to identify them through watches that might be a little unusual, off the beaten path, or special in some way to the owner.  Today, Fernando Cervantes tells about his Fears Redcliff Onyx for Collective Horology. Fears is a favorite among many of us here at Worn & Wound, so we were excited to hear Fernando dig into why and how this watch landed in his collection. Turns out, there’s a fun backstory to it that ties it directly to the Worn & Wound community. Who are you, and how’d you get into watches?  My name is Fernando Cervantes, I used to be a Senior Software Engineer, but just last week I got promoted to Engineering Manager – what I thought would be a straightforward change turned out to be anything but – turns out managing is hard! My dad used to work for many, many years as a regional bank manager, he used to have many nice watches given as gifts by either the bank or fellow coworkers – as a kid, I vividly remember them going through them – Must de Cartier, Rolex, and closer to the end of his career, Raymond Weil. Surprisingly, the only one he kept was a Raymond Weil Tango. He was never too much of a watch guy, but it was enough to keep watches in the back of my mind as I gre...

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Tudor England May 5, 2026

A Majestic Journey Through Clocks & Watches Made for Royalty: Horological Renaissance In The Age Of Cosimo I de’ Medici

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. Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519–1574), the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, is remembered as a masterful statesman who unified Florence’s power. Yet behind his political authority lay a profound curiosity for the sciences, especially the study of the heavens and the measurement of time. The Medici family rose to power in Florence primarily through their wealth and strategic use of the Medici Bank, which became the largest and most powerful bank in Europe during the 15th century. They leveraged this financial power to influence Florentine politics, eventually establishing themselves as the de facto rulers of the city, although they maintained the appearance of a republic.  They used their wealth and influence to transform Florence into a leading capital of trading and a place for the greatest creators to work and develop incredible scientific instruments, such as the clock in the Cathedral of Santa...

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Tudor Introduces May 4, 2026

Tudor Introduces the Black Bay Chrono Carbon 26

There are a small handful of events where you just know you’re going to see new watch releases. Watches & Wonders, obviously. Our own Windup Watch Fairs, as well. And, as of late, missions to space of one kind or another tend to inspire brands with watches themed to space exploration, usually in partnership with organizations that have a stake in the mission. Oh, and F1 weekends in the United States. You can pretty much count on at least one of any number of brands tied to an F1 team to uncork something as interest in the sport peaks around races in one of our local time zones.  This past weekend saw the return of the Miami Grand Prix, and right on cue Tudor was ready with a new watch to mark the occasion. This one, the Black Bay Chrono Carbon 26 is a direct follow up to last year’s Carbon 25, and like that watch is also a bit of a coproduction with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 team. Tudor began their partnership with the team relatively recently, in 2024, and have already released two limited edition watches, as of this weekend.  The Carbon 26 sees Tudor returning to the carbon fiber Black Bay Chrono case introduced last year, but in an updated dial color. This one borrows from the yellow, black, and white livery of the VCARB 03 car, with a white main dial, black subdials, and yellow accents throughout.  The case remains the same, measuring 42mm in diameter with a fixed tachymeter bezel along with screw down pushers and crown. It has the familiar lines of a Black ...

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Tudor May 4, 2026

Stowa Introduces the Field Watch Terra Collection

Far from the splashy and blingy arenas of the dive and dress watch world, the humble field watch nevertheless represents a key corner of every watch enthusiast’s heart. Versatile, wearable, and most importantly, durable, the field watch is getting its time in the sun with new releases from big brands like Tudor and Sinn, but it’s also remained a stalwart hero of the microbrand world. Straddling that gap is the German brand Stowa, who has been making mechanical watches since 1927. Known largely for their Bauhaus designs, their Fieldwatch collection occupies a more recent niche in the brand’s history. The new Stowa Terra Fieldwatch designs are keeping that adventurous spirit going.  Three new colorways debut with the Terra designation: Soil, Forest, and Desert. Following the field watch mantra of “less is more” each Terra model measures in at 38mm in diameter and 11.50mm in height to make for a relatively effortless wear on the wrist. Across the three models, the case is stainless steel and finished in a gray PVD coating for a tactical look. The Soil model sports a brown dial, with the Forest and Desert featuring “khaki” green and beige respectively. All three colors are muted and earthy, contrasting with the red minute markers around the minute track, a red Stowa icon below 12 o’clock, and the red-tipped seconds hand. In classic field watch fashion, there is no date window, and an inner 24-hour ring adds even more concentricity to the dial.  Black steel ha...

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Timex Collaborate Once More May 2, 2026

Watches, Stories, & Gear: J.J. Astor’s Pocket Watch, a New Backpack from Filson, and Looking Back at the Debut Watch from Anoma

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Small Luxuries: Watches, by David Von Bader  Veteran watch writer and Worn & Wound contributor, David Von Bader, has just released his new title Small Luxuries: Watches. Within its 128 pages, Von Bader takes the approach of accessibility and education versus any sort of pretense in watch collecting, giving readers insight into top watch brands, the historical context for various types of watches, and a starting point just starting out in their horological journey. Of course, for any enthusiast, it’s equally valuable to reignite and reaffirm the passion behind this shared little hobby of ours, too.  Todd Snyder x Timex Collaborate Once More The beauty of Todd Snyder is that it toes the line between being a fashion fashion brand and being an everyman fashion brand. Sure, they have runway shows and sponsored events at Pitti Uomo and play the high fashion game well; but they’re equally happy selling a sub-$200 Timex collab and making it their own. Released last week, the Todd Snyder x Timex 1976 Lexington has already sold out, due in part to the brand’s keen ability to tap into various zeitgeisty pockets of social media. This is, of course, very much to the disappo...

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Audemars Piguet Retailer’s Own Timepieces It May 1, 2026

The Gübelin Ellipse: The Often Forgotten Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet Retailer’s Own Timepieces

It took a few years of being a watch enthusiast before I came across my first double-signed watch dial. I remember it was a Universal Geneve White Shadow with the word “Türler” written near the six o’clock position. Having never seen one before, I typed in a quick Google search to see what this had meant and, hours of research later, I came out a new watch collector––one with an eye and appreciation for double-signed watches. Up there with the likes of Cartier, Türler, Tiffany and Co., Mesiter, Trucchi, and other renowned jewelry retailers, Gübelin is a name any collector will frequently stumble upon when shopping for watches of this variety. When I came across this example of a solely Gübelin-branded timepiece, I knew I had to pick it up (especially for the >$100 price tag). This sent me down a rabbit hole of research similar to what the double-signed watches did. I wanted to understand the Gübelin brand and what it did for the world of horology, and I find it only necessary to share what I was able to find with all of you. Brief History of Gübelin Taking roots in 1854, Gübelin started in Lucerne as an independently run watch shop specializing in repairs and sales. The owner and lead watchmaker, Mauritz Breitschmid, would later agree to a partnership deal with young apprentice (and later son-in-law) Eduard Jakob Gübelin, sparking what would become decades of successful international business. As time went on, Gübelin became a powerhouse of the jewelry m...

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