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An Ultem-Ate EDC Gear Guide
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Venezianico Introduces the Arsenale Calendario
Fresh off the nonstop excitement of Watches & Wonders, it’s easy to ignore any releases that occur outside of the Geneva city limits. The spring is still young, though, and there are still plenty of exciting launches to go in 2026. In that vein, Italian brand Venezianico is doubling down on their mission of Italian-made mechanical timepieces with the new Arsenale Calendario duo, inspired by the Arsenale di Venezia, the world’s oldest shipyard. The Arsenale collection isn’t brand new: the Meteorite model touched on space as a theme, and the Bizantino and Sumi-e watches took more decorative, artistic approaches. The Calendario, though, draws from what Venezianico calls “the architecture of time”. Basically, it adds new complications-a complete calendar, a power-reserve indicator, and a day-night indicator-to emphasize the passing of time in a material way. In terms of basic dimensions, the Calendario sits within a 316L stainless steel case with a satin finish, and measures in at 40mm in diameter and 44mm lug-to-lug. It’s not exactly thin at 9.6mm of thickness, and the double-domed sapphire adds another 1.4mm on the top, giving it a solid presence despite the dress watch-adjacent design. A knurled stainless steel bezel and screw-down crown at 3 o’clock add texture to the case, and further emphasize the depth of the sunburst dial, which is available in two colorways: burgundy red and blue. These are not subtle shades, and the concentric texture of the dial ...
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The GSHOCK DW5600-MNC: A Fresh Take On An Iconic Design
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Frederique Constant and Pro Padel League Invite You to Party at Park Padel on Day One of Windup SF
What better way to celebrate the first day of Windup Watch Fair San Francisco than playing padel on the scenic shoreline of the bay! Join Worn & Wound and our friends from Frederique Constant in collaboration with Pro Padel League on Friday, May 1, 2026, from 6:30–8:30 PM for an evening of food, fun, physical activity. Whether you’re a padel pro or it’s your first time with a pala in-hand, all are welcome to come celebrate this incredible new partnership of heritage watches and cutting edge athletes. Experts can walk you through the basics of the game, or challenge you in the next set. There’ll be bites, beverages, and exclusive swag to commemorate the collaboration and its commitment to redefine tradition with new energy and contemporary culture. Members of the Frederique Constant, Pro Padel League, and Worn & Wound teams will be in attendance to talk shop and hit the courts. Hope to see you there in your best athleisure! Bring your sneakers! Friday, May 1, 2026 6:30-8:30PM Park Padel Embarcadero Plaza, San Francisco An RSVP is required to attend. Please RSVP in the form below to register once for each person in your party. The post Frederique Constant and Pro Padel League Invite You to Party at Park Padel on Day One of Windup SF appeared first on Worn & Wound.
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Watches & Wonders: the Oyster Perpetual, a New Daytona, and other New Releases to Celebrate 100 Years of Rolex
As ever at Watches & Wonders, all eyes are on Rolex. This year they celebrated their 100 year anniversary by paying tribute to the iconic Oyster case. We saw a slew of new Oyster Perpetual releases, including updates to the Daytona, Day-Date, and Yachtmaster II. In this video, Zach Weiss gives his impressions on some of the key new releases presented at the show. What did you think of the Rolex novelties unveiled this week? Drop your opinions in the comments. The post Watches & Wonders: the Oyster Perpetual, a New Daytona, and other New Releases to Celebrate 100 Years of Rolex appeared first on Worn & Wound.
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Watches & Wonders: Hands-On Impressions of Two New Zenith G.F.J. Novelties
Why is it that there are some watches we just kind of forget about? I think we’ve all experienced this right? We encounter a watch that really works, feels special, rave about to other collectors and, if you’re able, maybe even think about how you might acquire one (side note: that is definitely not the situation I find myself in with respect to the watches we’ll be discussing here). For whatever reason, the Zenith G.F.J. found itself in that category for me. Last year, when I saw the first G.F.J., I think I probably verbalized to someone that it was the best thing I saw at Watches & Wonders 2025. I thought about it for weeks. I considered how it felt so much more handmade and specialized than any of the other new Zenith watches I’ve seen, which were mostly reminders that Zenith is a huge brand that needs to cast a wide net. And that’s the case again this year. The headline release for the brand this year is a new series of Chronomaster Sport references with skeleton dials. They are very nice watches, but tread familiar ground. We’ve seen countless iterations of the Chronomaster Sport at this point, and transitioning to skeleton dials after a period of time is part of the Zenith playbook. The G.F.J. collection, by contrast, feels unpredictable and outside the bounds of the usual Zenith strategy. These are high end watches that take advantage of exotic materials and precious metals, and have more in common with many haute horlogerie indies, at least on the s...
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The Roundup: Oris’s Mission-Driven Dive Watch, A Refined Everyday Tissot, A New EDC Knife Concept, And More!
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Is Tudor’s Revamped Royal Collection Actually their Best Watches & Wonders Release?
As is always the case with Tudor, it seems that the internet is divided on their major new Watches & Wonders releases in the days after their unveiling. But while comments are volleyed back and forth on whether the of the Black Bay 54 Blue is actually too purple, or the Monarch should have been smaller, one new release that actually might be kind of perfect is going under the radar. Ok, “perfect” could be overstating it, but the newly relaunched Tudor Royal really impressed me. If there’s a “most improved” award to be handed out to a collection, the Royal might grab it. There are three sizes, 30mm, 36mm, and 40mm, all with manufacture calibers for the first time in the collection. The 40mm Royal has a day-date indication that is similar (identical, really) to the execution of the day-date on the Rolex Day-Date. All of the movements (MT5201, MT5412 and MT5633) are chronometer certified. Aesthetically, these are integrated bracelet sports watches that veer more toward the elegant end of the sports watch spectrum. Long a staple for Tudor in the Asian market, they’re looking to expand the Royal’s reach this year with some very noticeable finishing improvements. The bezel in particular is very nicely executed, with sharp notches and a very high polish that works particularly well on the two tone models, where it is rendered in gold. I think another factor working in Tudor’s favor with respect to the Royal is the current broad acceptance of smaller watche...
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Watches & Wonders: Grand Seiko’s Nature-Inspired SBGZ011 Spring Drive Limited Release Shows The Shape of Water
Deep in the heart of a primeval forest lies a waterfall whose fresh spring waters are unspoilt by man, and whose mystic beauty is an endless source of inspiration - for the band of artisans who quietly engrave by hand some of the most intricately detailed watches in the world. It’s not a Studio Ghibli movie: the Tateshina Falls are real, located in central Japan’s Nagano Prefecture, which is also home to Grand Seiko’s Micro Artist Studio. And at Watches and Wonders 2026, a limited release pays tribute to this serene locale with a Spring Drive model that, according to Grand Seiko, “conveys time’s eternal flow in nature.” The Masterpiece Collection SBGZ011 takes Grand Seiko’s sharp-edged 44GS case - rendered in platinum - and imbues it with hand-engraved lines from lug to lug, around the bezel, and entirely within the dial (save for a thin minute ring). These dashed silver lines flow in colliding swirls, bursting forth and blending into each other with seeming chaos; Grand Seiko suggests that they represent spring water bubbling forth from below the earth’s surface. On the bezel and the case’s flat surfaces and intersecting ridges, the patterns appear even more dramatic, resembling petals of a monochromatic flower. And on the dial, the white-gold hands and markers provide smooth, brilliant contrast, while the Grand Seiko and Spring Drive logos are carved and inset in their own boxes. The manual-winding Caliber 9R02 is Grand Seiko’s thinnest Spri...
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Watches & Wonders: A Quick Rundown of the New Hublot Big Bangs
Hublot has never trafficked in subtlety. The Big Bang chronograph first made its presence known with a 44mm size, hefty ceramic bezel with contrasting screws, and a rare combination of rose gold and rubber, which contrasted different textures with clashing case finishes. So what if it had an ETA movement-which, at the time, seemed more plebeian than the in-house movements of rival luxury chronographs? In that maximalist, McBling era, the stance and the presence were all that mattered. Hublot has only taken its flagship model to more audacious heights. At this year’s Watches & Wonders Geneva, the Big Bang Reloaded enters the collection, following the 20-year anniversary of the Big Bang, by combining the intricate case with Hublot’s in-house chronograph movement, the Unico calibre, bringing together all the things that Big Bang enthusiasts love. The Reloaded exemplifies Hublot’s adherence to high-tech materials: available in titanium, scratch-resistant 18-karat “Magic Gold,” and three options of ceramic: black, blue, and dark green. The strap, still in textured rubber, matches the case colors. Hublot introduced its Unico calibre in 2010, and now the HUB 1280 UNICO makes an appearance from behind a skeletonized and multi-layered dial: redesigned to match the stencil-style numbers, a date window at between 4 and 5 o’clock, and horizontally-placed chronograph registers. It’s an automatic flyback chronograph, with 43 jewels and a power reserve of 72 hour...
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Watches & Wonders: Credor Debuts on the World Stage with Two New Goldfeathers and a New Take on the Genta-Designed Locomotive
If Grand Seiko was once Seiko’s best-kept secret, as it was for decades, Credor was even more enigmatic. Once positioned above Grand Seiko and crafted exclusively from precious metals, it remains rare outside of Japan to this day. That changes now when Credor comes out from under its Seiko shadow to exhibit at Watches & Wonders for the first time with three novelties: two takes on the Goldfeather and a brighter, breezier dial on the Locomotive, one of Credor’s most significant watches - though in the 1970s you would have likely never heard of it. Credor Goldfeather Urushi Lacquer Dial Limited Edition GBBY967 The Seiko Goldfeather was hailed as a technological achievement when it was released in 1960 (still holding Seiko’s thinnest three-hand movement). Credor resurrected the Goldfeather name in 2023 with the same pursuit of mechanical thinness, plus beautifully detailed lacquer and enamel dials. On the new GBBY967, the dial’s urushi finish is lacquered and polished dozens of times, resulting in a stunningly smooth dark blue gradient that turns into black around the edges, as if peering into the ocean depths. The dial’s baton indices and the Credor and Goldfeather logos are hand-applied with platinum powder in the taka maki-e style: a lacquer art that produces a three-dimensional effect. The ultra-thin (just 1.98mm!) Caliber 6890 hand-wind movement underpins this special Goldfeather, which is limited to just 25 pieces and at $47,000 each. Credor Goldfe...
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Watches & Wonders: Jaeger-LeCoultre Showcases Its Unique Mastery of Both Form and Function Through a Slew of New Releases
For this year’s Watches and Wonders, Jaeger-LeCoultre is coming at us with a slew of new releases – there’s a lot to unpack, so stick with me. Here, we get two stunning new takes on the iconic Reverso highlighting the brand’s prowess in métiers d’art techniques (yes, you know I’m swooning over these). For the remaining three launches, we get a trio of complicated models: two from the Master Hybris line and a Master Grande Tradition. Altogether, the lineup showcases Jaeger-LeCoultre’s unique ability to balance both form and function throughout its catalog. Jumping into the Reverso pieces first, we have the latest additions to the Reverso Tribute line, which once again honor Hokusai, Japan’s most celebrated 19th century artist. For these, the Maison returns to the artist’s ‘Waterfalls’ series with four new interpretations. Each of the four 10-piece limited editions combines guilloché and enamel on the dial. Flip the trademark case design over, and miniature enamel paintings of Hokusai artworks are revealed on the casebacks depicting the final four images in the series: Rōben Waterfall at Ōyama in Sagami Province; Kiyotaki Kannon Waterfall at Sakanoshita on the Tōkaidō; Yōrō Waterfall in Mino Province; and The Falls at Aoigaoka in the Eastern Capital. Alongside these tributes, we get a new series of limited-edition capsule collections dedicated to Métiers Rares timepieces: this is the La Vallée des Merveilles. The goal of the new capsules wi...
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Watches & Wonders: Oris’ 24-Year-Old Product Design Engineer Just Reworked a Classic – This is the Sleek New Artelier Complication
Oris first introduced its Artelier Complication in 1991 alongside the Caliber 581, which notably featured a moonphase module developed in-house by the brand. The release marked another significant moment for the maison in its commitment to manufacture movements following the quartz crisis. The model’s presence ultimately faded but received new life in 2017 with an updated design that featured a more modern, cleaner style with slimmer, tapered lugs, and a redesigned bezel. At Watches & Wonders, we get the next evolution of the Artelier Complication. The newest incarnation gives us another redesign from the 2017 edition while keeping the focus on highlighting the romantic moonphase. This updated take on the Artelier Complication comes from 24-year-old Lena Huwiler, Oris’s new Product Design Engineer. Huwiler has been able to achieve the perfect balance between honoring the model’s place in the history of the brand and propelling it forward with a design that will resonate with her generation. An old soul at heart, Huwiler admits she does not just find inspiration online but still appreciates architecture, crafts, and interior design. She clearly brings the duality of these sensibilities into her design for the new Artelier Complication. Here, Huwiler has given an Oris classic a modern, urban profile and reworked the moonphase display designed by and for the next generation of watch collectors. The major update here is in the complication and how it is presented thank...
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Watches & Wonders: My Favorite Ingenieurs from IWC’s 2026 Releases
IWC is not a brand that quickly moves on from a release. Rather, any new watch is also the launch of a platform that will, for several years at least, see new models in terms of colors, sizes, materials, and complications. In doing so, their catalog is vast yet focused, as each line is thematic yet deeply explored. Since relaunching in 2023, the Genta-derived, integrated bracelet, luxury tool watch that is the Ingenieur has steadily expanded to now cover three sizes, multiple materials, many colors, and one complication, totaling 12 SKUs (before Watches & Wonders releases). For 2026, the expansion continues with several new references, including a tourbillon, and two models that kind of blew me away. I had the fortune of getting to spend some time with IWC’s 2026 novelties before the big show, and while several are striking (I mean, that full Ceralume perpetual is one of the most bonkers watches I’ve seen in a while), the two that I have kept thinking about are the Ingenieur automatic in green ceramic, and the full titanium perpetual. Starting with the former, IWC is no stranger to ceramic. In fact, they debuted the first ceramic watch in 1986. While many brands have adopted the material since, IWC’s earthy palette of green, khaki, and blue retains a certain understated charm. The 42mm Ingenieur has existed in black ceramic for at least a year now. While sleek, stealthy, and a logical edition, it wasn’t all too surprising. The full green ceramic, however, is a bit....
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Watches & Wonders: TAG Heuer Reinvents (a part of) the Chronograph with the Monaco Evergraph
When I think of Heuer, or TAG, or TAG Heuer, for that matter, I think of chronographs. You probably do too. Carreras, Monacos, Autavias, Monzas, Veronas, Montreals, etc… All iconic models, their pursuit of the stop-watch-in-a-wrist-watch goes far beyond just that of aesthetics. Famously, in 1969, they were among the first three brands to introduce an automatic chronograph with the Caliber 11. Then, in the 2010s, they pushed chronograph innovation to its limits with high-concept, high-frequency calibers like the Mikrograph, Mikrotimer, and Mikrogirder. In the last few years, TAG has focused more on the commercial side, honing in on a contemporary design language with the glass box Carreras, as well as a workhorse caliber of their own, the 80-hour, column-wheel, automatic TH20. 2026, however, marks a return to more innovative, if high-end times. Earlier this year, they introduced the six-figure Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph, a 36,000bph rattrapante made in collaboration with Vaucher, under the category of “avant-garde horlogerie.” A curious development that was perhaps undermined by having such a daunting price, it did serve as an amuse-bouche to their big Watches & Wonders novelty: the Monaco Evergraph, which includes at least one first in watchmaking. There is a lot to unpack with the Evergraph, but the movement is a good place to start. Inside is a new caliber called the TH80-00. An integrated chronometer-certified automatic chronograph with 47-jewels, it featur...
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Watches & Wonders: The Chopard L.U.C. 1860 Chronometer, Like the Original from Three Decades Past, May be Worth The Wait
Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded his eponymous watch company in 1860, but it took over 100 years for the brand to truly come into its own. In 1996, and after three years of development, the company debuted its own in-house movement. The wait seemed to have been worth it. The L.U.C 96.01-L immediately drew acclaim for beautiful finishing, embracing the microrotor, and COSC certification. It, and the subsequent L.U.C. 1860 dress watch, marked a sea change from reliance on third parties to true independence, arriving at a resurgence in fine mechanical watchmaking. Thirty years later, the L.U.C. family has expanded into dozens of variants, complications, and movements. But at 2026’s Watches & Wonders, Chopard pays tribute to 30 years of in-house manufacturing with a continuation of that vaunted original. The L.U.C 1860 Chronometer uses the same dial and microrotor movement from 1996, albeit with their own upgrades and unique design tweaks. The intricate white-gold dial features guilloché finishing in the center, emanating in scalloped waves from the Chopard logo and nameplate. The concentric circles are separated by thin bands of white gold, and delicate spear-shaped markers point inward, toward the dauphine hands. At 6 o’clock, the small-seconds dial echoes the twin-circle pattern of the overall dial, and Chopard specifically mentions the lack of a date window “to preserve purity.” Where the first L.U.C. 1860 had a white dial with gold accents, this Chronometer wears...
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Watches & Wonders: Bremont Races to the Moon with the Space-Themed Supernova Chronograph
Because of the Artemis II launch earlier this month, the moon is all the rage again. That’s why the timing for Bremont’s Supernova Chronograph feels so auspicious: not only because it was designed with the stars in mind, but because it might actually go to the moon itself. To promote the Supernova-which is an entirely new family, and not just a single release-Bremont is partnering with the aerospace company Astrolab, which is planning to send a FLIP (FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform) rover to the moon’s surface. In a future spacefaring reality, the Flexible Logistics & Exploration (FLEX) rover can traverse lunar and Martian terrain, delivering cargo with a 30-kg payload. That’s more than enough room to fit a Supernova, which will net Bremont as the first watch permanently placed on the moon’s surface. The Supernova Chronograph ticks the boxes of a terrestrial sports watch: with 100-meter water resistance, stainless-steel construction, and an integrated bracelet and optional rubber strap, it carries a bold presence that seems much tougher than the current lineup. The primarily brushed case, measuring 41mm and featuring smaller polished contrasts, is cushion-shaped, harkening to the midcentury enthusiasm for space exploration. The black bezel is made from ceramic and cut into ten sides. The Supernova’s dial features contrasting triangular arrows and a geometrically aligned waffle pattern. On the main dial they’re both black, but in the subdials the triang...
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Watches & Wonders: Grand Seiko Introduces the SBGY043 “Iwao Blue”
At Watches & Wonders 2026, Grand Seiko’s newest addition to the Elegance Collection brings together the things it does best. Namely, intricately textured dials with a nod to Japanese artistry, and its flagship Caliber 9R Spring Drive. Engraved to resemble a weathered rock face, the SBGY043’s striking dial suggests the appearance of a mountain at dusk: Grand Seiko calls this pattern iwao, which translates to rock or crag. Depending on the angle it’s viewed from behind its domed sapphire crystal, different facets take on intermingling light and dark tones of blue, purple, and black. Its color is inspired by the tradition of katsuiro dyeing, a centuries-old technique and reportedly a favorite among the samurai class, which produces a deep indigo hue. Set against bright silver markers and hands - no blued seconds hand here, which is almost its own Grand Seiko tradition - it makes for an especially understated contrast. This Iwao Blue version runs on the Caliber 9R31, a manual-wind Spring Drive movement with a 72-hour power reserve and visible through a clear caseback. The case is among the slimmest in the Elegance Collection, with standard zaratsu polishing and soft, rounded lugs. A nine-row stainless steel bracelet is the only option, which reflects the craggy-faced dial’s aura of ruggedness. Grand Seiko enthusiasts, of which there are many, might remember this dial from 2021 - albeit in a sharp-angled Heritage case and with a Caliber 9R65 Spring Drive mov...
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Watches & Wonders: Hermes Doubles Down on the H08 with the Addition of a Skeletonized “Squelette” Version
I vividly remember when Hermes first launched the H08 five years ago. It marked yet another moment of the brand solidifying its place beyond its roots in fashion and firmly into the horological landscape. Prior to the H08, we had seen more classic, refined, and dare I say quintessentially Hermes collections from the Maison like the Kelly, inspired by the padlock from the famous handbag; the Arceau, drawing from the iconic horse motif; and the Cape Cod, a traditional rectangular design. In 2012, Hermes had a defining moment for its watches with the debut of its first in-house caliber. Still, the H08 marked a new moment of the brand doing something markedly different – decidedly modern and yet distinctly Hermes. In the years since its initial introduction, the H08 has continued to be a success and as such, the Maison has doubled down on the collection, following up with a slew of iterations on the original H08 lineup, which was pretty impressive in its own right, consisting of five variations. We have seen the addition of complications like a chronograph, new sizes ranging from the original 39mm up to 45mm, as well as new styles and colors. Today, at this year’s Watches and Wonders, Hermes offers up the next evolution with the H08 Squelette, the Maison’s interpretation of a skeletonized model. We have seen this openworked style in the brand’s other staple collections, like the Arceau and the Slim d’Hermes, so this seems like a natural next step for the H08 line....
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Watches & Wonders: Roger Dubuis Debuts an All-New Perpetual Calendar Caliber Alongside a Sporty Version of its Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar
Roger Dubuis’ latest releases at Watches and Wonders are steeped in the brand’s history. For the occasion, the maison introduces two complicated pieces – a perpetual calendar and day-date calendar – each in the brand’s patented biretrograde display. Prior to founding his namesake maison, Mr. Roger Dubuis was a prolific watchmaker for several brands, from Patek Philippe to Longines. One such project came in 1989 when he and fellow watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht collaboratively pioneered and patented their famous biretrograde display, which reworked the traditional concept and made it more streamlined. This approach eased assembly and improved the stability and readability of the hands on the ecliptic retrograde counters. Soon after, the pair engineered a double retrograde perpetual calendar module, which was notably used in a timepiece for Harry Winston. A year after the brand’s official founding, Roger Dubuis introduced its own biretrograde display timepiece and later the perpetual calendar complication in its iconic Sympathie and Homage collections. Today, we see the next evolution of these concepts highlighted in a rather modestly sized 40mm version of its Excalibur line. The Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar is notably powered by an entirely new movement: the RD850. Here, the maison builds upon the work set forth four decades ago with a self-winding caliber built from 435 components in-house at Roger Dubuis’ Geneva manufacture. A key functional i...
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Watches & Wonders: Oris Reintroduces the Star, a True 1960s Throwback
One of the most interesting things to observe in recent years among brands that have been around for decades is how they handle reissuing vintage watches from their back catalog. Often, we see releases that seem to have been conceived in a boardroom by bean counters, with a lot of concessions to the original design made for modern consumers. This usually means making watches larger than they need to be, and using newer, higher performance materials when the old fashioned ones would have been just fine. So it’s a real treat when a brand releases a “new” old watch that is about as close to the original as possible. That’s the vibe we’re getting from the new Oris Star Edition, a mostly faithful interpretation of one of the more important watches in the brand’s history, dating back to the 1960s. The original Star was the brand’s first watch with an in-house lever escapement, something that was only possible thanks to the overturning of the Swiss Watch Statute, a law originally introduced in the 1930s to counter anti competition measures taken by watch manufacturers during the years of the Great Depression. An unintended consequence of the statute was that it limited brands like Oris to using pin-lever escapements. The law was eventually repealed with the help of Rolf Portman, a lawyer employed by Oris and tasked with fighting the statute. Portman is now Oris’ Honorary Chairman. Here we have a watch that is uncommonly true to the character of its vintage ins...
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Watches & Wonders: the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Annual Calendar Returns with a New Case Size and Caliber
A. Lange & Söhne had one of my, and many others’, favorite releases at Watches & Wonders 2025. It wasn’t a super complication and had no bells-and-whistles. Rather, it was simple and small. The 34mm 1815 three-handers in white or rose gold exemplified confident, understated luxury like no other watches at the fair. For 2026, Lange has brought back a watch that had been out of production with a new movement and in a new, smaller size, following suit from last year’s release. Unlike the 1815s, these feature one of the less common complications in the Lange catalog: the annual calendar. The Saxonia Annual Calendar was a very cool watch. It combined its eponymous complication with Lange’s signature outsized date and was powered by a since-retired “Sax-0-Mat” three-quarter-rotor automatic movement. These funky movements were featured in the Langematik watches and represented Lange’s first foray into automatic calibers. In addition to a distinctive look, they featured a hidden complication: zero-reset seconds, meaning that when the crown was pulled out, the seconds hand would jump to zero. In 2011, the Sax-O-Mats began to be replaced by central rotor calibers with up to 72 hours of power reserve, an increase from 46 hours, but the zero-reset seconds disappeared. Though comprising many different calibers, most of Lange’s currently in-production automatics have a central rotor. I am unsure when the previous generation of the Saxonia Annual Calendar went out of pro...
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Watches & Wonders: Parmigiani Fleurier Introduces the Tonda PF Chronograph Mystérieux Steel in Mineral Blue
Last year, Parmigiani Fleurier had one of the strongest showings of any brand at Watches & Wonders, led by a pair of absolutely gorgeous, traditionally styled perpetual calendars. This is a brand that for me has been somewhat hard to get into, personally. While the quality of the watches themselves is never in question, I don’t always identify with the design choices, and think occasionally they lean a little too subtle for their own good. That’s why last year’s Toric Quantieme Perpetual was such a surprise. It’s not the kind of watch that usually lands in my wheelhouse, but I found that it was executed so perfectly that I just couldn’t ignore it. This year’s big novelty for Parmigiani at Watches & Wonders takes an entirely different approach, but follows a pair of recent creations that have been much admired flagships for this current generation of the brand. The Tonda PF Chronograph Mystérieux follows the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante and the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante with a new complication that is hidden until called upon by the wearer, and in doing so have created a chronograph that is impossibly minimalist at first blush, with no obvious indications that it is, in fact, a chronograph. That, of course, may or may not be appealing to you if you’re a chronograph fan. Part of the appeal of these watches for many is in how a chronograph naturally segments the dial and presents a variety of hopefully useful information in a cluster. The Chronograph Mystéri...
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Watches & Wonders: Moser and Reebok Have Brought the Pump to the Streamliner
This one is for elder millennials and Gen-X only. In perhaps the most surprising collaboration we’ve seen in a while, H. Moser has partnered with Reebok to bring us the Streamliner Pump, a limited edition of 500 pieces total across two variants, that combines the familiar, Art Deco inspired shape of Moser’s integrated bracelet sports watch with one of the most iconic sneaker designs of my childhood. For the non-sneakerheads or readers who are simply too young to remember, the Pump was a Reebok sneaker that became a cultural phenomenon in the early 1990s. The gimmick was that with the “pump” of a large orange button on the top of the shoe’s tongue, the wearer could inflate and regulate a fitting cushion in the lower part of the tongue to obtain a better and more secure fit. It was an answer of sorts to Nike’s “Air” technology, but more tactile and focused on the user experience. It was also tailor made for splashy marketing campaigns with big celebrity endorsements (Dee Brown and Shaquille O’Neal are the NBA stars that immediately come to mind as Pump wearers), and I can vividly remember desperately wanting Pumps of my own at an age where I honestly thought I for sure would have a career in professional basketball. Moser has captured at least some of that nostalgia with this new release. For the Streamliner Pump, Moser has added an anodized aluminum pusher to the case at the 8:00 position, the “pump” as it were. Press it, and the pusher transmits ene...
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Watches & Wonders: Tudor Surprises with the Oddly Appealing Monarch
Tudor is at its best when they surprise. Sure, there have been some controversial pieces over the years, like the North Flag and P01 (though I’d argue they were both very successful as attention grabbers), but watches like the BB54, BB58 925, and even FXD took us off guard when they first dropped. This year, Tudor has followed suit with the Monarch, a watch that took us off guard in the press release but impressed in person. Before getting to the watch, it was made clear to us that although this year marks 100 years of the brand, they aren’t throwing a big celebration for themselves, nor did they release a watch specifically dedicated to the centennial anniversary. The Monarch, which is a spiritual recreation or tribute to an early 20th-century Tudor model, is meant to acknowledge said birthday. So, basically, don’t call it an anniversary watch, just an anniversary-like watch. Ok, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at this surprisingly cool new model. Measuring 39mm in diameter, 11.9mm thick, and, I’m estimating, as this dimension was not provided, in the neighborhood of 48mm lug-to-lug, so basically BB58 sized, the Monarch, despite some vintage cues, looked and felt pleasantly modern on the wrist. The case, made of stainless steel, was quite different from others in the Tudor lineup. It had hooded, aggressively chamfered lugs, with a sharply faceted drop-off. There were also flat segments on either side of the case, emphasizing a geometric overall shape...
Worn & Wound
Watches & Wonders: Tudor Introduces the Black Bay 54 Blue
Tudor continues to expand their Black Bay 54 collection at this year’s Watches & Wonders with the Black Bay 54 “Blue”. Since the launch of the original Black Bay 54, the diver has settled into a role as a favorite among enthusiasts for its slender, compact proportions. The original release was a straightforward black dialed, black bezel affair, and last summer saw the surprise launch of the “Lagoon Blue” reference that re-characterized the watch as a fun, more jewelry oriented diver than we would have expected. A diver with a blue dial and bezel is frankly something expected in a dive watch lineup these days, so this release is not so much a surprise, but it’s interesting to see how Tudor executes on a dive watch standard. In terms of specs, there are no big surprises here, and this edition of the 54 follows those that have come before. The case in stainless steel measures 37mm in diameter and has water resistance to 200 meters. It runs on the same MT5400 movement, which is COSC-certified and has a silicon balance spring and 70-hour power reserve. It’s available on both a rivet style three link bracelet or a rubber strap. The blue dial is very, very blue. Tudor refers to it as “sapphire blue” and in the bright lights of their booth at Palexpo the sunray finishing and almost purple-ish hues are quite prominent on the dial. It’s very saturated, and I think even in less intense lighting it will have a lot of presence. If you compare it to other blue wa...
Worn & Wound
Watches & Wonders: Hands-On with IWC’s Pilot Venturer Vertical Drive, a New Kind of Space Watch
Space is having a huge moment right now, and if you’re at all like me, you’ve been transported to a time in your youth when you were soaking up anything space exploration related as much as the sun. Well, IWC is going to keep space at the forefront of everyone’s mind here at Watches & Wonders as they’ve just released their Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive, their first watch engineered and certified for spaceflight. I actually got to see this watch back in February while I was out in Los Angeles with IWC at Vast’s headquarters. Vast is the company building what is set to become the first commercial space station, Haven-1. And that context matters, because this isn’t just a “space-inspired” watch. The Venturer Vertical Drive was designed for actual use in orbit, and it’s already been certified for flight in partnership with Vast. Historically, space watches have basically just been modified aviation watches, but IWC took a different approach here. Instead of adapting something that already existed, they started from a much simpler question: what does a watch actually need to do in space? The answer led to a few decisions that feel genuinely new, starting with the most obvious one - there’s no crown. From an outsider’s perspective, this feels almost like a flex (and it kinda is). But the way that IWC CEO Chris Grainger-Herr explained it during our live presentation was that in a zero-gravity environment, as astronauts are moving through tight spac...
Worn & Wound
Watches & Wonders: the Nomos Tangente neomatik 38 Update Brings the Date Ring and the Midas Touch to a Smaller Size
In the Nomos Glashütte lineup, the Tangente is one that brings it all: the allure of 18-karat gold, sizes that range from 33 to 42mm, a unique and subtle date ring, even a few models rated to 1,000 feet of water resistance. Now the most popular features merge into one aptly-named release: the Tangente neomatik 38 Update, making its debut at this year’s Watches & Wonders. It begins with the mid-sized case that measures 38.5 millimeters, hitting the sweet spot of popularity and balanced proportions. And it’s now available in 18-karat gold, alongside the stainless steel seen on most Tangente models. “By introducing Tangente Update in gold,” says Nomos CEO Uwe Ahrendt, “we are also responding to a frequently heard request for modern dress watches, crafted from precious metal.” The most important feature in this new model is adapting the date ring into a smaller format. The date ring, which Nomos calls Update, circles the edge of the dial with oval windows marking the days of the month, indicating the current date with two red markers on either side. Previously, the date ring was formerly only available in a 41mm size, or in an unusual two-date system that debuted in 2024. What’s under the skin and behind that 18-karat gold case is the neomatik caliber DUW 6101: an automatic-wind movement with up to 42 hours of power reserve that now gets the same date ring system adapted into a smaller size (just 7.4mm in height, a squeak below the 7.8mm size of the ...
Worn & Wound
Watches & Wonders: Zenith Expands the Chronomaster Sport Line with New Skeleton References, Plus a Two-Tone Version with MOP Dial, and a New Micro-Adjustable Clasp
Zenith has released five new references under the Chronomaster Sport umbrella, most notably with four skeletonized versions of the design, as well as a dressier two-tone option. To understand the new skeletonized editions, it’s probably best to start at the beginning. When Zenith introduced the El Primero in 1969, it launched what is widely regarded as the world’s first automatic, integrated high-frequency chronograph caliber, a movement that has remained central to the brand’s identity ever since. The Chronomaster collection has long carried that legacy forward, and with this new series of skeletonized watches, Zenith brings that movement further to the forefront. All of the skeleton models run on the El Primero 3600SK, the openworked version of Zenith’s high-frequency automatic chronograph. Like the standard El Primero 3600, it beats at 5 Hz, which allows the central chronograph hand to complete one full rotation every 10 seconds and display 1/10th of a second directly off the bezel. The movement also offers a 60-hour power reserve, while the open dial and caseback give a clear view of the column wheel, horizontal clutch, and star-shaped rotor. All come in the now familiar 41mm Chronomaster Sport case. In regards to the design of the Chronomaster Sport Skeleton models, the biggest visual shift comes from the opened-up dial. The collection includes two stainless steel versions: one with a black ceramic bezel and the signature grey, anthracite, and blue tri-color c...
Worn & Wound
Watches & Wonders: Bulgari Launches an Octo Finissimo in 37mm
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo is a certifiably unique watch that you can identify on someone’s wrist from across a room. Part of this is because of its exotic integrated design, and the other part is that they are kind of huge, despite being very thin. That contrast has always been part of the appeal, but also part of the problem. For years, the Octo Finissimo has represented an avant-garde take on modern watch design. Thin, minimal, architectural, and kind of brutal, it exists as a distant relative of a Genta-era idea, but pushed into something more experimental. It has also built its reputation on technical achievement, frequently contending for the world’s thinnest watch, and holding that title more than once over the last decade. But this year, Bulgari isn’t focused on thinness. Instead, they’ve turned their attention to something far more practical: wearability. For the first time since the line launched in 2014, Bulgari has introduced a smaller “consumer” model, bringing the Octo Finissimo down to 37mm. On paper, that might not sound like much. In practice, it changes everything. The standard 40mm models were always a bit deceptive. While 40mm is not particularly large for a round watch, the Octo Finissimo is anything but round. These watches are essentially flat squares with wide integrated lugs, creating a large corner-to-corner span and a cuff-like presence on the wrist. The result is a watch that wears significantly larger than its width suggests. It’s...
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