Time+Tide
Italy's echo/neutra has shrunken the proportions of its incredibly popular titanium dress watch for a more elegant take.The post echo/neutra unveils a new, smaller Rivanera with an ultra-black twist: introducing the Rivanera Piccolo appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
There are few watches that have appeared over the last few years that I’ve been as excited about as the echo/neutra Rivanera. I wrote about it at length last year, and coming up on twelve months since I had to send my sample back to Italy, I still think about this watch and how original and full of ideas it is. It did something that’s hard for a single watch to do: it clarified to me what echo/neutra is about as a brand. Up until the Rivanera, I honestly didn’t have a fully formed concept in my head as to what the echo/neutra team was working toward. I liked their watches well enough, but they didn’t speak to me on a gut level. The Rivanera did, though, and it helped me see the vision of the brand in a clearer light. The latest release from echo/neutra, the Rivanera Piccolo, further cements them as one of the most interesting design forward, affordable indies out there at the moment. A sequel of sorts, the Rivanera Piccolo continues to riff on the original’s rectangular shape, but dares to make it smaller, squarer, and, somehow, sportier. If the Rivanera was a new spin on designs like the Cartier Tank and early Art Deco, the Piccolo jumps a few decades ahead – there’s some distinctly 1960s/70s funk here in a way that I haven’t seen presented in a watch of this type. It places itself right in the middle of the current “stone dials on everything” trend without actually including a stone dial. Let’s get the proportions out of the way first. The Picco...
Monochrome
A powerful trend sweeping across the watch landscape is stone dials. Featured on everything from elegant dress watches to complications, there is no doubt that watches are living a second Stone Age. Celebrating its 160th anniversary, Zenith jumps on the stone dial bandwagon with its most technologically advanced and avant-garde chronograph, the mighty Defy Extreme, […]
SJX Watches
Christie’s Hong Kong returns this autumn with an extraordinary offering of rare and important Patek Philippe watches, headlined by a ref. 1518 in yellow gold. The auction is defined by two major private collections, most notably Part 2 of The Chronicle Collection - the successor to this spring’s successful first chapter. From neo-vintage rarities to heavyweight modern complications, the sale presents one of the of the most interesting Patek Philippe selections of the season. Lot 2225 – Patek Philippe Ref. 3979HJ Minute Repeater The story of Patek Philippe’s mastery of the modern minute repeater begins in 1989 with the launch of the ref. 3979 and the calibre R 27 PS. Launched to commemorate the brand’s 150th anniversary, the ref. 3979 was the brand’s first automatic minute repeater, and its first wristwatch to feature a silent centripetal governor, which was still novel at the time. According to the serial number, the present lot was the 47th ref. 3979 to be made, out of approximately 100 units produced over a nine year run. Further distinguishing the current lot is its classical enamel dial, which was a relatively uncommon configuration for this reference. The compact 33 mm yellow gold case is a love letter to classical dress watches. The case itself was made by Ateliers Rèunis, the brand’s own case maker, and was manufactured in the building that now houses the Patek Philippe museum. Today, more than 35 years after its launch, the cal. R 27 PS is still am...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Skip the soulless suit watches. Check out these 5 affordable dress watches we’ve tested. They prove that style and substance can coexist without the high price.
Fratello
Welcome, Fratelli! Over the past four weeks, it has been Dress Watch Season here at Fratello. We asked you to vote for what you thought was the best dress watch of the year. Now the results are in, and the word is out: the 34mm A. Lange & Söhne 1815 is the best dress watch […] Visit Fratello Dress Watch Season: The Winner - The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 34mm to read the full article.
Fratello
Louis Vuitton introduced its time-only Escale dress watch last year to mark the collection’s 10th anniversary. We found the rose gold and platinum models with their trunk-inspired design and attractive grainy dials quite charming. RJ characterized them as dress watches that didn’t look like your typical grandfather’s watch. Well, the same is true of the […] Visit Louis Vuitton Dresses Up Its New Escale In Turquoise Or Malachite to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Stone dials have become an increasingly visible trend in recent years; once rare, they are now widespread. Yet most rely on a handful of familiar minerals such as malachite, lapis lazuli, and tiger’s eye, leaving little room for novelty. Biver has taken a different approach with the Automatique, offering a far broader and more exotic palette of materials that includes mahogany obsidian, quartzite, and lavender jade-alongside traditional enamel dials crafted by Geneva’s leading specialists. While the new dials take centre stage, the Automatique itself is largely unchanged, and still features one of the most technically interesting movements in the genre of high-end time-only watches. Initial thoughts Mineral stone dials seem to be everywhere these days. Once the domain of brands like Piaget, stone dials have outgrown their niche and become common enough that a cottage industry of suppliers has emerged to supply them at nearly all price points; even Timex offers malachite dials. But most brands are using the same handful of stone types like malachite, tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, and other semi-precious, but actually quite common, minerals. This is where Biver goes its own way, offering a diverse and unusual selection of stone and enamel dials, along with a few ‘ordinary’ dials for more conservative collectors. In total, 11 new references join the collection, and each has the option for a precious metal bracelet that matches the case material. As a watch, the Autom...
Fratello
Welcome, dear Fratelli, to the final battle in our inaugural Dress Watch Season contest! Our writers made their cases for a broad range of dress watches over the past few weeks. You, our esteemed readers, voted for your favorite each time. In the end, the 34mm A. Lange & Söhne 1815 and the Breguet Classique […] Visit Fratello Dress Watch Season: The Grand Finale - A. Lange & Söhne 1815 34mm Vs. Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
One of the last launches of 2025 for A. Lange & Söhne, the Saxonia Thin Onyx is a riff on the brand’s most affordable and simplest watch. It’s only modestly different from the standard model – the dial is onyx stone while the case metal isn’t part of regular production – but the Saxonia Thin Onyx stands out. The watch is almost the dictionary definition of a formal-wear timepiece: flat, two hands and minimal colour or embellishment, so much so it blends into conventional Western formal dress. In fact, this is one of the strongest offerings in the formal-dress-watch segment because it is stark, elegant, and priced well. Initial thoughts Lange tend towards the high end of the price spectrum simply because of the brand’s focus on complications and quality. And the brand has also raised retail prices significantly in the last few years. So an affordable-ish Lange that isn’t a run-of-the-mill watch is a good thing. The Saxonia Thin Onyx is exactly that. While it is based on Lange’s entry-level dress watch, a fine but no frills timepiece, the onyx edition is different in look, feel, and materials. It’s available in two metals not offered for the regular production – platinum and Honeygold – and the dial is of course onyx, a mineral stone used sparingly (so far) in limited editions. At 6.2 mm high, the case is half the thickness of a Datograph and sits flat against the wrist. Though the case is 40 mm rather than the smaller size offered for the standard mod...
Monochrome
Designing a classic dress watch is probably the most challenging assignment for any designer, as it requires striking a balance between top-quality materials and finishes, an elegant yet understated dial and a slim profile. Ticking all the boxes is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s classic Master Ultra Thin collection, a classy lineup of dress watches for men and women […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo collection has been a presence in the larger luxury-watch universe for just slightly over a decade now, but its impact has been tremendous - blazing trails of ultra-thinness in watchmaking that few brands have attempted and fewer have even attempted to rival. Today, the Octo Finissimo, in its simplest and most complex iterations, is regarded by enthusiasts as the creative cornerstone of the Bulgari brand, which up until very recently has been known more for high-jewelry watches than ambitious, record-setting mechanical complications. Here’s how the Octo Finissimo became an icon in 10 short years - starting from the very beginning. [toc-section heading="Bulgari History (1884-1934)"] Sotirios Voulgaris, the only survivor of 11 children from a family of silversmiths in the Greek town of Paramythia, was born in 1857 and learned the family craft from his father, making jewelry as well as sword sheaths and belt buckles. After Ottoman invaders set fire to the town in 1873, the family moved to the Isle of Corfu, where Voulgaris met the man who’d become his mentor, Macedonian goldsmith Demetrios Kremos. The two artisans decided to start a business in Italy, settling first in Naples, and eventually in Rome, where they opened their first shop in 1884. After just a few months, however, the partnership ended and Voulgaris - who had now changed his name to the more Italianate “Sotirio Bulgari” - opened up his own shop, which found success sel...
Monochrome
As the year slowly comes to an end, the days get shorter and winter sets in, the festive season is upon us to warm our hearts. Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, Hannukkah, Kwanzaa or Christmas, or all of them for that matter, it’s a time of joy, warmth and the comfort of friends and family. To […]
Fratello
With the Fratello Dress Watch Season competition in full swing, our site has seemingly been full of expensive, heavy-hitting, precious-metal formal watches. That’s why, for today’s Sunday Morning Showdown, we decided to do something a bit different. This is the featherweight bout between two affordable integrated-bracelet sports watches. This is the Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds Vs. Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm to read the full article.
Fratello
Welcome to the second semifinal in the Fratello Dress Watch Season contest, our bid to find the best dress watch of 2025. In today’s matchup, the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P takes on the Breguet Classique Souscription 2025. As we near the final, we see some of this year’s heavyweights going head-to-head. Both this Patek and […] Visit Fratello Dress Watch Season: Semifinal 2 - Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P Vs. Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 to read the full article.
Monochrome
As every year, it is time for the watch industry to celebrate watchmaking, watchmakers and watches in general. The so-called 2025 Oscars of the Watchmaking industry, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève or GPHG 2025, is about to begin, and the best watches introduced during the year are about to be awarded. From time-only watches […]
Teddy Baldassarre
If you’re new to the watch-collecting hobby, you’ve undoubtedly seen or heard references to watches with fluted bezels, but what does that description actually mean? Are fluted bezels a feature of sports watches or dress watches, of watches for men or for ladies? Are they designed for practical use or purely as an aesthetic touch? As is common in the world of watches, the answers to all of these questions are not as simple as you might think. Before getting into the fluted type in particular, let’s get really basic and review what a watch’s bezel is and what it’s for. As we explore in more detail here, a bezel is the front part of a watch’s case (often but not always ring-shaped) that frames the dial and secures the crystal. Bezels can be made of the same material as the case middle and/or the caseback, but can also be made of a different material. They can also be thin or wide; stationary or built to rotate in either one direction or both; purely decorative (i.e., set with diamonds) or utilitarian in nature (i.e., inscribed with a scale for some type of calculation). Fluting is defined as “a groove or set of grooves forming a surface decoration,” so a fluted bezel is one that features this type of grooved or ribbed texture on its top surface. Initially, as with most every element of a watch, a fluted bezel design was designed with a practical purpose in mind: the grooved surface made it easier for a watchmaker to screw the bezel tightly into the case to...
Fratello
In the words of the great Huey Lewis, “It’s hip to be square!” Just as the lyrics of this ’80s hit refer to it being cool to be conventional, the Nomos Tetra celebrates the traditional square dress watch in style. But there is a twist to both the song and the watches. As Lewis explained, […] Visit Spending Time With The New Quartet Of Nomos Tetra Origins Watches to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
One of the most unexpected but delightful trends to emerge in watches over the last few years is the rise of the “Japanese Calatrava” style watch. Even if you haven’t heard this term thrown around, you probably know exactly the type of watch I’m talking about, as there have been several that have emerged relatively recently. The small dress watches made by Kurono Tokyo are an obvious example, and perhaps the genesis of it all. Brands like Kikuchi Nakagawa and Noaya Hida are also part of this conversation at the more luxurious end of the spectrum, and of course there are a variety of affordable watches that sit nicely in this category or are tangential to it, like Kuoe and Orient (which admittedly has been doing this for many, many years). I like this trend because it feels like a small segment of the watch world is pushing back on the dominant force in watches over the last decade: the vintage inspired sports watch. I’m no hater – I own a few vintage inspired sports watches and can appreciate the good ones, but they are so ubiquitous it’s tough to see them as anything but generic. The simple Calatrava style watches coming out of Japan are of course similarly generic, but are a welcome flip side to the sports watch coin, and I like the idea that someone entering the hobby now might find themselves down a rabbit hole of small dress watches as opposed to Submariner-style divers. I’d be very curious what that collector has in their watch box five or ten years...
Hodinkee
One of JLC's best calibers returns in rose gold.
Fratello
Welcome to the first semifinal in the Fratello Dress Watch Season contest, our effort to identify the best new dress watch of 2025. The series continues with two watches that both confidently won their first matches. Daan is back with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds, the sports watch turned dress watch in rose […] Visit Fratello Dress Watch Season: Semifinal 1 - Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds Vs. A. Lange & Söhne 1815 34mm to read the full article.
Fratello
In Henry’s article detailing Calatrava-like watches for all budgets, he included the Orient Bambino. The Bambino offers a touch of vintage in a classic time-and-date configuration, accessible to all budgets. To rival the smash-hit Bambino, Orient introduces new European-exclusive colors to the AC0F core collection. The brand has long offered affordable and elegant watches for […] Visit Introducing: The Orient AC0F In Five New Colors Exclusive To Europe to read the full article.
Monochrome
At this point in watchmaking history, we can say, without taking too many risks, that Bulgari has become the undisputed master of ultra-thin horology. Breaking one record after another, the Italian/Swiss manufacture has been at the forefront of creativity and ingenuity, and while we are undoubtedly in a golden age of the ultra-thin watch, with […]
Teddy Baldassarre
What, exactly, is an EDC watch? That was the question I asked myself when I was charged with this mission. If you’re unfamiliar, EDC is an initialism for "Every Day Carry." It’s become something of its own industry, with makers of everything from keychains, pocket knives, tools, pens, wallets, and even items like smartphone cases getting in on the action. And yeah, there are those that take EDC to the next level, ticking off an internal checklist that reads more like a well-stocked survival kit. But I’m going to venture to say that the majority of us don’t require a folding camp axe, waterproof matches, a 1,000-lumen flashlight, and a water filtration kit while navigating midtown Manhattan. There’s no defining characteristic of EDC, other than being an item that you have on your person most days, so a watch definitely qualifies. I like to keep my "carry" on the minimalist side, consisting of my keys on a small carabiner, a well-worn leather wallet, a beat-up iPhone 11 in a Pelican case, and a small pocket knife (most often a Benchmade Mini Griptilian, The James Brand’s Redstone, or a Gerber LST I’ve owned forever that virtually disappears into the pocket). And, of course, a watch. I never leave the house without one, and today, I’m calling out, in ascending price order, several that fit my own personal criteria for an EDC timepiece. I don’t wear a suit on a daily basis, so a dress watch of any stripe is basically a non-starter. To me, a daily driver i...
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