Dress Watches · Page 22

Looking Back At The Very Best Of Grand Seiko

From time-only stunners to artistic novelties, the Japanese brand never fails to impress.

Duke Ellington, the Cartier Tank à Guichets, and the Year of the Jump Hour

I’ve never bought a watch because it was worn by a celebrity. I generally don’t think that’s a wise reason to own a watch, and kind of goes against my general philosophy of collecting as an act of individual expression. Still, there are some watches where the association with a particular person either looms so incredibly large it’s impossible to ignore (the Paul Newman Daytona, I think, falls into this category), and others where the association may not be at the level of a household name, but is nonetheless fascinating and interesting. Duke Ellington and his preference for the Cartier Tank à Guichets falls into this category for me.  This is probably not the appropriate forum for an extended discourse on the importance of Duke Ellington to American music and culture, so we’ll do a short version. Ellington is universally regarded as one of the great American artists – he’s responsible for over 1,000 jazz compositions and was active over a 60 year period. Critics and experts in jazz and American music often mention him in the same breath as people like Mozart, which seems like a good place to be.  Duke Ellington, wearing a Tank a Guichets So, he’s one of the singular genius artists of his or any era. And, I dunno, it kinda seems like wearing the same watch as that guy would be pretty cool. From the time I started noticing watches on the wrists of notable people, the idea that the Tank à Guichets was Ellington’s choice has been a point of fascination. ...

Hands-On With The Cartier Tank À Guichets: A Tank In A Casemate

So, a tank is pretty tough, right? How do you make it even tougher? Park it in a casemate! Stick the cannon through one of the tiny embrasures, and you have a fearsome defensive installation. Well, that’s what Cartier did. The mighty Cartier Tank was parked in a bunker, and the result is called the […] Visit Hands-On With The Cartier Tank À Guichets: A Tank In A Casemate to read the full article.

Bell & Ross Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the BR-03 with New Skeleton Models

It’s a common refrain here at Worn & Wound: every year is an anniversary. Like death, taxes, and Photoshop renders of what collectors predict the new Rolex will look like, the celebration of anniversaries in the watch industry is a certainty. We’re not complaining. An anniversary of an important watch or collection is a great time to take stock, and there have certainly been plenty of desirable releases over the years centered around big anniversaries. This year, Bell & Ross is celebrating 20 years of the BR-03 collection, their iconic square watch that has become the “face” of the brand over the past two decades.  The celebration begins with the new BR-03 Skeleton, a collection of three watches that capitalizes on a big trend across all sectors of watchmaking while removing the BR-03 from its aviation themed roots, at least a little bit. Bell & Ross has been making skeletonized watches for years (often as part of their Skull series), and these watches highlight their proficiency in that area, and also take advantage of their creativity with lume.  The new BR-03 Skeleton is available in three variants: Black Ceramic, Grey Steel, and Lum Ceramic. All three feature 41mm cases and a new movement, the BR-CAL.328, designed specifically for these watches. While the specs of the caliber are in line with previous time only movements used in recent BR-03 releases (like those, it has a 54 hour power reserve) its architecture has been adjusted, highlighting an “X” motif...

Hands-On: Patek Philippe Calatrava 8-Day Ref. 5328G

The new Calatrava 8-Day may have gotten overshadowed by a platinum and salmon release, but it's still a watch worth coveting.

Kallinich Claeys Brings Creative Independent Watchmaking to Glashütte

In the Fall of 2023, I organized a RedBar event in Prague for Marco Lang, Stefan Kudoke, and Jochen Benzinger. During the event I met two young guys who looked in their early twenties, enjoying fresh Pilsner beer. When we raised our glasses to cheer, I noticed his wrist and had a hard time believing what I saw.  The young man introduced himself as Thibault Claeys and said this is their first watch. The other young man introduced himself as Johannes Kallinich. While I looked at the watch, Thibault told me that both of them worked at A. Lange & Söhne until recently. Johannes was the head of the Lange 1 department and a certified Master Watchmaker with a deep understanding of technical construction. Thibault, on the other hand, graduated from watchmaking school in Antwerp, and joined the Lange 1815 department. His expertise lies in finishing techniques, and he plays MacGyver with all the machines and tooling.  The next encounter with Thibault and Johannes was a planned visit to their atelier in the summer of 2024. Their small workshop is located right next to Nomos headquarters, and directly opposite from the SUG case workshop in Glashütte. The workshop is framed all around by large windows, an inspiration they took from Akrivia and Rexhep Rexhepi.  Thibault walked me through “his side” of the workshop first where he built his own CNC milling machine. You see all the contraptions he built himself for making parts or for finishing of the parts. He says it actually all...

Hands-On With The Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P

The Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P was a surprise at Watches and Wonders 2025. It’s been a long time since the brand introduced a clean, simple watch at a big annual show like this, and it was welcome. Today, we’ll take a closer look at this gem. For Patek Philippe, 2024 was the year of double […] Visit Hands-On With The Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P to read the full article.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 Reviewed by Tim Mosso: Sheer Spectacle!

Judged on the basis of sheer spectacle, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 delivers. Whether presented in the hand or on the arm, the JLC Gyrotourbillon 2 is an event.

Hands-On With The 34mm A. Lange & Söhne 1815

One of the understated hits this year at Watches and Wonders was the 34mm A. Lange & Söhne 1815. If this is the peak of the trend for slight watches, then we “small-wristers” have been well rewarded. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the two variants of this charming dress watch. The longstanding 38.5mm […] Visit Hands-On With The 34mm A. Lange & Söhne 1815 to read the full article.

Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex 1908 Yellow Gold Vs. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds Pink Gold

It’s time for our first Sunday Morning Showdown after the craziness of Watches and Wonders 2025. As you can guess, we will create new matchups based on the watches introduced in Geneva. These provide us with plenty of picks for the upcoming weeks. In this first post-Watches and Wonders matchup, Mike and Jorg go head […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex 1908 Yellow Gold Vs. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds Pink Gold to read the full article.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Released Nine New Reverso Novelties at Watches & Wonders – These Are Our Favorites

This year was all about the Reverso for Jaeger-LeCoultre. At Watches & Wonders this year, the watchmaker’s watchmaker unveiled a total of nine new Reverso novelties, capturing every expression of the iconic watch. From simple to complicated, highly technical to craft oriented, and in just about every material you’d want to see, it was a stunning output, and truly impressive to see them all up close and personal.  We decided to set ourselves up with the impossible task of picking our favorites from the new crop of Reverso novelties introduced last week. Not an easy decision at all, but somehow, across these picks, the team has captured the breadth of the Reverso, or at least started to.  Be sure to let us know your favorite among the new Reversos in the comments below, especially if it was one we didn’t happen to select.  Zach Weiss  Like many watch enthusiasts, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is on my eventual hit list. An iconic dress watch, its signature reversible case design gives it not just a unique look but also function and character. And to that end, I’ve always felt that, if I were to pick one up, I’d have to go for one of the Duoface models, essentially turning one watch into two. Last year, I got the opportunity to spend some time with the newest version of the Reverso Tribute Duoface in rose gold, which left an impression on me. Though it wasn’t the most compact Reverso, the two sides, one with the iconic art deco “tribute” design and a small ...

A New, Record Breaking, Bulgari Tourbillon

You have to give it up for Piaget. When they introduced the Altiplano Concept Tourbillon last year, they made a hell of a play for the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch. At 2.0mm, that watch was (as most ultra-thin watches are) inconceivably thin. I have to imagine that, when Piaget introduced that watch last year, they felt pretty good about holding onto the record for at least a while but, as these things go, eventually, Bulgari has to have its say in the matter. A year later, we have Bulgari’s seemingly inevitable response: The Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon. At just 1.85mm thick, Bulgari’s latest Ultra-Thin masterpiece represents their 10th world record for thinness in watchmaking and reunites Bulgari with a record it has held on and off since 2014 - which, by way of comparison, was a record they had previously held with watches measuring 5mm and 3.95mm thick. Hard to imagine it, but each of those now seems downright chunky by comparison. There’s a good reason why you often see watches like this held up next to credit cards: Devoid of context, it’s almost impossible for your brain to compute just how little three-dimensional space these watches take up. Bulgari has achieved this stupendously mind-blowing level of thinness by applying the design and construction techniques introduced with the 1.80mm thin Octo Finissimo Ultra and the 1.70mm thin Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC. Most notably, Bulgari has integrated the case and movement of the Octo Finissimo Ultra ...

Retrospective: An Unexpected NOS Mimo Tuxedo Tank Find

A Mimo watch has been on my wishlist for almost a decade. Although I am on a hunt for different Mimo models, I simply couldn’t resist this tuxedo tank. With an original strap, buckle, and even the brand tag, it looks like it just left the Mimo factory. Mimo is one of the brands we […] Visit Retrospective: An Unexpected NOS Mimo Tuxedo Tank Find to read the full article.

What Kind Of Tank Am I - A Cartier Tank Américaine Or Louis Cartier? 

Eckhart Tolle once said, “What a liberation to realize that the ‘voice in my head’ is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that.” While those are wise words indeed, that’s not the question I ask myself. I want to know what kind of Tank I am. I know I’m […] Visit What Kind Of Tank Am I - A Cartier Tank Américaine Or Louis Cartier?  to read the full article.

First Look – Hitting the Sweet Spot… The new Raymond Weil Millesime Small Seconds 35mm

Raymond Weil’s Millesime collection, launched in 2024, is a charming retro-inspired family that has caught many a watch aficionado’s eye. Injecting a new lease of life into a brand that was often overlooked, the Millesime family is out to conquer the market of neo-vintage dress watches with modern specifications. Coupled with competitive prices, the Millesime […]

Introducing: The Jaw-Dropping Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179

Whevener Jaeger-LeCoultre dusts off the Hybris name, you know you are in for something special. Whether it is Hybris Mechanica or Hybris Artistica, you can rest assured your jaw will drop. Well, this new effort does not disappoint in that respect. It does not disappoint in any respect, really. Well…maybe price, but hey, what do […] Visit Introducing: The Jaw-Dropping Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 to read the full article.

First Impressions of the New A. Lange & Söhne Novelties

A. Lange & Söhne never does half-measures, especially at Watches & Wonders. For 2025, they announced three new models, but a total of four watches: the Saxonia Minute Repeater Perpetual, the Honey Gold Odysseus, and the 1815 in 34mm in rose and white gold. So, one super complicated piece with a ton of features. One rare piece in an exceptional presentation. And two sublimely proportioned everyday watches (in ALS terms). While all were exceptional, the latter of the three left the biggest impression, despite being the smallest in stature.  With a name like Minute Repeater Perpetual, there’s not much mystery about what this watch does, but in true Lange fashion, it’s the elegance with which it does it that’s so special. And, naturally, we have to start with movement. The new caliber L122.2 consists of 640 parts and is meticulously finished to the standards one expects from Lange. In somewhat of a departure from their norm, the untreated Glashütte ¾ plate features a frosted finish instead of Glashütte ribbing. Though the result might appear more straightforward, we were told it makes assembly more complicated, and the resulting even surface puts more attention on the governor, black polished hammers, and encircling gongs, not to mention the free-hand engraved balance cock. It does not just look impressive, however, as there are some clever mechanical tricks at play, too, namely regarding the repeater. The typical sequence of chimes includes first single chimes per ...

Hands-on – Some Thoughts about the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P, One of the Best in Years

If you ask yourself what’s the most classic dress watch ever made by Patek, and probably one of the most important models of the category, the answer should ultimately be the Calatrava. Not much to debate here. The collection, created in 1932 with the reference 96, has had such an influence on the watch industry […]

Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches And Wonders 2025 Releases - Lex’s Picks From Patek Philippe, Chanel, And Roger Dubuis

Watches and Wonders 2025 might be done and dusted, but some watches continue to haunt me. Patek Philippe is always impressive, but this time, it wasn’t something complicated that struck a nerve. Rather, it was the introverted Calatrava 6196P, a classic with a contemporary twist. The Chanel J12 Bleu collection surprised me in the metal […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches And Wonders 2025 Releases - Lex’s Picks From Patek Philippe, Chanel, And Roger Dubuis to read the full article.

A Closer Look: Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P

First Look – The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds with a Pink Gold Milanese Bracelet

This year at Watches and Wonders 2025, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s emblematic Reverso, a timeless timepiece dating back to 1931 – as we explained in this in-depth article – will have its moment. Indeed, the brand is focusing entirely on its icon, and with some handsome new releases. In 2023, the slimmer pink gold Reverso Tribute Monoface Small […]

Best of Cartier at Watches & Wonders 2025 – from Tank à Guichets to the leaping Panthère bangle

We take a closer look at Cartier's best from this year's fair.The post Best of Cartier at Watches & Wonders 2025 – from Tank à Guichets to the leaping Panthère bangle appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A Closer Look: Is The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 The Finest Mid-Sized Dress Watch Today?

Introducing – The Impressive Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater

Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils a spectacular pink gold Reverso with a minute repeater powered by a new, fully integrated and shaped in-house movement. Taking advantage of the sleek Art Deco geometry of the Reverso and its swivelling case with two faces, the Grande Maison showcases its refined artistic crafts with an elegant guilloché decoration on the front […]