Today is an important day for our American readers (and there are many of them…) If you read this watch magazine, you probably have a certain interest in all things watches. So, if you want to combine your American pride with your love for watchmaking, Ulysse Nardin might have a solution for you, with this limited edition launched on Independence Day – the 4th of July. “Stars and...
We're in Switzerland quite often – according to my wife, who keeps track, I've spent a quarter of last year in the land of watchmaking. Whether for the videos that we make, or events organised by watch brands, or manufacture visits, or the GPHG award night, it always means you're meeting a lot of people from the watch industry and the opportunity of running into friends. Recently I met with ...
There is no question Vacheron Constantin makes exceptionally fine timepieces. The brand really comes into its element though when it focuses its attention on vintage-inspired models (in my humble opinion at least). These models invariably belong to the Historiques collection, which celebrates some of the brand's significant models from the past by offering a fresh take. My previous favourite was t...
There’s no doubt that, when talking Omega watches, we all now that the brand has quite a savoir-faire in terms of chronographs. Think Speedmaster, what certainly is one of the most emblematic watches ever created. Well, if you go back a bit earlier in the history (quite a lot earlier in fact), you’ll see that there’s more to discover.?In 1913, Omega produced one of the world's fi...
Dive watches are some of the most beloved and popular timepieces. In the 1960s, the military and professional diving requirements, together?with the growing popularity of scuba diving, made the importance of trustworthy subaquatic instruments paramount.?The first modern dive watches were born to monitor dive times in the briny depths. The hardiest of them can withstand the pressure at the bottom o...
Today the most dangerous, intense, and harshest of all sea races, The Volvo Ocean Race, comes to an end in The Hague, Netherlands. After sailing around the globe, spending approx. 9 months at sea, today marks the last in-harbour race, although it does not change anything for the podium positions. By winning the 11th leg, Dongfeng Race Team wins the Volvo Ocean Race in a bold victory and we went ha...
When it comes to Tudor Watch, everybody knows and talks about the Black Bay – and in all fairness, rightfully so, as most BB editions deserve to be loved, especially the latest GMT or Fifty Eight versions. Yet, Tudor has other collections and there is a watch, which we believe deserves revisiting. One that is more important than you might think at first. Its name is the?Tudor North Flag and ...
If you want to dip your toe into the world of sophisticated complications, it usually comes at a price. A tourbillon, for example, can easily add CHF 20,000 or more to the price of a watch. The Longines Master Collection has been around since 2005 and serves as a contemporary alternative to its revered Heritage Collection (with more traditional designs). The Master Collection has a wide variety of...
Following yesterday's interview with Lewis Hamilton, it is now time to talk to his teammate, also a driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport: Valtteri Bottas. As a Finn, I had the idea that this interview would turn out quite differently from the interview with superstar Lewis. And unsurprisingly, it did. Same questions as for Lewis, same focus on racing, style, (IWC) watches - as Valtteri also...
Last year, Ulysse Nardin introduced the?Marine Torpilleur (and later its sportier version, the?Marine Torpilleur Military), a well-thought, tasteful and well-priced take on the iconic Marine DNA of the brand. Classical but not too much, simplified but still with great horological content, well manufactured… It quickly proved to the be a winning formula, as it is the brand’s current bes...
Just ahead of the French Grand Prix last weekend, I had the chance to sit down with two of the best drivers currently racing in Formula 1, both behind the wheel of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport W09: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. IWC is a major sponsor of team Mercedes, and both drivers wear gloves with the well-known Big Pilot’s Watch printed on them. So, as you can imagine, the...
Ever since Porsche Design has taken matters more into its own hands, after relying for decades on other watch companies to build watches for them, I'm warming up to the collection even more than before. I've always been a bit of a fan of what these Germans, related to that eponymous car brand, have been doing in the world of watches. The very first titanium chronograph, the very first black wristw...
Dive watches are a dime a dozen these days. You can go high-end with a Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 or Omega Seamaster, or find something more affordable like a Seiko Diver's Automatic or Hamilton Khaki King Scuba. Whether spending USD 10,000 or USD 500, it's not hard to find a stylish and capable dive watch from a plethora of established brands. Ever since I got my first serious mechanical wa...
In 1999, German watch manufacturer A. Lange & Sohne introduced the genre-defining Datograph, an in-house mechanical chronograph that many still regard as THE best in its class. So, how does one improve on the ultimate purist chronograph? Well, if you're A. Lange & Sohne, you make it even more complicated, which is exactly what it did in 2006 with the introduction of the Datograph Perpetual...
The unique way Louis Moinet stages complications has become something of a brand signature. Its double tourbillon with kaleidoscope (Mobilis), oversized tourbillon poised with a planet in orbit (Space Mystery), dial side chronograph (Memoris), original retrograde seconds (Tempograph) are all examples of Jean-Marie Schaller's (the brand CEO and creative director) taste for the spectacular. And the ...
It was six years ago that Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled its first new collection for women in decades: Rendez-Vous. Launched with Diane Kruger as the face behind the line, the collection was designed expressly for women and was all about romance, femininity and allure – indicative of its name. Since then, the line has evolved to include complications and artistic versions and has become globally...
When you are one of the largest watch retailers in the world (and the largest in Europe), you can use this leverage to create your own limited edition watches. This is what Bucherer has been doing now for several years, with the Blue Editions – you probably guessed that all of these watches have a specific blue dial (see here for instance). Today, the watch retailer is presenting a special e...
Chronoswiss has built its reputation around an easily recognizable design first and, most importantly, on its extensive (for over 30 years now) use of a specific display: the regulator. Quite old-school for some years, the brand has been revived recently and has started to offer stronger and more modern designs, for instance with the?Flying Regulator Open Gear or a Bit-Coin inspired watch. Today, ...
Summer is here and with it comes warm weather, trips to the beach and afternoons on the open water. IWC has just introduced a summer edition of their Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph series with a nod to our warmest season. This is the latest edition of the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronographs, with previous models such as the Ocean Racer dedicated to the Volvo Ocean Race, an intense sailing race...
The holiday season is fast approaching and that’s the perfect time of the year to take off your suit… and the dress watch that goes along with it. Summer means seaside, boat rides, cocktails, unexpected jumps in a pool and all kinds of leisure activities. This means sports/dive watches on the wrist and for this reason, here are 5 cool pieces that will follow you from the deck of a boat...
Two limited editions of the HYT H2O – one in a black DLC-coated case with bright green fluid, the other in a silver case with blue fluid – were unveiled during the 2018 SIHH watch salon. Exposed under a large sapphire crystal dome, the H2O models – an evolution of the HYT H2 – reveal the flow of time from every possible angle. With its original fluidic indication for the ho...
When you think about it, there aren’t many differences between one racing chronograph and the next. Of course, designs can be different but the basics are there: 2 pushers, 3 registers, a fixed bezel with tachymeter scale, black or silver dials with coloured accents! All of these features feel so familiar that it quickly became the norm… but not for everyone! Some thought that a racing...
When you think about the Italian brand?Anonimo, it’s more than likely that military-inspired chronographs (the Militare collection) and dive watches (the Nautilo line), both with cushion-shaped cases, spring to mind. However, things are changing at Anonimo as the brand evolves in new directions and enlarges its scope, for example with the Epurato collection – a dressier, smaller and mo...
Recently, TAG Heuer announced the signature of a global partnership with GULF, one of the most iconic sponsors of the motorsports world – most of us can easily recall the light blue and orange racing liveries. This resulted in the creation of a special edition Monaco Calibre 11 (ref. CAW211R), which was reviewed here?– with the iconic GULF colours printed on its dial. As if that was no...
Let’s be honest… The Patek Philippe?Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524G (the white gold version) was a hot topic of discussion when launched at Baselworld 2015. Whatever the intrinsic qualities of this watch, it has been misunderstood. Too early, too radical, too different maybe. 3 years have passed now and there’s a new version in the collection, now in rose gold with a warm brown...
What happens when legends collide? Especially when those legends are in different fields. Last year, Roger Dubuis, Lamborghini and Pirelli joined forces, and their unique partnership created the racing-inspired Excalibur Spider Pirelli Double Flying Tourbillon. The skeleton timepiece was not only a technically impressive watch with twin tourbillons front and centre, it also sported a rubber strap ...
The Octo is a true compendium of Bvlgari's sense of design. With its graphic shapes and pure lines, its style is powerful, modern yet elegant. Over the past few years, the Italian watchmaker turned one model into an entire men's watch collection with striking launches including the unapologetically chic Finissimo Trilogy?and its several world records - including the recently introduced thinnest au...
Oris expands its highly successful retro Divers Sixty-Five family with the incorporation of two models with a bronze ring hugging the rotating bezel. Exuding strong vintage appeal with the two-tone black and warm golden and bronze touches, it is patently clear that Oris has been listening to its customers and has tapped directly into the trend for smaller unisex case sizes (36mm) and the ongoing f...
For the last three years, Chopard has adopted the graceful peony flower to decorate its?L.U.C XP Esprit de Fleurier 35mm limited editions for women. This year is no exception and Chopard unveiled a beautiful 18k rose gold edition of eight watches decorated with the silhouette of black paper-cut peonies on the dial and exquisite Fleurisanne engraving on the bridges of the movement. As the female re...
The Carrera turns 55 this year and TAG Heuer revisits its famous automotive chronograph with two models emblazoned with colours inspired by the world of auto racing. Available in a 41mm steel case with a vibrant blue or black dial and the distinctive 12-6-9 layout of the counters, the entry-level TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 captures the racing spirit of the classic Carrera with a youthful splash ...