The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M dive watch collection, introduced nearly two decades ago, has established itself as a symbol of robust case construction, impeccable water resistance, and high-performance movements. Seamlessly marrying the functionality of a tool watch with the style of a luxury timepiece, the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M series has become a standout in the realm of modern div...
The 2023 edition of the Dubai Watch Week, one of the key watch events on the calendar, is in full swing right now. With over 50 brands participating in the celebration of watchmaking, there’s plenty to be discovered. As with every edition of the fair, brands go to great lengths to create unique and appealing new watches, often in highly creative and highly limited executions. One such editio...
We’re doing this differently this week, as we’re not content with ‘just’ listing watches within a certain price range, featuring a specific complication or a distinct dial colour. We’re not even going to focus on a movement’s complexity, an unconventional case design or a specific material. No, in this instalment of our weekly Buying Guide, we’re emerging ...
Oris made a splash a couple of years ago with the release of the immediately popular Divers Sixty-Five bronze series, the Cotton Candy, featuring vibrant, eye-catching dials in pink, light blue, and green, offered on a multi-piece bronze metal bracelet or leather strap. In 2022, the Swiss watchmaker expanded the collection by introducing equally vivid Perlon straps for the Divers Sixty-Five Cotton...
Being an independent brand grants Oris the freedom to explore and foster creativity without undue caution. The latest release from the Swiss manufacture is based on the contemporary and well-engineered ProPilot Calibre 400, unveiled by the watchmakers of Holstein last year. However, this iteration presents a distinct dial, which, despite its vibrant appearance, is crafted without a drop of paint o...
Now in its sixth edition, Dubai Watch Week will be in the spotlight from 16-20 November as a stage for 60 participating watch brands to unveil their novelties. Chopard will introduce a gem-set solid gold version of its luxury sports watch, the Alpine Eagle, in four variations with different combinations of gradient-coloured stones set in the bezel.The Alpine Eagle luxury sports watch collection de...
At the 2023 Dubai Watch Week, TAG Heuer reveals a new watch dedicated to the event’s host city, a Carrera Tourbillon H02T in a black PVD titanium case with carbon tachymeter fixed bezel and distinctive decorative elements, setting this limited series apart. While it is yet another rendition of the watch that made waves in 2016, bearing a sticker price below EUR 20k, the TAG Heuer Carrera Tou...
Whenever a watchmaking brand has an icon in the books, it tends to protect it with great care and introduce new colours and small technical updates to keep things fresh. Such is the case with the, dare we say it, legendary Longines Legend Diver. A watch modelled after an important diver from the late 1950s, and now a true cornerstone model in the brand’s portfolio. And we’re quite happ...
For Dubai Watch Week, Bulgari presents five captivating models inspired by the rich plumage and iridescent colours of peacocks’ tails. While the hypnotic Serpenti is Bulgari’s most famous mascot, the proud, unabashedly beautiful peacock has been the mascot of choice for the Divas’ Dream collection since 2017. Using different materials – including feathers, mother-of-pearl a...
In 2016, with a crystal-clear sound, Chopard announced the launch of its L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater, introducing an exciting solution featuring a sapphire gong directly attached to the crystal. This departure from the conventional metal segment gongs, which vibrate around the movement to produce sound, marked a significant step for Chopard. Beyond its innovative sound mechanism, the L.U.C F...
2001 stands out in history, marked by events that significantly shaped our future – some fascinating, some terrifying. In the realm of watchmaking, 2001 witnessed a groundbreaking moment with the unveiling of the Freak by Ulysse Nardin – a “horological UFO with no dial, no hands, no crown, and a novel silicon direct impulse escapement,” as described by our own Xavier Markl....
Whenever birthdays or anniversaries are celebrated, brands like to go the extra mile in creating something truly cool or special. These celebratory pieces can become icons in their own right, as they often have special features, unique materials or never-to-be-repeated colour combinations. Omega has done it with the Seamaster, Audemars Piguet with the Royal Oak Offshore, and Patek Philippe even ce...
The project of Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-president of Chopard, Ferdinand Berthoud has established a very strong presence in the minds of independent and high-end watchmaking enthusiasts. The FB3, a complex time-only watch, is the third pillar of the brand. Sophisticate yet understated, this elegant chronometer is a superb display of fine workmanship, meticulous attention to detail and mastery o...
Delving into one’s archives to find inspiration for new models is common practice in the watchmaking world. It’s been done for years and will likely remain a go-to strategy in the future. And while simply regurgitating past designs might be boring to some, it can be extremely satisfying, when done right. In recent years Tissot has been quite successful in capturing the essence of histo...
Daytona, Zenith Chronomaster Sport, TAG Heuer Carrera, Omega Speedmaster Racing… Here are some of the most significant chronographs born on the track or dedicated to motorsport. No need to say, the competition in this market is fierce. Up until now, and despite its long involvement in racing and Formula 1 with Mercedes-AMG or Lewis Hamilton, Schaffhausen-based brand IWC has never really pu...
Coinciding with the 160th anniversary of the brand in 2020, TAG Heuer inaugurated the Carrera Chronograph 42mm, a winning combination of design cues of the famous ancestor with a dash of refinement and modernity. A tribute, if you like, to the importance this collection holds for the brand, the Carrera Chronograph 42mm is still a racing-inspired high-performance timepiece for sports car enthusiast...
Following already 3 editions – The Millennium Watch Book, Tourbillon Watches and Divers Watches – GMT Publishing and Brice Lechevalier now release a fourth opus in their successful The Millenium book series. And now, the latest book to be released takes a look at one of the most popular complications, the chronograph.Just like the previous volumes, this fourth sequel of The Millennium ...
If like me, you’re not always content with a superbly elegant yet somewhat simple-looking dress watch, I have a solution for you. While a dress watch gives me just as much joy in the right moments, I often like to spice things up with a touch of frivolity. That frivolity can come in the form of colour, for instance. As luck would have it, brands are expanding their colour palettes well beyon...
Everyone who is familiar with the IWC Shaffhausen’s iconic Big Pilot knows the direct consequence of such a large watch. At 46.2mm across and 15.4mm in height, and usually crafted in stainless steel or even precious metals, it is a fairly hefty beast on the wrist. To bypass this and make it a bit more wearable, IWC introduced the Big Pilot 43. While that solves the issue of size, it also com...
Consistency is a key factor in any fledgling watchmaking brand and Ming Thein's watchmaking project, a.k.a MING Watches, has stuck its course of coherent design producing a style that is recognisable and judging by its sales, widely admired. To celebrate the brand's fifth anniversary in 2022, Ming unveiled a sophisticated monopusher chronograph in titanium with a minimalist, eccentric design and a...
Switzerland-based luxury conglomerate Richemont Group has just issued its trading update for the six months ended 30 September 2023. The Group delivered a solid performance with sales up 6% at actual exchange rates and 12% at constant exchange rates. Sales and operating profit from continuing operations were of EUR 10.2 billion and EUR 2.7 billion, respectively. Yet, these results also reveal a do...
A watch that should have been first presented thanks to a unique piece for Only Watch 2023 (which has been postponed), we knew that Patek Philippe?was on its way to presenting a new model entirely dedicated to its former President, father of the current President and a man of great importance for both the brand and the Swiss watch industry, Mister Philippe Stern. In order to celebrate his 85th bir...
Tonight the 2023 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve has just unveiled who is the grand winner of this year’s awards ceremony! Often regarded as the Oscars of Watchmaking, the GPHG stands for a celebration of all things surrounding mechanical watchmaking. A specially selected jury has narrowed down all the entries into multiple categories with 6 watches each. Out of all th...
The trend for collaboration watches is expanding exponentially across all segments of watchmaking. A precursor in the field, Massena LAB is back with its fourth collaboration watch produced with Mathey-Tissot. This joint effort results in a late 1960s-style tri-compax chronograph with brightly coloured sub-dials to evoke the mood of the Swinging Sixties.William Massena certainly knew what he was d...
Atypical careers in watchmaking are rare, if not exceptional. Most of today’s watchmakers work to the mandates of marketing and Excel spreadsheets and tend to be conventional and conformist. There are, however, some rare exceptions and Yvan Arpa, founder of ArtyA, is one of them. Flamboyant and unpredictable, unfiltered and out of the ordinary, just like his career. You be the judge.The man ...
Autumn has finally arrived in Europe, marking the annual migration of birds as they flock to warmer climates. Alpina is also taking a break from the cold Swiss air and hot-footing to sunnier locations, more precisely SoCal. Indeed, the latest-generation Alpiner Extreme, the brand's most formidable contender for outdoor adventures, now dons a cool California dial. Coupled with its aggressive price ...
Watchmaking collaborations are thriving, often yielding extraordinary results and offering a select group of collectors the chance to possess distinctive timepieces. In today’s showcase, Collective Horology, a California-based members-only club dedicated to crafting collaborative watches for enthusiasts, joined forces with the venerable Oris from Holstein. Together, they delved into the embl...
Today, Tissot is paying tribute to its most classic collection, a watch that was released 20 years ago, itself being a piece commemorating the rich past of the brand. Founded in the small town of Le Locle in Switzerland back in 1853, Tissot celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2003 by releasing an elegant, refined yet affordable collection aptly named Le Locle. A well-established cornerstone model,...
It’s not often that we get to introduce completely new brands that do things in a completely unique way. Sure, most watches we present, even the ones from breakout watchmakers, still rely on the same format of central hands making a rotation once every 12 hours. Watches that rewrite or even completely throw out the rulebook are far and few between. Brands like Urwerk and MB&F have redefi...
The Glashutte region in the South-East of Germany is the cradle of German mechanical watchmaking. The small town is home to some of the most revered historic watchmaking houses in the industry. Nowadays, you’ll find names like A. Lange & Sohne, Moritz Grossmann and Glashutte Original, all headquartered there. But there’s one brand from this region that should be on everyone’s...