Whether you like watches with manual or automatic wound movements, one of the key attributes of a mechanical watch is its power reserve. We regularly see comments on the power reserve of a movement being too short, as most watches hover around the 38 to 50-hour mark. Movements like the Powermatic 80 sort that for most people, thanks to its reduced frequency and improved mainspring and barrel provi...
As summer draws to an end, so comes to an end the season of car events and auction weekends. One of the latest in the year, but also one of the very best, is the Goodwood Revival that’s running this very weekend. Three days of the most amazing classic road and race cars tackling the historical Goodwood circuit in West Sussex, England. With drivers pushing their cars to the limit, and sometim...
We knew it was coming… Not only Swatch’s latest collaboration with a higher-end watchmaker from the Swatch Group was teased by the brand, but we even created our own vision of what these Swatch x Blancpain models could have been. And looking at the new Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms, we were not too far away from reality. Following the Moonswatch and its success, it’s time now fo...
An exciting partnership was struck in 2021, uniting two powerhouses obsessed with harnessing speed. The alliance between TAG Heuer and Porsche was so natural that many wondered why it had taken so long for two iconic brands sharing products with the name ‘Carrera’ to join forces. The latest model to hit the tracks is the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche, a dashing speedster in ...
Named after the illustrious 18th-century watchmaker Charles Leroy, L.Leroy was acquired in 2004 by Miguel Rodriguez, founder of the Festina Group. If the brand has been dormant for a number of years now, it is preparing its comeback. To whet our appetite about what is to come, L.Leroy is presenting a unique piece for the 2023 edition of the Only Watch charity auction. Hugo Lesizza, International S...
Inspired by the iconic 1968 Memovox Polaris dive watch with its underwater alarm, a modern Polaris collection was released in 2018 by Jaeger-LeCoultre. As the brand's only sports watch collection, the Polaris Chronograph with its tachymeter bezel to measure speed over a fixed distance is the definitive sporting complication forging a link between JLC and the world of motorsports. Five years down t...
When it comes down to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin – as we call it, the real deal for an RO – the current reference is the 16202, itself replacing the 15202. Next to this reference number is a pair of letters, which indicate the material of choice for each edition. ST for steel, BA for yellow gold, BC for white gold… And we’ve seen many more in the past to...
We certainly can’t hide the fact that the Swatch x Omega Moonswatch, a collaboration bringing the style of the Speedmaster Moonwatch into a far more accessible segment of the watch industry, caused a blast. Seeing the success of this collaboration, with over 1 million examples sold in 2022, despite some issues regarding availability, it was somehow expected to see a new chapter coming. And i...
After another week of a smorgasbord of watch news presented in the heart of Geneva, it’s time to have a first look back at what we think are the watches that stood out the most. There are a few trends that could be identified, such as the mix of black and gold in some watches (H. Moser & Cie, Bvlgari, Doxa) and blue finished movements (Armin Strom, MB&F). So, with that in mind, and a...
Oris is mostly known for its dive watches and instruments for pilots, some of them being part of the most focussed pieces on the market. Think about the Depth Gauge watch or the ProPilot Altimeter… But there’s also a more elegant and restrained side to Oris, with the Artelier collection. Classic, smooth and sometimes even mechanically impressive, this collection might not catch most of...
Among the six novelties Bulgari will unveil during Geneva Watch Days are four extraordinary high jewellery secret watches. The brand's famous mascot, the Serpenti, snakes back into the limelight decked out in gemstones and powered by the smallest mechanical movement on the market. Another iconic Bulgari design is the incorporation of ancient Roman coins into jewellery and watch designs, and the Ro...
During this year’s Geneva Watch Days, Ulysse Nardin unveiled the captivating and innovative Blast Free Wheel Marquetry. This creation showcases the artistic potential of silicon and features a familiar design reminiscent of the Executive Free Wheel Tourbillon, characterised by its captivating display of movement components. This latest horological composition echoes the recurring thematic of...
Oris has been embracing sustainable materials for years, such as with the Oris Aquis Date Upcycle back in 2021 or the Dat Watt series. The brand also has a comprehensive sustainability report from 2022 that details many efforts to contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable world. A partnership with the social enterprise Bracenet has brought new upcycled dials from ghost fishing nets, which are debu...
Attaining iconic status in the world of watchmaking is no easy feat. This is what however very much what Bulgari has achieved in a record span of just ten years, with the bold contemporary Italian design and sophisticated Swiss mechanics of the Octo Finissimo. Naturally, the Octo Finissimo is above anything else a statement of style and class. Bulgari crowned itself the master of ultra-slim moveme...
As we’ve seen in this article, recent years have brought us incredible developments in the field of deep diver’s watches – think about Omega and its Ultra-Deep Seamaster 6000m and ’s Deepsea Challenge RLX Titanium, a watch capable to withstand?the pressures at the deepest point on Earth. For many years already, Oris has demonstrated its capacity to create impressive instru...
Founded in 1868 by Boston watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones, IWC Schaffhausen can look back at more than a century and a half of watchmaking history. More than half of that has involved watches made for aviation, whether military or commercial. Its first-ever pilot’s instrument was made in 1936, and ever since, the company has been dedicated to the world of aviation (even though it does mu...
While most of the watches to be auctioned at Only Watch 2023 have already been released, there were a few left to be discovered… And, in all fairness, some of the most expected ones. Patek Philippe, MB&F x Moser for instance, and there was something to expect from Rexhep Rexhepi’s Akrivia too. The man has long been using the charity to auction to tease his future?releases, such as ...
Like many car manufacturers built upon a passion for speed, performance and racing cars, Lotus has pretty much done it all and won it all. It raced in open-wheel categories such as the Indy500 and Formula 1 but also at Le Mans and various other prestigious championships around the world. For many years, this was driven by Colin Chapman’s forward-thinking engineering and although not every ca...
Although his name might not ring a bell, Stephane Von Gunten has a long track record in the industry. After a couple of years with Patek Philippe, this watchmaking engineer has spent most of his career with Ulysse Nardin to become its R&D Director Quite a background, given the brand's propensity for innovation. There, he was involved with filing no fewer than 30 patents. Now in his mid-forties...
Aficionados regard watch brands as the stars of the show, all the more so when they present complicated or very complicated pieces. Upstream, there are other stars, the minds that conceive, design, and rethink watchmaking micromechanics in depth. Giulio Papi is one of those, and the mere mention of his name instantly sparks excitement among collectors. We interview the designer-inventor – ho...
It is not a secret anymore… More and more watchmaking brands are collaborating with external designers. The mission is to reach out to new customers and to cater to a clientele more and more influenced by streetwear and high-end urban fashion. Modern, influenced by street art or urban fashion, we’re talking about merging luxury watchmaking with a contemporary approach to design. Today,...
Even though we haven’t seen new records broken recently, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo remains one of the most impressive ultra-thin collections in existence, setting an industry benchmark. From the thinnest tourbillon to the thinnest perpetual calendar, and then some, Bulgari has made a name for itself as the master of modern thinness. The watch we’re looking at today was once and still ...
Bianchet is a new independent Swiss watch brand founded by husband and wife team Rodolfo and Emmanuelle Festa Bianchet in 2017. Sharing a passion for tonneau-shaped watches and ultra-contemporary aesthetics and materials, the couple launched its first watch, the Tourbillon 1.618, in 2021. Incorporating a big date complication, Bianchet introduces its second watch, the Flying Tourbillon Grande Date...
As summer is drawing to an end, it’s time to pack away our swim shorts and bikinis, inflatable unicorns and snorkel gear and return to normal life again. Although pretty much everyone looks forward to the season of ‘fun in the sun‘, it’s inevitable that at one point we must return to our everyday activities, whether that’s a full-time job or perhaps college or univers...
The mid-1990s GT1 era of endurance racing sparked some of the most gorgeous, finely tuned racing cars ever conceived. Cars like the McLaren GT1, Porsche 911 GT1 and Mercedes CLK-GTR all became poster cars for the manufacturers, but also for the class they competed in. The same goes for the homologation road cars, the Strassenversions, as the legacy of each is well documented, and well known by man...
The things money can’t buy… There are things you can get in exchange for your hard-earned money. And then, some experiences and encounters are simply not available, whatever you’ll put on the table… Except in this case, it does. But since it’s for a good cause, one that will only ensure the future of an industry that we love, we’re all good with it. This year, d...
Producing robust tool watches for pilots, divers and soldiers since 1959, partners Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs relied on third parties to source movements, cases, dials and even tritium hands to ensure the best possible Swiss quality at the best price. Following its revival in 2017, Ollech & Wajs, aka OW, sticks to its utilitarian guns and still outsources Swiss movements to contain costs. T...
In a very short period, the Tonda PF collection has stolen the limelight and positioned itself as the star product of Parmigiani Fleurier. Released with Guido Terreni at the helm in 2021, the Tonda PF reinterprets the luxury sports watch genre with refreshing minimalism and understated elegance that place it in a class all its own. During Watches & Wonders 2023, Parmigiani Fleurier introduced ...
The Tissot PRX… A never-ending story, with one variation following another. The brand’s catalogue is now a collection comprising no fewer than 38 references, including quartz and automatic models, time-only or chronograph versions, in either 35mm or 40mm, on steel bracelets, leather or rubber straps. And then, there are the colours, ranging from classic black or blue to a cool ice blue...
Tissot is among the largest Swiss watch brands (by volume) and renowned for stylish yet affordable mechanical collections. The PRX collection has been the talk of the town lately, but the Chemin Des Tourelles collection is just as compelling. There are three sizes available throughout the line (34mm, 39mm and 42mm), but we're focusing specifically on the Chemin Des Tourelles in 39mm, with a refine...