If the highly successful PRX collection is in everybody’s minds these days, Tissot has much more to offer than these (objectively cool) 1970s-inspired watches with integrated design. Looking back at the 2022 collection, the Le Locle-based brand surprised us with a highly attractive chronograph inspired by the past, the Tissot Telemeter 1938. With its vintage design, cool dial with multiple s...
We all love a good chronograph, don’t we? But what determines what makes a chronograph, well, good? For some, it might come down to the design, for others, it has all to do with perceived value for money or the type of movement (manual vs. automatic), and then there are those looking for complexity like flyback or rattrapante functionality. But what we can all pretty much agree on, is the al...
“I’ve had a few optional extras installed.” A seemingly simple phase at first, but when considering the fact it’s a quote from the world’s most famous spy and refers to a car by the Q branch, you know those “optional extras” usually pack quite the punch! It’s a quote from The Living Daylights, where Timothy Dalton portrayed 007, James Bond and can be...
In recent years, Oris has been pushing towards a more sustainable future when it comes to watchmaking, both by reducing its own carbon footprint, but also through parthering with specifically selected organisations. These organisations are active in cleaning up beaches, preserving wildlife, protecting our oceans, lakes and rivers and so on. This is done through limited edition watches, mostly from...
Launched in 2007, the HydroConquest is Longines' answer to a contemporary dive watch with all the features of a resilient 300m water-resistant diving instrument at an accessible price. Apart from its practical features for divers, for many non-professional divers, the solidity of a dive watch makes it a perfect companion for outdoor adventures. The good news is that Longines is upping the function...
Norqain's highly successful Adventure Neverest line debuted in 2021 and kickstarted the independent Swiss brand's partnership with the Butterfly Help Project supporting schooling for the children of sherpas in Nepal. Two new models - a three-hand and a GMT - join the collection with bold black or grey and golden dials inspired by the jagged crevasses of the Khumbu Icefall. Fitted with manufacture ...
In a world that is increasingly computer-guided, laser-machined and mass-produced, it’s very nice to know the art of handmade things has not been lost. Whether it’s cars, tailored clothing, or watches, knowing that something has been crafted to perfection by the hands of an artisan gives tremendous satisfaction. As such, we fully embrace brands like Atelier de Chronometrie who uphold t...
They say big things can come in small packages, and in watchmaking, it was long a case of ‘bigger is better’. Over the past few years, however, we’ve seen a shift in the industry towards more sensible and compact dimensions, which is a good thing if we’re honest. And since preferred sizes and proportions are very personal, many people welcome the fact that some brands even ...
A far cry from the gravitas of the more classical Pano and Senator models, the Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date is one of the most original and refreshing models from Glashutte Original. Launched in 2014, the Seventies Panorama Date captures the zeitgeist of that groovy decade with its square TV-shaped case and adoption of vibrant, funky dial colours. Two new limited-edition models with “...
It’s no secret we’re fans of the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 (and its chronograph brother for that matter) as it is genuinely one of the best value-for-money watches in recent years. It looks cool, comes in many appealing variations, and since recently been available in a long-awaited smaller case size of 35mm. What started as a set of four new references in the new diameter, with black, ...
In the much-contested luxury sports watch category, there are two main contenders: on the one hand, there are the elusive heavyweight contestants with exorbitant prices, and on the other, catering to a far larger demographic, is an over-saturated sector vying for its share of the pie with aggressive prices. Separating the wheat from the chaff, it is reassuring to discover that a good number of roc...
Roger Dubuis has led the charge in daring and innovative watchmaking, earning its reputation as the master of “hyper-horology”. The brand’s creations boast a bold and avant-garde design philosophy, resulting in futuristic and distinctive timepieces incorporating cutting-edge materials and complex mechanical movements. The Excalibur Spider Monobalancier Huracn Sterrato is a brill...
The charm of a mechanical watch mostly lies in the fact it is a completely analogue experience. It’s the sensation of a rotor whizzing away as you move or wind a watch by hand, to power a mechanism of gears and levers to tell time the old-fashioned way that excites us the most. Usually, that spectacle is viewed only from the back, if at all, but in some cases, you get a glimpse of a watch...
The name might not ring a bell with a broader audience, but it is well-known and highly respected in some collectors’ communities.?A Swiss brand specialising in tool watches, Ollech & Wajs (O&W) was founded in 1956 by Albert Wajs and his friend Joseph Ollech, who formed a partnership and opened a watch shop. At first, they distributed timepieces from Breitling and Omega but eventuall...
The idea of getting a watch for summer often goes down to sourcing a dive watch… It’s the easy solution. Robust, cool, suitable for underwater adventures, sporty and not too flashy (not always), a dive watch will do the job. Even better if you combine it with a GMT complication, practical if you ever cross time zones. But, it can also sometimes be too focused, or too instrumental. If y...
Oris, a company committed to positive change, proudly supports charities that empower young people through sports and education. Building on their partnership with the Roberto Clemente Foundation, Oris now celebrates Hank Aaron with this unique limited-edition watch, a collaboration with the Chasing the Dream Foundation that Hank and his wife, Billye, established in 1994.Hank AaronHank Aaron’...
If you have been following the Swiss watch industry for the past years, there's been an undeniable shift towards the higher end of the market. While Swiss watch exports rose 17% between 2015 and 2022, the export value of watches with an export price below CHF 500* was halved over the same period. The industry growth has been driven by high-priced models while the low/mid-end segments have been und...
More than 50 years after its presentation, TAG Heuer continues to produce and promote the Monaco as one of its flagship models, preserving the heritage of the iconic chronograph while continuously updating it with design elements to ensure its enduring appeal. The new Monaco Racing Blue edition retains the allure of the original yet looks captivatingly fresh. And contrary to most modern versions, ...
This year, TAG Heuer celebrates the 60th anniversary of its most emblematic watch, a racing chronograph known as the Carrera, and as expected, we’ve seen already special editions or commemorative models. But that’s not all the brand had to offer. What’s probably the most important launch in recent years for this icon of motorsport is the watch we’re about to review, a new a...
Looking at IWC’s portfolio, the Portugieser Chronograph is, without a doubt, one of the most emblematic watches around. Now in its second generation (ref. 3716), it’s a classic with a timeless appeal. In recent years, however, the Schaffhausen-based brand expanded the collection with brighter colours and more daring styles?and even created an Individualisation Program?to create your ow...
Following the release by the two watchmaking giants Swatch Group and Richemont of strong results for the first months of 2023, it is now time for the world's leading luxury group, LVMH, to report its revenues for the?first half of 2023. The French powerhouse, active in multiple businesses (wines & spirits, fashion & leather goods, perfumes, watches & jewelry and more) is once again rep...
Swiss brand Omega has been the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic games for over 90 years. It all started back in 1932, at the Los Angeles Olympics, which marked the introduction of the three-level winner's podium and the assignment of one company to time the events. Now, in exactly one year's time, the world will be turning its attention to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, an...
While it seems to be well established now, we have to remember that Baltic only appeared on the watchmaking scene in 2017. The brainchild of watch and car enthusiast Etienne Malec, a Frenchman whose passion for vintage chronographs was transmitted by his father, the brand is one of the most impressive success stories in recent years. The MR01, an accessible vision of a Calatrava watch, generated u...
You probably know?Furlan Marri?already. Founded in 2021 by Andrea Furlan (Swiss industrial designer) and Hamad Al Marri (watch collector and artist from the Middle East), it started as a crowdfunded project on Kickstarter. The first watch, a handsome vintage-inspired mechaquartz chronograph, made quite some noise. The second model, an automatic time-only this time, gathered some attention again wi...
Known for its chronographs and elegant, vintage-inspired timepieces, Longines is no stranger to the field of dive watches. Recent examples such as the Ultra-Chron Diver or the Legend Diver Gradient showed that the brand was talented when it comes to introducing past icons. But the brand also has a solid collection of modern dive watches, with the competent and quite accessible HydroConquest. Avail...
The F.P. Journe Astronomic Souveraine is a complicated watch initially unveiled in 2019 as the Astronomic Blue, a one-of-a-kind (prototype) watch created for the biannual Only Watch auction fundraiser supporting muscular dystrophy research. This remarkable timepiece crafted in tantalum with a striking blue dial fetched a staggering CHF 1.8 million. Later that year, F.P. Journe announced limited qu...
Extreme simplicity, attention to detail and the wish to create a timeless watch, visually and mechanically. This is how we could summarise the work of Nicolas Commergnat, an independent watchmaker who is launching his eponymous brand but who is also a well-known name in the restoration and auction world. Known for his ability to bring complicated pocket watches back to life and his skills when it ...
In a collection of watches where one is more desirable than another, full ceramic Royal Oaks represents the end of the spectrum, the epitome of rare and cool. Putting the blue ceramic perpetual calendar aside, as the only one of its kind at Audemars Piguet, white ceramic is among the rarest materials used by the brand, with the white QP immediately coming to mind. But AP has recently applied the f...
Ferdinand Berthoud stages the swan song of its impressive calibre FB-T.FC. that made its debut in 2015 on board the FB1. Inspired by Ferdinand Berthoud's historical marine chronometers, the fascinating tourbillon movement with fusee-and-chain transmission took home the top prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve in 2016 and has secured the brand a firm footing in the Haute Horlogerie arena....
Last year, in order to celebrate its 190th anniversary, Longines surprised us with a rather stunning trio of watches. On paper, it was nothing more than a new set of dials applied to one of its most mundane, underrated watches, the time-only Master – not a bad watch, but one with a rather generic design. But a dial can drastically change a watch. And with various textures and handsome engrav...