While today’s watchmakers offer a wide variety of timepieces without the hour and minute hands most of us are accustomed to, one collection of modern Haute Horlogerie stands out in particular. We are talking, of course, about the A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk, with its rather unique jumping digital time display. And since the brand has just released an updated version of the classic Zeitwerk...
Incredible things can materialise when you combine the creative aspirations of a wealthy Singaporean vintage watch collector and the talents of an Italian master clockmaker. One of Benjamin Chee’s three watchmaking brands is the high-end Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie (BCHH), responsible for the beautiful Celestial Voyager made with Svend Andersen. Chee’s latest fantasy transcends mund...
Normally we can classify something as a wristwatch, a pocket watch or a clock, but in some instances, an object can transcend these labels and morph into something complex. Just think of? Bovet’s convertible Amadeo watches?or the recently introduced Omega Chrono Chime 1932. Swiss independent watchmakers Code41, a community-based brand founded in 2016, is looking to add an entirely new class ...
Founded by legendary designer Gerald Genta, the independent watchmaker known as Gerald Charles is the perpetuation of his legacy and a continuation of his designs. Lately, the brand’s portfolio has grown quite dramatically, with all watches built around a signature, highly original yet quite elegant design known as the Maestro (yes, shaped by Mr Genta himself back when he was still alive). T...
Since the release of its first collection in 1992, Nomos has never ceased to please with its minimalist designs, nice movements (specifically since it moved to in-house in 2005) and a particular flair for fun and lightness. Fresh, young, very German and at the same time thinking outside the box, the brand has recently made a move towards sportier, bolder designs, moving away from its traditional B...
This latest version of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph in a pink gold case with a blue dial exudes a warmer and more luxurious vibe than other models in the current line-up. Admittedly, there is another pink gold model in the collection, but it has a more demure silver dial and just two strap options. This stunning Overseas Chronograph comes with?Vacheron Constantin‘s impressive...
Square watches are less mainstream than their round counterparts, but some models have become truly legendary. TAG Heuer's Monaco is arguably the most recognised and synonymous with motorsport and Steve McQueen. The new Serie-R Cruiser from French microbrand Depancel is inspired by motorsport as well, specifically cafe racer and cruiser motorcycles. Its square case is certainly reminiscent of the ...
One of the most classical displays in watchmaking is the time-only watch with small seconds. Originating from the early days of watchmaking, more specifically pocket watchmaking, this display shows only hours, minutes and seconds. But that doesn’t mean such a watch should be considered boring. Quite the opposite in fact, as there is a real abundance of styles available. Classical Calatrava-s...
Following its first post-pandemic physical edition in 2022, with the participation of new brands, including Patek Philippe, , Chopard, Chanel and LVMH brands, Watches & Wonders announces changes to its management and organisation, illustrating significant evolutions. , Richemont and Patek Philippe have just announced the creation of the Watches & Wonders Geneva Foundation (WWGF), a not-fo...
Louis Erard has become a byword for collaborations, and the list of watchmakers and design studios involved with the brand is growing by the day. Fast becoming a tradition, the models singled out for the collaborative transformations are the Regulateur and the Petite Seconde from Louis Erard’s Excellence collection. Tapping into a festive Halloween mood, the latest Petite Seconde has been de...
The Omega De Ville Prestige is the brand's classic all-rounder. Launched 28 years ago, the model is somewhat overshadowed by the popular Seamaster and Speedmaster but is an important pillar of the brand's collection. Omega now introduces an overall upgrade of the Prestige with six different families, five different sizes, and four different movements, all with improved functionality and style. The...
You would think that after decades of development and innovation, the dive watch would have reached a certain status that needs no more improvements. Sure, you can upgrade the depth rating or play around with the materials the design or colours, but that’s about it, right? The majority of dive watches end up looking more or less similar and follow the codes set by iconic divers like the Blan...
Omega is well known for its luxury sports watches, for beautifully made, resilient watches equipped with impressive Master Chronometer movements incarnated by models like the Speedmaster and the Seamaster. Fewer know that Omega can also do incredibly high-end watches, such as a tourbillon produced in its Atelier d’Excellence workshop. And the latest watch to emerge is absolutely mind-blowing...
If anybody outside the watch world were to ask what some of the biggest trends in watchmaking are today, the answer would undoubtedly include ‘collaborations’ and ‘sustainability‘. Ulysse Nardin is no stranger to collaborations, and for its latest Diver, it teams up with Norwegian outdoor sportswear brand Norr?na to produce the Diver Norr?na Arctic Night. Sheathed in dark s...
Horage is an independent Swiss brand founded in 2007 and has already developed three in-house movements. There's the K1 automatic in models like the Autark and Omnium, K2 micro-rotor in the new Supersede integrated sports watch and K-TOU tourbillon in its second watch, the Lensman 1. This latest piece follows the Tourbillon 1, which was the most accessible in-house Swiss Tourbillon on the market. ...
It will come as no surprise that Habring2 is one of our favourite independent watchmakers, as this was the brand of choice for our first-ever MONOCHROME Montre de Souscription presented last year. And given the fact, there have been quite a few collaborations with Habring and others we’ve seen in the past few years, we’re not alone in our fondness for Richard and Maria’s work. Th...
In 2009, A. Lange & Sohne presented a watch that was a true game changer for the brand. Visually audacious, mechanically fascinating, a complete break from the usual codes of the manufacture, the Zeitwerk became one of the most emblematic models of ALS and a sort of UFO on the high-end watch scene. Combining traditional codes of German watchmaking with an unprecedented way to indicate the time...
Sailing in luxury sports watch waters is a devilishly tricky, competitive manoeuvre. Every last detail of an aspiring candidate is invariably compared to the forefather(s) and accusing fingers decry any hint of resemblance or likeness. When Girard-Perregaux reintroduced its Laureato collection in 2016, many indignant reactions and copycat accusations arose. However, the irony is that the Laureato ...
Earlier this week a rumour started spreading that Patek Philippe was about to launch the long-awaited successor to the iconic Nautilus 5711. And sure enough, this past Tuesday the Nautilus 5811G, in white gold, was presented. Slightly bigger in size, with minor aesthetic updates, this is set to continue the Nautilus legacy. But that was far from all, as the Maison released not one but eight new wa...
For many years, Bell & Ross has been all about pilot- and military-inspired watches. This was the brand’s motto, the style that made it famous. And while the Parisian brand still leans heavily on those codes in its current instrument collection, materialised by the emblematic BR03 range, it had to evolve. How? By becoming more urban, less hardcore. This strategy took shape in the BR 05 c...
Imagine an object that is 1.8mm thick. As a reference, 1.8mm is thinner than your average bracelet spring bar. This figure represents the entire height of the watch we’re going to explore today, not the thickness of its movement. No, 1.8mm refers to the thickness of the whole watch, including the case and crystals. This watch is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra, a watch that broke the record...
Sebastian Muller, the fourth generation of a Swiss watchmaking family from the Jura, founded Brellum in 2016, a small independent brand with a production of around 299 pieces a year and a focus on affordable chronometer-certified chronographs. The Pandial, Brellum’s two-tone vintage-inspired chronograph fitted with a Valjoux 7750, returns in a classic black-and-white panda suit after its deb...
We often talk about revival, resurrection, restoration or even of retro- and vintage-inspiration when it comes to recreating watches from the past, but never of a restomod. This term is closely linked to the automotive industry and basically means taking something from the past, and overhauling it while paying respect to the original design yet presenting it as an improved take. The same term can ...
Smartphones are the pocket watches of today, second only to our prized wristwatches for relaying the time. For centuries, however, pocket watches reigned supreme as timekeepers for civilian, military, business and scientific use. If you're wondering if there's still a place for pocket watches in the 21st century, check out our in-depth article (short answer, YES). Modern pocket watches tend to be ...
Back to front for some, perfect for others, Patek Philippe’s Grand Complication is a rara avis of the watch world and features the chronograph pushers on the left side of the case. Also known as a destro, this left-handed chronograph is, in hallmark Patek style, combined with a perpetual calendar complication. Fitted with the superlative in-house split-seconds chronograph calibre with perpet...
With high-end German watchmaking companies often comes a sincere level of seriousness and respect for traditions and craftsmanship. Often labelled as the Saxony way of working, brands like A. Lange & Sohne, Glashutte Original and Moritz Grossmann show a real knack for extremely refined and classical styles of watchmaking. But, as we all need to do, every now and then they let loose a little an...
When resurrecting the Ferdinand Berthoud name, an eminent 18th-century horologist, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele and his team have shown quite a talent to surprise and amaze us. First with the Chronometre FB1, which was awarded the coveted Aiguille d'Or at the GPHG 2016, the Oscars of watchmaking. And then, with the no less spectacular, Chronometre FB2, which was awarded the Chronometry prize at GPHG 2...
With Halloween just around the corner, Chopard has unveiled three special edition watches during the Saln Internacional Alta Relojera (SIAR), Latin America's most important annual watch fair held in Mexico City. The famous Da de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations in Mexico are renowned for memento mori art, including the famous Calaveras (representation of human skulls) that animate the...
As the Sun begins to lose its intensity and temperatures drop, autumn brings us the beautiful spectacle of changing leaf colours. It looks like Patek Philippe has taken inspiration from the warm, golden leaves for its latest edition of the World Time Flyback Chronograph reference 5935A. Introduced in 2016, Patek's signature World Time complication (developed by Louis Cottier) was combined with a c...
The new Nautilus 5811 by Patek Philippe isn’t the only news of the day, as there are three further references under the Nautilus name. Although today’s release of the long-awaited 5711 replacement will undoubtedly steal the spotlight from the other “Nautilus class of 2022” models, rest assured, there’s plenty to be discovered with Patek’s super-luxurious take on...