The news that watch aficionados and the whole industry were expecting is finally out. A couple of years ago, the rumour that the 5711, the time-and-date Nautilus, one of the most sought-after watches and an icon of high-end horology and style, would be discontinued started to spread. Not long after, the rumour was confirmed by Patek Philippe, with several continuation models to be released regardl...
Cartier is often considered the master of shaped watches. Squared, oval, bell-shaped, asymetrical, cushion-shaped, barrel-shaped and many more… It’s an endless story, with the only limit being the capacity to be worn on the wrist. Some of the most emblematic and original designs of Cartier didn’t come from Paris’ HQ but from its London-based branch. The wildest ideas were b...
Zurich-based auction house Ineichen Auctioneers has been on the rise recently, with sales that went beyond the classic portfolio of vintage sports watches and modern steel Pateks and APs. There’s something truly attractive in seeing selections based on independent watchmakers or thematic sales turning around a specific colour or complications. Ineichen Auctioneers’?upcoming late 2022...
It is sometimes stated that the very first car race happened 5 minutes after the second-ever car was built. And to an extent, that is very true. Racing has been part of the automotive industry from day 1 basically, as people try to find out who is quickest in what car. The direct result is a race for innovation as well, as one tries to outdo the other. It’s pretty much an ego game at the end...
When I received the invitation to join Panerai for a rather special experience in the south of Italy a couple of months ago, I didn’t think much of it. I expected to have just another well-organised hands-on experience with a luxury watch company and enjoy my time on the Mediterranean coast. But once I received the program for the two days in and around Brindisi, followed by an 8-week traini...
A. Lange & Sohne is renowned as one of the most distinguished watchmakers from Saxony on the market today, but life hasn’t always been smooth sailing. As a witness and victim of the vicissitudes of German history over the past two centuries, the destiny of the brand has come full circle. From its foundation in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolf Lange in Glashutte to its destruction during WWII, and...
TAG Heuer watches, and specifically the Formula 1 collection (obviously, with such a name), are all about racing and motorsports – the sport most associated with the brand. And yes, they often are relatively serious, or at least very focused on real-world automobiles. But what about keeping the racing spirit alive and sending it to a different universe, something about fun and playful inspir...
Longines is celebrating 190 years of watchmaking with a selection of very nice watches. First and foremost, we had the return of the Longines UltraChron, an iconic high-frequency watch. Then shortly after the summer, the refined Longines Master Collection 190th Anniversary was launched. To once more bring attention to the celebration of almost two centuries, Longines has just pulled the covers of ...
The story behind these fun, bespoke chronographs packs a good chunk of history, dating back to 1816 when horologist extraordinaire Louis Moinet produced the first world’s first chronograph. Known as the ‘Compteur de Tierces’, this pocket watch was designed to time the passage of stars and could measure events to 1/60th of a second, complete with start, stop and reset functions be...
The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve celebrated its 20th-anniversary last year. In two decades, the GPHG has gained a formidable reputation and is often referred to as the “Oscars of Watchmaking.” Raymond Loretan has been at the helm of the foundation, organising the event for five years now. A few weeks before the 2022 ceremony, we interviewed him to discuss the main changes in...
Tissot started out with a 40mm size PRX, and it was good. Then came more colour variants, and they were good. After that came luxurious fluted gold bezels, and they were pricey but still good. This was followed by a PRX Chronograph, which was very good! But then… nothing? Ever since Tissot launched the incredible platform that is the PRX, there has been a public outcry to introduce a smaller...
Another relative newcomer on the independent watchmaking block is Cvstos, a niche Geneva-based brand founded in 2005 by Sassoun Sirmakes, son of Vartan Sirmakes of the Franck Muller Watchland Group. With a preference for tonneau-shaped cases across all its collections, it will not come as a surprise that co-founder and chief designer Antonio Terranova worked at Richard Mille long before his advent...
It's impossible to talk about the modern scuba diving watch and its evolution without talking about Blancpain. As one of the earliest creators of the purpose-built tool watch, they are responsible for multiple innovations in the field, including using an o-ring to seal the case back, and a pioneering crown seal system. Their name belongs right up there with the likes of and Omega and Panerai whe...
Welcome back to The Collector's Corner. Earlier this year, we took a detailed look at one of the most impressive chronographs developed from the ground up during the 1990s, namely the Reverso Chronographe Retrograde. This, back in an era when in-house wasn't yet what it is today, was nothing short of an achievement, specifically considering we're talking chronograph. This article is something a li...
Just a couple of months ago we found out IWC had quietly introduced the new Pilot’s Watch Mark XX. No fanfare, no public announcement, no press releases, nothing. It just popped up on the website one day, out of the blue. And speaking of blue, that was one of the dial colours presented, alongside classical black. This time around, IWC brings us four new references to the Mark XX collection t...
If there is one name that could best define the connection between cars and watches, it has to be Carrera. Indeed, the name has long been associated with two of the most prominent names of both the car and the watch industry. On one side is the legendary car of Porsche, the 911 Carrera. On the other is the cult watch of TAG Heuer, the Carrera Chronograph. And the two pay tribute to an emblematic r...
Rado just celebrated the 60th anniversary of their Diastar collection with the presentation of 4 new watches crafted from Ceramos, their high-tech composite material. The new models included an anniversary edition created with Swiss-Argentinian designer Alfredo H?berli. During the launch in Zurich, we sat down with the brand's CEO, Adrian Bosshard and Alfredo H?berli to discuss the genesis of this...
Most watch enthusiasts and collectors are rarely content with their current collection. Sure, it might hold someone’s most desired pieces to date, but there’s always that next one to lust after. And to be honest, I have a long list of watches that are theoretically within my reach and would one day love to own. On the other hand, I often wonder what I would keep if I had to tone it dow...
Fast on the heels of the Alpine Eagle Pine Green model, Chopard is also releasing six references in a new 33mm case size. When the Alpine Eagle luxury sports watch collection was introduced in 2019, the first time-and-date models were offered in 41mm and 36mm case sizes, moving up to 44mm cases for the chronograph models The new, smaller case size is evidently targeting women and comes in ethical ...
One of the most buoyant genres in the watchmaking arena is the luxury integrated sports watch, going from strength to strength since the Royal Oak's debut in 1972. Although Chopard appears to have been a latecomer to the scene with its 2019 Alpine Eagle, the roots of this watch can be traced to the late 1970s with a watch created by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (now Chopard's Co-President) known as th...
Clad in dramatic Rosso Corsa, donning the yellow-and-black Prancing Horse logo, and fitted with a high-performance engine, preferably in the back, there’s just something mystical and evocative about a Ferrari. Even when that Ferrari was never raced like it was intended to do, or a painstaking, home-built replica of a car that doesn’t exist anymore. And yes, the latter would never pass ...
First presented in 2017, the Marine Torpilleur collection has been entirely refreshed last year, with new and refined models that pay tribute to the rich history of the brand in the field of Marine Chronometers. The Marine Torpilleur picks up on vintage design cues but comes in a lighter, younger and more versatile package like the fast, manoeuvrable torpedo boats that inspired its name. Elegant, ...
Originally launched in 1986 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the brand, the EBEL 1911 has long been a flagship model of the brand. After re-launching its Sports Classic collection in 2017 (with its signature wave-shaped bracelet), the brand now brings back the emblematic 1911, with several quartz-powered ladies' and gents' watches and an aquatic take on the model featuring a mechanical movemen...
For somebody looking for a watch with design flair and plenty of originality that won't break the bank, Louis Erard is a brand worth exploring. Always on the hunt for new ideas, Louis Erard has worked with many watchmakers and designers to create imaginative, original watches that also happen to be affordable. The latest project involves three Petite Seconde models from the Excellence collection w...
About a month ago, Tudor dropped a new edition of what is its most hardcore dive watch to date: the Pelagos. First released in 2012, this 42mm titanium watch was designed for action with its 500m WR and helium valve, its ultra-focused design and the use of lightweight, resistant and functional materials. It was followed by an evolution with a manufacture movement, then a rather funky LHD model and...
Versatility is what brings a certain degree of joy to us all. At least, that’s what I’d like to believe when it comes to life and watches. Each and every one of us is unique, with different feelings, emotions, preferences and likes and dislikes. Just compare collectors and their watches, and you’ll note there are no two alike. But in watchmaking, designs are mostly fixed, with ze...
The Speedmaster has long been associated with Space exploration, specifically since 1969 when the watch made it to the surface of the Moon, after NASA qualified it for all manned space missions. Yet, the Moonwatch, also known as the classic Speedmaster Profesional with its hand-wound mechanical movement, isn’t the only watch produced by Omega to have been in Space. Indeed, ESA (the European ...
“The Speedmaster Moonwatch should be in stainless steel. Period. This is how NASA wanted it, this is how Omega created it, and this is how it went to the Moon.” This is the type of argument you can imagine hearing from the mouth of strongly opinionated Speedy fans. Fair enough, the Moonwatch is still very much available in this more common material, and it should make them happy enough...
Suppose you’re one of our loyal readers. In that case, you certainly know that we have a thing for salmon dial watches, chronographs in general – monopushers to be even more precise – classic designs of the 1940s and we have huge respect for the work of Austrian independent watchmakers Maria and Richard Habring (also known as Habring2). All of that led us to the creation of our f...
Audemars Piguet will be dressing up its complications in ceramic for the end of this year, including the striking full-blue RO Perpetual, or various editions of Code 11.59. One of the recipients is Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon. The white gold and black ceramic case frame an absolutely captivating, inky black onyx dial graced with the ballet of a flying tourbillon at...