One of my favorite things about Omega is that the brand is constantly tinkering. Always turning knobs, always experimenting. Sometimes its in the pursuit of producing a more lasting product, and sometimes it feels like its just tinkering for the sake of tinkering. Forget changing the color of a single line of text on the dial, increasing a case by a single millimeter, or just giving us the tired same-but-blue treatment, Omegas changes-particularly when it comes to the many references under its S [...]
Asymmetric design is a hallmark of Glashutte region watches, a fact that is dutifully celebrated by German watchmaker Glashutte Original. For 2013, theyve released the exclusive PanoLunarTourbillon, the latest of many Pano watches that celebrate the appeal of balanced, yet eccentric dials. The contemporary popularity of these dials probably began with the Lange 1 watches by competing neighbor brand A. Lange Sohne that were originally released in the mid 1990s. The Pano watches from Glashutte Or [...]
When I first laid eyes on the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Grand Feu only one question formed in my mind Does it come with a tuxedo? Im going to need a tux to pull that off. With a dial of super heated Gran Feu enamel, JLC has found a clever way of adding some visual flare to a very delicate and minimal dress watch design.With a 39mm wide 18k white gold case, the Grand Feu is right in the sweet spot for a proper dress watch and, at just 5 mm thick, its not going to snag on anything bu [...]
Breitling recently released the wildly simple yet attractive Superocean Heritage based on diving watch designs from the 1950s. It was a controversial watch as some people failed to see its inherent beauty and appeal. Of course, observant enthusiasts noticed that it was just this simplicity that made the Superocean Heritage stand out. Breitlings are know for being ultra-busy in their designs. Often times people comment that they have a hard time telling the time among the many numbers and subdial [...]
Written by Robert Baggs for After years of patiently waiting for just the right venue, Seiko have finally opened their first UK-based boutique in London, and its grand opening showed it not only houses a selection of Seiko and Grand Seiko pieces, but has some horological masterpieces to show as well. Getting to attend its grand opening was a fun time and a chance to see and learn about some interesting Seiko watches. Many globally recognised watch brands carry a level of prestige. That prestige [...]
One of the most useful mechanical complications I saw at Baselworld 2011 was the time switching mechanism on the new Breguet Classique 5717 Hora Mundi watch. Aside from having a very clever feature for travelers, the Hora Mundi mixes contemporary looks with Breguet classicism. That sounds like a bit of a irony, but they seemed to pull it off.The watch is large for Breguet Classique pieces at 44mm wide and over 13mm thick. The Classique style case looks nice in the size, but I think the design ma [...]
The Porsche Design Timepiece No. 1 is the first watch to debut from the new independent Porsche Design watch brand. We first spoke about the upcoming Porsche Design Timepiece No. 1 here, when discussing Porsche Designs plans to produce their own watches after breaking up with long-term production partner Eterna.You can see that previous article for more information, but in a nutshell, rather than work with outside partners, Porsche Design will be doing watch production themselves. Apparently, th [...]
The humble wristwatch - especially of the mechanical variety - has, according to my logic, entered the age of functional jewelry. The operative notion here is that, rather than wristwatches being relied upon for their performance in utility, they are rather highly communicative objects we wear in order to project something about ourselves. It isnt to say that watches cannot still be tools, but it isnt why they are mostly being bought.In reality, the switch from watches being products to satisfy [...]
John is live at CES 2015 and well, I am not. But we are back with a new HourTime show talking about new smartwatches at CES, the HYT Skull, Montblanc Timewalker Urban Speed with smart e-Strap, and IWCs lovely, pricey, and oddly named Portugieser Annual Calendar.Listen to the HourTime Show watch podcast episode 169 here. The direct MP3 download is here.http://traffic.libsyn.com/hourtime/episode_169.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download [...]
For Baselworld 2017, Grand Seiko made the announcement that they are now independent from Seiko as an autonomous brand. They are marking the occasion and honoring their history by rereleasing their first watch line from 1960 as well as a brand-new modern reinterpretation for 2017. The Grand Seiko SBGW251, SBGW252, and SBGW253?are rereleases of the simple three-hand watches that were made in gold and platinum, but Grand Seiko is fortunately also releasing one in steel (which youll see here). And, [...]
I am always curious as to what the thought process is when admirable watch makers design watches after cars. They never seem to look too much like the cars they are modeled after. this might be a bit of an exception as at least the colors match. Do you think that cars are ever modeled after watches? Maybe. Well this is the Audemars Piguet Millenary MC12 Tourbillon Chronograph. Let me unravel that name for a moment. The Millenary title alludes to the stlye of the case and the MC12 name refers to [...]
Last year we saw Jacob Co. secure an impressive partnership with hypercar royalty Bugatti. Now, the first ultra-high-end, completely bespoke Jacob Co. watch created in collaboration with Bugatti makes its debut: the Jacob Co. Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon. Its what you would expect: an extremely complicated watch with yet another of Jacob Cos signature automaton mechanisms, this time with a functioning miniature W16 engine inside that mimicks the 16-cylinder motor that propels the Bugatti Chiron [...]
Welcome back to an original feature, My First Grail Watch. Well, no, thats not entirely right. This is not another chapter in our Grail Watch series of articles, but then again, it could be. Late last year, upon visiting the highly exclusive London?watch retailer Marcus in a quest to interview them for our Where To Buy Watches series, I had the extremely rare opportunity to encounter a highly elusive piece that has for long been reigning at the top of my watch bucket list: the Audemars Piguet R [...]
Among Panerais sudden heap of new models today, the Panerai Luminor Marina 1950 Carbotech 3 Days Automatic PAM661 stands out for its carbon case. One good thing about Panerai and their naming conventions is that you can at least get a broad sense of a watch from its model name, especially if you are already familiar with the brand. Of course, Panerai fans know that the myriad PAM references often differ very subtly with an option here and an option there. This new release is immediately and obvi [...]
This is probably my favorite Richard Mille watches for daily wear. That is of course, if I owned one. I have worn one though, and I must admit its charms beguile me. The name of the watch Extra Flat is also sometimes known as Ultra-Thin. No one can agree! But what I can agree on is just how interesting the watch is from a mechanical and design standpoint. There are a few versions of the RM016 (RM 016) watch. Titanium with white gold, or rose gold. There are also a few limited editions.? The easi [...]
In a brand lineup dominated by traditional design and finishing, few Breguet lines are as loyal to the watchmakers past as the Tradition series. With an overall form that harkens back to the Breguet subscription pocket watches that began production in 1796, its fair to say that the design decisions of the Tradition are extremely classical in inspiration. While the distinctive exposed mainplate layout remains constant through the line, the marque continues to expand the lineup with new colors, di [...]
This, I shall point out early on, will be less of a hands-on about the?Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Chronograph Ceramic and more of a burst of thoughts about the modern Jaeger-LeCoultre, as we have it today. Usually I have a clear vision on what I think about a watch and its brand, but here I have more mixed feelings of concern and hope than anything else. So, humor me a bit as I try and frame it. Specs about the watch, Ill get to at the end.The old workshop from the first half of the 19th [...]
Watches, regardless of whether they were designed to be worn on ones wrist or carried in the pocket, can be unbelievably?complicated, irresistibly?desirable and, consequently, very expensive. The best of the best, one is often led to believe, are the ones fetching top prices either by selling well above the suggested retail price in stores, selling out online in a matter of hours, or fetching stratospheric prices at auctions. However, desirability and, hence, perceived value are just that: perce [...]
This sure isnt an Omega watch you see every day. In fact, I am not even sure how widely watches like this square cased De Ville X2 are sold in America. This piece is only a few years old and comes in a few versions I think it is still sold in retail stores. This model is the Omega De Ville X2 Big Date. Seen here in steel, it also comes in in gold as well. I am a bit fascinated by the design as it is highly unusual compared to what people in the US think of when they consider Omega watches. Fam [...]
Whats your favorite season? seemed to be the refrain most commonly echoed throughout the Couture Time tradeshow held this past weekend at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas. Of course attendees werent debating the merits of a specific time of year, but rather the quartet of season-themed watches introduced by Grand Seiko at the show-four brand new dial executions built around Hi-Beat and Spring Drive movements that are not formally limited in production, but will only be available to the brands retail [...]