Not every product has to be packed full of innovation to be worthwhile. Sometimes being cool is plenty. And what better way for a watchmaking company known for their aviation-inspired timepieces to cherry-pick one of fashions most enduring outerwear icons as inspiration for their latest piece? The Bell Ross?BR 03-92 MA-1 watch may not have the catchiest or most memorable name, but it certainly makes up for that in style points. With a colorway wholly lifted from the famous shell and lining comb [...]
Some history before I get into the IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Day Date Watch. When IWC re-launched the Portofino collection a few years ago, I welcomed it with muted acceptance. Sure, IWC needed a slightly original yet highly conservative entry-level to mid-range casual dress watch that was missing from its collection. The IWC Portofino made a lot of sense from a marketing perspective but I, as an aficionado, want to be impressed with refined designs, new movements, tough sport watches, and cool [...]
Sometimes it takes a while for classics to strike a chord with watch-lovers. Just because something is widely lauded as an archetype, or as so historically significant you simply have to care, doesnt necessarily mean you will. Until it hits you, and then all bets are off. This is what I experienced with the Omega Seamaster 300m. As an Omega apprentice who worked on the old 1120-powered range from the 90s and 00s for a couple of frustrating years, I had more opportunity than most to see it up clo [...]
New Patek Philippe watches for 2010 didnt exactly make me jump for joy, but I did like the two new additions to the Nautilus collection. No new movements, but new implementations in the Nautilus cases. Here is the Nautilus Chronograph (ref. 5980 in steel and 5980R in gold), and I also liked the Nautilus Annual Calendar Ref. 5726 that I wrote about here. What I like about the layout of the Patek Philippe Caliber CH 280520 C is that is it is a 12 hour chronograph that looks like a watch with only [...]
Please enjoy the following post by Chris Meisenzahl. He is a long-time watch enthusiast and daily Speedmaster Pro wearer. He blogs at http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/ and can be followed on Twitter at speedmaster.Last week auction house Antiquorum wrapped-up their recent March auction of Important Modern Vintage Timepieces in Geneva. When it was complete the auctions had raised CHF 6,457,937. 83% of the 564 timepieces up for auction were sold. Below are a few of the notable highlights from [...]
At Baselworld 2019, Hublot introduced a totally new member of the Ferrari watch line with the Hublot Classic Fusion Ferrari GT. This is the second watch designed in direct collaboration with the Ferrari design department - which is important to note because most car/watch collaboration projects are, more or less, entirely designed by the watch brand itself. The Classic Fusion Ferrari GT follows the 2017 Hublot Techframe Ferrari that has a case and dial that is, in large part, created by the Ferr [...]
Among the most baffling, amusing and, I think, sensational watches of BaselWorld 2019 ranks the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II. Its a typical Hublot in the sense that it is another love-it-or-hate-it piece that is both hilariously over-designed and fantastically awesome - something that I both would rarely want to be seen wearing and?yet would want to wear for at least a few months. One thing is for sure, though, in all this uncertainty: I love this thing, and I especially love that it exists.Sinc [...]
Welcome back to an original feature, My First Grail Watch. In this series, we ask prominent people in the watch industry about the first timepiece that they lusted after. Today, were speaking with a gentleman who got his start managing the official timekeepers at all manner of sporting events, and today finds himself the COO at JEANRICHARD, living in the heart of Swiss watch country. Please welcome Bruno Grande. ?Youll find that his first grail is a watch were all quite familiar with and one y [...]
Whisky is a big deal in China these days, and apparently the most popular spirit brand in the world is Johnnie Walker. So, with that said, it should come as little surprise that Hublot has created a limited edition set of Big Bang Aero watches in partnership with Johnnie Walker brand whiskies. More specifically, Hublot has produced this timepiece in collaboration with the new Johnnie Walker House in Beijing, China. What is a Johnnie Walker House? There are three locations so far outside of Scotl [...]
In my experience, the best way to understand a thing is to visit its source. In the timepiece industry, a certain amount of secrecy and distance are a way of life, with many of the brands we so frequently cover offering little more than carefully worded press releases and the occasional loaner for review. While we certainly take whatever we can get, it is a rare occasion that we are afforded the opportunity to explore a brand and their products from the inside. Over the next few months, Ive line [...]
A seminal world timer updated for 2019, the Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5231J is a horological work of art that is nearly impossible to get.The Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5231J is new for 2019, sitting alongside the existing 5231 that comes in a platinum case with that matching platinum beads-of-rice bracelet that defines peak low-key decadence. Housed in a 38.5mm-wide and 10.23mm-tall yellow gold case, the 5231J is slightly smaller than the 39.5mm wide 5231. This is the same case youll f [...]
Ive been a fan of the Hamilton Jazzmaster line for some time now, and have appreciated some of the open-heart dials theyve created in the past. Their latest (the Viewmatic Skeleton), though, is truly a skeleton watch, not just a dial with some cut out pieces of metal.Thats because the Jazzmaster Viewmatic Skeleton watches (yes, this is a his-n-hers release) were designed with the intent of showing off their new H-20-S automatic movement. Theres very little in the way of you seeing the actual mov [...]
One of my favorite non-sport watches from Chronoswiss for 2011 was this Balance Chronograph I like to just call it the Balance. The source of the name? I think it stems from the fact that the dial is very symmetrical (and thus balanced). A quality that I highly value. Even though I can appreciate the occasional asymmetric design, my heart is most primarily focused on good symmetry. If symmetry is what we look for when determining whether a human face is beautiful then I think we probably do the [...]
Its good to have a decent looking watch you can wear doing just about anything, and not worry about nicks, scrapes, and scratches. Why? Because they are cheap enough that you can do that with. The majority of Invicta watches are under $200 and a good deal at that. More expensive ones have lots of flair, but the real value is in getting their base level watches that look pretty good, and you can enjoy throwing around.Amazon is one of the biggest Invicta retailers and has probably every single mod [...]
A day before the official opening of SIHH 2017, Montblanc surprised a select group of watch media with the invitation to experience the unveiling of a new personality for the iconic Montblanc TimeWalker collection. It was a cold afternoon in Geneva, but Montblanc took us outside for an afternoon of driving in addition to checking out the new driving watch personality created for the TimeWalker collection by Davide Cerrato, the still new product guy at the brand. In my opinion, the new Montblanc [...]
At SIHH 2017, Swiss Audemars Piguet celebrated color which is clearly the focus for these versions of the popular Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver 15710ST. The independent brands offerings are light on novelty but rich in hue, and known as the Funky Colour Editions. As such, the company is likely doing what is smart this year as they continue to navigate uncertain economic waters where pouring RD money into totally new products can be seen as a bit unwise. Despite understanding this fac [...]
Would the Mini Cooper still be an icon if it were the size of the Rolls Royce Phantom? What if the Walkman was never able to fit inside a back pocket? Conversely, would the Luminor-a benchmark for minimalist Italian design and perhaps the foremost instigator of the big watch trend of the last decade-maintain similar repute if it were nearly 25% smaller? Hard to say, but Panerai is willing to gamble that it will, with the SIHH introduction of the Panerai Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic in a new 38mm [...]
In 2020, Japans Citizen watch company officially entered the smartwatch race with the release of the Citizen CZ Smart collection of products powered by Googles Wear OS (operating system). Citizen has actually been early to the smart(er) watch game, and back in 2012, it debuted the Citizen Proximity ( review here) watch that attempted to meld the world of Citizens light-powered Eco-Drive watches with a Bluetooth-enabled phone connection that offered on-dial phone notifications. The CZ Smart is ho [...]
Welcome to another installment in our series of Car Watch reviews [Ed. note look for Auto, with more focused car content, in the future.], and in fact the first where we pick a watch and car with no official partnership between their respective manufacturers. Dont let that bother you one bit, though: as you shall see, the new-for-2016 Mazda MX-5 ND (also sold as the Miata in the US) and the Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave F900 have a lot in common. Let us begin by?providing some context, and [...]
As part of IWCs ongoing collaboration with the heirs of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, IWC has just released a new watch: the IWC Pilots Watch Double Chronograph Edition Le Petit Prince. This limited edition watch of just 1000 pieces is based on IWCs regular Pilots Watch Double Chronograph, of course, but apart from the obvious visual changes, it has a mechanical twist up its sleeve.IWCs relationship with Antoine de Saint-Exupery stretches back to the 2006 with the launch of the IWC Pilots Watch Chro [...]