Burly with a masculine spirit, the Graham Chronograph Sahara (ref.?2CCAUB02A) watch is an off-road vehicle stuck inside of a luxury timepiece. I first discussed this watch as it is part of the?Chronofighter II collection of watches from Graham here. The Chronofighter II is a refined version of the original Chronofighter collection. In the previous article we discussed some of the changes, but lets just leave it at this is the Chronofighter watch to want, and there is no reason to look back.In it [...]
It is often an uphill battle for fashion brands to be accepted by watch enthusiasts, but Bulgari has thoroughly proven their dedication to the segment with everything from ultra high-end complications to more down-to-earth and practical luxury watches such as the Bulgari Diagono Scuba. New for summer 2017 are several different colors of Bulgaris sportiest watch in summery, retina-searing orange, yellow, and white models with coordinated strap and dial colors.Around since 1994 and re-released in [...]
Los Angeles is the first US city with a dedicated Patek Philippe brand boutique store (previously discussed here), and I got a chance to check it out recently. I have to say, the ambiance there is really lovely. While there I had a rare opportunity to interview Patek Philippe President Thierry Stern. I discussed the unique?interview in more detail in an article on Forbes (that I recommend you read here). In addition to sharing that article, you can check out some images of the boutique and the i [...]
Hublot will be adding a new material to its art of fusion parts bin which they call Magic Gold. Magic gold is a special 18k gold and ceramic alloy which offers the look and feel of 18k gold with the incredibly high scratch resistance of ceramic materials. Many people who currently own gold watches will likely be very excited about this.Gold is an incredibly popular material for high-end watches marred only by its softness (and perhaps price these days). Watch cases in gold are already not pure g [...]
Fourteen years ago, when Jaeger-LeCoultre launched the original Gyrotourbillon I, fine watchmaking was a different world. In those fourteen years, Hong Kong and China have together imported about 50 thousand million (!) Swiss francs worth of watches. That is a lot of watches, including many very expensive watches. Since 2004, the worlds timepiece collectors have soaked up everything from minutely modified Patek 5270s to early Gyrotourbillons, all the way to crazy Horological Machines and other b [...]
One of the most remarkable announcements we received prior to the SIHH 2015 watch trade show was the upcoming release of Montblancs e-Strap (debut article here), a smart wearable device option that would be first available on the upcoming Montblanc Timewalker Urban Speed watch. Precious little was known about how the e-Strap would behave in real life and the actual models are not ready for real-world testing, but at SIHH 2015 with Montblanc, got a hands-on look at one of the luxury industrys f [...]
The octagon: ancient yet timeless, simple yet complex, common yet unique. These are some rather impressive attributes not just for a geometric shape but for well anything, really. It should be no wonder, then, that one of the most highly?praised?watch designers of all time, a certain Gerald Genta, also preferred to use?this polygon?in a fair number of his works. The question that we are looking to answer today is how one of them, the Bulgari Octo Velocissimo-yes, it is one of Gentas designs and [...]
After whats felt like years of speculation, followed by numerous false leads, and then an untimely delay on the heels of a global pandemic, the legendary Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch has finally gotten the update weve all been waiting for: an updated Master Chronometer-certified engine, a new(-ish) bracelet, and plenty of fan service in the dial, crystal and bezel for good measure. All without forsaking the single most important detail about the perennially handsome Speedmaster: it r [...]
March 6 to March 21, 2021 marks the 36th running of the prestigious Americas Cup yacht race, set to be hosted in the waters around Auckland, New Zealand. Since 1851, the race has stood as the pinnacle of the sport, with challengers from around the world fighting for years for a chance to qualify. While the event itself is one of the oldest continuously run international sporting events, Omega has a long Americas cup history of its own, with a legacy of limited edition Seamaster and Speedmaster m [...]
Graham has just announced a new version of its Moon Watch, which has an oversized moon phase indicator and flying tourbillon. It now comes in a 18k white gold case, with a black sapphire bezel and a black dial decorated with diamonds-all brought together in an effort to make the beautiful and gigantic Moon stand out on the dial even more.Graham is a curious brand. And I think most people associate them with large and flashy sport watches, not to mention also their signature and frankly humongou [...]
Eighty-nine feet up. I find myself perched atop a wood platform, baking in the Texas heat high above a lake a couple of hours west of Dallas. While I am relatively okay with heights, I seldom go out of my way to experience heights as any sort of challenge to my ego. I take a couple of steps forward and a slender man with long hair, an enviable tan, and a Red Bull backpack advises me to not go any further than the Texas logo on the platform. The reason? Insurance. Were I to jump, or perhaps more [...]
Today, omega launched its brand new omega.org website dedicated to better communicating the story and legacy of its founder, Hans Wilsdorf, as well as the companys core values, cultural initiatives, and founding spirit. In line with the launch, omega published a 5-minute video about The man behind the crown Hans Wilsdorf, a charming and insightful documentary about the story of Wilsdorf and his company, omega.Separate from the companys main website, omega.com, there are two pillars to the commu [...]
Breitling as a brand is perhaps best known for their big, masculine chronographs in aviation and diving styles, and no watch exemplifies manliness quite like the Super Avenger. At 48mm, this is one of Breitlings larger timepieces, eclipsed only by the Emergency. Limited editions of the Super Avenger have been made previously, such as the military 24-hour version we covered here. However, this is the first time this watch has received the boutique edition treatment and the addition of the brands [...]
At BaselWorld 2019, the omega Day-Date 36 finally got to catch up with its big brother, the Day-Date 40. For four years, those privileged with their eyes and wallets set at the Day-Date 36, had to wait for this high-prestige range to receive all those useful and impressive technical updates that the 40mm wide version had had all along. With 2019, these technical improvements, some minute changes to the case, as well as notable new dial options have all arrived to the Day-Date 36, along with some [...]
The Cartier Crash is a strange, morbid, and fascinating watch. Even as brands bend over backwards to make ever more novel, avant-garde, and unexpected watches, Cartiers twisted-looking Crash watch is still one of the most distinctive designs you will find. Its contorted shape and the story behind it make the Cartier Crash controversial and infamous, but since its introduction in 1967, Cartier has only produced a few editions of it. Thats understandable because of its obvious eccentricity, but in [...]
Early in 2016, Bulgari added a few slick-looking Ultranero (very black) watches to the Octo collection (debuted here), which is quickly becoming the latest must-have distinctive design. Its funny how iconic designs arent born, but are bred. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak wasnt a smash hit right out of the gate, but took years for watch enthusiasts to appreciate how it stood up to other watches. The Octo is another Gerald Genta timepiece which is really coming into its own as Bulgari carefully cur [...]
Color matters more than ever in the realm of fine watches. It isnt just that consumers are interested in an ever-expanding palette of available choices, but also that sometimes a watch doesnt catch your eye until it is offered in just the right color combination. Marketers have long known the value of choosing the right colors, and yet selecting among the many appealing color combinations out there can be a trying task. For that reason, we can all love Omega for the many, many colors they have e [...]
For 2015, Officine Panerai goes back again to its roots as a historic supplier of instruments for the Italian navy and releases a quartet of new iterations on popular models as well as one reissue from the heritage collection. Coverage of the first model, the most complicated one: Radiomir 1940 with equation of time, deserved separate coverage and can be found in a separate post. The remaining model iterations constitute three Panerai Luminor Submersible watches, one Panerai Radiomir, and one sp [...]
1972 was a landmark year in the luxury watch industry for a variety of reasons, but perhaps the most impactful event to come out of that year was the introduction of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Produced at a time when the traditional Swiss industry was in danger of collapsing under the weight of affordable quartz-powered Japanese competition, the Royal Oaks avant-garde Gerald Genta-designed integrated case and its exorbitant (for the time) price tag reframed the stainless steel Swiss sports w [...]
Sponsored post presented on for advertiserIn celebration of its 25th anniversary, Parmigiani Fleurier has created a peerless and quintessential work of art: La Rose Carree. A testament to both the genius of the watchmakers of the past and the skill of the talented artisans of today, Parmigiani Fleuriers La Rose Carree pocket watch is a confluence of the horological past and present.Michel Parmigiani The Art Of Restoration While many well-respected independent watchmakers have experience in re [...]