Sponsored post presented on by advertiserWith roots stretching back to 1832, Longines is a storied watch manufacturer that originally gained notoriety for producing aviation timepieces. Charles Lindbergh himself, after his daring non-stop solo flight over the North Atlantic, had a hand in modifying the iconic Weems model for celestial navigation. This led to the birth of the famous hour angle that became synonymous with Lindbergh. After it conquered the air, Longines went on to manufacture a ve [...]
Sponsored post presented on for advertiserFounded in 1976, Swiss watch brand Raymond Weil prides itself on being an independent, third-generation, family-owned and operated company. Its aim is to offer luxury watches built with renowned Swiss quality that represent excellent value, as well. Raymond Weil watches are hand-assembled and must pass more than 350 strict quality control checks before being shipped.Its easy to see by looking at its timepieces that Raymond Weil offers contemporary and t [...]
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre a Chronographe is a real watch lovers watch. A lot of people can appreciate its impressive design that mixes technical appeal and classic looks, but when it comes down to it, this watch was built by serious watch lovers for serious watch lovers.? You get a lot of that in the watch industry, which is a testament to the passion that fuels this business. It is timepieces like the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre a Chronographe (chronograph) that help explain why a few years a [...]
Big news today from Japan: the all-new Grand Seiko Elegance Collection brings a new slim case, some very special dials and, to top it all off, a new Grand Seiko Caliber 9S63 hand-wound mechanical caliber. (However, Grand Seikos recent pricing anomalies seem to endure.) More on all this below.From left to right: SBGK006, SBGK004, SBGK002.It really is a breath of fresh air to see a totally new collection from Grand Seiko - apparently, they couldnt quite hold their excitement until BaselWorld, eith [...]
This is one of the most ambitious Corum watches in years. Limited to just a few pieces, this tour de force of watch complications and the base Admirals Cup watch design will be released in the first half of next year. The totally new movement features a tourbillon as well as a minute repeater (interestingly activated by twisting the entire bezel). The watch features three sapphire crystals. One is smoked and placed as the watch dial through which you can view the movement. Read more about the Co [...]
Welcome to Point/Counterpoint, an column where two of our resident horological aficionados duke it out over a point of contention. Last time, we?debated over?Conservative or Personal Choice As First Nice Watch, and now Ariel Adams and James Stacey?spar over so-called fashion house watches.Ariel Adams:?I am of the opinion that watch lovers are unfairly prejudiced against watches whose brand names are those of large fashion houses. Not that these are fashion watches per se, as that term often ref [...]
We continue to believe that with enough attention, Blancpain will truly make something out of the L-Evolution timepiece collection. Intended to connect to the world of high-end auto racing, the L-Evolution family of watches continues to receive refinement, and the Blancpain L-Evolution R Chronographe Flyback Grande Date might just be the most suitable of the entire lot so far.The last time we looked at a Blancplain L-Evolution watch, it was with the L-Evolution Split Second Flyback Chronograph ( [...]
There are two types of successful watch designers in the timepiece industry: those whose names are promoted, and those whose names are a bit more discreet. Traditionally, the role of watch designer blended elements of industrial design with art and let watchmakers and marketers do the rest. Today, we have an increasingly prolific population of entrepreneurial watch designers who seek to both design and promote their own work. It will be interesting to see how this new era of watch designer fares [...]
Hamilton x ABTW presentOn June 14th, Men in Black: International hit theaters. Alongside a whole host of stars, one long-time favorite of the Hollywood scene will be making yet another appearance on the silver screen. The Hamilton Ventura watch has a long and storied involvement with Tinseltown and is once again the prop masters?choice for a movies central stars.Hamilton On-ScreenGreat watches have the kind of presence that can quickly communicate a characters traits to an audience. With more th [...]
Omega X-33 watch lovers will rejoice to know that for 2014, Omega is releasing a brand new version of the X-33 called the Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33. You can now insert relevant Luke Skywalker and other related Star Wars references. This is an interesting move as just two years ago in 2012 Omega released what was supposed to be the modern X-33 with the Speedmaster Z-33 (reviewed here). Nevertheless, the cult favorite X-33 is back with a new and updated model.Omegas CEO quietly admitted to [...]
Quick when you hear the word Speedmaster, what comes to mind? Very likely, its the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch-associated design that youre picturing in your head, or perhaps even have in your own personal collection. While the stock Moonwatch is certainly interesting in its own right, what if Omega were to draw inspiration from an Omega Speedmaster design that preceded the Moonwatch? Well, thats a leading question, and one you really dont need to think about too much as the model were reviewi [...]
The long anticipated new Omega Planet Ocean GMT is here for 2013. Before settling into being a major part of the Seamaster Planet Ocean collection, Omega has debuted the Planet Ocean GoodPlanet GMT, as part of their collaborated efforts with the Good Planet Foundation environmentalist initiative. The new GMT watch is being launched in tandem with the release of the Planet Ocean movie.We were there back in 2011 when Omega announced its partnership with the GoodPlanet Foundation and director Yann [...]
Slim dHermes Magnolia, 25mm quartz.Hermes has created a great modern classic with the Hermes Slim dHermes collection which was introduced in 2015 with the ultra-slim in-house Caliber H1950. Its a classic design that can do anything: mens, ladies, diamonds, special-editions, enamel dials, and complications. The Slim works particularly well with the automatic H1950, (a trim 9mm thick in the case) but it lives up to its name best as a quartz watch, which really brings out the slim in Slim dHermes. [...]
Sponsored post presented on by advertiserWhile Hublot and the arts have long exhibited a uniquely strong bond, it is the Hublot Sang Bleu that has most spectacularly merged sculptural art and watchmaking. For 2021, tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Buchi-Sang Bleu-and Hublot are unveiling a trio of limited-edition Big Bang watches with the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II Ceramic that is now available in blue, gray, and white ceramic.Those in the scene appreciate this fully: tattoo is a high form of art [...]
Announced last fall, the Heritage Military COSD continues Longines run of producing reissue-style pieces that connect with various sporting designs of their past. While the past few years have seen a substantial increase in the trendiness of vintage-inspired designs, Longines was arguably in the first wave of this trend when they launched the Legend Diver back in 2007. Now, some nine years later, we find a market full of new vintage watches with their faux lume, hugely domed crystals, and gilt [...]
Sponsored post written for by advertiser.As you may know, Bell Ross saga started in an aircraft cockpit and was driven by the ambition of designing watches directly inspired by aeronautical instrumentation. Watches have always been a precious aid helping crews with navigation and providing operational support to pilots. This is why all military-inspired Bell Ross watches comply with criteria established by the armed forces. The idea behind these Bell Ross Vintage BR V2 Steel Heritage Watches [...]
The main idea behind an ultra-thin watch is quite simple. Simply miniaturize components as much as possible and try to stack them in the smallest space possible. Executing this, on the other hand, is far more complex, requiring watchmakers to adopt novel solutions as they try to make watches as thin as possible. Piaget is known for ultra-thin watches and made headlines in the horological world in 2011 when they announced the Altiplano, which at just 5.25mm thick, became the thinnest self-winding [...]
Bell Ross is not what I would call an underdog brand, but their BR02 dive watch certainly has been an underdog. Not appreciated to its full extent, this is a really cool timepiece that deserves a bit of extra attention. I dont recall the exact year the BR02 made its debut, but it was on the coattails of the BR01 at the height of its popularity. Moving their attention from the air to the sea, Bell Ross wanted to release a novel diver watch instrument.Previous dive pieces in their collection suc [...]
Steel lovers can rejoice as 2014 is about high-complication steel models from Patek such as this new Nautilus ref. 5990/1A. When it comes to Patek Philippe, the Nautilus design is one that needs no introduction. ?While I wouldnt consider myself an expert on the brand, I am fairly certain that their latest definitely has some new tricks up its sleeve.With the name Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph (ref. 5990/1A), I think the astute observer will recognize what sort of complications were dealing wi [...]
In this age of perfectly accurate clocks in everything from our phones to our cars, wearing a mechanical timepiece is at least as much an act of personal expression as it is a practical choice. Hublot has always aimed at those looking to make a louder personal statement, combining daring futuristic aesthetics with high end finishing and craftsmanship. For its latest release, the brand takes this approach to 11. The new Hublot Big Bang Unico Full Baguette King Gold Rainbow is a flamboyant showcas [...]