Schwarz-Etienne is an independent watch manufacture whose origins go back to the early 20thcentury. If the brand has been flying a bit under the radar, it has a lot to offer. Today we take a look at the Roma Petite Seconde, a watch that feels rather simple at first but, like the rest of the brand, is full of details and packed with watchmaking expertise.
Mechanical watches and fluids don’t mix! In fact, keeping fluids outside a watch case is a major issue for all mechanical watch brands. Six years ago, a small company named HYT did exactly the opposite and created a watch that indicates the time with fluids. But don’t expect water to swoosh around the watch case like […]
As they say “if you’ve got it, flaunt it”. With a new in-house automatic COSC-certified movement, the dial of the One & Two is openworked to reveal the calibre in almost all of its mechanical glory. Presented in titanium and 18k red gold cases, the One & Two Openworked models prove that a partially skeletonised dial can be extremely elegant. With an exposed barrel and rotor and the small seconds counter perched at 1:30, the action on the dial is guaranteed. Both the dapper One & Two Academic models, reviewed here, and these Openworked models are distinguished by the unusual position of the small seconds counter adding that touch of British eccentricity that the brand cultivates.
The Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept consolidates superlatives as one of the most precise, one of the most spartan, and certainly the darkest moon phase watch on the market today. Presented in two versions – one in red gold with a signature Moser fumé dial and another in steel with a pitch-black dial – the steel model is the talking piece. With a dial made from Vantablack – the darkest, blackest synthetic substance on our planet – a dramatic black hole canvas serves as a stage for the Moon to perform its orbit. Alluring and mysterious, Vantablack brings the alien sensation of a black hole one step closer to earthlings.
Chanel, a high-fashion house known for its women’s haute-couture and ready-to-wear clothes, luxury goods, and fashion accessories, has been investing in the watchmaking industry – and for quite some years already. This surprising move, initiated in 1998 with Bell & Ross and in 2011 with Romain Gauthier, now goes one step further with the addition of F.P. Journe in the portfolio of brands supported by Chanel.
Torsti Laine is a name that will probably not ring a bell for most of you. But, credit where credit is due: Torsti Laine has a very interesting story to tell and offers some very attractive watchmaking! At Baselworld earlier this year, I had the chance to find out more about the brand, the man, […]
It is not every day that URWERK presents a brand new piece – not an adaptation of an existing piece, but something truly different and unique. So when URWERK announces something new, we’re always excited to see the result of many years of development… And its latest baby does not disappoint. Bold and ultra-modern, as a URWERK should be, the new creation gets rid of the signature wandering hours indication to restore another iconic display: linear retrograde minutes. Meet the URWERK UR-111C, the direct descendant of the UR-CC1 King Cobra and a watch that brings many, many cool details and mechanical innovations.
Regulators have been a Chronoswiss trademark since the brand presented its first regulator wristwatch in 1987. With its 44mm case, the Grand Regulator has been one of the flagship models of the Chronoswiss collections for years. In 2017, the model got a facelift with the Flying Grand Regulator and a skeleton version – which we reviewed here. The addition of a 3D dial adds a sense of depth to the model and the impression that the regulator complication is floating above the dial. This year, the Lucerne-based brand adds a splash of colour to the model with two limited editions packaged in DLC-coated steel cases.
Bovet watches break away from the norm. These stand out for their exquisite craftsmanship and ornate design revealing the complexity of their mechanism. However, the most striking thing about the Bovet Amadeo Fleurier Virtuoso V is, without doubt, its versatile character. The Virtuoso V is a timepiece with different faces, and it can be transformed from a wristwatch to a pocket watch or even a table clock.
In a horological galaxy far, far away, one man, Captain Büsser, was entrusted with a mission: to create marvellous and unique time devices that would annihilate Emperor Boredom. This rebellion started in 30 A.Q.C. (After the Quartz Crisis, meaning 2005 in human nomenclature) and gave life to several horological UFOs, ready to engage in battle. The war isn’t over and Captain Büsser and his ally L’Epée 1839 open a new chapter in this epic time battle with their latest weapon against monotony: Grant.