This year is the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic movements ever created (if not the most well-known movement of the entire industry), the Zenith El Primero. While most brands would have looked at the past and introduced vintage re-editions of existing models only, Zenith took a different path. Here are the main […]
The latest member of the Patravi ScubaTec dive family offers the performance attributes of a professional dive watch and supports a good cause at the same time; in this case, the black manta ray. Using the same 44.6mm case and COSC-certified automatic movement as the 2017 Patravi ScubaTec Manta Trust watch, the 2019 model comes […]
Urban Jürgensen is known for crafting some of the most refined dress watches. However, just a few weeks ago, the independent Swiss/Danish watchmaker entered the luxury sports watch category with the sophisticated Jürgensen One collection. The model stands out with a dynamic steel case with curves and fitted with a distinctive bracelet with oval-shaped interlinks. […]
If Schwarz-Etienne is renowned for its production of great watchmaking classics, the brand also regularly releases highly creative métiers d’art timepieces, in particular with the Ode Series. Following the “Ode to the Week” and “Ode to Spring” limited edition sets, the latest creation in the ‘Ode’ series is inspired by the psychedelic art of the seventies. […]
Zenith kicked off 2019 in a superb manner celebrating the 50th anniversary of its iconic chronograph movement, the El Primero. For once, the celebration was more about the importance of the movement than the watches. The El Primero (as indicated by its name) was the first automatic chronograph to be unveiled, back in 1969. For […]
Last year, at Baselworld 2018, Carl F. Bucherer introduced a new, slightly modified version of its Manero Flyback. By changing the dial and the strap, the brand brought another (thick) layer of coolness to this chronograph, with retro-inspired, rally-oriented details. This year, using the same ingredients as a base, Carl F. Bucherer offers a warm, […]
Panda dials are favourites among watch aficionados. The racing-inspired timepieces with white or silver dial and contrasting black sub-dials became en vogue during the 1960s and 1970s, with sports chronographs providing high contrast readability. Their modern-retro flair never went out of style. But as classic as the panda dial has become, it has been rarely fashioned out of enamel, one of the most traditional manufacturing techniques – the only example we have found is a Jaquet-Droz “reverse panda”. Czapek is about to change that with its new Faubourg de Cracovie Chronograph Tao “Panda”.
The vogue for smaller watch case sizes has sent a clear message to watchmakers who are re-editing their most popular timepieces in more contained, classic diameters. Arnold & Son, the Swiss brand with the British surname – which specialises in modern interpretations of heritage pieces with a marked penchant for symmetry and complexity – has […]
In 1999, after over two decades of development and multiple prototypes created, Spring Drive was launched at Baselworld and has come to be recognized as an important development in the recent history of luxury watchmaking, with its technology mixing a mechanical chain of energy and an ultra-precise quartz oscillator. To mark the 20th anniversary, Grand Seiko unveils at Baselworld 2019 two new hand-wound Spring Drive movements and altogether 4 different watches in the recently introduced Elegance Collection. Meet the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ001, SBGZ003, SBGY002 and SBGY003.
Chronoswiss is almost synonymous with regulators, embracing this old-school dial display with separate registers for the hands since 1987. The brand recently launched a new, modern take on the style with the Flying Regulator Open Gear, a sophisticated, contemporary shift from their more traditional pieces like the Regulator Classic Date. Various derivatives soon followed like the futuristic Flying Grand Regulator Skeleton Limited Edition. One of their latest creations is the Flying Regulator Night and Day, which adds a date window and 3D day/night display to the Open Gear base. The new limited edition adds some pizzazz to the Night and Day with an intricate guilloché dial that’s galvanized in blue. It’s not uncommon for Chronoswiss to release special editions or new colour schemes of existing models, and this is an excellent example. Let’s take a closer look.