Dive watches are, by nature, rather conservative instruments. Since the 1950s, the basics have barely changed: a robust water-resistant case, luminous hands and markers, and a rotating bezel, often undirectional, graduated over 60 minutes. Blancpain played a big part in setting up these design codes with the Fifty Fathoms during the 1950s. Seventy years later, […]
This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia. Amongst the lots in Sotheby's New York's latest Space Exploration auction, I found some interesting things. In fact, I found 24 of them. Watches - all owned by none other than retired Brigadier General of the U.S. Air Force, and second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin.The astronaut, born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., has listed a large portion of his watch collection, primarily Omegas, but there's a smattering of watches from othe
When Bulgari launched the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar in 2021, it did what the Octo Finissimo line has done repeatedly over the past decade. It broke another record. At just 5.80mm thick, it became the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar wristwatch, a title it still holds today. Since then, we have seen it in its original […]
What We KnowPretty much anything that independent watch brand Krayon produces feels like it rests solidly in the if-you-know-you-know realm of exquisitely engineered high-end complications. The brand's focused catalog contains variations on three main complications—the universal sunrise and sunset calculator that is the Everywhere, the watchmaker-adjustable sunrise and sunset-indicating caliber that is the Anywhere, and the most recently introduced weekday and weekend pointer date display in t
What We KnowSwiss sport isn't limited to just skiing, soccer, and ice hockey. The Alpine nation is a tennis force. Besides the GOAT himself and Rolex testimonee extraordinaire Roger Federer, Switzerland has produced Grand Slam champs Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka; the Swiss team won the Davis Cup in 2014, while current WTA player Belinda Bencic took home singles gold at the Tokyo Olympics. The global center for fine watchmaking is also a hub for tennis greatness. And with that in mind, Zuri
Speake Marin introduced the Ripples in 2022, and with it, the independent brand entered the crowded luxury sports watch category with its own, slightly eccentric creation. The rounded-square La City case, the strongly textured dial, and the small seconds at 1:30 made it instantly recognisable. Infinity Date, Dune Date, Ripples Skeleton and even a full […]
If you’re anything like us, independent watchmaking will be on your watch radar pretty much all the time. We’ve never hidden the fact that we absolutely love the creative, experimental nature of small, indie watchmakers. Some have grown into industry leaders, while others have deliberately stayed small and produce watches in double- or even single-digit […]
Wristwatches were a 20th century cultural trend that rendered the centuries-old pocket watch obsolete. From a functional standpoint, both watch types are the same, but changes were still needed for daily practicality on the wrist. For starters, watch cases had to shrink – pocket watches averaged 50mm in diameter with a broader range of 43mm […]
Our country isn’t exactly known for its coachbuilding work, yet if you dig a little, you do come up with some seriously impressive craftsmen creating some seriously impressive cars. We’ve covered the likes of Maturo, for instance, who hand-build Lancia Deltas and 037s to be better than when they left the factory new. There’s also […]
When Urban Jürgensen returned in 2025 under the co-direction of Kari Voutilainen and Alex Rosenfield, three watches formed the inaugural collection. The UJ-2 introduced a time-only calibre with a double-wheel natural escapement; the UJ-3, an integrated perpetual calendar; while the UJ-1 Tourbillon 250th Anniversary Watch was meant to be the technical masterpiece for the return […]
The resurgence of watchmaking in the United States is real. But not through what it used to be in the past, when American watches were produced in large quantities on an industrial scale. Should we complain? Absolutely not. Thanks to names such as RGM (a veteran compared to the rest), J.N. Shapiro or Keaton Myrick, […]
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Happy Friday, Ballers, and I hope everyone's buckled in for what looks to be some excellent football (and, if you were lucky enough to catch the England v Mexico match, you've already seen some of the best ever). Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Million "Sherpa Cousin" sells on Sunday the 12th, the 18k Omega Constellation ref 2648 sold for €4218 all-in, the Sarpaneva x Moomin went for $8,800, and the Vacheron Constantin 4111 with the 'washed' dial sold for €100,000.StraysIt feels like Seiko
Very few brands can create and machine sapphire like Hublot does, and it is a claim that proves itself time and again. It was in 2016 that Hublot first unveiled its sapphire Big Bang, followed by colourful interpretations, including the striking orange version introduced in 2021, which turned many heads. These transparent creations have since […]
While the Luminor and Radiomir are the two most emblematic collections of Panerai, both solidly rooted in the brand’s heritage and modelled after historical models, there’s a third collection that has increased its presence in recent years: the Submersible. The brand’s vision of a proper dive watch, equipped with all the necessary features you’ll need […]
The TAG Heuer Monaco is a watch with a rather interesting history, as we explored in this Evergreen article. The watch, introduced in 1969, was a true vessel for innovation at Heuer, not only due to its daring square design but also the integration within this case of one of the earliest automatic chronograph movements, […]
Norqain has never been afraid to inject colour and fun into its robust sports watches. The new Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday” is one of the brand’s most playful creations. Based on the Freedom GMT and its true GMT movement made by Kenissi, this new 500-piece edition is a colourful celebration of holidays, adventures, and […]
In 2020, watches became a real escape for a lot of us. Instagram, Facebook groups, even Clubhouse (who remembers that?) were thriving, and for me, watches had become more than a 9-5 as I fell deeper into those communities. It's where I first came across a guy on Facebook talking about a watch he'd designed that was 'inspired by a watermelon'. Every time it appeared, the comments filled with feedback as he gauged whether people were actually interested.They were. And now, six years later, that
Face an inconvenient truth about dive watches. Even with their awesome water-resistance ratings and overengineered cases, most will never explore the bottom of the sea. Their rotating bezels are far more likely to time pasta, something in the oven or even a parking meter. French brand MAT Watches (Mer-Air-Terre) clearly understands this and, with a […]
What We KnowThis week, Vacheron Constantin added two new 34.5mm Overseas models to the collection. There's a new version in steel with a red dial and a tone-on-tone version in 18k pink gold with a matching gold-toned dial. No, these new additions aren't the most groundbreaking introductions from Vacheron in recent times, but they are quite attractive and do well to flesh out the brand's small collection of mechanical mid-sized Overseas models.The distinct visual cues of the Overseas are all pr