Louis Moinet’s 1816 Compteur de Tierces, or “thirds counter”, was originally designed to measure the speed of moving stars. Endowed with a start, stop and reset function and a balance wheel beating at an impressive high frequency of 30Hz or 216,000 vibrations per hour, his novel stopwatch could time events to the 60th of a […]
Origin StoryFor a little while, I've been following Mineroci, a Beijing-based independent watchmaker that has shown some pretty remarkable talent for interpreting traditional Swiss inspiration into a new, pretty impressive watch. That piece, the RD002, recently found the spotlight because Mineroci was one of the 20 semi-finalists for the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. And yet, far removed from the Swiss watchmaking scene, with only 2,300 Instagram followers and a language
Founded in Biel/Bienne and revitalised in 2016 under the leadership of Raphaël Granito, Formex is appreciated for its engineering-driven watchmaking, ergonomic case design and modularity. Known at first for its motorsport roots and patented case suspension systems, the brand has gradually defined its identity with the Essence and Reef collections, offering well-executed watches with interesting […]
Since its acquisition by the Richemont Group in 2006, historic and highly revered brand Minerva has lived under the control of Montblanc, its watches bearing double-signed dials. 20 years later, under the direction of Laurent Lecamp, Global Managing Director for both Montblanc and Minerva, the venerable hidden gem of haute horology emancipates again and now becomes […]
Albishorn is one of these intriguing newcomers on the independent scene. The brand operates under the concept of “Imaginary Vintage“, designing watches that were never made but could have been. Following the Maxigraph and Type 10 in 2024, both explained by plausible historical scenarios, the 2025 Thundergraph was (or could have been) made for alpine […]
The Horological Society of New York (HSNY) celebrated its 160th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, March 21, 2026, awarding a record $450,000 in financial aid and raising $1.2 million to further the Society's mission of advancing the art and science of horology. Hosted at The Plaza Hotel, the black-tie event brought together more than 500 prominent members of the watchmaking community, including independent watchmakers, leading brands, VIP guests, and major auction houses, to support the industry's
In 2024, indie watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin unveiled the ThinKing watch as a bold attempt to set a world record: an exceptionally thin mechanical wristwatch measuring just 1.65mm. Holding this watch in your hand is simply incredible – the extreme slenderness is astonishing, and the technical achievement behind it is truly impressive. Since then, he has […]
Today, Porsche Design announces a new (limited) edition of the brand's well-known Chronograph 1. It's another subtle variation of the tried-and-true design, as the automotive brand stays true to the silhouette and continues to tweak the details on the case and dial. But while the changes on the outside might be subtle, this edition also coincides with the opening of a new Porsche Design Timepieces facility, located about 170 kilometers from Geneva, in Grenchen, Switzerland.Porsche Design is qu
When a brand drops a set of updates like this, it is rarely about just one watch. With Montblanc’s start to 2026, the focus is more on variety. The Rieussec brings in a historical link, while pieces like the Iced Sea focus more on materials and colour, including a brighter coral dial. There are also […]
What We KnowIf you're looking for a watch (and a watchmaker) with a backstory, then it's best to pay attention to Stéphane Pierre. Trained in mechanics, then engineering from studies in micro-mechanics at Besançon, a subcontractor for the Swatch Group. Pierre then spent years working for the naval and military sector before revisiting Swiss watchmaking (and specifically Geneva-based manufactures). Pierre has had quite a career. And with l'Impétrant, his first watch under his own name, he's now
There’s a new indie brand in town… Stéphane Pierre enters the independent watchmaking scene with a strong personal story and vision. Based in Annecy and trained as a micro-mechanical engineer, Pierre brings a background shaped by traditional watchmaking and the demanding environment of the naval and military sector, as he spent several years in the […]
While most attention in Porsche Design’s timekeeping history probably goes to the original 1972 all-black Chronograph 1 and its modern-day spin-offs, it’s far from all Porsche Design has done over the years. Released in 1972, the Chronograph 1 is still regarded as the cornerstone model for the brand, and as such is reinterpreted in a […]
Two years ago, Credor, the higher-end and classic side of the Seiko Watch Corporation, unveiled a very special watch based on the Locomotive concept. This watch, once designed by no other than Gerald Genta, was first presented in 1979, before coming back in a modernised and limited version for the brand’s 50th anniversary in 2024. […]
A fairly new brand from Japan with the goal of delivering “honest watchmaking from Asakusa” and “affordable Japanese watches,” Kiwame Tokyo has made quite some noise with its first two releases, the Kurotsuki and Usuki models as its inaugural pieces, and the IWAO Field series at the end of last year. Mixing vintage Calatrava elements, […]
Nivada Grenchen has always seemed like a brand that embraces the fun side of life, and its latest release, the Antarctic Erotic, is proof of that. In watchmaking, erotic or animated scenes have existed for centuries, often hidden away and revealed only on demand. Nivada uses this heritage with a lighter, more contemporary tone without […]
Discovering new independent watchmaking talents is a rare pleasure – especially when it’s as compelling as the debut of Mathieu Cleguer’s brand. With his first creation, this watchmaking engineer introduces a singular vision where aesthetic purity meets technicality. At first glance, the Inspiration One captivates with its clean, balanced design elevated by superb finishing and […]
Introduced last year, the Pulse line is a departure from the classical regulator watches for which Chronoswiss became known in the 1980s. The collection keeps the key design elements such as the oversized onion crown, the coin-edge bezel, and the layered dial construction, but offers a contemporary case and an integrated bracelet. Just ahead of Watches […]
There is already a bevy of alternatives or side venues to the mighty Watches and Wonders, taking place during what's now known as Geneva Watch Week. Maxime Couturier and Lorenzo Maillard expect there's room for one more. They're the guys behind Chronopolis, a new gathering space in downtown Geneva that's promising to give profile to the 20 or so brands participating during what's arguably the most important week of the year for the industry. Armed with a hipster watch enthusiast persona, Coutu
What We KnowCleguer Horology is making its debut with the Inspiration One, a time-only watch that puts its technical ambitions front and center. Founded by watchmaking engineer Mathieu Cleguer, the brand is built around chronometry and movement architecture, with the Inspiration collection serving as a platform for exploring escapements, constant-force ideas, and power delivery.From the outset, the watch is designed around depth and restraint. The architecture is layered, stepping down from th
What We KnowBack in 2023, Raymond Weil found itself with a hit that was the Millesime series, making a prominent statement when the Millesime Small Seconds won the GPHG award in the Challenge category. It was certainly deserving, as the design felt completely different from any Raymond Weil you might have imagined, offering a classy, well-executed modern take on the classic sector-dial dress watch. Since its original small-seconds and central-seconds time-only models, the Millesime has fully f