Geneva Watch Days '24: Frederique Constant And Alpina
Both Frederique Constant and Alpina grace us with multiple releases during Geneva Watch Days 2024. Alpina adds a skeletonized version of its Alpiner Extreme to the lineup and surprises us with classic silhouettes joining the Heritage collection. Frederique Constant focuses on the Classics line with a tourbillon and a moonphase model, both with spectacular dials. Additionally, the brand adds three different versions of the Classics Carre?e Small Seconds for fans of rectangular watches.It’s always fun to see what new introductions Frederique Constant and Alpina come up with. In recent years, the latter brand, which FC acquired in 2002, has focused quite a bit on sporty tool watches throu...
Doxa Debuts The "LHD" Sub 300T Professional Aristera
Doxa is always one of the brands we keep a close eye on when Geneva Watch Days rolls around. This year, the brand has not disappointed with two major pieces of news. The first is a new left-hand-drive Sub 300T Professional Aristera. The second is the collection-wide rollout of the “Sea Emerald” green colorway. The dashing green shade, which debuted in the Sub 200T introduced earlier this year, is now available across the Sub family, including the Sub 200, Sub 300, Sub 300T, Sub 600T, and Sub 300 Carbon.Returning to the main matter at hand, let’s talk about “destro” watches. The term comes from the Italian meaning “right” and refers to the wrist on wh...
Hands-On With The Christopher Ward C60 Trident Lumire
Christopher Ward might have another hit on its hands. The brand’s new C60 Trident Lumire is an impressive titanium dive watch with a dial that cranks legibility in the dark up to 11. And that’s not the entire story. This new addition to the Christopher Ward collection perfectly blends specs with looks, which is why it will undoubtedly win fans over quickly. I had a chance to find out all there is to know by going hands-on.The new Christoper Ward C60 Trident Lumire was officially announced yesterday. If you pay attention to daily watch news, you might have already seen it because it certainly is hard to miss. When we first got the press kit from the English brand, several Fratel...
New: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel "Venice Series"
In the 1999 movie The Talented Mr. Ripley, the character Dickie Greenleaf, who takes over Tom Ripley's life, says, “‘See Venice and die,’ is what they say? Or is it Rome?” Well, Dickie, the city you're looking for is Naples. But I have to admit I also thought Goethe once wrote that it was Venice.?I would offer an alternative by writing, Or you could buy a watch from the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel ‘Venice Series’ because they are to die for. ?The three new creations from the Metiers Rares atelier have a link to JLC's participation in the Homo Faber Biennial exhibition in Venice this September. The watches honoring the host city have case backs ...
Introducing: The Newly Updated Oris Aquis Chronograph
The Oris Aquis is one of the brand’s most successful watches. Its modern and muscular looks are a hit. No wonder the people in Holstein put a lot of effort into bringing out new versions every so often. This April, a new version of the Oris Aquis Date was presented with updates regarding ergonomics, aesthetics, and performance. Now it’s time to give the Aquis Chronograph that very same treatment. Spoiler alert: no, this new Aquis Chronograph is not powered by Oris’s Calibre 400 but by a modified Sellita SW510 automatic chronograph movement.The previous version of the Oris Aquis Chronograph housed the ETA/Valjoux 7750. In the meantime, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five got fitted w...
Sinn 103 Ti DIAPAL Review
Although we had an in-depth review of tegimented Sinn watches here last month, written by Ming Thein, we also covered the most technology-packed Sinn 103 for Watchuseek. This 103 in titanium features all the Sinn technologies that solve real problems. No tourbillon, minute repeater, dead beat second or other haute horlogerie complications over at the watch company from Frankfurt, only inventions that solve ‘real’ issues. This of problems watch can have with moisture, shocks and friction of small parts.This 103 Ti DIAPAL, being the most expensive Sinn 103 model available, is still very interesting for those who are looking for a reliable chronograph watch (featuring a second time ...
Girard-Perregaux WW.TC Financial Reviewed
If you are a regular reader, you know how much I like the world timer watches. Some time ago, I wrote about my top 3 world timers and one of them was the Girard-Perregaux WW.TC. You can imagine how happy I was that GP was willing to send me one over for a review. The GP WW.TC Financial, or FTC, is a timepiece that I was very eager to try-out and report about.Whether you are traveling for business or leisure, there is one thing both type of travelers share: they all want to know what time it is in their home time zone. When you are working in finance and travel a lot through different time zones, the Girard-Perregaux WW.TC Financial' might be something of your interest.If you want to learn mo...
Hands-On With The Vulcain Cricket 50s Presidents Watch
Advertised as the watch of the US Presidents, but if you are – like me – not from the US, that’s something I can’t associate with. At least not in the same was as someone who is actually from the USA, I guess. Anyway, despite this Vulcain Cricket is called the 50s Presidents Watch which I hardly can relate to, there are a number of other things that make it a very interesting timepiece:manufacture movementalarm complication (Vulcain claims a ‘first’ since 1947)attractive designinteresting history of ‘wearers’The last bullet does relate to the US Presidents (Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson and later ones as w...
TAG Heuer Formula One Max Verstappen Special Edition
Max VerstappenYesterday, I met with Max Verstappen during the introduction of the TAG Heuer Formula One Max Verstappen Special Edition. Well, the official name of the watch is?TAG Heuer Formula One Max Verstappen Youngest Grand Prix Winner Special Edition, but let’s shorten it a bit for my own sake.The cool thing about Max Verstappen is, that he is very down to Earth. It could be his middle name. At first I thought it might be his age, but that can’t be it. It is something he just is. A friendly fellow, as he was standing at a?table yesterday, with a drink in his hand, easy to approach and talk to. There is not the smallest bit of ‘show’ in him. Something I love. Pure...
#TBT Seiko 6106-8100 A Closer Look at the First Sports Diver
Within vintage circles, collectors now seem to clamor for simple watches with distinctive designs. Today's #TBT offers a choice within this theme and we even exhibit three different variants. Specifically, I happen to think that this week's edition of our long-running series covers one of the more classically attractive series from that ever-discussed Japanese brand, Seiko. The Seiko 6106-8100 sport divers and their brethren are well known by the Seiko hardcore, but perhaps a bit unknown by others. Let's take a deeper look.A little over a year ago, I wrote an article on Seiko's named Sports Divers. This was essentially a look at a handful of nicknamed watches with 70M of water resistance and...
Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono Introduction With Live Photos
For years now, there's the trend in the watch industry to introduce watches inspired by the brand’s heritage. These watches are based on vintage watches with an updated design, technical specifications, and often have a larger size. It often results in a popular watch among collectors and enthusiasts. This has to do a lot with their looks that people often find familiar. Many different brands follow this trend, and in this case, we are talking about the new Hamilton (Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono).The original Hamilton panda chronograph. Photo courtesy of https://www.coolvintagewatches.com/Hamilton Intra-MaticIf you are familiar with Hamilton you might remember that last year they r...
This Week in Watches: August 31, 2019
It's This Week in Watches for August 31, 2019 and we have loads of news today!Well, if last week's This Week in Watches got you down due to the dearth of news, then this week just might overload your senses.? It seems summer is truly over and the watch companies have responded by opening the flood dams.? Or, more likely, it's been six months since Basel. ??Ok, let's step into some new watch news!Timex Navi XLFirst up on This Week in Watches is a new one from Timex, the Navi XL.? Inspired by the brand's first diver-style watch, the Navi XL is a 41mm quartz-powered watch with a rotating bezel.? It's water-resistant to 100 meters, but has a snap case back, so this really is more of a sports wat...
Hot Take: Geneva Watch Days De Bethune Impresses Again
Just wow. This is what Haute Horlogerie should be about. De Bethune has always been a favorite of mine, but the brand is not immune to missteps or going too far in directions I have little interest in. Colored cases are just too much for me when it comes to this company. The articulated lugs are too brilliant an invention to need any such embellishment. Give me bare steel or titanium housings meshed with the remarkable internals and I'm sold.So many of De Bethune's biggest and best pieces command six figures that it is easy to become a bit jaded (unless you are one of the super-rich collectors the brand is clearly targeting at this price point). Realistically, though, brands like De Bethune ...
Hot Take: Geneva Watch Days Bvlgari Flexes Its Muscles
Given the central role Bvlgari played in the organization of Geneva Watch Days, it may not be fair to attempt to summarize the brand's efforts in such a short post, but given that we'll be dedicating separate posts to the major releases in due course it's worth outlining our immediate takeaways of what was a really fantastic event.Jean-Christophe Babin is a force of nature. That's a description often (correctly) used to describe the other JCB, but it is just as appropriate for Bvlgari's energetic CEO. I had the opportunity to sit down with him for the best part of an hour. We talked about Geneva Watch Days and Bvlgari's new releases. As you will see from the video interview we have on the wa...
Genteel Handmade Releases Himalaya Watch Straps
Whenever a new watch is released, we mostly focus on the watch head itself. But the interest in personalization is growing. Finding the very best after-market straps for your luxury watch has never been a more important (and exciting) adventure. Learn more about Genteel Handmade and the Himalaya Watch Straps here.The company’s goal is simple. Genteel Handmade wants to produce some of the rarest and most exclusive straps in the world. To reach the summit of its craft, the brand has sourced the finest materials available. The workshop is staffed by skilled craftspeople. Together, the team produces some of the finest watchbands in the industry. The results speak for themselves.A very spec...
Reise Resolute Watches Tick Many Boxes (None Of Them Square)
A lot of us dream of owning our own brand. Having complete creative control of not just the watch design itself, but also the whole concept surrounding its creation sounds like a heady lure. But with that kind of power comes the responsibility to get it right. More importantly, perhaps, for the kind of ego that is required to believe breaking into the current watch market is in any way possible, you also have the responsibility of “wearing it” when things go wrong. Thanks to the founder's previous foray into watchmaking, Reise watches takes the right kind of risks and comes off looking very clever indeed.The fear of being wrong leads many microbrand owners down the same path. Whe...
H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Perpetual Calendar Watch (2021)
The Streamliner has its fans all over the industry, but that doesn’t mean it is that well known outside of watchmaking. With the latest addition to the Streamliner family a quietly complicated entry, the industry’s best-kept secret superstar looks set to continue to fly under the radar of everyone that isn’t paying close attention. And that’s kind of nice, don’t you think? I sat down with Edouard Meylan at Geneva Watch Days to talk about the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Perpetual Calendar and the pressures and pleasures of bringing a modern classic to life.In our efforts to bring you as much news as possible from as many angles as we can and as quickly as we&...
New: Breitling Top Time Classic Cars Capsule Collection (2021)
This year, at Geneva Watch Days 2021, Breitling brings us three chronographs inspired by a fairly surprising topic: ’60s American sports cars. The Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, and Shelby Cobra are featured within a new capsule collection of Top Time Chronographs.I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting classic American cars to star in the latest Breitling capsule collection. However, it’s wise to assume the unexpected these days when it comes to the ever-evolving brand. The fact that these watches sit within the Top Time line seems fitting as well. After all, we have ’60s-based chronographs and cars from the same era. Blending cars and watches are a tough business...
Why I Bought The New Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch (2021)
The new Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer was not even on my short-term wish list, as I already have a few Moonwatch references, but I simply could not resist. This time, I was initially (and finally) aiming for the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon, but the Moonwatch force was strong. I ended up buying the new Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer, with Hesalite crystal. Allow me to explain.I bought the new Moonwatch with Hesalite crystal, mainly because I think it is somewhat more historically correct. But more importantly, I like the looks of the Hesalite crystal. It magnifies the dial of the Speedmaster in a way that the Sapphire crystal can’t. The Omega Speedmaster...
New Watch Release: Urwerk UR-100 Electrum (2021)
I love the UR-100 and I think I’ve made this particularly clear over the last however many months. I’ve covered a couple of new versions of this fantastical model. If you take a look at the entire lineup of the UR-100, I think you’ll notice one of the reasons I love it so much. It is goddamn versatile. For what is quite a futuristic design and concept, we have cool, sporty models, colorful concept versions, and dressy versions too. Today’s release adds to the more formal side of the UR-100 family, so I am pleased to introduce the UR-100 Electrum.Electrum? What on Earth is that? Is it a portmanteau of “electric” and “plectrum”? No, the latest cr...