If you’re here, you like watches. But would you like to know more? Things like the difference between a chronometer and a chronograph, between a foudrayante and a fusée? The courses offered by The Naked Watchmaker provide a fascinating introduction to the world of fine watches, revealing the secrets of movements and complications, and explaining…
Affordable chronograph watches have long been based primarily on the ETA Valjoux 7750 calibre. Notable exceptions included a Russian column-wheel chronograph and a similar Chinese version, both of which were based on Swiss movements by Venus. Today, the Seagull ST19 is progressively changing the landscape of entry-level chronographs: its low price makes it possible for…
The second edition of Watches Of Italy, held on 25 and 26 September 2021 in Tortona, can be considered a notable success and a welcome step towards normality after two difficult years. The event was underscored by a positive atmosphere, reinforced by the notable quality of the watches on show, and facilitated by the seamless…
The second edition of Watches Of Italy, held in Tortona on 25 and 26 September 2021, showcased the notable energy and creativity of Italy’s brands and microbrands. Here is our selection of 15 highlights at Watches Of Italy, in ascending price order. 1. Fumagazzi Spritz For Fumagazzi, watches are a constant source of entertainment, and…
Geneva Watch Days 2021 was the second edition of the event, held in Geneva from 30 August to 3 September 2021. About 20 brands exhibited in a number of hotels, manufactures and boutiques. Baselworld also organized a contemporaneous pop-up with another ten brands. Here we present ten watches at Geneva Watch Days 2021 that caught…
Raketa is Russian for “space rocket”, and the company adopted the name in 1961 in honour of Yuri Gagarin’s epic flight. But the origins of the brand go back much further, to 1721 when Peter the Great founded the “Imperial Peterhof Factory” in St. Petersburg, dedicated to carvings made in semi-precious stones. In fact this…
It takes courage to abandon a career in finance and start out in high-end watchmaking. Emmanuelle and Rodolfo Festa Bianchet did precisely that: after selling Rodolfo’s company, they decided to design a limited-edition sporty, lightweight tourbillon watch in a tonneau case. The development process took four years, starting in 2017. While they knew exactly the…
For those who remember Urwerk’s large, dramatic watches such as the UR-105 T-Rex, the new UR 100 is quite an eye-opener, because it is very wearable. I met Felix Baumgartner at Geneva Watch Days (30 August-3 September 2021), and he said rather surprisingly, “This is our first watch”, reflecting its moderate size (41 mm wide,…
Pilot’s watches are instantly recognizable, with hallmarks including a reference triangle at 12 o’clock, black or dark dial, luminescent coating on hands and indices, and a large crown that can be manoeuvred even when wearing pilot’s gloves. Today there are many ways of interpreting the pilot’s watch, from versions that are virtually re-editions of traditional…
On 14 September 2021, MB&F presented the latest version of the Legacy Machine Perpetual, with the famous perpetual calendar movement designed by Stephen McDonnell. It is a 25-piece edition in palladium, a metal more expensive than gold and very hard to craft. The watch is in verdeaux (grey-blue) colour, with the same pushers previously seen…
What do you need to launch a new watch brand? A great watch concept, but above all, a good story. Watches by Riskers, which were present at the Baselworld pop-up at Geneva Watch Days in August 2021, tell a lot of great stories. Each design is linked to a hero and bravery, and to a…
Ikepod is a brand making distinctive design-oriented pebble-shaped watches. Their latest piece, presented at the Baselworld pop-up show during the Geneva Watch Days from 30 August to 3 September, is Seapod, a diving watch with 200 metres water resistance and a unidirectional rotating bezel. It was designed by Fabrice Gonet, and it has a Miyota…
This brand with an unpronounceable name was present at the Baselworld pop-up show in Geneva from 30 August to 3 September 2021. More than a watch, BA1110D is a business model devised by the company founder and CEO Thomas Baillod (which explains the brand name). He himself explains the concept. “During my two decades’ work…
“Forget all the pictures you have in mind of the old Baselworld. We have changed everything”. We spoke to Michel Loris-Melikoff, managing director of Baselworld, at the pop-up event held at a venue named IceBergues in Geneva, featuring ten watch brands. After the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 Baselworld shows, organizers MCH Group are…
Without doubt, my most intense experience at Geneva Watch Days 2021 was with Ferdinand Berthoud. “Go ahead, try it”, said my host Jonathan as I sat drooling over the magnificent Chronomètre FB 2RE, which won the Chronometry prize at last year’s GPHG awards. I hesitated, in consideration of the fact that the timepiece costs much…
Mechanical watches for women are rare objects, and purpose-designed women’s mechanical watches are even rarer. All too often they are simply men’s watches scaled down and dressed up with gemstones. Tortue Lady by Claude Meylan, a brand based in Vallée de Joux (Switzerland) specializing in skeleton watches, is a beautiful and intelligent timepiece for women.…
Some diving watches comply with the voluntary ISO 6425 standard which specifies characteristics such as water resistance, legibility in the dark, shock resistance etc. Take a look at these ten diver’s watches.
There are an increasing number of Italian brands making affordable mechanical watches, often featuring excellent design. Read our top 10 article featuring fine, tough, Italian watches.
The second Watches Of Italy show will be held in Tortona, Italy, on 25 and 26 September 2021, presenting about forty Italian watch brands. Read the interview with organizer Fabrizio Dellachà.
Gruppo Ardito Watches is an Italian artisanal watchmaking workshop born from the passion of four partners whose previous professional experience ranges from precision mechanical engineering to design and watchmaking micro-mechanics. To find out more, we spoke to the engineer Fabio Chiappino, one of the partners at this small Piedmont company, based in Alessandria. A fondo…
The Nighthawk by Perseo is a pilot’s watch, 44 mm in diameter, in versions with black or blue dial and a Sellita Swiss-made movement.
TFP Time For Planet is the first Italian sustainable watch company, making eco-friendly watches hallmarked by original design at accessible prices. Read on to find out more about the TFP Windrose mechanical watch. At last, the time for sustainability has arrived even for the world of watchmaking. We spoke to Maurizio Mattucci, CEO of the…
What’s so strange about this watch? The Ingersoll Chinook pilot’s watch has a telemeter scale, but an important detail is missing…
Maximilian Büsser and his MB&F celebrate the 10th anniversary of Horological Machine N° 4 with a one-off piece named HM4 Kittyhawk.
A hands-on review of the Panzera Hornet Special Flieger 46 pilot’s watch: excellent finish and detailing, interesting design, good wearability.
