The chronograph is undoubtedly one of the most, if not the most, popular complications among watch enthusiasts. However, few people realise that this mechanism is one of the most complex in watchmaking. Most chronographs operate on the same fundamental principles. However, with the Royal Oak Jumbo Chronograph RD#5, Audemars Piguet dares to challenge conventions that […]
Few chronographs capture the spirit of their era as vividly as the Heuer Monaco. Born at the crossroads of watchmaking tradition and a rapidly changing world, it arrived in 1969 with angles as sharp as the decade itself. Following our article covering the story of the Heuer Carrera Chronograph, we now look at the history […]
Union Glashütte, one of the two Swatch Group brands located in the Saxon town of German watchmaking fame, next to higher-end manufacture Glashütte Original, manages to compete with its heavyweight neighbours thanks to its solidly built watches – often with vintage motorsport accents – but always recognised for their good value. With its close ties […]
Without a doubt, one of the most important racing chronographs ever created and arguably the most emblematic watch of the entire history of Heuer and TAG Heuer… From the first 1963 Heuer Carrera chronographs in the original round cases, the C-Shape cases to house the new automatic movements in 1969, the barrel-shaped Carreras, powered by […]
Hamilton has always had deep ties to aviation. From synchronising the first U.S. airmail flights in the 1910s to timing pilots through WWI and WWII, and the jet age, the brand’s Khaki Aviation collection continues this legacy with watches designed for professionals and enthusiasts. The Khaki Aviation X-Wind was developed in 2005 with aerobatic champion […]
Released in 2023, the Tentagraph was Grand Seiko’s first-ever mechanical chronograph… I know, it sounds weird for a brand with about 65 years of history, but all of its chronographs used to be based on a Spring Drive architecture (calibres 9R86 and 9R96) until the launch of the SLGC001. Using the Evolution 9 platform, the Tentagraph […]
Bulgari’s Aluminium collection erupted on the scene in 1998. Fusing design elements from earlier models like the 1975 Bvlgari Bvlgari with the twice-emblazoned brand name on the gold bezel, the slick Aluminium with its bold mix of lightweight aluminium and rubber accents was a runaway success. Making its much-awaited comeback in 2020 during Geneva Watch […]
The year 1969 is etched in Zenith’s history as the birth of El Primero, the world’s first high-frequency automatic chronograph calibre. It was also the debut year of the Defy, a rugged sports watch nicknamed the “vault” for its robust construction and avant-garde angular design. Over the past few years, Zenith has revisited these late-1960s […]
Since Christiaan Huygens paired a balance wheel and spiral spring in 1675, the hairspring has been the beating heart of every mechanical watch. Its material has always dictated chronometric performance. Steel, used for centuries, suffered from magnetism and temperature drift. Special alloys developed in the 20th century improved reliability – from Elinvar to Nivarox/Nivachron, made […]
As its name suggests, the Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante R.U.R is an evolution of the dial-side split-seconds chronograph presented in 2021. You might be wondering what lies behind the cryptic R.U.R acronym? Well, the word “robot” comes from the Czech “robota,” meaning “forced labour” or “serfdom,” and it was popularised by another famous Czech-born personality with […]