Hands-on – Favre-Leuba Raider Sea King – The Urban Side of the Brand

Over the past few years, Favre-Leuba, one of the oldest names of the Swiss watch industry, made a strong comeback by releasing a series of rough, sturdy mechanical watches with distinctive designs. The Raider collection with, for instance, the Bivouac, the Bathy or the Harpoon offers gargantuan timepieces, with 46mm to 48mm diameters, featuring unique built-in functions designed for active wear – a depth-gauge for the Bathy or an altimeter for the Bivouac. If these heavy-duty tool-watches for “conquering frontiers” work perfectly in everyday life too, Favre-Leuba has also something for those looking for a watch that would be a bit less rugged and on a more ‘elegant’ side with the Sea King (and the Sea Bird for ladies).

7 years ago

Hands-on – Bovet Récital 21 Retrograde Perpetual Calendar

Functional elegance – The perpetual calendar holds a special place in the heart of watch aficionados. Its mechanical memory and ability to display the date for decades into the future, even for leap years, is a feat of horological engineering. But most of all, the perpetual calendar is a thing of beauty. And when you […]

7 years ago

Introducing – Ulysse Nardin Marine Mega Yacht Watch – (Luxury) Ship Ahoy!

For a company that built its name as a purveyor of precision marine chronometers, Ulysse Nardin has a long-standing and authentic link to the sea. Combine this with the brand’s penchant for extravagant complications and showmanship and you get the Marine Mega Yacht, a watch that combines a flying tourbillon, a tide indicator, a moon phase indicator with miniature lifelike recreations of a ship’s features – anchor, chain, propeller, windlass and bow – directly on the dial! With a price tag of just over EUR 300,000, the platinum watch is a limited edition of just 30 pieces.

7 years ago

Hands-on – IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Mojave Desert”

Since 2007, IWC has been producing a special series of watches designed to meet the demanding needs of elite jet pilots. Established as an independent collection within the IWC Pilot’s Watch family in 2012, the TOP GUN series has become renowned for its use of hi-tech materials and stealth, military-inspired styling. IWC introduced a total of four new TOP GUN models at SIHH 2019 this year. We’ve already gotten hands-on with the impressively technical Double Chronograph TOP GUN Ceratanium, as well as the practical Automatic TOP GUN. Now, it’s time to turn our attention to the slightly more unusual Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Mojave Desert” (Ref. IW389103) – because it is objectively unusual. 

7 years ago

Independent Watchmaking – GoS Sarek Sunset and Sunset Glacier – Emulating the Beauty of Nature with Luminous Mother-of-Pearl

Johan Gustafsson and Patrik Sjörgen, founders of GoS Watches, create watches that encapsulate their passion for Scandinavia’s Viking past  and the natural beauty of Sweden’s landscape. As unique as they are unusual, GoS watches are a far cry from the minimalist aesthetic we tend to associate with Scandinavian design. Ahead of Baselworld 2019, GoS introduces […]

7 years ago

Hands-on – Fortis Official Cosmonauts Amadee-18 Chronograph – Destination Mars?

Nothing gives a watch credentials like a stint in outer space. Fortis, founded in 1912, has long been associated with rugged pilot’s watches and became part of the official equipment of Russian cosmonauts in 1994. Launched into space on a MIR space station mission, the Official Cosmonauts Chronograph bears the logo of the Russian space authorities (Roscomos) on the caseback and continues to accumulate mission patches from ongoing International Space Station adventures. Last year, Fortis participated in a simulation of the first human landing on Mars that took place in the desert of Oman and provided chronographs for the entire team.

7 years ago

Introducing – Breguet Classique 5177 Grand Feu Blue Enamel (Hands-On)

When you think about Breguet watches, you usually have in mind (superb) silvered guilloché dials, blued hands and an overall luxurious, refined style. This would, however, be simplistic as the brand also has great expertise with enamelled dials. With the Classique 5177 Grand Feu Blue Enamel, Breguet presents an automatic dress watch with pure Breguet […]

7 years ago

Pre-Baselworld 2019 – Anonimo Nautilo Vintage – More Retro-Styled and Smaller

A brand built on the ashes of the Italian branch of Panerai, founded by a naval engineer and former head of the aforementioned watchmaker, is obligated to have a dive watch in the collection. For over 12 years now, the Nautilo has been part of the Anonimo line-up in various guises – see herehere or here. New for 2019 and launched as a preview to Baselworld is a more retro – or vintage-inspired – take on their cool Nautilo, with the Anonimo Nautilo Vintage. And good news for a lot of people: it’s smaller!

7 years ago