RECOMMEND READING: The insane craftsmanship in the Bulgari Octo Finissimo revealed by The Naked Watchmaker

It’s no secret we are rather enamoured with the Bulgari Octo Finissimo and calling it a micro-technological marvel of the new century would not be overselling it. Following our article on Bulgari’s latest chapter of one-upmanship – where they managed to somehow engineer a tourbillon to fit the already infinitessimally optimised space inside the angular case – we are still none the wiser as to how they did it. Surely you too have wondered just what hides within the paper thin layers of cogs, bridges and small colourful pops of jewels in their caliber BV318. Rarely have we spent so much time looking at a movement through the clear sapphire caseback in the sandblasted titanium case, every so often turning the watch expecting it to be an optical illusion. Surely it is not humanly possible to fit a traditional mechanical movement with a chronograph complication and a GMT function within a case of 6.9mm? We are deadly curious and who better to educate us than Peter Speake-Marin of The Naked Watchmaker. In his Deconstruction series, an already fascinating journey into the inner workings of the mechanical wonders we obsess over, he has dedicated his workbench to the Octo Finissimo Chronograph…

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5 years ago

Introducing – The Rotonde de Cartier Precious Icon Set

Cartier is a revered manufacturer of haute horlogerie. It is amongst three of the best-selling luxury watch brands in the world, sitting alongside the likes of Omega and Rolex. In addition to creating Geneva Seal movements, it has also mastered the art and form of crafting tourbillons and skeletonised watches that expose the high level […]

5 years ago

Jason Statham shows that action heroes still wear Panerai

Jason Statham paneraiWhile Panerai was founded way back in 1860, its rise to prominence came on the back of a very specific type of celebrity: the action hero. It was thanks to the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger that brand awareness soared following wrist-bound cameos in films like Daylight, Eraser, Rambo IV and The Expendables franchise. In 2021, Panerai continue to be the brand worn by action heroes with Jason Statham confirmed as wearing two of their pieces while shooting the new spy film Five Eyes, which began filming in January this year. Directed by Guy Ritchie, famous for helming Lock, Stock Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and more recently The Gentleman, it’s the fourth time that Statham and Ritchie have worked together on different films. Five Eyes also features another alumnus from Richie’s past work in the form of another Panerai fanatic, Hugh Grant. Grant has admitted that his love for Panerai stems from the fact that he’s a bit short-sighted and he appreciates their easy legibility. In the film, it has been revealed that Statham will be wearing two different Panerai pieces in the Submersible Goldtech 42mm (PAM1164) and the Submersible Carbotech 47mm (PAM1616), both of which were provided…

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5 years ago

Introducing – The Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad (Live Pics & Price)

If you know your dive watch history, the name Fifty Fathoms No Rad (for no radiations) should be familiar. In fact, it should even ring the bell twice. One, when Blancpain was a supplier to the navies of numerous armed forces worldwide, with a military Fifty Fathoms delivered to the Bundeswehr, the iconic and rare “BUND […]

5 years ago

MICRO MONDAYS: Studio Underd0g are smashing Kickstarter with a fresh sense of humour. We talk to their founder about making watches fun again

Studio Underd0g have a refreshingly playful approach to watchmaking. As the British microbrand explain on their website. “When the biggest news in the watch-world for 2020 is that a certain brand (that shall not be named) had increased their case size by an unfathomable 1mm it got us thinking… Why… so… serious…? Don’t worry, we don’t plan on taking them head on just yet, but we are here to inject a bit of silliness into what can be a very un-silly industry.” This is a very welcome perspective and plays out in Studio Underd0g’s cheerfully irreverent debut collection that consists of three watches: Desert Sky, Watermel0n and Go0fy Panda.  Normally, after all, watches with bicompax and “big eye” features come loaded with vintage preconceptions. We might expect a manual movement, intricately detailed feuille hands, monochrome tones and rather high price points for the serious collectors out there. But Studio Underd0g (yes, that is a zero in their name) aim to do things differently. By adding fresh colours and humour suddenly we’re into unknown territory. Richard Benc, the founder of Studio Underd0g, seems to have a particular sense of style and an instinctive feel for both dial size and the delicate…

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5 years ago

INTRODUCING: The Hamilton Intra-Matic Chronograph H combines retro swagger with a mechanical movement

Hamilton Intra-Matic Chronograph HWe really should have seen the Hamilton Intra-Matic Chronograph H coming. Having played with the idea before, this hand-wound, bi-register chrono – in beautifully proportioned panda and reverse panda dial variants – sees Hamilton effectively resurrect and update its first chronograph. The modern Intra-Matic Chronograph H is compelling in either dial, taking direct inspiration from 1968’s ‘Chronograph A’ and ‘Chronograph B’. Those original pieces have often aged beautifully, so it’s no surprise to see fauxtina deployed here. A box sapphire crystal further adds to that ’60s vibe. In all, though, it appears to be a watch that leans heavily on the vintage cues without ever losing its balance.  At 40mm, the case contains the new H-51 movement (utilising a base ETA-7753) with 60 hours power reserve. It also comes with a welcome 100m of water resistance. But while the Chronograph H is a modern take on Hamilton’s original chronograph, it’s also a natural step in the brand’s recent exploration of those ’60s designs – and suggests that while they’ve been looking backwards, they’ve also been responding to the tastes of modern watch-buyers. This is not the first model to find inspiration from the reverse panda looks of the ‘Chronograph B’.…

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5 years ago