Happenings: We’re Coming To London And Glasgow With Grand Seiko
Two nights, two cities, tons of awesome watches.
Video – Behind the Bench with Watchmaker Karsten Fraessdorf and his innovative Tourbillon Spirograph Sport
Karsten Fraessdorf, the founder of Montres KF, has been a watchmaker since he was a teenager. Restoring old clocks and pocket watches, he learned all about classic escapements and chronometry. Over the past decade, Karsten Fraessdorf has created several watches, and by created, we mean literally created from the ground up with self-developed movements, often […]
VIDEO: A week on the wrist with the Chopard Alpine Eagle, a super in-depth breakdown of 2019's most controversial watch
This week, the Chopard Alpine Eagle was released, marking a brand new collection from Chopard, their first in decades. It revives the design of their first ever sports watch, and the brand’s first ever steel watch. Based on the St. Moritz from 1980, the Alpine Eagle features the same stainless steel case and integrated bracelet, exposed bezel screws, and an eye-catching mix of polished and brushed surfaces. Where the new Alpine Eagle flies to new territory is in the proprietary alloy that Chopard has developed called Lucent Steel A223 (a four-year R&D effort) and the finely grained and textured radial dial. It’s said to be inspired by an eagle’s iris. Maybe. Whatever. It’s bloody beautiful, and with the blue galvanic treatment, it gives constant surprise/delight from the wrist. Check this video for proof. If you’re wondering about the name, it refers to the ‘Eagle Wings Foundation’, yet another initiative from Chopard that proves how seriously they’re taking ‘sustainable luxury’ — the foundation is all about protecting flora and fauna in the Alps. The steel in the watch is 70 per cent recycled, with 30 per cent from traceable sources. They’re definitely serious. Contemporaries of the St. Moritz model — which sold a staggering…
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VIDEO: The snakelike excellence of the Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori
Most of the time we spend talking about Bulgari at the moment is dedicated to the gorgeous Octo, which, if I’m frank, makes perfect sense. But that’s far from the only arrow in Bulgari’s gem-set quiver. On the more feminine side of the fence there’s also the venerable (and not at all venomous) Serpenti, which saw a significant revision at Baselworld this year in the form of the Serpenti Seduttori, billed as a more everyday take on the serpentine icon. And while it’s the 33mm diamond-shaped head that is the focal point, for me the slinky bracelet is the centrepiece. The links are made to represent scales, and the effect is gorgeous. For this review we opted for the yellow gold model, because honestly, while pink gold is cool, it’s hard to beat the power and presence of yellow gold. The OG precious metal. Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori price Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori, yellow gold with diamonds, $40,900 AUD Made in partnership with Bulgari. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.
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Hands-on – Seiko Celebrates 50 Years of Automatic Chronographs with the Prospex SRQ029
1969 was a prolific year for the watch industry. We could talk about the Moon Landing or the introduction of several iconic timepieces. But when it comes to innovation and pure watchmaking, 1969 should be remembered mainly for the introduction of the first automatic chronograph movements. Among them were the El Primero and the Chronomatic/Calibre […]
Hands-on – Seiko Presage Chronograph 55th Anniversary SRQ031, Tribute to Japan and Seiko’s First Chronograph
While Seiko’s influence on the automatic chronograph doesn’t need to be demonstrated anymore, as it was one of the three manufacturers to simultaneously launch such an innovative movement back in 1969, the brand’s history in terms of chronographs is slightly older than this milestone and the calibre 6139. It actually dates back to 1964 with […]
HANDS-ON: The Seiko Automatic Chronograph 50th Anniversary — SRQ029J
Celebrating five decades since its first automatic chronograph was released, Seiko has just unveiled this, the new Seiko Automatic Chronograph SRQ029J 50th Anniversary. First revealed in 1969, the original Seiko Automatic Chronograph featured the Japanese watchmaker’s historic Calibre 6139 movement, which utilised an integrated vertical clutch and column wheel chronograph architecture. 1969 was a competitive and interesting time for watchmakers, as it wasn’t just Seiko that was trying to bring an automatic chronograph to market in the last year of the Swinging Sixties. In fact, not only was an automatic chronograph joint venture between Heuer and Breitling on the precipice of release, but Zenith’s famed El Primero movement was also on the verge of being brought to market. Exciting times indeed for the chronograph. The 6139-equipped timepieces were presented in a number of different colour schemes, and all featured a day-date indicator and a single 30-minute sub-dial located at the 6 o’clock position on the sporty dial. What followed the 6139 was arguably one of Seiko’s most notable chronographs of all time, the Seiko 6138 “Panda”. In fact, the Calibre 6138 spawned a great many cult classics, including the “Kakume”, “Jumbo”, “Calculator” and “Bullhead”. The Panda, like all 6138-powered timepieces, featured two sub-dials: one displaying…
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HANDS-ON: The Seiko Chronograph 55th Anniversary — SRQ031J
Some of the coolest and cultiest of vintage Seiko watches are their calibre 5719 monopusher chronographs, released to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 (an event for which Seiko were the official timekeepers btw). These watches didn’t look much like a chronograph, with only a single seconds hand and a bidirectional bezel to track elapsed time. They were also (like all chronographs before 1969), manually wound affairs. And while they might have lacked the sort of bells and whistles we expect from a sporty chronograph today, you can’t deny that these angular pieces, with reserved ’60s good looks oozed style. Well, that was 55 years ago and Seiko has decided that the time is right for a reissue. Which brings us to the SRQ031J, which preserves the old-school charm of the original but adds in some of that modern functionality we expect in 2019. The Seiko Anniversary Chronograph 55th Anniversary SRQ031J (to give it its full name) is a large, fully specced automatic, limited to 1000 pieces. And for all that it’s larger than the OG version, it does a very good job of evoking its spirit. The silver dial is shimmery in the light under the sapphire crystal,…
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Introducing: The MB&F HM9 ‘Flow’ Red Gold
Honoring the Golden Age of automotive and aircraft design with a gold case.
Happenings: The Horological Society Of New York To Hold Weekend Classes In San Francisco & Washington, D.C.
This next round will be hosted by Shreve & Co. and District Time.