Best Super NEWS Watches
Introducing: The Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon (Now With An Extra Side Of Steel)
When it launched in May of last year, the Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon took the well-regarded brand in a new direction. Equipped with a special execution of a movement from an award-winning watch, the original 12-piece run of the Grand Sport Tourbillon offered the sporty sleeper on a rubber strap. Today, the brand has announced another 12 pieces, this time on a matching steel bracelet and with a new dial color. Initial Thoughts Still 44mm wide in steel, the Grand Sport Tourbillon is differentiated by the new steel three-link bracelet and a dark blue gradient dial. Those wanting a peek at the ini...
Introducing: The Cartier Santos-Dumont 'La Demoiselle' Limited Edition
When Cartier released a new quartz Santos-Dumont last year, it looked like it might be a nice complement to the Santos collection that got a major overhaul in 2018. But this year, we're seeing both a new set of hand-wound Santos-Dumont watches and a trio of limited editions celebrating the watch's namesake. It's now a serious part of the Cartier portfolio, and for good reason. It's a watch that presents as a dress watch in a modern context but, in many ways, it is the original pilot's watch. It's an all-situations player that feels strangely contemporary for something originally designed over 100 years ago. The watch we have here is no ordinary Santos-Dumont, tho...
Introducing: The Cartier Santos-Dumont Le Brsil, La Baladeuse, And No. 14 Bis Limited Editions
Capsule collections of limited editions are something that Cartier does extremely well and has done well for some time now. From the Tonneau to the Tank Cintre, these mini-collections, usually under the Cartier Priv label, give us limited edition pieces in small quantities that reference iconic designs from Cartier's past, usually with some kind of twist. This year, there are four special Santos-Dumont models that have me pretty excited C the trio you see here and then an extra-special piece in platinum that was worthy of its own write-up. What we've got here are three large-size Cartier Santos-Dumont models that are tributes to aircraft created by Santos-Dumon...
HODINKEE Radio: Episode 88: The New Watches Of Watches & Wonders 2020
Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review, and tell us which guests we should have on! Under normal circumstances, much of Team HODINKEE would be in Switzerland right now, covering Watches & Wonders Geneva (formerly SIHH) and Baselworld, bringing you all the new releases live from the cradle of watchmaking. But, these aren't normal circumstances. Luckily, the FHH organized a sort of virtual Watches & Wonders fair, and more than a dozen watch brands have released 2020 collections over the last few days. After so much waiting and after hearing n...
Sunday Rewind: Thoughts On Baselworld 2020 (From 2018)
Following up on our rewind from last weekend, in which we returned to Baselworld 1979 with our own Joe Thompson, this weekend, we're offering a look into the show's more recent context. 2018 highlights a point at which the storm surrounding Baselworld began to really pick up speed, and the mounting scenario prompted yet another analytical look from Joe. While hindsight offers the clearest perspective and much of the 2020 scenario is the result of an unpredictable worldwide crisis, it is clear that the weather was already changing for The Fair in 2018.? With the slowing of the watch boom in China, Baselworld had a fight on its han...
Introducing: The Bulgari Bulgari Cities Special Edition 2020
Viva la Roma, and Milano, and Tokyo, and also Dubai, Paris, London, Mexico City, Ibiza, and New York (why not?). That's the move by Bulgari as they have announced the launch of the Bulgari Bulgari Cities Special Edition 2020. Inspired by a limited edition model from the brand's past, the "BB Cities" offers a sleekly modern aesthetic that carries the name of your city (or a city you love) and comes with a collection of 12 unique art prints designed to connect the spirit of each city with Bulgari at large. ? Initial Thoughts Each of the named cities is memorialized by a specific young artist, and the prints...
Introducing: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph Calendar
When contemplating the long history of Jaeger-LeCoultre and its massive manufacture in the Swiss Jura, it's difficult to think of a complication or technical feat that it hasn't already achieved. There's a reason why the company goes by the sobriquet the Grande Maison. So I was surprised this afternoon to open up an email with the quite beautiful watch below and to see in the attached press release the statement that its combination of a chronograph with a triple calendar with moon phase represents a first for JLC. This new complete calendar chronograph is the headline act o...
Introducing: The Baume & Mercier Hampton Automatic
43mm x 27.5mm sized case The Hampton series channels the design language present in the 1920's Art Deco era. The rectangular case features subtle curves and rounded edges that are meant to play with the way light reflects off the case. There's a display caseback that allows a view of the automatic movement inside, and due to the nature of the case shape, it's secured by four screws.? 48mm x 31mm sized case The model comes in two sizes, a modestly-sized execution at 43mm x 27.5mm with sweeping seconds and no date, and a larger iteration at 48mm x 31mm with small seconds at 6 o'clock, along w...
Introducing: Chopard Updates The L.U.C Perpetual Twin
As part of what would have been Chopard's Baselworld 2020 announcements, the brand has launched two new iterations of their L.U.C Perpetual Twin. Alongside the existing steel/silver dial version, the L.U.C Perpetual Twin can now be had in steel with a blue dial or 18k rose gold with a ruthenium grey dial. The L.U.C line represents some of Chopard's most elaborate watchmaking, and from both a value and a finishing perspective, the COSC-certified performance of the L.U.C Perpetual Twin makes for a very appealing and modern QP offering.? Initial Thoughts I remember seeing this 43mm wide QP in person at Basel...
Announcements: The Horological Society of New York To Distribute $100,000 To Watchmakers In Need
The Horological Society of New York (HSNY) was founded in 1866 as a guild by watchmakers for watchmakers. Medical and employment benefits were provided as a way for colleagues to help each other in times of need. Since then, HSNY has evolved from its guild foundations to provide lectures, classes, scholarships, a library, and more. With the coronavirus pandemic drastically impacting the way we all work and live, HSNY has established its ?Working Watchmakers Grant? to directly assist industry professionals. The Working Watchmakers Grant is today's version of the altruism that led to the founding of the Society in 1866. The Working Watchmakers Grant is available to...
Introducing: The Baume & Mercier Clifton Day-Date Moon-Phase
Baume & Mercier is at it again. Their new Clifton Day-Date Moon-Phase matches complication, build quality, and affordability. Crafted from solid blocks of steel or pink gold, this new Baumatic-equipped timepiece features a recognizable case design plus a moon phase, day-date complication, and sizable five-day power reserve, making it a seriously compelling offering overall.? Initial Thoughts Complicated timepieces are nothing new for Baume & Mercier, but complications paired with their Baumatic in-house movements are indeed quite fresh. Consider this new offering something of a more approachable v...
Introducing: The Baume & Mercier Hampton Big Date Dual Time
Launched alongside several other new models for their (now digital-only) Watches & Wonders offering, Baume & Mercier has created a version of their rectangular Hampton watch that boasts both a big date and a nicely executed dual time display. Supported by a well-proportioned steel case, this Hampton offers function and form that are outside the norm.? Initial Thoughts Clearly inspired by the endless charm of the Art Deco period, this Hampton manages a Reverso-esque feel without getting too close for comfort. Its polished steel case is 31mm wide and 48mm lug to lug (for reference, a "large" Cartier...
Introducing: The Baume & Mercier Clifton Moon-Phase Date
This has chalked up to be the year Baume & Mercier outfitted some more complicated pieces with the in-house Baumatic movement, and the new offerings do not disappoint. With this watch, the new Clifton Moon-Phase Date, you get all that complicated moon phase goodness, a calendar-style date indicator, and the beastly five-day power reserve. The best part? This watch is offered exclusively in steel, with a price almost too good to be true. I have said it before (maybe even today), and I'll say it again, Baume & Mercier is bringing the goods in terms of watchmaking and affordability.? Initial Thoughts ...
Introducing: The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept, The World's Thinnest Mechanical Watch
The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept watch C let's call it the AUC C was first introduced as a kind of horological experiment in 2018, and at the time, there was no real intention expressed by Piaget to make it a regular production watch. It was and is almost absurdly thin C at 2mm overall, it is actually thinner than most watch movements. There are quite a few technical problems, to put it mildly, which have to be addressed in making a watch this flat. For one thing, most watches which have pushed thinness to this level have had cases so flat that they tend to bend when the watch is strapped onto the wrist, which historically has been one of the major limiting factors in how thin a watch c...
Last year, at SIHH 2019, Vacheron Constantin announced both a new blue dial and a solid gold bracelet for their lovely Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. Trouble is, the two weren't offered together. The blue dial was only available with the quick change combo of the rubber strap and the leather, while the bracelet was only optional with the silver opaline dial version. I should know C I wrote that post too (and am impressed by the continuity match of the outfits in both wrist shots). Well, for Watches and Wonders 2020, VC has righted this wrong. You can have your blue and gold it too.? Initial Thoughts ...
Introducing: Semper & Adhuc Brings Vintage Watch Movements Back To Life
Take a look on eBay, visit a flea market, or shop at an antique store: Chances are you will find a large selection of orphaned mechanical watch movements. These movements probably are not in working condition, but with some spare parts and a bit of work from a competent watchmaker, they can be brought to life. A brand based in Bordeaux, France, is doing this in a particularly stylish way. Let's take a look at Semper & Adhuc. Colin de Tonnac working at the bench. Note the company logo, inspired by the Three Graces, on his coat. Colin de Tonnac, the founder of Semper & Adhuc, studied watchmaking at the famous Lyce Edgar...
Found: One Of Two Urwerk UR-103 Prototypes In Stainless Steel
Just imagine seeing this watch at the Baselworld fair in 2003. It would have been almost unrecognizable as a watch altogether. Urwerk started in 1996, but its UR-101 and UR-102 watches were still relatively small, round-cased pieces that, to the untrained eye, still functioned as "traditional" watches. F.P. Journe's Chronomtre Rsonance and Vianney Halter's Antiqua were only a few years old; Richard Mille, De Bethune, and the Harry Winston Opus program had just launched; MB&F was still a few years away. The watch world was a much more conservative place, and the UR-103 made it clear that a new generation had arrived C and they were here to play. ...
Introducing: The Zenith Chronomaster Revival Manufacture Edition
Seemingly out of the blue, as it were, we have a new El Primero chronograph to introduce from Zenith, and it comes with a pretty amazing story that builds on the legendary tale of Charles Vermot and the attic of the Zenith manufacture.?As almost anyone who was paying attention to the watch world last year and witnessed the cavalcade of 50th anniversary El Primero launches knows, Vermot, now celebrated as a hero, was the rogue employee who went against his company's management and stashed away tooling for the El Primero chronograph during the height of the quartz crisis. This act of defiance, which ultimately showed critical foresight, allowed Zenith to be reborn as a modern luxury watch bran...
The Grey NATO: Episode 112: The Isolation Tapes // Perfect Product #3
Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Google Play and Spotify). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review here, and tell us what topics you'd like us to chat about (or email [email protected]). thegreynato The Grey NATO - Ep 112 - The Isolation Tapes // Perfect Product 3 After a nine-month hiatus, episode 112 sees the return of the Perfect Product series in which Jason and James pick a favorite product from their lives and give you an insider's review about what makes it so great. For the third installment of the series, Jason has a two-wheeled suggestion and James wants to keep your coffee game qu...
Sunday Rewind: Rescue The Weekend With A Special Breitling Emergency
Among the ranks of even the weirdest and most esoteric sport watches, few can stand with such focus and function as the Breitling Emergency. It's a massive, quartz-powered watch that also functions as a location beacon for search and rescue units C should you need rescue. Back in the fall of 2016, our Jason Heaton was sporting a limited edition version of the watch that was designed to commemorate Orbiter 3, a special balloon that managed a nonstop lap of the globe.? While it may be a bit of an overkill move for video games on the couch, the Emergency is a unique and very cool watch. Don't believe us? Click the link below for Hea...