Best Super NEWS Watches
Hands-On: The Norqain Freedom 60 GMT With Two Sweet New Dials
Last year, the upstart, independent brand Norqain unveiled the Freedom 60 GMT C a true GMT with jumping-hour functionality, chronometer certification, a manufacture movement, and a price tag that hit the old wallet at less than $4,000. That alone caused a stir. And a further kerfuffle ensued when news broke that it shared effectively the same movement as the Tudor Black Bay GMT, promoting a larger discussion as to what exactly constitutes an in-house movement. We'll save that debate for another time. Suffice it to say that Norqain is making waves. And today, the brand has doubled down with two new variants of the Freedom 60 GMT: The Opaline, with a white dial and...
Second Opinions: I Can't Afford Any Of These Watches. And That's Just Fine.
When I first started learning about watches, I often experienced emotional whiplash. I'd read a fascinating depiction of a watch, complete with photos, plus a deep dive into the history of the model and the author's specific relationship with it C and I'd find myself longing not only to see it in the metal, but also to perhaps own it someday. Then, inevitably, I'd scroll to the bottom of the page, see that it cost more than my car, sigh heavily, and move on with my life wishing that 20 years ago I'd invested in Amazon. But over time, something changed. I realized that I'm probably not ever C no matter how much money I have C going to ...
The Grey NATO: Episode 141: Bremont's Got A Wing And Some New Watches
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 - 141 - Bremont's Got A Wing And Some New Watches This episode of TGN takes to the skies with the official opening of Bremont's new headquarters C The Wing C and a number of noteworthy additions to their always evolving lineup. From a new generation of the Jaguar chronograph to a GMT chronograph version of the Supermarine and a brand new GMT diver (in the S300 family), the late...
The Sports Section: What's The Best Watch For Cyclists?
Okay, so the helmet comes first. Plus the water bottle. And you really don't want to ride for any great distance without padded shorts. But while you're gearing up for a bike ride C zipping up your jersey and clipping in your shoes C you're gonna want to strap on a watch. A good one requires instant legibility (eyes on the road!) and serious durability (to withstand all-weather conditions and the occasional crash). Even with those criteria, you have countless options.Earlier this year, we asked our pals at Tracksmith to tell us the best watches for runners. Today, it's the best watches for cyclists C as chosen by the staff of Rapha, the London brand that singlehandedly rescued bike apparel f...
Business News: Patek Philippe Is Changing The Way It Issues Extracts From The Archives
Patek Philippe recently sent out a memorandum stating that it has made a few key changes to the way the company handles the process of obtaining Extracts from the Archives. The company issues extracts to owners of watches based on the individual serial numbers and pictures of the watch. It doesn't necessarily guarantee authenticity, but it does allow folks to access the records that Patek Philippe has been keeping since 1839. The service allows customers to request information like, "the type of watch, movement number, caliber, case number, style, type of dial, date of manufacture, date of sale, bracelet type, and additional information if any." ...
Watching Movies: Robert Redford Dons A Doxa In A '70s Spy Thriller
Three Days of the Condor (1975) is a wonderfully entertaining example of a '70s thriller directed by Sydney Pollack. Robert Redford plays a paper-pushing CIA employee caught up in a messy situation: What happens when you come back from lunch to find your entire office wiped out by a group of assassins, and you're the next target? Photo: Getty/Movie Poster Image art Why We're Watching Last week, Doxa released its entire collection of dive watches in carbon C a case material first unveiled late last year. As of today, all its classic colorful divers are available in this very black, ultra-modern mate...
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! Watches & Wonders 2021 is just around the corner, and with everyone from Rolex to Lange to Patek to TAG showing all together during one virtual show, it promises to be one of the biggest weeks ever for watch news. But the brands that aren't showing aren't sitting back and doing nothing C last week, both Audemars Piguet and Omega dropped their 2021 collections (or at least the starts of them), and there's a ton worth talking about. At...
Sunday Rewind: Dive Watch Myths You Shouldn't Be Repeating
Spring is officially upon us, we've re-set the clocks (grumble) and there is a general feeling in the air that one ought to be up and about and doing things. As the days get longer and warmer we can't help but think of the aquatic diversions yet to come C the Season Of The Dive Watch, when all the creatures of the deep come out to play C if not during an actual dive, then at least at the beach, or poolside. And with the start of the season comes the opportunity for the watch enthusiast to become either a font of wisdom on the subject, or, if you're not careful, to repeat one of the many untrue myths that have attached themselves ...
Introducing: Oris' Top Tier Diver With (Finally!) An In-House Movement
The Aquis is a darling diver from indie brand Oris. It's a design that Oris has taken in dozens of directions, most recently by letting fans weigh in on the design. Last year, Oris debuted its new in-house caliber, the caliber 400, and it made its way into the Aquis. Today, Oris is unveiling its ber-Aquis in the form of the AquisPro Date Cal 400. The Aquis is Oris' best-selling watch range, and this particular model doubles down on features that put it in the deep end of the "tool watch" category. It's geared towards saturation divers, with features like the Rotation Safety System, a mechanism that locks the ceramic bezel until ...
Introducing: A New Oris Aquis LE To Save The Wadden Sea
One of Oris' operating mantras is "Change for the Better." The brand does this through focused partnerships and the production of limited-edition watches that generate money for a chosen cause. With the Dat Watt Limited Edition, Oris is seeking to do its part in the conservation of the Wadden Sea, the world's largest tidal system and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Given the aquatic connection, Oris has re-jiggered the brand's dive watch platform, the Aquis, into a model that uses the pointer date function to track the lunar cycle and, in turn, tidal flows. Located above The Netherlands, the Wadden Sea is the largest area of intert...
Introducing: New Oris Divers That Are Practically Edible
The Divers Sixty-Five line from Oris has seen numerous expressions over the years, from the steel & Bronze "Bico" to a denim-inspired iteration to our very own limited edition. Now comes "Cotton Candy." The watch is a light and playful take on the Divers Sixty-Five platform, with a bronze 38mm case and bracelet paired with one of three pastel colors: sky blue, wild green, or lipstick pink. The "Cotton Candy" typifies why so many collectors love Oris. The company isn't stuffy. Its products maintain high quality, but remind us all not to take watches too seriously. Initial Thoughts While just about ever...
Introducing: The Newly Updated Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver (With Live Pics & Pricing)
As of this year, the dive-specific Royal Oak is celebrating its sweet sixteenth with a newly updated reference. It spans three new colorways and represents the biggest evolution for the ROO Diver C?ROOD? C since the model graduated from being the Offshore Scuba (which originally launched in 2005) to the Royal Oak Offshore Diver. The new 2021 models are rocking a more modern movement, tool-less push-button strap changing, and several small but noteworthy design tweaks. Initial Thoughts To tackle the elephant in the ro...
Introducing: The Panerai Submersible Bronzo Blu Abisso
Nowadays, we're spoiled for choice when it comes to bronze watches. But turn the clock back to 2011, and it was a very different watch world. When Panerai debuted its first Bronzo, the PAM 382, bronze watches were rare birds. The first Bronzo also had a kind of sensational quality to it. Though there had been bronze watches before, the prospect of a high-end luxury brand making a modern timepiece that deliberately patinated C tarnished really, and at a fairly quick pace C caught a lot of people by surprise. But given Panerai's naval history and its association with events like the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the use of Bronze, a material with longstanding maritime associations, made a ...
Breaking News: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15202ST Will Be Replaced Next Year
Audemars Piguet has just announced that the Royal Oak ref. 15202ST will be replaced with another reference next year, which just so happens to be the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak.The 15202, aka "Jumbo," is the clearest contemporary connection back to the original Royal Oak in steel as conceived by watch design virtuoso Grald Genta with the ref. 5402 of 1972. In its current guise, the 15202 has been a mainstay in the AP collection since it was announced in 2012 as part of AP's year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak.It was back in January that the watch world learned, via a run-out list sent to retailers, that Patek Philippe's ref. 5711 was being retired. The news...
Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne Triple Split In Pink Gold With Blue Dial
Back in the days of the January SIHH show in Geneva, Lange would present one watch per year as an approximately 15-foot tall scale model at the very center of the brand's booth. It was a literal monument to the watchmaker's greatest horological achievement of the year. In 2018, the monumental watch was the Triple Split, a show-stopper that took its famed Double Split to the next level, offering a split-seconds chronograph that could simultaneously measure two times up to 12-hours long. It was a world first, and it got watch lovers talking. A little more than three years later, Lange is back for more, with another limited edition Triple Split, this time in pink go...
With its distinctive square case, unique corner-set crown, and cockeyed dial, Vacheron Constantin's Historiques American 1921 line has long been an interesting vintage-inspired design that captures the roaring twenties with personality to spare. Now, as part of the brand's Watches & Wonders 2021 announcements, the Historiques American 1921 is celebrating the centenary of its inspiration with a new trio of precious-metal models. Left to right: The 36.5mm Historiques American 1921 (white gold), the 40mm Historiques American 1921 Collection Excellence Platine (platinum), and the 40mm Historiques American 1921 (white gold). Wi...
Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne Little Lange 1 Moon Phase With Gold Flux Dial
There's something inherently poetic about the moon-phase complication, but this latest Little Lange 1 Moon Phase takes that idea to a whole other level. This latest iteration of Lange's small-but-mighty classic is all about the new dial treatment, which is a dark blue "gold flux" material that sparkles like the night sky.It's a very similar material to what most brands call "aventurine" or "aventurine glass," with tiny particles suspended in a glassy medium, giving it a ton of visual depth and a bit of shine. To continue the astronomical theme, the hour markers are tiny white gold stars (between the classic Roman numerals at 12-3-6-9), and the moon-phase disc has an applied white gold moon a...
Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar
This right here is the first Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar that doesn't come paired with other high complications. It feels crazy to say that, since Lange has been making Lange 1 watches for 27 years and perpetual calendar wristwatches for 20 of them. But ever since 2001's original Langematik Perpetual, this complication has always appeared using other design languages or teamed up with tourbillons and chronographs. Today, Lange introduces its latest high complication, but ironically, it comes in the form of a pared-down rendition of watches we've admired for years. You'll notice that to complement the Lange 1 architecture, Lange had to create a different kind of QP...
Introducing: The Defy Spectrum: Zenith's Fresh Take On The Rainbow Trend
In recent years, the watch industry has embraced color more than ever before C from dials that run the gamut of Pantone colors to bezels set with a full rainbow of gems. At Watches & Wonders 2021, Zenith offers its take on the trend with a twist. In the latest iteration of the Defy C which, as you might recall, really has no dial at all C the brand has given its modern El Primero 21 chronograph movement a colorful PVD treatment coupled with a matching gem-set bezel and rubber strap in five bold hues, offering an entirely new approach to vivid, kinetic vibrance. Each tone C green, orange, blue, purple, and black C is available...
Introducing: A Brand New Flagship Collection Of All-Terrain Watches From Herms
Herms is coming in hot at Watches & Wonders 2021 with the debut of an entirely new line: the H08. This thoroughly modern all-terrain watch is a departure from the Maison's more refined silhouettes, with a new case architecture that offers a distinct everyday-wear quality. And if you have something by Herms, don't you want to wear it every day? In typical Herms fashion, there's an underlying emphasis on design with a case that plays off the numerals zero and eight, featuring circular shapes, softened edges, and pleasing curves contrasted by angular details that balance the composition. Speaking of composition, within the H0...