Richard Mille, Jenson Button and Ron McLaren announcing Richard Mille's sponsorship of the McLaren Formula 1 team

McLaren Formula 1 Team Announces New Sponsoring Partner Richard Mille Following TAG Heuer Departure

A live report from Woking, England as McLaren’s Ron Dennis announced that another watch brand was set to step into the big Formula 1 sponsorship shoes left behind by TAG Heuer’s departure, a brand that fits the bill perhaps even better in terms of brand messages and commonalities.

“We’re at the beginning of this partnership, both as brands and as individuals,” Dennis, who praises commitment, said during the introduction at the McLaren Technology Center.

That brand is of course Richard Mille, and the two companies now enter into a ten-year contract.

Breguet Reference 1907 pocket watch

Breguet’s Modern Million Dollar Pocket Watch: The Classique Grande Complication Reference 1907

Several years ago, Breguet quietly introduced a complicated vintage-style pocket watch into its collection: the Reference 1907 Classique Grande Complication. It displays the time in regulator style, chimes the time in the form of a minute repeater with grande sonnerie, and provides extra precision thanks to the one-minute tourbillon. So where does the reference number 1907 come from? That’s a mystery, for sure. And while I have no official explanation, I can make an educated guess. So I will.

A. Lange und Söhne Lange 1 limited edition for Cellini

5 Of The Most Innovative Wristwatches Ever Made

Now, please don’t take this title the wrong way: this list is not definitive. Which is why it is not entitled “The 5 Most Innovative Wristwatches Ever Made.” It is specifically entitled “5 Of The Most Innovative Wristwatches Ever Made” because there are certainly more of them out there (this list could have encompassed 15, or even 20!) and there are surely differing opinions. For me, these five timepieces largely encompass comprehensive parts of what is great about the modern world of wristwatches.

Glashütte Original Senator Automatic with diamond-set bezel at the 2016 Berlinale

Glashütte Original Senator Automatic: How To Turn Serious Horology Into A Glamorous Event Watch

I had the chance to wear the Glashütte Original Senator Automatic during the 2016 Berlinale, Berlin’s Film Festival. While models from this line can look a tad old-fashioned, this model really hits the sweet spot in every way, hinting at traditionality while remaining fresh. And the addition of diamonds on the bezel, which is not usually my favorite type of design expression, just adds icing to the cake here.

Parting shot: Romain Gauthier Logical One in white gold

Why I Bought It: Romain Gauthier Logical One

I was sitting at my breakfast table on the morning of January 18, 2013, when during my morning scan of news I saw a photo of something breathtaking. It was Logical One by Romain Gauthier – a watch I immediately knew that I would own someday. I was captivated by the white gold version with frosted gold movement: this was “the one” for me. Read on to find out why.

Excalibur Automatic Skeleton Carbon by Roger Dubuis

Carbon Cases: A Lesson In Differences With Roger Dubuis’ Black Velvet Paraiba And Excalibur Skeleton Carbon

Carbon is an absolute building block of life as we know it and by mass is the fourth most abundant element in the entire universe. And in case you forgot, the universe is a ridiculously large place, which means that carbon, little old 6C is probably more famous than Justin Bieber and Beyoncé . . . combined! There are two principle techniques for creating carbon fiber objects, and the Roger Dubuis Black Velvet Paraiba And Excalibur Skeleton Carbon are excellent examples of each.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar from the 2016 Yellow Gold collection

Will Yellow Gold Find Its Way Back To The Wrist Soon? Audemars Piguet Thinks So With A Whole New Collection Of Royal Oaks

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was the first modern watch carrying a haute horlogerie price tag to be cased in stainless steel. The Royal Oak certainly changed the watch industry’s feel for luxury timepieces in the 1970s, a tectonic shift that helped to usher in today’s modern, casual feel for luxury. In 2016 Audemars Piguet launched a complete Royal Oak collection in “old fashioned” yellow gold. Is this another bold move or just a stab in the dark?

Philippe Dufour, Naissance d’une Montre

Photo Caption Competition No. 7: Philippe Dufour’s Exuberant Fan

Firstly, thanks to those that submitted entries to last week’s caption competition and to Martin for his winning entry, “First wife to say ok gets to buy it!” This week’s photo features Philippe Dufour at the Naissance d’une Montre stand at SIHH 2016 along with an exuberant fan. Click to join in the fun!

Traditional (but): I've rated Christophe Claret as a Contemporary brand because of the wilder models, but this independent has a foot in both camps and I rate this Soprano as Traditional, or perhaps "Traditional with a twist"

Want To Launch A High-End Watch Brand? What The 9 New Independents At SIHH 2016 Teach Us

Post-SIHH reports indicate that the inclusion of the so-called indies was a big success for both visitors and the small brands alike, but also that there was a little grumbling from some of the large established SIHH brands generated by the fact that visitors to the fair remarked − with justification − that there were more interesting watches in the Carré des Horlogers than in the rest of the SIHH altogether. What can the industry learn from their inclusion in 2016’s first fair?

Snapshot of WMMT's Instagram account

On The Pitfalls, Downfalls, And Upfalls Of Internet Gurus

In the early days of TimeZone and ThePurists when you posted a question you had to wait a few days for an answer you. And that answer was often detailed and knowledgeable. Then came the guys who had no idea what a free-sprung balance was, but posted ten times a day or more with content that included calling watchmakers and CEOs by their first names. Today, we would probably describe all of these categories of forum posters as internet gurus. The problem being, most are just using up bandwidth.