Since 2018, the Black Bay 58 has been the star for Tudor. On the face of it, the Black Bay 54 (BB54) is just a smaller Black Bay variant with a few minor changes. Yet, taking a closer look you realise that the sum of small parts makes this very different from the Black Bay 58 (BB58) and Black Bay 41mm.
Raman Kalra has had mixed emotions towards the Yema Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT, but also finding positives I never expected. Over the time with it, the Navygraf has shown him its personality and he has discovered small charms that weren’t obvious on first impressions.
While it is remarkable how Girard-Perregaux made the movement, it is even more astonishing how they turned it into such an incredibly good-looking watch. Compared to its predecessor, the Neo Constant Escapement has a very wearable size of 45mm in diameter at a thickness of 14.8mm. It sits nicely on even a smaller wrist thanks to relatively short lugs, while the titanium case keeps the weight down.
What makes high end watches so desirable is the artistry involved. For some watches, it is artistry in their complexity, or their superlative hand finishing, or intricate dials, and some feature actual artwork like miniature painting. Then there are a very few timepieces that offer all of that artistry and more: one such timepiece is the unique piece Louis Moinet Savanna Tourbillon Tiger.
The Louis Moinet Cosmopolis includes pieces from 12 different, and very rare, meteorites from Jean-Marie Schaller’s own collection. And this earned him the Guinness World Records™ title for the “most meteorite inserts in a watch.” Martin Green takes a closer look.
Held every two years, the Only Watch charity auction of exclusively unique pieces has grown into THE most anticipated watch auction worldwide and features some of the most creative and innovative horology on the planet.
For the 2023 Only Watch auction, the theme is ‘Rainbow’. However, while there are an incredible 62 unique piece timekeepers on offer, only a fraction of them really ran with the rainbow theme. Ian Skellern shares his favorite rainbow watches from Only Watch 2023 here.
A brand’s progress is often seen in how their watches evolve. Armin Strom, which had the delicate task of reinventing the ‘One Week,’ the watch with their very first full manufacture movement.
The Angelus U41 Orange has an aesthetic that is more Richard Mille than Das Boot. At a launch price of $34,100, the notion of a tourbillon that can be enjoyed without care is compelling, and Angelus leans into it.
Having worked with both Bovet and Philippe Dufour, Hervé Schlüchter was able to become a master at the more traditional horology aesthetic since neither could be confused with a brand focusing on modern design. The caliber HS-01 is a smorgasbord of classical elements all finished to perfection to highlight the skills of the watchmaker.
In early 2023, Hublot introduced the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon Saxem, featuring a case made of a mysterious and rather impressive-looking crystal called Saxem. It looked like an addition to the brand’s extensive line of sapphire watches. But as a retired laser physicist, I wondered: what material was behind that name? Perhaps a special kind of synthetic sapphire?