Collector's Corner - The iconic Cartier Tank Americaine
We've spent quite a lot of time talking about sports watches in The Collector's Corner. In the last article, we took a look at the Breguet Type XX, but now we head back to the realm of the dress watch. No more dress complications this time - we've had quite a few of those already (both from JLC and from Breguet). No, now we talk about the pinnacle of the dress watch: time-only, and what better way to highlight this than to talk about a watch made by Cartier? The jewellery house excels in unconventional and daring designs, and though many of their most iconic watch case shapes date back to the first half of the 20th century, our subject today is the spring chicken of the bunch.Cartier's iconic rectangular wristwatch, the Tank, was born in 1917 and said to be inspired by the stark lines of Renault FT-17 tanks. In the decades since, the Tank design was iterated on but the focus always lay on elegance and on pushing the boundaries of case shapes (Tank Chinoise or Asymetrique, anyone?). Ind

The Flexure Revolution, Compliant Mechanisms applied to Watchmaking - Monochrome Watches
In mechanical engineering, compliant mechanisms (monolithic or joint-less structures) are flexible mechanisms that transfer an input force or displacement to another point through elastic body deformation, using the elastic properties of matter to affect the motion of mechanical components. These monolithic, compact and precise components replace several mechanically assembled parts. The absence of mechanical coupling eliminates contact, play, friction, wear, lubrication or dispersions.Compliant mechanisms have been used for decades in different fields or industries. In particular, robotics, medical or aerospace have been using such mechanisms for some 50 years now. However, the rapid growth in their applications in watchmaking is rather new. Somehow, watchmakers had made very little use of flexure until very recently. But they have now realized the amazing potential there. Compliant mechanisms offer undisputable advantages, in term of reliability and performance and as such can be a g

IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Lewis Hamilton IW503002
Last year, I had the chance to interview F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, just before the French Grand-Prix. Part of the discussion was, of course, his impressive racing results but also something more in line with our usual topics; watches. I asked him what if he had the opportunity to design his own IWC watch. He answered “red gold is my favourite (…) I love the Big Pilot's watch, I love heavier watches (…) Most likely it would be a perpetual calendar (…) A watch as mechanical as possible.” Well, it seems that his idea has come to life, with the new IWC “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar.?Let’s get it straight… This new IWC Lewis Hamilton edition is bold. Colours are louder than your usual Pilot’s watch, the mix of materials brings a lot of contrast, the watch is large, heavy, complex and far from accessible. In short, it’s quite in line with the image Hamilton sends – even though, to my bigg

VIDEO - Full Guide to All Omega Watches in James Bond 007 Movies
A few weeks ago, we published “The?Definitive Guide to James Bond 007 x OMEGA Watches,” an in-depth look at all the OMEGA Seamaster watches that have been worn by the British secret agent in the 007 franchise, from Goldeneye to the latest episode of his adventures No Time to Die. But we thought we could do better and offer you an even more detailed and entertaining report! So pour yourself a glass of Bollinger champagne or anything that you’d like to drink for the next 16 minutes and sit back and enjoy our complete video coverage tracing the entire story of the OMEGA x James Bond 007 connection, from the origins of the partnership, the choice of watches and the involvement of actors in the selection to the creation of the models. And for that, we have invited some very special guests to our show!?Following the release of the latest movie with the most famous secret agent, James Bond 007, we’ve decided to look back at the connection between EON Productions, the 0

The Oris Aquis Date, Now in a 39.5mm Case - Monochrome Watches
Oris swims in new waters with its 39.5mm iteration of the iconic Aquis Date. A formidable underwater tool, the Aquis Date is more compact and stylish, ready to conquer smaller wrist sizes, with the same?tool attributes and the new design?introduced on the 2017 version of the 43.5mm case.The new Oris Aquis Date 39.5mm next to the existing 43.5mm versionHot on the heels of the recently launched Carl Brashear Chronograph in a bronze case, Oris presents a downsized version of its Aquis Date model. Sitting alongside the classic 43.5mm Aquis Oris models, the new, more manageable case size of 39.5mm is designed to appeal to men who probably spend more time on land than underwater. Men who want a watch that will slide comfortably under a shirt cuff without losing the macho sporty appeal of a proper dive instrument. It will also work well for men with smaller wrist sizes and even women who appreciate the rugged, masculine soul of a dive watch.The Oris Aquis Date 39.5mm with black sun-brushed di