A Technical Perspective - The Curious Case of Hybrid Watches
Quartz and mechanical watches have learned to co-exist, but the call of nature still produces mixed offspring. If one almost killed the other, mechanical watches rose from the ashes and returned stronger than ever. However, just like the automotive world, things are changing, and the watchmaking industry has seen the arrival of new wrist-worn technologies, inventions which have nothing in common with classic watchmaking – whether we talk quartz or mechanical. Their survival is a matter of evolution, and maybe of merging And here comes the concept of hybrid watchmaking.Defining HybridHybrids entered our world in several areas, generating a fair amount of confusion about the definition. If you are a biologist, a hybrid would mean an offspring of two animals representing different species or varieties. A style combining two elements may be called a hybrid by a musician. In business, a hybrid would be a mix of in-office and remote work so employees have greater work-life balance and

Introducing: Unique, Stiking Code 11.59 Grande Sonnerie Models for AP's 150th Anniversary
As you probably know by now, Audemars Piguet is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. Last week, the Le Brassus-based brand released an array of new watches, predominantly focused on a new, clever and technically advanced perpetual calendar movement getting rid of recessed correctors (it is far more complex than you might imagine…) But that was not all, as the brand will do many special 150-year models throughout the year, such as what we’ll be looking at today: five unique editions of the mighty complex Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie, either in highly technical styles or, on the contrary, using striking stones.?This striking version of the Code 11.59, equipped with one of the grails of watchmaking – a grande sonnerie movement – was first released in 2020 with dials made by renowned enamel artist Anita Porchet with a paillonne decor. We have explored this watch in full detail, including a long movie here, showing ever

All you want to know about Finishing in Haute Horlogerie - Monochrome Watches
The avant-garde mind needed to design the complex inner workings of a watch fascinates all but a selective few of us, mere mortals. The Promethean ambition to master time has inspired inventive minds for centuries; with the hands of talented craftsmen bringing exquisite horological art to life. Beyond the intricacies of the mechanics of time, the relentless search for perfection in their manufacturing is the hallmark which we call Haute Horlogerie. Here is an in-depth guide to the different techniques used to finish a movement, according to the concept of high-end watchmaking.The term “finishing” encompasses the vast array of techniques performed on watch components, once they have been produced by machines. All the traces of machining are erased, parts are polished and decorated with extreme care by hand. Raw metal is turned into works of art - horological alchemy.The intricacies L951.6 calibre of the A. Lange und Sohne Datograph. As always with the Saxon manufacture, the

Introducing Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 Tiffany 170th Anniversary
This just in… Yes, you’ve read correctly, there’s a new edition of the Nautilus coming. And while we thought the Olive Green version to be the last of the 5711 series – and that’s what was claimed back when it was introduced – The New York Times just broke the news that there’s actually a sequel to the last of the Nautilus 5711, a watch that will be made in extremely low quantities – even less than the Olive Green model – a watch made to celebrate an important anniversary of one of their oldest partners, and a watch that is not just about the double-signed dial, but also about an unprecedented dial colour. And yes, this is the new Baby-Blue Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 for Tiffany’s 170th Anniversary. And it’s not fake news.The 5711 is, by far, the most coveted timepiece on the market today – at least when it comes to mainstream luxury brands. Recently, the brand’s president, Mr Stern, announced the en

Introducing: The new Matte Ceramic Rado True Square Skeleton Watches
Rado began experimenting with innovative materials in the early 1960s, resulting in the Diastar and its futuristic helmet-like case made from scratch-resistant carbide tungsten. Since 1986, Rado has employed high-tech ceramic in its creations, obtaining a broader palette of colours and finishes over the years. The True Square, a collection launched in 2020, perpetuates Rado's history of square-shaped watches. Interpreted in high-tech and plasma ceramic with skeletonised and Open Heart versions, the latest trilogy of True Square models adopts a new texture. Exchanging the shiny finish for matte, sandblasted surfaces, the True Square exudes a more rugged, pared-down vibe.Casting aside the hyper-shiny mirror-polished finish of earlier True Square Skeleton models, the three new models come in three different flavours: matte gunmetal plasma high-tech ceramic with a matching bracelet, matte black high-tech ceramic with a matching bracelet and a matte black high-tech ceramic case with a black