In-Depth: Exploring the New Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Collection (incl. video)
Coinciding with the arrival of Guido Terreni as CEO of the brand, high-end Swiss watchmaker Parmigiani Fleurier has undergone a complete restructuring for the past years. This move was initiated by the launch of a significant collection, the Tonda PF, which not only modernized the vision we had of PF but also pushed it into a new dimension (business-wise). Still, a brand cannot live on one collection alone, and Parmigiani Fleurier has an equally important name in its catalogues: Toric. An essential part of the brand’s history, the Toric was Michel Parmigiani‘s first venture into the world of wristwatches. This year, this elegant collection is back… Time to see if the new Toric Small Seconds lives up to its name as we’re meeting with Guido Terreni, with who we’ll discuss this new collection in our latest in-depth movie.?Concise history of PF and the Toric CollectionParmigiani Fleurier has not always been about making wristwatches. In fact, the story of the

This week's Collector Series is an Editor's pick: Our very own Frank and his Speake-Marin Piccadilly - Monochrome Watches
Why did Peter Speake-Marin feel compelled to start making watches in the first place? Well, like most of us, he fell in love with the intoxicating combination of history, art and mechanics.?The London born watchmaker was education in London at the Hackney Technical College and then at WOSTEP (the prestigious Swiss watchmaking school in Neuchatel). Following his training in Switzerland, and on his return to London, Speake-Marin?begun working at Somlo Antiques (then based in the Piccadilly arcade). There, Speake-Marin learnt how past masters such as Breguet had found their watchmaking solutions and their diverse ways of making watches.Fast-forward a few years to the late 90's (and a number of machines) Speake-Marin begun developing a tourbillon pocket watch (by hand) with twin power trains, which later became known as the Foundation Watch. In the Foundation Watch, Speake-Marin laid down his style and philosophy while establishing his first independent workshop at the beginning of the mil

TAG Heuer reveals the Carrera Middle East L.E. during Dubai Watch Week
TAG Heuer combines two things into a single Carrera launched during Dubai Watch Week. On the one hand, we have Arabic hour numerals, and on the other, we have a luscious emerald green dial. The colour green is highly symbolic in Islamic culture; green represents hope, harmony and prosperity. It has been a very “on-trend” colour and one that doesn’t show signs of letting up anytime soon. Regardless of what you think of the trend, there’s no denying that a well-made green dial can look very good. Let’s take a look at the new TAG Heuer Carrera Middle East Limited Edition.The Carrera by TAG Heuer needs little introduction. Its roots can be traced back to 1953 when Heuer (long before becoming TAG Heuer) produced the 404 series of watches. This chronograph watch was dedicated to the Carrera Panamericana endurance race and evolved into what we now know as the Carrera. First introduced in 1963, the Carrera remains one of the oldest named collections in TAG Heuer&#

Pre SIHH 2015: Introducing the Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum (Live photos, specs and price) - Monochrome Watches
Montblanc introduced the new Meisterstuck Heritage collection at the 2014 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, that was held in January of this year. A very interesting new collection that includes the most affordable perpetual calendar on the market, and with the Meisterstuck Heritage Pulsograph they introduced the first “Villeret” movement (calibre MB M13.21) in a non-Villeret collection, and many more classically styled watches. Beginning of 2015 they will introduce the new Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum, a stunning worldtimer that is part of the Heritage Spirit collection, that we can already show you here with lots of hands-on photos, the specs and price.In terms of style, the Heritage Spirit collection embodies all the codes of fine watchmaking, with a refined case design and elegant, clear dials. And now they’re introducing what is probably the most useful complication in a wrist watch, a worldtimer, into this Heritage Spirit col

Dive The Oris AquisPro Date Calibre 400 Underwater
Dive watches today come in all shapes and sizes, each trying to find its place in a very crowded market. Some are meant to evoke a sense of nostalgia, for the days of yore when a dive watch, a single tank, and a thirst for adventure was all you needed. Some attempt to be that one single watch, straddling the line between toolish utility and stylish dressiness. From the boardroom to the beach and all that. Others, still, strive to bring the function of the dive watch into the 21st century with high tech materials and engineering and keep it relevant as a necessary tool of the modern scuba diver. The Oris AquisPro Date Calibre 400 falls firmly into that latter camp. We are going to take it on a few dives to see how it fares.The Oris AquisProFor anyone unfamiliar, Oris is an independent Swiss watchmaking house from Holstein that have been steadily making watches since 1904. Initially gaining popularity for their Big Crown pilot watches and an 8-day power reserve alarm clock, they moved in