Watches NEWS
Interview - In Conversation with Philippe Dufour
Philippe Dufour is a living legend. The independent watchmaker is one of most (if not the most) revered craftsmen in the industry and his watches are regarded as the ultimate in traditional hand-finishing. We visited the 70-year-old master in the small village of Le Solliat, in the Vallee de Joux. There, Philippe Dufour crafts his watches entirely by hand, elevating the art of watchmaking to the highest level. Visiting his workshop is a unique experience. It is exactly what you have dreamed about, and yet everything is a surprise and catches your attention: old tools, ancient machines, drawers, books, raw materials This place has soul.How does one become one of the most revered craftsmen in the Swiss watch industry?First of all, it takes patience and hard work. You must remove some words from your vocabulary: weekends, holidays or retirement. Once this is done you can start. It's been a long road. Being recognized for your work takes years.? I have been an independent watchmaker since
Ulysse Nardin Freak Vision (SIHH 2018) - Specs & Price
Last year, at the SIHH 2017, Ulysse Nardin introduced an impressive piece, a concept watch featuring no less than 10 major innovations, as a showcase to demonstrate the brand’s savoir-faire: the InnoVision 2.?Every part of this watch boasted an innovation, whether the escapement, the display, the winding system or even the hands. And while last year’s piece wasn’t meant to be commercialized, it is now time for Ulysse Nardin to deploy some of these features into serially produced pieces… Meet the?Ulysse Nardin Freak Vision.Background – The FreakThe Freak collection by Ulysse Nardin has always been a showcase to explore new technologies. Remember that back in 2001, the inaugural Freak was the first watch ever commercialized with an escapement made of silicon (or?silicium?in French) – an innovation that is now spread all over the industry. A proper game changer.?Later, in 2005, Ulysse Nardin chose to use a diamond escapement and that same year, they deb
Introducing: The Green 38mm Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m
Qualifying as Omega’s perfect everyday watch, the Seamaster Aqua Terra collection has long represented an elegant take on the aquatic watch or, conversely, a dress watch with a sportier vibe – take your pick. Over the years, we’ve seen countless editions of this watch, specifically following its facelift in 2017. It’s also been a testing ground for colours, as we saw with the Shades collection here. Today’s addition to the collection is a bit more classic, though. Following the introduction of a green teak-inspired dial on the 41mm Aqua Terra in 2020, it’s now time for the more compact 38mm to get this cool colour scheme.The classic Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m as we all know it – understand by that the versions with a sporty style and a teak-inspired dial – is available in two dimensions, a masculine 41mm model and a mid-size 38mm edition. In any case, it’s a watch we’ve long appreciated for its versatility – we̵
Hands-On - Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Titanium 6000m
The Seamaster, a collection born in 1948, is the most enduring range produced by Omega. Born as a child of peace, yet with military-tested technology, the diving-oriented lineup has since been the perfect vehicle for experimentation and innovation, constantly pushing the limits of water-resistance, but also of materials, metallurgy and technology. A couple of years ago, Omega presented the Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional, a innovation-packed prototype that happened to be a record-breaking watch, with 15,000m water-resistant, and field-tested a whopping depth of 10,928m, when it reached the deepest point in the ocean during the Five Deeps Expedition to the Mariana Trench. Today, the brand presents the commercial version of this watch, a barely-downgraded model with a complete steel collection and this, the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Titanium, with an impressive 6,000m water-resistance.?The Seamaster, from Lake Biel to the Mariana TrenchThe story of the Omega Seamaster,
Panerai Luminor Chronograph Yachts Challenge 2019 ref. PAM00764 - PAM00788 - PAM001020 (Specs & Price)
The association of Panerai with the International Circuit for Classic Sailing Yachts is a long story that has led to the creation of multiple watches, under the name Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge (PCYC). Often regarded as some of the nicest watches in the collection, just like the Luminor 1950 PCYC ref. PAM00653 we reviewed recently (my favourite Panerai watch), the Italian brand unveils three new pieces with the PCYC logo on the dial and a marked departure from the vintage inspiration of previous models.? More modern and sportier, let’s take a look at the PAM00764, PAM00788 and PAM001020.The 2019 Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge collection launches three new watches – as it is often the case with these nautical-inspired pieces. The previous collection, dating back to 2017, already houses three chronograph watches – two with flyback functions (ref. PAM00654 and PAM00653) and a more complex watch with a regatta complication and a larger case (ref. PAM00652). All of
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