Buying Guide - 6 Great Annual Calendar Watches From Established Manufactures
Calendar watches come in a wide variety. Most of them are based on 31-day cycles and require a regular adjustment (5 times a year) to ensure that the correct date is displayed. An annual calendar automatically adjusts the indicated date, mechanically configured to display the different lengths of the months, and they require to be corrected manually only once a year (in the worst case depending on its mechanism). Typically?more accessible?than the?perpetual calendar (which also takes into account leap years)?and infinitely?more?useful than a standard?calendar, the?annual calendar?offers a lot of bang for the buck.Surprisingly, it had long been forgotten by watchmakers, until Patek Philippe presented the reference 5035, the first annual calendar wristwatch in 1996. Although still relatively rare, it is back in fashion. Here are 6 superb annual calendar watches presented over the past months.?Patek Philippe Annual Calendar 5396RGiving credit where credit is due, let's begin with Patek Ph

Hands-On - Ulysse Nardin Freak Out (Specs & price)
It all started in the early 1980s with the encounter of Rolf W. Schnyder, a visionary businessman and Ludwig Oeschlin, a brilliant horologist. The two men turned Ulysse Nardin, a century-old manufacturer, into one of the most innovative watch brands around. The most striking development brought to life by the duo is, without a doubt, the Freak (2001). This legendary timepiece was powered by a revolutionary in-line movement pivoting on itself to indicate the time. It was regulated by the cutting-edge dual direct escapement'. With the Freak, Ulysse Nardin not only became a pioneer of silicon (as such it is a true game-changer in the watch industry) but developed a concept like no other regarding design, display and technology.Ulysse Nardin has developed multiple variations of the concept (for example; Freak Phantom,?FreakLab and the 2018 Freak Vision Automatic) but, even after 17 years, the Freak still retains its bold, innovative and radical character. The idea behind the all-new Freak

The Collector's Series - Kunal and his Alexandre Meerson Altitude Officier - Monochrome Watches
Mr. Kunal Patel is a seasoned entrepreneur and watch lover. Having studied at UCL in London, his first successful venture was in real estate management some years ago. He he is currently Chairman of LATEP Holdings whose interests and investments span across financial services, retail, security, technology and real estate. He also happens to wear a gold Alexandre Meerson Altitude Officier, which probably tells a lot about a refined personality.Let's give you some background on the man behind Alexandre Meerson the brand. Mr. Alexandre Meerson was raised in France, where he was introduced to watchmaking during his travels between the family's studio in Paris and their workshop in Besan?on. It wasn’t until 2007 that Alexandre took the helm and started developing the next chapter in the Meerson story. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Now a bit about his wat

Hands-On Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Valentine Day 2023
Valentine's Day is a marketing opportunity for many watch brands and the perfect occasion to launch special editions. Blancpain has been producing Valentine's Day models for more than two decades, with watches decked out in diamonds and red accents, like these Villeret or Ladybird models. This year, Blancpain turns to another collection to celebrate the most romantic day of the year. Marking a first for the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe collection, Blancpain has singled out a 38mm diver for a romantic makeover with a prevalence of white and pink tones and a red heart marking the seconds.BathyscapheThe Bathyscaphe of 1956 is the civilian offspring of Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms, the watch that was adopted by military diving corps and regarded as the blueprint for modern dive watches. Named after August Piccard's deep-water diving vessel, Blancpain added a date complication to make it more practical for daily wear. Although initially designed for separate clientele, the two lines eventually me

Hands-on with the Jaeger-Lecoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon 39 black dial from SIHH 2015 (specs & price) - Monochrome-Watches
In this hectic moment?that is the month following?Baselworld, we wanted to go back to the SIHH 2015 and to a watch introduced there in all discretion. From Jaeger-LeCoultre, we’ve seen several novelties this year, including the impressive?Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication,?the superb?Duometre Spherotourbillon Moon?or the vintage-inspired?Grande Reverso 1931 Seconde Centrale. Regardless of the interest we had in these timepieces, there was also a watch introduced this year that fully represents what Jaeger can do on a ‘consumer-oriented‘ side. Here is the?Jaeger-Lecoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon 39 now with black dial.This watch is neither a tourbillon, nor a minute repeater or a skeleton chronograph. Instead, it shows what Jaeger-LeCoultre does on a daily basis, the watches that are really produced and sold – of course Jaeger sells tourbillons and minute repeaters but figures are way below those of the classical Master or Reverso watches. It is a visual