Why Index-Free Watches Appeal to Minimalists
The quiet obviousness of a bare dial You catch it at the edge of a cuff: a near-blank disc of colour, crossed by just two hands. No numerals. No…
Julien Aguettaz
449 posts
I am passionate about watchmaking, having worked for Swiss watchmakers and as a digital strategy consultant.
How to Choose Your First Automatic Watch
Why Start with an Automatic Choosing your first automatic watch is more than a purchase: it’s a rite of passage. You discover an object that lives without a battery,…
The Differences Between Quartz and Mechanical Movements
Two philosophies of time On the wrist, everything begins with a beat. The crisp, regular beat of a seconds hand snapping forward on a quartz watch. Or the hushed,…
This Hand-Wound Watch Defies the Laws of Thinness
The obsession with thinness, reinvented by hand Some watches tell the time, and others tell a pact between the eye, the hand and the material. This ultra-thin, hand-wound piece, heir…
The Secrets of Manual Winding Explained Simply
Why manual winding still captivates In a world where everything is becoming automated, manual winding remains a profoundly human gesture. It’s the moment the mechanics wake up at your…
Which watch is Sarah Knafo wearing?
After dissecting Emmanuel Macron’s watches, that of Éric Zemmour and the much-publicised wrist of Jordan Bardella, it was only logical to continue our round-table of France’s new right. This time,…
How to Recognize a Genuine Swiss Watch
Recognising the real thing: a story of details In shop windows and on the wrists of heirs, the Swiss watch is a language. It speaks of precision, patience, and the…
What You Need to Know Before Buying a Skeleton Watch
Transparent charm: why skeleton watches fascinate To lay a movement bare is to tell the most intimate story of watchmaking. A skeleton watch is not merely a stylistic exercise: it…
The Silicon Hairspring: Watchmaking’s Silent Revolution
Progress in watchmaking is rarely a thunderclap. It’s a breath. An improvement that seeps into workshops, slips beneath dials, and reshapes our relationship with time without fanfare. The silicon…
How a Flyback Chronograph Works
Flyback: the art of restarting time in a single gesture On a conventional chronograph, the rule is immutable: start, stop, then reset. The flyback chronograph—also known as “return-to-flight”—upends that…
What Watch Did Joseph Stalin Wear?
In our “Who Wears What?” column—historical dictators edition—after Hitler and his watch allegedly sold at auction, today we turn to the moustachioed comrade of the Soviet Union: Joseph Stalin. Between…
Why Automatic Watches Still Have a Unique Charm
A mechanical heart beating on the wrist At a time when the world syncs itself to notifications, the automatic watch remains one of the few everyday objects whose accuracy…
Which Watches Does Emmanuel Macron Wear?
Emmanuel Macron has this peculiarity: he seems to have, on his wrist, a watch collection more substantial than his approval ratings. And it’s clearly not by buying these watches that…
Which watch does Jordan Bardella wear?
In our “Who wears what?” column, after Zemmour and Hanouna, it’s time for a politician: Jordan Bardella. Beyond his carefully crafted speeches and impeccably pressed shirts, the president of the…
Which watches did Fidel Castro wear?
In our “Who Wears What?” series, we’re heading to Cuba to look at one of the 20th century’s most emblematic revolutionaries: Fidel Castro. Leader of the Revolution, charismatic comandante, long-serving…
Which watch does Cyril Hanouna wear?
In our “Who wears what?” section, today we’re taking a look at a media figure who is impossible to miss on the French TV landscape: Cyril Hanouna. The host-producer of…