What watch does Idriss Aberkane wear?
This isn’t the kind of watch you wear to discreetly check the time between sips of coffee. On Idriss Aberkane’s wrist sits a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph, most…
Julien Aguettaz
413 posts
I am passionate about watchmaking, having worked for Swiss watchmakers and as a digital strategy consultant.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41: the true star of the Oyster centenary
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Oyster, Rolex could have gone down the expected route: a touch of nostalgia, a hint of faux vintage, a few heavy-handed nods to…
What Is a “California” Dial?
The mystery of the “California” dial, between watchmaking culture and deliberate oddity In the refined world of haute horlogerie, few aesthetic codes provoke as much curiosity—and perplexity—as the “California” dial.…
M.A.D.2 R&B and REDemption: M.A.D.Editions Goes Stereo
M.A.D.Editions drops another coin into the jukebox with two new versions of the M.A.D.2, both built around a particularly effective red-and-black duo: the M.A.D.2 R&B and the M.A.D.2 REDemption. On…
Why some watches use mineral crystal instead of sapphire
A Less Noble Choice… Really? Sapphire crystal feels like the obvious choice when buying a watch. Harder, more scratch-resistant, virtually impervious in daily wear—it’s often seen as the unquestioned standard…
What Is a Doctor’s Watch (Pulsometer)
Long before optical sensors, smartwatches and electronic oximeters, mechanical watchmaking had already found an elegant solution to a very practical problem: measuring heart rate. This is the origin of the…
Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Tennis White: Tennis as a Pretext, Ergonomics as the Real Focus
Gerald Charles continues to push its GC Sport line forward with a new variation that doesn’t aim for disruption, but refinement. The Maestro GC Sport Tennis White builds on a…
David Candaux DC6 Night Forest: UD Carbon, Titanium and an Inclined Tourbillon
With the DC6 Night Forest watch, David Candaux continues a body of work already defined by its approach to architecture, materials, and wrist presence. But this new version introduces a…
What is a hairspring and why is it crucial to precision
The hairspring, the invisible spring that decides everything In a mechanical watch, precision does not hinge on a single closely guarded “secret,” but on balance. At the heart of…
Why Some Watches Gain More Than They Lose
The Small Wrist Mystery: Why Your Watch “Gains Time” You’ve almost certainly experienced it: a mechanical watch you love, one you wind with near-ritual pleasure, that—without warning—ends up running…
What Is a Variable-Inertia Balance Wheel
Before even talking about escapements, “free” hairsprings or marketing feats, we need to return to the most vital organ of a mechanical watch—its beating heart. The variable inertia balance is…
Beaubleu “La Pièce”: When the Monnaie de Paris Meets Watchmaking
For the first time in its history, the Monnaie de Paris has applied its expertise to the world of watchmaking. Twelve centuries of mastery in minting, striking, and metalworking are…
How a Dual Time Zone Watch Works
Travelling with Time on Your Wrist: Why the Dual Time Zone Changed Watchmaking Some complications are born of aesthetic whim, others of pure necessity. The dual time zone watch…
How a Stop-Seconds Mechanism Works
Hacking Seconds: The Art of Stopping Time (Just Long Enough to Set It Better) The gesture is familiar to anyone who enjoys setting their watch with near-ceremonial care. You pull…
Why Not All Vintage Watches Have a Central Seconds Hand
The detail that changes everything: where do the seconds go? On a modern watch, the central seconds hand has become so obvious that we barely notice it. It glides,…
Orient Star M34 F8 Date Meteorite: the 75th Anniversary Limited Edition with Meteorite Dial
A fragment of space on the wrist In watchmaking, certain materials tell a story. Gold speaks of luxury, titanium of performance, ceramic of modernity. And then there is meteorite—a material…