What Is a “Railroad” Watch and What Is This Scale Used For?
A scale born from the need for precision, not an aesthetic whim In watchmaking vocabulary, the term “railroad” (or “chemin de fer” in French) refers to a minute track…
Raphaël Quenard’s Watches
In the Who wears what? section, today we’re looking at the watches worn by Raphaël Quenard. A rising figure in French cinema (with a delivery that’s distinctive, to say the…
What Is a Small Seconds Watch?
A tiny detail, an outsized signature In the watchmaking world, some complications are very “visible”: multi-register chronographs, perpetual calendars, tourbillons spinning like mechanical jewels. But there are also more…
What Is a Watch with a Monobloc Case?
One piece, one idea: sealing time inside In watchmaking, some technical solutions read like manifestos. The one-piece case (or “monocoque”) is one of them. The principle is easy to…
What Is an “Ultra-Thin” Watch?
I remember my first encounter with an “ultra-thin.” I’m talking, of course, about an “ultra-thin watch” (what were you thinking?). Among these marvels of slenderness, a hand-wound watch truly defies…
What Is a Jumping Hour Watch?
A Different Way to Read Time In the collective imagination, a “classic” watch tells the time with hands: one for the hours, another for the minutes, sometimes a seconds…
Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar: Three New Variations with Neo-Retro Flair
Seiko—who would be wrong to deny itself—keeps its Prospex Speedtimer line alive with three new takes on its emblematic solar chronograph. Nothing revolutionary on the agenda, but well-judged aesthetic tweaks…
Why Watch Case Diameters Have Shrunk Over the Past Ten Years
A Return to Proportion: How We Moved from “Bigger” to “Better” Ten or fifteen years ago, a watch was worn like a statement. On wrists, 44mm and up asserted…
Lip Revives the Nautic 3: Four New Affordable Dive Watches
Lip brings the Nautic 3 back into the spotlight with four new references, including a limited-edition collaboration. These 200-metre water-resistant dive watches, in a compact 39 mm format, embody the…
How the Lange 1 Became a Benchmark Watch in Germany
A watch born in a country that had to be rebuilt When we talk about benchmark watches, the conversation often turns to Switzerland, its valleys and its dynasties. Yet…
Why Some Watches Stop When You’re Not Wearing Them
The little morning drama: a frozen watch, time on pause There’s that gesture—intimate, almost ceremonial: picking up your watch from the bedside table, feeling the cold metal or the…
Should You Polish Your Watch?
The temptation of “like new”: a sign of the times All it takes is a beam of light catching a scratched caseband for the thought to pop up: “What…
Why Enamel-Dial Watches Are So Sought After
The enamel dial: a quiet luxury that never goes out of style In a watch world saturated with spectacular finishes, new textures and bold colours, the enamel dial moves…
What Is a Power Reserve and Why It Matters
There is, in the ritual of a mechanical watch, a poetry that defies time. In the morning, you adjust a crown, feel the resistance of the mainspring, almost listen…
What Watches Does GMK Wear?
In the Who Wears What section, we’re leaving politicians’ wrists behind for a more modern, more macho one: GMK’s. The Monaco-based influencer, first known for his outlandish cars, is just…
How the Royal Oak Upended the Watch Industry
An aesthetic shock in a display window that was far too well-behaved In the early 1970s, Swiss watchmaking entered a turbulent spell. Quartz watches from Asia upended the market…