10 January 2023
The whole world is talking about Swiss watch brands. From affordable fashion brands to exquisite luxury manufacturers, watches from Switzerland enjoy an impressive international reputation synonymous with precision and are appreciated for their quality worldwide. Let's take a look at the luxury watch market and answer the question: which Swiss watch brands are the best?
14 September 2022
Just like the watch crown, the bezel provides both practical and aesthetic benefits to the watch. While the bezel is of immense importance for divers' watches or models with a GMT function, it is often omitted completely in dress watches or, as for example in the case of Breitling, it has become an important part of the design. What the bezel of a watch is and what developments it has undergone will be explained below.
18 August 2022
Have you ever wondered what is hidden behind the long sequences of numbers and letters in the reference of your Breitling watch? Most watch manufacturers use systems for their reference numbers, which allocate a precise meaning to the numbers and letters. Find out what Breitling intends when using these codes from our guide to Breitling reference and serial numbers.
16 August 2022
If you have only just started to get acquainted with watches, then you will regularly come across terms that are used casually, but are unknown to you – such as the term tool watch. The meaning seems obvious, but the answer to the question about the specific meaning of the term is not that simple. Let's try to shed some light onto this term and take a moment to feature some tool watches for women and men.
5 August 2022
It is known that a cook uses knives for cooking. A carpenter, on the other hand, works with planes. We can also imagine that the tools and procedures required for work become increasingly finer as the objects to be crafted become more delicate and smaller. For luxury watches, there are countless, particularly delicate components, some of which are even thinner than a hair. To be able to work on these as well as the external components of a watch, a number of specialized watchmaking and polishing tools are required.
4 August 2022
Today, it seems only natural for us to wear our watches on our wrists and be able to read the time accurately at any given time. But until this was achieved, the mechanics of large grandfather clocks had to be continually refined. Let's explore a few of the exciting moments in the history of timekeeping and have a look at the development and function of the balance wheel in a watch.
2 August 2022
Certain complications are already so embedded in our everyday life that we no longer perceive them as complications. The power reserve indicator, or just power reserve for short, is almost as essential to the modern dial of a luxury watch as the battery display on our smartphones. It is a subtle reminder to the owner to wind the watch to prevent it from stopping. Let's take a closer look at the origins, the functionality and modern variations of the power reserve.
2 August 2022
Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, once said, 'Auto racing began five minutes after the second car was built.' He probably has a point. Race drivers have always pushed the limits of what is possible and constantly competed with rivals in breakneck battles. As a logical consequence, the need to precisely measure time and speed soon arose. This is where luxury watches come into play, because racing watches allow you to measure time while driving.
29 July 2022
Everyone knows them and many people own them: quartz watches. But do you know what actually constitutes a quartz watch and how a quartz movement works? In this article, we would like to take a closer look at the history and functioning of quartz watches and examine these aspects in greater detail.
29 July 2022
A perpetual calendar, alongside chronographs and repeater, is one of the more exclusive complications that make a watch a true luxury watch and an example of . For many watch collectors, investing in a watch with one, if not several unique complications is often the highlight of their own watch collection. We will take a closer look at what exactly a perpetual calendar is and how this complication ended up on our wrists.
29 July 2022
There are some topics that are so specific that they are rarely mentioned even in the watch industry. We would like to put the spotlight on one of these topics: resonance watches. The principle of resonance is fundamental to watches and provides the basis for a watch to work consistently. However, resonance watches themselves are still a rarity today.
29 July 2022
If you are considering to , you will generally inform yourself about the movement specifications, the water resistance or, for example, the material used for the model – but rarely about the crown of the watch. In the following article, we would like to tell you about this often overlooked but nevertheless important feature of a watch.
29 July 2022
The topic evokes a special fascination: watch models with Grande Complication. For some watch enthusiasts, the purchase of such an exclusive luxury watch is comparable to . But even for watch collectors who want to even more, the complexity and elaborate craftsmanship behind the design and manufacture of such a timepiece is a reason for an intensive examination of the subject of complex watches. We would like to explain the history of Grandes Complications in more detail and show some examples.
29 July 2022
It is a paradox that the most important part of a watch, the movement, is located under the dial and a layer of glass. With its exposed position, the watch crystal comes into direct contact with all the environmental elements to which watch owners are regularly exposed. Keep reading to learn more about the watch glass that so reliably protects the precious interior of your wristwatch.
29 July 2022
The post-processing and finishing of a movement is one of the most significant quality marks of a watch. It is not without reason that finishing techniques have long been regarded as one of the most important criteria of the fine art of watchmaking. Glashütte has been able to stand out from the crowd especially because of its sophisticated and complex cutting and polishing techniques. Let's take a look at the most important grinding, polishing and engraving techniques used in Glashütte's finishing work, that is the refinement and decoration of a movement. These techniques are not only for aesthetic reasons, but also serve practical purposes, since the finishing of a watch ensures that the movement runs smoothly and accurately.
29 June 2022
As with many other watch manufacturers, the reference numbers of Omega’s watches can be a bit overwhelming and unclear at first glance. In particular, the reference numbers on older, vintage Omega models don't follow a standardized scheme that can be successfully explained. However, with the introduction of the Product Identity Code (or PIC, for short) in 1988, this has fundamentally changed. Using this unique numerical code, Omega reference numbers can now be easily decoded and watch models can be precisely identified.
16 June 2022
Many luxury watches were originally designed for specific applications and purposes – including pilot's watches like the legendary Breitling Navitimer. While many are familiar with the intention and operation of diver's watches or chronographs, most Breitling Navitimer wearers are unfamiliar with how to operate the watch's slide rule bezel. Let's shed some light on this subject and learn more about how a watch with a slide rule works, based on the example of the Breitling Navitimer.
31 May 2022
In addition to the reference and serial numbers of a watch, there are other interesting codes and numbers in the official paperwork of a Rolex. One of them is the so-called "Rolex LC", or the country code. Find out exactly what this Rolex country code means and which ones are available in this article.
7 January 2022
The pursuit of perfect accuracy is one of the cornerstones of Haute Horlogerie. To guarantee a watch's precision and reduce rate deviation, a fine adjustment must be carried out. This task is of such importance that it has developed into its own profession. Timers (or régleuse) are responsible for adjusting a watch, and they learn the necessary expertise over years of training. But what exactly is done during the regulation of a watch and which methods of adjustment are available on the market?
6 January 2022
When it comes to watch bands, the sheer variety can be overwhelming. The choice has long since expanded from the classic dilemma of leather versus stainless steel to newer materials such as nylon and rubber, all of which have their own merits. Some people have to consider allergies when choosing a watch band and look for compatible alternatives. For example, titanium bracelets have proven to be particularly effective, as they are made of anti-allergenic titanium and are also extremely light and scratch-resistant.
6 January 2022
At first glance, no watch part seems to be easier to explain than the dial. After all, its function is primarily for many 'only' the indication of time. But what is and what is not written on a dial is subject to strict criteria such as the need not to display too much and at the same time not too little. For example, a common dial has indices and the brand name or logo of the watch manufacturer. Complications such as a date display, small seconds or the totalizers of a chronograph always depend on the specifications of the respective calibre.
6 January 2022
While some complications such as the perpetual calendar or the moon phase reveal much about their function simply by virtue of their name, the rattrapante is different. Its other common designations such as split-second or double chronograph are also not very helpful at first. This is why we would like to tell you a little more about the functionality and history of one of the most demanding complications in the .
5 January 2022
With the exception of watches featuring a digital display, a watch without hands is possible but pointless. It is because of these hands that we are able to keep time, but it took a long time before watches with multiple hands finally became the standard. We would like to take a closer look at the development of watch hands and the different types of watch hands.
5 January 2022
One of the most notorious parts of a watch is the tourbillon, which is often considered a complication, although it is basically insignificant for a wristwatch and offers no real added value. So the tourbillon is not a real complication, but instead shines with its impeccable beauty and the high level of craftsmanship it embodies. For a long time, it has enjoyed a reputation of exclusivity and the highest level of engineering. We would like to tell a little about how this wonder originated.
29 December 2021
The date display has become one of the complications that we find and appreciate most on wristwatches – and yet it was a long way until the date found its way onto the dial of classic luxury watches. Let's take a moment to learn more about how the date display works and its variations.
29 December 2021
Winding a watch would appear to be a simple process, as it is not that difficult. But those who have intentionally chosen a watch with a manual winding know what this seemingly simple process entails. It sets a series of mechanical processes in motion, each one of which is an extraordinary feat of craftsmanship. All together they form the masterpiece that is the mechanical watch.
9 August 2021
GMT watches were originally developed for aviation in order to allow pilots to read two time zones from the dial of their watch with a single glance. From its beginnings as an assistive tool for pilots and frequent fliers to its current status as a trendsetter with iconic designs, the GMT watch has had an eventful history.
6 August 2021
If you've ever wondered why your favourite timepiece, which you frequently wear, has maintained its shine for years, it's due in large part to the coating of the watch. But what exactly does it mean and what types of coatings are there in the watch industry? We tell you everything you need to know about PVD and DLC coatings for watches.
14 May 2021
The mechanics are the heart of every watch. But without adequate protection and a structure surrounding the inner workings that gives a watch its form. This is where the watch case is able to shine. Learn about the historical development and production, as well as the different materials and shapes of this essential watch component. Without the case, our wristwatches would be virtually unimaginable.
24 March 2021
Moon phases – totalizers, which show the progression of the moon phase, are no longer only inspiring for astronomers. Although less practical than the perpetual calendar, they are among the most beautiful and most requested complications for many wearers. In this guide, we’ll give you a historical overview of the development of watches with a complication for the phase of the moon. We will also explain how to quickly and easily set the moon phase display of a watch.
7 October 2020
When Rolex launched its Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller, often briefly referred to as Sky-Dweller, in 2012, the initial reception was modest due to its high price. Now that the series is at the same price level as the Daytona thanks to its made from with a white gold bezel, the Sky-Dweller models and their innovative design have attracted more attention.
