While I kid a bit in the headline, this is actually pretty cool: Swatch, the largest manufacturer of mechanical watch movements in the world, has created a movement that is assembled entirely using automated systems. Why is this important? The watch industry was originally gutted by the rise of cheap quartz watches, making this piece quite ironic, and this means that more people will be able to… → Read More
If trapped on a deserted island, you may want to spend months looking for the Pearl Station and figuring out the smoke monster, you could just pull the antenna out of the Breitling Emergency II and call in a rescue party. The original Emergency watch, designed in the 1990s, sent 121.5 MHz signal that could be heard by rescue craft within 100 miles of the watch. The new model also transmits at… → Read More
Whether you’re fighting mutant cyborg dogs in a hellish, post-apocalyptic wasteland or, more likely, dealing with potentially radioactive substances on a daily basis, the MTM ‘Rad’ watch may be the wrist droid you’re looking for. → Read More
While I’m not a big fan of ostentatious watches that cost too much and are aimed at buyers with more money than sense (in short, most of the Hublot line) I will give this odd-looking watch a moment of reflection. It is the MP-05 LaFerrari, a tourbillon watch with a 50-day power reserve, a number almost unheard of in the watch world, and a unique styling that is reminiscent of a certain Arashikage… → Read More
It’s a surprisingly rare treat to see inside a very expensive and very unique timepiece. Although the video below is a render, it shows almost every important part of this wild watch including something called the chain-and-fusee, a method used for centuries to improve the accuracy of watches by ensuring constant force is applied to the balance wheel over time. → Read More
Because I like sharing cool watches with you guys I decided to share this cool watch with you guys. It’s called the Ressence Type 3 and it’s actually a liquid-filled mechanical watch with a nearly featureless face. Each of those dials – registers in the parlance – look like they are seamlessly embedded in the face surface and the watch, being suspended in synthetic oil, has no crown and is wound… → Read More
As TC’s resident watch lover, I often find myself browsing the horology forums while alone, scantily-clad, and drunk. However, in this era of connoisseur-nets and always-connected trade, there are few bargains to be found and even fewer ways to find exactly what you want. That’s where Chrono24.com comes in. Founded by serial entrepreneurs Tim Stracke and Dirk Schwartz, the site has been live since… → Read More
Sensor-laden watches that electronically measure the temperature, barometric pressure, and magnetic north are fairly cheap. A nice Casio can be had for about $200. But if you’re one of those high-tech, post-IPO types that wants to feel like Phileas Fogg for a minute or two each day, you can shell out $150,000 for the Breva Génie 01, a mechanical watch that measures altitude, temperature, and… → Read More
Proposing that entrenched sub-cultures should try something new is dangerous. Going into guitar forums with a new idea is a prospect fraught with peril for anyone who dares move beyond the six-strings-and-a-dream mentality of guitar purists. The same goes for folks who pitch wine in a box at a vintage tasting session and those who might want to add some new technology to a classic car. In short… → Read More
The Mio Alpha made a bit of a splash on Kickstarter earlier this year when it promised a heart rate-sensing watch that didn’t use chest straps or similar encumbrances to measure your exertion. They went $200,000 over their goal of $100,000 and just started shipping in time for pre-marathon season. → Read More
Today’s watch porn comes courtesy of Roger Dubuis, a manufacturer of odd timepieces. Their latest, the Quatour (which kind of sounds like a character from Total Recall), is a watch with four separate escapements that average each other out as the watch is worn. It’s very weird. → Read More
Smart watches are everywhere these days. But of all the time-telling, wearable, connected devices, it’s possible that this new offering from Neptune may be the coolest one I’ve ever seen. Why? Because, unlike all the others, the Neptune Pine doesn’t need a smartphone to make it smart. All it needs is a micro-SIM card. → Read More
Whether you’re polishing your magnetic death ray or powering up your Stargate, the effects of magnetic fields on your watch can be quite destructive. Back in the old days when scientists wore suits and nice watches to work, they would bring their timepieces too near certain pieces of equipment, rendering the movement useless. Rolex solved this by wrapping its movements in non-ferrous metal but… → Read More
Biegert & Funk has made a name for itself thanks to its iconic clock design that tells time the way we tend to convey it to one another in conversation – with written words in five-minute increments, spelling out “half past twelve” or “a quarter to five.” After creating a number of wall and desk clocks with this design, the firm made a lot of people’s wishes… → Read More
As we approach crunch time, I’ve decided to focus on cool gifts that you can still get for those folks who are hardest to buy for. To that end, here’s something decidedly cool and/or odd: it’s a handmade watch whose face is a smashed Nespresso pod. At about $600 it’s a bit pricey but, behind the silly facade is a handmade timepiece that the coffee-loving watch-hound in your life might enjoy. → Read More
If you’re into drooling over watches that you’ll likely never be able to afford (and I am), then you’ll probably recognize the name MB&F (Max Busser & Friends). The boutique watch-maker has created some stunners, including the HM3 special edition profiled by contributor Ariel Adams last May. While that watch retailed for $93,000, the HM5 Adams shows off on his own site today retails for a… → Read More
As one of TechCrunch’s resident watch fans, I was intrigued by the Victorinox Dive Master 500, a fairly unique automatic watch that brings the best of the Swiss mechanical along with styling reminiscent of some of the better divers. The build is solid, the 43mm case is well-polished, and the face is very legible. Interestingly, I’d actually recommend this for a fairly adventurous lady who is… → Read More
The creators of Spark, a Wi-Fi-controlled lighting system, has announced that their product will be compatible with the Pebble smart watch, which means you’ll be able to turn your lights on and off from your wrist like a deranged, light-obsessed Dick Tracy. → Read More
Watch winders, like other special accoutrements of the rarified man (or woman), are ostentatious and useful. This one, made by Dottling and called the Gyrowinder, is just ostentatious. → Read More
As a wristwatch brand, San Francisco-based Xetum has been making a bit of a name for itself by delivering high-quality Swiss movements in contemporary cases designed in California. Recently, the company added a PVD version of its Tyndall model to the lineup, adding even more modern flair to the watch’s striking design. → Read More
High-tech watches are, arguably, a dime-a-dozen. But the Division Furtive electro-mechanical watch is something special. Built using a series of Swiss micro-motors (or LEDs), the face displays the time by moving little indicators along a sliding scale. You can see the day, date, time, day of week, time zone, phase of the moon, and a chronometer (along with a battery indicator) on a face that looks… → Read More
If you know me, you know two things about me: I love watches and I smell, faintly, of ferret. That’s why I’d like to share my excitement at this review of the new Seiko SRP313K1 “Orange Monster,” one of the nicest and least expensive automatic diving watches you can buy. → Read More
Luxury Swiss watch maker Urwerk is among the few top watch brands that can excite both gadget lover and traditional watch enthusiast alike. Their secret is consistently pushing forward in terms of modern design as well as technical innovation. Their new UR-210 timepiece might look like a spaceship, but is really just a gadget to tell you that it is time to get off your butt and exercise. It is… → Read More
Carlos Rosillo, the CEO of Bell & Ross, has built and maintained one of the most interesting and recognizable watch brands in the world. His watches – angular, dark, and designed for rough treatment – are an homage to the military watches of the past and he uses very specific materials in very specific ways to build watches that can withstand nearly anything.
In light of Apple’s claims that… → Read More
This watch probably costs the equivalent of all the money I put into arcade games as a kid. Swiss watchmaker Romain Jerome helps you once again recall your video-game addicted youth with a limited edition luxury watch. RJ started mining our nostalgia veins with the Space Invaders watch that we covered here and now Inky, Blinky, and Clyde have their day on your wrist. → Read More
Here is a high-end dive watch to consider if you like that Captain Nemo look. It is called the Octopus, and is from avant garde Swiss watch brand Romain Jerome (RJ). Those familiar with the Romain Jerome Titanic DNA collection of watches will recognize the styling of this new Octopus diver. → Read More
In a real first for a GPS watch, Suunto has added a mapping feature to their Ambit smartwatch via a free update. The watch previously supported GPS tracking, waypoints, and training functions but this upgrade adds a live map to the mix, allowing hikers and runners to pinpoint their location on a trail or course. → Read More
To paraphrase Cracker, what the world needs now is another e-ink smart watch like I need a hole in the head. However, Phosphor has been in this game for years and I’m willing to give them at least the benefit of the doubt. Like the Pebble and the Strata, Phosphor has created a unique, feature-rich watch that adds some very interesting features to their well-known e-ink watch line and ups the ante… → Read More
To date, there have only been a handful of watch projects on Kickstarter, and of those, there really have only been a couple that grabbed my attention. But here’s an interesting one that just popped up on PleaseFund.us, a new crowd-funding site that looks to be a direct Kickstarter competitor.
Terranaut Watch is bringing an oversized (50mm) watch to market, but one that they feel will “wear”… → Read More
If you’ve been following my weekend watch reviews, you’ll note that I tend to like bigger watches. But even this monster – the Graham Oversize GMT – is too big for me.
Graham is a British manufacturer of haute horology. Named after famed clockmaker George Graham, the company manufactures mostly in Switzerland and uses combination of bespoke movements as well as some modified ETA pieces. The… → Read More
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