Today, we’re digging into the history of De Bethune’s affinity with the heavenly bodies, especially as found on their timepieces’ dials. From where it starts to how it evolves, we’re moving through the brand’s catalog with some added context taken from Horological Alchemy, the book written by Denis Flageollet, De Bethune’s co-founder and master watchmaker.
Read MoreToday, we’re going to place a spotlight on timepieces that represent the best of the shift toward smaller watches. Important here is that this isn’t simply a matter of case size. As we’ll see, many of these timepieces are novel updates to historical timepieces.
Read MoreToday, we’re focusing on a select few independent watches with bracelets. From Urwerk to Arnold & Son to Armin Strom to Angelus, these are some of the few indies that offer timepieces with metal bracelets.
Read MoreTo get a better grasp on the design and aesthetic side of this period, particularly how and why sci-fi became so dominant as the avant-garde design language in watchmaking, we recently caught up with Martin Frei, visionary designer and co-founder of Urwerk.
Read MoreOne of the major forces to keep the driver’s watch category thriving in the modern era, we’re examining MB&F’s driver’s watches from the Horological Machine (HM) 5, HM8 Mark 2, and HM9 “Flow Road.”
Read MoreWe recently partnered with Nelson and R-Werk as their exclusive retail partner in the US, and were able to sit down with him to talk about how he combined his passions for watches and cars, as well as what guides the design of the TYP-01.
Read MoreClients and friends gathered at Date & Time in Sudbury, where we enjoyed conversation, drinks, along with special guest Phil Ogle from URWERK.
Read MoreWith the holiday season already underway, many of us are chasing down the last of our gifts for friends and family (or even for ourselves). As part of our annual tradition, we’ve compiled a list of watch-related gifts, mostly “horologically leaning” accessories from desk clocks to art to watch holders, for those with a passion for the finest in timekeeping.
Read MoreIn recent years, watchmaking mastermind Denis Flageolet and De Bethune have modernized their collection with the arrival of “XP” and “xs” timepieces. Standing for “extra plat” (extra thin in French) and “extra small,” these new models are as much about transitioning to more favorable case dimensions for today’s collectors as they are about updating the underlying technique and mechanics of foundational timepieces in De Bethune’s catalog.
Read MoreToday, we’re examining the mood that captured a group of watchmakers and brands in the late 1990s. Doing so, we hope to lay out some of the conditions that inspired and propelled the beginning of avant-garde watchmaking.
Read MoreToday, we’re digging another timepiece to enter the pantheon of icons – Konstantin Chaykin’s Joker, released first in 2017. We’ll get into how this is an unusual icon, one supremely self-aware of the times in mechanical watchmaking.
Read MoreToday, we’re taking a look at the year end auction results to see if we can glean any market insights, especially connected to independent watchmaking.
Read MoreToday, we’re taking a deep look at Caliber 045MC and following its evolution throughout the years across De Bethune, F.P. Journe, and Angelus.
Read MoreThis year we celebrated 5 Years of EsperLuxe & Friends with special guest Martin Frei of URWERK in NYC.
Read MoreSo many new watchmakers and brands, so many options, it can be challenging to know what to expect from timepieces at every price point. From our vantage point, there is sometimes confusion in grasping the common themes that differentiate a US$10,00, a US$50,000, and US$150,000+ watch.
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Today, we’re focusing on Halter’s contribution to these early days in the avant-garde watchmaking movement – the Antiqua. An unusual perpetual calendar with a round-not-round case, the Antiqua has aged like a fine wine. It feels as novel today as it was more than 25 years ago at the time of its release in Baselworld 1998. Legendary in modern independent watchmaking, we’re diving into the Antiqua and what makes it an icon.
To provide some context on how Chaykin simply “showed up” with the world’s thinnest watch, we’re casting a light on some of the master’s most remarkable creations. As we’ll see, there are very few contemporary watchmakers with as strong a drive to explore the discipline and invent.
Read MoreIndependent watchmaking is well represented across all of the categories with particularly steep competition in some, namely Chronograph and Men’s Complication. Here, we’re taking a closer look at some of these exceptional watches vying prizes.
Read MoreIn this photo journal, we’ll take you through our journey, highlighting some of the standout watches we spotted during the show.
Read MoreWe were fortunate to attend again this year, seeing many of our partners and friends as well as tons of fantastic new releases. We’re recapping some of the timepieces that stood out from the show from all our favorite indies.
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