Opened in 2019 in the small town of Pinzolo, Trentino Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti nestles within the stunning scenery of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Dolomites and the Madonna di Campiglio ski area. With access to 150km of slopes and four snowboard parks, the exclusive resort shuttle means you can be at the lifts in ten minutes. It’s an ideal location for a winter sports holiday but equally makes for a wonderful summer break, if the name of the game is recuperation .As soon as you step into the open lobby area you’re filled with a sense of serenity.

The high ceilings, expansive windows, and dim orange lighting paired with citrus infusions relax the mind and create a refreshing ambiance. It’s a cliché but the interior décor really does feel as if the outside world has been brought into the stunning bar and restaurant areas of the hotel. The resort’s architecture could be described as alpine-modern, lots of wood and natural stone which blend seamlessly with the landscape, and that symbiosis isn’t just skin deep. The resort incorporates energy-saving technologies into its design, holds numerous environmental certifications and fully offsets its CO2 emissions. An impressive feat for such an expansive resort.

If you’re not planning on skiing and are visiting during the summer months, it’s safe to assume that you’re here to unwind. The 5,000 square meter spa is among the largest wellness areas in the Alps, spanning four levels and including over 20 treatment cabins, indoor and outdoor pools, a 24-hour gym, and an adults-only zone with various saunas and therapeutic paths.It also combines Chinese medicine with Western scientific research, offering a range of tailored treatments and rituals which are confusingly wonderful. The Salt Bath and Sauna Stretching being particular highlights. While the extensive offerings can be a little daunting, those seeking something simpler will find the numerous saunas, ice baths, steam rooms and infusion combinations wonderfully relaxing.

Lefay Dolimiti extends its wellness philosophy beyond its walls by partnering with the local tourist board to offer outdoor experiences designed to soothe the soul. Whether it’s yoga in a meadow overlooked by dramatic sedimentary peaks, Kneipp therapy (the practice of walking in freezing streams) in crystal-clear glacial waters, or foraging and hiking on the numerous trails and routes the criss-cross this inspiring landscape. The brand of wellness it offers is authentic .Returning to your room (in my case a Deluxe Junior Suite), the modern alpine vibe of the main hotel continues. With freestanding baths, large waterfall showers, a writing desk and an electronic (but realistic) fireplace, the amenities are clean, practical and stylish. Pair that with a balcony with a beautiful view and it’s hard to leave.

Dining options at Lefay are suitably luxe. The conceptual organic restaurant Grual features a valley-to-peaks dining experience, taking you on a culinary journey from the valley floor to the high peaks and back down again, all through locally sourced produce. It’s truly exceptional, with some favourites of mine being the trout ravioli, saddle of roe deer and fly agaric mushroom-shaped chocolate dessert. The more casual Dolomia Restaurant, which also serves breakfast, offers excellent cuisine with a smattering of local classics, all enjoyed with stunning mountain views.

In terms of additional amenities, the resort features several bars, including a Lounge Bar, Sky Lounge, Pool Bar, Library, and Cigar Lounge, each with its own unique vibe. Overall, Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti provides an unparalleled combination of luxury, sustainability and natural beauty, making it a top choice for an indulgent getaway.

Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ prestigious Legend Collection.

More details at Preferred Hotels.

The Hong Kong Watch Fair 2024 took place last month for the 43rd time and for those seeking to discover new brands, a more relaxed attitude and insights into the Asian watch market, it’s the place to be.

Featuring over 700 exhibitors from 15 countries, the fair highlighted both established and emerging brands, with a focus on innovation and craftsmanship. While it lacks the overt luxury feel of shows such as Dubai Watch Week and Watches & Wonders, it has an inclusive feel that I haven’t experienced before. As soon as you enter the vast Hong Kong Exhibition Centre, it’s clear to see that this is a 360-degree approach to a fair, with everything from packaging, machining equipment, parts and components on display. However, with my focus being new watches, I headed to the Salon de TIME to discover new brands showcasing some interesting Chinese watchmaking I’m simply unable to get hands on with in the UK.

Historically it’s been easy to be dismissive of Chinese watchmaking but over the past decade the growth, especially in the mid-sector, has been unparalleled. While the Swiss market is still the top player when it comes to luxury, China is almost single-handedly responsible for creating a new style of mid-tier watch. By which I mean the emergence of brands creating haute horology focused watches at a fraction of the price of Swiss and European competitors.

Behrens Ultralight Weight 20G

Whether it’s Behrens lightweight creations (like we saw at Geneva Watch Week), Agelocer’s super accessible tourbillons or Lucky Harvey’s whimsical gambling functions, it’s worth keeping an eye on the creations coming out of the Shenzen industrial area. And it’s not just the bold and brash creations that drew my eye, companies like Bejing Watches and Seagull have seen massive growth and produce some incredible value, classically designed watches.

Agelocer Flying Tourbillon

This rise is also driven by China’s robust manufacturing capabilities and increasing interest in wearable tech and smartwatches. Chinese brands have adapted well to market demands for tech-savvy watches, offering a blend of tradition and innovation. Smartwatches, which are gaining popularity globally, also had a significant presence at the fair, positioning Chinese brands as contenders in both traditional and modern watch categories.

Hong Kong Watch Fair not only highlighted these trends but also facilitated business networking, discussions on sustainability, and the future of watchmaking. This year’s edition saw forums discussing market forecasts and technological integration in watch designs, further emphasizing China’s influence in these growing segments. As Chinese brands continue to innovate and blend traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, their global presence in the watchmaking industry is only expected to grow.​

More details at HKTDC.

As I get older, I’ve come to realize that holidays are about rest. My travel preferences have shifted from exploring all day and partying all night to cathartic sauna sessions, well-equipped gymnasiums, and, naturally, a swimming pool with an epic view. All while being coddled in authentic luxury. From the moment you arrive at the five-star Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol resort, you feel pampered. The drive-in reception is perfect for the cold winter months and upon exiting the lift, the alpine style, ornate wooden walls and grand carved staircase invite you to explore the numerous nooks and crannies of the spacious yet cosy 282-room hotel.

This certainly isn’t a boutique hotel (the Spa area alone measures 5300 square meters), but the service from the traditionally dressed staff is inviting, relaxed and authentic. The place teems with Austrians on summer holiday and feels like a well-kept secret among international types. The main draw of Interalpen is its wellness offerings. It feels Heidi-esque, the type of place where people come to breathe in the fresh mountain air and recuperate. In terms of wellness activities and amenities, it’s got plenty to offer.

There’s the aforementioned spa, complete with its Sauna Village; featuring a Finnish sauna, steam rooms, bio-sauna, saltwater grotto, and much more, all finished in a blend of traditional dark woods and modernism framing incredible views of the Tyrolean Alps. The treatments available are vast, with esoteric options such as Ayurveda, age-defying facials, hot-stone massages and herbal massages. Combined with classics like Swedish and sports massages that I can attest are some of the best in the game. Activity-wise, the hotel boasts tennis courts, a well-stocked gym, an outdoor calisthenics area, a vast indoor-outdoor heated pool with automatic doors dividing the inside and outside, walking trails, a nearby golf course and an indoor golf simulator. For those who dislike sitting for too long, fear not.

If that all sounds like hungry work, then Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol has you covered there too. The breakfast spread is exceptional, featuring local cheeses, fish, fresh fruit, a chef station and freshly baked pastries from the in-house bakery. For lunch and dinner there are two main options: an elevated dining experience and a more relaxed option, both using the freshest local produce. As a third option, there’s an amazing mountain hut dining experience, featuring authentic Tyrolean folk music, hand-selected Augustine pilsner and a BBQ with all the wurst and sauerkraut you could expect.

Nearby, there’s plenty to do. Whether you’re there for the summer or winter, there are endless walking trails and mountain biking areas in the surrounding valleys, and you’re only 10km from Seefeld Ski Resort. If testing the upper limits of your heart rate is your thing, I’m also told it’s a great place to cross-country ski.

For Bond (and watch) enthusiasts, the 007 Elements James Bond experience in nearby Sölden is a must-see. It showcases the Gaislachkogel mountain location used in Spectre, including the gondola scene and the liaison between Bond and Madeleine Swann in the IceQ restaurant. The exhibit also features several Omega watches worn by Bond, including the Seamaster 300 Spectre Limited Edition and the Brosnan-era Seamaster 300m Professional.

The rooms at Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol have just undergone a renovation and offer mountain-view balconies, the highest level of alpine-style finishing with all the modern amenities you could wish for. There are various room options, all with their own tubs. For the uber-luxe experience, look no further than the top-floor penthouses, which come complete with their own sauna, outdoor bathtub, freestanding baths and panoramic views of the mountains.

Interalpen is also an ideal retreat for families thanks to the room layouts, the crèche and recreation rooms, making it an ideal destination for all ages. And when the little ones are all tucked up, there’s an excellent bar and smoking room to retreat to. There’s only so much wellness one can handle.

Rates at Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ prestigious Legend Collection, start from £600 per room per night, based on two sharing on a half-board basis, including breakfast, dinner and daily activities such as wellness experiences and excursions.

More details at Preferred Hotels.

We talk a lot about value for money in these pages. Sure, we’re more than happy to gush over some unique piece that took a team of wizened artisans five years to produce, but at the other end of the spectrum there’s just something satisfying about a great watch for not a great deal of money. For years now, Certina has been occupying that particular spot in the wider Swatch Group portfolio. So, when they invited us to Seville for a friendly game of Padel, we took them up on their offer to talk to CEO Marc Aellen. It wasn’t just because I needed to catch my breath. Honestly.

Obviously the first question is why were we there? Well, Certina’s latest ambassador is one Marta Ortega – dubbed the Doctor or Martita by fans – one of the hot shots of the Padel world. Padel, in case you didn’t know, is a nascent combination of tennis and squash. It’s fun, fast-paced and up-and-coming here in the UK.

Marta Ortega, top 10 padel player and Certina ambassador

It might seem an odd sport to connect a watch brand to, but as Aellen explains: “It’s really the perfect sport for us. It’s a sport you can play for your whole life, it’s quite easy to learn compared to other racquet sports and, while we’re working with Professionals like Marta [Ortega], it’s basically a sport than anyone can do.”

For Certina, that kind of association is vital. Brands like Rolex and Omega don’t necessarily need their sports partnerships; they’re more of a flex than anything else. But for entry level watch brands whose tempting price tags are focused on mass production, the more eyes on they can get, the better. Perhaps the bigger problem however is deciding, through some augury of the market or design-led precognition, precisely in which direction to take the brand.

Certina DS-7 Chronograph Padel Edition by Marta Ortega

“That’s always the trick,” Aellen explains. “We have a very rich story, historically very strong with motorsports – not so much now – and we were one of the first brands to produce a proper diving watch. So, for us, developing new products is all about deciding which direction we want to take things. For example, we have a full range of classical watches that we never advertise, despite being our bread-and-butter, as that’s not the image we want to communicate to our customers. That’s why we have Padel, we have cross-country skiing, we have diving. We have to try and give the market what it wants – and we’re trying out best!”

Certina DS PH1000m (2023)

One direction of course that many watch brands have gone in the past few years is vintage, sending watch-loving Indiana Joneses down into their vast archives to raid quirky retro designs and long-lost references. With Certina’s own archives extending almost a century-and-a-half back, you could expect them to be doing the same.

“This is a discussion we had just last week! I believe vintage is good but we can’t just base our collection on the archives, that we need to bring something new to the playing field. Last year we brought out the PH1000m, which was a big, big success, but we need to balance that thinking with new technologies, new innovations. We will certainly have one or two more pieces per year… but I can’t speak about exactly what!”

Certina DS Action Diver

If you want to check out what some of those references are and place your bets, check out Vintage Certina. There are some seriously cool watched I’d love to see brought back to life, like the 288 or Biostar. The bottom line however is that the archives aren’t Certina’s main focus. That would be the Action Diver, the brand’s flagship with its modern look and ceramic bezel – and fantastic movement, a movement that couldn’t exist outside of Certina’s position in Swatch Group.

Certina Powermatic 80 movement

“If you look at our automatic movement, the Powermatic 80, it’s incredible. You see luxury brands fighting to get to a 60-hour power reserve and for us 80 is already the standard. Without the synergies between our sister brands, things like that just wouldn’t be possible. Of course, each brand has its own positioning, but we all benefit from shared knowledge and technology.”

Original Certina DS-3 Super PH1000M (1970s), image credit: Analog:Shift

It’s not just technology Swatch Group proliferates amongst its brands of course; information is just as important. If every brand finds their customers are tending towards specific designs, sizes, colours, whatever, then it’s valuable to know that, to be able to adapt your release slate to match.

“Even when you look at the vintage pieces we reintroduced like the PH1000”, says Aellan, “the original is much thicker and we try to modernise and improve on the original to suit current trends. But we’re not a fashion brand. We have to plan at least two or three years in advance and sometimes there are new trends coming in that time. We need to try and anticipate what’s going to happen, which is the beauty of the game. Sometimes we fail, sometimes we succeed.”

The Certina DS Action GMT uses the Powermatic 80 movement

Self-depreciation aside, Certina of late seems to be succeeding a lot more often than their failing. I’d say these days that they have a bit of a tailwind behind them, a cult following that’s pushing them higher in the estimations of many a collector. After all, even if you look at the raw specs of their Action Divers, there’s a lot to love. Throw in a handful of cool designs and you have the broadly appealing watchmaker. At the very least, Certina’s arguably the single best place to look for your first serious watch. As Aellen himself puts it:

“Not many people go straight into buying an Omega; in fact, it’s become almost a tradition in Switzerland to give a Certina as a confirmation gift. We offer great value at an entry level price, a great first step into the watch ladder. We still have a long way to go, but Rome wasn’t built in a day!”

More details at Certina.

Nestled by the beach in a remote location, Asterion Suites & Spa offers a serene escape for adults looking to unwind and savour Crete’s unique flavours. Located 40 minutes from Chania airport and the historic Chania old town, with its ancient Minoan ruins, Venetian facades, and charming selection of restaurants and shops, the resort is conveniently accessible yet secluded enough to recharge under the Cretan sun.

The hotel is well-designed, with a modern, airy feel and high-quality furnishings. The suites are light, comfortable, and feature a range of modern amenities, including two televisions, a large waterfall shower, air conditioning, a coffee machine, and a large, comfortable bed, each with its own balcony or swim-up pool, depending on your preference and package. Packages include all-inclusive options (Lifestyle All-In), allowing guests to indulge in iced lattes and exceptionally well-made cocktails from the poolside bar or enjoy a local beer from the mini-bar without worry.

Dining at the resort is an elevated experience, with authentic Greek dishes taking centre stage. There are two restaurants: the entry-level and the more upscale 35 Degrees. The breakfast spread is indulgent, healthy, and varied, while dinner highlights include salt-crusted sea bass, grilled prawns, taramasalata, dakos salad, and an indulgent chocolate sphere for dessert. The ingredients are incredibly fresh, with the Mediterranean sun enhancing the flavours, showcasing the region’s rich culinary heritage.

For those looking to stay active, there’s a small but ample gym and yoga sessions on the lawn every Wednesday and Friday. The pool is well-sized, and the tranquil sea offers excellent swimming. The resort also boasts a well-equipped Orion Spa with a sauna and a variety of treatments using local products, perfect for unwinding after a day of exploration.

For the culturally curious, the resort offers various experiences, including local wine and olive oil tastings, a farm-to-table dining experience with ingredients cooked over wood fires, a serene forest picnic, and a guided tour of Chania old town. Though the resort’s beachside location is somewhat remote, it’s only a 45-minute drive to Falasarna, one of Crete’s—and the world’s—most beautiful beaches. The peaceful, adults-only environment ensures tranquillity without children. Overall, this resort is a perfect choice for those seeking a peaceful and luxurious escape on the beautiful island of Crete.

Nightly rates at Asterion Suites & Spa start from €226.80 (approx. £191).

More details at Asterion Suites & Spa.

It does seem that Swatch are milking the MoonSwatch for all it’s worth with yet another subcollection. However, the latest Mission on Earth models are perhaps the coolest additions to the MoonSwatch collection for a while. Although perhaps that’s because they echo some of the Fratello designs created for #Speedytuesday way back in 2022.

The three new Mission on Earth MoonSwatches are an ode to the beauty of the blue planet as seen from space. Celebrating the diverse landscapes and natural phenomena of volcanos, deserts and the aurora borealis with the Lava, Desert and Polar Lights editions respectively.

The Lava variant relies on a black and orange colour scheme, the desert a beige/taupe effect and the Polar Lights uses a turquoise colour complete with an aventurine glass inspired dial effect. All three versions use radial subdials, differentiating them from the original MoonSwatches.

There’s little reason to dive into the specs and technical details of the Mission on Earth watches, as these are largely the same as previous models, such as the recent Snoopy editions. Instead, if you’re a fan, we’re simply going to highlight where these watches can be bought.

The MoonSwatch Mission on Earth variants will go on sale for the price of £240 on June the 15th. As always, they will be available in selected stores globally and for the UK this means you’ll be able to buy it at London Battersea Power Station, Carnaby Street London, Covent Garden London, Harvey Nichols London, Oxford Street London, Bullring Birmingham, Paradise Street Liverpool, 99 Princess Street Edinburgh, Trafford Centre Manchester and Buchanan Galleries Glasgow. As always, it will be a one-watch-per-person-per-day-per-swatch-store policy.

More details at Swatch.

As the founder of a watch news platform/print magazine you may expect me to own a Patek Philippe Grand Master Chime, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo or perhaps something from the Cartier Prive collection but the reality is, this is a business born from a passion and we’re still in a growth phase. As such, most of my personal collection happens to be made up of accessible watches under £1,500.

Combine that with an ever-growing volume of new releases, it means I’m constantly under the temptation of expanding my collection. So, with that in mind here are five watches I’ve got my eye on that you can buy for under £1,500. For full transparency, it’s worth noting that a couple of these brands are advertisers with Oracle Time, but I’ve picked them out of genuine merit and personal taste.

Farer Aquamatic

Farer produces new releases at an impressive rate, for me, some of them slap and some of them slip. The Aquamatic strongly slaps. Colourful, comfortable, bold and unfussy, it makes a great summer watch. Throw it on when the sun is out, jump in the pool, frolic on the beach, play some frisbee and you don’t have to worry one iota.

With a 38.5mm x 11.9mm case made from marine grade 316L steel and 200m water resistance it means that you won’t worry about bashing it around a little or getting wet. My personal favourite colour combination is the light blue and white Freshwater. Priced at £875 it comes on a rubber strap with a Swiss Sellita SW220-1 movement.

More details at Farer.

Junghans Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus Black

I’ll admit that I already own two Junghans watches (the Max Bill Chronoscope and Meister Telemeter), but with the release of the new Bauhaus variant of the Max Bill last year I’m considering a third. I’m consistently getting complimented on both watches when I wear them, by non-watch folk and serious collectors alike. The simple, paired back design code just works. Bar Nomos, Junghans have the minimalist mid-luxe watch market cornered.

This 38mm stainless steel, black PVD coated version measures just 10mm tall, making it uber-wearable, sleek and low key. The red, matte black and white colour scheme is typical, lifted straight from the famous design school with the caseback featuring a depiction of the actual Bauhaus – complete with open window revealing the J800.1 movement, which is based on the ETA 2824-2. Priced at £1,555, I have broken the cardinal rule and contradicted my title, but this watch is worth the extra £55.

More details at Junghans.

Nodus Unity Blossom Pink

We recently featured the Nodus Unity Blossom Pink in our pink watch round-up and it’s stuck with me since. Make no mistake, this is a budget automatic watch, but look at that dial! It’s part Glashütte Original Sixties and part Grand Seiko Shobun all for the price of £494.

The risk of buying from a microbrand is typically servicing and customer service but the LA-based Nodus are well established and the Unity comes with an easily serviceable Miyota calibre 9015 inside. Size-wise, it’s on the small side at 36.5mm width x 11.3mm thickness. However, if the Unity doesn’t cut it for you, Nodus offer a broad range of affordable tool watches, some of which are a fair bit chunkier.

More details at Nodus.

Seiko Presage Classic Series ‘Sensaicha’ SPB465

For all the colourful divers, bold tool watches, and flashy tourbillons, there’s something satisfying about a well-executed traditional design. The Seiko Presage Classic Series SPB465 is a perfect example of this, blending elegance with reliable functionality in a way only Seiko can.

Featuring a 39.3mm stainless steel case with a matching jubilee style bracelet, it’s a timeless aesthetic. The dial has a textural finish that’s inspired by woven material and fabric. Personally, I think it offers just enough to be interesting without too much going on. Powered by the Seiko calibre 6R27 automatic movement it has a weekend proof 3-day power reserve and at a price of £900 it’s pretty unbeatable.

More details at Seiko.

Certina DS Super PH1000M

Since we reviewed the orange dialed DS PH1000M last year I’ve nearly pulled the trigger several times, only to be stopped by the fact I desperately needed a new car, my mortgage renewal was coming up and various other unforeseen bills, but nearly midway 2024 and that’s out of the way, this will be my next purchase.

The PH1000M has some genuinely cool history of being used in the Nasa funded, under-sea experiment “Tektite II”. It has a serious depth rating, a bold case shape and a really nice volcano style bezel. Inside the 43.5 mm case is the Powermatic 80. Personally, for this money I think it’s an excellent movement and despite the somewhat controversial plastic parts, they keep excellent time and can be serviced. Priced at £945 the orange dial version is limited to 1000 pieces matching the water resistance and making it more special.

More details at Certina.

You’ll rarely find me writing these type of articles, because honestly who wants to read the wish list of some watch nerd with questionable taste. But you know what, this year I’ve decided to buck the trend. If you’re going to own a watch news platform you might as well inflict your opinions on others. So to go alongside the slew of great timepieces we’ve already covered, here are some of my personal favourite releases from Watches & Wonders 2024.

After a week of traipsing the hallowed halls of the Palexpo searching for a good coffee, trying to explain to our social media apprentice that capturing an image of the world’s most famous footballer isn’t as important as our Patek photography appointment, hoping I might see daylight, I’ve probably seen over 500 new watches. By no means did I see everything (especially from the ‘pirates’ outside the Palexpo) so this list is strictly reserved for watches at the official show that I got hands on with. In my experience it’s the only way you can actually tell whether or not you like a watch (something we try and do as much as possible here at Oracle Time).

Zenith Defy Revival A3648 ‘Plongeur’

I’m a sucker for a brightly accented watch with an angular profile so when I saw the press release for the Defy Revival A3648 I knew I was in trouble. Arriving at the Zenith stand I’m happy to report I wasn’t disappointed. The Revival ‘Plongeur’ (a nickname derived from the first mechanized submarine) is about as faithful to the 1969 original as possible, however this is one of the rare occasions when a vintage re-issue is actually smaller than the original (37mm compared to 39mm) and I think it’s better for it.

It still has the original’s impressive 600-meter water resistance, orange bezel – sapphire instead of plexiglass, of course – and tetradecagonal inner bezel. Inside is a modern calibre in the Elite 670. It’s no El Primero, but it doesn’t really need to be as it’s not a chrono. It also has a solid power reserve of 50 hours and keeps the cost at £6,975.

More details at Zenith.

Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25

Limited to just 100 pieces and priced around £41,000 this is strictly grail territory, but there’s something about this limited-edition release that’s captivating. The white gold case and the grand feu enamel finish work brilliantly with the minimal dial layout, hand painted minute track and central jumping hours.

It’s quirky yet reserved and in my opinion this colour combination works a lot better than the rose gold-cased white dial version we’ve previously seen. Proportionally it’s also great on the wrist, measuring 40mm and 10.3mm thick. These are impressive specs considering under the bonnet is a beast of a movement. The L.U.C 98-06-L is the world’s first manual wind calibre with four barrels which when fully wound equate to 192 hours of power or 8 days. Forget weekend proof, this watch is week proof.

More details at Chopard.

Gerald Charles Masterlink

Gerald Charles are a brand that haven’t really resonated with me in the past despite being founded by the greatest watch designer ever. But seeing the Masterlink in the mettle and speaking to the designer Octavio Garcia about the ergonomics of the bracelet and the way it transitions from gracefully curved ‘smile’ at six o’clock to flat totally won me over. The Masterlink doesn’t just look retro, it could genuinely be vintage. The cohesive design is subtle and certainly won’t appeal to everyone, but I love it.

The 38mm steel case houses the GCA 5401 micro-rotor automatic movement developed by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier and has a power reserve of 50 hours. More importantly, the Masterlink measures under 8mm thick, making it incredibly comfortable. Priced at £18,400, the watch comes with a five-year warranty. An important aspect when purchasing a watch from a younger brand.

More details at Gerald Charles.

Czapek Antarctique Green Meteor

It was very hard to not include the Czapek Gouttea D’eau as one of my favourite releases from Watches & Wonders this year. If you saw our collaboration with Christopher Ward, you may have noticed we have a thing for ripple effect, 3-dimensional dials. But overall, the integrated bracelet case shape of the Antarctique appeals to me more than the dressy Promenade.

While it is simply a new dial on an existing collection, the dial in question is a green lacquered Gibeon meteor complete with its classic Widmanstätten pattern and it looks epic. Limited to 100 pieces and priced at (this seems to be everyone’s magic number this year) they’re currently taking orders; however, delivery won’t be until Q2 2025.

More details at Czapek.

Parmigiani Toric Petite Seconde 40mm

The Toric was the first watch unveiled by master watchmaker and restorer Michel Parmigiani back in 1996 and for 2024 the Fleurier brand revisit this model, giving it a refined makeover that feels fitting of such an important collection. The standout model for me is the platinum cased, hand-grained, sage green dial.

Measuring 40.6mm diameter x 8.8mm thickness and powered by the manual wind PF780 it has 60 hours of power reserve and is expertly finished with Côtes de Fleurier (the brand’s twist on the more usual Côtes de Geneve), hand beveled edges and sand blasted gold plating. From whichever angle you look at this it’s beautiful and at a price of around £50,000 it ought to be.

More details at Parmigiani.

While the highlight of their Watches & Wonders releases is without question the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platin, there are some other gems to be discovered too. There’s a new Vacheron Constantin Overseas Titanium Tourbillon that’s relatively understated. It fills a gap in the collection rather than revolutionising it, but it’s gorgeous in the metal.

At this point Overseas with tourbillons, Overseas in titanium and even titanium Overseas with tourbillons (in skeletonised form) are not strangers. However, all of those watches have specific design elements and quirks such as gem-set bezels or limited editions. What the new Overseas Titanium Tourbillon brings to the table is being a core collection model that’s as pure and simple as possible.

It’s a 42.5mm diameter timepiece with the classic Overseas tonneau-esque case with integrated bracelet and Maltese cross bezel. On the wrist it’s uncannily lightweight, a combination of its incredibly light titanium construction and the fact that it’s fairly thin with a thickness of 10.39mm. With titanium becoming so prevalent I wonder how long the discourse about wanting watches to have a ‘satisfying heft’ will last – if titanium becomes the norm will we start to find steel clunky and clumsy?

One of the advantages that steel still has is that it can be finished in more ways. Although looking closely at the Overseas Titanium Tourbillon shows that it has a nice selection of finishes thanks to being grade 5 titanium, which allows the metal to take a polish. Up close you can also appreciate the sunray brushing of the blue dial and the exposed tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock.

The movement is the 2160, an automatic calibre with an 80-hour power reserve and bearing the Hallmark of Geneva (Poinçon de Genève), a sign of superlative finishing. Considering that the movement is great, the case is lovely and the dial is classic, the watch is price on request and a boutique exclusive, which makes sense.

More details at Vacheron Constantin.

The first day of Watches & Wonders is always a bit crazy here in Geneva. Between the new releases from Rolex, IWC, JLC, Vacheron and more it feels like there are hundreds of new watches to discover. So, it’s nice to take a bit of time out from the day to focus in on one watch for a review. The watch in question is the new Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT, a brand new addition to the range.

As a quick disclaimer, I’ve only been able to spend about an hour with the watch so this review can’t possibly be as detailed or precise as spending multiple days with a timepiece. However, it should serve as a good first impressions look.

Strapping on the new watch, it wears incredibly comfortably. The 39mm diameter in steel is right in that sweet spot of retro sizing inspired by vintage proportions while also being large enough that it makes sense for a tool watch like the Black Bay. This is the first GMT in BB 58 range so it has the characteristic rotating bezel with 24-hour scale common to this travel complication.

The bezel insert is split into a day/night pattern with black and burgundy halves. Interestingly a lot of chatter ahead of the event was regarding the possibility of a new Rolex GMT-Master II Coke but it turns out we’ve got a Coke BB instead. (Rolex’s GMT-Master II this year is a grey and black Oystersteel number.) I really like the bezel, the gilt numerals help to enhance the retro flair of the piece and also tie it in slightly with the other new 58 model in gold.

Looking closer at the dial there are obviously a few differences between it and the standard 58. Most apparent is the central hand stack which includes four hands instead of the usual three. The GMT version features the traditional snowflake hour hand and long, straight minute hand but the seconds hand is in the lollipop style with a round tip instead of the signature diamond shape. That’s because the diamond hand has been repurposed for the 24-hour GMT hand. It’s otherwise a fairly typical Black Bay 58 display with circle, rectangle and triangle indexes coated with lume.

Also worth noting on the dial is the inscription above 6 o’clock “Master Chronometer”, because yes indeed, it houses a METAS certified movement. Specifically, it’s the Calibre MT5450-U with a 65-hour power reserve. Interestingly Tudor describe it as their new mid-size GMT movement, implying that it won’t be limited to the Black Bay 58 GMT and will find its way to the standard Black Bay in due time.

I know the revamped Black Bay is the headline stealer, but I really enjoyed my time with the 58 GMT. The cool retro vibe conjures images of the golden age of jet-setting, travelling across the world in relaxed luxury. It’s also a very practical watch at the same time, which appeals to me. And it’s also not too much of a dent in the bank at £3,770 on rubber strap or £3,930 on steel bracelet. It’s by no means accessible for all but it’s seriously tempting.

More details at Tudor.

What better way to test and review a fully-fledged convertible supercar than in the real-world conditions of a soggy October in southern England? With autumn leaves on the ground, a chill in the air, and a round of golf to be had, it’s a slice of the real world for a car blessed with out of this world performance. We’re talking about the Maserati Cielo.

Let’s get the stats out of the way nice and early shall we. Sat in the middle of the car is a twin-turbo, Nettuno tuned, dry-sump V6 that produces 621bhp and 730 newton metres of torque at its peak. Paired with an eight-speed twin-clutch transmission flowing through a very smart LSD, it means through its rear wheels that the Cielo will propel you from 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 199mph. That’s fast by anyone’s standards. Weighing in at 1,540kg, it’s 65kg heavier than the coupe, and although I haven’t driven the hard top, I bet the average person would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

With a golf game schedule two hours from home, I departed at 5.30am in the dry and made the most of the empty roads to put the Maserati Cielo in Sport mode. Only the third most aggressive of five available via a central rotating control (Wet, GT, Sport, Corsa, and ESC off). In these different modes the engine power, pedal feel, exhaust noise, gear shifts, suspension, and traction are all tweaked and there’s a separate button to mix and match the dampers to your preference.

As I race down to Kent at perfectly legal yet aggressive speeds, the carbon-fibre monocoque, which was developed in partnership with racing team Dallara, feels incredibly rigid despite the lack of roof. The car squirms in a controllable manner as I plant the throttle and even in the slightly slick, leaf litter strewn corners you can still achieve Tron-esque pivots.

After the very wet round of golf, I was a little worried about jumping back into the Cielo. Any other supercar I’ve driven doesn’t really do wet weather very well. Pair that with a slightly achy back and you’ve a recipe for a middle age disaster. Herein lies the Cielo’s greatest trick. In GT or Wet mode the car is relaxed, comfortable and able to take bumps and potholes on rubbish British B-roads with ease. Despite its Italian heritage, you’d be forgiven for thinking this car had been designed with wetter northern climes in mind.

The biggest takeaway from driving the Cielo is just how incredibly easy and delightful an experience it is. The roof, albeit operated by a control on the touch screen (boomers hate this one trick) goes up and down in 12 seconds and you can activate it at up to 31mph. The glass in the roof is also filled with liquid crystal tech enabling you to change the lighting conditions at the touch of a button and bring the sky (Cielo in Italian) into the car.

I connected to the Android auto within seconds, something that even the Maserati (technician) was impressed with, and all the controls feel very intuitive. They may sound like small things on what is quarter of a million-pound plus car, but all these add up. Of course, this car is quick, but it’s also the most liveable spider I’ve ever driven.

On top of all of that it has a distinctive look that I absolutely adore. There are whiffs of the iconic MC12 in the nose and the rear, albeit slightly more generic unless sculpted and accentuated by this particular model’s exterior carbon fibre package. The butterfly doors add to the drama and in the specced up Rosso Vincente it’s a real head turner.

Inside the cockpit of the Cielo the layout is fairly reserved except for lashings of optional Alcantara and carbon fibre. There’s a distinct lack of buttons which will put some people off. It feels very well made, if perhaps slightly less luxe than you might expect for the price bracket (from £222,990). The seats are also incredibly comfortable and heated, the driving position is on-point, and the handles to close the gullwing doors make you feel like a racing driver.

There are some drawbacks, albeit minor. The boot is small (150 litres) and likely to slow-cook anything in there on long journeys. However, I managed to fit two weekend bags in it, while also resting my golf bag in the passenger seat. There’s also been talk of a lacklustre score from the V6, however paired with a slightly retro wastegate whooshing sound I found the engine sound quietly menacing. Yes, it’s not a screaming V12, but it’s characterful. The fuel tank is also small at 60 litres – 18 litres smaller than the Ferrari F8 Spider – making its use limited as a GT.

All that considered however I’m still in love with this car. It has an esoteric cool appeal, the styling is distinct and unique, it’s plenty fast enough and it’s totally useable. If it’s this or a Jacob & Co Astronomia, I know which I would choose.

More details at Maserati.

It seems the trend for making watches lighter is here to stay. However instead of choosing the option of simply rendering their case from titanium, Omega have introduced a brand-new case material for the launch of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Dark Grey. The material in question is silicon nitride ceramic or “Si3N4” for the chemists out there.

It’s a material that’s been used before in the Planet Ocean collection and specifically on the bezel of the Planet Ocean 600m Chronograph, however here it’s utilised in the case body to create a lightweight, yet strong dive/travel watch hybrid. Just how lightweight it is, we won’t be sure until we get hands on.

The case itself is large, a little disappointingly so, measuring 45.5 x 17.4mm with a 51.5mm lug-to-lug. Though again we will reserve our judgement until we get it on the wrist. To hammer home the lightweight brief Omega have also used lashings of grade 5 titanium across the rest of the watch, with the bezel body, folding clasp, sand-blasted dial and even the movement using the aeronautical material.

The movement in the Planet Ocean Dark Grey is the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8906 which is forged from titanium and adds a GMT function. The view through the open case back is pretty in an industrial way with a sandblasted finish contrasting with purple jewels.

On the dial the the watch continues to live up to its “Dark Grey” name, with anthracite indexes and hands, a grey ceramic bezel and a rubber strap adding to the monochromatic feel, which is only broken up by red accents on the dial text, GMT and seconds’ hand.

Overall, I really love the look of this watch, however I expect the Omega faithful, like myself, would have liked it in 44mm or under. That, and for it to not cost £21,000. Innovation does however come at a price.

More details at Omega.

There have been rumours of a new Studio Underd0g watch for a while, well, it’s finally here and I’m happy to announce, it’s well worth the wait. It’s the 02Series Field Watch, based on a hypothetical brief by the British ministry of defence in 1945 for a watch suited to the battlefield – although some of the colourways available don’t exactly scream military surplus. Ultimately, the resulting watch combines the legibility and ruggedness needed for a field watch with lashings of fun and innovation, as we’ve come to expect from Richard and his team at Studio Underd0g.

I’m honestly really in love with this thing and the passion and attention to detail really shines through. The case is 37mm x 12mm of 316L stainless steel with a signed crown and a closed case-back. Inside you have the updated Sellita Manual Winding SW210-1 with a 42-hour power reserve, hacking seconds and a frequency of 4 Hz. An upgrade from the Chinese Seagull ST-1901 movement you’ll find in their previous models like the Watermel0n & Co.

Fitted on either Epsom Calfskin or suede straps provided by UK company The Strap Tailor, they come with quick release spring bars making it easy to swap out for something a little more daring. Continuing the partnership with home-grown British talent they’re also partnered with Horologium who inspect the watches and offer a 2-year warranty.

Now we have the stats out of the way, we can move onto the most interesting element of this watch. The dials. Relying on a two-tiered construction, there’s a base layer applied with seven layers of custom Super-LumiNova and on top of that a 1mm thick clear sapphire disc on which the Arabic numerals and minute track are printed.

The two dials are fixed together with two visible pins either side of the central hand stack – I can see people moaning about this but personally I think it adds to the slight militaristic vibes, although I do agree it would be super clean sans pins. The result of the double layer is to create numerals that appear to float and cast a shadow on the bottom dial layer. It’s a super dynamic dial that changes with the light and also looks spooky in the dark, appropriate for the time of year.

There are four colour variations for the 02Series Field Watch. There’s the Steffany Blue (02BLB), the Pink Lem0nade (02FSBE), the Full Mo0n (02BEBR) and the Midnight (02BKG). My favourites are the Pink Lem0nade and the Steffany Blue, The Pink Lem0nade dial has a pink-to-yellow luminous gradient, which SU are communicating as an industry first and are keeping the process used to achieve it under lock and key. The effect is pretty dope, and it’s making me thirsty just looking at it.

The Steffany Blue plays on the ubiquitous use of the tiffany or aqua blue across the watch industry over the past few years and the hands are coated in contrasting orange. The remaining two are far subtler in the images and will appeal more to people who like a traditional field watch. Both have generous lashings of lume also.

Price wise, this is where they really shine, and they come up £800.00 / €850.00 / $900.00 (with free worldwide shipping). It’s certainly nothing to be scoffed at and a notable step up from the £500 Gen2 Big Eye variants, but personally I think it’s some incredibly good value for watches with some genuine heart and soul. Not to mention the serious investment in terms of research and development the 02Series Field Watch represents for Studio Underd0g.

When you’re told that you’ll need a translator for an interview, your heart kind of sinks. It’s not a great start. But when the person that supposedly doesn’t speak English comes out of the gate just shy of fluent, you know you’re in for an interesting time. But then, this is Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, a man whose career has ranged from studies in archaeology, ancient history, and Greek to revolutionising (literally and figuratively) watchmaking with the Ulysse Nardin Freak. Unexpectedly speaking English is par for the course.

The Freak, for those who don’t know, is one of the seminal watches of the early 2000s. The seminal watch, some might say. It came at a time when its breed of haute horology was simply unheard of; a contemporary meteor crashing into the old school design landscape. That said, even for veterans of watchmaking, the Freak is a heady concept, so rather than sum it up, it’s best said in Ludwig’s own words.

The original Ulysse Nardin Freak

“You have no mainplate and the entire calibre is rotating on itself. No dial, no hands and the time is indicated by the movement. The principal is that there is no boundary between case and watch as the case is participating in the movement to make this kind of contemporary, kinetic interpretation possible. This is the original concept.”

Before delving too deeply into the Freak, it’s worth expanding on the horological landscape at the time. High end watchmakers were, in the 1980s and ‘90s, attempting to redefine their craft in the wake of the quartz crisis of the 1970s. Expertise and competence were lost as manufacturers closed one after the other, to the detriment of watchmaking at large. Indeed, most of the people working in the watch industry at the time weren’t, to Ludwig’s definition, watchmakers at all.

2001 Ulysse Nardin Freak sketch

“You need two things for watchmaking,” he explained. “To be a true watchmaker means that you make the parts of the watches and can calculate how to do it. You have both the mathematical skill to be able to design and understand the concept, and manual feeling for making pieces. Most in the watch industry are not watchmakers; an assembler is not a watchmaker. A watch designer, without the feel for the materials and what you can do with them, is not a good watch designer.”

It’s the kind of outlook that the late, great, George Daniels would have likely approved of; after all, the Daniels method is about designing and building every part of the watch, as paragon of British horology, Roger Smith, will happily explain. But even then, Ludwig found these kinds of watchmakers slightly trapped in their approach.

“Watchmakers like George Daniels were looking at the past, re-learning old techniques. It was all classical watchmaking like repeaters, perpetual calendars and the like. We wanted to escape all that.” So how does one Kylo Ren the past? Developing any watch is a tall order, but developing something that’s not anchored in the past, not tied to any previous concepts, that’s all-but impossible. The answer is to break it down into different parts.

“It’s not one concept; there are three or four different concepts behind it,” Ludwig explains. “The first comes from an idea entered into the Breguet competition in ’96 with a rotating movement; the second is my development of a new-ish escapement. The third is that I had the idea to make the spring wheel the whole diameter of the case. It wasn’t developed all at once but bit by bit until we brought them all together into one watch, the first concept watch that went on the market.”

Of course, new concepts require new approaches and one issue Ludwig had with the initial designs was the materials. His new escapement needed something better than steel. And so Ulysse Nardin were one of the first watchmakers in the world to turn to silicon.

Ulysse Nardin’s Silicium components

“Our CEO at the time, Pierre Gygax, had friends in the technical school of Le Locle, who were working with silicon for electronics. They realised you could make bigger parts from it and thought that, perhaps, it could be used in watchmaking. We initially tried aluminium which wasn’t good enough; then we tried silicium. It’s lighter, has really good resistance, offers less friction and made most of the superior performance of the new escapement.”

When it arrived in 2001, there was nothing else like it. The first ‘hyper’ watch, if you want to use that term, was both a technical and architectural marvel, back when that kind of intensely modern haute horology just wasn’t around. Hell, even today with brands like Urwerk, MB&F, and Armin Strom making downright insane timepieces, the Freak more than stands up.

Ulysse Nardin Freak S

In fact, the Freak has been a mainstay of Ulysse Nardin’s high-end stable for over two decades and has seen considerable evolution and refinement in that time; there’s a visual gulf between the original Freak and last year’s Freak S, for example. But the latest timepiece in the collection is the best example, not because it’s hugely different, but because it’s essentially a greatest hits of Freak developments over the years.

Freak One draws many elements from the collection’s timeline and the concept dates back to the 2001 original. It has DIAMonSIL treatment, introduced in 2007, on its escapement with a silicon hairspring first used in 2008. Its aesthetics reference 2013’s open gear train and 2018’s updated legibility codes. Finally, the black DLC titanium and rose gold material is inspired by the aforementioned Freak S from 2022. It does beg the question however, that if this is a greatest hits, where else is there to go?

“It’s a complex concept, so it’s difficult to evolve in a certain manner. We don’t have the freedom you do in a traditional watch, with its case containing a timepiece inside. But we can still play with materials and there will definitely be some more projects and technical ideas coming in the future. After all, anything that can become a classic always has a future. You see it with Rolex, you see it with Patek Philippe. After 22 years, I believe that this watch is also a classic, while having the possibility to make new experiences with new materials, new concepts within the watch itself.”

Ochs und Junior two time zones + date

Those concepts however will likely have to move on without Ludwig, given the man himself is no longer at Ulysse Nardin. Instead, you can find him helming his own watch studio, Ochs & Junior, and the two couldn’t be more aesthetically different. O&J is all about minimalism, with complex horological functions hidden behind streamlined dials and displays. It’s a masterclass in simplification and makes for an eye- catching collection of watches, and a good part of that expertise comes from Ludwig’s own work.

You see, like Daniels and the other horological greats, Ludwig also learned a few tricks from the past. But whereas they were looking at wristwatches from the late 1800s, his mechanical inspirations go back far further. He was responsible for the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei, once the most complicated wristwatches in the world. He built the Türler clock (now in the MIH), and even restored the Vatican’s own Farnese astronomical clock, dating back to 1725. Perhaps his most intriguing achievements however is one that brings together his grounding in archaeology and Greek with watchmaking: the Antikythera mechanism.

Ulysse Nardin Astrolabium Galileo Galilei

This mechanism was found off the coast of the Greek island of the same name and at first, archaeologists had no idea what it was. They knew it had a gear in it, but its use eluded them. There were theories, but Ludwig put them into practice by actually building a working model of the Antikythera mechanism, which turned out to be a working orrery designed over two millennia ago. That’s not just old watchmaking; that’s ancient.

And as you may have noticed, it tapped into another love of Ludwig’s – as do his other works of clock making – that being astronomy. So why astronomy? As Ludwig concisely puts it, “I want to show people and help them understand what’s around us, to show them our place in the universe – that we are nothing!”

Well, that might be true in the grand scheme of things, but in the here and now, Dr. Ludwig Oechslin remains one of the most significant figures in modern watchmaking. A polymath of epic proportions and an incomparable watchmaker, there’s nobody else quite like him.

More details at Ochs and Junior.

First rolex, now the second biggest R in watchmaking, Richard Mille. The ultra-pricey sports watch specialists have launched the RM 72-01 Le Mans Classic to celebrate 100 years of 24-Hour racing at Le Mans and also the 11th edition of Le Mans Classic.

Having produced a limited edition ‘Le Mans Classic’ for the biennial race since 2002, there’s been some iconic references given the white and green treatment. We’ve had the RM029, the RM11-02, the RM11, the Felipe Massa and latest 150-piece limited edition run is based on the RM 72-01 ‘Lifestyle’ Flyback Chronograph, and the first Richard Mille to include an in-house chronograph.

The in-house calibre CRMC1 contains a patented double oscillating pinion clutch mechanism for its flyback chronograph; it’s a stunning movement and the view through the caseback is a work of art.

On top of this, there is as a handy crown indicator at 3 o’clock which points to one of following functions: W (Winding), D (Date Adjusting), and H (Hand Setting). We saw something similar on the record-breaking Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari launched Last year and it’s the type of motoring inspired detail I can really get behind.

The main connections to the biennial race, however, are aesthetic. Specifically, the Quartz TPT case wears a green and white livery with the green details decorating  the turbine like crown, the tachymeter and rather quaint Le Mans logo at 11 o’clock. The case material if you’re not familiar is of a similar construction to carbon fibre but uses fused quartz fibres instead. This allows Richard Mille a lot more control over the colour.

Although the RM 72-01 Le Mans Classic is a watch I probably will never own, the rarefied air of occasion, the smell of classic cars barrelling around Circuit de la Sarthe, the exceptional horology on display and the drama of the best marketeers in the game make me almost understand the CHF 295,000 (approx. £260,000) + VAT price tag. Almost.

Artificial Intelligence is already impacting the future of everyone and everything in ways we can’t yet quite comprehend, and the watch world is no different. AI programmes are already used in various software across the watch industry to assist with numerous tasks, but with the new technological dawn brought about by the likes of Chat GPT and Text to Image AI, tools such as DALL-E 2, and Stable Diffusion, the AI watch design landscape could shift entirely.

As someone excited by cutting edge tech while also fearing it, it’s truly a unique time to be alive. Despite what you might read about the watch industry being slow to catch on to trends, the past ten years has seen brands dabble with blockchain tech, virtual reality, NFTs, e-sports and more. The next heir to this technological throne is surely AI and while early tech is rife with scams and gimmicks (I’m looking at you NFTs) there’s no doubt they offer some great use cases.

Prompt: The watch is neon green and has silver hands, in the style of moody monotones, bulbous, luminous sfumato, dynamic energy, dutch marine scenes, distinctive character design.

At the time of writing, the three front runners in the image generating software game are DALL-E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. DALL-E was created by Open AI, the same non-profit behind the text predicting ChatGP, while Stable Diffusion and MidJourney operate on their own separate software. For reference, Midjourney 5.1 has been used to generate all the AI watch design images in this article.

Using Midjourney is incredibly simple. Via the Discord sever (check your app store) the user enters in text based ‘prompts’ and the AI spits out images with incredible proficiency, using tens of billions of data points as a reference. The results are often creative, succinct, surprising and (if you didn’t know it was generated by 0s and 1s) imaginative.

Prompt 1: Nautico avenger dark blue strap, in the style of bauhaus simplicity, suffolk coast views, silver symmetry, new leipzig school, biedermeier, matte photo, enamel.
Prompt 2: The watch is blue and has blue hands, in the style of moody monotones, bulbous, luminous sfumato, dynamic energy, dutch marine scenes, distinctive character design.

While it is incredibly easy to get started, the more you understand and articulate both artistic and design language, the easier it will be to achieve the desired result. This is something I struggled with initially, however there are corners of Discord dedicated to ‘prompt chat’ in which people give guidance on specific terms, such as ‘realism’, ‘photorealistic’ and ‘aspect ratios’, or broader ideas that have worked for them.

As well as the /imagine function (the one you need to put in to conjure up the images), there is also the /describe function, which will essentially describe any image that you input. This function is really useful to mimic existing imagery or to help understand the language behind images according to the AI. It’s why you see some of my prompts include things such as Royal Oak, or Patek Phillipe and you can see examples of the prompts used in the image captions.

Prompt: Ludlum royal oak timex limited edition, in the style of dark azure and silver, iconic works of design, monochromatic compositions, subtle chromatism, rich textures.

Despite achieving some pretty cool AI watch designs, some of which I would love to see made, the jobs of watch designers (or any other designers for that matter) aren’t in any imminent danger. My experimentation has shown that the ideas the AI generates are brilliant conceptualisations, but it’s extremely hard to achieve absolutely what you want; something that can of course be done by a skilled draughtsman. In addition, the images also lack detail and practicality. In other words, they’re great concept designs, but not so great final designs.

So instead of being replaced by AI, Midjourney is simply another tool in the designers’ arsenal. The future Gentas and Hyseks will use AI symbiotically, however it will no doubt be used by nimble and innovative brands, as opposed to the giants of the industry.

Prompt: Nautico avenger dark blue strap, in the style of bauhaus simplicity, suffolk coast views, silver symmetry, new leipzig school, biedermeier, matte photo, enamel.

Of course, this is just the beginning, with each version AI software is making  huge leaps, and no doubt more real- world 3D design applications will soon  be released. This would mean designers could account for specific details such as sizing (both externally and for housing specific movements), materials and integrating existing components.

Regardless of your opinion on AI, and whether or not it’s going to destroy us it’s here to stay and for better or worse its making design more accessible – and I’m all for it.

If you haven’t been watching Succession as a watch fan, you’ve severely been missing out. Not only does the Jesse Armstrong series offer incredible writing, drama, cringe worthy moments, hilarity and an insight into the megalomaniacal and Machiavellian Roy family as they duel it out for money and status but it’s also a watch collector’s dream. So without further ado, here are the Succession wristwatches you need to know about from series 4.

As well as being amazing television, it offers what feels like a documentary style insight into the lives of the uber rich, with father Logan Roy famously tossing aside a gifted Patek Philippe wristwatch from wannabe son-in-law Tom Wambsgans in the pilot episode. If that isn’t a statement of just how rich someone is, I don’t know what is.

There are many other watches from the first three seasons that deserve to be mentioned, such as the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea given to Greg from Kendall, or Kendall Roy’s wristwatches like the Vacheron Harmony Mono-Pusher Chronograph and Traditionelle World Time. Or the pinnacle of Kendall’s watch collection, the Nautilus 5711. However, with series 4 fresh on our screens, let’s focus on the new wristwatches that we’ve spotted.

Kendall Roy’s Rolex Predator from Bamford Watch Department

For the new series, Kendall Roy wears a blacked out, large watch. Given his character, it’s no surprise that it’s a customised Rolex, specifically the Rolex Predator from Bamford Watch Department. He’s also been spotted wearing some sort of salmon dial silver watch in series 4 episode 3, which fits the bill of a salmon dial Patek Philippe akin to the Ref. 5320G, although it hasn’t been confirmed.

Kendall Roy’s Richard Mille RM67-01 Extra Flat

However, Kendall Roy’s star wristwatch this series has been the Richard Mille he wore in episode 4 in the aftermath of a rather significant event (you’ll find no spoilers here). The watch was reportedly chosen by Jeremy Strong, the actor who plays Kendall, as the addition of a new watch and in particular one of such high reputation, is symbolic of the character’s arc. The material, the positioning of the bezel screws and the fact it seems to sit relatively flat on his wrist lead me to believe it’s an RM 67-01 Extra-Flat.

Roman Roy wearing an IWC Pilot’s Watch 36

Looking to other wrists now, we find Roman Roy wearing an IWC Pilot’s Watch 36 with a blue dial. This is also a watch that gains significance in the wake of the aforementioned, spoiler-free event. In his state of distress, we actually see Roman fiddling with the crown of the IWC, using it to distract himself.

Tom Wambsgans’ Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph

The final of the Succession wristwatches to mention is Tom Wambsgans’ Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph with reverse panda colourway. This is a watch that can go five rounds with Kendall’s Richard Mille and Nautilus 5711 in terms of icon status and the sense of personal power it imbues. Afterall, just like the Nautilus, the Royal Oak was also designed by Gerald Genta, the most famous watch designer ever.

As a last thought, if you consider the fact that Genta also did work with IWC (albeit not on the Pilot’s Watch) Succession really emphasises the importance of Genta as a designer. For more wristwatches in the world of cutthroat business, check out our deep dive into the watches of the Wolf of Wall Street.

Watch Succession on Now TV.

Back in 2017 Cartier introduced their Privé collection, serving as a platform to revisit iconic watches of the past and create limited, contemporary iterations of historic designs. Last year we had the Tank Chinoise, the Cloche De Cartier in 2021 and for 2023 it’s the turn of the Cartier Tank Normale. Originally designed in 1917 by Louis Cartier and brought into production in 1919, it is the very first Cartier Tank design. Famously inspired by the WW1 Renault FT-17 tank, with its square yet rectangular shape it was produced in extremely limited numbers.

For the modern collection, there are five variations: two 18K yellow gold, two platinum and two skeletonised variations all limited in production. For the purposes of this review, we will be looking at the yellow gold version on the bracelet (Ref WGTA0110) which will be limited to 100 pieces.

My first thoughts are that it’s reasonably faithful to the original design with the bevelled sapphire crystal slightly distorting the view of the white/grey dial. The hands differ from the original normal in that they are sword shaped but match the original with the blued steel colour while the rail track is identical with a matching blue sapphire cabochon.

Despite its demure sizing of 32.6mm x 25.7mm it’s a hefty weight of metal, even more so in platinum. Of course, the bracelet is not faithful to the original design, but it elevates the piece from stealth-wealth watch to serious wrist candy. The finishing on the bracelet is matte which provides a modern twist, but works nicely with the satin brushed case. Ultimately, if you’re looking for a more faithful design, stick to the alligator leather strap, but on the wrist, the deployment buckle bracelet is incredibly comfortable.

Inside you have the manual wind calibre 070 which has a power reserve of 36 hours. The movement isn’t a manufacture number which is something that is perhaps a little unexpected at this price point, but at least there’s precedent; the very first Tanks had outsourced Jaeger Le-Coultre movements.. Really, you’re unlikely to be considering the Normale for its mechanical pedigree but likely from a historical standpoint, so the movement is perhaps a lesser concern.

As one would expect, the watch isn’t water resistant to any degree. Priced at roughly £37,100 it’s by no means accessible but the understated elegance of the design along with its limited nature culminate in a refined, unrivalled sophistication.