Hands On Archives - Page 5 of 70

TAG Heuer’s Carrera Glassbox Chronograph celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Carrera

Hands On

27.03.23

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TAG Heuer’s Carrera Glassbox Chronograph celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Carrera

With the flashiness of the Carrera Plasma and Aquaracer Full Gold, TAG Heuer takes a more subtle approach for their Watches & Wonders release celebrating…

A YEAR ON THE WRIST: How I fell in love with the IWC Ingenieur and became a one-watch guy

Hands On

17.03.23

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A YEAR ON THE WRIST: How I fell in love with the IWC Ingenieur and became a one-watch guy

A lot can change in the space of a year. It was exactly this time last year, as I was preparing to attend my first…

Hands On

16.03.23

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HANDS-ON: The CIGA Design Blue Planet Gilding Version is the brand’s golden child

Smash-hit stories with humble beginnings are often followed up, with these sequels looking to capitalise on the triumphs of the original. There are, however, varying…

Hands On

15.03.23

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HANDS-ON: The new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Green Ceramic Aston Martin Edition has our hearts racing

I am not going to beat around the bush here. With the holy trinity ushering in the era of crazy demand for integrated sports watch…

Hands On

03.03.23

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HANDS-ON: Form follows function in the Sternglas Hamburg Automatik

Minimalism can often be used as an excuse by cheap watch brands to get away with lazy design, but the discerning eye will always be…

Hands On

02.03.23

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HANDS-ON: The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet in steel is winning over doubters of the collection

The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet has been a hot subject of debate since its debut in 2019. It’s fair to say, as historically happened…

Hands On

01.03.23

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HANDS-ON: Go anywhere, do anything with the Hamilton Jazzmaster Performer Series

Hamilton’s latest additions to the Jazzmaster line present some attractive and versatile all-rounders The Jazzmaster Performer Automatic Chrono brings neo-vintage styling in an appealing package…

Hands On

26.02.23

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HANDS-ON: The Ball Endurance 1917 Series is dedicated to the heroic explorer Ernest Shackleton

Ask anyone to name an explorer of any kind, and there’s a high chance that you’ll hear the name Ernest Shackleton. Although his fame faded…

VIDEO: How the new NOMOS Tangente Blaugold fits into the iconic line-up

Hands On

25.02.23

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VIDEO: How the new NOMOS Tangente Blaugold fits into the iconic line-up

The Tangente launched as one part of a quartet of watches designed by Susanne Günther in 1992, marking the beginnings of NOMOS Glashütte. Throughout the…

Hands On

22.02.23

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HANDS-ON: Add another Traveller GMT to the mix with the Bulova Wilton GMT

When it comes to watch releases, 2022 was undoubtedly the year of the affordable GMT. As the world continued to flex it’s legs and travel…

Hands On

16.02.23

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HANDS-ON: The Méraud Antigua is a yachting watch that bobs along on a delightfully retro wave

Having previously owned two vintage watches powered by Landeron movements, I’ve always believed they were unsung heroes in the world of Swiss chronographs. One of…

Hands On

15.02.23

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HANDS-ON: Withstand the heat with the new TAG Heuer Carrera x Porsche Orange Racing

The sun sets at the 24 hours of Le Mans. It’s your umpteenth time around the track. And, as you make your way down the…

Hands On

12.02.23

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HANDS-ON: The Tusenö Windseeker is a handsome watch with 1970s swagger

These days it’s not as impressive as it once was to have a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign. If you have a watch with an original…

Hands On

09.02.23

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HANDS-ON: The TAG Heuer Solargraph may just be the perfect luxury adventure watch

While some are finally shaking the sentiment off, it is no secret that watch snobs love to dismiss and knock quartz watches. And, I get…

Hands On

08.02.23

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HANDS-ON: The Yema Rallygraf Meca-Quartz is one of the best budget racing watches around

Since I first wrote about the French brand Yema in 2020, they have come a long way in both their catalogue and their audience. New…

Hands On

02.02.23

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HANDS-ON: Benrus returns to the ’60s to revive the Sea Lord diver

In late 2020, in the midst of a pandemic, Benrus released the Type 1 diver. Two years later, they followed up with the Type II.…

The Horage Lensman 1 is inspired by mechanical cameras, but it’s no loose Canon

Hands On

01.02.23

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The Horage Lensman 1 is inspired by mechanical cameras, but it’s no loose Canon

With elements of cameras and watchmaking, the Horage Lensman 1 is clearly crafted with a lot of love, and won’t cost you a mortgage.

Hands On

29.01.23

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HANDS-ON: The Omega Speedmaster Super Racing is the brand’s most accurate watch yet

Rolex and Omega are the Coke and Pepsi of the watch industry. As two of the biggest brands in the world, they are constantly pitted…

Hands On

29.01.23

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HANDS-ON: The new Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton is a superstar in their 2023 lineup

It’s been a good couple of years for Zenith (waiting lists and all), and they’re off to a blazing start for 2023 with the release…

Hands On

27.01.23

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HANDS-ON: The new Zenith Defy Revival A3691 & A3690 Boutique Edition

The idea of a re-edition within the watch market is nothing new. Many brands have woken up to the huge demand for revivals, recreations, or…

Hublot’s revival of the OG Classic Fusion is good. This would make it great…

Hands On

25.01.23

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Hublot’s revival of the OG Classic Fusion is good. This would make it great…

The new Hublot Classic Fusion Original collection pays homage to the watch that birthed the luxury watches on rubber trend.

History and tradition meet with the TAG Heuer Carrera 60th Anniversary

Hands On

24.01.23

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History and tradition meet with the TAG Heuer Carrera 60th Anniversary

How would you celebrate your 60th birthday? Go skinny dipping? Maybe skydiving? Break 100mph on the speedometer? Though all those things sound intriguing, they are…

Hands On

23.01.23

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HANDS-ON: The new IWC Portofino collection delivers classical sophistication in spades

IWC usually brings to mind the stern, sporty range of military-inspired pilot’s watches, and occasionally the suave dressiness of one of their Portugeisers. Often under-appreciated…

Hands On

22.01.23

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HANDS-ON: Does second thinnest mean second best? The new Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra 10th Anniversary

Watch brands can be known for boisterous claims or names for their novelties. Masterpiece, icon, ultimate or – in the case of this specific edition of…

VIDEO: The wide-ranging scope of the Franck Muller Curvex collection

Hands On

20.01.23

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VIDEO: The wide-ranging scope of the Franck Muller Curvex collection

Franck Muller is celebrating their 30th anniversary, and to celebrate, the brand has decided to update an icon. The Franck Muller Curvex, with its unique,…

Hands On

07.01.23

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HANDS-ON: The Meistersinger Primatic is a single-handed shake-up for your collection

Meistersinger may be renowned for their single-handed watches, but there is the extremely rare occasion they release a watch that has two. Of course, it…

Hands On

01.01.23

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HANDS-ON: The Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono offers a sportier version on an integrated rubber strap

With the heat from integrated-bracelet sports watches showing no signs of cooling off, more and more brands are getting into the game. And in some…

VIDEO: The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQuest II Ceramic is a beast of a dive watch – and that’s a good thing

Hands On

29.12.22

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VIDEO: The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQuest II Ceramic is a beast of a dive watch – and that’s a good thing

Ball may not be the most recognisable name in Swiss watchmaking, but their heritage goes all the way back to 1891, and the heyday of…

Hands On

28.12.22

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HANDS-ON: The Seiko SPB333 Save The Ocean Limited Edition

If you are familiar with Seiko, then you know the corporation loves to celebrate an anniversary and 2023 will mark the 110th anniversary of its…

Hands On

25.12.22

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HANDS-ON: The CODE41 Mecascape is a truly unique timekeeping device

The practicality of a wristwatch is a controversial topic in a world of smartphones and atomic clocks, especially when you can get a bulletproof digital…

Hands On

24.12.22

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HANDS-ON: The Omega Speedmaster 321 is the grail-Speedy of the modern catalogue

Omega’s main point of distinction in the modern era is their METAS-certified Master Chronometer co-axial movements. They have superb build qualities inside and out, and…

Hands On

16.12.22

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HANDS-ON: The BA111OD Chapter 4.1 T.V.D. is the latest watch from a young brand with big ideas

The wristwatch hobby is often full of lore and ritual, with prescribed traditions and a general consensus that old age legitimises worth. BA111OD are an…

Hands On

12.12.22

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HANDS-ON: The rose-gold Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT is sleek, sculptural and downright sexy

We all know the Bulgari Octo Finissimo series as some of the most in-demand timepieces on the market today. You’ll find them peeking out of…

Hands On

10.12.22

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HANDS-ON: The Chopard Alpine Eagle 41mm we are all pining for

There’s definitely not a shortage of stainless-steel sports watches in the marketplace. It’s a truly saturated category due to the high demand, so if you’re…

Hands On

08.12.22

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HANDS-ON: The Hublot Big Bang Unico Summer Purple embodies the best of the brand

Newton’s third law: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When a brand, in any industry, gets super popular, it can become fashionable to…

Hands On

07.12.22

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HANDS-ON: The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph offers retro vibes with grab-and-go convenience

Seiko has a long history in chronographs, including their first manually wound model from 1964, and the iconic 6139 – the first automatic chrono to…

Hands On

04.12.22

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HANDS-ON: The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is a salmon-dialled beauty

While Vacheron Constantin’s contribution to the watch world has mostly been focused on the Overseas and the newly re-introduced 222, the Geneva-based maker has quietly…

Hands On

03.12.22

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HANDS-ON: Baume & Mercier take us to the moon with the Riviera Phases de Lune

The Baume and Mercier Riviera is fast becoming one of my favourite integrated sports watches. In a sea of watches that have recently jumped on…

Hands On

03.12.22

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HANDS-ON: The Grand Seiko SBGY023 GS9 Club USA Limited Edition is yet another GS we wish was standard production

I know many of us jest at the frequency with which Grand Seiko releases limited editions. To be fair, plenty of other brands are guilty…

Hands On

25.11.22

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HANDS-ON: Hublot flex their collab muscles with the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross

Watch collaborations have become a large part of the watch industry. In the last decade, numerous brands have come together in the hopes of maximizing…

Hands On

24.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The new IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar IW344601 and IW344602

Most people associate IWC with pilot’s watches, which makes total sense due to their rich aviation history and classics like the Mark and Big Pilot…

Hands On

22.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The Hamilton Khaki Field Murph is now available in 38mm

Hamilton is an industry leader for watch cameos in film. Their timepieces have been interwoven into many silver screen narratives, with recent Christopher Nolan movies…

Hands On

20.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The HYT Moon Runner Supernova Red Magma and White Neon

While other manufactures rely on hands or discs to convey information, HYT developed a means of utilising fluid to show the time – carving out…

Hands On

20.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The Titoni Airmaster delivers classic vibes and a dial in ‘glacier turquoise’

Having produced watches under the names Felca and Felco throughout the 1920s to ‘50s, the brand morphed into the more modern-sounding Titoni in the slick…

Hands On

16.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The Mido Ocean Star GMT Special Edition is a sporty refresh of the best value Swiss GMT around

Special edition watches can celebrate anniversaries, achievements or celebrity tie-ins, but sometimes a special edition can just exist because the watch is special. Mido’s latest…

Hands On

16.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The IWC Portugieser Automatic IW500715 is handsome and powerful

I recently tackled the new IWC Portugieser Chronograph IW371620, a solid summer watch that brings the youthful summer vibes to a classic and storied collection…

Hands On

14.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The Panerai Submersible Carbotech and Blu Abisso deliver brooding looks and high-tech attitude

Love them or hate them, the journey of Panerai has been an incredible evolution. Since the practical yet eccentric cushion-cased dive watches of the 1930s…

VIDEO: Grand Seiko’s elemental SBGW293 and SBGW291 are a celebration of fine details

Hands On

11.11.22

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VIDEO: Grand Seiko’s elemental SBGW293 and SBGW291 are a celebration of fine details

Grand Seiko and special releases – name a better love story. The duo we’re looking at today, the air-inspired silvery SBGW291 Kuuki and earthy SBGW293…

Hands On

09.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The Delma Montego is a bold chronograph with plenty of macho swagger

A company had to muster real tenacity to make it through the Quartz Crisis, but Delma managed to thrive instead of survive during those tough…

Hands On

09.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force P.03 for Collective looks to make high horology more casual

Collaborative limited editions are nothing new to the industry. It would seem over the last few years we see one debut every month, and the…

Hands On

08.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The Hublot Big Bang Unico Essential Grey Limited Edition

With a collection name like Big Bang, the word “discrete” usually would not come to mind. But the Hublot Big Bang Unico Essential Grey and…

Hands On

03.11.22

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HANDS-ON: The Depancel Serie-R Cruiser draws high-octane inspiration from the world of motorcycling

Motosports get a lot of love from the world of watches, from the smallest microbrand homage to Rolex sponsoring almost all of the Formula 1…

Hands On

03.11.22

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HANDS-ON: Rado’s new Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic is a statement piece and material flex

On the long list of watch brands known to excel with ceramic, Rado easily finds its place in the top five. Going beyond just a…

The Hublot Big Bang Unico Gourmet cooks up something special with its Damascus steel case

Hands On

31.10.22

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The Hublot Big Bang Unico Gourmet cooks up something special with its Damascus steel case

Steel is a ubiquitous metal within the watch industry, but leave it to Hublot to find a twist that makes the commonly used metal much more…

Hands On

31.10.22

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HANDS-ON: The Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro eSteel is green in multiple ways

Panerai is a brand that has successfully riffed off the same formula since their inception, producing an impressively diverse portfolio considering the tightly focused design…

Hands On

26.10.22

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HANDS-ON: The Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro hits the goldilocks size

There’s really nothing else like the look of a Panerai, such is its visual singularity. A long-time favourite of Hollywood (and real-life) tough guys, it’s…

Hands On

22.10.22

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HANDS-ON: The Laco Scorpion 39 collection delivers rugged, 39mm dive watches with a sense of fun

Laco are phenomenally popular with Flieger wearers as they’re one of the affordable brands to have made those original pilot’s watches during WWII. Now, the…

Hands On

19.10.22

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HANDS-ON: The Bulova Marine Star Series C divers meld style with rugged capability

Bulova’s Marine Star line has provided the brand’s answer to a fashionable, sporty watch for decades. They’re not super-tough, military-style divers. But nor are they…

VIDEO: The Le Jour Le Mans Chronograph collection is hotwired with 1960s racing vibes

Hands On

19.10.22

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VIDEO: The Le Jour Le Mans Chronograph collection is hotwired with 1960s racing vibes

Having distributed watches for Yema and Heuer in the 1970s alongside producing their own spectacular chronographs, it’s surprising that Le Jour have so far focused…

The Chopard Alpine Eagle Chrono is more eye-catching than ever on an integrated rubber strap

Hands On

17.10.22

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The Chopard Alpine Eagle Chrono is more eye-catching than ever on an integrated rubber strap

Chopard has long produced complicated and/or highly decorated pieces in their L.U.C collection as well as sport-oriented watches like the Mille Miglia, but a space…

Hands On

17.10.22

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HANDS-ON: The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Sejima Edition reflects on the “Invisible Train”

When people call watches “art” it may seem like fluff and romance. Prior to smartphones and quartz timekeepers, mechanical watches were known as tools –…

Tissot’s new Telemeter 1938 brings vintage style to a thoroughly modern chronograph

Hands On

16.10.22

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Tissot’s new Telemeter 1938 brings vintage style to a thoroughly modern chronograph

Swiss watchmaker Tissot has been the name on everyone’s lips recently since the release of their category-disrupting integrated bracelet juggernaut, the ’70s-tastic PRX. But the…

Hands On

16.10.22

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HANDS-ON: The new IWC Portugeiser Chronograph IW371620 is a near-perfect warm weather watch

The IWC Portugieser collection is rooted in both class and utility. It was an elegant solution, originally presented in 1939, due to demand for a…