Hands-on – Up Close and Personal with the Splendid De Bethune DB25 Digitale De Bethune is, without a doubt, one of my favourite independent watchmakers. And I’m not the only one on the MONO team who feels this way. I love the bold, futuristic design paired with incredible refinement, the almost philosophical approach of Denis Flageollet, the experimental work done on materials, the astronomical inspirations, and the sheer […] https://monochrome-watches.com/de-bethune-db25-digitale-jumping-hour-review-price/ #digitale #bethune #denisflageollet #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Interview – Giving Artisans and Young Watchmakers a Platform – In Conversation with Baudouin Van Es of Tad Kozh When Baudouin van Es set out to establish Tad Kozh, the goal was not simply to produce another limited-edition luxury timepiece. Instead, it was conceived as an incubator for heritage craftsmanship and a springboard for the next generation of independent watchmakers. By pairing independent manufactures with master artisans – giving those craftspeople full artistic carte […] https://monochrome-watches.com/giving-artisans-and-young-watchmakers-a-platform-in-conversation-with-baudouin-van-es-of-tad-kozh/ #tadkozh #baudouinvan #giving #instead #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Farer Introduces the Stratton II Moonphase Maybe “trend” was always the wrong way to frame the watch industry’s collective obsession with stone dials? I don’t know about you, but I certainly feel like we might have reached a point where the stone dial is essentially just another colorway. Just as brands are expected to offer dials in blue, black, and white, perhaps we’ve reached that point where it should just be expected that they’ll offer an option (or several) in stone as well. I like the look of a stone dial, but I admit I’m getting quite bored of seeing them invade my inbox on a daily basis. This is the perspective of a guy with a very particular view on all the stone dial action. I’m not a casual observer. I work in the industry and I see, at least to some extent, how the nuts and bolts of the business works, and at the moment brands are simply cashing in on an unprecedented interest in stone (and mother of pearl) dials. Stone dials were never actually “rare” but they felt special before this boom because they were so infrequently used. Access to these dials is now virtually unlimited and, presumably, pretty affordable. So the rush continues, to the point I think where it’s just a static part of our ecosystem. And it’s that environment in which the newest member of the Farer Moonphase collection arrives. This is the Stratton II, the latest edition of what Farer says is their most popular moonphase model. The centerpiece (literally) of the Stratton II is a new moonphase disc made in Switzerland by the firm AJS Productions. AJS uses a unique process using precision laser etching to create a photorealistic image of the moon for the dial of the Stratton II. According to Farer, multiple layers of paint and Super-LumiNova are etched into the disc, which is just 6mm in diameter. When it comes to the representation of the moon for a moonphase complication, people tend to have strong preferences. There are basically three ways to depict the moon: an accurate to the eye representation like we see here with the Stratton II, a whimsical take like you’d see with Naoya Hida (think a smiling or winking moon and you get the idea), or a completely abstract moon, where the heavenly body itself is not depicted on the dial (ochs und junior comes to mind here). Personally, I favor a whimsical take, so I’m not exactly predisposed to a design like this. But I will say that a photorealistic moon makes a ton of sense on this watch thanks to the stone dial being used. Farer is using black Eisenkiessel here, a type of quartz stone with prominent iron compunts that run through the material to give it texture and some drama. The stone takes on a gold-brown hue, which is a great match to the gold tone dial and moonphase disc. The Stratton II’s cushion case measures 39mm in diameter and 11.8mm thick. It’s relatively short from lug to lug, at 45mm. Water resistance is rated to 50 meters, and the watch runs on the Sellita SW288-1, an Elaboré Grade movement with around 45 hours of power reserve. As fatigued as I am with the onslaught of new stone dials coming to market, I have to give credit to Farer for at least pulling together a coherent design that doesn’t feel dashed off or slapped together. Even though it’s not to my own specific taste (like I said, give me a smiling, cartoon-like moon, please), it’s abundantly clear that someone took their time in designing this watch, and thought through all of the critical details. The Farer Stratton II has a retail price of $2,175. Farer Images from this post: The post Farer Introduces the Stratton II Moonphase appeared first on Worn & Wound. https://wornandwound.com/farer-introduces-the-stratton-ii-moonphase/ #stone #moonphase #farer #ajs #ajsproductions #naoyahida #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Introducing – Citizen Brings Damascus Steel and Forged Carbon to a new Series 8 GMT With its Series 8 collection of mechanical watches, Citizen has been delivering rather impressive models over the years, with the GMT collection being possibly the most appealing of them. Not only is it powered by a true GMT automatic movement (something rare in this price range), but Citizen has dared to bring singular designs, colours […] https://monochrome-watches.com/citizen-series-8-gmt-damascus-steel-and-forged-carbon-nb6092-01e-introducing-price/ #damascussteel #forgedcarbon #bringsdamascus #citizenbrings #series #gmt #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

What is a Microbrand? What is a microbrand? I think about this a lot, never more than in the days and weeks after a Windup, and particularly the days and weeks following the New York City version of our fair, which is the largest and most diverse in terms of the types of brands represented. We often hear people describe Windup as “the microbrand show” or something similar. Not in a pejorative way, necessarily, but as a way to distinguish it from an event like WatchTime (which is more focused on traditional luxury brands) or IndiesNYC (which, yup, is focused on “indies,” another hard to define term when you step back and actually try). I don’t have an answer for what a “microbrand” actually is. Defining it gets more complicated when you consider all of the other small niches that pop up in the space. Terms like “micro-indie” and “challenger brand” have been thrown around a lot in the last few years, seemingly as an attempt to subvert a negative connotation with the microbrand moniker. But these terms have their own issues. Micro-indie implies, at least in how this publication has used it, that an element of the watch has some handmade craft or traditional watchmaking techniques behind it, but maybe uses a shortcut (like a case made in China, or an off-the-shelf movement) to save money. Not all brands and makers want to be seen as making compromises, even though essentially everyone short of, I dunno, Roger W. Smith and Philippe Dufour are making something about the process a little bit easier on themselves. Challenger brand is a term with some potential, but it implies, I think, that a brand desires growth in a way I’m not sure all do. Who is the micro or indie brand “challenging” exactly, and for what? I don’t think most of these brands, even the most ambitious and successful, actually hope to compete directly with the largest conglomerate owned watch brands. They aspire, I think, to be an alternative, not to overtake or replace. Microbrand has always been a label that’s somewhat elastic, both in how it’s applied and how it’s perceived and metabolized by the watch community. No doubt that when you use or hear the term, it conjures something. Depending on when you entered the hobby, or what your initial experiences with a microbrand were like, it might imply a particular design aesthetic or level of workmanship. To me, what the microbrand label has come to represent more than anything is the connective tissue of the community itself. That’s the side effect of a catch-all term – it wraps everything into one group. Overall, I think that’s a positive for the watch space in the sense that so much of the success any one brand experiences hinges on the entire market rising. Watch collectors interested in microbrands, it seems, want variety and breadth of choice. One microbrand leads to another, and another. To be interested in one microbrand doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be interested in another, but it does mean you have a certain level of curiosity, and perhaps a predisposition to discovering and embracing a small maker. When a brand embraces the label of a microbrand, they are identifying with so many others, entering an enthusiast community, tacitly acknowledging we’re all in this together. And that’s why, I admit, it bothers me a little when I see a brand actively reject the “micro” designation. I mean, I get it – no one wants to feel small. But a look around the Windup fair and similar events reveals an enormous, and inclusive, community that is greater than the sum of its parts. There was a time when “microbrand” was often used dismissively, to minimize the significance of a brand, a watch, or the community itself. That attitude still certainly exists in small pockets here and there, but it’s not a mainstream view. When the term is used today, I almost always hear it in a positive context, and as a way of tying a brand or a watch to the people who take part in the hobby. What’s most interesting to me is that the terminology we use to describe these brands – micro, indie, or something else – no longer really has much to do with how the brand actually operates as a business. A decade ago, the use of the term microbrand likely would have you thinking of a very specific type of small watch brand, operating on a small scale, run by a single person (or maybe two or three), using Kickstarter or other crowdfunding platforms. Today, microbrands cover a huge range of price points, production methods, and sometimes incorporate traditional and increasingly ambitious watchmaking craft. The label means a lot more culturally than it does in describing a business, not that it was ever particularly sufficient for that anyway. Paradoxically, as this language becomes less useful to articulate how a brand actually operates, it becomes more meaningful in how it describes the communities that take part in the hobby. The conversation then, about what it means to be a microbrand, isn’t really about size, or the number of watches being produced. And it’s not even really about price, although certainly once you start hitting a price point where most would consider a watch a luxury purchase, the term begins to lose some utility. What it’s actually about is an ethos, and identifying yourself with a movement and a culture. Maybe it’s the Windup hangover talking, but I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the microbrand boom has been one of the most consequential and beneficial periods in our hobby in a generation. Why wouldn’t a brand want to be a part of that? The post What is a Microbrand? appeared first on Worn & Wound. https://wornandwound.com/what-is-a-microbrand/ #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Introducing – The Habring² x SJX Chrono Felix Perpetual “Star” Our friends at SJX, the Singapore-based watch magazine founded by journalist Su Jiaxian, are back at it with yet another collaboration watch with Habring², the Austrian independent watchmaker (and one of the best-kept secrets on the indie scene). And how can we blame them, as we also did 2 projects with them (MdS1 and MdS4, […] https://monochrome-watches.com/habring2-x-sjx-chrono-felix-perpetual-star-introducing-price/ #sjx #jiaxian #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Introducing – The New Norqain Wild ONE Skeleton X-Lite Turquoise At just 45 grams in weight, strap included, the Wild ONE Skeleton X-Lite is Norqain’s most advanced sports watch to date. It weighs next to nothing, but it is also built to withstand a proverbial beating if needed. The Norteq case, as well as the movement’s construction, are designed to withstand impacts of at least […] https://monochrome-watches.com/introducing-norqain-wild-one-skeleton-x-lite-turquoise-limited-edition-sports-watch-specs-pics/ #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Introducing – Glashütte Original Unveils the New Senator Aventurine Collection Glashütte Original’s Senator collection is largely defined by classic German watchmaking conventions and the brand’s signature Panorama Date. However, the manufacture has also used the Senator to showcase its more artistic side, with hand-painted Meissen porcelain dials. Joining the brand’s Atelier commissions is a new time-only duo of Senator models in precious metal cases with […] https://monochrome-watches.com/glashutte-original-senator-aventurine-art-deco-blue-and-aventurine-art-nouveau-green-introducing-price/ #glashutteoriginal #collection #panoramadate #german #atelier #however #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

First Look – Bell & Ross Blazes a Red and White Trail with the BR-05 Chrono Snow Rocket Since its introduction in 2020, the Bell & Ross BR-05 Chrono has appeared in quite a few different guises. The Green Steel brought a bright green dial into the mix, as well as mechanical updates. Then there was the A523, created with the Alpine Formula One team, or the Patrouille de France edition. The new […] https://monochrome-watches.com/bell-and-ross-br-05-chrono-snow-rocket-edition-ski-theme-review-price/ #snowrocket #whitetrail #rossblazes #chronosnow #firstlook #bell #alpineformula #greensteel #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

E.C. Andersson is Back with the Cpt, their Take on a Dress Watch (Sort Of) Last month, the Swedish brand E.C. Andersson caught our attention with the release of the Timepod, a funky square watch with a unique detachable lug system. Zach Weiss and I were both pretty taken with it and even discussed at some length on the podcast. This is a brand that is appealing not just for their quality and design aesthetic, but their unique approach to manufacturing and watchmaking, making many components in-house in their own studio, and sometimes coming up with solutions to problems that don’t actually exist (that’s watchmaking in a nutshell in 2026). Their latest effort, the Cpt, is pitched as something a little more traditional than the Timepod or the Mytilus, the watch that initially made me take notice of the brand. The Cpt is described by E.C. Andersson as “Our take on a dress watch, sort of.” That last clause is doing some heavy lifting. This is a watch that straddles stylistic lines between nautical inspiration and midcentury dress watches but clearly retains E.C. Andersson’s core aesthetic, which at this point is pretty well defined by things like dial texture, and the shape of indices, which are more suggestive and abstract than traditional hour markers. The Cpt comes in a compact 36.5mm case that measures 8.5mm tall, not including the boxed sapphire crystal, another hallmark of the brand. The case is designed to be robust yet elegant, and has a full 100 meters of water resistance. In photos, it doesn’t present as a tool watch, and has a mix of brushed and polished elements that make me think the Cpt could be pretty versatile depending on things like strap pairings and your choice of attire. The Cpt is made in two dial variants, Midnight Blue and Bright Silver. Both feature applied markers that effectively point to the cardinal positions but are elongated to cover a wider expanse of the dial’s perimeter. There’s a minute track just outside of these markers for precision. It’s a simple and relatively minimalist design, but thanks to the nature of the applied markers there still appears to be quite a bit of depth to these dials. E.C. Andersson notes that the Cpt’s components are manufactured by their production partners, which is a shift from the Mytilus and Timepod, which they machine in their own facilities. They do state that regulation of the movement is done in-house (it’s a Miyota 9039 with 42 hours of power reserve). The Cpt is priced at $995, but unfortunately both variants are sold out at the moment. Only 45 pieces in each dial variant were made. Prospective customers are able to sign up on the E.C. Andersson website for notifications of restocks. Images from this post: The post E.C. Andersson is Back with the Cpt, their Take on a Dress Watch (Sort Of) appeared first on Worn & Wound. https://wornandwound.com/e-c-andersson-is-back-with-the-cpt-their-take-on-a-dress-watch-sort-of/ #cpt #andersson #take #sort #both #brightsilver #midnightblue #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit