Watch Features

Welcome to WatchTime’s watch features section. Here you will find watch feature stories, watch reports, interesting watch technology coverage, interviews with watch brands, background articles about watches, watch brands and technical stories.

Time Jumpers: Five Luxury Watches with Jumping Hours

When can a watch be both digital and mechanical? When it indicates its hour by numerals on an instantaneously jumping disk rather than a traditional hand. Here are five watches that include this jumping hour display in their timekeeping repertoire.

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Jul 27, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

FEATURE

Field Ready: The Complicated Story of the Simple Field Watch

How the field watch journeyed from saving lives in the hellish trenches of World War I to decorating the wrists of fashionably rugged-looking civilians a century later is a rather befuddling tale. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, correspondent Allen Farmelo takes us through it.

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Jul 27, 2021 by Allen Farmelo

When in Rome: Five Watches with Roman Numeral Dials

Roman numerals are mostly reserved these days for movie sequels and Super Bowls, but they can still add a hint of elegant classicism to a watch dial, as in the five timepieces we showcase here. BLANCPAIN VILLERET ULTRAPLATE Blancpain’s Villeret series, named for the Swiss village where the manufacture was founded in 1735, is distinguished...

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Jul 26, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

PORTFOLIO

Time Machines: 7 Automotive-Inspired Retro Watches

A classic car is a time machine into the past. But what about the smaller machines that measure time’s passage? Which watches would harmonize best with a vintage car’s styling? Fortunately, the retro trend in watches is bigger than ever. Here are seven suggestions, photographed by our own Nik Schölzel.

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Jul 26, 2021 by Jens Koch

FEATURE

James Bond’s Watches: The Complete Movie Timeline

He’s the world’s most famous secret agent, and the selection of watches on his wrist is at least as varied as the parade of “Bond girls” at his side. Our timeline presents an overview of James Bond's watches throughout the years.

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Jul 23, 2021 by WatchTime

Borrowed Time: Reviewing the Longines Spirit Chronograph 42mm

Longines introduced its Spirit collection last year, drawing its main inspiration from the timepieces that it produced in the early 20th century for pilots and explorers; Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes, and Paul-Emile Victor were among the brand’s most famous wearers, along with Charles Lindbergh, who famously co-designed the Hour Angle, Longines’ most emblematic and enduring...

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Jul 23, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

FEATURE

Luxury With Utility: 4 Patek Philippe Watches with “Everyday” Complications

Patek Philippe is not all about high-end chronographs, perpetual calendars, and repeaters; the brand also offers many complicated timepieces that have plenty of everyday utility. We present a few of them here, in this feature from the WatchTime archives.

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Jul 23, 2021 by Alexander Krupp

Great Briton: The Watchmaking Wizardry of Roger W. Smith

Once an apprentice to the revered George Daniels, Roger W. Smith is considered the greatest British watchmaker today. In this profile from our sister magazine, WatchTime Middle East, editor Nitin Nair finds out what makes him tick.

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Jul 21, 2021 by WatchTime

WATCH REVIEW

Borrowed Time: Panerai Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech – 47MM

The Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech is at the technical vanguard of Panerai’s re-branded Submersible collection. We found this rugged timepiece, engineered for combat diving, makes a sharp statement on dry land as well.

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Jul 20, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

FEATURE:

Undercover Wrist: Six Noteworthy Camouflage Watches

Not just intended for outdoor recreation these days, camouflage has emerged as a trendy and bold alternative for your daily wristwear. Found on both watch straps and dials, the military-focused hue isn’t one normally associated with the luxury world of watchmaking but it has evolved into a distinct look for those in search of a...

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Jul 20, 2021 by WatchTime

Watch Collecting 101: How to Clean Your Watch and Strap at Home

With the New Year beginning, and many of our watches undoubtedly needing a good sprucing up, we at WatchTime spoke with a few watch and watch-strap cleaning experts, to help our readers keep their wristwear shining in a few easy steps at home. We spoke with Michael Ryan, Vice President of Watches of Switzerland for...

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Jul 19, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Perfecting a Watch: The Design Evolution of the Rolex Datejust

Water resistant, automatic winding, chronometer-certified, a date window— in 1945, the Rolex Datejust was the first watch that could offer all this — just about perfect. Nevertheless, Rolex has continued to improve upon it. What does the perfect watch look like? Automatic winding, three hands, a date display, accurate, sturdy and water resistant — you...

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Jul 19, 2021 by Jens Koch

Going Pro: Hands-On with the Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional

Just in time for summer, Tissot is expanding its popular Seastar dive watch collection with a beefed-up version that also comes with a new wave-pattern dial. WatchTime travelled to Le Locle for a first hands-on with the new 46-mm Seastar 2000 Professional. For Baselworld 2018, in retrospect the last time the brand participated in the...

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Jul 17, 2021 by Roger Ruegger

Master of Precision: Hands-On With the Zenith Chronomaster Sport

Zenith’s most attention-grabbing release of 2021 is the Chronomaster Sport, whose revolutionary 1/10th-second chronograph display is intended to lead the El Primero-equipped series into the future. In this feature from our May-June 2021 issue I give it a test drive. Zenith has always been all about pushing the boundaries of mechanical timekeeping precision. The Le...

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Jul 16, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

FEATURE

Chronomania: The 50+-Year History of the Automatic Chronograph

Fifty years ago, the consortium of Heuer-Leonidas, Breitling, Buren-Hamilton and Dubois Dépraz vied with lone wolves Zenith and Seiko in the race to launch the world’s first automatic chronograph movement. How did these brands keep their developments secret? And how did the watch world change? We searched the past for clues.

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Jul 16, 2021 by WatchTime

WATCH REVIEW

Borrowed Time: Chronoswiss Sirius Flying Grand Regulator

The regulator dial is one of those niche styles in the wristwatch world. It never really had a “moment” but it’s been around for quite a while, and many watch brands have at least one in their portfolios in the interests of broadening their appeal. However, none have embraced the regulator style more than Chronoswiss, the maker of the watch reviewed here, the Sirius Flying Grand Regulator.

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Jul 14, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

Lift-Off: 6 Watches (Other Than the Omega Speedmaster) That Went to Space

In 1957, the first artificial satellite named Sputnik 1 was launched into space by the Soviet Union, triggering a race among nations. For security reasons, astronauts always carried a wristwatch with them. These six timepieces played a unique role in this conquest of space.

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Jul 13, 2021 by Jens Koch

The History Channelers: Inside the Longines Heritage Collection

The vintage-look trend continues apace, and one watch brand has devoted an entire family within its portfolio to resurrecting timepieces from its long and creative history. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, we explore the origins, inspirations, and varied offerings of Longines’s ever-expanding Heritage Collection.

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Jul 12, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

FEATURE

On the Cusp: A Brief History of the Zenith El Primero

Zenith’s El Primero automatic chronograph caliber — unveiled to the world 50 years ago this year, in 1969 — is regarded as one of the world’s best and most accurate movements. In this historical feature from the WatchTime archives, contributor Thomas Gronenthal takes a look at its development.

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Jul 12, 2021 by WatchTime

Stop, Reset, Start: Five Noteworthy Chronographs to Reboot Life in 2021

Let’s face it: 2020 was a challenging year in just about every regard. Now that 2021 appears to be finally bringing positive trends and a slow return to some type of normalcy for most of us, what better time to celebrate a “restart” to life with five new and distinctive chronographs? PARMIGIANI FLEURIER TONDAGRAPH GT...

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Jul 9, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

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