Posts Published byraftmenpiece

The ABCs of Time – All About the Different Crystals Used in Watches Today

The ABCs of Time – All About the Different Crystals Used in Watches Today

If you’re not a big watch nerd like us, you likely don’t give a lot of thought to the glass covering watch dials. It’s not just a generic window and a bigger deal than you might think, as we’ll see in this instalment of the ABCs of Time. Some enthusiasts even demand one type over another, […]

If you’re not a big watch nerd like us, you likely don’t give a lot of thought to the glass covering watch dials. It’s not just a generic window and a bigger deal than you might think, as we’ll see in this instalment of the ABCs of Time. Some enthusiasts even demand one type over another,

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The Petrolhead Corner – The New Toyota GR GT & GR GT3, An End Of The Year Knockout Duo

The Petrolhead Corner – The New Toyota GR GT & GR GT3, An End Of The Year Knockout Duo

After years of speculation, rumours, teasing and will-they-wont-they stories, it is finally here! Toyota’s ultimate performance car, the GR GT! And to put their money where their mouth is, they immediately released a GT3-spec race car alongside it, aptly named the GR GT3. And although looking at the brand’s current catalogue of mostly hybrid and […]

After years of speculation, rumours, teasing and will-they-wont-they stories, it is finally here! Toyota’s ultimate performance car, the GR GT! And to put their money where their mouth is, they immediately released a GT3-spec race car alongside it, aptly named the GR GT3. And although looking at the brand’s current catalogue of mostly hybrid and

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First Look – The Voutilainen 28MPR, The Farewell Edition to the Exceptional Vingt-8 Series

First Look – The Voutilainen 28MPR, The Farewell Edition to the Exceptional Vingt-8 Series

Kari Voutilainen is one of the most respected names in independent watchmaking. Since founding his atelier in 2002 in the Swiss Jura, the Finnish-born genius has been creating timepieces that combine the best of traditional craftsmanship with true mechanical ingenuity. His watches won’t be mistaken for someone else’s work, with elaborate guilloché dials, exceptional finishing […]

Kari Voutilainen is one of the most respected names in independent watchmaking. Since founding his atelier in 2002 in the Swiss Jura, the Finnish-born genius has been creating timepieces that combine the best of traditional craftsmanship with true mechanical ingenuity. His watches won’t be mistaken for someone else’s work, with elaborate guilloché dials, exceptional finishing

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Letter From The Editor – SOLD OUT: All 33 pieces of our Montre de Souscription 4 are sold, and a few more…

Letter From The Editor – SOLD OUT: All 33 pieces of our Montre de Souscription 4 are sold, and a few more…

This morning, we all had a very pleasant message when we woke up… all 33 pieces of our fourth collaboration with Habring² were gone. Maybe it didn’t sell as fast as our first MdS, when all 33 pieces sold out in just 17 minutes, but still, we’re super happy and grateful that all 33 pieces […]

This morning, we all had a very pleasant message when we woke up… all 33 pieces of our fourth collaboration with Habring² were gone. Maybe it didn’t sell as fast as our first MdS, when all 33 pieces sold out in just 17 minutes, but still, we’re super happy and grateful that all 33 pieces

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First Look – The Spectacular Pink Gold Edition of the Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement

First Look – The Spectacular Pink Gold Edition of the Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement

A conundrum shared by watchmakers for centuries concerns the issue of constant force, or how to produce a steady, unwavering stream of power from the mainspring to the regulating organ to prevent rate variations and maintain amplitude consistency. The big question is how? Taking the bull by the horns, Girard-Perregaux tackled the dilemma with the […]

A conundrum shared by watchmakers for centuries concerns the issue of constant force, or how to produce a steady, unwavering stream of power from the mainspring to the regulating organ to prevent rate variations and maintain amplitude consistency. The big question is how? Taking the bull by the horns, Girard-Perregaux tackled the dilemma with the

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First Look – Seiko Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver GMT SPB534 Seashadow

First Look – Seiko Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver GMT SPB534 Seashadow

Seiko’s Prospex diver series has long established the brand´s reputation for serious underwater engineering, in particular with the 1968 300m water-resistant Professional Diver (6159), which stands as one of the brand’s earliest defining tool watches. That same character lives on in the modern Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver GMT series, introduced in 2023 as Seiko’s first […]

Seiko’s Prospex diver series has long established the brand´s reputation for serious underwater engineering, in particular with the 1968 300m water-resistant Professional Diver (6159), which stands as one of the brand’s earliest defining tool watches. That same character lives on in the modern Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver GMT series, introduced in 2023 as Seiko’s first

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In the shop – The MONOCHROME Montre de Souscription 4 Seconde Morte

In the shop – The MONOCHROME Montre de Souscription 4 Seconde Morte

For our fourth MONOCHROME Montre de Souscription, we are teaming up once again with independent Austrian watchmaker Habring², a brand dear to our hearts with whom we created our first MdS watch. Following the instant success of the Montre de Souscription 1, a monopusher chronograph with a salmon 1940s-inspired sector dial, we’re staying true to our passion […]

For our fourth MONOCHROME Montre de Souscription, we are teaming up once again with independent Austrian watchmaker Habring², a brand dear to our hearts with whom we created our first MdS watch. Following the instant success of the Montre de Souscription 1, a monopusher chronograph with a salmon 1940s-inspired sector dial, we’re staying true to our passion

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Interview – The Chinese Market, An Insider’s View with Chow Tai Fook, China’s Leading Company

Interview – The Chinese Market, An Insider’s View with Chow Tai Fook, China’s Leading Company

Month after month, the Swiss watch industry is experiencing stagnant sales and even a marked decline in exports to key markets. All voices – industry, studies – are turning to China to explain the current difficulties, praying for a rapid return to growth in the Middle Kingdom, after years of crazy growth. We have to […]

Month after month, the Swiss watch industry is experiencing stagnant sales and even a marked decline in exports to key markets. All voices – industry, studies – are turning to China to explain the current difficulties, praying for a rapid return to growth in the Middle Kingdom, after years of crazy growth. We have to

Read More

First Look – Zeitwinkel Updates Its Classic 082° Central Second Watch

First Look – Zeitwinkel Updates Its Classic 082° Central Second Watch

For more than 15 years, Zeitwinkel, an independent watchmaker based in Saint-Imier, has quietly crafted mechanical watches focused on precision, clarity, and long-term reliability. Founded in 2006, the brand produces all its movements in-house and builds every watch by hand in small numbers. Its collections, including the 273° with large date, the 188° with small […]

For more than 15 years, Zeitwinkel, an independent watchmaker based in Saint-Imier, has quietly crafted mechanical watches focused on precision, clarity, and long-term reliability. Founded in 2006, the brand produces all its movements in-house and builds every watch by hand in small numbers. Its collections, including the 273° with large date, the 188° with small

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First Look – The Fortis Stratoliner S-41 Blasts Off in New Colours

First Look – The Fortis Stratoliner S-41 Blasts Off in New Colours

With companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, space tourism is no longer the stuff of sci-fi novels. While Omega’s Speedmaster Moonwatch has dominated the space story, others, like Fortis, have produced robust tool watches for astronauts, cosmonauts and “novonauts” alike. Boasting space-tested calibres, Fortis releases a fresh batch of four Stratoliner […]

With companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, space tourism is no longer the stuff of sci-fi novels. While Omega’s Speedmaster Moonwatch has dominated the space story, others, like Fortis, have produced robust tool watches for astronauts, cosmonauts and “novonauts” alike. Boasting space-tested calibres, Fortis releases a fresh batch of four Stratoliner

Read More