If there was a word that best summed up the Swiss watch industry, it would be 'conservative'. With manufacturers such as HYT, MB&F and Urwerk on the scene, that might seem a little contrived...

Ask a panel of watch enthusiasts what the most useful complication on a watch is, and chances are they'll tell you it’s the date function. The self-changing date was invented by Rolex in 194...

Like many younger siblings, Tudor has always fought to step out of the shadow of its big brother—and as the brother in question happens to be Rolex, that’s no mean feat. The brand was create...

There’s no question about it—Rolex is the best known, most recognisable and biggest name in watchmaking. It’s a surprise to find out that Rolex is one of the younger watchmakers out there, i...

The movements of the celestial bodies above us have been a source of intense interest to the human race ever since we first turned our gaze skyward. As we studied the Sun, stars and Moon, we...

A date display on a mechanical watch is nowadays fairly commonplace; you use a watch to tell the time, so it stands to reason that you might expect it to tell the date as well. However, when...

High-end watchmaking has always gone hand-in-hand with long-standing heritage - but Richard Mille has managed to earn its place in the ranks of ultra-luxury brands, despite being a comparati...

If you follow the announcements from the big watch fairs, chances are you'll have come across the term 'novelty'. A novelty is a manufacturer's chance to show off its skills, usually with so...

Peaches and cream. Fish and chips. Cars and watches. These are all things that have gone together beautifully since time immemorial, such perfect combinations that they could be used as a le...

From the great ancient Chinese and Arabic thinkers, to a cottage industry that transformed the fortunes of a post-reform Switzerland, watchmaking has transcended the development of technolog...

Say 'Audemars Piguet' and the first thing that comes to mind is the Royal Oak - or if you own a pair of faded jeans, the Royal Oak Offshore. As is well-documented, the Royal Oak was Audemars...

When it comes to telling the time, we're taught the basics from a young age: the little hand points to the hour and the big hand shows the minutes. Not so for forward thinking watchmakers Ur...