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The Neo-Classical Watches of Naoya Hida

May 3, 2022 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Naoya Hida & Co. is a Tokyo-based independent watch atelier producing a small number of classically-inspired watches. The company recently released their 2022 line for application. This article gives an overview of Hida, the watches, and their movements.

Filed Under: Commentary, Grails, Reviews Tagged With: Calatrava, Habring2, Japan, Naoya Hida, NH Type 1, NH Type 2, NH Type 3, Paul Gerber, Valjoux 7750

Hajime Asaoka: Chrono and Kurono, Bunkyō Tokyo

March 1, 2021 By Stephen 16 Comments

Hajime Asaoka’s more-affordable watches define the current trend of “must-have” limited-edition watches. Launched in 2018 for the domestic market as Chrono Tokyo and 2019 as Kurono Tokyo, these watches are an international sensation. In this article, I walk through every Chrono and Kurono watch through 2021.

Filed Under: Commentary, Reviews Tagged With: Chrono Tokyo, Hajime Asaoka, Japan, Kurono Tokyo, Miyota

No Joke: H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Alp is the Smartest Watch

February 12, 2021 By Stephen 1 Comment

H. Moser & Cie. is a confident brand that has come into its own: The Swiss Alp Watch is a serious matter, and it exemplifies all that is right with Swiss watches in recent years. Here’s a survey of the complete line now that the “Final Upgrade” has been released.

Filed Under: Commentary, Reviews Tagged With: Apple Watch, Baselworld, Edouard Meylan, H. Moser & Cie., H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Alp Watch, Hautlence, Moser, SIHH

How My Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda 1950 Went Bad, and What It Took To Get It Back

November 23, 2020 By Stephen Leave a Comment

“The email address you entered could not be found” is not the response anyone should receive when contacting the representative of a high-end watch company about an expensive watch that failed less than a year after purchase. But it was typical of the level of service I received from Parmigiani Fleurier USA. This is the story of my Tonda 1950 and the long wait to restore it to working order.

Filed Under: Commentary, Reviews Tagged With: Chronoswiss, Chronoswiss Regulateur, customer service, Parmigiani, Parmigiani Fleurier, Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda 1950, service, shipping, Tonda 1950

Two Movements, One Case: Alexander Shorokhoff Levels and Los Craneos

September 14, 2020 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Regular readers of Grail Watch know that I have a particular fascination with watches that contain multiple separate movements in a single case. Ever since the Nappey Jumelles Times and Ardath Long Distance of the 1960s, watch makers have used compact “ladies” movements in oversized travel watches for men. Now a modern maker, Alexander Shorokhoff, has done the same, first with the Los Craneos an now with the new Levels model.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Alexander Shorokhoff, Alexander Shorokhoff Levels, Alexander Shorokhoff Los Craneos, dual timezone, ETA 2671

Beuchat Envers ACW, Juvenia Contresens, and Klokers: The History of the Anti-Clockwise Watch

April 13, 2020 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Almost all clocks turn “clockwise”, with the hands moving from the top of the dial to the right. But for the last few decades a few oddball watches have used hands moving in the other direction! This corner of horology is not well understood, so I decided to take a stab at documenting this revolution. It begins conceptually with the digital mechanical watches of the 1970s. Then Beuchat, a fashionable French brand of the 1980s, produces the first such watch. Swiss quartz behemoth Ronda pitches in, bringing forth an odd watch from the venerable house of Juvenia before today’s Klokers gets it right.

Filed Under: Commentary, History Tagged With: Alain Silberstein, anti-clockwise, AS 2072, Beuchat, Beuchat Envers, clockwise, digital, France Ebauches, Japanese clocks, jumping hours, Juvenia, Juvenia Contresens, Klokers, Ronda

Chronotechna Ultimate Black Hands-On Review: Black? Yes. Ultimate? Not Really.

April 5, 2020 By Stephen 1 Comment

After over a year delay, I finally received my Chronotechna Ultimate Black watch, with its NanoBlack coated dial, cut-out luminous numerals, and black case and strap. It’s really black, but was it really worth the wait? Yes and no. It’s a good watch with a cool dial, iffy lume, and a horrible strap. But at least I got mine!

Filed Under: Collection, Reviews Tagged With: Chronotechna, Kickstarter, NanoBlack, Sellita SW200-1

Where’s My Watch? The Ongoing Chronotechna Saga

February 16, 2020 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Chronotechna promised “the blackest watch ever made” but hasn’t delivered on their promises. Or, in my case, hasn’t delivered at all!

Filed Under: Collection, Reviews Tagged With: Chronotechna, Kickstarter, NanoBlack, Vantablack

Audemars Piguet Dominates the “Watch Oscars”, with Strong Showings Across the Board

November 8, 2019 By Stephen Leave a Comment

The 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève features a grail for every price tag, from the affordable Ming 17.06, Tudor Black Bay P01, Seiko Prospex LX and Kudoke 2 to the insane Urwerk AMC with its atomic clock “docking station”. It also heaps praise on the long-running Audemars Piguet Royal Oak line and Chanel’s fantastic J12. Truly something for everyone!

Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: Audemars Piguet, Audemars Piguet Code 11.59, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Awards, Chanel, Chanel J12, Genus, GPHG, Kudoke, Ming, Seiko, Seiko Prospex, Urwerk, Voutilainen

Seiko Galante History Part 2: Open Your Heart to Tokyo

August 13, 2019 By Stephen Leave a Comment

Seiko launched a mechanical Galante line in 2010 as a cheaper alternative to the Spring Drive watches the brand was known for. This SBLL line featured an “open heart” highlighting the ticking balance and the design focused on the city of Tokyo.

Filed Under: History Tagged With: 8L38, Galante, SBLL, Seiko

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