New Watch Master

NORQAIN Launches New Independence Skeleton Chronos After last year’s success in launching the Independence Skeleton Chrono 42mm, NORQAIN will be unveiling two new additions to this line-up for Watches and Wonders: purple and jade. Now, you may recall that there was already a purple Skeleton Chrono in September of 2024, but this one we’re told is slightly different – and not limited to just a 300-piece production. As the name suggests for these models, NORQAIN has continued its offering of high-end timepieces with a little peek under the hood, so to speak, with a skeletonized dial. While this may be a rugged watch that’s meant to be put to use, seeing the delicate pieces just underneath the sapphire crystal remind us of why we love this hobby. In terms of appearance and material, both new models feature Grade 5 titanium cases, weighing in at just 94 grams. For the purple version, the titanium complements the deep purple accents and rubber strap for a sporty look. As for the jade...

Hands-On: Taking The M.A.D.2 For A Spin When the M.A.D.1S launched last September, it was the first departure from the original design of the M.A.D.1 that took the watch community by storm. Sure, it was more of a refinement than a completely new design, but to many, it changed the wearability of the watch entirely. Hidden amongst the buzz of that watch was the teaser that in a few short months, we would see the next milestone of the brand — the M.A.D.2. M.A.D.Editions, the spinoff from the independent icon MB&F, characterizes itself as a publishing house, with editions attributed to designers and ideas instead of just one large mysterious brand. With MB&F founder Max Büsser's name tied to the M.A.D1 and M.A.D1S, people took the M.A.D. label as the maker of mini-MB&F machines — nowhere comparable in terms of sheer watchmaking but capturing the essence of the brand's concepts at a price tag many orders of magnitude less than the true Horological Machines. So now, ...

Czapek Unveils a New Tourbillon in a Redesigned Antarctique As a writer and a dabbler in watercolors, I can say that there is nothing more exciting than a blank canvas. I’m happy to say that Czapek seems to agree. According to CEO Xavier de Roquemurel, their sporty Antarctique has long been seen as a blank canvas to showcase the talents under the maison. Enter the Antarctique Tourbillon. At its core, it’s a tension between the avant-garde and the traditional, making for a watch that toes the line perfectly between sophisticated and playful. To achieve this, Czapek designed an all-new pattern called Singularité, named after the astronomical phenomenon where the laws of physics begin to break down – like that of a black hole. This is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek name for the technique used to describe the Singularité design. It may look deceptively simple – like a black hole – but in reality it’s a mixture of technique, artistry, and precision to create the pattern, which has no one s...

Switzerland’s COSC To Upgrade Chronometer Certification Standards The Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres , or COSC, plans to upgrade its standards for chronometer certification and is vowing to be more transparent as it faces increased competition. In a rare interview, COSC director Andreas Wyss says the organization aims to be more consumer-focused and will improve the accuracy requirements for COSC-certified movements to less than the current 10 seconds per day. Testing at a COSC laboratory  "The tolerance today is 10 seconds – minus four and plus six – we will reduce that by a good portion,'' Wyss says. The standard for accuracy could be cut in half to as little as five seconds per day, he adds. Founded in 1973, COSC is the biggest organization for chronometer certification in Switzerland. It tests more than 2 million movements annually from some 60 Swiss brands, including Rolex. Funded by fees paid by brands, which it says are less than 10 francs per t...

DOXA Adds a New GMT to the Collection Like Brendan Fraser’s career, the Polaroid camera, and even Crystal Pepsi, sometimes a renaissance of a once-beloved product can cause a lot of excitement in the market. I have a suspicion the same will be said of DOXA’s new SUB 250T GMT, which will be debuting at Watches and Wonders this year.  As the name suggests, this is the first GMT function for the SUB collection in twenty years, answering the prayers for fans of the Swiss brand who have been asking for this configuration over the last two decades. With this latest release, we see a SUB design that’s true to its heritage (having been inspired by the SUB 750T GMT from 2006), but upgraded to meet contemporary needs – and in a whopping 18 new references. Starting from a design perspective, the real beauty of the SUB 250T GMT is that it hasn’t strayed too far away from its existing language, while still mixing form and functionality to give the people what they want. With nine colorw...

Social Media Influencers, How To Start A Watch Brand, AP’s Royal Oak Risk: Your Business Questions Answered Welcome back for more of your watch business questions answered. The global watch business is big. The Swiss watch industry alone is worth an estimated 50 billion Swiss francs annually and is the country's third biggest exporter. There is plenty to discuss, so please feel free to ask more questions in the comments.  Question 1: Social Media Influencers How much do watch brands rely on (some) watch media/influencers as outlets for their advertisement and hinder actual reporting on their product - e.g., by granting access only in return for favourable stories? Thanks in advance! "Don_Knilch" There's no doubt that social media personalities on TikTok (hello Mike Nouveau) and YouTube (greetings Adrian Barker, Andrew Morgan, Britt Pearce, and a certain high-volume Dutchman based in Belfast named Nico Leonard), not to mention Instagram (too many to list), are a ...

The Greatest Horologists You’ve Never Heard Of: Reverend Henry Leonard Nelthropp – The First Great Collector of Watches and Clocks Few private horological collections survive intact from the 19th century. The fully catalogued collection of clocks and watches by Rev. Henry Leonard Nelthropp FSA was made initially without the benefit of any reference books. The extensive collection of 260 items was presented to the Clockmakers’ Museum in 1894 and is a fascinating insight into the mind of a pioneering private collector. Reverend Henry Nelthropp FSA (1820 – 1901) began his career as a curate in Bristol. He then served as Chaplain to the British Legation in Switzerland but after receiving an inheritance, retired to London. From 1854, he had indulged in his fascination for horology and had begun to collect. He built up a remarkable knowledge of his subject, although few reference books were available to him. After receiving an inheritance, Nelthropp focused on collecting clocks and watc...

Introducing: The Formex Essence Ceramica Offers The World's First Ceramic Quick-Adjust Bracelet What We Know Last week, Formex rang in its 25th anniversary with the Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC. While Formex has certainly felt like a mainstay in the "microbrand" space, I hesitate to even call them that because of its relationship with sister company Dexel, a supplier for a lot of the high-end Swiss watch industry. One of Dexel's strengths is in ceramic, as they manufacture many of the bracelets and cases in ceramic for high-end brands. Some publicly disclosed, some not. With that knowledge, Formex releases its take on a full black ceramic watch with the Essence Ceramica. Most ceramic watches, especially at this price point, CEO Raphael Granito explained to me during his visit to the Hodinkee office last week, are either fully polished or completely sandblasted. Its multiple finishes, like contrasted polishing and brushing, make a relatively accessible price poi...