Business & Industry
Worn & Wound
Worn & Wound has Acquired Lorier – Let’s Talk About Why, and What This Means for Lorier’s Future
Worn & Wound has acquired microbrand Lorier in a self-structured deal with no outside investment, with founders Lauren and Lorenzo Ortega staying on as partial owners and Lorenzo as Creative Director. The media company is bringing its fulfillment, logistics, and procurement backbone to a brand it says has demand far outstripping the Ortegas' solo capacity, installing former first employee (and Grand Seiko alum) Ilya Ryvin as GM and teasing updated Hyperion, Hydra, Falcon, and Astra models in a week. The notable part: a watch-media outlet crossing the line into brand ownership, a conflict-of-interest question the enthusiast press rarely has to answer for itself.
WatchPro
Beaverbrooks to open fourth Rolex-anchored Loupe boutique
Beaverbrooks will convert the newly acquired H.L. Brown showroom at 2 Barker's Pool in Sheffield into its fourth Rolex-anchored Loupe boutique this summer, joining existing sites in Milton Keynes, Croydon and Preston. The company is teasing additional brand partners for the Loupe fold, a signal that the group is scaling its standalone luxury concept aggressively after finally cracking a Rolex partnership via its 2020 Whittles acquisition.
WatchPro
François-Henri Bennahmias wanted to buy De Bethune, and why you should too
Ex-Audemars Piguet chief François-Henri Bennahmias has confirmed he tried and failed to buy De Bethune, whose owner The 1916 Company declined to sell because it believes the brand is the next F.P. Journe. The bet: a legendary living watchmaker in Denis Flageollet, sub-500-piece annual output, full vertical integration (down to in-house hairsprings), and a stack of GPHG hardware. With Antoine Pin newly installed as CEO and auction results solid but not stratospheric (a $190,500 record versus Voutilainen's million-dollar hammers), the open question is whether De Bethune can ride the independent boom to Journe-style valuations.
Auction & Market
WatchPro
Bonhams sees prices rocket for Cartier and Piaget watches
Bonhams' Global Head of Watches Jonathan Darracott tells WatchPro that Cartier and Piaget are the breakout auction performers, with certain Piaget models doubling or tripling in value and Cartier posting big percentage gains off a lower base, as demand broadens beyond Rolex and Patek to dress watches and independents. He pushes back on the "flat market" narrative, arguing the depth of bidding (record registrations, strength in Hong Kong) points to genuine collector participation rather than 2020-23 speculation, and flags neo-vintage as the segment to watch. For dealers, the read is that the appreciation story has moved down-market from trophy lots, which is where the volume, and the margin, now lives.
Community & Culture
aBlogtoWatch
Time Machines: Getting Back With A Horological ‘Ex’ Through The Heuer Camaro 73343NT Watch
aBlogtoWatch's "Time Machines" column revisits the vintage Heuer Camaro through a unique tropical-dial ref. 73343NT, a "Fourth Execution" exotic-dial example from the last production batch (likely mid-to-late 1972). The unpolished 37mm steel case runs the hand-wound Valjoux 7733, and the tropical aging has turned the usually racing-orange tachymeter, subdial, and chronograph hands to shades of yellow. A collector-mood piece rather than market news, it's a reminder that the Camaro trades on its youthful, muscle-car alternative to the Carrera.
Reviews
SJX Watches
TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph TH20
SJX Watches calls the new TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph TH20 "the best to date" version of the McQueen-era ref. 1133 reissue, praising the lighter, restyled 39mm titanium case, improved folding clasp, and the proven in-house TH20-11 movement (80-hour reserve), while faulting the still-"industrial" movement finishing and questioning the value of the two-tone titanium-and-gold variant. The trade takeaway: prices run US$9,350 in titanium and US$13,050 in titanium/rose gold, with the gold trim adding over 30% for a look SJX finds hard to justify.
SJX Watches
In-Depth: IWC’s ProSet Perpetual Calendar
SJX Watches calls IWC's new ProSet perpetual calendar "a long overdue return to form," praising it as possibly the first alternative QP to combine idiot-proof, bidirectional crown setting with a construction that can realistically be produced at scale, borrowing from Oechslin's gear-based and Greubel Forsey's cam-and-gear approaches while being an entirely new architecture. The detail for trade readers: the module debuted at Watches & Wonders inside the 42mm Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet (cal. 82665, 60-hour power reserve, offered in pink gold, ceramic and steel), and since the Kurt Klaus module was once shared with Jaeger-LeCoultre, SJX suggests the ProSet platform could spread across the Richemont group.
Hodinkee
The Vacheron Constantin 'Twin Beat' Perpetual Calendar Returns
Hodinkee goes hands-on with the revived Vacheron Constantin Twin Beat perpetual calendar, a 42mm, 12.3mm platinum piece using dual balances (5Hz active, 1.2Hz standby) to reach 70 days of standby power reserve, up from 65 on the 2019 original. They call it a singular achievement with no real market equivalent and say the reliability issues that plagued the first version, the reason for the relaunch, should now be resolved, though the reviewer notes the 1.2Hz balance needed more than a day of wind to engage on the fresh sample. The trade takeaway: the extended standby mode makes it arguably the most user-friendly perpetual calendar going, a genuine servicing and ownership advantage in the high-complication space long dominated by Patek.
Worn & Wound
Owner’s Review: the Seiko Orange Monster SRP315
Worn & Wound files an owner's review of the second-generation Seiko Orange Monster SRP315, praising it as a charming, idiosyncratic diver whose "shroud" case and "shark tooth" indices make it feel bigger than its 42mm/47.7mm lug-to-lug/13mm dimensions while still wearing compact. The reviewer flags the Monster's enduring value angle: powered by the humbler 4R36, first-gen examples turn up on WatchRecon under $400, and they doubt the line will catch the price inflation seen elsewhere in the enthusiast space, especially as Seiko's "pro" divers push past $1,000 new.
New Releases
Fratello
Get Your Groove On With The Grape-Dial Glashütte Original Sixties Chronograph
Glashütte Original's latest Sixties Chronograph Annual Edition arrives with a textured, dégradé "grape" purple lacquer dial, housed in a 42mm polished steel case (48.5mm lug-to-lug, 12.4mm thick) with double-domed sapphire front and back. It runs the in-house 39-34 automatic chronograph caliber (28,800 vph, 51 jewels, 40-hour reserve) and comes on a woven synthetic textile strap with folding clasp. Priced at €10,000 / US$10,000 / £8,400 and made only for a limited time.
Worn & Wound
Toledano & Chan Introduces the Breutalist, a Limited Edition for the Horology Club
Toledano & Chan have launched the Breutalist, their first collaboration with Hong Kong collecting community The Horology Club: a bead-blasted titanium watch and bracelet with a mirror dial (no indices, no branding), built on the same 32mm by 30.6mm case (12.3mm thick) as this year's b/1.3r and running a Sellita SW100. It is limited to 15 pieces at $7,500. For a microbrand trading on a single architectural conceit, leaning literal with a community collab is a smart way to keep the Breuer story fresh without diluting the flagship line.
Also at: Monochrome Watches
Hodinkee
Breitling Top Time B01 Chronograph 41 Tribute To Aston Martin DB5
Breitling revives the cushion-cased Top Time B01 chronograph in a 41mm (47.9mm x 13.8mm) tribute to the Aston Martin DB5, each dial carrying a wood-inlay rehaut and the COSC-certified caliber 01 with a 70-hour reserve and 100m water resistance. Three limited versions: stainless steel with silver sunray dial (1,022 pieces, $11,400), steel with platinum bezel and black lacquer dial (315 pieces, $18,600), and 18k red gold with Breitling's first onyx dial (250 pieces, $41,500), all on brown calfskin, available now. The upsize from last year's 38mm 'Racing' models (about $7,700) is the tell: Breitling is stretching Top Time upmarket and toward a broader audience on the back of its new Aston Martin F1 sponsorship.
Also at: Fratello
Monochrome Watches
American Indie Watchmaker RGM Launches the Model 151 Snoopy Flying Ace
RGM, the Pennsylvania indie known for engine-turning and in-house calibres, has put Snoopy's Flying Ace on a two-level white grand feu enamel dial (which it claims is a first) atop the 38.5mm Model 151 pilot platform, in steel or CP2 titanium with a Sellita SW300-1 inside. Pricing runs from USD 3,950 for the steel painted-dial version to USD 9,950 for the titanium grand feu enamel, on a Hirsch Performance strap. For a 400-piece-a-year traditionalist, the licensed pop-culture play is a notable reach for a wider audience without abandoning the enamel-craft flex at the top of the range.
aBlogtoWatch
The G-SHOCK Luxe Black Collection Elevates Casio’s Popular Octagonal Watch Silhouette
Casio is opening 2026 with the G-SHOCK Luxe Black Collection, a quartet of dressed-up 2100-series models (resin-bezel GA2100LXB-1A/1A9 at $145, ion-plated steel-bezel GM2100LXB-1A/1A9 at $260) with matte-black textured dials, slimmer hands, elongated markers treated via metallic vapor deposition, and the familiar Module 5611 (200m WR, roughly three-year battery). The commercial play: Casio is porting the refined aesthetic it previously walled off inside four-figure MR-G watches down to the sub-$300 volume tier, chasing the octagonal silhouette's mass appeal rather than the enthusiast wallet.
Quill & Pad
The Nivada Grenchen F77 MKII: Refining the Integrated Ideal
Nivada Grenchen has released the F77 MKII, a refresh of its popular integrated steel sports watch that keeps the 38mm case and 46.2mm lug-to-lug but trims thickness from 12.65mm to 12.2mm, re-profiles the lugs, adds drilled lugs, and swaps baton hands for Dauphine hands. New dial options include natural stone (black onyx, green aventurine, meteorite), with the onyx also offered in an 18ct yellow gold-plated steel case, plus Open Heart variants; all run the Soprod P024 (28,800 vph, 38-hour reserve) with 100m water resistance. For a resurrected brand competing in a crowded vintage-reissue segment, iterating carefully on a proven hit rather than redesigning is the commercially safe play, and early collector reception suggests it landed.
WatchTime
Louis Erard Adds to 2340 Collection with the Mauve and Forest Editions
Louis Erard has added two dial executions to its integrated-bracelet 2340 collection: the Mauve (soft purple, oblong stamped pattern) and Forest (deep green, horizontal texture), both in a 40mm titanium case with polished steel accents and a titanium/steel five-link bracelet. The automatic Sellita SW300-1 keeps the profile to 8.95mm with roughly 56 hours of reserve, and both refs are priced at CHF 3,250 excluding tax (about $4,000). For an independent still best known for its affordable regulateurs and artist collabs, the 2340 is Louis Erard's play at the integrated-sports segment everyone else is crowding into.
WatchTime
Maurice Lacroix Honors Its Jura Roots with 1975 Legacy Models
Maurice Lacroix is releasing two limited-edition 1975 Legacy references, each capped at 500 pieces, to mark the anniversary of the vote that created the Canton of Jura where its Saignelégier manufacture sits. The 39mm steel watches (10.2mm thick, 50m water resistance, box-style sapphire) come in powder-silver or slate-gray dials bearing a "Jura Waves" guilloché motif, run the automatic ML158 caliber (4Hz, ~60-hour reserve), and carry a caseback engraving of the Marché-Concours Hall. Priced at CHF1,950 (roughly $2,400).
WatchTime
Celebrating a Legacy: Close-Up on the Piaget Polo 150th Anniversary Edition
Piaget marks 150 years with a two-size Polo anniversary edition: a 42mm on Caliber 1110P (9.4mm thick, Super-LumiNova) and a diamond-set 36mm on Caliber 500P1 (8.8mm, no lume), both with café-latte dials, red-gold accents and a skeletonized seconds counterweight forming "150." Each is capped at 300 pieces, boutique-exclusive, at $14,700 and $21,600 respectively. The play is classic Piaget: leaning on its jeweler credentials and the elite-sport heritage to keep the Polo commanding integrated-bracelet money without chasing the ultra-thin arms race.
Monochrome Watches
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy Brings Samurai to the Round Table
Roger Dubuis has taken its Knights of the Round Table concept to 17th-century Japan with the Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy, a 45mm 18k pink-gold piece (16.87mm thick) whose dial swaps medieval knights for 12 hand-engraved Kabuto helmets of famed samurai commanders circling an abstract Edo Castle. It runs the Poinçon de Genève-certified RD821 automatic (28,800 vph, 48-hour reserve), is limited to 28 pieces on a blue calfskin strap, and is priced upon request (expected around CHF 300,000). For a brand that leans on Métiers d'Art spectacle to justify six-figure tickets, the Shogun-era pivot (with an Emmy-consulting historian attached) is a savvy way to keep the round-table franchise fresh for the tiny pool of buyers who chase these.
Fratello
Catch The Four Bravur Team Heritage Watches In The Breakaway
Swedish brand Bravur has released the Team Heritage collection, four cycling-themed watches (STR, REN, PEU, MER) whose dials mimic the historic kit colors of the St. Raphaël, Renault, Peugeot, and Mercier teams. Each has a 37 x 44.6 x 11.4mm 316L steel case, 100m water resistance, and a no-date Sellita SW200-1 automatic (4Hz, ~41h reserve) hand-assembled in Båstad, with steel or black PVD options and a choice of FKM rubber, leather, or Milanese mesh straps. Sold exclusively via Bravur's website with free worldwide shipping, prices start at US$1,195 (excl. tax) / €1,395 / £1,095.
Time + Tide
It’s No Desk-Diver: The Nodus Sector Deep Black Destro
Nodus has pushed its 38mm Sector platform to its structural limit with the Sector Deep Black Destro, a 500m-rated diver with a left-handed (9 o'clock) crown, bead-blasted 316L steel case at 13.6mm thick, DLC-coated dual-scale bezel (42mm), matte black no-date dial, and a NodeX quick-adjust clasp. The Seiko NH35 is regulated in four positions to +/- 10 seconds/day in LA, and it's priced at US$650. A fresh allocation is en route to the Time+Tide Studio in New York, the only stated point of sale.
Monochrome Watches
Gerald Charles Releases a Trio of Gem Set Masterlink Models with Stone Dials
Gerald Charles is extending its 2024 Masterlink line with three gem-set stone-dial editions, pairing a white gold bezel set with 60 baguette-cut stones (blue sapphires, red sapphires or green tsavorites) with dials in aventurine, Finnish spectrolite or Iron Eye tiger's eye. The 38mm-by-38mm steel case (7.9mm thick, 100m water resistance) runs the ultra-thin Vaucher-built calibre GCA5401 with micro-rotor and 50-hour reserve; each configuration is limited to 10 pieces at CHF 95,000 excluding taxes. At that price and volume, this is Gerald Charles pushing its Genta-lineage sports watch squarely into the high-jewelry tier where margins, not units, are the point.