Nico Bandl

A near-fatal diving accident is responsible for Swiss watch manufacture Blancpain’s significant contribution to the mechanical diving watch. While other major players such as Rolex, Omega, and Panerai have also earned themselves a certain reputation in this area of expertise, Blancpain can lay claim to having developed decisive features as early as the 1950s with…

The rattrapante function, or drag pointer, enjoys a certain level of prestige at A. Lange & Söhne. It comes in every variation you can imagine: Double-Split, Triple-Split, combined with perpetual calendar, Tourbograph Perpetual with tourbillon, chronograph and perpetual calendar, or even in A. Lange's Grand Complication, with large and small chimes, minute repeater, perpetual calendar…

Following the launch of its new Calibre 400 in-house movement in mid-October, Oris is now launching its first watch to feature the calibre. The Hölstein-based watchmakers have chosen its Aquis Date model as the first lucky recipient. In this article, we explain exactly not only why they chose a diver's watch, but also how the…

Back in 2004, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey founded the Greubel Forsey watch brand. In 2007, the two watchmakers bought an old 17th-century farmhouse and converted it into an atelier, where they now combine traditional craftsmanship with modern Haute Horlogerie – making it one of the few places where a manufacture embodies the products created…

In 1972, Audemars Piguet launched its Royal Oak, which is considered the first luxury sports watch to have been made of steel. In 1976, Patek Philippe followed suit by introducing its first Nautilus. Over the years, the hype surrounding both models has led to a lack of availability at any official retailer, let alone the…

Anyone who is interested in tennis and has ever watched a match by Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal will have noticed something extraordinary: the intimidating brutality inherent in the sportsman's body language, which is expressed through several characteristics; the intense moaning every time he hits a ball, or his aggressive hits, which are so powerful that…

It was exactly 70 years ago that Panerai first presented its watches equipped with a tritium-based luminous material. “Luminor” was the name of this innovative substance of the hour, and it then promptly appeared in Panerai’s collection of the same name. In the 60 or so years that followed, the iconic line hardly changed, and…

When Patek Philippe created a pilot's watch with the Reference 5524G back in 2015, the watch world was in for a surprise. For such a classic manufacture, such a striking watch seemed somewhat unusual. But the surprising new piece did not appear by chance. Patek Philippe had already developed hour-angle watches for the military back…

Every fan of Breguet will be well aware of the background to the horology house’s Tradition line. After all, it’s a story that has been shared extensively across the years. Meanwhile, for all those who are new and unaware, it is worth taking a quick trip back to the 18th century, before we get to…

If you wanted to put a positive spin on the current crisis, you could point out the new-found desire we have to be impulsive. Ever since the first crisis management was put in place, the time came for us all to reflect, press the reset button, or to face up to long-avoided challenges and put…

The last couple of years have been quiet for Carl F. Bucherer’s Manero Flyback. Now, the chronograph is back, and, it seems, better than ever. It was in 2016 that the Manero collection first introduced a new series of watches featuring a chronograph movement with a flyback function. Then, at Baselworld 2017, three models equipped…

Amidst the sound of birds chattering and water splashing comes the sound of soft chimes, sounding repeatedly – almost as though someone was soulfully playing percussion, while wandering through tranquil surroundings. But it's not a musical instrument we can hear – it’s acoustic watches. Catherine Rénier, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, is playing us a video via…