Nico Bandl

Head of Content

175 Articles Published
Patek-Philippe-Advanced-Research-Atelier
Pushing the Boundaries of Watchmaking: Patek Philippe Advanced Research

Looking closely at the remarkably innovative spirit of Patek Philippe, one comes to the conclusion that the slogan of the Geneva-based manufacture should be “Vorsprung durch Technik” (or in English, “Innovation through technology”), Audi’s catchy mantra. But the horology house’s…

Watches To Watch: Certina DS-2 Powermatic 80

This one almost slipped through our fingers. In the shadow of many huge product launches, it’s easy to overlook a few new models from quieter – but by no means less important –manufacturers. Certina, a brand belonging to the Swatch…

Two Years of Hublot Big Bang Integral: A Rapidly Growing Collection

With barely 40 years under its belt, Hublot is a fairly young watch brand. Despite this, it is by no means lacking in self-confidence in an industry where many of the biggest horology houses have a history that stretches back…

Vacheron-Constantin-Historiques-222-37MM-3N-Yellow-Gold-Ref-4200H222J-B935
W&W 2022: The Ridiculously Chic Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222

When luxury steel sports watches with integrated bracelets suddenly appeared in the 1970s, it was not only Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe that caused a stir with their Royal Oak and Nautilus creations. Vacheron Constantin was also quick to recognize the trend – despite…

The New Breitling Navitimer Anniversary Watches – The Return of a Familiar Logo

The Navitimer from Breitling is turning 70! Originally conceived as a tool watch with which pilots could still perform flight calculations using a completely analogue system, it has advanced over the years and, since its time on the wrists of…

Guitarist-John-McLaughlin-and-his-LeCoultre
Guitarist John McLaughlin and his ravishingly attractive LeCoultre

Upon attending the Only Watch Preview in Monaco, guitarist legend John McLaughlin suddenly crosses our path. What on earth is one of the best guitarists in the world doing at such a specific, specialised event? We discover that not only…

Breguet Boutique Düsseldorf

Swisswatches is delighted to present the watch community with our very first ‘Boutique Travel Guide’. In this new segment, we will share not only the very best watch boutiques in town, but also the other most exciting things available in…

Four old dials saved in an old box found in the Zenith manufacture
A Journey Through The Zenith Manufacture in Le Locle

Anyone who leaves school at the age of 9 is either clearly not suited to academia, or has already realised what their calling is. George Favre-Bulle must have been a visionary even as a child, because he had bigger plans…

Breitling’s New Super AVI Collection (plus Boutique Edition)

Following the launch of the AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition in 2020, Breitling is now introducing the new Super AVI watch line, a larger version with a case diameter of 46 mm. The five new models pay homage to the…

IWC’s Mark XII and Pilot’s Watch: An Ode To Possibly The Most Beautiful Everyday Watch of All Time

To crown a timepiece “the most beautiful everyday watch of all time” is of course entirely based on personal taste, and there really have to be several strong arguments in its favour. From aesthetics, design, wearability and readability to history,…

Rolex-Reference-1530-Automatic-Date-Oysterquartz
The Curious Tale Of The ROLEX 1530: An Automatic Movement In A Quartz Watch

This article is going to take a little trip back into the past. We are going to head back about 40 years – more specifically, to the year 1972. An excellent designer by the name of Gerald Genta had just…

In The Metal: Why The Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional Is A Must For Every Diver’s Watch Fan

This story begins with a personal anecdote, which at first doesn’t appear to have anything to do with Tissot’s new Seastar 2000 Professional Powermatic 80. My Seastar from the 1960s is a vintage dress watch. It is so simple and…