Celine Simon

A relic from the mid 20th Century, the Panda dial has proved its staying power six decades later. Defined as a chronograph dial with a white background and black sub-dials (and nicknamed after the cute creature with that recognizable face), the Panda dial is as fresh looking today as it was when it first appeared.

Whether you call it the “Fat Lady,” the “Sophia Loren,” or the “Coke,” the GMT-Master II ref. 16760 marked an important turning point for Rolex’s flagship pilot’s watch collection.

In the watch-collecting community, it is common to hear plenty of nicknames when referring to specific models. After all, it is much easier to remember a catchy nickname than the long string of digits that make up the official reference number of a watch. Although some watch enthusiasts object to the use of nicknames, it is a widespread practice that is here to stay.

Rather than a traditional hour center hand that sweeps around the dial pointing to 12 indexes, jump hour watches use a digital display (not to be confused with modern digital watches) to indicate the current hour.

Similar to what haute couture is to fashion and haute cuisine is to food, haute horlogerie represents the highest standard in watchmaking. The direct translation of “haute horlogerie” from French to English is “high watchmaking” but the label encompasses much more.

This particular decade that we are currently in has seen plenty of significant changes to Rolex’s lineup. Some standard favorite Rolex models have been revamped with new sizes and designs; two new in-house calibers have paved the way for a new batch of references, and some collections welcomed new metal options. As we approach the end of this decade, let’s look back at the Rolex developments, introductions, and innovations that took place in the 2010s.

While Rolex certainly has an arsenal of very popular watches like the Submariner, GMT-Master, Datejust, and Daytona, they also have some watches that aren’t as famous. For example, the Rolex Thunderbird. Officially known as the Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph, this particular watch is an important model in Rolex’s history.

From camouflage prints to combat boots to leather bomber jackets, military-style has long trickled into the civilian population where standard issued-gear is reinvented into fashionable must-haves. This is particularly true in the watch world as illustrated by the bevy of military-style luxury watches regularly released year after year.

Many of the best top-tier timepiece brands also offer a range of entry-level watches that serve as your ticket into their exclusive clubs. Affordability is, of course, subjective here. You will still need to invest a four-figure amount if you want to wear a luxury watch.

Why settle for off the shelf gold when you can make your own? In the battle of the best materials to use to manufacture watches, some watch brands tinker with secret formulas to produce gold that they can call their own.

Despite some forceful pushback from staunch Panerai enthusiasts about the Luminor Due’s reduced water resistance rating, the brand is moving full force with its collection of slimmed-down and dressed up models.

By its very nature, fads come and go and the watch industry is has seen its fair share of them. However, the two-tone watch is one that has transcended trend-status to become a bona fide classic style.

Now that summer is coming to an end and fall is just around the corner, it’s a good time to swap out those colorful water-ready timepieces for something more restrained. Step into the world of ultra-thin watches, where mastery is measured in how few millimeters a case height reaches.

The standard shape for pocket watches was round; therefore, when the progression to wristwatches started taking hold, it was only natural for wristwatches to follow the familiar silhouette. However, Louis Cartier was not a man to follow norms and made a name for himself and his family’s business by championing non-round watch designs, also known as “shaped watches.”

While gold, steel, and platinum are mainstay metals for watch cases, modern watchmaking has welcomed plenty of other materials in recent years. And it doesn’t get fresher than a crystal clear case in full sapphire—a material once reserved as the glass protecting the dial or movement.