1. IN-DEPTH: THE TOURBILLON POCKET WATCHES OF URBAN JÜRGENSEN AND DEREK PRATT

The name Derek Pratt might draw curious stares, but he was a contemporary of George Daniels and an English watchmaker of considerable talent. In his later years, he was the technical director of the newly revived Urban Jürgensen. And while he was there, he built a number of truly high-end pocket watches. These were made entirely by hand and featured exquisite details like guilloché dials, blued-steel hands, and technical features like flying tourbillons, remontoirs, and double-wheel escapements. Some of them took Pratt over 4,000 hours to make. Hit the link below to be amazed by the level of artisanship.

Source: Watches by SJX

2. OUR FAVORITE WATCHES BOXES AND WHY THEY MATTER

Call me superficial, but I love a good watch box. Sure, you could say they are superfluous and that they add nothing to a watch. Or worse, you could say they are an utter waste of resources and contribute to deforestation. But there are some watch boxes that elevate the watch they hold within. A good example is the cork watch box that came with early Nautilus watches from Patek Philippe. The use of cork as a material for the watch box to contain a watch that has clear nautical roots was an inspired move. Here are some other iconic watch boxes.

Source: A Collected Man

3. WHY TIME FEELS SO WEIRD IN 2020

To say 2020 is an unusual year would be a vast understatement. COVID-19 has upended many people’s lives, disrupted economies, and also altered our sense of time. If you are like me and have been staying at home for most of the year, you probably feel as if the days have zipped past. When it was time for me to write this, I was certainly shocked to find that we are already at the tail-end of July, more than halfway into the year. As a turns out, science can explain why time feels so weird this year. You are not crazy.

Source: Reuters

4. HOW TO CRAFT A MILANESE BRACELET OR ANY TYPE OF CHAIN

Lately, the Milanese bracelet has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity. It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly this happened. The increase in popularity of vintage-inspired watches is certainly a factor, and so is Apple’s decision to offer Milanese bracelets with its Apple Watch. It’s a bracelet unlike any other. There’s an elegance to the way it looks and the way it drapes around your wrist. Few bracelets are as comfortable to wear or distinctive to look at. Sadly, the art of making such bracelets could soon be lost, as most Milanese bracelets today are made by machines. Join us as we take a look at how Milanese bracelets are made by hand at Laurent Jolliet, who is possibly one of the very last bracelet makers in the business.

Source: The Watches TV

5. ORIS × MOMOTARO — SWISS WATCH MEETS JAPANESE SELVEDGE DENIM

This is a watch for denim geeks. It’s a collaboration between Oris and Momotaro. The latter is one of the premier names in Japanese denim, and its jeans are made using traditional selvage looms and are finished by hand. This special watch is based on Oris’ super-popular Divers 65 watch, and it features a bronze bezel, an unconventional light green dial with no date window, and gold hands and hour markers. But the star of the show has to be the denim strap that has rolled off the same looms that make Momotaro’s legendary jeans. Watches with denim straps have been done before, but never once with denim of such peerless quality.

Source: Fratellowatches