Weekend Wind Down No°9
A weekly note on watches, travel, tools, and collecting well
We are just two weeks away from Geneva Watch Days, with a slew of new releases on the horizon. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes, but my belief is that GWD might be a bit muted this year—many brands likely held back major launches for Watches & Wonders 2026. The buildup feels slower than usual.
I’ll be on the ground in Geneva, sharing photos and reports each day. If you’re going to be there, let’s meet up—I’d love to connect.
Industry Watch: What’s New
H. Moser & Cie. x Azuki
I’ll be honest: I don’t fully understand what Azuki does, but Moser has teamed up with them for a series of Pioneer Center Seconds and Pioneer Tourbillons, tied to Azuki’s Elemental NFTs. The dials are traditional Moser and look awesome, but with eight watches (two for each Elemental NFT), it feels excessive. To me, this dilutes what Moser does best. The whole thing edges toward AP x Marvel territory—and I’m not convinced the brand needed this collaboration.
Ressence Celebrates 15 Years
Ressence celebrates 15 years of crafting watches that defy expectations. Since I just interviewed Benoît Mintiens last week, I’m especially happy to celebrate a brand that has reshaped how we think about time and what a watch can be. To Benoît and the team: congratulations. You’re doing something truly unique in watchmaking, and I deeply appreciate your work.
What I’m Loving
Citizen Promaster Aqualand
You’ll hear more in next week’s piece, not because it’s been hyped by Watches of Espionage. After Wind Up in Chicago and meeting with Neall from Citizen, a friend loaned me theirs, and I fell head over heels for it. Funky, functional, and fun, it’s an oddball diver I can’t help but love. The analog/digital format just works, especially when all I want is to immediately know the time.
Ricoh GR IV
Yes, Ricoh has finally launched an update to the GR III Series with the GR IV. Not a huge revolution in product, but I love my GR III and GR IIIx and you can bet I already have my pre-order in.
Visual Notes
Some highlights from vacation. I will be getting back to watches soon, I promise.
In Case You Missed It
Last week I wrote about watchmaking and AI in Part III of my Tradition and Technology Series. I interviewed Max Büsser, Ming Thein, and Benoît Mintiens for their take on AI, and their responses did not disappoint.
AI & Watchmaking: The Limits of Technology
“Let us never forget watches are an emotional product. And every person feels different, thinks differently, or values different aspects. That is the beauty of watchmaking, there is no ‘perfect’. And I’m happy watchmaking cannot be reduced to that.”
Coming This Week
I’ll be writing about The Arc of Collecting—how collecting has shaped me, and how I’ve changed with it. Plus, a preview of Geneva Watch Days and what we might expect from brands this fall. Stay tuned.
Stay Connected
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Thanks as always for reading and for being part of a community that knows that there are still great stories in watchmaking beyond the hype.