Did You Know | Horbiter ®

Interesting facts and anectodes from the world of watchmaking.

The "Did you know" column collects all the anecdotes from the world of watchmaking such as new technologies, original stories, new mechanical and quartz movements, industry and products. We have gathered in here the most exciting stories and anecdotes, such as those concerning the most complicated luxury watch in the world, the first titanium watch ever made or the thinnest automatic watch in the world. Moreover, it includes intriguing stories like the one concerning the origins of the Rolex name, or the development of the first commercial diver's wristwatch of the modern era.

Why is the Seiko Sumo called Sumo?

14 February 2020 | Seiko,

The majority of Seiko's watch names reaffirm the brand's close link to the Japanese culture. It is a bond that is somehow more prominent on Seiko's diving watches, at first sight. Nicknames like Tuna Can, or Turtle are commonly used, yet two are the current collections which best represent, from ...
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Today, 92 years ago...

16 June 2019 | Longines,

Ninety-two years ago, Charles Lindbergh completed the solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, a historic task considering we were at the dawn of commercial flight, and the term "technology" was not even existing. The merit of that epic undertaking goes to a man who was a skilled aviator and a ...
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The first ever titanium watch was a Citizen watch

04 April 2019 | CITIZEN,

Did you know which brand made the first titanium watch ever? If we take a look at today's offering, we might readily affirm the first ever to craft a titanium watch were the Swiss, but it is not instead. The award goes to a Japanese brand, Citizen, that launched, in 1970, ...
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Did you know - The world's thinnest automatic Tourbillon watch is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Tourbillon

12 January 2019 | Bulgari,

After Piaget regained its leadership as the maker of the world's thinnest automatic watch over Bulgari, the LVMH owned Italian brand still holds that of thinnest automatic tourbillon watch's maker. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic is the fourth watch in a series of ultra-thin watches designed by Bulgari and ...
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Did You Know - The Saxonia Lange 31 is the mechanical (traditional) watch with the longest power reserve

01 January 2019 | A.Lange & Söhne,

A wristwatch's power reserve is one of the most debated topics among enthusiasts and is one of the most highlighted features by those brands that design their mechanical movements in-house. IWC is for example known for its big calibers that guarantee up to seven days of power reserve, Panerai revolutionized ...
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Did You Know - The lightest mechanical watch is a Richard Mille

19 October 2018 | Richard Mille,

The lightest mechanical watch ever created is a Richard Mille and was originally designed for the Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal. Coded as RM 27-01, it was then followed by two other timepieces belonging to the same collection, namely the Richard Mille RM 27-02 and the Richard Mille RM 27-03 ...
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Did You Know - The first ever diver's watch is the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

11 October 2018 | Blancpain,

Not everyone is aware of the fact that the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was the first ever diver's wristwatch and the genesis of this watchmaking icon is due to Jean-Jacques Fiechter, Blancpain's CEO from 1950 to 1980, who was a professional diver. Fiechter was the only one to fulfill the requests of ...
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Did You Know - The most complicated mechanical watch ever made is the Vacheron Constantin 57260

02 October 2018 | Vacheron Costantin,

Do you know which is the most complicated watch in the world? It is a Vacheron Constantin watch and, in particular, it is the Vacheron Constantin 57260. This five-digit reference was not chosen at random but in its five-digit figure are hidden two relevant pieces of information: the first two digit indicate the ...
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Did you know - What's behind Rolex name and logo

29 September 2018 | ROLEX,

In the watch industry, it usually takes one or two names (the founders, for example) or a town's name (Glashütte Original) to make a brand's name. This is the case with Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai or some modern brands such as Bell & Ross. Have you ever wondered what's behind the origin of the name ...
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Did You Know - The world's thinnest automatic watch is a Piaget

27 September 2018 | Piaget,

The world's thinnest automatic watch is a Piaget, in particular the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 910P which is only 4.3mm thick and was presented at this year's SIHH 2018. The challenge in who's building the thinnest automatic watch in the world has always seen the best brands compete since the first wristwatch was ...
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