Michael Sonsino

Southend-on-Sea

Digital Editor at Oracle Time Magazine

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Articles

Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 6196P-001 Platinum Watch Review

1 week ago | oracleoftime.com | Michael Sonsino

Patek Philippe’s Calatrava is one of the quintessential dress watches of history. Admittedly it occasionally moonlights as a pilot’s watch or grand complication, but the classic expression of it is as a purebred dress watch. That’s what we have here with the new Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 6196P-001 Platinum, which we had the fortune of getting hands-on with at Watches & Wonders 2025. The first thing that stands out is the full platinum case.
Biver Automatique Yellow Gold and Atelier Series Carbon Edition Juxtaposes Modern and Classic Styles

1 week ago | oracleoftime.com | Michael Sonsino

The Biver Automatique is one of the darlings of the watch industry from the past year or so. A modern take on traditional three-hand dress watches with elements of sector style design. Compared to the maximalist Carillon it’s positively minimalist. Now, two new editions are joining the available range. The Biver Automatique Yellow Gold and Atelier Series Carbon Edition. First, the Yellow Gold version is pretty self-explanatory.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Openface Watch Review

1 week ago | oracleoftime.com | Michael Sonsino

It’s an anniversary year for Vacheron Constantin. Well technically so is every year, but 2025 is specifically a big one. It’s 270 years since Vacheron Constantin was founded, showing the extreme longevity of the brand that is today regarded as one of the ‘big three’ along with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. To celebrate this landmark milestone they’ve released a Traditionnelle collection dedicated to some of the major innovations and complications that VC has become renowned for.
Orient Bambino 75th Anniversary Limited Edition Watch Review (Giveaway)

1 week ago | oracleoftime.com | Michael Sonsino

It’s time for the next edition of the Oracle Time Members Club giveaway! The watch that’s being given away this spring is the Orient Bambino 75th Anniversary Limited Edition. A fun, accessible dress watch that punches well above its weight in terms of style and build quality. It’s a little beauty. Find out how you can take part in this giveaway at the bottom of the article.
Breitling Launch Top Time B01 Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali Limited Editions

1 week ago | oracleoftime.com | Michael Sonsino

One of the surprise hits amid the craziness of Watches & Wonders has been Breitling’s Top Time dashboard collection (watch this space for a hands-on review of that collection). And only a couple of weeks later, the Top Time is back in the spotlight yet again with the launch of the Breitling Top Time B01 Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali Limited Editions.
Grand Seiko Sakura-Kakushi 18K Rose Gold 62GS James Porter & Son Exclusive Watch Review

2 weeks ago | oracleoftime.com | Michael Sonsino

Back in February Grand Seiko launched the latest edition of their Sakura-Kakushi styled watches, based on early spring cherry blossoms. It’s a beautiful watch that’s available in the UK exclusively through James Porter & Son, one that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. Fortunately, while we were digging into Grand Seiko’s new releases in Geneva, they also had the Sakura-Kakushi 18K Rose Gold 62GS to hand. In the metal it’s even more impressive than I initially thought.
Hublot Big Bang Unico Water Blue Sapphire Watch Review

2 weeks ago | oracleoftime.com | Michael Sonsino

Is the narrative about Hublot being a footballer’s watch getting old yet? It’s definitely still relevant but I think it does a disservice to some of Hublot’s more interesting horological creations. For example, they are a leading name when it comes to the creation of coloured sapphire cases, such as the new Big Bang Unico Water Blue Sapphire that we saw in Geneva. Sapphire is an incredibly difficult material to work with because the only material that’s harder than it is diamond.
Panerai’s Upgraded Luminor Marina 2025 Watch Review

2 weeks ago | oracleoftime.com | Michael Sonsino

While we like to think that many brands are in horology for the love of watches, but it’s also a fact of life that watchmaking is a business and money has to be made. Which is why there are such frequent price rises or extra costs for exclusive limited editions despite being fundamentally the same watch with a different colour etc.
Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets Watch Review

2 weeks ago | oracleoftime.com | Michael Sonsino

In 2025 there has been a sudden boom in the number of jump hour watches being released. The Fears Edwardian, Gerald Charles Maestro, Bremont Terra Nova Jump Hours and the Cartier Tank à Guichets. Today we’re focussing squarely on the latter (or should that be rectangle-ly), which we had the pleasure of getting hands-on with in Geneva. It’s a stunner of vintage revival design so let’s get straight to it.
Raketa Amphibia Shows the Strengths of Hyper Legible Dive Watch Design

2 weeks ago | oracleoftime.com | Michael Sonsino

Raketa is a brand I typically associate with space and the skies more than the underwater depths. Afterall, Raketa translates to ‘rocket’ in Russian and some of their coolest releases are watches like the Sputnik 1. However, with the new Raketa Amphibia they’re heading into the deeps of the Baltic Sea with a dedicated diver. Starting with the case, it measures 41.6mm in diameter, sitting right in the ballpark for dive watches.