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You Had Me At Halo Originally From Gabriel & Co. No matter the engagement ring you choose, there is guaranteed to be a halo setting for it. They have flooded the cases of every jewelry store and are a common sight on so many newly engaged women’s Instagram feeds for good reason. Halos or double halos make a smaller carat stone appear larger, brilliantly highlighting features of a gem cut like a princess or pear cut diamond. For those few future brides unaware of the halos power to enhance and dazzle, here’s how it’s done. Halos are made up of diamond or gemstone pavés put into a design that...

THE SHAPE OF WATER The Oris Aquis Date Relief is a high-performance diver's watch inspired by Oris's quest to raise awareness of the importance of water. Its dial colour reflects the colour of stormy seas, and it features a new bezel design with a minutes scale in relief. Oris is proud to be supporting expedition swimmer and water ambassador Ernst Bromeis, who'll be wearing the watch for his 'The Blue Miracle' campaign swim across Lake Baikal. Relief bezel Oris and expedition swimmer Ernst Bromeis are going their own way to raise awareness of the importance of water, with the release...

Japanese Enamel For almost half a century, Mitsuru Yokosawa has been expanding the boundaries of enamel, mastering time-honored techniques and gradually creating new ones. As his experience broadened, the layers of enamel he was able to apply became thinner and thinner. Yokosawa-san is now able to apply a flawless enamel coat just 0.1 mm thin. Such precision requires not only exceptional visual acuity, but also the seemingly magical ability to make minute adjustments to the enamel composition based on fluctuations in humidity and weather conditions. Aptly, it would take the skills of a magician to create the face of the...

The Lacquer so Strong, It Protected the Samurai Japanese lacquer is an expression of craftsmanship that can be traced back thousands of years to the Jomon period. One of the most popular forms is Urushi, which is celebrated for its great strength and natural beauty. Many are familiar with elegantly lacquered black and red tableware, but Urushi is so strong it was used during the Sengoku era to coat the armor worn by samurai – and can even serve as a binding agent. Made from the sap of the Japanese lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum), Urushi dries not by evaporation, but...

4th Generation Monster: The SRPD27 & SRPD25 It looks like the monster is here to stay.  Seiko has been pushing the Turtle and Samurai dive watch, but this year they made sure to make a splash with the new monsters the SRPD27 and the SRPD25.  While the Seiko Turtle and Samurai have a huge following, the Seiko Monster has a much more polarizing crowd.  With the 4th Generation Monster, Seiko has tried to tame the monster, giving us a tighter looking watch. What is a Monster? Seiko has been devoted to making durable, price considerate dive watches for years.  It...