Menswear legend Todd Snyder debuts watches with epic American collab

Bringing watchmaking to America

By Mark D McKee Published October 10, 2024

Weiss Watch and Todd Snyder — Todd Snyder

Todd Snyder is the master of the man’s makeover. With ties to brands like Ralph Lauren, The Gap, and J. Crew, he had a long history in the industry before he founded his own brand in 2011. Never one to buy into the high fashion looks of the runway, he instead focuses on finding ways to make you and I look and feel better about ourselves simply by selling us the right chinos, the right body wash, and even the right scrambled eggs in the cafe of his flagship store near Madison Square Park in New York. With that history, he has countless collaborations with virtually every brand you can think of, and he has added another to his list with Weiss Watch Company, which looks to disrupt the Swiss watch industry by bringing watchmaking to the USA.

“I always seek to partner with the best of the best. Weiss Watch Company shares the same dedication to quality, craft, and timeless design that we champion in our menswear. Together, we’ve created a watch that not only embodies classic American craftsmanship but also speaks to modern style and utility. It’s a piece that’s made to last—both in durability and in style.” says Snyder.

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Combining American classics

Weiss Watch and Todd Snyder — Todd Snyder

Cameron Weiss, founder of Weiss Watch Company, trained in classic Swiss watchmaking before bringing his skills back to the heartland where each of these sixty limited edition watches were designed and built by hand by artisans and masters of their craft. There are two possible colorways, Sand Storm and Forest Ranger.

“Collaborating with Todd Snyder has been an incredible journey, blending the heritage of independent American watchmaking with a modern, sartorial sensibility. Each timepiece we’ve created is a testament to the precision, craftsmanship, and timeless design that both of our brands stand for. We’re proud to offer a timepiece that’s not only functional but also embodies the spirit of American quality and style,” says Cameron Weiss.

Contributor

Mark is a full-time freelance writer and men's coach. He spent time as a style consultant and bespoke suit salesman before…

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Watches

Fashion & Style

anOrdain launches handcrafted porcelain watches

From fire to clay: anOrdain's porcelain revolution brings accessible artistry

anOrdain launches handcrafted porcelain watches

AnOrdain, a Glasgow-based company, built a loyal following—it made excellent hand-enameled watch dials and offered clear customer service. The Scottish maker then moved into a new material: porcelain. The company introduced its Model 2 Porcelain collection after three years of focused study. This collection gives customers a way to experience anOrdain's handmade dial art.
Work with porcelain began in 2022. At that time, anOrdain saw a need to broaden its selection. The company also wanted to keep its standards for handmade products high. Instead of buying porcelain dials from others, the company chose to learn this old art itself. AnOrdain's team spent three years with master potters from Stoke-on-Trent—a town known as a center for English pottery—learning how to make watch dials from English clay.
Making porcelain dials requires different methods than working with enamel. AnOrdain’s well-known grand feu enamel dials use glass powder on metal discs, which are baked at 840°C. But the new porcelain dials use English clay. Workers paint them with glass-like coatings and fire them at much higher temperatures, up to 1300°C. To achieve the black finish seen in the collection, the company experimented with many glaze mixtures, finally using a high amount of iron oxide.
After this hot firing, each dial shows slight differences. Small dips and dots appear as a sign of the handmade process. AnOrdain says these natural variations mean no two porcelain dials look the same. This celebrates the human touch in making fine watches.
The Model 2 Porcelain keeps the well-liked size and look of anOrdain’s enamel collection, but with some updates. The 39.5mm steel case holds the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement, which performs well. The hands have been significantly improved. White glowing material now fills loops that were previously empty, finished with fine gold frames. The seconds hand is more striking, with a bright red outer coat and a white tip.
Production capacity is small—anOrdain can finish about 30 pieces each month. The price is $2,440, which is $750 less than the enamel versions, even though they use the same cases and movements. The current wait time is six months, and customers can buy only one watch each. The Model 2 Porcelain shows anOrdain's commitment to preserving traditional crafts in modern watchmaking. It also offers affordable luxury through transparent dealings with customers.

Fashion & Style

Breitling honors Scott Carpenter with platinum watch

Orbital legacy: Breitling's platinum tribute to space exploration pioneer

Breitling scott carpenter platinum watch

Sixty-three years after Scott Carpenter circled Earth, a custom Breitling Navitimer sat on his wrist. The Swiss maker now honors him with a platinum watch, which has a limited run. The Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Scott Carpenter Centenary observes the American pilot's 100th birthday—it also recalls the story of the first Swiss watch to leave Earth's air.

On May 24, 1962, Carpenter became the second American to circle Earth. He flew as part of NASA's Mercury-Atlas 7 mission. A special Navitimer was on his wrist. Breitling altered it for space travel. The work began with a personal letter from Carpenter—he requested specific changes. He wanted a wider bezel for gloved hands and a stretch metal band for his space suit. Most notably, he asked for a 24-hour dial. In orbit, sunrise and sunset happen every 90 minutes. A regular 12-hour display does not show time well there.

Fashion & Style

Watch straps: What are the rules and when can you break them?

Watch straps can be a lot more complex than you expect

Man with watch and brown strap

Watch straps can be an affordable way to expand a smaller watch collection. A good quality strap can be found for under $20, and will give a timepiece a completely different look. For example, I have a brown leather strap on the vintage Oyster Perpetual I use as a daily driver, but a quick switch to a black strap makes it look like a completely different timepiece.

However, there are some rules regarding your watch’s wrist strap. Breaking said rules can make using the watch tricky and could leave you looking a little silly in some circumstances. Don’t worry, though—it’s all pretty simple. Here’s a handy guide that should get you through the basics.
The short side of the strap points north