Bestowed with a seemingly endless power reserve, the watch industry continues to tick on. Naturally, we’re back with the August edition of In The Loupe, our monthly watch news series detailing all the latest and greatest—not to mention some downright bizarre—releases and happenings in the watch world.
August 2026 watch news
Welcome back to In The Loupe, our monthly watch news series covering everything you need to know happening in the watch industry. Wind down and get wound up below.
Grand Seiko refines its Evolution 9 collection
- Grand Seiko has released the latest evolution of its Evolution 9 collection, with nine new references joining the lineup
- The new models comprise five references with a 9R Spring Drive movement and four with a 9S mechanical movement
- The Spring Drive U.F.A. Calibre 9RB2 is notable for its accuracy, with a variation of just +/- 20 seconds a year
- Among the 9S highlights are a blue Lake Suwa dial in a 37mm or 40mm stainless steel case, a black Lake Suwa dial paired with a titanium case and bracelet, and a textured ice blue dial inspired by the Genbi Valley; while the 9R models include a white birch forest dial
Explore Evolution 9 via Grand Seiko.
Steel yourself; the Franck Muller Vanguard Damascus Steel draws inspiration from Samurai swords
- Inspired by the ancient craftsmanship behind Samurai swords, Franck Muller has released its Vanguard Damascus line, named after the new alloy of the same name
- The duo of new watches are crafted from austenitic, non-magnetic stainless steel, which is shock- and corrosion-resistant. Produced in-house, the material undergoes an acid bath treatment which brings out layered patterns on the surface of the case and dial
- The Vanguard Damascus line spans a three-hand model and the skeletonised Vanguard Damascus Racing
- The former is our pick of the two; housed within a 52.7mm x 42.5mm tonneau-shaped Damascus steel case with a Damascus steel dial topped with brass applique numerals
- It’s powered by the calibre MVT FM 800-DT, an automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve
Price: $POA
Availability: SEA exclusive
Model: Vanguard Damascus (ref. SC DT DAMAS (NR))
Case size: 52.7mm x 42.5mm
Movement: MVT FM 800-DT (automatic)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power reserve: 42 hours
Explore Vanguard Damascus via Franck Muller.
Words by Theo Rosen and Henry Blake
