Hodinkee
Breaking News: The Holiest Of Holy Grails, A Steel Patek Phillipe 1518 Has Hit The Market
One of four known examples – and the only one originally sold on bracelet – is now being offered in a private sale via Monaco Legend.
Hodinkee
One of four known examples – and the only one originally sold on bracelet – is now being offered in a private sale via Monaco Legend.
Worn & Wound
Here’s the scenario: you’re on the third floor of a burning building, kitted out in all your firefighter gear, battling the blaze and smoke as you search for survivors. As you fight your way from room to room, the wood floors are buckling beneath your boots, and desperate sirens are blaring outside. In the intense heat, you have no way of knowing how long your equipment will last. Unless that is, you’ve added a Sinn EZM “Mission Timer” 7 to your loadout. Okay, I digress-I have never been in a burning building (knock on wood) and I hope I’ll never have to monitor the degradation of my “gear”, whatever that may mean. But I do have an EZM 7, and it has, surprisingly, come in handy in much more mundane situations than it was meant to be used in. To start at the beginning of my journey with the EZM (acronym derived from the German Einsatzeitmesser, or “operation time meter”), you may need a brief overview of the person writing this. Most of my friends and family would admit to having asked me to fix something on their car or in their home at some point, and to say that I’m into tool-style watches would be a devastating understatement. The more information that can be gleaned from (or tortured out of) a watch, the more likely I am to wear it. The EZM 7, then, is an easy win for me, and clearly my dad thought the same when he gifted me a used model upon the completion of my Master’s degree in Creative Writing in May 2024. Since then, the EZM 7 has ...
Monochrome
Prospex, King Seiko, 5 Sports and, of course, Presage… There are so many different sub-collections within Seiko’s portfolio but it’s rather easy to understand what the Presage collection stands for; elegance and classicism. This statement is even more meaningful when it comes to the Presage Craftsmanship Series, a collection of watches seen as the best […]
Hodinkee
Behind the scenes at one of the world's most unique and comprehensive archives of horology.
Worn & Wound
Imagination is at the heart of any good spy story or thriller, and MKII seems to know that well; with their latest release, the Fulcrum 39, they’ve crafted a watch fit for a speculative undercover mission in the 1970s. A diver-style piece that favors practicality and class over more visually militarized counterparts, the Fulcrum 39 is designed to convey MKII’s “vision of the perfect tool watch”. The Fulcrum 39 is a revised and sized-down successor to MKII’s Fulcrum, originally released in 2013. Aptly named for its discreet 39.50mm case size, the Fulcrum 39 is a watch that could have been made for military and covert ops; MKII has crafted a sort of horological fiction with the watch’s design and heritage. While mainly inspired by timepieces issued to the United States Military in the Vietnam War era, the Fulcrum 39 also tags in elements of more civilian-oriented designs, hence the smaller case size and understated appearance. The idea of a watch with a grounded yet fictional background is unique and lends an air of hushed intrigue to the Fulcrum 39 that helps elevate it from just another dive watch to a very functional gear piece for a theoretical (or real) adventure. With all these stylistic features in mind, the Fulcrum 39 is unmistakably a tool watch. It totes a 120-click unidirectional bezel, available in either 12-hour or 60-minute diver configurations, maximizing its utility as a dive watch-particularly when paired with its 200m water resistance. The b...
Fratello
In the watch industry, people often toss around the term “gray market,” but they don’t always fully understand it. The gray market for watches refers to a network of unofficial sales channels through which sellers trade watches outside of the authorized distribution system. While this market is legal, it operates without the endorsement of the […] Visit The Gray Market For Watches: Understanding The Parallel World Of Watch Trading to read the full article.
Deployant
Citizen launches two new models from their Attesa line with ceramic bezels and packed with the latest Eco-Drive Satellite Wave GPS technology.
Monochrome
If you ask about affordable Japanese mechanical watches, most people will cite Seiko and Citizen as incontestable powerhouses. However, Orient, another Japanese watch brand owned by the Seiko Epson Corporation, is a force to contend with when it comes to value for money. Founded in 1950, Orient is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year with […]
Fratello
Alpina has been on a roll lately. The Swiss watchmaker has been busy updating its collection with some great new models. While most of you will probably know the brand’s sports pieces, we have also seen some great watches inspired by its past, which goes back more than a century. Indeed, Alpina is a brand […] Visit Putting The Spotlight On The Best Modern Alpina Watches to read the full article.
Time+Tide
A statement piece for well-heeled, adventurous lovers.The post Wear your heart on your sleeve this Valentine’s Day with the ArtyA Purity Stairway to Heaven HMS Wavy Ruby appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we stick to Rolex under €8K and pick our favorites. The entire history of the brand is up for grabs as long as the price is right. Enjoy the episode, and tune in to the watch content after approximately 19 minutes. This podcast player […] Visit Fratello On Air: Rolex Under €8K - Our Favorites to read the full article.
Monochrome
Piaget’s luxury sports watch, the Polo, is inspired by the brand’s iconic solid gold 1979 Polo quartz model with horizontal gadroons running across the dial and the integrated bracelet. Revamped from head to toe in 2016 in steel with mechanical movements, the Polo family is represented by complications small and large, from time and date […]
Fratello
We’re just barely a month into 2025, and Piaget is already rolling out the big guns. The new Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase is a modern, sporty piece with movement typically reserved for a dress watch. Because of its exotic nature, this release won’t be for everyone, but it’s always fun to have a look! The […] Visit Introducing: The Piaget Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A refined addition to H. Moser & Cie.’s line of sporty dress watches, the Pioneer Tourbillon Burgundy is distinguished by a more compact 40 mm case. The look is classic Moser with the signature fumé dial adorned with an imperceptible logo in transparent print. More prominent is the flying tourbillon at six o’clock with the trademark Moser carriage of a wide “V” containing double hairsprings for superior chronometry. Initial thoughts The Streamliner remains the most recognisable model in Moser’s lineup, even as the popularity of integrated bracelet sports watches wanes. Meanwhile, the Pioneer is often overlooked by collectors, making it somewhat underrated despite its appeal. Personally, I like the Pioneer for its sporty design, even though it isn’t a traditional sports watch and instead a cross between a sports and dress watch. Departing from its predecessor’s substantial 42.8 mm case, the new model is more wearable. It leans more towards the dress watch side of the spectrum with its smaller case, but still has a 120 m water resistance (and is delivered with a green rubber strap). Priced at CHF59,900, the Pioneer Tourbillon Burgundy is a value proposition in terms of tourbillons from an independent watchmaker. A steel version would be sportier and more affordable, and while that’s not on the cards yet, it is probably on the way given Moser’s track record. Burgundy gradient A standout feature is the fumé dial that’s made up of black and burgundy treat...
Time+Tide
The origins of the California dial may remain a mystery, but what we know for certain is that these are some of the best you can get today.The post 10 of the best California dial watches making the most of the quirky layout appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
We reached the point long ago where even the most dedicated Grand Seiko fans and collectors could be expected to keep up with the many, many different dial textures. Intricate textured dials are, at least as much as their famous Zaratsu polishing technique and fantastic family of movements, the thing that Grand Seiko has become most well known for during these last several years that have seen the brand grow at an extraordinary pace. I know for me personally, it’s all a little overwhelming, and while I love seeing all of the new textures and colors pop in watches as the collection grows, I remain biased toward one in particular that caught my eye at the beginning of my own interest in the brand. The first Grand Seiko I ever owned had a black “Mt. Iwate” textured dial, and for me it’s still the standard by which I judge all of the others against. That Mt. Iwate texture, to me, is just the right balance of eye catching and incredibly subtle – it can’t be detected at every angle, which is one of my favorite things about it. It’s also historically taken something of a backseat to the “Snowflake” and “Birch” textures, so it appeals to my natural tendency to root for the underdog. Given my longstanding appreciation for the Mt. Iwate dial, I was happy to see news of the latest Grand Seiko release, the SLGH027, which brings a tweaked version of the Mt. Iwate texture to the Evolution 9 series of watches. The new texture, which appears to have thicker “ridg...
Hodinkee
The famed menswear show offers a distilled perspective on style and a glimpse of some great watches.
Monochrome
The connection between design studio and watchmaker Porsche Design and the automotive world is… obvious! Not only the company was founded by the man who, in 1964, designed the emblematic Porsche 911 – Mister Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche – but most of its watches are inspired by either cars or elements of the 911. In […]
Worn & Wound
Veteran-owned Prevail strives to redefine what a military-inspired watch can be. With a unique contemporary design language and capable specifications, the young brand is unafraid to chart its own path. The Tampa Bay-based brand donates a portion of its profits to the Heart and Armor Foundation, a charity supporting scientific research and community programs for veterans’ health. The Onward, Prevail’s freshman offering, is the brand’s contemporary update of the classic field watch formula. Housed in a uniquely shaped 42mm matte stainless steel case with 200m of water resistance, it takes the century-old formula and modernizes it for the 21st Century. Underneath the recessed sapphire crystal are three dial colors - standard black, compass green, and shovelhead - with a 12-3-6-9 “Explorer” version and a broad skeleton marker variant called the “Tactical.” With its fixed strap bars, the Onward Future is purpose-built to hold up to any adventure. Inside the Onward is the Ronda Calibre 513, a Swiss-made quartz caliber. It features three hands, one jewel, and hacking with an expected accuracy of -10/+20 seconds per month and a battery life of approximately 45 months. Veteran-owned Prevail strives to redefine what a military-inspired watch can be. With a unique contemporary design language and capable specifications, the young brand is unafraid to chart its own path. The Tampa Bay-based brand donates a portion of its profits to the Heart and Armor Foundation, a ...
Hodinkee
The brand goes back to Mt. Iwate to find inspiration for their new hi-beat automatic release.
Worn & Wound
It isn’t a hot take to say that tool watches tend to be formulaic. Afterall, there are only so many combinations of bezel formats, dial colors and hand styles out there. With new brands borrowing familiar cues and old brands iterating on their own designs, it’s easy to feel underwhelmed by the steady stream of near-identical releases. Oftentimes, I look at a new watch and wish the brand would do something, anything, to put their own spin on even a single component to stand out from the crowd. Well, BOLDR heard my pleas with the newest iteration of their popular Odyssey diver ($799). And they didn’t just put their own spin on one component… they spun them all. After I unboxed the sky-blue “Horizon” variant, I spent a solid 10 minutes rolling it around in my hands, taking in all the unexpected details. I noticed the funky gear-shaped crown, the translucent dial that reveals the entire date wheel, the unique dual-stripe hands, a shaped date window, and the seemingly never ending cascading angles that make up the aggressive case shape. Just when I thought I’d taken it all in, I turned the watch over to be surprised by an embossed whale on a display caseback. We will get to all those details (including the whale) soon, but first, let’s cover the basics of this far-from-formulaic GMT. The Watch The bold watch with blue accents that kept surprising me is part of BOLDR’s expanded Odyssey collection. Differentiating itself from their more subdued offerings, the ...
Time+Tide
RZE launches a new sibling brand, Vostra, with an ultra-affordable and colourful mechaquartz chronograph inspired by motorsports.The post RZE founder launches new ultra-affordable microbrand Vostra with the racing-ready Vector appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We requested for samples to be sent to us as loaners for review. Here are our thoughts after spending two weeks with the watches.
Monochrome
Models come and go from brands’ portfolios. There’s nothing extraordinary in this, it’s just standard practice and lifecycle management. Rolex, for example, did it last year with the Yacht-Master II Regatta Chronograph (not necessarily a bad idea…) Patek Philippe is no stranger to this concept, as we’ve seen in the past – basically every year, […]
Hodinkee
With an Ice Race-inspired polar white dial, the latest F.A.T. edition from Porsche Design has a truly glowing personality.
Revolution
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko’s latest release, the Evolution 9 Hi-Beat 36000 SLGH027 Limited Edition, is all about the textured dial as is typical of the brand. Inspired by the ridges of Mount Iwate, a volcano that’s near Grand Seiko’s Shizukuishi workshop, the radial dial motif is more deeply textured than earlier iterations of the “Mount Iwate” pattern. The rest of the watch is typical of the Evolution 9 “SLGH” model – a high-frequency automatic movement inside a Zaratsu-finish case in from Ever-Brilliant steel, a proprietary alloy with superior corrosion resistance and a brighter finish than conventional steel. Initial thoughts Of the many Grand Seiko dials, the new Mount Iwate motif stands out. While the latest dial shares the same radial style as the earlier “Mount Iwate” pattern, found on the Tentagraph SLGC001 amongst others, the dial of the SLGH027 has a deeper texture and more pronounced grooves, giving it an elevated aesthetic that is more striking. With so many variants, Grand Seiko’s textured dials are a little cliche at this point, but there is no denying that the watches are still impressively crafted and offer strong value, rivalling the strongest Swiss competition (except in terms of the bracelet). At US$10,500, the SLGH027 is priced similarly to equivalent prior models. While it is substantially more expensive than the average time-and-date Grand Seiko, the price is justified by the top-of-the-line cal. 9SA5, as well as the excellent case and dial wor...
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