WristBuzz
10 Best Alternatives to the Rolex GMT-Master II
Tudor BB GMT Pepsi, BB Pro, Grand Seiko SBGM221, Longines Spirit Zulu, Mido Ocean Star GMT. Ten alternatives to the GMT waitlist.
WristBuzz
Tudor BB GMT Pepsi, BB Pro, Grand Seiko SBGM221, Longines Spirit Zulu, Mido Ocean Star GMT. Ten alternatives to the GMT waitlist.
SJX Watches
As Swiss watchmakers prepare for their summer holidays, episode 48 of the SJX Podcast rounds up some of the best summer-ready watches released in the first half of 2026, spanning nearly every price category. Affordable highlights include colourful and practical options from Kollokium, Baltic, and Seiko, while the higher-priced selections range from Tudor and Hermès to Grand Seiko, Vacheron Constantin, and Laurent Ferrier. At the very top, the Greubel Forsey Balancier 3 faces off against a unique quartet of gem-set Rolex Daytonas. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
WatchAdvice
I took one of TAG Heuer’s most vibrant Formula 1 Solargraph editions out for a test drive to see whether its playful design is backed by everyday practicality. What We Love: Vibrant Pastel Blue feels refreshing and full of character Recaptures the playful spirit of the original Formula 1 Lightweight wearability and Solargraph practicality suit the fun aesthetic. What We Don’t: AUD $2,950 feels steep for a quartz TH-Polylight watch. The monochromatic design may be too niche for some. Limited strap options restrict its overall versatility. Overall Rating: 8.3/10 Value for Money: 8.3/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 8.0/10 Few watches in TAG Heuer’s catalogue like to have fun quite like the Formula 1 Solargraphs. Originally introduced in 1986, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 editions represented a new beginning for the recently formed brand, bringing together colourful designs, lightweight construction, reliable quartz movements and an accessible price point. Original 1986 TAG Heuer Formula 1. Image reference: Magazine.Tagheuer.com The first Formula 1 editions arrived during a period when colourful quartz watches were trending, helping to reinvigorate the Swiss watch industry after the Quartz Crisis. TAG Heuer looked to join in on the fun and responded with something lightweight, accessible and closely connected to the brand’s history and heritage in motorsport. The vibrant colours and composite construction of the watches separated them from tradition...
SJX Watches
The pendule à trois roues — three-wheel pendulum [clock] — was Abraham-Louis Breguet’s radical answer to a fundamental horological question: how much could a clock be reduced without sacrificing precision? On the February 3, 1788, A-L Breguet walked into the Académie Royale des Sciences on the rue Saint-Jacques and deposited a sealed envelope. A clerk assigned it the number 267. He told no one what was inside. The practice of the pli cacheté was well established in French scientific culture. An inventor who deposited a sealed description with the Académie secured a dated record of priority without surrendering the technical details to competitors. Breguet used it rarely, and this was the only time he used it for a clock. The envelope sat in the Académie’s archives through the Revolution, the Empire, the Restoration, the July Monarchy, and two more republics. It was still there nearly a century later, on December 5, 1881, when Louis Breguet, the founder’s grandson, asked for it to be opened. Inside was a description of a clock movement built around three wheels. By that point, the pendule à trois roues had been made in fewer than a dozen examples over roughly 23 years and had passed largely out of active horological discussion. The unsealing was a formality. The clocks themselves had already made their own argument, revealing another side A-L Breguet’s genius as an inventor. The idea and its ancestry The intellectual territory Breguet was entering in 1787 ...
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WatchRider
Casio has expanded its Oceanus Retro Tone Collection with two Japan-only limited editions for August 2026: the Manta S400 OCW-S400RL-8AJR and Classic Line OCW-T2600RL-3AJR. Both use lightweight titanium cases, solar power, radio-controlled timekeeping and Tochigi leather straps. The idea is simple: modern Casio technology presented with warmer colours and a more traditional character. The Casio Oceanus Retro Tone Collection pairs the green T2600 with the grey Manta S400. Image: Casio. A Softer Retro Tone Look Both watches use half-matte gradient dials that change gently from the centre to the outer edge. Casio creates the effect through a silver layer, colour coating and printed gradient pattern while keeping the dial transparent enough for solar charging. Straight hands and solid bar markers keep the displays clean. The vegetable-tanned cowhide straps come from Tochigi Leather, a Japanese maker founded in 1937 and should soften and develop a darker colour with use. The Lighter Manta S400 Casio Oceanus Manta S400 OCW-S400RL-8AJR with its grey gradient dial and rose-gold-coloured sapphire bezel. Image: Casio. The OCW-S400RL-8AJR is the smaller and more expensive model. Its titanium case measures 46.5 mm long, 41.3 mm wide and only 9.2 mm thick. Without a bracelet, the watch weighs just 38 grams. A frosted sapphire bezel ring carries world-time city codes and receives rose-gold ion plating. The dial is grey, giving the warm bezel and brown leather strap plenty of room to sta...
Fratello
Today, we take a look at a surprising release. While Snoopy has been featured on watches ranging from Timex to Omega, I can’t say that I was expecting the character to arrive on an RGM. However, the small Pennsylvania-based brand now joins the club with a unique take on the Peanuts character. As the company […] Visit Up, Up, And Away With The RGM Model 151 Snoopy Flying Ace to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Papar Watch Co is an exciting, husband-and-wife-led brand from Mexico, and its watches feature some of the boldest, unique details out there
Deployant
Ulysse Nardin reimagined their Blast Moonstruc in a new black DLC titanium and rose gold. The movement remains unchanged from the 2009 release.
Monochrome
Are you wearing a health-tracking device like a Woop, a Hume band, or an Oura ring? I am, and I’m not too happy with that strap with a health tracker on my right-hand wrist; hence, I chose a ring. However, XBAND has a solution with a health tracker tucked into the clasp of a rubber […]
WatchRider
Casio has officially added two fresh colours to its connected ABL-100 Vintage line. The ABL-100WE-2A arrives with a dark-blue dial surround, while the ABL-100WE-7A takes the quieter route in grey. Casio’s European pages label the pair as August 2026 releases, and both are already available through the brand’s Spanish online shop. The important point is that the colours are new; the watch and its technology are familiar. New Colours, Familiar Hardware The dark-blue ABL-100WE-2A brings a little more contrast around the positive LCD display, but it remains restrained rather than loud. The grey ABL-100WE-7A blends more closely with the silver-tone case and bracelet. Neither version is trying to reinvent Casio’s rectangular digital formula. They simply make the connected ABL-100 easier to match with different clothes, which is often all a good colour update needs to do. The ABL-100WE-2A introduces a dark-blue dial surround. Image: Casio. The chrome-plated resin case measures 41.6 mm long, 37.9 mm wide and only 8.2 mm thick. Weight is 60 grams, including the stainless-steel multi-row bracelet and adjustable clasp. A resin crystal covers the display. Those compact proportions should sit easily on my 6.5-inch wrist, although I have not handled either watch. Casio describes the model simply as water resistant, without advertising a swimming depth, so this is one retro accessory I would not volunteer for pool duty. A Step Counter Wearing Vintage Clothes An accelerometer record...
Monochrome
Compact and elegant watches can be timeless for a reason. It’s almost always a case of less is more, or offering something uniquely creative without overdoing it. Naturally, most people’s first thought will go to icons such as the Cartier Tank or the Patek Philippe Calatrava. Still, with the recent resurgence in the popularity of dress […]
Fratello
In the dim light at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland and among the glamorous early motor cars and remarkable early aircraft, there is a small and humble Smiths dash clock. Its black dial and white numerals emphasize legibility. The dash clock was a compact, precise instrument born of the early 20th […] Visit How A Smiths Dash Clock Helped A Pioneering Pilot Traverse The World to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Over the past seven days, we’ve seen subtle updates to popular collections, such as the Baltic Aquascaphe, alongside limited editions created with fellow watch publication Hodinkee and collaborations that revive traditional crafts. Ming, in particular, successfully brings the old and the new together. There is plenty more on the menu, with several successful collaborations that … Continued
Fratello
On this summery Sunday morning, we dive into a Swatch Group battle. This week, we picked two dive watches from popular Swatch Group brands to determine which you prefer. Daan will back the revamped Khaki Navy Scuba Auto that Hamilton unveiled recently. The brand updated the dial design with new indexes and a wave pattern […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba Auto Vs. Mido Ocean Star 200 to read the full article.
WatchRider
Timex has given the Deepwater Meridian 200 a new job. The 42mm diver-style watch is now an automatic GMT, with a fourth hand and a bidirectional 24-hour ceramic bezel instead of a conventional elapsed-time scale. The colour references are black TW2Y63900, blue TW2Y64000 and green TW2Y64100. Black is the most restrained choice, blue has a cooler nautical character, and green brings the most personality without turning the watch into a novelty. Each version pairs its dial with a coordinating bezel, so the colour feels deliberate rather than decorative. Announced on 31 July 2026, this is genuinely new rather than a model that has quietly lived on retailers’ shelves for months. The personality is familiar, but the specification changes are enough to make this more than a new colourway. Black TW2Y63900. Image: Timex. Blue TW2Y64000. Image: Timex. Green TW2Y64100. Image: Timex. A diver for someone who avoids deep water I am afraid of deep water but rather fond of diver-style watches, which is a little like loving hiking while avoiding cliffs. I like their neat engineering, their tough appearance, and the fact that I can admire a 200-metre rating without personally testing it anywhere below the shallow end. Timex specifies 200 metres of water resistance, a screw-down crown, screw-on case back and a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. The black dial has luminous hands and markers, a magnified date, and a red GMT hand. The steel case is 42mm across, 14.5mm thick and 48...
WristBuzz
It looks like nothing else on the wrist. Crown at 9, a red locking bezel button, a case shape that has divided opinion for 55 years. Here is the history, the current model, and the honest question of whether the Ploprof is a Ploprof for you or a very expensive nope. The Omega Ploprof explained: French for professional diver, 1970 for Comex, 55mm case, crown at 9. History, specs, and whether you actually want one.
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On this channel, we review watches that are available for purchase on TeddyBaldassarre.com
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WatchRider
In my opinion, panda watches are probably the most beautiful and classic watch designs ever made, which explains why I own around ten of them. In this article, we are looking at two models from Casio that I own: the Edifice EFB-730D-7AV on a stainless steel bracelet, that has a clean silver dial with black subdials, and the Edifice EFB-730L-7AV on a brown leather strap, but with a more vintage off-white dial and orange accents. And to make this even more interesting I will compare them with my Tudor Black Bay Chrono Panda M79360N-0002. In the following sections, I will cover what I like, what I do not like, or rather what I would like to see in future versions, whether these watches feel premium, and two questions you probably have in mind: why I own both and whether I am going to sell them. Panda Design, Case Size and Comfort The panda dial is clearly the main attraction, but what makes these Casio models stand out from the many affordable panda chronographs is the shape of the case. Instead of using the familiar round design seen on watches such as the Tudor Black Bay Chrono, the EFB-730 has a tonneau shape that immediately reminded me of the legendary Zenith El Primero A384. Introduced in 1969, the A384 combined a distinctive tonneau-shaped case (often referred to as a barrel shape) with a white dial, three black chronograph counters and a date window positioned between four and five o’clock. The modern A384 Revival faithfully recreates that design with a 37 mm tonnea...
Monochrome
Early 16th-century watches were fragile by today’s standards, to say the least. These mechanical curiosities for the mega-wealthy could sustain catastrophic damage from a single drop or hard knock, and accuracy was off by hours per day. Shock resistance was on the back burner at the time as improving accuracy and reliability were paramount, along […]
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Resident Evil Trailer After the success of his last two horror films, director Zach Cregger is bringing his talents to the Resident Evil franchise. Released this week, the new trailer shows Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier sent toward Raccoon City just as the T-virus outbreak begins to unfold. Given the originality of both Barbarian and Weapons, I’m curious to see how Cregger balances the source material with something wholly his own. To keep to Cregger’s talents, this might explain why Resident Evil isn’t a direct retelling of the video game, but instead an in-universe story that takes place alongside the events of Resident Evil 2. While I’m going in fairly blind for this one, I do have one hope: that Aunt Gladys has a brief cameo. The film is set to hit theaters September 18. Predicting the Weather When I was younger, I used to be obsessed with the idea of divining rods. This was mostly due to my deep conviction that I was a wizard after reading Harry Potter one summer, and because I had undiagnosed ADHD at the time. The apple tree in my backyard, which served as my wand supply, was just a bonus. In a sense, you could say I was way ahead of my time...
Time+Tide
The latest Cartier Santos de Cartier Chronograph drops down from XL sizing to Cartier's large size for more refined proportions.
Fratello
There is a very specific kind of watch that changed how I think about this hobby. This watch was not particularly expensive, and it was not Swiss. It did not come in a velvet-lined box or carry a story about a master watchmaker in some atelier within a Swiss valley. It came in a cardboard […] Visit The Caravelle Sea Hunter Vs. The Seiko SKX And SRPE93 “Turtle” to read the full article.
Monochrome
The humble Ford Escort spanned six generations from its debut in 1964 to its end in 2004, with over 4 million cars built during those years. The small family car was Britain’s best-selling car for many years and proved to be one of the industry’s most enduring machines, thanks in part to the efforts of […]
WristBuzz
Entry-luxury rectangular dress: quartz Tank Must at €3,400 vs manual-wind Reverso Classic at €8,800. Two icons at the same wrist position.
Fratello
Summer is here, so many Europeans are starting to explore their beloved lands. Maybe that’s why Seiko drew inspiration from the beautiful Lake Hallstatt in Austria for its newest European-exclusive limited edition. The new Prospex HBC010’s deep green dial reflects the calm water and surrounding nature of Hallstätter See, enhanced by a sunray finish that […] Visit Seiko’s Prospex HBC010 European Limited Edition Looks Like A Postcard From Austria to read the full article.
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