Two Broke Watch Snobs
Best Starter Watches Under $250: Hands-On Reviewed Picks
These are the best starter watches under $250 we’ve reviewed hands-on, chosen for real-world wear, comfort, accuracy, durability, and long-term value.
Results for The Quartz Astron Launch
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
Time+Tide
Chopard’s latest Alpine Eagle XPS 41 has a subtle ‘Mountain Glow’ champagne dial
The new Chopard Alpine Eagle XPS 41 may seem tamer at first glance, but its 'Mountain Glow' champagne dial has subtle intrigue to discover.
Fratello
Sunday Morning Showdown: Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Vs. Rolex Yacht-Master 42 In Titanium
Grand Seiko surprised friend and foe at Watches and Wonders when the brand released a smaller, more accurate dive watch at a lower price than its predecessor. The Ushio 300 diver, naturally, was met with applause. So, for this week’s showdown, we thought we’d stack it up against a watch so popular that it is […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Vs. Rolex Yacht-Master 42 In Titanium to read the full article.
Time+Tide
New releases from Ming, Oris, Moser and more
With the release of the Swatch x AP collaboration this week, the other novelties of the week have probably passed under the radar. We’re here to give them the light they deserve, and speaking about light, I’ll start with Ming, which uses two polarised filters as hands to have an ever-changing dial appearance. Oris remoderns … Continued
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko Turtle vs Citizen NY0040 vs Orient Kamasu: Which Affordable Dive Watch Wins?
After reviewing the Seiko Turtle, Citizen NY0040, and Orient Kamasu, we compare which affordable dive watch has the best mix of character, value, and staying power.
Video
My 2023 EDC: Favorite Watches, Best Custom Jewelry, Knives, Cartier Santos Belt, Wallets & More
Time+Tide
Kevin O’Leary vs. Andrew McUtchen: $10,000 watch buying challenge at Time+Tide NYC
What happens when Kevin O'Leary walks into the Time+Tide NYC Discovery Studio with $10K and an opinion about everything?
SJX Watches
Hands On: A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Honeygold
A. Lange & Söhne has been a sponsor of the Concorso de Eleganza Villa d’Este for 15 years now, but this year marks the first time a limited edition is debuting at the event: the Cabaret Tourbillon Honeygold. Staged annually on the shores of Lake Como, the classic car show has historically awarded a unique Lange watch to the “Best of Show” winner. This year’s winner will once again receive a watch with an engraved hunter case back, but for everyone these there is the new Cabaret Tourbillon, a limited edition of 50 pieces that is the most appealing iteration of Lange’s most unusual, and least popular, wristwatch with a tourbillon. Initial thoughts The Cabaret Tourbillon is probably the least popular Lange tourbillon due to its shape and size; the original version was also relatively plain in terms of appearance. The new limited edition, however, looks and feels entirely different. Thought the dimensions are the same, it looks like a whole new watch with the Honeygold dial. The relief elements on the frosted surface give the dial a subtle depth, while the colour contrasts well with the case. Though this is not a Handwerkskunst edition, the dial gives it a special something. Ordinarily, a modest cosmetic makeover like this would be uninteresting, but here the gentle redesign elevates a watch that previously felt a little flat into something more inspired. I only wish Lange had given the movement a little extra decoration to set it apart from the standard calibre. As...
Deployant
New: A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Honeygold
A. Lange & Söhne releases another version of their Cabaret Tourbillon, this time in honey gold. This is the 18th Lange watch in honey gold.
Worn & Wound
A Fistful of Jade: Windup in a Bay 2026 with Marathon & Prometheus Design Werx
There are few places on earth that feel as mythologized and untamed as California’s Big Sur coastline. The cliffs seem too steep, the Pacific too violent, and the roads too beautiful to be entirely real. It’s the sort of place that attracts a particular kind of person, someone who sees adventure not as spectacle, but as a pursuit. For Windup in a Bay 2026, that pursuit led to Jade Cove. What began years ago as a loose gathering of watch enthusiasts and divers has quietly evolved into one of the most distinctive traditions orbiting the Windup Watch Fair. This year’s expedition, organized with support from Marathon Watch Company and Prometheus Design Werx, brought together divers, military veterans, writers, firefighters, instructors, photographers, and gear obsessives for a weekend that became less about the treasure hunt that it began as, and more about rediscovering why people chase experiences like this in the first place. Windup in a Jade Cove The origins of the “Windup in a ____” concept were humble. When Windup first came to Chicago in 2022, a small group of enthusiasts who had connected online through watches, diving, and social media decided it would be more meaningful to actually spend time together outside the convention hall. What started as an informal Lake Michigan dive jokingly called “Windup in a Lake” gradually evolved into something larger, eventually becoming a recurring series of adventure-focused gatherings tied loosely to Windup events aro...
Hodinkee
Bring a Loupe: A Patek Beta 21, A Movado Cronoplan, A Hamilton 6B 'Mark XI,' and a Zenith Time Command
Scorekeeping last week: the only watch of the four highlighted to have sold is that bonkers purple-dialed Sub from Tropical Watch; the Patek 3970, the Omega 145.022BA, and the Movado Polyplan all remain available. Deep breaths, everyone: another week's on the books. Auction season's in full swing, and there are wild results all over the place, but let's take a little breather here, together, and look at less dizzyingly priced goodies. Strays Perhaps you've found yourself of late—coincidentally!—more curious than usual about pocket watches. While Mark's the Official Pocket Watch Tsar, I've always liked them, and fight the urge most weeks to include any here. No more! This week, there's this extraordinary, anonymous jump-hour pocket watch that is almost unfairly beautiful for being 200 years old. If that doesn't float your boat, you have the relatively uncommon opportunity to nab a Thomas Engel Tourbillon (if the name Thomas Engel doesn't register, gird your ego before digging in—compared with Professor Engel, we're all pathetic underachievers). It doesn't seem reasonable that any of us should be able to purchase a gold Breguet pocket watch with hour and quarter repeater from 1795—insert Harrison Ford growling "It belongs in a museum!"—and yet you can do just that right here. If, however, you wish to remain yoked to the tyranny of telling time on your wrist, here's a Speedmaster Racing Dial which, yes, isn't exactly in showroom condition, but they're uncommon eno...
Video
Watch Dealer’s Honest Market Update - Rolex Prices & Predictions - January 2023
Deployant
TGIFriday: More great wines drank in Geneva recently
Last month's Watches & Wonders and our trip to Burgundy saw us drinking lots of wines. So what's new? Here are some of the highlights.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Affordable Rolex GMT-Master II Alternatives Showdown: Imperial vs Vaer
Compare the Vaer G2 Meridian GMT and Imperial Oceanguard GMT as affordable Rolex GMT-Master II alternatives, with hands-on notes on wearability, movements, value, and daily use.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Marco Lang Seven Spheres
German independent watchmaker Marco Lang launched the Seven Spheres, the first multi-axis tourbillon wristwatch from Germany, and one of the few made with traditional materials and techniques. While the rotational speed is necessarily gradual, the central position of the massive seven-axis regulator affords a good view of the fine Saxon finishing from all sides. Initial thoughts Multi-axis tourbillons tend to be the domain of industrial brands, or independents that rely on industrial suppliers. It’s also a genre that’s overwhelmingly Swiss — Thomas Prescher is German, but produced his pioneering multi-axis tourbillons in Switzerland. In this context, the Seven Spheres is a departure from the norm in several respects. It’s Marco Lang’s first tourbillon since branching out on his own in 2019, and it’s the first multi-axis tourbillon made in Saxony. Without historical precedent to contend with, Mr Lang has produced something quite unlike any other German watch — a central, multi-axis tourbillon suspended within a donut-shaped movement. Despite its artisanal quality and low-volume production, the Seven Spheres costs no more than an equivalent from a big brand. It’s counterintuitive to suggest that a wristwatch that costs a quarter-million Euros is a good value, but on a comparative basis the pricing makes sense. Seven spheres, front and back Marco Lang cites the work of both Ptolemy and Carl Sagan as inspiration for the Seven Spheres’ architecture. The seven ...
Worn & Wound
Bringing Hands-On Watchmaking to Windup Watch Fair San Francisco 2026 with DIY Watch Club
One of the most memorable additions to Windup Watch Fair San Francisco 2026 wasn’t a new release, a panel discussion, or even a brand activation. It was the twist of tiny screwdrivers, movements clicking into place, and attendees experiencing the satisfaction of building a mechanical watch with their own hands. For the first time ever at a Windup Watch Fair, DIY Watch Club hosted live watchmaking workshops throughout the weekend, giving attendees the opportunity to assemble their own watches from the ground up right on-site at Fort Mason’s Gateway Pavilion. Led by DIY Watch Club founder Quinn Lai and his partner Rebecca Lai, the classes quickly became one of the Fair’s most talked-about experiences, drawing everyone from seasoned enthusiasts curious about the mechanics behind their collections to total newcomers looking for a deeper connection to watchmaking. Each workshop guided participants step-by-step through the process of assembling a functioning mechanical watch, including casing the movement, setting the hands, and completing the final assembly. Participants each built one of DIY’s White Dial Stainless Steel GMT, giving them not only a hands-on introduction to watchmaking, but also a genuinely wearable travel-ready mechanical watch to take home at the end of the session. While some attendees arrived slightly intimidated by the process, the atmosphere in the workshop area quickly became collaborative, energetic, and surprisingly relaxed as participants reali...
Monochrome
Hands-on – A. Lange & Söhne’s Brilliant 1815 Tourbillon In Platinum, Up-Close
Ever since its release, A. Lange & Söhne’s superb 1815 Tourbillon is a genuine horological heavyweight. While it might not have the complexity of the Tourbograph or the Triple Split, it certainly carries its weight, and not just by material. This latest edition is refined, elegant, technically impressive and aesthetically beyond words. Dressed in all […]
Video
Don't Own A Watch Without Watching This! Before It's Too Late, 9 Signs Your Watch Needs Service
Hodinkee
This Platform Aims To Combat Counterfeiting By Giving Your Watch Its Own DNA Sequence
Year over year, it's becoming increasingly important for luxury brands to back their products with traceability for precious materials like gold and gemstones, both for regulatory and compliance bodies and for conscious consumers. Traceability has become a greater concern with the rise of counterfeiting and the growing demand for transparency in ethical material sourcing. We have seen several watch and jewelry brands taking matters into their own hands by establishing their own traceability programs, from Rolex to Breitling, as well as the entire LVMH group. Here, many brands are relying on the expansion of blockchain technology to create digital passports for their wares. However, one company is taking things even deeper to a forensic level. In 2016, Haelixa started with a mission to streamline traceability within supply chains by developing a patented DNA-based technology to verify product origin and authenticity. "The first application of our DNA markers started at the supply chain level with raw materials," explains Klemens Link, Haelixa's Director of Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Protection. "We began with textiles but have since expanded into precious metals as well as gemstones. We can apply our DNA-based nanoparticles to rough stones directly at the mine or to rough gold directly at the refinery." On the other end of the spectrum, Haelixa can also implement its technology beyond raw materials and directly to finished goods. "Here, the value proposition is different...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Marathon’s New Military Watch Celebrates America’s 250th With a Blacked-Out Automatic
The Marathon Navigator U.S. 250 pairs a Sellita automatic movement with an ion-plated stainless steel case and patriotic details throughout.
Teddy Baldassarre Videos
AP x Swatch Royal Pop: Everything You Need To Know
The hotly anticipated Swatch x AP collaboration has been revealed. Watch the video for all the details, we'll break down everything you need to know about the latest collectible collaboration.
Deployant
New: Urwerk UR-10 Spacemeter Blue Final Edition
Urwerk releases the final version of their extraordinary UR-10 Spacemaster, now with a blue dial in the same titanium/steel case and bracelet.
Fratello
Fratello Talks: There Are No Tool Watches Above €500
Mechanical watches were once essential tools for pilots, divers, scientists, race car drivers, etc. You’ve probably seen the advertisements in old National Geographic magazines, showing spelunkers proudly wearing their Rolex Explorers or a pilot checking his Breitling Navitimer, using it to calculate fuel consumption. For many years (decades) now, this has been handled digitally, as […] Visit Fratello Talks: There Are No Tool Watches Above €500 to read the full article.
Video
Why I'm Done With Rolex & My 2023 Watch Collecting Goals + Accutron Legacy Unboxing In NYC
SJX Watches
Hands On: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time “Cardinal Points”
The Vacheron Constantin (VC) Overseas Dual Time “Cardinal Points” was one of the most talked about releases of Watches & Wonders — despite being a somewhat predictable, incremental upgrade to an existing model. The response is indicative of strong product/market fit and the transformative power of colour and texture. Initial thoughts By all accounts, the Overseas Ultra-Thin ref. 2500V should have been the talk of the VC booth at Watches & Wonders. The copper-dialled platinum edition recalls one of the most sought-after models in the Overseas canon, and introduced a new micro-rotor movement that feels destined to be a big part of the brand’s movement strategy going forward. But it was the Overseas Dual Time that seemed to get people talking, despite its predictability and the fact that it’s a much more incremental update to an existing model. In my view, there are three reasons for this. First and foremost, it’s a perfectly targeted product, aimed at a well of unmet demand that has been simmering since the the titanium Dual Time was first teased seven years ago. The high/low contrast between the industrial-haute horlogerie build quality and the sporty aesthetic is inherently appealing. In some ways it feels like the perfect watch for locales like Sun Valley or Davos — the dual-time functionality is purpose-built for vacations (and economic forums) and the colours and textures will pair well with Mammut or Patagonia. Second, all four editions — named for the ...
Worn & Wound
Windup Watch Fair San Francisco 2026 Recap: Our Biggest Bay Area Weekend Yet
If there was any doubt that Windup Watch Fair San Francisco had evolved into something far bigger than a traditional watch show, this past weekend erased it completely. Over three unforgettable days at Fort Mason’s Gateway Pavilion, over 7,000 enthusiasts, collectors, first-timers, industry veterans, and curious passersby packed the waterfront for what became our most ambitious and experiential Windup San Francisco to date. Watches were still the heart of it all, of course, but this year the Fair expanded in every direction imaginable: panels, parties, padel, live art, whisky tastings, DIY watchmaking, EV Broncos, giveaways, podcast recordings, and more all combined into a weekend that felt less like a trade show and more like a full-scale enthusiast festival. None of this would have been possible without the support of our incredible Lead Sponsors: Bremont, Brew, Christopher Ward, Frederique Constant, and Oris, all of whom helped bring new energy, new releases, and memorable experiences to this year’s Fair. From Bremont’s rugged space-watch presence to Christopher Ward’s endlessly crowd-drawing Bel Canto conversations, from Frederique Constant’s padel panel and activation to Brew’s playful industrial design language, and not to mention Oris celebrating 60 years of mechanical freedom—each Lead Sponsor helped define the personality of the weekend in a different way. The show floor itself was nonstop from open to close every day. Approximately 90 brands from ar...
Worn & Wound
De Rijke and Co.’s Balancing Act
The watches made by Dutch independent De Rijke & Co. are all charming and considered designs, but it’s difficult to trace any defined throughline between them. While most upstart brands tend to find their lane and iterate on a concept ad nauseam, De Rijke has consistently kept us on our feet while avoiding the creative quicksand that can come with a successful watch. The brand first made a splash with the Amalfi, a smart, Bauhaus-informed driver’s watch with a clever two-piece case design that could be rotated through 90 degrees to orient the dial at the ideal angle for the wearer to read while their hands gripped a steering wheel or handlebars. The Amalfi had a timeless design and a romantic origin story that involved the brand’s founder, designer and engineer Laurens De Rijke, embarking upon an 11,000 kilometer Vespa tour of the Amalfi Coast. It was a basic design that De Rijke could’ve played with and re-editioned to death, and while the brand has iterated on the Amalfi concept, the approach they’ve taken was wholly unexpected. The watches that followed the debut Amalfis were a series of limited edition collaborations featuring the iconic Dutch cartoon character “Miffy.” The Miffy collabs have featured everything from moonphase designs, to enameled dials, to ceramic cases. While they were a surprisingly playful and whimsical way to follow up an elegant, functionalist watch like the Amalfi, these limited editions all became bonafide hits–to the point ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Collection: What You Need to Know
The JLC Master Control Chronometre collection ushers in a new caliber, new bracelet, and new standard of horological excellence.
Monochrome
Introducing – H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Small Seconds Lime Green Enamel Boutique Edition
The Streamliner collection by indie brand H. Moser & Cie. debuted in 2020 and immediately established the series as one of the distinctive alternatives in the integrated-bracelet sports watch category. Its fluid, almost organic lines were a nice departure from conventional luxury-sports-watch design codes. In 2023, the Streamliner Small Seconds refined the concept by introducing […]
Video