Hodinkee
Introducing: Merci Instruments Launches Six New Versions of its Geometric 'Beaumarchais'
The 1970s-inspired case design returns in a larger collection for the brand.
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Hodinkee
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Citizen Celebrates 50 Years of Eco-Drive with a Hand-Dyed Washi Dial
I've come close to pulling the trigger on a few of Citizen's higher-end Eco-Drive watches over the years, and each time I talked myself out of it. Not because the watches weren't impressive, but because the right one never quite lined up with the moment. Now, Citizen is making the decision a little harder. The brand has just announced "The Citizen" Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary Edition (ref. AQ4091-56W), marking five decades since it introduced the first solar-powered analogue watch back in 1976.
Worn & Wound
Is Timothée Chalamet How Indie Watches Enter Pop Culture?
I missed the Academy Awards on Sunday for the first time in, oh I dunno, 30 years? It’s a cliche to say that something is “my Super Bowl” but the Oscars really are. It was more than a little strange to catch up on the awards conversation the way most people do these days: through social media clips, podcasts, and, in our little community, celebrity watch spotting. The Oscars are known as “Hollywood’s biggest night” but it could be argued, based on the volume of press releases in my inbox, that it’s the watch industry’s biggest night as well. Worn & Wound doesn’t typically cover celebrity watch spotting – we think it’s all a little silly given that most of the watches you see on wrists are placed there by stylists or are simply contractual obligations. But I hope you’ll indulge me a bit because I have some thoughts on what we’ve seen recently from one of the most talked about movie stars of the last several years, by cinephiles and watch enthusiasts alike, and I think it could be a watershed moment in how independent watches enter the cultural conversation. I’m talking of course about Timothée Chalamet, star of Marty Supreme and three time Academy Award nominee. Chalamet has made news among the watch spotting crowd for the way he has casually worn some of the highest end and most sought after timepieces over the course of the last year. On Oscar night, he was wearing an Urban Jürgensen UJ-2, a six figure watch introduced less than a year ag...
Monochrome
Introducing – Volumes by Simon LeFrancois Explores Shapes and Materials
Indie watchmaking is very much on the rise, and we see a surge of cool new watches high and low. From the ever-intriguing industrial wonders of Otsuka Lotec to the ultra-artisanal The Owl by L’Atelier Bernards, it all seems to find its audience across the globe. Yet some of these low-volume watchmakers are challenging to […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Are In-House Movements Overrated? Lessons from 2 Tudors and an IWC
Are in-house watch movements still worth it? Real-world ownership reveals the hidden tradeoffs and why a proven alternative may make more sense.
Video
10 Watch Brands That Were Better Before: Omega, Timex, Invicta & More
Fratello
Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Daytona Alternatives In 2026
Another Friday, another list. For this week’s Top 5, we look at another Rolex classic. The Cosmograph Daytona is one of the brand’s most iconic pieces in the watch world. The stainless steel versions of the racing chronograph are notoriously difficult to source through a Rolex dealer, and pre-owned prices are generally higher than retail. […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Daytona Alternatives In 2026 to read the full article.
Monochrome
Portrait – Talking To Daizoh Makihara, AHCI Candidate And LV Watch Prize Finalist
Japanese culture is full of superbly interesting and ancient crafts, which every now and then find their way into a watch. Some of the best-known examples are Urushi lacquering, Washi paper, and Arita porcelain, but there are dozens of other crafts deeply embedded in the country’s history and tradition. Japanese independent watchmaker and AHCI-member Daizoh […]
SJX Watches
Hands On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Malachite 37 mm
Audemars Piguet expands its stone‑dial lineup with the new Royal Oak Self-Winding 37 mm and 41 mm in yellow‑gold featuring malachite dials, continuing the brand’s cautious re-exploration of trendy stone dials. Initial thoughts Last month Bad Bunny, the most-streamed musician in the western hemisphere, took the field for the Super Bowl LX halftime show wearing this yellow gold Royal Oak Selfwinding 37mm. A design as recognisable as any in watchmaking, worn on the wrist of the “King of Latin Trap” in front of over a hundred million viewers - a significant marketing coup for Audemars Piguet. It was also an implicit endorsement from Bad Bunny’s stylist Storm Pablo, who procured the watch within days of its announcement. Bad Bunny during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show. Image – Apple Pricing remains surprisingly reasonable, with the 37 mm pegged to the same price as the turquoise-dialled sibling from a few years ago, while the 41 mm model is priced just 4% higher than a regular production Royal Oak in pink gold. That’s a large step up in absolute terms, but that comes with the (price) territory. It is important to point out that despite the premiums brands often attach to stone dials, most are not particularly expensive to make. When it comes to malachite, the raw material cost is negligible, with African mines in and around the Copperbelt producing gemstone-quality malachite by the literal ton. Audemars Piguet made the right choice by avoiding t...
SJX Watches
SJX Podcast: Watches & Wonders Wish List
Watches & Wonders is less than a month away, so for episode 32 of the SJX Podcast we’re talking about what we’d want to see from some of the major brands like Patek Philippe, Grand Seiko, and Tudor. It’s always difficult to make predictions, and the best releases from every year are usually a surprise, but Andrew put together a few picks that we believe would be crowd-pleasers, were they to be released. SJX and Brandon also discuss the latest minute repeater from Girard-Perregaux, and SJX’s own sold-out collaboration with Habring²: the Chrono-Felix Medicus chronograph. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Worn & Wound
Seiko Launches a Pair of Updated Marinemasters with their Higher End 8L45 Movement
A common critique leveled at Seiko over these last few years is that they’ve abandoned the affordable enthusiast dive watch market and have been creeping toward a higher priced product. Honestly, it’s fair. Those of us of a certain age can fondly remember the days when an SKX diver could be had for a few hundred bucks, and it basically stood alone in the Venn diagram of pedigree, dive watch bona fides, enthusiast credibility, and affordability. The fact is, there’s a lot of competition for affordable divers these days, much of it driven by the popularity of a handful of key Seiko references. So it’s no wonder that they’ve sought to expand their footprint elsewhere and make a higher end, more expensive product. What often gets lost in these conversations is that the higher priced Seiko divers are actually very good dive watches that still cover much of that hypothetical Venn diagram, perhaps leaning a little further away from affordability. Seiko recently announced a handful of new references and while many of us hoped a truly affordable SKX alternative might be in the mix, they’ve once again debuted a new diver at a higher rung of their pricing ladder. The highlight for collectors and serious Seiko fans will likely be the Seiko Prospex Marinemaster 1968 Heritage Diver’s Watch (the official Seiko naming conventions are always a bit cumbersome). Yes, this is yet another mostly historically accurate take on the first ever diver rated to 300 meters of water r...
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Worn & Wound
A Legend is Born: Squale Just Dropped a New 37mm Diver
If you have been following us for a while, you are likely well versed in Squale’s divers, vintage-inspired designs, and limited edition runs. The brand has quietly been a leader in the realm of dive watches since the 60s with a cult following from hardcore dive watch nerds. In the past decade in particular, Squale has been getting more and more traction and recognition. In 2019, the brand notched its 60th anniversary and with that, introduced a new collection: the Sub-39. This limited edition fittingly paid homage to Squale’s early 1960s divers, using an original prototype with a 39mm case as reference. Following its success, the brand ultimately made the Sub-30 a permanent collection, upping the ante with COSC-certification and complications like a GMT. Today, we get the next evolution with the Sub-37 Legend. Focusing on the brand’s core tenants – proportions, function, and character – the new slightly sized down 37mm diver emphasizes form over function in a way that is faithful to the golden age of diving, an era when watches were designed to perform rather than to impress. Beginning with the dial, you have a fairly quintessential execution in matte black with a sapphire glass-box crystal reminiscent of vintage plexiglass while ensuring durability and optimal dial legibility. Visibility remains at the forefront of this utilitarian design with both the dial and hands treated with SuperLumiNova Old Radium. Framing the dial is a clean, highly readable unidirection...
Teddy Baldassarre
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Review: Utility Meets Horology
Blancpain, founded in the Swiss village of Villeret in 1735, has been making timepieces for almost 300 years, but perhaps its most impactful contribution to wristwatch history was relatively recent - and began its heralded life as a military tool rather than a luxury item. In 1953, Blancpain was headed by Jean-Jacques Fiechter, an avid diving enthusiast who had long wanted to develop a watch that would be ideal for his hobby. Fiechter worked with Captain Robert Maloubier, a French naval officer, to design a reliable, mission-ready timepiece that Maloubier’s elite combat diving team could wear. Here we will take a look at the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, a more everyday take on the iconic diver. [toc-section heading="Blancpain Fifty Fathoms: A Historic Divers’ Watch"] The watch, called the Fifty Fathoms, had a 42mm steel case - exceptionally large for the time - and it was water-resistant to 91.45 meters, or 50 fathoms, the maximum depth recommended for scuba divers. Its dial was black and its numerals were luminescent for greater legibility underwater. It was the first divers’ watch with a self-winding movement, the first with an antimagnetic case, and the first to employ the patented, double-sealed crown that Fiechter had developed. Most notably, the Fifty Fathoms was the first watch to include a lockable bezel with dive-time scale that rotated in only one direction. This practical and potentially life-saving innovation prevented a diver from acciden...
Monochrome
Introducing – Awake Son Mai Silver Leaf “Atlantis Blue”
Awake, the young Parisian-based indie brand founded by Lilian Thibault in 2019, is a keen advocate of sustainability and fosters an eco-friendly approach to watchmaking. Introduced in 2024, Awake’s Son Mai collection is a fitting spokesperson for the brand’s philosophy and features handcrafted lacquered dials created by Vietnamese artisans. Combining minimalist design to highlight the […]
Hodinkee
Introducing: Citizen's New 'Photon' Celebrates 50 Years of Eco-Drive With An Attractive Physics Demonstration
With a Super Titanium case and bracelet and an eye-catching dial, Citizen brings a new design and 12-month power reserve to the lineup.
Hodinkee
Fifty Years Illuminated
The CITIZEN reflects Eco-Drive’s light-powered craft and precision.
Video
Most Underrated German Military Watch: Hanhart TachyTele Chronograph
Two Broke Watch Snobs
I Might Like This Timex More Than Any Limited Edition Speedmaster
A look at the build and design of the new space-themed Timex Q Timex NASA watch inspired by the Apollo 17 lunar landing of 1972.
Time+Tide
Christopher Ward unveils its new flagship C63 Sealander, and now, it’s a True GMT
Investing in developing its own true (or traveller) GMT movement just so they could deliver optimal functionality at affordable prices.The post Christopher Ward unveils its new flagship C63 Sealander, and now, it’s a True GMT appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Christopher Ward C63 Sealander True GMT
The Christopher Ward C63 Sealander True GMT fills a conspicuous gap in the brand’s catalogue with a proper ‘flyer’ GMT, complete with an independently adjustable local-time hour hand. A handsome, expensive-looking dial conceals the new CW-002 movement, which is COSC-certified and offers a five-day power reserve - a rare pairing. While collectors have noticed that Christopher Ward’s pricing has risen steadily in recent years, the True GMT makes a compelling case that the technical substance has kept pace. The journeyman brand Christopher Ward (CW) is a brand that is evolving unusually rapidly, and seems to have been in a state of almost constant transformation since it was founded in 2004. The brand has cycled through a number of different logos in a fairly short period of time, which has confused collectors. The product mix has also shifted, reflecting more upmarket ambitions that have priced out fans of the brand’s early budget products. This instability has turned off some collectors, which is understandable - most luxury brands are fairly conservative, in part to emphasise the long-lasting social capital that comes with a purchase. That said, CW seems to have finally found an identity worth sticking to. The new logo, which combines England’s St. George’s Cross and the white cross of the Swiss flag, is simple and appealing, and concisely communicates the English/Swiss origin. And while it’s true that prices have crept up, the brand has increased innov...
Fratello
Fratello Talks: Does Resale Value Affect How Much You Enjoy A Watch?
It’s a question that comes up from time to time in today’s watch world: Does resale value affect how much you enjoy a watch? With secondary market prices discussed almost as frequently as specifications, it’s hard to ignore the financial side of collecting. In this episode of Fratello Talks, RJ, Thomas, and Nacho discuss whether […] Visit Fratello Talks: Does Resale Value Affect How Much You Enjoy A Watch? to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Citizen Marks 50 Years of Solar with Japanese Paper Dial
Citizen invented the first solar-powered analogue watch way back in 1976, and now it’s marking 50 years of its signature timepiece with “The Citizen” Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary. Five decades on Citizen’s solar technology is amongst the most advanced, and the anniversary edition is equipped with a movement that runs within five seconds a year, and will last 18 months on power save mode. But the dial, on the other hand, is traditional Japanese craft: it’s made of washi, a paper that’s dyed by hand, and translucent enough to allow solar charging. Initial thoughts The combination of washi, Super Titanium, and high-end quartz is a familiar one, with Citizen having applied it to past limited editions. Although Citizen is repeating the formula, this remains impressive from both a technology and materials perspective. The ultra-accurate A060 is one of the most sophisticated analogue quartz movements on the market, while Citizen’s proprietary hardened titanium, first polished by hand then hardened, is equally impressive. Tech aside, the anniversary edition stands out for the washi dial that adds a little bit of traditional Japanese craft to all of the cutting-edge tech in the watch. The dial is made of Japanese paper that’s dyed by hand with old school dyes obtained from plants. That said, this anniversary edition is still a relatively niche product for enthusiasts who appreciate high-end quartz technology packaged well. All of that tech and finishing comes at a pri...
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NEW Oris 400 Aquis, Dan Henry 1962 Gold & Yema Superman Watch Unboxing
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko Just Upgraded One of Its Coolest Retro Watches With Titanium
Seiko updates the King Seiko Vanac with a titanium case, textured dial and the 8L45, bringing a lighter feel to the retro-inspired design.
Teddy Baldassarre
Cartier Explained
Told in six chapters, we’re diving deep into the evolution of one of watchmaking’s most iconic names, from its founding to the creation of models like the Tank and Santos.
Deployant
New: Awake Sơn Mài Atlantis Blue
Awake expands its Son Mai - Silver Leaf collection with the new Atlantis Blue. These watches are modestly priced and feature artisanal dials.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Are Microbrand Dive Watches Worth Buying in 2026? What Testing Reveals
Thinking about buying a microbrand dive watch in 2026? We break down when they outperform Seiko, Orient, and Citizen, and when they’re just not worth the risk.
Fratello
ArtyA’s Curvy Tourbillon Gets A Cosmic Twist In Moissanite
One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that ArtyA watches tend to reward the experience of seeing them in person. Photographs rarely tell us the full story. The brand’s fascination with unusual materials and unconventional case designs often produces pieces that behave very differently in person. Rest assured, the new Purity Moissanite […] Visit ArtyA’s Curvy Tourbillon Gets A Cosmic Twist In Moissanite to read the full article.
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