Results for Quartz Crisis

Ep. #39 – High End Quartz Watches and Totally Unscripted Watch Talk

How much is too much when you're shopping around for a quartz watch? Anyone got any favorite quartz pieces that go beyond the call of duty in implementing something more substantial than your run-of-the-mill $5 quartz movements?

Ep. #8 – Quartz Watches, Water Resistance, ToxicNATOs, and Gateways to Watch Collecting

Kaz and Mike talk about Quartz watches, their value, precision, durability, and why they make people angry in the pants. Our first quartz watches and what they mean to us as collectors today. Mike’s wife interrupts the watch snobs. We also talk about water resistance, how it's marketed, and share some cool new straps from ToxicNATOs. Kaz eats toxic candy.

Quartz is the future of the Industry (But not in the way you think)

From turning a generation of watch agnostic young professionals into watch wearers to augmented quartz hybrid tech, Quartz is the future of the industry.

Swiss Watch Export 2016 report: Worst Performance since Financial Crisis

Swiss Watch Export 2016 report available through Bloomberg Terminal have recently pointed to harsh conditions analysts are calling the worst performance since the Financial Crisis. At a glance, the most glaring figures on the Swiss Watch Export 2016 report point to Russia down 43% year on year although December 2016 registered a 13.4% uptick; India followingRead More

Our Predictions In The Ladies Category Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): A Sprinkling Of Jewels, A Mismatched Date, And The Ever-Raging Debate On Quartz

The GPHG foundation describes the Ladies category for watches entered as “comprising only the following indications: hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve, and/or classic moon phase. These timepieces may be adorned with a maximum of eight carats’ worth of gemstones.” While our panelists aren't quite unanimous, we do have a clear favorite as a winner here. Read on to find out why.

Which Brands Make The Best High-Accuracy Quartz Watches?

These five watchmakers occupy the upper echelon of high-tech timekeeping efficiency.More

Bring a Loupe: A Quartz Vacheron 222, A Sonny Crockett Ebel, A Trio Of Vintage Yemas, And More

All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.

Grand Seiko Introduces the SBGX359 and SBGX361, Featuring their Smallest and Thinnest Quartz Movement Yet

While design hallmarks have come and gone, few say “Grand Seiko” quite like the iconic Snowflake dial, first introduced in 2005. Inspired by the frosty Hotaka mountain range in the brand’s home prefecture, Nagano, light plays across the fine texture to emphasize the slight variations in depth on the surface of the dial. The result is nothing short of stunning, and helped shape Grand Seiko and their philosophy of the “Nature of Time”. So how do you build on an icon? You introduce tasteful variations. Easier said than done, of course, but Grand Seiko has done it successfully before, by introducing the Skyflake dial, a light blue version of the Snowflake. And now, we have two new Snowflake and Skyflake models to showcase the evolution of the icon: the SBGX359 and SBGX361, in a compact 33mm case, making them the smallest in the Grand Seiko 9F line yet. Even more impressive is the 9.1mm thickness, which is only possible thanks to the Caliber 9F51 quartz movement, which is the first new movement in the 9F line since 2020, and allows for an accuracy of ± 10 seconds a year. In natural Grand Seiko fashion, each movement is hand-assembled by watchmakers at the Shinshu Watch Studio at the brand’s Shiojiri facility and feature three-month aged quartz crystals and a manual regulation switch for accuracy fine-tuning during servicing. All of that is to say that this is not a basic quartz movement; it’s a Grand Seiko quartz movement, which is sure to excel in both function ...

Introducing: The Grand Seiko SBGX359 And SBGX361 – The Brand's Smallest 9F Quartz Watches

A brand new movement supports a downsized spin on a classic GS design.

Farer Introduces Two New Moonphase References Featuring Eisenkiesel Quartz and Eastern Arabic Numerals

Ah, the moon. Romantic, mysterious, and the subject of many Creative Writing 101 poems, our closest celestial body has also wormed its way onto many a watch face over the years. Moonphase watches evoke a sense of sophistication and elegance, and tend to decorate watchmakers’ dressier lines, despite their somewhat subversive practicality. Farer’s moonphase collection is no exception; first launched in 2023, it took one of watchmaking’s oldest complications and applied it to the British brand’s own design ethos. Here in 2025, we have two new references to pad out that lineup: The Stratton and Burbidge Eastern Arabic Editions.  Taking the same basic design of the rest of the line, the new Moonphase models are wrapped in a 38.5mm cushion case with curved sides that wear a “grain twist” texture. The case scallops in the 43.8mm between the lugs to make the strap sit flush, and a rounded crown with a solid bronze cap finishes the vintage-adjacent case look. Inside, both Moonphase models are powered by a Sellita SW288-1 M Elabore Grade movement, with blued screws and a Farer-embossed bridge. The Sellita movement allows for a 45-hour power reserve, and hour, minute, seconds, date, and of course, moonphase functions.  Where the models differ is in their case material and dial design. The Stratton Edition-named for Frederick Stratton, a WWI veteran, mathematician, and astronomer who would eventually serve as Director of the Solar Physics Observatory, among many other ...

The ABCs of Time – The Difference Between Mechanical and Quartz Watches

Editor’s note – As our long-time readers might know, MONOCRHOME is usually quite (to say the least) technical. We like to go in-depth, to look at the ins and outs of watchmaking, sometimes tackling highly complex topics. This was the main objective behind our “Technical Perspective” series, where we’ve covered some of the most complex […]

The BEST Quartz Watches - Affordable To Luxury

Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.

Introducing: Seiko Brings Back The 'Rotocall', A Digital Quartz Reissue That Turns Our Bezel

With a rotating bezel, this digital watch was chosen by a slew of space travelers, giving it another nickname, the 'Seiko Astronaut.'

The Most Impressive Quartz Watches on the Market

Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.

Hands-On: The Timex Marlin Quartz GMT

Sometimes, a solid GMT at a solid price is all you need.

Watches, Stories, and Gear: Moriarty Watches, Beachmaster Quartz, Borderlands 4, and Moleskine’s new collection

“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.   Moriarty Watches Hailing from southwestern Ireland, Moriarty Watches is turning up the heat, literally. “Maybe it was a complete bout of madness diving into this crazy rabbit hole at the age of 44 and trying to get my little dream to become a reality,” said Allison in a recent New York Times article. After receiving an unfortunate diagnosis at 35, Allison began repairing watches from her home workshop, but found herself “obsessed” with Patek Phillipe Enamel dials. From designing the case, crown, and hands, hand regulating each movement in house, and creating each dial, Allison ensures each watch is “99.99 percent” perfect before it leaves her shop. Crafted by either “dry sift” or “wet pack” each dial can take up to 40 hours to complete, with “lots of room for things to go wrong”. More details on Allison’s watches and a full interview is currently available on the New York Times’ website.   Expanding the Beachmaster Quartz Collection British watchmaker Elliot Brown Watches has announced its newest expansion to the Beachmaster Quartz family, adding two new dial options for the model. “From D-Day inspiration to daily use, the Beachmaster ...

Elliot Brown Introduces the Colorful New Chromatic Collection of Rugged, Vintage Inspired Quartz Dive Watches

One of the brands I’ve most enjoyed getting to know through our Windup Watch Fairs is Elliot Brown. Based in the UK, the brand offers an almost overwhelming variety of purpose built tool watches in a frequently sober, no-nonsense design language. The watches remind me at times (in a good way) of those you might have come across when the “big watch” trend was at full steam and brands sought to capitalize on the popularity of Panerai and others who traded in a hyper-masculine approach to watch design. Elliot Brown’s watches are quite a bit more considered, however, and they’ve attracted the attention of tool watch enthusiasts for their authentic perspective, undeniably solid build quality, and a pretty compelling value as well.  Their latest release, the Chromatic Collection series of Bloxworth Heritage divers, is both a great example of what Elliot Brown has been excelling at in recent years, and a confident step in a slightly different direction. If you scroll through the watches in Elliot Brown’s catalog on their website, you’ll see lots of watches in muted tones: black, dark green, navy blue. Simple dials designed for easy legibility as opposed to flash. But the Chromatic Collection adds a welcome bit of color to the brand’s vintage inspired diver with four new references that emphasize color and feel tailored to summer wear.  The four new variants include the bold Bloxworth Orange, Bloxworth Seaglass Blue, Bloxworth Drunk Tank (with pink accents), and ...

Bring a Loupe: A Pair Of Honest Tudors And The First Quartz-Powered Patek Philippe Wristwatch

All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.

Out of Order Gets in on the Mother-of-Pearl Trend with a Collection of Affordable Quartz Divers

Mother-of-pearl has long acted as a sort of bridge between the commercial and artistic worlds of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Venetian artisans were particularly known for incorporating mother-of-pearl into luxurious pieces of jewelry and decorative art, cementing its role as a symbol of opulence and elegance. It comes as no surprise, then, that Venice’s own Out of Order has released their unique spin on the material with the Casanova 38. While one elective course taken in college hardly qualifies me as an art historian, the first thought I had when viewing the Casanova was of artwork displayed on subdued museum walls, drawing the eye to the works themselves rather than their surroundings. In that vein, the Casanova’s three decidedly dazzling color options (pink, turquoise, and green) are paired with comparatively conservative styling. This lets the pearlescent dial rightfully take center stage, while other more functional features of the watch-like the screw-down crown, 100-meter water resistance, and butterfly clasp-act as supportive extras. That doesn’t mean that the Casanova lacks distinct design details, though. The hand-applied indices and aluminum bezel insert match the chosen dial color and feature Superluminova C3 lume, and the top of the seconds hand and crown both feature the cheeky signature triple-O logo, differentiating the Casanova from other similarly-styled watches in the company’s own lineup. Furthermore, Out of Order’s slogan, “Dama...

Sailing with the Yema Yachtingraf Croisiere Meca-Quartz

As we begin jockeying for position behind the starting line aboard Escapade, an Ericson 29 sailing yacht, we hear the first warning siren blast and I immediately click in the top pusher. The skeletonized yellow arrow hand begins to tick away the seconds as ‘Cappy’ yells, “Ready to tack?!” Giving the green jib sheet two wraps on the winch with my left hand and taking the red jib sheet in my right, I yell back “Ready!” The boat starts to come over into the wind pushing the jib (the forwardmost sail) into the boat, across its bow, and onto the other side. During this, I allow the red line to slowly let out while beginning to pull in the green slowly, then, once the jib passes the midway point, I release the red all together and begin pulling in the green as fast as I can until the jib is fully under tension and our speed begins to climb. A glance down at the 9 o’clock big-eye register shows that we have three minutes to start, information I relay quickly as we begin to weave our way through the pack. Two minutes now, the call for a gybe, and another turn back towards the line. As our speed begins to build, the bow lunges closer to the start line fighting for a perfect start against the crowded pack of seasoned sailors while making sure not to cross too early. The siren blasts again, the big-eye circular hand hits zero, and we cross over the line in second place under wind at roughly four knots.  While it might seem to be an entirely useless complication for the...

Is It Time For a Patek Philippe Men’s Model In Quartz?

Introducing: The Hamilton Khaki Field Quartz

Tick tick tick tick tick.

Grand Seiko Quartz Guide: The SBGP013

Today we’re looking at one of the best ways to get into Grand Seiko if you’re just discovering the brand for the first time. Or maybe you’re just looking for your “one nice watch” and want something that can do it all. One that can go straight from the office to kicking back on the weekend, perhaps even dressing up for special occasions. A GADA watch, if you will. So if you’re just now starting to go down the rabbit hole of luxury watches, you’ve probably become somewhat familiar with Grand Seiko. The brand came into existence in 1960 as a high-end offshoot of Seiko, a shot across the bow of the Swiss watch industry, and a statement that its quality could match anything in the watchmaking world.  One thing you’ll notice as you start to look deeper into Grand Seiko is the astonishing level of craftsmanship that touches every part of every watch they make. Just like Rolex and Seiko itself, Grand Seiko is one of the most vertically integrated watch brands in the world – in other words, it manufactures nearly everything that goes into its watches. From finely polished stainless steel, precious metals, and high-intensity titanium cases to its innovative and beautifully finished movements and breathtaking dials that draw inspiration from nature, Grand Seiko does it all, going to some extraordinary lengths, including growing its own proprietary quartz crystals, and manufacturing the lubricants that go into each movement.  If you take a look at Teddy’s video ...

Two New Takes on the Richard Mille RM 65-01 in Blue and Yellow Quartz TPT

Introducing: The Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph In Yellow And Blue Quartz TPT

Richard Mille's most complicated automatic watch gets a material makeover.

Selling Points that Don’t Sell Me: Quartz Snobbery

Snob is a loaded, and sometimes divisive word in horology. Being called a snob, or calling someone a snob, is a quick way to draw blood by attacking someone’s particular approach to enthusiasm. As an enthusiast who cherishes the community aspect of this hobby, I’ve always been proud that my foundation in this hobby was built on the absence of snobbery. Or so I thought.  I’m a frugal guy, and enthusiasm on a budget is a common theme in most of my articles. A keen eye for value shaped my early days in the hobby- an approach I haven’t managed to shake. For years, I assumed that embracing watches in all price brackets was enough to rid myself of any snobbery.  But the more I “learned” about watches, the more I noticed snobbery seeping into my opinions, and in some cases stopping me from experiencing some truly awesome watches. I’d fawn over the latest Lorier release, only to question how a Hesalite crystal would hold up to an active lifestyle. Or I’d opt not to experience a 5 ATM field watch that I truly liked, instead compromising for 10 and 20 ATM alternatives. A quartz crystal, a small part of which is bound for a Grand Seiko 9F caliber I’ve since gone through an un-learning process thanks to a handful of watches that challenged what I thought I knew and allowed me to expand my horological horizons by kicking some snobby tendencies. For the next few installments of Selling Points That Don’t Sell Me, let’s explore some selling points that DO sell me a...