Two Broke Watch Snobs
Aquastar Benthos Professional Review: The Version I’d Wear Every Day
A hands-on review of the Aquastar Benthos Professional, exploring its slimmer case, bright lume, ISOfrane strap, and real-world wearability.
3,882 articles · 352 videos found · page 113 of 142
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on review of the Aquastar Benthos Professional, exploring its slimmer case, bright lume, ISOfrane strap, and real-world wearability.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Looking for your first mechanical watch? We share proven, hands-on picks we’ve worn and tested, so you can start confidently without wasting time and money.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore the best affordable racing chronographs based on real wrist-time, honest testing, and hands-on impressions.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Hands-on with the Monta Triumph Gen 2 and a side-by-side vs the original comparing size, dial, finishing, bracelet, lume, and whether the reboot is worth it.
Time+Tide
Zach visited the Ahmed Sediqqi Rolex boutique in Dubai to get hands-on with some insane Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Day-Date watches.The post We checked out some insane Rolex CPO Day-Date watches in Dubai appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
After hands-on testing we compare the Orient Mako and Omega Seamaster across movement tech, case finishing, wearability, and real-world durability.
SJX Watches
After four years leading the relaunch of Urban Jürgensen (UJ) alongside co-chief executive Alex Rosenfield, Kari Voutilainen is returning to the bench and dedicate his time to watchmaking and development, while Mr Rosenfeld will assume the role of sole chief executive. Despite this change, the relationship between Mr Voutilainen and UJ remains strong; he will still be involved, albeit in a more hands-off capacity as a shareholder, board member, and senior strategic advisor. From this vantage point, Mr Voutilainen, who has a long history with UJ, should retain substantial influence over the brand’s direction. Initial thoughts The news of Kari Voutilainen stepping back from day-to-day executive responsibilities at UJ seems natural, and was probably inevitable. Having gotten the relaunched brand into orbit, Mr Voutilainen is putting things in the hands of the team at UJ to carry on. Judging by the steady pace of deliveries so far this year, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about their capabilities. One reason this change seems natural is that it follows a similar move at Voutilainen earlier this month. Mr Voutilainen has been planning for the future and putting management teams in place to build a long-term business and free up more of his own capacity for working on new watches and movements. His daughter, Venla, is also stepping down from her role as chief operating officer at UJ in order to assist with the family business. Kari Voutilainen alongside recently ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on Citizen Nighthawk review from a collector who’s owned it twice, covering wearability, the JDM variant, and why it still works.
SJX Watches
Our 2025 coverage included original research and in-depth stories including CEO interviews, engineering explainers, behind-the-scenes manufacture visits, and hands-on features exploring the latest developments in modern horology. We’d like to thank our readers for their engagement and support, which continue to shape and sustain our work. Our founder SJX provided an in-depth study of the Breguet Sympathique No. 1, with exclusive insights from its creator François-Paul Journe. The story is notable not only for its technical reconstruction of the mechanism but also for clarifying how the Sympathique informed Journe’s earliest thinking as a constructor before launching his namesake brand. SJX also spent time with the people leading the industry. Interviews with Kari Voutilainen, Gregory Kissling, Ilaria Resta, and Marc Michel-Amadry offered unusually direct insight into how each manufacture is approaching product development, heritage, and shifting collector behaviour. That research-driven approach continued across several technical features, including his hands-on review of the Rolex Land-Dweller, the most consequential mainstream release of 2025. His analysis unpacked both the engineering decisions behind the cal. 7135 and the strategic implications of Rolex introducing a new collection. Finally his analysis of the record-breaking Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in steel and reporting from the major auctions traced the evolving tastes and appetites of a tightening pool of top...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on review of the Citizen NY0040 diver, exploring its design, comfort, and why it stands on its own as a serious everyday tool watch.
Fratello
Breitling introduced numerous new models this year, including several in precious metals. On Friday, November 28th, Fratello and Breitling hosted an evening at the brand’s boutique in The Hague to ensure our readers could go hands-on with these new watches. A golden evening with Breitling The evening started with a word of welcome and an […] Visit Photo Report: A Golden Evening With Breitling to read the full article.
Deployant
We managed to get a week long loaner of the new Leica Q3 Monochrom, and here are our hands on review, with sample photographs..
Fratello
In the eyes of Benoît Mintiens, a Ressence watch should tell the time in the most user-friendly way. That’s why he came up with discs that are more intuitive to read than more conventional hands. Someone who’s also intrigued by simplicity and functionality is industrial designer Marc Newson. Known for his work in the automotive, […] Visit Introducing: The Ressence Type 3 Marc Newson - A Playful Nod To The Ikepod Megapode to read the full article.
Monochrome
Since 2017, the French watch brand Baltic has built its reputation on compact, retro-inspired designs with sharp detailing and accessible pricing. The Prismic collection, launched in 2024, marked a step up in refinement: a 1960s “cocktail watch” take with a complex steel-and-titanium case, crisp Dauphine hands and a slim hand-wound Swiss calibre. Later that year, […]
SJX Watches
One of the surprises of Dubai Watch Week was the chance to go hands-on with the Strata, the latest watch from Vyntage Horology. Slim, lightweight, and water-resistant to 100 m, the Strata nods to the cushion-case designs of the 1970s without reviving any specific model, instead pairing a radiant burgundy dial with a silky grade 5 titanium case and bracelet for a look that feels contemporary rather than nostalgic. Vyntage itself was conceived by Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, chief executive of Ahmed Seddiqi - the Gulf region’s largest retailer and a pillar of Dubai’s watch scene for 75 years. The brand was created to bring an Emirati sensibility to Swiss watchmaking, and its retailer backing gives it a degree of stability and visibility uncommon among small, typically internet-native marques. Initial thoughts The Strata is a ‘go anywhere, do anything’ watch par excellence, managing to be both slim and lightweight, while water resistant to 100 m. Despite its name, Vyntage is not in the business of remakes. The Strata nods to 1970-era cushion-case sport watches with integrated bracelets, but it is not a revival of any specific model. Instead, the combination of a rich burgundy dial and a silky titanium case and bracelet gives the watch a contemporary presence that sets it apart from conventional retro-themed offerings. Ahmed Seddiqi, the Gulf region’s largest watch retailer and a fixture in Dubai for 75 years, has long catered to a collector base oriented tow...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Hands-on testing with multiple homage watches, including brands many enthusiasts love to hate, that still impressed us for quality, comfort, and value.
Monochrome
Not many contemporary watchmaking creations have influenced our perception of time display as dramatically as the 2001 Ulysse Nardin Freak and Urwerk’s wandering-hour satellites. Both were born from the late-1990s creative surge, when mechanical horology strongly demonstrated its experimental and innovative spirit. Ulysse Nardin’s Freak redefined the mechanical wristwatch by eliminating the dial, hands, and […]
Monochrome
It’s revival season in the watchmaking world, as revered names like Gérald Genta and Daniel Roth find a new lease in the capable hands of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton (LFTLV) manufacture. A pivotal figure in the rebirth of Breguet and the return of high-end mechanical watchmaking, Daniel Roth’s story makes for a fascinating […]
Monochrome
Ressence hit the ground running when Belgian industrial designer Benoît Mintiens unveiled prototypes of the Zero Series, featuring its unique “beyond hands” display at Baselworld 2010. Relying on revolving sub-dials powered by the brand’s patented Orbital Convex System (ROCS), time literally circles the domed dial like planets orbiting the Sun. In 2014, Ressence introduced the crownless […]
Monochrome
Chronoswiss has always moved in its own rhythm. From the regulator wristwatches that defined its 1980s identity to today’s bold Lucerne-built timepieces, the brand has never shied away from doing things differently. Few statements were as radical as the Digiteur, a watch without hands, powered by a mechanical calibre, yet read like an early digital […]
Fratello
In 2005, the Chronoswiss Digiteur MSA (Montre Sans Aiguilles) was a modern homage to the jump-hour watches of the 1920s and 1930s; today, it’s a reinterpretation of that 21st-century homage. The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand and Granit are watches without hands, featuring an updated look in stainless steel - the original Digiteurs were all made […] Visit Introducing: The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand And Granit - Two Homage “Montres Sans Aiguilles” In Steel to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Ming’s latest release, the 37.11 Odyssey, builds on the brand’s reputation for luminous, multi-layered dials and inventive designs. The Odyssey takes the visual depth seen in the Bluefin and Uni to the next level with a smoked sapphire dial that reveals the movement beneath, paired with shark-tooth hands and a multi-coloured luminous display. Despite its futuristic appearance, the Odyssey remains a practical travel companion. The compact 38 mm titanium case weighs just 42 g and offers 300 m of water resistance, while the Sellita SW330.M2 movement inside provides caller GMT functionality (with a twist). Available on a rubber strap, a titanium bracelet, or the brand’s new 3D-printed Polymesh strap, the Odyssey showcases Ming’s evolution from a design-driven micro-brand to a mature independent watchmaker with its own distinct language and value proposition. Initial thoughts The Odyssey is appealing because it plays to the brand’s strengths with regard to multi-layered, semi-transparent luminous dials. Like many of Ming’s best watches, including the similarly constructed Bluefin and Uni, the Odyssey provides a pleasing parallax effect thanks to the presence of luminous material on both the dial itself, as well as the underside of the sapphire crystal. The Odyssey takes the layered look even further by revealing hints of the movement through a smoked sapphire crystal dial. The movement is a typical Sellita GMT calibre, customised for Ming with anthracite-coated plat...
Hodinkee
A century-old dialogue between discretion, design, and the absence of hands has been one of this year's rising trends.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore the best blue dial watches we've reviewed across various styles with hands-on picks by budget with real-world pros and cons.
Fratello
I could make this a concise hands-on review. However, what I wanted to do when the Omega Speedmaster First Omega in Space (FOiS) landed on my desk was answer the question of whether this would be the Speedmaster for me. Ever since Omega unveiled the Speedmaster FOiS, the watch has intrigued me. First, I love […] Visit Spending Time With The Distinctive Omega Speedmaster FOiS to read the full article.
SJX Watches
On Episode 17 of the SJX Podcast, Brandon has just returned from WatchTime New York, an event that has emerged as the flagship watch fair in the United States since its debut in 2015. SJX shares his hands-on impressions of Breguet’s new ref. 7225, which features the return of the brand’s magnetic pivots and is the highlight of the 250th anniversary releases so far. We also examine the hamburger-sized 77 mm J. Player & Son ‘hypercomplication’ at Phillips – one of the most complicated and impressive British watches ever made, before wrapping up with a discussion about some of the pieces from JP Morgan’s own collection coming up in the same auction. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Deployant
Bell & Ross releases another new model, the BR-03 Compass, with indication for 3 timezones and a compass. Here is our hands-on review.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
From daily beaters to luxury icons, a decade of hands-on testing by our team reveals which watch brands are worth your time.
Fratello
When CIGA Design first released the Everest Central Tourbillon, it caught plenty of us off guard. Here was a young Chinese brand taking on one of horology’s most challenging mechanisms while doing it in a watch that actually felt emotionally grounded. Brad’s hands-on review from last year summed it up nicely: this was a watch […] Visit CIGA Design Scales Higher With The New Everest Summit Central Tourbillon to read the full article.
Monochrome
As one of the oldest names in the Swiss watch industry, Favre Leuba’s fortunes have fluctuated over the centuries. During the 1960s, Favre Leuba had a notable run of iconic, heavy-duty tool watches. Having changed hands several times, industry veteran Patrik Hoffmann was behind the relaunch of Favre Leuba staged during Geneva Watch Days 2024. […]
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