696 articles · 1 video found · page 13 of 24
Monochrome
While it was Seiko that first commercialised the quartz watch in 1969 with the legendary Astron, one could argue it was Citizen that took the ball and ran with it. While never abandoning mechanical watches, Citizen invested much of its research and development in quartz and light-powered technology, focusing on both accuracy and efficiency. Back […]
Fratello
It was a couple of years ago at the annual WatchPro event in London when I first met the folks from Out of Order. The upstart Italian brand was showcasing fun, affordable, cocktail-inspired GMT watches. Since then, the company has expanded its lineup to include pieces with automatic and quartz movements. Today, though, we take […] Visit Introducing: The New Out Of Order Watches Casanova 38 MOP Automatic Collection to read the full article.
SJX Watches
One of the most influential watchmakers of the post-quartz era has re-emerged with a groundbreaking slow-beat oscillator that cleverly avoids the amplitude constraints typical of such constructions. The Pulse60 is the latest project from Dominique Renaud’s eponymous workshop Haute Horlogerie Dominique Renaud (HHDR), and the first watch to bear his full name in a decade. The Pulse60 runs at just 7,200 times per hour - a frequency of just 1 Hz – a quarter the rate of a conventional movement. Ordinarily, such a slow beat would leave the movement susceptible to external forces, but here it has been combined with a proprietary escapement that overcomes the challenge. While the technical ingenuity is expected given Mr Renaud’s pedigree, the relatively accessible price of under CHF50,000 is unexpected, especially given the state of the market today. Initial thoughts It’s been a decade since Dominique Renaud came out of retirement, but his most public contributions since then have come under the Renaud Tixier banner. Latecomers to independent watchmaking may be less familiar with Mr Renaud’s work, but he played an important role in establishing the contemporary high-end watchmaking landscape. The Pulse60 is the first watch to carry the Dominique Renaud name since the exotic and expensive DR01 Twelve First, which was not made in significant numbers. But unlike its short-lived predecessor, which featured a low-amplitude, high-frequency escapement of Mr Renaud’s own des...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on review of the Christopher Ward C63 Valour Chronograph, a COSC-certified quartz military chronograph priced under $1,000.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The new Q Timex Continental Chronograph blends 1970s aesthetics with quartz precision, starting at $229.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Grand Seiko Snowflake gets smaller with new 33mm quartz models featuring the newly developed 9F51 movement.
Deployant
Grand Seiko extends their reach in the high accuracy, high end quartz watches with a new 9F movement encased in two new 33mm references.
Teddy Baldassarre
Before we get into the best Japanese watch brands for 2026, let's discuss Japan's role in watchmaking. Outside of Switzerland, Japan is probably the best-known watchmaking country, producing some of the world’s best watches in every category and at nearly every price point. When most people think about Japanese watches, their thoughts still likely envision mostly inexpensive and mostly quartz-powered watches from well-known, mass-market brands like Casio, Seiko, and Citizen. and to be sure, Japan is rightly regarded as a value leader in the global watch market, led by inexpensive but wildly popular and collectible watches like Casio's G-Shocks and Seiko's classically styled, automatic diver’s watches like the SKX series. However, Japan is also an excellent source for watches in the mid-level, luxury, and high-watchmaking categories, from both the country's handful of major players as well as from exciting, younger independent brands. [toc-section heading="Seiko"] At this point, Seiko is synonymous with Japanese watchmaking. The company was founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori and got its start by selling and repairing watches and clocks. Just 11 years later, Hattori started producing clocks and then pocket watches, followed closely by the company’s, and Japan’s, first wristwatch in 1913. The 1960s was a period of rapid growth for the company. Not only did Seiko introduce the first Grand Seiko watch and also Japan’s first dive watch, but the firm also gained interna...
Monochrome
Timex has been on a roll in the last few years, returning to mechanical watches after a decades-long hiatus. Quartz watches still dominate the portfolio, of course, ever since the brand first ceased mechanical production in 1982. A renewed focus on mechanical collections at lower and mid-tier levels began in 2017 after the 1960s-era hand-wound […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Long-term review of the Omega Seamaster 2541.80 quartz with 90s Bond-era charm, 300m capability, ultra-reliable accuracy, and the real-world quirks you should know.
Teddy Baldassarre
Fundamentally, mechanical and quartz movements do the same thing: they both tell thetime. But the ways in which they both do it couldn’t be more different. Not to get into acomparison guide here, but in a nutshell: a mechanical watch is powered by a mainspringthat’s either wound by hand or automatically through wrist movement. Energy is releasedthrough a complex system of gears, an escapement, and a balance wheel that beats steadily back and forth. There’s no battery, just centuries-old engineering refined to an art form. These watches aren’t the most accurate, but accuracy isn’t really the point. Craftsmanship, tradition, and the emotional connection are. Quartz watches, on the other hand, are powered by a battery and use an electrical current to make a quartz crystal vibrate at 32,768 times per second. That vibration is incredibly stable, which is why quartz watches are vastly more accurate and require far less maintenance. They’re practical, reliable, and often more durable for everyday use, as well as being notably more affordable. Neither system is inherently “better,” though. Mechanical watches speak to passion and heritage, while quartz prioritizes precision and convenience. Ultimately, it’s less about the movement inside and more about what you want your watch to represent on your wrist. [toc-section heading="Next-Level Accuracy"] Some watches measure accuracy in seconds per day, others by seconds per month. Butthere also exists a small group of t...
Fratello
He might not have been a watchmaker by training, but Raymond Weil (1926–2014) did start an eponymous watch brand. Remarkably, he did so at the age of 50 in 1976. The timing is defiant. Cheap quartz watches were already wreaking havoc on the Swiss watch industry, and a man in his 50s, especially back then, […] Visit Who Was Raymond Weil? Fratello Talked To His Grandson To Learn More About The Brand’s Founder to read the full article.
Monochrome
For LVMH Watch Week 2026, Hublot adds Sage Green editions to its Classic Fusion line: a 33mm quartz, a 42mm automatic, and a 45mm chronograph, introducing a soft, pastel tone to bridge sportiness and sophistication. Just like earlier Essential Grey and Taupe releases, these new references pair contemporary colour with a certain understated attire. The […]
SJX Watches
Foreshadowing Credor’s Watches & Wonders debut in April (located alongside sister brand Grand Seiko), the Goldfeather GCBY991 Imari Nabeshima Porcelain is the brand’s first launch of the year. It pairs an ultra-thin hand-wound movement with a dial made using a traditional – and reputedly highly secretive – Japanese porcelain technique. But now the secret is out, cased in steel and limited to 60 pieces worldwide. Initial thoughts Originally envisioned in the 1970s as a vehicle for precious metal quartz watches, Credor later expanded into a catch-all brand for Seiko’s high-end offerings that didn’t fit the Grand Seiko aesthetic. Over the last few years, however, Credor has refocused and shrunk its catalogue from over 200 references in 2021 to fewer than 70 today, shedding legions of ladies’ quartz models while redoubling emphasis on artisanal crafts. The porcelain-dialed GCBY999 embodies this tighter focus and exemplifies the brand’s new motto: “the creativity of artisans”. Despite the Goldfeather branding – and Credor’s original purpose – the GCBY999 is cased in stainless steel. This is a welcome concession given the current price of gold, which is near all-time highs, especially since Seiko generally charges a higher premium for precious metal models than is typical for Swiss brands. As a result, the GCBY999 is good value within the Goldfeather lineup, despite its artisanal dial. The watch retails for JPY1.98 million in Japan, equivalent to about ...
Time+Tide
The latest release under American brand Hemel's affordable Eylandt sub-brand says it all in the name: puck-shaped, quartz and accessible.The post The Eylandt Puck is a lug-less everyday watch with a smoother sweep appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Seiko launched the Astron in 1969, changing not just the brand’s trajectory but the way watches were made. The first commercially available quartz wristwatch, it arrived in solid gold and cost ¥450,000, about $1,250 at the time, or roughly $10,000 in 2025. Though “vintage” to modern eyes, its design was surprisingly luxurious and quietly radical, blending traditional finishing with industrial design cues in a way only Seiko could achieve. The exterior, however, was not the main story. The caliber 35SQ inside is what rewrote horology. With a quartz oscillator vibrating at 8,192 Hz, it delivered accuracy far beyond the mechanical watches of the day. It was not only a proof-of-concept that pushed horology into the 20th century, it also proved that Seiko was willing to innovate in an industry steeped in tradition. The post [VIDEO] The Seiko Astron SSH151, an Award-Winning Tech-Forward Timepiece appeared first on Worn & Wound.
SJX Watches
In the run-up to the holidays, Seiko facelifts its high-spec, multi-function quartz watch with the Astron GPS Solar refs. SSJ039 and SSH187 - limited editions of its satellite-linked models. While not available in stores until January, the new references make their public debut almost exactly 56 years to the day when the original Astron, the world’s first quartz wristwatch, was launched on December 25, 1969. Initial thoughts Despite pioneering efforts to develop quartz watches in Switzerland, and the commercialisation of category-defining products like the Swatch, the alpine nation has tended to lag a step behind its rivals from the land of the rising sun when it comes to quartz technology. As quartz watches matured and the underlying technology became commoditised, much of the Swiss watch industry redoubled its focus on mechanical watches, seemingly content to cede quartz leadership to brands like Seiko and Citizen. For their part, the dominant Japanese brands have continued to develop quartz watches with conscientious enthusiasm, bringing solar charging, radio frequency and satellite-based connectivity, and ultra-precise oscillators to maturity. In that context, the Seiko Astron is the embodiment of more than half a century of quartz leadership, and combines several of the brand’s strengths in two distinct limited edition models. Though the four-figure prices may come as a shock to buyers more familiar with offerings from brands like Apple, Garmin, and Casio, the A...
Teddy Baldassarre
While solar-powered quartz technology has been around for decades, it’s still a relatively new innovation in the centuries-old watch world. I wouldn’t say the solar-powered revolution has fully arrived (especially as contemporary enthusiasts continue to find appeal in the craftsmanship of mechanical calibers in an increasingly digital world), but the technology has undoubtedly become more reliable and refined in recent years. The convenience and ease of being able to charge up your watch in both natural and artificial light sources, as well as the security of the long-lasting battery life, actually lend themselves well to more high-stakes and tactical situations. Riffing on that theme, I’ve scoured the watch industry for the best solar dive watches on the market. Down below, you’ll find what I believe to be the most compelling solar divers out there for your reading pleasure, offered at a wide range of price points so everyone can get in on the fun. [toc-section heading="Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Dive Titanium"] Case: 44mm, Material: Super Titanium, Water Resistance: 200 meters, Caliber: E168 Solar, Price: $575 It was Citizen who truly revolutionized the genre of solar-powered watches in the '90s. The brand was the very first to launch pieces that could power up with both sunlight and artificial light sources with the launch of its Eco-Drive technology, and it remains a leader in the category today. While Citizen has quite a number of solar-powered watches that...
Deployant
Grand Seiko’s recent releases four new watches, two quartz and two automatic GMTs with new dials rooted in natural imagery. Across both quartz and mechanical offerings, the watches draw inspiration from seasonal transitions and landscapes near Grand Seiko’s studios in Shinshu and Shizukuishi.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Review of the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200, a quartz dive watch that blends practical specs with Timex’s evolving tool-watch design language.
Monochrome
Like so many brands, Cimier faced challenges during the quartz revolution but re-emerged in 2003. Celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2024, the brand launched the 711 Heritage Chronograph, and the recent colourful POP editions reintroduced the name to a new audience, offering affordable, well-built mechanical watches. In 2025, Cimier builds on that momentum with the […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Watchdives WD7922 review: vintage-inspired dive watch with VH31 sweep quartz and classic Tudor Sub looks. All for $94.
Hodinkee
How Guest Editor Eddie Huang found peace with a Vacheron QP while the menu for his new restaurant forced an existential crisis.
Fratello
The Brew Metric Teddy Baldassarre Edition brings together Brew’s coffee-themed Metric chronograph and YouTuber-turned-retailer Teddy Baldassarre. This special edition keeps the Metric’s compact 36mm case and VK68 mecha-quartz movement while adding a layered blue dial, a revised handset, and a new engraved case back. The collaboration traces back to a 2018 conversation between Teddy and […] Visit Introducing: The Brew Metric Teddy Baldassarre Edition to read the full article.
Monochrome
There are basically two types of watch movements – mechanical and quartz. The latter is powered by a battery or a combination of solar and rechargeable cells, while the former is powered by one or sometimes multiple mainsprings with no electrical input. There are also grey areas like Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive or Accutron’s Electrostatic […]
Hodinkee
Two models-one automatic, one quartz-continue the brand's multi-decade tribute to the three-time World Champion.
Hodinkee
Raymond Weil follows up the Millesime with a stylish, thin, and sculptural dress watch in mechanical or quartz.
Monochrome
Founded by master watchmaker Gerd R. Lang (1943-2023) in 1983, Chronoswiss rowed against the tide of quartz to become a key player in the renaissance of mechanical watchmaking. Renowned for exceptional craftsmanship and a penchant for regulator displays, Lang’s brand released the Opus chronograph in 1995, the world’s first serially produced skeletonised automatic chronograph, revealing […]
Monochrome
A relatively young brand founded by two close friends, Andrea Furlan and Hamad Al-Marri, Furlan Marri started its life on Kickstarter in 2021 with a nicely designed collection of meca-quartz chronographs. The goal of the brand was to “bring back emotional watchmaking with thoughtful design (…) with details rarely seen at this price point”. And […]
Worn & Wound
Seiko’s latest is as surprising as it is satisfying. The reissue of the Rotocall, a digital watch born in 1982, worn by astronauts, and beloved for decades by fans of oddball 80s quartz, is completely unexpected, but finds Seiko working in the register we love to find them in. Which is to say, raiding the archives in a meaningful way that breathes life into classic references and references you might not actually know too much about. I have a feeling the Rotocall might fit into both camps. That’s the nature of a cult favorite, after all. The original Rotocall reference, A829-6019, was conceived as a digital watch that would be a bit easier to operate and use but not lose any of the inherent functionality of a watch meant to perform in multiple disciplines. Rather than a complex menu system or arcane mode switching using a series of buttons, the Rotocall’s functions could be changed quickly by rotating the distinctive octagonal bezel. Setting the time, using a countdown timer, activating stopwatch functionality, and more are all clearly defined by the bezel position. Once you move the bezel to the desired function, a pair of buttons on either side of the case control the action. Think about some of the more complicated digital watches out there and how you might actually navigate from the time display to, say, a calendar, and you start to realize the value here. The simplicity, according to Seiko, was favored by many astronauts, and the Rotocall saw action on well ove...
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