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Balance Wheel

The oscillating wheel at the heart of every mechanical watch.
Our Favorite Chronos Of 2025 Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 23, 2025

Our Favorite Chronos Of 2025

Chronographs are one of the most popular and yet under-appreciated watches out there. While we might take them for granted due to the relative ease of finding a nice one at just about any price point, the watchmaking on display can be as impressive as that from more exotic complications. 2025 was a fantastic year for fans of the chronograph with Omega releasing a manual wind iteration of their sportier ceramic take on the Speedmaster. And then there’s Breguet, who have been on a roll all year. Let’s take a look at our favorite new chronographs for this year and while not all of them made the list, there are some particularly robust honorable mentions here. [toc-section heading="Longines Spirit Flyback Chronograph"] The Longines Spirit Flyback Chronograph was given a refresh that, in my opinion, puts it in the running for one of the best chronographs out there period. It was previously offered only in a 42mm case but now comes in a fantastic compact 39.5mm wide stainless steel case that comes in at a lug-to-lug height of just around 47.4mm. Of course, it’s not just the case diameter that matters, it’s also the thickness and the reduction from a hefty 17mm to 13.4mm is truly transformative. The L792.4 calibre movement is a manual wind take on the Valjoux 7750 that also gets a contemporary makeover with a silicon balance spring and COSC certification on top of the 68-hour power reserve. While the price of $5,350 on strap and $5,500 might not shout “value” to some,...

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First Look – The 2025 Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic Freeride World Tour Special Edition Monochrome
Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic Freeride Dec 10, 2025

First Look – The 2025 Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic Freeride World Tour Special Edition

For its ninth year partnering with Alpiner Extreme Automatic Freeride World Tour Special Edition (FWT), Alpina introduces a fresh take on the Alpiner Extreme Automatic, a model positioned at the intersection of traditional Swiss watchmaking and high-altitude sport. While the brand has long aligned itself with alpine culture, this Special Edition, housed in the compact version […]

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In-Depth: Understanding Isochronism and Oscillators SJX Watches
Breguet overcoils Dec 10, 2025

In-Depth: Understanding Isochronism and Oscillators

The beginning of 2025 marked the 350th anniversary of the hairspring, the invention that made portable precision timekeeping possible. To commemorate the occasion, we published a series of deep dives covering the disputes around its invention, the evolution of spring materials over the years and the finer rules of forming Breguet overcoils. This final instalment examines isochronism. Some initial definitions and considerations A proper and universal definition of isochronism is: the property of an oscillatory system to maintain the same period of vibration despite variation in environmental factors. This implies that a vibrational system’s behaviour is inherent and external factors should not influence its frequency.  A few basic terms help frame the discussion. The period, measured in seconds, is the time taken for the oscillator to travel from one extreme position, through equilibrium, and back again. Frequency, measured in Hertz, is the inverse of the period; a system with a constant period can serve as a stable timebase. The amplitude is the distance swept by the oscillator from the equilibrium point to its extreme position. In practical terms, when saying that a sprung balance has an amplitude of 330°, it means the balance wheel rotates a full 330° in one direction from its equilibrium point before swinging back.  Figure I. Anatomy of a sinusoidal wave. In watchmaking parlance, isochronism means that an oscillator keeps the same period, regardless of its amplit...

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Breguet Ends a Big Anniversary Year with the Impressive Expérimentale 1 Worn & Wound
Breguet Ends Dec 1, 2025

Breguet Ends a Big Anniversary Year with the Impressive Expérimentale 1

As if winning the top prize at the GPHG were not enough, Breguet has capped off their big 250th anniversary year with the launch of what is surely their most horologically interesting and cutting edge release in years. The Expérimentale 1 is an ambitious foray into contemporary haute horlogerie from a brand that more than most is associated with classicism. It incorporates and merges multiple technologies and advancements into a remarkably cohesive idea that might even have those of us who have always bristled at the controversial Marine collection rethinking its potential.  The showstopping feature of the new Expérimentale 1 is the tourbillon, the first ever to beat at 10 Hz. Bregust is quick to remind us that most tourbillons run at a rate of 2.5 Hz, so this represents a dramatic increase and in theory should provide a variety of chronometric benefits, including rate stability over the duration of the power reserve and a better baseline level of accuracy. But it’s not just a high frequency tourbillon. Breguet has also developed and introduced a new magnetic escapement that is designed to provide constant force to the balance. The logic here is fairly straightforward even if the mechanics themselves are, frankly, somewhat difficult wrap your arms around without real watchmaking experience (this, by the way, is essentially my constant of being as I observe similar watchmaking advancements – wide eyed and impressed but quite frequently confused by all the math and ph...

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Audemars Piguet Brings Innovation To Dubai Watch Week With The Intelligent Watch Box Fratello
Audemars Piguet Brings Innovation Nov 20, 2025

Audemars Piguet Brings Innovation To Dubai Watch Week With The Intelligent Watch Box

Dubai Watch Week has built a reputation for giving brands the freedom to do more than show new watches, and Audemars Piguet has taken full advantage of that. The House of Wonders exhibition forms the core of its presence this year. It is a traveling setup that blends history, design, and the landscapes of the […] Visit Audemars Piguet Brings Innovation To Dubai Watch Week With The Intelligent Watch Box to read the full article.

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The Seiko A031-5019: Seiko’s First Digital Alarm Wristwatch Worn & Wound
Seiko A031-5019 Seiko’s First Digital Nov 3, 2025

The Seiko A031-5019: Seiko’s First Digital Alarm Wristwatch

A rabbit hole that I’ve always loved delving down within the watch hobby is one of firsts––the trailblazers of horology that pioneered the use or creation of new functions, features, materials, etc. (especially when they’re pieces I can afford). I had always kept my eye on the market for when one of these A031 models popped up because, as I’m sure you’ve seen from the title already, this movement was Seiko’s first digital watch with an alarm function. I’m not one for actually utilizing the functions included in or on the watches I own, but that doesn’t mean I can’t or don’t appreciate their ingenuity; the same rings true (pun intended) for this watch. Besides being the first digital alarm Seiko, is 1977’s A031-5019 worth picking up for your collection? Let’s take a deep dive together. The A031’s History, Aesthetics, and Functionality As is custom for a lot of the watch models I have a fascination with, very little information is available regarding the A031’s creation and initial popularity on the market. Thankfully, however, my favorite database for digital timepieces, Rare Digital Watches, has a copy of the A031 Parts List and Technical Guide available for free on their website. I cannot recommend taking a look at these materials enough. I always hunt down physical or digital documents like this for Seiko pieces I pick up. Typically, another passionate hobbyist has taken the time to photocopy them and make them available for the public to ad...

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Editorial: Reflections on WatchTime New York 2025 SJX Watches
Greubel Forsey Hand Made 2 Initial Oct 27, 2025

Editorial: Reflections on WatchTime New York 2025

Autumn has always been a special time in New York, and that’s especially true now that the city plays host to the nation’s flagship watch fair. Held each October in the heart of Midtown, WatchTime New York has become one of the most high profile public watch fairs in the United States, bringing together independent watchmakers, major brands, and collectors under the imposing dome of Gotham Hall. Now in its tenth year, the 2025 edition was the largest yet, and served as the backdrop for the public unveiling of a few notable watches (and one strap). The Greubel Forsey Hand Made 2. Initial thoughts This was my third year attending WatchTime, and the experience is remarkably consistent from year-to-year. That said, this year’s event was clearly the biggest yet, with 44 brands and more than 2,700 visitors. Despite this turnout, it’s still a fraction the size of an event like Watches & Wonders, which gives it a more intimate feel that reminds me of SalonQP, which was an annual watch fair in London put on by now-defunct QP magazine. In other words, it’s big enough to attract big names and small enough to allow the general public to meet watchmakers that they might not otherwise have access to; Kari Voutilainen, Stepan Sarpaneva, Martin Frei of Urwerk, Albert Edelmann of Zeitwinkel, and Roland Murphy of RGM were present throughout the fair to engage with collectors. A big turnout Not only did WatchTime attendance set a record, the nearby Windup Watch Fair, a free event f...

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Rolex “Time Zone to Time Zone” GMT-Master II Exhibition in Singapore SJX Watches
Rolex Time Zone Oct 13, 2025

Rolex “Time Zone to Time Zone” GMT-Master II Exhibition in Singapore

Having debuted in Geneva last year, Time Zone to Time Zone now arrives in Singapore come October 24. An exhibition dedicated to the GMT-Master and GMT-Master II, the event is being staged in Singapore by Rolex and retailer Cortina Watch. Slated to run for two weeks, Time Zone to Time Zone takes place in Paragon on Orchard Road, following a stop in Hong Kong earlier in 2025. The exhibition is a journey through the history of the GMT-Master, starting with its origins as a watch for the pilots of Pan Am, the now-defunct American airline that was the world’s largest when the GMT-Master debuted in 1954. Illustrated with period photographs, advertising, and other paraphernalia, the history of the model continues uninterrupted into the modern day with the GMT-Master II. Here the exhibition details the advancements in materials, movements, and manufacturing that make it a Rolex. Hosted by Rolex and Cortina Watch, Time Zone to Time Zone takes place from October 24 to November 2, at the main atrium of Paragon mall located at 290 Orchard Road, Singapore 238859. The exhibition is free and open to the public, but registration is recommended for the 45-minute guided tour. Register online at Cortinawatch.com. Update October 25, 2026: Venue images added.

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Orient Star’s Manual-Wind Moon Phase is Slick and Silicon SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Sep 29, 2025

Orient Star’s Manual-Wind Moon Phase is Slick and Silicon

The Orient Star M45 F8 Mechanical Moon Phase Hand Winding is the brand’s first manual-wind moon phase, and also the first in years with a solid dial, making it a refreshing change of pace from the brand’s usual fare that leans towards open-worked and occasionally over-designed styling. Initial Thoughts Excepting the vintage inspired Diver 1964, the M45 F8 moon phase is the most attractive watch in the Orient catalog to my eye. Most of the brand’s designs are too busy for my tastes, so these entries are a welcome departure that will certainly appeal to enthusiasts with more classical tastes. The moon phase disk itself, with mother-of-pearl inlay, is a highlight. And the absence of a seconds hand is a pleasant surprise, though the moon phase sub-dial feels naked without the traditional co-axial small seconds hand. Since the small seconds version of this calibre is not compatible with the moon phase module, Orient could have moved the Orient Star logo onto the sub-dial for more visual balance. Most importantly, this is a manually wound watch – with a competent movement – in a price segment where such things are hard to find. Looking at Japanese watches in particular, manual wind options from Grand Seiko and Credor are significantly more expensive, while Seiko, Orient, and Citizen dropped their entry-level manual watches years ago. Pleiades About two years ago, Orient Star reorganised its catalog by launching M Collections, a family of watches each named after astron...

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Bremont’s New Direction: Davide Cerrato on Challenges, Vision, and British Watchmaking Worn & Wound
Bremont s New Direction Davide Sep 26, 2025

Bremont’s New Direction: Davide Cerrato on Challenges, Vision, and British Watchmaking

It’s not hyperbole to say that Bremont’s presentation at Watches & Wonders 2024 was one of the most hotly discussed and contentious events in the watch industry in years. The British brand, long associated with their founders, brothers Nick and Giles English, was now under the control of a new CEO, watch industry veteran Davide Cerrato, and a new ownership group. We knew ahead of time that the watches presented at the show would represent a new direction for the brand, one that would apparently see them reaching for the mass market, well beyond the deep enthusiast core audience they had cultivated so carefully since the brand’s founding. What we didn’t know at the time was the watches, a new logo, and a surprising new look and feel for the brand itself would cause so much consternation.  It’s a common complaint that watch media types are soft on watches that are objectively bad. Think of all the times you’ve seen a comment on an Instagram post or a watch article asking sarcastically if a piece of editorial content is bought and paid for by a brand. That somewhat ridiculous line of thinking is a topic for another day, but I think it’s fair to say no one accused any real writer of being soft on Bremont during Watches & Wonders 2024 and in the weeks shortly thereafter. Our own post was, I thought, a fairly balanced critique compared to some. My opinion in the days after the show was very much a first, hazy impression of a brand that had suddenly lost its footin...

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Tissot Unearths the RockWatch SJX Watches
Tissot Unearths Sep 18, 2025

Tissot Unearths the RockWatch

Tissot reissues the iconic RockWatch of 1985, now in a larger case but once again made of granite sourced from the Swiss Alps. Although Tissot took a few liberties to suit modern tastes, such upsizing the case to 38 mm and adding monochromatic hands, the new RockWatch is impressive for its fidelity to the original, and retains all of the important details including its one-piece case and dial. Limited to 999 pieces, the RockWatch extends Tissot’s run of mining gems from its back catalogue. Initial thoughts Tissot has been digging through its archives for over a decade now. After excavating the enormously successful PRX in 2021, the colourful Sideral in 2023, and long-dormant Stylist last year, Tissot has finally hit bedrock. Watch cases carved from stone predate even the balance spring, but remained extremely niche and were often quite expensive until Tissot’s original 1985 RockWatch. While originally launched in Alpine marble, the line expanded to include numerous other materials. Historical RockWatches were produced in a variety of materials and featured red and yellow hands inspired by Alpine trail markers. As with most modern reissues, the 38 mm RockWatch is significantly larger than the originals, which were offered in 23 mm, 30 mm, and 33 mm sizes. In addition, modern AR-coated sapphire stands in for the tempered glass crystal of the original. Though larger, the construction is consistent with that of the original with its monobloc case and dial, which are milled...

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In-Depth: Vacheron Constantin’s La Quête Du Temps is an Astronomical Clock in Every Sense SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin s La Quête Du Sep 16, 2025

In-Depth: Vacheron Constantin’s La Quête Du Temps is an Astronomical Clock in Every Sense

Vacheron Constantin’s 270th anniversary tour de force continues with the La Quête Du Temps ‘Mecanique D’art’, a metre-tall astronomical clock, automata, and decorative object. While the brand teased us with the most complicated wristwatch ever made earlier this year, it’s been planning something much, much grander – a true monument to time. Initial thoughts I see La Quête Du Temps as part of a near millennia old tradition of astronomical clocks and mechanical follies. During the very late 12th century, an Artuqid king commissioned an exceptional astronomical water clock from famed Islamic inventor Ismail al-Jazari. Al-Jazari’s “castle clock” kept time, but only as an ancillary function. The clock tracked the passage of the sun, the passage and phase of the moon and the zodiacs, and on the sixth, ninth and twelfth hours a cast of five life-sized automata sprung to life, playing drums and trumpets to dazzle the royal court. Other kings commissioned similar astronomical clocks from inventor in their courts, as symbols of their power and sophistication. If not kings, it was congregations and city councils raising these models of the heavens on Earth as symbols of prosperity and prestige. And today, Vacheron Constantin, the oldest watch manufacturer, builds one for itself. The Solaria, the most complicated wristwatch yet made, was not the brand’s 270th anniversary flagship – this is. Image – Vacheron Constantin/Stephane Sby Balmy This year has been mor...

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Is The New Raymond Weil Freelancer Complete Calendar Their Best Yet? (Hands-On) WatchAdvice
Frederique Constant Sep 11, 2025

Is The New Raymond Weil Freelancer Complete Calendar Their Best Yet? (Hands-On)

As Raymond Weil comes out of their shell, so do more incredible timepieces. But have they hit a new peak with the Freelancer Complete Calendar? Let’s find out! What We Love: An elegant and versatile design Quality-of-life upgrades to a classic complication Excellent value proposition with few competitors What We Don’t: Movement finishing somewhat lacklustre Calendar is hard to see from a distance Do we need the lume? Overall Rating: 9/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 There’s a rapid surge happening in watchmaking right now. No, I’m not talking about the newly imposed 39% U.S. tariffs on Swiss watches (though that’s a story in itself), but rather the quiet re-emergence of the middle market. As household names climb further upmarket, a new wave of brands are pushing harder than ever, flexing their creative and horological muscles to prove what they’re truly capable of. Christopher Ward is one; Frederique Constant and Maurice Lacroix are others. But perhaps the most impressive contender in this power shift is none other than Raymond Weil. Nearly 50 years young, the family-owned independent has been quietly racking up achievements and accolades. Their breakout moment came with the GPHG-winning Millésime collection, followed by ambitious world timers and flyback chronographs — complications that once felt far beyond the brand’s reach. And at Watches & Wonders Geneva this year, Raymond Weil unveiled perhaps its most...

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Gears and Gaskets: Spotting Mechanical Icons on Wrist and Road at the Lime Rock Historic Festival 43 Worn & Wound
Breitling Premier Chronograph from Sep 4, 2025

Gears and Gaskets: Spotting Mechanical Icons on Wrist and Road at the Lime Rock Historic Festival 43

Each Labor Day weekend for the last 42 years, the quiet hillsides of Northwestern Connecticut boom to life with sounds from a bygone era as vintage engines triumphantly roar to life on the circuit. This year, the 43rd Historic Festival, was my first year joining the action. Now, Lime Rock is not just a celebration of motorsports’ golden era spent staring at showpiece collector cars from behind a velvet rope, but rather a gathering of people for whom mechanical beauty and intricacy hold enduring appeal. David Von Bader with a late 1970s Heuer Montreal Ref. 750-503N As such, I entered under the assumption that while lifting bonnets, wrenching on bolts, polishing headlights, and lubricating gaskets, there would be some level of horological enthusiasm slipping out from under the cuff. Walking from the hillside into the paddock, it was immediately clear that the connection between car culture and horology held true. Breaking free from the distraction on track as the yellow pitbull 1965 Mini Cooper chased down a few vintage Porsches and BMWs, my eye snagged on a disk of gold glistening in the mechanics’ pit. There, wrenching away in a Jaguar mechanics jacket under a 1952 Jaguar XK120 propped up on stilts was James Alder from Reno, Nevada. Hands covered in grease, Jim was not gentle with the precious tool that slipped in and out of his cuff as he reached for engine fittings, trying to diagnose his firing problems. On his wrist sat a vintage Breitling Premier Chronograph from ...

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25 Of The Best Red Dial Watches Teddy Baldassarre
Sep 4, 2025

25 Of The Best Red Dial Watches

More so than almost any other color option, a watch with a red dial begs to be noticed - whether the watch is large or small, simple or complicated, soberly matte or luxuriously shiny in its choice of case material. It’s not hard to see why: crimson and scarlet tones have long symbolized heat, sensuality, and even hints of temptation and danger. Best of all, for anyone inclined to take the plunge into red-dial watches, there are more options these days than ever, in just about every price range and style. Here we showcase 25 watches with red dials, some of which you can buy new and some which might require a little hunting on the secondary market. Orient Bambino Day-Date Price: $430, Case Size: 40.5mm, Thickness: 12.6mm, Lug to Lug: 46.5mm, Lug Width: 21mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Automatic F6B22 Often under the radar of American watch consumers and overshadowed by its much larger Japanese brethren, Citizen and Seiko (which with it shares a corporate connection through Epson), Orient has been making value-oriented watches in Japan since 1950. The Bambino, Orient’s dressy gents’ model, mostly offers simple three-handed options but also a handful of “quiet” complications, like the intriguing designed Bambino Day-Date, here in a red-dialed execution. The Roman hour numerals and railway minute track surround a pair of asymmetrically balanced subdials, a smaller one at 10 o’clock for the day of the week and a larger one at 5 o’c...

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Maurice Lacroix Introduces the AIKONIC, a New Sporty Take on the Popular AIKON Models Worn & Wound
Maurice Lacroix Introduces Aug 25, 2025

Maurice Lacroix Introduces the AIKONIC, a New Sporty Take on the Popular AIKON Models

Since its inception in 2016, the AIKON line has been Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix’s bestselling collection. Nine years later, the brand is ready to kick it up a notch. The new aptly-named AIKONIC series packs updated mechanics and new materials into an upgraded case design with pops of color, promising innovation in the urban watch space while maintaining the original watch’s flavor. Does it land? Let’s take a look.  The first new aspect of note for the AIKONIC collection is the 43mm case; while it retains the familiar six double-wide “arms” around the bezel, a tactile grip cover is added to the crown. Both the bezel and the crown cover are composed of matt ceramic, which promises scratch-free usage for years to come. And while the case remains steel, it features both brushed and polished surfaces for visual and tactile complexity.  The carbon dial, too, is all-new on the AIKONIC. With carbon fiber strands running north to south in one direction as opposed to interwoven, each dial is slightly distinct from the next. Maurice Lacroix collaborated with a Swiss partner to create the dials, resulting in a construction that is fresh both structurally and aesthetically. The noth-south carbon pattern indeed gives each dial a vertical wave pattern, diversifying the design from both a textural and visual standpoint. Atop the dial sits silver text details, rhodium indices and second hand, and rhodium-facetted hour and minute hands. A sapphire crystal with anti-reflect...

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Saying Goodbye Worn & Wound
Aug 7, 2025

Saying Goodbye

It’s time to say goodbye. As the poet Rose once said, “nothin’ lasts forever, and we both know hearts can change.” That watch you once lusted after, saved for, and finally bought has run its course. It’s time to let it go, as sad as that might seem. You no longer reach for it in the morning. You no longer post it to Instagram. It has been absent from recent meetups, making room for newer pieces. It just sits there, reminding you of who you used to be. Once, you thought, this is it, I’ve found my one and only. A watch that represents me: my specific tastes and knowledge. It says, “I’m no casual watch fan,” but it isn’t flashy either. You’re an enthusiast, not a hype beast. This watch is for you, and those like you. A badge that says “I’m an insider.” You still like the watch and feel proud to own it, but you have to face the fact that you’ve outgrown it or changed altogether. you know the time has come You stop and think, “it’s not fair to the watch. A watch like this shouldn’t be collecting dust in a box or living its life in the darkness of a drawer.” You want to set it free. You say to yourself, “Hey, maybe there is someone who was just like me X years ago when I first bought it.” Younger, bright-eyed, still discovering who they are, horologically speaking. Maybe this watch can do for them what it did for you. After all, it wasn’t easy to get. You spent time finding it, waiting for the right reference in the right condition to ...

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Hands-On: the Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Edition Worn & Wound
Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Aug 4, 2025

Hands-On: the Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Edition

As my thirties pass by and more gray hairs emerge, I can’t help but notice the unironic fondness I’ve been feeling for two-tone watches. Much like my inability to understand the slang my kids use, feeling that the rizz of two-tone slaps (am I doing that right?) seems to be an inevitable part of aging. And while Citizen’s decision to opt for gold accents to mark the 40th anniversary of the Promaster Aqualand probably isn’t a nod to middle aged collectors and is more likely a heartfelt way to honor the original Aqualand C0023, it feels satisfyingly appropriate that this icon is embracing two-tone to celebrate being over the hill. In full transparency of my own horological biases, I went into this review feeling burnt out on dive watches, which in retrospect seems inevitable after owning about a dozen black dialed divers over a five year period. In recent months I’ve also developed a bit of a pro-quartz preference as my first mechanical watches start to show their age and I’m seeking out watchmakers on a limited budget, another seemingly inevitable result of my collecting journey. I share this because, no longer dazzled by ratcheting bezels and mechanical movements in the way I once was, I thought it would be nice to get my hands on a robust and worry free quartz watch to take on my annual road trip from New Hampshire to Michigan. One text to our Managing Editor Zach Kazan during which I forgot to clarify that I would be content if I never saw another black dial d...

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New Watch Releases You May Have Missed from IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Bremont, and Minase Worn & Wound
Jaeger-LeCoultre Bremont Aug 3, 2025

New Watch Releases You May Have Missed from IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Bremont, and Minase

Happy first weekend of August, and welcome to another new release summary! Would that make it a “summery” summary? Bad alliterative jokes aside, we’ve seen some exciting new pieces from big-name watchmakers and microbrands alike. Rounding out this release list are a colorful new IWC Top Gun collab, a Jaeger-LeCoulture that shoots for the stars, a meteoric Bremont with lofty aspirations, and a Minase that brings a little winter chill to the summer sun.  Read on, and let us know if there is a new release that you think we missed out on in the comments! IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar Far from their first Top Gun release, IWC’s new chronograph may not seem that exciting at first glance. But the new Miramar edition has a secret weapon: a Pantone hue of the same name. Other Top Gun IWCs have been made available in shades of black, gray, and beige, which although appropriate for the military-theme, aren’t terribly exciting from a color perspective. The Miramar, then, stands out with its unapologetically cheery blue, inspired by the light blue t-shirts worn by TOPGUN flight instructors under their flight suits.  It’s not just the color that gives the Miramar an edge, though. Design-wise, the left-leaning subdials at the 12, 6, and 9 o’clock positions, balanced out by the dual date and day windows, provide for a handsomely readable aesthetic. The typeface is characteristic of other IWC Top Gun watches, with rounded sans serif numeral...

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Hands On: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar SJX Watches
Patek Philippe alumni who caught his Aug 1, 2025

Hands On: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar

Roger Dubuis is celebrating 30 years by looking back on its days as a trend-setting independent. The Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar deftly balances the spirit of Genevan watchmaking from the brand’s early years in the 1990s with the boisterous designs of the 2000s in a manageable size, but less manageable price. While the style is reminiscent of the oversized Excalibur models that were far from ergonomic, the Biretrograde Calendar has been redesigned for wearability. The retrograde calendar mechanism on the front is an in-house construction, built on top of the brand’s own automatic movement that is unexpectedly sophisticated and classical. Initial Thoughts Roger Dubuis is a marque built on calendars, so the new Excalibur has historical resonance. The late Roger Dubuis was a Patek Philippe alumni who caught his big break working with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, who would go on to found Agenhor, on a double retrograde perpetual calendar developed for New York jeweller Harry Winston. It was during the project that Dubuis met his future business partner, Carlos Dias, an entrepreneur who would help establish the Roger Dubuis brand and transform it into a hit maker in the 2000s. The same double retrograde perpetual calendar mechanism would accompany the first Roger Dubuis model the brand’s debut in 1995. And the retrograde calendar also has a historical connection to Geneva, as a local watchmaker named Marius LeCoultre created the most prolific retrograde perpetual design of ...

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Hands-On: the Abinger Nimrod Worn & Wound
Jul 29, 2025

Hands-On: the Abinger Nimrod

Our first introduction to a brand can often set the stage for our initial relationship with it. That can be especially tricky for small brands launching their first model, hoping to latch onto an enthusiast market. So when I lay this all out for you, keep that in mind.  London has been close to the top of my list of travel destinations for quite some time, so even when seven hours of flight delays burned my only free night before British Watchmakers Day, I was still teeming with excitement just to be going. That same energy, though, began to slowly leave my body, as Zach Kazan and I made our way to the upstairs section of the pub where we hosted our meetup with Arken. Ken graciously provided us with a bottle of whisky, ensuring my tumbler stayed wet as the growing crowd conversed around us, and the conversation grew loud. It was then that I met Thomas Hill-a warm, soft-spoken individual who, like me, seemed more at home on the periphery of the crowd than in its throes. It was in that setting, in the middle of the conversation that I thought had been going well, that Tom looked right at me and called me a nimrod. Or so I thought. Seeing the puzzlement on my face, he laughed, put me out of my misery, and produced a trio of sample watches adorned with the name “Nimrod” on the dial. Thus, I was properly introduced to his brand, Abinger. Joking aside, Tom was very polite and a bit sheepish about showing off his project, as they were his first prototypes of the model, yet...

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The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Shadow: The Ultimate Adventure Watch WatchAdvice
Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Shadow Jul 25, 2025

The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Shadow: The Ultimate Adventure Watch

It’s dark, it’s stealthy, and it’s bold. But it’s a lot of fun! The new Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Shadow is built for those who love some adventure. So we put it to the test… What We Love The muted matte shadow look The lightweight construction The ease of wear for a larger watch What We Don’t Lack of micro-adjust The ‘give’ in the bezel The taper of the bracelet isn’t as balanced as it could be Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10 Value For Money: 8.5/10 Design: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 The Zenith Diver dates back to the early 1960s when the Le Locle brand designed and released the Super Sub Sea. But, it wasn’t until 1969 when the Defy Diver was released that Zenith had hit on a good thing. The Defy A3648 was a bold watch, and its design codes echoed those of the time. This watch is what the Zenith Defy Diver Revival is modelled after, which Mario took out for a spin last year. However, Zenith didn’t have a deep diver or saturation dive watch like many others out there. Think of the likes of the Rolex Sea-Dweller and the Omega Planet Ocean. So last year, the brand released a new watch – the Defy Extreme Diver in both blue and black colourways that would recify the gap in the market. It had all the hallmarks of the Zenith Defy range, closely mirroring that of the Defy Skyline, but just a little more bold and robust. So it was no surprise that the brand looked at this watch, along with the A3648 and decided to release a pair of “Shadow” e...

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