2,378 articles · 6 videos found · page 24 of 80
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We compare the $50 Casio Duro and $6,000 Omega Seamaster Diver 300M hands-on to see whether a luxury dive watch is actually better where it matters.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Can an affordable dress watch compete with a premium Swiss alternative? We compare the Orient Bambino and Mido Commander Datoday to see which is worth buying.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We compare the Seiko Turtle and Citizen Promaster NY0040 after hands-on testing to find out which affordable automatic dive watch delivers more.
Worn & Wound
Earlier this year, I got a whole new appreciation for the Nomos Metro after sitting down with its creator, Mark Braun. The collection first came into the Nomos catalog back in 2014 and debuted the brand’s proprietary swing escapement system, which was developed over seven years with the Fraunhofer Institute and TU Dresden. Form was equally important to function in the original design, featuring a galvanized and silver-plated dial with a soft white color punctuated by black, red, and green markings in an arrangement that subtly played with asymmetry. Over the past 12 years, the Metro has gone on to take many other forms – some ditching the asymmetry by removing the power reserve indicator and shifting the Nomos logo to 12 o’clock and others ditching the white dial for full color alongside versions in rose gold as well as special editions for select markets. Today, we get the next evolution with the Metro Date Power Reserve Ice Blue. True to the collection’s DNA, this new incarnation offers new details both aesthetic and technical, including a brand-new mechanical caliber.With the latest addition to the Metro lineup, we see Nomos continue to use this collection as a launch point for new technical advancements. It marks the first model in the Nomos catalog to house the new hand-wound caliber DUW 4701, which offers a patented quick-set date and a power reserve of up to 52 hours. This entirely new movement continues the story of mechanical innovation that began with the...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We compare the Tudor Black Bay GMT and Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT on wearability, movements, build quality, and value to see which GMT makes more sense.
Worn & Wound
We’re at an interesting time when it comes to the dialogue in the watch community on vintage inspired watches. Watches that make explicit references to the past are simply less common now than they were a decade ago, or even 4 or 5 years ago. I’ve long believed that a maturing group of collectors who entered the hobby when these watches were all the rage have aged into a point in their collecting journeys when more adventurous and contemporary designs simply have more interest. But this theory really only applies to what most of us refer to as “midcentury” watches. Think about the earliest dive watches from Rolex, Blancpain, and others, the types of dress and everyday watches worn by Don Draper on Mad Men, and extending through to the earliest bits of 60s and 70s funkiness. That’s the vintage inspired wheelhouse for watch brands seeking to tap into the community’s desire to commune with the past, whether through real or imagined nostalgia. Watches from a century ago are an entirely different category. Enter the Hamilton American Classic Cushion Mechanical. This is an entirely new collection from the brand that finds them looking to designs from the 1920s for inspiration. Watches from this period never really had a widespread moment of resurgence like divers from the 1960s, but if you’ve spent some time in the hobby you’ve undoubtedly encountered collectors who are deeply into exactly this kind of thing. There are a number of interesting reasons to colle...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
After years of testing military watches, we break down what spending more actually gets you, from better engineering and materials to genuine military provenance.
SJX Watches
The Cartier Cheich is one of the jeweller’s most unusual, and rarest, creations. Originally conceived as a prize for winners of the Dakar Rally during the years when the race was sponsored by Cartier, the Cheich was modelled on the rally’s emblem that is a stylised bust of a Tuareg tribesman wearing a headscarf – cheich is French for “sheikh”. Four originals in yellow gold were made, and amongst the recipients were Thierry Sabine, the founder of the Paris Dakar Cartier Challenge, and Gaston Rahier, a driver who won the rally in 1984 and 1985. Sabine’s death in 1986 put an end to Cartier’s sponsorship of the rally. Rahier’s watch was sold by Sotheby’s in 2022 for a little over €1 million with fees. But some 25 years after the original Cheich watches were made, Cartier made one more, in white gold no less. And that watch just sold for US$3.38 million including fees at Sotheby’s stellar Hong Kong auction, making it the most valuable Cartier watch ever sold publicly – and also the most valuable quartz watch ever sold. The result underlines the continuing demand for distinctive Cartier form watches, a category that includes the iconic Crash. The Cheich in white gold was originally commissioned by Giorgio Seragnoli, an heir to an Italian packaging dynasty who was once owned the world’s largest collection of Cartier timepieces, primarily wristwatches in white metals. A native of Bologna, sMr Seragnoli unfortunately exhausted even his considerable fortune...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Citizen gives its high-tech Attesa a colorful update with two limited-edition Eco-Drive GPS chronographs inspired by natural light phenomena.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Alpina brings solar power to the Startimer Pilot with a compact 38mm case and a La Joux-Perret-developed movement with 10 months of autonomy.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
See how the Mido Ocean Star 200 stacks up against the Rolex Submariner after hands-on testing, and whether the Rolex is really worth $9K more.
Time+Tide
The new Meridion VX01-E from VOXEL showcases a trio of textured dial finishes with an inventive jump hour display
Monochrome
A name with historical importance at Seiko, the Speedtimer refers to early wrist chronographs created by the brand back in 1969. Alongside Zenith and the Heuer/Hamilton/Breiling venture, Seiko was among the first three brands to launch an automatic chronograph movement with its calibre 6139 inside a watch named the Speedtimer. In recent years, this name […]
Time+Tide
Ahead of the 2026 US Open, Novak Djokovic caught up with our US Editor Zach Blass to talk tennis, watches, and Hublot editions.
Hodinkee
Welcome to August's end, everyone. I never know how to start these things—there's too much variety in most of our days, meaning that, short of borderline universal cultural experiences, it's hard to know what we'd all even know about. That said, I'd like to offer quick thanks: I've now lucked into writing Bring A Loupe for six months, and it's just tremendous fun, soup to nuts. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to working as hard as I can to not bore you for as long as I'm allowed. Also, boo to Dolly Parton's and Tim Curry's passing. Terrible plot twist. Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Hublot Orlinski's on hold, the Seiko Sportura sold for €1,350, the Breitling Tabarly for €760, and the Yema Tomahawk for £800. Strays I have failed to highlight fun skin divers over the last couple of weeks, so let me ameliorate that lack with this Dupont and this LIP. They share identical all-steel skin diver cases; the differences in their bezels are awfully minor, and the Dupont's got a bracelet, so maybe that's enough of a needle-mover. This Breguet Chronoscope pocketwatch in platinum's not in perfect condition—the dial's got a few spots—but it is also incredibly gorgeous, the design is fantastic, and Monaco Legend Group sold a silver version in 2023 for €16,000, so plan accordingly. I could be wrong, but it looks like this ultra-thin solid gold quartz Jaeger was made by other brands as well, among them Bulova (who called their version a Phantom) and Microma (appare...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Is the newer Mido Ocean Star 200 actually better? We compare it hands-on with the older Ocean Star Titanium to see which diver makes more sense today.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Compare the Bernhardt Captain and Baltic MR01 for vintage styling, dial detail, finishing, and wearability, and decide which one prioritizes character more.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We’ve worn both the Rolex Air-King 14000 and Explorer 14270. Here’s which understated Rolex we’d actually choose for everyday wear.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Citizen Navihawk 40 and Nighthawk offer two very different takes on the modern pilot watch. After wearing both, one proved easier to recommend.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Unimatic Modello Uno UT1-PD brings a 300m rating, MIL-STD-810H durability, and a shock-housed Seiko VH31 movement to a 250-piece run.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on comparison of two affordable field watch models that deliver serious value, comfort, and convenience at under $50.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
After years of wearing Seiko and Citizen dive watches, we compare ownership, movements, build quality, wearability, and long-term appeal.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Casio Duro costs a fraction of the Seiko Turtle, but price does not tell the whole story. We tested both to decide which one we would keep.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
See how the Invicta Pro Diver and Casio Duro compare after hands-on testing, from movements and build quality to value, wearability, and the winner.
WatchRider
I own both the Citizen Garrison and the TAG Heuer Autavia WBE5116.EB0173, and the difference between them goes far beyond price. The Citizen Garrison uses Citizen’s light-powered Eco-Drive movement and a remarkably light Super Titanium case, while the TAG Heuer Autavia is a Swiss automatic pilot watch with a COSC-certified Calibre 5 movement, a 42 mm steel case and a distinctive blue smoked dial. One is accessible and practical, designed for easy daily ownership. The other is a discontinued premium model with strong aviation heritage. That makes this an unusual but revealing comparison. Can an affordable Citizen Garrison provide the same wrist presence, legibility and everyday enjoyment as a significantly more expensive TAG Heuer Autavia? And how much do the Autavia’s automatic movement, finishing, heritage and premium positioning actually change the ownership experience? In this comparison, I will examine their design, comfort, materials, movements, readability and real-world value. For anyone searching for the best affordable pilot watches, or wondering whether an affordable pilot watch alternative can compete with a premium Swiss model, these two watches offer a fascinating answer. Case Size, Quality, and Comfort Both watches are very well made, but I sincerely prefer the Citizen’s case. The TAG Heuer Autavia has the solid construction and clean finishing expected from a premium Swiss watch. Its stainless-steel case feels substantial, and the transitions between i...
Teddy Baldassarre
Enamel and lacquer are two of the most well known dial finishing techniques, here we establish the differences and similarities between the two.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We wore the Tudor Pelagos FXD and Rolex Submariner to find out whether the Rolex justifies twice the price or the Tudor is the better dive watch.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We compare the Invicta Pro Diver and Rolex Submariner after wearing both. See where the $10,000 price difference goes and which watch offers better value.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Two vintage-inspired divers, two very different approaches. We compare the Squale Sub 37 Legend and Baltic Aquascaphe to see which one works better.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We compared the $149 Watchdives EXD and $5,025 Tudor Pelagos FXD on wearability, movement, and value to see how close cheap titanium really gets.
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