Hodinkee
Just Because: In Which I Dream Up Vintage Rolex Watches That Never Existed
From the ref. 1675 GMT "Batman" to a 36mm Sky-Dweller, hop in the Hodinkee time machine (aka Photoshop) because this is a fun one.
21,385 articles · 217 videos found · page 267 of 721
Hodinkee
From the ref. 1675 GMT "Batman" to a 36mm Sky-Dweller, hop in the Hodinkee time machine (aka Photoshop) because this is a fun one.
Quill & Pad
Ask any watchmaker about the Rolex 31 family of calibers and the story will be the same: it has stood the test of time. Ashton Tracy hasn’t met a single watchmaker who doesn’t love working on these workhorse Rolex movements. They are easy to service, keep great time, and stand up to abuse. Put simply: they work. So how does it stand up to big brother, Caliber 3235? Find out right here!
Hodinkee
There's more to life than steel sport watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
For under $300 is Scurfa Watches the full package? Get all the facts, details, and unique photos you need to make the best choice right here!
Deployant
Six Independent Watchmakers who you may not know: Ch. Frodsham, McGonigle, Petermann-Bédat, Sylvian Pinaud, Tulloch and James C. Pellaton.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Kaz and Mike celebrate 2 years of TBWS and share a handful of watches they hope to see discounted during the wave of Black Friday sales. What do you have your eye on this year? Be sure to share the watches you're hoping to hunt down this holiday season.
Deployant
The Chief Editor makes his picks from the crop of Baselworld 2018 watches. All likely to cause heart palpitations from your bank manager. Selection from Rolex, Grand Seiko, Andreas Strehler, H. Moser and Patek Philippe.
Revolution
Suzanne’s note to Santa isn’t just a list of watches, but a list of watches in very specific case/strap/dial combinations. Rudolph had better be good at helping take quick notes; just ONE day to Christmas now!
Worn & Wound
In 2017, Simon Jeffs, an aero-mechanical engineer, founded Brooklands Watch Company with the help of his son Michael. The inspiration for the brand came from the historic track where British motorsport was born and the world’s first motor racing chronograph was invented in 1907 along with the father-son duo’s mutual love of timepieces. Five years after its founding, Michael tragically passed away from cancer at the incredibly young age of 28. Two years following his death – the year Michael would have turned 30 – his mother, Sandra, launched the 30 for 30 campaign, aiming to raise £30,000 in his memory for charities that had helped them during Michael’s illness. The response was extraordinary, and they went on to raise £132,642. This generosity gave Michael’s family the confidence to think beyond a single year of fundraising and to create a long-term legacy in his honor, which led them to establish the Buying Time auction opening today and running for one month until July 14. The auction is made possible in partnership with the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, who embraced the idea of creating a charitable foundation supported by the watch community. Each of the watches up for sale is brand new, unworn, and generously donated by the brand, maker, or authorized partner exclusively for this auction. Every pound raised will go directly to the organizations’ partner charities, whose applications are reviewed quarterly to ensure every grant is thought...
Worn & Wound
Earlier this year, I helped a close friend pick out her first mechanical watch: a beautiful blue Seiko Prospex “Save the Ocean” special edition. For me, it was an easy recommendation, given my love of Seiko, their position as the true global king of entry- to mid-level watch purchases, and the prestige of the Prospex diver line itself. For her, as a lover of all things to do with the natural world, it was meaningful thanks to the eco-benefitting twist and oceanic theming. That particular Prospex was not the first, nor the last Seiko to showcase an organization doing work for ocean conservation and education: new for 2026 is the Prospex HBB002, celebrating the Professional Association of Diving Instructors’ (PADI) 60th anniversary. Seiko’s connection with the world of diving goes far beyond the simple styling and function of many of their iconic diver timepieces. As the company points out, it released its first diver in 1965, just one year before the PADI itself was founded with the intention of raising training standards and expanding access to education on diving as a hobby and profession. Now operating in 183 countries, PADI also puts promoting ocean conservation at its forefront, a noble cause that Seiko themselves have championed with their Save the Ocean program. So, it makes sense that Seiko has supported PADI as a partner for ten years, and is celebrating that partnership and PADI’s sixtieth anniversary with the new HBB002 model. The watch itself bring...
Fratello
Around 1990, one of my friends was lucky enough to receive an Ebel Sport Classic watch for his birthday. At the time, I was more focused on Swatch and Casio, and I knew nothing about Ebel other than that its watches looked cool. It wasn’t until a few years later, when my interest in mechanical […] Visit Is It Worth It: Pre-Owned Ebel Sport Classic Chronograph to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre Videos
America turns 250 years old this year, and to celebrate, Hamilton is releasing a special edition of one of their rarest and most important military watches, the Khaki Field Mechanical 36mm “America 250” Anniversary Edition. The watch in question is based on the FAPD 5101 Type 1, produced for a single month, September 1
Hodinkee
The Horological Society of New York's award-winning classes are on the road again! HSNY is visiting St. Louis on July 18 and 19, 2026, hosted by RedBar St. Louis. At HSNY's Horological Education classes, students discover what actually makes a watch tick under the guidance of HSNY's staff of professional watchmakers. Students work on a mechanical watch movement, studying the gear train, winding and setting mechanisms, and escapement. The weekend half-day classes cover everything taught during the individual evening classes held in New York. Enrollment is now open for the classes, and we look forward to seeing you there! HODINKEE is a sponsor of the Horological Society of New York.
Monochrome
It’s refreshing to come across a serious master watchmaker who knows how to have fun. Konstantin Chaykin, the Russian indie watchmaker, knows how to inject humour into his creations, including the anthropomorphic face of his smiling ThinKing, the world’s thinnest mechanical watch with a profile of just 1.65mm. His popular menagerie of Wristmons (wrist monsters) […]
Monochrome
In the early days of primitive watch movements, going back to the 16th century and German Nuremberg Eggs, decorations were important to enhance visual appeal for these mechanical contraptions reserved solely for the wealthy and royalty. Early decorations included intricate engravings and polished components, and gilding was also common. Ornamentation on the movement, case and […]
SJX Watches
Taking place right next door to Watches & Wonders, Time to Watches is an annual fair dedicated to independent watchmaking. Among the exhibitors this year was Stéphane von Gunten, the watchmaker behind the Haute-Rive brand. Arguably the most technically impressive watch on display was the Honoris Meccanica, the most mechanical looking of Haute-Rive’s Honoris line. The timepiece houses a three meter-long mainspring which allows it to achieve a power reserve of 41 days — more specifically 1,000 hours. Unlike some other watches with ultra-long power reserves, the Honoris Meccanica remains a properly sized and wearable timepiece that doesn’t feel like a wrist-worn experiment. Initial thoughts Stéphane von Gunten is part of a new generation of independent watchmakers with a strong engineering background, rather than a career spent doing restoration work. Before launching Haute-Rive, Mr von Gunten worked as a Research and Innovation Director at the Sowind group, which owns Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin. His most notable work happened while at Ulysse Nardin, where Mr von Gunten filed a number of important patents, ranging from the oval-shaped hairspring still used by Ulysse Nardin today to constant force escapements and compliant flexure oscillators. As fate would have it, one of Mr von Gunten’s ancestors is Irénée Aubry, the watchmaker behind the “Hebdomas” eight-day pocket watch of 1888. Commercialised under many names, the movement only required winding...
Monochrome
Timex and affordable quartz watches are synonymous and have been since the brand ceased mechanical watch production in 1982, following the Quartz Crisis. Few brands have found as much success as Timex with quartz, and innovations like Indiglo (bright, uniform dial electroluminescence introduced in 1992) have kept them on top for decades. Only a few […]
Monochrome
Seasoned divers, like our own Derek, will all tell you that, in our day and age, a mechanical dive watch isn’t truly relevant anymore, having been replaced by diving computers. And yet, either for safety or emotional reasons, many still use an old-school timepiece during their seasons. In the world of classic car rallies, the […]
Hodinkee
At Hodinkee, we have always believed that watch collecting is a global language, but one that is spoken with many different local accents. From the paved paths of Geneva to the neon-lit boutiques of Ginza and the steamy streets of New York City, the love for a mechanical heartbeat remains the same, yet the way we live with our watches is shaped entirely by the world around us. Today, we are thrilled to announce the next chapter in our journey: the official launch of Hodinkee Australia & New Zealand. The ANZ watch community has long been one of the most sophisticated and passionate in the world. For years, we've watched from New York as the Aussies and Kiwis became some of our communities' most ardent enthusiasts, known for a taste profile that is as rugged as it is refined. To bring Hodinkee to the region, we have partnered with Switzer Media + Publishing. With over 30 years of history, Switzer is one of Australia's most trusted names in media, already stewarding iconic titles like Harper's BAZAAR, Esquire, and Men's Health. This partnership functions as a local element from day one. Speaking from my own perspective, with the continued success of Hodinkee Japan, I'm thrilled to be working with Jamie and the team at Switzer Media to offer a more locally relevant and engaging edition of Hodinkee for watch enthusiasts across Australia and New Zealand. The watch community in Australia and New Zealand is engaged, highly knowledgeable, and always an active part of the global c...
SJX Watches
At Watches & Wonders, Grand Seiko launched its best dive watch yet, the Evolution 9 Spring Drive Ultra Fine Accuracy (UFA) Ushio 300 Diver SLGB023 and SLGB025. As a product, it is both shocking and obvious, combining everything Grand Seiko collectors have longed for: a moderately sized case, an improved bracelet and clasp, and a 300 m depth rating. It all comes packaged in a titanium case and an enthusiast-favourite no-date format, and retails for slightly less than Grand Seiko’s existing premium dive watches. It’s a strong statement from a brand looking to gain traction in the luxury sports watch segment. Initial thoughts Seiko’s dive watch pedigree is one of the strongest in the industry, from their iconic saturation divers of the late 1960s to the gone but not forgotten SKX. Yet the flagship Grand Seiko brand has struggled to field a compelling dive watch. Bulky cases, strange proportions, odd depth ratings, and clumsy clasps held back past offerings. Fortunately, Grand Seiko has finally overcome these shortcomings and can finally boast a highly competitive diver’s watch. I made a wishlist for Watches & Wonders 2026 not long ago, at the top of which was my vision for a Grand Seiko UFA Spring Drive diver. To be clear, I’d already known a dive watch using the new cal. 9RBx family of Spring Drive movements was coming based on trademark filings, but I wished for something that many Grand Seiko collectors have wanted for years – a moderately sized dive watch, wit...
Deployant
DEPLOYANT - The watch magazine for collectors, by collectors These three watches were selected because each represents a different approach to high‑end mechanical construction. Grand Seiko’s SBGZ011 demonstrates the Micro Artist Studio’s work with Spring Drive and overtly hand‑finished case and dial. Patek Philippe’s 7047G is an ultra‑complicated minute repeater masquerading within the dimensions and subtlety of a simple time‑only watch. A. Lange & [...] The post WWG26 Armchair Picks: Chester’s Top 3 from the new releases appeared first on DEPLOYANT.
WatchAdvice
Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive U.F.A has an astonishing ±20 seconds per year accuracy. Wrapped in a new slimmer Evolution 9 case and finished with a dial inspired by winter in Shinshu, it’s a masterclass in subtle innovation and timeless elegance. What We Love The Calibre 9RB2 delivers an incredible +/- 20 seconds per year, redefining what is possible from a mainspring-powered mechanical movement The new 37mm case size makes the timepiece highly wearable for a wide range of wrist sizes. The beautifully textured dial captures Grand Seiko’s unique blend of craftsmanship and storytelling. What We Don’t While very comfortable, the standard three-link bracelet feels a little too plain for a release of this calibre. For a groundbreaking caliber, the caseback view feels a little subdued. For such a significant release, the design feels a little too in line with previous Evolution 9 models. Overall Rating: 9.25 / 10 Value for Money: 9.5/10 Wearability: 9.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 This article was originally published as Hands On With The New Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. Grand Seiko was first established in 1960 as a sister brand to Seiko, created to combat the Swiss watchmakers and their high-end luxury timepieces. While Seiko made affordable everyday timepieces, It was Grand Seiko’s role to create unique, innovative pieces that would cater to the luxury and high-end watchmaking market. Among the many different innovations and stunning dial aesthetics, on...
SJX Watches
One of Seiko’s recent bestsellers was last year’s King Seiko Vanac, a watch inspired by a 1970s model but distinct on its own. Originally available only in steel, the line-up now grows to include the King Seiko Vanac in titanium. While retaining the stylistic and mechanical features of the steel original, the new Vanac in titanium is noticeably lighter in weight, an especially appealing upgrade given the largish case and integrated bracelet. Initial thoughts I liked the original Vanac of 2025, though I thought a marginally smaller case would have suited the retro style better. And I thought it would have been ideal in titanium. So the new model in titanium is arguably the ideal Vanac. It’s the same size, but different in tactile feel due to the lightness. Given the size, the lightweight alloy arguably works better than steel. Despite the Vanac being a mid-range watch, Seiko’s excellent case treatment across prices and alloys means the multiple planes of the facetted case are finished well, as good as, but probably better than, most titanium watches in this price segment. The titanium models are a little less funky in terms of dial colours, though the standout metallic purple dial does make its way into the titanium case. The dial does, however, get a subtle upgrade with a novel motif that combines horizontal and radial fluting for an intriguing visual effect. The movement stays the same. This gets the brand’s top-of-the-line mid-range movement, the cal. 8L45, an ...
SJX Watches
Independent watchmaker Marco Lang has just unveiled the Seven Spheres, a wristwatch containing a multi-axis central tourbillon. Diversifying away from his conservative style, the Dresden-based watchmaker presents an ambitious and dynamic mechanical sculpture that tells time. Inspired by the ideas of both Ptolemy and Carl Sagan, Mr Lang has achieved a rare feat with the Seven Spheres, building a watch that is both technically imaginative and artistically crafted. Initial thoughts We are seldom treated to multi-axis tourbillons, so Marco Lang’s entry to this niche and ambitious category is most welcome. The Seven Spheres is the his first tourbillon since leaving Lang & Heyne in 2019, and demonstrates the full breadth of his technical skill. The theme of seven spheres was inspired by the geocentric universe model theorised by Ptolemy in the first century. The astronomer’s theory was built around having the Earth as the centre of the universe, orbited by seven planets. Inspired by this obsolete theory, Mr Lang created the Seven Spheres, which places the regulating organ inside seven turning rings, which comprise the complex multi-axis tourbillon cage. The movement with its central multi-axis tourbillon vaguely resembles Vianney Halter’s Deep Space Tourbillon. However, the Seven Sphere’s architecture is even more interesting than that of the Deep Space, since the central tourbillon appears to be suspended in mid air. The Seven Spheres is one of the most complex multi-...
Fratello
There’s something reassuring about a watch that knows exactly what it is. Not aspirational haute horlogerie, not a fashion-forward experiment, not a speculative limited edition chasing headlines - just a well-built, historically grounded, and thoughtfully executed mechanical watch. That is precisely what the modern Certina DS-2 represents. In its red-dial iteration, which is the version […] Visit Three Weeks With The Modern Certina DS-2 to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
The skeleton watch or skeletonized watch is a style of timepiece that is almost exclusively the domain of watches with mechanical movements. The process of skeletonizing a watch is simple - in theory. By opening up the dial and caseback and stripping out some large areas of movement parts, the maker of a skeleton watch reveals the "bones" beneath the surface. In practical terms, skeletonizing a watch can be done minimally or it can be done to an extreme level, and in both case the result can often be polarizing. Whether you love or hate the style, skeleton watches are nearly always a reliable conversation starter among enthusiasts of mechanical wristwatches. To keep those conversations going, we've compiled this list of some of the best skeleton watches on the market today. Before diving into the list, let's clear up some of the jargon you can expect to come across. First off, there are two other terms that tend to be lumped in with the subject of skeleton watches, namely “open heart” and "openworked." "Open heart" tends to describe a type of dial aperture that reveals usually just the balance wheel beating away but very little else. ”Openworked” is a term that is commonly used as an alternative to "skeletonized" since being popularized by Audemars Piguet (more on that below). Essentially, openworked and skeletonized are interchangeable in describing the same aesthetic. So, on this list there will be skeleton(ized) and openworked watches but not open-heart w...
SJX Watches
The Expérimentale 1 debuted last year as the capstone to the first quarter-millennium of the house of Breguet. We attended the launch event and shared immediate hands-on impressions, but watches like this don’t come along every day, or even every year, so it’s worth a fresh look now that some time has passed and the dust has settled. On paper, the Expérimentale 1 arguably represents the highest form of the mechanical watch. To understand the technical details of what makes the watch so groundbreaking, this in-depth analysis should be considered required reading. In short, the cal. 7250 housed within introduces the first-ever contactless mechanical escapement that simultaneously achieves two feats that Abraham-Louis Breguet himself toiled to accomplish throughout his entire career, namely, an oil-free escapement and stable amplitude. The Expérimentale 1 delivers both, and more. That said, as a wristwatch the Expérimentale 1 is tantalisingly imperfect owing to its polarising design. In fairness, this arguably says more about the difficultly of communicating technical breakthroughs to a non-technical public than it does about the design process at Breguet. It could also be the result of Breguet learning lessons from its own past. A modern (Marine) chronometer The Expérimentale 1 is most notable for its novel escapement and what it signals about the future direction of the brand, but it’s also worth analysing the updated Marine-style case, which is the most challeng...
While silicon mechanical movement components have swept across Switzerland, adoption has been slow within the Japanese watch industry, stymied by Swiss patents and professed concerns over the material’s durability. To this day, it remains the unlikely domain of Orient Star, a small brand with priority access to Seiko Epson’s massive industrial base. This positions Orient Star to capitalise on consumer demand for increasingly long power reserves, without sacrificing performance. Thanks to an ultralight and geometrically efficient escape wheel with a patented design, Orient Star is able to deliver a 70-hour power reserve without resorting the same counter-productive trade-offs to balance energy made by some Swiss peers – here’s how it was done. A silicon wafer of escape wheels. Image – Seiko Epson The quest for longer power reserves Recent consumer demand for longer power reserves has sent the industry’s engineers scrambling for ways to increase the autonomy of existing movement platforms. A movement’s power reserve is dictated by the length of the mainspring, which unwinds at a constant rate. That is why using a chronograph doesn’t cause a watch to run down faster – usually. Of course, you need to find somewhere to fit that extra length of mainspring while maintaining the movement’s dimensions, such as by thinning out the barrel walls, narrowing the inner barrel arbour radius, or, reducing the thickness of the mainspring. However, while decreasing the ma...
Worn & Wound
One of the most useful watch complications in horological history is also one of its most forgotten. The ring of a mechanical alarm may seem like a lost artifact, like a rotary phone dial or a manual transmission, all once the necessities of 20th century civilization. And yet, functionality of a settable and mechanical-winding alarm into the tiny confines of a wristwatch is an impressive mechanical feat, one underrated among dive bezels, world timers, pulsations scales, and tachymeters. The alarm watch was meant for the everyman, whether they’re travelers, titans of industry, or merely early risers. Just like there is appreciation for a watch’s ability to do more than just tell time, there is the aural sensation for a watch to produce something more for the senses than just sight. Eterna was the first to patent an alarm caliber as early as 1908, eventually introducing an alarm wristwatch in 1914 at the Swiss National Exhibition in Berne. It was an impressive achievement, but it wouldn’t last: there was the problem that the alarm could only sound for less than 10 seconds, barely enough to rouse a moderate sleeper, as well as the fact that when the alarm was set, accuracy suffered. However, the Eterna did achieve something significant: it spurred Vulcain, in nearby La Chaux-de-Fonds, to begin developing its own alarm mechanism in 1942. The resulting Vulcain Cricket, debuting in 1947, fixed its predecessor’s shortcomings: namely, separate barrels for the alarm s...
Fratello
There’s something in the water of the watch world. No idea what it is, but it’s making brands launch jump-hour watches. It started in 2025 with Cartier, Bremont, and Chronoswiss, to name but a few, and this year, Audemars Piguet presented a mechanical digital watch. The MeisterSinger Panthero Jumping Hour is yet another watch that […] Visit The MeisterSinger Panthero Jumping Hour Celebrates The Brand’s 25th Anniversary to read the full article.
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.