Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko vs Citizen: What 10 Years of Testing These Brands Reveals
Here’s what you need to know before deciding on Seiko or Citizen, based on insights from 10 years of reviewing both brands hands-on.
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22,912 articles · 176 videos found · page 301 of 770
Two Broke Watch Snobs
SJX Watches
Thirty Days with the Christopher Ward C12 Loco
‘Micro-brand’ watches are rarely about finishing or movement design. The business model employed by this segment of the industry typically involves off-the-shelf movements combined with made-to-order cases and dials; this is how Christopher Ward (CW) got started. But having merged with its movement supplier a decade ago, the brand has become more ambitious, first with the striking Bel Canto and again with the C12 Loco, which reimagines the Valjoux cal. 7750 as a budget-priced mechanical sculpture inside a sporty steel case. Architectural watchmaking is not new, but it is new at the price point targeted by CW, which recently moved into larger premises in Maidenhead about 30 minutes west of London. Having spent a month with the Loco, it’s worth looking at what they did, and how. Initial thoughts I find architectural watchmaking inherently appealing, and appreciate it when watchmakers and designers work in tandem to elevate mechanical components into miniature works of art. It can come across as gimmicky, but when done well it results in an enthralling and educational wearing experience. Given the steep development costs, this type watchmaking has long been the exclusive domain of high end brands like MB&F; and Ulysse Nardin. But CW has been moving in this direction since the launch of the Bel Canto, and the Loco, despite its relative simplicity, is a worthy follow-up to its striking sibling. Sitting within the Twelve collection, CW’s take on the integrated bracelet sp...
Worn & Wound
Paulin Introduces the Mara, their First Dive Watch
Earlier this year at the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco, I heard some buzz that a member of the Paulin team was wearing the watch they’d be debuting at the end of the summer, and that it was a diver. At the time, it seemed almost illogical. Paulin, in my mind, is the definition of a design oriented brand. I own a Paulin Modul, and love the visual impression of the case and dial, and the ingenuity behind the concept of a case built from the ground up to enable the swapping of movements. Dive watches have been made and remade over and over again, and I tend to have the feeling that there’s nothing new under the sun when it comes to tool oriented watches aimed at the enthusiast. Obviously I should have had a little more confidence in Paulin to subvert expectations and create something with their own unique stamp on it. The Mara, the brand’s new diver, is finally unveiled to the public today, and it still impresses me just as much at launch as it did when I got a short sneak peek in San Francisco. What we have here is a 300 meter diver in stainless steel measuring 39.7mm in diameter. The case is styled as a more robust version of the Modul, and indeed it does have similar lines, particularly in the way the lugs angle inwards toward the center of the case if you view the watch from the front. Everything is just a little more rounded, though, which feels like a small tribute to traditional dive watch design. The most impressive design cue here in my opinion however...
Teddy Baldassarre
What Is A Tourbillon?
For many watch collectors, acquiring one's first tourbillon watch is a Holy Grail, a rite of passage into the upper echelons of horological connoisseurship. If you're new to the watch appreciation game, however, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. What is so special about tourbillon watches, anyway, and what makes them so desirable to so many while still being so prohibitively expensive for most? The short answer is that a tourbillon is, in this day and age, less of a necessity and more of a badge of historical high-watchmaking excellence. For a more detailed explanation, read on. The First Tourbillons and Early Innovations The inventor of the tourbillon is a name that is likely familiar to watch connoisseurs. Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), a native of Switzerland who plied his trade as a watchmaker in Paris, was one of horology’s most significant historical figures, among whose many innovations was the first self-winding movement, the first repeater movement with a gong, one of the earliest constant-force escapements, and the device that he famously patented in 1801, the so-called tourbillon escapement. While the tourbillon is today considered by many to be a complication, like a chronograph or calendar mechanism, its original purpose was a fully practical one, to compensate for the ill effects of gravity on the movement of a pocket watch and thus improve its long-term accuracy. Remember, in Breguet’s time, watches were not worn on wrists, where ...
Worn & Wound
What I Learned Touring Casio’s Ultra Modern Factory (and Museum)
I have a confession to make: I (politely) turn down 90% of press junkets offered to me. So, when Casio reached out to me earlier this year with the opportunity to visit their Yamagata factory and the Tokyo headquarters, I was not too sure. I thought about it for three days on how this would be different from any other watch factory visit, and how I would narrate my visit without the usual “Maison’s” PR team influencing my writing. There were two reasons I accepted Casio’s invitation. First, Casio is unlike any other watch company, so it will make for an interesting visit and observations. And second, Casio culture is different from other watch companies, including their PR and marketing folks. They are transparent about everything; they allowed me to ask the tough questions and did not influence my story. I will touch on both points further in this article. The original G-SHOCK There were three journalists on this trip including me, so it was a small group for this visit. We visited Casio’s Yamagata factory the first day, their museum in Tokyo the following day, and on the final day we visited the headquarters to meet and interview executives overseeing the watch division. All three visits were so different from each other – the first was so technical, the second was all about design and history, and the final visit was about strategy. For our visit to the Yamagata factory, we woke up early to take the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Higashine city, in Yamagata ...
Monochrome
Introducing – The Paulin Mara, The First Dive Watch by the Glasgow-Based Brand
Paulin Watches, founded in 2013 by three sisters and now part of anOrdain, has built its reputation on a bold, design-driven approach to watchmaking, characterised by distinctive typography and an original use of form and colour. With the Mara, the Glasgow-based brand takes a step into the world of professional watches, reimagining the diver through […]
Worn & Wound
H. Moser and Azuki Partner on a New Collaboration
It’s hard to believe, but with Labor Day just over the horizon, the first days of tolerable weather breaking into the mix, and the whole world picking up pace, there’s no denying that we’re fast approaching the end of summer. For many, the end of summer also marks the end of dive watch season, but we at Worn & Wound aren’t quite ready to pack up one of our favorite styles of watch for the year, and neither is one of our favorite brands, H. Moser & Cie. In fact, they’re doubling down with the release of what just may be the best collab dive watch of 2025, in partnership with anime-inspired digital art collective, Azuki. Their latest collection - which Moser and Azuki have dubbed the “Elements of Time” - draws from Azuki’s Elementals NFT Collection, with four new dial designs inspired by the elements of Azuki’s Element Universe: Fire, Earth, Water, and Lightning. Playing host to these elemental dials - each of which boasts a unique blend of guillochage and fumé finishing - is the Pioneer Centre Seconds Rotating Bezel, a dive watch–esque sports watch that has long been one of Moser’s great under-the-radar offerings. Though not technically a dive watch by the strictest ISO definitions, the Pioneer Centre Seconds Rotating Bezel certainly plays all the dive watch hits, and plays them well. First introduced as a stainless steel 42mm watch in 2019, the Centre Seconds RB has been subject to several reinterpretations over the years, including in collab...
Monochrome
News – Phillips Watch’s Next Auction Has Everything but Watches, and Will Benefit a Good Cause
On Saturday, 6 September 2025, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo will host a live charity auction at Geneva Watch Days to benefit the Pierre Amstutz Fund, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting apprentices at the Geneva School of Watchmaking. Now in its third consecutive year, the charity auction has become a fixture of […]
Monochrome
Introducing – Indie Brand Guebly Updates Its Initial Concept with the new CH1 Rétrograde
Guebly isn’t an old brand. On the contrary, it’s a recently created independent watchmaking company that released its very first watch, the Prologue or Chapter 1, only a year ago. Guebly is the brainchild of Adnane Kerd, a collector who turned watch entrepreneur. A sober luxury sports watch that showed great attention to detail and […]
Fratello
Fratello Talks: The Experience of Visiting A Swiss Watch Manufacture
Have you ever wanted to know what it’s like to enter the space where watches are made? These very real places remain an abstract thought to most people, as passionate as they may be about the time-telling objects on their wrists. You can read about them, see images and video, and hear all about them, […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Experience of Visiting A Swiss Watch Manufacture to read the full article.
Monochrome
First Look – A Fresh New Green Dial for the Bulgari Octo Roma Automatic
When it comes to watches for men made by Bulgari, it seems the multiple-time record-breaking Octo Finissimo range gets all the attention… Rightfully so, you’ll admit, as this collection is as spectacular visually as it is technically. Bold, ultra-thin, highly distinctive in its approach to design and materials and undeniably Italian, it is the brand’s […]
Teddy Baldassarre
"Are Tissot Watches Good?"
Tissot is one of the world's largest Swiss watchmakers and can look back on a rich history upon which it is still building today. In the modern era, Tissot is widely known for its large and diverse portfolio of watches, which ranges from dressy to sporty to high-tech, for its high-profile sports timing presence, and for its incredible value for the money. But there is a lot more that you may not know about Tissot and its many contributions to watchmaking history. Here, we delve into the highlights and tackle the easily answerable question of "are Tissot watches good?". (And if you're interested in learning more about particular Tissot Watches that are available now, check out our companion article on the Best Tissot Watches for Men.) Tissot’s Watchmaking Milestones Began in 1853 Tissot is one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world, tracing its history back to 1853. Its founders were the father-son watchmaking team of Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile Tissot, who turned their home in the Swiss Jura town of Le Locle, where the company remains headquartered today, into a small factory. By 1858, the family firm had gained a major foothold in Tsarist Russia, which became the largest market for the savonette pocket watches that were its specialty at the time. (At one point, Charles-Émile’s son, Charles Tissot, the third generation of the Tissot family to join the business, moved to Moscow to open an office there.) Tissot is recognized as the producer of the first...
Teddy Baldassarre
Snoopy Watches: How Brands are Embracing the Beloved Peanuts Character
Charles M. Schulz published his first Peanuts comics strip in 1950, setting the foundation for a world of iconic characters like Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, and perhaps most famously, Charlie Brown’s dog Snoopy, an irrepressible beagle originally based on a drawing of Schulz’s childhood pet, Spike. Peanuts grew from humble beginnings (syndicated in just seven newspapers) to become the most popular and influential comics strip in the world, published in more than 2,600 newspapers from 1950 to 2000 and claiming a worldwide readership of 355 million in 75 countries. It also spawned an entertainment and marketing phenomenon, with numerous animated film and TV specials that have stood the test of time and a flood of branded products that continues into the modern era. Snoopy, including all his various, beloved “fantasy life” iterations - like the World War I Flying Ace and the beatnik-inspired, shades-wearing “Joe Cool” - remains one of the most famous and recognizable characters in the world. His likeness can be found on merchandise from backpacks and sweatshirts, to notebooks and wrapping paper, to mugs and glassware, to the world’s most famous giant parade balloon. It was more or less inevitable that Snoopy, and others from the Peanuts gang, would also find their way onto watches, the first one coming from New York-based Armitron in 1956 (above). The last original Peanuts cartoon strip ran on February 13, 2000, one day after Charles M. Schulz die...
Deployant
New: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph
Roger Dubuis releases an addition to their Excalibur Chronograph collection with the new Spider Flyback Chronograph, now in pink gold.
Fratello
Looking Back At Four Decades Of Love For Tennis With the Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE
When you think of horology houses involved in tennis, the immediate name that comes to mind is Rolex. However, the Genevan watch brand is not the only one active in the sport. Over the past four decades, Rado has actively supported tennis and served as the official timekeeper of numerous tennis tournaments on both the […] Visit Looking Back At Four Decades Of Love For Tennis With the Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE to read the full article.
Fratello
Introducing: The Orient Stretto 75th Anniversary Collection
Orient marks its 75th anniversary with a new line in the Contemporary Collection - the Orient Stretto. The series launches with six models, split between three limited editions and three regular-production watches. The commemorative trio highlights the milestone with anniversary logos and engravings, while the standard trio secures the Stretto’s place in the permanent collection. […] Visit Introducing: The Orient Stretto 75th Anniversary Collection to read the full article.
Time+Tide
The tough Zenith Defy Extreme Diver gets a purposeful ‘Shadow’ makeover
Zenith cloaks its dive watch in the same microblasted titanium used in their recent limited-edition 'Shadow' models - to amazing effect.The post The tough Zenith Defy Extreme Diver gets a purposeful ‘Shadow’ makeover appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Introducing – The New and Bold Kurono Tokyo Vermilion Chronograph
Let’s get something out of the way immediately: yes, it is brightly coloured, and yes, it isn’t the easiest watch to acquire. Right, let’s now be more serious about Kurono Tokyo and its latest watch, the Vermilion Chronograph. What is Kurono? Well, that’s the accessible brand of independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, a bit like so-called […]
Fratello
Selection By Elimination - How I Found The Perfect Rolex Datejust
Before I start this article, there’s something I must confess: I do not currently have a favorite Rolex Datejust. It’s not because I don’t like the watch or because I’ve tried and failed to find one - quite the opposite. If I can’t quickly name my favorite reference of this octogenarian Rolex model, it’s simply […] Visit Selection By Elimination - How I Found The Perfect Rolex Datejust to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Roger Dubuis Impresses with the RD780 Flyback Chronograph
Representing a new era for the Roger Dubuis manufacture, the Excalibur Spider Flyback is an aggressively styled, motorsports-themed chronograph – boasting the impressive, high-spec RD780 movement with some unusual tricks up its sleeve, including an inclined balance. While the Excalibur Spider Flyback harkens back to the brand’s early aspirations in terms of movement construction and ambition, it diverges entirely in style with its supercar-inspired lines. Limited to 88 examples in pink gold, it debuted at Monterey Car Week – Roger Dubuis is a partner of Lamborghini – this variant in pink gold and blackened titanium is a new iteration of a model originally available in carbon composite. The RD780 Initial Thoughts In its past life, Roger Dubuis raised a menagerie of ambitious – perhaps overambitious – movements. While the brand thinned the herd after the 2008 financial crisis, some of that spirit lives on inside the Excalibur Spider Flyback. It attempts the dial-movement integration and three dimensionality mastered by some independent watchmakers like Greubel Forsey, though the construction is still fairly traditional, leading to some lost opportunities. The calibre is impressive – especially for a brand owned by a luxury group – but could be better. For example, the minutes counter could be inclined by 12° to mirror the balance and the imitation barrel bridge to be more convincing in terms of style and symmetry. With its over-the-top-style, the Richard Mil...
Worn & Wound
Farer Introduces the Integra, their First Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch
It’s perhaps a little surprising that it’s taken this long for Farer to enter the integrated bracelet sports watch scene. Not because the brand seems like a particularly likely prism through which to interpret the genre, but because the integrated bracelet sports watch has simply become a category unto itself over these last few years, and a brand that commits to variety of any kind needs to have one in their catalog, just as they need to have a diver, a dress watch, and so forth. The fact that so many small brands have carved out space in their collections for what was once a fairly niche and, if we’re being honest, not even very desirable style of watch says a lot about the state of the watch industry, more in fact than the purview of this article, which is to introduce the new Farer Integra lineup. The Integra is what Farer calls their “urban sports watch,” a characterization that has always confused me when used by other brands, and is even a bit stranger when you realize one of these watches has a malachite dial, and another in mother of pearl. Farer is a brand whose aesthetic is borrowed from nautical themes, car culture, vintage watch design, and other sources, so their take on “urban” was always going to be filtered through a very particular sensibility. In any case, it makes me wonder why any brand feels they need to fill these invented micro-niches. Can’t we just call it an integrated bracelet sports watch? Or a sports watch? We all kind of know w...
Monochrome
Introducing – Micromilspec Launches its First Pilot’s Watch, the Dualtimer
Micromilspec may be new to some enthusiasts, but in professional circles, the Oslo-based brand is already trusted. Founded by Henrik Rye with designer Anders Drage and a serving Norwegian Army member, the company built its reputation on custom watches co-designed with military units worldwide. From naval squadrons to combat battalions, even Norway’s King’s Guard, over […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Tudor Black Bay Pro Review
At Watches & Wonders 2025, Tudor expanded its existing catalog to address some fan requests as well as to reset some long neglected collections. One release that does both is the new Black Bay Pro with a silver opaline dial. This is a configuration long requested from enthusiasts, and Tudor did the idea justice by getting the small details right. This is more than a mere dial swap, even if the underlying platform remains largely the same. This is the kind of methodical evolution we’ve come to expect from Tudor, though in some ways, the new Black Bay Pro plays things a little too safe. Let’s take a quick look back at Tudor’s recent history with the GMT complication to set some context for the newest Black Bay Pro, because - while this configuration has been highly requested - as far as fan requests go, this watch has one glaring omission. Tudor released the Black Bay GMT back in 2018 with a black dial and a throwback red-and-blue aluminum bezel. As popular as the watch was right off the bat, the size made it a tough pill to swallow for some, particularly the thickness of the case paired with the relatively flat sidewall. Tudor Black Bay Pro Case Tudor partially addressed this with the release of the first Black Bay Pro in 2022 in a 39mm steel case. The watch also played up ties to the Rolex Explorer II with a fixed steel bezel. It was an unexpected release but it hit many of the right notes, and it made the substantial thickness a bit easier to stomach. It wor...
Worn & Wound
Celebrating 100 Years of the Leica I in Wetzlar
There is something you must know about me: I am not a photographer. I have no idea what an aperture is and I will undoubtedly equate everything you tell me about a specific camera to what my iPhone can do. This is just how it is. But earlier this summer, while in Germany to celebrate the centenary of the Leica I, I found myself equal parts humbled and educated on the sheer passion photographers have for their craft. In some ways, my invitation to Leica’s HQ was a bit like Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket. In the U.S., only four journalists attended the events - myself being one of them. And while you may be confused why the hell I got the invite…don’t worry, dear Reader, I was, too. Sure, I’ve always liked the idea of photography and I’m drawn to the analogue world that a point-and-shoot camera can draw up. I have a few Slim Aarons prints in my writing studio and a pile of photography books I’ve never flipped through in my life, but I like knowing I could, if the mood were to strike. So when I accepted my invitation, I was under the (very mistaken) pretense that I could walk the walk as much as I’ve talked the talk now and then. Photo courtesy Leica But when you find yourself surrounded by 800 professional photographers, everything is a little clearer. I was out of my element, out of my league, and tried desperately to get an education on Leicas - and fast. It’s one thing to feel like a fraud, but it’s another thing entirely to let others in on my litt...
Fratello
Hands-On: The Traska Commuter 38 - A Daily Driver That Leaves A Lasting Impression
In a fast-paced world, slow and steady progress is not often the chosen growth path for small watch brands. However, Traska has chosen this path and, as a result, has cultivated a passionate and dedicated following that loves the brand and its strategy. I have been keeping an eye on Traska over the past couple […] Visit Hands-On: The Traska Commuter 38 - A Daily Driver That Leaves A Lasting Impression to read the full article.
Fratello
Hands-On With The New Oris Aquis New York Harbor Limited Edition II
We know Oris as a watchmaking company dedicated to reducing its environmental impact and supporting good causes around the globe. Today, I got a chance to go hands-on with the brand’s latest effort in that spirit. This is the Oris Aquis New York Harbor Limited Edition II. This 2,000-piece limited edition supports the Billion Oyster […] Visit Hands-On With The New Oris Aquis New York Harbor Limited Edition II to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The Moser Pioneer Returns with a Dive Bezel (and NFT Connection)
H. Moser & Cie.’s only dive watch returns as the Pioneer “Elements of Time”, the result of an unexpected, but not unprecedented, collaboration with Azuki, an anime-inspired NFT, and American retailer The 1916 Company. Unsurprisingly given the digital nature of the collaboration, the watches will only be available online via raffle from Azuki. Representing the four elements of earth, lightning, fire and water, Elements of Time features engraved fumé dials in four colourways. Each is limited to 24 watches in Pioneer Centre Seconds format, along with one unique Pioneer tourbillon per colour. All variants are titanium, matched with bracelet with the amenities you’d expect from a diver, including a micro-adjust clasp. Initial Thoughts While a new Pioneer with a rotating bezel would normally be a major release, you won’t find Elements of Time on Moser’s website. That’s because it’s a collaboration with Azuki, a non-fungible token (NFT). Azuki is Japanese for “red bean”, but Azuki is basically anime-style digital art on the blockchain. But these are real watches – they can be collected at The 1916 Company’s physical stores – and more notably, sport of the most interesting fumé dials from Moser in a while. This isn’t Moser’s first foray into the Web 3.0 world. Back in 2022, the brand launched the Endeavour Centre Seconds Genesis, a watch that was essentially a physical QR code. The timing wasn’t the best as it debuted just as the NFT bubble popped...
Hodinkee
Happenings: Astronaut Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr.'s Speedmaster On Display At The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
The watch that made it to the Moon has touched down in Florida.
Teddy Baldassarre
The 15 Best British Watch Brands (2026)
While Switzerland is regarded today as the world leader of watchmaking, Great Britain can lay claim to a wealth of horological milestones throughout its history as well. From Thomas Mudge’s development of the lever escapement in 1755 to John Harrison’s invention of the marine chronometer in 1759 to the innovations of clockmaker Thomas Tompion and his protegé George Graham in the areas of science and astronomy, England was an undisputed leader in timekeeping throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The 20th century brought the decline of the British Empire and, with it, British watchmaking, as nations like Switzerland, Germany, and (for a while) the United States stepped in with modern mass-production techniques while the Brits held fast to traditional, artisanal methods. The United Kingdom essentially ceased being a major producer of timepieces by the end of World War II, but as the 21st Century dawned, a handful of entrepreneurial Britons have made great strides in bringing high-end watchmaking back to their native land, establishing new brands - and in some cases, resurrecting old ones - to make watches that appeal to today’s discerning enthusiasts in the U.K. and across the world. Whether the focus is military-style tool watches, avant-garde complications at approachable prices, or ultra-high-end pieces for well-heeled collectors, each brand boasts an identity that is proudly British and at the same time distinct from its peers. Here are 15 British watch bran...
Worn & Wound
Oris Unveils the New York Harbor Limited Edition II and Continues their Partnership with the Billion Oyster Project
Back in 2022, we brought you a story on the first watch Oris released to celebrate their partnership with the Billion Oyster Project. That particular Aquis was a real head turner, using mother of pearl in a unique fashion to create a dial meant to conjure the Hudson River. But the more interesting story then, as it is now as Oris releases the long awaited follow up piece, is the one about the Swiss brand’s interest in conservation, and the mission of the Billion Oyster Project. If you need a refresher, the Billion Oyster Project exists to restore New York Harbor’s oyster reefs, and to educate the public on the inherent benefits of this endeavor. A fully grown oyster is, somewhat amazingly, able to filter as much as 50 gallons of water per day. Reintroducing oysters (a billion of them!) into New York waterways has the potential to dramatically clean up those waters in a sustainable and natural way. The founders of the Billion Oyster Project, Murray Fisher and Pete Malinowski, say that they’ve already introduced 150 million oysters into the harbor. They started in 2014, so if you do the math, there’s still plenty of work to be done to get to that billion number, but it’s far from an impossible goal. One of the charms of the Billion Oyster Project is that it is by its very nature a group effort – the organization has a lot of help, and enlists public schools, volunteers, and occasionally a Swiss watch brand to lend a hand. Every time they get in the harbor and a...