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Monochrome
For globetrotters jumping across time zones, the most useful travel companion is a GMT or a more sophisticated world timer. Although cynics will counter that argument by whipping out a mobile phone or a smartwatch, there is nothing as reassuring and personal as your very own travel watch. Thanks to Louis Cottier’s ingenious solution in […]
SJX Watches
Our 2025 coverage included original research and in-depth stories including CEO interviews, engineering explainers, behind-the-scenes manufacture visits, and hands-on features exploring the latest developments in modern horology. We’d like to thank our readers for their engagement and support, which continue to shape and sustain our work. Our founder SJX provided an in-depth study of the Breguet Sympathique No. 1, with exclusive insights from its creator François-Paul Journe. The story is notable not only for its technical reconstruction of the mechanism but also for clarifying how the Sympathique informed Journe’s earliest thinking as a constructor before launching his namesake brand. SJX also spent time with the people leading the industry. Interviews with Kari Voutilainen, Gregory Kissling, Ilaria Resta, and Marc Michel-Amadry offered unusually direct insight into how each manufacture is approaching product development, heritage, and shifting collector behaviour. That research-driven approach continued across several technical features, including his hands-on review of the Rolex Land-Dweller, the most consequential mainstream release of 2025. His analysis unpacked both the engineering decisions behind the cal. 7135 and the strategic implications of Rolex introducing a new collection. Finally his analysis of the record-breaking Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in steel and reporting from the major auctions traced the evolving tastes and appetites of a tightening pool of top...
Worn & Wound
I’m long on record saying the mark of a genuine enthusiast is being able to get just as excited about a $100 Timex or G-Shock as about a $100,000 Rolex or Patek. I still think there’s something to that. Still, I also recognize that summing it up so patly, though convenient, ignores a huge amount of the nuance that undeniably exists in the watch space. It also ignores some of the fundamental impacts of price, including, crucially, attainability. After all, there are very few enthusiast pursuits (or, really, pursuits of any kind) where price and pursuit can be wholly siloed, and watches are not some rare example where we can afford to be price agnostic - at least, not most of us. Still, once in a while, it can be fun to just say screw it and enjoy watches for what they can be at their most extreme. Which brings us to the topic of today’s 2025 round-up, “F**k You Money” watches. The concept of a “F**k You Money” watch can be a bit nebulous. Unlike dive watches or chronographs, say, which either are or are not what they say they are, there’s no real set definition for what qualifies as “F**k You Money,” but like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart and pornography, I may not be able to specifically articulate what qualifies as a F**k You Money watch, but I know it when I see it. gérald genta Geneva Minute Repeater You thought I was gonna start with some crazy Richard Mille or Jacob & Co., didn’t you? Well, this probably isn’t going to be that kind of...
SJX Watches
Episode 21 of the SJX Podcast reflects on independent watchmaking in 2025, a year that saw fewer genuinely new releases than expected. Many familiar names opted for variations on existing models rather than bold new directions, making the standout pieces all the more significant, including Urban Jürgensen’s impressive relaunch under Kari Voutilainen, two exceptional time-only watches that proved there’s still room for originality in a crowded field, and interesting calendars from Greubel Forsey, Konstantin Chaykin, and Berneron. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Monochrome
More a complication than a category or style of watch per se, the chronograph still ranks high in brands’ portfolios. As the end of the year is fast approaching, it’s time for the MONOCHROME team to elect its favourite watches of 2025, and that includes the best chronographs we’ve seen over the year. Plenty of […]
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Monochrome
As the end of the year draws nigh and the festive season is about to kick off, we need to look back at what has been a rather surprising dozen months for the watch industry. Although the market isn’t at its best, we’ve rarely seen so many watch launches. As every year, the MONOCHROME team […]
Fratello
It’s hard to believe that we’re already looking back on the best watches of 2025. This year flew by! Still, there were a lot of releases, and, frankly, some were great. I stepped back from purchasing vintage watches this year and focused more on new pieces. The reason was clear: modern pieces made an impact […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Of 2025 - Mike’s Picks From Ming, Parmigiani Fleurier, Aquastar, And More to read the full article.
SJX Watches
From one-off artistic creations to new escapement technologies, 2025 delivered more than its share of surprises and unexpected developments. Brands with institutional research and development departments led the way with unexpected material breakthroughs, while Geneva’s oldest watchmaker surprised (and delighted) with a clock of astronomical proportions. Rolex Land-Dweller and Dynapulse Escapement - SJX Given its institutional nature, Rolex rarely surprises, but when it does, the brand does so in a big way. The Land-Dweller was unquestionably one of the biggest debuts from Rolex in a long time. The integrated bracelet design is certainly a departure from the prevailing house style, but the Land-Dweller is a landmark mainly for the movement inside, the cal. 7135 that boasts the Dynapulse escapement. While Rolex movements have enjoyed largely incremental improvements for years, the cal. 7135 in the Land-Dweller is a radical break because it’s an all-new movement with an all-new escapement. The Dynapulse escapement is one of the most forward-thinking inventions by Rolex, arguably ever. A double-wheel, detached and indirect-tangential impulse escapement, the Dynapulse is arguably among the most advanced escapements on the market today – and the cal. 7135 is probably the most precise self-winding movement on the market. More crucially, it is being produced at scale. A new escapement is an achievement, but a new escapement manufactured in large numbers is a bona fide fea...
Teddy Baldassarre
Mickey Mouse is one of the world’s most iconic and recognizable characters and the smiling face of Disney Entertainment, whose vast universe of properties today encompasses everything from Cinderella to Spider-Man to Star Wars. The world first discovered Mickey way back in 1928, in the groundbreaking black-and-white cartoon Steamboat Willie. It was one of the very first cartoon films with synchronized sound and a milestone achievement for Mickey’s co-creator, Walt Disney, who had founded his eponymous animation studio with his brother Roy O. Disney five years earlier, in 1923. Today, that studio is a worldwide force in entertainment and Mickey Mouse’s image can be found on just about every type of merchandise you can imagine - including wristwatches from a surprisingly diverse range of producers and at a wide range of price points. Nearly a century after first appearing on a watch’s dial, Mickey Mouse continues to claim a small but enduringly popular niche in the world of horology. Here is a brief overview of Mickey Mouse watches from the 1930s to Disney’s centennial year of 2023. [toc-section heading="Ingersoll-Waterbury and the First Mickey Mouse Watch"] Photo Credit: Secondhand Horology Mickey’s instant popularity with audiences was such that it was only five years after his debut that the character found himself on the dial of a wristwatch. The circumstances behind the creation of the first Mickey Mouse watch, produced by the American watchmaker Inge...
Worn & Wound
It’s hard to launch a watch brand. And yet, every year, new brands appear. It’s honestly tough to keep up sometimes, and when looking back at 2025, there seemed to be a flurry of new brands competing for our attention at all levels. It’s a truly crowded market, and in spite of the conventional wisdom that we’re moving towards consolidation, the reality on the ground for us is that there’s a surplus of good watches from new players out there to consider. More, in fact, than we can even cover. This is a selection of brands that broke through the noise in one way or another and impressed us in 2025, a difficult task when your inbox is overflowing with press releases and notifications of new stuff to check out. I’m quite certain I missed plenty of good stuff that will only resurface in 2026 when these brands will just be “new to me” and not simply “new,” but that’s an inescapable aspect of covering this industry – there’s simply never an end to the creativity and ingenuity of people drawn to the watch world. Anemoic This first brand immediately forces us to define our terms. Did Anemoic “debut” in 2025? It was the year that founder Magnus Swann began discussing the brand with members of the media and collectors, but they don’t actually have a watch to sell, and may never. It’s a design project from a member of the Studio Underd0g team, and it looks incredibly promising, but is also the type of thing that could vanish into the ether. The ...
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SJX Watches
It was a mixed year for affordable watches, led by segment stalwart Tudor. While appealing offerings from brands like Grand Seiko moved up beyond the US$10,000 mark, the gap was filled by a slate of interesting releases from so-called micro-brands. Here is a selection of affordable releases under US$10,000 that stood out this year. Tudor Ranger 36 - SJX I’m a fan of Tudor – I own several – because its watches are well made and priced even better. But the brand is increasingly appealing because of its gradual evolution towards enthusiast-friendly designs. The Ranger 36 illustrates that. The original Ranger was a little bit too large for this vintage-inspired design. Tudor doubtlessly received feedback to that effect. It took the brand a while, but now the 36 mm version is pretty much spot-on. The compact size fits the design well and the watch also feels good on the wrist. And because the case and bracelet are both entirely brushed, the Ranger 36 also has a low-key look that makes it a practical watch in almost any situation. The “dune white” dial is also a nice touch; it’s a nod to the “albino” dials found on some vintage sports watches (from Rolex rather than Tudor, but that’s a distinction without a difference for most of the brands’ histories). And importantly, the Ranger 36 is the most affordable Tudor with an in-house movement. It’s a solid entry into Tudor’s world of sports watches with high-spec movements. As an aside, Tudor clearly excels ...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Crown has a rich history of watchmaking for women dating back to Rolex’s infancy. After all, it was women who first began wearing watches on their wrists in the late 18th century, while men still preferred pocket watches before the convenience and utility of military field watches began to proliferate. Rolex’s first high-profile endorsement of its revolutionary waterproof Oyster case was worn by a female athlete, slung around the neck of British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze as she attempted to swim across the English Channel. Gleitz might not have made it all the way across on that try, but the watch came out unscathed after 10 hours in the cold water, ticking the time away accurately, making for amazing marketing fodder. Here in the 21st century, Rolex still offers a catalog with extensive sizing options and decorations on its most popular models. Of course, anyone can wear any watch they like, but there are several pieces that, as a woman myself, I find uniquely more compelling than others. So, we’re gathered here today to go on a journey through what I find to be the best Rolex watches for women available today, rounded up into a digestible guide for your reading pleasure. [toc-section heading="Lady-Datejust"] It only feels right to begin with the only Rolex model family that directly references a female consumer in its naming conventions. I get the argument that some think the name “Lady-Datejust” feels a bit dated, maybe even gauche (even bringing to...
Monochrome
Continuing on from last week’s Just Because story showcasing a selection of the most tantalising backsides, we revisit the topic to show you some more of the finest movements we’ve seen in our year-round watch journey. We bring together watches from indies, as well as established brands, for the sheer joy of looking at the […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
From microbrands to legacy Swiss producers, explore the best world timer watches our editorial team has ever reviewed.
Fratello
All right, everyone, it’s my turn to tell you about my favorite watches of 2025. With the calendar winding down, it’s remarkable how close the end of the year suddenly feels. The past few weeks have slipped by at an almost unfair pace, but stepping back for a moment makes one thing obvious: it’s been […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Of 2025 - Nacho’s Picks From Nomos, Sinn, Tudor, And More to read the full article.
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SJX Watches
After a slow year for complications last year, big brands showed up in force in 2025. Spurred by a number of major anniversaries celebrated by the likes of Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet, the year witnessed a range of record-setting and never-before-seen complications. The breadth and ambition of new complicated watches, some from unexpected corners, proved to be one of the defining themes of the year. Within this crowded field, a few stood out. Vacheron Constantin Solaria Ultra Grand Complication – Brandon Moore For collectors who keep a close eye on the record books, the year ended almost as soon as it began. At Watches & Wonders 2025, Vacheron Constantin unveiled the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication – La Première, a unique wristwatch that immediately became one of the most talked-about watches of the fair. The buzz was justified: the Solaria is the most complicated wristwatch ever made. Developed over eight years, the Solaria leverages 13 patents to bring together 41 complications across two dials. While the headline figure is the sheer number of functions, the Solaria’s true distinction lies in its astronomical indications. Four of its rare complications track the apparent path of the Sun, displaying its position, height, culmination, and declination – as observed from a specific location on Earth. Turning the watch over reveals another first: a celestial object tracker linked to a split-seconds chronograph. Twin rotating sapphire disc...
SJX Watches
Independent watchmaking presented relatively few genuinely new releases in 2025. Many watchmakers instead reintroduced familiar models in new configurations or colourways - an approach typically associated with larger brands. The strongest releases were excellent, but they were few and far between. Our highlights reflect that: Urban Jürgensen’s relaunch stood out for its confidence and momentum, while Petermann Bédat and Raúl Pagès showed there is still room to say something new within the time-only format. Urban Jürgensen UJ-1 Tourbillon – SJX When I first heard about Urban Jürgensen being revived, I was sceptical. Could an investor halfway across the world and a watchmaker busy with his own brand pull it off? As it turned out, they could. The Rosenfields, Andy and Alex, father and son, and Kari Voutilainen, managed to put together a collection of three watches – all impressively conceived and executed – and then deliver a good number of watches in the months since the launch in mid-2025. The flagship of the Urban Jürgensen line-up and clearly its best creation to date is the UJ-1. A tourbillon with remontoir, the UJ-1 is modelled on the Oval pocket watch that was made by Derek Pratt for Urban Jürgensen. The movement instantly feels like it was descended from the Oval, which is a feat considering the disparity in scale. Mr Voutilainen managed to translate many of the key elements of the Oval into wristwatch format, including the “floating” barrel and...
Worn & Wound
I will be the first to admit that selecting the top watches of the year under, over, or between certain price points is an arbitrary exercise and perhaps not all that useful. Still, it’s the end of the year, and the end of year is all about list making (and reflecting on the last 12 months, making goals for the future – but mostly it’s about lists). Figuring out where the “value” is in the current watch market is a challenge, so setting the top price for the “Best Watches Under…” article does actually kind of mean something this year. One of the predominant story lines on our blog, in Instagram and YouTube comments, and at Windup Watch Fairs and other other meetups all year long has been price sensitivity. Specifically, that watches are far too expensive, and we’ve entered a period where you’re now expected to pay more, but receive less. That narrative makes a certain amount of sense when you examine specific sectors of the industry. But I think there are still pockets of great value and excellent design if you look for them and have a somewhat adventurous sensibility. As I looked back at some of my favorite releases of the year that represent what I think of as genuine value, it felt like the $4,000-$5,000 range was the sweet spot, with some great options well below that as well, and this list reflects that trend for the most part. I’ve tried to stick primarily to smaller makers, indies and microbrands, for the purposes of this particular list, b...
Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko has a well known and understood design language that is expansive in nature. It’s a style that feels just as at home on a humble skin diver as it does in the context of a field watch or chronograph. It always feels comfortable, but never derivative. Like a perfectly well worn-in pair of jeans that you keep coming back to. The Speedtimer name is a perfect example of this originality since it was first used by the brand in 1969, and it largely remains so today. The modern Speedtimer SSC813 within the Prospex collection is not entirely reliant on that history, rather, it presents a contemporary vision of a Seiko chronograph at its most accessible. [toc-section heading="Seiko And Chronographs"] Seiko plays an important role in the history of the chronograph as we experience it today. The Japanese brand’s mechanical timers of the mid ‘60s showed off a modern vision for a highly focused design that would open the door for a new generation of watches. These designs did not use a host of subdials, but rather a single timing hand and a single pusher. This is a focus that would be retained until 1969, when Seiko introduced the reference 6139, one of three automatic chronographs to be revealed that year that would shape the genre for the coming decades. Unlike the other two, the Seiko used just a single subdial which would totalize up to 30 minutes. The 6139 would have a cultural impact just as big as its horological impact, appearing in films and, in the case of the so...
Worn & Wound
When I started writing about watches for a living, it seemed like every watch was a dive watch. I’m only slightly exaggerating. Six years ago, we were entering the height of vintage dive watch reissue fever, and things have only begun to slow down on that front in a noticeable way in the last year, or thereabouts. So when it came time to look at the year in divers and pick the five best, surveying the landscape really drove home a few important points. First, dive watches are no longer the center of watch culture. I’m not exactly sure what is (but I have some thoughts, and we’ll get to them in a later article), but divers simply do not dominate the new release calendar or the thoughts and wishes of enthusiasts the way they did a few short years ago. The other realization I had in compiling this list is that the players in the dive watch landscape are shifting. Sometimes subtly and sometimes dramatically. The brands represented here (and, more apt, not represented) tell a big part of the story in dive watches in 2025. This year end list (and others you’ll see in these pages leading up to the end of 2025) is not meant to be exhaustive or definitive, but is more of a personal reflection on how I saw the year in a particular category. Don’t worry, you’ll get other perspectives soon from other members of our team. I specifically wanted to write about divers because, well, I’m not really a dive watch guy, and I thought it might be interesting and a fun challeng...
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Time+Tide
Now that the brand has evolved significantly over the last 60 years, let’s take a look at some of the best TAG Heuer Carrera limited editions.The post A fight for pole: the best limited edition TAG Heuer Carrera models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
There comes a time in every watch-loving girl’s life in which she’s ready to take the plunge into the pool of luxury. To ascend from the endless eBay lowballing and bidding on eBay watches under 100 bucks, and start stashing away cash to save up for the big purchase. For the “future heirloom” watch that haunts her dreams. While that day has yet to come for me, I have amassed an ever-growing wishlist of pieces that might one day be my first, big watch splurge – once I stop dipping into the proverbial piggy bank, that is. Below, I have gathered what I believe to be the best luxury watches for women available today. Before we get into the fun part, I want to state first that I like to think of luxury as a state of mind. There are going to be some pretty “pie in the sky” watches on this roundup, which, no matter how frivolous I dare be, I will probably never be able to go into a store and purchase. But what we can distill from these extravagant, top-tier luxury watches is certain design codes, case shapes, and aesthetic choices that catch our eye, and bring us closer to finding a more reasonably priced option. If you, like me, cannot drop thousands of dollars on a watch without bringing shame and ruin upon yourself and family, think of this as digital window shopping. I have thrown some pieces on the list that are a little more reasonable as well, which to me, capture the essence of luxury and have made me feel luxurious while trying them on, in pursuit of maki...
Monochrome
We all love a good watch, that much is obvious. And what constitutes “good” is fairly straightforward in most watches, too. A solid, legible design, attractive details, fine ergonomics and a reliable mechanical movement. But sometimes, you want a bit more. Or a lot more, in the case of these six fine mechanical marvels. Each […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore 3 overlooked German dive watches that deliver real-world value, serious durability, and surprising wrist comfort.
Time+Tide
Here's our definitive guide for picking the ideal watch strap, for holiday gifting and beyond.The post Our guide to the best watch straps, just in time for the holidays appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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