2,271 articles · 12 videos found · page 32 of 77
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore the best Omega Speedmaster alternatives we’ve reviewed, from affordable meca-quartz chronographs to refined mechanical picks with their own personality.
Monochrome
Part of the Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate with revenues of over USD 150 billion, Titan Watches has been around for a long time and covers a wide range of watches, from everyday quartz pieces to youth-focused lines like Fastrack. More recently, the Indian brand has also been getting more serious about mechanical watchmaking, something […]
Monochrome
While it was Seiko that first commercialised the quartz watch in 1969 with the legendary Astron, one could argue it was Citizen that took the ball and ran with it. While never abandoning mechanical watches, Citizen invested much of its research and development in quartz and light-powered technology, focusing on both accuracy and efficiency. Back […]
Monochrome
Founded in 1948 by Henry Belmont, Yema was France’s top producer and exporter by the 1960s. Renowned for legendary models such as the Superman, which appealed to professional and amateur divers alike, Yema went the way of many other mechanical watch brands during the quartz crisis and changed hands, including a stint with Seiko, until a French […]
Monochrome
Timex has been on a roll in the last few years, returning to mechanical watches after a decades-long hiatus. Quartz watches still dominate the portfolio, of course, ever since the brand first ceased mechanical production in 1982. A renewed focus on mechanical collections at lower and mid-tier levels began in 2017 after the 1960s-era hand-wound […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Fundamentally, mechanical and quartz movements do the same thing: they both tell thetime. But the ways in which they both do it couldn’t be more different. Not to get into acomparison guide here, but in a nutshell: a mechanical watch is powered by a mainspringthat’s either wound by hand or automatically through wrist movement. Energy is releasedthrough a complex system of gears, an escapement, and a balance wheel that beats steadily back and forth. There’s no battery, just centuries-old engineering refined to an art form. These watches aren’t the most accurate, but accuracy isn’t really the point. Craftsmanship, tradition, and the emotional connection are. Quartz watches, on the other hand, are powered by a battery and use an electrical current to make a quartz crystal vibrate at 32,768 times per second. That vibration is incredibly stable, which is why quartz watches are vastly more accurate and require far less maintenance. They’re practical, reliable, and often more durable for everyday use, as well as being notably more affordable. Neither system is inherently “better,” though. Mechanical watches speak to passion and heritage, while quartz prioritizes precision and convenience. Ultimately, it’s less about the movement inside and more about what you want your watch to represent on your wrist. [toc-section heading="Next-Level Accuracy"] Some watches measure accuracy in seconds per day, others by seconds per month. Butthere also exists a small group of t...
Teddy Baldassarre
While solar-powered quartz technology has been around for decades, it’s still a relatively new innovation in the centuries-old watch world. I wouldn’t say the solar-powered revolution has fully arrived (especially as contemporary enthusiasts continue to find appeal in the craftsmanship of mechanical calibers in an increasingly digital world), but the technology has undoubtedly become more reliable and refined in recent years. The convenience and ease of being able to charge up your watch in both natural and artificial light sources, as well as the security of the long-lasting battery life, actually lend themselves well to more high-stakes and tactical situations. Riffing on that theme, I’ve scoured the watch industry for the best solar dive watches on the market. Down below, you’ll find what I believe to be the most compelling solar divers out there for your reading pleasure, offered at a wide range of price points so everyone can get in on the fun. [toc-section heading="Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Dive Titanium"] Case: 44mm, Material: Super Titanium, Water Resistance: 200 meters, Caliber: E168 Solar, Price: $575 It was Citizen who truly revolutionized the genre of solar-powered watches in the '90s. The brand was the very first to launch pieces that could power up with both sunlight and artificial light sources with the launch of its Eco-Drive technology, and it remains a leader in the category today. While Citizen has quite a number of solar-powered watches that...
Deployant
Grand Seiko’s recent releases four new watches, two quartz and two automatic GMTs with new dials rooted in natural imagery. Across both quartz and mechanical offerings, the watches draw inspiration from seasonal transitions and landscapes near Grand Seiko’s studios in Shinshu and Shizukuishi.
Monochrome
Like so many brands, Cimier faced challenges during the quartz revolution but re-emerged in 2003. Celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2024, the brand launched the 711 Heritage Chronograph, and the recent colourful POP editions reintroduced the name to a new audience, offering affordable, well-built mechanical watches. In 2025, Cimier builds on that momentum with the […]
Hodinkee
Raymond Weil follows up the Millesime with a stylish, thin, and sculptural dress watch in mechanical or quartz.
Monochrome
Founded by master watchmaker Gerd R. Lang (1943-2023) in 1983, Chronoswiss rowed against the tide of quartz to become a key player in the renaissance of mechanical watchmaking. Renowned for exceptional craftsmanship and a penchant for regulator displays, Lang’s brand released the Opus chronograph in 1995, the world’s first serially produced skeletonised automatic chronograph, revealing […]
SJX Watches
Citizen marks 30 years of its upmarket The Citizen collection with a matching pair of limited-edition 30th anniversary watches with aquiline ivory dials. Representing the best of both worlds, the pair offer Citizen’s best calibres in mechanical and analogue quartz watchmaking: one contains the automatic Caliber 0200, while the other boasts the top of the line, feature-rich Eco-Drive A060. The Citizen Caliber 0200 30th Anniversary Initial Thoughts While little known outside Japan and certain enthusiast circles, the eagle-crested The Citizen watches are arguably the best Citizen has to offer, and also a tantalising value proposition. Both models are good in their own right, though the automatic is the winner here. The Calibre 0200 model is probably the best made-in-Japan integrated bracelet sports watch currently available, combining the impressive case and dial finishing we’ve come to expect from premium Japanese watches, and a significantly more upscale movement than the King Seiko Vanac or Credor Locomotive. The quartz model is appealing, The Citizen has plenty of other quartz offerings with the same movement but more interesting dials. The Citizen Eco-Drive 30th Anniversary Eco-Drive cal. A060 The conical bezel and flat lug chamfers of the Eco-Drive model are flat polished using a spinning tin-plate, creating a near distortion-free mirror finish. A Duratec “Platinum” treatment, with a hardness of over 1,000 Vickers, protects the case and bracelet, and also gives ...
Worn & Wound
Let’s orient ourselves in the watch world five decades ago. The year is 1975, and we are in the height of the quartz crisis. Just six years prior in 1969, the watchmaking landscape forever changed with Seiko’s introduction of the first quartz timepiece, which called into question the future of mechanical timekeeping as we knew it. The era also marked the advent of the luxury sport watch, beginning with Gerald Genta’s Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet between 1970 and 1972. These two pivotal moments in horological history gave birth to an icon: the Girard-Perregaux Laureato. The first Laureato entered Girard-Perregaux’s catalog in 1975. The model was modestly sized by today’s standards and was even rather mid-sized for the era with a case measuring just 36mm (by comparison, the first Royal Oak began to set the tone for more oversized watches clocking in at 39mm, but was considered notably large and given the nickname “Jumbo”). The 1975 Laureato featured a two-tone construction, highlighting its mix of curves and geometric shapes. The design echoed Genta’s but with softer edges and a slightly more elevated look thanks to the addition of yellow gold elements combined with stainless steel. In line with the times, the model housed a quartz caliber, but not just any quartz caliber – it was COSC-certified. “The Laureato was more than just a new model for Girard-Perregaux’s catalog,” confirms Beatrice Morelli, Chief Customer Experience Officer. “It represente...
Fratello
One of the standout releases during Geneva Watch Days 2025 was the duo of Beda’a Angles Mecaline models. The mechanical versions of the Qatari brand’s Angles design the perfect evolution of the quartz series introduced in the second half of last year. I had a chance to find out how the two excellent modern dress […] Visit Hands-On With The Impressively Handsome Beda’a Angles Mecaline to read the full article.
Monochrome
Girard-Perregaux has an extensive track record in watchmaking and is one of the most enduring integrated manufactures of the Swiss watch industry. In the 1980s, at a time when the quartz crisis had crippled mechanical watchmaking, the brand was among the first to champion the renaissance of traditional movements. Today, Girard-Perregaux announces the launch of […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The ETA 2824 caliber has been a presence in the world of mechanical wristwatches for more than 50 years, helping the Swiss watchmaking industry forge a path through the Quartz Crisis and serving as the engine for hundreds of three-handed timepieces from an array of brands, large and small. While it is a rarity here in the 21st Century, its legacy can still be seen across the horological world - from the proliferation of similar movements by makers like Sellita to the increasing ubiquity of the ETA 2824’s souped-up successor, the Powermatic 80. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the ETA 2824. A (Very Brief) History of ETA Nearly everyone that follows the wristwatch industry has heard of ETA, and most of those have probably worn a watch with an ETA movement, but few are likely aware of the Swiss movement maker’s long and convoluted history. We generally trace its origins back to the formation of the historical watchmaking firm Eterna, in 1856 in the Swiss town of Grenchen. But in reality its roots reach even deeper. Eterna is perhaps most famous today as the maker of the Kon-Tiki dive watch, and it is currently owned by the Hong Kong-based Citychamp Watch and Jewellery Group. Originally however, the firm was a manufacturer of ébauches - unassembled movements for sale to outside watchmakers - and was named “Dr. Girard & Schild” for its founders, Dr. Joseph Girard and Urs Schild. Renamed Schild Frères by the next generation of owners, the compan...
Fratello
We are no strangers to the Sternglas Hamburg collection. The brand’s popular model, named after its hometown, is available in various versions powered by quartz or mechanical calibers. Additionally, the Sternglas Hamburg is available as a time-and-date model or a chronograph. The German brand now introduces two top-of-the-line models that feature slimmer cases, an upgraded […] Visit Sternglas Introduces The Hamburg Pro Automatik In Two Variants to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Solar watches are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional quartz watches with lithium battery-powered movements. Watches with solar-powered movements still maintain the accuracy and reliability of quartz technology, which makes them much more precise than any mechanical watch. Here's a brief history of solar technology in watchmaking and a selection of notable solar watches on sale now. Solar Watch Technology - A Brief History In the late 1960s, the Swiss watch industry was on the precipice of a technical revolution that would ultimately threaten the very existence of traditional mechanical watchmaking while simultaneously ushering in the dawn of mass-produced electronic watches. By the 1970s, quartz movements had won out over a handful of other early technological approaches to producing electronic watches (you can delve a bit more into that history here), giving rise to the era now known known within the industry as the Quartz Crisis. Experiments with using solar power to charge watches, however, go all the way back to the '60s, to the development of the first solar-powered movement by American engineer Roger Riehl. This technology was introduced to the market in 1972, with the first prototype called the “Synchronar” and the first production piece, the Synchronar 2100, released later that same year. Priced at nearly $500 (about $3,200 in today's money), the Synchronar 2100 was considered something of a luxury product and struggled to compete in...
Monochrome
When Gerd-Rüdiger Lang (1943–2023) founded Chronoswiss in 1983, his mission was to safeguard and advance mechanical watchmaking at a time when quartz technology threatened to eclipse traditional horology. A master watchmaker, Lang became renowned for pioneering features now considered staples of fine watchmaking, and the openworked mechanical chronograph. In 1995, Chronoswiss launched the Opus, the […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Watches with mechaquartz movements are a small but quietly growing niche within the industry, particularly in the ambitious, creative, and extremely budget-conscious world of small independent watchmaking. Watchmakers have discovered that these “hybrid” movements, which offer quartz-level accuracy along with a dose of mechanical appeal, can often provide the opportunity to make chronograph watches that entice watch enthusiasts while still maintaining the affordable price points that keep their brands competitive. But what is a mechaquartz movement, exactly, and what watch brands are currently offering the most interesting examples of this technology? Read on. What is a MechaQuartz Movement? In a nutshell, mechaquartz (which various brands and other sources have also spelled mecaquartz, meca-quartz, or mecha-quartz) refers to a chronograph movement that combines a battery-powered quartz crystal oscillator for the main timekeeping (i.e., the hours, minutes, and running seconds) with a mechanical module for the stopwatch functions. The latter element ensures that the chronograph seconds hand sweeps smoothly over the dial, as in a fully automatic watch, rather than in short jumps, as it would operate in a fully quartz one, and that the seconds hand will snap back instantly to zero at the end of a time measurement. A mecaquartz movement is often referred to as a hybrid movement, but it’s not a hybrid in the same technical sense as, say, Seiko’s Spring Drive calibers, ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Digital watches with electronic movements have not been around nearly as long as their analog, mechanical-powered counterparts, but since their heyday in the 1970s and ‘80s - an era most mechanical-watch purists decry as the “Quartz Crisis” - the category has continued to occupy a respectable niche within the timepiece industry. It has also has produced some models - at a surprisingly wide range of price points - that have become iconic in their own right. Here are our top 10 digital watches in the modern era, starting under $100 and topping out over $130,000. Farr & Swit Mixtape Price: $34.99, Case Diameter: 35mm, Thickness: 8.5mm, Lug-to-Lug: 38mm, Water Resistance: 50 meters, Movement: Quartz, Crystal: Acrylic Chicago-based Farr and Swit is a lifestyle brand with an emphasis on fun, colorful timepieces that don’t take themselves too seriously. It is known for water-resistant daily drivers with automatic movements and cheerful colorways, but the current standout is the insanely fun Retro Digital Mix Tape, an absolute bargain at $34.99. These watches throw it back to the days of boomboxes and homemade cassettes, with translucent cases in vibrant candy colors, and their "B Sides" versions feature a reverse negative LCD display. Think of it as the love child of Casio’s F91W and a Jolly Rancher. They’re the most fun you can have for the price of a nice lunch out, and the Stranger Things vibes will put a huge smile on your face - but be quick, as they t...
Monochrome
Racing chronographs… It might not be as packed as a category as dive watches, but in all fairness, finding the right one for you is not going to be a walk in the park. Hundreds of alternatives (and good ones, on top of that) exist, ranging from affordable quartz models to attainable Swiss mechanical options, […]
Worn & Wound
There are a number of watchmaking technologies that are tough to appreciate until you’ve actually spent considerable time with a watch. Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive comes to mind, especially if you’re inclined to constantly check your watch’s accuracy. The consistency over time of a Spring Drive movement is kind of mindblowing if you’re used to “normal” mechanical watches. Similarly, high accuracy quartz, from any brand, is tough to wrap your arms around until you’ve gone months without needing a reset because your watch is keeping time to within a second or two. And ultra-thin watches deserve a mention here as well. A watch that you literally forget you’re wearing because it’s so thin can be a special thing when properly executed. But in terms of actually making your day to day life easier, there are few technologies that match the practicality of solar powered timekeeping. There are a bunch of brands that offer watches with solar movements, and for some it’s really become their stock-in-trade. Today, Tissot expands their solar offerings with the new PRC 100 Solar collection, bringing an aging collection up to date with some modern tech that should have broad appeal to both the mass market and the most sensible, practical, enthusiasts among us. The PRC 100 was originally introduced in the mid 2000s and is easily identified by its dodecagonal bezel. PRC is an acronym that stands for “Precise, Robust, and Classic,” which seems like the right canv...
Worn & Wound
I attended my first watch meetup with a generic quartz dress watch on my wrist and two budget mechanical watches stuffed into my pockets. In my right pocket was a one hand Luch, a watch that was as quirky as it was inexpensive (I think I paid $50 on Amazon, a lot for me at the time), thanks to a single hand that worked its way around a 12 hour dial about twice per day. I say “about” because it wasn’t very accurate, but I didn’t care. I’d spent hours researching my first mechanical watch before spending my hard earned cash, and was genuinely proud to own it. My left pocket housed a broken HMT Pilot, a watch that unlike the Luch that had been purchased out of pure enthusiasm, I knew little about. Of course, it wasn’t broken when I’d bought it, and the debate of whether or not it even belonged in my pocket at all was one that had caused me considerable stress in the hours leading up to the meetup. As a pandemic era watch enthusiast, I cut my horological teeth behind the safety of my phone screen. Like bowling with bumpers, the internet spoon fed me confidence in a secure environment, letting me compose painstakingly researched opinions into carefully curated comments before posting anonymously on a forum. And, if that comment received criticism, this informative and safe environment allowed me to make it disappear forever with a single click. But as the pandemic fizzled out and restrictions were lifted, the watch community I’d become a part of through various ...
Worn & Wound
Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that our enthusiast romance associated with a mechanical movement can be another’s annoyance. Our beloved rituals of winding and setting, feeling the grinding clicks in your fingertips, and double-checking you’ve set it correctly can act as a barrier to entry for some, leaving a mechanical watch inside a dresser drawer. That is why I am a proponent of luxury brands exploring quartz calibers, particularly within their more popular collections. Removing that barrier and often lowering its price point means that the watch and the hobby as a whole can be accessed by more people, which is the ultimate goal, after all. All that being said, if a luxury brand is going to make a quartz watch and charge a luxury price, you have to make it a good one. Stepping off of my soap box, I’ll happily admit that when TAG Heuer released the Aquaracer with a solar quartz caliber inside, I too scoffed at the price and questioned its purpose. While the design language spoke to me with its warmly hued titanium construction and tasteful accents, I just didn’t understand why TAG Heuer would charge a price many multiples of what other solar quartz calibers commonly sell for. That was until I had the opportunity to have a period of hands-on time with it. I found myself enjoying its lightweight yet solid construction, the fun application of lume, and even became a bit enamored by the angular case lines, which had previously been a bit off-putting. So when I s...
Monochrome
Piaget’s luxury sports watch, the Polo, is inspired by the brand’s iconic solid gold 1979 Polo quartz model with horizontal gadroons running across the dial and the integrated bracelet. Revamped from head to toe in 2016 in steel with mechanical movements, the Polo family is represented by complications small and large, from time and date […]
Fratello
At the beginning of 2024, Tissot introduced four watches under the name PR516. They were all chronographs, three of which had quartz movements while the last one housed a hand-wound mechanical caliber. Just like the new time-and-date models we’re looking at today, they were inspired by Tissot watches from the ’60s. However, these new Powermatic […] Visit Introducing: The New Tissot PR516 Powermatic 80 In Four Fun Variations to read the full article.
Monochrome
The Aikon collection was a sequel to Maurice Lacroix’s best-selling, sporty Calypso line from the 1990s. Following the launch of the first model with a quartz-powered movement in 2016, the Aikon upgraded its offer with mechanical movements in 2018. Moving beyond traditional stainless steel cases, the Aikon has appeared with bronze, PVD, titanium, and even […]
Monochrome
Ikepod has had its fair share of ups and downs since it was founded in 1994 by Oliver Ike and designer Marc Newson. Soaring to fame with Marc Newson’s fabulous designs, Ikepod’s skyrocketing prices eventually forced the brand into a nosedive. Following several attempts to restrain its prices with Japanese quartz and mechanical movements, the […]
Fratello
During Geneva Watch Days, Frederique Constant introduced two high-end models with impressive special dials. Only a few weeks later, the brand now unveils a series of three quartz moonphase models in the more affordable segment. This move highlights the wide variety of watches the brand offers. Usually, the mechanical side of things is more relevant […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase to read the full article.
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