Two Broke Watch Snobs
We Reviewed 16 Watches With History That Are Still Worth Owning Today
Find out which watches with real military, exploration, motorsport, and spaceflight history remain compelling to own today.
Results for DLC and PVD Coating
31,424 articles · 167 videos found · page 326 of 1054
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Monochrome
Buying Guide - The Best of Old-Turned-New, with Five of Today’s Finest Retro Watches
It’s common for brands to look back for inspiration for future releases, and some put a lot of effort into it. It’s not just about taking the shape of an hour marker or a hand and putting it into an entirely new design. No, it’s more than that, as multiple brands revive past designs almost […]
Fratello
Sunday Morning Showdown: Certina DS Super PH2000M STC Vs. Tissot Seastar 2000 44mm
Welcome to this week’s installment of our Sunday Morning Showdown series. For today’s matchup, we pitted two Swatch Group divers against each other. You can take both to great depths, and even better, neither will cost you an arm and a leg. So, if any of you have any deep-sea adventures in mind, these two […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Certina DS Super PH2000M STC Vs. Tissot Seastar 2000 44mm to read the full article.
WatchRider
The Perfect Match: Why the Peanuts x Timex Marlin Snoopy Tennis Is the Ultimate Gift for Tennis Lovers
Finding the perfect gift for a tennis enthusiast can be tricky. Do you buy more balls? A new grip? While those are practical, they don’t quite capture the love of the sport. If you’re looking for something that combines sentimental charm, horological history, and a touch of playful elegance, look no further than the Peanuts x Timex Marlin Hand-Wound Snoopy Tennis watch. Vintage Country Club Aesthetics Timex nailed the retro styling with the cool Snoopy watch. The rich, grass-green dial paired with a gold-tone stainless steel case instantly evokes the classic color palettes of Wimbledon or a heritage country club. It comes on a supple brown natural leather strap with contrast stitching, making it versatile enough to wear with a suit or a casual polo after a Saturday morning match. Timex creatively integrated Snoopy into the time-telling mechanics: The Hands Snoopy’s arms act as the watch’s hands, with his racket arm pointing to the minutes and his empty hand tracking the hours. The Sweep-Second Instead of a traditional seconds hand, a tiny, rotating tennis ball endlessly floats around the outer edge of the dial, keeping the match going all day long. It’s an incredibly charming animation that adds a playful splash of personality to the wrist, guaranteed to make them smile every time they check the time. Vintage Sizing for Modern Wrists At 34mm, this watch stays true to classic vintage proportions. While many modern men’s watches push 40mm and beyond, a...
Monochrome
The ABCs of Time - The Complex World of Casebacks
Many don’t realise just how complicated casebacks have become. Whether they’re contributing to high water resistance, displaying the movement or becoming part of the case itself, casebacks aren’t simply covers snapped on the back (although those do exist, of course). There are several ways to attach them to the case, and each method has a […]
Worn & Wound
Watches, Stories, & Gear: Tom Cruise’s Digger Trailer, a new Topo Designs Collection, a New Watch by DOXA
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Digger Trailer is Here You really have to give it to Tom Cruise. Nothing – and I mean nothing – can get that man down. From teen hearthrob to divorcing Nicole Kidman to inexplicably being his own stuntman, this man has lived a lot of lives. And now, we see another side of Cruise as the trailer for his much anticipated upcoming film Digger dropped. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Digger stars Cruise as Digger Rockwell, an oil baron trying to convince the world he can save it from a catastrophe set off by one of his own company’s projects. The film is set for release on October 2, 2026, with a truly stellar cast that includes Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, and Emma D’Arcy. While Cruise will undoubtedly be praised for being classically good-looking and acting with prosthetics to look worse, make sure you don’t forget those heroes who have paved the way, like Charlize Theron in Monster and Eddy Murphy in The Nutty Professor. Twitter Turns 20 This week marks the 20th anniversary of Twitter which, like many, I refuse to refer to as X. Undoubtedly, Twitter has shaped the course of the 21st century in a variety of ways: culturally, p...
WatchRider
Citizen Imperial Battle AW1857-57W Brings the Dark Side to Eco-Drive
Officially known as the Citizen Imperial Battle AW1857-57W, the latest Star Wars collaboration goes straight for the franchise’s most recognizable hardware. The red-and-black metal dial uses original embossed artwork to turn the Death Star into a richly textured backdrop, while a swarm of TIE Fighters appears to fly above it. An applied Galactic Empire crest occupies 12 o’clock, and the date window sits at 3 o’clock without trying to compete with the miniature space battle. Citizen Imperial Battle AW1857-57W. Death Star detail, wearable hardware Citizen did not stop at decorating the dial. The angular, hexagonal 42 mm stainless-steel case is finished in dark gray ion plating and shaped to recall the six-sided solar panels of a TIE Fighter. A matching ion-plated steel bracelet mixes brushed surfaces with glossy central details and closes with a fold-over clasp and twin push buttons. A ring of oversized five-minute numerals around the crystal reinforces the industrial styling, with selected markings picked out in red. The watch looks almost architectural from the front, but a relatively conventional crown and three-link bracelet keep the construction familiar. The rear view continues the theme with an engraved Imperial crest, Star Wars branding and Lucasfilm licensing. It also confirms 10-bar water resistance, equivalent to 100 metres. A scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects the elaborate dial, giving the watch specifications suited to regular wear rather than di...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Hands-on Reviewed Military Watches Under $1,000 Worth Wearing Every Day
We tested these military watches firsthand to find the models under $1,000 that deliver real utility, everyday comfort, and authentic military character.
Fratello
Keeping Cool During Summer With The Depancel Série-R Chronograph Ice Blue Limited Edition
Depancel has made a name for itself by creating affordable racing-inspired watches. But what if the French brand shook the race livery and created a chronograph inspired by a uniquely elegant road car from the 1940s? You’d end up with the Depancel Série-R Chronograph Ice Blue. It’s a fresh take on Depancel’s popular Série-R Chronograph […] Visit Keeping Cool During Summer With The Depancel Série-R Chronograph Ice Blue Limited Edition to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
What $500 Buys You in Watches in 2026
An authorized retailer of watches from TUDOR, Grand Seiko, OMEGA and more, Teddy Baldassarre is your destination to learn watches and discover your next watch.
Teddy Baldassarre Videos
What $500 Buys You in Watches in 2026
An authorized retailer of watches from TUDOR, Grand Seiko, OMEGA and more, Teddy Baldassarre is your destination to learn watches and discover your next watch.
Teddy Baldassarre
Citizen Drops New Promaster Dive 200M Models With Smaller Cases, Eco-Friendly Straps
The new Citizen Promaster Dive 200M collection trims down the case sizes, introduces eco-friendly straps, and a new dial color.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Casio Brings Its Retro MTP-B146 Day-Date Watches To The US For Under $150
Three retro Casio MTP-B146 models just hit the US at $110 to $130, featuring a full day-name window at 12 o'clock and slim steel cases.
Monochrome
Hands-on - Minerva The Unveiled Crownless, Rethinking One of Watchmaking’s Simplest Controls
The crown is one of those watch components we rarely think much about. It has been there for well over a century, mainly performing two essential tasks: winding the movement and setting the time. We now have all sorts of crowns, including hidden crowns and even retractable crowns, yet very few have questioned whether any […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Citizen Eco-Drive vs. Citizen Automatic: Which Affordable Dive Watch Wins After Hands-on Testing?
We compare the Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive and NY0040 hands-on to see which affordable dive watch offers the better ownership experience.
Worn & Wound
Review: the Fears Brunswick 40 “Helmsman”
I want to preface this whole review by stating that I’m not that much of a yachtsman. My last experience on a “yacht” was when I helped a buddy of mine move his sailboat. We needed to move the boat a scant 20 miles. Except that was the distance when traveling by land. Luckily, we live on an island (a Long one) and had some available water to move the boat. 23 hours, nearly 100 miles, too much sun exposure, and many bags of chips later, we made it through a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean around Long Island, then up through NYC’s East River and into the Long Island Sound. On my wrist was a Bertucci Field Watch — not exactly the most suited timepiece for the job, but since we stayed in the boat and out of the water, it worked just fine. Perhaps the journey would have gone a bit smoother had I had the right watch for the job…like the Fears Brunswick Helmsman. If this watch was on wrist, maybe we could have avoided the three hours straight of choppy seas off the Rockaways, remembered to put some more sunscreen on, and not decided to put the sail up five minutes before hitting a random thunderstorm. Fears Watch Co. was much more considerate in designing their Brunswick 40 “Helmsman” – a cushion-cased watch sporting 200 meters of water resistance, a bright white dial, blue accents, and a vibe that’s right at home on a sailboat. Let’s take a closer look at this watch that was designed for “those who find themselves regularly at the helm of a yacht or boat”...
Monochrome
Review - The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Glassbox Sand, A Softer Take on the Racing Chronograph
The Carrera Chronograph Glassbox has become one of TAG Heuer‘s most versatile modern collections. Over the past few years, across the 39mm and 41mm cases, we’ve seen everything from classic panda and reverse panda layouts to vibrant purple, teal green and gem-set editions, each giving the watch a distinct personality. The latest version, the sand-coloured […]
WatchRider
The Swatch Mission to the Moon 1969. What Makes the “1969” the Ultimate MoonSwatch?
Let’s be honest: being a watch enthusiast often involves making some highly questionable life choices in the name of horology. I should know. Back in 2022, I literally boarded a plane and flew to London just to hunt down the Swatch Mission to Uranus. I secured the pale blue prize, and then… I scratched it on the very first day. But time heals all wounds, and Swatch has just dropped something that is pulling me right back into the gravitational pull of the MoonSwatch madness. Enter the brand-new, ultra-exclusive Mission to the Moon 1969. The “Mission to the Moon 1969” is not just another cosmetic color swap. It is a highly exclusive, 1,969 piece limited-edition release that bridges the gap between affordable hype and true luxury watchmaking. Here are the details that make this particular release a genuine collector’s fever dream: It’s Made of Actual, Re-Smelted Omega History Unlike previous “Mission to Moonshine Gold” editions, which only featured a gold-plated seconds hand, the Mission to the Moon 1969 is absolutely dripping in real gold. The watch features a solid 18-karat Moonshine Gold dial, hands, crown, and chronograph pushers, totalling exactly 11 grams of gold (a clever, playful nod to the Apollo 11 mission number). But the real magic is in the gold’s lineage. Rather than sourcing new gold, Swatch melted down actual vintage Omega spare parts dating back to 1969 using their in-house foundry. When you wear this watch, you are wearing a phy...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
15 Best Affordable Watches for New Collectors Who Want to Avoid Regret
Choose the best affordable watches for new collectors with confidence. Explore 15 tested picks that help you avoid early collecting regrets and unnecessary upgrades.
Monochrome
Portrait - Helios Luxe, Titan’s Operational Arm of Watch Distribution in India
India is huge, as is its appetite for watches. The history of watchmaking in the country, whether on the production or distribution side, is relatively recent but rapidly growing. Helios Luxe, part of Titan, distributes 45 brands and targets the accessible luxury segment. We recently sat down with Diny Markose, the CEO of the group’s watch […]
Hodinkee
Auctions: Phillips Announces Sale Of A Pre-Production F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance In November
Here we go again. It's been a blue ribbon auction year so far, particularly for rare examples of timepieces from independents, including F.P. Journe. During a record-setting spring auction season marked by a stunning shift in valuations and collector interest in top-notch independent watchmakers, an early Chronomètre à Résonance (no. 007) fetched a record $13.9 million, making it the most expensive F.P. Journe watch ever sold at auction and the fifth most expensive watch of all time. Mark wrote up a great piece on the record-breaking result that dives deep into the history of the Résonance and why it's such an important achievement in haute horology, and why it is François-Paul Journe's signature watch. With the prototype produced in 1998, and with 'Souscription' commercial pieces produced and delivered beginning in 2000, Journe's Chronomètre à Résonance marks the first time that the concept of "résonance," combining two movements with separate balances into a single case and bringing them into perfect synchronization, was brought to a wristwatch. For many collectors, the model represents the ultimate expression of Journe's vision and talent as a watchmaker. Just 20 'Souscription' pieces—offered to those who bought Journe's first watch, a tourbillon—were produced, and collectors have come to covet the series, with the earliest watches fetching a premium. When it comes to the Résonance, the earlier the better, it seems. That's why it's newsworthy and worth ...
Time+Tide
Cousin Greg teams up with Shinola, a rare Rolex Rainbow Daytona hits AU auction, MB&F; continues its MADness
As Centre Court packed away another fortnight of strawberries, sunshine and relentless television close-ups of celebrity watch spotting, Jannik Sinner finally lifted the Wimbledon gentlemen’s singles trophy to cap off a superb tournament. Elsewhere, it wasn’t quite such a triumphant week for English football fans, whose World Cup dreams came to an abrupt halt this … Continued
Monochrome
Introducing - The Bianchet Rotondo UltraFino now in Rose Gold
Earlier this year, independent Swiss brand Bianchet expanded beyond its signature tonneau-shaped watches with the launch of the Rotondo UltraFino, a sleek round interpretation of its distinctive designs. With an ultra-thin profile, an integrated bracelet and a flying tourbillon movement, the titanium and carbon models introduced a more versatile side to the young brand while […]
Fratello
Is It Worth It? - The Praised But Underrated Seiko Marinemaster 300
I had already been running Fratello for a decade when Mike Stockton asked me in 2014 why we didn’t cover Seiko more often. It’s not that I ignored it on purpose; I was just more focused on Swiss and German brands. Slightly pushed by him, I bought my first Seiko watch. It was a Seiko […] Visit Is It Worth It? — The Praised But Underrated Seiko Marinemaster 300 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Krayon’s Parhelion is a Halo Watch, Literally
Krayon, the independent that nearly perfected the sunrise and sunset complication for Anywhere and Everywhere on the planet, applies its no-half-measures approach to gem-setting with the Parhelion. Set with 171 sapphires in a gradient from dark blue to colourless, a dozen of which are a unique “Krayon cut”, the Parhelion is a halo product that seeks to recreate a magical moment the brand’s founders experienced in the arctic. Initial Thoughts Given my affinity for baguette set watches and astronomical complications, I don’t stand much of a chance against the Parhelion, a chilly, high jewellery version of the Anywhere. This isn’t Krayon’s first gemset watch, which would be the Everywhere, but is the best yet. I especially appreciate the creation of a novel fancy cut “Krayon-cut” which preserves the hour marker’s original form, something that is often lost in gem-set versions of originally non gem-set watches. Of course, this only worsens the Anywhere’s only fault – other than lack of summer time adjustment – pushing the Anywhere’s already high (if justifiable) price tag over the half-million dollar mark. That is a lot of money, but it is also a lot of watch, and still well below Patek Philippe’s sapphire-set Celestial. Near-Artic Encouter Caused by sunlight passing through hexagonal ice crystals in high-altitude clouds, parhelia (more commonly, sundogs) are a type of halo that mimics a second, and usually a third sun. The effect is most common, an...
SJX Watches
Roger Dubuis Reimagines the Excalibur as Samurai Art
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur “The Kabuto Legacy” transforms the brand’s monumental Excalibur case into a showcase for Japanese history and miniature craftsmanship. Thematically similar to the the Knights of the Round Table (KRT) collection, the samurai-inspired dial centres around a contemporary interpretation of an Edo-period castle with 12 individually hand-engraved pink gold kabuto, each based on the distinctive helmet of a historical warrior. Initial thoughts Watches like the Excalibur Kabuto are not ‘watches’ in the typical sense, and only make sense through an artistic lens. Collectors who spend a lot of time in the spec sheets will likely come away unimpressed, but with only 28 pieces being made, the Excalibur Kabuto represents a sub-segment of haute horlogerie that treats the watch case as a miniature art gallery. While some may be indifferent to the samurai motif, the quality of work — from the hand-engraved helmets on the dial to the laser-engraved precision of the crests in the rotor — is remarkable. Furthermore, the playful minimalism of the Edo castle, which from some angles looks like an enormous faceted sapphire, is an inspired work of miniature architecture. The case is identical to that of the KRT collection. It’s 45 mm and nearly 17 mm thick — height that accommodates a sapphire crystal ring underneath the bezel. This elaborate construction helps flood the miniature sculptures with light and provides a better look at the engraving work. In...
Worn & Wound
Introducing the Bremont Supernova Hawking
Many watches have been named for athletes, explorers, and artists, mostly to boost an air of sportiness, robustness, or sophistication. Still, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate arena for a wristwatch than the field science as a whole; British brand Bremont agrees, and to celebrate one of the most famous and culturally pervasive scientists of the past two centuries, they have created the Supernova Hawking Limited Edition, named for preeminent thinker, Professor Stephen Hawking. Known more for their mil-spec pieces, Bremont may seem like a strange choice for such a namesake watch, but given their status as a British brand of repute, it makes sense that they’d want to showcase a fellow English pioneer. The base of the Hawking is the Supernova, first launched in April of this year, and boasting a 41mm ultra black DLC-treated steel case with multilayered construction. The geometric aesthetic of the case, pushers, and crown, reflect Hawking’s work in the space engineering field—most notably his groundbreaking research into black holes. Black watches have had a bit of a renaissance as of late, and wear well with almost any other color, so the choice here makes sense from a source-of-inspiration standpoint, as well as an aesthetic one. A black decahedral ceramic bezel surrounds the dial, which in turn features an interlocking, galvanic black grid motif with triangular pathways, inspired by the design of solar arrays. Two meteorite subdials adorn the dial, at 3 an...
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Solar Orbiter Watch Winder For The MB&F; M.A.D.Gallery
What We Know This year marks 15 years of MB&F;'s M.A.D.Gallery, a unique boutique concept that serves as both a storefront for MB&F;'s wildly inventive horological creations and a showcase of mechanical art from artists around the world (and yes, you can buy those pieces, too). As one of the projects celebrating this anniversary, the folks behind the M.A.D.Gallery has commissioned British designer Martin Smith to create one of the most unique watch winders I've ever seen, in a limited edition of 10 pieces. To say that this is a bit of an unconventional design for a watch winder would be an understatement, and it's something that I can't stop looking at. Designer Martin Smith playing with one of his other kinetic sculptures. The sculptural form of the Solar Orbiter stands at a height of 60cm—that's around two feet tall for us Americans—and spans a width and depth (essentially a diameter of the piece) of 40cm or around 16 inches. In the chaos of the two feet of powder-coated steel, aluminum, brass, wood, and electronics, Smith draws inspiration from the whimsy of pop art, toys, and Eames' iconic Solar Do-Nothing Machine from the fifties to create a spinning, rotating sculpture that is hard to ignore in any room. But most importantly, there is functionality to it all, as part of the spinning arm of the Solar Orbiter holds a watch to perpetually wind as the machine goes on. There are over 300 handmade parts in this piece, and the design certainly doesn't hide any of them. ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Swatch x Omega Launch Mission To The Moon 1969 MoonSwatch
The latest Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Mission To The Moon 1969 goes high end with 11g of gold and an application process.
Teddy Baldassarre
Our Favorite Tuxedo-Dial Watches In Every Price Range
We pick our favorite watches with tuxedo dials with options ranging from brands like Oris to Serica and Alpina.