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Monochrome
More than just a game, Mahjong is a cultural bridge connecting global Chinese communities and the East and West, historically serving as a crucial medium for social bonding. And today, it serves as a source of inspiration for the creation of a new watch, or to be precise, the hand-carved Mahjong tiles are used as […]
Hodinkee
The UK's biggest watch brand says building a flyer GMT movement was a trying and 'painful' endeavor that took longer than expected.
Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward’s releases basically fall into two categories for me. There are the watches that the brand clearly intends to have broad appeal across a wide segment of the watch market. This is really most of their watches. Think of the Sealander and Trident collections, and indeed most of the Twelves, and you have watches that are very well made and attractive but not exactly groundbreaking. Then there’s the Loco, the Bel Canto, and some of their more experimental pieces that play with aventurine and sapphire dial elements. These watches veer into the avant-garde and serve as showcases for what Christopher Ward is capable of at a higher (but still very fair) price point. I’ll admit, I’m partial to the latter, and less interested in the former. The Loco and Bel Canto in particular really demonstrate Christopher Ward’s ambition to be more than just a former maker of homage watches. These watches fully escape the brand’s roots. Their latest release, the C63 True GMT, sits somewhere in the middle. Built on the Sealander platform, the new True GMT is exactly what it says on the tin: a sporty multi-time zone watch with an independently jumping local hour hand. A “true” travel GMT, offering significantly more use while on the move between time zones than a “caller GMT,” still the standard for this type of watch under about $5,000. What makes this watch special is that it represents nearly as much movement innovation and development as the brand’s more...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A look at the build and design of the new space-themed Timex Q Timex NASA watch inspired by the Apollo 17 lunar landing of 1972.
Fratello
Christopher Ward is, without a doubt, one of the most active watch brands around today. It has consistently shown us how to push the envelope of what is possible in the realm of affordable watches. This has led to an extensive collection of watches that show great diversity. Simply compare the Bel Canto to the […] Visit Hands-On With The Remarkable New Christopher Ward C63 Sealander True GMT to read the full article.
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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 […]
SJX Watches
Citizen invented the first solar-powered analogue watch way back in 1976, and now it’s marking 50 years of its signature timepiece with “The Citizen” Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary. Five decades on Citizen’s solar technology is amongst the most advanced, and the anniversary edition is equipped with a movement that runs within five seconds a year, and will last 18 months on power save mode. But the dial, on the other hand, is traditional Japanese craft: it’s made of washi, a paper that’s dyed by hand, and translucent enough to allow solar charging. Initial thoughts The combination of washi, Super Titanium, and high-end quartz is a familiar one, with Citizen having applied it to past limited editions. Although Citizen is repeating the formula, this remains impressive from both a technology and materials perspective. The ultra-accurate A060 is one of the most sophisticated analogue quartz movements on the market, while Citizen’s proprietary hardened titanium, first polished by hand then hardened, is equally impressive. Tech aside, the anniversary edition stands out for the washi dial that adds a little bit of traditional Japanese craft to all of the cutting-edge tech in the watch. The dial is made of Japanese paper that’s dyed by hand with old school dyes obtained from plants. That said, this anniversary edition is still a relatively niche product for enthusiasts who appreciate high-end quartz technology packaged well. All of that tech and finishing comes at a pri...
Monochrome
It’s just days ago when we first introduced you to the work of Finnish independent watchmaker Juha Eskola, and we’re already back for more. Building upon his N2, a gorgeous dress watch in a rather lovely size, Juha has now unveiled the next step in his collection. Leaving little to the imagination as to what […]
Monochrome
The Shell Star collection is one of Delma‘s most recognisable ranges, and includes the Big Date, time-and-date Automatic and Decompression Timer lines. Exploiting the brand’s 1970s designs, the Shell Star has traditionally been defined by bold proportions, most often offered in 44mm steel cases. The new Shell Star 41mm brings a welcome change, following earlier […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Thinking about buying a microbrand dive watch in 2026? We break down when they outperform Seiko, Orient, and Citizen, and when they’re just not worth the risk.
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SJX Watches
Less than two years out from its 2024 relaunch, Seiko refreshes its flagship dive watch with the new Prospex Marinemaster 1968 Heritage Diver’s Watch HBF001 and its limited edition counterpart, the HBF002. Both models feature a ceramic bezel, longer power reserve, better promised timekeeping, and a much-requested tool-less micro-adjust clasp - tangible upgrades that justify a near 25% premium over the previous generation. The regular production model launches alongside a more flamboyant 1,000-piece limited edition designed in collaboration with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). Initial thoughts Seiko relaunched the Marinemaster brand three years ago with an unexpected trio of compact skin-divers. This was followed by a return to form the following year with a pair of 300 m Hi-Beat Diver-inspired models that dispensed with the “Professional” branding, front-loading case construction, and helium impermeability that distinguished Marinemasters of the past, but offered a more compact 42 mm size and a much improved bracelet. However, it still used the same stamped clasp body found on entry-level divers, just with an upgraded swing arm, and relied on the aging cal. 8L35 movement while Seiko rolled out the improved cal. 8L45 in the similarly priced King Seiko Vanac. The new HBF001 solves all of those problems, and introduces only a few new ones. Given the similarity to the SLA079, Seiko clearly felt the need for unambiguous differentiatio...
Monochrome
Released about a year ago, the King Seiko Vanac collection was quite a surprise and, in all fairness, caused some discussions. Based on bold designs from the 1970s, the name Vanac is far from new and was revamped in a sports watch with an integrated bracelet and sharp case, powered by a high-end movement derived […]
SJX Watches
One of Seiko’s recent bestsellers was last year’s King Seiko Vanac, a watch inspired by a 1970s model but distinct on its own. Originally available only in steel, the line-up now grows to include the King Seiko Vanac in titanium. While retaining the stylistic and mechanical features of the steel original, the new Vanac in titanium is noticeably lighter in weight, an especially appealing upgrade given the largish case and integrated bracelet. Initial thoughts I liked the original Vanac of 2025, though I thought a marginally smaller case would have suited the retro style better. And I thought it would have been ideal in titanium. So the new model in titanium is arguably the ideal Vanac. It’s the same size, but different in tactile feel due to the lightness. Given the size, the lightweight alloy arguably works better than steel. Despite the Vanac being a mid-range watch, Seiko’s excellent case treatment across prices and alloys means the multiple planes of the facetted case are finished well, as good as, but probably better than, most titanium watches in this price segment. The titanium models are a little less funky in terms of dial colours, though the standout metallic purple dial does make its way into the titanium case. The dial does, however, get a subtle upgrade with a novel motif that combines horizontal and radial fluting for an intriguing visual effect. The movement stays the same. This gets the brand’s top-of-the-line mid-range movement, the cal. 8L45, an ...
SJX Watches
One of the most influential watchmakers of the post-quartz era has re-emerged with a groundbreaking slow-beat oscillator that cleverly avoids the amplitude constraints typical of such constructions. The Pulse60 is the latest project from Dominique Renaud’s eponymous workshop Haute Horlogerie Dominique Renaud (HHDR), and the first watch to bear his full name in a decade. The Pulse60 runs at just 7,200 times per hour - a frequency of just 1 Hz – a quarter the rate of a conventional movement. Ordinarily, such a slow beat would leave the movement susceptible to external forces, but here it has been combined with a proprietary escapement that overcomes the challenge. While the technical ingenuity is expected given Mr Renaud’s pedigree, the relatively accessible price of under CHF50,000 is unexpected, especially given the state of the market today. Initial thoughts It’s been a decade since Dominique Renaud came out of retirement, but his most public contributions since then have come under the Renaud Tixier banner. Latecomers to independent watchmaking may be less familiar with Mr Renaud’s work, but he played an important role in establishing the contemporary high-end watchmaking landscape. The Pulse60 is the first watch to carry the Dominique Renaud name since the exotic and expensive DR01 Twelve First, which was not made in significant numbers. But unlike its short-lived predecessor, which featured a low-amplitude, high-frequency escapement of Mr Renaud’s own des...
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
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Teddy Baldassarre
Tissot traces its long history back to 1853, when it was founded in Switzerland’s Jura Mountains by the father-son watchmaking team of Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile Tissot. Today part of the Swatch Group, Tissot can lay claim to several watchmaking milestones throughout its history, including the first pocket watch to display two time zones in 1853; the first watch built to resist magnetism, the Antimagnetique, in 1930; and the first tactile-screen multifunction digital watch, the T-Touch, in 1999, years before the smartwatch would come into existence. Today, Tissot markets more than 4 million watches per year to more than 160 countries and is known for producing what its parent group terms “midrange market” watches that are prized for their price-to-value ratio. Tissot’s 1950s-era Visodate was among the first fleet of watches to introduce an integrated date complication, but the line’s contemporary renditions have continuously flown under the radar within the enthusiast community – until today, that is. New for 2026, the brand has given the collection a complete overhaul, revamping the Visodate to be more everyday-carry friendly than ever without sacrificing its quintessential retro flair. [toc-section heading="History And Context"] Vintage 1950s Tissot Visodate Advertisement The original Tissot Visodate hit shelves in 1953, marking 100 years since Tissot’s founding. It was not the first wristwatch with a date display in a window - that woul...
Teddy Baldassarre
A forerunner of both the rise of microbrands and the ongoing revival of France’s watchmaking industry here in the 21st Century, Baltic Watches emerged on the scene in 2017, originally as a Kickstarter project. Founder Étienne Malec discovered the inspiration for his watchmaking enterprise in his father’s watch collection and named the company in honor of his father’s Polish roots, after the sea off the country’s northern coast. The goal from the start, according to Malec, was to produce “timeless pieces, of the highest quality, for fair prices,” and most would agree that Baltic has delivered on this mission statement. Baltic watches are all assembled in a workshop in Besançon, France, the nation’s historical cradle of watchmaking, and evoke vintage timepieces like the ones Malec’s father collected and extensively catalogued in his journals. Here we will look at the Baltic Aquascaphe, one of their most recognizable watches. The first Baltic watches were the three-hand HMS 001 model, with a Japanese Miyota caliber, and the hand-wound Bicompax 001 chronograph, with the Chinese Seagull ST19 movement. While both these watches were successful, and put Baltic on its path to fan-favorite microbrand status, the small company has since become best known for its Aquascaphe series of dive watches. The Aquascaphe, which was launched in 2018, takes its design inspiration from early “skin diver” watches of the 1950s and ‘60s, with no small amount of influence from...
Worn & Wound
This year’s LVMH Watch Week looked a little different. It was held in Milan just ahead of the Winter Olympic Games and was limited to a highly exclusive and mostly international guest list. As such, several of the maisons under the LVMH umbrella separately held their own dedicated events here in NYC to exhibit their latest collections as soon as the pieces came available stateside. We finally got our hands on Louis Vuitton’s newest high watchmaking novelties at its massive five-story flagship on Madison Avenue in New York City. In addition, we got the chance to preview a model that will debut later this spring, and spoiler alert: it’s going to knock your socks off. So, stay tuned for that in the coming months. For now, let’s get down to it – we have a lot of ground to cover. Here, we have a slew of new watches joining two of Louis Vuitton’s core collections: the Escale and the Tambour. As a quick refresher, the maison broke from the traditional high fashion space and into the watch sphere back in the late 80s with the Monterey. However, it was really the Tambour, which came a few decades later just after the new millennium in 2002 that started to establish Louis Vuitton in the horological world. The collection has since become the cornerstone of the brand’s watchmaking identity with staying power over the past 20+ years. I guess I’m too giddy to jump to my favorite piece in the new lineup first – the Tambour was the frontrunner of the bunch for me. Here, ...
SJX Watches
Greubel Forsey’s entry-level sports watch has been in production for five years and is now at an end. The brand is saying goodbye with a pair of final editions, the Balancier Convexe S² in ceramic. The first version is entirely in white ceramic, and the second is black ceramic with the bezel and case back in 18k red gold. Each limited to 11 pieces, the two editions share the same movement, but decorated differently to match the case. It’s manual wind, time-only calibre that is anything but simple; the movement is equipped with the brand’s trademark inclined balance wheel as well as titanium bridges and plates. Initial thoughts A bestseller for Greubel Forsey when sports watches were all the rage, the Convexe line (and related sports models) is gradually being reduced. The Balancier Convexe S² is one of the few sports models that Greubel Forsey has launched since the change in management resulted in the pivot towards more classical watches, exemplified by last year’s Nano Foudroyante. It might be also one of the last: Greubel Forsey notes besides the end of the model’s production, “[this year] also marks the beginning of a gradual transition toward an almost entirely new collection”. While this change in direction has been welcomed by many enthusiasts who appreciate Greubel Forsey returning to its root, the Convexe watches do have their charm. The Balancier Convexe S² illustrates this – the case is large but ergonomic and wearable, and the sporty constru...
Monochrome
With over 170 years of history, you can easily imagine that Tissot has a few, if not many, important models in its portfolio. Next to watches such as the PR516 or the 1973 Chronograph, the brand has one particular watch that’s worth mentioning, the Visodate. First created in 1954, it was, as you can guess […]
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SJX Watches
Orient Star doubles down on dress watches with the dignified M45 F7 Small Seconds in three new colours inspired by the night sky. With its small seconds layout, power reserve indicator, no-date format, and sub-40 mm case size, the M45 is clearly targeting the enthusiast market. Initial thoughts While more casual and “sporty” watches have been the foundation of the watch market for decades, Orient, and its upscale sibling Orient Star, are arguably known best for its more formally coded watches, such as the entry-level Orient Bambino. From there, Orient Star’s M45 collection represents a tempting upgrade, featuring a slew of refinements inside and out that make it a good value proposition despite the higher price. Beyond the technical specifications, the M45 F7 Small Seconds also reflects Orient Star’s ongoing effort to carve out a distinct identity within the broader Japanese watch landscape. While brand has long been appreciated for delivering strong value, the M45 line shows a growing confidence in formal watches, which is needed given the fierce competition from micro-brands in the sports watch segment at the same price point. Visually, the watch could benefit from being even smaller, as the small seconds sub-dial is too close to the centre of the dial, but that is true of many, if not most, of its (few) competitors in this price segment that offer a small seconds format. Collectors have come accept this as a normal trade-off of contemporary watches that use hist...
Teddy Baldassarre
For a watch-enthusiast raised on traditional analog timekeeping, jump-hour watches do not necessarily present the easiest or most intuitive way to read the time on their dials, but they inarguably offer one of the most dynamic ways to do so. Instead of a slow-moving central hand to indicate the hour, watches with a “jumping” design rely on a numbered disk that flips instantly to the next hour numeral at the start of each new 60-minute period. These disks most often operate behind a round aperture and are usually paired with either a similarly rotating disk for the minutes or, perhaps, with an analog hand for an interesting hybrid design. And while they may seem decidedly avant-garde in their aesthetic, watchmakers have incorporated this style of time display in their movements for over a century. Here is a look at eight of our favorites from recent years. [toc-section heading="A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date"] The Zeitwerk, which German luxury watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne introduced in 2009, is technically a “digital” watch, but it isn’t like any other one you’ve ever seen: there are no electronics, no LCD screens, and you won’t find it at your local big box store. The Lange Zeitwerk Date flies in the ionosphere of high horology, with a 44.2mm round case, made of 18k white gold or rose gold, framing an intricately crafted dial that boasts a jumping-hour digital display, powered by the manually-wound L043.8 movement. Every detail of this watch is a handcraft...
Monochrome
Dive watch specialist Doxa has been busy with collaborations lately. Retailer editions, small runs, watches tied to a place or a partner. We have seen it with the SUB 200 Azure and SUB 200 Dune created for Caribbean retailer Art of Time. Same watch, same idea, just a different flavour each time. Now the brand heads […]
Fratello
The 150 Heritage pocket watch, the Neo Frame Jumping Hour, and the skeletonized Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar might have stolen most of the limelight when Audemars Piguet presented many novelties in January. Nevertheless, the pieces I was probably most curious to see and try on were a series of three tool watches. Well, these are […] Visit Hands-On With The Three New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver Watches In Steel to read the full article.
Fratello
With Watches and Wonders inching closer, prediction season is in full swing. Watch enthusiasts everywhere are debating what the big brands might release this year. As always, most eyes are focused on Rolex, so some of the Fratello team opened Nano Banana and generated the Rolex releases we expect to see. These are Fratello’s Rolex […] Visit Fratello’s Rolex Predictions For 2026: Coke GMT Revival, Milgauss Comeback, And A Possible Perpetual Calendar? to read the full article.
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