Two Broke Watch Snobs
8 Watches Worth Upgrading to After an Orient Bambino
We’ve worn and reviewed these 8 Orient Bambino upgrades, from affordable Timex and Casio picks to Longines, Grand Seiko, and anOrdain.
Results for Mainspring Types and Alloys
31,779 articles · 171 videos found · page 359 of 1065
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Fratello
The Top 5 Omega Models From The 1990s
Another Friday, another list! This week, we follow up on last week’s list that was based on a discussion we had on Fratello Talks three weeks ago. In that episode, Robert-Jan, Nacho, and I discussed the ultimate decade for watches. RJ and I chose the ’90s as our favorite because new technology significantly improved overall […] Visit The Top 5 Omega Models From The 1990s to read the full article.
WatchRider
Orient Mako Gets a GMT for the First Time in Five Cool Colors
Orient has given its long-running Mako sports watch a GMT function for the first time. Five references have appeared for the Autumn/Winter 2026 collection, comprising four regular models and one 4,000-piece limited edition. The watches were listed as in stock by an authorised UK retailer on 20 August 2026. Orient’s own global catalogue and press archive had not yet added them at the time of writing, so broader regional availability remains unconfirmed. A Larger Mako With Familiar Equipment The Mako GMT uses a 42.8 mm case made from brushed and polished 316L stainless steel. It measures 49.5 mm from lug to lug and 13.4 mm thick, making this a substantial watch rather than a compact travel companion. Each version has a sapphire crystal, a solid caseback and 20 bar, or 200 metres, of water resistance. The three-link steel bracelet has solid end pieces and a deployant clasp. Around the dial is a 120-notch unidirectional bezel carrying a 24-hour scale instead of the usual elapsed-time markings. The New F6P22 Automatic GMT Calibre Inside is Orient’s F6P22 automatic GMT movement. The current listings state a power reserve of approximately 40 hours, hacking seconds and an accuracy range of +25 to -15 seconds per day. The movement drives the normal hour, minute and seconds hands, the date at 3 o’clock and a fourth central hand that completes one turn every 24 hours. There is an important limitation. The GMT hand cannot be adjusted independently on this first version. To show ...
SJX Watches
Blancpain Faithfully Revisits 1968 Bathyscaphe
Blancpain is marking the 70th anniversary of its lesser-known dive watch with the 1960s-inspired Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe. With a faithful 37.4 mm steel case and high-end movement, the Bathyscaphe will likely be welcomed by collectors who have been waiting for a more compact Fifty Fathoms. Initial thoughts Blancpain has an unusually rich history of producing dive watches — the Fifty Fathoms dates to 1953 and introduced the now-ubiquitous rotating dive bezel at roughly the same time as the Rolex Submariner. Blancpain’s early divers were commercial products aimed at military customers — then the only sizable market for such watches. That changed in 1956, when growing consumer interest in diving led to the release of the Bathyscaphe. This historic name was reborn in 2013, but the contemporary interpretation of the line was a significant aesthetic departure from the look of the original 1950s and 1960s models. Somewhat confusingly, Blancpain is marking the 70th anniversary of the Bathyscaphe with an homage to a 1968 model. Timeline aside, the anniversary edition features a period-correct 37.4 mm case and beige Super-LumiNova to capture the aged look of surviving originals. The arrow-tipped running seconds hand is another charming detail that reproduces the original look to good effect. During the 1950s and 1960s, Blancpain waffled between serif and sans-serif wordmarks, and the brand has opted for the latter for the anniversary edition. To my eye it strikes just the rig...
Worn & Wound
Hands-On with the Studio Underd0g 02SERIES (Gen2): A Refreshing New Take on the Famous Dirty Dozen
In the span of six short years, independent brand Studio Underd0g has positioned itself as a leader in the contemporary British watchmaking wave. Founded by designer Richard Benc in 2020, the brand quickly made a name for itself in the industry with an irreverent and cheeky style that adds a refreshing spin to the sometimes stodgy business of watch design. Studio Underd0g pairs unique colors with quality finishing while “reject[ing] all that needs to go, like stuffiness, pomposity, and the reluctance to try anything new.” The 02SERIES brings together that fun-loving spirit and the brand’s commitment to boundary-pushing innovation. This summer’s release of Gen2 – the second iteration of the field watch collection – makes meaningful improvements to a fan-favorite. Studio Underd0g’s 02SERIES offers a modern take on the famous Dirty Dozen – a group of twelve watch brands tasked by the British Ministry of Defence to create a field watch for military-issue during the last half of World War II. Chief among a long list of specifications the brands had to meet, the watches were to be tough, reliable, and highly legible. Nearly all field watches today pull their aesthetic from the form-factor popularized by the Dirty Dozen, and I was curious to find out what Studio Underd0g could offer apart from the typical iterations so often seen in this space. After a week on the wrist, I can say that the 02SERIES (Gen2) is unlike any field watch I’ve encountered before and is ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Kiwame Tokyo’s New Automatic Dress Watch Takes Minimalism Seriously
The new Kiwame Tokyo Yane pairs a rectangular case with Japanese architectural references, a minimalist lacquer dial, and a Miyota automatic movement.
Monochrome
First Look - The new Czapek Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue
Independent watchmaking brand Czapek introduced the Promenade collection in 2024 as a more classic and elegant vision of its contemporary watchmaking. Since then, the model has been used for several creative dial executions, such as the Plissé, Diamond Drops, and Goutte de Rosée editions, as well as the Promenade Transparencies Viridian Green, made in collaboration […]
SJX Watches
Into the Blue: Czapek’s Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue
In the lead up to Geneva Watch Days, Czapek has unveiled the Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue — a gradient blue variant of a sapphire-dialled dress watch the brand released in late 2024. The watch breaks little new ground but the blue-on-blue look reveals a keen eye and an awareness of colour theory. Initial thoughts I have mixed feelings about sapphire dials, but I liked Czapek’s approach to opening up the Promenade when the brand launched its “Viridian Green” collaboration with Fratello in 2024. The “Aqua Blue” edition gets many of the same things right, with a dark-enough tint that the exposed movement elements don’t overwhelm the design. In fact, at some angles, the exposed movement looks more like a graphic element, akin to the Octo Finissimo Automatic BVL 138 Sketch. On the wrist, when the movement is not back-lit, the dial appears much darker, and the movement components are even less obvious. This split personality extends to the overall format of the Promenade, which is conveniently sized at 38 mm and is about 11 mm thick. The latter dimension is a bit chunky for an automatic dress watch with a micro-rotor movement, but it gives the watch a robust, almost sporty feel. And the extra thickness likely contributes to the reassuring 50 m test depth. An optional milanese-style steel bracelet completes the transformation from dressy to sporty, should one wish to do it all with one watch. A close look reveals thousands of printed dots that are responsible...
Quill & Pad
Hong Kong: Watch-World’s Other Hub
You can surf the web all you want, but there is nothing like actually seeing a watch in the metal, feeling its weight on your wrist, the firm yet gentle grip of the strap, and gazing into the depth of its dial and realizing: "This is The One." And a fair is one of the best places to find a match.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Orient Mako II vs Kamasu: Which Affordable Japanese Dive Watch Wins?
Orient Mako II vs Kamasu: two near-identical Japanese divers, one classic and one sharper. Here's which affordable automatic diver to buy and why.
Time+Tide
Blancpain turns back the clock with its new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition
Blancpain revives a 1968 Bathyscaphe for its 70th anniversary, with a 37.4mm case, vintage-inspired details and a 100-hour movement.
Time+Tide
Glashütte Orginal debuts new Senator Chronograph models that tribute German timekeeping
The new Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph and Senator Chronograph Navigator pay tribute to the history of German chronograph watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
New Glashütte Original Senator Chronographs Celebrate Two Eras of German Watchmaking
One classic flieger, one maritime observer, both with in-house movements and the most versatile quick-change bracelets the brand has ever offered. More
Fratello
A Nice Vintage-Inspired Surprise: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary
Over the past few years, we have seen great changes within the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms lineup. The brand celebrated the 70th anniversary of its iconic diver in multiple “acts.” On top of that, Blancpain created a full collection of Fifty Fathoms models in different sizes, offering something for everyone and addressing an issue many enthusiasts […] Visit A Nice Vintage-Inspired Surprise: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary to read the full article.
Fratello
A Heavenly “Match” - The Olympique De Marseille × Jacques Bianchi Marseille JB200 Chronometer Limited Edition
“Droit au But,” translated roughly as “Straight to the Goal,” has been Olympique de Marseille’s motto since the club’s foundation in 1899 and appears beneath the “OM” crest. OM is one of the most recognizable clubs in French football. Its greatest achievement came on May 26th, 1993, when OM defeated AC Milan 1–0 in Munich […] Visit A Heavenly “Match” — The Olympique De Marseille × Jacques Bianchi Marseille JB200 Chronometer Limited Edition to read the full article.
Fratello
Fratello Talks: Building A Dream Two-Watch Collection
Two watches should be enough, at least in theory. If you had no budget limitations and could own only two watches, which would you choose? The challenge isn’t simply to pick two favorites. With only two spots available, both watches need to earn their place. In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by […] Visit Fratello Talks: Building A Dream Two-Watch Collection to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Credor Locomotive “Dawn Blue” GCCR995
A new day is dawning for Credor, which made its Watches & Wonders debut with the Locomotive “Dawn Blue” ref. GCCR995. Designed by Gerald Genta, the Locomotive was once the brand’s flagship sports model in the same vein as its more famous Swiss siblings, but with a quirky integrated-unintegrated bracelet. The obvious quality of the titanium case and bracelet make up for a weak spec sheet, but leave room for the Locomotive to grow alongside the newly international Credor marque. Initial thoughts The Locomotive is a great example of a watch that is more than the sum of its parts. In fact, it’s (almost) inexplicably nice for a watch with such a strange design, a mundane movement, and a micro-adjust-less pin-and-collar bracelet. While it’s cliché to say a watch looks better in person than photographs — and underestimates what a good photographer can do — I would say the Locomotive feels much better in person, like a watch of its price point should. The defining update for this edition of the Locomotive is its embossed dial, which features a repeating hexagon motif. The grooves that fill each cell are oriented at different angles, giving the dial a shimmering personality that changes with shifting light. At some angles, the dial is a uniform blue, while other angles produce an almost chequerboard-like effect. This backdrop is coated with layers of clear lacquer, enabling the Credor wordmark and (superfluous) “Automatic” text to float neatly above the three-d...
Monochrome
Hands-on - The Yellow Gold Minerva The Unveiled Chronograph Limited Edition 30
Minerva‘s Unveiled Chronograph series is an exercise in turning conventional watchmaking inside out. Instead of hiding the movement under the dial, which would require taking the watch off the wrist to admire its calibre through the display caseback, the manufacture reverses its architecture, making the chronograph mechanism and its distinctive hand-finished components the main attraction […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Tutima Flieger T5: A New 38.5mm Titanium Pilot Watch
The Tutima Flieger T5 brings a smaller titanium case and a familiar ETA-based automatic to the brand's modern pilot-watch family. A TBWS first look.
Hodinkee
Inside The Manufacture: Why Fam al Hut Is Pursuing Manufacture Status
This story is a special presentation from Hodinkee Japan, written and illustrated by Masaharu Wada, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief for Hodinkee Japan. For a young brand to revisit roughly 98 percent of the movement components in a GPHG-winning watch after receiving the award might ordinarily sound like cause for concern. But when I visited Fam al Hut's workshop in Taicang, Jiangsu Province, China, I came away feeling almost the opposite. More than anything else, that fact seemed to capture exactly where the brand stands today. A large industrial elevator takes you to the second floor, where the doors open onto a long central corridor. To the right, behind glass walls, designers and engineers gather around technical drawings. To the left is a production floor lined with five CNC machines and other machine tools. Farther inside are a prototyping room, a finishing department, a clean room for movement assembly, a quality-control room, a stockroom, and even a dedicated room housing a femtosecond laser machine. Not everything is made here. Cases and sapphire crystals, among other components, still come from outside suppliers. What Fam al Hut has built, however, is an environment in which it can control the design, prototyping, machining, assembly, testing, and continued development of its movements. For such a young independent brand, the scale of the operation was far beyond what I had expected. Fam al Hut was founded in 2024. The following year, its debut watch, the MARK 1 Möb...
Monochrome
Introducing - The New Norqain Independence Skeleton Titanium DLC
Since the debut of the Independence Skeleton in 2022, followed by the fifth-anniversary Skeleton editions in 2023 and the more compact 40mm model introduced last year, Norqain has established its approach to skeletonisation. Without chasing the extremes, the brand offers a combination of a contemporary openworked design and the robust, adventure-ready character that defines the […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Are Luxury Divers Better Than Mid-Price Options, or Just More Famous?
Find out what our testing reveals about luxury dive watches, where the premium shows on the wrist, and how closely mid-price alternatives match the experience.
Fratello
The Charming Kiwame Tokyo Yane Is Like Putting A Japanese Temple Roof On Your Wrist
Ten years ago, my wife and I went to Japan for vacation. We strolled through Tokyo, visited the beaches of Okinawa, and toured the temples of Kyoto. Some of the things I photographed most on that trip must’ve been the countless temple roofs. They’re so characteristic and graceful with their sloping shapes and carefully placed […] Visit The Charming Kiwame Tokyo Yane Is Like Putting A Japanese Temple Roof On Your Wrist to read the full article.
Fratello
Shadow Icons: The Underappreciated References Behind Every Great Watch
Drumming up a list of the watch world’s biggest icons is easy. While we can debate what constitutes a true icon, we can probably agree that such watches defined a category and had a lasting impact on the current watch landscape. That’s not the discussion we want to have, though. In this new series of […] Visit Shadow Icons: The Underappreciated References Behind Every Great Watch to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Richard Mille RM 64-01 Tourbillon Colnago
Launched just a few weeks ago, the RM 64-01 Tourbillon Colnago is modelled on the Colnago C68, the same road bike used by Tadej Pogacar, the current Tour de France champion who has long worn a Richard Mille while racing. Though new, the RM 64-01 is still quintessential Richard Mille in form, substance, and price. The watch is large, lightweight, and exceptionally, satisfyingly ergonomic. As is tradition, the RM64-01 movement is the work of Audemars Piguet Le Locle, formerly known as Renaud Papi. The case material is made by longtime partner NTPT, a Swiss carbon composites specialist. And in the great tradition of Richard Mille, the RM 64-01 is very expensive. Tadej Pogacar with the RM 64-01. Image – Richard Mille Initial thoughts The RM 64-01 is the typical large format tonneau-shaped case shared with most current Richard Mille models. At about 43 mm wide, almost 50 mm long, and over 14 mm tall, the case is big, but sits perfectly on the wrist thanks to its curvature and lightness. And while thick, integrated rubber straps normally detract from wearability, the strap adds to the ergonomics of the RM 64-01. The watch is almost entirely in bright white, with accents of bright blue and rose gold — it makes a statement, even from a distance, as most Richard Mille watches do. But zoom in past the over-the-top aesthetics and the movement reveals fine detailing. The blue and white bridges are all titanium, but painted by hand to mimic the Colnago C68 bike frame. The tradition...
WatchAdvice
Hands-On Review With The Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver
We go hands-on with the new Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver, and see why this is the watch Grand Seiko fans and watch enthusiasts have been wanting! What We Love The new case size and dimensions That dial, I mean, seriously?! The new bracelet and clasp design What We Don’t The lack of a date window The full titanium construction may not be to everyone’s liking The anti-magnetism could be increased to accommodate modern life Overall Rating: 8.75 / 10 Value For Money: 9/10 Design: 8.5/10 Wearability: 9/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 This year, Grand Seiko upped the ante and took the fight to the swath of other luxury dive watches on the market with the release of its new Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver, which was released at Watches & Wonders 2026. It was the dive watch Grand Seiko enthusiasts had been wanting and waiting for. A smaller, more wearable diver that was a little more contemporary than the models it replaced. With a raft of changes, including a smaller, better-proportioned case, a redesigned bracelet, new micro-adjustment and a more modern dial aesthetic, the new Ushio 300 Diver ticked so many boxes. Plus, Grand Seiko decided that steel was too heavy for a sports watch, so they made it from High-Intensity Titanium instead. The 2026 Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver models We had the privilege of previewing it before Watches & Wonders, and while the article I wrote up for the Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A 300 Ushio Diver was a ...
Worn & Wound
Hands-On: Vario’s Navi Collection Goes International
As I expand my knowledge of microbrands, I was super excited to receive a sample from Vario, a Singapore-based company that’s been going strong for a decade. The brand’s latest offering builds on its Navi collection, which first joined Vario’s catalog in 2021. The line holds firm to its nautical roots with its sleek and refined interpretation of a porthole throughout the case and dial along with its compass and anchor hands and sailor-cap crown. Over the past five years, the Navi has taken a few forms, from the inaugural jump-hour to special editions like the Popeye and Vario’s collaboration with Watch Enthusiasts India (WEI). In 2024, we saw the introduction of a single-hand version, offering a slow-time display with an Engine Order Telegraph (EOT) 12-section dial in which each of the 12 sections is broken down into 15-minute intervals for a general reading of the time rather than one to the exact minute. Now, Vario builds on this design with five new colorways and, for the first time, new languages. With this extension of the Navi collection, Vario is taking the line into international waters starting regionally with Chapter One: Europe. The foundation of the models remains the same as what we saw in the original and now sold-out single hand version. The case is rendered in 316L stainless steel and executed in highly wearable proportions at 38mm in diameter and 11mm in thickness. The lugs strike a good balance of geometry and curvature that allows the model to si...
Hodinkee
Twelve Market Observations By Ben Clymer (August 2026)
Some version of this story has been in the back of my mind for months, maybe years. Because I see, hear, and experience so many wild things in my watch life that it's hard to really understand, I thought the best thing I could do was share them with you. Some of the below are simple opinions; others are hard and true facts. I think I have a unique position in the watch space as the president of a large media outlet (so I see traffic information and click tendencies), I'm a long time consumer of all kinds of watches (vintage, new, independent, big and small), something of a pundit on the industry for large media outlets, a participant in basically all the organizations that focus on the watch industry, and of course, an officer at one of the largest modern watch retailers in the world. Beyond that, the amount of DMs I get from total strangers asking me watch questions is simply b-a-n-a-n-a-s (should that be a series unto itself?). So I thought I'd take some of what's been on my mind from all of the above sources and put it on paper to be read, debated, and (dis)agreed with. So, here are five things that are happening in the watch world that make zero sense, and five more that make a ton of sense. FIVE THINGS HAPPENING IN TODAY'S WATCH MARKET THAT MAKE ZERO SENSE 1. Complicated (Vintage And New!) Patek Philippe Is Trading Below Where It Should Be Trading The 5270G is a fantastic watch, and even at retail, represents very solid value compared to what else is happening out...
Monochrome
Introducing - Tutima Expands its Fleet with the Compact Flieger T5 in Titanium
Tutima, based in Glashütte, earned its wings in the 1940s with its military and pilot’s watches and, in 1941, produced Germany’s first two-pusher flyback chronograph (later referred to as the Flieger). In 2019, Tutima released a contemporary, less tool-oriented, time-and-date take on the Flieger. The latest model to join the squadron is the Flieger T5, […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Seiko Presage Just Got One of Its Most Convincing Heritage Designs Yet
Seiko revisits Japan’s first wristwatch with two new Presage models featuring enamel and urushi dials and a 72-hour automatic movement.