Two Broke Watch Snobs
Squale Just Launched a No-Nonsense 37mm Dive Watch
The Squale Sub-37 Legend brings a 37mm case, sapphire box crystal, and Old Radium lume to the brand's growing dive watch lineup.
Results for Mainspring Types and Alloys
30,298 articles · 155 videos found · page 369 of 1016
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Monochrome
The Petrolhead Corner – Ayrton Senna’s Debut Toleman TG183B Is Coming Up For Sale
Ayrton Senna da Silva. No one needs an introduction to that name, as he’s considered sporting greatness personified. Making an indelible mark in Formula 1 through sheer, unbridled talent and a relentless approach to racing (“if you no longer go for a gap, you’re no longer a racing driver”), he’s considered the greatest to have […]
WatchAdvice
King Seiko VANAC Review: Vintage 1970s Style Meets Modern Seiko Engineering
The King Seiko VANAC blends a bold 1970s-inspired design with Seiko’s modern 8L45 movement and a new vintage-style leather strap. What We Love: The textured dials with the gold coloured accents The angular vintage-style case The proportions and size for ease of wearing What We Don’t: The movement accuracy could be better at this price point The leather straps could not be up everyone’s alley The clasp on the strap doesn’t feel as solid as the watch itself. Overall Rating: 8.1 / 10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 7.5/10 Build Quality: 8/10 The King Seiko VANAC is a watch designed to talk to the collector market, and as such, the VANAC name is one that long-time Seiko collectors will recognise straight away. Today, the modern re-interpretations of the VANAC stay relatively true to the original models, but of course, with modern materials and standards. They’re instantly recognisable with those in the know, and do harken back to a time where the Avant-Garde was becoming more the industry norm across certain collections. So, before we get into this review, let’s take a short walk back in time… King Seiko’s VANAC Line Returns In A New Lease On Life A Brief History Of King Seiko’s VANAC First introduced in 1972, the VANAC line represented a bold departure from the more traditional King Seiko dress watches. Designed primarily for the Japanese market, VANAC watches were intended to be Vibrant, Active, New, Advanced, Comfortable — the meaning...
Worn & Wound
The Chase-Durer Wing Commander X: A Look at Every Wannabe Fighter Pilot’s Wrist Companion
There comes a time in every watch collector’s life when they fall in love with a watch they know others in the hobby may potentially scoff at. Whether it be misconceptions around the brand, the use of cheaper movements and parts, seedy advertising campaigns, or just overall subjective taste in design, it’s a phenomenon that exists as one of the very few downsides of the collecting space. It’s important to note, however, that this frame of mind lies on a spectrum of course, with some watches being far more notable enemies of the wristwatch state than others. The Chase-Durer Wing Commander X is a watch that has fallen into the cracks of the watch market and a piece, I believe, may initially conjure negative sentiments by some corners of the collecting sphere. Chase-Durer was originally advertised in magazines and on the very early days of the internet, where zealous dial-up internet subscribers would surf the World Wide Web in hopes of making their very first online purchase. They never held the same staying power as others of the watch industry, akin to the 38mm mail-order film cameras found in years’ worth of popular and print media when compared to Canon or Nikon. However, there is a lot to like about the brand and, in this case, the Wing Commander X. If you’re someone who’s on the fence about whether or not you’re a fan of this watch just from aesthetics and brand recognition alone, welcome in––let me walk you through what makes this an interesting pi...
Monochrome
Introducing – The 1000-Hour Power Reserve Haute-Rive Honoris Meccanica, with Fully Exposed Mechanics
Haute-Rive is a relatively young independent watchmaking atelier launched by Stéphane Von Gunten, previously the R&D; Director of Ulysse Nardin, where he was involved with filing no fewer than 30 patents. Quite a background. The first watch created under his own brand was the Honoris, and it was a powerful release, to say the least. A […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Citizen Celebrates 50 Years of Eco-Drive with a Hand-Dyed Washi Dial
I've come close to pulling the trigger on a few of Citizen's higher-end Eco-Drive watches over the years, and each time I talked myself out of it. Not because the watches weren't impressive, but because the right one never quite lined up with the moment. Now, Citizen is making the decision a little harder. The brand has just announced "The Citizen" Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary Edition (ref. AQ4091-56W), marking five decades since it introduced the first solar-powered analogue watch back in 1976.
Teddy Baldassarre
The 25 Best German Watch Brands (2026)
In general, a conversation about the top watch producing countries centers around two nations: Switzerland and Japan, with Japan often occupying the more affordable end of the spectrum and Switzerland more commonly associated with luxury watches and high watchmaking. Of course, this is an overgeneralization of the highest degree, as Japan is home to some of the finest purveyors of high watchmaking, and there are indeed great deals to be found from Switzerland. However, the real tragedy here is the omission of the often overlooked superpower in watchmaking that is Germany. Home to dozens of brands, including some of the best in the business according to a variety of metrics, Germany is an excellent country for watchmaking. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best German watch brands to provide an overview of names you should know if you’re new to German watches. In each synopsis, We'll begin with a bit of history, share a few of the brands' major accomplishments or best-loved models, and say a bit about what they’re up to these days. [toc-section heading="Laco"] Laco began life as Lacher & Co. in 1925 in Pforzheim, where it is still based today. The company is most famously known for being one of the five brands contracted to produce flieger watches (such as the Beobachtungsuhr) for pilots in the German Luftwaffe ― alongside A. Lange & Söhne, Stowa, and Wempe. The Laco of today continues to be popular for its flieger watches. And unlike IWC an...
Monochrome
Introducing – Ivy League Style on the Wrist with the J. Press x Bamford London B80
Collaborations in watchmaking often result in timepieces that are pure fun, especially when they take a graphic and conceptual route. This is precisely the case with the new Bamford London B80 created with J. Press. Inspired by Ivy League culture and vintage collegiate aesthetics, this limited edition of 100 pieces rethinks one of the essential […]
Fratello
Hands-On With The Newly Introduced Sternglas Berlin Automatik
Last year, Jorg reviewed the Berlin by the Hamburg-based brand Sternglas. Back then, it was a quartz-powered version of the watch inspired by the first train connection between Hamburg and Berlin, established in 1846. Now, the Sternglas Berlin is back, but it eschews the engraving on the case back commemorating the opening of the Berlin […] Visit Hands-On With The Newly Introduced Sternglas Berlin Automatik to read the full article.
Deployant
New: King Seiko Vanac now in titanium
Seiko releases their King Seiko Vanac, now in titanium case and bracelet. Three new references are released, with three dial colours.
Worn & Wound
Is Timothée Chalamet How Indie Watches Enter Pop Culture?
I missed the Academy Awards on Sunday for the first time in, oh I dunno, 30 years? It’s a cliche to say that something is “my Super Bowl” but the Oscars really are. It was more than a little strange to catch up on the awards conversation the way most people do these days: through social media clips, podcasts, and, in our little community, celebrity watch spotting. The Oscars are known as “Hollywood’s biggest night” but it could be argued, based on the volume of press releases in my inbox, that it’s the watch industry’s biggest night as well. Worn & Wound doesn’t typically cover celebrity watch spotting – we think it’s all a little silly given that most of the watches you see on wrists are placed there by stylists or are simply contractual obligations. But I hope you’ll indulge me a bit because I have some thoughts on what we’ve seen recently from one of the most talked about movie stars of the last several years, by cinephiles and watch enthusiasts alike, and I think it could be a watershed moment in how independent watches enter the cultural conversation. I’m talking of course about Timothée Chalamet, star of Marty Supreme and three time Academy Award nominee. Chalamet has made news among the watch spotting crowd for the way he has casually worn some of the highest end and most sought after timepieces over the course of the last year. On Oscar night, he was wearing an Urban Jürgensen UJ-2, a six figure watch introduced less than a year ag...
Fratello
Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Daytona Alternatives In 2026
Another Friday, another list. For this week’s Top 5, we look at another Rolex classic. The Cosmograph Daytona is one of the brand’s most iconic pieces in the watch world. The stainless steel versions of the racing chronograph are notoriously difficult to source through a Rolex dealer, and pre-owned prices are generally higher than retail. […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Daytona Alternatives In 2026 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Malachite 37 mm
Audemars Piguet expands its stone‑dial lineup with the new Royal Oak Self-Winding 37 mm and 41 mm in yellow‑gold featuring malachite dials, continuing the brand’s cautious re-exploration of trendy stone dials. Initial thoughts Last month Bad Bunny, the most-streamed musician in the western hemisphere, took the field for the Super Bowl LX halftime show wearing this yellow gold Royal Oak Selfwinding 37mm. A design as recognisable as any in watchmaking, worn on the wrist of the “King of Latin Trap” in front of over a hundred million viewers - a significant marketing coup for Audemars Piguet. It was also an implicit endorsement from Bad Bunny’s stylist Storm Pablo, who procured the watch within days of its announcement. Bad Bunny during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show. Image – Apple Pricing remains surprisingly reasonable, with the 37 mm pegged to the same price as the turquoise-dialled sibling from a few years ago, while the 41 mm model is priced just 4% higher than a regular production Royal Oak in pink gold. That’s a large step up in absolute terms, but that comes with the (price) territory. It is important to point out that despite the premiums brands often attach to stone dials, most are not particularly expensive to make. When it comes to malachite, the raw material cost is negligible, with African mines in and around the Copperbelt producing gemstone-quality malachite by the literal ton. Audemars Piguet made the right choice by avoiding t...
Teddy Baldassarre
Watches Of The SAS: What British Special Forces Pilots Wear
It’s easy to think of watches as falling purely within the accessory realm, valued for their aesthetic and their finish detail. Sure, they fulfill a practical utility by telling the time, but that could be considered a redundant byproduct these days, as most of us are rarely outside of reach of any number of devices that provide the same utility. How watches serve their purpose today is very different from how they were used in the past. While much of that is out of necessity for the sake of self-preservation, the humble, purpose- built tool watch carries a deep history of use as just that, a vital tool used by servicemen and women. The stories that these watches tell serve as a reminder of the role watches once played, and connect with a new generation of enthusiasts. Every military across the globe has a history of using specialized tools in their endeavors, and watches have been a big part of that kit - from UDT divers and their dive watches, to pilots relying on their wrist-bound timers to calculate fuel flow rates. These watches enjoy an enviable lore that inspires many of the designs we see today from brands large and small. One particular outfit known for its use of spec-built watches is the British Special Air Service, or the SAS. While much of the information about the SAS is highly classified, we do know a thing or two about the watches these specialized service members have employed throughout the years. [toc-section heading="A (Brief) History of SAS"] P...
Worn & Wound
Seiko Launches a Pair of Updated Marinemasters with their Higher End 8L45 Movement
A common critique leveled at Seiko over these last few years is that they’ve abandoned the affordable enthusiast dive watch market and have been creeping toward a higher priced product. Honestly, it’s fair. Those of us of a certain age can fondly remember the days when an SKX diver could be had for a few hundred bucks, and it basically stood alone in the Venn diagram of pedigree, dive watch bona fides, enthusiast credibility, and affordability. The fact is, there’s a lot of competition for affordable divers these days, much of it driven by the popularity of a handful of key Seiko references. So it’s no wonder that they’ve sought to expand their footprint elsewhere and make a higher end, more expensive product. What often gets lost in these conversations is that the higher priced Seiko divers are actually very good dive watches that still cover much of that hypothetical Venn diagram, perhaps leaning a little further away from affordability. Seiko recently announced a handful of new references and while many of us hoped a truly affordable SKX alternative might be in the mix, they’ve once again debuted a new diver at a higher rung of their pricing ladder. The highlight for collectors and serious Seiko fans will likely be the Seiko Prospex Marinemaster 1968 Heritage Diver’s Watch (the official Seiko naming conventions are always a bit cumbersome). Yes, this is yet another mostly historically accurate take on the first ever diver rated to 300 meters of water r...
Worn & Wound
A Legend is Born: Squale Just Dropped a New 37mm Diver
If you have been following us for a while, you are likely well versed in Squale’s divers, vintage-inspired designs, and limited edition runs. The brand has quietly been a leader in the realm of dive watches since the 60s with a cult following from hardcore dive watch nerds. In the past decade in particular, Squale has been getting more and more traction and recognition. In 2019, the brand notched its 60th anniversary and with that, introduced a new collection: the Sub-39. This limited edition fittingly paid homage to Squale’s early 1960s divers, using an original prototype with a 39mm case as reference. Following its success, the brand ultimately made the Sub-30 a permanent collection, upping the ante with COSC-certification and complications like a GMT. Today, we get the next evolution with the Sub-37 Legend. Focusing on the brand’s core tenants – proportions, function, and character – the new slightly sized down 37mm diver emphasizes form over function in a way that is faithful to the golden age of diving, an era when watches were designed to perform rather than to impress. Beginning with the dial, you have a fairly quintessential execution in matte black with a sapphire glass-box crystal reminiscent of vintage plexiglass while ensuring durability and optimal dial legibility. Visibility remains at the forefront of this utilitarian design with both the dial and hands treated with SuperLumiNova Old Radium. Framing the dial is a clean, highly readable unidirection...
Teddy Baldassarre
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Review: Utility Meets Horology
Blancpain, founded in the Swiss village of Villeret in 1735, has been making timepieces for almost 300 years, but perhaps its most impactful contribution to wristwatch history was relatively recent - and began its heralded life as a military tool rather than a luxury item. In 1953, Blancpain was headed by Jean-Jacques Fiechter, an avid diving enthusiast who had long wanted to develop a watch that would be ideal for his hobby. Fiechter worked with Captain Robert Maloubier, a French naval officer, to design a reliable, mission-ready timepiece that Maloubier’s elite combat diving team could wear. Here we will take a look at the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, a more everyday take on the iconic diver. [toc-section heading="Blancpain Fifty Fathoms: A Historic Divers’ Watch"] The watch, called the Fifty Fathoms, had a 42mm steel case - exceptionally large for the time - and it was water-resistant to 91.45 meters, or 50 fathoms, the maximum depth recommended for scuba divers. Its dial was black and its numerals were luminescent for greater legibility underwater. It was the first divers’ watch with a self-winding movement, the first with an antimagnetic case, and the first to employ the patented, double-sealed crown that Fiechter had developed. Most notably, the Fifty Fathoms was the first watch to include a lockable bezel with dive-time scale that rotated in only one direction. This practical and potentially life-saving innovation prevented a diver from acciden...
Monochrome
Introducing – The Maen x Horoverse Brooklyn 36 Mahjong Limited Edition
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
Introducing: The Christopher Ward 'C63 True GMT' Adds A Local Jumping Hour Hand GMT To The Lineup
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 Introduces the C63 True GMT
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...
Monochrome
Introducing – Awake Son Mai Silver Leaf “Atlantis Blue”
Awake, the young Parisian-based indie brand founded by Lilian Thibault in 2019, is a keen advocate of sustainability and fosters an eco-friendly approach to watchmaking. Introduced in 2024, Awake’s Son Mai collection is a fitting spokesperson for the brand’s philosophy and features handcrafted lacquered dials created by Vietnamese artisans. Combining minimalist design to highlight the […]
Hodinkee
Introducing: Citizen's New 'Photon' Celebrates 50 Years of Eco-Drive With An Attractive Physics Demonstration
With a Super Titanium case and bracelet and an eye-catching dial, Citizen brings a new design and 12-month power reserve to the lineup.
Hodinkee
Fifty Years Illuminated
The CITIZEN reflects Eco-Drive’s light-powered craft and precision.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
I Might Like This Timex More Than Any Limited Edition Speedmaster
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.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Christopher Ward C63 Sealander True GMT
The Christopher Ward C63 Sealander True GMT fills a conspicuous gap in the brand’s catalogue with a proper ‘flyer’ GMT, complete with an independently adjustable local-time hour hand. A handsome, expensive-looking dial conceals the new CW-002 movement, which is COSC-certified and offers a five-day power reserve - a rare pairing. While collectors have noticed that Christopher Ward’s pricing has risen steadily in recent years, the True GMT makes a compelling case that the technical substance has kept pace. The journeyman brand Christopher Ward (CW) is a brand that is evolving unusually rapidly, and seems to have been in a state of almost constant transformation since it was founded in 2004. The brand has cycled through a number of different logos in a fairly short period of time, which has confused collectors. The product mix has also shifted, reflecting more upmarket ambitions that have priced out fans of the brand’s early budget products. This instability has turned off some collectors, which is understandable - most luxury brands are fairly conservative, in part to emphasise the long-lasting social capital that comes with a purchase. That said, CW seems to have finally found an identity worth sticking to. The new logo, which combines England’s St. George’s Cross and the white cross of the Swiss flag, is simple and appealing, and concisely communicates the English/Swiss origin. And while it’s true that prices have crept up, the brand has increased innov...
Fratello
Fratello Talks: Does Resale Value Affect How Much You Enjoy A Watch?
It’s a question that comes up from time to time in today’s watch world: Does resale value affect how much you enjoy a watch? With secondary market prices discussed almost as frequently as specifications, it’s hard to ignore the financial side of collecting. In this episode of Fratello Talks, RJ, Thomas, and Nacho discuss whether […] Visit Fratello Talks: Does Resale Value Affect How Much You Enjoy A Watch? to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introducing – The Citizen Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary Edition
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 Marks 50 Years of Solar with Japanese Paper Dial
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...
Teddy Baldassarre
Why Grand Seiko Quartz is More Than Just an Entry Point to The Brand -
Typically when quartz watches are brought up in regards to the Grand Seiko catalog as a whole, they're thought of as entry points to the brand. However, there is much more to the story than "just" being a quartz movement, Grand Seiko has a lot more to offer here. Sit down with Teddy and Joe Kirk to discuss the merits o
Hodinkee
Wei Koh Appointed President Of GPHG Jury For The 2026 Edition
The founder of Revolution and The Rake takes on one of watchmaking's most influential roles ahead of this November's awards in Geneva.