Two Broke Watch Snobs
Revisiting The Marathon Navigator, A True Pilot’s Watch
A hands-on review of the Marathon Navigator pilot's watch-a real-world affordable option in the world of mil-spec watch collecting.
22,394 articles · 215 videos found · page 39 of 754
The aviation tool-watch genre. Cartier Santos (1904), the WWII B-Uhr, the French Type 20 flyback, the RAF Mark XI, the Breitling Navitimer.
Louis Cartier built it in 1904 for his aviator friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, who was fed up fumbling for his pocket watch mid-flight. 121 years later the square case with exposed screws is still the sharpest dress-sports piece on the shelf. Here is how it got there.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on review of the Marathon Navigator pilot's watch-a real-world affordable option in the world of mil-spec watch collecting.
Worn & Wound
Eagle-eyed watch and horology enthusiasts are experiencing a close encounter of the third kind as Ulysse Nardin has dropped three new versions of its avant-garde UFO (Unidentified Floating Object) marine chronometer table clock. Based on the original UFO from 2021, the trio of new colors celebrates Ulysse Nardin’s special relationship with three famed retailers: Swiss-based Bucherer (Ice Blue), Japanese retailer Yoshida (Green), and The Hour Glass (Champagne) in Southeast Asia. The clocks are limited to 30 in each color and are available exclusively through these retailers. Ulysse Nardin commemorated its 175th anniversary back in the spring of 2021 by introducing the first series of UFOs in a batch of 75 examples in dark blue. All sold out quickly. In the fall of that year, at Only Watch, a unique one-off in orange hammered for an eye-watering CHF 380,000. Clearly, there was interest in this unapologetically futuristic take on the marine chronometer – once a crucial tool in navigation at sea and the pinnacle of precision timekeeping. Ulysse Nardin claims this is the fruit of two years of research and development in partnership with L’Épée, whom you may recognize as past collaborators with MB&F;. A closer look at the UFO reveals a product that builds on UN’s history as masters of the marine chronometer while pushing the boundaries of design and engineering. Aesthetically, the UFO is like a JLC Atmos clock that decided to let loose: the half-sphere base houses a tun...
Worn & Wound
Watch collecting has a few rites of passage: Buying an Invicta on vacation. Eagerly purchasing too many watches and quickly filling a watch box. Experiencing buyer’s remorse and selling those watches to recover funds for future purchases. Seller’s remorse setting in, followed by repurchasing watches. With one exception, the Bulova Oceanographer helped me check all of those boxes. I purchased my first Oceanographer during the buying/selling frenzy many enthusiasts go through. Seeing watches in stores and at meetups is cool, but can’t compete with the experience of ownership. Ownership removes the fear of scratching a watch while learning how it feels in 90% humidity. It allows you to test if a bezel still turns after a day at the beach, and to find those annoying design flaws that only become apparent after a few days on the wrist. $750 Owner’s Review: Happy Compromises with the Bulova Oceanographer Case Stainless steel Movement Miyota 821D Dial Black Lume Yes Lens Sapphire Strap Bracelet/rubber strap Water Resistance 200 meters Dimensions 44 x 46mm Thickness 15mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Screw down Warranty Yes Price $750 For a couple years, I had a watch coming and going every month. It was a constant game of hunting for opportunities, always selling, trading and buying. Sometimes I’d make $50, sometimes I’d lose $50. Sometimes I’d organize a trade on Reddit, and anxiously wait to see if the person on the other end of the deal was scamming me (they never were)...
Time+Tide
Many manufacturers have delved into the recent trend of brightly coloured dials fitted to slightly dressier, but still everyday-friendly watches. It’s fairly rare, however, that this colourful element continued into the cases, and this is where IWC’s ceramic-cased Pilot’s Watch line-up comes in. It’s no secret that their Pantone-tinged Woodland Green, white Lake Tahoe, and … ContinuedThe post IWC is stealthy in ceramic for the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Having made a splash with the release of the Ingenieur back in March, IWC now returns with an addition to its military-inspired aviator’s watch collection with the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar “Top Gun Lake Tahoe”. While IWC is no stranger to ceramic as a case material, this is the first time the signature IWC perpetual calendar has been combined with white ceramic, certainly one of the brand’s most popular case materials. Initial thoughts Since its 2022 debut, the Colours of Top Gun collection – comprised of pilot’s watches with cases in coloured ceramic other than black – has consistently been a bestseller. The white ceramic chronograph in particular was especially sought after, enough that it sold for above the retail price on the secondary market for a brief period. Therefore, it is no surprise that IWC has now introduced a white ceramic perpetual calendar, adding the popular case material to its trademark complication. Fans of the perpetual calendar will not be disappointed since the dial design sticks to a tried-and-tested formula. The overall aesthetics, however, are striking. The juxtaposition of the matte black dial and white ceramic transforms the often elegant complication into something sportier and cooler. On the other hand, owners of the Top Gun chronograph in white ceramic might be disappointed that the material is no longer unique to that model, but it was practically a given IWC would launch more white ceramic models given the comme...
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Quill & Pad
Joshua Munchow had the opportunity to spend some time with the slate-grey Tutima Flieger Automatic, a simple three-handed pilot's watch with date that comes in at an incredibly affordable price. He shares his thoughts here.
We’re up to episode 50 of A Week in Watches! This week we’ve got several new releases with little in common other than being new. That’s fine by us though. First up is the brutal Ollech & Wajs 8001, their first integrated bracelet sports watch in 50 years. Then we have a Bremont testing instrument turned watch. After, we check out two new offerings from Aera, one in blue the other in gray. And finally, Omega dropped some new Aquaterra worldtimers that are worth knowing about. This week’s episode is sponsored by Whatnot, a live-stream auction app where you can buy and sell unique items. Come join the Windup Watch Shop for their first stream on Tuesday, April 23rd at 5PM Eastern, where they will be showing and selling various items from the shop. Follow this link to sign up for Whatnot and get $15 in credit toward your first purchase. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 50: Omega’s Got the Whole World in their Hands appeared first on Worn & Wound.
SJX Watches
Having seen covered the best of independent watchmaking as well as notable complications and artisanal timepieces in Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVI, we turn to highlights from one brand: A. Lange & Söhne. Long a brand somewhat under the radar and appreciated only by enthusiasts, Lange started to pick up in desirability over the last three years, resulting in record prices at auction for rare or sought-after models. Consequently, Lange offerings at auctions in general have risen in quantity – but also quality with more and more unusual timepieces coming to market. The Phillips catalogue includes 16 Lange wristwatches and we pick out some of the best, including the 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst to an unusual Little Lange 1 Soirée with a bezel set with pink sapphires. Registration for bidding and the catalogue can be found here. The 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkunst Lot 817: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk (first generation) Now discontinued in favour of the updated version, the original Zeitwerk is arguably one of Lange’s most important watches. It remains one of the few digital-display watches even over a decade after its launch in 2009 – and is probably the most mechanically robust and reliable. This example is in white gold with a black dial, a high-contrast combination that made it the bestselling iteration of the first-generation models. It was the only version with a dark-colour dial; the other versions, namely yellow gold, pink gold, and platinum, ...
Hodinkee
One watch. Three ways to style it.
Hodinkee
With multiple treatments to chose from, Louis Cartier's iconic watch finally joins the Privé collection. And check out those bracelets!
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A special thank you to all the channel members:
Worn & Wound
It has been awhile since we’ve checked in on Depancel, an up and coming watch brand based out of the sleepy alpine town, Annecy, France. It was their Serie-A Allure that last caught our attention last year – a dual-register automatic chronograph heavy on the automotive design cues, which for the spry brand, was their first-ever production chronograph. Since then, it seems they’ve come a long way in a relatively short time. Depancel has expanded their collection, defined their design language (primarily auto-inspired), and now they even have a showroom (in Annecy) for those keen on seeing their collection in the metal. Despite the evolution, that doesn’t mean the brand has lost touch with the watch enthusiast community or their passion for all things automotive. Their new Legend 60s chronograph encompasses everything that has made the brand successful thus far. The brand has heard a growing number of requests from Depancel collectors and enthusiasts alike to return to their racing chronograph roots. Even though they’ve done away with their online questionnaire that allows for the community to directly make suggestions as to what they’d love to see from the brand, the Legend 60s chronograph proves that they firmly still have their ear to the ground. And what better way to return to their “racing chronograph roots” than to develop a watch inspired by the Formula One racing scene in the 1960s. The Legend 60s marks another first for the Depancel, and that com...
Time+Tide
When I was young, just like many other kids, I dreamed of being a fighter pilot. Perhaps it was the infectiously catchy Kenny Loggins song that I imagined playing in the cockpit whilst dog-fighting with my friends at high speed, or maybe it was my dream of having a legitimately cool call-sign, “Elektra” perhaps. Whatever … ContinuedThe post Big Watches, Small Wrists Part III: Can I pull off a pilot’s watch? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
I don’t have any way to scientifically prove this, but I’m willing to bet that most people, if asked to close their eyes and picture a Nomos watch, will imagine a Tangente of some kind in their head. Nomos has been around long enough to create a whole bunch of beautiful watches, and some that are not the Tangente have become icons (or close to it) in their own right. Every model family has its ardent supporters, from the Zurich world timers to the funky and colorful Tetras, you can find watch enthusiasts who are obsessive about each and every Nomos watch. But the Tangente remains the halo piece, the signature. It’s the one that you can most easily see all the things that make Nomos special within it. The Bauhaus influenced design, the playful use of color and shape, and, above all, a very specific type of casual elegance. Perhaps understandably, Nomos has iterated almost endlessly on the Tangente over the years. I’m sure someone is keeping track of the many variants, case sizes, dial colors, and so forth, but that task is well beyond my own capabilities at this point. Suffice it to say, they’ve made a lot of Tangentes. And the new one, which they’ve dubbed the Neomatik Blue Gold, is a very nice looking one indeed, if not immediately easy to understand based on name alone. That’s OK. I might not have an encyclopedic knowledge of every Tangente ever released, but I’m a professional watch person, and you better believe I’m up to speed on the new one. The...
On this week’s episode of A Week in Watches, we’re back on video, and back in the studio! It was a pretty solid week of releases ranging from a near six-figure perpetual calendar by Moser to the return of small-sized Seiko 5s. In the middle, we have a cool, updated version of an iconic Longines military watch, and a value-packed GMT from Germany’s Circula watches. Check out the episode below and on youtube, or listen to the podcast version where ever you find podcasts. This week’s episode was brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop. For an excellent and ever-growing catalog of watches, straps, clocks, and more, head to windupwatchshop.com. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 38: They’re Back! 36MM Seiko 5s and More appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Time+Tide
Aviation has a longstanding history with timekeeping and wristwatches, but that doesn’t mean you need to have decades of heritage behind you to make an impact. MALM first launched their brand in 2019 and have grown quickly with an impressive catalogue of releases, alongside partnerships with the Swedish Air Force and the Swedish Navy. Being … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The MALM Air Wolf Viggen is a modern pilot’s watch with a Swedish twist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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This watch story is wild.
SJX Watches
Founded by a duo who trained as jewellers, Molnar Fabry specialises in transforming old pocket watch movements and installing them in custom-made wristwatches. Based in Slovakia, Molnar Fabry recently completed its third minute-repeating wristwatch, the Royal Symphony Minute Repeater. The Royal Symphony is powered by a movement from a 1910 pocket watch made by Haas Neveux & Cie., a Geneva-based watch brand known for its high-quality movements that active from the mid-19th century to the 1920s. In typical Molnar Fabry style, the movement was entirely reworked, not only to restore its mechanical function, but also entirely decorated to a high level that includes engraving on the bridges. Initial thoughts Each watch made by Molnar Fabry is unique and mostly made according to the client’s specifications since most are made to order. As a result, the brand’s house style covers a diverse aesthetic – it is certainly not for everyone – but the quality of work is always impressive. Being jewellers, the brand’s founders apply the same artisanal, manual techniques used in producing jewellery to their watches. Even in photos the artisanal nature of the work is apparent, ranging from the movement decoration to the hand engraving on the case back. However, Molnar Fabry’s work on the movement is primarily decorative rather than mechanical. As a result, the Haas Neveux calibre still has a balance staff without shock protection. That’s like a non-issue in a watch like the Roy...
Time+Tide
Stories. All my favourite watches in my collection have one. More than how much you paid for something, or who you know at an authorised dealer, they’re the most interesting part of watch collecting. The one from your significant other. Your grandfather’s. The one that never left your wrist on that cross-country trip, even when … ContinuedThe post The Bremont MBIII is a pilot’s watch with one hell of a backstory appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Watch collectors from far and wide gathered in New York City this week for an itinerary packed with watch-related events. You had the RedBar Global Meetup, WatchTime NY, and Worn & Wound Windup fairs all jam-packed into the space of seven days – giving watch lovers in the area lots to do. It may have … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: WatchTime, Windup, a chiming Speedy and Accutron’s 62nd birthday appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Pilot’s watches, and specifically military-inspired pilot’s watches, are a pillar of the modern, luxury watch industry. Dozens of brands, notably IWC, Breitling, Bell & Ross, Bremont, and Yema, have made military aviation a core theme of their image. So it’s somewhat ironic that today’s elite military pilots don’t wear mechanical watches in the cockpit. A recent survey of pilots at MCAS Miramar, the airbase once home to the prestigious “Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor” programme – better known as TOPGUN – revealed that not a single pilot was wearing a mechanical watch. Instead, military pilots increasingly wear smartwatches designed specifically for aviators like the Garmin D2 that can monitor oxygen levels and act as a backup navigation system. Modern pilot’s watches made by luxury brands are more like “fan fiction”; a designer’s dream of what might have been. But this wasn’t always the case. Mechanical watches were once state-of-the-art technology and vital instruments for navigators and pilots before being rendered obsolete by quartz technology. This is the story of how the urgency of the Cold War gave the humble balance wheel one last chance to patrol the skies. The jet-shaped counterweight on the IWC Top Gun SFTI calls to mind the airplane-tipped chronograph minutes hand of Cold War-era pilot’s watches like the Tutima 798 A brief history of the pilot’s watch Pilot’s watches have been around for almost as long as there have been p...
Time+Tide
Fortis has taken inspiration from the heavens for years, whether that be via space flights, or through creating impressive pilot’s watches. Starting in the late 80s, the first Fortis Flieger had a classic type-B layout, sword hands and no-nonsense case architecture. By 1994, Fortis’ functional approach already saw light of day, as they introduced a utilitarian … ContinuedThe post The Fortis Flieger F-39 is a capable alt-take on a pilot’s watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
When it comes down to wanting a flieger watch, everything is about the details. Do you want a smaller case? There are plenty of options from a bunch of brands. Left-handed crown? It’s rare, but not unheard of. A historical connection? Even then, there are five brands to choose from. The new Laco PRO Series … ContinuedThe post IN DEPTH: The Laco PRO Series lets you customise your ideal flieger pilot’s watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Joe Thompson’s gripping tale of the time he asked Nicolas Hayek Sr about Breguet’s lost Marie-Antoinette Watch, and what happened next.
Time+Tide
We recently covered the fact that on April 30, Ineichen Auctioneers was set to host a single-lot timed auction for a one-of-a-kind bundle. Up for grabs were a unique Konstantin Chaykin Joker XXX watch, a Joker-themed Porsche 911, and an NFT artwork of the car driving through Gotham city. The package embodies the pioneering spirit … ContinuedThe post A unique set of a Porsche 911, Chaykin Joker and NFT sold for a bargain 300K at Ineichen Auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Facelifted in 2021 with a slimmed-down case that went from 43 mm to 41 mm, the IWC Pilot’s chronograph is a longstanding bestseller that’s now more wearable. The watchmaker has now created an online-only edition of the watch for its F1 partner, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team Edition”. Conceived to celebrate the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, the new chronograph is the first official team watch, meaning it will be worn by all team members ranging from mechanics to strategists. It’s naturally dressed in the team’s signature colour, the green of its title sponsor, Petronas. Initial thoughts The overall design for the new chronograph appears almost identical similar to the standard model, except for the colour. But a few additions reveal themselves up close, including the sandblasted titanium case, which set it apart from IWC’s current offerings. The case material is notable – no other Pilot’s chronograph has a sandblasted titanium case – and sensible choice for a “instrument” watch. It makes the F1 team edition lighter than its counterparts in the Pilot’s Watch line, which the matte, grained surface suits the functional spirit of the watch. And the metal also makes sense given the Formula One context since titanium is widely used in automotive engineering due to its corrosion resistance and high strength-to-density ratio. But it is the mint green that makes the watch truly unique. The green livery will be ap...
Revolution
Renowned watch collector, and friend of Revolution, @SantaLaura - who is well respected by #WatchFam for having a collection that speaks firstly to his person rather than trends - sits down with Wei Koh to show us three phenomenal @Jacob & Co. timepieces in his collection and shares with us why he loves the brand and the people behind the brand.
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