Hodinkee
Essays: In My First Year In Watches, One Brand Stood Above The Rest
Navigating my first year in the watch world by holding onto what felt familiar.
23,945 articles · 215 videos found · page 397 of 806
Hodinkee
Navigating my first year in the watch world by holding onto what felt familiar.
Monochrome
This is an endless debate in the small circle of watch enthusiasts… Should a dive watch be equipped with a date or not? Purists, sometimes slightly biased in their judgments, will tell you in a very strict manner that no, a date has no place on the dial of a dive or tool watch! “Who […]
Worn & Wound
And just like that, it’s Super Watch Season. Every year we see a handful of watches that come to market that exist for the purpose of displaying the absolute pinnacle of what a brand can accomplish. Think of ultra complicated watches from Vacheron Constantin released in recent years, or pieces from Greubel Forsey focused on extravagant hand finishing and machining. The new release from Girard-Perregaux feels like a member of this rare category. The new Minute Repeater Flying Bridges combines a tourbillon and a minute repeater with GP’s famous “Three Bridges” movement architecture. The highlight here, beyond the rarity of a repeater, is that the new Calibre GP9530 is a self-winding movement (via a micro-rotor), which is exceedingly rare among chiming watches and, to a lesser extent, tourbillons. Girard-Perregaux has a long history in chiming watches that dates back to the 1820s, and the Minute Repeater Flying Bridges is fashioned as a tribute to those earliest repeaters, while being unapologetically contemporary in its design. Certainly part of that tribute is in the craftsmanship itself, and in the use of the most modern technology available to create the best chiming mechanism possible. To that end, the movement has been radically skeletonized not only for aesthetic reasons but to prioritize resonance. According to the brand, every technical choice made in the development of the new watch was made in the name of optimizing the sound of the chime. For a repeat...
Monochrome
Few timepieces showcase the technical sophistication of traditional watchmaking as clearly as minute repeaters. The new Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Flying Bridges introduces this complication with its demanding mechanism, combined with a tourbillon and an automatic micro-rotor winding system. The watch is built around the brand’s recognisable Three Bridges architecture, presented in a modern openworked interpretation […]
Deployant
Norqain unveils a new version of their Neverest 40mm in a black DMC case with orange accents. Press Release information with commentary in italics.
Monochrome
“Kollokium is not a brand. As pretentious and cliché as that sounds, it’s true.” So, how could we define Kollokium? It’s a collaborative project between three friends, all fairly established names within the watch industry: Manuel Emch, Barth Nussbaumer, and Amr Sindi (The Horophile). Rethinking the way to approach watchmaking, and especially branding, Kollokium frees itself […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Timex Expedition Freedive Solar is an affordable solar watch built from ocean-bound plastic, with a rotating bezel and a $159 price tag.
Monochrome
Otsuka Lotec… The Japanese brand (or should we call it an atelier) that makes some noise in the global watch collecting community, despite being unavailable outside of Japan – which might partially explain its popularity. A true JDM sensation, Otsuka Lotec is the brainchild of Jiro Katayama, a car designer turned self-taught, independent watchmaker, specialised […]
Monochrome
When it comes to finding a solid, accessible yet appealing watch meant to be a reliable companion for most of the moments in your life, from the office to the weekend fun, the choice is wide, to say the least. With its Commander collection, Swiss brand Mido has a strong alternative, with a modern, sleek […]
Monochrome
If you’ve been reading MONOCHROME for some time now, you might know that I have a very strong connection with the Rolex Explorer 36mm, in particular the 1990s reference 14270. Not only is it a watch that I consider to be the perfect example of what a yougntimer is, but it’s also, in my books, […]
Hodinkee
One of Europe's largest jewelry shows, Inhorgenta is again a hub for watch brands seeking fresh clientele.
Time+Tide
We chat with the Aussie tennis star about his bona fide passion for watchmaking, as well as whether he's ever broken a watch playing tennis.The post Australia’s very own tennis Maestro, Alex de Minaur, on falling in love with watches and designing his ideal daily appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Unimatic has introduced the Modello Cinque UT5-TANC, a new collaboration developed with British designer Nigel Cabourn and menswear retailer The Armoury. The watch continues Unimatic’s previous work with Cabourn, which began in 2019, while also marking the brand’s latest project with Hong Kong-based menswear store The Armoury. Anyone familiar with Cabourn’s work will already know his passion for vintage army style, so the UT5-TANC should feel right at home within the British designer’s aesthetics. The UT5-TANC takes the form of a compact expedition-style tool watch built around Unimatic’s 36mm Modello Cinque case. Made from 316L stainless steel and finished with a stonewashed Cerakote coating, the watch comes in two versions: UT5-TANC-A with a green case and UT5-TANC-B in navy blue, with both references sharing the same navy dial. As mentioned, the case follows the familiar Modello Cinque layout, with a fixed monoblock bezel and an 8mm screw-down crown bearing Unimatic’s Alchemical Sun emblem. Flipping the watch around reveals a caseback that’s engraved with a dazzle camouflage pattern. To keep the overall restraint of the expedition watch – or, as the brand has put it “exploration over ornament” – the dial is minimally designed and more about function than form. For example, the numerals are filled with Super-LumiNova GL old radium, along with luminous dial markings and an open seconds track to aid visibility in low light. The Nigel Cabourn logo appe...
Time+Tide
Does the Trematic T-Five Beigua Maris Shadow dive watch, in titanium and with a 68-hour LJP movement, deliver bang for the buck at €1.2K?The post Does the Trematic T-Five Beigua Maris ‘Shadow’ deliver good bang for the buck? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Lebond has carved out a special niche for itself in the watch industry. The Spanish brand creates watches for architecture enthusiasts. For its first two releases, Lebond collaborated with famous architects. The inaugural Lebond Siza from 2023 was designed by the famous Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza, while the second release, the Lebond Souto Moura, was […] Visit Hands-On With The Stylish Lebond Attraction to read the full article.
Time+Tide
An unexpected diver from Kurono Tokyo and an artistic masterpiece from Louis Vuitton headlined last week in the watch world.The post New releases from Serica, Parmigiani Fleurier, Louis Vuitton and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
The countdown to Windup Watch Fair Dallas is officially on, and we’re excited to spotlight one of the main events with our pals at Bulova, helping bring this year’s show to life. As the premier gathering for watch enthusiasts, collectors, and the watch-curious alike, Windup is the best place to go hands-on with unique watches from around the world-and we’re thrilled to return to Dallas for the second year in a row. This year’s event takes place at the always lively Hickory Street Annex, a perfect setting for a weekend packed with watches, community, and a few surprises along the way. Not only are we expanding Windup Dallas to three full days this year, but we’re also introducing something new to the Windup experience. On Saturday evening, Bulova will host the Bulova Block Party & BBQ, taking place just outside the venue: The Bulova Block Party & BBQ Hickory Street Annex 501 S Second Ave #200, Dallas, TX 75226 Saturday, March 14: 4:30PM – 7PM Early registration is recommended Expect Texas-style BBQ and an outdoor bar with amazing food and beverages available for purchase, live music, and plenty of reasons to stick around after the show floor closes. Bulova will be showcasing collaborations that tap into different corners of American heritage-from the world of motorsports to the enduring style of the American West. Bulova, Shelby, and the Spirit of American Performance Bulova’s connection to racing runs deep. During the 1960s and ’70s, the brand served as...
Worn & Wound
The Seiko SNA411 has been an icon of the watch industry for years. Frequently appearing on “Best Affordable Watches” lists, it’s no wonder Seiko’s other two variants would eventually catch the eye of collectors as well. The SN413 is far and away the most sought-after variant of the Flightmaster formula, but what about the often overlooked SNA414? I’ll be the first to admit that gold-tone watches are typically not in habitual rotation within my collection––aside from a few special pieces––but that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot to enjoy about this model. What makes the SNA414 a good candidate for your next acquisition? Let’s find out. The SNA414 History and Design Nailing down a definite release date for the SNA414 is difficult, but according to numerous blogs, press releases, and wristwatch websites, it appears this variant began production sometime between late 2007 and early 2008. I’m unsure whether all three variants of the lineup were released at the same time, but from sources consulted online, it appears they were at least announced and brought to market around the same time. I must note that the name “Flightmaster” may confuse a few collectors out there who may have seen another model of Seiko’s catalog nicknamed with the same moniker. In the 1990s, the first iteration of the Flightmaster was released with the 7T34 movement. The -6A09 variant is technically the first gold Flightmaster the brand produced, making the subject of this art...
Monochrome
Suppose you know the Dutch indie watchmaking scene, then De Rijke & Co. is the name you must be familiar with. Founded by Laurens De Rijke, the brand began almost by accident during a vintage Vespa trip, when the idea for a watch specifically designed for driving emerged. De Rijke’s concept of a driver’s watch […]
WatchAdvice
A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk Date is not your normal watch, but that is exactly why we love it! We go hands-on to appreciate it in more detail. What We Love The colour combination of the pink gold and grey dial The movement! How could you not love it? The digital display makes the dial highly legible What We Don’t It is a larger version that won’t suit all wrists Being gold, it is not a daily wearer The crystal does have the ability to reflect the light against the darker dial Overall Rating: 9.1 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9.5/10 Build Quality: 9.5/10 When A. Lange & Söhne debuted the Zeitwerk in 2009, it didn’t just add another complication — it redefined how time could be displayed mechanically. Inspired by Dresden’s opera-house clock, the Zeitwerk fused architectural design with digital display, becoming one of modern watchmaking’s boldest statements. The movement, dial layout, and case proportions were conceived as a single, uncompromising idea. And for years, that idea remained (thankfully) almost stubbornly pure. Which is precisely why the introduction of the Zeitwerk Date marked a significant moment in the model’s evolution. Adding a date to a watch so resolved in its symmetry and identity is not as simple as just plonking a date window on the dial. It risks upsetting the balance that made the original so compelling in the first place. The solution was a peripheral date disc that rotates around the outside o...
Worn & Wound
It’s a fair assumption that if you’re the kind of enthusiast that’s interested in independent watchmaking, the allure of something a little different isn’t lost on you. The independent watch space is a wildly diverse one that’s full of outsider artisans, but even in a field of outsiders, English watchmaker James Lamb is something of an anomaly. Lamb’s watches genuinely don’t look like anything else on the market. While they’re all time-only affairs, they feature an offset sub-dial layout that frees up the outer portion of the dial to be used as a decorative space. With his Origin Series, Lamb applies strikingly colorful enamel work to the outer dial section. With his latest release, the Linea Edition, Lamb has collaborated with one of the UK’s most respected ornamental engravers, Joanne Ryall, to create a line of watches with beautifully hand-engraved titanium and gold outer dials. While the dials are showstopping displays of handcraft, Lamb’s watches also feature completely handmade cases (read: no CNC machines used), which he crafts out of Argentium silver. Lamb’s case designs are robust and understated; they do a fabulous job of grounding the watch’s bold dial designs, but the craftsmanship that goes into them is something serious horology enthusiasts fawn over. For Lamb, a self-proclaimed watch industry isolationist, doing things like crafting his cases entirely by hand is kind of the whole point of making watches. Lamb deliberately avoids...
Worn & Wound
Like the now-ubiquitous diver and pilot styles, the mil-spec field watch is experiencing a moment in the sun. The appeal is easy to understand: much like how the original Willy’s Jeep took to post-war civilian life by offering cheap, rugged, and reliable transportation, the military-styled field watch offers significant toughness while keeping functionality simple and usable for everyday telling. Put simply, it’s a romantic promise of adventure and bravado, scaled down to wristsize. Canadian watchmaker Marathon has been making mil-spec timepieces since WWII, and has offered tactical variants like the 41mm Anthracite GSAR for those looking for that covert ops image; the new 46mm Anthracite Jumbo Day/Date, and the 36mm Anthracite MSAR Auto straddle that original model in the Anthracite lineup, and offer further complications for the enthusiast audience. The two new models in the Anthracite Search and Rescue (SAR) Unit borrow heavily from their 41mm predecessor in both styling and construction. Both feature a 316L stainless steel case with titular Anthracite finish, a uni-directional bezel, a screw-down crown, and tritium gas tube and MaraGlo luminous numerals, hands, and markers. Visually, the watches look very similar; Marathon’s legible and surprisingly un-aggressive typefaces keep the white numerals crisp and clear against the black dial. The overall styling is complicated but not visually distracting, an important aesthetic facet for a field watch. On the 46mm mo...
SJX Watches
Bremont’s Altitude MB Meteor Felix the Cat puts one of military aviation’s most mischievous mascots on the wrist in a 42 mm titanium pilot’s watch that turns the tradition of wartime nose art into a wearable 500-piece limited edition. Inspired by on the brand’s long-running Martin-Baker collaboration, the Felix edition pays tribute to the iconic cartoon mascot of the US Navy’s VFA-31 “Tomcatters” fighter squadron. Initial thoughts Bremont built its brand on military aviation-themed watches, and the Altitude MB Meteor proves it understands the cultural hallmarks of this niche better than most. The Felix edition taps into the enduring tradition of nose art - the cartoon characters, pin-ups, and mascots that have adorned military aircraft for over a century - drawing on one of the US Navy’s most recognisable icons. Creating visual coherence, the depiction of Felix is outlined in yellow, echoing the black-and-yellow stripes of the balance end of the seconds hand, which is meant to evoke an ejection seat grab handle. This has long been a Bremont motif, and is actually one of the brand’s strongest calling cards, dating back to the original 2007 collaboration with British ejection seat maker Martin-Baker (hence the ‘MB’ designation in the model name). The Altitude MB Meteor is the latest mission in this campaign, and retains the dual-crown architecture and textured case band of the original. That said, several details of the 42 mm case have been changed,...
Monochrome
Indie brand Lebois & Co expands its Heritage collection with the Heritage Sector Chronograph Aventurine, a new version of the brand’s vintage-inspired chronograph distinguished by a textured aventurine dial and a revised sector-style layout. The watch also debuts a better naming structure within the brand’s catalogue, with “Heritage Sector” becoming the designation for Lebois & […]
Fratello
During LVMH Watch Week in Milan, I was especially interested in the new Zenith releases. It is no secret that I love Zenith. The brand has managed to amaze me time and again with releases that combine the best in watch design with its legendary calibers. To my surprise, for this year’s LVMH Watch Week, […] Visit Hands-On With The Zenith Defy Revival A3643 to read the full article.
Fratello
What watch would you buy with €5k in your pocket today? And what if you could spend no less than €4,500? That’s the hypothetical dilemma we’re tackling on Fratello Talks today. RJ, Daan, and Nacho have taken the challenge, and in this week’s episode, they go through their picks. They were shocked at how few […] Visit Fratello Talks: New and Pre-Owned Watches We’d Buy For €5,000 to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Despite frequently being (in my opinion, falsely) labeled as a boring, neutral color, beige has been making a splash across the watch world recently. When paired with the right auxiliary colors, beige can appear adventurous, rugged, and even classy, in the right circumstances. Perhaps I’m biased, as my 1983 Volvo 240 DL sports a handsome Rose Beige exterior, but it really is one of the most versatile colors, especially when paired with the right contrasting shades. One of beige’s best applications is in vintage-inspired timepieces, and Hanhart has jumped on the retro field watch trend with their latest, the 417 TI Desert Pilot Limited Edition, available in 39 and 42mm case sizes. Hanhart has long been known for their military-style sport watches, and across the German brand’s 144-year history, they’ve had no shortage of classically-styled pilot watch variants. The 417 TI Desert Pilot combines sharp legibility thanks to black details on the beige dial, with robust functionality and case construction. Both sizes sport a Grade 5 titanium case with a matte finish, giving the watch a rugged, utilitarian look; this is furthered by the crown at 3 o’clock, flanked by two pushers that control the dual chronographs on the dial, positioned at 3 and 9 respectively. The hand-wound, Sellita-based AMT 5100 caliber movement is responsible for the flyback column-wheel chronograph functionality, and is visible through an exhibition caseback, which feels unusual but not unwelcome...
Worn & Wound
It’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna be grey, and it’s gonna last you the rest of your life. Okay, perhaps the quote from Groundhog Day has a bit too ominous of a tone when discussing a watch. Pretend maybe this was said in a nice way, give me a bit of a break (there’s been snow on the ground for 6 weeks) and we can move on with this hands-on of Traska’s newest entrance into the horological space – The Chronograph. This 39mm automatic chronograph is packed with features and comes in at a fairly reasonable $1650. The matte grey dial, unique approach to chronograph sub-dials, and attention to detail on finish and features makes this one stand out from the pack. Let’s take a closer look at this brand new piece from Traska that seems to check a lot of boxes that we as enthusiasts look for in our next watch. $1650 Review: the Traska Chronograph Case Hardened Stainless Steel Movement Seiko NE86 automatic chronograph Dial Tungsten grey with applied indices Lume BGW9 SuperLuminova Lens Sapphire Strap Hardened stainless steel bracelet Water Resistance 75 meters Dimensions 39 x 46.5mm Thickness 13.75mm Lug Width 21mm Crown Screw down Warranty Yes Price $1650 Case Clocking in at a very reasonable 39mm wide, the Traska’s hardened steel case wears great on my 6.75” wrist. The case features a mix of brushed surfaces with polished bevels. It’s a nice mix of finishing that blends the more matte elements with the high shine polishing, resulting in a case that is interestin...
Monochrome
One of the major watch brands from Japan, and a proper industrial giant producing millions of movements a year through its Miyota manufacture, Citizen covers everything from entry-level watches to high-end models with impressive attention to detail. In between the highly accessible Tsuyosa collection and the luxury The Citizen collection sits the Series 8, a […]
Time+Tide
Leveraging the "Beztimate" system of trusted watch buying/selling platform Bezel, watch geeks can now bet on the future prices of watches.The post You might not be able to buy a Rolex, but you can now bet on the future price of one appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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