Two Broke Watch Snobs
8 Vintage-Style Chronographs We’ve Reviewed and Recommend
From standout designs to real-world wear, these vintage-style chronographs impressed us for more than just looks. Here’s what makes each one worth considering.
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
From standout designs to real-world wear, these vintage-style chronographs impressed us for more than just looks. Here’s what makes each one worth considering.
Time+Tide
A new quartz Riviera brings heavy vintage vibes with its sizing and styling, thanks to the thin quartz movement inside. The post Baume & Mercier references the Riviera’s origins with new quartz Riviera 73 models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Alpina revisits one of its most recognizable collections with a fresh update for 2026. The Startimer enters a new era with refined proportions and enhanced legibility. Most notably, Alpina reduces the overall case size by 10 percent. The stainless steel case now measures 40mm in diameter and just 10.14mm thick. As a result, the watch […] Visit Introducing: The Updated Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic Collection to read the full article.
Fratello
Watches and Wonders 2026 is in full swing, and the Fratello Team is on the ground working hard to bring you all the latest from the fair. As part of our coverage this year, we’re bringing you daily video updates. You’ll find them on this page and on our YouTube channel. So, with a couple […] Visit Watches And Wonders 2026 - Fratello Daily Highlights to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Bulagri brings the most noble of the precious metals to its most astounding thin watch with a new Octo Finissimo Ulta TourbillonThe post Bulgari ups the ante with new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon in full Platinum appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Jaeger‑LeCoultre reshapes the Master Control line with three new Chronometre models in two materials. The collection takes inspiration from the integrated case and bracelet first seen on the Master Mariner Chronomètre in 1973. This time, the execution feels thoroughly modern and far more refined. The lineup includes the 38mm time-and-date model, a 39mm version with […] Visit Introducing: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Collection to read the full article.
Fratello
You can never have enough lume, right? Well, I certainly enjoy my Chronoswiss Timemaster with its full-lume dial. But what about an even fuller-lume watch? Meet the completely lumed IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume (IW505801). You might have seen a prototype, but now it’s time for a run of 250 watches in IWC’s […] Visit Introducing A Glow-In-The-Dark Watch: The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
If Grand Seiko was once Seiko’s best-kept secret, as it was for decades, Credor was even more enigmatic. Once positioned above Grand Seiko and crafted exclusively from precious metals, it remains rare outside of Japan to this day. That changes now when Credor comes out from under its Seiko shadow to exhibit at Watches & Wonders for the first time with three novelties: two takes on the Goldfeather and a brighter, breezier dial on the Locomotive, one of Credor’s most significant watches - though in the 1970s you would have likely never heard of it. Credor Goldfeather Urushi Lacquer Dial Limited Edition GBBY967 The Seiko Goldfeather was hailed as a technological achievement when it was released in 1960 (still holding Seiko’s thinnest three-hand movement). Credor resurrected the Goldfeather name in 2023 with the same pursuit of mechanical thinness, plus beautifully detailed lacquer and enamel dials. On the new GBBY967, the dial’s urushi finish is lacquered and polished dozens of times, resulting in a stunningly smooth dark blue gradient that turns into black around the edges, as if peering into the ocean depths. The dial’s baton indices and the Credor and Goldfeather logos are hand-applied with platinum powder in the taka maki-e style: a lacquer art that produces a three-dimensional effect. The ultra-thin (just 1.98mm!) Caliber 6890 hand-wind movement underpins this special Goldfeather, which is limited to just 25 pieces and at $47,000 each. Credor Goldfe...
Worn & Wound
For this year’s Watches and Wonders, Jaeger-LeCoultre is coming at us with a slew of new releases – there’s a lot to unpack, so stick with me. Here, we get two stunning new takes on the iconic Reverso highlighting the brand’s prowess in métiers d’art techniques (yes, you know I’m swooning over these). For the remaining three launches, we get a trio of complicated models: two from the Master Hybris line and a Master Grande Tradition. Altogether, the lineup showcases Jaeger-LeCoultre’s unique ability to balance both form and function throughout its catalog. Jumping into the Reverso pieces first, we have the latest additions to the Reverso Tribute line, which once again honor Hokusai, Japan’s most celebrated 19th century artist. For these, the Maison returns to the artist’s ‘Waterfalls’ series with four new interpretations. Each of the four 10-piece limited editions combines guilloché and enamel on the dial. Flip the trademark case design over, and miniature enamel paintings of Hokusai artworks are revealed on the casebacks depicting the final four images in the series: Rōben Waterfall at Ōyama in Sagami Province; Kiyotaki Kannon Waterfall at Sakanoshita on the Tōkaidō; Yōrō Waterfall in Mino Province; and The Falls at Aoigaoka in the Eastern Capital. Alongside these tributes, we get a new series of limited-edition capsule collections dedicated to Métiers Rares timepieces: this is the La Vallée des Merveilles. The goal of the new capsules wi...
Monochrome
The Reverso has lent itself to artistic expression quite naturally. Since its creation in 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s reversible case has provided a perfect canvas for decoration, engraving and enamel work. In recent years, the Manufacture and its Métiers Rares atelier used this possibility extensively and offered tributes to the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. Following earlier interpretations […]
Worn & Wound
Oris first introduced its Artelier Complication in 1991 alongside the Caliber 581, which notably featured a moonphase module developed in-house by the brand. The release marked another significant moment for the maison in its commitment to manufacture movements following the quartz crisis. The model’s presence ultimately faded but received new life in 2017 with an updated design that featured a more modern, cleaner style with slimmer, tapered lugs, and a redesigned bezel. At Watches & Wonders, we get the next evolution of the Artelier Complication. The newest incarnation gives us another redesign from the 2017 edition while keeping the focus on highlighting the romantic moonphase. This updated take on the Artelier Complication comes from 24-year-old Lena Huwiler, Oris’s new Product Design Engineer. Huwiler has been able to achieve the perfect balance between honoring the model’s place in the history of the brand and propelling it forward with a design that will resonate with her generation. An old soul at heart, Huwiler admits she does not just find inspiration online but still appreciates architecture, crafts, and interior design. She clearly brings the duality of these sensibilities into her design for the new Artelier Complication. Here, Huwiler has given an Oris classic a modern, urban profile and reworked the moonphase display designed by and for the next generation of watch collectors. The major update here is in the complication and how it is presented thank...
Worn & Wound
IWC is not a brand that quickly moves on from a release. Rather, any new watch is also the launch of a platform that will, for several years at least, see new models in terms of colors, sizes, materials, and complications. In doing so, their catalog is vast yet focused, as each line is thematic yet deeply explored. Since relaunching in 2023, the Genta-derived, integrated bracelet, luxury tool watch that is the Ingenieur has steadily expanded to now cover three sizes, multiple materials, many colors, and one complication, totaling 12 SKUs (before Watches & Wonders releases). For 2026, the expansion continues with several new references, including a tourbillon, and two models that kind of blew me away. I had the fortune of getting to spend some time with IWC’s 2026 novelties before the big show, and while several are striking (I mean, that full Ceralume perpetual is one of the most bonkers watches I’ve seen in a while), the two that I have kept thinking about are the Ingenieur automatic in green ceramic, and the full titanium perpetual. Starting with the former, IWC is no stranger to ceramic. In fact, they debuted the first ceramic watch in 1986. While many brands have adopted the material since, IWC’s earthy palette of green, khaki, and blue retains a certain understated charm. The 42mm Ingenieur has existed in black ceramic for at least a year now. While sleek, stealthy, and a logical edition, it wasn’t all too surprising. The full green ceramic, however, is a bit....
Fratello
It’s not often that this writer, who is Australian, gets to spend time with a watch from an Australian watch brand. But when my managing editor, Nacho, tasked me with a hands-on review of the Bausele Elemental, it was an opportunity to learn more about what allows this brand to straddle two worlds. Australian-based Bausele […] Visit Hands-On With The Bausele Elemental to read the full article.
Fratello
The H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner is a series that showcases the brand’s capability to make sporty but elegant and avant-garde timepieces. Now, for Watches and Wonders 2026, we’re getting Streamliner Two Hands models in a smaller package, and I’m all for it. I have written about my desire to see more modern watches reflecting […] Visit Introducing: H. Moser & Cie. Streamliners In Two New Streamlined Sizes to read the full article.
Hodinkee
The new Monaco looks to the 1969 original for inspiration, improving ergonomics for a new titanium case and updating dial designs and colors.
Fratello
One of my absolute favorite watch releases in recent years is the Piaget Polo 79 - more specifically, the 2024 version in yellow gold. Later, Piaget introduced a white gold version, along with a bicolor model in white and yellow gold. Now, during Watches and Wonders 2026, Piaget introduces another Polo 79. But this time, […] Visit Introducing: The Piaget Polo 79 In White Gold With A Sodalite Dial to read the full article.
Hodinkee
An homage to indigo-dyeing tradition in a clean, dressy format.
SJX Watches
In a rather surprising move, Rolex unveiled a revamped and re-engineered version of the Yacht-Master II. Although the original was discontinued in 2024 the Geneva-based brand decided to give the quirky watch another chance at life, while also making the user’s life much easier. Initial thoughts The original Yacht-Master II was undoubtedly a polarising timepiece. People would either love the bulky aesthetics or instantly dismiss it as an unpalatable timepiece. Add to that the complicated Command Ring bezel programming sequence for the regatta timer and the result is a perhaps the quirkiest Rolex creation in modern times. Apparently the timepiece was performing well enough to warrant an encore. The Yacht-Master II was thus updated to include both Rolex’s latest innovations (such as the Chronergy escapement) and a revised user interface. In terms of aesthetics, the 44 mm timepiece is still hard to love at first, but definitely not as excessive as past versions. The biggest change was perhaps the shift to a regular bi-directional 60 minute click bezel, which replaced the cumbersome Command Ring system used previously. The ten-minute countdown markings were moved to a raised flange on the dial. The regatta minutes and seconds hands now turn counterclockwise, a suggestive way of approaching countdown. Although few Yacht-Master II pieces will realistically be used for yacht race timing, the complication can be as useful as any given chronograph. The new caliber 4162...
SJX Watches
In a rather surprising move, Rolex unveiled a revamped and re-engineered version of the Yacht-Master II. Although the original was discontinued in 2024 the Geneva-based brand decided to give the quirky watch another chance at life, while also making the user’s life much easier with a more practical interface enhanced by a more appealing design. Initial thoughts The original Yacht-Master II was undoubtedly a polarising timepiece. People would either love the bulky aesthetics or instantly dismiss it as an unpalatable timepiece. Add to that the complicated Command Ring bezel programming sequence for the regatta timer and the result is a perhaps the quirkiest Rolex creation in modern times. Apparently the timepiece was performing well enough to warrant an encore. The Yacht-Master II was thus updated to include both Rolex’s latest innovations (such as the Chronergy escapement) and a revised user interface. In terms of aesthetics, the 44 mm timepiece is still hard to love at first, but definitely not as excessive as past versions. The biggest change was perhaps the shift to a regular bi-directional 60 minute click bezel, which replaced the cumbersome Command Ring system used previously. The ten-minute countdown markings were moved to a raised flange on the dial. The regatta minutes and seconds hands now turn counterclockwise, a suggestive way of approaching countdown. Although few Yacht-Master II pieces will realistically be used for yacht race timing, the complicati...
Fratello
The Armin Strom Minute Repeater Resonance 12:59 First Edition introduces a fully reworked take on the brand’s most complex watch to date. The Biel-based manufacture combines its patented resonance system with an entirely new striking mechanism. The result feels more intricate and compact, and it even has a party trick up its sleeve! This release […] Visit Introducing: The Awe-Inspiring Armin Strom Minute Repeater Resonance 12:59 First Edition to read the full article.
Hodinkee
The Maison continues to double down on its ladies' lines with a focus on the Serpenti, launching the next evolution of its Tubogas and Aeterna.
Hodinkee
Celebrating Japan's most renowned 19th-century artist, these limited editions bring Hokusai's final waterfall works to the Reverso.
SJX Watches
To mark 30 years of its Fleurier manufacture, Chopard has introduced a new variant of the watch that started it all. The new Lucent steel L.U.C 1860 adds a blue dial to the brand’s flagship time-only dress watch. The L.U.C 1860 is short on novelty, being merely a new colour for a model that debuted in 2023, but the incremental improvements result in a sleek and sophisticated steel dress watch. Initial thoughts The L.U.C 1860 is very traditional dress watch in the sense that nothing feels exaggerated. At the same time, it doesn’t feel boring thanks to its guilloché dial and the obvious quality of the movement within. While there are some who believe that a proper dress watch must come in precious metal, the popularity of the steel-and-salmon L.U.C 1860 released in 2023 proves there’s an alternate perspective. The brand’s proprietary ‘Lucent’ steel makes the watch more accessible, especially in the age of near-record gold prices. Despite the use of a comparatively humble material, the case finishing remains high-end - though the design is generation behind the new case profile introduced for the Grand Strike. Since the original L.U.C 1860 debuted in 1997, it has always been a small watch. For a time, that left it out of step with consumer preferences, especially in the early 2000s, but tastes have once again shifted back in favour of smaller cases. In this context, the vintage-leaning 36.5 mm size feels just right. That said, while it makes sense for Chopar...
SJX Watches
True to form, IWC has expanded the Ingenieur Automatic 35 with two new references: a blue dial that completes the mid-sized lineup’s colour palette, and the first gem-set Ingenieur of the modern era. Both are straightforward line extensions but should prove commercially successful, especially in the context of current trends favouring smaller watches. Initial thoughts Vintage watch enthusiasts and buyers with smaller wrists will appreciate these additions to the catalogue, though many mainstream watch buyers dismiss any watch under 36 mm out of hand. That instinct is understandable, but misleading here: integrated bracelet watches wear more substantially than their diameters tend to suggest, and the Ingenieur 35 is a watch best understood on the wrist rather than on paper. With the introduction of a diamond-set two-tone reference, it appears IWC is positioning this size as the unisex choice for both men and women while exploring new formats for a broader appeal. New references in the Ingenieur lineup have arrived in a recognisable pattern. Reintroduced in 2023, the current-generation Ingenieur draws on the design language of Gerald Genta’s original but in a 40 mm steel case, offered from launch with silver and black-dialled variants. The ever-popular blue dial joined the 40 mm lineup a year after the collection’s refresh. The 35 mm size is following a similar pattern after launching last year with black and silver dial options. Inevitably blue The ref. IW324907 will ...
Teddy Baldassarre
It's the start of Watches & Wonders 2026, and Rolex has announced their newest additions to their catalog. New dials, new metals, new exclusive references and even a new movement. Watch the video to find out what's new for this year at Rolex
Hodinkee
Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation is targeting further brand expansion to keep costs in check for all participants.
Monochrome
After the large impact of the main release of 2025 for Rolex, the highly discussed, technical and unexpected Land-Dweller, it is time this year for the Crown to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the legendary Oyster case. And for that, the main focus of the year is the entry-level, playful Oyster Perpetual collection. But that’s […]
Monochrome
Since its debut in 2012, the Frederique Constant Classic Worldtimer Manufacture, like its Perpetual Calendar, has become one of the brand’s defining watches. Combining a practical travel complication with in-house mechanics at accessible pricing, it quickly became a cornerstone of the catalogue. Now, more than a decade later, Frederique Constant introduces a thoroughly updated version […]
Worn & Wound
At Watches & Wonders 2026, Grand Seiko’s newest addition to the Elegance Collection brings together the things it does best. Namely, intricately textured dials with a nod to Japanese artistry, and its flagship Caliber 9R Spring Drive. Engraved to resemble a weathered rock face, the SBGY043’s striking dial suggests the appearance of a mountain at dusk: Grand Seiko calls this pattern iwao, which translates to rock or crag. Depending on the angle it’s viewed from behind its domed sapphire crystal, different facets take on intermingling light and dark tones of blue, purple, and black. Its color is inspired by the tradition of katsuiro dyeing, a centuries-old technique and reportedly a favorite among the samurai class, which produces a deep indigo hue. Set against bright silver markers and hands - no blued seconds hand here, which is almost its own Grand Seiko tradition - it makes for an especially understated contrast. This Iwao Blue version runs on the Caliber 9R31, a manual-wind Spring Drive movement with a 72-hour power reserve and visible through a clear caseback. The case is among the slimmest in the Elegance Collection, with standard zaratsu polishing and soft, rounded lugs. A nine-row stainless steel bracelet is the only option, which reflects the craggy-faced dial’s aura of ruggedness. Grand Seiko enthusiasts, of which there are many, might remember this dial from 2021 - albeit in a sharp-angled Heritage case and with a Caliber 9R65 Spring Drive mov...
Worn & Wound
One of the most interesting things to observe in recent years among brands that have been around for decades is how they handle reissuing vintage watches from their back catalog. Often, we see releases that seem to have been conceived in a boardroom by bean counters, with a lot of concessions to the original design made for modern consumers. This usually means making watches larger than they need to be, and using newer, higher performance materials when the old fashioned ones would have been just fine. So it’s a real treat when a brand releases a “new” old watch that is about as close to the original as possible. That’s the vibe we’re getting from the new Oris Star Edition, a mostly faithful interpretation of one of the more important watches in the brand’s history, dating back to the 1960s. The original Star was the brand’s first watch with an in-house lever escapement, something that was only possible thanks to the overturning of the Swiss Watch Statute, a law originally introduced in the 1930s to counter anti competition measures taken by watch manufacturers during the years of the Great Depression. An unintended consequence of the statute was that it limited brands like Oris to using pin-lever escapements. The law was eventually repealed with the help of Rolf Portman, a lawyer employed by Oris and tasked with fighting the statute. Portman is now Oris’ Honorary Chairman. Here we have a watch that is uncommonly true to the character of its vintage ins...
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