Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Le Forban Marseillaise With What Might Just Be A First – The 'Dive Bund'
A novel take on the dive watch designed by Eddy Burgener that rocks a rubber Bund strap.
Results for Watch Dial Text Conventions
23,652 articles · 11 videos found · page 399 of 789
Hodinkee
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko Just Made Its Most In-Demand JDM GMT Way Easier to Buy
The Seiko SSK059 white-dial GMT is finally available worldwide, bringing a 39mm mechanical GMT to global markets.
Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko Introduces the SBGX359 and SBGX361, Featuring their Smallest and Thinnest Quartz Movement Yet
While design hallmarks have come and gone, few say “Grand Seiko” quite like the iconic Snowflake dial, first introduced in 2005. Inspired by the frosty Hotaka mountain range in the brand’s home prefecture, Nagano, light plays across the fine texture to emphasize the slight variations in depth on the surface of the dial. The result is nothing short of stunning, and helped shape Grand Seiko and their philosophy of the “Nature of Time”. So how do you build on an icon? You introduce tasteful variations. Easier said than done, of course, but Grand Seiko has done it successfully before, by introducing the Skyflake dial, a light blue version of the Snowflake. And now, we have two new Snowflake and Skyflake models to showcase the evolution of the icon: the SBGX359 and SBGX361, in a compact 33mm case, making them the smallest in the Grand Seiko 9F line yet. Even more impressive is the 9.1mm thickness, which is only possible thanks to the Caliber 9F51 quartz movement, which is the first new movement in the 9F line since 2020, and allows for an accuracy of ± 10 seconds a year. In natural Grand Seiko fashion, each movement is hand-assembled by watchmakers at the Shinshu Watch Studio at the brand’s Shiojiri facility and feature three-month aged quartz crystals and a manual regulation switch for accuracy fine-tuning during servicing. All of that is to say that this is not a basic quartz movement; it’s a Grand Seiko quartz movement, which is sure to excel in both function ...
Time+Tide
Sartory Billard marks the Year of the Fire Horse with a special Chinese New Year edition
This three-hander boasts a 24ct gold-plated brass dial, with a laser-engraved depiction of a horse, drawn in incredible detail by Armand Billard.The post Sartory Billard marks the Year of the Fire Horse with a special Chinese New Year edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Introducing – Orient Star M34 F8 Date Meteorite 75th Anniversary
As Orient Star marks its 75th Anniversary in 2026, the brand continues to look upward, quite literally, for inspiration. The new M34 F8 Date 75th Anniversary Limited Edition is the first Orient Star to feature a meteorite dial, even though the brand has long used the cosmos, star clusters and celestial phenomena for poetic explanations: […]
Time+Tide
The case for quantity over “quality”: building a whole collection for the price of a two-tone Datejust
Less is not always more: Andrew O'Connor demonstrates how you can build some rather impressive 3-watch collections for the price of a Rolex.The post The case for quantity over “quality”: building a whole collection for the price of a two-tone Datejust appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Hands-On With The Extravagant Gagà Laboratorio Labormatic Series
Sometimes, extravagant timepieces come along and light up my life as a watch writer. You should have seen the look on my face when three Gagà Laboratorio Labormatic models landed on my desk. I knew that they were coming in, but they still surprised me. These extravagant watches display bold Italian design that looks like […] Visit Hands-On With The Extravagant Gagà Laboratorio Labormatic Series to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Winners Take All: How a Handful of Brands Dominate the Secondary Market
Industry price data provider EveryWatch has released its annual report on the state of the secondary market for luxury watches. The data confirms what many collectors already sense - the pre-owned watch market is booming, but the gains are concentrated in a small number of brands and references that are capturing the lion’s share of value, while the rest are left fighting over the scraps. Francis Ford Coppola’s personal F.P. Journe FFC prototype (left) sold for US$10.8 million, while his Chronomètre à Résonance sold for US$584,000 in December 2025. Image – Phillips Initial thoughts There are many reasons to be skeptical about much of the information gathered by industry data providers. For one thing, data gathered from dealers, internet listings, and auctions naturally misses the sizable proportion of transactions that happens offline. For another, the asking price is often easier to find than the clearing price, which tends to be lower. That’s not to say the data is unusable. On the contrary, the time series data gathered by data providers like WatchCharts can provide validation (or not) for anecdotal evidence and help collectors and dealers make more rational point-in-time decisions - if there is such a thing as a ‘rational’ watch purchase. What’s interesting is not necessarily that the market is estimated to be about US$20 billion in size, or that it’s growing at a rate in excess of 30% according to EveryWatch. What is more interesting is how the ...
SJX Watches
SJX Podcast: Audemars Piguet Thinks Beyond the Royal Oak
Recorded shortly after Brandon’s return from Audemars Piguet’s launch event in Switzerland, Episode 28 of the SJX Podcast provides analysis of all the brand’s new releases, including the Neo Frame Jumping Hour, the 150 Heritage pocket watch, the upgraded Royal Oak Chronograph 38 mm and its new in-house movement, and the latest open-worked perpetual calendar, which works equally well in Code 11.59 and Royal Oak guise. The conversation also touches on the internal reorganisation at AP that saw the creation of a multi-disciplinary fabrication laboratory dubbed the ‘Fab Lab.’ Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Teddy Baldassarre
Breitling's Best Release of the Last 5 Years
Modern Top Time models have stuck with the chronograph format exclusively since their reintroduction, that is, until Breitling dropped a range of new three-handers in 2025, the Top Time B31. It’s positioned as an everyday watch, and housed in a 38mm case, somewhat unfamiliar territory for the brand known for oversized
Fratello
Orient Star Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary With The M34 F8 Date Meteorite
This year marks a significant milestone for Orient Star. The Japanese watch brand turns 75 and plans to celebrate with several limited‑edition releases. Each model will highlight Orient Star’s heritage, craftsmanship, innovation, or a mix of all three. The brand also seems ready to introduce several firsts. Among the five models set to launch in […] Visit Orient Star Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary With The M34 F8 Date Meteorite to read the full article.
Fratello
Back To Basics: Making Sense Of Ébauche Time-Only And Time-And-Date Movements
Welcome back to another instalment of Back to Basics, our series aimed at newcomers to our lovely watch hobby. This time, we will look into ébauche movements. “What is an ébauche movement?” might be your first question. Well, this is the term used for third-party watch movements used by multiple watch brands. As a result, […] Visit Back To Basics: Making Sense Of Ébauche Time-Only And Time-And-Date Movements to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds: Full Sets from Angelus and Longines, Plus a Rare Vintage Seiko
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion. Vintage Longines Admiral Leading off this week we have a stylish vintage Longines dress watch. The 35mm yellow gold filled case is a classic round style with simple, straight lugs and a steel back. The case is unpolished, with nice crisp edges. The silver dial looks fantastic, with slim arrow markers and no pesky date window and sword style hands. The original crown is signed with the Longines winged hourglass logo as it should. The watch comes on the original Milanese mesh bracelet with a signed buckle. Very elegant and classy look overall. The watch comes with the inner and outer boxes as well as the instruction and warranty booklets. The case is a front-loading type and there are no pictures of the movement, however the watch runs well per the seller. View auction here Vintage Omega Geneve Dynamic Next up is a wild and unique vintage Omega Geneve Dynamic. This watch is about as pure 1970s funk as it gets! The 41mm wide horizontal oval case is superb and unpolished, with sharp edges and the original brushed finish. The crazy original strap doesn’t attach to lugs, instead it has a big hole in the middle that sits up against the case and is held on by the retaining ring on the bac...
Monochrome
Hands-on – Up Close with the New Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime
When Louis Vuitton unveiled the original Escale Worldtime at Baselworld in 2014, it caught the watch world by surprise. Not so much because of the technical part, but because of the attitude. Worldtimers were and still are conservative objects, often bound by the nearly 100-year-old Louis Cottier template and a pretty much shared visual. The […]
Time+Tide
Baltic’s blingy MR Moissanite is a fitting sign-off for the collection (for now)
Baltic says goodbye to a watch that's unexpectedly become one of their most popular models in brilliant fashion.The post Baltic’s blingy MR Moissanite is a fitting sign-off for the collection (for now) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Review: The Leica ZM 2 (and M-11 D)
If you ever find yourself in the fortunate position of reviewing watches, you’ll quickly start compiling a mental list of the watches you’d like to see, wear, and spend time with. It’ll be a long list, and no matter how many watches you try, it’s not a list that will ever get shorter. I’ve been doing this for a few years now, and one watch that has always been near the top of my list was the Leica ZM 2, a passive GMT watch made to a high standard from - and there’s no other way of putting this - a camera company. Unfortunately, the ZM 2 has managed to continually elude me. That is, until now. There’s plenty to say about the ZM 2, but before we get into this too deeply, let’s get two things out of the way: First, I’m not sure it was a good move for Leica to rename its flagship watch so soon after launch. It’s confusing for the consumer, and a bit annoying to anyone trying to cover the watch. So, for clarity’s sake, let me say that the ZM 2 is the same watch launched under the L2 name a few years ago, and it’s the same watch that was reviewed under that name by other outlets. It’s a confusing move, one that has, I think, made it slightly harder for the ZM 2 to grab a foothold than it otherwise might have been. Which is a bummer because (and this is my second point): This watch is great, full stop. I loved wearing the ZM 2, and I would happily own this watch should I ever find myself in a position to do so. I know some will question Leica’s thi...
Worn & Wound
The COSC Introduces the New Excellence Chronometer Certification
The Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC, the body responsible for certifying watch movements as Swiss chronometers) has just announced a new chronometry standard that will be rolled out over the course of 2026. The news comes at a time when the COSC has some competition for timekeeping certifications, most notably the METAS certification (which first requires a watch movement to be COSC certified) used by Omega and Tudor, as well as other certifications provided by the brands themselves. The new COSC certification is being framed as an additional level of certification that will accompany the familiar “Certified Chronometer” tag that is seen on the dials and paperwork of millions (literally) of watches that have been put through the COSC paces over the years. The new “Excellence Chronomenter” certification provides an additional layer of guarantee of reliability that goes beyond simple accuracy. As a refresher, COSC certification certifies the movement is working at an optimal level, not a fully cased watch. To achieve a Certified Chronometer certification, a movement must show average accuracy of -4 to +6 seconds per day over a 15 day period, tested across 5 positions and 3 temperatures. The Excellence Chronometer certification tightens the accuracy threshold from a spread of 10 seconds in total to 6 (-2 to +4 seconds per day). It also adds metrics for magnetic resistance and power reserve verification in fully cased watches. According to the COS...
Monochrome
Industry News – The COSC Releases Excellence Chronometer, its New, Stricter Standard in Chronometry
What is a chronometer…? In short, it is a watch that has been officially tested for its precision. And to guarantee the precision of watches, several tools exist, such as the ISO 3159 standard (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year) and official organisations, such as the Observatoire de Besançon in France, the Glashütte Observatory […]
Worn & Wound
Baltic Closes Out the MR Collection with a Moissanite Bezel Limited Edition
I have a very clear memory of the time period around the launch of the Baltic MR01 collection, the first in their ongoing series of micro-rotor powered dress watches. It felt like a turning point for the brand, who up until then was really known as a heritage inspired sports watch microbrand. The MR series was a real left turn, and there was excitement around it across the watch community. The use of a micro-rotor powered automatic movement in a watch well under $1,000 was completely novel, and it signaled that Baltic had ambitions well beyond iterating on classic sports watch DNA. The intervening years have proven that out, as the brand no longer occupies such a narrow niche. If you had told me in 2021 that only a few years later my favorite Baltic would be their take on a cocktail watch, complete with stone dials, I never would have believed you. The new MR Moissanite closes a chapter for Baltic. We’re told this is the final MR to be released in the current format, and that a refresh is coming. If that’s the case, Baltic has chosen to close out this incarnation of the MR with its most ostentatious execution to this point. The two dial variants seen here each feature bezels set with baguette cut moissanite gem stones, linking these watches in style and philosophy to the 1970s inspired Prismics linked above. Moissanite, for the uninitiated, is a lab grown diamond alternative first introduced in the late 1990s. It has many physical qualities that are very similar to...
Time+Tide
The 56.00 Starfield is exactly what you’d expect of MING’s first integrated bracelet piece
"You can't make an integrated bracelet watch without doing something interesting with the bracelet," says Ming Thein... and that's what he's done.The post The 56.00 Starfield is exactly what you’d expect of MING’s first integrated bracelet piece appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Hands-On: the Jack Mason Strat-o-timer GMT Frontier
There are two types of watch reviews I particularly enjoy writing. One is a review for a watch that is truly bonkers. Something either outrageously expensive, avant-garde in its design sensibilities, off the beaten path and kind of rare, or some combination of all of the above. These are the types of watches I personally gravitate towards as a collector (well, not the outrageously expensive part, but the rest of it) and I find that typically I have an awful lot to say about them. It’s fun to write these reviews because it feels like I’m sharing my actual enthusiasm for something in a really pure and direct way. The other type of review I like to write is for watches that are basically on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to my taste. It’s a challenge (if not necessarily fun in the same way) to write about a watch that brushes up against my own biases. It’s a useful exercise as a writer to evaluate something that is outside of your wheelhouse and comfort zone. And it certainly makes for better and more interesting copy than writing about a watch that is simply generic, neither a challenge to your taste or something you’d plunk down the credit card for to purchase yourself. The new watch from Jack Mason is, for me, decidedly in that second category, a watch that I can tell from one photo is objectively nice and will have a strong following among enthusiasts, but is just not the type of thing I typically go for. The new Strat-o-timer GMT Frontier i...
Worn & Wound
Opinion: I Stopped Buying Watches – The Grass Isn’t Greener
There is nothing more effective than the swap of a digit on the calendar to send the whole world into self-reflection mode. As we collectively adjust to a six that replaced a five, many of us have the best intention of making changes that stick around long enough to see that six turn into a seven. Personally, I find there is no better exercise to guide new resolutions than to take stock of the old ones. Non-watch related, dry January turned into dry 2025, and I’m down two links (normal people measure progress in pounds, but bracelet size has become my preferred watch nerd metric). I resumed progress on that half-finished MBA that’s been hanging over my head, and I spent more time playing board games with my kids than the year before. Watch-specific, after five years of constant buying and selling, I decided to go an entire year without purchasing any new watches. Even though it was a lofty goal and one that collectors seeking change often fantasize about without following through, I actually managed to spend 2025 without a substantial #NWA (new watch announcement) post on Instagram. In full transparency, I did pick up a couple of cheap vintage quartz pieces. But us watch enthusiasts have clever ways of rationalizing why certain purchases don’t count (I think we can all agree G-SHOCKs fall into this bucket), and I’m pretending like those pickups don’t exist. After all, neither were “new” and one has already found a new home. During this prolonged period of...
Hodinkee
The Oris Yangtze Jiangtun Limited Edition
An interesting porpoise for this new release with a mother-of-pearl dial.
Quill & Pad
Aurum Awakened: Armin Strom Unveils the New Tribute 2 Aurum Edition
The new Armin Strom Tribute 2 Aurum caught my attention immediately with its striking gold-coated mainplate hand-finished with the rare tremblage engraving technique, giving the dial-side an exceptional textured surface that plays with light and depth. The post Aurum Awakened: Armin Strom Unveils the New Tribute 2 Aurum Edition appeared first on Quill & Pad.
Teddy Baldassarre
Universal Genève Polerouter Review: The '50s Icon Returns
The Universal Genève Polerouter is probably the most historically significant watch that enthusiasts of a certain age have never heard of. Okay, maybe that's overstating it, but the watch is certainly less, well, universal in its claim to icon status than several other, more well known models that debuted later. And yet, if it weren't for the Polerouter, which came out in the mid-1950s and which afforded an opportunity for a young, precocious watch designer to make his first mark on the industry, we may never have had the opportunity to experience some of those 1970s models that came later. Intrigued? Read on. [toc-section heading="Universal Genève History (1894 - 1950s)"] Despite the “Genève” that has become attached to the company’s name, the firm originally known as Universal Watch traces its roots to a smaller Swiss city, the village of Le Locle (also home to Ulysse Nardin, Zenith, and Tissot), where it was established in 1894 by watchmakers Numa-Emile Descombes and Ulysse-Georges Perret. Descombes died a few years later, and Louis Berthoud, one of the company’s most talented watchmakers, rose from the ranks to become Perret’s partner in 1897. The pair moved operations to Geneva in 1919, forging the company's modern name and identity. The firm became known for chronographs, and eventually produced both pocket watches and trench watches (pocket watches converted to wristwatches for soldiers in the field) for armies on both sides of the two World Wars. O...
Worn & Wound
Five Watches I’m Looking Forward to Seeing at British Watchmakers’ Day 2026
For the third year in a row, the Worn & Wound team will be heading to London in March for British Watchmakers’ Day. This event, in a very short period of time, has become one of the premier events on the watch enthusiast community’s calendar. A total of 48 UK based brands will be exhibiting at this year’s event, and just like last year we expect there will be collector gatherings and meetups both planned and more informal happening throughout the weekend across London. This, of course, is just a thing that happens when watch collectors converge as they will on March 7. As has been the case over the last two years, a big part of the story of British Watchmakers’ Day is likely to be the limited edition releases presented by brands and made available for sale on the day of the event. This year, 26 brands are expected to launch limited editions that you can purchase and take home with you as a memento of the big day. For the first time, the event organizers have stipulated that any limited edition launched on the day of the show be made in an edition of not more than 50, a move to protect the exclusivity of these releases to show attendees and to ensure that all of the LEs collectively amount to something genuinely limited in scope. We will of course have coverage on the ground in London when the show gets underway, including live photos and social media coverage of as many limited editions as we can get on our wrists. But for now, here are five British Watchmakers’ ...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Best Watches For Women All Budgets - Over 35 Watches Mentioned
A lot of women collectors we know have pieces made for men and unisex pieces. we want to look at watches that are labeled more as women’s pieces by the industry, as we talk about those other watches quite regularly, and want to talk about pieces we don’t highlight as frequently. We are watch enthusiasts, so most of th
Time+Tide
Louis Vuitton’s Escale goes globetrotting and complicated with the Worldtime and Twin Zone
Louis Vuitton kicks off its 2026 with a pair of precious metal Escale travel watch collections, which both offer novel complications.The post Louis Vuitton’s Escale goes globetrotting and complicated with the Worldtime and Twin Zone appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Best Bronze Watches for 2026
If there is one element of watch ownership that speaks to the human psyche more than almost any other, it's the notion that what you wear is unique to you. And it's true, there simply isn't another watch out there with your dings in the case or your aged strap. No material creates such allure through the aging process as bronze. And watch designers have known this for some time. With wear, your bronze watch case will evolve far quicker and more obviously than any steel case (swimming in salt water really speeds things up!). Bronze is a copper alloy generally containing around 12% tin. Its discovery dates back several millennium BC. Before giving way to cheaper iron and stronger steel, the Bronze Age lasted almost three millennia. Bronze possesses a number of advantageous properties. And the versatility of its application has continued its use right up to modern day. One of those properties is its resistance to salt water corrosion. Typically, when exposed, bronze only oxidizes at the surface, forming a protective layer over the underlying metal. In the past, this made bronze the material of choice for boat and ship fittings. (Prior to the wide employment of stainless steel.) It also featured in early diving equipment. More recently, it has spurred a growing trend of tool watches. Not all bronze watches are created equal though. That’s why we’ve put together this hand-picked selection of some of, what we feel are, the best bronze watches for 2026 - enjoy! [toc-section h...
Fratello
Introducing: The Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour “Celestial” Limited Edition
This year marks 180 years since Fears Watch Company Limited’s foundation in 1846 and a respectable 10 years since its reestablishment by Edwin Fear’s great-great-great-grandson, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill. That means there’s a good reason for a celebration, and following the announcement of the Brunswick 40 “1846 Edition” in January, the British brand keeps the ball rolling […] Visit Introducing: The Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour “Celestial” Limited Edition to read the full article.