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29,600 articles · 1,958 videos found · page 498 of 1052

The Grand Seiko You Didn’t Know Existed – an Owner’s Review of the SBGX331 Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko You Didn’t Know Existed May 16, 2025

The Grand Seiko You Didn’t Know Existed – an Owner’s Review of the SBGX331

With Grand Seiko’s rise to popularity in the last few years, it’s hard to find a truly obscure model. And yet, here we are. No, it’s not some vintage reference buried in the archives or a short-lived limited edition you didn’t know about. It’s a modern watch-one that was still available as recently as fall 2023. It wasn’t exclusive to a single boutique, and yet, you’ve likely never seen it before. Why? Because it’s a Japanese domestic model that’s flown almost entirely under the radar. The watch is the Grand Seiko SBGX331-and by the time you finish reading this, you might just want one yourself. So, how did I end up with the SBGX331? Back in September 2023, I had the chance to travel to Japan as part of the Grand Seiko Media Experience-a whirlwind tour of Seiko and Grand Seiko’s facilities across Honshu. Over just a few days, we visited multiple workshops, watched artisans at work, and took in various presentations on the brand’s history, movements, and proprietary technologies. We saw case finishing, dial printing, and even the production of Credor Eichi II dials. And yes, we ate-a lot. For a more detailed breakdown of that trip, check out my write-up here. As a longtime Grand Seiko fan, it wasn’t so much a crash course as it was a chance to confirm that all the stories I’d read-and in some cases repeated-were actually real. Seeing Zaratsu polishing done in person, or hands being heat-blued to a precise hue, or watching minute indices...

Christopher Ward Answers the Call of their Enthusiast Fans with the The Twelve (Ti) Non-Fumé Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Answers May 16, 2025

Christopher Ward Answers the Call of their Enthusiast Fans with the The Twelve (Ti) Non-Fumé

Christopher Ward has smashed practically every boundary in their price bracket and continues to pick up loyal fans and newcomers like a cartoon snowball rolling down a mountainside. The Twelve-named somewhat confusingly for its dodecagonal bezel-has proven to be one of the brand’s most popular models, and likewise continues to expand its line of references since its inception in 2023. Responding to fan fervor, Christopher Ward has announced three The Twelve (Ti) Non-Fumé models to further round out The Twelve collection and prove to its followers that a little bit of fan-pleasing goes a long way. Each of the three new Non-Fumé models retains several distinctive characteristics from similar Grade 2 Titanium (or “Ti”) models, including a monotone dial finish, which has previously only been used for steel designs. The angular case wears at 40mm in diameter and 44.5mm lug-to-lug, giving it a significant, but not overbearing, presence on the wrist. Being titanium, the watch is a relatively lightweight 41 grams, and the screw-down crown at 3 o’clock paired with a screw-down display caseback ensures a fairly hardy 100 meters of water resistance.  Another shared element across the three Non-Fumé pieces is the repeating pattern on the dial, inspired by Christopher Ward’s “twin-flags” logo. When viewed at different angles-aided by the flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating-the motif’s texture reflects light back in varying ways. This type of t...

Introducing – The New Breguet Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035 for the Brand’s 250th Anniversary Monochrome
Breguet Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035 May 16, 2025

Introducing – The New Breguet Tradition Seconde Rétrograde 7035 for the Brand’s 250th Anniversary

As you might know now, after our initial article, Breguet is celebrating its 250th anniversary, and we’ll be seeing a fleet of new models released throughout the year, all made of 18k Breguet gold and paying tribute to some of the most important inventions of its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet. Initiated by the launch of the […]

First Look – The New, Architectural Yema Granvelle CMM.20 Collection Monochrome
Yema May 16, 2025

First Look – The New, Architectural Yema Granvelle CMM.20 Collection

Unlike the tool-focused Superman line, the latest release of French brand Yema, the Granvelle, takes visual and mechanical cues from France’s long-standing horological tradition and is named after the Granvelle Palace in Besançon, the 16th-century Renaissance building that houses the Museum of Time. But while its inspiration is historic, the execution is modern and precise: […]

Dubai Watch Week Returns in November 2025 SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Van Cleef & Arpels May 15, 2025

Dubai Watch Week Returns in November 2025

Now a decade old and an established event in the annual horological calendar, Dubai Watch Week (DWW) will take place November 19-23, 2025. Most notably, DWW will move to a new venue, a 200,000 sq ft space next to Dubai Mall, departing its longtime home of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The 2025 event will host over 90 brands, ranging from giants like Rolex to micro-brands such as Studio Underd0g. The biggest names will have standalone spaces, including Rolex and Tudor, Audemars Piguet, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chanel. DWW traditionally took place at DIFC, pictured above But independents will still have a prominent role in the event, since DWW got its start as an indie-centric event. The 2025 edition will give independent brands room to breathe with a dedicated space. Exhiitors include leading independents like Rexhep Rexhepi, Voutilainen, and Roger W. Smith. DWW takes place from November 19-23, 2025 in Burj Park, the landscaped area surrounding the Burj Khalifa and adjacent to Dubai Mall. Entry is free but registration is required. For more, visit Dubaiwatchweek.com.  

Seiko SKX007 Review Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko May 15, 2025

Seiko SKX007 Review

We never really know how – or when – it happens, but some watches manage to achieve an iconic status that gives them a certain immortality long after discontinuation. We know the types, from the Speedmaster to the Submariner to the Royal Oak. But not all icons are pricey and they’re certainly not all Swiss. Enter the Seiko SKX007, a watch without a nickname, whose reference number is as recognizable as any of the aforementioned icons I just listed. The SKX, as we call it shorthand, is the value king in all of horology because of its capability from top to bottom, literally. Today we are going to be examining the SKX007, a watch that Seiko has since moved on from and never truly replaced. We will look at it at face value (as well as current secondary market value), for the watch’s impact on collector culture, and for its staying power even in the face of no longer remaining in production. Seiko SKX007 History And Specs In order to properly contextualize the SKX007, we must go back in time to the 1970s, when Seiko made its first impactful dive watch. Notice how I say "impactful," as the lot of you ready yourselves to remind me not to discount the 62MAS. For the record, I am not – at least not entirely. The 62MAS has proven to be a classic for Seiko, but the diver that really put the brand on the map in terms of culturally relevant tool watches was the Ref. 6105 which was worn by Martin Sheen in the film Apocalypse Now. It has since gone on to take the name of his c...

Serica Introduces the 5303 PLD, a New Diver Made in Collaboration with the French Navy Worn & Wound
Serica Introduces May 15, 2025

Serica Introduces the 5303 PLD, a New Diver Made in Collaboration with the French Navy

Serica has unveiled the new 5303 PLD, a new dive watch the brand has developed in partnership with the French Navy. Specifically, the watch was developed with the EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) team, which, I think most people will understand, is a fairly highly specialized and dangerous diving discipline. The watch follows the form and function of Serica’s popular 5303 diver, but with a few small tweaks that distinguish it from the standard version without calling out to its inspiration too overtly.  The most notable and obvious change from the standard 5303 is the new bezel, which has a “DT Max” scale as opposed to the standard dive bezel that allows you to count minutes from a given start time. The DT Max bezel features twin scales (minutes and meters) that display the “maximum working time” at a given depth. This allows a diver, in theory, to ascend continuously without decompression stops, a necessity for EOD divers. The number at the outer scale (“profonduer,” or depth) relates directly to a number on the inner scale, the number of minutes a diver can safely work. Not super functional for anyone not on a dive, but it provides a very real reminder of the danger of the sport, and adds a certain charm to the piece. The bezel itself is rendered in a shade the brand refers to as “abyssal blue,” and it’s a very nice shade that further sets this diver apart from other watches in the Serica lineup.  Serica has also tweaked the dial in small ways for...

Introducing – The New Serica 5303 PLD “Plongeur Démineur” Dive Chronometer Monochrome
Serica 5303 PLD “Plongeur Démineur” May 15, 2025

Introducing – The New Serica 5303 PLD “Plongeur Démineur” Dive Chronometer

Serica began its journey with a classic field watch, and since its launch in 2019, the young brand has quickly carved out a strong identity with a lineup of retro-inspired, adventure-ready timepieces, spanning field, dive, and GMT models, and something else a bit dressier. Designed with durability, precision, and style in mind, every Serica watch […]

Omega Railmaster Review Teddy Baldassarre
Omega May 15, 2025

Omega Railmaster Review

The Omega Railmaster can best be put into historical context as of one of the most recognizable names in its category that arguably gets the least amount of attention. It hasn’t been a mainstay for the brand, and currently sits in purgatory, with no modern Railmaster existing in the contemporary Omega collection. It’s a black sheep with serious historical credentials that should have been a perennial adversary to the Rolex Explorer, and yet it became instead something of an enthusiast darling, a relic of esoterica. I would argue that it just missed its initial window to hit immortality, courtesy of little more than bad timing. It was, and remains, one of the coolest designs from a brand that really could rest on its laurels behind the Speedmaster and Seamaster. And with those two models mentioned, let’s properly understand the what, where, how, and why of the Omega Railmaster. Okay, and also the when. In 1957, Omega basically released the only three watches any brand would ever have to release to prove everlasting viability. Well, in theory, two of those brands seem to have done the trick – the Railmaster was just icing on the cake. Think of it like when Rolex unveiled the Submariner and the Explorer in the very same year, followed closely by the GMT-Master. Those three watches have experienced continuous production since that time and represent the core ethos of Rolex today. Similarly, in ‘57, we saw Omega unveil a trilogy of watches: The Seamaster, the Speedmas...

A Hands-On Introduction To The New Omega Railmaster With A Beige Or Gray Gradient Dial Fratello
Omega Railmaster May 15, 2025

A Hands-On Introduction To The New Omega Railmaster With A Beige Or Gray Gradient Dial

With recent Speedmaster and Seamaster releases, Omega quietly put the new watches on its ambassadors’ wrists to hint at what was coming. We could have missed it, but we don’t think the same happened with the newly revised Railmaster. Supposedly, there was a leaked image, but it came with very little information. Luckily, we’ve recently […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The New Omega Railmaster With A Beige Or Gray Gradient Dial to read the full article.

Portrait – For Professionals Only, Worldwatch.market, a Brilliant New Approach to the Global Watch Trade Monochrome
May 15, 2025

Portrait – For Professionals Only, Worldwatch.market, a Brilliant New Approach to the Global Watch Trade

The watch trade market has become sprawling. Digital channels have been added to single-brand and multi-brand points of sale: specialised platforms, digital media that have evolved towards an additional retail offering (limited and dedicated series), social networks (Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram) flooded with offers of second-hand (and sometimes new) pieces. A jungle characterised by a common […]

Fratello Talks: The Best Modern Omega Speedmasters Fratello
Omega Speedmasters It’s no secret May 15, 2025

Fratello Talks: The Best Modern Omega Speedmasters

It’s no secret that we’re Speedmaster fans here at Fratello. RJ, our founder, is an avid collector of these chronographs and the mind behind #SpeedyTuesday. But not all Speedies are created equal. Today, we’re looking at some of the best modern Omega Speedmaster models. RJ, Thomas, and Nacho have tasked themselves with selecting their top […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Best Modern Omega Speedmasters to read the full article.

Rolex Explorer II 16570: The Best Value Rolex GMT Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex May 14, 2025

Rolex Explorer II 16570: The Best Value Rolex GMT

My first Rolex was an Explorer II 216570 with black dial and I absolutely loved that watch. It was rarer than the GMT-Master II or Submariner, and didn’t have the ceramic bezel, which I found to be a little too glossy and “luxe” for what I was looking for in a watch at the time. I kept and wore the heck out of that watch for almost six years until I just felt like it didn’t speak to me anymore. The 42mm wide “Maxi” case seemed too big and the big, thick hour and minutes hands just began to bug me. I can’t explain why I was so dead set on the 216570 rather than the older 16570 at the time but I can certainly say that now, in 2025, the Rolex Explorer II 16570 is not just my preferred iteration of the modern spelunking watch, but an all-timer from Rolex. I’ve started to refer to the 16570 as a “Forever Rolex” because it ticks all the boxes - size, reliability, dual-time functionality, and discrete aesthetics - all while remaining one of the few Rolexes that isn’t immediately recognizable to every casual observer. Let’s take a look at why I’m such a big fan of this old-school Rolex. Case and Specs: The Other Rolex GMT Measuring 40mm wide and 12.2mm thick with a 47mm lug-to-lug height, the 16570 is an eminently wearable Rolex. And while this is very obviously a sport/tool watch, these proportions make for a very versatile and subdued piece. No, there isn’t a rotating bezel with a nickname-ready color combo here. Rather, there is a demure, fixed ...

Naoya Hida & Co. Has Announced their 2025 Releases Worn & Wound
Patek Philippe May 14, 2025

Naoya Hida & Co. Has Announced their 2025 Releases

Seeing a watch made by Naoya Hida & Co. in person for the first time was one of those moments when you truly realize that you have to experience a watch in the metal before casting judgement. At the time, the brand was only in its second full year, and most of the people commenting on the watches in online forums, Instagram, etc. were reacting to what they perceived as an exorbitant price tag. These specific watches, after all, used a (highly) modified Valjoux 7750 as the base movement – not exactly high horology. But when you handle one of these watches, wear it, and, importantly, turn the crown, you realize you’re dealing with an object that’s largely handmade, a fully fleshed out complete thought with a singular perspective. That’s a pretty rare thing, as are the hand carved dials that have become an aesthetic signature of the brand, and truly require magnification to fully grapple with. Naoya Hida & Co. has just unveiled their new slate of watches for 2025, and I imagine we’re heading for some of the same conversations we’ve heard before, but there’s a new watch in this crop of releases that should quiet at least some of the naysayers.  The marquee release in this year’s lineup is the NH Type 6A, Naoya Hida’s most complicated watch to date and their first perpetual calendar. The 6A is made in the same vintage inspired style as all of Naoya Hida’s other watches, evoking classic pieces by Patek Philippe and others (but mostly Patek, let’s be honest...

Report: Geneva Spring Auctions 2025 SJX Watches
Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari May 14, 2025

Report: Geneva Spring Auctions 2025

Despite everything, including tariffs and a strong Swiss franc, the Geneva auction season turned out to be a strong one, with some of the strongest results being in the most surprising segments. The bigger winner this season was Phillips, which sold a bit under 200 lots for CHF43.4 million including fees, while also claiming the most valuable lots for the season, reflecting Phillips’ strong leadership and team. Despite being the market leader by some margin, the Phillips catalogue was arguably the riskiest as it included several high-value pocket watches and clocks – timepieces that not part of mainstream collecting today. Yet the gamble paid off with the most valuable timepiece this season being its Breguet Sympathique no. 1 that sold for CHF5.51 million. Christie’s achieved CHF21.2 million with a similar number of lots that were arguably more conventional in taste and format than at Phillips. One of its most valuable lots was a Cartier Crash “NSO” with a special order dial that sold for CHF736,000 – one of the biggest surprises of the season but proof that being eye-catching enough for social media is a big factor in desirability and value today. Interestingly, the Crash sold for exactly the same as the Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari. The Crash went for about 15 times the original retail, while the RM UP-01 was about half of retail. The Crash NSO “nickele” grey. Image – Christie’s Over at Antiquorum, the tally was CHF10 million – from almost 800 lot...

Introducing – The New Ice Blue Kurono Tokyo 2025 Jubilee Sensu EOL Monochrome
Kurono Tokyo 2025 Jubilee Sensu EOL May 14, 2025

Introducing – The New Ice Blue Kurono Tokyo 2025 Jubilee Sensu EOL

After several years of covering this independent Japanese watch brand, you should now be familiar with Kurono Tokyo‘s work. And if not, what matters here is that we’re looking at the accessible side of independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka (also behind the return of Takano), with classic designs and outsourced movements to keep the prices reasonable. […]

First Look – The New Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver Legacy Edition with Bamford Monochrome
Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver Legacy Edition May 14, 2025

First Look – The New Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver Legacy Edition with Bamford

Girard-Perregaux has a rich history and has produced quite a few exceptional timepieces over time. The 1969 Deep Diver Ref. 9108 may not be as complex and elaborate or iconic as some of the brand’s better-known creations (Laureato, Tourbillons or Bridges, both historical and modern), but it left its mark as a rare dive watch […]

Girard-Perregaux Reintroduces The Deep Diver In Collaboration With Bamford Watch Department Fratello
Girard-Perregaux Reintroduces May 14, 2025

Girard-Perregaux Reintroduces The Deep Diver In Collaboration With Bamford Watch Department

As many of you know, the late ’60s and the first half of the ’70s were an era of design experimentation in the watch industry. While Girard-Perregaux might not be the first name on people’s tongues when it comes to funky watches from this period, don’t think the brand didn’t have any. With the Casquette […] Visit Girard-Perregaux Reintroduces The Deep Diver In Collaboration With Bamford Watch Department to read the full article.