3,034 articles · 483 videos found · page 53 of 118
Hodinkee
For the first time, the Panerai experience offering comes with a pair of watches and an interesting take on a three-day movement.
Teddy Baldassarre
The Citizen Promaster Aqualand 200M Depth Meter is part of a long tradition of dive-watch innovation but is also a model distinct from the rest of its peers. Japan’s Citizen Watch Co. has been making watches for more than 100 years, and started making purpose-built watches or divers in the early 1980s. Since then, Citizen has been expanding the variety of styles, functionalities, and even movement types available in its dive watches, which have become a significant pillar of the brand’s rather large product portfolio. [toc-section heading="A Brief History of Citizen Dive Watches"] The Japanese watchmaker, today renowned for technical innovations like Super Titanium, satellite-controlled timekeeping, and its signature solar-driven Eco-Drive movement technology, was an early contributor to making wristwatches waterproof. It released the Parawater, regarded as the first “water-resistant” Japanese watch, in 1959 - several years before its main Japanese rival, Seiko, released its first dedicated diver’s watch, the . Parawater watches (as above) were waterproof to 50 meters of depth, an impressive feat for the era, and they were the forerunners of Citizen’s contemporary line of dive watches, which began in the 1960s but really kicked into gear with the release of the Promaster Marine in 1982. (Citizen dive watches, despite their diversity, all fall under the “Promaster” category today.) That same year, Citizen released its 1300m Professional Diver’s Watch, ...
SJX Watches
One of the longest-lived models in the IWC catalogue, the Portugieser Chronograph is simple, distinctive, and handsomely proportioned. Now it’s undergone a surprising makeover to create the Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium, which has just debuted publicly on Ed Sheeran’s wrist during the musician’s tour of Australia. Now in its second generation with an in-house movement, the Portugieser Chronograph has a clean aesthetic with vertically laid out registers and a large-but-thin case. Usually available only in gold or steel, the case is now Ceratanium, essentially titanium that’s been treated to form a hard ceramic layer on its surface. Ed Sheeran wearing a Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium during his concert at the Marvel Stadium on February 26 in Melbourne, Australia. Image – Mark Surridge Initial thoughts IWC doesn’t put out many interesting watches now (regrettably), but the Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium certainly stands out. Though it’s essentially a cosmetic variation of a familiar model, it is appealing. I’ve long been a fan of the Portugieser Chronograph; I like the proportions and design. The design is now over 30 years ago but still feels fresh. The Ceratanium version is odd yet likeable. The all-black livery feels like a mismatch with the classical style, but somehow it works and fits the minimalist look. Despite the appeal, the new Portugieser is expensive. It costs 50% more than the steel model, which feels like too much notwithstanding th...
SJX Watches
While silicon mechanical movement components have swept across Switzerland, adoption has been slow within the Japanese watch industry, stymied by Swiss patents and professed concerns over the material’s durability. To this day, it remains the unlikely domain of Orient Star, a small brand with priority access to Seiko Epson’s massive industrial base. This positions Orient Star to capitalise on consumer demand for increasingly long power reserves, without sacrificing performance. Thanks to an ultralight and geometrically efficient escape wheel with a patented design, Orient Star is able to deliver a 70-hour power reserve without resorting the same counter-productive trade-offs to balance energy made by some Swiss peers – here’s how it was done. A silicon wafer of escape wheels. Image – Seiko Epson The quest for longer power reserves Recent consumer demand for longer power reserves has sent the industry’s engineers scrambling for ways to increase the autonomy of existing movement platforms. A movement’s power reserve is dictated by the length of the mainspring, which unwinds at a constant rate. That is why using a chronograph doesn’t cause a watch to run down faster – usually. Of course, you need to find somewhere to fit that extra length of mainspring while maintaining the movement’s dimensions, such as by thinning out the barrel walls, narrowing the inner barrel arbour radius, or, reducing the thickness of the mainspring. However, while decreasing the ma...
Fratello
It’s time for a short confession: generally, I am not the biggest fan of skeletonized watches. While I greatly appreciate the possibility of witnessing a caliber in action, I much prefer to see it in action through a sapphire display in the case back. It’s purely an aesthetic thing because, as a design fanatic, I […] Visit Hands-On With The Rado Anatom Automatic Skeleton to read the full article.
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Teddy Baldassarre
Most people think that getting into "real" watches requires a heavy-duty investment or a deep knowledge of Swiss history. In reality, enjoying horology shouldn't require a trust fund or a PhD in movement calibers. But for a long time, the market felt split between cheap, disposable plastic watches and unattainable luxury pieces. There was simply no middle ground for a high-spec timepiece that you weren't afraid to use. It was exactly this dilemma that became the driving force behind California-based watchmaker, Vaer. The two ends of the watch-collecting scope left a huge gap for anyone who just wanted an affordable daily beater that could hold up during a weekend hike or a daily commute. So, Vaer pledged to fill that gap. [toc-section heading="The Gamble – Why Vaer Exists"] VAER founders Ryan Torres and Reagan Cook Watch collecting can be an expensive hobby. In the world of horology, $10,000 is the type of money that secures a stainless steel Rolex Sub and a lifetime of brand prestige. For most young professionals with a passion for watches, saving up that first ten grand is a rite of passage. But for Ryan Torres and Reagan Cook, founders of Vaer watches, that money represented a fork in the road. When the two entrepreneurs looked at their savings, they could have gone one of two ways: walk into a boutique and leave with a trophy on their wrist, or bet every cent on a dream to build the "perfect" everyday watch that didn't yet exist. They chose the latter. C5 Field Bla...
Teddy Baldassarre
If there’s anything you should know about me, it's that small watches are essentially my kryptonite. My affinity for the teeny and tiny isn’t abating anytime soon, and luckily, we’ve seen the watch industry, in recent years, begin to catch up to my own (and many others') desire for small watches. From Bulgari’s new tiny movement to the recent Minification of the Royal Oak, all signs point to watchmakers meeting the rising demand for small watches. But Longines was slightly ahead of the curve in serving up what the tiny watch enthusiast community had been asking for, delivering the deliciously bite-sized Mini DolceVita officially in 2023, and has expanded on this offering in the years following the launch. Obviously, I’ve long been bitten by the Mini DolceVita bug, and down below, I’ll be sharing what keeps me coming back to it beyond its petite frame. [toc-section heading="History and Context"] Longines early 20th-century design archive One thing that gets under my skin is when people automatically apply “Tank Dupe” to any and every watch with a rectangular case. Longines, like many other watchmakers, began making rectangular-shaped watches in the early 20th Century – like, in the 1910s, early. In the brand’s early archive, there are quite literally dozens of different rectangular watches along with other geometric shapes, reflecting the style and aesthetics of Art Deco. So, though the Cartier Tank is, inarguably, the most iconic rectangular case desi...
SJX Watches
Habring² has built a loyal following among collectors who appreciate technical ingenuity over recognition. The independent Austrian brand has earned its reputation by creating inventive, low-volume complications at accessible prices. Its latest release, the Habring² x SJX Chrono-Felix “Medicus”, continues that philosophy with a variant of Habring²’s signature chronograph movement conceived exclusively for this 50-piece collaboration. The second collaboration with SJX Watches, the Medicus revives the concept of the “doctor’s” chronograph with both pulsation and respiration scales, while offering the refined execution and modern reliability that define the work of husband-and-wife team Richard and Maria Habring. And to acknowledge the true spirit of the concept, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each watch will be donated to children’s cancer charities in Singapore and Austria. To express interest, please contact us. Both versions are sold out here. Thank you for the interest. A handful are still available at Shellman in Tokyo. The key facts A vintage-inspired, multi-scale chronograph with a twist originated from a doctor’s request Dial conceived to have classical elements but different from most retro-inspired chronographs Pulsations, respirations, and tachymeter scales – all colour coded New variant of Habring² A11 movement developed for this edition with single, 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock Steel parts of chronograph mechanism finishe...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The RZE Resolute Type A is a modern titanium pilot watch with classic Type A flieger styling, automatic movement, and pricing under $700.
Worn & Wound
The Orient Bambino is one of those watches that’s an undisputed enthusiast classic. For almost everyone currently involved in our hobby, they’ve come across the Bambino in one way or another. It’s one of the most recommended enthusiast watches for beginners because of its classic dress watch style, reliable mechanical movement, and authentic brand history and credibility. It’s a watch that immediately puts you inside of our community. If there was an ongoing critique of the Bambino, it might be that until now it had only been available with a date complication. This flies in the face, somewhat, of traditional dress watch norms, but is a common concession that larger watch brands make for the modern, non-enthusiast consumer. After what must have been years worth of feedback from collectors, Orient has just introduced new Bambino models without a date that seem aimed squarely at the collector community. The new Bambino 38 No Date is available in white, ivory, green and brown dial options, as well as a gray limited edition of 3,300. Dials have a pleasing symmetry thanks to the lack of a date aperture, with Roman numerals at the even numbered hours and simple baton indices elsewhere. The perimeter of the dial has a hash mark minute track in either white or black depending on the dial color. The Bambino 38 No Date runs on the new F6524 automatic movement, which has a power reserve of 40 hours. Orient makes simple but reliable automatic movements which are notable ...
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Monochrome
Whenever movements are discussed, attention tends to focus on the Swiss, which is understandable, but it excludes some of the biggest movement manufacturers. Seiko, Miyota and so on, let alone the Chinese, produce far more movements per year on their own than ETA or Sellita do, for instance. To put this into some form of […]
Monochrome
Founded by Andreas Felsl and Tzuyu Huang in 2007, Horage approached watchmaking from an unconventional angle: rather than starting with design and sourcing movements, the company began by developing in-house calibres. Now Horage has a portfolio built around modular movement families, the automatic K1, the micro-rotor K2, the K-TOU with a tourbillon regulator and K-TMR […]
SJX Watches
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.
Monochrome
In a basic mechanical movement, there are two primary springs: one that delivers power and another one to keep it accurately beating. But others are essential for this overall dance to work. Once complications are added, even more are needed and complex pieces can have dozens of springs. When most people think of a spring, […]
Teddy Baldassarre
In November of 2025, OMEGA introduced a redesign of the Planet Ocean 600M, featuring the biggest slate of changes to the model since its introduction in 2005. With this take, the Planet Ocean has been redrawn from top to bottom, with a new case, a set of dimensions, a movement update, a new bracelet, and the deletion o
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Grand Seiko Snowflake gets smaller with new 33mm quartz models featuring the newly developed 9F51 movement.
Worn & Wound
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...
Worn & Wound
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...
Fratello
Baltic’s MR, which stands for “micro-rotor,” is the perfect affordable flex on the wrist. The 36mm watches in the collection feature a sturdy field-watch case paired with either a Breguet-style or dressy roulette-inspired dial and, to top it all off, a micro-rotor movement. For around €700, the Baltic MR offers unmatched style and attitude, even […] Visit Introducing: The Baltic MR Moissanite - The Final MR…For Now to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Jack Mason Strat-o-Timer GMT Frontier refines the brand’s tool-watch identity with a hardened steel case and traveller GMT movement.
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Hodinkee
A brand new movement supports a downsized spin on a classic GS design.
SJX Watches
The Classic Tech Art is the latest, bespoke time-only piece from independent watchmaking duo Molnar Fabry, and a fine example of the pair’s modus operandi. Starting off from a Vaucher cal. 5401 ébauche, the watchmakers applied extensive finishing to both seen and unseen surfaces within the movement. While this exact configuration is unique, similar designs can be commissioned from the Slovakia-based creators. Initial thoughts Molnar Fabry’s calling card is open-worked movements and the Class Tech Art doesn’t disappoint in that respect. While the case back side of the movement is richly engraved but structurally unaltered, the tastefully open-worked dial reveals the usually hidden assemblies that make the Vaucher calibre tick. The duo behind Molnar Fabry operates outside the influence of many Swiss watchmaking traditions. As a result, the brand’s house style of finishing is somewhat unorthodox. Mixes of metals are on show, along with a rich blend of textures and shapes. The style might not be to everyone’s tastes, but Molnar Fabry’s work feels refreshingly original in today’s market. The two watchmakers shift the focus from proprietary movements and high-tech specs to true hand finishing. That said, the Classic Tech Art exemplifies a more streamlined vision of the brand’s design language, opting away from the excessively ornate cases the brand has produced in the past. This may point towards them going more mainstream - at least to the extent that a b...
SJX Watches
One of Louis Vuitton’s most distinctive complications, the Escale Worldtime was recently revised and upgraded, giving it improved legibility and an in-house movement. The nips and tucks have given the watch a sleeker, more refined aesthetic, while making the technicolour dial more readable. It’s still far from a “tool” watch, but the second-generation Escale Worldtime has all of the charm of the original that’s now grounded in solid, credible watchmaking. Initial thoughts I’m biased because I am a fan of the original Worldtime, right from when it was launched in 2014. The original was decidedly impractical, way too expensive, but an imaginatively different take on the classic Louis Cottier world time. The new model has all of the appeal of the original, but with a superior execution in substance and form. The new version has smoothed out all of the rough edges of the original, quite literally in some respects. The case is now finer, with more refined lines and a gently domed crystal, for instance. Functionality has improved substantially with a hand for the minutes and a jumping hours display. And the movement is now a latest-generation calibre, part of a family of industrial-haute horlogerie movements developed by LFT that is an achievement on its own. The LFT VO12.01 movement features a 22k pink gold rotor with a guilloche rim The Escale Worldtime costs over US$90,000, or about 10% more than the Patek Philippe World Time ref. 5330G in white gold. The Escale, ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Astor and Banks introduces an affordable field watch that rethinks design with layered dials, bold lume, and a modern automatic movement.
Time+Tide
In a first for the brand, Alpina has placed a solar-powered movement inside its toughest adventure-ready watch.The post Alpina harnesses the power of the Sun in the new Alpiner Extreme Solarmetre appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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