Two Broke Watch Snobs
Best Dive Watches Under $500: Hands-On Reviews and Breakdown
Explore the best dive watches under $500 with hands-on picks that balance value, everyday wearability, and real-world capability.
37,620 articles · 264 videos found · page 58 of 1263
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore the best dive watches under $500 with hands-on picks that balance value, everyday wearability, and real-world capability.
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 The law was eventually repealed with the help of Rolf Portman, a lawyer employed by Oris and tasked with fighting the statute.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...
Worn & Wound
Tudor is at its best when they surprise. Sure, there have been some controversial pieces over the years, like the North Flag and P01 (though I’d argue they were both very successful as attention grabbers), but watches like the BB54, BB58 925, and even FXD took us off guard when they first dropped. This year, Tudor has followed suit with the Monarch, a watch that took us off guard in the press release but impressed in person. Before getting to the watch, it was made clear to us that although this year marks 100 years of the brand, they aren’t throwing a big celebration for themselves, nor did they release a watch specifically dedicated to the centennial anniversary. The Monarch, which is a spiritual recreation or tribute to an early 20th-century Tudor model, is meant to acknowledge said birthday. So, basically, don’t call it an anniversary watch, just an anniversary-like watch. Ok, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at this surprisingly cool new model. Measuring 39mm in diameter, 11.9mm thick, and, I’m estimating, as this dimension was not provided, in the neighborhood of 48mm lug-to-lug, so basically BB58 sized, the Monarch, despite some vintage cues, looked and felt pleasantly modern on the wrist. The case, made of stainless steel, was quite different from others in the Tudor lineup. It had hooded, aggressively chamfered lugs, with a sharply faceted drop-off. There were also flat segments on either side of the case, emphasizing a geometric overall shape...
Quill & Pad
Torn between Breguet and Patek Philippe? We compare their royal histories, iconic movements, and market value to help you choose your masterpiece. The post Old-World Guilloché vs. The Geneva Tradition: Breguet and Patek Philippe Compared appeared first on Quill & Pad.
SJX Watches
Russian independent watchmaker and ACHI member Anton Suhanov returns with his third wristwatch, the dynamic Flamingo. Featuring Mr Suhanov’s first in-house movement, the Flamingo positions its massive balance wheel dial-side, and has a few other tricks up its sleeve as well. Initial thoughts Anton Suhanov made a name for himself for his inventive clocks, but more recently has turned his attention toward the more lucrative wristwatch market. Mr Suhanov’s first two wristwatches were modular constructions piggybacked on stock movements. Despite this common approach, his modifications were transformative, making his movements feel more personal and “in-house” than some truly in-house movements that are more traditional in concept. This evident commitment to the craft quickly gained Mr Suhanov a good reputation. After about four years of development, Mr Suhanov has unveiled a calibre he can truly call his own, the cal. Su26.1L. He built the movement from scratch, which gave him complete freedom both in terms of design and functionality. The result is a movement that possesses a number of unique and charming traits, both technical and aesthetic in nature. While the design of the Flamingo as a whole is deeply original (especially the use of non-functional ruby pallets for the hands), some elements on the dial side remind me of similar features of Greubel Forsey’s watches. For example, the two small sub-dials - a 24-hour indicator and small seconds - are rem...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Four New Bags from Peak Design Peak Design recently funded their latest Kickstarter campaign for four new travel bags, though it might be more accurate to say they obliterated their initial goal of $100,000, as over $2 million has been raised to this point. Peak Design is one of our favorite bag and accessory brands, and their latest offerings are all travel oriented, and offer something for everyone. There’s the Travel Backpack 2-in-1, the Travel Crossbody 3L, the Travel Backpack 20L, and the Travel Weekender 25L. Operating under the philosophy that no two trips are the same, Peak has created four separate carry solutions for specific travel circumstances, rather than trying to create a catch-all, one bag for everything solution that might make a ton of compromises. You can learn more about the new bags at their Kickstarter page right here. The Fine Line Documentary If you came to our recent event with Accutron and Esterbrook, you may have met Mohammed, aka @thebrooklynscribe, a calligraphy artist based in, you guessed it, Brooklyn. It just so happens that only days after our event, a new short documentary on Mohammed premired on YouTube. You can watch The Fine ...
Hodinkee
The man and designer behind Berneron tells us why he's turned down millions in investor funding and why he's making so few watches, even as demand soars.
Hodinkee
Veteran vintage watch dealer James Lamdin goes in depth on where the market for vintage and pre-owned watches is and where it's going.
Hodinkee
Chronopolis will be another venue for brands to exhibit during Geneva Watch Week, and its founders tell us why there's a need for one more fair.
Worn & Wound
From the imposing astronomical clocks of Tudor England to the exquisite pendant watches of Victorian Britain, timekeeping has long been a symbol of power, prestige, and technological marvel within Europe’s royal courts. This new series explores the fascinating evolution of clocks and watches crafted specifically for royalty, tracing how these intricate masterpieces reflected the tastes, ambitions, and innovations of monarchs. Through the lens of craftsmanship, artistry, and historical significance, we reveal how these royal timepieces marked the passage of dynasties and empires. During Henry VIII’s reign (1509–1547), portable watches as we know them today had yet to emerge in significant numbers. Timekeeping was dominated by grand and stationary mechanisms, with tower clocks or ornate table pieces, serving both practical and symbolic purposes as a show of wealth and status. Watches, if present at all, were nascent and extremely rare. The first clocks and watches were expensive luxuries and only in the reach of royalty and landed gentry. There was, however, a sufficient demand for these items in the Tudor royal court which spread to a prosperous London. The beginnings of the horological industry were probably first initiated by King Henry VIII. During this period there was somewhat of a technical revolution, starting with the invention of the printing press which changed the way people received information. This filtered through to the court where there was a revoluti...
Fratello
A decade ago, Arthur Gerbi, founder of the Merci concept store at 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais in Paris, introduced the first watch under the Merci Instruments name. Like John Mayer at the time, he felt that traditional watchmaking houses no longer adequately accounted for the expectations of true enthusiasts. The watches under the Merci Instruments brand […] Visit Hands-On With The New Merci Instruments Beaumarchais Collection - A Sextet Of Thoughtful And Affordable Watches to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Everything’s bigger in Texas-and that fact continues to ring true for the Windup Watch Fair Dallas. Returning for its second year and expanding into a full three-day event, the Fair once again took over the Hickory Street Annex, transforming the historic industrial space into a buzzing hub of watches, conversation, and community. With more than 40 brands in attendance, the show floor was packed with everything from established Lead Sponsors like Christopher Ward, Junghans, and Oris to rising independents, alongside a strong showing Miyota, our Official Movement Sponsor, and from Texas-based brands gathered together in our “Texas Roundup” area, deep in the heart of Windup. As always, the show delivered what Windup does best: a hands-on, approachable environment where enthusiasts and newcomers alike could try on watches, meet the people behind the brand, and share in the collective enthusiasm that defines the weekend. But as much as Windup is about watches, Dallas proved once again that it was just as much about the experience. Across the weekend, attendees found plenty to do beyond the booths-whether that meant taking in live art from Sunflowerman, snagging a swig at the Bruichladdich bar, learning about Miyota mechanical movements, or spending time in the Accutron Lounge diving into Tuning Fork and Electrostatic tech. It all added up to the kind of layered, come-as-you-are atmosphere that has become the hallmark of the Fair, which Texas wears well. Came for th...
Fratello
Dive watches remain the most democratic category in watchmaking. While certain icons now cost several thousand euros, the truth is that the core DNA of the dive watch, robustness, legibility, and reliability, is still alive and well in far more accessible territory. In fact, €1,000 might just be the sweet spot. At this level, you’ll […] Visit What Are 10 Of The Best Dive Watches Under €1,000? - Featuring Citizen, Seiko, Baltic, Doxa, Certina, And More to read the full article.
Fratello
This introduction article is a bit different from the majority of release articles. Sure, I will go into the watch, the Jack Mason Palmera Skin Diver. However, it is the sales model that I find most interesting about this release. Jack Mason introduces this watch alongside a new program called Born & Raised, a “founder […] Visit Introducing: The Jack Mason Palmera Skin Diver And A New Way Of Bringing Watches To Market to read the full article.
Hodinkee
From Dakar to Le Mans, WRC to Formula 1, to road safety and spinal cord research, Jean Todt's collection of watches reflects the remarkable and multifaceted passions that have defined his life.
Fratello
A watch brand that arguably creates some of the most spectacular watches with skeletonized movements gives these pieces the moniker “Openworked.” However, this term also applies to watches with a cut-away dial, which allows a view of the movement. Not only does my spell checker see “openworked” as a spelling mistake, but watch enthusiasts and […] Visit Do You Know The Difference Between Openworked And Skeletonized Watches? You Should to read the full article.
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.
SJX Watches
Each year I find it surprisingly difficult to crystalise what I want to see from Watches & Wonders – perhaps I find it hard to hope for things I know will never come. Sometimes dreams aren’t logistically possible. For example, a compact Spring Drive chronograph probably isn’t reasonable given Grand Seiko already has its hands full scaling production of another new Spring Drive movement. At other times, imagination is bound by brand strategy: Cartier could easily steal the show with a quartz Crash Must priced along the same lines as a Tank Must – but never will. But I believe that the following watches, which I’d like to see from Patek Philippe, Grand Seiko and Credor, and Tudor are plausible enough to hope for. The following images were created without the use of generative AI. Patek Philippe In 2023, Patek Philippe launched the ref. 5316/50P, a minute repeating tourbillon with retrograde perpetual calendar and smoked sapphire dial. It remains among the brand’s best complicated offerings, other than the ref. 6301p, at least in my view. Last year Patek Philippe followed up with the ref. 6159G, which featured a smoked sapphire dial and the same perpetual calendar on a more pedestrian base movement. But if there is one reference more deserving of the smoked sapphire treatment than any other, it is the ref. 5236p in-line perpetual calendar, as imagined below in platinum. In 2021, Patek Philippe revived the historic in-line perpetual calendar, which is strongly asso...
Monochrome
People often say “bigger is better”, but also “big things come in small packages”. While both statements can be very true in multiple aspects of life, it also goes for watches. In some instances, you want a bit of size and heft in a watch, while on other occasions, you want something a bit more […]
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...
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
The post A Conversation with Jim Wirth of GiantMouse Knives on Watches, Knives, and Their Zodiac Collaboration appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Teddy Baldassarre
While I’m sure the internet primarily knows me as a watch writer/teeny tiny watch enthusiast, a lesser-known fact about me is that I used to teach English abroad in the first couple of years after I graduated from college. I might not have kids myself, but I do think this experience makes me uniquely qualified to scour the internet for the best kids' watches available today, and synthesize them into an easily digestible guide for those who want to share their love of watches with a young one in their life. From back in my classroom days, I know that durability and practicality are essential ingredients to a great watch for kids. I’ll also be going for a broad stylistic range, from the fun and playful to the more sophisticated, to account for both elementary school-age kids and those entering their tween years. Additionally, it does not strike me as wise to invest major cash into a child’s first watch, unless you are getting one early to then gift it to them at a more appropriate age, so I’ve also gone for the affordability factor as well. [toc-section heading="Timex Time Machines"] In my opinion, Timex currently has one of the most impressive ranges of kids' watches, making pieces geared towards pre-schoolers all the way to tweens and teens. Dubbed the Time Machines collection by the brand, a huge drawis that all the brand’s kids’ watches come with a replacement program in case your little one happens to break or lose their new watch. Additionally, the highes...
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
Ceramic watches not only offer a host of practical attributes, such as lightness, hardness, scratch-resistance and hypoallergenic properties, but also, increasingly, a very intriguing range of color options as watch manufacturers continue to explore the science of ceramics and refine their own ceramic-making processes. In this article we take a brief look at the history and the technology of ceramics in watchmaking and showcase (in ascending order of price) more than a dozen of the best ceramic watches on the market today. [toc-section heading="Defining Ceramics"] First off, it’s worth clarifying what we’re talking about when we refer to “ceramics” in terms of watchmaking (as opposed to, say, pottery). In scientific terms, a ceramic can be succinctly defined as “an inorganic non-metallic solid made up of either metal or non-metal compounds that have been shaped and then hardened by heating to high temperatures.” While the word “ceramic” comes from a Greek word referring to pottery (keramikós), it has come to be associated with other materials including glass, cement, and what are generally called high-tech or “advanced” ceramics, as in the type used in aerospace, automotive, electronic and other industrial applications, including watchmaking. Whereas pottery and its various subtypes - earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, to name the major ones - all use types of clay as their main ingredient, advanced ceramics utilizes a far more wide-ranging and c...
Monochrome
Let’s set the scene and see what happens when you mix some great ingredients together. On one side, take one of the best-kept secrets on the independent watchmaking scene, one of the sole guardians of Austrian watchmaking, Habring². Next, bring into the equation our friends at SJX Watches, a highly respected watch media (named after […]
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Big I Design Unveils the Ti Manu Big I Design, the Tennessee-based “one-stop shop for titanium EDC accessories”, unveiled their newest knife design, the Ti Manu. Designed in collaboration with Ken Onion Jr, son of the Legendary Ken Onion, the Manu retains Big I’s “two screw” design, and is the first time that Big I has worked with an outside designer on one of their knives. Currently available to order through Kickstarter, the Manu features a 3.25” S90v blade with a flat grind modified drop point, Grade 5 Ti scales, and can be configured to use either washers or bearings, a feature not many knives offer. With dual thumbstuds and a reversible pocket clip, the Manu can feel right at home in the pocket of left and right-handed EDC enthusiasts. For more information on the all-new Manu, visit the Kickstarter page. Leucadia Blade Co’s LandShark Two California-based knife brands, Pro-tech Knives and Leucadia Blade Co, have teamed up to release an all-new fixed blade design dubbed the LandShark. Crafted from legendary MagnaCut steel, the LandShark features a 3.5” drop point blade, 8” overall length, and weighs in at 4 ounces while offering a unique combinatio...
Fratello
Flying on Tuesdays or Wednesdays is usually the friendliest for your wallet. And the month of March also falls into that category. Excuse me for getting a little ahead of myself. Let me explain why I’m providing these potentially superfluous travel tips. The reason is a watch event taking place in Tokyo, Japan. From March […] Visit Seiko To Host The “Power Design Project Presents: Passionately And Obsessively Crafted Watches” Exhibition to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
The post A History and Guide to ROBOT Watches appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Time+Tide
The watches that the highly-anticipated games' protagonists wear have both now been immortalised with real-life limited editions.The post Hamilton joins forces with Resident Evil Requiem for pair of stealthy limited edition in-game watches, and they’re now available in real life appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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