Two Broke Watch Snobs
Hands-On Review: Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Broad Arrow Inter.Bezel
Hands-on review of the Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Broad Arrow – Inter.Bezel, a vintage-inspired chronograph with snap-on bezel versatility.
Results for Neo-Vintage
3,088 articles · 131 videos found · page 73 of 108
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Fratello
Hands-On With Two Handsome Hanhart 415 ES Panda Chronographs
Many modern chronographs strive to strike a balance between vintage appeal and modern build quality. Few of those efforts result in a package as appealing as the Hanhart 415 ES Panda chronographs. These models revisit a 1960s design while delivering features expected in a contemporary tool watch. I had the chance to go hands-on with […] Visit Hands-On With Two Handsome Hanhart 415 ES Panda Chronographs to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Bulova & Caravelle Revive the Sea Hunter ‘Devil Diver’, Priced Under $400
Bulova’s Caravelle revives the Caravelle Devil Diver: a 39mm automatic dive watch with 200m WR, vintage charm, and $375 price tag.
Hodinkee
Nivada Grenchen Antarctic GMT Limited Edition for Hodinkee
Introducing the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic GMT Limited Edition for Hodinkee, our take on a rare vintage design, featuring a subtle grey motif, upgraded sapphire crystal, water resistance, and a healthy dose of fully luminous printing.
Fratello
I Found My Ultimate Dive Watch: The Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600
Rolex has always produced watches that I have gravitated towards. For a long time, though, I grappled with some of the modern baggage that the brand has taken on. Modern Rolex sports watches have a certain bling factor that turns me off. The problem is that vintage Rolex watches are either unobtainable or, if I […] Visit I Found My Ultimate Dive Watch: The Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 to read the full article.
Monochrome
First Look - The Glistening MeisterSinger Pangaea Aventurine
MeisterSinger is well known for its single-handed collections with popular lines like ?01 & ?03 and Neo with their classic styling and accessible prices. The latest Pangaea Aventurine model takes the best of the above collections and adds a starry nighttime vibe and a stylised, classic needle-shaped hand (the latter from the 365 series). The […]
Monochrome
Introducing - The Tissot Ballade COSC Powermatic Collection
When it comes to delivering classic-looking, good-quality watches that are usually fully equipped and nicely finished, you can always count on Tissot. Whether it’s a sporty, integrated watch, such as the PRX Automatic, a vintage-looking looker, such as the PR516, a modern all-rounder like the Gentleman or something elegantly old-school as the Heritage 1938 COSC, […]
Teddy Baldassarre
When Were Wristwatches Invented?
Even though it seems like watches have been around forever - at least judging by the ongoing heat of the pre-owned and vintage market and its influence on modern design - they are actually a relatively modern addition to human civilization, and have only been widely worn on the wrist for a little over 100 years. The history of the watch, however, has roots that run far deeper, to the very beginnings of timekeeping by humans. Here we briefly explore the watch’s origins and its development into a modern-day accessory and tool and attempt to answer the question, "When were wristwatches invented?" (Very) Early Timekeeping Modern timekeeping devices can all be traced back to the sundials and water clocks developed by the ancient Egyptians and used by the early Babylonians, Greeks, and Chinese. The influence of these ancient methods and devices resonates deeply to this day when it comes to contemporary timekeeping. In fact, it’s even made for some questionable stories that have nonetheless been shared as a type of folk history. For example, it is said that the clockwise movement of a clock is due to early timekeepers mimicking the movement of sundials, which, obviously, move from east to west. Of course, this theory doesn’t take into account that it would only hold true in the Northern Hemisphere, as someone in the southern hemisphere would see the sundial move counterclockwise. But back to what we know to be true... These relatively primitive devices eventually gave r...
Fratello
Introducing: The Dennison ALD Dual Time Collection
When Dennison revealed its ALD series in late 2024, we were initially skeptical. The ’70s-inspired minimalist watches with quartz movements seemed to capitalize on a burgeoning trend for similarly styled vintage pieces. Yet, in person, the moderately-sized Dennison ALD watches convinced all of us on the team. Stone or wooden dials at an attractive price […] Visit Introducing: The Dennison ALD Dual Time Collection to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Introducing: Nolan Daniel White Teams Up With Copenhagen-Based TAWC To Launch Limited Edition Watch
White's sterling silver tribute to vintage design honors Art Deco principles while feeling contemporary.
Worn & Wound
Albishorn Introduces the Marinagraph, a Unique Regatta Timer
Albishorn has accomplished quite a bit in its first year. It was around this time in 2024 that we were introduced to the brand through a collaboration with Wiiliam Massena. The Maxigraph introduced the tantalizing concept of the brand in an easily digestible way: these would be “imaginary vintage” watches inspired by alternate versions of watch history. It’s a clever spin on the well understood and perhaps overused idea of the “vintage inspired” watch that allows for a great deal more creativity and whimsy. Zach Weiss recently reviewed the Albishorn Type 10 and was impressed with both the execution and concept behind the piece. The new Marinagraph, available in two versions, is the next iteration of the Albishorn project. On its surface, this is a chronograph inspired by the classic regatta timer. And, in some ways, it’s exactly that. But of course Albishorn has crafted a much more interesting story behind the Marinagraph, which is based on telling the “untold chapter in the evolution of the skin diver chronograph.” Albishorn says that the Marinagraph story starts with the 1958 running of the America’s Cup, the sailing competition that was first contested in 1851. The 1958 race was the first one after a period of dormancy, and introduced 12-Meter class yachts to the competition, which represented a significant advancement in technology to the sport, carrying sailing into a new, modern era. The Marinagraph is a watch that might have accompanied the cre...
SJX Watches
Albishorn Counts Down to First Anniversary with Marinagraph
We’ve been following Albishorn since the brand launched just shy of a year ago, and have enjoyed the themes the brand has chosen to explore with its ‘imaginary vintage’ concept. After applying this formula to aviation and mountaineering, the Marinagraph returns to the brand’s patented regatta countdown function for another take on the yachting chronograph. Available in classic black or sunray brushed teal dial finishes, the Marinagraph adds an aluminium bezel insert to provide at-a-glance reading of the current state of the local tides. Each version is limited to 99 pieces, which will be produced in small batches over the next three years. Initial thoughts Albishorn made its debut with a regatta timer, and it’s nice to see another foray into this genre to mark the brand’s first anniversary. Though regatta timers are surely among the least useful complications, the Marinagraph adds a tide bezel that adds a simple way for coastal buyers to monitor their local tides. As a seaside resident myself, I find this feature quite charming and it seems on-brand for Albishorn. Two dial colours are on offer, each limited to 99 (non-numbered) pieces. I prefer the classic black dial, which feels more in line with the imaginary vintage theme, but the sunburst teal dial, dubbed Paraíba Racing, is arguably more on trend with the prevailing tastes of the moment. The Marinagraph retains the best elements of Albishorn’s previous chronographs, namely its distinctive bowl-shaped be...
WatchAdvice
Raymond Weil Millésime Tri-Compax Review - The Best Colourway Yet?
The Raymond Weil Millésime Tri-Compax Rose Gold is a timepiece that blends vintage-inspired design with modern execution and just the right amount of flair. From the case finishing to the tri-compax sector dial, this watch doesn’t just look good, it feels special on the wrist! What We Love The rose gold PVD finish truly enhances the watch’s luxurious appeal with the various finishes on the case. Sector dial layout with tri-compax subdials that balance complexity with elegance. Vintage-inspired design reimagined with modern-day elegance. What We Don’t The leather strap feels limiting for daily wear due to long-term durability concerns. No clasp option offered. Constant use of the pin buckle can wear out the strap quicker. The case may look thick from the side, which might put off some wearers despite wearing slimmer in person Overall Rating: 8.9/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 It was only two short years ago that Raymond Weil unveiled their Millésimecollection. Raymond Weil’s creative elegance, innovative technology, and Swiss-made excellence were all rolled into one collection. The brand paid homage to the rich heritage and traditions of horology, which can easily be seen through the vintage-inspired case and dial design. The Millésime collection pays tribute to the golden age of watchmaking from the 1930s to 1960s. The word Millésime, meaning “vintage” or “vintage year” in French, couldn’t be more fit...
Teddy Baldassarre
Longines Legend Diver Review
The Longines Legend Diver is one of the brand’s most popular and lauded vintage-inspired watches due to its distinct style and tremendous value for money. The original Legend Diver that serves as the template for the contemporary iterations is the Super Compressor Diver Ref. 7042 that was launched back in 1959. In 2007, Longines debuted the Heritage Revival, which was a faithful reissue that was followed up with a date-window version in 2009. Fast forward to 2017 and Longines began to expand this collection to include options like a Milanese bracelet as well as a 36mm iteration to join the existing 42mm model. Then in 2023, we saw the Longines Legend Diver debut in a 39mm wide case that serves as the template for the white-dial iteration I review here. Of course, this is a truncated version of the Longines Legend Diver story, and you can read the full version by our resident historian Mark Bernardo here. There are currently eight dial-color variations in the Longines Legend Diver family: beige, black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, and white, which is the most recent and the one I am going to get into here. If I had to pick a favorite, it might actually be the orange, which is more of a muted terra cotta that looks just excellent. That said, the white-dial model introduced earlier this year is a sleeper diver that stays with you long after you first see it. It’s not too difficult to nail a watch when you’ve mastered dial color techniques the way Longines has, but ...
Worn & Wound
Anoma Introduces the A1 Optical, Inspired by the Optical Art Movement
Anoma has quickly emerged as one of our favorite small independents making truly interesting, design forward watches. Few watches point more toward the enormous pendulum swing away from straightforward vintage inspired sports watches than the brand’s A1, introduced in the summer of last year. It’s more than just a watch with a uniquely shaped case – it’s a deliberate design exercise by brand founder Matteo Violet Vianello, and illustrates that rather than taking design inspiration from other watches, you can find shapes and textures to emulate in furniture, art, and the natural world. It’s also just an extremely well made object at a price point that feels fair for the originality of the design, and watch enthusiasts seem to agree. Vinaello says his waitlist is currently ten times longer than the number of watches available. Anoma’s latest is the A1 Optical, which takes the same, vaguely triangular case shape and adds an engraved dial inspired Optical Art. Also known as Op Art, this was an art movement that has its origins in the 1960s and can be characterized by the use of abstract geometric patterns formed to create optical illusions. Optical Art will often play with the viewer’s perception of depth and movement to create the kinds of objects and imagery that have us questioning our senses. The engraved dial on the new A1 is created with a sharp and very fine tool that is used to carve into the dial’s metal base. A total of fifty slightly offset trian...
Monochrome
The Petrolhead Corner - The Ian Callum Designed Wood & Pickett Mini
The Mini, a true motoring icon that needs little introduction. Say the name, and everyone with even the slightest notion of cars knows exactly what you’re talking about. Loved for its cutesy design, it put millions of people on the road. It’s a regular at car shows and vintage racing events, as this compact little […]
Worn & Wound
Hands-On: the Aera M-1 Blackbird
Is it too late to dub the summer of 2025 “Black Watch Summer”? That might be how I remember this particular season. The watch I’ve worn most, by far, as the temps have soared is my Ming 37.09 “Uni,” a blacked out void of a watch if ever there was one. And a few weeks ago at Windup I purchased my first vintage watch in ages, a DLC coated Favre-Leuba chronograph that I couldn’t pass on. And now, as we’re fully in the dog days, I sit here with the new Aera Instruments M-1 Blackbird on my wrist, another cool, sleek, blacked out watch that bolsters the notion that Aera is one of the most interesting accessible indies of the moment. I reviewed Aera’s D-1 dive watch a few years ago, and the tone of that review was one of pleasant surprise. At the time, the brand was in the midst of launching their second collection, and from the photos and press materials I had seen, I was struggling to make sense of why this brand needed to exist. That might seem like a harsh standard, but we live in a period where it’s incredibly easy to churn out incredibly generic sports watches for minimal money and talent that absolutely no one needs. The whole point of this website, as I see it, is to find the stuff that has a real reason to be made because it offers something different. So I was surprised to find that the D-1 subverted my expectations by flipping the idea of a dive watch on its head. It kind of looks like a generic dive watch at a glance, but every single detail is act...
Hodinkee
Auctions: Pharrell Williams' JOOPITER Hosts Its First Dedicated Watch Auction - The Art Of Time
Highlighted by custom-order Cartier and possibly unique vintage pieces, JOOPITER's curated watch sale has a clear point of view.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Unimatic Diving Heritage Collection
The Italian brand injects some sun-baked aesthetic into its newest vintage-inspired collection.
Monochrome
First Look - The Two-Tone Luminescence of the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Diver Aquamar
Since its revival in 2020, Nivada Grenchen has been something of a secret among collectors of vintage dive watches, with reeditions of some of its cult tool watches produced between 1950 and 1970 at accessible prices. Founded in 1926, Nivada Grenchen produced its first automatic and waterproof watch, the Antarctic, in 1950. Put to the […]
SJX Watches
Up Close: Patek Philippe Retrograde Perpetual Calendar Ref. 6159G
Just launched earlier this year, the Patek Philippe Retrograde Perpetual Calendar Ref. 6159G-001 is the latest in a long line of perpetual calendars with retrograde date, dating to 1993 in the modern day and even further with vintage watches. Though essentially identical in terms of function and display, the ref. 6159G is the most modern take on the concept to date, while being entirely improved in terms of the movement and case. The key elements that distinguish the ref. 6159G are the dial and case: the translucent sapphire dial is tinted in grey and black, while the case sports a bezel and case back finished with clous de Paris guilloche. It’s an unusual combination, but appealing overall, although some elements, like the generous dose of lume, feel out of place. Initial thoughts Patek Philippe’s catalogue is still mostly classically oriented, with watches like the Calatrava ref. 6196P capturing the traditional Patek Philippe style. But the brand has been moving towards a more modern aesthetic. Not all the attempts in the direction have been successful, but the ref. 6159G fortunately manages to do it well. Being modern in flavour also sets the ref. 6159G apart from its predecessors like the ref. 5159. While earlier generations of the retrograde perpetual calendar were fairly evolutionary in style, the ref. 6159G is visually unique. Fundamentally, the ref. 6159G is not exceptionally novel – but it looks good. The hobnail bezel and sapphire dial is a surprising combi...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Lorier Merlin Delivers Military Heritage Without the Hefty Price Tag
The Lorier Merlin is a $550 pilot watch inspired by WWII RAF design. Featuring a locking bezel and vintage styling, it offers standout value.
Fratello
Hands-On With The Albishorn Thundergraph Himalaya
There’s something about watches with a story - even if the story is almost entirely made up. When I strapped on Albishorn’s third model, the Thundergraph Himalaya, I wasn’t just wearing a watch but also connecting to a moment in history. Inspired by the 1952 Swiss expedition to Mount Everest, this watch combines vintage charm, […] Visit Hands-On With The Albishorn Thundergraph Himalaya to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Typsim 100M
A vintage-inspired modern watch, done the old-fashioned way.
Worn & Wound
Seiko Commemorates the World Athletics Championships with a Limited Edition Purple Speedtimer
The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer is one of those watches that is just incredibly easy to recommend. It runs on a solar powered quartz movement, which makes it ultra practical and reliable. It’s styled to look a little like classic vintage chronographs that we love, but isn’t an on-the-nose recreation of any in particular. And they come in an easy to wear 39mm case, a fairly neutral size for just about any wrist. They’re also relatively affordable, coming in well under $1,000. Seiko has released several of these “SSC” Speedtimers in recent years in a variety of colorways. The latest is a limited edition for the World Athletics Championships, which this year returns to Tokyo for the first time in 34 years. Seiko has been the official timekeeper of the World Athletics organization since 1987 and has made a number of watches to commemorate the partnership in that time. This Speedtimer would seem to capitalize on a fairly persistent trend in the watch world: the purple dial. According to Seiko, the tone of this dial in particular is inspired by “Edo purple”, a shade long associated with the city of Tokyo. This color has also been designated as the official color of this year’s World Athletics Championships event. The purple base is accented with black chronograph subdials and a black tachymeter bezel, along with applied faceted hour markers and lume filled hands that have been outlined in black for increased legibility. The black and purple combination works w...
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds: A Fun Digital Seiko from the Year Star Wars Premiered, a Hamilton with a Unique History, and a Zodiac Sea Wolf in Great Condition
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 Zodiac Sea Wolf The Zodiac Sea Wolf is an absolute icon in the vintage dive watch world, and this early metal bezel version is a nice example. There were many iterations of the Sea Wolf, with various bezel materials, dial colors and date/no date versions. This black dial, date with metal bezel is an earlier combination, and definitely sought after. The plated bezel is usually pretty worn, and the lume can be degraded or re-done on these. This example has a nice clean black dial with great lume on the dial and hands, and the bezel is in top shape. The crown is also original and signed with the Zodiac logo as it should. No movement pictures but the seller states the watch runs well. View auction here Vintage 1970s Bulova Jet Star Here’s a wild vintage Bulova from 1974, that looks every bit the 70s watch. The 40mm gold plated UFO style case is excellent and unpolished, still showing the original radial brushed finish. The case may draw your eye, but it’s the bold two-tone orange dial that keeps you looking! The dial is a bright orange that turns darker at the outer edge. Applied markers outlined in brighter orange and steel and white hands with a day-date window at 3 o’...
Fratello
Hands-On With The Laventure Marine Type 3 - A Specialized Instrument In Grade 23 Titanium
Just in time for summer, Clément Gaud presents us with the lightest and smallest Laventure watch to date. The Marine Type 3, available with either a black or full-lume white dial, features a case crafted from Grade 23 titanium. Like all of Clément’s watches, the Marine Type 3’s design takes inspiration from vintage timepieces. This […] Visit Hands-On With The Laventure Marine Type 3 - A Specialized Instrument In Grade 23 Titanium to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Biver Carillon Tourbillon Signature Series
The last of the Biver Carillon Tourbillons get a vintage-inspired facelift.
Fratello
Restoring An Old Art Deco Oris Watch Found In A Suitcase
Last year, I shared the story of finding an Art Deco Oris watch in a suitcase. I had been looking through the case at a vintage shop here in Sydney when I saw something glistening. It turned out to be a rather battered and rusty Oris watch. It didn’t run, but I liked the dial […] Visit Restoring An Old Art Deco Oris Watch Found In A Suitcase to read the full article.
Fratello
Hands-On With The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph × Gulf
Like many watch brands, TAG Heuer regularly produces limited or special editions. The difference, and advantage, however, is the brand’s history and involvement with top-tier motorsports. Legions of racers wore vintage Heuer watches during the golden age of racing in the 1960s. None, though, stand out quite like the Monaco. The groundbreaking square watch is […] Visit Hands-On With The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph × Gulf to read the full article.