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Results for Taste of Time 2026

34,582 articles · 172 videos found · page 770 of 1159

[VIDEO] Owner’s Review: the Vertex M60 Aqualion ND Worn & Wound
Rolex Feb 14, 2025

[VIDEO] Owner’s Review: the Vertex M60 Aqualion ND

“If you’ve heard the phrase ‘one-watch guy,’ you’re likely far beyond being one.” I’ve used that line a lot the last few years. In the last decade, the collective watch community has evangelized the ‘one-watch guy,’ transforming the concept from a simple idea into a lionized ideal rooted in the days when the Don Drapers of the world would get home from work, roll up their sleeves, and mow the lawn in cordovan loafers, Oxford cloth shirts, and a 4-digit Rolex. For better or for worse (honestly, mostly for better), we don’t live in that world anymore. Start looking around, and you’ll quickly realize that the modern one-watch guy is far more likely to own an Apple Watch or Garmin than a 1016. And yet, the theory of the ‘one-watch guy’ continues to permeate, no doubt helped along by people like me who keep writing story intros like this one. There’s a romantic simplicity to the idea; a sense that, if a collector can somehow encapsulate their taste into a single watch, they have achieved the ultimate in collecting prowess, or at least some advanced level of enthusiast zen. Generally, ‘zen’ is not a word I would use to describe myself, and I’m certainly not a one-watch guy, but I can understand why the concept holds appeal. In collecting, as in so many things, constraint can be a gift, forcing our own perspective into stark relief and keeping us accountable to our taste. From that perspective, a one-watch collection is the ultimate constraint, a...

Grand Seiko Sport Collection Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Grand Seiko Feb 14, 2025

Grand Seiko Sport Collection Guide

After a relatively short time in the international market — and an even shorter time as a truly independent brand rather than an elevated product family — Grand Seiko has indisputably come into its own as a top-tier luxury watchmaker. Despite the inescapable fact that it still shares ownership and an industrial base with the parent Seiko brand, Grand Seiko has successfully put distance between its high-end output and Seiko’s more accessible, mass-market offerings. In fact, one could argue that enthusiasts and collectors have largely pigeonholed Grand Seiko as the luxurious, elegant dress watch brand and “Regular” Seiko as the sports- and tool-watch brand. But this perception would not be entirely accurate. Grand Seiko makes its own fair share of sporty timepieces with robustly built cases, less-than-modest case dimensions, and practical functions and complications, despite packaging all of these attributes into timepieces that are distinctly more luxurious — and accordingly more pricey — than their Seiko counterparts. Most of these watches fall within the aptly named Sport collection, which made its official debut in 2017, the same year that Grand Seiko established itself as its own brand.  The roots of the Sport family DNA reach back significantly further — starting in 1998, with the launch of the Caliber 9S5 inside the first automatic Grand Seiko in more than 20 years, and continuing through the introduction of the first Grand Seiko model with a GMT func...

Fratello’s Top 5 Pre-Owned Entry-Level Rolex Models Fratello
Rolex Models Another Friday another Feb 14, 2025

Fratello’s Top 5 Pre-Owned Entry-Level Rolex Models

Another Friday, another list! This week, we’re highlighting the best entry-level Rolex models you can buy pre-owned for an affordable price. A few weeks ago, we looked at five great Rolex Datejusts. While searching for the best picks, I saw many more great non-Datejust options. That inspired this week’s list of five pre-owned Rolex models […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Pre-Owned Entry-Level Rolex Models to read the full article.

Introducing – Grand Seiko Unveils Three Cherry Blossom-Themed 62GS Watches, Including a New, Smaller Size Monochrome
Grand Seiko Unveils Three Cherry Blossom-Themed Feb 14, 2025

Introducing – Grand Seiko Unveils Three Cherry Blossom-Themed 62GS Watches, Including a New, Smaller Size

Grand Seiko anticipates the cherry blossom season in Japan – Sakura-Kakushi – with three models from its Heritage collection inspired by the annual blooming. Flaunting textured dials, one of Grand Seiko’s fortes, the new references respond to the current demand for more compact case sizes. Inspired by the design language laid down by Seiko’s first […]

Review: Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 45GS SLGW005 SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 45GS SLGW005 Feb 14, 2025

Review: Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 45GS SLGW005

Grand Seiko announced in September last year a vintage remake inspired by the 45GS of 1968, the Heritage Collection 45GS Re-creation, which was launched as the SLGW005 in steel and the SLGW004 in yellow gold. In contrast to the many recent Grand Seiko releases with modern styling, the 45SG Re-creation is refreshing in being a revival of an iconic design, right down to the double-signed dial. Yet, the model also sports the brand’s latest generation manual-wind movement, the 9SA4. As the more accessible model of the two – retail is a little under US$10,000 – the steel SLGW005 deserves a closer look to understand how it smartly melds old and new. Initial thoughts Aesthetically, the SLGW005 stands out as a distinctively vintage design, from the case and dial to the buckle. This is all the more so since it is the first release since Grand Seiko’s rebranding in 2017, when all models eliminated “Seiko” in favour of only “Grand Seiko”, to feature the brand’s historical double-signed “Seiko” and “GS” dial. I am personally fond of this detail, as the double logo balances the dial aesthetically. But preferences aside, the external components are indeed excellent, from the dial work down to the faceted case. Despite the traditional exterior, the internals are modern – almost paradoxically so. Sporting the brand’s proprietary Dual Impulse Escapement, the 9SA4 inside is entirely different than the 1960s cal. 4520 found in the 45GS. On paper, it is a high-s...

First Look – The Cleaner, Smaller 40mm Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture by Watch Angels Monochrome
Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture Feb 13, 2025

First Look – The Cleaner, Smaller 40mm Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture by Watch Angels

First introduced in 2012, the Frederique Constant Classics Worldtimer Manufacture quickly became one of the brand’s best-selling models for being an accessible take on the complication. Over the years, it has been released in various materials and colours, often as limited editions that are no longer available. While undeniably a handsome timepiece with strong credentials, […]

Hands-On: the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Worn & Wound
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Feb 13, 2025

Hands-On: the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton

There’s no sports watch that I have a stronger connection to than the Zenith Defy. I’ve long told anyone who would listen that the Defy is, bar none, my favorite sports watch collection. From its inception, the Defy has been a watch associated with pushing both design and watchmaking boundaries, through the use of uncommon materials, avant-garde designs, and over-the-top specs. For whatever sports watch from a major Swiss brand you can name, I could probably think of a Defy that matches it in terms of what it can do, and eclipses it in terms of the always hard to quantify cool factor. Yes, of course this is subjective. But, I mean, is it really?  Now that we’ve established that I love the Defy potentially all out of proportion, we can consider the latest entry in the growing collection, the Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton. This is a combination of words that were always meant to meet in the form of a Defy – the writing has been on the wall since the intro of the first Defy Skyline, or least since the introduction of the Skyline Chronograph. One of the nice things about the Defy, as a collection, is that it truly offers a different flavor of the core watch for every taste, with dials that are skeletonized, or not, cases that are made from steel, or ceramic, and now chronographs offering some of those same decision points.  My feelings on the Defy Skyline collection oscillate quite a bit. Whenever I put one on, I can’t help but compare it in my mind to the Defy...

Why This $20 Casio Forester Is Watch-Snob Approved Teddy Baldassarre
Casio Feb 13, 2025

Why This $20 Casio Forester Is Watch-Snob Approved

I will admit to being fairly hard to please when it comes to my watches. After a decade in watch media and several more years as an enthusiast, I’ve seen and handled just about every type and brand of watch out there, so, yeah, one gets a little jaded. But every now and then a watch comes along that is truly appealing with a price that isn’t accessible or affordable but actually just cheap. This Casio Forester is such a watch. This article contains no affiliate links or commission. Amidst the countless tributes to late U.S. President Jimmy Carter a few weeks ago, I noticed a photo I had never seen before in which he was wearing an ana-digi watch. After some sleuthing I learned it was a Casio Forester FT600WB-5BV, a watch I have never really thought about or even worn. Still I was intrigued by its Presidential provenance and got to Googling and, while the ana-digi seems to be discontinued, I was even more pleased to see a very attractive contemporary Casio Forester listed at just around $20 at several sellers including Amazon and Walmart. So I said, “What the hell?” and bought the FT500WC-3BVCF, which comes in a black and forest green colorway. I was tempted by the other two offerings as well: the all-black FT500WC-1BVCF and the brown/tan FT500WC-5BVCF. I’ll be honest and say my expectations were pretty low. I mean, we’re talking about a $20 watch in a resin case. Well, to my surprise, I kind of fell in love with it as soon as I opened up the packaging. The qual...

Frederique Constant Refines the Worldtimer Manufacture SJX Watches
Frederique Constant Refines Feb 13, 2025

Frederique Constant Refines the Worldtimer Manufacture

Known for its value-oriented timepieces, Frederique Constant partnered Swiss crowdfunding specialist Watch Angels to reimagine the Worldtimer Manufacture. Now in a 40 mm format with a cleaner aesthetic, the limited-edition of 718 pieces will only be available for purchase through Watch Angels’ online shop via a pre-order. Initial thoughts Frederique Constant has some interesting and accessible models, ranging from perpetual calendars to tourbillons and even a flexural pivot monolithic oscillator. The Geneva-based brand is mostly a player in the under-CHF5,000 segment, with a focus on in-house engineering. This latest iteration of the Worldtimer Manufacture is a good example of Frederique Constant’s approach to blending appealing designs with in-house mechanics, while keeping the price accessible. This new release builds on the successful Classic Worldtimer Manufacture collection, but with a streamlined design and reduced case size. It looks like Watch Angels took the lead with the design, opting for a clean layout, strong blue hues and sharp case lines. In contrast to the original that has a fussy design with a world map dial, the new version is functional but still elegantly detailed. The reduced case size, cleaner dial, and sharp finishing make this a compelling worldtime complication timepiece. Furthermore, the limited edition costs virtually the same as the regular production model, making this collaboration very appealing. More broadly, the partnership between Fr...

First Look – An Anthracite Dial for the Norqain Freedom 60 GMT Bronze Monochrome
Norqain Freedom 60 GMT Bronze Feb 13, 2025

First Look – An Anthracite Dial for the Norqain Freedom 60 GMT Bronze

In just seven years, Norqain has consolidated its position as a producer of sporty, robust, adventure-inspired watches. Following its partnership with movement manufacture Kenissi in 2020, one of the first models to benefit from the deal was its traveller’s GMT model, the Freedom 60 GMT. Appearing with blue, green and brown dials, the latest bronze […]

Modern Brands That Should Offer Quartz - Rolex, Omega, Ming, And More Fratello
Omega Ming Feb 13, 2025

Modern Brands That Should Offer Quartz - Rolex, Omega, Ming, And More

Quartz movements were once seen as the ticking death knell of the mechanical watch industry. Many collectors scoff at these electronic pieces and will not consider them. However, there are pockets of enthusiasts who enjoy finely crafted quartz movements in equally well-made cases. Perhaps the largest knock on quartz is that its movements lack the […] Visit Modern Brands That Should Offer Quartz - Rolex, Omega, Ming, And More to read the full article.

Get Your €100K+ Speedy Now! Omega Offers The Speedmaster Calibre 321 With A New Platinum Flat-Link Bracelet Fratello
Omega Offers Feb 13, 2025

Get Your €100K+ Speedy Now! Omega Offers The Speedmaster Calibre 321 With A New Platinum Flat-Link Bracelet

The first Speedmaster to hit retail with a six-figure price is here! Well, that’s if you don’t count the complicated Speedmaster Chrono Chime. Omega introduces the platinum Speedmaster Calibre 321  with a material-matching flat-link bracelet, and at our local AD in The Hague, the price of that most prestigious Speedy is €107,500. If you’re in […] Visit Get Your €100K+ Speedy Now! Omega Offers The Speedmaster Calibre 321 With A New Platinum Flat-Link Bracelet to read the full article.

Fratello Talks: Building A €15,000 Watch Collection Fratello
Feb 13, 2025

Fratello Talks: Building A €15,000 Watch Collection

Hello, and welcome to Fratello Talks. In today’s episode, we’re taking on the challenge of building a €15,000 watch collection. Nacho, RJ, and Lex have crunched the numbers and leafed through the catalogs and each selected three modern (currently available at retail) watches that they would buy if they had a €15K budget. It’s a […] Visit Fratello Talks: Building A €15,000 Watch Collection to read the full article.

Seiko Introduces Prospex Alpinist GMT SPB493J Limited Edition Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko Feb 12, 2025

Seiko Introduces Prospex Alpinist GMT SPB493J Limited Edition

Seiko’s Alpinist collection is welcoming a new member this week with the release of a new GMT reference featuring a dial inspired by the hornbill, a tropical bird of Southeast Asia. The watch is a Land Alpinist using the brand’s 6R54 caliber, and while this is an existing configuration released back in 2023, there are a few unique details here worth noting - from dial textures and colors to the black bezel piece. This watch is not only a celebration of the majestic hornbill, but also an expansion of the Alpinist platform that goes beyond the existing framework, hopefully opening the door to more expressive variations moving ahead. The Alpinist GMT was released in 2023 in what felt like a very natural move for the collection. As part of the Prospex Land family, the new Alpinist references utilized a fixed, 24-hour steel bezel and an internally rotating compass bezel. Use of the 6R54 allowed the addition of a 24-hour hand into the mix; however this is the so-called “caller” style of GMT hand, meaning the hour hand cannot be set independently on the go. Still, it’s a welcome addition to the modern series carrying forth Seiko’s historic Alpinist name, and retains the charming design of the original. This newest reference to the collection is the SPB493J, and it mixes up the formula just enough to stand apart from the rest. This watch uses base blacks set against the steel 39.5mm case and bracelet, with the inclusion of a deep green color used for the rotating inn...

The Rose Gold SBGH368 Enters Grand Seiko’s Permanent Collection Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko s Permanent Collection Perhaps Feb 12, 2025

The Rose Gold SBGH368 Enters Grand Seiko’s Permanent Collection

Perhaps the crown jewel of Grand Seiko’s automatic watches, the 62GS was the brand’s first to feature an automatic movement. Vintage 62GS pieces championed subtlety with small crowns, “bezel-less” crystals, and smooth, polished edges. The 62GS has lived on through many contemporary iterations, and most hold on to that understated elegance as a key design feature. The current lineup of Heritage Collection pieces reflects almost all the hallmarks of the 62GS that it’s based on, albeit with dials themed for the 24 solar terms of the Japanese sekki.  Grand Seiko’s newest 62GS piece continues the seasonal motif of the Heritage Collection lineup but adds even more color by enveloping it in 18-karat rose gold. This rose gold reference, SBGH368 in the Grand Seiko catalog, is meant to symbolize cherry blossoms covered in snow, featuring a textured copper pink dial encased in a dual curve sapphire crystal. The indices, dauphine hands, date window frame, and screw-down crown match the case material, as does Grand Seiko’s logo positioned just above the brand’s name, below the double-thick 12 marker. An exhibition case back showcases the Hi-Beat 9S85 automatic movement, which features 37 jewels and a 55-hour power reserve, as well as 100-meter water resistance.  In terms of sizing, the SBGH368’s case measures 38mm in diameter and 12.9mm in thickness, maintaining the standard specs of the 62GS line. The 20mm lug width promises easy strap-swapping, though the included...

Introducing – The new Bremont Terra Nova Bronze Collection Monochrome
Bremont Terra Nova Bronze Collection Feb 12, 2025

Introducing – The new Bremont Terra Nova Bronze Collection

Last year, the British watchmaker from Henley-on-Thames unveiled a Terra Nova collection of rugged field watches, drawing inspiration from early 20th-century military pocket watches. The timepieces, designed for functionality and practicality, featured stainless steel cushion-shaped cases with a low profile and short, tapered lugs. Their defining characteristics included a large push-in crown for easy operation […]

Introducing – The New Sarpaneva Moomin 80, a Fascinating Tale in Super-LumiNova Monochrome
Sarpaneva Feb 12, 2025

Introducing – The New Sarpaneva Moomin 80, a Fascinating Tale in Super-LumiNova

If you have kids, you’re probably familiar with the Moomins – the lovely, hippo-shaped fairy tale characters created by Finnish author Tove Jansson. First introduced in 1945, these charming creatures have inspired everything from books and comic strips to TV series, films, and theme parks. Their whimsical world also caught the eye of Finnish watchmaker […]

Sarpaneva Adds “Digital” Hours to the Moomin Wristwatch SJX Watches
Sarpaneva Feb 12, 2025

Sarpaneva Adds “Digital” Hours to the Moomin Wristwatch

Sarpaneva returns to the Swedish comic, but this with a twist: the Moomin 80 features a skeletonised steel dial with a “shooting star” aperture that reveals the hours on a rotating disc. Making its debut in two versions, the latest Moomin edition retains the signature elements of its predecessors, including the familiar Sarpaneva case with flared flanks and a hand-finished dial filled with multi-coloured Super-Luminova. As with the Sarpaneva x Moomin release four years ago, the dial draws inspiration from a comic book scene. Initial thoughts This is the third Moomin edition, with the last one, a diver’s watch, launched a year ago. It would have been repetitive if this was instead a rehash with a different scene on the dial, but the latest edition stands out for the unique hour display. Although the hours are mechanically straightforward, it is different enough to make this distinct from the preceding Moomin models. Priced at €13,500, the Moomin 80 costs a little more than the earlier version that was €12,000. The price remains competitive considering the overall craftsmanship, most of which lies in the hand-finished dial that is also painted by hand. Both the rotor and case are also high quality and made in-house by Sarpaneva, adding to the value proposition. The two versions of the Moomin 80 Intricate dial works The Moomin 80 employs the trademark Sarpaneva case made of Finnish stainless steel. It’s chunky but appropriately sized and creates a coherent aesthet...

Rolex Shuts Down Watch Brand Carl F. Bucherer, And That’s Hardly A Surprise Fratello
Tudor shield Feb 12, 2025

Rolex Shuts Down Watch Brand Carl F. Bucherer, And That’s Hardly A Surprise

Two years ago, when Rolex acquired Bucherer, a multi-brand retail store with over 100 locations, it also included the jeweler’s watch brand Carl F. Bucherer. So, as of 2023, the Rolex crown was protected by the Tudor shield and a second brand with a history that dates back to 1888. You would think that a […] Visit Rolex Shuts Down Watch Brand Carl F. Bucherer, And That’s Hardly A Surprise to read the full article.

Introducing: The Absolutely Wonderful Grand Seiko SBGH368 “Sakura Kakushi” Fratello
Grand Seiko SBGH368 “Sakura Kakushi” Feb 12, 2025

Introducing: The Absolutely Wonderful Grand Seiko SBGH368 “Sakura Kakushi”

In the great Grand Seiko tradition, the horological year starts early. We already covered the brand’s first releases of 2025 on January 31st, and Mike wrote about another on February 3rd. Now, less than two weeks into the month, Grand Seiko treats us to one more delight. Today, the brand announces the wonderful SBGH368 “Sakura […] Visit Introducing: The Absolutely Wonderful Grand Seiko SBGH368 “Sakura Kakushi” to read the full article.

Grand Seiko Scales Down the 62GS to 30 mm and Stays Mechanical SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Scales Down Feb 12, 2025

Grand Seiko Scales Down the 62GS to 30 mm and Stays Mechanical

Grand Seiko’s latest offering is unusual – it’s a 30 mm self-winding model specifically conceived for ladies, in contrast to the vast majority of the Grand Seiko catalogue that’s made up of men’s or mid-sized watches. The Heritage Collection 62GS Mechanical 30 mm measures just 10.5 mm thick, making it the brand’s slimmest mechanical model to date. Notably, the new 62GS pair, STGK031 and STGK033, are the first to adopt a case design found on men’s watches, refining it for a smaller format as a ladies model. Initial thoughts In my view, the 62GS case stands out as the most appealing configuration in Grand Seiko’s extensive lineup. While it retains a distinctly Japanese design heritage, it remains one of the few Grand Seiko models that blends vintage and modern styles. As an owner of the 40 mm 62GS, I can personally attest to its versatility on the wrist, largely due to its slim case profile. The new 62GS 30 mm is essentially a scaled down version of the 40 mm model. It stands out for being the first ladies’ models that adapt a design of a men’s watch. In contrast, earlier Grand Seiko ladies watches had a cushion-shaped case that is arguably less appealing since it doesn’t have a distinctive Grand Seiko style. While Grand Seiko’s continued emphasis on nature-inspired dials may feel somewhat overused, the 62GS 30 mm is priced similar to its men’s counterpart and still represents good value. 62GS The Grand Seiko catalogue does include mid-sized watches...

Video – My 3 Favourite Watches by Glashütte Original, from the Senator to the Sixties Monochrome
Glashütte Original from Feb 11, 2025

Video – My 3 Favourite Watches by Glashütte Original, from the Senator to the Sixties

Glashütte Original’s history has many interesting twists and turns, as it was built upon the remains of the VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe conglomerate, or GUB, following the reunification of Germany. As such the company became the legal successor to the once thriving majority of watchmaking enterprises that once called Saxony their home. As you can imagine, […]