Two Broke Watch Snobs
Halios Seaforth Review: How a Microbrand Dive Watch Won My Year
Reviewing the Halios Seaforth IV Titanium, a dive watch with titanium construction, great finishing, and everyday wearability.
122 articles · 4 videos found · page 1 of 5
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Reviewing the Halios Seaforth IV Titanium, a dive watch with titanium construction, great finishing, and everyday wearability.
Worn & Wound
Halios, Jason Lim’s microbrand that has developed a rabid following over the years, only increasing as new releases have slowed, is releasing a new watch today in a collaboration with Topper Jewelers out of Burlingame, CA. It’s a new Universa, but it incorporates dial elements typically found in the Seaforth, the watch that is in many ways the brand’s calling card. In that sense, it’s a bit of a hybrid, combining several elements of Jason’s design language that have endured over the years. The Universa has a 38mm stainless steel case that is mostly brushed, but has a classic polished chamfer along the lugs. It has a sculpted, almost architectural feel to it, with wide facets and gentle curves. The bezel-less design gives the watch an old-school, no nonsense sports watch vibe, and it certainly wouldn’t be crazy to note that the watch takes plenty of inspiration from classic tool watches. It’s the dial, though, that makes this Universa special. It’s a crisp white with hands and hour markers that have been accented in black for maximum contrast. The layout is taken directly from the Seaforth, and includes the same thick, applied hour markers that give the dial an increased sense of depth. Hash marks on the minute scale alternate between blue, yellow, and green, representing natural elements found near Topper’s headquarters in Burlingame (the ocean, northern California sunshine, and giant redwood trees). Speaking to the intensity of Halios’ followin...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Wondering if Halios Watches are any good or even worth your time? Check out our detailed history and reviews of the brand's most iconic models.
Time+Tide
Legends are made quickly in the microbrand world. In the case of the Halios Seaforth Bronze, news of its popularity could barely keep up with the speed at which it sold out, and while rumours of a second production run have been teased since January, second-hand Seaforths in bronze have been selling for more than … ContinuedThe post Comparing the Halios Seaforth Bronze Vs. Baltic Aquascaphe Bronze, two giant microbrand divers for under $1000 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Monday is once again upon us, and here in Melbourne, Australia that means we’re oh so close to things starting to crawl back to normality, with pubs and restaurants set to open their doors for the first time in nearly three months, starting next week. Those with school age children are also painfully aware that … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: Three key models that are on the way to making Halios a household(ish) name appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
Halios is one of the most popular microbrands in Australia. At an average Aussie get-together odds are you’re almost certainly going to see a Seaforth or two, at the least. So, with a lot of love for what Jason’s doing, and with a lot of respect for the momentum he’s building, we’re delighted to give … ContinuedThe post Bid now on this awesome Halios unique piece and support Vancouver General Hospital’s COVID-19 Response Fund appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
It’s 2019. So podcasts and niche indie brands are where. it’s. at. Which is why today’s recommendation is the perfect package - offering both in spades. The Worn & Wound podcast is one of the best in the space, and it only gets better when they assemble the veritable avengers of “micro” brands, the guys … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READI – uh – LISTENING: Halios, Autodromo and Baltic over on the Worn & Wound podcast appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Every November/December, like clockwork, I start pondering what constitutes the perfect summer watch, due in large part to the fact that in these months the mercury begins to rise rapidly. So what makes a summer watch? To be a contender, I think a timepiece must have three essential characteristics: water resistance, weather-suitability and a fun … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Like a sunrise on the wrist – the Halios Seaforth appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Over the years, I’ve worn many (many) watches for review purposes, and to be honest it’s rare that I’m still thinking about that watch months or years after the fact. The Puck, from Canadian micro-brand Halios, is one of the rare exceptions. I wrote up the DLC version of the original Puck over on Hodinkee, way … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Return of a legend – the Halios Puck II appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Fairwind makes a statement - even when almost everything that can go wrong does go wrong, a commitment to good design and quality, a little chutzpah, and a lot of patients can still create something truly special.
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
This meant the watch would be putting up with long work days in therapy clinics (often times without air conditioning), 90 (F) degree average temperatures with high levels of humidity, and a great deal of sand, sweat, salt water, sunscreen, and bug repellent.
Worn & Wound
Andrew Benzer has around twenty or thirty watches he’d like to get rid of at any given time. The longtime reader and friend of Worn & Wound’s slough pile would form an impressive collection on its own, complete with grail watches like an Omega Speedmaster Professional. The watches he holds on to are even more varied and impressive. “I love watches, I love different kinds of watches,” said Andrew in an interview. “There is no other experience that’s akin to actually having something on your wrist for an extended period of time. And as a result, I have acquired probably more watches than most people would like to admit.” That collection is in the range of 60 to 70 watches and major names like Tudor, Omega, Zenith, and Grand Seiko, and smaller brands like Brew, Ming, and Halios. But like so many watch enthusiasts, for Andrew it all started with Timex and Seiko. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrew Benzer (@vintage1982benz) “My godfather gifted me a Timex for my first communion,” Andrew recalled. “And I remember just thinking it was the coolest thing in the world, it made me feel so grown up. I would wear it to school every day, I wore that thing until the plastic band basically disintegrated. And just from a very practical standpoint, I always thought a person should have a watch, you should know what time it is. This is in the 80s and 90s and well before smartphones and everything.” Timex led to Casio, Casio led to Fossil, and Fos...
Deployant
Independent watchmaker Frédéric Jouvenot releases another rendition of the innovative Helios with a new model called the Albedo.
Time+Tide
Let me just say from the outset that if you are in London, or any of the locations this exhibition will eventually travel to, this is an absolute must-visit. One benefit of joining the industry for me has been ticking off bucket-list items such as visiting watch manufactures and museums in Switzerland. To see large … ContinuedThe post The OAK Collection travelling exhibition reveals one of the wildest private hauls on the planet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Back in March, we covered the story of a horrific watch theft in Beverly Hills California where a Richard Mille robbery occurred leaving an undisclosed women wounded by a firearm. Shay Belhassen was targeted for his RM-11-03 Flyback Chronograph in rose gold, a watch worth $500,000, while dining with a female companion at celebrity hotspot … ContinuedThe post Three men apprehended for robbery of a Richard Mille RM 11-03 in Beverly Hills appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
Unfortunately, yet another theft has shaken the watch world. As luxury items, it’s no secret these coveted and pricey items can become targets for thieves with criminals standing to make a lot of money if they quickly offload the stolen items. The New York Post, among a host of other news outlets, reported that jewellery … ContinuedThe post Rare $500K Richard Mille RM 11-03 stolen at gunpoint in Beverly Hills, owner offering $50K reward for its return appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
After a successful launch of its debut collection in 2018, Singapore-based microbrand Humism has just debuted its next line-up, the Philosophies (II) and Helios collection, once again on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. The watches are a sure thing: at the time of writing, the watches have been fully funded, with the amount raised more than eights times its fundraising goal. As with its first range of watches, the latest timepieces from Humism feature the same lyrical time display, with both the hours, minutes, and seconds indicated by overlapping wheels that create an unfolding pattern as the time passes. Black and yellow The limited edition Helios takes two watches from last year’s line-up – the Dasein and the Eudaimonia – and dresses them in black and yellow. According to Humism, the largest number of backers last year chose this colour combination, out of nearly 50 choices. While the livery has changed, the time-telling mechanics stay the same. At the very top, the seconds wheel is in constant movement, providing the primary animation of the dial. Helios Dasein Helios Eudaimonia The hours and minutes are indicated by spheres on the edge of the dial, each attached to another wheel. The quicker rotation of the seconds wheel, superimposed on the slower minutes creates an optical illusion reminiscent of a kaleidoscope. Both have steel cases coated in black diamond-like carbon (DLC). The Helios Dasein is limited to 290 pieces, while the Helios E...
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Hodinkee
The actor and comedian chats about the evolution of his watch taste, his father's watches, and more.
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Worn & Wound
Over the last few years, the popularity of vintage watches has had some ups and downs, to say the least. It was only about five or six years ago that vintage was all anyone in our community seemed to be talking about. Rare references from Rolex and Patek were setting auction records, and enthusiasts who got into the hobby before the vintage boom suddenly found themselves with collections of real and surprising value on their hands. Things have calmed down a bit recently, and while I certainly wouldn’t say vintage is over by any means, it’s become a tougher nut to crack. Consumers are, correctly, more concerned with authenticity and originality than they ever have been, which has changed the landscape considerably. Among other things, it’s opened the door for brands to get into the vintage game, making rare references from their back catalogs available to the public with the promise of proper and careful restorations, ensuring the value and history of these watches haven’t been neglected by an inexperienced watchmaker or service center. Jaeger-LeCoultre is perhaps the highest profile brand to enter this market, and they’ve just unveiled their second capsule collection in their ongoing series, The Collectibles. A pair of Memovoxes from The Collectibles collection Last week, at the Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique in Beverly Hills, collectors gathered for the big unveiling of the new eleven piece collection. Spanning periods of the brand’s history from the 1920s to the...
SJX Watches
With the demise of Baselworld shortly before the pandemic and the evolution of SIHH into Watches & Wonders (W&W;), the Geneva fair is now the most important watch event on the planet. Having just closed, W&W; recorded massive visitor numbers and unexpectedly buoyant sentiment amongst industry executives. Despite the implosion of Credit Suisse the week before and assorted troubles around the world, sentiment at the fair amongst industry insiders was robust, catching most by surprise. Brands executives indicated orders from retailers were good as was interest from clients, and expressed optimism for the coming year. Pessimism was hard to find, although a handful of well-placed individuals high up in important brands quietly pondered what things would look like in six months – the health of components suppliers to the industry will provide a clue. The irony is that brands run by such thoughtful individuals are usually the best placed to weather any downturn. Rolex chief executive Jean-Frederic Dufour (left), who is also the chairman of the W&W; foundation Everyone wants a look To anyone who was at Watches & Wonders (W&W;), the most tangible fact was the enormous and occasionally unmanageable crowd. According to its organisers, visitors numbered 43,000, compared to just 22,000 last year. Unsurprisingly, the celebratory mood of the organisers was clear in the closing announcement for the event. However, the preparations for the jump in visitors were clearly insufficient because ...
Hodinkee
Five years ago, Cartier re-opened its doors and we were there.
WOLF has a history of 184 years and is in the very capable hands of Simon Wolf, the fifth generation of Wolfs, from the headquarters in Los Angeles.
Hodinkee
With the dust finally settling on Watches & Wonders 2026, the conversation shifts from the halls of the Palexpo to the cobblestone streets of SoHo. On May 6, Hodinkee is partnering with Gerald Charles for an exclusive community event at the Watches of Switzerland SoHo showroom. This evening serves as an intimate destination for collectors to go hands-on with the latest novelties from Geneva, offering a rare opportunity to experience the brand's evolution in a localized setting. The new Gerald Charles Masterlink Perpetual Calendar. The highlight of the evening is a thoughtful discussion featuring Federico Ziviani, CEO of Gerald Charles, and Hodinkee's own Deputy Editor, Tim Jeffreys. The two will explore the brand's unique heritage as the final creative chapter of Gérald Genta's career, as well as its strategic vision for the future. It is a deep dive into the "Maestro" DNA, punctuated by cocktails and the chance to be some of the first in the U.S. to handle the latest pieces. The new Gerald Charles Masterlink Perpetual Calendar. Registration:To attend this intimate community event, please RSVP to events@hodinkee.com with your first and last name. If you would like to bring a guest, kindly include their name and email address. A confirmation email will follow to finalize your RSVP. Details:Date & Time:Wednesday, May 6, 20266:00 pm – 8:00 pm ET Location:Watches of Switzerland SoHo60 Greene St, New York, NY 10012
Teddy Baldassarre
Grand Seiko is announcing a new global partnership with Major League Baseball player Shohei Ohtani this week through something called the Grand Moments Project, which kicks off April 1, 2026. Ohtani, who is a star pitcher (and designated hitter) for the defending world series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, not to mention the reigning National League MVP, hails from the Iwate prefecture of Japan, which is also home to Grand Seiko’s Studio Shizukuishi. The partnership represents a mutual respect, and shared philosophy around the value of, and approach to, time. The Grand Moments Project encapsulates this approach to every moment with intention and sincerity, and over time, the accumulation of those moments “refines the quality of time itself”. This is a partnership that seeks to acknowledge the methodical approach to every action we take, and celebrate the process itself over just the end result. Shohei Ohtani represents this ethos with an astonishing career made through a pursuit of excellency moment by moment. The 31 year old phenom comments “To carry forward a part of Grand Seiko’s heritage, shaped through decades of dedication, is something I deeply value.” Ohtani’s unique evolution within the sport of baseball is an apt corollary to Grand Seiko’s approach to watchmaking. Neither represents a straightforward journey, with Ohtani choosing to embrace his talents on both sides of the field as both a pitcher and a hitter while working his way from the Hokk...
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