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Teddy Baldassarre · Page 8

1,488 articles  ·  Page 8 of 50
Seiko SSC813 Speedtimer Review: The Best Chronograph Under $1,000? Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko Dec 18, 2025

Seiko SSC813 Speedtimer Review: The Best Chronograph Under $1,000?

Seiko has a well known and understood design language that is expansive in nature. It’s a style that feels just as at home on a humble skin diver as it does in the context of a field watch or chronograph. It always feels comfortable, but never derivative. Like a perfectly well worn-in pair of jeans that you keep coming back to. The Speedtimer name is a perfect example of this originality since it was first used by the brand in 1969, and it largely remains so today. The modern Speedtimer SSC813 within the Prospex collection is not entirely reliant on that history, rather, it presents a contemporary vision of a Seiko chronograph at its most accessible.  [toc-section heading="Seiko And Chronographs"] Seiko plays an important role in the history of the chronograph as we experience it today. The Japanese brand’s mechanical timers of the mid ‘60s showed off a modern vision for a highly focused design that would open the door for a new generation of watches. These designs did not use a host of subdials, but rather a single timing hand and a single pusher. This is a focus that would be retained until 1969, when Seiko introduced the reference 6139, one of three automatic chronographs to be revealed that year that would shape the genre for the coming decades. Unlike the other two, the Seiko used just a single subdial which would totalize up to 30 minutes. The 6139 would have a cultural impact just as big as its horological impact, appearing in films and, in the case of the so...

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Omega Speedmaster MK40 Review: A Colorful Cult Classic Teddy Baldassarre
Omega Dec 16, 2025

Omega Speedmaster MK40 Review: A Colorful Cult Classic

When you think of the Omega Speedmaster, the first thing that comes to mind is likely the brand’s golden child, the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional. It’s a modern grail with its NASA connection, and its intertwined history with the Moon landing and space exploration is its calling card. But today, we’re looking at a different Speedmaster that has been eschewed from Omega’s current lineup. One that’s a little more playful, a little more unconventional, than the brand’s well-established Moonwatch Professional formula: the Speedmaster Mk40. Down below, I’ll be breaking down the history, context, and all the aesthetic oddities of the watch, all of which work together to create one of the most compelling non-Moonwatch Speedmasters of all time, in my humble opinion.  [toc-section heading="Some Speedmaster Context"]  Image: S.Song From first glance, the Speedmaster Mk40 that made its debut in the ‘90s defies all the utilitarian, tool-watch-oriented austerity that is the key DNA of the Moonwatch Professional, from its functionality to its experimentation with color, shapes, and typography. But the Mk40 is part of a short-lived and often forgotten legacy of Omega’s experimentation with the Speedmaster formula, before things were so rigidly codified as they are today. It is also important to note that the moniker “Mk40” itself is a completely enthusiast-driven nickname, which Omega itself has never officially used (the brand denotes the different models wi...

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Longines Sector Dial Review: Trendsetting Vintage Style Under $3,000 Teddy Baldassarre
Longines Dec 16, 2025

Longines Sector Dial Review: Trendsetting Vintage Style Under $3,000

The Longines Heritage Classic Sector Dial has, in its relatively short time on the market, set itself apart from the rest of the Swiss brand's vintage-inspired Heritage series with its combination of retro charm, understated dimensions, and minimalist aesthetics, all at a very approachable price point, Here is a closer look at the watch, with a brief foray into other recent timepieces that just might have been inspired by its success.  [toc-section heading="A Bit of Longines History"] Longines was founded in 1832 in the Swiss Jura town of Saint-Imier by Auguste Agassiz and two partners. Agassiz (above, left) became the sole proprietor in 1846 after both partners, attorneys by trade, retired from the watch business, and shortly thereafter, he brought his nephew, an enterprising economist named Ernest Françillon (above, right), into the company. It was Françillon, in 1867, who moved all of the firm’s various watchmaking disciplines - which were scattered throughout dozens of independent workshops called établisseurs - under one roof, to a factory that was situated in a scenic area called “Les Longines” or “The Long Meadows,” thus giving the company its now-familiar name.  In 1889, Francillon registered the famous Longines logo with a winged hourglass - today the world’s oldest unchanged, active logo according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Among Longines’ many milestones under Françillon’s management were the company’s ...

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Best Luxury Watches For Women Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 15, 2025

Best Luxury Watches For Women

There comes a time in every watch-loving girl’s life in which she’s ready to take the plunge into the pool of luxury. To ascend from the endless eBay lowballing and bidding on eBay watches under 100 bucks, and start stashing away cash to save up for the big purchase. For the “future heirloom” watch that haunts her dreams. While that day has yet to come for me, I have amassed an ever-growing wishlist of pieces that might one day be my first, big watch splurge – once I stop dipping into the proverbial piggy bank, that is. Below, I have gathered what I believe to be the best luxury watches for women available today.  Before we get into the fun part, I want to state first that I like to think of luxury as a state of mind. There are going to be some pretty “pie in the sky” watches on this roundup, which, no matter how frivolous I dare be, I will probably never be able to go into a store and purchase. But what we can distill from these extravagant, top-tier luxury watches is certain design codes, case shapes, and aesthetic choices that catch our eye, and bring us closer to finding a more reasonably priced option. If you, like me, cannot drop thousands of dollars on a watch without bringing shame and ruin upon yourself and family, think of this as digital window shopping. I have thrown some pieces on the list that are a little more reasonable as well, which to me, capture the essence of luxury and have made me feel luxurious while trying them on, in pursuit of maki...

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Rolex Kermit Review: The First Green Submariner Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Dec 11, 2025

Rolex Kermit Review: The First Green Submariner

The watch enthusiast community has a way with nicknames, especially when it comes to Rolex. While the Crown has never embraced the proliferation of highly specified pet-names for its most popular models outright, it is a helpful shorthand for quickly differentiating between references. Especially if you, like me, have difficulty pulling reference numbers off the top of your head. We’ve already covered some of the other mean green makes from the Crown in depth, like the Rolex Hulk and the Submariner Starbucks. Today, we’re going to be wading into the weeds of the Submariner, nicknamed after the world’s most famous frog, and getting into the nitty-gritty of how it came to be, and how to differentiate it from other similar-hued Rolex watches.  [toc-section heading="Context and History"]  Image: Bonhams While the history of Rolex’s most iconic can be traced back to the early 1950s, the story of the “Submariner” Kermit is a much more contemporary one. If you’re in the mood for a more in-depth historical lesson, I will refer you now to our complete guide to the Submariner here. This leg of our journey starts in 2003, a major anniversary year for the Rolex Sub. As watchmakers are wont to do, the Crown decided to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Submariner with a special anniversary edition. In a playful move that polarized the purist collectors, Rolex debuted the Submariner reference 16610LV, which was differentiated most obviously by its bright green bezel. Th...

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Atelier Wen Review: Artisanal Chinese Watchmaking Teddy Baldassarre
Atelier Wen Dec 11, 2025

Atelier Wen Review: Artisanal Chinese Watchmaking

Within the burgeoning small independent watch brand scene we find creative inspiration that takes many forms. Oftentimes, this is focused on a specific moment in time or place in history. With Atelier Wen, a young Hong Kong based manufacture, that inspiration is the celebration of culture and craftsmanship of a nation. The name is a combination of the French word for workshop, and the Chinese word for culture, and serves as a fitting description of not only the brand’s founders, but also the driving force behind their creative vision. Since their founding in 2018, Atelier Wen has become a showcase of Chinese culture and craftsmanship within a world of high-end horology generally dominated by European centric attitudes.  [toc-section heading="Some Brand History"] Atelier Wen was founded by Robin Tallendier and Wilfried Buiron, two Frenchmen with a shared passion for, and deep connection to Chinese culture and watchmaking. Through their time living and working in China (Robin an advisor and expert in the China Horologe Association; Wilfried a graduate of Peking University and Tsinghua University), the pair developed a deep reverence for the watchmaking scene as represented through the community of collectors and watchmakers. Upon their return to Europe, the two quickly found that their experiences did not align with the general perceptions found in the west. Together, the founders sought to take advantage of the opportunity to put a spotlight on the true nature of Chinese...

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What is a Quartz Watch? Everything You Need to Know Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 10, 2025

What is a Quartz Watch? Everything You Need to Know

The advent of the quartz watch was the most disastrous event ever to befall the traditional luxury watch business, an existential threat that nearly toppled the watch industry as we know it. The invention of the quartz watch was among the most significant advances in the history of timekeeping and brought affordable wristwatches to the masses in a way that had never been seen before. These are the two main schools of thoughts on what the quartz watch has meant to the history of watchmaking, and both are essentially correct. As you contemplate whether to purchase a quartz watch, ponder the main differences between quartz and mechanical movements, and try to wrap your head around the various types of timekeeping technologies, let’s explore how quartz watches originated, how they evolved, and what their place is in today’s ever-changing watch world.  [toc-section heading="Quartz Movements Explained"] Unlike a mechanical movement, which stores its energy in a wound mainspring inside a barrel and releases it through a complex series of gears to move the hands, a quartz movement derives its power from a small electrical charge provided by a battery, which then passes through an integrated circuit that applies the charge to a tiny quartz crystal cut into the shape of a tuning fork. Thanks to something known as the reverse-piezoelectric effect, that tiny charge applied to the quartz tuning fork crystal causes it to vibrate at an incredibly high rate that dwarfs the output of ...

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Best Solar-Powered Dive Watches For Every Budget Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 9, 2025

Best Solar-Powered Dive Watches For Every Budget

While solar-powered quartz technology has been around for decades, it’s still a relatively new innovation in the centuries-old watch world. I wouldn’t say the solar-powered revolution has fully arrived (especially as contemporary enthusiasts continue to find appeal in the craftsmanship of mechanical calibers in an increasingly digital world), but the technology has undoubtedly become more reliable and refined in recent years. The convenience and ease of being able to charge up your watch in both natural and artificial light sources, as well as the security of the long-lasting battery life, actually lend themselves well to more high-stakes and tactical situations. Riffing on that theme, I’ve scoured the watch industry for the best solar dive watches on the market. Down below, you’ll find what I believe to be the most compelling solar divers out there for your reading pleasure, offered at a wide range of price points so everyone can get in on the fun.  [toc-section heading="Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Dive Titanium"] Case: 44mm, Material: Super Titanium, Water Resistance: 200 meters, Caliber: E168 Solar, Price: $575 It was Citizen who truly revolutionized the genre of solar-powered watches in the '90s. The brand was the very first to launch pieces that could power up with both sunlight and artificial light sources with the launch of its Eco-Drive technology, and it remains a leader in the category today. While Citizen has quite a number of solar-powered watches that...

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Do Rolex Watches Tick? It's All In The Beat Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Dec 8, 2025

Do Rolex Watches Tick? It's All In The Beat

“Do Rolex watches tick?”  This is, apparently, a frequent question and a common concern of newbie Rolex owners, but the premise of the question is actually driven by a misconception. Virtually all Rolex watches - in fact, all watches equipped, as most Rolexes are, with a mechanical movement - are  indeed ticking while they are running. If your ear is not perceiving it, that is only because the ticking is so rapid - nowadays, at least eight times per second - that the watch’s seconds hand appears to be moving in a smooth, sweeping motion. This can be quite noticeable if you have experienced only the much more visible, (and easily perceptible) one-tick-per-second movement common to the seconds hand of a quartz watch. In fact, if your Rolex watch is ticking once per second, it might be worth taking a moment to authenticate whether or not it is real or counterfeit. Allow us to explain. [toc-section heading="The Difference Between Mechanical and Quartz Movements"] A mechanical movement is the oldest type of movement in horology. It uses a coiled metal spring, called a mainspring, that releases energy as it uncoils through a series of gears to drive a weighted, oscillating wheel called a balance wheel. The balance wheel’s oscillations are linked to an escapement, which periodically releases the gear train to move the hands forward to record the passing of hours, minutes, and seconds. Originally, the mainspring needed to be wound periodically by hand, first by a...

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Timex Expedition Scout Review: The Best Field Watch On A Tight Budget? Teddy Baldassarre
Timex Dec 8, 2025

Timex Expedition Scout Review: The Best Field Watch On A Tight Budget?

The Timex Expedition Scout is a military inspired watch that has been around for years now and is a staple in the affordable field watch space. In fact, this is probably among the least expensive quality field watches out there and while it’s far from perfect, it’s got a lot to offer. [toc-section heading="Some Timex history"] Timex dates back to 1854, when the Waterbury Clock Company first set up shop in Connecticut. Following World War I, the brand emerged as a leading producer of affordable wristwatches built for everyday wear, all centered around a reputation for rugged reliability. Their memorable slogan “takes a licking and keeps on ticking” was born in the 50s and was inspired by their well-known televised torture tests that cemented Timex as the watch that simply wouldn’t quit. These stunts became part of pop culture, reinforcing the idea that a Timex was resilient (in addition to affordable). [toc-section heading="Timex and Military Field Watches"] As for field watches like this one, Timex has some genuine (if modest) military credentials. In 1982, the brand produced low-cost, disposable mechanical watches in olive-green plastic cases, echoing the Benrus designs worn by U.S. service members during the Vietnam era. While Timex was never a major military supplier, it does provide some insight into their field-watch cred, and it helps explain why the brand’s modern Expedition line feels so grounded in that utilitarian, no-nonsense tradition. [toc-section ...

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Omega Co-Axial Movement Explained: A Radical Invention Teddy Baldassarre
Omega Dec 7, 2025

Omega Co-Axial Movement Explained: A Radical Invention

What is a Co-Axial Movement? More specifically, what is the now-famous Co-Axial Escapement that has become a standard feature on most all Omega watches? In short, it's both a radical concept by one of the modern era's most revered watchmaking geniuses and the culmination of a Swiss watch brand's longtime dedication to improving watchmaking accuracy. Here is the story of Omega's co-axial movements.  [toc-section heading="Early Omega Movements"]  While it is best known these days for its signature watch models, like the Speedmaster “Moonwatch” and the James Bond-worn Seamaster, Omega has also been a pioneer in movement-making since nearly the beginning. The company was founded in 1848 by 23-year-old watchmaker Louis Brandt (with family, above) in the Swiss village of La Chaux-de-Fonds. Originally called La Genérale Watch Company, and eventually renamed Louis Brandt et Fils after Brandt’s sons joined the business, it originally produced key-wound pocket watches from parts supplied by local artisans, After the growing company moved from La Chaux-de-Fonds to the more bustling town of Bienne, in the Swiss Canton of Bern, it pioneered a series of industrial watchmaking techniques and also began making its own in-house movements. The first one, called the Labrador, launched in 1885 in a now-legendary series of pocket watches. Nearly a decade later, in 1894, came the company’s chef d’oeuvre, the 19-ligne Omega Caliber, which was notable at the time for its enviable acc...

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How Tight Should A Watch Be? Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 7, 2025

How Tight Should A Watch Be?

In the watch enthusiast community, we often find ourselves wading deep into the weeds of the most minute details. Typically, this concerns the mechanical inner workings of watches, whether a date window throws off visual harmony, or if the price of a watch is really justified. But as much nuance as there is in choosing a watch to add to your collection, so too is there nuance in getting that just-right fit on your own wrist.  We’ve recently dove into the deep end on the subject of how to actually wear a watch, and today, I’m charting a similar, yet deceptively simpler path: how to decide how tight your watch should be. This is more geared towards those folks out there who are just getting their hands on their first watch and need a little guidance before making any rash, link-related decisions. God forbid you’re facing a rubber strap that you’ll be cutting yourself. Down below, I’ll be sharing some quick and fast tips for finding the right fit for the watches in your collection, and some less obvious tips to consider before you go on your merry way.  [toc-section heading="Telltale Signs Your Watch Is Too Tight"]  First and foremost, your watch is not a tourniquet. If you feel any lightheadedness, numbness, or tingling, remove the offending piece from your wrist expeditiously.  Image: WatchUSeek Forum On a less dramatic note, comfort is your guiding light. Ideally, we want our watches to feel like an extension of ourselves, not an uncomfortable obtrusion. The...

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9 New Watches Released This Week Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 6, 2025

9 New Watches Released This Week

Even with the year coming to an end, we are still seeing a slow trickle of new watch releases ranging from a new MoonSwatch to a Breguet showstopper celebrating the maison's 250th anniversary. Here are the notable new watch releases from this past week as well as the new updates to the Tudor Ranger and Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean (hey, we can be a little flexible with the "week" rule). As brands squeeze in final announcements before the calendar flips, it's a reminder that the watch world never really rests. And if you want to see our favorite watches of the year, make sure to check out the Teddy Top 40 Watches of 2025 which just got a big update. [toc-section heading="TAG Heuer x Fragment Design Carrera"] TAG Heuer continues its collaborative relationship with Hiroshi Fujiwara and his fashion brand, fragment design, with the release of a new glassbox Carrera this week. The watch takes design cues from fragment’s signature style, meaning monochromatic in nature, with minimal details to place emphasis on the broad strokes for contrast. The black-on-black dial is framed by a white internal bezel structure, which is domed under the glassbox crystal. The date aperture is placed at the 12 o’clock position, with the first and 11th of the month using the fragment lightning-bolt logo in lieu of the numeral. This is fitted within the excellent 39mm steel Carrera case, and utilizes TAG Heuer’s TH20-00 automatic chronograph movement, visible through an exhibition caseback. Thi...

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Most Popular Rolex Watches: The Models That Take The Crown Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Dec 5, 2025

Most Popular Rolex Watches: The Models That Take The Crown

If you’ve somehow made it this far in life without hearing the name Rolex, congratulations. You may be the last living human to do so. Rolex sits at the very center of the horological universe. The brand is so vast and culturally omnipresent that calling it “successful” is a little like describing the Louvre as “a building with some pretty paintings in it” - technically correct but hopelessly inadequate. Here we will take a look at some of the most popular Rolex watch models, spanning the current production catalog as well as past models with staying power. Though we have seen the demand for luxury watches rise, dip, and plateau over the last few years, the desirability to own a Rolex watch remains exceptionally high. Factors such as scarcity, brand provenance, and consistent appreciation in the resale market drive this remarkable demand. All of these influences are compounded by waitlists, which have elevated desire into near-mythic obsession. However, if you’re entirely new to Rolex, consider this your gentle initiation. In fact, even if you own several Rolex watches and want to learn more about the brand and its most popular references, this deep dive is going to provide you with more information than many people will acquire in a lifetime. First, let’s kick things off with a historical overview of this timekeeping titan.  [toc-section heading="Crown and Legacy: A Brief History of Rolex"] It might surprise you to learn that Rolex’s history didn’t j...

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Rolex Yacht-Master Titanium Review: Their Most Underrated Sport Watch? Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Dec 4, 2025

Rolex Yacht-Master Titanium Review: Their Most Underrated Sport Watch?

Before getting into the Rolex Yacht-Master Titanium here, we have to address the collection as a whole. The Rolex Yacht-Master is one of the most unsung in the brand’s catalog, with owners who either opted to be left-of-center relative to their other Crown-loving friends, or those who wandered into a watch store one day and said “I want a Rolex, and I’ll take what you got!” While the latter manifests itself on a daily basis and also accounts for the lion’s share of Sky-Dweller and two-tone Daytona purchases, the former has made the Yacht-Master something of a cult classic for those who don’t necessarily need to be submerged in water and would rather just be chilling beside it (with a lunch prepared below deck and a glass of dealers choice in hand). One doesn’t need to be a literal yacht master to own a Yacht-Master. Heck, you don’t need to own a yacht or have a friend that owns one. Instead – at least traditionally – the Yacht-Master was for the ones who took things less seriously, who wanted a watch that toes the line between tool watch and…um, fancier tool watch. It was and still remains – also – for the one that burst through the boutique door without a clue what they're after so long as that coronet is on the dial.  But the Yacht-Master has changed. In 2023, Rolex took what had typically been an at least partially precious watch and turned the toolish knobs way up. This is how we ended up with the Yacht-Master Titanium, 42mm of sports wit...

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The Most Durable Watches: What Are The Toughest Timepieces? Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 4, 2025

The Most Durable Watches: What Are The Toughest Timepieces?

While it’s all fine and dandy to get into the weeds of watches with the most complications, the most intricate hand-finished details, or precious metal construction, sometimes, you’re just looking for a watch that can take a beating. With that theme in mind, I’ve rounded up some of the most durable watches on the market today that you can wear confidently on your next adventure without fear of your wrist companion wimping out on you. I can’t, obviously, include every single durable watch out there, but down below, I’ve gathered durable watches with a great range of utility, style, and price point to get you started. And away we go… [toc-section heading="G-SHOCK Mudmaster Master of G-Land"] Case: 52.1mm Material: Resin and Steel Water Resistance: 200 meters Movement: Quartz Price: $880 I find it helpful on lists like this to begin with the most obvious. G-SHOCK is always the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about durable watches. I mean, the brand was created entirely with toughness in mind. Several pieces and sub-collections in the G-SHOCK universe would fit the bill, but I’m going to go with its Mudmaster line here. Another one to consider is the GX56BB-1, which has gotten the nickname “The King Of G-SHOCKs” and is shock-resistant from every angle.  Made with mud-resistance and shock-resistance in mind, the Mudmaster Master Of G-Land collection is G-SHOCK’s most tactical line. If you plan on navigating the most extreme of terrains, this i...

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Rolex 1908 Review: The Dress Watch For A New Generation Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Dec 4, 2025

Rolex 1908 Review: The Dress Watch For A New Generation

It’s easy to see Rolex exclusively as a sport watch brand, if even a luxury oriented one, thanks to collections that have helped to define their respective genres, such as the Submariner, the GMT-Master, the Explorer, and the Daytona. While they undoubtedly are just that, Rolex has another dimension to be discovered in more formal territory, and it’s a side we probably don’t see as often as we should, at least if their latest 1908 collection is anything to go by. Following the discontinuation of the Cellini collection in 2023, Rolex revealed its replacement in the 1908, sporting a familiar yet novel design language, and an entirely new movement in the caliber 7140. It was an immediate breath of fresh air, and a rare truly new release from the brand.  [toc-section heading="Some Rolex Design History"] Rolex has more than a century’s worth of design language to draw upon, and it would do exactly that with the design of the 1908. From the shape of the case, to the details of the bezel, and even the design of the hour numerals, the 1908 feels like a love letter to the history of Rolex. As a result, it’s a design that doesn’t feel entirely formal in nature, landing in a more versatile space than you might imagine, especially in the right spec. This is a watch that feels appropriate in a wide range of uses, from dressed to the nines in a suit and tie, all the way down to t-shirt and jeans affairs, this is a truly dynamic platform.  From the first oyster style cases ...

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How to Demagnetize A Watch Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 3, 2025

How to Demagnetize A Watch

Since their invention hundreds of years ago, watches and other timekeepers have had one consistent and implacable foe: magnetism. Magnetic fields are the arch-enemy of a watch’s ability to run reliably and accurately, as they can adversely affect the tiny metal parts in a traditional mechanical movement like the wheels, gears, and hairspring. The ill effects of magnetic fields on watches’ reliability first emerged as early as the 1920s, when electrical power became more ubiquitous in both homes and businesses, and the challenges for watchmakers have only multiplied in the years since.  Today, we’re surrounded by magnetic fields in almost every area of our everyday lives, from microwave ovens and refrigerators to computers, cell phones, and electrical motors. The watch industry’s decades-long battle against magnetic fields, explored in greater detail in this article, has been a largely successful one, with the use of protective inner cages and non-ferrous movement components now commonplace. Omega, for example, makes watches with movements that can resist magnetism up to 15,000 gauss, as in the Railmaster watch shown above. However, most of us, at one time or another, have still experienced a situation in which a watch falls victim to being magnetized, and it can be a bit intimidating to figure out how to fix it. [toc-section heading="How to Tell if Your Watch is Magnetized"] A watch that has had its movement magnetized might be difficult to notice at first. It mig...

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Vantablack Watch Dials: The Blackest Black Teddy Baldassarre
Dec 2, 2025

Vantablack Watch Dials: The Blackest Black

Since the advent of wristwatches, the watch industry has continuously been defined by a constant drive to refine and innovate. In the modern context, we typically see that in the competition to make the thinnest watch ever, the most intricate, complicated movements, and recently, the most sophisticated complications at the most affordable price point. All of this is fine and dandy, and makes up much of the great majority of the stories your humble writer finds across her desk on any given week. But today, we’re getting into the weeds on an even more astoundingly specific side quest, possibly the most granular I’ve embarked on yet. That is, the pursuit of pushing the limits of one particular color. We’re entering the void of Vantablack – the blackest material in existence – and the few watchmakers out there that have dared to create Vantablack watch dials. [toc-section heading="What Is Vantablack?"]  I’m going to prepare you up top that this article will be touching on some pretty complex science elements. Largely, that’s what makes the subject at hand so interesting. Admittedly, it is also what took me the longest time to wrap my head around. It’s been a long time since I was in any sort of science class, okay? But the short answer to the question at hand is, put simply, Vantablack is among the darkest substances on planet Earth.  Vantablack is not naturally occurring and is the brainchild of the British company Surrey NanoSystems, which, as its name sugg...

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Piaget Polo Review: How The '80s Luxury Watch Icon Holds Up Teddy Baldassarre
Piaget Dec 1, 2025

Piaget Polo Review: How The '80s Luxury Watch Icon Holds Up

While it’s more widely known for its jewelry these days, Piaget, founded in the small Swiss village of La Cote-aux-Fées by Georges Piaget in 1874, has been a watchmaker from the beginning. Its original trade, in fact, was making movements, and the company began making complete watches in In the 20th century. Before getting into the Piaget Polo, it's worth it to get into the brand's history in thin watchmaking. Since 1957, when Piaget created the historic 2mm-thick Caliber 9P, the company has been world renowned for the elegant thinness of its watches and movements. The world’s thinnest self-winding mechanical movement, Caliber 12P, followed Caliber 9P just three years later, in 1960, and Piaget has building upon these foundations ever since. Its most recent triumph in this area was the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, which debuted in 2018 as a prototype and hit the market in 2020; the entire watch, case and movement, is just 2mm thick, matching the wafer thinness of the original Caliber 9P. Along with Bulgari, another watchmaker known more for its jewelry, Piaget continues to embody the ne plus ultra of what ultra-thin watchmaking can accomplish.  [toc-section heading="The Integrated Bracelet Era Begins"] However, while “thin and elegant” remains the calling card of the Piaget watch brand overall, the market was looking for something a little different - a little bolder, perhaps - in the 1970s. Audemars Piguet had introduced its groundbreaking Royal Oak “Jumbo...

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Cartier Tank Basculante Review: The Other Reversible Watch Teddy Baldassarre
Cartier Nov 30, 2025

Cartier Tank Basculante Review: The Other Reversible Watch

The Cartier Tank is among the most iconic and enduring designs in today’s horological landscape. The brand’s no-frills design, inspired by military Renault FT-17 tanks of WWI, not only shares centre stage with another innovator of the rectangular watch, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso (more on that later), but it has reacted well to several significant updates, surviving modification after modification without ever losing an ounce of its integrity or charm.  One example is the Cartier Tank Busculante. Article by Nina Scally [toc-section heading="Some Context"] [text-media heading="" text="Loved equally by men and women worldwide, the Tank has a fascinating history. It was born into a colossal legacy and was required to follow in the footsteps of the revolutionary Santos – an aviation watch with an unmistakable presence (big boots to fill). The Santos was the first true modern wristwatch of its time and had already set an impossibly high bar. Emerging from its square-shaped shadow, however, the Tank faced a monumental challenge." image="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0278/9723/3501/files/Cartier-Tank-Jackie-Kennedy-watch-2.jpg" caption=""] [image-with-caption image="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0278/9723/3501/files/Cartier-Tank-Basculante-Featured-Sothebys.jpg" caption="Photo by Sotheby's"] Against all odds, it became the definitive dress watch of its era. Its slim profile and perfectly blended proportions enabled it to slip neatly under the cuff of a shirt, int...

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What is a Chronometer Watch? A Guide to Ultra-Precise Watches Teddy Baldassarre
Nov 28, 2025

What is a Chronometer Watch? A Guide to Ultra-Precise Watches

When a watch touts on its dial that it is a "Chronometer" or an "Officially Certified Chronometer" or even a "Superlative Chronometer," what exactly does that mean? How does a chronometer watch differ from a watch that does not make that claim? For that matter, a newbie to the timepiece game might ask, what is the difference between a watch with "chronometer" on the dial and a watch with "chronograph" on the dial? In this comprehensive guide, we attempt to answer all of your burning questions about chronometer watches and what sets them apart. [toc-section heading="The Chronometer Throughout History"] Our original, classical definition of a chronometer can be traced back to the golden age of seafaring exploration in the 18th Century, when ships required the use of a highly accurate onboard clock that enabled their navigators to determine longitude in order to avoid the perils of running aground or veering hopelessly off course. The man credited with developing the first of these “marine chronometers” was legendary British watchmaker John Harrison; his invention facilitated the celestial navigation used at the time by navigators at sea to determine their ship’s position in coordination with a sextant. Marine chronometers, which were essentially highly accurate clocks mounted on gimbals inside wooden boxes, were among the first portable timepieces and were instrumental in the global seagoing trade that helped build our modern, interconnected world. Ulysse Nardin, foun...

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