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A History and Guide to Marathon Watches
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Everything You Need to Know About this Year’s Vortic Military Edition Releases
Next week is Veterans Day, which for the last several years has marked an important moment for Vortic, the Colorado based watch brand specializing in repurposing vintage pocket watch movements and dials into wrist worn cases that serve as special tributes to America’s watchmaking past. Each year on Veterans Day, Vortic releases their Military Edition, a special series of watches that incorporate movements and dials sourced from watches commissioned by the United States military. The watches have been a big hit for Vortic since their introduction, usually selling out within minutes of going on sale. They draw not only watch collectors, but of course have a natural appeal to history lovers and collectors of military odds and ends – they really thread the needle perfectly across multiple bands of enthusiasm. This year’s release has some additional special significance as a total of three distinct options will be available when these watches launch, including the first ever Vortic watches running on a vintage Swiss movement. A quick recap of what the Military Edition actually consists of as a watch is probably the best place to start. Watches in the Military Edition are sourced from the AN5740-1 pocket watch, also known as the “Master Navigational Watch”, built to the specs of the Army Air Corp during World War II by Elgin, Waltham, and Hamilton. As with other historic watches built to military specs, the dials were standardized across all manufacturers, and each M...
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The Yema Navygraf is the Latest Diver to get the Mother of Pearl Treatment
There is something about mother-of-pearl that seems to be catching watchmakers’ eyes lately. While I highly doubt it has to do with the fact that “Mother of Pearl” is a phenomenal drag name, I can’t totally rule that out as a possibility. Instead, more likely, it has to do with the ease in which adding the iridescent substance onto an existing design gives it new personality without really reinventing the wheel. Case in point: Yema’s Navygraf Pearl. Undoubtedly, the Navygraf is a handsome watch. But, like a drag queen, sometimes it’s hard to describe something as both “handsome” and “pretty” simultaneously. At least, that was my first impression of this French-made watch. Using the classic dive watch model, like the Navygraf, and inlaying mother-of-pearl seemed, in a way, incongruous to the steely, masculine athleticism of the silhouette. But, upon examining the bezel and dial a little more closely, I’m more inclined to think this is less of a gimmick and more of a thematic appreciation for the beauty and sport that the ocean provides (unfortunately, I’m only speculating – the press release was more focused on the technical specs of this Navygraf). So, what are the specs? This is a thinner Navygraf variant, equipped with a micro-rotor caliber CMM.2, meaning that the 316L stainless steel case measuring 39mm, only clocks in at 9.75mm thickness. The CMM.2 caliber also promises around 70 hours of power reserve, making it suitable for any diving trips ...
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Atelier Wen Launches the Inflection, a Bold New Watch with a Tantalum Case and Bracelet
Sometimes a watch comes along that feels like a culmination of something. The Atelier Wen Inflection, for anyone who has been following the brand or had a conversation with founder Robin Tallendier in the last few years, will likely have more than a whiff of that. After years of teases, hints, and lots of evidence of lofty ambitions, Atelier Wen’s full tantalum integrated bracelet sports watch is finally here. I don’t think it’s overstating to say that the use of tantalum in watchmaking has been a bit of an obsession for the Atelier Wen team. The metal, in a lot of ways, feels like one of the last remaining frontiers of high end watchmaking. It’s rarely used because it’s so difficult to work with, but has a bunch of desirable qualities that make it highly sought after by collectors. The color, for one, is unlike any other metal, often exhibiting a hint of a blue tint. It’s also heavy and dense, resulting in a completely unique wearing experience that, if you like a heftier watch on your wrist, is kind of addictive. We’ve begun to see more brands experiment with tantalum in their watches in recent years, including J.N. Shapiro and Audemars Piguet, and even more have used it as an accent in some way. But regular production tantalum watches are incredibly rare, and according to Atelier Wen, the Inflection is the first serially produced tantalum watch with a full tantalum bracelet. It’s been in the works at Atelier Wen since at least 2022, and follows the l...
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Introducing the New Nomos Metro 38 Date
Nomos has been busy. Along with the recent introduction of a quartet of new Tetras to the lineup which we discussed just last week, the German brand has also introduced a new version of the Metro. The Metro has an interesting place in the Nomos lineup. It’s not one of the original designs from the launch of the brand, but over time it’s come to be fairly emblematic of what the brand stands for from a design perspective. The simple circular case and wire lugs have a modern, minimal vibe to them. When wearing the watch you come away with the feeling that there’s only enough material here to hold everything together and keep it looking like a Nomos, and nothing more. The dial, too, is quite distinctive, with ultra thin and elongated syringe hands and a series of simple dots to mark minutes and hours. This new reference is a subtly updated take on a classic version of the Metro, with a new movement that solves a longstanding issue. The headline here is that the new Metro 38 Date runs on the still relatively new DUW 4601 caliber. This movement made its debut in the still incredibly weird and polarizing Tangente 2Date, which will be forever remembered for featuring not one but two date indications: one in a window at 6:00, and the other at the perimeter of the dial. This Metro, unlike the Tangente before it, only has a single date indicator at the 6:00 position. There have been many iterations on the Metro over the years, but this is the first time we’ve seen a date ve...
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The Seiko A031-5019: Seiko’s First Digital Alarm Wristwatch
A rabbit hole that I’ve always loved delving down within the watch hobby is one of firsts––the trailblazers of horology that pioneered the use or creation of new functions, features, materials, etc. (especially when they’re pieces I can afford). I had always kept my eye on the market for when one of these A031 models popped up because, as I’m sure you’ve seen from the title already, this movement was Seiko’s first digital watch with an alarm function. I’m not one for actually utilizing the functions included in or on the watches I own, but that doesn’t mean I can’t or don’t appreciate their ingenuity; the same rings true (pun intended) for this watch. Besides being the first digital alarm Seiko, is 1977’s A031-5019 worth picking up for your collection? Let’s take a deep dive together. The A031’s History, Aesthetics, and Functionality As is custom for a lot of the watch models I have a fascination with, very little information is available regarding the A031’s creation and initial popularity on the market. Thankfully, however, my favorite database for digital timepieces, Rare Digital Watches, has a copy of the A031 Parts List and Technical Guide available for free on their website. I cannot recommend taking a look at these materials enough. I always hunt down physical or digital documents like this for Seiko pieces I pick up. Typically, another passionate hobbyist has taken the time to photocopy them and make them available for the public to ad...
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[VIDEO] An Overlooked Vintage Style Dive Watch You Should Consider – Alpina Heritage Diver 300
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Watches, Stories, and Gear: The NEO Humanoid, Samsung’s Nutrition Tracking, and New Peak Design Straps
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. NEO: The Humanoid Robot Earlier this week, 1X announced the NEO, a $20,000 humanoid robot designed to transform your life at home. “Neo is a humanoid companion designed to transform your life at home. It combines AI and advanced hardware to help with daily chores and bring intelligence into your everyday life,” said Dar Sleeper, 1X’s VP of product and design in a recent USA Today article. While intended to become a fully autonomous household assistant, the NEO will only support a limited number of actions at its launch, and will be able to “learn”as time goes on. Weighing in at 66 pounds and standing just over five feet, the NEO can lift over 150 pounds and actively carry over 50 pounds. While there’s an expected learning curve for new technology, a recent video from Marques Brownlee dives into just how much (or how little) the NEO can currently do, and what to expect moving forward. With this technology just around the corner, will you be adding a humanoid robot into your household? Nutrition Tracking in Your Smart Watch Since their introduction, Smartwatches have continued to gain capabilities and become more useful if you integrate them properly....
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Farer Introduces Two New Moonphase References Featuring Eisenkiesel Quartz and Eastern Arabic Numerals
Ah, the moon. Romantic, mysterious, and the subject of many Creative Writing 101 poems, our closest celestial body has also wormed its way onto many a watch face over the years. Moonphase watches evoke a sense of sophistication and elegance, and tend to decorate watchmakers’ dressier lines, despite their somewhat subversive practicality. Farer’s moonphase collection is no exception; first launched in 2023, it took one of watchmaking’s oldest complications and applied it to the British brand’s own design ethos. Here in 2025, we have two new references to pad out that lineup: The Stratton and Burbidge Eastern Arabic Editions. Taking the same basic design of the rest of the line, the new Moonphase models are wrapped in a 38.5mm cushion case with curved sides that wear a “grain twist” texture. The case scallops in the 43.8mm between the lugs to make the strap sit flush, and a rounded crown with a solid bronze cap finishes the vintage-adjacent case look. Inside, both Moonphase models are powered by a Sellita SW288-1 M Elabore Grade movement, with blued screws and a Farer-embossed bridge. The Sellita movement allows for a 45-hour power reserve, and hour, minute, seconds, date, and of course, moonphase functions. Where the models differ is in their case material and dial design. The Stratton Edition-named for Frederick Stratton, a WWI veteran, mathematician, and astronomer who would eventually serve as Director of the Solar Physics Observatory, among many other ...
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A History and Guide to G-SHOCK
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Hands-On: the Metrical Epiphany Origin
I feel like I say it all the time around here, but one of my favorite things about working in the watch space, particularly in the micro/indie territory that we find ourselves in, is being surprised by a brand or a watch that comes at you completely unexpectedly. I had that experience recently with a new watch from Metrical, an entirely new brand that I can honestly say I had never heard of until a PR colleague dropped me an email about them. The renders in the press release had me immediately intrigued. This watch, which they call the Epiphany Origin, uses a non-traditional time telling display inspired, according to the brand, by the way humans first told the time: through changes in the sky. The party trick of the Epiphany Origin is relatively simple. The minute hand is self explanatory and just like a traditional minute hand on any other watch you’ve worn or seen. The hours, though, are read through an aperture in the upper half of the dial, with a numerical display that spans from 6:00 to 6:00. During the daylight hours you’ll find a graphic representation of the sun in that aperture, and in the evening you’ll see the moon, trailing right behind. It’s one of those things you sometimes experience with a watch that is initially a little bewildering, but then completely intuitive. It is, after all, just a different way to clock a twelve hour timespan on a dial, and is essentially an AM/PM indicator that’s blown up to full dial size. That “blowing up” as...
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Review: the Hanhart Aquasphere “Ocean Fade”
It’s amazing the way some watches don’t make sense until they do. That was absolutely my experience of the Hanhart Aquasphere when it showed up on my desk a few weeks ago. I mean, I love dive watches, but the Aquasphere was something entirely outside my realm of comfort, and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. At least, I wasn’t sure what to make of it until I realized something fundamental: I was thinking about the Aquasphere in entirely the wrong context. Sure, on paper, the Aquasphere is a strong addition to the stable of sub $2,000 dive watches on offer today, but in practice, the Aquasphere is nothing like the divers I tend to spend my time with. The Hanhart is a watch that’s big, over-designed, and not at all to my typical taste, but that just may be what I came to like so much about it. In a world where the prevailing trend in dive watches has been to look back into the twentieth century for design inspiration, there’s something fundamentally refreshing about a watch that isn’t meant to compete with the Black Bay even a little. Instead, the Aquasphere evokes a design language born in the ‘90s and perfected in the ‘00s, one that may not entirely appeal to many enthusiasts, but will hit square on for those collectors whose taste was formed by watch billboards of the era, and who find their minds drifting towards watches like the Breitling SuperAvenger or TAG Heuer Link. That does mean that this watch certainly won’t be for everyone, but for the...
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Nomos Plays the Hits: Introducing the Tetra Origins Collection
Nomos has had an incredibly interesting trajectory among watch enthusiasts over the past decade or so. If you got into the hobby at a certain time, Nomos was almost certainly one of the first “forum brands” that you’d be introduced to as a level up from some of the core enthusiast watches that you might be able to scrounge for in your local department store or pick up on Amazon. Nomos (and Sinn, and a handful of other brands) required a bit more expense, and a bit more effort to get your arms around, but once you did, you really felt like you were part of the club (no pun intended). And then things kind of settled. The enthusiasts who cut their teeth on Nomos did what enthusiasts always do, and discovered other cool things as the watch community migrated from the antiquated forums to Facebook and Instagram. Nomos never stopped releasing good watches, but there was a sliver of time when it felt like they were improving rapidly and we’d have exciting new releases from them on a regular basis. It didn’t really turn out that way – they’ve largely iterated on core designs, offering new sizes (usually bigger) and sportier specs (bracelets, and better water resistance). The hypothetical Nomos chronograph that I can recall so many anonymous forum users speculating about never materialized, and it seems like the brand has become very comfortable simply being Nomos and making Nomos watches. Things changed a bit this year at Watches & Wonders with the release of the...
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The Piaget Andy Warhol Collage Limited Edition is a Luxurious Tribute to the Iconic Artist
I am often asked by people unfamiliar with Pittsburgh what they should do when in my hometown. Other than eating fries on a salad (yes, it’s a regional dish and yes it’s great), seeing a Pirates game, and checking out Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, the recommendations usually always turn to the Andy Warhol Museum. Many people would be surprised to know that Warhol, an iconoclast of the 60’s New York counterculture scene, is a Pittsburgh native. The grey skies, patchwork of neighborhoods, and working-class personality of the Steel City don’t necessarily jive with the glamour of Warhol and his Factory. But, nonetheless, his native son status endears me to him. That is why I’m quite interested in Piaget’s collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation, and the release of their limited-edition Collage watch. As many may know, the artist was a bit of a compulsive collector and one of his hobbies was watches. Upon his death, there were seven Piagets, four of which returned to the Swiss maison. This, in turn, sparked the beginnings for a partnership that, I believe, elevates Warhol’s legacy beyond pop art into the luxury world. The Collage is as much a balance of Piaget’s house design as it is a celebration of Warhol’s work. The creative team behind the Swiss brand took six months to even find a starting point, traveling to New York to view the artist’s archives and trying to find a balance between iteration without being too on-the-nose. “With such...
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The 2026 Winter Olympics are 100 Days Away, and Omega Has a New Speedmaster to Celebrate
It’s that time again. The air is getting crisper, the days are getting shorter, and, for better or for worse, the realization that winter will soon set in is becoming more and more real. If you’re like me, and dread fighting snowy streets and icey…everything, this is a less than exciting time. But if you’re Omega? Well, that’s a different story. They are in countdown mode to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, and they’ve just released a new Speedmaster to mark 100 days from the start of the games. The Speedmaster Milano Cortina 2026 is built on the 38mm Speedmaster platform, and comes in a stainless steel case that measures 14.75mm tall. The dial is evocative of the snowy mountains that will be the setting for the games for next year, with a varnished white surface and subtle blue accents that evoke the Milano Cortina 2026 logo. The blue ceramic bezel and blue CVD coated hour markers keep the theme coherent and appropriately wintery. Another nice detail is that the chronograph hand has a gradient finish, going from light blue at its base to dark blue at its tip. Also, when the date window shows the 26th of the month, it does so in the typeface of the Milano Cortina logo. The Speedmaster Milano Cortina 2026 runs on the Caliber 3330, an automatic movement with over 50 hours of power reserve and COSC certification. This, of course, is not a traditionalist’s Speedy, but more akin to the “Reduced” models of an earlier era. The 38mm size is easy to...
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Ahead of Its 50th Anniversary Year, Raymond Weil Introduces the Toccata Heritage Capsule Collection
Watches & Wonders can be a blur of new releases in and of itself. So, when a brand asks if you want to preview some upcoming introductions for the year ahead, it can start to make your head spin. However, at my Raymond Weil appointment this past spring, I relinquished. The brand had a small display of archival pieces in a vitrine at their booth, and its Chief Marketing Officer Jeremie Bernheim assured me the reveal would be worth viewing alongside the mini museum of vintage designs. What he shared with me was a new capsule within Raymond Weil’s Toccata collection drawing from the retro models and aptly named Toccata Heritage. Today, this collection comes to you in nine styles, each more beautiful than the next, and with the option of either quartz or mechanical, manually wound movements for the first time. If you have followed Raymond Weil through any point of its nearly 50-year history, you know the brand loves to play with shape and case architecture. The existing Toccata collection explores this with a combination of rectangular and round models. For the new Toccata Heritage capsule, the maison has refined this design language even further. Here, you have a shape the brand simply calls oval, but in my humble opinion, this description does not do the case justice. The case design of the new Toccata Heritage models is decidedly not the harsh, egg-shaped oval profile you might associate with other watch brands. Instead, it takes the structure of the current rectangular m...
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A History and Guide to Formex
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Unimatic and The Armoury Celebrate a Pair of Anniversaries with a New Limited Edition Modello Cinque
It’s well understood that anniversaries in the watch world are fertile ground for new projects. We see it on what amounts to a weekly basis at this point, brands celebrating milestones for collections, movements, and of course the founding of the brand itself. Collaborations are also at the heart of pushing new products to watch enthusiasts, which again needs no further explanation at this point. So in that sense, the new limited edition release from Unimatic in partnership with the Armoury should be the least surprising thing ever. It’s a watch that represents the continuation of a collaborative relationship and a celebration of a pair of anniversaries. The Armoury, the menswear retailer founded by Mark Cho, turns 15 this year, the same year that Unimatic turns ten. It’s a good opportunity to reflect on the impact both the Armoury and Unimatic have had in the watch space in that time. Unimatic has developed into one of the leading design focused, approachable, independent brands. Like Ming, Fears, and a small handful of other brands that have hit their stride in roughly the same time period, they have an unmistakable aesthetic that is recognizable from across a room, as well as a committed contingent of fans that hang on every new release. And while the Armoury did not begin as an outpost for watches, it’s become an important part of the community thanks to Mark Cho’s genuine dedication to watches. He’s a true collector and admirer of great watches (at all p...
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Serica Introduces the New Parade “Linen”
The Windup Watch Fair, especially the New York City edition, has increasingly become a venue for brands to debut new watches aimed at their enthusiast fans. It makes a lot of sense if you’ve ever been to a Windup – there’s an incredibly high concentration of watch lovers in a single place, and many of them are in what you might call a buying mood. And of course, the new stuff is often the most enticing when that particular mood strikes. This year, Serica got in on the act, debuting new references in the Parade collection, their unexpected but incredibly well executed “dress watch” from last year. “Dress watch” is in scare quotes here because of course it’s quite a bit more complex than that, but it’s perhaps easiest to understand the Parade when you view it as a contrast (and complement) to Serica’s sportier offerings. A quick refresher, in case it’s needed, on the Parade. Serica refers to the case as “stadium” shaped because it’s based on the architecture of the Roman Stadium, with straight sides that blend into an elliptical shape at 12 and 6. On the wrist, it presents as an oval, but a look at the case in profile (or any angle other than top down) reveals the case construction makes this one tough to pigeon hole. It offers 100 meters of water resistance while being just 8.2mm tall thanks to “sandwich” style construction that uses screws that hold the case together from the back and are housed in and protected by the bezel. This is far f...
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Exaequo Adds New References to their Lineup of Dali Inspired Melting Watches
It’s hard to overstate the impact that Salvador Dalí-and, by extension, the Surrealist movement-had on popular culture. What might now feel like a strange detour in an art history textbook was, in reality, a radical reimagining of what art could be. Dalí’s obsession with the unconscious, symbolism, and dream logic reframed art as a psychological response to culture, rather than just a mirror of it. In doing so, Surrealism paved the way for the Avant-Garde, Pop Art, and the way we think about art today. It’s no surprise, then, that Dalí’s legacy continues to ripple through design and (not to be dramatic here) time itself. Brands have long used his vision as a jumping-off point for their own explorations of time and perception, most notably, of course, through reinterpretations of some of Dali’s most famous works, like his 1931 The Persistence of Memory. The Cartier Crash, with its iconic “melting clock” case, is probably the most famous representation of this style; but it is not the only one. In fact, Exaequo has been producing its own version of a melting watch since 1990, with its latest references, the Polyhedron series, debuting at Time to Watches in Geneva earlier this year. While there will undoubtedly be comparisons between Cartier’s and Exaequo’s two versions of a wobbly little timepiece, there is a marked difference between the two brands’ approach to the same reference source (not least of all the price). For the Polyhedron, Exaequo...
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Industry News: Time to Watches Joins the Couture Show in Las Vegas
For the past few years, the Time to Watches show has been an important stop on our schedules while in Geneva for Watches & Wonders. Among the many, many events that take place parallel to the biggest trade show in the industry, Time to Watches, which features a variety of small, independent brands which tend to be on the more approachable side of the spectrum, feels like it’s really in our wheelhouse. This year’s Time to Watches event in Geneva was greatly expanded over previous years, and in a new location a stone’s throw from Palexpo, making it an easy and obvious stop for Watches & Wonders attendees. This morning, news broke that Time to Watches is coming to the United States through a new partnership with Couture, the Las Vegas trade show held every year at the Wynn. Couture, these days, is primarily a jewelry focused event. There are still a number of watch brands that exhibit at Couture, but that figure seems to be decreasing year after year. It’s a huge event for the jewelry industry, but seems to be less critical for the watch world. It certainly has not had the media presence in recent years that it once did. In a press release, the partnership was described as a move to bring a “curation of luxury timepieces” to the Couture event in Las Vegas. Time to Watches has secured exhibition space at the Wynn that promises easy access to all Couture attendees. Time to Watches Managing Director Christian Wipfli sees Couture as a natural partner in the United...
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The Greatest Horological Masterpieces of All Time: the Harrison H4 – A Groundbreaking Timepiece That Solved The Longitude Problem
A series of features identifying the most extraordinary mechanical masterpieces in history, blending precision, innovation, and craftsmanship. We all have our favourite timepieces either in our collection or those incredible horological masterpieces that have been invented or created through the ages. This series will showcase examples from the previous centuries up to the present day and look at the importance and impact on modern day timekeeping. John Harrison’s H4 Chronometer was a groundbreaking timepiece that solved the longitude problem, a major challenge for navigation during the 18th century. Before Harrison’s work, sailors had no reliable way to determine their precise east-west position at sea, leading to deadly navigation errors. The British government, through the Longitude Act of 1714, offered a large prize to anyone who could develop a practical solution. Sir Cloudesley Shovell, by Michael Dahl, about 1702-5 (L); The Association with the Eagle, Rumney and the Firebrand, Lost on the Rocks of Scilly, October 22, 1707 (R). Image courtesy of the © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London The Catalyst for the Longitude Act In the early 18th century, determining longitude at sea was one of the greatest challenges in navigation. While sailors could measure latitude using the position of the sun or stars, longitude required precise timekeeping-something that was nearly impossible with the unreliable clocks of the time. The inability to determ...
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A History and Guide to Field Watches
Enthusiasts are constantly searching for the perfect GADA watch; that is, a “go-anywhere, do-anything” watch. One ready for everything from a beach holiday to the office to weekend DIY projects and everything in between. Enter the field watch. Designed for the rigors of war, it now serves as the perfect go-anywhere companion. Constantly evolving throughout the 19th century, the entrenched warfare of the Crimean War and First World War forcibly altered the tactics of Europe’s armies. The ability to sync artillery and multiple infantry units across a front was of the utmost importance. As the (perhaps apocryphal) story goes, the pocket watch traditionally worn proved inconvenient for those at the front. A new class of watches, titled “Campaign,” “Wristlet,” and “Service” watches by various manufacturers, arrived to meet the needs of Europe’s armies. Enthusiasts are constantly searching for the perfect GADA watch; that is, a “go-anywhere, do-anything” watch. One ready for everything from a beach holiday to the office to weekend DIY projects and everything in between. Enter the field watch. Designed for the rigors of war, it now serves as the perfect go-anywhere companion. Constantly evolving throughout the 19th century, the entrenched warfare of the Crimean War and First World War forcibly altered the tactics of Europe’s armies. The ability to sync artillery and multiple infantry units across a front was of the utmost importance. As the (perhaps apoc...
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eBay Finds: Vintage Watches from Seiko, Benrus, Timex, and More!
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 Timex Diver Here’s a nice little vintage Timex diver to start us off this week. Timex has definitely had a resurgence of late with them re-issuing older models for that retro look. Their original vintage offerings were definitely on the…more affordable side. That said, they are still cool and have some classic cache if you ask me. This 1970’s diver style watch has a chrome plated case that looks to be in good shape, and a plastic bezel that looks great. The dial and hands have a nice design to them and they are in excellent condition as well. The watch is powered by an early Timex non-quartz electric movement that runs fine per the seller. Neat piece that should be affordable and fun to wear. View auction here Vintage Seiko 7009-8109 Next up is a vintage Seiko 7009-8109, complete with original bracelet, box and papers. This is one of those everyday type Seikos, not really a dress watch and not really a sports watch, sort of an in betweener. The 37mm steel cushion case looks to be in nice shape, with some marks from aging but still showing the original brushed finish. The blue dial looks great, with simple stick markers and hands, and the always-present Seiko day/date win...
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A Tale of Two Wristies X Windup Watch Shop Giveaway
We have teamed up with our friends Iman and Chris from the A Tale of Two Wristies podcast to offer one lucky winner the chance to win a $350 digital gift card to the Windup Watch Shop! On this week’s podcast episode, Media Manager Devin Pennypacker appeared on the podcast representing Worn & Wound and the shop while taking part in the ‘swear jar’ concept, where guests are not allowed to mention the outlet or company they work for. Though, as a fun twist, this time Iman and Chris took on the challenge of getting Devin to mention Worn & Wound, the Windup Watch Shop, or the Windup Watch Fair as many times as they could, as each mention added $25 to a digital gift card for one lucky listener. Roughly one hour and 14 mentions later, and $350 is up for grabs! If you want to enter, hit the button below and learn how. Official rules are listed below. Good luck to everyone! We have teamed up with our friends Iman and Chris from the A Tale of Two Wristies podcast to offer one lucky winner the chance to win a $350 digital gift card to the Windup Watch Shop! On this week’s podcast episode, Media Manager Devin Pennypacker appeared on the podcast representing Worn & Wound and the shop while taking part in the ‘swear jar’ concept, where guests are not allowed to mention the outlet or company they work for. Though, as a fun twist, this time Iman and Chris took on the challenge of getting Devin to mention Worn & Wound, the Windup Watch Shop, or the Windup Watch Fair as many tim...
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Lorier and Grand Central Watch Debut the Roosevelt, a Limited Edition in Bronze
Every Windup has its share of surprises, and the recently completed New York edition of the fair (in our big 10th anniversary year) was no exception. Something I was definitely not expecting was the newest release from Lorier, the Roosevelt. Lorier is a brand that’s on my personal Mt. Rushmore of microbrands – I just find their watches endlessly charming and Lauren and Lorenzo Ortega are among my favorite people to run into at a watch event. The existence of the Roosevelt itself isn’t so much a surprise, but the way it was presented felt different. Lorier didn’t have a booth at this year’s NYC show, but introduced the watch through their partners at Grand Central Watch, who had a space on the second floor of our venue, showing off the Roosevelt and doing some bracelet adjustments and strap changes on the side. The Roosevelt feels in some ways like a cousin of the Zephyr, Lorier’s Art Deco inspired dress watch from a few years back that felt like a real departure from their midcentury sports watch roots. I was a huge fan of the Zephyr, and remember thinking at the time it could signal an entirely new lane for Lorier to experiment in. Now we get the Roosevelt, which feels like a departure in many of the same, satisfying ways. Inspired by the design of Grand Central Terminal, the Roosevelt is a cushion cased design reminiscent of sports watches from the 1920s. Today, it presents like a dressier piece, but in a lot of ways this watch is very much in line with Lorie...
Worn & Wound
Oris Slims Down their Most Extreme Dive Watch
It sure is a good time to be a watch enthusiast with smaller wrists, with so many brands finally scaling down popular references, or creating new, slimmer and smaller models to modernize their lineups. Though not explicitly marketed as a more minuscule version of the AquisPro 4000m, Oris’ new AquisPro 1000m dials down the bulkiness of the original for a newer reference that should be more wearable, and still incredibly capable. When Oris first released the AquisPro 4000m in 2023, it boasted frankly insane water resistance-after all, who aside from the most daring divers are going 4,000 meters down-and a multi-piece titanium case that measured in at a whopping 49.5mm in diameter and about 23mm in thickness. Even as someone who enjoys large watches, that is bordering on unwearable in everyday circumstances, even though it is a fun piece to admire for its brawn and brutish capability. Still, it wore a beautiful ocean blue dial with a wave pattern that signaled its status as an appropriately pretty Oris timepiece, and featured the brand’s Oris Rotation Safety System (ORSS) to keep the bezel locked in place. The new 1000m version carries forth the titanium construction and 49.5mm case size, but manages to slim down the thickness to a much more wearable 16.6mm. Additional measurements include 55mm lug-to-lug and 26.3mm lug widths, and the multi-piece titanium case is coated in gray PVD. The ORSS returns, too, with a ceramic bezel insert to spice up the familiar blue ...
Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Introduces the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT
Just about a year ago, Christopher Ward released the C60 Trident Lumiere, a dive watch that impressed all of us here at Worn & Wound with its styling, bold lume, and easy wearability. Today, they’ve announced what amounts to a spiritual successor to that watch, and a natural evolution of it, the C63 Sealander GMT. With the new C63 Sealander GMT, Christopher Ward has made their version of a no compromises adventure watch in the vein of Rolex Explorers, Omega Planet Oceans, and the like, with, of course, the practicality of a GMT. If you were intrigued by last year’s Trident Lumiere but are after something that’s maybe a bit more tied to land (or air), the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT might be of interest. It all starts with a 41mm stainless steel case with Christopher Ward’s signature “light catcher” finishing elements, found most prominently along the lugs. Two dial variants are available at launch, a simple black and a military green, both with grained, matte finishes to bolster the tool watch nature of the piece. Each version features a fixed ceramic bezel in black with a 24 hour scale. But the real star of the show here is the impressive lume treatment on the dial. Once again, Christopher Ward has tapped their partners at Xenoprint, just steps away from their facility in Biel, to create bold blocks of lume to enhance dial legibility, both during the day and at night. The markers, hands, and even the brand’s logo are made up of solid blocks of Globolight l...
Worn & Wound
Longines Introduces the Ultra-Chron Classic
When Longines reintroduced the Ultra-Chron back in 2022, many enthusiasts and vintage watch lovers were excited by the possibility of the brand exploring one of their key collections with a new lens. To the surprise of many, the watches that have been introduced in the new-look Ultra-Chron lineup have frequently been on the more contemporary side when it comes to design. For a brand that has become known for raiding the archives, the most revered Ultra-Chrons of old haven’t really been a factor with the new pieces. That changes, however, with the introduction of the new Ultra-Chron Classic, which, as the name suggests, is a riff on the original Ultra-Chron, the one often seen by collectors as the most desirable. The Ultra-Chron has always existed as a testament to Longines’ commitment to chronometry. When the collection launched in 1967, it was the first time a watch with a movement based on those used in chronometry competitions had been successfully shifted to a mass produced product. The Ultra-Chron was one of several watches released in the 1960s that effectively threw down the gauntlet in the ongoing chronometry wars among many of the biggest Swiss brands (plus Seiko/Grand Seiko). So it makes sense that Longines would return to the original design of one their most historically important watches. The Ultra-Chron Classic is about as sturdy an example of a clean, midcentury watch design as you’re likely to see. Its circular stainless steel case comes in two si...
Worn & Wound
The James Brand and Timex Team Up Again on a New Version of their Hit GMT
Timex and The James Brand is a collaboration that just makes a lot of sense. On paper, the two brands appear to be from different worlds. Timex is a historically important, mass market watch brand that at one point or another touches the wrist of just about every enthusiast – a true horological gateway drug. The James Brand is a niche EDC brand and decidedly more contemporary. But what binds them together, I think, is a common willingness to experiment and try new things. The James Brand has a catalog full of practical, innovative tools that owners continuously find new ways to put into use. And Timex has quietly been a real innovator in offering interesting, design oriented watches that represent true value to enthusiasts over these last several years, with the launch of Timex Atelier being the best example. The two brands have come together once again with a follow up to a big hit limited edition from last year in the form of a new GMT with a very on trend dial material. The new version of the James Brand x Timex Automatic GMT, which they’ve dubbed the “Nocturne Edition,” exists on the same platform as last year’s release, with a few notable tweaks. The first notable update is Timex has swapped the titanium case of the previous version for one in stainless steel. The 41mm case has a tough, sandblasted finish, which is what you’d expect from an EDC oriented brand like TJB. The other big change is the new dial crafted from forged carbon fiber. It has the tell...