Dive Watches · Page 107

Hands On: IWC Portofino Complete Calendar

Last year, IWC reinvigorated the underrated Portofino line that’s long been overshadowed by the bestselling Pilot’s Watch and Portugieser. Historically one of the brand’s most classical offerings, the Portofino is best summarised as clean, almost minimalist, with the occasional Roman numerals.  While recent Portofino complications have been somewhat plain, the Portofino perpetual calendar made things a little more interesting. Now IWC is continuing with the theme in a more affordable manner with the Portofino Complete Calendar. Taking its design cues from the more complex perpetual, the Complete Calendar is slightly larger but mechanically simpler. And as a result of the entry-level pricing, it is is powered by the no-frills ValFleurier movement widely used by watch brands owned by Swiss luxury group Richemont, which naturally includes IWC.  The symmetrical dial The ValFleurier movement has been dressed up for the display back Initial thoughts For the longest time, IWC has emphasised two lines, Pilot’s Watches and Portugieser, simply because they sell the best. At the same time, it has tried  to rejuvenate its other collections like the Ingenieuir and Aquatimer with little success. Last year it made tentative steps in reviving the Portofino collection with an all-new perpetual calendar. Simple in design, the Portofino perpetual doesn’t try to do too much – and for that reason it found some success as the brand’s entry-level perpetual calendar. Now IWC is ...

From bank robber to worm picker, the best watches for the weirdest jobs

Before buying a watch it’s important to consider how it will fit into your life, as different watches may benefit some lifestyles over others. The contradictory trope of the “desk diver” is well known to describe a dive watch worn at an office job, but what if your job is less than conventional to say … ContinuedThe post From bank robber to worm picker, the best watches for the weirdest jobs appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

VERSUS: The Grand Seiko SBGH289 and Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M divers duke it out

After the last edition of our Versus column between Seiko and Hamilton, Japan and Switzerland are battling each other once more. The rules state that these two watches must both be vying for the same customers, and it’s my job to determine where they match up, where they differ and which is the better option. … ContinuedThe post VERSUS: The Grand Seiko SBGH289 and Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M divers duke it out appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Tool/Kit: Surfcasting on Long Island’s South Shore with the Recycled Alpina Seastrong Diver 300 Automatic Calanda

Surfcasting is one of those things that took over a lot of my free time, and fast. My most frequent form of fishing is typically with a fly rod, standing in a relatively calm river somewhere gently presenting flies to willing trout. Surfcasting is the opposite. You’re standing in the ocean, waves crashing around you, often in the hours after sunset or before dawn. It feels a little crazy packing up and heading down to the beach at some absurd hour that you’d usually be sound asleep, but if the tides look good, you text your fishing buddy, pound a cup of coffee, and fight off the tired for a few hours hoping you’ll end up with a fish on the end of your line. For this trip that we documented, the watch on my wrist was the Alpina Seastrong Diver 300 Automatic Calanda. Its angular case is crafted from a unique 100% recycled steel that is sourced primarily from the maritime shipping industry. It’s interesting how the watch starts off serving one purpose in the ocean, and ends up back where it started, this time it’s on your wrist. The dial features a glossy black finish with applied indices, each filled with old radium lume that glows nice and bright while the sun is still below the horizon. The seconds hand is accented with a bright red triangle that picks up on the “SEASTRONG” text on the dial. Surrounding the dial is a unidirectional rotating bezel with a brushed finish. The textured edge is easy to grab and turn, even with a thick pair of neoprene gloves on. T...

Donald Trump shares his thoughts on the Rolex Submariner with us. Well, sort of…

No, we did not actually speak with former president Donald Trump. The below – where we asked AI to review the Rolex Submariner in the style of Donald Trump – is actually another reflection of how much the ChatGPT technology is evolving. Since we did this earlier in the week, the AI has since been updated to … ContinuedThe post Donald Trump shares his thoughts on the Rolex Submariner with us. Well, sort of… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Accutron Introduces Astronaut “T”

Once a major brand during the 20th century heyday of American watchmaking, Bulova had a long association with the American space programme and US Air Force. Its watches broke the sound barrier, went to space, and even  the Moon. One of the watches that left Earth’s atmosphere was the Accutron Astronaut, which orbited the Earth on Mercury-Atlas 9 in 1963. Now having been spun off as a standalone brand by Bulova, Accutron debuts the Astronaut “T”. The limited-edition remake replicates the look of the crown-less, electric original, but as a modern mechanical watch with a Sellita movement featuring a dual time zone function. Initial thoughts Now owned by Japanese watch giant Citizen, Bulova has been steadily rolling out reissues of its best-known historical models, and unsurprisingly Accutron is doing the same. The Astronaut “T” is just the first in an upcoming series of Astronaut watches. Like the brand’s other reissues, the Astronaut “T” has an appealing aesthetic if you like the retro, 1960s style that characterises the series. And though little known, Bulova’s history in space exploration and cutting-edge air force projects brings a good deal of historical glamour to the model, which boosts its appeal. But the remake is pricey, especially given that neither the modern-day Bulova brand nor Accutron are known as a makers of high-end watches. The retail price of US$3,500 puts it in the same territory as the Tudor Black Bay Pro that has a more sophisticat...

First Look: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 2 Tech Gombessa

This year marks the 70th Anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms, one of the first modern dive watches to appear in the mid-20th century following the invention of the Aqualung in 1946 that popularized recreational diving. In Act 1 of the year-long anniversary celebrations starting in January, Blancpain launched a new 42mm stainless steel model that […]

Blancpain Celebrates 70 Years of the Fifty Fathoms with Tech Gombessa

This year marks the 70th anniversary of one of the most important dive watches ever made, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. To celebrate the occasion, Blancpain will be releasing a trio of Fifty Fathom “Acts”, the first of which was released in January featuring a new 42mm case. The second act of this anniversary year is celebrating Blancpain’s 10 year relationship with Gombessa diving expeditions, and the release of the Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa watch, a modern take on the platform built with a specific purpose in mind. We got our hands on the Tech Gombessa during its launch (which was hosted by our friend Jason Heaton), and discovered a few surprising takeaways.  To fully appreciate the Tech Gombessa, an understanding of the Gombessa diving expeditions is in order. Led by highly decorated wildlife photographer and diver (and Nikon ambassador), Laurent Ballesta, the Gombessa expeditions have studied some of the most elusive marine life and phenomenon on earth. The goals of these expeditions are centered around three pillars: a scientific mystery, a diving challenge and the promise of unprecedented images. To date, there have been five such expeditions, all underwritten by Blancpain, and each producing a wealth of knowledge and stunning visuals. Ballesta was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2017, 2021, and 2022 for his efforts. In order to study and capture the underwater locations and wildlife, the team utilizes closed-circuit rebreather diving techniques, a...

Introducing: Blancpain Doubles Down On Purpose-Built Tools With The Crazy Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa (Live Pics)

Most divers can only dream of using this watch as designed, which just makes it that much cooler.

Introducing the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa, Act 2 in the 70th Anniversary Celebration

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa is “a pure diving instrument” for the modern age

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa presents a world-first three-hour timing bezel The “absolute black” dial captures almost 97% of the light to make the lume pop and enhance underwater legibility The release continues the 70th birthday celebrations of the Fifty Fathoms Laurent Ballesta is the closest thing we have to a modern-day Jacques Costeau. The … ContinuedThe post The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa is “a pure diving instrument” for the modern age appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

New and reviewed: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa

Hands-on comprehensive review of the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa, just released today! With live photographs, specs and price.

Fratello and Aquastar Team Up for a Very Limited Version of the Deepstar II with an Ice Blue Dial

The Aquastar Deepstar II is the latest watch to get the limited edition treatment from our friends over at Fratello, and it might be the nicest looking iteration yet on the unapologetically vintage inspired diver. We first told you about the Deepstar II back in late 2021, when the watch made its debut in the afterglow of the cult favorite Deepstar Chronograph. These watches have an abundance of charm thanks to a well thought out asymmetry, excellent use of key vintage cues, and a size that is literally just about perfect for a watch of this style. As we pointed when the Deepstar II first came to our attention, dial color plays an outsize role in how the watch lands, and that holds true with the new Fratello version, which is very much the Deepstar we’ve come to know, but with nicely curated touches that give it a fresh life.  The word of the day when describing the Deepstar II is, without a doubt, “compact.” If you’re accustomed to big, bruising modern divers from Seiko, Tudor, and the like, strapping Deepstar II to your wrist will feel somewhat alien at first. The case measures 36.7mm wide and just 46mm lug to lug, but it’s 13mm thick, which makes these watches wear squat on the wrist with a presence you wouldn’t expect from the listed dimensions. Aquastar has always framed the Deepstar II as a thought experiment of sorts, imagining the type of diver the brand would have followed up the Deepstar Chronograph with back in the late 60s (unlike the chrono, this d...

Zodiac and Huckberry Introduces a Wildly Capable LHD Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver with a GMT Hand and HEV

If you were tuning into our feed at the beginning of the year, we published an article where the entire Worn & Wound editorial team gave their predictions for what they thought would happen in the watch industry in 2023. Given the growing amount of watches with a GMT complication we saw released towards the latter part of the year, I started my portion of the article with a bit of an obvious take  – 2023 will be the Year of the GMT. And so far, it has been. I’ve written about six different GMT’s since we’ve crossed over into the new year and I don’t expect that to trend in the other direction any time soon. In addition to my soft ball of a prediction, I did “hope” to see more options with a slight change to the GMT format this year, where a dive watch design is put first, and then the travel component second. A Diver-GMT, if you will. Well it seems that Zodiac has gotten that memo. The latest addition to the Diver-GMT space is the Zodiac LHD Pro-Diver GMT. Zodiac has taken their core professional dive watch with the Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver, switched up the crown placement, added a fourth hand to track a second time zone, and added a helium escape valve for good measure. The Zodiac LHD Pro-Diver GMT is all business. Usually we’re used to seeing fun dial and bezel color combinations from the brand, but this new release is entirely the opposite. Aside from the splash of color from the orange accented GMT hand, water resistance rating on the dial, and the tri...

Examining the Doctor Strange Watch: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin

Spotting and identifying watches worn in movies is one of the most popular pastimes among wristwatch aficionados as well as serious cinephiles. Most of the time, such watches serve largely as props, elements of a character’s wardrobe and/or equipment that help to define who that character is: who could forget, for example, Steve McQueen's Heuer Monaco in Le Mans or Daniel Craig's Omega Seamaster in Casino Royale? Every so often, a timepiece plays a more pivotal storytelling role, as was the case of a very recognizable, albeit harshly damaged Jaeger-LeCoultre watch in the 2016 Marvel film Doctor Strange, and more recently in its sequel, 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title character in the movie, world-renowned neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange, and in classic Marvel origin-story tradition, the first time we meet him  he is anything but heroic. While he uses his brilliant mind and skilled hands to save lives, his motivation for doing so tends to be more financial than altruistic. He turns down patients who can’t afford his enormous fees, treats co-workers callously, and generally embraces the high-end trappings that his fame and wealth affords him, including a Lamborghini and a drawer full of high-end timepieces meticulously mounted on winder cuffs- among them, according to sharp-eyed viewers, a Rolex Daytona and TAG Heuer Monaco.  The watch that Strange appears to hold in particularly high regard is the one ...

Citizen Promaster Dive (You Know the One) Gets Full Lume Dial

I haven’t been shy about sharing my adoration for this particular Promaster Dive watch from Citizen. Zach Kazan and I wrote about our impressions as owners of the same variant of this watch, with a perfectly unsubtle blue camo dial, and it’s a watch we both come back to often. To me, Citizen is at their best when they lean into the slightly strange, and they’ve got a number of designs that qualify, including these wonderful Ecozilla “ashtray” watches recently released. If camo isn’t quite your thing (I don’t blame you), their latest take on this platform might be right up your alley. And if you are into camo, you’ll probably still like it as well. The latest Promaster Dive uses the same fabulous gunmetal titanium case, but pairs it with a full lume dial and a bright orange minute hand.  Lume dials are a tricky thing to pull off properly, but here it feels like a totally natural extension of the design of this watch. It feels right at home. The camo execution was funky enough to jive with the unusual case design, but the full lume feels like a more practical solution to bring a unique level of clarity and contrast to the watch as a whole. It takes a near novelty level watch to a supremely practical level of watch. Like the Aqualand JP2007-17W, the lume dial here is a light creamy green color that jumps off the black backdrop of the case and bezel. The hour plots are filled with lume of nearly the same color, but appear a bit brighter after a flash of light ...

Citizen’s Fully Lumed Promaster Diver Is Now Available In The Windup Watch Shop!

Originally introduced in 1982, Citizen’s iconic Professional Diver watch achieved the highest depth rating of any watch in the world, up to an incredible 1300 meters. The initial release of the watch in the 1980s featured many of the same design elements as its modern predecessor, including the lug-less case, smooth lines, and chunky 60-click bezel. Today, we’re proud to announce that a new version of the watch is now available in the Windup Watch Shop, and this one features a fully-lumed dial. Originally introduced in 1982, Citizen’s iconic Professional Diver watch achieved the highest depth rating of any watch in the world, up to an incredible 1300 meters. The initial release of the watch in the 1980s featured many of the same design elements as its modern predecessor, including the lug-less case, smooth lines, and chunky 60-click bezel. Today, we’re proud to announce that a new version of the watch is now available in the Windup Watch Shop, and this one features a fully-lumed dial. The post Citizen’s Fully Lumed Promaster Diver Is Now Available In The Windup Watch Shop! appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Hands-On with the Colorful Meraud Antigua Chronograph

Back in 2018 we reviewed a watch from Meraud called the Bonaire, a time-only diver with some stylish undertones that elevated it from mere neo-vintage diver from a micro-brand status. In closing, Ilya expressed excitement about the future of the brand, and how that might manifest in different models. This week, we’re finally getting a look at the next chapter with the release of the hand-wound chronograph called the Antigua. This is a watch no longer content with stylish undertones, instead opting for outright stylish, full stop. The Antigua oozes personality from damn near every angle, and while not without fault, this is a watch that’s not just fun, but unexpected.  Colorful hand-wound chronographs from small independent brands are certainly enjoying a moment thanks to the likes of Studio Underd0g, Lorier, and Baltic, among others, and Meraud carves their own path with the Antigua thanks to the well considered design (a trait shared by the others cited above), and the somewhat unconventional choice of movement. I wouldn’t go so far as to call the Antigua an anomaly, but it manages a fine balance between safe and comfortable, and quirky and strange, landing somewhere in the middle. It’s the best kind of follow up to a promising start, and I only wish it had come a little sooner, as this is a brand I’d like to see more from. $1917 Hands-On with the Colorful Meraud Antigua Chronograph Case Stainless Steel Movement Landeron 248 Dial Soft Sand, Miho Black Lume Supe...

Pre-Owned Picks: Five Unusual Watches That Are New To The Shop

Most of us are familiar with a Submariner or a Navitimer, so now let's look at the hidden gems in some of the most popular brand's catalogs.

When Seiko Sumos Fly: Seiko Introduces a Pair of Solar Diver GMTs Ready for Your Next Adventure Abroad

It seems to me that more recently, Seiko has had “travel” on the mind. I say that based on the steadily increasing incorporation of the GMT complication within their more entry-level products. Last year we finally saw a GMT movement make its way into the Seiko 5 sports line with the SSK GMT and we all went bananas for it. I mean how could we not? It’s a travel ready watch packaged into a familiar and beloved Seiko design at a very reasonable price point. Their Prospex line however, has more experience with jumping time zones as it already provides multiple models with a fourth hand like the compass bezel equipped SNR025 and the more traditional looking traveler with the SNR033. Last week, Seiko announced a new GMT addition to the Prospex range and much to our excitement, they’re taking a page out of their SSK GMT release by throwing in a GMT complication into a familiar case silhouette. The new models we’re referring to are the SKF001J1 and the SFK003J1. Essentially what we have here is the Seiko Sumo with an added feature of a GMT hand via a solar powered quartz movement and a dial modification to accommodate the additional hand. The Seiko Sumo, which gets its nickname from its portly case and the signature twelve o’clock marker resembling the “Mawashi” of a competing sumo wrestler, got several updates from last year’s release including a ceramic bezel, super-hard coating, new dial design and a refresh to the accompanying stainless steel bracelet. The SF...

Testing The New And Sold Out Synchron Poseidon Ice Diver

A full and detailed review-with live photos-covering the newly-released Synchron Poseidon Ice Diver limited edition.

[Video Review] Norqain Gets Adventurous With Wild One & Norteq

I see plenty of discussion around the idea of a GADA watch within the watch enthusiast space, that is the concept of a Go Anywhere, Do Anything watch. Of course, each of us has our own criteria for what the perfect GADA watch must have, but these are generally watches that do a good job of skirting between the boundaries of any specific genre. Ultimately, a watch is what we make of it; clearly not many of us are divers or pilots, yet many of us enjoy watches specifically ascribed to these realms. We’ve seen a growing trend of brands simply labeling their watches in broadly generic terms, like ‘active watch’ or ‘sport watch’ implying it can stand up to the rigors of more average human activities. More walks in the park or sledding with your kids and less diving to 300 meters or calculating fuel loads in an old war plane.  I say all this to set up the discussion around a new(ish) watch from Norqain called the Wild One, a watch which the brand describes as the “ultimate sports watch”. It’s got all the impressive specs you’d associate with modern dive or field watches, like a 300 meter depth rating and a chronometer rated movement, but it’s not being positioned explicitly as a dive watch, or a field watch. It’s a sports watch. For my lifestyle, a GADA watch closely resembles what I’d consider a sports watch, so this billing was good news to me. It should be easy to wear regardless of activity, able to put up with some light wear and tear, be legible, a...

The DIY Series: How to modify your watch (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this DIY Series, we went over the steps for assembling your own watch from scratch. Even if that’s not the avenue for you, maybe there’s a watch in your collection that’s never been quite as perfect as you’d hoped. If you’ve ever bought and sold similar black-dialled dive watches over and … ContinuedThe post The DIY Series: How to modify your watch (Part 2) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Imperial Royalguard 200 Review

A full, detailed review of the Imperial Royalguard 200 dive watch with original photos, specs, pricing, and more.