Dive Watches · Page 26

Watches, Stories, and Gear: Splashdown With Tudor, Yashica’s City 300 and The OGR2

“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. SPLASHDOWN While you might know the story of how the Omega Speedmaster became the official Moonwatch, you might know the story of Navy-UDT Frogman who were tasked with safely recovering astronauts as they returned to Earth. Just as the astronauts relied upon their speedmasters,  the UDT Frogmen had their own piece of critical time keeping kit: the Tudor Submariner 7928. While these divers would preform critical roles in supporting Nasa’s splashdown recovery program, their story remained largely untold, until now. On Thursday, June 24th, Tudor unveiled a short film dedicated to these men, aptly titled “Splashdown: The Little-Known Story of Navy Frogmen and the Space Program”.  Featuring members of the team, their family, and even Jack Carr, the short film can be watched on Tudor’s website alongside various historical images. Little Camera, Big Punch Yashica, a Japanese camera company, has announced their newest compact camera, the City 300.  Similar in size to a point-and-shoot camera or the Ricoh family of cameras, the new City 300 combines a 50MP sensor, a fast F/1.8 lens, and what appears to be a flip/tilt screen; all for an estimated US retail price of $4...

Rolex Submariner Review

The Rolex Submariner enjoys a nearly impeccable resume these days, and is largely seen as the modern dive watch archetype, having first set the template in 1954. The Submariner has seen a steady evolution during its production span, and remains essentially the same today as it was in the ‘50s and ‘60s. It’s a simple watch to understand and enjoy, and while modern Rolex aren’t quite the same function-forward tools they once were, the Submariner remains a symbol of that connection. It’s also just as capable as ever. There have been many transitional references throughout the Submariner’s life, but there is one reference in particular that has drawn the ire of the enthusiast community, and that is the reference 114060 produced between 2012 and 2020. Today, I’ll be taking a look at why that is, and offering a few words in defense of this outlier.  Rolex Submariner 114060 Case and Wearability The Submariner has been a ~40mm watch since the late ‘50s, and while the reference 124060 officially changed that, moving to a 41mm diameter, it was the 114060 before it that was the first to really push the envelope of that label. While the shiny new ceramic bezel got most of the attention when this generation of the Submariner was introduced, it was the new so-called "muscle case" that would raise eyebrows. Rolex doesn’t generally succumb to trends, but it’s worth noting that this period was marked by increasing case sizes, and as a result, the 114060 (and its more c...

New: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech

The Fifty Fathoms Tech 45 mm debuts in the permanent collection, with a new interchangeable strap system, expanding its technical repertoire with bold rubber options in classic black, white or vivid orange. These vibrant colors inject a fresh, lifestyle-driven twist into the iconic diver’s instrument, while preserving all its exceptional tool-watch features.

Elliot Brown brings summer vibes to its Bloxworth Heritage Diver with the new Chromatic Collection

Inspired by summer motifs like candy floss, promenade deck chairs and sandcastles, these divers are bang on trend.The post Elliot Brown brings summer vibes to its Bloxworth Heritage Diver with the new Chromatic Collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hot Take: Adding Some Weight To The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M

Omega didn’t make a fuss about these two new gold Seamaster Diver 300M references and just sneakily added them to the catalog. And I wonder why there was no press release on them, like there was on the new steel Seamaster Diver 300M with orange accents the other week. Anyway, that decision was made, but […] Visit Hot Take: Adding Some Weight To The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M to read the full article.

Hands-On: the Aera M-1 Blackbird

Is it too late to dub the summer of 2025 “Black Watch Summer”? That might be how I remember this particular season. The watch I’ve worn most, by far, as the temps have soared is my Ming 37.09 “Uni,” a blacked out void of a watch if ever there was one. And a few weeks ago at Windup I purchased my first vintage watch in ages, a DLC coated Favre-Leuba chronograph that I couldn’t pass on. And now, as we’re fully in the dog days, I sit here with the new Aera Instruments M-1 Blackbird on my wrist, another cool, sleek, blacked out watch that bolsters the notion that Aera is one of the most interesting accessible indies of the moment.  I reviewed Aera’s D-1 dive watch a few years ago, and the tone of that review was one of pleasant surprise. At the time, the brand was in the midst of launching their second collection, and from the photos and press materials I had seen, I was struggling to make sense of why this brand needed to exist. That might seem like a harsh standard, but we live in a period where it’s incredibly easy to churn out incredibly generic sports watches for minimal money and talent that absolutely no one needs. The whole point of this website, as I see it, is to find the stuff that has a real reason to be made because it offers something different. So I was surprised to find that the D-1 subverted my expectations by flipping the idea of a dive watch on its head. It kind of looks like a generic dive watch at a glance, but every single detail is act...

The Diving Bezel: The Most Versatile Watch ‘Complication,’ Even if You are Not a Diver

Thanks to its bezel, as Dietmar W. Fuchs explains, the diver's watch is a much more versatile timepiece than many people think. Aside from teaching you how to use it on land, in the skies, and under water, here he answers the perennial question of who made the first true diver's watch: Blancpain, Rolex, or Panerai.

The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Shadow: The Ultimate Adventure Watch

It’s dark, it’s stealthy, and it’s bold. But it’s a lot of fun! The new Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Shadow is built for those who love some adventure. So we put it to the test… What We Love The muted matte shadow look The lightweight construction The ease of wear for a larger watch What We Don’t Lack of micro-adjust The ‘give’ in the bezel The taper of the bracelet isn’t as balanced as it could be Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10 Value For Money: 8.5/10 Design: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 The Zenith Diver dates back to the early 1960s when the Le Locle brand designed and released the Super Sub Sea. But, it wasn’t until 1969 when the Defy Diver was released that Zenith had hit on a good thing. The Defy A3648 was a bold watch, and its design codes echoed those of the time. This watch is what the Zenith Defy Diver Revival is modelled after, which Mario took out for a spin last year. However, Zenith didn’t have a deep diver or saturation dive watch like many others out there. Think of the likes of the Rolex Sea-Dweller and the Omega Planet Ocean. So last year, the brand released a new watch – the Defy Extreme Diver in both blue and black colourways that would recify the gap in the market. It had all the hallmarks of the Zenith Defy range, closely mirroring that of the Defy Skyline, but just a little more bold and robust. So it was no surprise that the brand looked at this watch, along with the A3648 and decided to release a pair of “Shadow” e...

Seiko Turtle SRPE93 Review

The Seiko Prospex SRPE93, the most recent version of the legendary Seiko Turtle dive watch, hit the market relatively recently, in 2021, but its lineage can be traced all the way back to the 1970s. What makes this defiantly retro-looking tool watch such a favorite of enthusiasts even today? There’s a lot more to it than the very accessible price point, as we’ll explore here in this in-depth examination - or, a look under the shell, if you will -  of the SRPE93 “Turtle.” Seiko, the world’s oldest and most established Japanese watchmaking brand, was one of the pioneers of the dive-watch genre and it has long stood apart from its Swiss contemporaries in this field (i.e. Rolex, Blancpain, and others) for its use of bold and unconventional designs. One of its most off-the-wall and yet most enduringly popular designs is the original "Turtle” - aka, Ref. 6306 and 6309 - which made its debut in 1976. The former reference was made exclusively for the Japanese market (and thus, vintage examples are much rarer and more valuable), and the latter was sold to international customers. The reptilian nickname derived from the watches’ cushion-shaped cases with softly rounded lugs, which brought to mind the silhouette of a turtle when viewed from above. The reference numbers for the watches essentially matched those of their automatic movements - Caliber 6306A, which included hacking seconds and Caliber 6309A, which did not.  The Turtle’s unusual look and rugged ...

Opinion: The Culture of the Royal Oak Has Overshadowed the Watch Itself

I can remember the exact moment I realized that Audemars Piguet was not the brand for me: I was listening to an episode of Hodinkee Radio in early 2019 featuring an interview with then current AP CEO François-Henry Bennahmias during which he boasted that he does not read books. For whatever skills Bennahmias has as an executive, and whatever objectively nice qualities come through in the watches made under his tenure with the brand, something about this statement immediately turned me off. In the parlance of 2025, you’d say it gave me “the ick.”  Over the last few years, I’ve thought about this moment a lot as integrated bracelet sports watch mania has waxed and waned, and my own taste has solidified somewhat. Back in 2019, my exposure to Royal Oaks was fairly limited. I basically knew what watch media and the burgeoning watch collector’s scene on Instagram told me. And the narrative, by and large, was that these were the crème de la crème of the high end, a watch that every collector should strive to own. In those days, it really was that simple: there were a handful of watches from big brands that seemed to be on everyone’s hit list at one time or another. The Submariner, the Speedmaster, the Royal Oak. It was drilled into my head, and all of our heads, that watches like this – the icons – were worthy of our universal devotion.  I eventually owned both a Speedmaster and a Submariner. Both of which, I’d eventually realize, were not for me for a vari...

First Look – The New Favre Leuba Chief Date Royal Purple, Heritage Reimagined in Bold Colour

Founded in 1737, Favre Leuba is one of the few names in Swiss watchmaking that carries such a rich vintage sport-chic DNA. The brand is renowned for its robust designs and innovative approach, from iconic dive watches to distinctive cushion-shaped urban timepieces, such as the Chief. Revived in recent years with thoughtful updates, the Chief […]

Elliot Brown Introduces the Colorful New Chromatic Collection of Rugged, Vintage Inspired Quartz Dive Watches

One of the brands I’ve most enjoyed getting to know through our Windup Watch Fairs is Elliot Brown. Based in the UK, the brand offers an almost overwhelming variety of purpose built tool watches in a frequently sober, no-nonsense design language. The watches remind me at times (in a good way) of those you might have come across when the “big watch” trend was at full steam and brands sought to capitalize on the popularity of Panerai and others who traded in a hyper-masculine approach to watch design. Elliot Brown’s watches are quite a bit more considered, however, and they’ve attracted the attention of tool watch enthusiasts for their authentic perspective, undeniably solid build quality, and a pretty compelling value as well.  Their latest release, the Chromatic Collection series of Bloxworth Heritage divers, is both a great example of what Elliot Brown has been excelling at in recent years, and a confident step in a slightly different direction. If you scroll through the watches in Elliot Brown’s catalog on their website, you’ll see lots of watches in muted tones: black, dark green, navy blue. Simple dials designed for easy legibility as opposed to flash. But the Chromatic Collection adds a welcome bit of color to the brand’s vintage inspired diver with four new references that emphasize color and feel tailored to summer wear.  The four new variants include the bold Bloxworth Orange, Bloxworth Seaglass Blue, Bloxworth Drunk Tank (with pink accents), and ...

Hot Take: The New Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Combines Tool Vibes With Lifestyle

Blancpain introduced the Tech line back in 2023 with the impressive Tech Gombessa. After that came the limited-edition Tech BOC (Blancpain Ocean Commitment) IV earlier this year. Now, we see a permanent addition to the lineup in the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech. The new model introduces a toolless quick-release mechanism to the Fifty Fathoms line. […] Visit Hot Take: The New Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Combines Tool Vibes With Lifestyle to read the full article.

First Look – The Two-Tone Luminescence of the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Diver Aquamar

Since its revival in 2020, Nivada Grenchen has been something of a secret among collectors of vintage dive watches, with reeditions of some of its cult tool watches produced between 1950 and 1970 at accessible prices. Founded in 1926, Nivada Grenchen produced its first automatic and waterproof watch, the Antarctic, in 1950. Put to the […]

Tudor Black Bay Chrono Review

The Tudor Black Bay Chrono hit the market, somewhat unexpectedly, in 2017, boldly elevating the already red-hot Black Bay collection into a new tier of horological prestige and marking the debut of a collaboration (again, rather unexpected) between Rolex-owned Tudor and its Swiss sport-watch competitor Breitling. Nearly a decade later, the model still represents the highest level of complication in Tudor’s 21st-Century lineup, and yet this Tudor chronograph also remains very manageable, as a subfamily, in terms of material, size, and colorway options - an area in which the larger Black Bay collection, some might argue, has gone a bit far in the opposite direction, now encompassing three distinctive iterations: original Black Bay, Black Bay 58, and Black Bay 54 (which we reviewed here), all touting different sizing and multiple colorways and materials. And this doesn’t even include the other “complicated” extension of the line, the Black Bay GMT, which recently debuted in the “58” sizing and which seems to unveil a new bicolor bezel or dial color every year since its 2018 debut. Originally called the Heritage Black Bay - as it was clearly an homage to vintage dive watches from Tudor’s watchmaking history, which began in 1946 - the OG Black Bay model traces its aesthetic roots to the Oyster Prince Submariner, released in 1954, one year after big brother Rolex rolled out its own much more famous Submariner watch. This original version, Ref. 7922, used the ...

Hands-On: The Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925

There’s something satisfying about handling a watch that feels like it knows exactly what it is. The Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 (L3.803.5.53.6) landed on my wrist with that kind of confident presence-not shouting for attention, but quietly competent in the way good tool watches should be. At 39mm with a mix of steel and 18-karat rose gold, it’s Longines’ centennial nod to their 1925 original, the world’s first dual time zone wristwatch. The question isn’t whether it’s historically significant-it obviously is-but whether it actually earns its place in today’s crowded GMT field. Longines, GMT Watches, and the Inevitable Tudor Question Let’s address the elephant in the room: if you’re shopping GMT watches around this price point, you’ve probably looked at the Tudor Black Bay GMT ($4,675). It’s the obvious comparison, sitting at roughly the same price with similar functionality. But where Tudor leans into its diving heritage with a rotating 24-hour bezel, Longines approaches GMT complications from their aviation roots. The Spirit Zulu Time 1925 isn’t trying to be a dive watch that happens to track time zones-it’s purpose-built for travelers and pilots who need to know what time it is “there.” The other natural competitors include the Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT ($6,900), the Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer ($3,175), and the NOMOS Zürich Worldtimer ($6,100). But it’s worth noting these watches solve the multi-timezone problem...

Introducing: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech 45mm, Now A Permanent Catalog Option

The brand's most serious purpose-built dive watch is no longer limited edition, slightly updated yet still equipped with everything you need to go deeper than you'll likely ever go.

Introducing – The New Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph 40mm in Ocean Green

Oris’ beloved Divers Sixty-Five series has been charming fans of laid-back, vintage-inspired dive watches for over a decade now. First revived in 2015 to celebrate the Hölstein-based brand’s iconic 1965 dive watch, this collection has since grown into a full family of neo-retro divers and sporty daily wearers, always blending mid-century charm with modern mechanics. […]

Blancpain’s Latest Fifty Fathoms Tech 45mm Gets A Pop Of Orange

First Look – The Formidable Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech 45 Enters The Permanent Collection

With the case designed for extremes and a dial that prioritises legibility, the new Fifty Fathoms Tech-line is as much a tool underwater as a fun piece on the beach. This year, Blancpain unleashes its technical spirit for everyday adventure with the latest Fifty Fathoms Tech, the first Tech model to enter the permanent collection, […]

Omega Adds a New “Orange” Seamaster to the Collection

The Omega Seamaster is one of the most enduring of watch collections. Over the course of decades, it’s become akin to a household name, as long as your household includes at least one watch collector, or a fan of Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig era James Bond. It’s also one of the most fussed over of all sports watches. As popular as it is, it seems like fans of the collection (and its detractors, of course) always have gripes. That’s watches, obviously. But the overwhelming variety in Seamaster World over many years lends itself to sniping about the smallest details. The latest entry into the collection, a new Diver 300M in orange ($6,500), keeps the tradition alive.  It’s a bit of a misnomer, I think, to call this an “orange” watch. The watch is black, with notable orange accents on the seconds hand, the cardinal hour markers, and the strap. Like other recent Seamaster releases (the bronze-gold burgundy release from earlier this year, the James Bond 60th anniversary watch from 2022, and last year’s monochromatic releases teased by Daniel Craig at the Olympics) this one features an aluminum bezel and no date complication. It also forgoes the wave dial for a more subtle, lightly grained matte black. It’s all quite subdued for a watch supposedly defined by citrus.  Much of the commentary around this watch in the days since its unveiling centers on the bezel. It seems many would have preferred an orange bezel that would have clearly evoked the classic Planet...

Hands-On: the Albishorn Type 10 Chronograph

I’ve reached the age where I regularly feel the temptation to say things along the lines of “back in the day…” This applies to various things, such as life without smartphones, dial-up modems, and Napster, among others, but occasionally, it also applies to watches. You see, it wasn’t that long ago that things were quite different. Dive watches were all north of 40mm, in-house movements were rare under $5k, microbrands were dismissed as a passing trend, and, most relevantly to this review, mechanical chronographs under a certain price were primarily powered by Valjoux 7750s or a close variant. With sub-dials at 12, 6, and 9, day-dates at three, two-pushers, cam-actuated, and always automatic, approachably priced mechanical chronographs were limited in their design options. Even 3, 6, 9 layouts were rare, powered by 7753s or ETA 2894s, and often limited to Swatch group brands. The point is that in 2025, it’s almost hard to imagine a world of such limited chronograph options. Today, thanks largely to Sellitta, 3, 9, and 3, 6, 9 layouts are typical (I actually miss 12, 6, 9 now), monopushers are no big deal, manual winding is an option, flybacks, GMTs, and even column-wheels are on the table. Simply put, it’s a good time to be a chronograph fan. Yet, even in this golden-age of chronographs (ok, that might be a stretch), there is room to stand out. Enter Albishorn, which launched in 2024 with a series of chronographs powered by a bespoke movement, based on a fun r...

Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor Pelagos Ultra Vs. Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “Orange”

Another week, another Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we pit two mid-segment dive watches against each other. Although…”mid-segment”? Both brands have crept up in price, putting us in the €6,000–7,500 bracket today. Is that still mid-segment? Whatever you wish to call it, these are two very different watches doing very similar things at a similar […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor Pelagos Ultra Vs. Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “Orange” to read the full article.

Catching Up on New Releases from Ming, Wren, Squale, and Doxa

Happy Saturday! Dive watch summer continues – we’ve noticed some fun new divers, all limited editions, come across the transom lately. New water ready releases from Doxa, Wren, and Doxa are profiled below. We’re also spotlight the latest from Ming – while not a diver, it has a stealthiness to it that feels appropriate for the season. Let us know in the comments what you think of these new releases, and what we might have missed. Wren Diver 38 Wren is back with their second watch, the all new Diver 38. The brand, founded by Wrist Enthusiast’s Craig Karger, launched last year with the Diver One, and the new piece is a scaled down, and perhaps more refined take on the original concept. The new version of the watch is smaller, coming in at, you guessed it, 38mm, and is just 10.7mm tall (the original was 41mm in diameter and over 13mm thick). The dial has a sandwich style design, in either a gradient seafoam green or aqua colorway. According to Karger, the goal here was to move Wren into a new category that “balances practicality, comfort, and refined execution.”  The Wren Diver 38 is available in date and no-date versions for $1,595. It runs on a ETA  2892 automatic caliber, and has 200 meters of water resistance. It’s mounted to a flat-link, stainless steel bracelet, and the ceramic bezel insert is fully lumed. Another nice touch: the rotor is skeletonized in the shape of a wren. More information on the Wren Diver 38 can be found on the Wren website here. Mi...