Two Broke Watch Snobs
Rolex Submariner vs Tudor Pelagos FXD: Is the Rolex Worth Twice as Much?
We wore the Tudor Pelagos FXD and Rolex Submariner to find out whether the Rolex justifies twice the price or the Tudor is the better dive watch.
Dive Watches · Page 5
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Two Broke Watch Snobs
14 Dive Watches Under $1,000 We’ve Actually Worn and Tested
We tested 14 dive watches under $1,000 to find which ones deliver the best comfort, durability, performance, and long-term value.
WatchRider
DOXA SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler Takes the Adventure Icon into Titanium
DOXA has returned to the world of novelist, explorer and shipwreck hunter Clive Cussler with its lightest tribute yet. Released on July 15—the day Cussler would have turned 95—the SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler is limited to 300 pieces and recasts the original 1967 SUB 300 in Grade 5 titanium. DOXA SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler. Image: WatchRider. A titanium dial with hidden history The most unusual detail is not the metal case but the dial. DOXA constructs it from two superimposed Grade 5 titanium plates. The upper plate is laser-cut, creating a layered relief, while the sandblasted finish gives the grey surface an appropriately industrial character. Black lacquered hands preserve contrast and the oversized orange minute hand supplies the familiar DOXA signal colour. The dual-plane titanium dial and two-scale bezel. Image: DOXA. The date disc and the numerals 15, 7 and 31 appear in orange, spelling out Cussler’s birth date: July 15, 1931. The unidirectional bezel is equally busy for a reason. Its polished outer scale shows DOXA’s no-decompression depths in orange, while the brushed inner track carries a conventional 60-minute scale in black. DOXA SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler. Image: DOXA. Familiar SUB 300 proportions, less weight The cushion-shaped case measures 42.5 mm across, 45 mm lug-to-lug and 13.4 mm thick. Grade 5 titanium is used for the case, bezel, screw-down crown and screw-down caseback, while an anti-reflective glass-box sapphire crystal preserves the domed profi...
Time+Tide
It’s No Desk-Diver: The Nodus Sector Deep Black Destro
The Nodus Sector Deep Black Destro proves you don’t need to spend a fortune for a genuine 500m dive watch with thoughtful engineering.
WatchRider
Oris Artelier Calibre 113: The 10-Day Powerhouse Built for Business
When most people hear the name Oris, their minds immediately jump to rugged dive watches like the Aquis or the vintage inspired Divers Sixty-Five. But if you only look at their sports watches, you are missing out on some serious mechanical flexing. Enter the Oris Artelier Calibre 113, a watch that proves this independent Swiss brand knows exactly how to build a highly complex, executive-level timepiece without losing its pragmatic edge. The Dial: A Masterclass in Organized Chaos Packing this much information onto a watch dial is risky. But Oris managed to keep the Artelier Calibre 113 remarkably elegant and legible. If you look at the outer perimeter of the dial, you will see the months of the year paired with weeks numbered 1 through 52. The use of varied textures, like a smooth outer ring for the calendar and a recessed finish for the sub dials, creates depth and prevents the watch from feeling overly busy. Calibre 113 The real star of the show is hidden right inside the name: Calibre 113. This is an in-house, hand-wound movement engineered by Oris that solves one of the biggest annoyances of manual watches, constantly running out of juice. Thanks to a massive, single oversized mainspring barrel, the Calibre 113 packs an astounding 10 day (240 hour) power reserve. Final Thoughts The Oris Artelier Calibre 113 is a testament to what independent watchmaking can achieve when it prioritizes practical utility over sheer tradition. By combining an ultra-long power reserve wi...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Doxa T.Graph Dive Watch Just Came Back, and It Already Has a Limited Edition
Topper and Doxa unveil the SUB T.Graph II 'Great White,' a 100-piece limited edition with a fully lumed no-date dial, navy lacquer accents, and a shark caseback.
![Introducing: The Doxa SUB 200 T.Graph II “Great White” Topper Edition [Live Pics]](https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/f2731bf2-0cca-4542-9684-53f30c9ce71d/doxa-topper-tgraph-hero.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0&fm=jpg&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&w=2000)
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Doxa SUB 200 T.Graph II “Great White” Topper Edition [Live Pics]
What We Know Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water (sorry), California-based retailer Topper Jewelers has released a limited edition take on Doxa's recently refreshed SUB 200 T.Graph II. This crispy, white-dialed variant comes fast on the heels of Doxa's own re-issue of its legendary dive chronograph. The name "Great White" obviously references the dial color, but is also a tribute to the Bay Area's notorious offshore aquatic apex predators, Carcharodon carcharias, the great white shark. To refresh your memory, the T.Graph was Doxa's first dive chronograph, originally released in 1969 with three dial color versions—Professional (orange), Sharkhunter (black), and Searambler (silver). Horological historians tend to agree that only 300 of each color were made, making it a rare and coveted watch for vintage collectors and Doxaphiles. While a limited-edition version was released back in 2017, including a solid-gold variant, Doxa finally rewarded fans last month with the non-limited T.Graph II. This new evolution is a faithful interpretation, but updated with a slimmer case, automatic movement, and a new (for the chronograph) colorway—the Caribbean (blue). Now, in limited numbers, comes the further-evolved "Great White" from Doxa retailer Topper, based in Burlingame, California. This isn't Topper's first foray into Doxa limited editions. Two years ago, the company collaborated with the Swiss brand on a "Great White" SUB 300 that sported a pearly white dia...
Hodinkee
Bring a Loupe: An Hermès Caleche, A Chromed Angelus, And A Rolex SARU
We may not be, as Rob Thomas serenaded us way back, seven inches from the midday sun, but hoo boy, however close we are is plenty (I know, I know: 93 million miles). I hope wherever you're reading this is appreciably cooler and/or not too clogged with smoke, and for the dog owners, I hope your canine companion's finally shaken off the terror of the holiday two weeks back. Scorekeeping last week's pick, the Tudor Inter Miami Pink sold for TKTK ($19,500 currently, sells thrs), the Longines Ultra-Chron went for £440, the Jaeger chronograph sells Saturday, and both Rangers are still (implausibly—what are you waiting for?) available. Strays Photo courtesy Aletheia Subastas. If you missed the Tudor Ranger II from a bit back, here's a hell of a nice example. This Jaeger-LeCoultre is the nicest plain jane, solid gold watch I've seen in a bit, and it's powered by a P469/A, meaning you'll have a watch using the same engine that helped tens of thousands of WWII guys stay on time. This Eberhard simply looks like it'd be a fun wear, and sometimes that's plenty, and while this Edox Geoscope 42 is a bit on the complicated side, its fun factor is still real high. For those interested in flexing their maritime bona fides, here's a great-looking near-NOS Heuer Regatta from Hess Fine Art, and, in the same auction, there's also this Rolex Submariner ref. 1680 and this Mk1 Sea-Dweller ref 1665 (both from 1978, if someone's hankering to buy me a birth-year watch). Finally, here's an excellen...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Citizen Eco-Drive vs. Citizen Automatic: Which Affordable Dive Watch Wins After Hands-on Testing?
We compare the Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive and NY0040 hands-on to see which affordable dive watch offers the better ownership experience.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The New Citizen Promaster Dive
What We Know It's summertime, which means it's perfect weather to spend some time near, in, or under the water. While I love a good hyper-overbuilt mechanical watch (and definitely want this one), I've come to realize that the best dive watches are probably the no-fuss, affordable ones. If I'm flying to the Bahamas and want to go on a quick dive, I'm going to grab a Citizen (oh wait, I did). With a bunch of new Citizen Eco-Drive divers (more like Eco-Dive, am I right?) rated to 200m, I figured it was time to share some great new picks. While four watches were just launched in Japan, the U.S. is getting three of them. There's a blue gradient dial with a dark blue stainless steel unidirectional bezel (my personal pick), a black dial with a black bezel, and a white dial with a black bezel and an orange seconds hand (and black printing, of course). That last one feels very James Stacey, if I had to guess. The watches are cased in a super-reasonable 40.6mm by 11.5mm stainless steel case with brushed surfaces and polished chamfers. Inside is the Eco-Drive Caliber E118, which has an accuracy of +/- 15 seconds per month and 12 months of power on a full light-powered charge. The watches are delivered on BENEBiOL straps, a plant-derived biomass urethane. All three options will be available on the Citizen website in the coming days and weeks as deliveries arrive in their US stock. The retail price is $450, so keep checking their shop to make sure you stay on top of when it's availabl...
SJX Watches
Revealed: Rolex’s Inclined Plane Clock
A recent design patent filing gives us a sneak peek at a mechanical clock from the most unexpected source, Rolex. Last year Rolex debuted the Submariner desk clock; the new clock is more ambitious, an inclined plane clock. In other words, a rolling Rolex. Notably, prototypes of this clock have already been produced: two were on show at the Rolex stand during Watches & Wonders 2026. One sat in the lobby on an upper floor, and another was in chief executive Jean-Frederic Dufour’s office. No photos were allowed of either, a rule strictly enforced by eagle-eyed security guards. The inclined plane clock, sometimes also known as a gravity clock, will be Rolex’s first in-house mechanical desk clock that’s commercially available, and its first skeletonised movement, in a minimalist, architectural package. While yet unnamed, Rolex filed a trademark application for “Haplos” within a few weeks of the design patent. Initial thoughts Twenty twenty-five was dominated by clocks, kicking off with a production version of Patek Philippe’s 31-day desk clock, crescendoing with Vacheron Constantin’s La Quête Du Temps. Even Rolex joined in unexpectedly, with a Submariner desk clock. The adorable Submariner-Date-inspired desk clock. Yes, the bezel is ceramic. No, it does not rotate. But Rolex seems to have more ambitious plans for its desk clock project, including a skeletonised inclined plane clock. A recently published Swiss design patent application gives us a clearer look at t...
Fratello
The Ollech & Wajs Astrochron Vs. The Doxa Sub 200 T.Graph II
Today, we are looking at two spiritual competitors in the dive-watch-chronograph market — the Doxa Sub 200 T.Graph II and the Ollech & Wajs Astrochron. Both watches are beefy, tough options for those of us after a dive chronograph, but they have different quirks and design personalities. This article came about after spending considerable time […] Visit The Ollech & Wajs Astrochron Vs. The Doxa Sub 200 T.Graph II to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
DOXA Introduces their Latest Clive Cussler Limited Edition Diver
Having lived so far away from us, I have very few memories of my grandfather before his passing. Other than the fact that he was a regular at the local Legion in rural Indiana and liked having westerns on the TV, my memories are mostly sensory: the smell of tobacco, the first sip of beer he let me have when I was still a kid. I can only imagine he, too, considered me a stranger who just happened to share a last name and a few chromosomes here and there. Even still, every year, he would give me a Clive Cussler book. He knew I was a reader, but he was not. My guess is that, in some ways, he wanted me to read the books he would have read, to tell the stories he would have liked. He just never got around to it, I suppose. This is my first memory of Cussler’s books. And while I have read a few of them, mostly when I was younger as a sort of favor to my grandfather, I don’t remember many of the plots. I remember more of who Cussler was as a person: born in the Midwest between the wars, a veteran, and later an author and maritime explorer. My grandfather shared some of those same biographical details, but their lives diverged somewhere in adulthood. Cussler felt like a parallel version of the life my grandfather could have lived – had debt, circumstance, and the family farm not gotten in the way. I was reminded of all of this when DOXA released the new SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler, a limited edition introduced on what would have been Cussler’s 95th birthday. Cussler brought ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Steel vs Titanium Dive Watches: Which Makes More Sense After Hands-on Testing?
Compare steel vs titanium dive watches using our long-term hands-on insights. Understand how comfort, case wear, ownership, and cost contribute to the verdict.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Doxa Sub 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler Limited Edition
What We Know If you're a Doxa fan, you might be familiar with the brand's connection with the late explorer and novelist Clive Cussler, along with his literary creation of Dirk Pitt, an explorer in Cussler's books known to sport a Sub 300 Professional on the wrist. This relationship has manifested itself in a few Clive Cussler limited editions going back to 2023, and this year's edition is probably the coolest one yet. It's a special edition Sub 300 in grade 5 titanium, meant as a tribute to Cussler. It's a big departure, design-wise, from a few of the previous editions, as it does away with the distressed finishing and compass motifs for something much more in line with what Cussler's literary creation Dirk Pitt would have worn. I know there are some intense Doxa fans probably reading, so I won't bury the lede here—this watch is limited to only 300 pieces, and you can get one through Doxa's online shop or select authorized retailers. While past editions were produced in editions numbered to align with Cussler's age, Doxa knew that 95 pieces were simply not going to cut it this year, hence the much larger—yet most certainly not large enough—production size. The silhouette of the watch remains extremely familiar. It is still a Sub 300 after all, with a 42.5mm case and a 45mm lug-to-lug distance. The compact lug-to-lug, paired with the extreme lightness of grade 5 titanium for the case, screw-down caseback, and crown, means that this should be an extremely easy-wearing...
Monochrome
First Look - Doxa unveils the SUB 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler, The Iconic Diver Reimagined in Titanium
There is no denying that Doxa is one of the most revered brands when it comes to dive watches. The brand, which has been active since the 1960s in this field, has produced several of the most emblematic divers’ instruments. Yet, if there were one watch to remember, it would be the SUB 300, a […]
Fratello
The Titanium Treatment: Introducing The Doxa Sub 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler
Doxa is marking what would have been Clive Cussler’s 95th birthday with a new take on its most emblematic dive watch. The Doxa Sub 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler keeps the shape of the 1967 Sub 300 but features a case, crown, case back, and even the dial crafted from Grade 5 titanium. This COSC-certified chronometer […] Visit The Titanium Treatment: Introducing The Doxa Sub 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Panerai Luminor 8 Giorni 'Brunito Steel'
It has been a long time since a Panerai has made it onto the list of my favorite watches from a Watches and Wonders showing, but there's one particular model that many of my other colleagues and I have continued to talk about since we first got a glimpse of it in April. I'm talking about the Luminor 8 Giorni, reference PAM01733, in a uniquely finished steel case that Panerai is calling "Brunito steel." Put crudely, this Brunito steel case feels like the distressed-jeans equivalent of the Luminor collection. The large 44mm steel case gets a layer of black PVD treatment, but the final effect is then accomplished through a brushing process by hand. The tendency of black PVD coatings to eventually wear out is an advantage here, as the different monochromatic hues ranging between the bright silver of the base steel and the dark black PVD coating now give the case a look of distressed metal aged over time. The finishing is throughout the entire case, from the inside of the lugs to the caseback and the distinctive crown guard that has become an iconic design element of the Luminor silhouette. Yes, even the strap buckle achieves the same treatment. The handwork also means that each watch is unique, with subtle differences in brushing and fading. I've only seen one in person, so I can't tell you just how different one might be from the next. Though the main draw to this model is the aesthetic, this Luminor's dive watch heritage is not just for show, as it maintains a proper 300-m...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Bulova’s Affordable Dive Watch Gets Four New Summer-Ready Colors
Bulova doubles the Caravelle Sea Hunter lineup with four new dial colors for 2026, starting at $375. Here's what changed and what stayed the same.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Invicta Pro Diver vs Rolex Submariner: A Hands-on $80 vs $10K Dive Watch Comparison
We compare the Invicta Pro Diver and Rolex Submariner after wearing both. See where the $10,000 price difference goes and which watch offers better value.
Monochrome
First Look - The new Yema Navygraf Barracuda CMM.20 Limited Edition, Developed with the French Navy
Yema seems to be focused on combining its historic dive watch designs with more sophisticated mechanics, especially since the arrival of the manufacture CMM.20 micro-rotor calibre. Following the Navygraf Slim CMM.20 and the Navygraf Pearl CMM.20, the French brand now introduces a more specialised interpretation of its vintage-inspired diver. Made together with the French Marine […]
Hodinkee
Auctions: Buzz Aldrin's Watches Are Coming To Auction
This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia. Amongst the lots in Sotheby's New York's latest Space Exploration auction, I found some interesting things. In fact, I found 24 of them. Watches - all owned by none other than retired Brigadier General of the U.S. Air Force, and second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. The astronaut, born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., has listed a large portion of his watch collection, primarily Omegas, but there's a smattering of watches from other brands amongst the spacefaring lots. It's no surprise that Buzz's Apollo 11-flown Omega Speedmaster Professional isn't present; that watch is still lost, stolen on the way to the Smithsonian after its sojourn to the moon in 1969 (and it still technically belongs to the U.S. government). Buzz Aldrin in the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, wearing that aforementioned lost Omega Speedmaster ref. ST105.012. Image courtesy of NASA There’s a range of Omegas that are meaningful to Aldrin that he’s acquired through decades of collecting, including dive watches he relied on as an experienced scuba diver and a big box of souvenir watches. There’s no denying the man is a collector and a true watch enthusiast. Bidding is open online right now before live bidding sessions begin on July 15th in New York - here are some of the highlights. Jaeger-LeCoultre Shark Deep Sea Chronograph Image courtesy of Sotheby's This is the most interesting watch in the sale that isn’t an Omega: Aldrin’s JLC Shar...
Monochrome
Hands-on - The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Date, a Truly Purposeful Three-Hour Dive Watch
Dive watches are, by nature, rather conservative instruments. Since the 1950s, the basics have barely changed: a robust water-resistant case, luminous hands and markers, and a rotating bezel, often undirectional, graduated over 60 minutes. Blancpain played a big part in setting up these design codes with the Fifty Fathoms during the 1950s. Seventy years later, […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Are Affordable Dive Watches Still the Best First Watch? Our Hands-On Take
Discover whether affordable dive watches still make the best first watch, based on our real-world experience with nine tested models.
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