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Dive Watches · Page 74

Patek Philippe’s Price Increases And Discontinuations For 2024 - What Is Next For The Genevan Brand? Fratello
Feb 7, 2024

Patek Philippe’s Price Increases And Discontinuations For 2024 - What Is Next For The Genevan Brand?

On February 1st, as usual, Patek Philippe communicated the new list prices to its authorized dealers. We also got the yearly list of discontinued models, which, not shockingly, includes more Nautilus references. On top of that, Patek Philippe decided to discontinue the popular Aquanaut Travel Time in stainless steel (ref. 5164A). While price increases are […] Visit Patek Philippe’s Price Increases And Discontinuations For 2024 - What Is Next For The Genevan Brand? to read the full article.

Orion Returns with the Sylph, Based on their Popular Hellcat Platform Worn & Wound
Feb 6, 2024

Orion Returns with the Sylph, Based on their Popular Hellcat Platform

Orion Watches has a way of making one see a simple design in new light. Take, for instance, the isometric patterned dial on their Tesseract model. Or perhaps the tonal verdency of their Calamity diver is more your speed? Throughout the Orion catalog, one gets the sense that founder Nick Harris understands that a good watchmaker doesn’t rely on old tropes, but finds ways to add an element of surprise with each wear. That’s exactly what we’re seeing with the newest collection, the Orion Sylph. Coming in three distinct styles, the Sylph plays with color and texture against the shared sunburst dial. Customers can choose from a Graphite, Burgundy, and Black Mother-of-Pearl option, each with a bit of contrast to give a unique personality to each reference. Take, for instance, the Burgundy, which features a honey-colored dial accent and second hand. Then there is the dark charm of the Graphite option, which is contrasted with a sporty orange accent. And finally, the pièce de résistance, the Black Mother-of-Pearl reference, whose dial captures light beautifully and is accented in teal.  The Sylph stands out in its price segment with stainless steel indices, setting it apart from the softer appearance of plated plastic or brass alternatives. The silver ink dial printing adds warmth and reduces harsh contrast, while the diamond-cut hands, inspired by the Calamity, feature a thinner lume strip for a harmonious design. The Sylph is adapted from the Hellcat platform. The thin ...

10 Best Longines Watches for Every Type of Enthusiast Teddy Baldassarre
Feb 5, 2024

10 Best Longines Watches for Every Type of Enthusiast

Headquartered in Saint-Imier, Switzerland since its founding in 1832, Longines takes its name from “les longines,” or the “long meadows” that surround that picturesque Swiss village. For nearly 200 years, the brand has been a watchmaking pioneer and a prolific maker of timepieces in all manner of styles and for all types of users - from sports timing to aviation, from an afternoon of scuba diving to an elegant night on the town. What are the best Longines watches on the market today? It all depends on what you’re looking for in a timepiece. In the curated list below, we showcase some of our recent favorites from the contemporary collection, which offers a style of watch for just about everyone.  Retro-Cool Dive Watch: Legend Diver Price: $3,000, Case Size: 42mm, Thickness: 12.7mm, Lug to Lug: 48.2mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 300m, Movement: Automatic ETA A31.L11 Longines updated the Legend Diver, a modern re-issue of a compressor-style dive watch it produced in 1960, with a case made of bronze, a metal historically used in maritime equipment due to its anti-corrosive properties, and paired it with a sea-green lacquered dial. The 42-mm, 300-meter water-resistant case replicates the silhouette of the original and includes that vintage model’s two crowns - one for winding the watch, the other for operating the internal rotating divers’ bezel. The lacquered dial has a gradient effect, with an emerald green center radiating to an outer edge of bla...

REVIEW: Hands On With The Squale MATIC Australian Limited Edition WatchAdvice
Feb 3, 2024

REVIEW: Hands On With The Squale MATIC Australian Limited Edition

We’ve gone hands on with the Australian limited edition Squale MATIC, sold exclusively through StarBuy. Here’s what we think! What We Love The green gradient dialWearability for a large watchTropic strap is very comfortable in Summer What We Don’t Crown at 4 o’clock is hard to useDomed crystal reflects a lot of lightNot for the faint of wrist Overall Rating: 8/10 Value for money: 7.5/10Wearability: 7.5/10Design: 8/10Build quality: 9/10 Squale may not be a brand you would have heard mentioned too often. It dates back to the 50’s when Charles and Helene Von Buren established the Von Büren SA watch factory in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Being passionate divers, their focus was on developing watches specifically for underwater use, which at the time in 1950 was 3 years prior to the Submariner and Fifty Fathoms making their debut. However, it would be almost 10 years before they are able to obtain a patent and register the Squale brand name, and then another 3 before their first watches would hit the market in 1962. The rest as they say is history (quite literally) and today, the brand is still solely focused on dive watches and what you would call a quintessential tool watch. They’re designed for a purpose – to be easy to use and read underwater with maximum legibility and functionality. They’re less a fashion statement, but then again, most watches that are fashionable were originally intended as something else. The form is now greater than the function they’v...

TAG Heuer Introduces a Smaller Aquaracer Solargraph Worn & Wound
Feb 2, 2024

TAG Heuer Introduces a Smaller Aquaracer Solargraph

Two years ago, TAG Heuer introduced a solar powered version of their ever-popular Aquaracer dive watch called the Solargraph. It was quite a hit and last year they brought out a version in media-blasted titanium, which knocked Kat Shoulders’ socks off at LVMH Watch Week 2023. It just so happens to be LVMH Watch Week 2024 and TAG Heuer is introducing 5 new Solargraph models, but they might not be what you’d think. Instead of new case materials (these are all stainless steel) what they have done is shrunk the diameter down to 34mm. Making these new Aquaracer Solargraphs a mid-size watch that will fit just about everyone, but will be particularly appealing to anyone with smaller wrists who might feel ignored by “small” divers starting at 38mm and ballooning from there. They have also brought back a design feature which was removed from the Aquaracer line when they redesigned them some years ago: the venerable rider tabs. They’ve been executed quite tastefully here, with their scalloped trapezoidal shape on a completely polished bezel.  There are 5 different configurations of the new smaller Solargraph, all of which come on a bracelet, with a solid twin-trigger clasp. The first features a green dial (above), with an attractive circular texture and printing that seems to float above it. TAG Heuer calls this polar blue-themed. Even the applied indices appear to be hovering above the dial. Next up are three models with mother-of-pearl dials. One with a diamond bezel, o...

TAG Heuer Introduces the Aquaracer Solargraph 34 mm SJX Watches
Jan 29, 2024

TAG Heuer Introduces the Aquaracer Solargraph 34 mm

Following the original Aquaracer Solargraph two years ago, the affordable solar-powered dive watch now debuts in a more compact format with the Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph that has a 34 mm case containing the solar-powered TH50-01. Initial thoughts The Aquaracer has long been one of TAG Heuer’s main entry-level offerings. For several years, however, the models were mostly big or bulky, until the brand released the more wearable and solar-powered 40 mm model two years ago. The new Solargraph maintains the familiar design and solar-powered movement but with a smaller case. With a diameter of 34 mm, this model leans towards being a women’s watch, so an in-between or “mid size” model of 37 mm or 38 mm is arguably still missing. Nevertheless, the vibrant dial offerings – that importantly do not reveal the solar panels – are noteworthy and hopefully indicate more variety is coming to the larger model. With prices starting at US$2,150, the value proposition  is reasonable, given the execution of the case and dial, and the innovative solar calibre (at least for a Swiss brand). As an aside, Swiss-made solar-powered movements are relatively uncommon, making this a relatively unusual proposition. While there have been a handful of solar-powered models from Cartier, they haven’t made it to the market in significant numbers, perhaps due to difficulties in mastering production on a large scale. In contrast, Japanese brands like Citizen easily produce several mil...

Sunday Morning Showdown: Zodiac Sea-Chron Vs. Tudor Black Bay Chrono Fratello
Jan 28, 2024

Sunday Morning Showdown: Zodiac Sea-Chron Vs. Tudor Black Bay Chrono

Welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown! This week, we have RJ and Thomas facing off. And this time, we have a battle of water-resistant chronographs with vintage vibes. In RJ’s corner, we find the Tudor Black Bay Chrono, while Thomas is defending the Zodiac Sea-Chron. There’s certainly no lack of wrist presence this week, Fratelli! […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Zodiac Sea-Chron Vs. Tudor Black Bay Chrono to read the full article.

LOOKING BACK: Reviewing The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M – Owner’s Perspective WatchAdvice
Jan 27, 2024

LOOKING BACK: Reviewing The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M – Owner’s Perspective

What’s it like to own the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M? In our Owner’s Perspective, we find out! This article was originally published as The Owners Perspective: Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M Why I Bought It A love of James BondLove the dive watch lookWas a grail piece when I was young The Ownership Reality Bracelet a little outdated and chunky claspWore it on the rubber more than notPolished Ceramic dial can be glary Overall Rating: 8.875/10 Value for money: 9/10Wearability: 9/10Design: 8.5/10Build quality: 9/10 This isn’t the first time that I’ve owned a Seamaster. I had a 2005 quartz version almost 20 years ago. At that point I’d only owned a Tissot PRS 200 as a “good” Swiss watch. As a fan of James Bond, (and what young male isn’t?), I always wanted his watch. I mean how cool was the wave dial, the deep blue bezel and at the time, that unmistakable bracelet. It looked great in the office and on weekends at the beach. I loved it. Financial issues meant I had to sell it about 7 months after buying it, and that hurt. About 15 years and many watches later, I decided it was time to purchase another, this time the latest iteration of the SMP 300. I chose the black polished ceramic dial with the laser etched waves, date at 6 o’clock, glossy, almost silky polished ceramic bezel with white inset dive indicators. And this time, on the steel and opting to add the rubber strap too. Very versatile and with the steel bracelet and rubber strap, two very diff...

[VIDEO] Inside the Collection: Seiko Worn & Wound
Jan 25, 2024

[VIDEO] Inside the Collection: Seiko

In this edition of Inside the Collection, Zach Weiss and Kat Shoulders examine what collecting Seiko has meant to them over the years. It’s a common collecting trope that Seiko is the gateway drug for many watch collectors just getting their start, and as you’ll see here that’s certainly the case for Zach and Kat. But Seiko also endures in both of their collections years later, and in surprising ways. There’s so much variety in the Seiko collection (going back decades) that it’s impossible to ever get bored of the brand, and there are always new things to discover beyond the familiar dive watches and entry level Seiko 5.  Zach Weiss  The greatest thing about Seiko watches, or the brand/company as a whole, is that no matter where you are in your collecting lifecycle, there is likely a watch that will appeal to you. From Seiko 5 to Prospex to Grand Seiko to Credor, there is something to find that will suit a taste, need, and budget. And to be clear, that doesn’t exclude a Credor customer from picking up a new Seiko 5 and vice versa. As a collector, that has kept them as a constant for me over the years. Starting with the Seiko 5 SNK field watches that one could pick up for a song a decade ago, then heading to vintage-styled Prospex divers, and now mining for oddities like the Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronographs (not to mention Grand Seiko’s delights) there is simply always something for me to look for.  It’s quite dangerous as I often find myself bored wit...

Blending In This Monday Morning With The Tudor Black Bay Bronze In Slate Gray Fratello
Jan 22, 2024

Blending In This Monday Morning With The Tudor Black Bay Bronze In Slate Gray

I know, the Tudor Black Bay Bronze is a bit of a golden oldie - or a gold-looking bronze oldie. This version debuted on the Tudor “menu” in 2019, but why not have seconds almost five years later and find out if it’s still as tasty? What the watch does as soon as it comes […] Visit Blending In This Monday Morning With The Tudor Black Bay Bronze In Slate Gray to read the full article.

New: Panerai Luminor Due PAM01424 Burgundy Deployant
Jan 20, 2024

New: Panerai Luminor Due PAM01424 Burgundy

The Panerai Luminor Due was a collection which was first introduced in 2017, as the mid-sized, unisex Luminor model. The movement then was designated as the OP XXXIV which is assumed to have been renamed the P.900 caliber which is now found inside the new Due. The 42mm case Luminor Due bears the same crown guard as the iconic Luminor Marina, but with only 50m water resistance. Its slim profile and polished case is a marked stylistic variation from the original dive watch. The new dial color adds a nice statement to the hybrid classic timepiece.

[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Havid Nagan HN00 Worn & Wound
Jan 18, 2024

[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Havid Nagan HN00

I think there’s a certain trajectory to watch collecting that the vast majority of enthusiasts will be familiar with. It’s been discussed at length, and might even represent something of a self fulfilling prophecy at this point. It goes something like this: you start out with the fan favorite affordables, dabble in big Swiss brands that take a depreciation hit and can be found readily on enthusiast buy/sell/trade platforms, discover the insane variety and value of microbrands, and then eventually, if it’s a brand that has meant something to you before you even knew that watch collecting was a thing, you wind up at Rolex.  This is vastly oversimplified of course, but a version of this has happened to me and many collectors I know personally. Muy own observation though is that it’s what happens next that really determines where you go in the hobby. Because there’s a path where you just keep acquiring Rolex sports watches like Pokemon. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that – they are objectively excellent watches to own. But I think a certain number of collectors have a Tony Soprano, late season 6 moment sometime after picking up that GMT-Master or Submariner, and ask themselves: is this all there is? $8000 Hands-On: the Havid Nagan HN00 Case Titanium Movement Schwarz-Etienne ASE200 Dial Plum Lume Yes, hands and markers Lens Sapphire Strap Leather Water Resistance 100 meters Dimensions 40.7 x 49mm Thickness 11.6mm Lug Width 22mm Crown Push/pull Warranty Ye...

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