Latest watch news · Page 107

Seiko celebrates 145 years with four anniversary watches, from enamel-dial dress pieces to mechanical and GPS chronographs.

I’m not going to lie to you, I love a bit of intrigue. When I was a child, I would write notes to my mother in invisible ink made of lemon juice. When someone tells me to keep a secret (which is always a surprise, given my big mouth), I can hardly contain my excitement. And, even now, I fancy myself a real James Bond type when I hide the Amazon boxes from my husband before he comes home from work.  Luckily for me, Bernhardt Watch Company just announced their Cipher Diver, which sits right at the cross-section of two of my hobbies: watches and subterfuge. Inspired by Thomas Jefferson (and, impressively, made in partnership with Monticello), the watch nods more to the third president’s inventive streak than his political career – including the rotating wheel cipher, a mechanical concept designed to encode messages through a specific alignment of letters across a series of discs. The result is a diver that cleverly allows you to keep a secret message right on your wrist. Beneath the bezel, Bernhardt has included the alphabet printed on UV-reactive ink. By aligning the bezel to a designated hour key and referencing minute markers on the dial, one is able to use the clock’s timekeeping functionality to decode the message. If that’s not some National Treasure type of ingenuity, I don’t know what is. Each diver comes with a UV decoding torch and an initial cipher card, with new encrypted messages released weekly through July 4, 2026 (the 250th anniversary of the Unit...

A quick look back, plans for the year ahead, and the return you've all been asking for.

The Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer is back in black, with a PVD-coated case and three interchangeable straps.The post Mido contrasts stealth and crazy colours with the Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 in black PVD appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In this video, we go hands-on with Omega’s recently released Speedmaster Grey Side of the Moon. We covered it in-depth here, but also decided to shoot a video with this new ceramic Speedmaster. If the video above doesn’t play, please visit our YouTube channel to watch it there. Inspired by Apollo 8 In this video, I went […] Visit Video: Hands-On With The Omega Speedmaster Grey Side Of The Moon to read the full article.

Seiko 145 anniversary of the founding of Seiko by Kintaro Hattori releases 4 new models in their key collections of King Seiko, Prospex, Pressage and Aston.

On 17 February 2026, the Chinese New Year kicks off with the Year of the Fire Horse, the seventh animal in the Chinese Zodiac and a symbol of power, speed and confidence. Echoing the attributes of the zodiac animal, Oris has equipped this 43mm stainless steel model with its powerful calibre 113, an advanced hand-wound […]

See which vintage reissue watches actually held up during our testing. Use our hands-on insights to choose the one that fits your lifestyle and budget.

Seiko founder established a watch store in Tokyo’s Ginza district in 1881, and for the occasion the watchmaker has unveiled a quartet of 145th anniversary watches representing the best of its affordable offerings. While each model is different, all share gilded elements as a unifying motif. The collection is led by a pair of three-hand watches, the King Seiko KS1969 SJE121 and Presage Classic Series “Craftsmanship” Enamel Dial SPB538. While the two three-hand editions are arguably the more interesting of the 145th anniversary line-up, the collection also includes a pair of chronographs, the automatic Prospex Speedtimer SRQ059 and solar-powered Astron GPS SSH186. King Seiko SJE12 (left), and Presage Classic SPB538 Initial thoughts Seiko rolls out numerous anniversary watches on a frequent basis, so the anniversary theme itself isn’t a big deal. The 145th anniversary models, however, are appealing in themselves, especially the pair of three-hand models. The top-of-the-line anniversary edition is the King Seiko KS1969, which is far more striking than the regular production model, and certainly worth the modest premium in price. The Presage, on the other hand, is another iteration of the early-wristwatch-style case that Seiko has done before, but not that often. Gold plating is not appropriate on an expensive watch, but the Presage is affordable so it gets a pass. The enamel dial and cuff-style strap are a nice touch that gives the watch a surprisingly vintage feel. ...

Seiko kicks off its 2026 with a commemorative King Seiko, Prospex, Astron and Presage, all with gold accents that references Seiko history.The post Seiko celebrates its 145th anniversary with a touch of gold across four different watch collections appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

It has become a tradition for Seiko to be the first brand to introduce new watches every year. This time, it’s not just one or two but a full quartet of new pieces. To celebrate the brand’s 145th anniversary, Seiko has announced four models that perfectly represent different pillars of the collection. We had the […] Visit Seiko Introduces A Series of 145th-Anniversary Watches To Start The New Year to read the full article.

The same great framework with a new beige twist results in a really attractive watch.

Seiko has influenced and continues to shape modern horology as only a few watchmakers can. From its origins in 1881, when Kintaro Hattori opened a small shop in Tokyo, to becoming a global powerhouse in precision timekeeping, Seiko’s history is a register of constant innovation. Over the decades, the brand has delivered some of watchmaking’s […]

Vacheron Constantin kept its team busy during its 270th anniversary year. Having put a tremendous amount of effort into the most complicated wristwatch ever made and a few other genuine novelties, many of the brand’s other releases, including several one-off Métiers d’art creations, were new versions of existing models. The Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Ultra-Thin Homage to Epic Warriors is an example of the latter, introducing four one-of-a-kind grand feu enamel references to its otherwise simple (and thin) minute repeater platform. Heroic subject matter The ‘warriors’ set celebrates four famous warriors from across time. The series begins with the Homage to Alexander the Great, a pupil of Aristotle who conquered much of the eastern Mediterranean region (and beyond) in the fourth century BCE. From there, the inspiration gradually moves east, making its first stop in what is now Saudi Arabia, where a warrior poet named Antarah ibn Shaddad, now often known simply as Antar, made his mark about 1,500 years ago. The Antar reference was not available to photograph. No set of warrior-themed watches would be complete without an homage to the most legendary conquerer of all time, Ghengis Khan. That name is actually a title he adopted in 1206, and translates as ‘universal ruler’. The series concludes by looking east, to the land of the rising sun. Sasaki Moritsuna was technically a contemporary of Ghengis Khan, though he died when the future Mongolian ruler was just ...

Artist and educator Suzanne Dirks asks a deceptively simple question: Do public clocks still organize how we move through New York City, or have they begun to fade into the background?

I’ve never had many gold-tone watches in my collection, and it’s simply because I don’t have much gold jewelry to match. The benefit to this is that I’ve always been incredibly critical of the gold-tone watches I contemplate adding to my collection, knowing that I only want a few in my watch box overall. I acquired this 5T52-7A19 a couple of months ago after a spur-of-the-moment faceoff between me and the “buy it now” button on eBay.  While I had owned a model from Seiko’s Age of Discovery line many years ago, I had never come into contact with one of the higher-end models from the collection. I’ve remained true to my self-implemented rule for gold-tone watches, meaning that this model will have the honor of forcing my hand to sell off another piece from the watch box. If you’ve been thinking about adding another gold-tone watch to your collection, let me introduce you to a staunch contender. Brief Overview of the Age of Discovery Line and -7A19 Model The Seiko Age of Discovery was introduced sometime between 1990 and 1992 to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ 1492 voyage. Based on the historical time period of the same name, the Age of Discovery series is heavily influenced by the nautical theming associated with the many expeditions of European travelers between the 15th and 17th centuries. Many of the line’s watches feature motifs that harken back to crucial aspects of seafaring travel, sporting iconography such as maps, ...

Kurono Tokyo, the accessible brand of independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, had quite a run last year, with a lot of impressive new models, most dedicated to celebrating its founder’s 60th anniversary. This includes the handsome Grand Jubilee Calendar Salmon, the Ice Blue 2025 Jubilee Sensu EOL, or the 34mm Star Dial watches. Starting 2026 with […]

Kurono Tokyo, Hajime Asaoka’s approachable watch brand, has introduced their first new release of 2026 on the very first workday of the year. Nothing like getting right back into the swing of things. The new piece, part of the brand’s “Special Projects” series, introduces meteorite to the collection for the first time. The Inseki features many of the Kurono hallmarks that have made the brand a favorite among enthusiasts over these last several years, while riding a trend in watchmaking in a rather elegant way that still feels appropriate for the brand.  The centerpiece of the watch is the gray meteorite dial, taken from the Muonionalusta meteorite which fell in what is now Sweden about one million years ago. The small slab of meteorite, with the familiar striations that make the material so interesting, is surrounded by a white lacquered outer ring where you’ll find Asaoka’s custom “Calligra” typeface numerals, which have been painted in high relief. It’s a really spare execution, accented by hand bent, high polish steel hands, a design detail that has become a Kurono signature.  Kurono notes that, as with all meteorite dials, no two are exactly the same. Asaoka, in the press materials for the Inseki, further explains that sometimes the variance in this material results in a piece of meteorite that is not particularly visually interesting. For this release, Asaoka has personally selected each piece of meteorite for inclusion in the Inseki’s run, and t...

There's something refreshing about a brand that doesn't give a damn about pleasing everyone. MING Watches is that brand.The post MING Watches: the industry villain making uncompromising design appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

TAG Heuer's release for the Chinese New Year of the Horse is now released and available immediately. The watch is based on the Carrera Chronograph.

One of Johannes Dürrstein’s objectives when he founded Glashütter Uhrenfabrik Union in 1893 was to produce high-quality watches at affordable prices to cater to a broader range of customers. His philosophy of keeping movements simple and cutting down on superlative frills made Dürrstein an early champion of “affordable luxury.” Following the company’s demise in the […]

A hands-on review of the Aquastar Benthos Professional, exploring its slimmer case, bright lume, ISOfrane strap, and real-world wearability.

Last year, I also wrote an article on my New Year’s resolutions. It actually contained one bold resolution: I was considering letting my Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Medium Duoface go in favor of a Ressence Type 9. At the end of the article, I also mentioned that it might be more of a long-term plan. Well, […] Visit Daan’s Watch Resolutions For 2026 - More Concrete Options For Contemporary Watches to read the full article.

Among the small constellation of Finnish independent watchmakers, Antti Rönkkö occupies his own mythic orbit. His timepieces, from the Steel Labyrinth to the Minotaur, the Väinämöinen and the Jatulis series, are inspired by ancient myth and crafted in what he calls Finnish silence: a meditative space where time, legend, and mechanics become one. His latest […]

The Singaporean microbrand's quirky rotating-case dress watch sees two limited edition seasonal variants join its range.The post Vario flips the script with two festive limited edition Versa models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In the second half of 2023, Tudor quietly dropped what would turn out to be one of its most interesting modern dive watches, the Black Bay 54. This 37mm watch instantly became the smallest Black Bay diver in the lineup and slotted in neatly alongside the Black Bay 58 and its standard 41mm counterpart. My […] Visit Battle Of The Black Bays: Tudor Black Bay 54 Vs. Black Bay 58 to read the full article.