Latest watch news · Page 126

Explore the best watches under $100 we wore and reviewed in testing conditions. Find out how they performed in areas like comfort, legibility, durability, and more.

It was hard not to love, or at least feel some tenderness towards the Orient Bambino models (especially the Classic) released by the brand to mark its 75th anniversary. We are tempted again with the M45 F7 Small Second, as Orient Star (established in 1951, part of Seiko Epson since 2017) expands its Classic Collection […]

Another Friday, another list! This week, we’re starting a new series looking for alternatives to some of the world’s most popular watches. We’ll kick the series off with five alternatives to the iconic Rolex Datejust. The Crown’s classic, with roots going back to 1945, is one of the most popular daily wearers. While its legacy […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Datejust Alternatives In 2026 to read the full article.

Last year it was pink; in 2026, it’s blue… Brellum continues to refine its compact, modern chronograph and presents a new version of its Duobox 39 ahead of Valentine’s Day. The Duobox 39 Ice Blue Mother-of-Pearl Chronometer 2026 is very much the same as last year’s pink MOP. Still, while the 2025 edition projected warmth, […]

For the 50th anniversary of the 3159 standard, COSC has introduced a stricter new "Excellence Chronometer" tier of certification.The post COSC unveils stricter new “Excellence Chronometer” standard + A. Lange & Söhne opens new Chicago boutique appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

I live about 25 minutes from the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. I have lived there all my life, but I somehow never visited the museum. So, last week, when my wife and I had a free morning, we decided to take the plunge. This article isn’t about Van Gogh or about art at all. […] Visit The Watch Enthusiast Trap: Knowing More Can Lead To Enjoying Less to read the full article.

One of the longest tenured models in the Audemars Piguet (AP) catalogue, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38 mm has been upgraded with a new manufacture calibre and sapphire case back for the first time, while only slightly tweaking the iconic design and price tag. Inside the new ref. 26450 is the cal. 6401 that incorporates with welcome quality-of-life improvements such as a longer power reserve, higher beat rate, and instantaneous date. The new movement accomplishes all of this without significant tradeoffs in size, but it arguably falls somewhat short in aesthetics. Minor shortcomings aside, the modestly sized Royal Oak Chronograph is a strong offering that enters the field at the top of its class. Initial thoughts In the same fashion as last year’s updated Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, the new 38 mm Royal Oak Chronograph takes an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, step forward, being essentially the same watch, only better. AP clearly knows better than to mess with a winning formula, but the brand also faced challenges, both in manufacturing and customer experience, that came with a nearly four-decade-old movement platform, sourced from Swatch Group no less. The changes are slight, even insignificant at first glance, but are the sort things that come to be appreciated with long-term ownership, especially within a smaller collection where increases in power reserve and performance are most noticeable. It even looks slightly better – the dial is less cram...

The Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC, the body responsible for certifying watch movements as Swiss chronometers) has just announced a new chronometry standard that will be rolled out over the course of 2026. The news comes at a time when the COSC has some competition for timekeeping certifications, most notably the METAS certification (which first requires a watch movement to be COSC certified) used by Omega and Tudor, as well as other certifications provided by the brands themselves.  The new COSC certification is being framed as an additional level of certification that will accompany the familiar “Certified Chronometer” tag that is seen on the dials and paperwork of millions (literally) of watches that have been put through the COSC paces over the years. The new “Excellence Chronomenter” certification provides an additional layer of guarantee of reliability that goes beyond simple accuracy. As a refresher, COSC certification certifies the movement is working at an optimal level, not a fully cased watch. To achieve a Certified Chronometer certification, a movement must show average accuracy of -4 to +6 seconds per day over a 15 day period, tested across 5 positions and 3 temperatures.  The Excellence Chronometer certification tightens the accuracy threshold from a spread of 10 seconds in total to 6 (-2 to +4 seconds per day). It also adds metrics for magnetic resistance and power reserve verification in fully cased watches. According to the COS...

What is a chronometer…? In short, it is a watch that has been officially tested for its precision. And to guarantee the precision of watches, several tools exist, such as the ISO 3159 standard (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year) and official organisations, such as the Observatoire de Besançon in France, the Glashütte Observatory […]

The launch of a new standard that ensures accuracy within 6 seconds per day, along with new considerations for anti-magnetism and power reserve.

The Windup Watch Fair is heading back to Dallas, TX and this year, it’s getting even better. After an incredible turnout in 2025, our biggest year ever for Windup Watch Fairs, we’re returning to Dallas for the second year in a row and expanding from a two-day show into a full three-day weekend, March 13–15. Once again, we’ll be taking over the Hickory Street Annex, a beautifully restored 1921 Gulf Oil distribution center whose two-level industrial space blends historic character with modern finishes, creating the perfect backdrop for a celebration of watches and watch culture.   Hickory Street Annex 501 S Second Ave #200, Dallas, TX 75226 Friday, March 13: 12PM – 6PM Saturday, March 14: 12PM – 6PM Sunday, March 15: 12PM – 5PM Free and open to everyone No registration necessary This year’s Dallas Fair will feature more than 40 brands, led by our headline sponsors Christopher Ward, Junghans, and Oris. Christopher Ward is known for blending modern British design with Swiss watchmaking precision, delivering high-quality mechanical watches that punch well above their price point. Junghans brings over a century of German watchmaking heritage to the fair, celebrated for its clean Bauhaus-inspired aesthetics and timeless minimalist design. Oris rounds out the trio as one of Switzerland’s leading independent watchmakers, respected for its purpose-driven mechanical watches and strong ties to aviation, diving, and motorsport. Each brand will be showcasing its lates...

Armin Strom methodically expands its Dual Time GMT Resonance series. One of the most technically and visually distinctive travel watches on the market was first presented in white gold as the Dual Time GMT Resonance First Edition. Later came a darker, more contemporary stainless steel Black Edition, which is now back with a new, warmer, […]

Baltic says goodbye to a great model with a glossy black dial and a splash of bling.

Baltic was founded in Paris by Étienne Malec and launched via Kickstarter in 2017 with a captivating duo of 1940s-inspired models. Onwards and upwards, the brand now has over ten collections under its belt, many with an emphasis on mid-20th-century aesthetics, and keeps prices in check by outsourcing movements and assembling them in Besançon, France. […]

I have a very clear memory of the time period around the launch of the Baltic MR01 collection, the first in their ongoing series of micro-rotor powered dress watches. It felt like a turning point for the brand, who up until then was really known as a heritage inspired sports watch microbrand. The MR series was a real left turn, and there was excitement around it across the watch community. The use of a micro-rotor powered automatic movement in a watch well under $1,000 was completely novel, and it signaled that Baltic had ambitions well beyond iterating on classic sports watch DNA. The intervening years have proven that out, as the brand no longer occupies such a narrow niche. If you had told me in 2021 that only a few years later my favorite Baltic would be their take on a cocktail watch, complete with stone dials, I never would have believed you.  The new MR Moissanite closes a chapter for Baltic. We’re told this is the final MR to be released in the current format, and that a refresh is coming. If that’s the case, Baltic has chosen to close out this incarnation of the MR with its most ostentatious execution to this point. The two dial variants seen here each feature bezels set with baguette cut moissanite gem stones, linking these watches in style and philosophy to the 1970s inspired Prismics linked above.  Moissanite, for the uninitiated, is a lab grown diamond alternative first introduced in the late 1990s. It has many physical qualities that are very similar to...

Baltic’s MR, which stands for “micro-rotor,” is the perfect affordable flex on the wrist. The 36mm watches in the collection feature a sturdy field-watch case paired with either a Breguet-style or dressy roulette-inspired dial and, to top it all off, a micro-rotor movement. For around €700, the Baltic MR offers unmatched style and attitude, even […] Visit Introducing: The Baltic MR Moissanite - The Final MR…For Now to read the full article.

The Jack Mason Strat-o-Timer GMT Frontier refines the brand’s tool-watch identity with a hardened steel case and traveller GMT movement.

"You can't make an integrated bracelet watch without doing something interesting with the bracelet," says Ming Thein... and that's what he's done.The post The 56.00 Starfield is exactly what you’d expect of MING’s first integrated bracelet piece appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Watches with jumping hour complications are all the rage these days, with hot-off-the-press contributions from Audemars Piguet and the recently revived specialist brand, Niton. However, the biggest surprise in the jumping hours corner came from Bremont with the introduction of its Terra Nova Jumping Hour models in 2025. A brand associated with rugged, aviation-themed instrument […]

The Crown adds to market share dominance despite lower production for the last two years running.

Grand Seiko extends their reach in the high accuracy, high end quartz watches with a new 9F movement encased in two new 33mm references.

Rado has a long-standing collaborative relationship with Les Couleurs Suisse. Until now, this has led to 12 releases that used Le Corbusier’s 63-shade color system, which he described in his book Polychromie Architecturale. For its latest collaborative effort, Rado took it a step beyond just using the Swiss-French architect’s color system. While these watches each […] Visit Introducing: The Rado True Round × Les Couleurs Le Corbusier Special Editions to read the full article.

Goliardo Della Balda’s dream of producing high-quality Swiss timepieces at affordable prices materialised with the founding of Delbana watches in 1931. Like many Swiss brands, the quartz crisis took its toll in the 1970s, but the brand was rescued in the mid-1990s and, in 2002, merged with Delma Watch Ltd. to focus on accessible, mid-century-inspired […]

These two releases mark the slimmest and smallest-in-diameter Grand Seiko 9F quartz watches ever produced.The post Grand Seiko introduces its new 9F51 quartz calibre with the stylish SBGX359 and SBGX361 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.