Latest watch news · Page 417

The brand's latest limited edition dive watch supports a new marine research center in the Philippines.

Seiko regularly surprises us with new limited editions. Typically, they are variations of existing models that introduce new dials and eye-catching colors. But sometimes, a limited series is more than that. With the introduction of today’s new trio of watches, Seiko treats us to a few firsts that fans will certainly love. The most important […] Visit Introducing: The Seiko Prospex Marinemaster SLA081 - Marking The 60th Anniversary Of Seiko Dive Watches to read the full article.

A blue-tinted sapphire dial, luminous rubber strap and thin proportions make this elevated dive watch an attractive beast.The post Christopher Ward’s azure C60 Sapphire Edge cuts a slim and stylish figure appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Blancpain‘s long-standing ties to diving need little introduction. For over 20 years, the brand has been committed to raising awareness of the need to protect our oceans through the Blancpain Ocean Commitment (BOC) program. The latest BOC initiative is a limited series of 100 watches, the Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC IV, a more compact and […]

A contemporary, limited-edition take on the Fifty Fathoms formula that supports ocean conservation efforts? Sign me up.The post Blancpain’s sporty new Fifty Fathoms Tech BOC IV supports a good cause in style appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Vanac name may not ring a bell for anyone but the most hardcore King Seiko enthusiasts, but that did not stop Seiko from reissuing the watch in a new guise. Today, we see the introduction of the King Seiko Vanac SLA087 in purple/gold and the SLA083 in white/gold. As you can see from the […] Visit Introducing: The King Seiko Vanac SLA087 And SLA083 to read the full article.

If only watches could tell stories… This particular watch, a Rolex GMT-Master 1675 from 1968, would have a multitude of stories to share. The Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 we’re looking at today belonged to the late New Zealand photojournalist and camera operator Derek McKendry, who spent eight years covering the Vietnam War for the Australian […] Visit War Correspondent’s Rolex GMT-Master 1675 Surfaces In New Zealand to read the full article.

Have you ever wanted to buy a vintage watch but been put off by potential pitfalls? Well, this episode of Fratello Talks is the one for you. Today, Nacho, RJ, and Thomas share their advice on buying vintage watches. They’ve been doing it themselves for years. In Thomas’s case, there’s even a history of working […] Visit Fratello Talks: How To Buy A Vintage Watch to read the full article.

Last year, Seiko updated one of its best-selling models, the classic, rather compact and vintage-inspired Prospex 1965 Heritage Diver, releasing a new collection with improved mechanics, reduced dimensions, upgraded water-resistance and a new bracelet – all the evolutions can be explored in this in-depth video. As you know, this watch is a modern recreation of […]

Titanium monobloc case, awesome dial design, and a Grand Seiko-derived movement.The post The new Seiko Marinemaster Professional SLA081 is a hardcore, GS-powered monster tributing the very first Seiko diver appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

This year, Seiko celebrates the 60th anniversary of one of its most important timepieces, its first dive watch, the 62MAS. While some would have expected the brand to come with yet another vintage-inspired re-creation of this historic model – it might come later this year – for now, we have a trio of new models. […]

To celebrate 60 years of dive watches, Seiko is diving into the deep end with three additions to the Prospex range: the 60th Anniversary Marinemaster Professional (SLA081), 1968 Heritage Diver GMT (SPB509), and 1965 Heritage Diver (SPB511). Whether you’re a die-hard Seiko collector or simply a looking for an affordable, high quality diver, all three are distinct enough from their stablemates to be worth a look. But as exciting as the watches are, they’re arguably overshadowed by something simple yet significant, a feature Seiko enthusiasts have been requesting for a long time. The SPB509 and SPB511 are both equipped with a steel bracelet incorporating a micro-adjustment clasp that can be resized on the go by up to 15 mm, as opposed to the less practical diving extension found in preceding models. The 1968 Heritage Diver GMT SPB509 (left), and 1965 Heritage Diver SPB511 Initial thoughts In Western culture, significant anniversaries like the 25th, 50th, and 100th tend to be celebrated with great fanfare. In contrast, Japanese culture (and also widely East Asian culture) emphasises the 60th birthday – kanreki in Japanese – which also coincides with the completion of the traditional 12-year zodiac cycle. In this context, it’s worth looking closely at how Seiko is choosing to celebrate this milestone. The 1965 and 1968 Heritage models are powered by the well-known cal. 6R-series movements, which offer a 72-hour power reserve. While the pair are essentially variants o...

In the 1970s, arguably no watch brand was having more fun than Seiko, which launched the bold King Seiko Vanac collection in 1972. Five decades on, Seiko returns to the concept with the all-new King Seiko Vanac, with bold dial colours and an angular, faceted case inspired by its namesake. Despite an entirely new design – the modern-day Vanac is not a remake – the collection captures the style and spirit of the funky 1970s originals perfectly. Available in five different dial colours, each inspired by the Tokyo skyline at a different time of day, the Vanac also features a new automatic cal. 8L45, now the highest-spec movement for Seiko’s mid tier watches. Initial thoughts The past decade has treated us to more than our fair share of vintage reissues, which by and large have focused on the glorious designs of the 1950s and 1960s. But there are only so many historical designs from this era that a brand can revisit, and as we move into 2025, it’s nice to see a little variety as Seiko looks to the 1970s. And while the Vanac is very much vintage inspired, it isn’t quite a reissue of any particular historical model. Though the bracelet is integrated, the design is different enough from Gerald Genta’s designs that it avoids the common pitfall of looking like it’s trying too hard to look like something else. A selection of vintage Vanac watches The Vanac features a 41 mm case that is quite chunky at 14.3 mm. The case itself is essentially an elongated hexagon, with a ...

In 1965, Seiko entered the race for the best dive watch, much later than the Swiss did. Seiko released its first ever dive watch, known as the 62MAS, the mother of all upcoming aquatic watches of the brand. It’s a story that we’ve told many times on MONOCHROME. What matters most today is that 2025 […]

Angular, 1970s funk in a new shape for King Seiko.The post The King Seiko VANAC sports a Grand Seiko-derived movement and a funky, angular case appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

One of my favorite games to play when visiting family is something I like to call “Guess, That, Price!” Here’s how it works: I excitedly dump out my rolls and pouches to reveal to the group what watches I have in for review at that time. They then pour over the details, proudly identifying the features of each watch, and then guess the retail price of each piece to see who comes the closest. On my most recent episode of “Guess, That, Price!” I had with me a trio of watches, one of which being the new MK II Fulcrum 39. As it made its rounds, they began calling out features such as the bezel action, the weight of the watch, and the overall rugged visual appearance. When prompted, the three contestants gave me their estimated MSRP of $22,000, $26,000, and finally $31,000. Yes, they are pretty bad at this game. However, what they lack in accuracy is made up for in providing an interesting data point for me. This watch has the potential to carry a higher perceived value than its actual asking price which is not something that typically happens. It pushed me to explore the watch further.  From the outset, I’ll admit I was a little disappointed with the new Fulcrum. A massive fan of MK II and Tornek-Rayville, I had inflated expectations that this piece would blow me away. To put it bluntly, this is my least favorite watch they have produced to date. I hate that I am writing that, and I hate that I am admitting that, but at the end of the day sometimes things fall sho...

Let me state something that I know will spark some people; as a watch-loving community, we’ve become far too negative in our opinions. Especially when it comes to social media, it’s easy to discard something you don’t like or even ridicule or bash. It’s a fairly common thing to express one’s (negative) opinion in such […]

Citizen celebrates the 55th anniversary of their world's-first titanium watch and the launch of the new "Citizen Premier" category.

These next rounds of classes will be hosted by the Carolina Watch Club, the Escapement Club, EsperLuxe and the Waltham Museum.

If MING Watches isn’t on your radar, I don’t really know what to tell you. The brand, which has been around since 2017 and was founded by photographer and watch enthusiast Ming Thein (his current job title at the brand, at least according to LinkedIn, is ‘Supreme Overlord’), has stood at the forefront of the small independent movement since the day it launched, and has been a tremendous object lesson in the ability and aspiration of small brands.  In the nearly eight years since the brand launched, they’ve made a lot of very cool watches, and possibly cooler than the watches themselves has been the diversity of their offering - diversity in style, functionality, and (notably) price. Now, MING has released its latest marvel, the MING 21.01 ‘Project 21,’ a dream watch for Ming himself and a clear summation of what the brand has been and done up to this point while offering a glimpse into the eponymous founder’s head and maybe even offering some clues as to what will come next for the brand. So what is the Project 21? Well, put simply, it’s a 35mm tantalum-cased dress watch built around a historically significant ultra-thin movement. Factor in a little more nuance, and it’s exceedingly clear that the Project 21 is an experiment in pushing the brand to its limits, just to see where those limits happen to be. The new watch, which will only be available in extraordinarily limited quantities, was inspired by a challenge thrown down at a 2023 collector’s d...

A new Breitling Navitimer B19 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. It is in a steel case, 43mm case diameter, and not limited.

Using a vintage Frédéric Piguet Cal. 21, the brand sizes way down with their new tantalum watch.

Watches, like most products from industrial activities, are ruled by constraints and compromises – whether these are commercial, technological, design-oriented or economical. This is why we, watch enthusiasts, can often be rather disappointed by many new releases. Surely, independent watchmakers playing in a much higher price range can overpass some of these constraints, as a […]

As a materials engineer, I get excited whenever a watchmaker uses an atypical material. Over the last decade, carbon and ceramics have become more prevalent for watch cases. However, aside from new gold alloys, it has been relatively quiet on the metals front. Using tantalum isn’t new, but it’s so uncommon that it deserves attention […] Visit Introducing: The Ming 21.01 “Project 21” In Tantalum to read the full article.