Latest watch news · Page 795

It’s that time of year where the Swiss typically go on holiday, which means there’s less news about fresh releases this week. Nonetheless, some big news was announced at Sotheby’s, when Geoff Hess was revealed as the esteemed auction house’s new Head of Watches for the Americas region. “It is my honour to take up … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Geoff Hess joins Sotheby’s as Head of Watches for the Americas appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Smokey Bear became established as a quintessential figure for all Americans towards the end of World War II. The character was created in 1944 to help prevent forest fires, and his role today might be even more relevant due to the continuing rise in global temperatures and  devastating wildfires. Smokey Bear’s mission, therefore, transcends borders … ContinuedThe post The new Vero Smokey Bear editions offer a timely reminder of man’s influence on nature appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage Universal Geneve Polerouter With eBay, some weeks are slim pickin’s and some weeks the bounty is plentiful. This week it’s the latter. Starting off this week with a bang, with this amazing vintage Universal Geneve Polerouter with Microtor movement. This example is the classic black dialed, no date version and it is stunning. Gerald Genta’s Polerouter design is an absolute masterclass on aesthetic design. From those sexy bombe lungs to the crosshair black dial with the signature fluted outer dial ring down to the Universal Geneve signed crown and Polerouter logo caseback, it’s just pure beauty. This example looks to be all original and in very good condition with the only issue I see being there is some corrosion on the hands. The watch needs an external cleaning to be sure, but I love finding vintage watches with all the funk on them, it just means it was worn and loved and hasn’t been messed with! If you’ve been wanting one of these, take a close look at this gem! View auction here. Vintage Seiko Chronograph 6139 How do you follow a vintage Polerouter? With arguably one of the most famous and popular Seiko chronographs, that’s how! This vintage Seiko 6139-6005 ...

It's for those of us who thought we could never wear one.

There are many watch brands that make tool watches, but very few that are considered tool watch brands. Ollech & Wajs, is one of the few that is and has been since its founding over 60 years ago. Overbuilt, technically savvy, understated, and adopted by those who would use them for their intended purposes, Ollech & Wajs has a reputation for making rugged, task-driven time pieces. There are many watch brands that make tool watches, but very few that are considered tool watch brands. Ollech & Wajs, is one of the few that is and has been since its founding over 60 years ago. Overbuilt, technically savvy, understated, and adopted by those who would use them for their intended purposes, Ollech & Wajs has a reputation for making rugged, task-driven time pieces. The post Just In! Ollech & Wajs Hits The Windup Watch Shop appeared first on Worn & Wound.

But at a higher price point, who is this watch for?

If you’re a regular reader of this website, you know that from time to time I find myself inspired to write about the state of the watch collecting community. Like all of you, I’m just a normal guy, who sometimes decides that it’s time to send a watch to a new home, and it’s off to the forums I go, with terribly lit photos and hopes of a quick transaction that doesn’t end in some kind of postal fraud incident. In the years I’ve been doing this, I’m happy to say that I’ve had many great experiences selling watches to strangers. But lately…lately, eh, I dunno. It kind of feels like things are going off the rails a little bit, doesn’t it? I’ve sold a few watches in the last couple of months, and, with apologies to @vandelayhouseofhorology, I’ve never felt more like George Costanza in that Chinese restaurant, reminding his fellow patrons that we’re living in a society. We’re supposed to act in a civilized way!  Maybe it’s just a run of bad luck, or perhaps karmic retribution for youthful indiscretions that have come back to bite me, but it seems like poor, sketchy, or downright inappropriate behavior is on the rise in the public watch trading forums. I’ve never been one to worry too much about getting scammed, or even having my time wasted, but in the current climate, it seems like you have your guard way, way up.  Before I go any further, I’ll say at the outset that in spite of some, let’s call them troubling, experiences trying to sell a...

For the first time, Longines' modern dive watch gets a GMT.

Longines’ polarizing dive watch collection, the HydroConquest, has received a major overhaul from the Swatch Group brand, featuring a GMT compilation for the first time since 2007. This is still a true dive capable watch through and through, integrating the GMT component in a more subtle manner than you might imagine. As we’ve come to expect from Longines recently, this new collection is kicking off with a plethora of earth tone color schemes, and multiple strap options. There is some retro-inspiration happening here, but this one doesn’t feel like a throwback. If you weren’t fond of the 5 stars of the dial of the Zulu Time, this might be the one you’ve been waiting for.  The new HydroConquest is built within a steel case that measures 41mm in diameter and 12.9mm in thickness, and places a large rotating bezel assembly front and center. Rather than placing the 24 hour scale on the bezel, they’ve reserved this element for the watch’s diving ambitions, and it is graduated to the minutes as you might expect. The 24 hour scale is moved to the rehaut  at the perimeter of the dial, and is bi-color to separate the halves of the day. It’s a graceful implementation that retains enough functionality to be practical, though perhaps not quite as quick to read at a glance compared to other GMT watches. Moving into the dial things get a bit more interesting still, with some unusual but welcome decisions being made that help this watch stand on its own. First, the dial ...

Hot on the heels of Norqain’s latest release, here is our review of the Wild One Skeleton 42MM in bright turquoise, some say that it's the colour of 2023.

The Longines HydroConquest GMT departs from the cult-classic look for a more familiar case shape. The green and brown dial options are especially sumptuous, with gold details and colour-matched date wheels. The new GMT design may be divisive among HydroConquest fans, but will certainly attract a wider audience. Longines are one of the biggest players … ContinuedThe post Does the new Longines HydroConquest GMT signal a collection redesign? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Seiko has unveiled a limited-edition iteration of its vintage-inspired timepiece, the King Seiko. The King Seiko SJE095 features a textured dial adorned with a uniquely Japanese motif-a geometric pattern known as kiku tsunagi-mon inspired by the chrysanthemum flower. Save for the patterned dial, the limited edition maintains the compact case profile found in the King Seiko SJE089 and SJE091 was earlier this year.  Initial thoughts While the latest King Seiko models have a notably streamlined case, the stylistic resemblance to the original from 1965 bordered on being a vintage remake. Fortunately, Seiko has decided to create a standout iteration (albeit a limited edition) that, as is often the case with Seiko and Grand Seiko, pays homage to Japanese culture in the dial decoration. The highlight is the intricate geometric pattern on the dial. Besides evoking traditional Japanese cut-glassware, the engraving possesses a degree of elegance, while upholding a sense of balance in the dial. The balance could have been improved if the date window were absent, allowing the engraving to run uninterrupted across the dial.  This limited edition carries a price of US$3,400, just US$100 more than the standard King Seiko. The small difference makes this a no-brainer over the regular production model, though it can be argued this is somewhat pricey in absolute terms for a mid-range Seiko model. Rooted in tradition This limited edition draws substantial inspiration from the chrysanthe...

Earlier images of the Petermann-Bédat X Theo Auffret Only Watch Chronomètre d'Observatoire were sletcjes, here are the photographs of the actual watch.

In early 2023, Hublot introduced the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon Saxem, featuring a case made of a mysterious and rather impressive-looking crystal called Saxem. It looked like an addition to the brand's extensive line of sapphire watches. But as a retired laser physicist, I wondered: what material was behind that name? Perhaps a special kind of synthetic sapphire?

The Blancpain Ladybird Colors collection has been expanded with this rainbow gradient reference. It comes with five colours of alligator leather straps, so you can tone the playfulness up or down depending on your mood. The case is made from 18k white gold, and is set with 59 diamonds. When Blancpain released the Ladybird in … ContinuedThe post The new rainbow Blancpain Ladybird Colors offer a playful sense of glamour with a 100-hour power reserve appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Our friends at Huckberry have partnered with Zodiac for their second collaborative limited edition, an homage to the original version of the Sea Wolf from 1953 with subtle bronze accents. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the iconic Zodiac skin diver platform, and the easy to wear dive watch arguably makes more sense today than it ever has. A skin diver, by definition, is a little lighter, smaller, and more casual than a full throated “pro” dive watch, while still being more than robust enough for day to day wear, including any number of water based activities. And as Zodiac has proven over and over again, their simple and straightforward design is a fantastic blank canvas for collaborators, with the Sea Wolf easily taking on any number of personalities and characteristics as colors shift and change. The new limited edition made with Huckberry is suitably vintage inspired, with the bronze adding an additional layer of refinement.  The new Super Sea Wolf Bronze is a bit of a fakeout in that it’s not a full bronze watch, but keeps the bronze content limited to the rotating dive bezel and crown. This is a smart choice, giving the watch a subtle two-tone appearance and dressing it up just a tad from its tool watch roots. Bronze, of course, is known to patina quite heavily and in a very particular way, so we’d expect the bezel to take on a weathered look as this is used. According to Huckberry, the application of bronze here was inspired by early diving helmets, ...

An earth-toned limited edition field watch.

Impossible Watch Company, based in Talkeetna, Alaska, has a name with a double meaning. Chris, the owner of the brand, told me he called it “Impossible” because it seemed like such a tall task for a watch industry outsider to get a brand off the ground. “I had to jump through so many hoops,” he said, referring to the start-up process and the various logistical challenges he faced when starting the company. And Chris has other irons in the fire besides his watch brand – he’s an old school entrepreneur with hugely varied interests, making Impossible Watch Company (IMP for short) even more of a challenge. And yet, here he is, with a growing following on Instagram, and a website full of sold out listings. As a friend pointed out to him after the brand started to gain some traction, the name works in the case of success too: “I M Possible.”  On the one hand, IMP is not unlike a whole bunch of other small, independently run brands. It’s a one man operation, and the watches have a vintage inspired aesthetic that will naturally garner comparisons to those made by Furlan Marri, Baltic, and others. But look closer, and there’s something else happening here, something equal parts compelling (in terms of the watchmaking) and subversive. Sure, there’s a sector dial chronograph in the collection that on the surface has some fairly obvious similarities to watches made by those brands mentioned above. But there are also time only watches with sterile stone dials. An...

The brand dresses up their iconic pilot's chronograph with a cool grey dial for this US exclusive.

The thin line between inspiration and imitation.

The new Swatch Bioceramic What If? collection imagines their 1983 debut was square instead of round. It merges ‘80s style with modern eco-friendly materials such as bioceramic. Four watches are available in green, black, grey and beige. The exploration of alternate and parallel universes has definitely become one of the most interesting pop culture trends … ContinuedThe post The new Swatch Bioceramic What If? collection reimagines their round 1983 debut as square appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Here’s a character watch we never saw coming. To celebrate the 79th birthday of Smokey Bear (famous for his “Only you can prevent wildfires” tagline), Vero is releasing a pair of officially licensed Smokey Bear watches. It’s actually a natural partnership for Vero. As a fire prevention mascot, Smokey is well known in the Pacific Northwest, where Vero is based. And Vero’s brand identity very much leans into the culture of love for the outdoors – it’s a huge part of every watch they make, both in terms of the aesthetics (with designs and colors inspired by Vero’s Oregon home) and their robust nature (the Workhorse comes immediately to mind). These new watches have a charm factor that’s just about off the charts if you grew up seeing Smokey on TV warning you about the dangers of forest fires, but they’re also Vero through and through.  First up is the Smokey ‘44 watch, which takes its inspiration from the types of early field style watches that would have been in use the year Smokey made his debut. The dominant feature here is the large cathedral hour hand, paired with Arabic numerals in a distinctive gothic typeface. Vero says this typeface was chosen to match iconic mid century signage found in the US National Parks System. The Smokey ‘44 watch includes the familiar illustration of Smokey (wearing his hat, of course) at the 12:00 position, with “Only You” text right underneath, a reference to his iconic catchphrase.  The Smokey ‘64 is perhaps...

Plus a Patek Philippe with a Geneva Seal and the other TAG Heuer named after a Formula 1 track.