Latest watch news · Page 821

Godzilla, as he does from time to time, is having a moment. Godzilla Minus One was an unexpected hit in theaters at the end of last year, and as the first Godzilla film from Toho Co. studios to break through in America in years, it has some fans discovering a different side of the King of the Monsters. The Toho films, going back decades to the original Godzilla movies of the 1950s, have generally been a little more character driven and subtle than the bombastic, special effects laden American films. And a new Godzilla themed watch from Citizen is similarly subtle. It doesn’t beat you over the head (or…breathe fire at you) with Godzilla references, but it’s still clearly inspired by the iconic movie monster.  It makes perfect sense for the Citizen Eco-Drive Professional Diver 300 to be the platform for a new Godzilla watch – the dive watch has long been known as the “Ecozilla” to collectors, and Citizen is happy to play up the connection. The watch arrives in a year that’s important to both Godzilla and Citizen, as each has a milestone birthday to celebrate: Godzilla turns 70, and Citizen marks the 100th anniversary of their first watch this year.  The dial and bezel assembly of the new Godzilla piece feature a camo pattern that’s meant to recall the scales of Godzilla’s skin, and you’ll also find very small renditions of Godzilla within the pattern itself. There are two dial variants being offered, one in a classic black and another in a more in-your-...

While the Superman, a skindiver piece, is by far the most emblematic model of French watchmaking brand Yema, three other names might ring a bell to some enthusiasts. All designed as professional instruments in the late 1960s or early 1970s, the Flygraf (pilot’s watch), Rallygraf (driver’s watch) and Yachtingraf (regatta watch) are now deeply rooted […]

The Omega Ploprof is one of the most interesting, iconic, and discussed of all dive watches. Its unusual design is unlike any other diver, and the watch itself has a rich and storied history. When it was introduced in 1970, it was originally conceived as a no-compromises tool for saturation divers. Since then, the Ploprof has evolved into a cult item. It’s still used, of course, for technical diving purposes by dive professionals, but in the years since Omega relaunched the watch in 2009, it’s also become a talisman of a very particular type of dive watch nerdery. It’s one of the most “inside baseball” watches Omega makes, and is beloved by enthusiasts for all of the reasons many in the general public would walk right by it.  In this Missed Review, Blake Buettner explores the unique qualities of the Ploprof that make it special. Its unique design elements (the unusual case shape, a prominent crown guard system, the large orange button on the case flank, etc) are all there for very specific reasons rooted in the Ploprof’s extremely specific utility. Blake also gets into the history of the watch, and how this modern version (in titanium) differs from historical versions in unexpected ways. Omega Images from this post: The post Missed Review: the Omega Seamaster Ploprof appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Over the last few years, the world of watches has continued to expand its reach beyond watch enthusiasts. This, in turn, has allowed brands to speak to wider audiences and forge meaningful relationships with celebrities, charities, and more. Oris is no stranger to significant partnerships with a variety of outlets, and its latest Limited Edition tells a particularly unique and historically interesting story in the world of cricket. Introducing the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Father Time Limited Edition. A bit of context: Lord’s Cricket Ground in London is widely considered the “home of cricket”. Established in 1814, it is the oldest cricket stadium known to man and is beloved the world over. The ground’s owners, the Marylebone Cricket Club (or MCC), have partnered with Oris, making the Hölstein, Switzerland based watchmaker the very first official timekeeper over the ground’s two centuries. As a result of this partnership, the Oris branding sits proudly on the famous clock tower and near the iconic Father Time weathervane, after which this new limited edition watch is named. Father Time himself is cast of iron and is seen stooping over cricket stumps as he watches over the passage of time. Now onto the watch: unsurprisingly Oris has chosen to use the Big Crown Pointer Date as the foundation. As Oris’ most famous model, the BCPD has been in constant production since 1938 and has its roots in aviation. However it has since been seen as Oris’ calling card and a...

Oris and Marylebone Cricket Club collaborate on a cricket-loving bronze Big Crown Pointer Date.The post Oris’ latest limited edition watch is a love letter to the ‘Home of Cricket’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Given its complexity and often lethargic pace, cricket is not a sport that pops up in the crosshairs of watch brand alliances. However, in 2022, Oris struck an alliance with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), becoming the first official timekeeper in the club’s history. Celebrating this three-year partnership, Oris and the MMC have collaborated on […]

A new dial color keeps the heritage ties strong for the latest addition to the Pointer Date collection celebrating Oris' cricket collaboration.

This should shed some light onto what goes on behind the caseback of that microbrand you've been eyeing.The post What is mechaquartz? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Independent and Integrated Manufacture Ulysse Nardin release their latest iteration of the Lunar New Year watch in the form of the Blast Tourbillon Dragon. The watch is specially crafted for the Lunar year of the Dragon.

Topside, Montblanc’s 43.5mm Vintage Chronograph sets the stage for its marvelous mechanism within. A mother-of-pearl crown insert confirms that this watch is an image-builder for the larger house of Meisterstück.

The Chinese New Year provides many watch companies with the perfect excuse to produce a special edition decorated with one of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. This year is the Year of the Dragon, and, for the first time, Longines jumps on the Chinese New Year bandwagon with a limited edition of 888 […]

We revisit everyone's favourite entry-level diver. Does its charm excuse the fact it's no longer affordable?The post Is the OG Seiko SKX still worth its premium? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Based in the southernmost corner of Russia, Rashid Tsoroev is a watchmaker who got his start in 2019 with fairly simple time-only watches powered by the oversized ETA Unitas calibre. Now Mr Tsoroev has upgraded his work, both stylistically and mechanically, with the debut of the Evo Arrow that is priced affordably at US$5,000. Still a three-hand watch but now equipped with a La Joux-Perret (LJP) automatic, the Evo Arrow sports a hand-hammered brass dial – a technique is sometimes described as tremblage – that he makes himself. Mr Tsoroev relies on suppliers for other components like the case, but he finishes all the components in his own workshop. Initial thoughts Like many independent makers in this price segment, Mr Tsoroev outsources several aspects the watch,  but he applies his skill to key aspects, including producing and finishing the dial and hands; this contrasts with brands that merely design and assemble watches. Mr Tsoroev’s attention to detail is admirable, considering the price of the watch. Elements like the font he designed for the watch and the rounded arms of the hands reflect the thought put into the design and execution. Granted, there are constraints imposed by the retail price and presumably Mr Tsoroev’s location (where there are probably no suppliers in a radius of hundreds of kilometres), but the Evo Arrow feels like an honest creation by a craftsman. The only thing I would change is the movement. I would swap the LJP calibre for a Russian ...

Automotive inspired watches come in many different forms. There are watches that draw attention to aesthetic similarities between well understood components of cars and watches (dials that look like gauges on a dashboard, or even putting an automaker’s badge on the dial). And then there are watches that are, ostensibly, meant to be thought of as tools for motorsport – chronographs with tachymeter scales and the like. But there’s another category – the one I tend to prefer – that takes a more abstract approach. These are watches that are imbued with the feeling of driving in their design. Autodromo, of course, are masters at this. Their watches capture a driving aesthetic that doesn’t simply port over elements of vehicle design into a watch, and they use color and texture to evoke specific aspects of driving culture. The latest from Nodus, their second collaboration with automotive personality Matt Farah, is very much in that vein. The new Nodus Canyon in Sunset Orange follows the successful launch of the Mint colorway of the same watch last year (it sold out immediately to Farah’s Patreon subscribers). The watch, designed by Farah, is conceived as an everyday sports watch, with a 41mm stainless steel case that measures 11.5mm tall and 47mm from lug to lug. To look at the watch, you would not immediately clock it as automotive inspired, but it’s filled with subtle and personal details from Farah’s long history in the automotive world that will make it rewa...

With a bevy of heavy-hitting films on the ballots this year, we expected no less from the timepieces.

I’ve always assumed that my affinity toward affordable watches was somewhat forced by circumstances. With limited funds in the watch bank at the start of my collecting journey, purchasing attainably priced timepieces was the only way I was going to fill more than one slot in my watch box. But years later, even as I find myself with a bit more disposable income, I can’t seem to escape the pull of a $500 watch. For me, nothing hits quite like a microbrand that is able to develop their own design DNA despite their access to the same 316L steel and 3rd party movements as everyone else. Offering those unique designs at accessible prices will never cease to impress me. A conventional journey for a collector might go something like this: Buy a Seiko 5, maybe an SNK809, to test the waters without breaking the bank. Then, when it’s financially responsible to do so, a collector might move onto an “entry level” luxury timepiece such as a Longines or Oris. Experiencing many watches and brands allows the opportunity to identify which watches evoke emotion. Often, as collectors continue to refine their taste, watches that kindle these feelings come with escalating prices. While each enthusiast has their own price range where they feel comfortable purchasing the watches they are drawn to, there is one category where we can (nearly) all find common ground: grail watches. I’ve seen a few definitions of this term over the years, ranging from dream watches we would never sell, to...

Karl Moritz Grossmann, a prominent figure from the 19th century, was the founder and director of the German School of Watchmaking. In our contemporary era, in 2007, Christine Hutter, a skilled watchmaker with experience at Maurice Lacroix, Glashütte Original and A. Lange & Söhne, acquired the right to use the name “Moritz Grossmann“. In 2008, […]

“Are we paying the price for our hubris of science? Witness the primeval might that is Godzila.”

If anyone thought brands might slow down when it comes to collaborative limited editions in 2024, the releases that are popping up in the first full week of the year would seem to disprove that notion. To that end, Bamford has just announced their first new release of the year, a new spin on their popular GMT format made in partnership with the artist and designer known as Jeremyville. The Bamford London x Jeremyville Limited Edition GMT is whimsical way to start the new year, featuring a well known character from the larger Jeremyville universe.  The Bamford GMT has proven to be a great platform for character watches – we saw not one, but two Snoopy GMTs released in the last few years – and this new release finds the Jeremyville “Earth” character taking center stage. If you’re not familiar with Jeremyville’s art, a brief primer is in order. Jeremyville’s art has gained popularity over the course of twenty years, and is both the moniker of the artist himself and the fictional world his characters inhabit. The themes expressed in his art are nearly universally positive, with a real focus on community and empathy, so a collaboration at the beginning of a new year, a time when everyone seems focused on positive change, makes a lot of sense.  The dial of the limited edition features the Earth character extending two arms, one of which is an hour hand (and displays a peace sign) and other is the minute hand (with fingers crossed). The GMT hand is represented by ...

Where other brands have gone overboard with dragons, IWC's crafted a tasteful piece that'll look good long after LNY.The post IWC celebrates the Year of the Dragon with a subtle yet handsome Portugieser Chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

When the Omega Specialties CK 859 launched in the spring of 2022, it flew a bit under the radar as other releases were still garnering a lot of the press (fairly typical for spring in Switzerland). But it quickly picked up steam as people realized what a little gem this watch was, and it became a star in the eyes of fans of sector-dialed watches.

Comprehensive review of the Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Chronograph Ref. 5924G. With full analysis and competitive landscape.

For more than 30 years, Nomos has been part of the monumental effort to resurrect the German watchmaking tradition that once thrived in the Glashütte region in the easternmost part of the country. The region is home to a dozen or so brands, from relatively affordable names like Union Glashütte and Nomos to ultra-high-end like A. […]

Mido’s Multifort line has been in production since 1934 and was the brand’s first model fitted with an automatic movement. Earning its ‘Multifort’ credentials, the watch was waterproof, automatic, anti-magnetic and shock-resistant, delivering a robust package at an aggressive price that made it a best seller from the 1930s to the 1950s. Skeletonised dials are […]

Continuing with its occasional special editions to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, IWC has just released the Portugieser Chronograph “Year of the Dragon” to mark honour the Year of the Wood Dragon commencing in early 2024. This limited edition is essentially the classic Portugieser Chronograph Ref. 3716 but with a striking burgundy dial featuring gilt numerals and hands. Initial thoughts Burgundy dials on the Portugieser stand out as demonstrated by last year’s Portugieser Automatic 40, so it was inevitable to see it on the Portugieser Chronograph. The fact that this is a limited edition isn’t a big deal since IWC does a fair number of limited editions. But this specific watch, however, does look good. Whilst the design remains identical to the original, this has all of the dial elements in either gold-plating or powder-gilt print, which are more visually complementary than the combination of gold and black found on the silver dial of the standard steel model. The new look incurs an extra charge of US$950 in comparison to the standard production model, culminating in a retail price of US$9,350. While not a great deal by any means, it’s a reasonable premium, given the new dial and commemorative rotor. However, it is a limited edition of 1,000 watches, a substantial number given IWC’s scale, so the brand should have either reduced the premium or edition size to boost the appeal. The Portugieser Automatic 40 “Year of the Rabbit” from 2022. Image – IWC ...