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Fratello
There’s something about a classic dress watch that resonates beyond fleeting trends. For me, it all started with the vintage IWC “Calatrava” Cal. 89 that I inherited from my grandfather. It is a watch from a bygone era when watchmaking was all about understated elegance, mechanical mastery, and timeless design. Recently, my Fratello colleagues discussed […] Visit Why Every Watch Collector Needs A “Calatrava” to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Hodinkee
Swatch mixes up a few key elements with its What If? model to note its displeasure with the financial burden faced by Swiss watchmakers exporting to the key U.S. market.
SJX Watches
Fabian Pellet emerged last year as one of the more interesting and unusual independents with the L’Essentiel. Where most new faces in the field are freshly-graduated watchmaking students, Mr Pellet was previously a watchmaking teacher. A Swiss native working in Tokyo since 2022, Mr Pellet is one independent watchmaker to watch. The new version of L’Essentiel looks virtually identical to the three-piece platinum limited run from 2024. This updated model is now housed in a titanium case, and even though the production is inherently limited, it extends beyond three pieces. Initial thoughts The watch itself appears unassuming at first: a simple time-only model with a white enamel dial and a case defined by fairly plain lines. But when taking a closer look at the finer details, especially when turning the piece over, this can’t be dismissed as just another time-only indie piece. The movement inside the watch is clearly meant to be the center of attention, thoughtfully hidden underneath the simple, pocket watch-like dial. The calibre was crafted fully by hand; Mr Pellet does not use CNC machines even for the cutting of the raw blanks for the mainplate and bridges. The movement is clearly heavily influenced by a historical watches, both visually and in terms of its construction, which adds to its flair. All of its qualities aside, L’Essentiel remains a time-only watch, which has become somewhat of a trope with both new and established independents. It seems like a new ...
Worn & Wound
I have a reputation among family, friends, and colleagues for being car crazy, and though my obsession with motor vehicles tends to lean more towards Sunday cruises and wrenching rather than pure motorsports, I always appreciate a good lap-timer on my watches. That appreciation quickly turns to excitement when the watch in question veers away from the legions of brawny, busy chronographs on the market, and towards a more targeted design ethos, particularly anything midcentury modern. Enter the C-1 Chrono, the latest timepiece in the C-1 line from young British brand Aera. While not their first motorsport watch, the new C-1 Chrono takes aesthetic cues from the Porsche-inspired C-1 Rennsport and simplifies them down to a more legible, streamlined whole. The most striking element is, of course, the reverse-panda color scheme; a matte black dial, devoid of markings save for a very, very fine minute track around the outer diameter, allows the two matte white chronograph subdials at 6 and 9 o’clock to pop aggressively. The red hour, minute, and chronograph hands, and red and white seconds hand add that touch of automotive flair, bringing the aesthetic straight into the cockpit of a golden era sports car. The sans-serif Aera logo wears Globolight to glow white in low-light conditions, while the hands are coated in Grade X1 Swiss Super-Luminova. Like their other C-1 watches, the Chrono is housed in a chunky 42mm brushed stainless steel case, measuring 49.55mm lug-to-lug. Two p...
SJX Watches
This December at its New York auction. Sotheby’s will bring one a hitherto secret collection of complicated Patek Philippe watches to market, The Olmsted Complications Collection. Accrued by late financier Robert M. Olmsted over six decades, the collection includes watches commissioned by the most prominent American collectors of the early 20th century, including Henry Graves Jr., Thomas E. Emery, James M. Morehead III, and Elliot C. Lee, some of which were completely unknown to the public until now. An “Extra” quality observatory watch made for Henry Graves Jr. It couldn’t be better timed either, with the flagship lot being a previously undocumented Patek Philippe perpetual calendar desk clock, just months after the brand launched its modern equivalent. Better still – at least for American bidders – these watches are already stateside, avoiding the hefty import taxes levied against Switzerland. In addition to rare and exotic pocket watches, the auction also makes room for a few watches with more mainstream appeal, including a Rolex ref. 6100 with a cloisonné enamel dragon dial. The Thomas E. Emery Desk Clock The headline lot is a Patek Philippe desk clock made for one Thomas Emery – the same client who commissioned Patek Philippe’s first wrist-borne perpetual calendar in 1925. Until now there were only two publicly known Patek Philippe perpetual calendar desk clocks, those made for James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr. Like its siblings, Emery’s desk ...
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe surprises with an off-season launch, the Gondolo Serata Zebra Ref. 4962/200R-010. Based on the curvaceous model launched in 2006, the Zebra features a sapphire crystal dial framed by garnets on the bezel and lugs. The dial motif replicates the cloisonné enamel dial of the Golden Ellipse ref. 5738/50G-023 from the Rare Handcrafts collection of 2022, but here the technique and material are decidedly modern. Despite the radically different look, this is an evolution of the Retrograde Perpetual Calendar ref. 6159G that has a smoked sapphire dial. Here the dial is also clear sapphire, but engraved, varnished, and then metallised to create the striking zebra motif. Initial thoughts The Gondolo Serata has been in Patek Philippe’s catalogue for almost 20 years but it never really gained prominence. Though the case shape is elegant, the dials on the earlier versions were quite plain. The Zebra is the opposite – vivid and striking – and it instantly stands out amongst Patek Philippe’s ladies offerings. The fact that the dial motif is based on the Rare Handcrafts Ellipse is a nice touch, though watch enthusiasts may be disappointed the movement is quartz. Patek Philippe presumably understands its clients and those clients probably want the convenience of a quartz movement. The sapphire dial technique, however, is interesting enough that it is likely to make its way into other models, which will be a good thing. Savannah sapphire The Gondolo Serata is a longsta...
Time+Tide
American brand Monta updates its Triumph model for the first time since 2017, offering aesthetic and technical refinements.The post Monta celebrates its ongoing success with a re-designed Triumph model appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
More Seiko watches have gone to space than any other brand, save for Omega and Casio, and Seiko brings back the most prolific of them all, the multi-function Rotocall. For the 2025 reissue, the brand has gone for authenticity over reinvention, retaining the original 37 mm case size and bezel-operated function selector, while making a concession for a more practical sapphire crystal. Named for its nifty rotating bezel, the vintage Rotocall was most frequently worn on NASA Space Shuttle missions. The remake is available in three colourways, plus two limited editions for the Japanese market, the reissue of this 1980s favourite delivers a heavy dose of nostalgia. Initial thoughts If the Speedmaster Professional is the “Moon Watch”, the Rotocall may as well be called the “Shuttle Watch”. NASA purportedly flight qualified the Rotocall around 1983 and, according to Robert Jackson, who maintains a database of watches used in space, Rotocalls crossed the Karman line nearly 200 times during the Space Shuttle program, which lasted until 2011. Today, vintage Rotocalls are quite desirable, and unlike NASA-issued Speedmasters, which were government property, astronauts paid for and were allowed to keep their Rotocalls. Sotheby’s sold Kathy Sullivan’s watch, which she took to space twice – and once to the seafloor in the Challenger Deep – for over US$20,000 a few years ago. The Rotocall may be the most faithful of Seiko’s recent reissues; it’s the same diameter – 37...
Monochrome
Japan is known for being one of the most mature and fascinating markets for new and vintage watches, home to serious collectors, as well as long-established manufacturers. In recent years, we’ve also seen the rise of a proper independent scene, ranging from accessible to ultra high-end, with Hajime Asaoka being on both ends of the […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Seiko Alpinist is back. A slimmer case, new 6R55 movement, and vintage branding make this one of the best affordable field watches of 2025.
SJX Watches
Longines continues to mine its archive to good effect with the Ultra-Chron Classic, a faithful reissue of the brand’s pioneering high-frequency wristwatch first launched in 1967. The Ultra-Chron Classic is more than just a remake of a vintage watch. While it has a clean, period-correct vintage aesthetic, the mechanics are entirely modern, namely a high-beat, 5 Hz automatic movement that is both COSC chronometer and TIMELAB certified. Initial thoughts Longines does well at bringing back beloved designs from the past, but built to modern standards. The Ultra-Chron Classic is the latest in a long line of historical reissues that began nearly two decades ago with the bestselling Legend Diver. The Ultra-Chron Classic is impressively faithful to the original in style, but because of that, not especially exciting in terms of design, retaining the all-business look that was common among high-performance gentlemen’s wristwatches of the era; the same criticism could be leveled at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic E168 or IWC Ingenieur ref. 666. In other words, the dial, hands, and indices are mostly true to the source material, but this pared-back look may have a harder time standing out in today’s market than it once did. Dressy? Classic? Or plain? Looks aside, the Ultra-Chron Classic is modern Longines at its best: a solid build, a brand-exclusive movement, proper sizing, and sensible pricing. The movement in particular stands out for being notable high-spec with its 36,000 bea...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Seiko SARB033 has joined the ranks of Seiko watches that are more popular and coveted than ever - despite never having been sold outside Seiko's home country of Japan and also despite exiting the market entirely back in 2018. In this article, we explore the SARB033 and its closest siblings from the elegant collection and try to uncover what makes these hard-to-find timepieces so appealing. Seiko SARB Collection History: Seiko introduced its SARB collection exclusively to the Japanese market in 2006, positioning it as a more upscale alternative to the sportier 5 Sport line, which also offered watches with the brand’s own automatic movements at very approachable prices. The SARB series (no, the letters don’t stand for anything, we checked) was built around the Seiko Caliber 6R15 movement, more on which below, introduced by Seiko one year prior. The first generation of SARB watches (SARB001, SARB002, and SARB005) appears to take inspiration from the King Seiko “Vanac” editions that made a brief but impactful splash on the market in the 1970s, with their angular cases, funky dial colors and textures, and faceted crystals. The next wave (SARB007, 009, 011) goes for more of a rounded, “Retro Modern” character, with vintage designs influencing the three-hand-date dials. On the heels of that trio came the first models in the series to really break through to widespread enthusiast acclaim outside their native Japan, the mountaineering-inspired “Alpinist” m...
Monochrome
Raymond Weil adds a new reference to its elegant and handsome Millesime Moon Phase 35mm with a Japan-exclusive Special Edition overseen by Masayuki Hirota, Editor-in-Chief of Chronos Japan Edition. The watch retains the compact proportions, sector-dial grammar, and restrained vintage cues that made the 35mm Millesime line such a hit, then sharpens it with a two-tone […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The Longines Spirit Pilot watch collection was released back in 2020 and I recall going hands-on with the then-new pilot’s watches, which were a blend of contemporary with a dash of vintage styling. Since then, the brand has clearly listened to the response from enthusiasts who have been generally receptive to the collection, but with some consistent points of criticism. Namely, the five stars on the dial were divisive and even though it comes in 37,40, and 42mm case sizes, none felt like they hit that “Goldilocks” zone for a lot of people. Fortunately for those buyers, Longines just dropped two new watches that might be the best in the collection so far: the Longines Spirit 39mm three-hand and the new Flyback in a 39.5mm case. Longines Spirit 39mm Pilot's Watch First, let's look at the Spirit Pilot three-hand watch which comes in a stainless steel case measuring 39mm wide and 11.5mm thick with a lug-to-lug measurement of 47mm. While the gap between 39mm and 40mm doesn’t sound too dramatic, the latter has a lug-to-lug that measures just shy of 50mm which is simply too big for a lot of people. And 37mm is just too small for many of those same people. So, with that established, it’s not hard to see why this 39mm case size is so well received. The rest of the case is simple enough with alternating brushed and polished finishes, a sleek bezel, and a domed sapphire crystal with dual-sided AR coating. Finally, it also offers 100 meters of water resistance. Then there...
Deployant
Here is a quick mini review of the Leica M2 vintage camera with the Summaron-M 2.8/35mm and Super-Elmar-M 3.4/21mm lenses.
SJX Watches
The Orient Star M45 F8 Mechanical Moon Phase Hand Winding is the brand’s first manual-wind moon phase, and also the first in years with a solid dial, making it a refreshing change of pace from the brand’s usual fare that leans towards open-worked and occasionally over-designed styling. Initial Thoughts Excepting the vintage inspired Diver 1964, the M45 F8 moon phase is the most attractive watch in the Orient catalog to my eye. Most of the brand’s designs are too busy for my tastes, so these entries are a welcome departure that will certainly appeal to enthusiasts with more classical tastes. The moon phase disk itself, with mother-of-pearl inlay, is a highlight. And the absence of a seconds hand is a pleasant surprise, though the moon phase sub-dial feels naked without the traditional co-axial small seconds hand. Since the small seconds version of this calibre is not compatible with the moon phase module, Orient could have moved the Orient Star logo onto the sub-dial for more visual balance. Most importantly, this is a manually wound watch – with a competent movement – in a price segment where such things are hard to find. Looking at Japanese watches in particular, manual wind options from Grand Seiko and Credor are significantly more expensive, while Seiko, Orient, and Citizen dropped their entry-level manual watches years ago. Pleiades About two years ago, Orient Star reorganised its catalog by launching M Collections, a family of watches each named after astron...
Fratello
Welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown! Daan and Thomas face off with two affordable vintage-inspired dive watches this time. Thomas defends the Lorier Neptune, while Daan represents the new Baltic Aquascaphe MK2. These contenders have the aesthetic of ’50s and ’60s dive watches and house modern Miyota movements in 39(.5)mm cases. The Lorier costs US$599, […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Lorier Neptune Vs. Baltic Aquascaphe MK2 to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Hands-on review of the Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Broad Arrow – Inter.Bezel, a vintage-inspired chronograph with snap-on bezel versatility.
Fratello
Many modern chronographs strive to strike a balance between vintage appeal and modern build quality. Few of those efforts result in a package as appealing as the Hanhart 415 ES Panda chronographs. These models revisit a 1960s design while delivering features expected in a contemporary tool watch. I had the chance to go hands-on with […] Visit Hands-On With Two Handsome Hanhart 415 ES Panda Chronographs to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Introducing the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic GMT Limited Edition for Hodinkee, our take on a rare vintage design, featuring a subtle grey motif, upgraded sapphire crystal, water resistance, and a healthy dose of fully luminous printing.
SJX Watches
Citizen marks 30 years of its up-market The Citizen collection with two limited-edition watches featuring washi paper dials inspired by Japanese nature. Both use solar-powered quartz movements accurate to ±5 seconds per year, housed in titanium cases treated with ultra-hard Duratect coatings. Initial Thoughts Citizen’s somewhat clumsily named The Citizen sub-brand is 30 years old but little known outside Japan and enthusiast circles. Most The Citizen watches are distinguishable by an eagle crest on the dial, as well as their obvious quality. While the line has since grown to include mechanical watches, which are quite good, it remains a quartz-first brand – which is good as its quartz offerings are excellent and amongst the most advanced in the world. While often compared to the Grand Seiko cal. 9F models, The Citizen’s quartz offerings have more functions, and thus have more in common with the three-hand Seiko Astron 3X models, or Casio’s premium G-Shocks. These share solar charging, a perpetual calendar, and a power saving made which pauses the hands to save energy while not in use, like F.P. Journe’s Elegante. But unlike GPS-reliant Astrons and G-Shocks, Citizen’s high end quartz movements are fully autonomous, and accurate to within five seconds per year with a maximum deviation of two seconds per month during normal use. More important still, The Citizen’s traditionally styled offerings are much easier on the eyes than any G-Shock or modern Astron, stri...
Teddy Baldassarre
London-based watchmaker Christopher Ward has achieved the impossible in its relatively short number of years in the watch game, catapulting from if you know, you-know microbrand to one of the most continuously successful indie watch brands on the market. Its founding principles remain largely unchanged, though its scale has grown in the 24 years since its founding: make high-quality watches while cutting what could be called the luxury tax in the industry with a direct-to-consumer model. But there is one distinct product that put the brand on the map more than any other, and that was the introduction of its own chiming watch at an unheard-of price point, the Christopher Ward Bel Canto. As you might have already guessed by the article title, today, we’re taking a microscopic view of the C1 Bel Canto, exploring what has made the watch such a crowd-favorite, and how it holds up today, four years after its initial release. Christopher Ward Bel Canto History As always, let us begin our horological journey with a history primer on Christopher Ward’s pathway to contemporary success. Luckily for you (and your dear writer), the brand doesn’t have as sweeping a history as many of the centuries-old watchmakers out there, so we can really dive into the microscopic view here. Christopher Ward, whom I would bestow the title of reigning King of Indie Watch Brands, has one of the scrappiest origin stories in the watch world. Founded in 2004 by the trio of Mike France, Peter Ellis,...
Fratello
Welcome back to our weekly Sunday Morning Showdown! This week, after several battles between modern watches, we are going back in time. Daan and Thomas will pit two neo-vintage divers against each other. Daan will defend the Omega Seamaster 2254.50, while Thomas will champion the Rolex Submariner 16610. With slender cases, sapphire crystals, aluminum bezel […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex Submariner 16610 Vs. Omega Seamaster 2254.50 to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
The Rolex Daytona is a tricky watch to discuss these days. It’s difficult to separate the watch itself from its status as a barometer to the health of the entire second-hand market — a position that the watch itself surely never asked to be put into. Everyone has an opinion on the Daytona, and these days, those opinions seem to lean more negative due mostly to what it has come to represent. As such, it rarely gets a fair crack at an honest judgment. In fact, it’s a watch I generally shy away from discussing publicly. But I’ve always liked the Daytona, and I take pleasure in wearing mine in non-watch-enthusiast environments. That’s because, behind all the speculation and hype culture, there’s a genuinely good sports watch that’s almost never seen as such. After a year of owning the reference 126500 Rolex Daytona Panda dial introduced in 2023, and amidst a cooling second-hand market, I think it’s time to change that. Let’s start off by confronting the reality of this watch. The MSRP of the steel Daytona Reference 126500 in either black or white dial (dark or light, in Rolex parlance) is $16,000. The same watches trade for between $27,000 and $32,000 in the open market. This is a serious discrepancy, but it does seem to have stabilized from a high point in 2021. In fact, it seems to be slowly coming down, but not nearly to a price that the watch merits, if you ask me. At its MSRP, the Daytona is a legitimately great watch, but only just. At ~$30,000, this ...
SJX Watches
We’ve been following Albishorn since the brand launched just shy of a year ago, and have enjoyed the themes the brand has chosen to explore with its ‘imaginary vintage’ concept. After applying this formula to aviation and mountaineering, the Marinagraph returns to the brand’s patented regatta countdown function for another take on the yachting chronograph. Available in classic black or sunray brushed teal dial finishes, the Marinagraph adds an aluminium bezel insert to provide at-a-glance reading of the current state of the local tides. Each version is limited to 99 pieces, which will be produced in small batches over the next three years. Initial thoughts Albishorn made its debut with a regatta timer, and it’s nice to see another foray into this genre to mark the brand’s first anniversary. Though regatta timers are surely among the least useful complications, the Marinagraph adds a tide bezel that adds a simple way for coastal buyers to monitor their local tides. As a seaside resident myself, I find this feature quite charming and it seems on-brand for Albishorn. Two dial colours are on offer, each limited to 99 (non-numbered) pieces. I prefer the classic black dial, which feels more in line with the imaginary vintage theme, but the sunburst teal dial, dubbed Paraíba Racing, is arguably more on trend with the prevailing tastes of the moment. The Marinagraph retains the best elements of Albishorn’s previous chronographs, namely its distinctive bowl-shaped be...
Time+Tide
Once a Japanese market exclusive, this stainless steel Zenith Chronomaster Sport Meteorite is now available worldwide.The post This Zenith Chronomaster Sport Meteorite in steel is now available worldwide appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Everyone knows about Seiko and Grand Seiko, but…what exactly is King Seiko? Well, King Seiko is one of those cult-classic throwbacks that dodges easy categorization or market segmentation. The 1960s elegance and sheer retro vibes exuded by this collection is charming and a little quirky in a world where big brother Grand Seiko has reached downright mainstream status. In 2021, the King Seiko KSK SJE083 resurrected the historic KSK model and the collection has slowly grown since then under the Seiko Luxe collection of higher-end offerings. Here we see the Seiko SPB389, which is a mid-century-inspired watch that will appeal to the kind of person who loves being early to a trend. Seiko Luxe Explained First off I wanted to address the Seiko Luxe collection, because I know not everyone is up to date with the tiers of Seiko. Where standard Seiko is your more classic, accessible fare, the Seiko Luxe collection is the higher-end series that consists of offerings like King Seiko as well as Presage watches with special touches like enamel dials and the more refined pieces in the Prospex collection. Seiko Luxe generally starts around the $750 mark and goes up to over $3,000, so the range is quite broad. Personally, the only Seiko watch I’ve ever purchased is from the Seiko Luxe collection (an enamel dial Presage I reviewed here) and it really is so much watch for the money. King Seiko SPB389 Case and Bracelet When King Seiko first returned to the scene a couple of years back, it w...
Fratello
Choosing my favorite Datejust wasn’t a simple exercise. From 2021 through most of 2023, I acquired several vintage references. Each one was chosen for a reason. Hard-to-find dials combined with sharp cases and atypical bezels were my game. Two years later, these Datejust models remain as regular options in my wearing rotation. They’re fantastic, fit […] Visit My Favorite Datejust Is A 1601 No-Lume Lavender Dial to read the full article.
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