Two Broke Watch Snobs
Imperial Royalguard 200 Review
A full, detailed review of the Imperial Royalguard 200 dive watch with original photos, specs, pricing, and more.
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
Worn & Wound
RedBar and Bamford Combine Carbon Fiber Monopusher Chrono with Mystery Dials in Latest Collaboration
Customizing luxury watches used to be an untouchable subject. But in this day and age, that sort of thinking is a thing of the past. More and more, we’ve been seeing different companies center their services around customizing individual timepieces. And it’s not just the consumer broadening their horizons. The major players in the industry have also shifted their thoughts on other creatives taking a crack at designing their watches. One name that has earned the trust of brands like Franck Mueller, Zenith, and TAG Heuer is the Bamford Watch Department. We already know that if George Bamford, founder of the Bamford Watch Department (BWD), is attaching his name to a customization or collaborative project, we’re getting something that is totally unique. Whether it’s the clever use of bold colors, well-known cartoon characters, or alternative materials, George Bamford has a proven track record with charmingly incorporating each of these features (and sometimes all three at the same time) into every watch that delivers from the BWD. The latest brand to tap into the design mind of Bamford is the world-renowned collecting community known as the RedBar Group. The new collaborative piece between the RedBar Group and the Bamford Watch Department goes by the name of the RedBar x Bamford B347. The first draw here is the forged carbon fiber case. The black case has this familiar white swirly pattern, and thanks to the way the composite material is made, each case will have its o...
SJX Watches
Hands On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Grained Dial in White Gold
Audemars Piguet (AP) just revealed its new launches for the year and one of the highlights is a new version of the classic Royal Oak “Jumbo”. Harking back to the uncommon “Tuscan” dial from three decades ago, the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Ultra-Thin in white gold boasts a grained blue dial. Initial thoughts At a distance, the new “Jumbo” looks like an average Royal Oak with its white metal case and blue dial. But on the hand, it is evidently different. It is still thin and elegant but wonderfully weighty thanks to the gold case and bracelet. Granted, the quintessential Royal Oak is a steel “Jumbo” but the white gold case leaves this feeling a bit more refined and sophisticated. And then there’s the dial. With its granular surface, it is recognisably different from the average Royal Oak – and also easily beautiful. The PVD treatment gives it a gorgeous metallic blue that combines with the texture to catch the light nicely. Although it is not a limited edition, this feels special, mostly due to the fact that it’s the only white gold “Jumbo” in the catalogue. There is another white metal “Jumbo” in the line up – the platinum model exclusive to AP Houses – but it has a green dial that feels a bit too fashionable. This grained blue dial, however, feels more like a classic. The standard steel “Jumbo” is already an excellent watch, combining the perfect proportions of the original Royal Oak with the excellent cal. 7121. This version in white ...
Worn & Wound
Hamilton Introduces a Wild New Jazzmaster Face-2-Face
A few weeks ago, Zach Weiss told us about a little watch from Vario with a neat party trick. The Versa is actually two (quartz) watches in one, and thanks to a hinge, the dials can be flipped around to your liking, giving the owner options for a second time zone, or just a fun tactile sensation that is rarely seen at the Versa’s modest price point. Now, in a proverbial “Hold my beer…” moment, Hamilton has introduced a watch in their Face-2-Face series, a Jazzmaster that’s somehow both a business and a party on the front and back thanks to a clever rotating case design. The Face-2-Face III continues a line that Hamilton has been working with since 2013, creating elaborate double-sided dial watches within the updated Art Deco framework of the Jazzmaster collection. These watches take a maximalist approach that is the antithesis of Hamilton’s pilot and military watch bread and butter, but in doing so serve as a reminder of the brand’s sometimes surprising ability to create a design that is truly off the wall. This is the brand that created the X-01, after all. The Face-2-Face III starts with a 44mm case that can be flipped around on its axis by the wearer to display one of two distinct dials. The primary display is for time telling and chronograph functionality, while the secondary dial provides a view of the movement and a series of scales that one can use in concert with the chronograph. The architecture of the main dial is multi-layered, creating a sense ...
Worn & Wound
Opinion: Let’s Talk About Celebrity Watch Ambassadors
I’d like to start with a warning: what you’re about to read is going to be frivolous. This is not hard hitting watch journalism. It’s not a deeply felt opinion piece about a matter of great import to the watch world at large. And it’s not an in-depth review of a watch the community has its eye on. No, this little editorial is about something that’s been rattling around in my head for a while, and serves as an admission of sorts: I’m kind of fascinated by how watch brands use celebrity ambassadors. Somehow, celebrity ambassadors have become the third rail of serious watch conversation. They aren’t taken seriously by hardcore watch enthusiasts, and bringing them up in a circle occupied by hobbyists will often garner an eye-roll. Hey, I get it. The deeper you are into any particular culture, the less impact advertising and the popular version of whatever it is you like has on you. In a previous life as an amateur Music Snob, I’d sneer at the suggestion that I’d enjoy anything that might be played on the radio. I’d begin to write bands off as past their prime when they gained enough traction to graduate from playing clubs to larger theaters. If 5,000 people want to see these guys at the same time, there’s no way they’re niche enough for me. George Clooney would like to sell you a Speedmaster But over time, I’ve softened. I’ve even seen some of those bands I liked in college that were pretty obscure at the time go on to play arenas. Small arenas,...
Hodinkee
Introducing: Grand Seiko Remakes Their Ultimate Classic To Celebrate 110 Years of Japanese Wristwatches
In Brilliant Hard Titanium with a gorgeous urushi dial, Grand Seiko pulled out all the stops to commemorate a national milestone.
Worn & Wound
ADPT x TOPO Designs Meetup Recap (with Watch Spotting!)
This past week ADPT held its very first meetup, kindly hosted and in collaboration with TOPO Designs. The meetup was at TOPO’s Base Camp store in Denver, Colorado. A perfect location, Base Camp is a new marketplace in downtown Denver focused on outdoor gear and active lifestyle brands. With brands like Thule, Danner, and TOPO, it’s a pretty sweet spot. The TOPO Base Camp store was then a fantastic setting for a get-together. Colorful, vibrant, and full of awesome gear. The post ADPT x TOPO Designs Meetup Recap (with Watch Spotting!) appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Quill & Pad
Tutima Saxon One Chronograph: It Offers A Lot Of Watch For Its Price
The Saxon One Chronograph offers a lot of watch for the price (€4,600). It does so many things so well, but it is most of all, an original proposition. The big question for Martin Green is, strap or bracelet?
Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Air-King: A Classic Pilot's Watch Revamped at Watches & Wonders
Only at Rolex can a watch dubbed a King be described as humble compared to other watches with less lofty but still commanding titles like Master. The Rolex Air-King, despite being the oldest existing model in the mega-brand’s star-studded lineup, has never attained the levels of mainstream popularity and collectability enjoyed by household-name watches like the Daytona, Submariner, GMT-Master, and (arguably) even the Yacht-Master. Rolex hopes to change that this year, however, making the newest version of the Air-King a headliner of its 2022 collection, unveiled this week at Watches & Wonders 2022 in Geneva. Aviation History The Rolex Air-King (technically Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-King) traces its history all the way back to 1945, when it was launched as part of a trio of timepieces called the “Air Series” that celebrated the accomplishments of Britain’s Royal Air Force in World War II, alongside the discontinued Air-Giant and Air-Tiger. The Air-King, the last survivor of that collection designed “to honor the pioneers of aviation,” went through a number of evolutions throughout the years. The original model’s 34mm case (considered large at the time, believe it or not), cream-colored dial and manual wind movement would eventually be replaced by the now-familiar design most recently updated in 2016: a black dial with a 60-minute scale and inverted triangle at the 12 o’clock/60-minute position (a feature of historical pilots’ watches); large 3, 6, and ...
Hodinkee
Introducing: Jaeger-LeCoultre Raids Its Archives For A New Vintage Watch Collection
The grande maison hits rewind for a refresher on some of their most coveted wristwatches.
Quill & Pad
GaryG’s 2021 Year In Review: Acquisitions, Events, Trends To Watch, And Even Some Swag - Reprise
GaryG looks back over 2021 to share his travels, acquisitions, thoughts, and even some of the more interesting swag he picked up in this delightfully comprehensive overview of a watch nut's year.
Hodinkee
Magazine Feature: Our Colleagues at Hodinkee Japan Celebrate A Forgotten Collector
This is the story of Toshio Masu, the vintage watch dealer who supported the Japanese market from behind the scenes.
Time+Tide
WOOO! That time wrestling legend Ric Flair lost his Rolex in a bowl of spaghetti
Editor’s note: Last Saturday the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble was held, so we are looking back at that time the greatest of all time Ric Flair told the tale of losing his Rolex watch in a bowl of spaghetti. Anyone who knows professional wrestling knows of the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. The WWE Hall of … ContinuedThe post WOOO! That time wrestling legend Ric Flair lost his Rolex in a bowl of spaghetti appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre Begins Selling Vintage Watches
Buying a vintage watch can be daunting, especially for the beginner. Some watch brands offer a solution: restoring and selling their own vintage watches. The latest to enter this area is Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC). As part of its 190th anniversary debuts, JLC announces The Collectibles, a curated selection of vintage timepieces that have been restored by its watchmakers and certified by the brand. It offers enthusiasts the opportunity to own vetted examples of iconic vintage models like the Reverso. A Shark Deep Sea chronograph from 1959 Initial thoughts As a collector of vintage watches, such programmes are a welcome development. I like it when brands take steps to preserve their heritage with such vintage offerings, though it was a surprise when JLC announced this. When it comes to vintage watches, JLC has always been under the radar, so its vintage watches have never quite enjoyed the levels of hype enjoyed by its peers. With The Collectibles, JLC seems to be trying to change that. Granted, this concept has been done before by brands like Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, and Longines. Still, it will be interesting to see if and how The Collectibles develops the market for vintage JLC watches. A 1946 triple calendar in steel Admittedly, such factory-vetted timepieces are priced at a (steep) premium, but they come with a peace of mind, especially since scholarship about the brand is relatively nascent (perhaps in part due to the relative affordability of vintage JLC). On t...
Hodinkee
Just Because: Rabbit Watches Are Multiplying
From Swatch to Hublot to Vacheron, everybody's making them. As a service to you, the reader, we rounded up the most notable specimens – and rated them with carrots.
Time+Tide
VIDEO: Five of our favourite Vacheron Constantin releases of 2022
Some may refer to Vacheron Constantin as the third member of the Swiss holy trinity of watchmaking. But after an incredibly strong showing last year, Vacheron may be the one you really need to explore. Here are five of our favourite releases from Vacheron Constantin in 2022. First up, is the brand’s irrefutable … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Five of our favourite Vacheron Constantin releases of 2022 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
A Week in Watches Ep. 34: A New Balance from Omega, Dune Watches from Christopher Ward, and a Gold Metric from Brew
Welcome to episode 34 of A Week in Watches, where we’ve got managing editor Blake Buettner jumping back in to discuss a handful of new releases, and one important survey. We’re kicking things off with the biggest news of the week that’s focused on something very small from Omega, and that is their new Spirate Balance, which we introduce on the site right here, and react to in real time right here. We still not sure how it’s pronounced but the technology is impressive! The watch its packed in also makes quite the statement, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on this one. That Omega wasn’t the only big news this week, though. Brew dropped a stunning gold Metric on us that works way better than it has any business doing. Is this the watch that gets us into gold? Likely. Next up are a couple releases from the UK, with the 36mm Three Hander collection of watches from Farer, and new C65 Dune watches from Christopher Ward. Lots of unique personality to find in these watches, from big colorful dials, to svelte shapely cases. Finally, we’ve got a watch and wrist size survey from Mark Cho of NYC’s The Armoury. Let your voice be heard by taking the survey found right here. This week’s episode was brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop. For an excellent and ever-growing catalog of watches, straps, clocks, and more, head to windupwatchshop.com. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 34: A New Balance from Omega, Dune Watches from Christopher Ward, and a Gold Metric from Br...
Deployant
Oldies But Goodies: Six rare and discontinued watches (Part V)
In this week's article, we take a look at yet another fine selection of rare and discontinued watches from the yesteryear.
Time+Tide
Ash Barty collaborates on a new Rado True Square inspired by her mum
Apparently, Rado can turn you into a tennis champion. When the British player, Andy Murray partnered with the Swiss brand in 2012, he’d never won a Grand Slam. After signing with Rado, however, he proceeded to win the US Open and then became the first Brit to conquer Wimbledon since 1936, when he won the … ContinuedThe post Ash Barty collaborates on a new Rado True Square inspired by her mum appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
6 Chopard Watches Dedicated To Legendary Racecar Driver Jacky Ickx - Reprise
Jacky Ickx and Chopard co-president Karl-Friedirch Scheufele have been friends for 27 years. In 1989 Scheufele and Ickx drove the Mille Miglia together. “We got to know each other there. He turned up and said, ‘Well, I have no intention of driving. You’re driving; I’m going to watch the scenery’,” Scheufele recently laughed. It is such shared events in addition to the legendary race car driver's achievements that have inspired Chopard to continue to dedicate timepieces to Ickx, honoring a man who can certainly be called one of the world’s very best drivers.
Deployant
New: Grand Seiko SLGA021 inspired by Lake Suwa
SLGA021 is the latest Grand Seiko watch borrowing from Lake Suwa. Looking upon the dial, one immediately recalls gently lapping waves wafting over wind-swept water. This “Lake Suwa” pattern was initially seen in 2021’s SLGA007. For SLGA021, it is finished in a deep blue that reads nearly black in lower light settings, capturing the look of Lake Suwa just before dawn. Against this dark base are broad markers and hands, all faceted and beautifully finished to emphasize clarity, beauty, and overall legibility.
Quill & Pad
A Collector’s View: Old School By Massena Lab And Luca Soprana (Live Photos) - Reprise
In GaryG's 30 years of “serious” participation in the watch hobby, he has met few, if any, more interesting individuals than William Massena Rohr, founder and leader of Massena Lab, and Luca Soprana, an independent complications specialist. Here, Gary reviews (and photographs) the Old School watch collaboration between Soprana and Massena Lab.
Deployant
Review: new Alpa 12 STC Silver Edition Part 1
We were offered to try out the new Alpa 12 STC Silver Edition by Alpa of Switzerland, and the package arrived. And here is review, after one month's use.
Time+Tide
FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Omega tops Rolex, JLC collectibles and another release from Grand Seiko
Another week, another weekly round up. If the brands keep bringing it, I will keep summing up the highlights. Here we go! Omega oust Rolex with brand new technology that promises 0/+2 second accuracy a day New Spirate™ System debuts new hairspring with ultra-fine 0/+2 regulation capability The system debuts in new Speedmaster Super Racing watch Its … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Omega tops Rolex, JLC collectibles and another release from Grand Seiko appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Omega’s New Speedmaster Super Racing Has a Brand New Regulating System Allowing for Unheard of Accuracy
Today, Omega has unveiled a new Speedmaster that their social media team has been teasing aggressively for the past few weeks. They promised a “tiny device” delivering a “massive change,” and to that end the announcement today is really more about mechanics than a new watch. There is a new watch, of course, but to the extent that today’s news excites you, it will almost certainly be a result of a very small component that Omega has completely rethought. The Speedmaster Super Racing is the first timepiece from Omega to feature what they’re calling “Spirate” technology. Spirate is essentially a new method of movement regulation by way of a small knob connected to the balance that allows a watchmaker to adjust the rate in increments down to the tenth of a second. Omega claims that the end result is a movement that’s accurate to within 0/+2 seconds per day. Again, this is a mechanical movement that is, yes, METAS certified to be within two seconds per day. That’s Spring Drive level accuracy, without the benefit of quartz derived regulation. Assuming Spirate works as advertised (there’s no reason not to assume that given Omega’s proficiency in making highly accurate movements at a large scale) this is an enormously impressive accomplishment. How does it work, exactly? Omega had to develop an entirely new silicon balance spring that can be adjusted for stiffness via a mechanism connected to the balance bridge (easily visible through the sapphire caseb...
Time+Tide
Omega ousts Rolex with brand new technology that promises 0/+2 second accuracy a day
New Spirate™ System debuts new hairspring with ultra-fine 0/+2 regulation capability. The system debuts in new Speedmaster Super Racing watch. Its usage beyond the Super Racing is planned, but consumers will need to wait for new calibres – not just new watches. COSC, METAS, Superlative, and more. There are various chronometer certifications within the industry today, with each, … ContinuedThe post Omega ousts Rolex with brand new technology that promises 0/+2 second accuracy a day appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
New: Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Black Ceramic Rabbit
Hublot launches a new Spirit of Big Bang in black ceramic to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit in a collaboration with Chinese artist Wen Na.
Teddy Baldassarre
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Guide
TAG Heuer, which was founded as Heuer Watchmaking by Edouard Heuer in 1860, built much of its modern reputation as an innovator in chronograph watches for automobile racing. Its most iconic models, the Heuer Carrera and Heuer Monaco, both debuted in the 1960s and remain inextricably linked with motorsports. By the end of the 1970s, however, the company was exploring a new realm of sport-oriented timepieces that would be at the forefront of its transition from the family-owned Heuer firm to the modern era that began in 1985 when it was acquired by Luxembourg-based high-tech manufacturer Techniques d’Avant-Garde (TAG). The watches from this pivotal period would form the foundation of today’s TAG Heuer Aquaracer collection, which continues to grow and evolve today. Aquaracer Ancestors: Ref. 844 and Beyond (1978-1998) In 1978, Heuer launched the now-legendary Ref. 844 (above left, next to the 2021 Revival edition), the forerunner of its 1000 and 2000 series of divers’ tool watches that paved the way for the Aquaracer collection. Ref. 844 - the brainchild of company scion Jack Heuer, who also created the Carrera, the Monaco, and numerous other enduring models - featured a 42mm steel case, water-resistant to 200 meters and containing mostly quartz and a few mechanical movements. The dial was distinguished by an inner 24-hour scale of red numerals and large geometric hour markers reminiscent of those on the Rolex Submariner, a model Jack Heuer has readily acknowle...
Worn & Wound
Mark Cho’s Survey of Watch Size Preference and Our Own Wrist Size Perceptions is Back
Data nerds, rejoice: Mark Cho’s watch size survey is back. Back in 2019, watch collector and menswear retailer Mark Cho conducted his first watch size survey in an attempt to put some data behind one of the most peculiar yet foundational facets of watch collecting (we wrote about that survey here). The questions in Mark’s survey go beyond simple preferences, but get to how we view our own wrist size. Is it smaller or larger than average? And what effect does that have on the watches we choose to buy? Mark even asks about preferences for a potential “secondary watch” (a sports watch for the weekend, for example) to put an even finer point on the way we feel about watch size. When Mark first conducted the survey, he found that a significant percentage of respondents viewed their wrist as smaller than average, which could theoretically have been a result of the tail end of the Big Watch era making us all think our wrists were too small to comfortably handle some of the most popular watches of the time. In the relatively short period that’s passed since that first survey, though, smaller watches (not small watches) have fully come back into fashion, so it will be interesting to see if perceptions change along with preferences. Regardless, there’s sure to be a ton of data, and it will be interesting to comb through it once the survey is complete. If you’re interested in Mark’s findings from that first survey, be sure to check out his lecture for the Horologi...
Deployant
New: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Light & Fire and Light & Shade
Girard-Perregaux extends its Laureato lineup with two new models. The Light & Fire in red featured here and the Light & Shade in grey.