3,676 articles · 1,035 videos found · page 124 of 158
1969-1985 industry collapse triggered by the Seiko Astron. Cost Swiss watchmaking two-thirds of its workforce; rebounded via Swatch Group consolidation and Biver's Blancpain.
Christmas Day 1969: Seiko launches the world\'s first quartz wristwatch and detonates the Swiss watch industry.
The 2010 Spring Drive reference with a dial textured like fresh Shinshu snow.
Monochrome
ZRC (Zuccolo Rochet & Cie) isn’t a household name in the dive community like Rolex, Doxa, Blancpain or Omega (or even Seiko, if we cross a few time zones), but it certainly has a place in history. Responding to the French Navy’s request for deep dive watches in 1958, the brand developed the S1 diver […]
Worn & Wound
There seems to be a clear correlation between watch enthusiasts and cinephiles. From Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Seiko H558-5009 (mentioned in one of my previous articles) to Marlon Brando’s bezel-less Rolex GMT Master 1675, watches and their film counterparts have been the focus of discussion in the watch collector space for years. While an Arnie will cost you around $500 and 1675s over $10k, pieces of film history can be obtained by hobbyists of all tax brackets. However, even the several hundred-dollar price for a girthy Seiko diver may still be out of the price range for many collectors who find the allure of Hollywood memorabilia sitting in their watch case to be intriguing. Enter the Timex Camper. In the opening sequence of Ethan and Joel Coen’s 2007 masterpiece film No Country for Old Men, protagonist Llewelyn Moss (played by Josh Brolin) tracks game animals across the West Texas plains. He bends down on one knee, takes his watch out, and holds it to the sun––attempting to use the shadows of the handset on the dial to track his direction. The audience fortunately gets a few frames of the watch on screen. What’s shown is a Timex Camper, dark green, with a matching fabric strap. It’s rather small in the shot, but us collectors will take whatever wristwatch screen time we can get. The Camper’s aesthetics obviously differentiate it from the aforementioned Arnie and 1675, but its most important trait for us is its price. For well under $100––commonly li...
Worn & Wound
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! Seiko SilverWave Diver Here is a fantastic and scarce vintage Seiko SilverWave diver. The SilverWave model is one of Seiko’s earlier sport divers, and is arguably the coolest design. The 36mm steel case has a deeply grooved crown at 4 o’clock, and a snap on case back. There were a few different variations, but this model was rated to a depth of 30 meters. The silver dial has simple stick markers, but the coolest feature is the internal rotating dive bezel. By turning the crown in the ‘in’ position, the internal bezel rotates. This is something Seiko has done on many models, but I think the SilverWave may have been the first. Seller states the watch runs, and it’s in overall great condition for this watch which is usually found pretty beat up. View auction here Benrus Sea Lord Next, a nice vintage Benrus Sea Lord (great name btw), complete with box and papers. The gold plated case is excellent and looks unpolished, and the crown is original and signed with the Benrus “B” logo. The silver dial is simple and clean with a radial brushed finish, with applied gold stick markers and big stick hands. The vintage stretch gold band is most likely a replacement, but it’s definite...
SJX Watches
Having already explained the more traditional horizontal clutch (or lateral coupling), we now look forward to the more modern vertical clutch. This is found in some of the most famous chronographs in contemporary watchmaking, including the Rolex Daytona with the cal. 4131 (pictured above), Patek Philippe Nautilus with the CH 28-520, and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph with the cal. 4401. Arguably the most advanced type of chronograph coupling mechanism, the vertical clutch as it is known today was debuted in 1969 by Seiko in the 6139 chronograph. But the concept can be found in late 19th century pocket watches, and even the inexpensive Pierce Chronographe of the 1930s. Today it is practically the default choice for new chronograph constructions. Equipped with the vertical clutch, the Patek Philippe CH 28-520 in the Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph ref. 5990/1A Like its horizontal counterpart, the vertical clutch serves as the mechanical link between the chronograph mechanism and the going train of a movement, allowing power to flow from the going train to the chronograph, which then allows the chronograph to run. While it fulfils the same function, a vertical clutch works differently from the horizontal equivalent, a distinction that comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. How it works A chronograph vertical clutch is similar to the clutch found in the manual transmission of some automobiles. The clutch of an automobile enables the intermittent connec...
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! This week, we enter the wonderful world of the El Primero movement. As most of you know, Zenith introduced its famous El Primero trio of watches in 1969. The brand was part of the illustrious race to release the first automatic chronograph, competing with Seiko and the consortium of brands formed […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Classic El Primero-Powered Watches - Featuring Zenith, Ebel, Rolex, And More to read the full article.
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Worn & Wound
How does a vintage Tissot connect to Felipe Pikullik and some of the watch world’s most exciting and dynamic young independent watchmakers and brands? If you said through Dutch collector Niels Pedersen, you’d be very much on the right track. Take a quick look over at Niels’s Instagram (@nielsmpe) and you’ll be greeted by a genuinely envy-inducing assortment of watches. Even more remarkable? That each and every watch feels totally at home in Niels’s feed, whether he’s posting a one-of-a-kind piece from an under-the-radar indie, or his latest pickup from Seiko. So what does a collector like Niels look for in a watch? Well, it turns out it’s a pretty simple recipe. “Basically, I’m design-driven, so it has to be aesthetically pleasing. So that’s the first… and I want something that’s simple, fixable, and reliable because I’ve been sending watches back and forth to the manufacturer so many times,” he told me. “Design-driven and something that’s reliable, I’d say.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Niels Pedersen (@nielsmpe) Just because it’s easy to express doesn’t mean this simple philosophy wasn’t a lesson learned over time. The path that transformed Niels into the collector he is today started at a young age, with a little help from his mother. “When I was a kid, my mom used to travel to Asia all the time for work, and every time she would come home, she would have some kind of knockoff watch, either with Porsche o...
Teddy Baldassarre
Like so many of the modern breed of start-up, independent watchmaking companies, Unimatic traces its origin to a pair of friends with a shared passion for timepieces and an entrepreneurial spirit. Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziato met as industrial design students at Politecnico di Milano, Italy’s largest technical university. Moro’s father had been a watch collector, and after designing his first watch as a lark while working at a furniture company, Moro connected with Nunziato to collaborate on the watch that became the Modello Uno U1-A, which launched in 2015 and essentially became the foundation of the Unimatic brand, its name a portmanteau of the Latin “unico” for unique, and “matic,” for willing or able. The Unimatic U1-A from 2015 The U1-A, which quickly sold out, was a classical dive watch with a 40mm round case, a flat, black dial; simple shaped indexes; a black bezel insert with a 60-minute scale and a lumed dot; and a Seiko movement. Its follow-up, the U1-B, was even more streamlined, dropping the minute scale from the bezel. Both the original models set the parameters for every one that followed: each Unimatic watch is pressure-tested to 300 meters of water resistance and designed and cased in Italy; each watch is individually numbered, and the design ethos driving them all is a function-forward, tool-oriented aesthetic. Today, Unimatic watches comprise dozens of models and include not only the divers that brought the brand to the table but also fie...
Worn & Wound
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 Timex Snoopy Tennis Watch Starting off this week with a fun one, a vintage Timex Snoopy Tennis watch with the original box! Remember these from when we were kids? I sure do! The watch is gold tone with a blue denim-pattern dial and of course Snoopy on the dial. His arm holding the racket along with the tennis ball are printed on a clear disc that rotates as the second hand. It has the original blue denim strap as well as the super cool Snoopy doghouse original plastic box. I mean, this nifty watch isn’t going to pass COSC testing, but just look how cool the whole package is! View auction here Vintage Seiko Sea Lion M88 This vintage Seiko Sea Lion M88 has a unique look that really stands out. The case is square(ish) but contrasted with the white round dial. The case looks unpolished with nice sharp edges and the original brushed finish. The dial is wild, with horizontal lines connecting the raised square steel hour markers. It has a date only window at 3 o’clock along with the classic Seiko dauphine hands. The caseback has a nifty sea lion logo engraved on it too. This is a cool one that should be easy on the watch budget but still be a fun one to wear with plenty of vintag...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
When it comes to provenance, nothing has less of it than an AliExpress homage. On this online platform based in China that sells inexpensive Chinese products, there are plenty of watch brands (or should I say manufacturers?) offering copycat versions of watches with actual provenance. Selling everything from look-alike Seiko Turtles to Omega Seamasters, these brands specialize in affordable (often in the $100 to $300 dollar range) versions of popular watches.
Worn & Wound
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! Nesr Ferrotex First up this week we have a really cool one that I have never seen, never even heard of! This vintage Nesr Ferrotex has a fantastic look, with a classic Oyster style case with the Thunderbird style grooved bezel. This is often referred to as “engine turned,” but that never seemed very accurate to me. The white(ish) dial is clean, featuring faceted arrowhead markers at 3, 6, 9 and 12 with slim stick markers elsewhere. No date, or anything else to mess up the beautiful symmetry. The steel case measures 35mm and looks sharp and unpolished. The caseback has a gold medallion (like King Seiko or Omega Constellation, etc) with an eagle on it. The seller states that Nesr means eagle in Arabic, which would make sense. Nice clean manual wind movement that runs well per the seller. Great, unique piece for any collection! View auction here Vintage Timex “UFO” Here’s an interesting one, a vintage Timex Electronic “UFO”. The wide disc-shaped case measures 42mm in diameter and is chrome plated. It shows minimal wear and definitely still looks good. The two-tone gold bullseye style dial is clean, with different textures on the inner/outer dial and the bullseye ring. Thi...
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Hodinkee
Plus, a US-exclusive Grand Seiko and a flagship pointer date from Oris.
Fratello
It has already been nine months since our last series of articles about the best watches under €5,000. I had to look up my choices from last time (new watches from Longines, Tudor, and Seiko and a pre-owned pick from Omega). I still stand by those picks, but my mood is slightly different these days, […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €5,000 - RJ’s Picks From Longines, Cartier, Tudor, Sinn, And Fortis to read the full article.
On episode 83 of A Week in Watches, we take a look at three new relatively affordable releases. First is a new powerhouse of a chronograph from Farer with unique functionality. Next is a new addition to Seiko’s Craftsmanship line, featuring a dial of beautiful Arita porcelain. Last, the Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch returns again with some vibrant colors. This week’s episode is brought to you by Windup Watch Fair Chicago, which is preparing to kick off on July 12th. Eindup Chicago is heading into its third year and will feature over 40 brands, including Christopher Ward, Citizen, Fortis, G-SHOCK, Oris, and many more. Located at Venue West in West Town, it’s sure to be another exciting year. Learn more at Windupwatchfair.com The post A Week in Watches Ep. 83 – Oh No, More MoonSwatches! appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Hodinkee
Plus a classic dress watch from Patek and a gorgeous time-only option from Grand Seiko.
Teddy Baldassarre
Citizen Watch Co. of Japan has been making watches for 100 years, and a glance at the brand’s current portfolio reveals that quite a few of those watches are dive watches. It’s not surprising, since Citizen has been in the business of supplying watches for divers since the early 1980s, and has been extending the variety of styles, functionalities, and even movement types available in the various collections ever since. So how do you decide on whether you want your first (or next) Citizen dive watch to be an Eco-Drive or an automatic? An everyday-wear Fugu, a multipurpose Aqualand, or a deep-diving Eco-Zilla? Our comprehensive guide is here to help you, with a brief history of Citizen dive watches and a rundown of all the styles available today. Swiss watchmakers began embracing purpose-built, water-resistant divers’ watches in the early 1950s, while their contemporaries in Japan came aboard a decade or so later. As many history-minded watch enthusiasts are aware, it was Citizen’s competitor, Seiko, that released the first Japanese-made divers’ watch, in 1965. However, Citizen’s Parawater, regarded as the first “water-resistant” Japanese watch, preceded it to market six years earlier, in 1959. The Parawater watches (as above) were waterproof to 50 meters of depth, an impressive feat for the era, and they were the forerunners of Citizen’s contemporary line of dive watches, which began in the 1960s but really kicked into gear with the release of the Promast...
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Hodinkee
From a dressy Grand Seiko to a reasonably sized Blancpain and beyond, we've got six watches with style and quality made to stand the test of time.
Teddy Baldassarre
In an era when the line between what is a sports watch and what is a dress watch have been blurred substantially, the presence of Roman numerals on your watch’s dial is one of the last reliable hallmarks that identify it as a timepiece meant for dressing up, not down; a watch designed with classical elegance in mind more so than robustness or even optimum legibility. Of course, Roman numerals in general are rarely encountered in most people’s modern lives, the annual naming and marketing of Super Bowls being the rare exception. Thus, watches with Roman-numeral dials are relatively rare in the horological wild as well, albeit still occupying an appealing niche embraced by many watch manufacturers as well as by an avid core of enthusiasts. Here, we’ve tracked down 18 that are on the market in 2024; as per our usual format, they’re spotlighted in ascending order of price and represent a wide range of price points. Orient Bambino Day-Date Price: $410, Case Size: 40.5mm, Thickness: 12.6mm, Lug to Lug: 46.5mm, Lug Width: 21mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Automatic F6B22 Often under the radar of American watch consumers and overshadowed by its larger Japanese brethren, Citizen and Seiko (which with it shares a corporate connection through Epson), Orient has been making value-oriented watches in Japan since 1950. The Bambino, Orient’s dressy gents’ model, offers simple three-handed options and a handful of “quiet” complications, like th...
Hodinkee
We cover the entire range of watches, from Swatch to Seiko to maybe the hottest indie around.
Hodinkee
We talked to Evelyne Genta to learn why the Locomotive – and Seiko – were so important to the late designer.
Fratello
In this edition of Fratelli Stories, reader Antonio shares how his father’s passion for vintage Seiko and Omega sparked his very own love of watches. But it was old ads that truly sucked him into the hobby. Imagine flicking through an old magazine or publication one day at a secondhand store and coming across one […] Visit Fratelli Stories: Connecting To Vintage Watches Through Old Ads to read the full article.
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Hodinkee
Distinct takes on color, from a vintage-reissue Zenith to innovative laser techniques and a serene take on green from Grand Seiko.
Hodinkee
The Grand Seiko Brand Curator and Director of Marketing will discuss the brand's design ethos with special guest Junichi Kamata, Grand Seiko Design Director.
Hodinkee
Plus an IWC Perpetual Calendar, and a Grand Seiko GMT.
Hodinkee
And one nature-inspired wild card from Grand Seiko.
This week’s episode of A Week in Watches is coming straight from Geneva! Yes, it’s episode 78, recorded at and during Watches & Wonders 2024, right on the floor of the Palexpo. Zach Weiss and Zach Kazan co-host, go over the watches and some of the wonders they experienced from brands such as Tudor, Grand Seiko, Rolex, and more. Be sure to stay tuned to the end for some outtakes! Episode 78 of A Week in Watches is brought to you by Windup Watch Fair San Francisco. In under 2 weeks, please join us for an incredible showcase of watchmaking and more at Fort Mason – Gateway Pavilion on San Francisco’s Pier 2. This year’s fair is in a new venue that boasts two expansive floors that will set the stage for over 60 presenting brands, including Marathon, Nivada Grenchen, Zodiac, and more. In addition to the main event, there will be live podcast recordings, food trucks, bars, and special giveaways. We will also be holding live panels with our lead sponsors, Oris, Fortis, Christopher Ward, Alpina, and Anordain, as well as a sponsored photo walk with Camera West and a group bike ride sponsored by The Radavist. Things kick off on Friday, May 3, and wrap up on Sunday, May 5. Hours are 12PM – 6PM on Friday and Saturday, and 12PM – 5PM on Sunday. Windup Watch Fair The post A Week in Watches Ep.78 – Watches & Wonder 2024 appeared first on Worn & Wound.
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