Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Most Controversial Watches We’ve Ever Reviewed
Find the 6 most controversial watch models in our archive, from the Panerai PAM00777 to the Seiko 5KX. See why collectors clash over value, size, and originality.
4,298 articles · 47 videos found · page 126 of 145
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Find the 6 most controversial watch models in our archive, from the Panerai PAM00777 to the Seiko 5KX. See why collectors clash over value, size, and originality.
Hodinkee
What We Know Ahead of this weekend's Miami Grand Prix, Tudor has announced the Black Bay Chrono "Carbon 26," a follow-up to last year's Carbon 25. While Tudor's ties to motorsport date back to the late 1960s with the Tudor Watches Racing Team, its current partnership with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team began in 2024, and they have been quick to make the most of it, with two limited editions in two consecutive seasons. The Carbon 25 marked the first limited-edition release from that relationship, with the Carbon 26 continuing the same approach in 2026. At its core, the update centers on a revised color scheme reflecting the livery of the VCARB 03 car. The watch retains a 42mm carbon fiber case with a fixed tachymeter bezel, along with a titanium caseback, crown, and pushers with a black PVD finish. The dial remains "racing white," now with yellow accents and carbon fiber subdials. The carbon fiber case, introduced last year, carries over unchanged. It replaces the steel case used in standard Black Bay Chronographs, while keeping the same 42mm diameter, fixed tachymeter bezel, screw-down crown, chronograph pushers, and overall case profile. Inside is the Manufacture Chronograph Calibre MT5813, an automatic chronograph with a column wheel, vertical clutch, silicon balance spring, and a 70-hour power reserve. It is COSC-certified, and it also meets Tudor's more rigorous standards of -2/+4 seconds per day. The Black Bay Chrono "Carbon 26" is priced at $8,625, produced in a...
Fratello
Picking highlights from this year’s Watches and Wonders is tough, as always. Once again, it’s more a matter of abundance rather than a lack thereof. But somehow, Watches and Wonders 2026 felt different compared to last year. It was more about consolidation than big technological innovations or grand anniversaries. Nevertheless, there was an avalanche of […] Visit Jorg’s Favorite Watches And Wonders 2026 Releases — Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, And More to read the full article.
Monochrome
When Patek Philippe introduced the Cubitus collection in 2024, it drew fierce scrutiny. A square-shaped, angular evolution of the Nautilus concept, it challenged expectations. Yet, over successive releases, from the time-and-date references to the instantaneous grand date 5822P and the more compact 7128 models, the collection has settled into its role as Patek Philippe‘s modern sporty-chic […]
Fratello
After an unplanned break caused by suspended Middle Eastern races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Formula 1 returns next weekend in Miami. To match the Grand Prix’s high-voltage color, TAG Heuer expands its revived Formula 1 Solargraph 38mm range with fresh pastels. The new lineup includes five models, with three featuring classic layouts in beige, […] Visit TAG Heuer Brings Miami To Your Wrist With The Formula 1 Solargraph Pastel Collection to read the full article.
Monochrome
Widely regarded as a technical and aesthetic masterpiece, Patek Philippe’s In-Line Perpetual Calendar returned in grand form at Watches & Wonders this year, alongside dozens of other new watches, in platinum with a silver dial. Displaying the day, date and month on a single line in a panoramic aperture at noon, few perpetual calendars can […]
Time+Tide
Rolex introduces a new Daytona in Oystersteel and platinum, featuring a white grand feu enamel dial and all-new bezelThe post Rolex offers the Daytona in Rolesium for the first time, with an all-white, enamel dial (live pics) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe updates its star chart “Grand Complication” for the third time with the Celestial Sunrise Sunset Ref. 6105G. The ref. 6105G adds the time of sunrise and sunset – cleverly integrated into the date scale – and a daring new design with a formidable, space-age lug-less case in white gold that’s 47 mm across. The ref. 6105G also introduces a novel way to account for the transition between summer and winter time, adding a corrector that shifts the sunrise and sunset scales, solving a significant shortcoming of astronomical watches for users in Europe and the Americas. Initial thoughts I’ve long thought that Patek Philippe’s greatest strength, other than its massive industrial investments, was its remarkable design diversity. Today brands seem to pursue a unified design language across all of their watches. And while this result is a strong visual identity for the brand, it is extremely limiting. Patek Philippe has no such limits, and the brand has about two dozen different case styles in the current collection, and hundreds in its back catalog. While this leads to its fair share of design misses, at least to my sensibilities, it can also lead to striking successes. I’m sure many will disagree, but I see the new Celestial as the latter. A wristwatch with the time of sunrise and sunset is long overdue from Patek Philippe, and this watch adds the ability to adjust those indications to account for daylight savings time. This addresses the complication...
Deployant
Chopard celebrated their 50th anniversary of the L.U.C back in 1996. Here is the celebration watches. Karl-Friedrich Schuefele started the L.U.C manufacture in 1996 with the L.U.C movement. In 2025, Chopard released the L.U.C Grand Strike which we have covered last year. This year, we have the latest continuation of the L.U.C 1860 with anRead More
Monochrome
The Sport Traveller is a new model from Laurent Ferrier that adds a dual time function to the brand’s titanium Sport series. The Sport Traveller continues the aesthetic first introduced with the Grand Sport Tourbillon and later refined with the Sport Auto, and the new watch combines the same smooth case and integrated bracelet with a traveller-style complication […]
Monochrome
On the occasion of Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026, Patek Philippe keeps expanding its Cubitus collection with its first grand complication, a perpetual calendar. Presented in a 45mm platinum case, the model stands out with its openwork design and rectangular movement. The Patek Philippe Cubitus Collection was unveiled in October 2024. Marking the brand’s first […]
Fratello
Last year was a huge one for Vacheron Constantin, as the house celebrated its 270th anniversary. This occasion was highlighted with a string of special anniversary releases. Among them was the breathtaking Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, which became the world’s most complicated wristwatch. But what could we expect from Vacheron Constantin after last […] Visit Vacheron Constantin Unveils Two Pink Gold Versions Of The Historiques American 1921 to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Furlan Marri Meteorite Octa features a Muonionalusta meteorite dial, 38mm case, and Seiko VK64 movement. Available for pre-order now.
Monochrome
Independent watchmaker Anton Suhanov, member of the AHCI, presents the Flamingo, a debut of his “flaming balance” concept in a wristwatch equipped with a fully in-house calibre. Known for complex clocks, including multi-axis tourbillons and the award-winning St Petersburg Easter Egg Tourbillon Clock (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2025), but also experimenting with wristwatches with […]
SJX Watches
The Tambour Taiko Arty Automata is the latest creation from Louis Vuitton to feature jacquemart, or mechanical animations. Like the Tambour Opera before it, the Arty Automata features a complex, multi-layer dial with multiple mechanisms that whir into motion at the press of a button, including spinning hearts and a swivelling eyeball. But this also incorporates a flying tourbillon at six, while the dial itself is grand feu enamel – and tiny bird feathers for the eyelashes. Initial thoughts The flamboyant, psychedelic Arty Automata is definitely not for everyone, but the mechanical and artisanal credentials of the watch are impressive (save for one detail, more on that later). To start with, the Arty Automata is a more manageable 42 mm by 13.6 mm, compared to earlier automata models that were several millimetres larger. Combined with the form of the new Tambour Taiko case, this makes the Art Automata more wearable than its predecessors. More than ergonomics, the scaled down case also underlines the movement development prowess of La Fabrique du Temps (LFT). The attention to detail in terms of the movement also shows in its aesthetics: the calibre adopts the house style of LFT with its relief bridges, but adopted to the “Arty” aesthetic with stars, clouds, and a lacquered rotor. That said, the Etachron-type regulator index for the balance is definitely out of place in a watch of this price. The watch also illustrates the capabilities of the metiers d’art workshop in ...
Monochrome
When I think of an affordable complicated watch, something like the Longines Master Collection Chrono Moonphase comes to mind with a full calendar, chronograph, moon phase and 24-hour time (as a day/night indicator). That’s amateur level, however, when it comes to grand complications and the five most complicated watches on this list of this ABCs […]
SJX Watches
Breguet refreshes its Tradition collection for 2026 with new colourways and expanded grand feu enamel dial options across five references, building on the momentum of the brand’s 250th anniversary year. The line-up spans four automatic variants of the Seconde Rétrograde and one manually wound GMT, all underpinned by the architecturally distinctive cal. 505 that has defined the collection since its 2005 introduction. Initial thoughts Inspired by an original Abraham-Louis Breguet’s montres à tact pocket watch from the late 18th century, the Tradition collection, released in 2005, was Breguet’s first major new model family under Swatch Group management. The central barrel placement and unusual gear train arrangement perfectly captures the essence of the original pocket watches, and this aspect of the design remains as recognisable and distinctive as ever, despite the a growing number of independent watchmakers that have introduced watches with a similar layout. In fact, the cal. 505 is so successful as a contemporary interpretation of Breguet’s work that a variation of it was adapted for use in the award-winning Classique Souscription 2025 introduced last year. For 2026, the Tradition collection has been slightly refreshed with modern colourways and more grand feu enamel dial options. The five new models include four automatic variants of the Seconde Rétrograde, one of which features a diamond-set bezel, and one manually wound reference with a dual-time complicatio...
Teddy Baldassarre
Our curated list of the best turquoise dial watches ranging from brands like Seiko and Timex to Omega and Zenith.
SJX Watches
Seiko is on something of a resurgence, aiming to take back its reputation as a value leader after the emergence, over the past decade, of increasingly competitive micro-brands. On episode 33 of the SJX Podcast, SJX and Brandon discuss the King Seiko Vanac, now available in titanium, and the Marinemaster, which has been transformed through a number of incremental upgrades. The discussion then turns to some other affordable new releases from Orient Star, Raketa, and Christopher Ward, which just launched an in-house ‘flyer’ GMT calibre with a five-day power reserve. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Deployant
Review of the Raymond Weil Millesime Small Seconds 39mm Tuxedo Dial, Winner of the 2023 Challenge Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)
Monochrome
While it was Seiko that first commercialised the quartz watch in 1969 with the legendary Astron, one could argue it was Citizen that took the ball and ran with it. While never abandoning mechanical watches, Citizen invested much of its research and development in quartz and light-powered technology, focusing on both accuracy and efficiency. Back […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Thinking about buying a microbrand dive watch in 2026? We break down when they outperform Seiko, Orient, and Citizen, and when they’re just not worth the risk.
Teddy Baldassarre
Tonight is the grand finale of this year's awards season, with the 98th Academy Awards closing things out with a bang. With almost more glamour, fashion, and celebrity than the average mortal can stand, all these ingredients add up to one of the most exciting watch-spotting nights of the year. We put our editors to the task of combing through wrists on the red carpet for the most compelling, shocking, surprising, and awe-inspiring watches in the game, which they have so graciously curated for your viewing pleasure down below. Let us know your favorite in the comments section! Matt Friend: Rolex Cosmograph Daytona (Ref. 126518LN) Comedian and actor (and watch shopping guest) Matt Friend wears a yellow gold Rolex Daytona Ref. 126518LN which debuted last year in 2025 and is a little special due to its combination of a yellow gold case and a turquoise lacquer dial that evokes the highly collectible vintage “Stella” dials. Hudson Williams: Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams wears a Bulgari Serpenti Ref. 103434 in steel with a single coil and diamond-set face, retailing for $11,200. Kevin O'Leary: Cartier Crash Skeleton and A Ruby-Set Rolex Daytona Kevin O’Leary double-wrists with a platinum Cartier Crash Skeleton Ref. W7200001 and an off-catalog Rolex Daytona Ref. 126599 TRU done in white gold with baguette-set rubies on the bezel and dial. Leonardo DiCaprio: Rolex 1908 Platinum Rolex Testimonee and Best Actor nominee for his work in One Ba...
Monochrome
With the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season (Australia Grand Prix, March 6-8), H. Moser & Cie. adds a vivid new chapter to its collaboration with BWT Alpine Formula One Team and presents the Streamliner Alpine Drivers Pink Edition. This limited series updates last year’s concept through colour and contrast. The familiar Streamliner case […]
Monochrome
In just a week’s time, the madness that is the 2026 Formula 1 season will kick off in Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix serving as the opening event of 24 rounds of racing. And this year it’s really anyone’s guess as to what’s going to happen over the 24-race-long season. We have very few […]
Fratello
Three years ago, the Raymond Weil Millesime Automatic Small Seconds timepiece won the GPHG 2023 Challenge Watch Prize. That was a bigger surprise to most watch fans than Audemars Piguet winning the Grand Prix for the Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4. Since that award-winning watch, many variations have debuted. And truth be told, they all […] Visit Introducing: Three New Raymond Weil Millesime Small Seconds Watches With Tuxedo Dials to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
James Bond has been a pop culture icon for more than half a century and his watches have been a subject of intense discussion, debate, and speculation for nearly as long. From Connery to Craig, from Rolex to Seiko to Omega, and with other iconic actors and notable timepieces in between, here is the complete guide to the eclectic watches worn throughout 50+ years of James Bond movies. And for anyone interested in this topic, we are really excited to share our new video The Watches Of James Bond hosted by none other than Mark Bernardo, our very own verifiable font of knowledge for all things 007 and watches. This is a feature video so we recommend getting comfortable, having some snacks and beverages ready, and watching it on the biggest screen you've got. This is going to be fun. [toc-section heading="1962-1971: The Sean Connery Era"] Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964) - Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538; Thunderball (1965) - Breitling Top Time; You Only Live Twice (1967), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - Gruen 510 Precision The speculation over what wristwatch James Bond would or should wear on his demanding missions is one that predated even the first movie, 1962’s Dr. No. Ian Fleming, Bond’s creator and the writer of the original novels that inspired the long-running movie series, was known to wear a Rolex Explorer, specifically Reference 1016. On the relatively rare instances in which Fleming (below) refers to Bond’s watch in print, he e...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The new Citizen Tsuyosa Shore brings dive watch vibes, 100m water resistance, and pricing to challenge the Seiko 5 Sports models.
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! This week, we continue our series looking for alternatives to some of the world’s most popular watches with five alternatives to the iconic Rolex GMT-Master II. The Crown’s iconic GMT watch set the standard for travel watches. While its legacy is undeniably grand, the modern GMT-Master II is not always the […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex GMT-Master II Alternatives In 2026 to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Before we get into the best Japanese watch brands for 2026, let's discuss Japan's role in watchmaking. Outside of Switzerland, Japan is probably the best-known watchmaking country, producing some of the world’s best watches in every category and at nearly every price point. When most people think about Japanese watches, their thoughts still likely envision mostly inexpensive and mostly quartz-powered watches from well-known, mass-market brands like Casio, Seiko, and Citizen. and to be sure, Japan is rightly regarded as a value leader in the global watch market, led by inexpensive but wildly popular and collectible watches like Casio's G-Shocks and Seiko's classically styled, automatic diver’s watches like the SKX series. However, Japan is also an excellent source for watches in the mid-level, luxury, and high-watchmaking categories, from both the country's handful of major players as well as from exciting, younger independent brands. [toc-section heading="Seiko"] At this point, Seiko is synonymous with Japanese watchmaking. The company was founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori and got its start by selling and repairing watches and clocks. Just 11 years later, Hattori started producing clocks and then pocket watches, followed closely by the company’s, and Japan’s, first wristwatch in 1913. The 1960s was a period of rapid growth for the company. Not only did Seiko introduce the first Grand Seiko watch and also Japan’s first dive watch, but the firm also gained interna...
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