Hodinkee
Pre-Owned Picks: A 36mm Tudor Submariner, A Green Dial Rolex Day-Date 40, And A Universal Genève Aero-Compax In Yellow Gold
Plus a 50th anniversary Omega Seamaster 300m GMT and a Grand Seiko GMT LE.
3,555 articles · 1,028 videos found · page 130 of 153
Hodinkee
Plus a 50th anniversary Omega Seamaster 300m GMT and a Grand Seiko GMT LE.
Worn & Wound
If you want immediate Watch Nerd cred with something coming in at around the $1,000 price point or less, there are a handful of options for any budding (or experienced) watch enthusiast. Seiko, of course. G-SHOCK, too. And you can have your pick from many great microbrands, including Lorier, Baltic, and Brew, and too many others to name. If your tastes veer toward the tactical, however, and you happen to be a lume connoisseur, Marathon is (somehow) still under the radar, makes a high quality, well designed watch that just about anyone who has been around the horological block will appreciate. Their newest release, an automatic version of their 41mm Steel Navigator, takes a classic Marathon silhouette and gives it an automatic movement. Marathon has been manufacturing timing instruments of all kinds for various militatires since the 1940s, and the Navigator case, with its familiar asymmetrical shape, will scream “issued military watch” to many collectors. The original Steel Navigator traces its roots to the 1980s, when it was developed in partnership with Kelly Air Force Base for use by pilots. Everything about the design is function first – this is a pure tool watch if there ever was one. It’s got a 12 hour bezel for foolproof tracking of a second time zone, a two-tiered hour track with a 12 and interior 24 hour scale, a 41mm case crafted from stainless steel without a polished surface in sight, and, maybe most notably, an array of tritium tubes on the dial and h...
SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton has received much press recently for the Tambour, a restrained, sleek watch with just three hands. But the brand also makes watches at the other end of the spectrum, as personified by the Tambour Opera Automata. A large watch with an even larger presence, the Opera Automata is an extremely complicated watch with a kinetic dial – that is also enamelled by Anita Porchet. The pusher at two o’clock activates the automata on the dial, which also serves to indicate the time with jumping hours and retrograde minutes. Although mechanically identical to the earlier Carpe Diem automata watch, the Opera Automata is more striking thanks to its vivid colours, and also more relatable for East Asians given the theme. Initial thoughts The Tambour Opera Automata is a statement watch that is hard to miss by virtue of its size and colour. Although the extravagant style is typical of Louis Vuitton, the details of the enamel dial are particularly fine. Moreover, the motif is more appealing to me personally compared to its predecessor, the Carpe Diem from three years ago. I was impressed by the Carpe Diem, both for its complexity and execution, particularly the delicate enamelled snake, but the skull-and-snake motif was too much for me. It was also less relatable, since it is a vanitas, a familiar concept in Western culture. With a Chinese opera motif, the Opera Automata, on the other hand, is more relatable. The Opera Automata is impressively decorated on the front – unsurp...
Monochrome
The accessible automatic GMT Sports watch is becoming one of the most competitive categories of the industry, with heavy players like Seiko (even in the affordable 5 Sports range), Citizen, and Mido offering compelling watches, and newcomers and micro-brands such as Lorca or Jack Mason also hitting hard. New to this field is Certina, unveiling […]
Teddy Baldassarre
When you think of James Bond watches, the first models that likely come to mind would probably be from Omega, or Rolex, or - depending on which Bond era you prefer - maybe even Seiko. But one of the most memorable wristwatch scenes in Bond’s cinematic history has a Breitling as its star. In 1965’s Thunderball, the fourth movie in the popular series starring Ian Fleming’s Agent 007, star Sean Connery spends most of his screen time wearing the same watch that he wore in his previous three outings as Bond: a Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538, now known by many collectors as the quintessential “James Bond Rolex.” However, in one key scene, Bond swaps out the Submariner for another watch: a heavily modified Breitling Top Time Ref. 2002, a steel-cased, black-dialed chronograph with two white subdials, applied baton hour markers, and a tachymeter scale surrounding the dial. (The actual watch is pictured above, sans strap, photo via Christie's.) In the movie’s fictional universe, the watch - one of many gadget-packed timepieces assigned to Bond by MI-6 weapons supplier Q throughout the film series - is also equipped with a built-in Geiger counter; Bond uses it to track a cache of stolen nuclear warheads hidden deep underwater by his adversaries from the criminal organization SPECTRE. The watch was the only Breitling ever worn by any James Bond actor on screen - though, interestingly enough, another Breitling, a Navitimer 806, also appeared briefly in Thunderbal...
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Fratello
I wrote an article on the best Seiko watches under €500 a few weeks ago. The Japanese brand used to rule the “affordable watch” category, especially with diving watches. But with Seiko slowly moving upmarket, that territory is now open for other brands to conquer. An obvious pick is Citizen. The fellow Japanese brand offers […] Visit Hands-On: The Brilliant And Affordable Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver NY0120-01EE And NY0129-58LE to read the full article.
Fratello
In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, we’re taking a look at three affordable watches that punch above their weight. Nacho, Thomas, and Morgan have set their sights on sub-€500 offerings. This is a space in which the likes of Seiko, Hamilton, and even Tissot once reigned supreme. Today, it’s the battleground for many microbrands, […] Visit Fratello Talks: Affordable Watches That Punch Above Their Weight to read the full article.
We’re back to our usual broadcasting with episode 73 of A Week in Watches. 2024 has gotten off to a solid start with several cool new releases and some interesting projects. This week, we take a look at the first new Speedy of the year, a wild project from Seiko, a fantastic calendar chrono from Zenith, and the revival of a vintage favorite from Longines. This week’s episode was brought to you by the Windup Watch Shop. The best way to start the new year is a new watch. Head over to WindupWatchShop.com to check out new watches, limited editions, accessories, EDC, clocks, and more. The holidays are over, it’s time to get yourself something nice. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 73: Power Reserves, Pandas, Triple Calendars, and More! appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Hodinkee
Plus a Patek Philippe Annual Calendar (Regulator), and a limited Grand Seiko U.S.-exclusive.
Monochrome
Genus, founded by Catherine Henry and Sébastien Billières in 2019, has wowed the watch world with its wildly creative and kinetic time displays. This year has been particularly rich in dragon-themed watches, but the dragons gracing the Genus Dragon dial are a world apart. Just ahead of the Chinese Year of the Dragon, Genus releases […]
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Time+Tide
Brands usher in the Year of the Dragon with varied releases, Seiko does their thing, and a new 'Thrifty Fathoms'.The post New releases from Bell & Ross, Ulysse Nardin, Blancpain and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Back in the 1950s when you were setting off for a distant land, a key piece of gear would be your trusty tool watch. Today, you’d reach for something like a Rolex Explorer II with its chunky steel case and bezel, bold handset and healthy application of lume. A Seiko SPB143 would make an excellent option on a tighter budget where other spendy gear takes priority. The point I’m trying to make is that the tool watch as we know it is today typically something big, chunky, robust, and borderline aggressive looking. The landscape for tool watches was completely different back in the 50s. If you were one of the American Navy’s Deep Freeze 1 task force and on your way to the South Pole back in 1955, the watch you would have been wearing is significantly different from the modern tool watch. That watch would have been the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic - a slim, art deco-inspired watch that was built tough, but not in the way you may think of it today. The Deep Freeze 1 task force’s mission was to establish a permanent base at the South Pole - one of the Earth’s most severe and ice-laden landscapes - and they needed to choose a timepiece that could withstand the conditions. Today we’re looking at the faithful modern recreation of the Antarctic. The 35mm case stays true to the original’s dimensions while retaining the robust construction, including anti-shock and anti-magnetic properties. Let’s take a closer look and see if the new Antarctic lives up to its vintag...
Hodinkee
Plus the "Lake Suwa" from Grand Seiko, and a Saxonia from A. Lange & Söhne that you don't want to miss.
Hodinkee
Plus a Grand Seiko for the U.S. market and a Zenith for Japan.
Worn & Wound
Even for those who don’t follow menswear closely, I’m sure you’ve undoubtedly heard of Rowing Blazers in the last year or so. Whether it be from their limited releases with Seiko or Tudor, or their recent partnership with Target, Rowing Blazers’ star continues to rise and it’s due, in part, to their proven success in the collaborative business model. Released today, their latest collection shows how deeply a collaborative spirit is ingrained into the spirit of the brand. The limited edition 42mm “Yacht-Timer” Carrera by Rowing Blazers is the product of founder Jack Carlson, industry veteran Eric Wind, and Bamford Watch Department to bring to life a reimagining of the classic TAG Heuer Yacht-Timer of the 60’s and 70’s. The original Heuer was used by competitive sailors during regattas and it was this sporting history and colorway that stuck with Carlson as they began to design this watch. With a white dial, bright blue text, and hits of red, blue, green, and pale yellow, it was only a matter of time before this preppy color scheme was incorporated into a Rowing Blazer project. By partnering with Eric Wind of Wind Vintage and George Bamford of Bamford Watch Department, the trio was able to create a timepiece that is deeply inspired by the original while still making it a uniquely modern interpretation. The stainless steel Carrera case sits handsomely at 42mm with a matching steel bracelet. The dial of this watch takes elements of the original’s colorway...
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Teddy Baldassarre
Let’s be honest: not everyone can spend thousands of dollars on every new watch purchase, especially someone who might just be getting into the watch collecting hobby or perhaps looking to spend $1,000 or so to assemble his or her first three-watch collection. Fortunately, there are a plethora of options out there in the sub-$500 watch category, with choices from the usual suspects like Seiko, Citizen, Swatch, Timex, and Orient, as well as from several microbrands that offer worthwhile options in that narrow price range as well. Here we have compiled a selection of the best automatic watches under $500 that deserve to be on your radar - and perhaps even in your collection. Before we begin, some important ground rules: Our curated list will feature watches costing under $500, and equipped with an automatic movement inside. The very few exceptions to the under-$500 rule will be called out in the descriptions below. As always, we can’t include every potential watch that meets the criteria in this range, but you can find some others in several other guides on our site, such as our lists of The 60 Best Seiko Watches and The 51 Best Microbrands. Finally, in order for this list to flow properly, the watches will be grouped together according to the following style categories: 1) Dive, 2) Dress, 3) Everyday Finally, at the end of the list, we will shout out a handful of watches that are worthy of notice but just missed the cut on price. Dive Watches: S...
Worn & Wound
A Week In Watches returns this week with a look at a trio of divers that take their inspiration from the past, and apply in a thoroughly modern way. No faux lume or tropical dials in sight, prompting us to wonder if that trend is behind us. Divers from Oris, Tudor, and Seiko all paint a clear picture of a way forward that’s not a carbon copy of the past. You might say Seiko has always been ahead in that game, and their latest Prospex divers, which bring the 62MAS flavor into a tidy modern skindiver case that we’ve loved since it was released in 2020. If this is what we can expect more of, count us in. Elsewhere, Farer dropped a pair of new chronographs called the Chrono-Contempo with colorways inspired by two vibrant streets found in London. These are Farer through and through, with unexpected colors and a clean, modern design language. As usual, Farer nails the proportions here thanks to their use of the hand wound SW510M from Sellita. Finally, a collaboration between our friends at Fratello and Minase comes together for the second time, continuing a trend of subtle yet powerful dial executions from the pair. The latest is the M-3 Nori, and gets a dial inspired by Japanese seaweed, which comes together way better than you might expect. Here’s to the next one. The post A Week In Watches, Episode 64: Heritage Divers Take A Step Into The Present; Colorful Chronos & More appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Hodinkee
Plus, a Bulgari Serpenti fit for daily wear, and a quietly classic Spring Drive from Grand Seiko.
Hodinkee
Plus, a stand-out Grand Seiko Sport and a lesson in restraint from Jaquet-Droz.
Worn & Wound
A Week In Watches returns with a special episode, highlighting a bevy of new limited edition watches, a new, slightly small Christopher Ward The Twelve, and one guest appearance to help shed some light on his latest work. There’s something for everyone this week, from high end colorful chronographs in the new Zenith Defy Chromo II, to serene new US exclusives from Grand Seiko. Did we mention they were limited editions? Elsewhere, Christopher Ward has revealed their next steps for the The Twelve integrated bracelet sport watch, scaling it down to 36mm in diameter, and bringing some new dial colors to the table for good measure. Finally, we’ve got news from Brew, who released a new Metric this week with an automatic movement. We’re thrilled to welcome our friend Johnathan Farrer to the show to give us a first hand look at the new watch, and talk us through some of its distinguishing features. We love that the case wasn’t compromised to house the automatic movement, and that it still manages to keep its price point in check. We recorded this week’s episode just prior to news of Rolex purchasing Bucherer, but keep an eye out for our thoughts on that in an upcoming episode of the Worn & Wound podcast. This week’s episode is brought to you by the Worn & Wound+ Slack community. Worn & Wound+ represents our commitment to the community as we strive to build a better environment for enthusiasts of all stripes. Whether you’re into LED quartz watches from the ‘80s, mod...
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Hodinkee
Plus a rare Japanese market Grand Seiko and a classic from Jaeger-LeCoultre.
SJX Watches
Citizen’s flagship mechanical dive watch gets an upgrade with the Promaster Mechanical Diver 200m “Fujitsubo”. The new “Fujitsubo” diver features a gradient-finish grey dial, but its standout feature is the case and bracelet in the brand’s proprietary hardened titanium alloy coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC). Initial thoughts Sometimes underestimated, Citizen’s dive watches don’t garner as much attention as those of its competitor Seiko, primarily due to the scarcity of mechanical dive in Citizen’s lineup. Most of Citizen’s dive watches are solar-powered or quartz. Nevertheless, the Japanese watchmaker has recently taken significant steps towards boosting its mechanical offerings, particularly with the introduction of the oversized and modern Promaster 200 m diver. The “Fujitsubo”, on the other hand, takes inspiration from the Challenge Diver of 1977, explaining its vintage styling. But this latest iteration exudes a more contemporary feel owing to the gradient grey dial and the DLC coating on the case and bracelet. The resulting shades-of-grey livery makes this stand apart from its predecessor, which was essentially a like-for-like remake. Priced at US$1,195, the “Fujitsubo” DLC is a bit more expensive than the standard titanium model. Nonetheless, it justifies the higher price tag with improved aesthetics and the superior durability offered by the DLC coating. That said, it would have been even more appealing with the option of a rubber ...
Time+Tide
It’s not often that I get to review watches that haven’t actually been designed yet, but Beacroft Bespoke has given me that opportunity. Watch customisation has been a growing trend lately, departing even from the classics such as Seiko modding. Brands like Certina have experimented with modular cases and dials, but the young British brand … ContinuedThe post The Beaucroft Bespoke allows you to design your own watch for an affordable price appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
To most people an entry-level watch would be something like a Casio, Seiko, or maybe a Hamilton if you want to go Swiss. However, Louis Vuitton have made a significant declaration that they’re not interested in catering to ‘most people’. Although the Louis Vuitton Tambour range has included some true technical marvels, the air of … ContinuedThe post Jean Arnault tells the story of the new Louis Vuitton Tambour appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
The week’s episode of A Week In Watches takes a look at new releases from Longines, Seiko, Rolex, MB&F;, and …Seiko. Yes we’ve got multiple Seiko watches to discuss here and yes, they are both pretty awesome. The sporty theme continues with a new Daytona released by Rolex during the 100th running of the 24 hour race of Le Mans. It brings back the exotic dial and nails a lot of details in the process. In what may prove to be more relevant news, Longines has introduced a smaller Spirit Zulu Time GMT, now available in a trim-ish 39mm case. The newest Spirit Zulu Time comes at a perfect time, sitting alongside the 42mm variant we saw released last year. More choices is always better for enthusiasts, and we think you’ll find a lot to love in not just this release from Longines, but what’s yet to come. Don’t miss out live pics of the 39mm Zulu Time in our introduction 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. 54: Throwbacks Galore; Speedtimers & Daytonas; Longines Dials In the Zulu Time appeared first on Worn & Wound.
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