Two Broke Watch Snobs
4 Best Affordable Racing Chronographs Worth Adding to Your Collection
Explore the best affordable racing chronographs based on real wrist-time, honest testing, and hands-on impressions.
4,678 articles · 432 videos found · page 139 of 171
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore the best affordable racing chronographs based on real wrist-time, honest testing, and hands-on impressions.
SJX Watches
Episode 24 of the SJX Podcast covers the surprises and unexpected developments of 2025, a year marked by significant material innovation and bold statements from established brands. In this final episode of 2025, SJX and Brandon discuss Rolex’s landmark Land-Dweller with its revolutionary Dynapulse escapement, Breguet’s experimental magnetic constant-force mechanism that achieved unprecedented precision, and TAG Heuer’s industrialization of carbon hairsprings. Vacheron Constantin also surprised with an extraordinary 150 kg astronomical clock created for its 270th anniversary, temporarily displayed at the Louvre alongside a companion wristwatch. Thank you to all our listeners for joining us throughout 2025 – happy new year! Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Hands-on with the Monta Triumph Gen 2 and a side-by-side vs the original comparing size, dial, finishing, bracelet, lume, and whether the reboot is worth it.
Teddy Baldassarre
In today's Q&A, Teddy takes watch-related questions from the audience across social media. Topics include: Will we see watch prices come down? How would I fix Breguet? Is selling my first watch a mistake? Are you going to do another collaboration? What do you think about the Tissot PRC-100 Solar? Will we see more
Time+Tide
Zach visited the Ahmed Sediqqi Rolex boutique in Dubai to get hands-on with some insane Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Day-Date watches.The post We checked out some insane Rolex CPO Day-Date watches in Dubai appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
After hands-on testing we compare the Orient Mako and Omega Seamaster across movement tech, case finishing, wearability, and real-world durability.
SJX Watches
After four years leading the relaunch of Urban Jürgensen (UJ) alongside co-chief executive Alex Rosenfield, Kari Voutilainen is returning to the bench and dedicate his time to watchmaking and development, while Mr Rosenfeld will assume the role of sole chief executive. Despite this change, the relationship between Mr Voutilainen and UJ remains strong; he will still be involved, albeit in a more hands-off capacity as a shareholder, board member, and senior strategic advisor. From this vantage point, Mr Voutilainen, who has a long history with UJ, should retain substantial influence over the brand’s direction. Initial thoughts The news of Kari Voutilainen stepping back from day-to-day executive responsibilities at UJ seems natural, and was probably inevitable. Having gotten the relaunched brand into orbit, Mr Voutilainen is putting things in the hands of the team at UJ to carry on. Judging by the steady pace of deliveries so far this year, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about their capabilities. One reason this change seems natural is that it follows a similar move at Voutilainen earlier this month. Mr Voutilainen has been planning for the future and putting management teams in place to build a long-term business and free up more of his own capacity for working on new watches and movements. His daughter, Venla, is also stepping down from her role as chief operating officer at UJ in order to assist with the family business. Kari Voutilainen alongside recently ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on Citizen Nighthawk review from a collector who’s owned it twice, covering wearability, the JDM variant, and why it still works.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on review of the Citizen NY0040 diver, exploring its design, comfort, and why it stands on its own as a serious everyday tool watch.
Teddy Baldassarre
Even with the year coming to an end, we are still seeing a slow trickle of new watch releases ranging from a new MoonSwatch to a Breguet showstopper celebrating the maison's 250th anniversary. Here are the notable new watch releases from this past week as well as the new updates to the Tudor Ranger and Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean (hey, we can be a little flexible with the "week" rule). As brands squeeze in final announcements before the calendar flips, it's a reminder that the watch world never really rests. And if you want to see our favorite watches of the year, make sure to check out the Teddy Top 40 Watches of 2025 which just got a big update. [toc-section heading="TAG Heuer x Fragment Design Carrera"] TAG Heuer continues its collaborative relationship with Hiroshi Fujiwara and his fashion brand, fragment design, with the release of a new glassbox Carrera this week. The watch takes design cues from fragment’s signature style, meaning monochromatic in nature, with minimal details to place emphasis on the broad strokes for contrast. The black-on-black dial is framed by a white internal bezel structure, which is domed under the glassbox crystal. The date aperture is placed at the 12 o’clock position, with the first and 11th of the month using the fragment lightning-bolt logo in lieu of the numeral. This is fitted within the excellent 39mm steel Carrera case, and utilizes TAG Heuer’s TH20-00 automatic chronograph movement, visible through an exhibition caseback. Thi...
Fratello
Breitling introduced numerous new models this year, including several in precious metals. On Friday, November 28th, Fratello and Breitling hosted an evening at the brand’s boutique in The Hague to ensure our readers could go hands-on with these new watches. A golden evening with Breitling The evening started with a word of welcome and an […] Visit Photo Report: A Golden Evening With Breitling to read the full article.
Deployant
We managed to get a week long loaner of the new Leica Q3 Monochrom, and here are our hands on review, with sample photographs..
Fratello
In the eyes of Benoît Mintiens, a Ressence watch should tell the time in the most user-friendly way. That’s why he came up with discs that are more intuitive to read than more conventional hands. Someone who’s also intrigued by simplicity and functionality is industrial designer Marc Newson. Known for his work in the automotive, […] Visit Introducing: The Ressence Type 3 Marc Newson - A Playful Nod To The Ikepod Megapode to read the full article.
Monochrome
Since 2017, the French watch brand Baltic has built its reputation on compact, retro-inspired designs with sharp detailing and accessible pricing. The Prismic collection, launched in 2024, marked a step up in refinement: a 1960s “cocktail watch” take with a complex steel-and-titanium case, crisp Dauphine hands and a slim hand-wound Swiss calibre. Later that year, […]
SJX Watches
One of the surprises of Dubai Watch Week was the chance to go hands-on with the Strata, the latest watch from Vyntage Horology. Slim, lightweight, and water-resistant to 100 m, the Strata nods to the cushion-case designs of the 1970s without reviving any specific model, instead pairing a radiant burgundy dial with a silky grade 5 titanium case and bracelet for a look that feels contemporary rather than nostalgic. Vyntage itself was conceived by Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, chief executive of Ahmed Seddiqi - the Gulf region’s largest retailer and a pillar of Dubai’s watch scene for 75 years. The brand was created to bring an Emirati sensibility to Swiss watchmaking, and its retailer backing gives it a degree of stability and visibility uncommon among small, typically internet-native marques. Initial thoughts The Strata is a ‘go anywhere, do anything’ watch par excellence, managing to be both slim and lightweight, while water resistant to 100 m. Despite its name, Vyntage is not in the business of remakes. The Strata nods to 1970-era cushion-case sport watches with integrated bracelets, but it is not a revival of any specific model. Instead, the combination of a rich burgundy dial and a silky titanium case and bracelet gives the watch a contemporary presence that sets it apart from conventional retro-themed offerings. Ahmed Seddiqi, the Gulf region’s largest watch retailer and a fixture in Dubai for 75 years, has long catered to a collector base oriented tow...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Hands-on testing with multiple homage watches, including brands many enthusiasts love to hate, that still impressed us for quality, comfort, and value.
Monochrome
Not many contemporary watchmaking creations have influenced our perception of time display as dramatically as the 2001 Ulysse Nardin Freak and Urwerk’s wandering-hour satellites. Both were born from the late-1990s creative surge, when mechanical horology strongly demonstrated its experimental and innovative spirit. Ulysse Nardin’s Freak redefined the mechanical wristwatch by eliminating the dial, hands, and […]
Monochrome
Ressence hit the ground running when Belgian industrial designer Benoît Mintiens unveiled prototypes of the Zero Series, featuring its unique “beyond hands” display at Baselworld 2010. Relying on revolving sub-dials powered by the brand’s patented Orbital Convex System (ROCS), time literally circles the domed dial like planets orbiting the Sun. In 2014, Ressence introduced the crownless […]
Monochrome
Chronoswiss has always moved in its own rhythm. From the regulator wristwatches that defined its 1980s identity to today’s bold Lucerne-built timepieces, the brand has never shied away from doing things differently. Few statements were as radical as the Digiteur, a watch without hands, powered by a mechanical calibre, yet read like an early digital […]
Fratello
In 2005, the Chronoswiss Digiteur MSA (Montre Sans Aiguilles) was a modern homage to the jump-hour watches of the 1920s and 1930s; today, it’s a reinterpretation of that 21st-century homage. The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand and Granit are watches without hands, featuring an updated look in stainless steel - the original Digiteurs were all made […] Visit Introducing: The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Sand And Granit - Two Homage “Montres Sans Aiguilles” In Steel to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The just-concluded Geneva auction season was mostly a plateau with several striking peaks and a few lows. The peaks were marked by desirable timepieces that outperformed by far, yet shared little in common with one another in terms of style or period. The peaks ranged from multiple F.P. Journe watches to a diamond-set Patek Philippe ref. 3424/1 “Gilbert Albert” to the Breguet four-minute tourbillon pocket watch from 1809 to the Instagram-ready Patek Philippe ref. 3970 in “salmon” with Breguet numerals. Despite such diverse taste, the small pool of bidders seemed to have one thing in common: they were all focused on a “trophy” watch. The Christie’s saleroom in the Four Seasons. Image – Christie’s With few exceptions, contemporary watches from mainstream brands were cold, while vintage watches were mostly lukewarm – but as always there were exceptions. An Patek Philippe ref. 570 with a black dial signed “E. Gubelin” sold for an impressive CHF419,100 including fees, or US$523,000, at Christie’s, while Phillips sold a Rolex Daytona ref. 6263 “RCO” (or “Oyster Sotto”) for an equally impressive CHF1.39 million, or US$1.73 million – close to the historical peak for the model. A vintage watch that surprised on the downside was the 1927 Rolex Oyster worn by Mercedes Gleitze when she became the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1927 – a landmark in Rolex lore. Though it sold for CHF1.39 million, or US$1.74 million, there was just one bi...
SJX Watches
Ming’s latest release, the 37.11 Odyssey, builds on the brand’s reputation for luminous, multi-layered dials and inventive designs. The Odyssey takes the visual depth seen in the Bluefin and Uni to the next level with a smoked sapphire dial that reveals the movement beneath, paired with shark-tooth hands and a multi-coloured luminous display. Despite its futuristic appearance, the Odyssey remains a practical travel companion. The compact 38 mm titanium case weighs just 42 g and offers 300 m of water resistance, while the Sellita SW330.M2 movement inside provides caller GMT functionality (with a twist). Available on a rubber strap, a titanium bracelet, or the brand’s new 3D-printed Polymesh strap, the Odyssey showcases Ming’s evolution from a design-driven micro-brand to a mature independent watchmaker with its own distinct language and value proposition. Initial thoughts The Odyssey is appealing because it plays to the brand’s strengths with regard to multi-layered, semi-transparent luminous dials. Like many of Ming’s best watches, including the similarly constructed Bluefin and Uni, the Odyssey provides a pleasing parallax effect thanks to the presence of luminous material on both the dial itself, as well as the underside of the sapphire crystal. The Odyssey takes the layered look even further by revealing hints of the movement through a smoked sapphire crystal dial. The movement is a typical Sellita GMT calibre, customised for Ming with anthracite-coated plat...
SJX Watches
On episode 19 of the SJX Podcast, we unpack the news that Francis Ford Coppola is selling his personal F.P. Journe FFC prototype at Phillips in a few weeks (along with most of his other watches). We also discuss the legacy of F.P. Journe, which is coming into sharper focus ahead of the opening of his museum next year. The centrepiece of the museum is set to be the Breguet Sympathique no. 1, which Mr Journe acquired earlier this year for CHF5.51 million including fees (equivalent to US$6.61 million). Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Hodinkee
A century-old dialogue between discretion, design, and the absence of hands has been one of this year's rising trends.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore the best blue dial watches we've reviewed across various styles with hands-on picks by budget with real-world pros and cons.
Fratello
I could make this a concise hands-on review. However, what I wanted to do when the Omega Speedmaster First Omega in Space (FOiS) landed on my desk was answer the question of whether this would be the Speedmaster for me. Ever since Omega unveiled the Speedmaster FOiS, the watch has intrigued me. First, I love […] Visit Spending Time With The Distinctive Omega Speedmaster FOiS to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Exactly one auction season ago, the Breguet Sympathique no. 1 made by François-Paul Journe became the most expensive timepiece sold in 2025, though the upcoming sales include other F.P. Journe creations that might give the Sympathique a run for its money. Inspired by Abraham-Louis Breguet’s greatest invention, the Sympathique no. 1 sold in May 2025 at Phillips in Geneva for CHF5.51 million including fees, at the time equivalent to US$6.61 million, to none other than François-Paul Journe. The price was just shy of the US$6.8 million that the Duc d’Orleans Sympathique sold for in 2012 – the buyer of that was the Patek Philippe Museum. François-Paul was determined to have Breguet Sympathique no. 1 for his upcoming F.P. Journe museum that is slated to open in 2026. Despite bearing another name on the dial, the clock will take pride of place in the museum, underlining its importance to the history of F.P. Journe. The tale of F.P. Journe as a brand is naturally inseparable from the eponymous watchmaker. Like his inspiration, Abraham-Louis Breguet, François-Paul Journe is more than a watchmaker, he is an entrepreneur who has built a brand, a legacy, and more than likely, a place in history. From the very beginning, decades ago as a young watchmaker in Paris, François-Paul Journe already possessed the vision that has now come to pass. Inextricably intertwined with that vision and the story of François-Paul Journe is Breguet Sympathique no. 1, for its origins encapsulat...
Teddy Baldassarre
When you think of Rolex, the first colors your mind usually conjures up are green and gold, long the emblematic colors of the Swiss power brand and its world-famous “crown” logo. (Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf is said to have settled on these colors because they symbolized wealth and success.) Blue, on the other hand, is not a color that most watch aficionados readily associate with Rolex, though many will associate it with other watch brands, like Breguet, Breitling, and Rolex’s own little brother, Tudor. However, when Rolex does decide to do blue - whether it’s for dials, bezels, or some combination of both - it does so in a way that really speaks to the brand’s avid fan base. Over the years, some blue-dialed Rolex watches, in fact, are not only popular but have become recognized as classics. Here are seven Rolexes with blue dials - some discontinued and collectible, others still available in the current collection - that have demanded enthusiast attention. (Price estimates for the discontinued models on the list are courtesy of WatchCharts.) Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41, Ref. 126334 ($11,100) Rolex released the Datejust in 1945, and the model is today regarded as one of the world’s most classically elegant dress watches. The Datejust brought two now-familiar elements to the world of watch design, one of which can be found throughout the watch industry, the other being still closely associated with Rolex. The first was the addition of a date disp...
Fratello
So far, we’ve introduced you to Abraham-Louis Breguet, who set up shop 250 years ago, and the “Breguet of the 20th Century,” English watchmaker and inventor of the Co-Axial escapement, George Daniels. In the spirit of independent watchmaking and the brand’s 30th anniversary, Fratello now invites you to get acquainted with Monsieur Roger Dubuis (1938–2017), […] Visit Who Was Roger Dubuis? - The Life And Work Of The Master Watchmaker With A Taste For The Extravagant to read the full article.
Deployant
Bell & Ross releases another new model, the BR-03 Compass, with indication for 3 timezones and a compass. Here is our hands-on review.
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.