709 articles · 3 videos found · page 17 of 24
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We judge the Invicta Pro Diver vs. San Martin SN004 MilSub on bezel feel, case finishing, crystal, and comfort. Decide if the upgrades justify the extra spend.
SJX Watches
The Jacob & Co. Palatial Flying Tourbillon Minute Repeater returns with a transparent red mineral crystal dial and an updated movement, 12 years after the original introduced chiming complications to the brand. Combining a wearable case with a clear view of the striking racks, it makes a convincing addition to the more mechanically focused side of the collection. Initial thoughts After 12 years of minute repeaters and musical wristwatches, it’s easy to take Jacob & Co.’s presence in the category for granted. Working closely with external specialists, the brand has developed an impressive portfolio of striking watches in a remarkably short time. That repertoire encompasses the decimal repeater of the Twin Turbo Furious, the three-gong carillon of the Astronomia Maestro, and the combination of a music box and minute repeater in the Opera Godfather. These different approaches to sound illustrate the breadth of the brand’s ambitions and its relationships with specialist movement makers. We recently sat down with Jacob & Co. chief executive Benjamin Arabov to discuss how smaller watches like the Palatial have helped broaden the brand’s clientele. Mr Arabov admitted that he is affectionately known by some of his staff as the “size dictator”, due to his insistence on reducing dimensions while retaining the mechanical creativity. While the brand still makes a number of extremely large watches, the increase in smaller, more wearable options has attracted a new clientele...
Monochrome
For the most part, Bell & Ross watches are immediately recognisable, but the Radar series holds the prize. The concept first appeared in 2010 with the BR-01 Radar, replacing conventional hands with concentric discs inspired by aviation radar screens. A year later, the BR-01 Red Radar added the red-tinted crystal, and the concept returned in […]
Hodinkee
What We Know This year marks 50 years since Chopard first "set diamonds free." Which sounds a little cheesy, admittedly, but there is something genuinely joyful about the conceit: diamonds allowed to skitter and spin around a watch dial, never quite landing in the same place twice. Introduced in 1976, the original Happy Diamonds placed unset diamonds inside individual gold capsules, allowing them to move between two sapphire crystals rather than remaining fixed to the dial. The idea reportedly came from sunlight dancing across a waterfall spray in Germany's Black Forest. It would become one of Chopard's most recognizable signatures. To celebrate the anniversary, Chopard is returning to two pivotal moments in the collection's history: the earliest Happy Diamonds watches from 1976 and the original Happy Sport, designed in 1993 by Caroline Scheufele, Chopard's Co-President and Artistic Director. The Chopard Happy Diamonds Heritage watch in 34mm. The smaller version, measuring 24mm. The new Happy Diamonds Heritage watches are direct re-editions of those first models, with cushion-shaped cases in 18-carat ethical yellow gold and polished black onyx dials. Two sizes are available, just as there were in 1976. The larger measures 34mm by 34mm and contains 21 moving diamonds. Inside is Chopard's hand-wound caliber 10.01-C, a tiny 15.7mm-wide movement introduced in 2024. Visible through the sapphire caseback, it runs at 3Hz and offers 45 hours of power reserve. The smaller 24mm vers...
Monochrome
It looks like Charlie Paris has been updating its catalogue one collection at a time. It was only recently that it refreshed the Alliance line-up with new sapphire-dial models, and now the French brand takes up the Concordia. This collection in the past has delivered the blacked-out Concordia Automatic Kraken, as well as the original Concordia […]
Monochrome
For over two decades, Hublot has embraced the ‘Art of Fusion’, blending unexpected materials like rubber, gold, ceramic, and sapphire into bold visual statements. The latest Big Bang Original Soft Touch pushes the boundaries even further, inviting us to experience how a watch feels. More than just a coating, Hublot has integrated a microscopic, textured […]
WristBuzz
38 pieces, a fumé sapphire dial, and a colour palette that makes the movement part of the story
Hodinkee
What We Know Today, Czapek has lifted the curtain on a new limited-edition addition to its Promenade line of everyday dress watches. The Czapek Promenade Transparencies "Aqua Blue" expands on a design motif first introduced with the Fratello x Czapek Promenade Transparencies "Veridian Green," this time applying the Transparency concept to a wholly in-house-devised model. Here, the "Veridian Green" sapphire-gradient dial has been swapped for a similar "Aqua Blue" variant, with the fumé effect achieved through a special metallization process in which small dots of metallic coating are applied to a sapphire disc. The dots themselves — which measure just eight microns each — are laid out in varying density to achieve the gradient effect, which radiates out from the small seconds subdial at 4:30. Unlike the Fratello limited edition, which had applied markers, the Promenade Transparencies "Aqua Blue" uses light blue 3D Super-LumiNova markers, which match the lume on the handset. Visible through the translucent dial is the SXH7, a skeletonized take on Czapek's in-house SXH5 micro-rotor automatic caliber. The SXH5 was first launched by the brand in 2020, and now finds itself at the heart of a number of watches in the Czapek lineup, including the Antarctique and, as the SXH5.1, in the solid dial Promenade. The SXH7, which is visible from both directions, is handsome, with plenty of modern, somewhat industrial touches (like sandblasted plates) and enough handcraft to keep tradi...
SJX Watches
In the lead up to Geneva Watch Days, Czapek has unveiled the Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue — a gradient blue variant of a sapphire-dialled dress watch the brand released in late 2024. The watch breaks little new ground but the blue-on-blue look reveals a keen eye and an awareness of colour theory. Initial thoughts I have mixed feelings about sapphire dials, but I liked Czapek’s approach to opening up the Promenade when the brand launched its “Viridian Green” collaboration with Fratello in 2024. The “Aqua Blue” edition gets many of the same things right, with a dark-enough tint that the exposed movement elements don’t overwhelm the design. In fact, at some angles, the exposed movement looks more like a graphic element, akin to the Octo Finissimo Automatic BVL 138 Sketch. On the wrist, when the movement is not back-lit, the dial appears much darker, and the movement components are even less obvious. This split personality extends to the overall format of the Promenade, which is conveniently sized at 38 mm and is about 11 mm thick. The latter dimension is a bit chunky for an automatic dress watch with a micro-rotor movement, but it gives the watch a robust, almost sporty feel. And the extra thickness likely contributes to the reassuring 50 m test depth. An optional milanese-style steel bracelet completes the transformation from dressy to sporty, should one wish to do it all with one watch. A close look reveals thousands of printed dots that are responsible...
Fratello
Czapek & Cie introduces the Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue, a new 38-piece limited edition that takes the transparency concept from the Czapek × Fratello Promenade Transparencies Viridian Green and gives it a new color palette and dial execution. The watch combines a 38mm stainless steel case with a blue fumé metallized sapphire dial, allowing Czapek’s […] Visit Movement And Dial Hand In Hand: Czapek Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue to read the full article.
Deployant
Czapek expands the Promenade collection with the Transparencies Aqua Blue with a smoked sapphire dial to subtly showcase the movement.
WristBuzz
37.4mm steel, box sapphire, meteor-grey sunburst dial, cal. 1150 with 100-hour reserve. Blancpain marks 70 years of the civilian diver with a faithful re-edition of the 1968 Bathyscaphe. 300 pieces, €14,850.
Fratello
I’ve owned my Seiko Marinemaster SBDX001 for over ten years, and it impresses me as much today as it did back in 2015. However, the original Marinemaster had some “flaws.” Such as the Hardlex crystal, steel bezel insert, and flimsy-feeling clasp and diving extension. Seiko released many references after the SBDX001, but not all of […] Visit Video: The Best Seiko Diver Just Got Better! to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The new Deepwater Meridian 200 Automatic GMT brings sapphire, a ceramic bezel, and 200m of water resistance to a $549 Timex. A closer look.
WristBuzz
Every serial-obsessed Rolex conversation starts here: the reference number tells you the era, and the era tells you the spec. Acrylic vs sapphire, aluminium vs Cerachrom, tritium vs Chromalight, and why the 5-digit refs are the sweet spot most collectors quietly agree on.
WatchAdvice
Hublot’s Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM is one of those watches that leave you in awe, combining neon sapphire brilliance with high-complication tourbillon watchmaking. What We Love The bold Yellow Neon SAXEM case completely transforms under different lighting. The skeletonised dial offers a beautifully balanced design that gives the watch real mechanical theatre. Few watches in watchmaking will command attention quite like this, especially in natural light. What We Don’t The 44mm case size wears better than expected, but it is still on the larger side. Even sapphire lovers may find the Yellow Neon SAXEM a lot to handle. A black structured strap option would let the case and dial take centre stage even more, while simultaneously reducing the overall ‘distinctive’ presence of the watch. Overall Rating: 8.6 / 10 Value For Money: 8.5/10 Design: 9.0/10 Wearability: 8.0/10 Build Quality: 9.0/10 Few timepieces in the world of watchmaking can grab attention like a bright yellow-coloured watch. Now imagine adding a transparent sapphire case to the mix, and suddenly, you have something that becomes almost impossible to ignore on the wrist. That is exactly what we get with the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM. This is a watch that does not ask to be seen, but rather commands it the moment you see it. In that regard, this, in my opinion, is the kind of timepiece that perfectly encapsulates what Hublot is all about. Since the beginnin...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Timex Marlin Jet Automatic America 250 is a 38mm limited edition of 500 pieces, with red-white-blue styling, a domed crystal, and an exhibition caseback.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on review of the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 250, exploring its military heritage, 36mm sizing, acrylic crystal, and more.
Monochrome
Artya is known for not shying away from creativity, boldness and boundary-pushing designs, and proves this once more with its latest release. Following earlier models like the Purity Tourbillon, Purity Stairway to Heaven and Purity Central Tourbillon housed in the brand’s signature sapphire cases, the Geneva-based manufacture now introduces the Purity Tourbillon Sport Edition, a limited […]
Time+Tide
Farer refreshes its GMT Bezel collection with two new colours, featuring sharp, striking guilloché dials and sapphire bezel inserts
Worn & Wound
The emergence of Naoya Hida as a major player in the independent space has been one of the more exciting developments in watches over the last few years. Whether Hida’s watches are to your taste or not (or your budget) there’s no denying that the brand presents a crystal clear point of view and takes no shortcuts to execute on it. In an environment with, frankly, a lot of half baked ideas, there’s something satisfying about a brand that knows exactly what it is. So it’s incredibly interesting that right on the heels of their recent 2026 launches, the brand has announced a new collaboration with Zenith on their G.F.J. platform. This is honestly one of those world-colliding moments for me and I’m pretty excited about not only the watch but what this might signal for both Zenith and Naoya Hida moving forward. The G.F.J. feels like the right line for a brand like Naoya Hida to work within – it’s already cited as a watch that trades a little on the current trend toward artisanal dials (in exotic stones, specifically) that have become favorites among many high end indies. And there’s an undeniable synergy between the classic mid century design codes of the G.F.J. case and Naoya Hida’s aesthetic sensibility. The G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with Naoya Hida & Co. is the first in what Zenith is referring to as their new “Double Signed” program, which will, according to the brand, invite selected partners to reinterpret iconic references. The naming con...
Monochrome
Rado’s foray into the world of dive watches in 1962 resulted in the Captain Cook, a somewhat quirky watch that didn’t emulate the rugged tool watches populating the underwater scene. Defined by its less utilitarian character, the Captain Cook had a compact 35mm case, an inward-sloping bezel, a domed acrylic crystal, a pivoting anchor at […]
Hodinkee
The watches of A. Lange & Söhne very rarely gets a chance to step out of the stoically traditional design language the brand has established since its relaunch in 1994, but one collection from the brand offers a unique respite from it all. Lange's Lumen series is now in its 16th year since the introduction of the Zeitwerk "Luminous" back in 2010, with its inaugural display of smoked sapphire, blacked-out details, and, of course, luminous numerals for the hour and minute discs. But while that model was the first to be executed, the following Grand Lange 1 Lumen in 2012 was the first model officially given the name "Lumen." Last month, at Watches and Wonders, Lange introduced the seventh Lumen in the lineup, with the new Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Lumen. Following the absolutely bonkers Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon in Honeygold released in 2025 for the Datograph's twenty-fifth anniversary, this new glow-in-the-dark take on the very complicated Lange 1 model marks a pattern of increasing complication (and resulting price points) for the Lumen series. A closer look reveals that there's a lot going on, and for nerds, it's certainly a feast for the eyes. In person, the cold, austere look of the chunky, 41.9mm case in platinum immediately struck me, as it was a welcome return to the combination of a smoky, black look with white metal from the past two Lumen iterations in Honeygold (that Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon and its predecessor, the Zeitwerk). For a design ...
Worn & Wound
Matteo Violet-Vianello founded Anoma back in 2024 with a crystal-clear concept that noticeably drew from the worlds of architecture and design as well as forms in nature. The brand’s debut offering set the tone for what has quickly become Anoma’s trademark: a triangular case. Those who follow the brand on Instagram well know that the brand’s cult following has become, dare I say obsessed with finding the soft, triangular form with rounded edges in the wild, citing pieces of furniture, buildings, river stones and other everyday objects that mimic the shape. From the get-go, Anoma has taken the approach of dropping limited edition collections rather than having a permanent catalog. The A1 First Series from 2024 was notable for its two-tone blue dial and was quickly followed up by two variations the following year: the A1 Slate offering a more neutral color palette and later the A1 Optical offered in two colorways – one monochromatic and the other two-tone – each highlighting a guilloche dial that has the unique and organic appearance of a fingerprint. Now, Anoma departs from its own tradition of highly limited executions, creating its first core collection. The new anchors for the brand include the A1 Abyss and A1 Stone. The pair very clearly echo models of the past with the Abyss giving us a twist on the First Series with a singular shade of blue that’s a bit lighter and brighter than the original two-tone. At first glance, this model appears simple, but there...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The new Oris Star Edition revisits a 1966 milestone with a 35mm tonneau case, plexiglass crystal, and a dial that stays true to the original.
Fratello
It’s been three years since Tudor surprised us with the Black Bay 54. The smallest of the Black Bay models has since become a popular option for people who love a modestly sized Tudor dive watch. The new addition to the lineup comes with a nice sapphire-blue dial and bezel. It’s a color that really […] Visit Tudor Introduces The New Black Bay 54 In Blue to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne turns once again to its greatest hits for its flagship launch at Watches & Wonders 2026. The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” bestows the translucent, luminous treatment to the top-of-the-line Lange 1 in a 50-piece limited edition in platinum. Powered by the L225.1, an upgrade on the previous generation movement, the latest Lumen edition has a grey-tinted sapphire dial that reveals glow-in-the-dark elements, including the date discs and moon phase. Over the back, the edition is also set apart by a pair of steel cocks sporting engraving of stars. Initial thoughts The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” stands out as one of the most appealing Lumen models; I’d rank it up there along with the original Zeitwerk “Phantom” in terms of appeal. The Lumen treatment works best with lot of obvious luminous components, which is the case here. Flourishes like the luminous bases for each of the Roman hour numerals are a pleasing touch. The twin engraved steel cocks are especially noteworthy; the concept is classic Lange but the engraved star motif adds variety. That said, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” scores highly, maybe even perfectly, in terms of intrinsic and tactile appeal. The technical accomplishment is also top class: the calendar is instantaneous, movement construction is sophisticated, and decoration is outstanding. But this arguably scores less well in terms of originality or creativity. The moveme...
Time+Tide
Building a watch with two inclined tourbillons is no small feat, and ArtyA has managed to pull it off with a sapphire case to boot.The post The ArtyA Complexity doubles down on the idea of a tourbillon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Timex unveils the Expedition Pioneer Titanium Automatic, a 41mm diver with NH35 movement, sapphire, and titanium case starting under $500.
SJX Watches
Having teased its newest collection with a family and friends edition last year, Kollokium has finally taken the wraps off the Projekt 02 Variant B, which offers a low-profile die-cast stainless steel case and a terraced topographical dial. A massive box-form crystal contains the scene, offering a panoramic view of the 67 pieces that comprise the nine layers of the dial. A limited edition of 399 pieces, the Variant B is a well-priced entry point to the world of independent watchmaking, and could easily be worn daily. Initial thoughts Kollokium is a relatively new name in independent watchmaking, but the company’s three founders, collector Amr Sindi, designer Barth Nussbaumer, and Louis Erard managing director Manuel Emch, bring a trained eye and a fresh perspective to the brand. With a strong emphasis on design, underpinned by a simple but competent calibre, Kollokium seems to have mastered the game of trade-offs required to market a distinctive watch at an affordable price. Left to Right: Amr Sindi, Barth Nussbaumer, Manuel Emch. The Variant B is fundamentally a simple time-only watch, powered by an off-the-shelf La Joux-Perret cal. G101, an increasingly common base movement prized for its economy and autonomy, with a healthy 68-hour power reserve. But Kollokium’s watches are anything but ordinary, owing to the brand’s unusual dial treatments and case processing. The Variant B is technically the first publicly available version of the Projekt 02, which debuted last ...
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