Results for Mechanical vs Quartz

Seiko Recreates the Classic Reference 6117 with the New Prospex Land Mechanical GMT

Seiko made some big news this morning, with the long rumored announcement of a new version of their classic 6117 Navigator Timer. That vintage reference is critically important for many Seiko collectors, an early GMT from 1968 in the same familiar design language of many classic Seiko sports watches. With new GMT calibers now in production, many enthusiasts expected the timing was right for a modern rendition of the 6117, and today they got their wish in the form of the SPB411, the Seiko Prospex Land Mechanical GMT Limited Edition. This new reference is a fairly faithful rendition of the classic watch from the 60s, with modern components and design choices only where they’re most appropriate, and plenty of restraint everywhere else (no Prospex logo on the dial!). For GMT fans and Seiko collectors, the SPB411 is a significant new release.  All the hallmarks of the 6117 would appear to be present in the SPB411. Namely, the distinctive cushion case, the rotating 24 hour bezel, and a slate gray dial. The “Navigator Timer” wordmark no longer appears on the dial, but otherwise it’s a solid recreation, with rectangular hour markers and thin, block hands carried over to the new release, as well as a short red arrow GMT hand. That gray dial has a sunray finish, and we get a date window at 3:00 with a contrasting white background. Most importantly for fans of the original, the case size has remained consistent. The SPB411 comes in at 38.5mm in diameter, just about half a mi...

Hands-On: Does The Apple Watch Ultra 2 Make It Into This Mechanical Watch Lover's Collection? (Video)

It looks identical to its predecessor, but the new cycling features as well as "double-tap" might've put me over the edge.

Laco Introduces the Atacama Quartz UTC, a True Tool No Matter How You Slice It

Doomsday preppers and the most hardcore of watch collectors are in for a real treat. German watch manufacturer Laco is doubling down on the success of its Atacama.2 by introducing the Atacama Quarz UTC. It’s a more affordable and focused watch with a new trick up its sleeve: GMT functionality. Primarily known for their excellent pilot watches, Laco has collaborated closely with German soldiers, firefighters, and other action-oriented professionals to hone their “Squad and Sport” timepieces. It only takes a glance to understand. You can learn a lot about this watch in its name. It’s still an Atacama, which means it shares the same PVD-coated treatment, date complication, rubber strap, unidirectional bezel, and matte dial as the Atacama.2. But now it’s powered by quartz, “Quarz” in German, and features an independent GMT – or UTC – hand. The new watch is 46mm in diameter, but the Ronda 515 GMT quartz movement inside has enabled Laco to slim the watch down to 10.5mm with a “contact area” of just 34mm. This is also in part due to the conical shape of the case, allowing the watch to feel much smaller and comfortable on the wrist than its maximum diameter may suggest. The use of black PVD-coating and generous amounts of lume on the hands, dial, and bezel result in a watch that is supremely legible to its wearer while remaining subdued to would-be onlookers (or enemies). The crown at twelve o-clock is integrated into and protected by the articulating lugs. D...

The Richard Mille RM 30-01 with Declutchable Rotor is packed with smart mechanical tech

Introducing: Alpina's New Alpiner Heritage Carrée And Startimer Pilot Quartz Worldtimer

Two different sides of Alpina's past and future.

Introducing: Bulgari Releases Two New Serpenti Misteriosi With Mechanical Movements

Two more high jewelry Serpentis for ladies who lunch in Palm beach or summer in Mustique or both!

Brew Introduces the first Mechanical Metric, a Limited Edition of 500 Pieces

Brew has been on a hot streak with their Metric ever since the first examples were shown back in the summer of 2021. In the time since, brand owner and designer Jonathan Ferrer has iterated on the basic Metric principles to great effect, adding new dial colors as well as gold and black PVD coated cases that transform the 1970s sport watch in terms of its character and overall presentation. But until now, the Metric had always been built on the same Meca-quartz platform, with a VK68 hybrid movement built by Seiko that allows for quartz timekeeping and a mechanical chronograph operation. Today, Brew unveils the Metric Automatic, the first Metric powered by a mechanical movement, and the first non-chronograph in the line.  A lot of the design cues here will feel very familiar to Metric owners and longtime Brew fans. The 1970s vibes of the original Metric (as well as watches like the Retrograph and Retromatic) really come primarily from the case, which in the case of the Metric resembles a rounded square, with a bracelet that appears to be integrated to the case. The size is also key – the Metric Automatic comes in at the same svelte dimensions as its Meca-quartz counterpart, with a diameter of 36mm, a lug to lug span of 41.5mm, and a case height of just 10.75mm. It’s a refreshingly compact design, and really does feel like a vintage watch on the wrist.  For this first mechanical Metric, we get a simple black dial with chunky hour markers and Arabic numerals counting off...

5 Unexpected Ways you Might Damage a Mechanical Watch

Timepiece repairs can be expensive and often take a long time, so you generally want to avoid damaging a watch. Here John Keil lists five common things you may not be aware of that can damage a watch and how to prevent them.

Bulova Classic Jet Star: Vintage Vibes and Ultra High Frequency Quartz

Zach Goes to the Movies: The Ancient Mechanical Device at the Center of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and the Vintage Inspired Hamilton Worn on Indy’s Last Great Adventure

There are endless stories in the watch community of the random things that spark an interest in this hobby. We’ve all heard many variations on the watch as a hand-me-down artifact from a relative being the curiosity driving agent behind an interest in horology. Just the other day, an old friend sent me an Instagram post from an account that specializes in cataloging toys from the 1980s – it was a Transformers watch, and when I saw it I immediately remembered that I’d begged in vain for this weird item as a Hanukkah gift, only to come up empty. This very well could have been my Rosebud – the thing that without even realizing it set the stage for an adulthood of staying up way too late on internet forums looking for a great deal on a pre-owned Seiko. When I saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny a few weeks ago, it occurred to me that this movie could be that defining moment for a new generation of watch enthusiasts. Hyperbole? I don’t know, maybe. The movie features, as a primary plot point, a mechanical watch-like device, referred to in the film as the Antikythera. Hardcore watch enthusiasts and horology scholars know that the Antikythera is very much a real thing, even if the version in the new film comes out of the imagination of the screenwriters. But it’s that nebulous “real or not real?” status that I imagine will make some younger, future watch nerds curious, and set them down a path that leads, inexorably, to sites like this one, and spending way ...

Alpina Releases a Surprising Limited Edition for a Big Anniversary in the Heritage Carrée Mechanical

Alpina is celebrating their 140th anniversary this year, and the brand that refers to themselves as the inventors of the sports watch have released a rather surprising limited edition to celebrate the occasion. Most recent Alpinas are very much in that very specific sport and adventure watch genre, and fit a familiar profile with modern sensibilities and a design language that speaks to their overall ruggedness. The new limited edition is cut from a very different cloth, and communes directly with the brand’s long history through the components of the watch itself. Using recently discovered and expertly restored vintage movements from the Alpina archives, the Alpiner Heritage Carrée Mechanical 140 Years is partially a history lesson, but also an example of a creative way to pay respect to the past.  This one starts with the movement. The Calibre 490 running inside the Heritage Carrée Mechanical was originally produced in 1938. A total of 28 vintage movements were recently uncovered by Alpina, and have been fully restored to function as they were originally intended when they came off the production line 85 years ago. The rectangular movements were not just ordinary, run of the mill calibers for Alpina at the time, but incorporated new features like a crown assembly that was patented to protect against the intrusion of dust into the case, and robust construction that would predict Alpina’s focus on sports watches in the years to come. The manually wound caliber beats...

The Citizen Series 8 880, a new mechanical GMT

Why The USAF Thunderbirds Still Use A Mechanical Stopwatch In The Cockpit

In thrust we trust.

Sequent Elektron and SuperCharger: Relatively Affordable Smartwatches for Mechanical Watch Enthusiasts 

Many watch collectors own one of more smartwatches, and most of them collect dust in a drawer as the novelty has worn off. so how are Sequent watches different? Martin Green explains.

Introducing: The New 40mm Tissot Seastar 1000 Quartz

With a new middle ground size between existing models, Tissot now has a watch for everyone.

In-Depth: Bulgari Celebrates The Serpenti’s 75th With Two New Micro-Caliber Mechanical Misteriosi

We say Happy Birthday to the Italian icon that proves you can wear a watch and be glamorous all at once.

TGIFridays: best of the best Alpagon/Rodenstock HR 50 vs value king Fujinon GF 50

We compare the megabuck Rodenstock HR50 lens to the value priced Fujinon GF 50. Both attached to the Fujifilm GFX 50S II as the digital back.

Inside Tudor Manufacture: The Pursuit of Mechanical and Industrial Perfection

Tudor, in my estimation, makes watches that are the best value in the under-US$5,000 price segment. In fact, the brand arguably offers the best value proposition in most price segments, simply because its watches have specs, features, and quality that are unrivalled, even at several steps up the price ladder. The brand’s value proposition began in 2015 when Tudor launched its first in-house movement inside the unloved North Flag. But the compelling nature of its watches notwithstanding, Tudor has long suffered from being perceived as a “lesser” Rolex. In fairness, that was probably an apt description of the brand up until the mid 2000s when Tudor began its gradual but determined evolution into an independent brand. The most tangible testament to Tudor’s success as its own brand came online last year, when the Tudor manufacture in Le Locle began operations. The manufacture is the first time ever that Tudor has its own factory. Historically the brand relied on Rolex cases and outsourced movements, and operated from several floors inside the Rolex campus in Geneva. Now Tudor boasts an impressive, no-expense-spared facility that spans a generous 10,642 m2 (about 114,000 ft2), with half of that being workspace, a scale that easily allows for an annual production of up to the mid-six figures. With a roof covered in solar panels and a foundation that stretches deep into the bedrock of the Swiss Jura, the manufacture is a monument to high-quality, affordable watchmaking. ...

Konstantin Chaykin Moscow Comptus Easter Clock: A Mechanical Masterpiece By A Mechanical Mastermind - Reprise

Konstantin Chaykin's Moscow Comptus Easter Clock masterpiece isn’t designed for the wrist but for the mantel. And it presents further evidence that the man Joshua Munchow dubs the “Wonderboy Russian Watchmaker” is one of the greatest watch- and clockmakers in the game today.

Mr Jones Adds A Perfectly Useless Afternoon to their Growing Lineup of Mechanical Watches

Mr Jones Watches is a British brand that has been around since 2007, and in that time has carved out a niche that is really occupied by them and them alone. The brand specializes in “unusual watches that tell a story,” with dials that are full of unique artwork, visual puns, and feature curious methods of telling the time. For example, a favorite of mine is “The Accurate,” which is modeled after the concept of memento mori and features the words “Remember” and “You will die” incorporated into the hour and minute hands, respectively. Another watch, “Number Cruncher,” puts a bright blue monster front and center, with a jumping hour mechanism in its hand, and minutes reflected in a cross section of its stomach. You get the idea. Now, one of their most popular watches is available for the first time in a mechanical version, and it’s particularly appropriate as we approach the lazy days of summer.  The watch, which is dubbed “A perfectly useless afternoon,” takes a bird’s eye view of a pool scene, with a figure lounging and floating peacefully across its surface. Naturally, the figure rotates around the dial, with their leg pointing to the correct hour. Minutes are read through the pool’s only other occupant, a rubber duck at the dial’s perimeter. The watch was designed by Belgian illustrator Kristof Devos, who was inspired by words of Chinese writer and philosopher Lin Yutang, who said “If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perf...

A New 3D-Printed Carbon Fiber Composite Case and an Upgraded Mechanical Altimeter Takes The Oris ProPilot Altimeter to Greater Heights

I think it’s safe to say that we’re past the initial shock and awe moments from the first couple of days of Watches & Wonders. As we all digest the barrage of releases, the next day or so is my favorite because now we really get to sift through each and every novelty to discover the watches that may have been overshadowed by the preliminary excitement. To look past the first glass case surrounded by all the fancy lights and signage to find the brand’s deep cuts from this year’s showing. Oris came out of the Watches & Wonders gates in a playful way by featuring their ProPilot x Kermit Edition, but a more serious, utilitarian ProPilot that has legitimate expedition-watch chops has also garnered some of our attention. Compared to its ProPilot predecessor, it’s significantly lighter and capable of pushing to greater heights – it’s the new ProPilot Altimeter. The Oris ProPilot Altimeter confidently stands as the only wristwatch at Watches & Wonders, and the world, to utilize an integrated mechanical altimeter. By way of some ingenious engineering and a series of numerals and markers located within the segmented dial cut-outs, as well as a metric scale (either feet or meters depending on the reference you opt for) on the rehaut, an accurate reading of your current altitude can be read. The crown at 4 o’clock signed with an “ALT SET” wordmark manages the entire altimeter system. Unscrewing the crown activates the altimeter by allowing air to enter the case. On...

Introducing: Grand Seiko's First Mechanical Chronograph, The Tentagraph (Live Pics)

The high-beat watch is the latest edition to the Evolution 9 Collection.

How I'd Spend $100K: First, I’d (Predictably) Buy A Vintage Rolex And A Speedmaster. Then Go Quartz, Dressy, And Gold.

After locking down the essentials, I'd spend on undervalued dress watches from Cartier, Breguet, and Lange.

To Be Precise: Quartz - It's Just Better

Made you look.

Nivada Grenchen Gives Us the Best of All Worlds with Chronoking Meca-Quartz

Nivada Grenchen’s Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver represents their interpretation of a multi-functional steel sports chronograph teeming with vintage attributes. The collection’s signature – a two subdial display, tachymeter scale integrated into the outer dial, and a rotating bezel that subtly incorporates a 12 hour display giving the already highly capable chronograph the ability to track another timezone. The vintage aesthetic doesn’t just harken back to the designs of your classic steel sport of watch of the 60’s and 70’s, it actually pulls from the very same design cues of the original Nivada Grenchen chronographs. Nivada’s current Chronoking Manual in particular retains the collection’s design language, but doubles down on the age-old appearance with its chocolate-toned subdials and yellow markers. Topping it all off, the Chronoking encases a Sellita SW510 manual movement in a tidy 38mm case. These are all attractive features and the norm within the Chronoking, as well as the rest of the Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver collection. The only caveat here is that their chronographs are positioned within a crowded price tier filled with brands offering something relatively similar in design and function. However recently, Nivada Grenchen released a very enticing iteration of their Chronoking in the Chronoking Meca-Quartz. Albeit sold out, the Nivada Grenchen Chronoking Meca-Quartz includes all the charming traits and functionality at an approachable $479. Vi...

Hands-On: A Mechanical Watch Fanatic Reviews The Apple Watch Ultra

It's the most advanced Apple Watch yet. And if your resolution is to get in shape, it’s ready when you are – but is all that technological prowess enough to wear down our reviewer's Luddite sensibilities?

Pre-Owned Picks: Quartz Watches Even A Watch Snob Could Love

Six battery-powered watches that don't sacrifice craftsmanship.

Watch Sizes vs. Wrist Sizes: What’s the Right Size for You?

One of the most important factors one considers when choosing a new watch is the watch's size - as in, its appropriateness relative to the size of one's own wrist as well as the general statement that it's making on said wrist. Trying watches on before buying them is, of course, the easiest and most sensible way to determine these factors, but when you're buying watches online, like so many of us are these days, the eyeballing and hands-on experience must give way to some carefully conducted research instead. Here we pose and answer (to the best of our knowledge and experience) some of the questions a prospective online watch purchaser is likely to have regarding watch sizes and wrist sizes.  What watch size is right for my wrist? While there are obviously some practical calculations that you can make, it all comes down to comfort and personal style. Some people with very slender wrists like to rock a big, attention-grabbing timepiece, and occasionally a linebacker type with thicker forearms might prefer to keep it more subtle with a smaller watch that hides under a sleeve. Acknowledging that these tend to be the outliers, however, most watch wearers will want some aesthetic harmony between their watch size and wrist size, which means that you’ll want to get an accurate idea of both actual measurements. This is particularly important if you’re buying a watch online without actually physically trying it on. You can measure your wrist size easily by wrapping a ...

How Resonance Powers Precision In Mechanical Watches: From Huygens To François-Paul Journe

30 Best Mechanical Watches Under $500

As new enthusiasts dip their toes in the waters of the watch world, it’s easy for them to become mired in watch-specific terminology that, while second nature to seasoned nerds, can prove challenging for anyone less experienced. Understanding the specific nature of the type of movement powering a watch is an excellent example of an area in which a little bit of research goes a long way in elevating your knowledge base and helping you to make an informed purchasing decision. Terms like quartz, mechanical, automatic, manual, and hand-winding are essential basic knowledge for anyone looking to bring their understanding of watches to the next level or purchase a new piece. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most prominent types of mechanical movement types on the market. First, we’ll create a high-level primer on how the most popular types of watch movements operate before digging into a list of some of the best options on the more attainable end of the spectrum for each respective movement type. To begin, let’s tackle the term “mechanical” as it relates to watches. In the modern watch world, the vast majority of watches fall into two major subsets. The first is quartz, which utilizes power from an installed battery to power a small circuit that measures timekeeping by way of an oscillating quartz crystal, shaped like a tiny tuning fork, which vibrates at exactly 32,768 per second, allowing for an impressively high level of accuracy. Quartz calibe...