Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Seiko ‘Save the Ocean’ Diver I Didn’t Expect to Like Finally Gets It Right
Seiko introduces a limited Save the Ocean 1965 Heritage Diver with a teal sunburst dial, gray bezel, and upgraded microadjust clasp.
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
SJX Watches
The Urwerk UR-230 Goes Dark
Urwerk’s latest satellite-display creation, the UR-230 Black Star, builds on more than two decades of the brand redefining the wandering hours complication. A concept first teased in the Harry Winston Opus 5 and later perfected in the UR-210, the retrograde-satellite display has become synonymous with Urwerk’s identity, and the Black Star demonstrates how far the idea has come. With a lightweight fibreglass-reinforced ceramic case, the Black Star is a 35-piece limited edition that looks to be the final instalment of the UR-230 series. Initial thoughts Urwerk didn’t invent the wandering hours display, but the brand deserves credit for dragging the complication into modernity in the late 1990s. While the brand has dabbled in watches with conventional hands, it’s still the satellite time display that carries the essence of Urwerk’s DNA. The UR-230 traces its roots back to the 2012 launch of the UR-210, which introduced the retrograde frame that travels with the satellite cube for hours. The concept for a retrograde hand paired with wandering hours dates back even further, to the 2005 launch of the Harry Winston Opus 5, which was also designed by Urwerk. While the concept has subsequently been elaborated with the UR-150 Scorpion, the UR-230 still looks strikingly advanced even after all these years. The latest black-and-yellow livery seems to be the flavour of the day, closely matching the brand’s recent collaboration with Ulysse Nardin. The signature detail of the...
Monochrome
First Look - The Ultra-Technical Bühlmann Decompression 02 Dive Watch
There’s more to the dive watch category than your classic, 300m steel model with a rotating bezel. Some brands have decided to pack dive watches with features that actually make sense underwater (and I’m not talking about a perpetual calendar here), as is the watch we’ll be looking at today. As its name suggests, the […]
WatchAdvice
Has The New Seiko 5 Supercars Hit An Apex? (Hands-On)
Seiko and Supercars Australia hit the road again with a brand-new limited edition for 2025! But can it keep the pace, or will it fall behind? Let’s find out! What We Love: Hot colourway and design inspiration Accessible price and wearability for most Love to see another Australian exclusive! What We Don’t: Seiko straps are always stiff Bezel far too easy to turn How ‘limited’ should a ‘limited edition’ be? Overall Rating: 7.75/10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 8/10 Build Quality: 7/10 I think it’s fair to say that Seiko has been on quite a roll this year. It’s been a turbulent time for the watch industry, given how both the Swiss and German markets are faring under economic circumstances. But the horological ‘Beast from the East’ just keeps getting better and better. You might think this comes from behind a pair of rose-coloured glasses; After all, we at Watch Advice are passionate advocates for the Japanese powerhouse. But if you don’t want to hear it from us, try Seiko themselves. According to the brand’s 2025 Q2 report, their 2024 Financial Year (April 2024 – March 2025) saw their net global watch sales swell by nearly 12%. An impressive feat, especially considering that the Swiss Federation of the Watch Industry (FHS) reported a near 3% decline in Swiss watch exports in 2024. Seiko And Watch Advice Team Up For An Amazing Collector Night But of course, these triumphs aren’t just because people suddenly decided to buy Seik...
Monochrome
First Look - The New Maurice Lacroix Aikonic Master Triple Retrograde
Maurice Lacroix’s best-selling Aikon collection was launched in 2016 as an affordably priced luxury sports watch with a shaped case, a bold bezel with six contrasting claws, an integrated interchangeable steel bracelet, and an outsourced automatic movement. Over time, the Aikon collection has embraced several complications and recently expanded with the Aikonic sub-collection, a more […]
Monochrome
Introducing - The New Cherry-and-Black Doxa SUB 300 Beta DWW 2025 Edition
Dubai is home to the Deep Dive Dubai, the world’s deepest pool for scuba diving, freediving, and snorkelling, if you want to play it safe. The ocean also offers plenty of opportunities to explore the underwater world, so a cool dive watch is guaranteed to get attention. The new SUB 300 Beta Ceramic Dubai Watch […]
Worn & Wound
Review: the Jacques Bianchi JB300 Profonde X Deepsea.edc
Being surprised by a dive watch is a rare occurrence at this point in the watch industry, except for a few brands trying to break the mold. The formula is relatively simple. Take a large case, add a snappy bezel, give it a legible design language, and what you end up with tends to be a staple model in your collection. What that leads to, though, is a sea of look-alike options with slightly different specs and price points, leading to enthusiast banter over slight obscurities. However, for a watch to tweak the formula with considered, bold design choices and still win me over is a rare thing. That is why, with over 140 brands and thousands of watches on display, I found myself returning to the Jacques Bianchi booth all three days of the Windup Watch Fair in New York City to handle the JB300 Profonde X Deepsea.edc collaboration dive watch. Unfortunately, if you were not among the over 11,000 attendees at this year’s Windup Watch Fair in NYC and, furthermore, did not manage to squeeze into the Jacques Bianchi booth, your chances of seeing this watch in person are now slim to none. Within hours of officially launching the JB300 Profonde X Deepsea.EDC, all 150 individually numbered units have officially been sold and will be delivered to their excited owners in January of 2026. Given that reaction, it’s hard to imagine this being the last we hear of these two. The fever behind the collaboration came as no surprise to me, in part due to the specifications, but also the stori...
Monochrome
First Look - The New Rado True Square Automatic Open Heart Sparkling
Rado has become a byword for design-led, high-tech ceramic watches spearheaded by the Ceramica watch of 1990. Although the fully integrated case and bracelet of the Cermica were more rectangular in shape, the sleek, minimalist style passed down through the family tree and was inherited by the True Square Automatic collection, released thirty years later, […]
Worn & Wound
The New Ming 37.11 Odyssey Adds a GMT Complication to their Popular Dive Watch Form Factor
The latest from Ming is a continuation of their incredibly popular diver lineup, the current incarnation of which began with the 37.09 “Bluefin” and was later followed up with the 37.09 “Uni”. Both of those watches very effectively made use of a dual crown system (one for time setting, one for rotating an internal bezel that is not really a bezel at all), streamlined proportions, and Ming’s expertise in using sapphire and lume for both decorative and functional purposes. The new 37.11 Odyssey is an expansion of the ideas found in the Bluefin and Uni, with an added GMT feature and the option to spec the watch on the absolutely insane Polymesh bracelet. When we had our meeting with Ming earlier this year at Geneva Watch Days, this was the watch that brand founder Ming Thein was wearing on his wrist. I’ll be honest, the Polymesh bracelet kind of stole the show in that presentation, overshadowing the Odyssey just a little, but that’s simply because the Polymesh was a legitimately novel creation, while the Odyssey is something a little more familiar. That’s not a slight, of course. One of the things that makes Ming such an impressive brand is the way a clarity of design runs through each new watch they make, always in conversation with earlier pieces. That’s what helps you identify a watch as a Ming, but it can also mean that certain releases don’t create that vibrational spark of interest that really gets you excited. That said, the Odyssey is an objectiv...
Fratello
Fratello’s Top 5 Recently Released Carbon Watches - Featuring Tudor, Tissot, Zenith, And More
Another Friday, another list! This week, we will continue our exploration of modern materials used in the watch world. After picking our favorite ceramic and titanium watches, we will now turn to carbon. We do not see this material as often as the other two, but it stands out when we do. Let’s find out […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Recently Released Carbon Watches - Featuring Tudor, Tissot, Zenith, And More to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introducing - The Airain Type 20 “70 Ans”, a Horizon-Blue Tribute to the French Flyback Chronograph
Born from the French Ministry of Defence’s Type 20 brief in the mid-1950s, the Type 20 Chronograph watches featured a black dial, a flyback (retour en vol) function, a rotating bezel, and pilot-proof robustness. Alongside fellow suppliers like Breguet, Mathey-Tissot, and Auricoste, Airain’s Type 20 quickly became one of the most recognisable field chronographs. A […]
Fratello
Fratello’s Top 5 Titanium Watches Of Recent Years - Featuring Rolex, Grand Seiko, Zenith, And More
Another Friday, another list! This week, we’re following up last week’s article about ceramic watches with our favorite titanium ones. After all, it just made sense to dive deeper into the world of modern materials used for watches. While titanium has been around for quite a few decades in the watch world, it’s still considered […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Titanium Watches Of Recent Years - Featuring Rolex, Grand Seiko, Zenith, And More to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A Twist on Travel Time with the Richard Mille RM 63-02 Worldtimer
World time watches are notoriously imperfect, often out of sync with the realities of daylight savings and partial-hour time zone offsets. Yet their appeal endures thanks to their mechanical ingenuity and jet-set romance. The Richard Mille RM 63-02 Worldtimer stands out in both respects, with a planetary differential that enables the wearer adjust time zones with a simple twist of the bezel. Limited to just 100 pieces, the RM 63-02 offers commanding presence thanks to its 47 mm case in 18k rose gold and titanium, and its bold pink and burgundy colourway. While not a fit for every wrist or every budget, it’s nonetheless more wearable and accessible than expected. Initial thoughts From a strictly practical standpoint, the standard format for world time watches is inherently flawed, as about half the world observes daylight savings time for about half the year, and a fifth of the world’s population lives in time zones with partial-hour offsets. Flaws aside, they capture a certain jet set romance, and are frequently beautiful or clever. Richard Mille’s world timers are the latter, and maybe even the former too, depending on your disposition. The RM 63-02 is clever in its operational and conceptual simplicity, though the actual implementation is quite sophisticated, enabling the user to adjust to local time with a simple turn of the bezel. This functionality is reminiscent of the IWC Timezoner, which was itself based on a patent acquired from Vogard. Richard Mille’s app...
Monochrome
First Look - The New Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon in Full Rose Gold
The Defy Skyline collection by Zenith has quickly become the modern pillar of the brand’s angular, integrated, and technical sports collection. We’ve seen the series stretch into complications and materials, most notably last year’s steel and black ceramic Skyline Tourbillons built around the high-frequency El Primero calibre 3630. The latest chapter elevates form and finish. […]
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe’s Gondolo Serata Zebra Debuts New Dial Technique
Patek Philippe surprises with an off-season launch, the Gondolo Serata Zebra Ref. 4962/200R-010. Based on the curvaceous model launched in 2006, the Zebra features a sapphire crystal dial framed by garnets on the bezel and lugs. The dial motif replicates the cloisonné enamel dial of the Golden Ellipse ref. 5738/50G-023 from the Rare Handcrafts collection of 2022, but here the technique and material are decidedly modern. Despite the radically different look, this is an evolution of the Retrograde Perpetual Calendar ref. 6159G that has a smoked sapphire dial. Here the dial is also clear sapphire, but engraved, varnished, and then metallised to create the striking zebra motif. Initial thoughts The Gondolo Serata has been in Patek Philippe’s catalogue for almost 20 years but it never really gained prominence. Though the case shape is elegant, the dials on the earlier versions were quite plain. The Zebra is the opposite – vivid and striking – and it instantly stands out amongst Patek Philippe’s ladies offerings. The fact that the dial motif is based on the Rare Handcrafts Ellipse is a nice touch, though watch enthusiasts may be disappointed the movement is quartz. Patek Philippe presumably understands its clients and those clients probably want the convenience of a quartz movement. The sapphire dial technique, however, is interesting enough that it is likely to make its way into other models, which will be a good thing. Savannah sapphire The Gondolo Serata is a longsta...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The New Seiko Rotocall Makes Casio Look a Little Old-Fashioned
A revival of the 1982 Seiko Rotocall with a rotary function bezel, compact case, and space age history-now part of the regular catalog.
Monochrome
First Look - The New Formex Essence 41mm Automatic COSC in Steel
Formex extends its Essence line with a new 41mm COSC-certified model, a permanent addition that bridges the gap between the existing 39mm and 43mm editions. First presented in the Space Ghost limited edition and later added to ceramic variants, this mid-size case now arrives in stainless steel as part of the regular collection. The 41mm […]
SJX Watches
Seiko Revives Retro Rotocall from Eighties Space Shuttle Era
More Seiko watches have gone to space than any other brand, save for Omega and Casio, and Seiko brings back the most prolific of them all, the multi-function Rotocall. For the 2025 reissue, the brand has gone for authenticity over reinvention, retaining the original 37 mm case size and bezel-operated function selector, while making a concession for a more practical sapphire crystal. Named for its nifty rotating bezel, the vintage Rotocall was most frequently worn on NASA Space Shuttle missions. The remake is available in three colourways, plus two limited editions for the Japanese market, the reissue of this 1980s favourite delivers a heavy dose of nostalgia. Initial thoughts If the Speedmaster Professional is the “Moon Watch”, the Rotocall may as well be called the “Shuttle Watch”. NASA purportedly flight qualified the Rotocall around 1983 and, according to Robert Jackson, who maintains a database of watches used in space, Rotocalls crossed the Karman line nearly 200 times during the Space Shuttle program, which lasted until 2011. Today, vintage Rotocalls are quite desirable, and unlike NASA-issued Speedmasters, which were government property, astronauts paid for and were allowed to keep their Rotocalls. Sotheby’s sold Kathy Sullivan’s watch, which she took to space twice – and once to the seafloor in the Challenger Deep – for over US$20,000 a few years ago. The Rotocall may be the most faithful of Seiko’s recent reissues; it’s the same diameter – 37...
SJX Watches
Blancpain Facelifts the Villeret Quantieme Complet 6654
As the first complication launched by the revived Blancpain in 1983, the triple calendar with moon phase is arguably the brand’s signature. Now Blancpain has reveal the latest generation of the model, the Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune. The new version is primarily a cosmetic facelift, which includes a blue ceramic moon phase disc, but it builds on solid foundations. The model retains the innovative and patented under-lug correctors for the calendar that make for easier setting and a clean case outline. The new Villeret Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune (centre) is being launched alongside the the Quantième Phases de Lune, a 33.2 mm model for ladies (left), and Extraplate, the time-and-date base model (right), both of which have been similarly facelifted. Initial thoughts The triple calendar is a simple complication, but functions and aesthetically pleasing in the traditional layout that Blancpain employs. Though it is widely found across brands, Blancpain probably offers the most advanced triple calendar watches on the market thanks to its sophisticated movements. And Blancpain manages to do so at a reasonably competitive price relative to its peers. At a distance, the facelifted models look pretty much identical to the earlier generation – a good thing if you like the look, but the classical style might look dated to some. I find the aesthetic appealing, especially with details like the serpentine date hand and recessed dates scale. The facelift...
Monochrome
First Look - Blancpain Updates its Villeret Collection with the 2025 Golden Hour Series
The latest Blancpain releases are classical watchmaking refined with a purpose. Long before the Villeret collection officially gained its name in 2003, Blancpain had already set the template in the early 1980s with a small, classically framed complete calendar moonphase (Cal. 6395). The look with the double-stepped bezel, Roman numerals, and slim cases became the […]
SJX Watches
Omega’s Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Returns
A hit when it was launched a dozen years ago – time does fly – the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon was the first-ever Speedmaster in ceramic. Now Omega has refined and reworked the concept – the case is now almost 1 mm thinner – while retaining the all-ceramic construction and distinctive aesthetic. The new Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon (DSOTM) makes its debut in four variants. The first two stick closely to the original, right down to the same automatic cal. 9900 movement, but in a slimmer format. More notable is the manual-wind version containing the cal. 9908, the first DSOTM offering with this movement, making it even thinner. And it has no date to boot. Rounding out the quartet is the Speedmaster Grey Side of the Moon (GSOTM) that is also manual-wind but powered by the historically-based, Moonwatch-famous cal. 3861. This adopts the lunar-textured surface, front and back, first seen on the Apollo 8 edition. The first manual-wind DSOTM that has a black-and-red livery Initial thoughts Contemporary collectors are spoiled for choice when it comes to the Speedmaster, which is available in seemingly endless configurations. While that’s arguably a criticism, it demonstrates Omega’s industrial prowess, which enables the brand to deliver large volumes of watches that are objectively high quality and equipped with some of the industry’s best chronograph movements, without keeping customers waiting. Regardless of the shade of grey or black, the watches are ins...
Hodinkee
Introducing: Omega Updates The Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon For 2025
Twelve years after the original release, the brand expands the ceramic Speedmaster catalog with four new iterations.
SJX Watches
Daniel Arsham’s Hublot Meca-10 is Fluid, Frosted Sapphire
Following last year’s Arsham Droplet pocket watch, Daniel Arsham has just unveiled his second collaboration with Hublot, the MP-17 MECA-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire. One of the leading artists in pop culture, Daniel Arsham was inspired by the fluidity of a water droplet, explaining the streamlined, pebble-like wristwatch with an intriguing asymmetrical dial framed by a frosted sapphire crystal bezel. Mr Arsham has collaborated with brands as diverse as Porsche and Pokemon, and here he applies his aesthetic to Hublot’s Big Bang Meca-10. While the aesthetic is unlike any other Hublot, the movement inside is familiar: one of Hublot’s most interesting movements, the Meca-10 calibre with a 10-day power reserve, which was just facelifted this year to fit smaller format cases. Initial thoughts The Arsham Splash starts with a good base: the cal. 1205 Meca-10 movement is appealing both in terms of aesthetics and function. The geometric styling of the skeletonised construction is inspired by Meccano, the children’s construction toy, while the power reserve is an impressive 240 hours. I like much of the movement, except for the Etachron regulator that I would have hoped Hublot would have replaced in this second-generation Meca-10 movement but it’s still there. Still, the Meca-10 is a logical fit for the Arsham Splash both in terms of form and function. The form of the Arsham Splash is unorthodox. Though the case has some familiar Hublot elements like the flared fl...
Time+Tide
Hublot and Daniel Arsham bring the “splashy” MP-17 MECA-10 to the wrist
Arsham's first wristwatch boasts a pebble-shaped titanium case topped with a solid sapphire bezel, formed into a unique, organic dial aperture.The post Hublot and Daniel Arsham bring the “splashy” MP-17 MECA-10 to the wrist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Seiko Europe Introduces The Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT Seashadow SPB534
In 2023, Seiko debuted its Prospex GMT models. Based on the groundbreaking 1968 300m-rated Professional dive watch, the current offerings have a similar form, including an external rotating bezel and strong case shape. The watches have proven popular, and since the initial release, the brand has predictably announced several limited editions. Today, we have a […] Visit Seiko Europe Introduces The Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT Seashadow SPB534 to read the full article.
Time+Tide
The new Cartier Santos de Cartier Titanium resolves a common point of consumer feedback
A lightweight Santos variant with a bezel less prone to scratches is a very exciting prospect, but it does have its tradeoffs...The post The new Cartier Santos de Cartier Titanium resolves a common point of consumer feedback appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko’s New ‘Motoring’ Speedtimer Channels Vintage Rolex Energy for Under $1,000
The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer “Motoring” channels vintage Rolex Daytona vibes with a cream dial, steel bezel, and affordable sub-$1K price.
Monochrome
Introducing - The Stylish and Truly Affordable Templum Tropolis
French founder Alexandre Greze has just launched Templum, a new microbrand that goes a bit beyond the norm with the inaugural collection, Tropolis. The trio of watches feature a stylish guilloché bezel and sandwich dials in three colours, bringing a modern and sophisticated vibe to the wrist that won’t break the bank. Headquartered in Paris, […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Daytona Rainbow: When An Icon Goes Colorfully Gem-Set
Aside from the watch that was made legendary by Paul Newman - and which would forever, unofficially, carry the famous actor’s name - there is probably no version of the Rolex Daytona that is more coveted than the “Rainbow” models that bring a meticulously designed and eye-catchingly beautiful assortment of colorful precious stones to the bezel, case, and dial of the motorsport-inspired luxury chronograph. Here is the story behind the Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” and why it has become yet another smash hit for the Crown in the 21st Century. To start off, it’s worth answering the question, “Why is the Rolex Daytona so famous in the first place?” The model’s success story begins in 1962, when Rolex, hot on the heels of other genre-defining watch releases like the Explorer, GMT-Master, and Submariner several years earlier, became the official timekeeper of the “Great American Race,” the Daytona 500. In celebration of the partnership, the Swiss brand introduced its original “Cosmograph” racing-inspired chronograph watch the following year. The watch, notable for its tachymeter bezel and three-register dial design, adopted the name “Daytona” shortly thereafter and really took the enthusiast community by storm when actor, director, and part-time racecar driver Paul Newman began wearing one regularly. Newman became a big-screen icon in the 1970s, around the same time that auto racing took off in popularity as a spectator sport, and this confluence of...
SJX Watches
Seiko Upcycles Leather for the Latest Presage
Seiko adds a new limited-edition to its line of affordable dress watch with the Presage Classic Series Upcycled Leather Strap that sports knurled bezel, golden-brown gradient dial, and with a leather strap made from shoe leather offcuts supplied by Regal, a Japanese shoemaker best known for its leather dress shoes. Initial Thoughts Though strange on the surface, the Seiko Presage and Regal tie-up makes sense. Both are affordable, solid offerings in their respective segments, and also distinctly Japanese. Notably, Regal is launching the saddle shoes that produced the offcuts later this week. The watch itself is a good looking iteration of Seiko’s familiar entry-level dress watch. The bezel and smoked dial are a pleasing combination that set this apart from most Presage models. Seiko didn’t mention the impetus for this collaboration in press materials; I suspect geography was a part. Regal builds its top of the line shoes in the town of Morioka, near Morioka Seiko Instruments, the heart of Seiko’s domestic mechanical watch production. That proximity lends a lot of authenticity to the collaboration for me, and I wish it were part of Seiko’s messaging, though I understand most consumers don’t care. At the same time, Regal is little known outside Japan, but its shoes are a fixture in major Japanese department stores. The transient nature of leather straps is arguably a shortcoming in watches like the new Presage, or the Kodo Constant Force Tourbillon at the other en...