Two Broke Watch Snobs
Hamilton Khaki vs Omega Railmaster: A $700 vs $7K Everyday Tool Watch Comparison
Is the Omega Railmaster worth the premium over the Hamilton Khaki Field? We compare design, movements, wearability, and value to find out.
28,014 articles · 176 videos found · page 330 of 940
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Is the Omega Railmaster worth the premium over the Hamilton Khaki Field? We compare design, movements, wearability, and value to find out.
Monochrome
Working in the watch industry for well over a decade by now, I hardly get nervous about watch prices. Sure, sometimes it baffles the mind how much watches can cost, and from time to time it’s hard to justify even, but a price is basically just a number by now. That doesn’t mean I have […]
Fratello
Put the spec sheets for the Tudor Pelagos 39 and the Rolex Submariner side by side, and the two watches look almost suspiciously similar. Both are roughly 40mm steel or titanium dive watches with in-house automatic movements, ceramic or aluminum bezels, and depth ratings most owners will never come close to testing. On paper, this […] Visit Is The Tudor Pelagos 39 Better Than A Rolex Submariner? to read the full article.
Monochrome
Cyma‘s history in Swiss watchmaking dates to the establishment of Tavannes Watch Company in the 1860s, and it had its ups and downs like the rest of the industry. Recently, we reviewed the Grand Maestro Steel Cross Chronograph, a modern sports series with a layered dial, powered by a familiar Swiss automatic movement. The new […]
Fratello
Somewhere in a remote corner of the internet, there must be a place where people debate whether enamel or porcelain watch dials are nicer. I didn’t go down the rabbit hole into a heated online argument about these two delicate dial-making techniques, but from time to time, I do have an internal discussion on the […] Visit Picking A Saxonian Watch Bouquet: Introducing The Glashütte Original × Meissen Senator Cherry Blossom to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Les Volumes du Temps is a unique watch created for the upcoming TimeForArt charity auction, penned by a student artist at the Académie de Meuron. Its dragging hour and minute discs depart from conventional hands, while the sculptural dial showcases the elaborate enamelling for which Jaquet Droz is known. Jaquet Droz CEO Alain Delamuraz (left) with Fiona Djukanovic (centre) Initial thoughts The Petite Heure Minute Les Volumes du Temps draws on Jaquet Droz’s expertise in métiers d’art, particularly grand feu enamel, to support a worthy cause. It differs from the brand’s familiar format primarily through its dial, designed by Fiona Djukanovic, a student at the Académie de Meuron in Neuchâtel. Its X-shaped composition reveals two apertures, one for the dragging hours and another for the dragging minutes. The display borrows its functionality from the Ophidian Hour introduced last year, with a module fitted to a variant of the familiar Jaquet Droz cal. JD2653. Both the hour and minute discs advance gradually, rather than jumping between numerals. The movement is a descendent of the Frédéric Piguet cal. 1150, a twin-barrel architecture that has provided good service to brands like Blancpain and Urban Jürgensen for nearly 40 years. Beyond this functional change, Ms Djukanovic’s design combines shades of blue with champlevé and flinqué enamel over hand engraving, emphasising the depth and volume of the dial’s architecture. Des...
Worn & Wound
One side effect of working in the watch industry is becoming the default person to ask when there’s a watch-adjacent question. While I have a go-to answer for most questions, the occasional “What smartwatch should I buy?” was always a bit of a curveball. Until last month, I would have recommended that you stay within your phone’s ecosystem to take advantage of any integrations and connectivity that were built in, with only one exception. When it comes to fitness tracking, especially for runners, I’ve always heard that Garmin was the brand to go with. Now, I’ve always considered the smartwatch to be an extension of your phone, so mechanical watches were the perfect way to become a little less connected, but this newest release has me thinking that maybe I should add a smartwatch back into the collection. While I don’t think I’ve ever explicitly mentioned my age in an article or on the podcast, smartwatches really started to take off when I was in high school. Around that time, I remember buying a rather affordable Xiaomi-branded smartwatch for myself. Despite being a fraction of the cost, it packed many of the same features as the current-generation smartwatches: phone notifications, step counting, and it even tracked just how little sleep I was getting each night, making it an easy purchase for an unemployed high school student.I’ d go on to wear this watch throughout high school and college, before ultimately becoming interested in mechanical watches and...
Monochrome
In recent years, Swiss brand Fortis has worked hard to update most of its collection and mechanical offerings, including a refreshed Flieger collection, the return of the Marinemaster, and the introduction of the Stratoliner with a space-tested movement. In 2023, the brand tackled the task of revamping one of its most important models, a model once known as the B-42 Official Cosmonauts […]
Joseph is a background investigator with stories for every watch. Watch the video to see where his collection started, some of the unique pieces he's picked up along the way, and why some watches stayed and some were let go.
Worn & Wound
RGM has introduced a new perpetual calendar, their first since the Model 103-R Minute Repeater Perpetual which was introduced in the 1990s. The new watch, dubbed the 501-PC, has classic RGM aesthetics and incorporates a new module from Dubois-Depraz for the calendar complication (not unlike another perpetual calendar to debut recently). While the watch is not inexpensive by any means, the use of a module fixed to a mass produced movement does keep costs down somewhat compared to a fully in-house design, and serves as another example of the many small ways traditional higher end complications are being democratized across the larger watch marketplace. The 501-PC has a fairly traditional perpetual calendar layout, with a 12:00 subdial indicating the months and leap year, a 3:00 subdial showing the date, a moonphase at 6:00, and the day of the week in a subdial at 9:00. The dial layout and design takes inspiration from 19th century pocket watches, a frequent source of inspiration for RGM over the years, and is rendered in white enamel. Black painted Roman numerals and blued hands add additional depth and historic coherence to the design. It’s all very traditional and the antithesis of flashy. Again, exactly what you’d expect from RGM. The case is stainless steel and measures 39mm in diameter and is 11.5mm thick. Like the Fears linked above, which this watch is sure to draw comparisons to thanks to the movement, that’s an incredibly wearable and approachable size. The ...
Fratello
In September, I ended up spending more time in airport lounges than in my living room at home. Sometimes, that’s not so bad, especially when it means new opportunities! One highlight was visiting Switzerland to tour two Swatch Group production sites. At one, I saw how movements are made, and at the other, I watched […] Visit Inside The Swatch Sistem51 And Bioceramic Production Sites to read the full article.
Hodinkee
For Eric Wind and Charlie Dunne, watches connect them to the past and help them build lifelong relationships with others. For the first time in Talking Watches, Ben sits down with two guests to discuss how a passion can be learned, sharpened, and passed along. The watches they bring not only reveal the charming details that define an exceptional vintage watch, but also the friendships and experiences that give collecting its meaning. There's *a lot* of inside jokes in this episode. Most of them on the casebacks. Longtime Hodinkee readers need little introduction to Eric. Before Wind Vintage, before Christie's, and before his many appearances in Reference Points, he was one of the site's earliest and most prolific contributors. Through Bring A Loupe, auction coverage, and deeply researched stories, Eric helped introduce a wider audience to the nuances of vintage collecting. His enthusiasm could make an obscure chronograph as compelling as a six-figure Rolex, and his scholarship gave collectors the tools to distinguish a merely old watch from an exceptional one. Since founding Wind Vintage in 2017, he has continued to approach the category with the same curiosity, exacting eye, and belief that great watches can be found at nearly every price. The Wind Vintage duo. Charlie entered the watch business through a different route. Before entering the trade, Charlie was a collector of watch books and a researcher; in 2021, while working in digital marketing, he used several weeks...
Time+Tide
The new MB&F; LM1 EVO returns to the original Legacy Machine design, but makes it more wearable, robust, and alluring than ever before.
SJX Watches
The MB&F; LM1 EVO brings back the original Legacy Machine (LM) in a smaller, sportier case, with improved shock protection, water resistance and a revised movement. Fifteen years after the LM1 established the LM collection, the EVO preserves its distinctive dual-time layout and suspended balance while making it more suited to the demands of daily wear. Initial thoughts I still remember seeing the LM1 for the first time when it launched in 2011. Up to that point, MB&F; had spent six years developing its identity around the futuristic Horological Machine (HM) collection, and the brand’s original take on traditional watchmaking came as a surprise. The LM1 established what is now the Legacy Machine collection, which began as a thought experiment about what kind of watch founder Max Büsser might have designed had he been born a century earlier. The original LM becomes the fifth MB&F; platform to get the EVO treatment, after the LM Split Escapement, LM 101, LM Perpetual, and LM Sequential (in both regular and flyback configurations). It follows the same script as its predecessors, with a polished titanium (or 18k rose gold) case, proprietary rubber strap, and the brand’s patented FlexRing shock absorber, which helps take the edge off severe impacts. The EVO case is also water resistant to 80 m thanks in part to twin screw-down crowns. Of course, it’s a manually wound movement, which means the threads will se a lot of action assuming the watch is worn regularly. Fortunately, ...
Hodinkee
What We Know We are six years into the reign of the Legacy Machine EVO, a sportier version of MB&F;'s most "traditional" (and I use that term loosely) watch designs, which had the added benefit of higher water resistance, a built-in FlexRing shock protection system, slightly less delicate dials, and a different case design that lends itself to the rubber straps. We've had the Perpetual EVO, Sequential EVO, Sequential Flyback EVO, Split Escapement EVO, and LM101 EVO. Now, the original Legacy Machine, the LM No. 1, joins the collection with two case materials: titanium and a limited-edition rose gold. It seems like case sizes are the most hotly debated topic these days, and MB&F; has never shied away from a large case. It's needed to accomplish the dramatic design and depth of the floating balance that hovers over the dual time display (now in sunburst-polished black, flat subdials). The cases are 42mm by 16.8mm, with a 52mm lug-to-lug and 18mm lug width. This brings one major update to the EVO series: these watches now have quick-change rubber straps, made possible by a case redesign (so this won't apply to swapping into other EVO series models). Another update: the original's vertically moving power reserve indicator is now more traditional, rotating side to side and pointing at an inclined scale. One of my favorite things about the Legacy Machine is that it's so wild in the front and more traditional in the back. The movement is still the Jean-François Mogard-designed cali...
Hodinkee
What We Know When Garmin launched the Marq collection in 2019, it answered what Garmin customers had been asking for: a premium product with top-end engineering. With today's launch of the third generation, Garmin is pushing that idea further. The collection debuts six new watches—the Marq Adventurer, Athlete, Aviator, Commander, Diver, and Golfer—offering something for everyone. The Marq 3 Diver. Before we get into the six variations, we need to start with the 47mm case, because much of what's new comes from how it's built. Garmin uses a process it calls nano molding technology, which bonds a glass-filled polymer to the titanium at the nanoscale. The polymer sections at the top and bottom of the case give the antennas a non-metal window for transmission, and because the bond needs no gasket, it produces a thinner case. Garmin says that is what made room for the LTE and satellite radios on top of GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. On the left, the Marq 3 Adventurer, on the right is the Marq 3 Golf. It also removes the five button holes in the Gen 2 case. A polymer wall seals the case, and an inductive sensor behind it registers each press, with a tactile element on the outside for the click. Garmin's point is that the crown and pushers are the usual failure point on a dive watch, and here nothing passes through the case. The process also forced a change to the Commander's DLC coating, which is normally applied at a heat that would deform the polymer, so Garmin moved to a lower...
Fratello
It’s impressive to realize that Sternglas has been around for a decade. I first reviewed a Sternglas watch seven years ago, so I have followed the company for most of those years. Putting aside the realization that I am getting older fast, it’s been fun to see how the Hamburg-based brand has used Bauhaus design […] Visit The New Sternglas Zirkel X Proves The Circle’s Significance to read the full article.
WristBuzz
Nomos upgrades the Metro Date Power Reserve with a new caliber and adds a cool new dial color to one of its most complete watches
Monochrome
Watchmaking enthusiasts know MeisterSinger and the foundational idea behind its creations: time does not always need to be read to the nearest second. Two of the Münster-based brand’s long-standing models, the No03 and the Perigraph, now come as special editions that pair the signature single-hand display with a cool new dial colour. Both watches are […]
Fratello
After the 41mm Diver One and the fan-favorite Diver 38 Seafoam, New York-based Wrist Enthusiast founder Craig Karger is back with a new Wren watch. Karger felt there were already too many vintage-inspired integrated-bracelet sports watches, so he asked designer Max Resnick to help him develop a future-oriented one. However, there was one challenge: Karger […] Visit The Wren Vessel: A Surprisingly Wearable Integrated-Bracelet Watch For The Future to read the full article.
Monochrome
Breguet’s maritime pedigree dates to 1815, when Louis XVIII appointed Abraham-Louis Breguet as watchmaker to the French Royal Navy. Although Breguet did not invent the marine chronometer (that was John Harrison), he improved its robustness and precision, enabling sailors to calculate longitude at sea more accurately. It wasn’t until 1990, though, that the brand tapped […]
Monochrome
French luxury group LVMH has just released its third-quarter 2026 results. Organic revenue growth came in at +1% in Q3 2026 and +2% over the first nine months of the year with revenues of EUR 57,148 millions. While these figures point to modest growth, they also reflect the challenging business environment facing the sector. Looking […]
Hodinkee
Last month, I spent an incredible week in Thailand for Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week. Over a week of talks, panel discussions, and brand presentations (some moderated by yours truly) organized by the team at Siam Piwat, there was no better way to discover a whole new side of watch collecting. Spending more time in Southeast Asia has always been at the top of my list, because I think the region brings together some of the most diverse and interesting tastes in watch collecting. Most special of all is finally meeting so many watch nerds that I've connected and chatted with online for years, along with making many new friends. It's these moments that remind you how small this little world is, and how it's the people and not necessarily the watches that make this space so interesting. Image courtesy Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week. Bangkok Watch Week wrapped up its weeklong watch fest with one big hurrah—a sort of after-party. This "Asia-Pacific Get Together" was what I had been looking forward to the whole time—just a big ol' gathering of watch collectors from all over Asia, descending upon an open bar and having a fun time. But while I spent a lot of time chatting with so many folks, I was still on the clock, after all, and got to do some fun watch spotting with my camera during the whole thing. So I hope you enjoy seeing so many fun—and sometimes insane—watches. Happy scrolling through the sea of wristshots. And for those who I got to meet and connect with at Bang...
Worn & Wound
Toledano & Chan has introduced their latest release, the B/1 Dazzle. Eagle eyed GPHG watchers might have gotten a small tease of this one when nominations were released a few months back (it’s fairly routine for brands to submit embargoed watches, and they’re often revealed before the official launch as part of the GPHG voting process), but now the cat is fully out of the bag. The Dazzle is actually a pair of watches, both using Toledano & Chan’s now familiar case architecture inspired by the former Whitney Museum building, designed by Marcel Breuer, and Brutalist forms and ideas more generally. Now with several distinct releases under their belt, it’s becoming more and more interesting to see how Toledano & Chan iterate on this platform. The Dazzle might be my personal favorite of the executions of this case design to date. The idea for the Dazzle comes from camouflage used on battleships during the first World War. The so-called “dazzle” camouflage design was not meant to conceal, but to use complex geometry to confuse the enemy by disrupting proportion. The alternating black and white bars painted onto a ship that’s in constant motion would have been difficult for an adversary to pin down. The dazzle design language has been used in art and design for many years since, including on watches, but Toledano & Chan’s version plays with the idea in a few interesting ways that I haven’t seen before. Like the most recent B/1 releases, this one is in titani...
Monochrome
For most people, cufflinks keep a shirt cuff in place and often add a little personality to an otherwise formal outfit. Jewellers offer cufflinks with genuine watch movements, and watchmakers have also been known to manufacture cufflinks, though more often as an added accessory than a functional piece. Indie watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin saw an opportunity […]
Hodinkee
What We Know Have you played "hide a World War I battleship?" I mean, who hasn't? It's basically the number two teenage pastime in the United States Midwest and Great Plains, with all those giant bodies of water in places like Nebraska, South Dakota, and the like. No? Okay, well, hiding ships was a life-or-death proposition back in World War I and World War II, and for a brief period from around 1917 to 1918, the answer was not to try to hide them at all. That's where Toledano & Chan got the idea for the new b/1 "Dazzle:" obfuscate, not obliterate. If the concept of "dazzle camo" sounds familiar, it's because Bulgari tried its own version of this disruptive pattern material (DPM, as it's known in the industry) just a few months ago. We even mentioned this watch coming from Toledano & Chan, which was revealed when it was nominated for a GPHG award. As a refresher, I'm going to paraphrase what I said before. British zoologist John Graham Kerr proposed (to Winston Churchill in 1914) a DPM designed to change the perceived outline, size, distance, and direction of ships at sea based on the same concept that zebras use to hide their distance and numbers from predators. The idea was convincing enough that a large number of ships were painted, and while some German U-Boat captains did say that the pattern was effective, it's still unclear how true that was. Regardless, radar basically made the whole idea obsolete, and now it's largely an oddity outside the automobile road-test...
Monochrome
After last year’s limited-edition Attitude with Tiger’s Eye dial, Pequignet continues to expand its collection with a version that once again puts the dial material centre stage. Called the Attitude Onyx, this new model replaces conventional dial finishes with genuine black onyx. Its dark, relatively uniform surface sets a restrained tone, with rose-gold-coloured details. The […]
Fratello
These days, “finishing” is a buzzword. Talk to fans of high horology, and you will most likely hear terms like “anglage,” “black polish,” and “perlage.” It seems like everything is about finishing nowadays, which made a master watchmaker tell me that decorating every last piece of a movement is not the essence of watchmaking. He […] Visit Does Finishing Make A Watch Movement Work Well, Or Is It Just A Beautifying Trick? to read the full article.
Fratello
The watch world doesn’t always embrace those who push creative boundaries. Over the past two decades, however, enthusiasts have become increasingly receptive to watchmakers who challenge conventional ideas. MB&F;, Urwerk, De Bethune, and Greubel Forsey have repeatedly demonstrated what happens when imagination drives the watchmaking process. The resurgence of shaped watches over the past five […] Visit The Toledano & Chan B/1 Dazzle Confuses The Eye And Steals The Show to read the full article.
SJX Watches
For some eight decades, Patek Philippe has been an important patron of cloisonné enamel, commissioning work that helped sustain the craft when demand for it had all but disappeared. From the enamel maps of Louis Cottier’s world time watches to the signed dials of Anita Porchet, its commissions trace a history of both the technique and the changing recognition of the artists behind it. Today, demand for artisanal dials, particularly those in cloisonné enamel, is at an all-time high. In May 2026, a Patek Philippe wristwatch sold for about US$10.2 million at an auction in Geneva, as collectors competed for a dial featuring a map of South America made with gold wire and enamel. The outcome ended up making headlines. The watch was a ref. 2523 from 1953, and the artist responsible for the dial — supplied by Stern Frères — remains anonymous. The Patek Philippe ref. 2523, with South America map. The story of cloisonné enamel at Patek Philippe is also one of artistic patronage. By choosing subjects, commissioning enamellers and eventually allowing them to sign their dials, the Genevan watchmaker has acted as a curator, shaping a body of work that reflects both its own tastes and the talents of individual artists. Drawing in fire Cloisonné is only one of several enamel techniques. Cloisonné begins with gold wire. The enameller bends it by hand, sometimes working with wire just 0.05 mm thick, to draw the design on the dial. The resulting compartments, or cloisons — Fren...
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