32,828 articles · 147 videos found · page 351 of 1100
Monochrome
The latest Peren Regia LE Dark follows recent models like the Regia X Automatic 39 Diver, but with a stripped-down aesthetic that’s very monochromatic and a bit futuristic. The diving bezel is sterile save for a white circle at 12 o’clock, and the white dial elements seem to almost float over the depths of the […]
SJX Watches
Piaget combines its traditional expertise in stone dials and ultra-thin movements with the Polo Perpetual Calendar Blue Obsidian, a handsome – and more original – take on the complicated Polo. The slim white gold case is combined with a mesmerizing dial in blue obsidian, which is not a mineral as often believed, but instead volcanic glass. Initial Thoughts The latest Polo Perpetual Calendar is arguably Piaget’s strongest release of the year. It plays to two of the brand’s traditional strengths, thin movements and natural stone or mineral dials. Piaget is of course not the only brand with a perpetual calendar sports watch. In fact, the Polo perpetual with a blue obsidian dial is similar enough to the competition to be competitive – it possesses the key characteristics of being slim and blue – but manages to do so without being derivative, which is arguably an issue with the earlier iteration of the model. The blue obsidian dial in particular sets this apart from comparable watches since exotic dial materials are relatively rare in this segment. The mechanics inside the latest Polo perpetual remain the same. While not the most sophisticated perpetual calendar mechanism in the segment, the ubiquitous Dubois Depraz calendar module is solid and reliable if adjusted according to protocol. Its widespread use also makes it easy for watchmakers to source parts, which is not always a given when it comes to complicated ultra-thin watches. That, paired with a competent ult...
WatchAdvice
The Hublot Aerofusion Titanium Chronograph isn’t your normal sports watch. It’s unapologetically bold, has striking wrist presence and ultimately, fun! What We Love The skeletonised dial looks great The look of the polished titanium gives it a lot of wrist presence Has the DNA of the original Classic Fusion Original, which is the essence of Hublot What We Don’t The clasp design could worry some wrists 45mm will be large for some The power reserve is on the smaller side compared to others on the market today Overall Rating: 8.25/10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 It doesn’t get too much more Hublot than the Classic Fusion collection, well, at least from a brand DNA perspective. The Classic Fusion is really where it all kicked off for the brand back in 1980 when Carlo Crocco had the crazy idea of putting rubber and precious metal together on a sports watch. Although it wasn’t called the Classic Fusion back then, that came later under the leadership of Jean Claude-Biver. The design was also something new and daring. Hublot is French for “Porthole” as as such, the design mimiced this with the bezel design and “H” shaped screws that are found on the case. From those beginnings back in 1980, the brand has grown immensely to what we know today. Hublot is a brand that is not afraid of breaking convention, going against the norm, and really just doing it their way! Over the years, Hublot has evolved substantially an...
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion. Vintage Citizen Here is a brilliant vintage Citizen. The stainless steel case is unpolished with nice sharp edges on the bezel and killer lugs. The clean white dial has two vertical silver stripes that give it a really sporty look. Simple applied steel baton markers and a day/date window at 3 o’clock. Overall a classic looking Japanese sport/dress watch. The watch comes on a steel Jubilee-style bracelet that fits the look, but is not original to the watch. The crown is signed as it should be. No movement picture but it runs well per the seller. View auction here Texas Instruments Starburst Now this one is interesting! A vintage Texas Instruments Starburst digital watch that has an analog style display. The square case is gold plated, as is the integrated bracelet. The watch looks almost new-old-stock, and is in stellar condition with no wear. The dial has a gold radial starburst pattern, with a round digital display in the middle. It has LCD hands that show the time, as well as a day/date function. Really a trippy and unique vintage LCD watch that I haven’t seen before. The watch comes with the original box as well as the original instruction booklet. Works well per the seller, ...
Fratello
This little introduction article is going to leave you wanting more. No, I don’t mean the watch itself, the most impressive and one-of-a-kind Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface. I mean more pictures of this highly complicated piece of Haute Horlogerie with its open dial, subtle use of color, and the impressive […] Visit Introducing: The Single-Edition Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Temporis Duo Grand Complication Openface to read the full article.
Quill & Pad
The Rolex Milgauss, despite being one of the longest-standing offerings by Rolex, remains one of Rolex's more under-appreciated models. Having owned a black dial 116400GV since 2016, Raman Kalra shares his thoughts on why it's worth your consideration.
SJX Watches
Ressence is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its retailer in the United Arab Emirates, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, in distinctly granular manner with the quirky, sand-filled Type 9 S75. A limited edition of only 20 pieces, the S75 is based on the recently introduced Type 9, the brand’s minimalist, entry-level model. The dial is coated with sand sourced from the seven Emirates that make up the desert country in the Arabian peninsula. Initial Thoughts Typically, sand, or any sort of grit for that matter, in watches is undesirable, but Ressence is challenging that perception. The hands do not cut through the sand as it may first appear. Instead, the sand is suspended in a clear adhesive, bonding it to the titanium discs that show the time. This might be somewhat disappointing for those who hoped that Ressence had overcome the physics of materials, but perfectly logical. Filling the watch with loose sand would create a more dynamic dial, it’d also require enormous torque to push through. Since sand is a coarse and rough natural abrasive that gets everywhere, it’d likely destroy the module anyway. Past Seddiqi editions by other brands did actually have loose sand within the case, but contained within a sealed module entirely separate from the movement and dial. While the sand might seem like a gimmick on the face of it, the granular surface adds a different, earthy, and even organic, texture to the traditional Ressence aesthetic of sleek, smooth, and mechanical. Moreover, cl...
SJX Watches
The Kudoke 2 SHH Edition celebrates 20 years of the independent brand founded by husband-and-wife Stefan and Ev Kudoke. A run of 20 pieces exclusive to Singapore retailer Sincere Fine Watches, the edition sports the “flakes” dial finish in a first for the Kudoke 2, which features a distinctive day-night indicator at 12 o’clock. Initial Thoughts Stefan Kudoke was only in his mid-twenties when he founded his eponymous brand. Kudoke’s focus on detailed, graphic hand engraving has helped the brand differentiate itself as more independents, often focusing on movement finishing and guilloche, have sprung up over the years. While the SHH Edition comes at a considerable premium to the regular production Kudoke 2, it’s easily justified by the champagne rosé dial hand engraved with a “flakes” finish. When considering both the quality and quantity of engraving, the SHH Edition maintains the competitive pricing Kudoke is known for. Dial The SHH Edition brings the “flakes” pattern dial, first launched on the Kudoke 3, to the Kudoke 2 for the first time. The dial surface is covered with hundreds of tiny divots resembling flakes, which give the dial a sparkly finish. Each “flake” is painstakingly free-hand engraved, leaving no two dials exactly alike. Similar care is given to the rotating 24-hour disk at 12 o’clock, which has a deeply engraved, rose-gold plated sun on one half, and on the other half, a moon and stars motif that’s engraved and lumed in blue. T...
Time+Tide
Real sand from all the seven Emirates features on the dial of the new Ressence Type 9, celebrating 75 years of Seddiqi.The post Ressence celebrates Ahmed Seddiqi’s 75th anniversary with a literally sandy Type 9 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Tudor is beach-ready with a new version of the vintage-sized dive watches, the Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Blue”. Matched with a “five-link” bracelet, the relaxed colorway – on a granular, textured dial notably – targets a different market without sacrificing the Black Bay 54’s impressive specifications or value proposition. Initial Thoughts The 37 mm case and utilitarian looks of the standard Black Bay 54 made it a great unisex option, perfect for men who appreciate vintage proportions or women who want a dive watch they could wear without it wearing them, or anyone in between. Tudor is arguably leaning towards a more feminine style in its marketing with the “Lagoon Blue”, though with the current popularity of turquoise dials, this is sure to be another gender-neutral hit. The keen-eyed will also note the slightly reflective, granular dial finish, which isn’t that novel in itself, but is notable for Tudor, which traditionally employs plainer dial surfaces. New look aside, the Lagoon Blue is still an excellent value. When considering the build quality, high-spec movement, and micro-adjust clasp, it’s difficult to find anything comparable at US$4,350, which alone is commendable. This, combined with a Jubilee-esque bracelet and in-vogue colorway, make the Black Bay 54 Lagoon Blue extremely compelling. The Slow Life The brand says the Lagoon Blue is meant to honor the slow life, but it’s still a capable diver, with well-lumed hands, dial, and bezel pip, i...
Teddy Baldassarre
Making its debut at the 2023 edition of Watches & Wonders, the Tudor Black Bay 54 caused something of a riot with its dead-on vintage reimagining of the Oyster Prince Submariner Reference 7922 from, you guessed it, 1954. Truly, apart from some dial text details and a more contemporary handset, you could easily mistake one for the other from across a room. For fans of historically sized divers, this was pure catnip, without the accompanying headaches associated with vintage watches, most notably, fragility and authenticity. The larger blue Black Bay 58 (left) next to the 37mm Black Bay 54 (right) Getting both the look and a warranty proved to be impossible to resist, leading to waiting lists at ADs and plenty of Instagram FOMO. Let’s face it, many collectors are more attuned to the stylistic path that Tudor has taken in recent memory, with an aesthetic that’s more tool than jewel. The Tudor of yore was a more attainable Rolex, with models like the Tudor Sub nearly identical to the Rolex version, apart from the movement within. But as Rolex has sized up and blinged out, the two corporate siblings’ paths have diverged, with Tudor more than happy to scoop up the business of enthusiasts who prefer a retro feel in their timepieces. Like many armchair super-spies, I’m all-in on a watch that wouldn’t be out of place on Connery’s wrist in Thunderball, despite having never once fired a speargun. So now that the dust has settled and the BB54 has been out in the wild for ...
Worn & Wound
If you’ve been paying attention to Tudor over the last few years, you know that a key component of their release strategy has been to drop unexpected dial colors into catalog staples at seemingly random intervals throughout the year. We’ve seen this play out with the Black Bay Chronograph multiple times, with pink and blue editions released unexpectedly and quickly allocated to collectors. Today, Tudor is trying something similar with the Black Bay 54, their most compact version of the Black Bay dive watch. The new Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Blue” is more than just a dial variant, as it represents the first expansion of the Black Bay 54 line since it was introduced two years ago with a straightforward black dial. The first follow up after a hit watch is always an interesting bit of trivia for those of us who consider ourselves watch nerds. This release echos the blue dialed version of the Black Bay 58, which was perhaps even more of a sensation than the original when it saw a surprise release in the early days of the pandemic. Until this ywar’s Watches & Wonders, when a red 58 was launched, those two references somewhat surprisingly made up the entire Black Bay 58 collection. Time will tell if Tudor is quicker to produce new variants of the 54, but this version exists as a nice counterpoint to the debut. The “Lagoon Blue” dial has a light, almost turquoise-like tone, along with the familiar Snowflake handset and lume filled hour markers. The dial has what Tudor des...
SJX Watches
Known for its quirky pixelated dials and brutalist die-cast cases, Kollokium has introduced the Projekt 01 Variant F, which takes the brand’s signature dial and elevates it with hundreds of individual Lichtblock lume elements. The violet lume elements feature various sizes and heights, and are clustered around the even-numbered hour markers to provide a degree of legibility. It’s a striking look, especially when the lights go out and the lume can truly shine. Founded in 2020 by Manuel Emch, Barth Nussbaumer, and Amr Sindi, Kollokium has released a total of six models since inception. All models to-date have used roughly the same 40 mm die-cast steel case and the same basic design concept. The Variant F is a limited edition of 399 pieces and will be available directly from Kollokium and its authorised dealers in June 2025. Initial thoughts After years collecting watches, it’s easy to feel like every new watch is a remake of something else, because for many brands, especially towards the lower end of the price spectrum, that tends to be true. So it’s refreshing when a new brand like Kollokium manages to create a recognisable and distinctive aesthetic from day 1. The Variant F features the same 40 mm die-cast steel case as previous Kollokium models, but the water resistance has been increased from 30 m to 50 m. To clear the taller hand stack, the box-shaped crystal is also a bit higher, adding about a millimeter to the overall height, which is now 11.95 mm. The choice...
Teddy Baldassarre
Before I get into this review of the Sinn 104 St Sa I white-dial watch, I wanted to offer some of my thoughts and provide some context about the brand. Now, if you know me, you know I’m a longtime fan of Germany’s Sinn and its iconoclastic range of tool watches. all of which have that extra little bit of over-engineered oomph when compared to many of their rugged peers. Come to think of it, these watches actually have no peers, given their unique solutions to problems facing watches that actually experience adverse conditions. Sinn History & Context Founded in 1961 in Frankfurt by ex-military pilot Helmut Sinn, the brand's cultish popularity stems from its technical innovations, which include the so-called "Submarine" steel, developed for the modern German Navy and found in many Sinn dive watches. Submarine steel possesses a mechanical strength more than one and a half times that of normal steel, and additionally, it's highly resistant to magnetism, cracking, and corrosion. In fact, Sinn claims the alloy is completely resistant to prolonged exposure to salt water, something that few stainless-steel formulations can claim. Sinn also employs an additional technology for hardening both stainless steel and titanium surfaces under the Tegiment name. This treatment increases both hardness and scratch resistance even further, making for a practically bombproof finish. The caseback of the Sinn U15 Sinn also goes above and beyond when it comes to handling pressure. For its p...
Monochrome
MeisterSinger is famous for its portfolio of single-handed watches, and the latest 24H Enamel Edition is no exception, but a white enamel dial, single revolution every 24 hours and the ability to moonlight as a compass helps it really stand out. The philosophy of the brand is to slow down a bit and appreciate time […]
Fratello
It’s hard to believe that the Glashütte Original SeaQ debuted back in 2019 as part of the Spezialist collection. The watches were added to the permanent catalog, honoring the brand’s Spezimatic Type RP TS 200 from 1969. Since the initial release, new dial colors and materials have been added. For the smallest offering in the […] Visit Taking A Fresh Look At The 39.5mm Glashütte Original SeaQ to read the full article.
WatchAdvice
The first standard production watch with the Breitling B19 Perpetual Calendar movement, of course, had to be a Navitimer. We have gone hands-on with it to see how it stacks up! What We Love That ice-blue dial is stunning! Has an amazing wrist presence and an iconic design Easy to use and adjust movement with the perpetual calendar What We Don’t The reverse-style strap can get in the way, depending on your wrist size The 30m water resistance is on the low side The 43mm size will not suit all wrist sizes if you have a smaller wrist Overall Rating: 9 / 10 Value for Money: 9.5/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 When you think of Breitling, one of the first, if not the first, model that comes to mind is the Navitimer. Not only is it one of Breitling’s most iconic models, but it is also one of the most iconic watches out there, thanks to its history, unique slide-rule bezel and overall design cues that make it stand out. You can easily recognise a Navitimer on the wrist from a distance. In that regard, it’s up there with the Submariner, the Speedmaster, the Luminor, and the Royal Oak, to name but a few. So it stands to reason that it was one of the models to receive the new in-house B19 Perpetual Calendar movement as part of Breitling’s 140th Anniversary Collection. The 18k Rose Gold 140th Anniversary Navitimer B19 Chronograph Perpetual Calendar. This was my pick of the three, but we chose to review the Super Chronomat instead, given the uniquene...
Quill & Pad
Czapek's Promenade collection places the focus on artistic dials and the new Promenade Diamond Drops adds some sparkle to the artistry. The 38 mm diameter white gold case is features a diamond-set bezel and crown, and the dial is a sparkling sea of snow-set dial of diamonds and sapphires.
Monochrome
Seiko has shown great skill and creativity when it comes to its watches, mostly in the art of dial making. Ranging from simple to complex, there’s always an interesting story surrounding the inspiration and the creation of its dials. Whether it be a texture of Edo silk, or the shift in colour in the waters […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The Bulova Devil Diver (formally known as the Bulova Oceanographer) first debuted back in the 1960s, when it went on to become something of a cult classic. It wasn’t a record-breaking dive watch worn by the world’s most accomplished that-and-that, it just had a striking design, and there was something edgy and subversive about that “666ft” on the dial. Of course, that number has to do with its water resistance and nothing sinister, but the Devil Diver moniker is really catchy and has stuck. Back in 2018, Bulova reissued the Oceanographer, but at 44mm wide it was just not what a lot of people were clamoring for. A few years later, in 2021, came this 41mm wide version that is much truer to the original. Four years later, the affordable dive watch market has gotten more competitive but the Bulova Devil Diver still holds its own, so let’s take a look at what makes this orange-dial diver feel like a slice of heaven for well under $1,000. Bulova Devil Diver Case: When the Bulova Devil Diver was first reintroduced back in 2018, there were quite a few gripes we all heard about the 44mm case being just way too big and not true to the original. Fortunately, the 2021 iteration brought the case back to the 41mm size of the original, a decision that won over the hearts of some jilted purists. To be fair, you do not have to be a vintage purist to see why a 41mm case will always be preferable to 44mm to a vast majority of contemporary buyers. Of course, the ~202 meters of water...
Worn & Wound
For the sixth year in a row, Oris has launched a watch on the anniversary of their founding. The Hölstein Edition watches, which debut each year on June 1, are an opportunity for Oris to celebrate their heritage, release a watch that’s perhaps a little outside the box, and have some fun in the process. Previous Hölstein Editions include an Aquis diver with a bold purple dial, the revival of a classic complication, and, most recently, an unusual and very cool blacked out edition of their classic Divers Sixty-FIve. A throughline through these watches is the appearance of the Oris Bear, and for this year’s Hölstein Edition we get a particularly fun cameo from the brand’s mascot via a fully lumed dial. This year’s watch is a fresh take on the ProPilot, Oris’s contemporary, aviation inspired watch. For this limited edition (as with previous Hölstein Editions, this one is limited to 250 pieces) the stainless steel case has been given an aggressive black DLC treatment. It’s still, of course, unmistakably a ProPilot, with the hallmark fluted bezel and the gently curved 41mm case. This is much more than a blacked out ProPilot, though. Oris is having a lot of fun with the dial, giving it a full lume treatment that appears white in the daylight and glows green in the dark when the luminescent material is activated. The Arabic numerals, dial text, and hands are all in matte black, which makes the dial easy to read in both well lit situations and, importantly, in the ...
SJX Watches
Although Francois-Paul Journe is best known for his inventions like the Tourbillon Remontoir d’Egalite and Resonance, not to mention the whole suite of Octa models, the Chronomètre Souverain was also arguably one of his brand’s foundational models. This year F.P. Journe is marking two decades of the watch with the Chronomètre Souverain 20th Anniversary, which is essentially the original in new dress – the dial is now dark blue with applied gold numerals. Initial thoughts When the Chronomètre Souverain debuted in 2005 – the same year as the Breguet Tradition that was recently revived – it was novel and exciting; I remember the buzz amongst enthusiasts then. The F.P. Journe brand was barely six years old. The Chronomètre Souverain was then one of the rare few time-only watches from an independent watchmaker, and it had an all-new movement to boot. Today it is less exciting for sure, but the movement remains surprising novel for a basic calibre. As an entry-level watch, the Chronomètre Souverain remains excellent (even if availability is an obstacle). Although the Chronomètre Souverain is the simplest mechanical F.P. Journe watch, the cal. 1304 inside still retains the technical hallmarks of the brand, namely elegant, concise engineering and symmetry. Clever touches include the “invisible” gear train; only the regulator and barrels are visible on the main plate. From its conception, the cal. 1304 was conceived for chronometry. The utility and strength of t...
Fratello
Welcome to another installment of Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we decided to put the Swiss up against the Japanese, each with a purple-dial stainless steel watch of their own. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual with a lavender dial represents the Swiss, while the Grand Seiko “Kiri” SBGW323 represents the Japanese. Both came out during Watches […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 “Lavender” Vs. Grand Seiko “Kiri” SBGW323 to read the full article.
Fratello
When Rado announced the comeback of the Anatom series, it brought back many memories. I vividly remember that my mother was a big fan of the black ceramic Rado watches in the 1990s. So while I was checking out the promo materials of Pete Sampras and his Movado Museum Watch back then, my mother was […] Visit Hands-On With Three Striking Rado Anatom Models With High-Tech Ceramic Bracelets to read the full article.
WatchAdvice
The Breitling Top Time Martini Racing is a stylish tribute to the brand’s motorsport heritage, blending retro 1960s design with the iconic flair of Martini Racing, and here is how it performs in the modern-day watch world… What We Love The vibrant colours and dial stand out on the wrist A super easy-wearing watch thanks to its dimensions and lightness A great If You Know, You Know (IYKYK) collaboration What We Don’t The 38mm size wears on the smaller side, and may not suit larger wrists The domed crystal does distort the tachymeter scale on the outer section of the dial Start function on the chronograph is a little stiffer than expected Overall Rating: 8.6 / 10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 Two Brands, One Shared Passion Normally when watch brands embark on collaborations with companies or brands outside the watch world, there is normally a pre-existing association in place. Usually through a sponsorship of an event, or partnership with a movie, that kind of thing. However, with the new Breitling Top Time Martini Racing, this is not quite the case. What it is, however, is a partnership based on a shared passion – Motorsport. Interestingly, neither Breitling nor Martini Racing are motoring brands either. Before you say, “But Martini Racing is one of the most iconic motorsports brands out there!” to which you are right, I’ll preface that statement. Martini Racing is part of Martini & Rossi, the alcohol brand base...
Monochrome
A young French brand, Awake Watches was founded by Lilian Thibault in 2019 with the idea to raise awareness of our planet’s limited resources. From there, the brand diversified with NASA-themed models or watches with a dial inspired by the natural geometry of a sunflower. Last year, Awake released Son Mài, its first permanent collection […]
Fratello
Raymond Weil seems to be on a bit of a roll. The Millesime collection is broadly loved and appreciated, and these new Freelancers hit the spot too. Today, I go hands-on with two versions of the new Raymond Weil Freelancer Complete Calendar. I got to spend some time with the steel blue-dial version on the […] Visit Hands-On With The Raymond Weil Freelancer Complete Calendar to read the full article.
Deployant
Ba1110d once again partnered with with Olivier Mory to bring this next iteration of their flying tourbillon, now in a very discreet, onyx dial.
Fratello
Another Sunday morning, another showdown. Grab your hot cup of coffee and get ready to vote! This week, it’s all about popular retro dive watches. One is the recently released white-dial Longines Legend Diver. It was met with much praise from media and fans alike as a brighter alternative to the black- and blue-dial options. […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Oris Divers Date Vs. Longines Legend Diver to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Let’s take a quick inventory of some of the small watch brands making enamel dials of some kind. This is a segment that’s become ultra competitive in the wake of anOrdain, the Glasgow based indie that popularized this style of artisanal watchmaking in a more accessible way, coming on the scene several years ago. There’s 5280 Watch Company, based in Colorado and creating a truly unique enamel dial that is also decorated with an old fashioned engine turning technique. Then there’s Statera, based in Brazil, a brand that makes grand feu enamel dials that are meant to evoke midcentury classics from Patek Philippe and others. There are a bunch of brands who don’t specialize in enamel, but have dabbled in it, one way or another. We can include De Rijke & Co. here, who produced a limited run of champlevé enamel dialed watches with designs by Guy Allen last year. There are others: Louis Erard and Seiko have had notable enamel releases in the last few years, and we can even include James Lamb in the conversation, although the handmade silver cases he produces push his watches just a bit outside that tempting sub $5,000 price point. This much enamel would have been unthinkable in a pre anOrdain world, and I think it’s important to recognize that at the outset of any discussion of a new enamel dialed watch, because any new watch in this category will be seen, perhaps unfairly, as a challenger to anOrdain’s crown. Their waitlist now reportedly stretches to 2029, so i...
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.