Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko Adds Two Anniversary Automatic Dive Watches to the Prospex Lineup
Seiko adds two limited edition Prospex dive watches to its 145th anniversary lineup: the heritage-inspired HBC005 and the Samurai-based HBB001.
31,689 articles · 175 videos found · page 356 of 1063
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko adds two limited edition Prospex dive watches to its 145th anniversary lineup: the heritage-inspired HBC005 and the Samurai-based HBB001.
SJX Watches
Phillips’ spring auction season wraps up with The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XXII on May 30 – 31. As is now the norm, independent watchmakers have carved out a significant section of the catalogue including the usual suspects from F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour, as well as rare showings from under-the-radar makers like Oscillon and Yosuke Sekiguchi. Lot 878 – Oscillon L’instant de Vérité Despite how hot the indie segment has become, Oscillon has largely stayed under the radar, perhaps due to its intensely cerebral nature, or because the brand only produces about five watches per year. The duo behind the brand, Dominique Buser and Cyrano Devanthey, are collectors of pre-computerised watchmaking machines. Their collection is so extensive that they can produce all movement parts – save for the jewels and shock protection – under their own roof using these machines. Even putting this context aside, the watches themselves are still mechanically interesting. The most striking detail is the bowtie-shaped balance, which is harder to poise and less aerodynamic than a conventional annular balance, but looks much cooler. L’instant de Vérité uses an unusual tensator constant-force spring. To explain this, consider a tape measure. The force required to pull more length from a tape measure doesn’t noticeably increase regardless of the length already paid out. Now imagine hooking the end of the tape to a pulley, so that turning the pulley (winding) pulls tape out, and ...
Hodinkee
The Horological Society of New York's award-winning classes are on the road again! HSNY is visiting St. Louis on July 18 and 19, 2026, hosted by RedBar St. Louis. At HSNY's Horological Education classes, students discover what actually makes a watch tick under the guidance of HSNY's staff of professional watchmakers. Students work on a mechanical watch movement, studying the gear train, winding and setting mechanisms, and escapement. The weekend half-day classes cover everything taught during the individual evening classes held in New York. Enrollment is now open for the classes, and we look forward to seeing you there! HODINKEE is a sponsor of the Horological Society of New York.
Hodinkee
What We Know H. Moser & Cie. introduced its first flyback chronograph in 2020 with the Streamliner, a cushion-cased sports watch powered by the HMC 902—an automatic movement with central elapsed-seconds and elapsed-minutes hands and no sub-dials. That watch won the Chronograph Watch Prize at the GPHG and gave rise to a full collection. The next step was always the Endeavour case, and today it's here. The Endeavour Flyback Chronograph Dual Time Date takes the core architecture of the HMC 902, removes the automatic winding system, and uses the freed space to add a second time zone and date—all without any subdials The Endeavour Flyback Chronograph Dual Time Date comes in a 42mm stainless steel case with chronograph pushers at 10 and 2 o'clock and a screw-down crown at 4 o'clock. The dial is a turquoise fumé with a sunburst pattern. The central disc—which carries the second time zone—is in Blackor fumé, also with a sunburst pattern. Around the perimeter, a tachymeter sits on the flange alongside a white minute track that handles both elapsed seconds and minutes for the chronograph. Hands are leaf-shaped and filled with Super-LumiNova, as is the tip of the dual-time arrow. Uniting three complications—a flyback chronograph, a second time zone, and a date display—the watch does away with traditional subdials entirely. Instead, all indications are centralized: a red hand tracks chronograph seconds, a rhodium-plated hand shows elapsed minutes, and the second time zon...
Hodinkee
What We Know The revived and relaunched Dennison brand that returned in 2024 and snagged a GPHG award with its debut, the quartz-powered stone-dial ALD Collection, is back with a fresh take on the retro design-driven model. Marking its second collaboration with U.S.-based Patek Philippe vintage specialist Collectability and its founder, John Reardon, the Dennison + Collectability 2026 Edition Oblique Collection brings designer Emmanuel Gueit's interpretation of asymmetric watch design, recalling Patek timepieces, including its Ellipse models, as well as those produced with famed Swiss jeweler Gilbert Albert. Featuring the same case as the flagship ALD collection, in stainless steel or gold PVD coating, the latest Dennison + Collectability collab reimagines the standard ALD housing with an asymmetric bezel design that thoroughly transforms the look and feel of the timepiece. It's a surprisingly effective and imaginative way to reconsider the case at the core of the brand, and it has also been used in its two-handset, quartz-powered ALD Dual Time models. The collaboration is available in two different dial designs in either stainless steel or gold PVD. First up is the 'Oblique Enigma Dial' that features a metal cutout on the sunburst and a blue and green two-tone dial. The metal border accentuates the asymmetry of the design and contrasts with the same shape used on the bezel. The other dial is a sector-style or starburst pattern that the brand calls its 'Oblique Vecto...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We reviewed the Imperial Oceanguard GMT and Steinhart Ocean 39 GMT hands-on to see which affordable Rolex GMT-Master II alternative is easier to live with.Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.
Fratello
Øyvind VonDoren Asbjørnsen knows how to tell a story. The Norwegian studied film production at London Film School in the late 1980s before beginning his career in television. He then served as executive producer and cinematographer on the feature documentary Magnus about Norwegian chess champion Magnus Carlsen, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in […] Visit Introducing: The Handmade-In-Scandinavia Von Doren 1814 Nordic Made to read the full article.
Fratello
It is easy to get lost in the intricacies of extremely complicated watches when exploring the creations of our beloved Haute Horlogers. Sometimes, though, you just want that level of quality and refinement applied to simpler things. Maybe you have a taste for uncomplicated base models, but you appreciate the rarity and craft of Haute […] Visit Uncomplicated Haute Horlogerie: Some Of Our Favorite High-End Time-Only Watches to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre Videos
The Omega Speedmaster holds a special place in horological history for a multitude of reasons, and there’s one Speedy that sits alone at the top: the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional. It's an icon truly deserving of the often-overused title, and this is a watch that carries universal weight among collectors. However,
SJX Watches
Rolex surprised in a big way with the Cosmograph Daytona Rolesium Enamel Dial ref. 126502. Despite being an “off-catalogue” model, the new Daytona was launched publicly, perhaps to emphasise its unusual nature. To start with, it features a grand feu enamel dial – yes, fired vitreous enamel – inside a bi-metal case of mostly steel, with a touch of platinum, plus a new ceramic (or cermet) bezel. It also has a display back and a steep price tag rivalling that of an all-gold Daytona. While last year’s Land-Dweller and its cal. 7135 was chock-full of patents that Rolex explicitly explained, the Daytona ref. 126502 is more typical Rolex in possessing incremental technical innovation that is left unspecified; it probably incorporates multiple patents that Rolex will not elaborate on. The traditional nature of the dial, the materials and production techniques, and even the display back, hint at future developments at the leading champion of industrial quality perfection. The dial is a four-part affair in white grand feu enamel, while the bezel insert in cermet Initial thoughts Let’s start with the obvious: do I like the new Daytona? Yes. Do I think the dial is actually and technically enamel? Yes. Do I think it’s too expensive? No. While it seems pricey on its face, Rolex pricing is practically always reasonable. I believe the seemingly high price here is justified by something in the watch that Rolex hasn’t explicitly divulged. Price aside, it takes a bit of exami...
Hodinkee
What We Know The day after Memorial Day brings the promise of warmer days, long summer nights, and backyard cookouts. Timex and J.Crew have decided to mark the occasion in a way that feels entirely right for the season—and perfect for us here at Hodinkee—with the release of the Timex MK1 for J.Crew. The MK1 is one of Timex's most storied models, originally rooted in military-inspired design. This version trades military-spec field watch utility for a leisurely day on the water. Housed in a 36mm gold-plated stainless steel case with a clean white dial, crisp Arabic numerals, and a printed rail track, the star of the show is unmistakably the small figure swimming across the dial. That figure, true anglers will recognize it immediately, is a brook trout—rendered from an original watercolor by J.Crew's in-house artist. It's a matter-of-fact detail that is unexpected, and works. With the trout and enlarged numbers taking up precious dial real estate, branding is limited. The Timex logo is on the front, the J.Crew logo on the caseback. Built for long days on the water, the MK1 for J.Crew offers 50m of water resistance and sits behind an acrylic crystal. It runs on a quartz movement, with an 18mm lug width and a neatly braided dark brown leather strap that has the signs of it only getting better with time. The Timex MK1 for J.Crew launches May 28th at $198 and is available at Timex.com, JCrew.com, and select J.Crew retail locations. What We Think What more could you ask for...
Hodinkee
What We Know For the last ten years, Louis Vuitton has worked with UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, to support humanitarian and developmental aid for children worldwide. To mark the tenth anniversary of the partnership, the house is releasing a one-of-a-kind time object—a soccer ball reimagined as a clock—to be auctioned exclusively at Sotheby's from June 9 to 18, with the hammer price going directly to UNICEF. The piece brings together La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Swiss movement maker L'Épée 1839, and the house's trunkmaking heritage, all in the shape of a soccer ball, timed perfectly ahead of this year's World Cup. With Louis Vuitton's F1 partnership now in its second year, the brand has been planting its flag deeper in the world of sport. Having a soccer ball serve as the vessel for this milestone feels like a natural extension of that direction, and there's something fitting about the spherical choice of form to commemorate this occasion. At the center of the piece, time is told through a sculpted golden steel dome that forms the upper half of the clock. Two rotating cylinders handle the work: one tracks the hours, the other the minutes. The minute track is engraved with Louis Vuitton's Monogram motif and flowers, and the top of the cylinder carries the "Louis Vuitton Paris" signature. Moving outward, the hour and minute apertures are rimmed with diamonds—144 white for the hours, 120 black for the minutes, totaling 1.03 carats. Inside, L'...
Hodinkee
Just last week, I visited the workshop of Petermann-Bédat in Renes. I had a morning to kill on the way to Lausanne for a project, and instead of sleeping off some jetlag, I decided to do something productive. And, actually, something that makes me happy. Spending time with Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat is always a pleasure. I put a lot of stock in the personalities of independent watchmakers, and I think it's fair to consider them artists you want to support, not just for the art but also for how you connect with them. Far from a buyer, I still seem to operate on a similar wavelength to the two. But the added bonus is that I finally got to see their new reference 1826, which was launched for The Hour Glass in Japan, and boy, was it a stunner. No, the name isn't a typo. While the larger (and relatively recently released) ref. 1825 from 2025 featured a 38mm case; the watchmakers have been able to downsize the two new versions to 36mm, made in white and rose gold. Actually, they made the original caliber with a 36mm case in mind, but, to paraphrase, they didn't feel the market was ready. Turns out that it was maybe not the best for the global stage, but perfect for one market in particular. The difference is pretty dramatic in person. But so is this recent generation of watches in general. Petermann-Bédat's business arch has been a yo-yo from a simple-looking but technically complex deadbeat watch (shown above) that launched the brand, then an incredibly complex spli...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
TAG Heuer expands the Aquaracer Solargraph 200 with four new models in steel and titanium, all powered by the solar-driven TH50-00 caliber.
Hodinkee
What We Know The Annual Editions from German brand Glashütte Original are quite self-explanatory from their name. Each year, Glashütte Original adorns one of its vintage-inspired designs from the Sixties collection with a new colorway. There's no hard-and-fast rule about what colors make an appearance—past dials have ranged from subtle to loud, muted to saturated, and smooth to textured. This year's Sixties Chronograph Annual Edition goes for maximum visual impact with a very unconventional purple dial, produced in-house at their dialmaking facility in Glashütte. This 2026 edition opts for the distinctive textured dial that has accompanied a few of the past Sixties models, produced through a stamping process for the bronze dial base. After a galvanic coating process that adds a layer of gold to the base dial, purple lacquer is hand-applied and then fired at high temperatures to set the color. A unique design detail of the dial is the lack of applied hour indices. Rather, the now purple lacquer dial is hand-engraved to reveal strips of the bronze base, acting as those markers and a warm contrast to the rest of the dial. Once this step is completed, the entire dial gets a protective clear lacquer coating, and the dial text is printed on. Gold-plated hands are paired to complement the tone of the bronze hour indices. And of course, any Sixties Edition from Glashütte Original means some heavily stylized numerals, seen here at twelve and six o'clock. As this year's Annu...
Monochrome
Revived in 2015, Czapek owes its name to the famous Czech-born Polish watchmaker who co-founded Patek, Czapek & Cie in 1839 and then went solo with his own company in 1845. In just over a decade, Czapek has developed 10 in-house movements spread across its five main families. The Promenade collection, unveiled in 2024, fills […]
Worn & Wound
The evolution of Awake has been fascinating to observe over the last few years. From high concept blockchain and space inspired sports watches, the brand took a left turn into traditional craft techniques, and is now working to refine those ideas further in their latest collection. The new Son Mài Guilloché Main Collection combines the Son Mai lacquer techniques the brand has employed in previous collections with evocative, hand-applied guilloche work. These new watches also have updates to the case and dial that we imagine will carry through to further Awake releases in the pipeline. I had a chance to see these watches in person at Chronopolis in Geneva earlier this year, and then again at the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco, and each time I came away very impressed with the dial work, which is clearly the chief selling point here. To summarize, these dials use the same “Son Mai” lacquer technique, perfected by artisans in Vietnam, that we saw the brand debut in 2024. The resulting bold, vibrant colors really carry these watches and give a very old practice a lot of modern charm. For the new collection, Awake has added guilloche to the mix. Before the lacquer finish is applied, each dial has a meticulously applied guilloche pattern engraved into the dial by traditional rose and straight line engines by craftspeople in Italy. When the lacquer finish is added later, it accentuates the guilloche in a dramatic way, highlighting the depth of the engraving and the ri...
Monochrome
Bangalore Watch Company was founded in 2018 and has since built its catalogue with native India in focus. Aviation, cricket, space exploration and national industry have all served as foundations for its collections, often narrative-driven. Last year, the brand introduced the Peninsula Professional, a rugged, adventure-ready bezel-less sports watch inspired by India’s mountains, coastlines and forests. […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We reviewed both the Halios Seaforth IV and Tudor Pelagos FXD to compare comfort, design, value, and long-term appeal between these two titanium dive watches.
Fratello
The idea that great chronographs need to cost serious money has become one of the biggest myths in modern watch collecting. Yes, the upper end of the market is packed with six-figure grails and impossible waiting lists, but the truth is that some of the most compelling chronographs on the market sit comfortably below the […] Visit What Are 10 Of The Best Chronographs Under €3,000? to read the full article.
Monochrome
Glashütte Original’s Sixties Annual Editions have become something of a tradition, using colour and texture to reinterpret the spirit of the late 1960s through fun and expressive dials. From the vivid green tones of the early editions to the fiery orange degradé models, the glacier blue versions of 2020, the textured references of 2021, and […]
Fratello
Ask me for a list of my favorite affordable dive watches, and the 38mm DS Action Diver in titanium will be on it every time. When Certina released the lightweight 38mm version of its popular diver, it stood out immediately, and not just for its great dimensions, solid specs, and attractive price. It’s also not […] Visit Certina Updated The Popular DS Action Diver 38mm Titanium, But Did It Get Better? to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The most talked-about release from Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) at Watches & Wonders was the refreshed Master Control collection, which debuted on a surprising integrated bracelet. Available with or without perpetual calendar or power reserve complications, the Master Control Chronometre is powered by the latest version of the brand’s long-running cal. 899, which is now certified by both COSC and a new internal standard called the High Performance Guarantee (HPG). Initial thoughts Since the Master Control Chronometre debuted at Watches & Wonders, I have been asked multiple times whether it is a dress watch or a sport watch. Setting aside the issue of the false dichotomy that exists between these categories, the Master Control Chronometre presents itself primarily as a dress watch on a bracelet. While the bracelet’s angular facets evoke those of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, the staid Master Control dial is what defines the look. The simple sunray finish and slim hands — not to mention the lack of any lume — firmly root the Master Control Chronometre in the dress watch category. The soft blue and brown dials are each attractive in their own right, with colour-matched date wheels to avoid any harsh transitions. While the text is arguably superfluous, the ‘Chronometre’ label is more interesting than the typical ‘Automatique’ text that mars most Master Control dials. In terms of the value proposition, it’s a tale of two metals. The stainless steel model isn’t...
SJX Watches
Being the serious-minded German brand that it is, A. Lange & Söhne almost never makes unique or one-off watches. But just before Watches & Wonders opened its doors last month, Lange presented the Grand Complication in white gold with a black enamel dial to its lucky, large-wristed owner. First launched in 2013, the Grand Complication was a watch of many superlatives – the most complicated, most expensive, and most biggest Lange wristwatch ever made. Six of the 50 mm originals were made, all identical and all resembling a pocket watch with lugs. The new Grand Complication, on the other hand, feels more contemporary, but it remains the most complicated, expensive, and biggest Lange wristwatch ever made. The unique Grand Complication. Image – Owner Initial thoughts Lange’s “grand comp” was launched at Watches & Wonders when it was still a Hong Kong event. I was surprised by the watch, and while impressed by the technical achievement, it felt derivative. As it was then, the Grand Complication was essentially a replica, right down to the white enamel dial. The new Grand Complication looks and feels like an entirely different watch. Made in-house like Lange’s recent enamel dials, the black champleve dial is striking and modern. The white gold case contributes equally to the fresh look that departs the 19th century aesthetic. Image – Owner However, in a strange twist, the new case material leaves the brand logo along the dial flange even more obvious than before. T...
Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer has expanded its Aquaracer collection with the introduction of new Solargraph powered references in two case sizes. The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional Solargraph watches are straightforward dive watches that should have a large mass market appeal with a (relatively) low entry price and an appealing movement technology that is geared toward grab-and-go versatility. These aren’t necessarily the most enthusiast forward watches in TAG’s collection, but they make a lot of sense as a simple quartz watch to have ready for vacations or other travel in the summer months when you don’t want your watch to weigh too heavily on the mind. In terms of marquee dive watches from large brands, the Aquaracer has a relatively short history, with the name first being used in 2004. For that reason, I think it’s sometimes an afterthought when it comes to Swiss dive watches from major brands, but it certainly has developed a niche of fans through the launch of interesting limited editions that have played with color and material over the years, and a design that doesn’t obviously trade on the look and feel of competitors from brands like Rolex, Tudor, and Omega. The Aquaracer has also always been pitched at a wide audience, with a variety of case sizes and variants that are meant to appeal to the masses. These new releases follow in that tradition. First up is the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph in 40mm, which the brand has positioned as the “ultimate t...
Monochrome
Launching a dress watch collection today is not that easy, especially when enthusiasts have already seen decades of Calatrava-inspired cases, engraved dials, and heat-blued hands coming out in every price segment imaginable. But refinement can matter just as much as reinvention. For Sero Watch Company, the goal was not really to create the most original […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic goes leaner, cleaner, and more wearable than ever in the collection's latest revamp.
Monochrome
David Candaux, born and raised in Le Solliat, in the Vallée de Joux, belongs to a lineage of watchmakers. Yet his work consistently merges classical craftsmanship with highly personal engineering and design solutions. After years at Jaeger-LeCoultre, where he contributed to some of the manufacture’s most ambitious projects, and later collaborations with some of the […]
Hodinkee
Yoni Ben-Yehuda is a longtime pillar of the New York City watch collector scene, an original member of the Red Bar crew, and someone who earned his credibility the old-fashioned way: through genuine passion and years spent learning about and actively supporting watch enthusiasm. That foundation matters because it explains the trust he's built since, and quietly, almost invisibly, he has become the hand behind some of the most high-profile watch collections in the world. You've seen those wrists on Instagram and red carpets, and now we're thrilled to feature the collection of the man behind the scenes. Today, as Head of Watches at Material Good — one of the most respected watch destinations in America — Yoni oversees sales across nine locations and a deep partnership with Audemars Piguet. But the role only makes sense when you understand where it comes from. His watch story starts in his teens with a gift from his mother that would foreshadow an impressive collection that is expressive, fun, and very specific. As Yoni himself puts it, "watches are these forever objects in a disposable world," and you can see the progression of his life, his passions, and his depth in the space represented by his watches. In the above video, Yoni and Ben highlight several special watches from Yoni's collection. Here is the list in chronological order of appearance. Alfred Hammel steel watch Audemars Piguet RA Ultra-Thin Self-Winding Tourbillon ref 25656 (on matching bracelet with...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Hands-on review of the Timex Marlin Draper Automatic, a 37mm retro-inspired automatic with vintage styling and restrained design.
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