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Quill & Pad
It is often said that it is easier to send a person to the Moon than to the ocean floor because of the extreme conditions found at great depths, such as no visibility and overwhelming pressure. However, in 1960 a wristwatch (Rolex “Deep Sea Special”) accompanied mankind to the deepest ocean floor even before it accompanied mankind to the Moon in 1969 (Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch).
Worn & Wound
This year at Watches & Wonders, Oris finds itself focusing primarily on a single collection: the Aquis. For years, the Aquis has carried the torch as the brand’s flagship modern sports watch. A capable diver with an integrated bracelet (it had one before they were cool), the Aquis has been made in a dizzying variety of case sizes and dial variants over the years, with complicated models, limited editions, and even diamonds finding their way to the line. But over all that time, the Aquis itself has never really had a proper reset. That changes this year, with a new, more refined Aquis Date that seeks to improve on the old version in all the ways watch collectors care about. The new Aquis is made of a number of subtle changes that add up to a noticeable, if incremental, improvement. This is not a radical rethinking of the Aquis, but feels more like an admission from Oris that certain elements of the tried and true design could be tweaked for a better overall experience. It’s an approach, frankly, that we think more brands should take. When something is generally pretty good, it makes no sense to kill it and start from scratch. Success over a long period means little iterative changes that make your product better as performance expectations shift, and Oris seems to embrace that. Of the changes made to the new Aquis, the most important is likely the small tweaks to the case. Oris has redefined the Aquis silhouette by making everything a little more balanced, with lugs t...
Fratello
The Swatch × Tate collection debuted on March 20th at London’s Tate Modern gallery, home to over 76,000 art pieces. The reason for that is the latest Swatch art collaboration with Tate. There are seven new Swatch × Tate models, each representing a specific artwork - Turner’s Scarlet Sunset, Chagall’s Blue Circus, Miró’s Women and […] Visit Swatch Art Journey 2024 - Meet The Swatch × Tate Gallery Collection to read the full article.
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 Omega Constellation Vintage Omega Constellations are highly sought after, especially the classic pie-pan dial with dog leg lugs like this sweet 1966 example. The steel case is in great shape, even though it’s likely felt the touch of a polishing wheel. The dog leg lugs still show their chamfers and the observatory medallion on the back is nice and clear. The silver pie-pan dial looks original and is in excellent condition. The caliber 561 Chronometer movement is clean and runs well per the seller. It comes on an original Omega beads of rice bracelet, but I don’t think it is original to this watch. Overall very clean example of a very desirable vintage Omega. View auction here Squale Sigel Diver Next up is a rare vintage Squale Medium diver. This example is a Squale Sigel, with black dial and two-tone acrylic bezel insert. This Medium Squale case is 34mm wide, with a slightly asymmetrical shape. The case shows some honest wear, but nothing bad. The black dial has some patina on the lume and hands, as well as on the two-tone acrylic bezel insert. That said, vintage Squale divers are hard to find and always in demand by collectors. This one even has the correct ‘Von’ si...
Monochrome
While there have been time-and-date and triple calendar versions since the mid-1990s, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore or ROO, has always been primarily known as a chronograph watch. It was actually designed as such when it launched in 1993. In modern days, non-chronograph ROO watches were mostly known as the Diver version, which was […]
Monochrome
Born in 1963, the Superman quickly became Yema’s most emblematic watch and, incidentally, one of France’s most famous watches too. A so-called skin diver, meaning a dive watch intended for recreational dives and more restrained proportions, it remained nevertheless a competent aquatic tool. Revived in 2018 with a faithful re-edition, Yema has, for the past […]
Time+Tide
Is the MoonSwatch about to become exciting again? Plus be quick to nab our Baltic.The post Swatch teases new Snoopy MoonSwatch + Baltic x T+T pre-order open now! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The annual calendar is much more practical than a standard calendar, which needs correction in all months with 30 days or less; the annual calendar only needs correcting once a year in February. For owners of this noble yet practical complication, making this adjustment marks a yearly highlight. In celebration of the annual calendar, here are three exciting new models to kick off 2024 in style.
Monochrome
A few months ago, Swatch and Blancpain introduced the Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms. Yup, quite a mouthful. It’s effectively the follow-up of the Moonswatch, which can be seen as Swatch’s take on the Omega Speedmaster. We didn’t cover it on MONOCHROME for obvious reasons (it’s a quartz watch…) despite being a huge […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
With more than a few releases under their belt since the brand's formal re-launch in 2020, Aquastar has had our attention for a while now. They currently offer a mix of faithful re-editions as well as new models inspired by previous designs. But so far, dive watch nerds have been curious about another Aquastar diver lurking deep within the shadows of dive watch history.
Time+Tide
59 years on, Seiko debuts three new Marinemasters, paying homage to not only Seiko's first diver but also the first Japanese dive watch.The post A reinvented flagship – the Seiko Prospex Marinemaster 1965 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
I’ve long been on record as an appreciator and fan of the wilder designs from Bell & Ross. Few watch brands, in fact, have a wider design purview than B&R;, which has fairly traditional aviation inspired watches at one end of the spectrum, bronze skull watches on the other, and their standard square case instrument watches right in the middle. The LUM series, an ongoing collection of watches that use luminescent material in a manner that can only be described as Maximalist, sits somewhere near the skulls, I think. Watch enthusiasts, of course, are notable in that we tend to love inventive applications of lume, but bold designs centered around the stuff still feel fairly niche. The new BR-X5 Green Lum takes the brand’s experiments with lume to a new level, giving the case itself the full lume treatment. Seeing the press release for this watch, I knew immediately that it was destined to be a new object of obsession for me, perhaps not unlike my beloved Multimeter. It takes the still relatively new BR-X5 platform, the brand’s most contemporary and forward looking case design, and gives it a visual and material transformation via the brand’s LM3D composite. This material is made from quartz fibers which are completely photoluminescent, giving off a pronounced green glow. The case is a combination of this material and DLC coated titanium, which effectively acts as a shell with large pieces of LM3D at the top and bottom of the case. The dial is matte black and serves to...
SJX Watches
Following the release of the 1970s diver reissue and a solar chronograph inspired by a 1990s design, Seiko has reintroduced another historical model as the Prospex Land Mechanical GMT Limited Edition SPB411. This remake draws inspiration from the Navigator Timer from 1968, the brand’s first dual time zone watch with a 24-hour rotating bezel. Now it’s been given a modern update with a new calibre and tweaks to the dial design while retaining the retro tonneau-shaped case. Initial thoughts The Navigator Timer is not quite as famous as its diving or chronograph counterparts, but still an important vintage “tool” watch amongst vintage Seikos. The Japanese brand has executed its long-awaited revival admirably, offering a contemporary interpretation with a modern movement while maintaining the essence of its original design. It’s worth noting that this reissue should be more accurately described as a dual time zone watch with an independently adjustable 24-hour hand, rather than a genuine GMT with an adjustable local-time hour hand, a feature usually seen in higher-end Grand Seiko models. This distinction means that setting the watch for different time zones involves a few extra steps. However, given its price point, this compromise remains entirely reasonable. Priced at US$1,600, it’s a US$100 increase from the standard Prospex Diver’s GMT. Despite this modest cost bump, opting for this limited edition still offers great value. That said, collectors might be less...
![[VIDEO] Missed Review: The Titanium Omega Seamaster 300 2231.50.00](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2023/10/Omega_seamaster_017.jpg)
Worn & Wound
The Omega Seamaster has a rich and complex history that encompasses a broad range of styles over the generations. Odds are strong that each of us conjures a slightly different image upon hearing the word Seamaster, from the Bond examples of the ‘90s, to the PloProf of the ‘60s, or even the quaint, near formal examples from the ‘40s. That breadth is reflected in the modern Seamaster collection, which currently encompasses the Aqua Terra, the Diver 300, the Planet Ocean, and a range of Heritage models that include the likes of the Railmaster and the PloProf. This diversity of options has meant plenty of great references have come and gone, and a few may have even slipped through the cracks through no fault of their own. This Missed Review will focus on one such reference, the titanium Seamaster 300 2231.50.00 from the early ‘00s. The modern Seamaster 300 picks the story up in 1993, sporting the word ‘professional’ on its dial and a helium release appendage at 10 o’clock. The new watch was about to get the boost of a lifetime thanks to a placement on the wrist of Pierce Brosnan in his portrayal of fictional British spy, James Bond in the 1995 film GoldenEye. It is this reference, the steel 2541.80.00 with quartz movement that generally pops into my head when I think about the Seamaster. It’s not a watch I find particularly attractive, but it is one that I associate with a specific era perhaps more than any other watch. There is something truly unique about t...
Worn & Wound
A Week In Watches returns this week with a look at a trio of divers that take their inspiration from the past, and apply in a thoroughly modern way. No faux lume or tropical dials in sight, prompting us to wonder if that trend is behind us. Divers from Oris, Tudor, and Seiko all paint a clear picture of a way forward that’s not a carbon copy of the past. You might say Seiko has always been ahead in that game, and their latest Prospex divers, which bring the 62MAS flavor into a tidy modern skindiver case that we’ve loved since it was released in 2020. If this is what we can expect more of, count us in. Elsewhere, Farer dropped a pair of new chronographs called the Chrono-Contempo with colorways inspired by two vibrant streets found in London. These are Farer through and through, with unexpected colors and a clean, modern design language. As usual, Farer nails the proportions here thanks to their use of the hand wound SW510M from Sellita. Finally, a collaboration between our friends at Fratello and Minase comes together for the second time, continuing a trend of subtle yet powerful dial executions from the pair. The latest is the M-3 Nori, and gets a dial inspired by Japanese seaweed, which comes together way better than you might expect. Here’s to the next one. The post A Week In Watches, Episode 64: Heritage Divers Take A Step Into The Present; Colorful Chronos & More appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Worn & Wound
The SPB line in Seiko’s Prospex collection needs no introduction, and to many it represents old-school Seiko excellence: historic design with modern specs at reasonable prices. In particular, the SPB143, 145, and 147 are especially beloved thanks to their wearability and 62MAS lineage. Seiko is now introducing three new U.S. Special Edition models based on that reference, each corresponding to a cold-water American diving locale. The SPB419 makes the biggest statement of the three, and its striking gradient dial is intended to invoke the northern Great Lakes’ blue ice, notably in Michigan. A rare natural phenomenon, this blue ice is achieved when sustained temperatures allow water to freeze and thicken over long periods of time. When light then hits the ice, the red part of the light (i.e. longer wavelengths) are absorbed while shorter blue wavelengths are transmitted. This seldom seen sight is truly something to behold, and Seiko captures its essence here. The SPB421 and SPB423 take us from the Lakes to Alaska where we meet a different type of icy structure: glacial moulins. Also known as mills, moulins are well-like structures that form from weaknesses in the ice and can sometimes reach hundreds of meters to the bottom of the glacier. The SPB421’s dark blue dial with a subtle gradation captures the ice’s color at depth – you know, in case you haven’t seen it yourself, while the 423’s dial is meant to evoke the light gray tones of glacial ice as a whole. Al...
Deployant
Bulova, renowned for its exquisite timepieces, pays homage to its iconic 1972 Oceanographer watch, fondly known as the “Devil Diver,” by launching an exciting trio of Oceanographer GMT watches. Merging timeless designs with contemporary elements, the Oceanographer collection receives a significant upgrade with the addition of GMT functionality.
Teddy Baldassarre
Few watches have achieved the worldwide fame and collectibility of the Rolex Submariner, one of the very first purpose-built dive watches and the one that established the formula that so many others still emulate. Nearly every luxury divers’ watch on the market today owes some stylistic debt to the Submariner, which remains to many collectors the gold standard of the category. The Submariner’s association with James Bond, which stems from its being worn by Sean Connery in the iconic movie role, doesn’t hurt its case either. Here’s what you need to know about the Rolex Submariner and why it continues to be an industry trendsetter in the modern day. Origins: The Rolex Oyster Case While most watch historians rightly pinpoint the 1950s as the era that gave rise to the modern, purpose-built diver’s watch, Rolex began paving the way as early as the 1920s. Hans Wilsdorf, who founded Rolex in 1905 and moved its headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland in 1919, was one of the earliest and most prominent proponents of making wristwatches more waterproof. It was a challenge that had plagued watchmakers for years, ever since pocket watches began fading from common usage in favor of the wrist-worn timepieces that gained wide acceptance in the wake of World War I. Wilsdorf’s 1926 invention, the so-called Oyster case, proved to be (no pun intended) a watershed for an evolving industry. Its innovative design combined a threaded, hermetically sealed caseback and a crown that screwe...
Worn & Wound
First launched in the 1960’s, then resurrected in 2018, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris has long been a standard-bearing watch for the luxury Swiss watchmaker. Now, five years on from the relaunch of the Polaris, Jaeger-LeCoultre has reinvisioned the watch in two new ways. Recently, the brand has added two new signature dials to new Polaris Chronograph line-up that not only showcase the artisanal craftsmanship of the house, but also raises the question of when does a sports watch become a piece of art? Each watch in the new collection displays the technical precision that has become synonymous with the brand. The two dials – a rich blue and a sporty gray – are made from applying lacquer to the dial, giving these timepieces a richness that nicely juxtaposes the 42mm steel case. The lacquered finish works as a backdrop to a complex dial that packs a punch, including a well-balanced set of subdials at 3 o’clock (featuring a 30-minute timer) and a running seconds subdial at 9 o’clock. The entire dial is encompassed in an outer ring that is marked with the tachymeter scale while both variants are accented in a pleasantly contrasting orange. On the reverse of the watch is a sapphire crystal caseback which reveals the automatic Calibre 761 movement, which houses a generous 65-hour power reserve. The final touches of this movement include blued screws and Côtes de Genève decoration on the baseplate as well as on the signature open-worked winding rotor bearing the ‘JL...
Worn & Wound
Seiko introduced a new caliber back in March via their Prospex GMT Diver collection, adding caller GMT functionality into the brand’s well understood contemporary dive watch platform. Those watches have generated quite a bit of chatter in the watch community, with many singing their praises with respect to overall fit, finish, and wearability, and others wishing for a more functional flyer GMT complication. While the dust might still be settling, Seiko marches on, with the latest crop of watches to feature their still new 6R54 GMT movement. This time, Seiko brings the movement to the Alpinist family, which seems like a natural place for a GMT equipped watch to land. It takes what has always been cast as an explorer’s watch (with its signature compass bezel) and gives it a modern, practical, mechanical complication for a different kind of exploration. I’ve always been a pretty big fan of the Alpinist for many of the reasons Blake identifies in his Missed Review. There’s something charmingly anachronistic about wearing a watch designed with such an old fashioned aesthetic (those cathedral hands, especially) but built to modern sports watch standards. With a GMT complication added, the Alpinist retains a lot (maybe all) of that old fashioned charm, just slightly tweaked. The Explorer-style steel 24 hour bezel gives these watches a clean and sporty look, and we still get the trademark handset and those big numerals (just at the cardinal positions here, rather than ev...
Time+Tide
A couple of weeks ago, T+T reported how Swatch were suing the Malaysian government after it seized 172 of their watches from stores. The reason for the seizure? The watches, which come in either rainbow colours or a single colour with a rainbow trim, were released in support of Pride, the movement that promotes the … ContinuedThe post Wear this Pride-themed Swatch in Malaysia and you face a three-year jail term appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Summer is in full swing, cool and casual is the name of the game, and for Swatch that means bigger and bolder watches. Big Bold Irony, that is. For the first time, the brand is bringing its Irony treatment to the Big Bold lineup in the form of five new watches. The Irony collection was originally conceived in the 1990s as a premium offering featuring cases made from metal, and indeed, the new Big Bold Irony watches are fitted with stainless steel cases. They are also the first to combine steel with Swatch’s proprietary Bioceramic. There’s no getting around the fact that these watches truly live up to their namesake. At 47mm wide, they undoubtedly make a statement. Swatch has cleverly shaped the lugs, which start towards the underside of the case and curve sharply downwards, resulting in a case length of just 44.8mm. This is identical to the current Big Bold collection and is remarkably wearable for a wide audience. In fact, the only difference in dimension between these and the standard Big Bolds is thickness: the new Irony watches are 13.3mm thick as opposed to 11.75mm in plastic. Swatch’s design choice of keeping the crown at 2 o-clock ensures it will never dig into your wrist, and at 108 grams (with a quartz movement), these watches can easily be worn all day, every day, which is kind of the point. With five options of summery colors – Dark Irony (Black), Azure Blue Daze, Red Juicy, Mint Trim, and Bolden Yellow – you will have no trouble finding one that match...
Worn & Wound
At the end of last year, Zodiac introduced a new ceramic version of their popular Super Sea Wolf dive watch. The stealthy black diver put a new, contemporary spin on a platform that’s existed for almost as long as dive watches themselves, and felt like a natural evolution of the Sea Wolf line. After all, plenty of brands are using ceramic these days – it’s a worthy material by any measure and makes a lot of sense for sports watches in particular, given its light weight and resistance to scratches and wear. Now, Zodiac has introduced a follow up, a ceramic Super Sea Wolf in a crisp white with brightly colored dials, just in time for the true dog days of summer. These watches play into a tried and true formula that has served Zodiac remarkably well over the last years, which is to lean into bold colors layered over their classic dive watch design. The new white ceramic watches will be available in three variants: dark blue, lime green, and a silver and orange watch that feels like a nod to their popular “Sherbet” GMT from a few years ago. All of the dials have a subtle sunburst finish and the traditional rectangular hands and hour markers that are common to the Super Sea Wolf line. The case construction is the same as last year’s black ceramic model, which means these watches have what is essentially a ceramic shell that is fit over a steel core. The white color of the case and bezel makes for a great complement to the bold dial colors and accents, and immediat...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Monta just announced the third-gen version of their signature dive watch, the Monta Oceanking. Get a closer look at this flagship diver.
Worn & Wound
There was a time a couple years back when the integrated steel sport watch craze had hit peak levels. Seemingly everywhere you looked, each brand had their very own version of an integrated system. For Arken to make their debut in a completely saturated environment with an integrated sports watch of their own was pretty gutsy, but the Instrumentum wasn’t your typical integrated arrangement. On paper, the diver had one welcome surprise after another: a Grade 2 titanium build overlaid with hardness coating, a depth rating of 300 meters, and a startling $500 pre-order price tag. After you account for its strikingly fierce aesthetic on wrist, Arken’s inaugural timepiece offered up an incredible value proposition that was impossible to ignore. Fast forward to the present day, we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of 2023 and yet another industry trend, otherwise known (and self-proclaimed) as the Year of the GMT. Although the industry got off to a scorching hot start with an array of GMT watches released in all sorts of styles, prices, and various movements at the beginning of the year, it has quieted down a bit, even with Watches & Wonders in our rearview mirror. That is until now, because Arken has returned for their second act with a titanium dual-time travel watch they’re throwing into the GMT ring called the Alterum. At first glance, the Alterum is more refined in nature, but its core design language remains. With the aggressively-styled bezel no longer a part ...
SJX Watches
A prominent figure thanks to his Instagram account documenting his impressive collection of independent watchmaking, Mike “Shani” Shanlikian is an American collector who watches that are widely regarded as the most important in the genre, including the Philippe Dufour Simplicity, F.P. Journe Tourbillon Remontoir d’Egalite, and Rexhep Rexhepi Chronometre Contemporain. Mr Shanlikian was recently interviewed by George Mayer, the head of sales at pre-owned watch retailer Watchbox. Himself a watch aficionado (and sporting an F.P. Journe Octa Perpetuelle with matching bracelet), Mr Mayer quizzed Mr Shanlikian on his collection and delved into his motivations for collecting independent watchmaking in the 23-minute video interview. An F.P. Journe tourbillon duo. Image – Mike Shanlikian The Akrivia AK-06 and RRCC I. Image – Mike Shanlikian A few watches from the collection. Image – Mike Shanlikian Watchmaking is a fusion of science and art, according to Mr Shanlikian, who notes in the increasing interest in independent watchmaking was driven by F.P. Journe and comparable brands that rely on traditional methods to create watches. He showcases some favourites from his collection in the video, including the “1 in 30” Chronometer by American watchmaker Keaton Myrick. But the most significant watches are documented in the video are the George Daniels Millennium and Dufour Simplicity, matched by their contemporary counterparts, the Rexhep Rexhepi’s Akrivia AK-06 and Gre...
Time+Tide
The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT Sled Driver pays tribute to the legendary life of Brian Shul. The dial features an SR-71 Blackbird, which Shul flew towards the end of his career. Three colour options across two case sizes offer versatile options. There are all kinds of watches that have stories, whether it’s a famous piece … ContinuedThe post The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT Sled Driver honours a legendary pilot appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The Swatch x Jean-Michel Basquiat collection marks the final collaboration of the Art Journey project Previous collaborations were with MoMA, Magritte, Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Le Gallerie Degli Uffizi The triptych includes three quartz-driven pieces inspired by Basquiat’s ‘Ishtar’, ‘Untitled’, and ‘Hollywood Africans’ artworks Swatch as a brand, not the conglomerate group, is widely credited … ContinuedThe post Swatch wraps up their 2023 Art Journey with new Jean-Michel Basquiat triptych appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Zodiac continues to plumb the depths of their archives with their latest release, the Sea-Chron chronograph. Originating in the 1960s, the Sea-Chron was a natural extension of the Sea Wolf, a platform that Zodiac has returned to in recent years to great success. This sporty diver’s chronograph picks up on a lot of the aesthetic cues of the classic Sea Wolf, but has some key technical upgrades that put it squarely in modern watch territory. It also fills a fairly wide hole in the Zodiac catalog – it’s hard to believe, but up until this week, they didn’t have a chronograph in their collection. Zodiac envisions the Sea-Chron as a true multipurpose sports watch. Like their dive watches, the Sea-Chron has a full 200 meters of water resistance, and the case has been outfitted with a timing bezel with a twenty minute interval. Inside the timing bezel and at the dial’s perimeter, you’ll find a tachymeter that can be used completely independently of the Sea-Chron’s dive timing features. The handset is the familiar Zodiac fence post design, and squared off apertures with lume underneath for the hours, except at 3, 6 and 9, where you’ll find the sub registers for minute and hour totalizations, and a running seconds indicator. There are two variants of the Sea-Chron available at launch. One in a clean black and white colorway that would appear to prize legibility above all else. This version has a black base dial and white subdials, and, crucially, a white tachymet...
Hodinkee
Exploring the unforgettable extravagance that is the Swatch Tresor Magique, nearly 30 years after its precious-metal debut.
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