Two Broke Watch Snobs
Tissot Updates Its PR516 Automatic Watch With Two New Dial Colors
Tissot adds white and aqua blue dials to the PR516 38mm Powermatic 80, reinforcing it as an accessible automatic watch for new collectors.
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
Tissot adds white and aqua blue dials to the PR516 38mm Powermatic 80, reinforcing it as an accessible automatic watch for new collectors.
Hodinkee
Ripple in still waters, when there is no pebble tossed, nor wind to blow.
Worn & Wound
Some weeks, like last week, frankly, I look at the crop of new releases hitting my inbox and wonder about the state of things in the watch industry. Everything feels like an iteration, a slight tweak, or an attempt to return to the mean. So we get slightly more luxe Speedmasters (where the pricing immediately becomes the talking point), a cadre of new Defys that have us wondering “Didn’t they already make this one?” and Carreras that hint at the watch community sneaking back to the Big Watch Era. Is it possible I’m overreacting? Of course. None of the watches mentioned above are bad by any means, in fact all of them are quite good, objectively speaking. It’s just that they don’t represent a ton of creativity or innovation, and when you work in the industry you become attuned to just how rare genuine creativity in watchmaking really is. It makes sense though. This is a business that’s all about selling watches and the biggest brands in the world need to cast a wide net. Big risks when it comes to design can’t reasonably be expected as the norm. So we turn to the smaller makers, independents and microbrands, hoping they’ll be the ones to wave the proverbial Freak Flag. The new release from Toledano & Chan, the b/1.3r, with a custom made solid gold dial, is the kind of watch you love to come across in the midst of the big guys refreshing product lines and going through the motions. Their latest introduces a slightly smaller case in blasted titanium, meas...
Hodinkee
Colors taken from the brand's first watch with a tide indicator grace the brand's first non-limited version of the modern Seafarer.
Monochrome
Credor, a high-end division of the Seiko Group, was founded in 1974 with a focus on refined, ultra-thin timepieces that emphasise artistic and artisanal techniques. Originally catering to the Japanese domestic market, Credor has begun to expand internationally only recently (mostly with the Locomotive, based on a Genta design) and will make its debut at […]
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Monochrome
It has been a while since we last saw a tonneau-shaped Seiko Presage… The last to surface on MONOCHROME was the Presage Enamel SPB049 from 2017, a quietly unusual model that stood apart from the round, conservative silhouettes that dominate Seiko’s classical offerings, or the 2019 Zen Garden SARY111 (SRPD05/07) series. But here we are […]
Fratello
In the case of Pragma, being called a goody two-shoes is a plus. Typically, the moniker describes someone who is prudish and self-righteous. A goody two-shoes is an ambitious overachiever striving to be perfect; remember that one teacher’s pet in your class in high school who nobody liked? Behaving excessively virtuously can be off-putting in […] Visit Hands-On With The New Pragma P1 – Perseverance In Solar Stainless Steel And Tantalum With A New Azurite-Blue Dial to read the full article.
Hodinkee
A data-driven deep dive into the most collectible Rolex ever made.
Monochrome
Albishorn is a young brand with a rather peculiar concept. Created by Sebastien Chaulmontet, ex-La Joux-Perret, in charge of the revival of Arnold & Son and Angelus, and now serving as the Head of Innovation and Marketing at Sellita Watch Co SA and Manufacture AMT, the brand launched with a rather cool idea: imaginary vintage. […]
Monochrome
As the only French manufacturer to design and produce its movements in France, Pequignet flies the Tricolour with pride. With four in-house calibres under its belt, Pequignet’s ambitious plan to become an integrated manufacture became a reality in 2011 with the presentation of the Calibre Royal, followed by the Calibre Initial of 2021. The latest […]
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Teddy Baldassarre
The Rolex "Wimbledon" Datejust is a relatively recent fan-favorite among Rolex enthusiasts, with a distinctive design blending classical elegance with the spirit of sporting competition - much like the game of tennis that it celebrates. Here is what you should know about the Rolex Wimbledon watch, from the history behind it to the modern elements that can help you recognize one Wimbledon version over another. [toc-section heading="Datejust Origins"] The Datejust model that underpins the Rolex Wimbledon editions is not only one of the oldest and most enduringly popular models from Rolex but also one of the most significant and influential wristwatches in the world. When it debuted in 1945, the Rolex Datejust was the first watch that combined the robustness of the Crown's waterproof Oyster case (introduced way back in 1926) with the user-friendliness of its self-winding "Perpetual" movement (unveiled in 1931) - hence ushering in the telltale descriptor "Oyster Perpetual" that is now a ubiquitous presence on many Rolex watch dials. The Datejust was also the first watch to feature the now-widely adopted date display at 3 o’clock, the first automatic (i.e. self-winding) watch with a quick-change function for that date display, and the first to be mounted on Rolex’s now-famous five-row Jubilee bracelet. A few years later, in 1948, came the first Datejust with the bubble-shaped “Cyclops” lens directly above the date aperture, which magnified the date numeral by a ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Along with their more refined timepieces, Swiss luxury brands have staked their claim in the field watch space as well. Tudor’s offering in the category is the contemporary 39mm Ranger, a name that features prominently throughout the brand's history. Descended from the 1950s Tudor Oyster Prince Reference 7909, Tudor introduced the 34mm Ranger Reference 7995 in 1965, with the model name remaining in the lineup all the way through the 1980s. It was the 7995 that established the Ranger’s design language, with its 12-3- 6-9 dial layout and iconic spade hour hand, all of which later made a comeback in 2014 in a somewhat oversized 41mm version. The Ranger got a reboot in 2022 as a 39mm model, with a fully brushed case and COSC-certified MT5402 movement, and it serves as not only a nod to Tudor field watches of yore, but also as a throwback to the tool-watch aesthetics of the Rolex Explorer 1016 from Tudor's parent brand. Released in July of 2022 to mark the 70th anniversary of the British North Greenland Expedition, the modern Ranger 79950 is a welcome update from that discontinued 41mm model of 2014. With a versatile 39mm case and a COSC-certified manufacture movement, the Ranger is a strong value play, hovering around $3,500 on the bracelet. Much like the vintage Ranger (and the original Rolex Explorer that provided much of its DNA), it’s a fantastic daily driver, with a fully satin-brushed finish and 100 meters of water resistance. And if you crave a more authentic tool...
Monochrome
A slightly more discreet member of the Tudor collection, with the Black Bay stealing the show, the Ranger is the brand’s vision of an all-rounder exploration watch, inspired by a model first seen in the late 1960s. Tudor brought back the model in 2014, with the Tudor Heritage Ranger 79910, measuring 41mm in diameter and […]
Monochrome
Parmigiani Fleurier’s turnaround, orchestrated by CEO Guido Terreni, is remarkable because it has been achieved on the back of one collection: the Tonda PF. Introduced just four years ago, the Tonda PF family now accounts for 85% of the brand’s sales. Often described as the brand’s luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet, the adjective […]
Worn & Wound
One of the very common knock-on effects of diving deep into any hobby or enthusiast pursuit is that eventually you’ll find yourself kind of obsessed with something that most would likely perceive as a waste of energy, or not actually all that interesting. I liken it to a cinephile finding a deep appreciation for the films of Michael Bay, constantly reminding everyone that Armageddon is in fact in the Criterion Collection (and has one of the best commentary tracks ever recorded – but that’s beside the point). Sometimes I feel like all of my watch interests are deeply niche. As my taste has evolved and, dare I say, matured, it’s also gotten a little bit weirder. But one niche of a niche that I know is underappreciated by many of my peers and perhaps even derided by some are the watches of the Ralph Lauren “Fine Watchmaking” division, specifically those in the American Western Watch Collection (but I have soft spot for the ones with the bears, too). A new release from Ralph Lauren in this very collection bolsters my position, I think, that these watches are actually quite special. It’s important to start, though, with an understanding that while you’re likely to see “Polo” branded fashion watches anywhere Ralph Lauren apparel is sold, and certainly in the vitrines of big retailers at malls, and so forth, these are absolutely not what we could typically call fashion watches. The Western Watch Collection features movements made by Piaget, lots of handcraft, ...
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Monochrome
Lebois & Co. was founded in 1934, and since its revival a decade ago, the independent has been steadily building a catalogue that treats vintage codes with the utmost care. The turning point was the Heritage Chronograph, a compact, community-shaped bi-compax that gave the brand a clear design language: classical proportions, crisp typography, and useful […]
Teddy Baldassarre
An outsized part of Seiko’s history is within its dive watch heritage, going all the way back to 1965 with the company's first dedicated diver, the 150-meter 62MAS, released as the 6217-8000, and later, its larger-crowned sibling, the 6217-8001. It was the beginning of a lineage that went on to include legendary references like the Willard, the Turtle, the Marinemaster, the Tuna, and the SKX, just to name a small assortment of them. Today, Seiko’s broad dive-watch lineup is well-known for its rugged dependability: from the entry-level Prospex models to the elevated Luxe variants like the Seiko SPB149, there’s a Seiko diver for every enthusiast. Seiko has paid tribute to the 62MAS design in the past with limited editions, but in the 2020s, the brand has seen a slew of regular-production, and short-lived models – like the SPB143, 239, and 149, which stand as the most faithful renderings of the 62MAS, characterized by the brand as the Prospex 1965 Heritage Diver’s Watch. Although this model family came with different dial variants at its 40.5mm case size, today, we’re going to showcase the discontinued SPB149 before looking at the current production SPB143 and other modern day options which continue the 62MAS legacy. We will go through the standard points of its case, wear, dial, and movement, and then share concluding remarks about its overall legacy in 2025. Seiko SPB149 Context In Spring of 2020, Seiko dropped a quartet of watches - the SPB143, SPB145, SPB1...
Teddy Baldassarre
When you think of Rolex, the first colors your mind usually conjures up are green and gold, long the emblematic colors of the Swiss power brand and its world-famous “crown” logo. (Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf is said to have settled on these colors because they symbolized wealth and success.) Blue, on the other hand, is not a color that most watch aficionados readily associate with Rolex, though many will associate it with other watch brands, like Breguet, Breitling, and Rolex’s own little brother, Tudor. However, when Rolex does decide to do blue - whether it’s for dials, bezels, or some combination of both - it does so in a way that really speaks to the brand’s avid fan base. Over the years, some blue-dialed Rolex watches, in fact, are not only popular but have become recognized as classics. Here are seven Rolexes with blue dials - some discontinued and collectible, others still available in the current collection - that have demanded enthusiast attention. (Price estimates for the discontinued models on the list are courtesy of WatchCharts.) Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41, Ref. 126334 ($11,100) Rolex released the Datejust in 1945, and the model is today regarded as one of the world’s most classically elegant dress watches. The Datejust brought two now-familiar elements to the world of watch design, one of which can be found throughout the watch industry, the other being still closely associated with Rolex. The first was the addition of a date disp...
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
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Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Monochrome
In a surprising and quite unexpected move, Alpina celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2023 by unveiling a highly limited run of Heritage Carrée Mechanical watches, featuring the authentic calibre 490 hand-wound movement from 1938 inside, restored and presented in a silver case. Following positive reactions and to ensure continuity, the brand introduced non-limited versions in […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
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