Two Broke Watch Snobs
An Owner’s Long-Term Review Of The Serica 5303-2 Dive Watch
Discover the Serica 5303-2 in our detailed review, highlighting its vintage-inspired design and professional-grade features.
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1,728 articles · 22 videos found · page 37 of 59
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Fratello
Introducing: The Arion Delphinus - A Debut Watch With A Chronode Movement And A Case By Voutilainen & Cattin
Aim high. That’s what Arion’s founder, Eric Tillman, does. Meet the Arion Delphinus. It’s a debut watch with a seven-day manual Chronode movement housed in a 37 × 8.5mm titanium case made by Voutilainen & Cattin. What Tillman aims for with the Delphinus is to create a timeless, high-quality timepiece with an elegant twist and […] Visit Introducing: The Arion Delphinus - A Debut Watch With A Chronode Movement And A Case By Voutilainen & Cattin to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Finnish Finishing: Kortela Valta Unveils the Toka
The Toka from Finnish duo Roope Kortela and René Valta reflects the ongoing appeal of beautifully finished, time-only watches, combining a thoughtfully reworked historical calibre with the brand’s first champlevé enamel dial. With an emphasis on high-grade finishing and increasingly in-house components - including a proprietary free-sprung balance - the Toka is a strong sophomore effort from the startup independent. Rene Valta (foreground) and Roope Kortela Initial thoughts It’s been more than 25 years since Philippe Dufour unveiled the Simplicity, a watch that challenged prevailing wisdom about what fine watchmaking was all about. Launched at a time when brands and collectors were focused on complications, the Simplicity arguably created the niche for highly finished time-only watches and intensified collector focus on independent watchmaking in general. Though the field has become crowded over the past quarter-century, collector demand has proven durable. The Toka is a watch built in this tradition. The Omega calibre inside the Toka has been heavily reworked by Kortela Valta. The watchmakers kept most of the original architecture intact, while applying high-end finishing top to bottom. Furthermore, since the start of 2025, the watchmaking duo has expanded the list of components they’re able to make in-house, including the new free-sprung balance that differentiates the Toka from the Eka and Oma models that preceded it. The Toka features a fairly traditional...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Halios Seaforth Review: How a Microbrand Dive Watch Won My Year
Reviewing the Halios Seaforth IV Titanium, a dive watch with titanium construction, great finishing, and everyday wearability.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Reviewing the Scurfa M.S.25: An Affordable Dive Watch with Real Credibility
Discover how the Scurfa M.S.25 delivers pro-grade specs, bold design, and unbeatable value in an affordable British dive watch.
Monochrome
First Look - The New TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Senna
TAG Heuer‘s 2025 overhaul of the Formula 1 collection introduced new, shaped titanium cases, tighter proportions, integrated rubber straps, and crisper dials that pushed the line back to the front of the grid. Timely, as TAG Heuer (under LVMH) also returned as the official timekeeper of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. Now the brand […]
Monochrome
First Look - The Compact ArtyA Luminity Wavy 35mm, with a New Micro-rotor Calibre
Not so long ago, this summer, ArtyA, the avant-garde, family-run Geneva atelier steered by Yvan Arpa, launched the Luminity Wavy collection, debuting 40mm timepieces, pairing sculpture-like titanium or full-sapphire cases. Inside was the brand’s first proprietary micro-rotor calibre, AMR-02, developed with the specialist movement maker Telos. The idea was to let movement and light do […]
Worn & Wound
Bell & Ross Introduces the BR-X3 in Two Metals
It’s all about case and dial materials these days in the design world it seems, and Bell & Ross have certainly not shied away from experimentation. The French brand expands their repertoire of big, brash, and blocky timepieces with the new BR-X3 line, conceived as an avant-garde interpretation of the classic BR-03 design, and a cousin of the popular BR-X5, featuring two new models: Titanium Black and Blue Steel. While the names of these new references are straightforward, their designs are everything but. Both feature the iconic rounded-square look that graces most Bell & Ross watches, with a round dial accentuated by a square case. Both cases measure 41mm in diameter, but likely wear bigger due to their shape and 13.30mm thickness. Three-plate dial construction, an openworked rubber strap, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and 100 meters of water resistance are also standard on both watches. As a final shared element, both references are powered by a Calibre BR-CAL.323 automatic mechanical movement, which promises a hefty power reserve of 70- hours. The differences between the two BR-X3 models are easily explained by their nomenclature, but worth diving into further nonetheless. Titanium watches are massively popular these days, and for good reason: they wear incredibly light on the wrist, regardless of size, and promise durability in spite of that weight. The Titanium Black BR-X3 follows that trend, featuring a micro-blasted grade 2 titanium case in an appropriate...
Monochrome
Introducing - The New Doxa SUB 300 Carbon Seafoam
Dial colours are an integral part of Doxa‘s iconic diving story. From the blazing Professional Orange that defined the SUB 300 in the 1960s to today’s rainbow of professional-grade divers, the brand has always known how to pair serious underwater credentials with a playful edge. Now, in collaboration with Watches of Switzerland, Doxa introduces a […]
Fratello
The Hermès H08 Gets Two New Light And Urban Styles
The Hermès H08 is a remarkable success story. Emerging from the traditional and complex designs of the maison’s catalog, the cushion-shaped H08 in titanium seamlessly cut through the crowd. And the sports-watch segment is indeed crowded. Yet, the H08 takes the history of the brand’s multifaceted design approach and boils it down into a wearable […] Visit The Hermès H08 Gets Two New Light And Urban Styles to read the full article.
Monochrome
First Look - The New Yema Superman Tourbillon Millésime CMM.31
Yema continues to expand its Millésime Editions with yet another statement piece. The new Superman Tourbillon Millésime CMM.31 takes the brand’s most iconic model, the Superman diver introduced in 1963, and reimagines it as a professional-grade tool watch equipped with a manufacture movement with a tourbillon regulator. Usually reserved for rather fragile dress watches, the […]
Monochrome
Introducing - The New De Bethune DB25xs Starry Varius, A Celestial Beauty in a More Compact Form
When De Bethune first unveiled the DB25 Starry Varius, it quickly became one of the brand’s most poetic and recognisable creations. A starry sky rendered in shimmering blued or polished titanium, dotted with hand-fitted white gold pins and illuminated by the Milky Way in delicate 24-carat gold leaf, it was, quite literally, a firmament on […]
Monochrome
Introducing - The new IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph in Armor Gold
The Portugieser line is one of IWC’s iconic collections, tracing its origins back to the late 1930s when Portuguese businessmen sought precision marine chronometer-grade wristwatches with oversized cases and clear dials. Since then, the Portugieser family has evolved into a flagship line balancing classic elegance with technical prowess, blending clean, legible design with complications that […]
Monochrome
Hands-on - The Surprisingly Attainable Horage Autark Tourbillon
We’ve covered independent Swiss watchmaker Horage many times in the past few years, including several of its in-house movements from automatics to micro-rotors to tourbillons. The latest Autark Tourbillon separates itself as it’s truly a rare feat in watchmaking, combining a micro-rotor and tourbillon within the in-house K-TMR calibre. It’s all wrapped in Grade 5 […]
SJX Watches
Auctions: Lavish and Exotic Cartier Clocks at Phillips
The spring auction season kicks off in less than a week, and while there are many interesting lots worthy of attention, there are a few museum-grade Cartier clocks at Phillips that demand a close look. All made between 1905 and 1940, the most exceptional pieces date to the roaring twenties when Cartier was synonymous with Art Deco extravagance. The lots are spread across two auctions – Geneva Watch Auction: XXI, which takes place on May 10th and 11th, and Hong Kong Watch Auction: XX which takes place from May 23rd to May 25th. There are three important mystery clocks hitting the block, the most significant being portico clock No. 3, along with a handful of artfully engraved jade desk clocks. Rounding out the bunch, an amusing prism clock should keep things interesting for those bidding with smaller budgets. An introduction to Cartier mystery clocks In the early twentieth century, Cartier was on top of the world. England’s King Edward VII had just granted the firm a royal warrant, calling Cartier the “jeweler of kings” and, perhaps more significantly, “The king of jewelers.” But the Parisian firm wasn’t coasting on this praise, and shortly thereafter stunned the world with a clock with hands that appeared to float in space. This ‘mysterious’ effect was achieved by attaching the hands to rotating glass plates that were driven from the edge. The first such clock was the Modèle A, which debuted in 1912. A Cartier Modèle A. Image – Phillips The mystery cl...
Monochrome
First Look - The New Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Tennis in Optic Yellow
The latest addition to the Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport series, this Maestro GC Sport Tennis, is built for the court with a distinctively shaped, multi-component Maestro case crafted from dark-blasted Grade 5 titanium. Measuring 39mm x 41mm with a slim 9mm profile, it features sapphire crystals on both the front and back, offers 100m […]
Worn & Wound
Hands-On: the Citizen Promaster Diver (37mm)
Amidst the three and four-figure divers that dominate the market, Citizen has a reputation for being the everyman’s watch. Though the brand offers a variety of styles and price points, their dive watches tend to be one of the most popular options amongst their fan base. Launched in 1989, the Promaster series was developed with the goal of providing professional-grade, reliable watches for divers and outdoor enthusiasts. The first Promaster dive watch was equipped with advanced features like a high-water resistance rating, luminous hands for visibility underwater, and a rotating bezel to track elapsed time.These Promasters featured an arrow logo, symbolizing the watch’s ability to “go higher and deeper” than Citizen’s previous collections. This arrow is still included on the crown of modern Promaster references, tying these new releases into a longer history of one of the brand’s favored series. Citizen made waves in the summer of 2023 when they released a smaller version of their Eco-Drive divers. Those releases brought the Eco-Drive Promaster, traditionally sized 44mm, into the realm of the smaller-wristed by shaving off a whopping seven millimeters. These options came in three dial colors: gray, blue, and black, and all had a color-matched bezel. Three more colorways were debuted this past December, which included purple, blue, and red dial options. Along with the new colors, the brand made some aesthetic changes to these 37mm divers. Though the three color...
Monochrome
First Look - The Doxa SUB 200 Azure for Caribbean Retailer Art of Time
Although Doxa was not a pioneer in the development of dive watches, when it decided to take the plunge in 1967, it consulted experts in the field. Teaming up with US Divers and its chairman, Jacques Cousteau, their input helped develop Doxa’s first dive watch, the professional-grade SUB 300, with an orange dial and a […]
Worn & Wound
The Doxa Sub 300T Gets a Destro Limited Edition
It’s kind of hard to believe, but in the long history of Doxa divers, they’ve never made a dive watch with a lefty crown. That’s a bit surprising only because we tend to associate Doxa with the manufacture of professional grade dive instruments in a way that few other watch brands can match, and certainly there are left handed pro divers out there who could have made use of a destro Doxa diver over the decades (say that five times fast…). Well, it’s a nice time to be a lefty Doxa fan, as the brand has just announced the Doxa Sub 300T Professional Aristera, their first dive watch ever with a crown positioned on the left hand side. It’s a limited edition of 300 pieces, and it’s fitting that the first destro Doxa is a version of what most would consider their core, enthusiast focused diver. Like other Sub 300Ts, this one is 42.5mm in stainless steel with a short 44.5mm lug to lug measurement. Of course we get the iconic orange dial (hence the “Professional” designation) as well as an aluminum bezel insert. It runs on a Sellita SW200-1 caliber with 38 hours of power reserve, and we can assume it’s been rotated and modified to accommodate the left hand crown position (the date remains at the 3:00 position). As a left handed person, I’ve always been kind of fascinated with destro watches, even if I don’t personally see much utility in them. Like most southpaws, I wear my watch on my right wrist. And with a normal watch, the crown is positioned facin...
WatchAdvice
REVIEW: Hands-On With The Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow
Finally, the Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow has a titanium bracelet to match! But can it change my mind on the ladder-style bracelet? Let’s find out! What We Love: Great movement specs and finishing Plenty of micro-adjustment holes for easy wear A sleek, sporty yet geometric design What We Don’t: The clasp isn’t as refined as it could be Ladder bracelet isn’t for everybody Retro styling may not suit all people’s tastes Final Score: 8/10 Value for Money: 7/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 8/10 Build Quality: 8/10 “If You Know, You Know/IYKYK”: A phrase that I keep seeing being used all around social media. It’s a statement I often find used to infer that only a select amount of people know about a certain thing. It’s kind of cool and funny when done for inside jokes, but more often than not I see the term overused to gate-keep to an annoying degree. From withholding movie titles to restaurants – some people need to wake up and realise that buying Adidas Sambas, watching Set It Up or going to that poké place down the road doesn’t make you the main character of anything. Conversely, if used in moderation, it can make a community feel truly special and grateful to be a part of a tight-knit fan base. In that respect, I believe that Le Locle watch brand Zenith is the definition of an IYKYK community. I’ve not met a single Zenith wearer who doesn’t absolutely love Zenith – every single one who, upon mentioning my appreciation for their watch of choice...
Quill & Pad
Watch Design: Originality, Similarity, Or Imitation?
While GaryG thinks it’s all the more impressive that designers continue to delight us with new looks, many watches are often very similar. And trying to describe the slippery slope from vague resemblance to outright theft is not a simple task. So he begins down at the lower end of the grade with so-called homage watches and moves up the GaryG Styling Statute of Limitations from there.
Monochrome
First Look - The Biver Automatique, The Brand’s Vision of a Classic 3-hand Watch
After retiring from his executive role at LVMH, industry veteran Jean-Claude Biver embarked on a new venture, creating a family-owned brand with his son Pierre – with a much-anticipated and commented launch in 2023, specifically given Biver’s aura. The Bivers’ vision to focus on high-end, high-grade, limited-production timepieces first took shape with the Biver Carillon […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Seiko Announces New Prospex 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-Interpretation SLA077 And SLA079
The Seiko Marinemaster rings a lot of bells when it comes to dive watches. Since its very inception, with the reference SBDX001, the Marinemaster was tagged as a robust, professional-grade diver. Fast forward to 2024, Seiko again reaches into the heritage that made the Marinemaster a legend by introducing the SLA077 and SLA079 as part of their Prospex collection.
Monochrome
Introducing - The Squale 1521 Marina Militare Limited Edition
An emblematic name for the dive watch community, Squale has gained great credibility with its solid, no-nonsense models and recognition from military forces. Created in 1959, when Charles Von Büren registered the Squale name, this year, the brand celebrates its 65th anniversary. A few months ago, Squale released the Master Titanium 120 ATM, an appealing […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A Look At The New Momentum UDT Eclipse Synch Solar
Momentum has finally answered the call of watch enthusiasts and divers alike with the much-anticipated return of the UDT. For quite a while, fans have clamored for a reissue, and the new Momentum UDT looks like it's the kind of watch that won't disappoint. Momentum states that this modern iteration maintains its predecessor's robust, military-grade toughness while incorporating several thoughtful updates.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Baltic Hermetique Tourer Review
The Hermetique is Baltic’s take on a field watch. I see it as sorta dress-watch-adjacent-with-field-aspirations. I was torn between the Hermetique and the Titanium Aquascaphe but after seeing both in person I knew the Hermetique was the correct choice for reasons we’ll get into here in a bit. The visit to Baltic’s showroom was a good one though and entirely worth it if you’re nearby. They have a great selection of straps on hand so you can get the exact look and fit you’d prefer when you purchase your watch. The showroom had the expected melange of diving, automotive, and vaguely aeronautical accouterment spread throughout. Overall it was a very pleasant and low-pressure sales experience for me.
Worn & Wound
A New Limited Edition from Massena LAB and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo Pays Tribute to a Classic
Phillips, along with Bacs & Russo, has recently unveiled the 1952 Observatory Dial Limited Edition. This watch was created in partnership between three industry leaders: Phillips Watches, William Massena from the horological concept studio Massena LAB, and the award-winning independent watchmaker Raúl Pagès. The result is a watch that encompasses each collaborators’ unique talents, while building a watch that melds past and present seamlessly. Drawing inspiration from the legendary Observatory-grade Patek Philippe Ref. 2458 wristwatch, originally crafted in platinum for collector Joe Ben “J.B.” Champion, Jr. in 1952, this watch pays homage to horological history. Notably, the original timepiece set a record in 2014 as the most valuable time-only wristwatch ever auctioned, solidifying its iconic status. Despite its vintage influences, the 1952 Observatory Dial Limited Edition has a distinctly modern essence. Building upon the technical foundation established by Massena LAB and Raúl Pagès in 2022 with the Magraph Limited Edition, this collaboration introduces a 38.5mm × 10mm stainless steel case housing the manual-wind, proprietary caliber M690. This movement is a refinement of Massena LAB’s inaugural movement, features sub-seconds at 9 o’clock and hand-decoration (including hand finished anglage on bridges and plates) overseen by Swiss craftsmen under Pagès’ direction. Embracing a love for vintage timepieces and the narratives surrounding them, the colla...
SJX Watches
Barrelhand Sends “Memory Disc” Case Back to the Moon
Best known for its Urwerk-inspired Project 1, Barrelhand is now working on the Monolith, a watch for astronauts featuring novel innovations, including an air-tight crown that can be adjusted in space or underwater. Described as a “professional grade EVA [extravehicular activity] tool watch compatible with current and next generation xEMU spacesuits”, the Monolith is a work in progress, however, a bit of it has just landed on the Moon. The case back of each Monolith will carry a “Memory Disc”, a nickel-alloy plate with 1,000 pages worth of micro-engraving. A permanent, analogue physical storage medium, it’s a time capsule of sorts. A single Memory Disc has just landed on the Moon as part of the payload on the IM-1 mission carried by the Nova-C lunar lander, nicknamed “Odysseus”, launched by Intuitive Machines, a privately-funded space exploration enterprise that has contracts with NASA to deliver cargo to the Moon. Alongside the Memory Disc, IM-1 also carried an artwork by Jeff Koons as well as a space camera, all of which will remain on the Moon (at least for now). Initial thoughts The Monolith is an interesting proposition as according to Karel Bachand, Barrelhand’s founder, the watch is developed to pass the “EVA tests originally outlined for the Apollo missions… [and] we have full documents outlining the criteria and corresponding tests it needs to pass.” Although detailed specifications of the watch are not yet available – they will be when th...
Monochrome
Hands-on - The Updated and Captivating new Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Models
In 2016, Glashütte Original unveiled the Senator Excellence series, an offspring of the more considerable Senator collection distinguished by a subtly modern and elegant aesthetic. Along with the series, the brand introduced the in-house Calibre 36, featuring a silicon balance spring, a substantial 100-hour power reserve, and chronometer-grade timekeeping. This innovative movement was the foundation […]
Time+Tide
Boldr’s Rally SRW - a driver’s watch with a hint of regatta timer?
Titanium build, 200 metres of water resistance and great lume - for less than A$500. 'Nuff said.The post Boldr’s Rally SRW – a driver’s watch with a hint of regatta timer? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.