Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Best Dress Watches We’ve Ever Reviewed
Our hands-on guide to the best dress watches: picks across budgets with sizing tips, pros and cons, and insights from on-wrist testing.
Results for Vallée de Joux
24,115 articles · 198 videos found · page 405 of 811
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Monochrome
Introducing - An Urwerk with Central Hands…? Meet the new UR-10 Spacemeter
Now that is something paradoxical… An Urwerk watch equipped with centrally-mounted hands rotating traditionally on top of a round dial, with concentric counters underneath. That’s nothing what you’d expect to see from Urwerk, a brand known for its unconventional displays of the time with wandering hours and satellites. Look at our retrospective of the entire […]
Time+Tide
Blancpain updates its Villeret line with subtle, yet well-considered tweaks
With these new "Golden Hour" updates to three key models, Blancpain's underrated Villeret line gets its time in the sun.The post Blancpain updates its Villeret line with subtle, yet well-considered tweaks appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Urwerk’s UR-10 Spacemeter is Sci-Fi and Almost Conventional
Known for its avant-garde approach to watchmaking, Urwerk takes a surprise detour into orthodoxy with the UR-10 Spacemeter. At least at first glance, it is a round(-ish) sports watch with an integrated bracelet – and normal hour and minutes hands – as well as indicators you’ll find on no other watch. But conceptually, the UR-10 Spacemeter is typical Urwerk. The indicators on the dial are all astronomy related, bringing to mind past Urwerk models and the brand’s sci-fi style. Initial Thoughts Oddly, I find I find myself more impressed with the UR-10 aesthetically than technically. Urwerk has cultivated a military, sci-fi aesthetic that I’ve become enamoured with, especially the EMC. And, if the UR-10 is anything like its similarly sized and braceleted peers, it will wear well too. Then there are the dials, with ideal typography, which sit under a sapphire bubble and remind me of a flush-mounted ship’s compass. The complications are inspired by an unusual 19th-century regulator clock by Gustave Sandoz, and attempt to track both the Earth’s rotation and revolution. An interesting idea, but the execution is disappointing as the indications aren’t particularly mathematically accurate and based on arbitrary distances, like 10 km, rather than natural phenomenon like, say, a sidereal time watch, where one rotation of a sidereal hour hand corresponds to one rotation of the Earth. However, Urwerk likes to develop ideas over time, and the Spacemeter concept has potent...
SJX Watches
SJX Podcast: Primetime for Fashion Brands?
On episode 14 of the SJX Podcast, Brandon Moore and SJX unpack the new Louis Vuitton Monterey and discuss where fashion brands fit in the contemporary fine watchmaking landscape. Are collectors who ignore these kinds of products intellectually lazy? We also cover the latest from Lange, which just added a stone onyx dial to the Saxonia Thin – is it the perfect watch for your next soiree? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Teddy Baldassarre
Islander Watches Review
The independent and microbrands of the watch world are often where the most interesting things are happening, but the landscape is only getting wider and the competition stronger – which is ultimately a good thing. But, with competition only growing fiercer, there are other brands that get knocked out of the spotlight, overshadowed by the current hyped brand/watch/designs of the time. Such is the case with Islander watches. But today, we’re going to help fix that and give a little extra consideration and attention to what I would call an underdog of the independent world. Down below, I’ll be walking you through what Islander Watches are all about, focusing on a case study of a couple of models, and sharing my final conclusions about how this brand fits into the wild world of watches. Some Context Islander Watches hold an interesting position within the industry, as they are actually the house brand of Long Island Watch, and, at its core, Islander is an entirely enthusiast-driven brand. I’m sure there are plenty of those already familiar with Long Island Watch from YouTube or the digital sphere, but for those uninitiated, Long Island Watch is a New York-based watch brand founded in 2003 by Marc Frankel, a mechanical engineer who turned his passion for collecting watches into an online retailer back in 2003. Focussing on offering a really dynamic curation of affordable, hardworking, and interesting watches from nearly all genres (and often from obscure brands), Mar...
Worn & Wound
The One Watch Collection: Our Contributors Weigh In
The “One Watch Collection” is one of our favorite thought experiments. Thinking through whether we could scale back, or if we started over, if we’d do things differently, helps many of us hone in on what makes the watches we love special in the first place. Today, our contributors wrestle with the idea of a one watch collection, making their choices for the watch they’d wear forever, and explaining their thought process. As always, we want to hear from you. Let us know in the comments if a one watch collection is even feasible, and what your one watch choice would be. Alec Dent – Rolex Datejust “Wimbledon” I have what you might call a theoretical fondness for the one-watch collection. I love the idea, but I also have more than one watch and can’t imagine selling most of the watches in my collection. If I could go back to the beginning of my watch collecting journey, though, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’d be a one-watch guy and that that watch would be a Rolex Datejust. It’s water resistant to 100m, it’s durable, it can be dressed up or dressed down, and it epitomizes classic design. What more could you need from a watch? I’m particularly partial to the 36mm two-tone “Wimbledon” dial with a fluted bezel and a jubilee bracelet, but the Datejust has been around for so long - 80 years this year! - there are countless variations from which to choose. (If I wasn’t here advocating for the Datejust as a one-watch collection, I might adva...
Monochrome
First Look - The Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour, Now in Steel
Bremont has a solid portfolio of rugged tool watches designed for airborne, seaborne and land exploration. Recently restructured under Davide Cerrato, Bremont’s 2024 Terrra Nova collection was the CEO’s trial by fire. With its cushion-shaped cases, vintage details, and excellent legibility, the Terra Nova collection is designed to capture the elemental spirit of yesteryear’s military […]
Monochrome
First Look - Omega Updates the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon with New Movements, in 4 Different Versions (incl. Video)
Omega turns its head once again to the Dark Side… of the Moon, of course. A now-classic member of the Speedmaster collection, the Dark Side of the Moon lineup, also known as the DSOTM, has been around for over 10 years now, always with a cool, monochromatic take on the brand’s emblematic space chronograph, made […]
Time+Tide
Kurono’s triple calendar is back, but this time dressier than before
Hajime Asaoka treats himself to a 60th birthday present with the new Grand Jubilee Calendar in elegant salmon.The post Kurono’s triple calendar is back, but this time dressier than before appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Introducing - Accessible Elegance from Japan, with New Brand Kiwame Tokyo
Japan is known for being one of the most mature and fascinating markets for new and vintage watches, home to serious collectors, as well as long-established manufacturers. In recent years, we’ve also seen the rise of a proper independent scene, ranging from accessible to ultra high-end, with Hajime Asaoka being on both ends of the […]
Monochrome
First Look - Louis Erard Enters the Integrated Sports Watch Arena with its New 2340 Collection
Once the domain of high-end brands, the integrated sports watch genre is on fire and the market is flooded with thousands of models, ranging from downright affordable ones, such as Tissot’s PRX, all the way up to AP’s Royal Oak, and everything in between. A somewhat unexpected move, the latest player to take the plunge […]
Time+Tide
Christopher Ward and Worn & Wound take over Brooklyn with this new collaboration
A new collaboration launched to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Windup Watch Fair NYC with a Brooklyn twist. The post Christopher Ward and Worn & Wound take over Brooklyn with this new collaboration appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Visiting Independent Watchmaker Dann Phimphrachanh and his Seconde Vive in His New Workshop
At the heart of Dann Phimphrachanh's Seconde Vive is the jumping seconds mechanism. Dann’s goal was not simply to achieve a jumping seconds hand, but to create one that felt regular, smooth, and, as he puts it, “alive.”
SJX Watches
Longines’ Ultra-Chron Classic is a Double-Certified, High-Beat Chronometer
Longines continues to mine its archive to good effect with the Ultra-Chron Classic, a faithful reissue of the brand’s pioneering high-frequency wristwatch first launched in 1967. The Ultra-Chron Classic is more than just a remake of a vintage watch. While it has a clean, period-correct vintage aesthetic, the mechanics are entirely modern, namely a high-beat, 5 Hz automatic movement that is both COSC chronometer and TIMELAB certified. Initial thoughts Longines does well at bringing back beloved designs from the past, but built to modern standards. The Ultra-Chron Classic is the latest in a long line of historical reissues that began nearly two decades ago with the bestselling Legend Diver. The Ultra-Chron Classic is impressively faithful to the original in style, but because of that, not especially exciting in terms of design, retaining the all-business look that was common among high-performance gentlemen’s wristwatches of the era; the same criticism could be leveled at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic E168 or IWC Ingenieur ref. 666. In other words, the dial, hands, and indices are mostly true to the source material, but this pared-back look may have a harder time standing out in today’s market than it once did. Dressy? Classic? Or plain? Looks aside, the Ultra-Chron Classic is modern Longines at its best: a solid build, a brand-exclusive movement, proper sizing, and sensible pricing. The movement in particular stands out for being notable high-spec with its 36,000 bea...
Monochrome
First Look - The new Monovant Rheon Royal Lapis
Monovant is a new brand founded in 2024 in Greece with watches designed in both Athens and Paris. There’s a unique virtual showroom on its website that allows enthusiasts to interact with a digital version of watches, a concept Monovant calls phygital timepieces (the blending of the physical and digital worlds). This concept extends to […]
Fratello
Hands-On With The New Longines Ultra-Chron Classic - Honoring The Original High-Beat Ultra-Chron From 1967
Longines has a long history when it comes to high-frequency movements. Way back in 1910, the company received the first patent for a pocket chronograph featuring such a high-beat movement and capable of measuring 1/10th of a second. In 1959, Longines presented its first wristwatch with a high-frequency movement that only deviated about 1/10th of […] Visit Hands-On With The New Longines Ultra-Chron Classic - Honoring The Original High-Beat Ultra-Chron From 1967 to read the full article.
WatchAdvice
The IWC Ingenieur Touring In The Wilds Of Tasmania
The IWC Ingenieur is one versatile watch. So we took it touring through Tasmania for a week in a very different style of watch article with some great watch shots, not to mention some epic scenery! I love travelling, and I love watches. It’s not often that you can combine the two together, and take a week where you just travel and enjoy a watch, take photos and tell people about the experience of both. And when it comes to our Hands On Reviews, it’s normally around town, day to day, which, let’s face it, is where watches get worn the most for most people, so it’s perfect in that regard. But sometimes, it is good to do something a little different. Let’s get out and about with a watch and see some places, and in doing so, have a watch that could be a constant companion while I explore the best Australia has to offer. So, that thought in mind, this is not a review. It is part travel blog, part watch review and part photo gallery. I wanted to chronicle my travels with a watch as a daily companion, and at the end, see how I felt after having a selected piece on my wrist day to day, in a part of the country that is very different to where I normally live… The Inspiration & Destination After some thought, I settled on one of the few places I had not been to in Australia – Tasmania. Known for its wilderness, contrasting countryside, the arts and its food, Tasmania felt like the right place to head to. It had a mix of cosmopolitan life in Hobart and Launceston, the r...
SJX Watches
SJX Podcast: MB&F; Gives Away Anniversary Editions
On episode 13 of the SJX Podcast, Brandon Moore and SJX discuss MB&F;’s decision to give away 20 free watches – 10 pieces of a new LM101 Longhorn for Tribe members and 10 pieces of a matching M.A.D.1S for prior raffle registrants. It’s a move that’s generated a lot of buzz, and a little bit of consternation, but regardless it’s a remarkable offer from one of the more successful independent brands of its era. Also discussed is the A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds which just got upgraded with a new solid 18k pink gold dial. Is it still competitive nearly a decade after launch? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Time+Tide
10 of the best “Tiffany Blue” dial watches
Light teal, eggshell blue, turquoise... Whatever you want to call it, here's a list of watches that resemble Tiffany's famous shade.The post 10 of the best “Tiffany Blue” dial watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Buying Guide - Cheap Tricks: Six of the Best Budget-Friendly Watch Deals Around
At MONOCHROME, there’s often debate about various aspects of watches. Size, materials, colours, and so on are all regularly scrutinised by the team. And they should be, as we love to offer you our best perspective on watches possible. One thing that always crops up in these discussions is price. Do we think a watch […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex 5513 Submariner Review: The Timeless Vintage Rolex?
In the world of Rolex, most people’s minds go straight to rarity, unattainability, and exclusivity. And in so many cases that rings true – except (and you may find this hard to believe) for the Submariner. That’s right, Rolex’s stalwart and most ubiquitous watch is also, kind of, its most accessible on the secondary market… and I am talking vintage and neovintage here. Sure, there are rare examples like Explorer dials (we will get to that in a bit), and early ref. 1680 Red Submariners that fetch a pretty penny at auction or from a vintage dealer. But there’s a very real reason for that. Those watches in particular fall into a bucket shared by many collectible rarities: They were only produced for a very short period of time. But there were many variations of vintage Subs, some rarer than others. And some still that weren’t rare at all. And the best example of that is the Rolex 5513, a Submariner model so common that it was one of Rolex’s most popular and best selling over the course of its – wait for it – 17-year run. Rolex 5513 History The Rolex Submariner ref. 5513 was in production from 1962 until 1989, and while there are some pockets of special ref. 5513 models within that run, it is for the most part of one the brand’s longest-selling and most-produced Submariners, or even sports watches full stop (the Explorer ref. 1016 has entered the chat). In 1962, Rolex had been producing its Submariner reference 5512 for about three years. The 5512 was a n...
Worn & Wound
Watches, Stories, and Gear: New Kodak Film, Giant Mouse in NYC, REI closures, and A New Watch from Huckberry
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Kodak Announces New Film Stock View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kodak (@kodak) In a recent Instagram post, Kodak announced two new film stocks that they’ll begin selling directly to distributors in an attempt to increase the supply of film. Aptly named Kodacolor, these two new color-negative film stocks will be available in 135 format (35mm) and will come in 100 and 200 speed. While the slower 100 speed film will be better suited for brightly lit, outdoor use, the medium speed 200 film will add a level of versatility that allows for both indoor and outdoor use, when the conditions are right. Currently, it’s unclear if this new film stock is simply a rebrand of an existing line or an entirely new formulation, but the release of two new films has certainly caught the attention of film lovers. Limited details on each film stock is available from Kodak, but pricing and additional information can be found from your preferred retailer. NYC Pop-up: Giant Mouse Sets Up Shop at Filson Over the years, Giant Mouse has made a name for itself by combining Danish design principles and American spirit. While the brand will be returning to the NYC Windup ...
Deployant
New: Three new watches from Glashütte Original x MEISSEN
Glashütte Original and MEISSEN unite two pillars of Saxon craftsmanship in the Senator MEISSEN collection-a trio of limited-edition timepieces that blend horological precision with porcelain artistry. Each model features a hand-painted MEISSEN porcelain dial housed in a 40mm red gold case, powered by the automatic calibre 36-16. The Mystic Maison editions in white and celadon green are limited to 150 pieces each and priced at $30,300, while the Collage edition, limited to just 8 pieces, retails at $36,400.
Time+Tide
The Laurent Ferrier effect: why are watch experts so smitten with the Sport Auto?
Why are Kristian Haagen and Monochrome Watches' Frank Geelen (and us here at Time+Tide, too) so smitten with the Sport Auto?The post The Laurent Ferrier effect: why are watch experts so smitten with the Sport Auto? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Tritium Watches: How They Work, And How They're Still Being Made
The need to read the time in the dark has been a challenge for the makers of timepieces for hundreds of years. The first solution was not a visual but an audible one: watches that could chime the current hour and minute on demand. These types of watches, aka minute repeaters and sonneries, are quite rare and expensive today and regarded as luxuries rather than the utilitarian inventions they initially were. In the 1900s, a more practical option presented itself: treating a watch’s dial with luminous paint that made its time display visible in darkness. And while this approach proved to be much more cost-effective and practical, it also brought a new set of challenges, as the earliest substances used on the dials were discovered to be unsafe, for the people who made the watches and, to a lesser extent, those who wore them. Let There Be Light The first material applied to watch dials for nighttime luminescence was radium paint, which, thanks to radium’s half-life of 1,600 years, offered a long-lasting glow during that period before dimming - the catch being that, as its name implies, radium (specifically Radium-226, which was used as the base of the “Radiomir” substance registered by Guido Panerai ) is radioactive. In the 1920s, the mostly female factory workers who painted the watch dials with radium compounds started falling ill and dying at alarming rates, leading to lawsuits against the companies that produced the material and eventually, safer working conditio...
Time+Tide
Why odd lug sizes are worth the headache
While an odd lug size can be a pain finding straps for, Andrew O'Connor argues that it shouldn't be a reason to write off a watch - far from it.The post Why odd lug sizes are worth the headache appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Spinnaker and Seconde/Seconde/ Return with a Pair of Ghostly Limited Editions
The designer and artist Romaric Andre (better known as Seconde/Seconde/) has had a string of hit limited edition watches over the last few years. Seriously, Google his name of Seconde/Seconde/, or just search our site, and you’ll see collaborations with brands large, small, expensive, affordable, and everywhere in between. He is, quite simply, one of the more prolific figures in the watch industry over the last five years or so. I have to confess I’m not sure if anyone has yet attempted to make a list of the best of most viral Seconde/Seconde/ creations, but if such a list exists and it doesn’t have his Halloween themed collaborations with Spinnaker on it, I’m here to tell you it’s incomplete. This is the type of watch that when it was launched, the inevitable shortage produced vitriol and anger on Instagram (quickly corrected with the announcement of an additional, less limited batch). Now, Spinnaker and Seconde/Seconde/ have reteamed for another bite at the apple with the Fleuss Automatic Seconde/Seconde 2025 Edition. The new release maintains the “phantom” dial concept (a take off on “Fifty Fathoms,” get it?) but this time around there are two case sizes to choose from, 40mm (“Phantom Steel”) and 43mm (“Phantom White”). Both have a textured gray dial with lume filled indices and hands, and of course a whole bunch of those little lumed ghosts, completing the visual pun. In addition to the option for multiple case sizes, both variants also ...
Monochrome
Introducing - The Kurono Grand Jubilee Calendar Salmon Dial
This year is pretty special for Kurono Tokyo, the more accessible brand created by Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka. Indeed, 2025 marks the watchmaker’s 60th anniversary, which the brand is celebrating as its diamond jubilee, resulting in several special edition watches that pay tribute to design features created by Asaoka. Following the highly elegant 2025 […]
SJX Watches
Seiko Celebrates 75 Years of Peanuts and Snoopy with Vanac SDKV011
Seiko celebrates 75 years of the Peanuts with a King Seiko Vanac Peanuts 75th Anniversary SDKV011, with everyone’s favourite Beagle on a newspaper-inspired dial. Limited to only 150 pieces for Japan only, foreigners will need to get creative if they want one. Initial Thoughts Peanuts is huge in Japan – or more accurately, Snoopy is. Grandberry Park in Tokyo plays host to a three-story tall Snoopy museum that receives several times as many yearly visitors as the Charles M. Schulz Museum in California. It should be no surprise then that the new Vanac is for the Japanese market only, which is unfortunate as it is an appealing watch for a relatively reasonable price. While a bit late to the integrated bracelet sports watch craze since it was only launched earlier this year, the Vanac is competitive in its segment thanks to standout case finishing and a highly competent movement. The new edition retains all the appeal of the standard model; the two-tone dial with gilt accents and Peanuts characters is subtle and a little retro in keeping with the design’s origins. A Snoopified King Seiko King Seiko is a Seiko sub-brand positioned just below the better-known Grand Seiko. The marque emerged from a multi-decade hibernation in 2021. Seiko launched original King Seiko Vanac line during the early 1970s, with sharp angular cases, colourful iridescent dials and faceted crystals – but the latter is missing on the modern Vanac. That absence stings as a faceted crystal would be an...