Hodinkee
Hands-On: Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Tribute To The Celestial
A completely objective and totally not astrologically driven review of a high art watch from one of the world's oldest watch brands.
23,273 articles · 216 videos found · page 438 of 783
Hodinkee
A completely objective and totally not astrologically driven review of a high art watch from one of the world's oldest watch brands.
Revolution
60 years into Grand Seiko’s story, Revolution’s founder finally spends on a “Snowflake”, thus beginning a new chapter in his journey as a watch collector.
Time+Tide
Want to be summer-ready with a new, colourful watch? We've got you covered.The post 15 of the best summer watches, from colourful beach bums to refined yacht-dwellers appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
“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. SPLASHDOWN While you might know the story of how the Omega Speedmaster became the official Moonwatch, you might know the story of Navy-UDT Frogman who were tasked with safely recovering astronauts as they returned to Earth. Just as the astronauts relied upon their speedmasters, the UDT Frogmen had their own piece of critical time keeping kit: the Tudor Submariner 7928. While these divers would preform critical roles in supporting Nasa’s splashdown recovery program, their story remained largely untold, until now. On Thursday, June 24th, Tudor unveiled a short film dedicated to these men, aptly titled “Splashdown: The Little-Known Story of Navy Frogmen and the Space Program”. Featuring members of the team, their family, and even Jack Carr, the short film can be watched on Tudor’s website alongside various historical images. Little Camera, Big Punch Yashica, a Japanese camera company, has announced their newest compact camera, the City 300. Similar in size to a point-and-shoot camera or the Ricoh family of cameras, the new City 300 combines a 50MP sensor, a fast F/1.8 lens, and what appears to be a flip/tilt screen; all for an estimated US retail price of $4...
Deployant
The Fifty Fathoms Tech 45 mm debuts in the permanent collection, with a new interchangeable strap system, expanding its technical repertoire with bold rubber options in classic black, white or vivid orange. These vibrant colors inject a fresh, lifestyle-driven twist into the iconic diver’s instrument, while preserving all its exceptional tool-watch features.
SJX Watches
The second edition of biennial Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives is now well underway, and the 20 semi-finalists have been announced. The candidate pool is exceptionally diverse, with makers hailing from eight different countries and espousing a variety of different product philosophies. The watch prize is the brainchild of Jean Arnault, who leads Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking initiatives. A passionate supporter of independent watchmaking, Mr Arnault created the watch prize in 2023 to recognise talented watchmakers and designers and give one lucky winner a helping hand. Raúl Pagès won the first edition of the watch prize. Image – Louis Vuitton Initial thoughts I try not to put too much stock in the various prizes that are handed out in the watch industry. Many such contests suffer from a lack of participation, a problem that makes it difficult to take the results seriously. That said, it’s worth paying attention to the Louis Vuitton watch prize for a few reasons. First, it’s unusually inclusive, welcoming entrants from all over the world, ranging from journeymen watchmakers like Bernhard Zwinz and David Candaux to emergent Chinese brands like Behrens and Fam Al Hut. Second, the candidate pool is not sub-divided into arbitrary categories, meaning there’s plenty of competition to keep things interesting. Finally, the outcome is meaningful – the winner gets a €150,000 cash prize and a one-year mentorship at La Fabrique du Temps with Michel Nava...
Worn & Wound
Is it too late to dub the summer of 2025 “Black Watch Summer”? That might be how I remember this particular season. The watch I’ve worn most, by far, as the temps have soared is my Ming 37.09 “Uni,” a blacked out void of a watch if ever there was one. And a few weeks ago at Windup I purchased my first vintage watch in ages, a DLC coated Favre-Leuba chronograph that I couldn’t pass on. And now, as we’re fully in the dog days, I sit here with the new Aera Instruments M-1 Blackbird on my wrist, another cool, sleek, blacked out watch that bolsters the notion that Aera is one of the most interesting accessible indies of the moment. I reviewed Aera’s D-1 dive watch a few years ago, and the tone of that review was one of pleasant surprise. At the time, the brand was in the midst of launching their second collection, and from the photos and press materials I had seen, I was struggling to make sense of why this brand needed to exist. That might seem like a harsh standard, but we live in a period where it’s incredibly easy to churn out incredibly generic sports watches for minimal money and talent that absolutely no one needs. The whole point of this website, as I see it, is to find the stuff that has a real reason to be made because it offers something different. So I was surprised to find that the D-1 subverted my expectations by flipping the idea of a dive watch on its head. It kind of looks like a generic dive watch at a glance, but every single detail is act...
Teddy Baldassarre
When it comes to watch consumers' interest, there has over the past several years been a rising level of interest in watch brands that deviate from what might be viable for the mass market luxury watch brands but appeal to a niche but passionate audience. These so-called microbrands have represented one of the fastest-growing segments of the mechanical watch market, in which small shops can produce quality products that compete for connoisseurs' attention with the titans of the business. In the past several years, we've handled hundreds of watches from different microbrands out there; In this blog, we take a closer look at some of the best microbrand watches that the market has to offer in a variety of price ranges. What makes a Microbrand Watch? Now first, it is important to try to best classify what a microbrand is and what it isn’t. To me, a microbrand is a limited-production watch company that typically specializes in a particular style that does not have extensive resources to produce its own in-house calibers or other proprietary parts. This classification can get a little grey in the area of independent watchmakers that typically either have higher levels of watchmaking, like a Habring2, who have a master watchmaker like Richard Habring at the helm, or are a brand like Christopher Ward, who produce a high number of pieces and has in-house production capacities. The Best Microbrand Watches: The Latest Additions Santurce A microbrand with a strong Puerto Rican per...
Monochrome
Chopard, for most of our readers, is the name behind collections such as the Mille Miglia, the Alpine Eagle, and the top-end L.U.C watches, products overseen by co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. With its own foundry and jewellery workshop in Geneva, the feminine side of the brand, represented by high jewellery collections and women’s watches, is in […]
Monochrome
When A. Lange & Söhne first revealed the Zeitwerk in 2009, it marked a bold break from convention. A high-end Saxon watch that abandoned the familiar hands-on-dial format in favour of a purely mechanical digital time display, large jumping numerals for the hours and minutes, powered by an ingenious constant-force escapement. Since its introduction, the […]
Fratello
In 2009, the German brand A. Lange & Söhne surprised the world with a mechanical digital watch based on a clock in an opera house in Dresden. A decade later, the watchmakers from Glashütte in Saxonia presented an even more digital version of that watch, the white gold Zeitwerk Date. Why was it more digital? […] Visit Introducing: The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date In Pink Gold With A Gray Dial to read the full article.
Fratello
When I think of CIGA Design, the first thing that immediately comes to mind is the brand’s highly successful Blue Planet. The watch is not only instantly recognizable, but it has also won numerous prizes. Still, there is another side to the CIGA Design that is far more modern and futuristic. The new Z Series […] Visit Introducing: The Futuristic CIGA Design Z Series Hunter Automatic Skeleton to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
The Seiko Prospex SRPE93, the most recent version of the legendary Seiko Turtle dive watch, hit the market relatively recently, in 2021, but its lineage can be traced all the way back to the 1970s. What makes this defiantly retro-looking tool watch such a favorite of enthusiasts even today? There’s a lot more to it than the very accessible price point, as we’ll explore here in this in-depth examination - or, a look under the shell, if you will - of the SRPE93 “Turtle.” Seiko, the world’s oldest and most established Japanese watchmaking brand, was one of the pioneers of the dive-watch genre and it has long stood apart from its Swiss contemporaries in this field (i.e. Rolex, Blancpain, and others) for its use of bold and unconventional designs. One of its most off-the-wall and yet most enduringly popular designs is the original "Turtle” - aka, Ref. 6306 and 6309 - which made its debut in 1976. The former reference was made exclusively for the Japanese market (and thus, vintage examples are much rarer and more valuable), and the latter was sold to international customers. The reptilian nickname derived from the watches’ cushion-shaped cases with softly rounded lugs, which brought to mind the silhouette of a turtle when viewed from above. The reference numbers for the watches essentially matched those of their automatic movements - Caliber 6306A, which included hacking seconds and Caliber 6309A, which did not. The Turtle’s unusual look and rugged ...
Monochrome
It’s not every day we get to learn about and share news on potentially groundbreaking new watchmaking concepts. But today, we have something very special lined up, and what’s even more satisfying, it’s Dutch-made! Self-taught watchmaker Machiel Hulsman is presenting his latest concept watch, stepping away from uniquely engineered and crafted bespoke pieces. While it […]
SJX Watches
Credor returns to its first-ever tourbillon with the Goldfeather Tourbillon GBCF999, a watch that emphasises traditional Japanese craftsmanship with maki-e lacquerwork and hand engraving. Tracing its lineage back to the inaugural Seiko tourbillon that was launched in 2016, the Goldfeather Tourbillon is equipped with an improved tourbillon movement featuring a clever twist. Despite its elaborate decoration, the Goldfeather possesses a far more subdued look than its 2016 predecessor, the Credor Fugaku Tourbillon, which was not only decorated in maki-e and engraving but also set with blue sapphires. Initial thoughts Credor timepieces are almost always appealing propositions, since they usually sit somewhere between more affordable Seiko watches and high-end Grand Seiko models. While Credor is often synonymous with simple but highly decorated watches – like the famous Eichi II – its catalogue boasts truly noteworthy examples of complications. The new Goldfeather Tourbillon is one of these noteworthy watches. It’s a relatively restrained watch but executed with an impressive level of quality, especially in its decoration that is uniquely Japanese. And the slim movement is uniquely Credor in style and finish. In terms of hand finishing inside and out, the makers of the Goldfeather Tourbillon cut no corners. The Goldfeather’s form is inspired by a model from the 1960s; the clean case design is clearly suggestive of those times. The overall look manages to blend classical...
Worn & Wound
One of the brands I’ve most enjoyed getting to know through our Windup Watch Fairs is Elliot Brown. Based in the UK, the brand offers an almost overwhelming variety of purpose built tool watches in a frequently sober, no-nonsense design language. The watches remind me at times (in a good way) of those you might have come across when the “big watch” trend was at full steam and brands sought to capitalize on the popularity of Panerai and others who traded in a hyper-masculine approach to watch design. Elliot Brown’s watches are quite a bit more considered, however, and they’ve attracted the attention of tool watch enthusiasts for their authentic perspective, undeniably solid build quality, and a pretty compelling value as well. Their latest release, the Chromatic Collection series of Bloxworth Heritage divers, is both a great example of what Elliot Brown has been excelling at in recent years, and a confident step in a slightly different direction. If you scroll through the watches in Elliot Brown’s catalog on their website, you’ll see lots of watches in muted tones: black, dark green, navy blue. Simple dials designed for easy legibility as opposed to flash. But the Chromatic Collection adds a welcome bit of color to the brand’s vintage inspired diver with four new references that emphasize color and feel tailored to summer wear. The four new variants include the bold Bloxworth Orange, Bloxworth Seaglass Blue, Bloxworth Drunk Tank (with pink accents), and ...
Monochrome
Credor is often regarded as being a connaisseur’s brand, one of those beguiling watchmakers known and appreciated by a small group of deeply devoted watch collectors and enthusiasts. Part of the Seiko corporation, Credor represents the high-end side of the company, combining the most special traditional craftsmanship techniques with Japanese watchmaking artistry. Although it has […]
Fratello
The concept of a microbrand is not new per se. Small independent watch brands were plentiful in the pre-quartz times. However, the term as we know it today has only been around in the watch world for the last two decades. Contemporary microbrands are a different beast altogether, and though they come in many shapes […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Role Of Microbrands Today to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Back in April, Porsche Design quietly hosted an event that gave the press the opportunity to go hands-on with a selection of current offerings and upcoming launches across its merchandise, sunglasses, luggage, and, of course, watch collections. This was a rare opportunity given that, apart from occasional meetups or the secondary market, there has been no simple way to physically put your hands on a Porsche Design watch. That is until now, as Porsche Design has announced a new retail partnership with Watches of Switzerland, allowing enthusiasts to shop the collection physically. Alongside that announcement, and perhaps more pertinent to our readers, Porsche Design has debuted a new Chronograph 1 1975 Limited Edition model that I spent some hands-on time with at that earlier event. Exactly 50 years ago, Porsche Design released an uncoated version of the original Chronograph, to which this model pays tribute. That model was meant to complement the all-black 1972 Chronograph 1 model, as this new version is intended to complement the modern all-black version that was released in commemoration back in 2022. One key change here, though, is in the chosen material. While the original 1975 uncoated Chronograph 1 was crafted in steel, this new version has been machined from titanium, still uncoated but bead blasted for finish. It will offer slightly warmer hues and a lighter weight-wearing experience than the original, but it will still deliver a similar vibe with a modern twist...
Monochrome
Since its revival in 2020, Nivada Grenchen has been something of a secret among collectors of vintage dive watches, with reeditions of some of its cult tool watches produced between 1950 and 1970 at accessible prices. Founded in 1926, Nivada Grenchen produced its first automatic and waterproof watch, the Antarctic, in 1950. Put to the […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The Tudor Black Bay Chrono hit the market, somewhat unexpectedly, in 2017, boldly elevating the already red-hot Black Bay collection into a new tier of horological prestige and marking the debut of a collaboration (again, rather unexpected) between Rolex-owned Tudor and its Swiss sport-watch competitor Breitling. Nearly a decade later, the model still represents the highest level of complication in Tudor’s 21st-Century lineup, and yet this Tudor chronograph also remains very manageable, as a subfamily, in terms of material, size, and colorway options - an area in which the larger Black Bay collection, some might argue, has gone a bit far in the opposite direction, now encompassing three distinctive iterations: original Black Bay, Black Bay 58, and Black Bay 54 (which we reviewed here), all touting different sizing and multiple colorways and materials. And this doesn’t even include the other “complicated” extension of the line, the Black Bay GMT, which recently debuted in the “58” sizing and which seems to unveil a new bicolor bezel or dial color every year since its 2018 debut. Originally called the Heritage Black Bay - as it was clearly an homage to vintage dive watches from Tudor’s watchmaking history, which began in 1946 - the OG Black Bay model traces its aesthetic roots to the Oyster Prince Submariner, released in 1954, one year after big brother Rolex rolled out its own much more famous Submariner watch. This original version, Ref. 7922, used the ...
Quill & Pad
The A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon lives up to its name. It has a date, a chronograph, a perpetual calendar, and a tourbillon. But it has more: this watch has character. Assigning human traits to a cold machine is a – romantic – fool’s errand, but it’s also irresistible in the presence of a masterpiece. A. Lange & Söhne’s warmest watch is more than a machine with a heartbeat. It has soul.
Monochrome
Classical dress watches never go out of style, and can come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and levels of complexity. Generally, the more complex a watch becomes, the more expensive it will be. But, every now and then, something comes along that gives you a bit more than just the running time, without going […]
Worn & Wound
There’s something satisfying about handling a watch that feels like it knows exactly what it is. The Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 (L3.803.5.53.6) landed on my wrist with that kind of confident presence-not shouting for attention, but quietly competent in the way good tool watches should be. At 39mm with a mix of steel and 18-karat rose gold, it’s Longines’ centennial nod to their 1925 original, the world’s first dual time zone wristwatch. The question isn’t whether it’s historically significant-it obviously is-but whether it actually earns its place in today’s crowded GMT field. Longines, GMT Watches, and the Inevitable Tudor Question Let’s address the elephant in the room: if you’re shopping GMT watches around this price point, you’ve probably looked at the Tudor Black Bay GMT ($4,675). It’s the obvious comparison, sitting at roughly the same price with similar functionality. But where Tudor leans into its diving heritage with a rotating 24-hour bezel, Longines approaches GMT complications from their aviation roots. The Spirit Zulu Time 1925 isn’t trying to be a dive watch that happens to track time zones-it’s purpose-built for travelers and pilots who need to know what time it is “there.” The other natural competitors include the Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT ($6,900), the Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer ($3,175), and the NOMOS Zürich Worldtimer ($6,100). But it’s worth noting these watches solve the multi-timezone problem...
Hodinkee
The brand's most serious purpose-built dive watch is no longer limited edition, slightly updated yet still equipped with everything you need to go deeper than you'll likely ever go.
Monochrome
Oris’ beloved Divers Sixty-Five series has been charming fans of laid-back, vintage-inspired dive watches for over a decade now. First revived in 2015 to celebrate the Hölstein-based brand’s iconic 1965 dive watch, this collection has since grown into a full family of neo-retro divers and sporty daily wearers, always blending mid-century charm with modern mechanics. […]
Time+Tide
At Watches and Wonders, Grand Seiko debuted its second Evolution 9 Tentagraph watch. But is this new SLGC007 better than the SLGC001?The post The good and the (not so) bad of the Grand Seiko SLGC007 Tentagraph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
The Omega Seamaster is one of the most enduring of watch collections. Over the course of decades, it’s become akin to a household name, as long as your household includes at least one watch collector, or a fan of Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig era James Bond. It’s also one of the most fussed over of all sports watches. As popular as it is, it seems like fans of the collection (and its detractors, of course) always have gripes. That’s watches, obviously. But the overwhelming variety in Seamaster World over many years lends itself to sniping about the smallest details. The latest entry into the collection, a new Diver 300M in orange ($6,500), keeps the tradition alive. It’s a bit of a misnomer, I think, to call this an “orange” watch. The watch is black, with notable orange accents on the seconds hand, the cardinal hour markers, and the strap. Like other recent Seamaster releases (the bronze-gold burgundy release from earlier this year, the James Bond 60th anniversary watch from 2022, and last year’s monochromatic releases teased by Daniel Craig at the Olympics) this one features an aluminum bezel and no date complication. It also forgoes the wave dial for a more subtle, lightly grained matte black. It’s all quite subdued for a watch supposedly defined by citrus. Much of the commentary around this watch in the days since its unveiling centers on the bezel. It seems many would have preferred an orange bezel that would have clearly evoked the classic Planet...
Teddy Baldassarre
Building a watch collection is generally a progression, beginning with the accumulation of a handful of modestly priced favorites and building toward the quest for pricier and more coveted models as one's knowledge and disposable income grow. We've showcased many worthwhile models in many price categories, but it's the sweet spot between $5,000 to about $10,000 that many consider the most fertile ground for finding some of those Holy Grails of timekeeping from some of the world's legendary watch brands. If you're in the market for your first "icon" watch (and you're looking to buy new rather than vintage or pre-owned), here are 21 of the best watches under $10,000 to consider, all topping out below the five-figure price barrier. Grand Seiko SBGM221 Price: $5,900 Reference:SBGM221, Case Size: 39.5mm, Case Height: 13.7mm, Lug Width: 19mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: GS 9S66 In 2017 Grand Seiko released the SBGM221 GMT which has stood as one of the brand’s best values to date. Inspired by some of their 1960s designs, the SBGM221 is characterized by that simple ivory-colored dial and vibrant blue GMT hand not to mention the eminently wearable 39.5mm wide steel case. And then there is the Zaratsu polishing throughout the case and dial which plays with the light in a way that only Grand Seiko seems able to do. The Caliber 9S66 is a tried and tested “true” GMT movement that allows you do independently adjust the hour hand and operates at 4 Hz w...
Hodinkee
A new look to an intensely complicated watch from the innovative brand.
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