Two Broke Watch Snobs
This Approachable 38mm Dive Watch Goes Toe-to-Toe With Bigger-Name Alternatives
The Certina Action Diver 38mm gets subtle upgrades for 2025, including fresh materials and refined styling.
32,517 articles · 177 videos found · page 453 of 1090
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Certina Action Diver 38mm gets subtle upgrades for 2025, including fresh materials and refined styling.
Worn & Wound
Teddy Baldassarre is a name that likely needs little context or introduction for many in our audience. What began as a YouTube channel focused on a discussion of watches has grown into a great deal more over the last several years. Teddy is an authorized retailer of over 50 brands, and has opened a flagship boutique in his home city of Cleveland, OH. He and his growing team are also a regular presence at industry watch events, where they provide coverage and insight on everything happening in a rapidly changing industry. Up until today, however, there was one right of passage in our shared watch ecosystem that they had not yet taken part in: the special edition collaborative watch. That changes today with the launch of the Brew Metric Teddy Baldassarre Edition. Brew, for their part, is no stranger to the collaboration game. We’ve partnered with Brew ourselves on a handful of limited edition releases, including the “Lumint” from earlier this year. A Brew collaboration is always an interesting endeavor because brand founder Jonathan Ferrer’s designs can take on so many different forms and personalities with small changes to color, texture, and tone. For the Teddy Baldassarre Edition of the Metric, Teddy and Jonathan have chosen to experiment with tones of blue. The dial is a dark, nearly navy shade of blue, and the tone alternates from light to dark across the subdials and handset. There are a number of other little details on this edition that have been tweake...
Fratello
Last weekend was the third edition of the Speedmaster GTG Netherlands, initiated and organized by Speedmaster fan @watchstick_81. A healthy total of 57 guests from 13 countries gathered on a Sunday afternoon at a beautiful former estate from 1758 near the city of Utrecht. All of these people had one thing in common - a […] Visit Photo Report: The Third Edition Of the Speedmaster GTG Netherlands to read the full article.
Monochrome
The collaboration between the indie brand Louis Erard and the master watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin has already given birth to several limited-edition watches based on the Time Eater concept – such as this tourbillon with regulator display. As Dubai Watch Week 2025 open its doors tomorrow, we get a different concept, yet still inspired by Chaykin’s […]
Monochrome
In just a few short years, Norqain has positioned itself as an independent watchmaker crafting versatile and adventure-ready watches. It was founded by Ben Küffer in 2018, and the pace at which Norqain has matured as a brand and developed a wide range of collections is rather impressive. It announced a partnership with Kenissi in […]
SJX Watches
MB&F; opens Dubai Watch Week with a thematic reinterpretation of the HM11 Architect: the HM11 Art Deco. While the underlying structure remains the same, including the strangely satisfying rotate-to-wind case, the latest version goes all in on Art Deco motifs, from sunbeams and stained glass to ziggurats. The 20-piece limited edition also marks a subtle turning point: the growing influence of Maximilian Maertens, who has worked alongside Maximilian Büsser and Eric Giroud since joining the company as an intern in 2017. Initial thoughts Though ‘merely’ a new version of an existing watch, the HM11 Art Deco feels like a sign of things to come from MB&F;. The original HM11 design originated, as so many MB&F; products have, as a collaboration between Maximilian Büsser and designer Eric Giroud. But Mr Büsser is not the only Maximilian to leave an imprint on the HM11 Art Deco; that would be the brand’s Senior Industrial Designer, Berlin-based Maximilian Maertens. Mr Maertens joined MB&F; as an intern in 2017, and has worked on a number of larger objects including the Orb clock made in collaboration with L’Epée 1839. Mr Giroud will no doubt remain as critical as ever, but the growing impact of Mr Maertens is something to watch as MB&F; builds for the future. Tangibly, the Art Deco is much the same watch as the HM11 Architect that debuted two years ago, with its novel rotate-to-wind case and movement. But while everything else seems to have gotten more expensive since 2023, th...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Torn between the Tudor Black Bay and Omega Seamaster? We’ve worn, tested, and lived with both and here’s how they really stack up in comfort, specs, and value.
Fratello
One of my favorite burgeoning brands is Lederer. The small independent sets its sights on creating incredibly technical movements and houses them in surreptitiously complex cases. Today’s release is unmistakably a Lederer, but it’s a watch in reverse. The Inverto Titanium literally flips the company’s CIC 39 over to present a unique offering. It was […] Visit Introducing: The Lederer Inverto Titanium to read the full article.
Fratello
Today, Parmigiani Fleurier announces a new variant of the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante. The Arctic Rose continues to display how the upscale brand masters color and shares new hues on its watches. This is a watch with a decidedly practical complication housed in a luxurious form. Let’s take a brief look. My close acquaintances all […] Visit Introducing: The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante Arctic Rose to read the full article.
Fratello
Season’s greetings, dear Fratelli! As the year winds down and the festive spirit begins to sparkle, it’s time once again for our annual tradition - the Fratello Holiday Gift Guide. Whether you’re shopping for a seasoned collector, a budding enthusiast, or simply treating yourself, we’ve curated a selection of thoughtful, stylish, and horologically inspired gifts […] Visit The Fratello Holiday Gift Guide 2025 to read the full article.
Fratello
Welcome, dear Fratelli, to the final battle in our inaugural Dress Watch Season contest! Our writers made their cases for a broad range of dress watches over the past few weeks. You, our esteemed readers, voted for your favorite each time. In the end, the 34mm A. Lange & Söhne 1815 and the Breguet Classique […] Visit Fratello Dress Watch Season: The Grand Finale - A. Lange & Söhne 1815 34mm Vs. Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
The story of Tornek-Rayville is one that represents a significant chapter in both watchmaking and military history, from the earliest purpose-built watches for divers in the 1950s up to the re-emergence of the cult-classic brand (in a notably new form) in the 21st Century. And it begins with the development of the world’s first modern dive watch: the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. [toc-section heading="Blancpain Fifty Fathoms History"] Founded in 1735 in Villeret, Switzerland, Blancpain is the oldest luxury watchmaker in the world, but its most famous timepiece in this modern era began its life as a tool watch for military divers in the (relatively) recent year of 1953. Jean-Jacques Fiechter, who headed Blancpain at the time, was an avid diving enthusiast who had long wanted to develop a watch that would be ideal for his hobby. Fiechter worked with Captain Robert Maloubier, a French naval officer, to design a reliable, mission-ready timepiece that Maloubier’s elite combat diving team could wear. The watch’s 42mm steel case - exceptionally large for the time - was water-resistant to 91.45 meters, or 50 fathoms, the maximum depth recommended for scuba divers. Its dial was black and its numerals were luminescent for greater legibility underwater. It was the first divers’ watch with a self-winding movement, the first with an antimagnetic case, and the first to employ the patented, double-sealed crown that Fiechter had developed. Most notably, the Fifty Fathoms was the ...
Worn & Wound
Singaporean independent brand Zelos is known for their colorful and texture-forward dials that strike a nice balance between affordability and unique design. Each new creation seems to drive their overall image forward in eclectic ways that keep the brand from fitting too rigidly into any one box. While Zelos is often associated with their sub $1,000 tool watches, they have made spectacular forays into the space of haute complications and uncommon materials in recent years. Their release of the Mirage in 2020, a watch that featured a tourbillon at a competitive $11,000 pricepoint, and their work using tantalum as a case material, is proof that the brand is committed to stretching the imagination regarding what a microbrand is capable of. Their newest release, the Comet 39, joins the ranks of the recent trend of stone dials we’ve seen permeating the hobby in the past few years. Since the trend is fairly new, my experience with stone dials is limited, and I was looking forward to getting hands-on with this piece. I was lucky to be able to pick up this review watch in-person at the Windup Watch Fair in New York City a few weeks ago while I was visiting. Complementary sizing by David Lane Design at Windup allowed me to wear the watch around the city during my trip and get a sense for how it moved with me during high-volume days. The Mother of Pearl (MOP) edition is one in a series of three Comet watches in the brand’s new Comet 39 line, all of which are crafted with vari...
Monochrome
We have exciting news from the United States, and it has nothing to do with the Trump Administration’s Swiss watch import tariffs or their recent reduction. Avoirdupois, a New York City-based brand founded in 2017 by designer/engineer James Stumpf, has expanded its product mix beyond retro-styled furniture and lighting products to include watches. Designed and […]
SJX Watches
In order to mark the spiral hairspring’s 350th anniversary and celebrate its inventor Christiaan Huygens (1629 – 1695), Japanese watch retailer Shellman presents a two-week exhibition event in Tokyo, The Origins of Time = Astronomy. Opening November 19 and slated to run through December 2, the Shellman exhibit is a collaboration with the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and showcases the larger extent of Huygens’ work, from horology to optical observation devices. Themed around the Dutch scientist credited with building the first pendulum clock and with inventing the hairspring, the exhibit also explores larger fields of horology, with a focus on astronomy and modern independent watchmaking. Original drawings showing early attempts at making a sprung balance. Beyond his practical applications in horology, Huygens left marks on many other scientific fields, from geometry to physics and astronomy. He notably discovered Saturn’s largest moon Titan and cemented the wave theory of light propagation. One could say that he was interested in the celestial bodies as much as he was in understanding motion and measuring time here on Earth. In his honour, the exhibit leans on the astronomical theme as well. The exhibition is accompanied by a selection of special watches available for sale. Visitors will have the chance to acquire the world’s smallest wristwatch planetarium, the Planetarium Christiaan Huygens Limited Edition, created by the Du...
Monochrome
Founded by former A. Lange & Söhne watchmakers Johannes Kallinich and Thibault Claeys, indie watchmaking atelier Kallinich Claeys has quickly become one of the most interesting names in contemporary Glashütte watchmaking. Their debut watch, the Einser Zentralsekunde, introduced a clear design approach and a thoughtfully constructed, in-house movement with central seconds and a linear power reserve […]
Fratello
Today, we’ll take a brief look at an exciting set of updated releases. The new Certina DS Action Diver 38mm collection continues as one of the best values around and now adds a ceramic bezel. A host of dial colors and case materials come along for the ride. Let’s get to it! While we bemoan […] Visit Introducing: The Updated Certina DS Action Diver 38mm Collection to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A window into the early days of contemporary independent watchmaking, the upcoming Phillips Hong Kong auction offers an unexpectedly diverse line-up, including a single-owner collection of 1990s watches. The indie selection ranges from Daniel Roth in the late 1980s to Philippe Dufour’s influential finissage. And the historically-minded enthusiast will also notice the catalog includes work from an era when star independent watchmakers, such as Louis Cottier, counted brands as their clients. Lot 982 – Daniel Roth Ref. 2187 Tourbillon “Double Face” After helping establish Breguet as a Swiss watchmaker, Daniel Roth established his eponymous brand in 1988 with his inaugural model being the ref. C187/2187, a tourbillon wristwatch with two faces. The front indicates the time and showcases the tourbillon at six o’clock, while the reverse is home to the date and power reserve indicator. Despite the strikingly exotic look for the time – remember this was the late 1980s – the tourbillon actually employs the familiar Lemania tourbillon calibre, unsurprising given that Mr Roth helped with the construction of the calibre while he was at Breguet. While the bones are Lemania, the aesthetic is uniquely Daniel Roth. The grey dial has a pinstripe guilloche while the three-armed seconds hand indicates the time on a three-layer scale. Just last year, Louis Vuitton resurrected the Daniel Roth marque with a new generation of the iconic tourbillon powered by an all-new calibre deve...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A personal review of the Doxa Sub 300 Black Lung, blending vintage heritage, modern reliability, and nearly a decade of wrist time.
Hodinkee
Jumping generations and hours.
Monochrome
Something we know already for a few years now: Certina’s robust DS Action Diver is out to conquer all terrains, rigged for action in virtually any environment, and at a very fair price. Following the introduction of the 40.5mm collection earlier this year, which came with several updates to the collection in addition to its […]
Fratello
Stockholm-based brand Nezumi is one I always keep a close eye on, and it has established quite a reputation for creating outstanding, affordable watches with retro style and vibrant colors. Nezumi truly understands the important role color plays in making watches stand out. One of the most popular models in the brand’s catalog is the […] Visit Nezumi Introduces A Stylishly Updated Version Of Its Baleine Dive Watch to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Marking its 270th anniversary, Vacheron Constantin has approached the milestone with uncommon ambition. The anniversary programme continues with a duo of one-of-a-kind Les Cabinotiers pieces - Celestia Homage to Ptolemy and Celestia Homage to Copernicus - developed under the brand’s ongoing “The Quest” theme. These one-off creations showcase the manufacture’s dual mastery of horology and métiers d’art. Presented here is a rare hands-on look at both before they disappear into private collections. The pair follows an already packed year that opened with the debut of the Solaria, a landmark wristwatch that claims the title of the most complicated ever made thanks to its 41 functions. Soon after came La Quête du Temps, a monumental astronomical clock that recently wrapped up its exhibition at the Louvre in Paris. Taken together, these creations underscore not only the scale of VC’s technical reach but also the brand’s talent for blending engineering, artistry, and traditional craft. Initial thoughts Each of the new Les Cabinotiers watches expresses a different facet of VC’s watchmaking identity. The new Celestia references utilise the brand’s earlier cal. 3600, but elevate it through intricate case engraving that links science with art. As a pair, these watches reinforce the idea that VC’s greatest strength lies in synthesis. Few manufactures can move so fluidly between engineering precision and artistic refinement. As unique pieces, pricing is largel...
SJX Watches
Among Japan’s best-kept secrets, Orient Star occupies an intriguing middle ground between tradition and technology. Its latest creation, the Orient Star M34 F8 Date Green, captures that duality perfectly by combining an old-school movement with state-of-the-art dial and escapement components drawn from the vast capabilities of its parent company, Seiko Epson. The result is a watch that feels distinctly Japanese in both spirit and execution. The M34’s new green dial is embossed with a hand-engraved stamp and coated with an optical multi-layer film that creates shifting hues without a trace of pigment - an effect more often associated with much costlier watches. Beneath its shimmering surface lies Orient Star’s enduring in-house F8 movement, which continues a lineage that dates back to 1971. Initial thoughts The dial of the M34 immediately distinguishes it within its segment. Its engraved texture, embossed from a hand-engraved die, gives the surface a natural radiance, while the iridescent green tone - created through a PVD-applied optical multi-layer film - shifts fluidly under changing light. It’s a distinctly upmarket look that signals the depth of the Epson manufacturing ecosystem behind it. The case reflects that same industrial prowess, made entirely in-house within Seiko Epson’s facilities, using 316L stainless steel finished with Sallaz (more commonly known as ‘Zaratsu’) polishing to achieve distortion-free mirrored bevels. The 40 mm size and ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Real-world testing of historic military designs that earned their place: simple layouts, strong lume, rugged builds, and timeless reliability.
Deployant
Tutima adds a new dial and colourway to their Patria collection. Limited to only 25 pieces, this evergreen watch is a line extension.
Time+Tide
We've cut through the noise and assembled a short list of horological deals actually worth your attention this Black Friday.The post The best Black Friday watch deals worth your attention in 2025 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
As the year slowly comes to an end, the days get shorter and winter sets in, the festive season is upon us to warm our hearts. Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, Hannukkah, Kwanzaa or Christmas, or all of them for that matter, it’s a time of joy, warmth and the comfort of friends and family. To […]
Fratello
Bell & Ross has always leaned into its aviation DNA, and few collections embody that identity more clearly than the BR-03 series. With its square case, four exposed screws, and cockpit-instrument aesthetic, it’s a design that’s instantly recognizable even across the room. The latest model, the BR-03 GMT Compass, keeps that familiar geometry but brings […] Visit Hands-On With The Bell & Ross BR-03 GMT Compass - A Smartly Executed Tool Watch With A Twist to read the full article.
Deployant
The Kollokium Projekt 01 Variant “G” is a limited edition of 499 pieces, retailing for SGD 5,555 including taxes. It offers a restrained chromatic update to the brand’s neubrutalist platform, with two handset options and a continued emphasis on texture, contrast, and industrial execution.
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.