Two Broke Watch Snobs
Best Watches Under $2000 That Are Worth the Price
Our hands-on picks for the best watches under $2,000, tested for real-world performance to see which ones truly earn their price.
41,026 articles · 6,035 videos found · page 541 of 1569
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Our hands-on picks for the best watches under $2,000, tested for real-world performance to see which ones truly earn their price.
Quill & Pad
Big brands are now making beautiful, reliable, and relatively accurate “traditional” mechanical watches, but the handcrafted work many of us value is disappearing. Highly skilled watchmakers and artisans are rare and expensive: there just aren’t enough of them available to churn out the large quantity of nice watches now being sold. And why bother when nobody seems to have noticed?
Time+Tide
So. I have detailed the first stop of my trip to Japan with Grand Seiko at the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi – the home of all things 9S mechanical. Then we returned back to Ginza from Morioka, and swung by the Seiko Museum Ginza to get intimate with the history of the corporation and the … ContinuedThe post Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 3: The Seiko House Ginza (Wako Main Building) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on review of the Marathon Navigator pilot's watch-a real-world affordable option in the world of mil-spec watch collecting.
Time+Tide
Editor’s Note: What makes the Time+Tide team tick? That’s what we want to try and uncover in this new series that will turn the spotlight on the horological preference, quirks and prejudices of our teams of contributors and editors. This week, American contributor D.C. takes the hot-seat. When did you first become interested in watches? … ContinuedThe post A Question of Time: 10 questions with the Time+Tide team – D.C. Hannay appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
Time+Tide
The WHAT IF…? idea is a versatile one, concerned with wishful thinking, hopes of market-changing releases, and nostalgic pleas. Sometimes, however, it might as well be called WHY NOT…?, and this is the case today. In a recent writers’ meeting, there was discussion of G-Shock, and more particularly the proposition of a solid gold one, … ContinuedThe post WHAT IF… Casio made the gold G-Shock a (more) regular thing? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
For fans of the Zenith Defy, it’s practically impossible not to compare the new Skyline models to the now retired Classic references. As a self described Defy fan, I’ve found myself doing this on a routine basis whenever I get a chance to handle a newer reference. I’ve long held that the Defy, over the years, is pound for pound the very best sports watch line out there. The watches in this collection are adventurous in their design, inherently robust, and naturally distinctive in a sea of sports watches that kind of all look alike. From the very beginning, the Defy has been a trailblazer, something truly unique, but frequently overlooked in favor of watches that it clearly influenced along the way. Zenith’s release strategy with the Defy almost begs for comparison between generations. The Defy Classic, after being issued in titanium with both solid and skeletonized dials, was made in a trio of ceramic models (black, white, and blue) with skeletonized dials. Similarly, the Skyline was introduced in steel first, was eventually given a skeletonized dial, and finally at this year’s Watches & Wonders we got a ceramic version on a full ceramic bracelet, with both the star motif dial seen here, and a skeletonized version similar to the one reviewed earlier this year by Blake right here. No colored ceramic Defy Skylines have been released yet, but it’s easy to see the similarities between Defy generations. There definitely appears to be a roadmap. And yet, after spen...
Worn & Wound
Any watch enthusiast who has been around the corner once or twice has no doubt discovered Nomos, Germany’s worst-kept secret in distinctive design and excellent quality and finishing for its price. Nomos’ unapologetically Bauhaus-inspired aesthetic may not be for everyone, but it’s easy to admire how far this Glashütte-based watchmaker has come in just over three decades. Today we look at the Nomos Ahoi Neomatik 38, a watch that is new inside and out. The Ahoi is the sportiest line in the catalog, which admittedly isn’t saying much. But it does have crown guards and 200m of water resistance, considered by Nomos as “suitable for diving.” To that end, the winding stem features a red ring that is only visible when the crown is unscrewed, a reminder that full water resistance is only guaranteed when the crown is entirely secure. The case is pleasantly thin at 9.9mm thanks to a new movement – more on that in a moment. And the lug-to-lug distance has been reduced to 48.7mm, compared to 51mm on the standard Ahoi. Other nice details include a contrasting orange second hand, double-sided anti-reflective coating on the domed crystal, and a waterproof textile strap suitable for diving. Inside, the new Ahoi is powered by the DUW 6101 for the first time. Developed by Nomos and introduced in 2018 with the Neomatik line, this caliber is both beauty and brains. The rotor and bridges get some love with ribbing polish and perlage, and the movement utilizes Nomos’ re-imagine...
WatchAdvice
The chance to experience the latest 3 day Radiomir from Panerai was too hard to pass up. But how did it hold up, especially comparing it to the 8 Giorni I road-tested a month or so ago? What We Love Vintage styled design aestheticSlim case profile sits flush to the wristTextured dial and aged lumed numerals What We Don’t Thick strap is a little chunkyNo see through caseback3 Day Manual Winding Overall Rating: 8.875/10 Value for money: 9/10Wearability: 9/10Design: 8.5/10Build quality: 9/10 Back in June, I was able to experience the new Panerai Radiomir 8 Giorni that the brand released for Watches and Wonders this year. I was immediately drawn to the distressed look of the eSteel and the blue smoked and textured dial. Check out my review of it here for the full details. So when the opportunity came up to wear the Tre Giorni (three day) version for a couple of weeks, and be able to compare directly to the 8 Days variant, I jumped at the chance. And what better place to photograph a watch with nautical and Navy roots than down by the bay and marina! Seemed fitting to take a naval inspired watch to the marina for some photos First Impressions Now, the differences between the Tre Giorni and the Otto Giorni are not huge, and other than the movement’s power reserve, it’s basically aesthetics. But then the look of a watch is a major factor when it comes to what you choose. It either looks good and resonates with you, or it doesn’t. The first impression of the Tre Giorni is ...
Worn & Wound
When we sent out to launch the first-ever Chicago Windup Watch Fair last year, we didn’t know what to expect. Data suggested that the Chicago area was home to a significant number of Worn & Wound community members, but little did we know that the Fair would attract folks from all across the Midwest, and from Texas to Canada. And oh boy, did our second show at Venue West in Chicago not disappoint! In fact, by all accounts, it was even bigger, more vibrant, and far more interactive than last year’s already epic opener. Not only did the show have five amazing lead sponsors in the form of Citizen, Fortis, G-SHOCK, Oris, and Zodiac for the first time, we managed to fit about 25% more brands into the venue than just one year ago. And the brands came with a massive array of new watches, using this Fair to launch these products to the world. You can see several of these new launches on the most recent edition of our weekly video series, A Week in Watches, recorded straight from the floor of the show. A wide array of enthusiast brands returned to Chicago, and we had a slew of watch companies choose Chicago 2023 as their official debut to the Windup Watch Fair. Some of these first-timers included: Dryden, Hess Fine Art, Luminox, Shinola, Sternglas, Venezianico, and Wolter. We even had a few brands return to the show after a hiatus, including Mondaine, MeisterSinger, Mühle-Glashütte. It was great to have them back. Finally, based on the success of our initial EDC Alley at our S...
Video
Worn & Wound
One of the most satisfying feelings as a watch enthusiast is setting your watch to a new time zone during travel. What could be better than that? Having a dedicated hand to track another timezone, of course. Watches with GMT functionality are both fun and useful, especially during travel. Of course you can also use the feature to track the other team you work with on the opposite coast, but let’s keep it fun. Today in the shop, we’re happy to bring three new Seiko GMT watches into the mix. The SSK011 and SSK009 are both in the Presage family of watches, while the SFK003 is a fully dive-capable Prospex. Let’s take a closer look. One of the most satisfying feelings as a watch enthusiast is setting your watch to a new time zone during travel. What could be better than that? Having a dedicated hand to track another timezone, of course. Watches with GMT functionality are both fun and useful, especially during travel. Of course you can also use the feature to track the other team you work with on the opposite coast, but let’s keep it fun. Today in the shop, we’re happy to bring three new Seiko GMT watches into the mix. The SSK011 and SSK009 are both in the Presage family of watches, while the SFK003 is a fully dive-capable Prospex. Let’s take a closer look. The post Now In The Shop: Track Multiple Time Zones With New GMT’s From Seiko appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Hodinkee
Rolex discontinuing the modern Milgauss. An auction record for a vintage version. It's time to ask: What in the world is up with the 'scientist's watch'?
Time+Tide
Once upon a time, when Chat GPT made its debut and artificial intelligence became a point of mainstream discussion, we decided to let former president of the USA Donald Trump take a stab at writing a review of the Rolex Submariner. Well, an artificial intelligence pretending to be Trump that is. We do not have … ContinuedThe post We asked Chat GPT to review the Doxa SUB 300 in the voice of Matthew McConaughey appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
The watchmaking arm of vintage Porsche rebuilder Singer, Singer Reimagined has just taken the covers off the 1969 collection, a pair of watches that reimagine (no pun intended) the brand’s trademark central chronograph, the 1969 Chronograph and the simpler 1969 Timer. Like the brand’s prior models, the 1969 duo are vintage inspired and share the familiar cushion-shaped case and inventive Agenhor movement. But they are now smaller and more wearable, and in a first for the brand, are fitted to a matching bracelet. Initial thoughts In choosing 1969 as the inspiration for the brand’s latest series of watches, founder Marco Borraccino has selected a platform that allowed him both a historical connection to the past and an aesthetic palette from which to draw. The idea is particularly clever for a young brand with no heritage of its own. Choosing instead to focus on the industry-wide heritage for the brand’s most central complication is something of a sideways masterstroke. Pleasingly, the brand communication has refrained from laying it on too thick in this regard, so we can enjoy the pieces for what they are without the story getting in the way of the facts. To me, these two pieces are a welcome addition to the catalogue. I’m never one to ignore an uptick in wearability and this certainly offers it. Achieving this without sacrificing any of the brand’s aesthetic cues is a job well done. While there is a massive drop-off in functionality from the Chronograph to the ...
Quill & Pad
For those not familiar with what was a monumental shift in the tectonic plates of the world of wine, the Judgement of Paris is a legendary moment when the spotlight’s glare revealed that it was entirely possible to make great wine outside France.
Video
Time+Tide
The Bovet 1822 Récital 23 is advertised as a women’s watch, however it can suit any lover of opulence. The Writing Slope case angles the dial towards you for easier reading. The moonphase display only needs adjusting every 122 years, and the twin-barrel movement offers 62 hours of power reserve. Bovet are a brand with … ContinuedThe post The new Bovet 1822 Récital 23 in green and blue is a visual extravaganza for the wrist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
We were thrilled to see Seiko return to the Speedtimer in Solar Chronograph form earlier this summer, recalling the design of the iconic Sportura of the ‘90s. The concept is a deconstructed chronograph, and Seiko has brought all the components under a single crystal with this newest Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph. There is a dizzying array of activity on the watch when the timer is brought to life, and in this video we’re breaking everything down in a first look. Keep an eye out for the full review coming soon. The case and bracelet of the most recent Speedtimer could be called traditional in comparison to the original, making the somewhat large footprint quite wearable thanks to the curved and truncated lug design. Still, this isn’t a watch for the faint of heart. Switching modes is like putting a race car into full tilt, with all the needles neatly aligning at 12. This watch is capable of timing down to 1/100th of a second, and seeing that totalizer in action is otherworldly in the best possible way. There are four references of the new Speedtimer collection, two of which will be regular production models, with the other two enjoying limited edition status. The black on black dial, as well as the panda dial are welcome regular additions to the growing Prospex tool watch empire, while the other two examples bring a slightly different visual to the mix thanks to unique colorways and texture pairings. At first blush, the new Speedtimer captures a bit of the ...
Worn & Wound
It’s a fact of life in the watch world that every big brand is going to leverage corporate partnerships, celebrity endorsements, product placements, and other various synergies to get their name, and watches, out into the public square. I’ve always been fascinated by how watches are marketed and sold to us, and there’s one brand in particular that has been particularly adept at familiarizing the public with their product in a very specific, high level way. Omega seems to be everywhere. They have arguably the most famous celebrities in the world on their billboards (George Clooney and Nicole Kidman top the list), they’re part of one of the biggest film franchises of all time, and, oh yeah, there’s that whole bit about the moon landing. I guess a watch was involved? Anyway, they seem to have a presence in every corner of the culture that is watch adjacent, and nowhere, in my opinion, does it make more sense than their long standing relationship with the Olympics. We’re a year out from the 2024 summer games in Paris, France, and Omega is taking the opportunity to remind us of this particular partnership with the release of a watch meant to start the countdown to next year’s games, the Seamaster 300M “Paris 2024” Special Edition. What we have here is an execution of the current generation Seamaster Diver 300M in stainless steel, on a bracelet, with a white ceramic wave pattern dial and a Moonshine Gold timing bezel. The watch has a resemblance to another re...
Time+Tide
First of all I’d like to apologise for the punny title – it was simply too tempting. Slated to take place from August 16-23, the EveryWatch charity auction is a collaborative effort between Edinburgh’s Lyon & Turnbull auction house, fellow enthusiasts over at Scottish Watches, and nine independent brands whose great generosity is set to … ContinuedThe post Only Watch out – EveryWatch is the new piece unique auction in town appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
During the Windup Watch Fair in Chicago this year Benrus took the opportunity to introduce a familiar dive watch to their expanding collection, with a re-issue of the classic Ultra-Deep. The small watch made a big impression on a select group of divers who were given the opportunity to explore a shipwreck east of Chicago under the crisp waves of Lake Michigan with the watch in tow. A similar dive expedition took place during the fair in Chicago last year as well, which makes this something of a tradition unfolding. We weren’t in the water this year with the divers, but were on hand to witness them at work, and see some of the watches worn in action, including the new Benrus Ultra-Deep. I see and deal with plenty of dive watches here at Worn & Wound, heck I own enough to create a private special forces squad of sorts, but the act itself always falls into slightly conceptual territory, as I am not a certified diver. That will be changing soon, however, in large part thanks to my experiences on this trip. Witnessing the gear-centric commotion felt strangely foreign apart from the very familiar watches that took their places right alongside high-tech dive computers. One takeaway here is that there is a lot of gear involved in diving. I could barely identify anything beyond the facemasks and knives, presenting a bevy of eye candy for a curious newcomer. Seeing how mechanical watches fit into this context was an eye opening experience, especially compared to the marketing ma...
Video
Hodinkee
Another one from the man who made watch modification a mainstream art form.
Worn & Wound
The last Bell & Ross I wrote about had a celestial feel to it, but with the new BR 05 Chrono Green Steel, we’ve landed back on earth. With its mixture of steel and vibrant green, this BR 05 mixes urbanism with an architectural lean to it. Think Central Park in New York or the Tiergarten in Berlin – a respite of greenery in the middle of a steel-and-concrete jungle. Like all BR 05 models, the Chrono Green Steel retains its aviation-inspired squared dial that Bell & Ross now markets to the urban explorer crowd. And with its integrated steel bracelet and sleek design, it’s easy to see why. All models in the Chrono collection are equipped with a circular seconds subdial at 9 o’clock and a 30-second timer at 3 o’clock, creating a balance to the visuals of the watch that somehow fit neatly within the linear confines of the square dial. The date is cleverly tucked away in the small recess between 4 and 5 o’clock, hardly noticeable but definitely there. Like an urban planner, Bell & Ross has ensured that no bit of real estate has gone unnoticed. The green sunray dial and Super-LumiNova indices and numbers soften the overall feel of the watch itself. Coming in at 42mm of satin-polished steel, the use of green feels more inviting and less, well, cold. The BR 05 Chrono Green Steel is equipped with a Swiss-made self-winding BR-CAL.326 movement, which can be seen through the sapphire crystal case back, and supplies the wearer with 60-hours of power reserve. The BR 05 Ch...
Quill & Pad
Wandering hours has become an essential part of Urwerk's DNA. Unlike any other brand out there, they have explored, lived through, and lost sleep over wandering hours. Over the years, Urwerk have introduced different varieties of this way of displaying time, of which the UR-120 is one of the most spectacular.
Worn & Wound
Fears is celebrating the one year anniversary of the opening of their flagship showroom in Bristol, England with the release of a pair of watches in Mallard Green, a color that has never been used on a regular production Fears watch before. This release marks what the brand says will be the beginning of a new “Boutique Editions” collection that will expand to every future model in the Fears catalog. The first watches in the Boutique Editions collection are the Brunswick 38 and Brunswick 40, two representations of the classic cushion cased design that is at the core of the Fears design language. The dark green color used for the new dials is based on the tones seen on the mallard drake duck, and has hints of gray and blue that give the green an additional depth. The finishing process for these dials involves a silver galvanic coating being applied prior to the hand painting of each individual dial with a translucent varnish. Fears says that green pigment is added a drop at a time to achieve the desired tone. The dials also have a sunburst finish which is designed to catch light in interesting ways, and showcase the depth of the green tones. The dial layout differs slightly from the 38mm watch to the 40mm version. The larger watch is effectively a sector dial design, with an outer ring for the Arabic numerals and minute track in a high contrast white. The inner section has a very subtle “micro guilloche” pattern that contrasts with the outer portion, which is giv...
Worn & Wound
Is it even summer if you go the whole thing without some cotton candy? If the sugary-sweet treat isn’t for you, then you can get your fix in watch form with this trio of cotton candy divers from Oris. Originally encased in bronze, this fun and colorful trio of Divers Sixty-Fives were certainly unique, but the patina-heavy cases may not have been for everyone. Not only does this new release of 38mm divers come in stainless steel, but it also makes the dial colors pop even more, since they’re the center of attention. Is it even summer if you go the whole thing without some cotton candy? If the sugary-sweet treat isn’t for you, then you can get your fix in watch form with this trio of cotton candy divers from Oris. Originally encased in bronze, this fun and colorful trio of Divers Sixty-Fives were certainly unique, but the patina-heavy cases may not have been for everyone. Not only does this new release of 38mm divers come in stainless steel, but it also makes the dial colors pop even more, since they’re the center of attention. The post Now in the Shop: A Trio of Oris Cotton Candy Flavors, Now in Steel appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Video
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.