Results for Mechanical vs Quartz

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Time+Tide

Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 4 Aug 20, 2023

Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 4: Chatting with the man behind the Kodo at Atelier Ginza

We are nearing the end of this Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour series. In part one I detailed my visit to Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, the home of all things 9S mechanical, in Morioka. Part two detailed my return to Ginza and my visit to the incredible Seiko Museum Ginza. After leaving the museum, in part … ContinuedThe post Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 4: Chatting with the man behind the Kodo at Atelier Ginza appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Q Quill & Pad

Quill & Pad

Casio G-Shock GA-2100 ‘CasiOak’ Review Aug 18, 2023

Casio G-Shock GA-2100 ‘CasiOak’ Review: Is it Still Worth Buying?

G-Shock is a sub-brand of Casio that is designed to withstand mechanical stress, vibrations, and shocks. It's a great affordable watch, but is it still worth buying? Raman Kalra certainly thinks so and explains why.

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Q Quill & Pad

Quill & Pad

Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF Aug 17, 2023

Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF (High Frequency): Feel the Need for Speed! - Reprise

It has always surprised Martin Green that mechanical movements running at a high frequency have never become more popular. Chopard joined this exclusive club in 2012 with the L.U.C 8HF and now releases a follow-up with the Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF, which also boasts an 8 Hz escapement.

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Q Quill & Pad

Quill & Pad

Aug 6, 2023

In Praise of Anglage: Exceptional Hand-Finished Anglage is Difficult, Slow, and Expensive so the Big Brands have Given Up and Few Seem to Have Noticed (or Seem to Care): Thank God for the Indies! - Reprise

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?

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 3 Aug 6, 2023

Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 3: The Seiko House Ginza (Wako Main Building)

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.

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Aug 2, 2023

Frustration-free watch tool upgrades everyone should own

If you’ve jumped into the deep end of the watch collecting pool, you’ve probably accumulated a few tools for accomplishing minor tasks, such as changing straps and bracelets, installing new batteries in quartz watches, and general cleaning chores. At some point in your collecting journey, you’ve probably picked up one of those generic sets from … ContinuedThe post Frustration-free watch tool upgrades everyone should own appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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SJX Watches

Aug 1, 2023

Guilloche for Beginners: A Photo Essay

Tucked away on a wooded island in the Pacific Northwest lies one of the most important horological workshops in the United States. Known as Memoria Technica, the workshop is owned by Brittany Nicole “Nico” Cox, a renowned conservator of mechanical objects. I was first introduced to Nico in 2019 by Joshua Shapiro, the California-based watchmaker and guillocheur behind J.N. Shapiro. Joshua and I happened to visit Nico’s workshop on a day when she was teaching a beginner’s course on the art of guilloche. Since that encounter, I’d always had it in mind to return and take her class, but life (and a global pandemic) got in the way until I was finally able to secure a spot in her July class this year. But what is guilloche? Within the context of decorative techniques, guilloche, also known as engine turning, occupies a niche all its own. Characterised by intricate, recurring, and overlapping patterns, guilloche techniques have been used to decorate some of the most coveted objects in history. Meet your instructor In the rarified world of antiquarian horology, Nico is practically a household name – a bit like Beyonce. Nico specialises in the conservation and restoration of all types of mechanical objects, from watches and clocks to music boxes and automata. Having trained as a conservator at the Museum Speelklok in the Netherlands, which houses one of the world’s largest collections of mechanical musical objects, Nico is especially passionate about automata. Not onl...

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Time+Tide

Raketa Jul 31, 2023

From emperors to astronauts - the colourful history of Raketa

Despite what some marketing departments would have you think, there’s almost never such a thing as a centuries-old watch brand with an unbroken history. Whether it’s a change of ownership, bankruptcy during the Quartz Crisis, or a pivot to an entirely different technology, consistent survival as a watch brand requires adaptation. Raketa don’t come up … ContinuedThe post From emperors to astronauts - the colourful history of Raketa appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time+Tide

Jul 30, 2023

Making the case: Solid casebacks need to make a comeback

It wasn’t so long ago that exhibition casebacks were reserved for either exquisite pieces of high horology or oddities like the Ernest Borel kaleidoscope watches. Mechanical watchmaking was either the norm or old-fashioned, so the only times people wanted to stare at a mechanical movement was when it had something special to show off. It’s … ContinuedThe post Making the case: Solid casebacks need to make a comeback appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Worn & Wound

Jul 26, 2023

Opinion: Selling Points that Don’t Sell Me

Origin stories in this hobby influence the rabbit holes we follow. My story began when I learned not all modern watches have batteries. The simple idea that mechanical watches were still being made, sold down the street from me, and could run for years without intervention blew my mind. Partially because it was mechanically impressive, but mostly because of how unnecessary it was. The concept of dozens of components interacting to move hands around a dial, when a perfectly functional watch can be purchased at the grocery store for $20, resonated with me. My discovery of these rebelliously absurd contraptions came at a time in my life when I had two kids in daycare and income was not disposable. My first mechanical watch was a one-handed Luch, a watch I loved dearly, and purchased for about $50. I didn’t care about finishing or accuracy, just that I had something unnecessarily complicated strapped to my wrist. Years later, my philosophy hasn’t changed much. When considering a new watch, I always ask myself three questions: What does it do? Does that thing excite me? Is there anything about the watch that doesn’t excite me? That third question is the one that keeps my collection and budget in check. The answers I come up with, always rooted in my original fascination with accessibly priced mechanical timekeeping, have surprised me. Some are movement specific, and others centered around design. Photo by Nathan Schultz So, to kick off a two-part series where I will try n...

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SJX Watches

Jacob & Co. Jul 24, 2023

Hands On: Jacob & Co. Astronomia Revolution

Historically known for its over-the-top jewelled watches and oversized complications, Jacob & Co. recently debuted a watch that is very much quintessential Jacob, but surprisingly novel in mechanical terms. The Astronomia Revolution sticks to the distinctive, extra-large styling that defines the model, but contains an all-new movement that combines several complex assemblies into an even more complex movement, all in the name of a dynamic, fast-rotating display. Carrying the tourbillon and time display, the carousel is impressively quick and completes one revolution a minute, a feat made possible by a one-sixth-of-a-second constant-force mechanism and a differential for the time display. The kinetic nature of the dial means this is unlike any other mechanical watch. Initial thoughts The Astronomia Revolution made it into my list of notable complications unveiled at Watches & Wonders earlier this year: “[The] Revolution seems like yet another variant of the New York jeweller’s bestselling and bulbous timepiece… Except that it is not… While past versions of the Astronomia required between ten to 20 minutes or more for the carousel to complete one rotation, the Revolution does it in one minute [and] functions as a minute hand. To move a component that large at such a speed is unprecedented…” Which pretty much sums it up. It looks like a typical Jacob & Co. watch, but is much more interesting mechanically. That is because the movement goes against the prevailing co...

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SJX Watches

Citizen Introduces Jul 24, 2023

Citizen Introduces the Promaster Diver “Fujitsubo” in DLC Titanium

Citizen’s flagship mechanical dive watch gets an upgrade with the Promaster Mechanical Diver 200m “Fujitsubo”. The new “Fujitsubo” diver features a gradient-finish grey dial, but its standout feature is the case and bracelet in the brand’s proprietary hardened titanium alloy coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC). Initial thoughts Sometimes underestimated, Citizen’s dive watches don’t garner as much attention as those of its competitor Seiko, primarily due to the scarcity of mechanical dive in Citizen’s lineup. Most of Citizen’s dive watches are solar-powered or quartz. Nevertheless, the Japanese watchmaker has recently taken significant steps towards boosting its mechanical offerings, particularly with the introduction of the oversized and modern Promaster 200 m diver. The “Fujitsubo”, on the other hand, takes inspiration from the Challenge Diver of 1977, explaining its vintage styling. But this latest iteration exudes a more contemporary feel owing to the gradient grey dial and the DLC coating on the case and bracelet. The resulting shades-of-grey livery makes this stand apart from its predecessor, which was essentially a like-for-like remake.  Priced at US$1,195, the “Fujitsubo” DLC is a bit more expensive than the standard titanium model. Nonetheless, it justifies the higher price tag with improved aesthetics and the superior durability offered by the DLC coating. That said, it would have been even more appealing with the option of a rubber ...

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 2 Jul 23, 2023

Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 2: The Seiko Museum in Ginza

After having a blast in Morioka, getting intimate with all things Grand Seiko 9S mechanical at Studio Shizukuishi, we returned to Ginza to check out a few sites heavily tied with the Seiko Corporation – the first of which being the Seiko Museum Ginza. There is no better place in the world to visit to … ContinuedThe post Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 2: The Seiko Museum in Ginza appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Worn & Wound

Jul 21, 2023

Digital Get Down! - Our Favorite Digital Watches In The Windup Watch Shop

We here at the Windup Watch Shop know some watch enthusiasts turn their nose to digital watches for a combination of reasons, including a preference for the traditional and aesthetic appeal of analog watches with their intricate mechanical movements and timeless designs, or even a sense of nostalgia and connection to the past. And while that’s all ok and fine, we got to admit…we still really love digital watches! They’re great pieces to accompany many watch collectors’ personal collections and add a bit of fun because they usually have more functionality than the traditional three hander mechanical watch. Today, we’re going to take a look at a few of our favorite digital watches, found here at the Windup Watch Shop! We here at the Windup Watch Shop know some watch enthusiasts turn their nose to digital watches for a combination of reasons, including a preference for the traditional and aesthetic appeal of analog watches with their intricate mechanical movements and timeless designs, or even a sense of nostalgia and connection to the past. And while that’s all ok and fine, we got to admit…we still really love digital watches! They’re great pieces to accompany many watch collectors’ personal collections and add a bit of fun because they usually have more functionality than the traditional three hander mechanical watch. Today, we’re going to take a look at a few of our favorite digital watches, found here at the Windup Watch Shop! The post Digital Get Do...

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Hodinkee

Bulova Jul 19, 2023

Introducing: Bulova Reaches Back To The 1970s With The New Jetstar

A highly precise quartz movement is just one update to this throwback design.

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Q Quill & Pad

Quill & Pad

Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari New Jul 19, 2023

Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari: New World Record Ultra-Thin - Reprise

The Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari is a stunning feat for two main reasons: it is the thinnest mechanical watch in the world and it meets some extreme requirements for shock and water resistance all while being only 1.75 mm in height. Here Joshua Munchow takes a deep dive.

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Citizen Promaster Tsuno Chrono Back Jul 6, 2023

Celebrating 50 Years of Being Fashionably On Time with the Citizen Promaster Tsuno Chrono

Back in January of 1973, Citizen, a pioneering Japanese watchmaking house, released a unique riff on a watch that they’d launched only a few months earlier. The watch was their very first mechanical chronograph. This version had the chronograph pushers situated at the top of the case, rather than on the side, in what’s affectionately referred to as a bullhead configuration called the Citizen Challenge Timer. Fans would soon nickname the “Tsuno Chrono” and its instantly recognizable 70s tones and panda dial layout would make this particular variant a legend. Fast forward to August 1, 2019, when a young watch journalist, and co-founder of a particular watch enthusiast publication, would rush home from a movie theater to research a timepiece he’d seen on screen. Zach Weiss had just finished viewing Quentin Tarantino’s critically acclaimed ninth film, Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood. Here’s an excerpt from the article he penned and published immediately thereafter. The film went on to be nominated for a total of ten Academy Awards at the 2020 Oscars and won two including Best Supporting Actor for Brad Pitt, which further cemented his role and this watch into absolute icon status. Despite a blatant continuity error, it’s clear that this was not a miscasting. It was still the right watch, on the right wrist, in the right role, at the right time. Now, 50 years later from the introduction of the original Tsuno Chrono, Citizen has reimagined the concept, form fact...

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SJX Watches

Richard Mille Jun 29, 2023

TAG Heuer Introduces the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph for Only Watch

Continuing from the unique piece made for the previous edition of Only Watch, TAG Heuer again experiments with its racing model for the upcoming charity auction. The Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph for Only Watch is the brand’s first-ever mechanical split-seconds chronograph, and channels strong avant-garde styling. Initial thoughts Finally adding a mechanical split second chronograph to the brand’s capabilities is a significant step for a TAG Heuer, who stand on their history of producing sporting chronographs. In contrast to the Monaco Carbon from 2021, the watch exhibits a significantly bolder aesthetic, aligning more closely with what one would expect from Richard Mille. However, unlike its counterpart, TAG Heuer’s approach to skeletonisation is tastefully restrained, focusing on a minimalist display rather than an overtly flashy appearance. One potential drawback of this release is the auction estimate, which ranges from CHF150,000 to CHF300,000. The inclusion of the new calibre and the utilisation of premium materials can justify the higher price. However, it is worth noting that the price point is consistent with what last year’s model achieved, which was CHF290,000, despite only having an estimate of between CHF50,000 to CHF100,000.  The winning bidder of this watch will also get a VIP experience of the Monaco Grand Prix next year, with access to the TAG Heuer hospitality suite, among other experiences over the weekend.  Avant-garde design Expertly mergi...

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SJX Watches

Girard-Perregaux Constant Escapement? Jun 27, 2023

Insight: What’s Next for the Girard-Perregaux Constant Escapement?

In an era of modern and accessible digital technology, the utilitarian role of mechanical timekeepers has inevitably dwindled. Yet, it is still pursued as a luxury of an artform – either of the highest finishing by hand that can’t be performed by machines, or the research and development in making a mechanical timepiece – in particular wristwatches – as accurate as possible.  One of these horological pursuits, to preserve the accuracy of mechanical wristwatches, is the supply of a constant force to the escapement. To isolate the varying torque as a mainspring gradually unwinds, some haute horlogerie watches today incorporate either a fusée-and-chain or a remontoir, which supplies a steady torque to the escapement for stable timekeeping.  However, there is one particularly novel take on constant force released by Girard-Perregaux, in the form of a proprietary escapement. First unveiled as a prototype in SIHH 2008, the Girard-Perregaux Constant Escapement has a patented, double escape wheel system that is designed from the ground up to inherently have a built-in constant force system, thus eliminating the need of a remontoir or a fusée-and-chain.   Despite being first created 15 years ago, Girard-Perregaux (GP) is still further developing the escapement today, with a new set of patented improvements publicly available – strongly hinting at a revamped model in the near future. These patents make it worth a deep dive into the original Constant Escapement (CE) fr...

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Jun 26, 2023

MICRO MONDAYS: The Nezumi Voiture is a milestone chronograph model for the Swedish brand

There is a crucial moment in the existence of an independent brand when it adds mechanical movements to their core collections. This change seems to be as important as removing the training wheels from a kid’s bicycle, or getting that first job after college. This is important because mechanical movements are trickier to use and … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Nezumi Voiture is a milestone chronograph model for the Swedish brand appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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SJX Watches

Tissot Introduces Jun 22, 2023

Tissot Introduces the PRX Powermatic 80 35 mm

Tissot’s PRX Powermatic 80 has quickly gained popularity since its introduction more than three years ago as it offers the popular integrated-bracelet aesthetic at an affordable price point.  In March, the brand added new dial options to the collection, and now it has added more horological power to the smallest model that’s 35 mm in diameter and was previously only available with a quartz movement. Initial thoughts A slightly disappointing aspect of the PRX collection was the fact that the 35 mm model only had a quartz movement, until now. Now anyone who wants a mechanical movement in a more wearable size is catered for.  The overall design of the watch, including its waffle-pattern dial and brushed steel case, remains largely unchanged – a good thing since it is precisely these elements that first captured people’s attention in the first place. The green version stands out as a personal favourite among the new models and I expect it will be a strong seller overall given the popularity of the colour now. Starting at US$695 and going up to US$750 for the mother-of-pearl dial, the new 35 mm models are slightly pricier than the original. While the increase in price is perhaps linked to inflation, compared to many of the other integrated bracelet sports watches on the market, it still offers great value for the overall feel it gives. Now at 35 mm The latest version of the PRX collection introduces a remarkable decrease in size when compared to the original model whi...

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Q Quill & Pad

Quill & Pad

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Seemingly Jun 18, 2023

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra: Seemingly Both Impossibly Thin and Impossibly Deep

In 2022 Bulgari comes at us with yet another world record in the Octo Finissimo Ultra, which instantly set the title of world’s thinnest mechanical watch. It blew Joshua Munchow's mind not just because it's the thinnest watch in history, but because it broke the record with flair (and a bit of controversy).

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T Teddy Baldassarre

Teddy Baldassarre

Jun 16, 2023

The 18 Best Watches Under $100

When it comes to watches and their price-to-value ratio, how low can you go to still acquire a watch that's reliable, functional, good-looking, and perhaps even a conversation piece? A while back, we found 15 such timepieces under $200. In this article, we lower the cost bar even further, to spotlight watches that will run you under a C-note before taxes. As you'd expect, most (but surprisingly not all) are quartz-driven, and we've divvied them up by brand (for clarity, Casio and its popular G-Shock sub-brand are separate entities), between the very few watchmakers that excel at making watches in this affordable niche. Scroll down for our compilation of the best watches under $100. CASIO Casio F91W Digital Sport Watch Price: $22.95, Case Size: 38.2mm x 35.2mm, Case Height: 8.5mm, Crystal: Resin glass, Water Resistance: Water resistant, Movement: Solar Quartz Digital Sort of a proto-G-Shock, Casio’s ubiquitous F91W speaks to legions of fans with its rectangular resin case, multifunctional digital display face, and ribbed, waterproof resin strap. The watch’s three buttons operate a 1/1000-second digital chronograph with split times, alarms and time signals, and auto calendar functions, along with an illuminating night light. Pressing the button on the right side of the lightweight case for five seconds brings up the model’s anti-counterfeit “Easter Egg:” the name “CASI0” briefly appearing on the screen in digital text. Casio AE1200 Worldtimer Price: $29.95, Cas...

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Hodinkee

Tissot Jun 13, 2023

Introducing: Tissot Unveils The New 35mm PRX, Now With The Powermatic 80 Movement

Small doesn't mean quartz with this latest throwback entry into the PRX lineup.

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SJX Watches

Louis Vuitton Introduces Jun 7, 2023

Louis Vuitton Introduces the Tambour Street Diver Chronograph

Two years ago, Louis Vuitton unveiled the Tambour Street Diver, a livelier iteration of its longstanding Tambour dive watch. Now the brand debuts the Tambour Street Diver Chronograph, adding further a stopwatch to the nautical-inspired aesthetic. Together, the two Street Divers now form the entry-level of the brand’s mechanical watch offerings, which progress upwards into seven-figure, minute-repeater-with-automaton territory. Initial thoughts The new chronograph is a natural progression from its predecessor, retaining the elements of a traditional dive watch, including a less-common inner rotating bezel, while incorporating Louis Vuitton’s bold and modern styling, including the tall, drum-shaped case. The design is as much “street” as it is “diver”, and very much in keeping with the brand’s aesthetic. Both the case and dial are executed well, although the two-tone case might not be to everyone’s taste. Enthusiasts, however, will note the ETA movement inside. The movement is reliable and robust, though the US$11,105 price tag deserves a more interesting calibre. That said, given Louis Vuitton’s well-funded ambitions in watchmaking, it is a certainty that the brand will soon roll out in-house calibres in all price segments of its catalogue. Nautically inspired The new chronograph available in two variations: Skyline Blue (blue with metallic sun-ray finish) and Neon Black (matte black), each matched with a case colour in the same colour. Both have the same ...

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T Time+Tide

Time+Tide

Jun 6, 2023

The Ball Roadmaster Ocean Explorer blends nautical utility with strong all-round specifications

Despite “Road” and “Ocean” not necessarily being compatible worlds, the Ball Roadmaster Ocean Explorer is an incredibly cohesive watch with impressive features. Few brands can blend classical sophistication and modern ingenuity as well as Ball can, and they also understand the need mechanical watch lovers have for analogue interactions. Whether you have a need to … ContinuedThe post The Ball Roadmaster Ocean Explorer blends nautical utility with strong all-round specifications appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time+Tide

Seiko GMT-powered all-rounder we’re long-time Jun 5, 2023

The Time+Tide Shop is now home to Boldr Supply Co.

If you’ve read any previous Boldr article on Time+Tide, you would’ve noted the general enthusiasm about the excellent value proposition the brand presents. Whether that’s with a sub-A$500 mechanical, titanium watch or a well-specced Seiko GMT-powered all-rounder, we’re long-time fans of their outdoorsy aesthetic, too. For that very reason, we’re excited to add Boldr to … ContinuedThe post The Time+Tide Shop is now home to Boldr Supply Co. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time+Tide

Universal Genève Jun 4, 2023

WHAT IF… Universal Genève was revived?

Universal Genève’s story is one of the highest of highs and lowest of lows. The brand experienced fruitful periods for much of its lifetime, only to become a victim of several unsuccessful post-quartz crisis revivals. Multiple star athletes, musical icons and toppled dictators all sported Universal Genève watches in some capacity, a few becoming heroes … ContinuedThe post WHAT IF… Universal Genève was revived? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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T Two Broke Watch Snobs

Two Broke Watch Snobs

Tissot PRX Forever Changing May 30, 2023

Tissot PRX: Forever Changing The Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch Game

A full review of the quartz Tissot PRX watch in steel featuring an integrated bracelet. Read more for specs, pricing, photos, and history.

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Yema May 28, 2023

New Vintage-Inspired Releases from Yema - Now In The Windup Watch Shop

Yema has pulled inspiration from their vintage catalog from it comes two new watches that call back to some of their most iconic designs.Fresh in the shop are the Rallygraf Meca-Quartz and the Superman 500 GMT, each in several fun colors. Let’s take a closer look at these exciting new releases from the French brand with over seven decades of watchmaking experience. Yema has pulled inspiration from their vintage catalog from it comes two new watches that call back to some of their most iconic designs.Fresh in the shop are the Rallygraf Meca-Quartz and the Superman 500 GMT, each in several fun colors. Let’s take a closer look at these exciting new releases from the French brand with over seven decades of watchmaking experience. The post New Vintage-Inspired Releases from Yema – Now In The Windup Watch Shop appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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