Two Broke Watch Snobs
Revisiting The Marathon Navigator, A True Pilot’s Watch
A hands-on review of the Marathon Navigator pilot's watch-a real-world affordable option in the world of mil-spec watch collecting.
41,284 articles · 6,585 videos found · page 578 of 1596
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.
Teddy Baldassarre
If you're seriously into dive watches, you probably know that the Doxa SUB is one of the most important and influential members of that popular genre, but if your interest in underwater timepieces and their history is more casual, you may not be aware of Doxa's unique spot in that pantheon of pioneers that includes household names like the Rolex Submariner, Omega Seamaster, and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Here is a brief history of the Doxa SUB and a rundown of where the watch renowned for bringing orange dials to the watch world stands today. Bound for Glory Doxa founder Georges Ducommon, a native of the Swiss Jura town of Le Locle and one of his family’s 13 children, came to watchmaking early in life. He began an apprenticeship with an established local watchmaker in 1880, and within less than a decade had developed the skills, creativity, and resolute confidence to start his own business. He founded Doxa in 1889, naming it after a Greek word meaning “glory,” a bold harbinger of the successful future Ducommon envisioned for his brand. That success came in fairly short order, with Doxa pocket watches winning accolades at World’s Fairs in Belgium, in 1905, and in Italy, in 1906. With automobile racing becoming a popular pursuit in the early part of the 20th century, Ducommon filed a patent in 1907 for a caliber with an eight-day power reserve, which became standard equipment in the dashboard clocks of Bugatti race cars. After Georges Ducommon’s death in 1936, Do...
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...
Video
Deployant
Leica released the next generation to their compact, full frame Q lineup with the new Q3. Here is our hands-on review of the latest addition.
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.
Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer’s iconic racing chronograph, the Carrera, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and is taking full advantage of the opportunity to revamp parts of the collection and introduce some special editions along the way. Earlier this year we saw the release of a new ‘glassbox’ style 39mm Carrera released, within a collection of 5 new references. But there was another one waiting in the wings, which finally saw release last month, a new Skipper Carrera which brings the now familiar colorway to the slick modern chassis. It works just as well as you might expect, and best of all, it joins the collection as a regular production model. It is through this watch that we’ll be taking a closer look at the new Carrera collection as a whole, with special attention to the unique details that make the Skipper, well, the Skipper. The new Carrera represents the second generation of the modern 39mm glassbox design, which was first launched in 2015 with the Caliber 18 Telemeter. There have been 8 separate, limited edition variations on that original glassbox design in the intervening years, and this new generation marks the first time that it will see full, non-limited production since that initial example back in 2015. This style of crystal, which domes sharply at the edge of the case, is meant to mimic the original plastic crystal of early Carrera watches of the ‘60s. It wasn’t without fault, however, and the latest generation brings a creative solution to the ta...
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.
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
Christopher Ward is refreshing their C63 Sealander line this week with more than just new dial variants. Of course, we’re getting new dial variants, but the big news here for collectors and fans of the brand is the debut of a new bracelet option. Dubbed the Consort, the five-link style is reminiscent of a traditional Rolex Jubilee bracelet, but still very much its own thing, and adds a new, more elegant, dimension to Christopher Ward’s all purpose sports watch. Before we get to the bracelet, let’s start with the dial updates. There are two brand new references here, a Dragonfly Blue version of the C63 Sealander GMT, and a Mulberry Red execution of the C63 Sealander Automatic 36mm. The red dial in particular is quite striking in these Christopher Ward supplied images. This is a tough color to get right, and perhaps even tougher to pair with everyday attire, but it’s undeniably attractive nonetheless. The Dragonfly Blue tone on the GMT has an aquatic vibe not unlike other references we’ve seen from Christopher Ward recently. This one pairs particularly well with the orange tipped 24 hour hand and offers a nice base for the high contrast white, lume filled applied hour markers for easy legibility. Both new dials have sunray finishes that should allow them to come alive in the light. The Consort bracelet that’s paired to these two watches immediately makes them feel a little more formal, and a little less tool oriented. It’s a traditional five-link design, wi...
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 ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Since its founding in 1846, Ulysse Nardin has long been regarded as the standard bearer of nautical timekeeping, a historic watchmaking maison whose very name conjures up romantic images of seagoing adventure and oceanic exploration. However, here in the 21st century, Ulysse Nardin is also known in watch connoisseur circles as one of the most technically innovative and boldly experimental watchmakers on the scene, beginning with the bombshell introduction of the Freak in 2001. How did this intriguing brand achieve both these distinctions and how does it continue to pile up accolades in the modern era? Read on for a complete guide to the history, evolution, and diverse timepiece portfolio of today’s Ulysse Nardin. Foundations in Chronometry Like many inhabitants of Switzerland’s Jura Mountain region in the 18th and 19th centuries, Léonard-Frédéric Nardin took up the trade of watchmaking largely out of economic necessity, to supplement his family’s farming income during the cold, snowbound winter months. He passed that horological savoir faire on to his son, Ulysse, who proved to be an apt pupil and honed his own horological skills further under the tutelage of two of the region’s most talented and revered watchmakers, Frederic-William Dubois and Louis JeanRichard-dit-Bressel. In 1846, at the young age of 23, Ulysse Nardin (above) established his own watchmaking workshop in his hometown of Le Locle, where the eponymous company is still headquartered today. Ulysse ...
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.
Video
Worn & Wound
A surefire way to know if a watch brand has a design that can withstand the test of time is instant recognizability. There’s no need to have the brand name positioned front and center because its unique styling and distinguishable silhouette are more than enough. From across the room, there’s no mistaking the TAG Heuer Monaco. Its square case, left-hand-drive crown and dual sub-register display immediately fires the synapses in our watch nerd brains. Throw in the Hollywood fame and a namesake that represents one of the most famous racing circuits in all of motorsports, then you have a watch that arguably cements its place on the Mount Rushmore of watches. The TAG Heuer Monaco remains as a platform for the brand to explore their avant garde ways, as well as to lean into their rich heritage and connection to motorsport across the world. With the latter in mind, TAG Heuer has announced the Monaco Chronograph in Racing Blue inspired by French motorsport liveries. French racing blue can trace its presence on the racing grid back to race cars such as the CD Panhard LM64 and the Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix Racer to present day with the Alpine Endurance Team. The saturated shade of azure is now incorporated into the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph through its signature rounded-corner sub-register display. As a part of automotive color theory, designers are tasked with bringing inanimate objects to life and simultaneously making them look fast in the process. That’s a noticeable ...
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...
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.
Video
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.
Time+Tide
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.
You could say there are one of a few ways to make a dive watch stand out – a unique design, a superior movement, an unbeatable price/value ratio, or all of the above. Unfortunately, unique often means expensive, even though the brand cannot always truly justify the why. Often, it’s the fact that something is … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: Helicon paints the sunset with the 62 Master Blue Hour appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The first Black Tot Day was in 1970, the last day on which sailors in the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy were issued their daily rum rations (“tots”). Pusser's has taken the exact recipe used by the Royal Navy when it discontinued the daily ration on July 31, 1970 and used it to make its rums, the only producer in the world to do so. Here, Ken Gargett fills us in on everything tot - he luckily doesn't go "sipping the admiral," though.
Video
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.