Two Broke Watch Snobs
The 5 Best Citizen Watch Releases of 2026 So Far
A closer look at the best Citizen watch releases of 2026 so far, including the Tsuyosa Shore, Series 8, Eco-Drive Photon, and more.
33,564 articles · 153 videos found · page 66 of 1124
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A closer look at the best Citizen watch releases of 2026 so far, including the Tsuyosa Shore, Series 8, Eco-Drive Photon, and more.
Hodinkee
This week on The Business of Watches, we're talking to the head of what's now the largest U.K.-based watch brand, Christopher Ward. Under the direction of Chief Executive Officer Mike France, the Swiss-made, approachable-priced watchmaker has enjoyed outsized growth in recent years, due in part to popular and surprising releases like its Bel Canto chiming watch and its commitment to keeping prices in check. Photo courtesy Christopher Ward. Now Christopher Ward, which recently overhauled its core Sealander collection, is eyeing an ambitious retail expansion plan in its biggest market, the United States. France lays out the economics and business case for the brand's unique retail approach, powered by deep community relationships built with customers over the past two decades. The ambitions aren't insignificant. From a handful of showrooms now, the company could have as many as 25 to 30 locations in the U.S. alone within half a decade, the CEO says. He sees Christopher Ward as a brand with the potential to reach £250 million in total annual sales, up from about £50 million today. France expects to hit £100 million in annual sales within three years. He's also refreshingly candid about the threat that U.S. tariffs posed to the business and how the levies forced it to change the way its watches are shipped to and distributed in the country. Tariffs were also a significant drag on financial results in 2025, but the brand is forecasting a rebound in 2026 if import dutie...
Monochrome
After moving on from its space-themed watches, Awake – the French indie brand founded by Lilian Thibault in 2019 – celebrated its fifth anniversary with the Son Mai, a permanent collection built around craftsmanship. The collection, which features richly decorated dials created using the ancient Vietnamese lacquering technique of Son Mai, now grows with the […]
Monochrome
If you have been following French watchmaking lately, chances are you have come across Charlie Paris already. They have a promising catalogue of everyday mechanical watches that do not get too expensive. The brand’s line-up today covers everything from the sporty and travel-ready Concordia GMT Automatic to more classic designs such as the Initial Collection. […]
Fratello
We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jean-Marie Schaller, the owner and creative force behind Louis Moinet. Jean-Marie passed away peacefully on May 16th at the age of 66. I wanted to share a few personal words about Jean-Marie because he was someone I came to know not only through watches but […] Visit Remembering Jean-Marie Schaller, One Of Watchmaking’s Brightest Characters to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life, and with Breitling’s release of a staggering 22 new models to its Chronomat lineup, it just might be true. The model is pretty iconic, starting as a pilot’s watch for military forces and later becoming a cultural phenomenon, with one of its claims to fame being its appearance on Jerry’s wrist across Seinfeld. The latest chapter of the collection covers the Chronomat B01 42, Chronomat Automatic B31 40, and Chronomat Automatic 36, giving Breitling’s signature sport watch a full refresh across size, movement, and material options. The Chronomat B01 42 remains the main chronograph in the revamp, with a few updates aimed at making the watch look (and feel) a little better on the wrist. For starters, the case thickness has been slimmed from 15.1mm to 13.77mm, the crown guard has been reduced, and Breitling has removed the 1/100 scale from the rehaut for a cleaner dial. All of these updates may seem a bit inconsequential, but when brought together, they add up to an overall sleeker profile that’s meant to “enhance its simplicity,” as noted by Breitling’s Head of Design, Pablo Widmer. The B01 42 is powered by the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01, which offers approximately 70 hours of power reserve. In stainless steel, it comes with the choice of a white, blue, or green dial, each with black chronograph counters. The range extends with several additional variations, including a two-tone steel and ...
Fratello
Some might say the Navitimer is the “most Breitling” watch out there. I tend to disagree. If you ask me, the Breitling that says “Breitling” the loudest and clearest is the Chronomat. The redesigned Breitling Chronomat keeps its connection to the model developed in the early 1980s in collaboration with the Italian Air Force’s Frecce […] Visit The Breitling Of Breitlings Gets An Update: Introducing The Redesigned Chronomat to read the full article.
Monochrome
King Seiko, the other higher-end arm of the Group, has had an interesting comeback run since Seiko revived the collection in 2020, bringing back one of its classic higher-end names from the 1960s. This family also introduced the Vanac sub-collection during the 1970s. These were some cool watches that were more colourful, faceted, and much-liked […]
Deployant
We caught up with Michel Nydegger in Geneva recently, and got him on video discussing the final edition of the Tourbillon 24 Seconds Architecture.
Time+Tide
Our Beaucroft × Time+Tide Solaris GMT Limited Edition just launched, and this documentary takes you every step of the way of how it was made.
Teddy Baldassarre
Breaking down the legacy of Cartier Santos, from its aviation roots to its ever-relevant positioning in today's watchmaking landscape.
Time+Tide
Trafford's Crossroads receives a significant upgrade, alongside an array of colourful dials across two highly wearable sizes
Monochrome
There was no getting around the Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop these past week and a half or so, especially for us, as we were the first to show you what it actually looked like. And while it sparked a very strong debate, to say the least, the transformability of the Royal Pop did […]
Time+Tide
The new Chopard Alpine Eagle XPS 41 may seem tamer at first glance, but its 'Mountain Glow' champagne dial has subtle intrigue to discover.
Fratello
Calling an Urwerk traditional feels a bit ridiculous, but here we are. The new UR-10 Spacemeter gets closer to that territory than just about anything the brand has done before. And yes, we did get a traditional Urwerk before we got Grand Theft Auto VI. Sure, Urwerk has used hands in pieces like the EMC […] Visit The UR-10 Spacemeter Is the Most Traditional Urwerk Yet… Sort Of to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
There are few places on earth that feel as mythologized and untamed as California’s Big Sur coastline. The cliffs seem too steep, the Pacific too violent, and the roads too beautiful to be entirely real. It’s the sort of place that attracts a particular kind of person, someone who sees adventure not as spectacle, but as a pursuit. For Windup in a Bay 2026, that pursuit led to Jade Cove. What began years ago as a loose gathering of watch enthusiasts and divers has quietly evolved into one of the most distinctive traditions orbiting the Windup Watch Fair. This year’s expedition, organized with support from Marathon Watch Company and Prometheus Design Werx, brought together divers, military veterans, writers, firefighters, instructors, photographers, and gear obsessives for a weekend that became less about the treasure hunt that it began as, and more about rediscovering why people chase experiences like this in the first place. Windup in a Jade Cove The origins of the “Windup in a ____” concept were humble. When Windup first came to Chicago in 2022, a small group of enthusiasts who had connected online through watches, diving, and social media decided it would be more meaningful to actually spend time together outside the convention hall. What started as an informal Lake Michigan dive jokingly called “Windup in a Lake” gradually evolved into something larger, eventually becoming a recurring series of adventure-focused gatherings tied loosely to Windup events aro...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Our picks for the 5 best Seiko watches released in the first half of 2026, from solar chronographs to titanium King Seikos, and more.
Monochrome
When dive watches start to flood the watch scene, it’s a sure sign that summer is just around the corner. With this in mind, Hamilton updates its go-anywhere, do-anything 40mm Khaki Navy Scuba line with wave-patterned dials and new colours. For those venturing abroad, Hamilton also proposes three new editions of its pragmatic travel-oriented diver, […]
Monochrome
Discretion or subtlety are rarely the first words associated with Hublot. More engaged with disruptive colour schemes to exalt its assertive case designs, Hublot tones down the palette with the fifth iteration of its Essential series, an annual, online-only drop that focuses on a single colour. This year, Hublot gives two Spirit of Big Bang […]
Monochrome
We know that Seiko loves to celebrate anniversaries, which often results in fairly attractive limited edition models. This year, the brand is celebrating the 145th anniversary of its creation. In 1881, Kintaro Hattori opened a shop known as “K. Hattori” in Tokyo’s Ginza district, beginning what would evolve into today’s Seiko. He then went on […]
Hodinkee
This week on The Business of Watches, we sit down with Akio Naito, the President of Seiko Watch Corporation. Seiko's Credor brand, the ultra-premium offering showcasing artisanal creations, unique craftsmanship, and design, made its Watches and Wonders debut this year. We discuss Credor's positioning within the Seiko Group and its expansion into international markets. Photo credit: Mark Kauzlarich The biggest challenge for Credor, Naito says, will be increasing production for more markets, as the skills required to produce the timepieces are highly specialized and take years to master. We also get an update on Grand Seiko. Naito says the brand has increased its international sales by more than 15x over the past decade, driven largely by success in the U.S. market. Grand Seiko is continuing to update and improve its offerings, including a new ultra-accurate and ultra-luxurious dive watch in a more compact size that clients have been asking for. We also hear about the growing interest and awareness of Grand Seiko's class-leading 9F quartz movement technology, which is increasingly popular with some clients. But first, Hodinkee Senior Editor Mark Kauzlarich drops in for a fresh analysis on some of the record watch auction results from the spring sessions in Geneva. Pocket watches were hot, Journe was surging, and Patek showed continued strength with a record result for a rare Patek 2523. So what isn't hot right now? Tune in to find out. There's plenty of watch business and...
Fratello
If you are a regular Fratello reader, it will come as no surprise that I am a Zenith fan. The brand’s Chronomaster Revival A384 is my current favorite watch. There is nothing out there like it, and every time I put it on my wrist, I feel a mix of excitement and reassurance about how […] Visit Discovering The Magic Of The Zenith Chronomaster Revival A384 Tropical to read the full article.
Although we are firm believers that a watch's specifications or features can only get you so far, and that a purchase can be heavily weighted by an emotional connection, finding a watch that overdelivers on the spec sheet can make for a more compelling package. Many of the watches that can deliver on value are usually
Hodinkee
How do you capture 100 years of the Oyster? That's the question at the center of Rolex's new 23-minute film celebrating the anniversary of one of the most important watches ever made. The film opens with incredible archival footage of Mercedes Gleitze swimming across the English Channel, then moves on to archival footage of many defining moments tied to the Oyster's history—speed records, Everest expeditions, deep-sea exploration, and much more. Most will know these stories, but seeing them presented together really captures the full breadth of what the Oyster has represented over the last century. One of the film's most impressive qualities is its sense of scale. Even something like the Daytona—one of the most iconic watches ever made and a subject that could easily support an entire film on its own—is only one small part of the larger story being told here. More than anything, it underscores just how broad and far-reaching Rolex's history with the Oyster really is. From there, the film transitions into the modern era, highlighting Rolex's ongoing ties to sport, the arts, and scientific exploration. It closes with a look at the brand's Perpetual Planet initiative and Rolex's environmental efforts, both in the field and within its own manufacturing operations, including a closer look at how the company is approaching sustainability in watchmaking. There are also a few fun details throughout. At one point, the film references precision down to "a fraction of a billi...
Monochrome
Urwerk, the indie brand founded by Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner in 1997, is renowned for its futuristic, aerodynamic vessels with kinetic satellite hour displays. In 2025, Urwerk released the UR-10 SpaceMeter, a watch that initially stumped fans with its round dial and conventional hour and minute hands. However, closer inspection revealed Urwerk’s fascination with […]
Hodinkee
Among top-level, mainstream Swiss-made watch brands, few can match Cartier's performance over the last half-decade. The Paris-based jewelry marque has vaulted ever higher to become the second biggest watch brand by sales, according to analyst estimates from both Vontobel and Morgan Stanley. While the jewelry unit of Cartier remains its primary driver, analysts say estimated sales from the watch division grew about 10% in 2025 to exceed CHF 3 billion, up from less than CHF 2 billion in 2019. What's perhaps more notable is the performance of Cartier's watch division relative to the broader market. As most brands have surfed the undulating wave of the post-COVID boom, followed by a downturn in demand, Cartier's watch unit has outpaced the market while remaining relatively affordable and accessible, with prices averaging about CHF 6,000 per watch and implementing lower price increases than most competitors, according to analysts. That has allowed Cartier to consolidate its position as one of just a handful of high-volume, long-established, and approachable-priced brands that are top choices on mainstream watch consumers' want lists, particularly among younger buyers. Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir with oversized "XII". At the same time, Cartier has also grown in standing among watch enthusiasts and collectors, with prices for models on the secondary market gaining 8.6% in a year, according to WatchCharts.com's Cartier index. Auction results for vintage pieces have performe...
Deployant
We have seen many watch brands coming together to do collaborations. So, before the launch of the Royal Pop, we take a look at what is currently available.
Fratello
Superleggera is Italian for “super light.” But to a petrolhead, the word means more. The term refers to a custom automobile body-construction method developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni at the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. Patented in 1936, the Superleggera system uses a framework of thin steel tubes shaped to the contours of the car […] Visit Hands-On With The New Chanel J12 Superleggera Caliber 12.1 — Is It Worthy Of The Famous Automotive Moniker? to read the full article.
Monochrome
In our recent ABCs of Time article, The Top Five Countries Where Watchmaking Reigns Supreme, England didn’t quite make the cut (and some of you took issue with that), so let’s take a look at the history of English watchmaking and give the country its due. After all, several of the most important inventions actually […]
Worn & Wound
There is a specific moment, perched at the hinoki wood counter of Sushi Teru in the West Village, when you realize you are no longer ordering a meal, you are surrendering to it. This is the soul of omakase: “I leave it up to you.” It is an exercise in radical trust, a silent pact […]
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