4,329 articles · 1,158 videos found · page 77 of 183
Time+Tide
This exhibition is a unique opportunity to discover one of the most underrated sides of one of the most well-respected brands in the world. The post Jaeger-LeCoultre’s “The Adventure Spirit” is a travelling showcase of rare sports watches from the normally buttoned-down brand appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko has no shortage of dress watches, many of which come from the Presage collection, which boasts some of the best values out there. That said, I recently came across a watch that not only comes from the Japanese brand's more basic, entry-level Essentials collection, but is actually the cheapest Seiko out there at the moment. Yes, the Seiko SWR064 is affectionately dubbed the Seiko Tank for obvious reasons, but there is something distinctly Japanese about it. I had my initial doubts about this watch, but when factoring in the design, style, and price, there was no real way of getting around the fact that this is a starter dress watch that exudes value. Let's get into why. Seiko "Tank" Case The case of this Seiko “Tank” is done in stainless steel, with a gold-plated finish that really fits in with the retro styling. I’m usually really turned off by gold-plating but the cohesiveness with the dial elements pulls it together. As for the size, it measures 27.9mm wide, 38.5mm tall, and 6.7mm thick (30 meters of water resistance). For the sake of comparison, the Cartier Tank Louis “Extra Large” comes in at 27.75mm wide, 38.1mm tall, and 8.18mm thick, so the sizes are very close. There’s not a lot of chatter about this watch out there but I did notice some people say it’s too big to be anything like a Tank, which is demonstrably false. The similarities don’t stop there, as the positioning of the brancards is similar - though I do wish they were just a little b...
Hodinkee
Another variation of Grand Seiko's chronograph is joined by the first ever variant of the brand's high-beat manual wind movement.
Monochrome
One of my favourite things is to discover true automotive obscurities, and I recently came eye-to-eye with something I had never seen before, and I doubt many of you will have seen or even heard of either. When strolling through the showroom of Louwman Exclusive, the Dutch sports- and supercar importer that also offers a […]
Worn & Wound
When it comes right down to it, there’s no more important watch brand to the enthusiast community than Seiko. Sure, Rolex is the biggest brand in the world, and the most recognizable brand name (for any product) ever. But no other brand matches Seiko for variety, accessibility, quality, and pure fun. There’s truly something for everybody under the Seiko tent, and it’s a brand that we find ourselves unable to quit, even when they frustrate us for any number of reasons. But this isn’t about those frustrations. This post is about the Seikos we love the most. We asked our contributors to pick their favorite Seiko of all time, and we think as you read through these selections you’ll find that the thing that ties them all together is a deep personal connection to a watch. That’s what’s at the heart of this hobby, and what makes Seiko so special. We want to know the Seikos that you love the most, so let us know in the comments what you’d pick. Elodie Townsend – Seiko Flightmaster SNA411P1 I can’t hear the name Seiko without getting misty-eyed about the watch that introduced me to the wider world of horology fandom: the Seiko Flightmaster SNA411P1. It’s big, brazenly busy, and admittedly over-packed with features that I would never use (calculus, anyone), but that pop of yellow and the charm of its over-complications make it a joy to wear, use, and show off. My dad got me my “Flighty” as a gift for my 21st birthday years back; when the price hadn...
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Teddy Baldassarre
The Seiko Prospex SPB143 debuted back in 2020, alongside three other dive watches that represented a modern reimagining of the classic 62MAS from 1965. These were warmly received, in part due to their smaller case sizes and relatively accessible price points at a time when those two issues were beginning to become regular sticking points for enthusiasts. The SPB143 that I am reviewing here has gone on to become a beloved staple in Seiko’s higher-end Seiko Luxe family, due to just how much it offers for the $1,200 price tag. This mechanical dive watch has real vintage roots and while it isn’t perfect, represents how Seiko really has the ability to dominate this category. It’s not easy to stand out as a Seiko diver, considering how many iconic collections we have from the brand that brought us the Turtle, Marinemaster, Tuna, SKX, and others. But, by sticking to the best aspects of the 62MAS while incorporating state-of-the-art machining and manufacturing capabilities, Seiko hit it out of the park with the SPB143. Before I get into the nitty gritty of the watch, let’s take a brief look at the history it’s drawing from. The Seiko 62MAS Connection Though the story of the 62MAS has been told countless times at this point, it remains foundational to understanding the SPB143. Back in 1965, Seiko released its -and indeed Japan’s - first dive watch, which was the 62MAS. This watch was water-resistant to 150 meters and was put through its paces when crew members of th...
SJX Watches
Advanced digital watches haven’t deterred leading Japanese brands from continuing to earnestly develop high-accuracy quartz watches in analog formats. Chief among them is Seiko, which has just unveiled two new limited editions of its satellite-linked Astron GPS Solar. While the SSJ037 appears to be a simple time-only watch and the SSH185 looks like a straightforward dual-time chronograph, each watch is solar-powered and includes an electronic perpetual calendar. Limited to 1,500 pieces for the SSJ037 and 1,200 pieces for the SSH185, the new collection is sci-fi inspired, featuring colours and textures common to fictional depictions of space stations. Initial thoughts There are a couple different approaches to making high-accuracy quartz watches. The first is pretty obvious, and involves developing ever-more precise quartz oscillators. Seiko has long been a champion of this school of thought, although Citizen has inched ahead in recent years. The other approach is to make a reasonably precise quartz movement that automatically syncs with an external signal, which might be a radio signal broadcast from any of the atomic reference clocks positioned around the world, a bluetooth signal from the user’s phone, or, in the case of the Astron, a satellite signal. Since the brand debuted this technology in 2012, Seiko has refined things making the watches sleeker and the interface more intuitive. As a result, the time-only SSJ037 is an ordinary 42 mm in diameter and 12 mm thick;...
Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko divers might very well be some of the most sought-after in the enthusiast community. I say “enthusiast” because they aren’t always the entry point into Seiko, or into watches, for that matter, for the everyday consumer. I would think something like an entry-level Presage or any watch fit for the office is more desired in that regard. But, we don’t call them desk divers for nothing, and I personally have worn and still wear Seiko divers to work, but that’s neither here nor there. In fact, the same can be said of the subject watch for today’s review: The Seiko SNE573 as well as other variants of the 38.5mm Prospex Solar Divers like the SNE583 and SNE585, which were discontinued this past Summer. Its discontinuation adds it to a hallowed list of watches that have received similar treatment by Seiko, namely the vaunted SKX series, which has achieved iconic status rivaled by a small few watches in history. But we can also add a bevvy of Willard-esque Prospex models to the list including the SPB 153 green Willard – a personal favorite. When a Seiko dive watch goes the way of the trees, it achieves a kind of immortality and heightened demand that takes a once value-packed product into a new pricing universe, but less talk about price and more talk about a handsome piece of solar diving kit that is no longer commercially available in an official capacity at retail. Seiko SNE573 Brief History I use the word “brief” because, well, this watch had quite a short...
Monochrome
Trilobe, the young French indie brand, is marking its seventh anniversary with the release of the Trente-Deux, a luxury sports watch collection that retains the unconventional time display created by the brand’s founder, Gautier Massonneau. While the dial borrows design cues from the Nuit Fantastique, the sporty yet elegant stainless steel case and integrated bracelet […]
Monochrome
A luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet from Dresden that looks like nothing else on the market, with a highly distinct personality, is how we could define the Hektor, the more casual, everyday-friendly offering by Dresden-based, high-end manufacture Lang & Heyne. The watch was first introduced in 2021 and marked a fundamental shift in […]
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Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko and Citizen are the two undisputed titans among Japanese watch brands, known and admired worldwide for their technical excellence, design acumen, and legendary price-to-value ratio, not to mention the role that both brands have played in the technological and cultural evolution of watchmaking in general. And while these world-renowned companies have been fierce competitors from the beginning, they have a lot in common as well. Here we present a side-by-side comparison of Seiko vs. Citizen, starting with their earliest days and concluding with an overview of what each brand is doing today. Seiko vs. Citizen: Origins of Two Japanese Watch Pioneers With its very high-tech lineup and avant-garde designs, one might be inclined to think Citizen Watch Company is a relatively new player on the worldwide watch scene, but one would be mistaken. The company today known as Citizen was founded in 1918 by Kamakechi Yamazaki as the Shokosha Watch Research Institute. The name “Citizen” first appeared on the dial of a pocket watch that Shokosha produced in 1924; it is believed to have been suggested by Yamazaki’s close friend Shinpei Goto, then the mayor of Tokyo, who believed such a watch should be universally appealing and accessible to all “citizens” of Japan. Shokosha merged with the Schmid company, a Japan-based manufacturing firm founded by expatriate Swiss watchmaker Rodolphe Schmid, in 1930 to become Citizen. Joining the expertise of Shokosha’s Japanese watchm...
Teddy Baldassarre
Everyone knows about Seiko and Grand Seiko, but…what exactly is King Seiko? Well, King Seiko is one of those cult-classic throwbacks that dodges easy categorization or market segmentation. The 1960s elegance and sheer retro vibes exuded by this collection is charming and a little quirky in a world where big brother Grand Seiko has reached downright mainstream status. In 2021, the King Seiko KSK SJE083 resurrected the historic KSK model and the collection has slowly grown since then under the Seiko Luxe collection of higher-end offerings. Here we see the Seiko SPB389, which is a mid-century-inspired watch that will appeal to the kind of person who loves being early to a trend. Seiko Luxe Explained First off I wanted to address the Seiko Luxe collection, because I know not everyone is up to date with the tiers of Seiko. Where standard Seiko is your more classic, accessible fare, the Seiko Luxe collection is the higher-end series that consists of offerings like King Seiko as well as Presage watches with special touches like enamel dials and the more refined pieces in the Prospex collection. Seiko Luxe generally starts around the $750 mark and goes up to over $3,000, so the range is quite broad. Personally, the only Seiko watch I’ve ever purchased is from the Seiko Luxe collection (an enamel dial Presage I reviewed here) and it really is so much watch for the money. King Seiko SPB389 Case and Bracelet When King Seiko first returned to the scene a couple of years back, it w...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Here’s what you need to know before deciding on Seiko or Citizen, based on insights from 10 years of reviewing both brands hands-on.
Worn & Wound
It’s perhaps a little surprising that it’s taken this long for Farer to enter the integrated bracelet sports watch scene. Not because the brand seems like a particularly likely prism through which to interpret the genre, but because the integrated bracelet sports watch has simply become a category unto itself over these last few years, and a brand that commits to variety of any kind needs to have one in their catalog, just as they need to have a diver, a dress watch, and so forth. The fact that so many small brands have carved out space in their collections for what was once a fairly niche and, if we’re being honest, not even very desirable style of watch says a lot about the state of the watch industry, more in fact than the purview of this article, which is to introduce the new Farer Integra lineup. The Integra is what Farer calls their “urban sports watch,” a characterization that has always confused me when used by other brands, and is even a bit stranger when you realize one of these watches has a malachite dial, and another in mother of pearl. Farer is a brand whose aesthetic is borrowed from nautical themes, car culture, vintage watch design, and other sources, so their take on “urban” was always going to be filtered through a very particular sensibility. In any case, it makes me wonder why any brand feels they need to fill these invented micro-niches. Can’t we just call it an integrated bracelet sports watch? Or a sports watch? We all kind of know w...
Teddy Baldassarre
If you’ve been in the watch game for long enough, there is a better-than-zero chance that you’ve owned, had someone recommend for you to own, or have at least come across the Seiko SKX series. The Seiko SKX (notably the black SKX007 and Pepsi-style SKX 009) once served as the go-to value proposition in all of watches. You can still find them trading on the open market for upwards of $500, but there was a time where one could be had easily for $150-$200. A 42mm, ISO-certified, bona-fide dive watch, the SKX represents the last vestige of a true tool watch that predates hype and everything that comes with it. I own one, and continue to wear it, scratch it and bang it around fearlessly. Seiko filled the dive-adjacent void once filled by the SKX, now discontinued, with a series of Seiko 5 models in all manner of colors that resemble the SKX but never quite took the idea across the finish line. And that’s because the SKX was a cult classic for a reason. It married function and form (except for accuracy, but that’s hardly why you buy a sub-$300 diver) in a way that we only hear about in tales from our “elders” who used to buy Rolex Submariners and GMT-Masters for $150 five decades ago. It’s been a number of years now since the SKX has been a production model in the broader Seiko lineup. But just two summers ago, the venerable, vertically integrated, Japanese juggernaut of a brand unveiled something new in the Seiko 5 range – a travel-ready, SKX-looking release ...
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Time+Tide
Has Seiko completely stolen Rolex's thunder by collaborating with Pepsi on some real 'Pepsi bezel' watches - that are less than $1,000?The post Forget GMT-Masters: Seiko has officially teamed up with Pepsi appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion. Vintage Seiko LCD How about a full-kit vintage Seiko LCD to start us off this week? This gem heralds from 1984 and looks every bit the 80’s watch! The squarish stainless steel case is excellent, unpolished and sharp with the original finish. The crystal looks clean, and the LCD display works well. The original bracelet is superb as well, with the Seiko SQ signed buckle. The caseback even has the original little oval sticker. This watch looks new old stock, and maybe it is. It comes complete with the inner and outer boxes, instruction booklet, price tag and hangtag! Can’t beat this gem! View auction here Vintage Citizen Leopard Super Beat 8 Next up is a seldom seen vintage Citizen Leopard Super Beat 8. The Super Beat has a hi-beat movement for better accuracy. The oval/cushion case looks unpolished, and has light wear to it but looks more like a nice steel patina than wear for me. The gray dial is excellent, with raised stick markers that have lume, skinny hands and a vertical day/date at 6 o’clock. The crystal is a mineral glass that has some scratches. The crown is original and signed with the Citizen logo, and the mesh bracelet is original as well and also signed. The movement...
Teddy Baldassarre
Last year, we saw a trio of new Seiko Samurai watches that aimed to broaden the collection’s appeal within the Prospex family. It’s fairly well understood that the Samurai has been seen as the odd man out among the “Seiko with a nickname” family, but why exactly is that? Well, it doesn’t have that vintage heritage, having only debuted in 2004. Also, the second generation has been around since 2017, and since then, tastes have certainly changed. The 44mm-wide case is a little too big for today’s tastes, where conventional wisdom puts anything above 42mm safely in the “huge” category (the case has been pretty thick, as well) . And while models like the Turtle, SKX007, or Willard (or even Tuna and Arnie) have rounded cases, the Samurai’s case has a very sharp and almost aggressively angular design that, again, is not for everyone. Wisely, Seiko’s third-generation Samurai addresses that persistent case-size issue while giving the dial a refresh too. Fortunately, the angular case is a bit more refined, yet no less geometrical. Sorry, that’s just part of the Samurai’s identity. Seiko Samurai Case and Bracelet First off, yes - the new Seiko Samurai has taken design cues from the Shogun. If that makes it not a “true Samurai,” then so be it, but the end result is one good-looking watch. The case improves over that of the second generation in just about every meaningful way (the older case is still available alongside this new iteration). First off, it ...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Seiko Prospex SRPE93, the most recent version of the legendary Seiko Turtle dive watch, hit the market relatively recently, in 2021, but its lineage can be traced all the way back to the 1970s. What makes this defiantly retro-looking tool watch such a favorite of enthusiasts even today? There’s a lot more to it than the very accessible price point, as we’ll explore here in this in-depth examination - or, a look under the shell, if you will - of the SRPE93 “Turtle.” Seiko, the world’s oldest and most established Japanese watchmaking brand, was one of the pioneers of the dive-watch genre and it has long stood apart from its Swiss contemporaries in this field (i.e. Rolex, Blancpain, and others) for its use of bold and unconventional designs. One of its most off-the-wall and yet most enduringly popular designs is the original "Turtle” - aka, Ref. 6306 and 6309 - which made its debut in 1976. The former reference was made exclusively for the Japanese market (and thus, vintage examples are much rarer and more valuable), and the latter was sold to international customers. The reptilian nickname derived from the watches’ cushion-shaped cases with softly rounded lugs, which brought to mind the silhouette of a turtle when viewed from above. The reference numbers for the watches essentially matched those of their automatic movements - Caliber 6306A, which included hacking seconds and Caliber 6309A, which did not. The Turtle’s unusual look and rugged ...
Fratello
When the opportunity arose to tackle a Fratello Summer Watch Picks 2025 feature, I jumped at the chance. My managing editor Nacho and I did have a chuckle, though. You see, here in Sydney, Australia, it is currently winter. Southern Hemisphere, represent! When the discussion first occurred to write this feature, I looked up the […] Visit Fratello Summer Watch Picks 2025: Henry’s Top Choices From Seiko, IWC, Rolex, And More to read the full article.
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Teddy Baldassarre
Some watches become icons unexpectedly, and we would argue that no model better represents that idea than the Grand Seiko SBGA413 Shunbun – a watch that, on paper, should not even be an icon to begin with. So much of this watch’s ascension into the broader horological pantheon has to do with everything that GS does right in its process to create a watch from start to finish. We know the brand for its vertical integration, its attention to detail, its mastery of the craft when it comes to dial design, case construction, and finishing. Not to mention how the brand has made it mark as the the name in movement accuracy. All of these aspects and more are on full display within and without the SBGA413. It is a masterclass in subtlety and craft, and one that is truly more than the sum of its parts. To understand the SBGA413, we must first understand the origin story. Grand Seiko Shunbun Background In 2019, Grand Seiko unveiled four watches as U.S.-only exclusives in what it called its “Seasons” collection. Each watch employed the brand’s 62GS case concept (the brand’s first automatic watch), and two were mechanical while the other two utilized Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive technology. The Grand Seiko Shunbun SBGA413 represented the Spring season and did so visually via a unique dial with a hint of pink emblematic of the cherry blossoms in bloom at the start of the spring season. This subtle dial which only appears in certain lighting conditions was paired with an u...
Fratello
Timekeeping is a key element in most sports disciplines, so it should come as no surprise that the world of horology has long-standing ties to sports. In today’s episode of Fratello Talks, we look at that link and discuss the presence and influence of watch brands in sports. Nacho is joined by RJ and Lex, […] Visit Fratello Talks: Watch Brands In Sports to read the full article.
Fratello
Chronoswiss is by no means the biggest name in watchmaking, but the brand from Lucerne is always instantly recognizable. For instance, it has a reputation for using the biggest crowns in the business. Joking aside, Chronoswiss’s use of XL onion crowns, coin-edge bezels, and regulator-style dials in bold and bright colors made the brand stand […] Visit Hands-On With The Full-Titanium Chronoswiss Pulse One Sand: An Integrated-Bracelet Sports Watch With A Twist to read the full article.
Monochrome
How many integrated sports watches are there on the market? A lot, really a lot. But besides mainstream brands, each offering their own take on the concept – Rolex with the Land-Dweller, IWC with the Ingenieur, Tissot with the PRX, just to name a few – isn’t there a place for more niche, singular models? […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The GMT market has changed dramatically in the past seven years. I use that number specifically, because it takes us to 2018, when Tudor brought attainable traveller GMT (independent hour hand functionality) to market in a splashy way. Since then we have seen brands like Longines and Mido continue the work by delivering more options at even better price points. From a general “caller GMT” standpoint, Seiko has knocked it out of the park with models like those within the SSK range. We are living in a GMT moment with more options than ever. But if you took things back just one more year, to 2017, you could argue that it was the year Japan’s Grand Seiko made a mic-dropping value statement by way of the SBGM221, a traveller GMT in a dressier package with elite functionality while delivering value that far outpaces its price point. In 2025, that value proposition has not changed at all. Background: The DNA of the SBGM221 looks back to the early roots of Grand Seiko in the 1960s to inform its design, but from a modern standpoint more directly can look to the SBGM021 released around 2010. That year is significant because it was the first year the brand arrived in the U.S. market. Aesthetically, the SBGM021 is an illustration of the older style of co-branded Seiko/Grand Seiko fare. Fast forward to 2017, and the watch reaches its completed form. But the 021, with its ivory dial, and general – and honestly quite original – GMT layout is established. You can see the direc...
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