Two Broke Watch Snobs
Affordable GMT With Explorer II DNA: Nodus x Raven Watches TrailTrekker Basecamp
Nodus and Raven Watches release the TrailTrekker Basecamp, a true GMT with blue dial, Old Radium lume, and Miyota 9075 movement for $875.
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
Nodus and Raven Watches release the TrailTrekker Basecamp, a true GMT with blue dial, Old Radium lume, and Miyota 9075 movement for $875.
Fratello
It’s Sunday morning, so it’s time to sit down with a cup of coffee for another Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, Mike and Jorg go head-to-head with two gold Vacheron Constantin watches. Jorg’s pick is the yellow gold Historiques 222, which came out in 2024 and garnered much praise for reviving the brand’s 1977 classic. […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 Vs. Overseas Self-Winding to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The Jura balcony awakens under the March sun. Between sky and mountains, the village of Sainte-Croix and the l’Institut de la Mécanique d’Art (IMA), seem suspended in silence. Yet behind this tranquillity lies one of the most remarkable centres of mechanical art, also known as the automata, for the institute is home to the Association Mec-Art pour la Mécanique d’Art, which is also open to the public to further its mission to promote the craft of automata. “Watchmaking mechanics is industry – serial production. Mechanical art is about unique pieces, for which we use entirely different methods. Some brands focus exclusively on one or the other, while others operate at the crossroads of both – like De Bethune,” explains Denis Flageollet, the cofounder of De Bethune who founded the Association Mec-Art in 2016 together with François Junod and Nicolas Court, both automaton makers. IMA occupies the building originally constructed by Reuge in 2016, which was acquired by De Bethune in 2023. The building now hosts mechanical art activities for Reuge, Van Cleef & Arpels and De Bethune, as well as the Association Mec-Art. “Mechanical art depends on an ecosystem of artisans,” he adds, pointing to the uniquely concentrated geography of Sainte-Croix, “the only town where all these skills coexist.” François Junod agrees, “We live in a natural incubator. Here, everyone talks about mechanical art.” It is precisely for this reason that when Junod was invited to ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Grand Seiko is announcing a new global partnership with Major League Baseball player Shohei Ohtani this week through something called the Grand Moments Project, which kicks off April 1, 2026. Ohtani, who is a star pitcher (and designated hitter) for the defending world series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, not to mention the reigning National League MVP, hails from the Iwate prefecture of Japan, which is also home to Grand Seiko’s Studio Shizukuishi. The partnership represents a mutual respect, and shared philosophy around the value of, and approach to, time. The Grand Moments Project encapsulates this approach to every moment with intention and sincerity, and over time, the accumulation of those moments “refines the quality of time itself”. This is a partnership that seeks to acknowledge the methodical approach to every action we take, and celebrate the process itself over just the end result. Shohei Ohtani represents this ethos with an astonishing career made through a pursuit of excellency moment by moment. The 31 year old phenom comments “To carry forward a part of Grand Seiko’s heritage, shaped through decades of dedication, is something I deeply value.” Ohtani’s unique evolution within the sport of baseball is an apt corollary to Grand Seiko’s approach to watchmaking. Neither represents a straightforward journey, with Ohtani choosing to embrace his talents on both sides of the field as both a pitcher and a hitter while working his way from the Hokk...
SJX Watches
Having teased its newest collection with a family and friends edition last year, Kollokium has finally taken the wraps off the Projekt 02 Variant B, which offers a low-profile die-cast stainless steel case and a terraced topographical dial. A massive box-form crystal contains the scene, offering a panoramic view of the 67 pieces that comprise the nine layers of the dial. A limited edition of 399 pieces, the Variant B is a well-priced entry point to the world of independent watchmaking, and could easily be worn daily. Initial thoughts Kollokium is a relatively new name in independent watchmaking, but the company’s three founders, collector Amr Sindi, designer Barth Nussbaumer, and Louis Erard managing director Manuel Emch, bring a trained eye and a fresh perspective to the brand. With a strong emphasis on design, underpinned by a simple but competent calibre, Kollokium seems to have mastered the game of trade-offs required to market a distinctive watch at an affordable price. Left to Right: Amr Sindi, Barth Nussbaumer, Manuel Emch. The Variant B is fundamentally a simple time-only watch, powered by an off-the-shelf La Joux-Perret cal. G101, an increasingly common base movement prized for its economy and autonomy, with a healthy 68-hour power reserve. But Kollokium’s watches are anything but ordinary, owing to the brand’s unusual dial treatments and case processing. The Variant B is technically the first publicly available version of the Projekt 02, which debuted last ...
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Monochrome
Junghans is better known for its Bauhaus-inspired pieces, such as the Max Bill series, but the German watchmaker has also ventured into the pilots’ and sports territories. With the new Aquaris series, the brand expands its Sport collection by adding four new references: the Aquaris Diver with green or orange accents, and the more lifestyle-oriented […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Digital watches - at least, those of the electronic variety - have only been around for just over half a century at this point, which is a relatively brief moment in the totality of watch history. Nevertheless, they have exerted in that time an outsized influence on the technological and design evolution of the watch industry as well as on the overall culture. As the term “vintage” has been widely interpreted these days to describe any object more than 20 years old, here is our list of the 10 most important “vintage” digital watches (including a handful of worthy analog-digital models). And good news for fans of their retro style: many of them still live on in some form today. [toc-section heading="Breitling Emergency (1995)"] Introduced in 1995, the Breitling Emergency is literally a watch that has saved lives. The first watch with a built-in micro-transmitter that operated on an international air distress frequency, enabling a pilot to contact search-and-rescue teams after an emergency or crash landing. In 2015, after the original had racked up many notable exploits, Breitling launched the second-generation Emergency II, which added a dual-frequency personal locator beacon (PLB), that can both issue alerts as well as guide rescuers to the wearer’s location by accessing a network of satellites and ground receiving stations. The analog-digital display, powered by Breitling’s thermocompensated SuperQuartz movement, offers an array of indicators including 1...
Teddy Baldassarre
The tracking and recording of time has always been inextricably linked with the mysterious motions of the heavenly bodies, primarily that of the sun around which Earth revolves and of the moon, Earth’s own satellite, whose monthly trek around our planet has inspired astronomers, poets, navigators, and yes, watchmakers to explore and understand its unique place in our cosmos. Watchmakers over the years have expressed their fascination with Luna, both its romantic and scientific aspects, in some of their most creative and innovative timepieces. Here are 26 of our favorite and best moonphase watches available now that we think shine particularly bright. [toc-section heading="A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Moon Phase"] Price: On Request, Case size: 38.5mm, Thickness: 10.2mm, Lug Width: 20mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Manually Wound L121.3 The iconic Lange 1, unveiled in 1994 as the flagship of the revived A. Lange & Söhne brand, has been the wellspring of numerous creative variations and additional complications, among them this elegantly appointed model that marries an ultra-precise moon-phase display with an ingenious day-night indicator. The former’s gold moon waxes and wanes over a star-dappled blue disk and tracks the actual lunar cycle with near pinpoint accuracy, requiring adjustment just once every 122.6 years. The watch’s 38.5-mm case houses the German watchmaker’s manufacture Caliber L.121.3, whose luxurious, traditional Saxon deco...
Monochrome
Let’s be a bit of nerds for a minute… You probably have heard the concept of JDM (in cars and watches), the contraction for Japanese Domestic Market, objects created exclusively for Japan and, in principle, not accessible outside of the Island. Which makes them cool. Next, the so-called California dial, a design that dates back […]
Worn & Wound
At its core, good branding comes down to balancing two often contradictory things at once: to maintain brand recognition, while not becoming stale. For a brand like MING, which has built something of a reputation for its roster of eye-catching designs, this is an especially fine line. The Malaysian watchmakers have continued to up their own ante, so to speak, meaning that to build a better watch, they have often had to compete against themselves in both aesthetics and technical precision. This is, perhaps, why they have looked back at the 57.04 Iris, but this time with a slightly softer eye. Instead of the vibrant purple-blue dial, MING has released the 57.04 Phoenix, with a decidedly more monochromatic dial in grey. At first glance, this may seem like a safer play for the brand; but, I can assure you, it’s anything but. Using the same multiphasic coating that was seen on the Iris, the Phoenix uses radial cutouts on the metal baseplate, curved sculpting, and negative relief. The finishing touch is the redesigned subdial, which has been treated with Super-LumiNova X1 and MING Polar White lume for added visual texture. The end result is a dial that leans more on light and shadows than colors to build a watch that is dynamic while highlighting all the technical precision we’ve come to expect from Ming. Like the Iris, the Phoenix is set up as a destro (left-handed) monopusher chronograph, powered by a uniquely configured Sellita for MING Cal. SW562.M1 movement, promising r...
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SJX Watches
Independent watchmaker Armin Strom has upgraded its flagship complication with a precious stone dial. The Mirrored Force Resonance Ruby is a five-piece limited edition with a dial cut from natural ruby. Initial thoughts Armin Strom is arguably the second-most prominent watchmaker (after F.P. Journe) to successfully bring “resonance” watches to market. We extensively covered the subject of coupled oscillator watches recently, which examines Armin Strom’s unique approach to achieving this mysterious effect. Within this narrow niche, Armin Strom’s Mirrored Force series is certainly the broadest collection of resonance watches on the market, with multiple movements and many variations exploiting the almost magic coupling between two sprung balances. This new limited edition employs the familiar in-house caliber ARF21, which connects the two hairspring by a long, swivelling blade spring - dubbed the Resonance Clutch Spring. While the movement is certainly well known, this particular iteration of the watch is quite surprising: a thin slice of natural ruby serves as the dial, with all the imperfections and liveliness of a natural mineral. Using a ruby dial is not only aesthetically appealing but poetic for a mechanical watch. The jewels serving as bearings inside every movement are synthetic rubies - a fancy sort of industrial mineral glass. The uneven bright pink and violet shades of the Mirrored Force Resonance Ruby’s dial assure us there is nothing artificial...
Monochrome
Abraham-Louis Perrelet made his mark in watchmaking history with his work on automatic winding. The modern Perrelet brand is recognised for its patented Double Rotor and Turbine watches, which feature hypnotic spinning rotors on the dial. Much less theatrical, Perrelet’s Weekend collection offers more traditional dress watches in 39mm cases with a subtle retro vibe. […]
Time+Tide
Urushi lacquer and raden mother-of-pearl grace the dial of Ressence's latest Type 9, which is limited to just 8 numbered pieces.The post Ressence taps Terumasa Ikeda for hand-made resplendence in lacquer and mother-of-pearl appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
One of the longest-lived models in the IWC catalogue, the Portugieser Chronograph is simple, distinctive, and handsomely proportioned. Now it’s undergone a surprising makeover to create the Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium, which has just debuted publicly on Ed Sheeran’s wrist during the musician’s tour of Australia. Now in its second generation with an in-house movement, the Portugieser Chronograph has a clean aesthetic with vertically laid out registers and a large-but-thin case. Usually available only in gold or steel, the case is now Ceratanium, essentially titanium that’s been treated to form a hard ceramic layer on its surface. Ed Sheeran wearing a Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium during his concert at the Marvel Stadium on February 26 in Melbourne, Australia. Image – Mark Surridge Initial thoughts IWC doesn’t put out many interesting watches now (regrettably), but the Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium certainly stands out. Though it’s essentially a cosmetic variation of a familiar model, it is appealing. I’ve long been a fan of the Portugieser Chronograph; I like the proportions and design. The design is now over 30 years ago but still feels fresh. The Ceratanium version is odd yet likeable. The all-black livery feels like a mismatch with the classical style, but somehow it works and fits the minimalist look. Despite the appeal, the new Portugieser is expensive. It costs 50% more than the steel model, which feels like too much notwithstanding th...
Monochrome
Some watches feel like they’ve always existed. And yet, the Raymond Weil Millesime Small Seconds 39mm, part of a successful collection launched in 2023, has nothing to do with history. It’s just a design exercise, but one done right. Since its introduction, the collection, which now also includes a more compact 35mm version, a bolder […]
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Monochrome
German indie watchmaker Stefan Kudoke expands the HANDwerk collection with the Kudoke 3 Nocturne, keeping the core concept intact but changing its expression, much like the Nocturne edition of the Kudoke 2. This new variant builds on the Kudoke 3, previously available in various executions, including Sky Blue, salmon, and the Flakes edition with the […]
Fratello
Having the exact time on hand is nothing special nowadays. Almost always, you’re connected to satellite time (GPS), which is based on atomic clocks in satellites that measure time to 100 billionths of a second. Optimizing accuracy through mechanical parts is a whole other matter and an age-old quest. A chronometer - the word derives […] Visit Chronometer Watches Matter - Why The World Of Luxury Needs Accuracy to read the full article.
SJX Watches
On episode 30 of the SJX Podcast, SJX and Brandon discuss to what extent the latest crop of jump hour watches constitutes a trend. In just the first six weeks of 2026, several new jump hour models have been released, including a new collection from Audemars Piguet and the relaunch of the Niton brand, which is discussed in detail. Even the Louis Vuitton Convergence also fits into this trend aesthetically, despite being a dragging hours construction. SJX also provides context on the leading jump hour watches in the industry, including the Zeitwerk, Vagabondage III, and Opus 3, and the latest from Berneron. SJX also shares views on whether reliability still matters in today’s market. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Fratello
I can’t help it, but every time I read something about the brand and rally Gumball 3000, I think of the 1981 action-comedy The Cannonball Run, with Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Roger Moore, and, of course, the dazzling Farrah Fawcett. The hilarious movie, which might feel a bit outdated if you watch it today, was […] Visit Introducing: The Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gumball 3000 – Edition 2 Made For The “Road to the World Cup” to read the full article.
Time+Tide
The stylish Valjoux-powered Scheletrato is back in Arsène Lippens' collection, in blue and grey, for a time-limited drop.The post So nice, they did it twice: the Arsène Lippens Scheletrato is back in two new colourways appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
You could say this new collab between Citizen and seconde/seconde/ really cuts through a saturated sea of blue dial watches...The post Citizen enlists seconde/seconde/ to create a Tsuyosa that really cuts through appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Founded in 1948 by Henry Belmont, Yema was France’s top producer and exporter by the 1960s. Renowned for legendary models such as the Superman, which appealed to professional and amateur divers alike, Yema went the way of many other mechanical watch brands during the quartz crisis and changed hands, including a stint with Seiko, until a French […]
Teddy Baldassarre
In the wild and wonderful world of watches, many brands have made pieces geared towards just about every specific sport, adventure, and niche-within-a-niche under the sun. Down below, I’ll be embarking on a journey through the best watches made to brave the great outdoors, spanning from watches that make great light-hiking companions to those that are made to face the most punishing terrain. So there’s a little something for everyone here in this humble guide. I’ll be casting a wide net in terms of price point, ranging from the accessible entry points to the more luxury-leaning end of the spectrum. [toc-section heading="Timex Expedition"] Because I couldn’t choose just one watch from Timex’s collection geared towards outdoorsy folk, I’m going to rapid-fire through the highlights. If I were to pick out one watch for myself, I would probably go with the Expedition Chrono-Alarm Timer. It’s small and discreet, and realistically, I live in New York City, and my adventuring moments are usually quite tame. It’s water resistant 100 meters, I like the convenience of a digital display when I’m out on a leisurely hike upstate, and I like the added alarm and countdown timer functionality. It’s also $87, which is a comfortable price for me to spend on an outdoor watch. Pivoting to a more classic field watch option, I think the Expedition Camper is a pretty compelling, no-nonsense option. Its monochrome colorpalette is sleek, we got a nice fabric strap in case we w...
Deployant
The return of a legend. Henri Grandjean, now re-established as an independent watchmaker with a new triple axis tourbillon which they call the Magician.
Fratello
It’s that time of the week again - time for another Sunday Morning Showdown! This time, Mike and Jorg face off in a battle of rugged GMTs. Jorg’s pick is the recently introduced Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT, which takes on Mike’s Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT. Both are rugged GMT pieces with dive-watch roots. […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT Vs. Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT to read the full article.
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