Two Broke Watch Snobs
Hands-On Video Review: The Christopher Ward The Twelve 36mm in Titanium
Check out my hands-on, in-depth video review on the Christopher Ward The Twelve - we cover the pros, cons, and everything in-between.
4,874 articles · 1,807 videos found · page 88 of 223
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Check out my hands-on, in-depth video review on the Christopher Ward The Twelve - we cover the pros, cons, and everything in-between.
Monochrome
Following a complete and welcomed overhaul of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Automatic collection in 2021, last month the brand introduced its latest updated models in the series, with five new Aquaracer Professional 300 Date and three Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT versions, with captivating new dials, slightly reduced case sizes, and powered by the […]
WatchAdvice
In this latest hands-on review, we look at Seiko’s Prospex Marinmaster, a reinterpretation of the brand’s first-ever 1965 diver’s watch. What We Love: The mix of brushed and polished surfaces on the case, bracelet and dial The dial pattern and colour are stunning in person. Open case back showing movement for the first time in a Seiko diver. What We Don’t: The bracelet clasp design is not suited for high-end Seiko divers. Open case back could show more of the movement. The date window could have been placed better for a more balanced dial view. Overall Rating: 8.6/10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 Seiko first introduced a trio of Prospex Marinemaster models in late 2023. These timepieces merged two of the brand’s best heritage diver timepieces, the Marinemaster from 2000 and the classic first-ever Seiko divers watch, the 1965 62MAS. Combining two signature designs to make a brand new modern diver’s timepiece. The 2023 Prospex Marinemaster models showcase Seiko’s renowned craftsmanship and dedication to creating excellent dive watches. The collection uses a rugged design along with beautiful dial aesthetics to make it known that it can be used as both a tool watch and a daily wearer. The Prospex Marinemaster also uses the iconic Seiko watch designs from the above-mentioned references. Original 1965 62MAS Diver watch (left) vs modern re-interpretation Save The Ocean Limited Edition (right) Seiko is well known ...
SJX Watches
An academic, horologist, and innovator, Urban Jürgensen is today best known for giving his name for the watch brand that’s now run by independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen and his daughter, Venla. But Jürgensen was the most important watchmaker in Denmark in the early 19th century. He also developed a longstanding relationship with the most important Danish scientific society of the last three centuries, the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters (RDASL). This article explores the relationship that shaped his work on clocks and watches. A need for precision Being a horologist in Denmark at the turn of the 19th century was not necessarily a very noble job. A handful were highly regarded workmen, but none were on par with scientists on the social ladder. Astronomers were buying English precision clocks for observatories and sailors still navigated by the movement of celestial bodies[1]. But times were changing, chronometers were already known to the king and government of Denmark, and the benefit of precision timekeepers for various types of expeditions was already becoming known around Europe. Mudge & Dutton astronomical regulator clock. Previously in the Observatory of Copenhagen, now located in the offices of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. Image – The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters/A.B.L. As international conflicts were at the time were a limiting factor in importing chronometers from foreign countries, attempts were made...
Fratello
The Forstner 5-Row Beads of Rice bracelet is the brand’s latest option for those who enjoy the look of a vintage accessory with modern quality. The choice to recreate this Gay Frères model from the ’40s is intriguing as it’s not the most famous. How does this bracelet blend with modern and vintage watches? Crucially, […] Visit Hands-On With The Forstner 5-Row Beads Of Rice Bracelet to read the full article.
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Fratello
Yema’s latest release, the Skin Diver Slim CMM.20, celebrates the classic ’60s skin diver aesthetic in style. As a modern-day remake of the original Yema Skin Diver from 1963, the watch takes us back to the early days of the French brand. With the addition of a proprietary micro-rotor movement, we get the best of […] Visit Hands-On With The Yema Skin Diver Slim CMM.20 Limited Edition to read the full article.
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! Unbranded Yachtingraf Vintage Chronograph First up this week is this killer vintage unbranded version of a Yema Yachtingraf chronograph. The original Yema is a cult classic and highly sought after. This no-name example may lack a name brand, but it has all the style of the original. Including the unique big-eye sub-dial look with the red white and blue elapsed minute dial as well as a date window at 6 o’clock. The steel case looks to have been polished but still looks nice, and the black count-down bezel is in great shape. Seller states the hands were professionally relumed. The watch is powered by a Valjoux 7734 manual wind movement that the seller states has been serviced and is working perfectly. View auction here Seiko “Pogue” 6139-6002 Automatic Chronograph And here we have a true classic, a vintage Seiko 6139-6002 yellow dial “Pogue” chronograph. Seiko put out a multitude of 6139 variations, but this is definitely the most recognizable with the bright yellow dial, the same as Col. Pogue wore on his journey to Skylab. This example is super clean, and looks to be original to my eye. The dial and hands are clean and devoid of any black funk on the lume, and the “Pep...
Hodinkee
Down-sizing Longines' heritage dive watch makes all the difference.
Fratello
Today’s Brellum Pandial Marina Bicompax Titanium Chronometer visited us at Fratello HQ, and we were left impressed by the brand’s latest release. Brellum focuses on numbered, low-production editions with a high value-to-price ratio. This piece may be the most compelling yet. It’s hard not to be cynical when looking at the prices of new watches. […] Visit Hands-On With The New Brellum Pandial Marina Bicompax Titanium Chronometer to read the full article.
Monochrome
Norqain has consolidated a repertoire of watches to tackle the great outdoors. Robust, well-designed, contemporary models that can take their fair share of adversity and still look good, Norqain is back this summer with a versatile GMT travel companion and a rugged three-hander, both from the brand’s Neverest collection, fitted with high-performance, chronometer-rated Kenissi manufacture […]
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Fratello
One of the perks of my line of work is that I sometimes get to experience watches I wouldn’t have normally sought out. Nacho requested the Sinn 903 for himself to test but found his schedule overfilled with management responsibilities and handed the watch to me. So I strapped on the newly revamped Sinn 903 […] Visit Hands-On With The Revamped Sinn 903 St II In Black to read the full article.
Fratello
This review was tough as this Zelos made a big impact with its materials and slim, demure case. Going hands-on with the Zelos Nova 37mm Tantalum has been a pleasure regardless of value, brand image, and size, so staying objective was quite challenging. First impressions from press shots left me with an image of too […] Visit Hands-On With The Zelos Nova 37mm - A Tantalum Watch With A Grail-Like Presence to read the full article.
Monochrome
For obvious reasons, the watch world tends to glorify complexity and the accumulation of functions into a single watch. We, at MONOCHROME, are no better than the rest of the crowd and we can spend days contemplating a Grande Complication watch, or a timepiece with a novel, ultra-complex escapment. However, we also tend to forget […]
Worn & Wound
The age of the circular watch has ended. The mid-century divers, chronographs, and Calatravas are out. Ok, not really, but it looks like shaped, asymmetric, and sculptural watches are the next coming trend. Kicking this new era off have been a few releases ranging from the high-end and exclusive by Berneron to the mid-tier and provocative by Toledano + Chan to the relatively accessible yet exotic Anoma, whose first watch I’ve had the chance to spend some time with. On June 6th, 2024, Anoma Watches launched the A1, an asymmetrical, triangular-shaped watch with an appealing, soft look. Like a weathered pebble of polished steel, the A1 mixes a sense of mid-century watch and industrial design with a modern sensibility, preventing it from feeling like a pastiche recreation. Well-sized at around 38mm and with a vibrant blue dial with a green tint, it’s a memorable launch from a new brand. In the video below, I discuss the brand, the context of the A1’s launch, the design, and what it’s like to wear it. As this is the only shaped watch I’ve ever worn for any period, it was an interesting experience. At first, it was a bit jarring, perhaps, but its quirky charm won me over. With collectors, new and old, having more choices and easier access to watches than ever, brands need to offer something that will stand out yet not be just a novelty. With the A1, Anoma has achieved this, at least in my opinion. Priced at £1,300, or about $1,650 USD, the Anoma A1 is available for pr...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on review of the Farer World Timer II Roché with an updated movement and a beautifully laid out world timer function. Check it out!
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Fratello
If you frequent social media, there’s a good chance that you’ve run across the Delugs rubber CTS straps recently. The brand is making a splash for the summer season and has released some new models and colors. Full disclosure: Delugs sent me a handful of straps for review. Specifically, I requested straps for my Ming […] Visit The Delugs Rubber CTS Straps On Ming And Tudor Watches to read the full article.
Monochrome
Customisation has fast become a watch industry standard, offering buyers a host of case materials, dial colours, strap options, etc… However, it’s not often that you come across a watch with four different faces, or rather, four different fonts for four revolving numerals on the dial. Designer and former watch restorer John Byrne’s Gyro Dial […]
Monochrome
Two years ago, Tudor announced its entry into the world of cycling, partnering with cycling legend Fabian Cancellara to create the Tudor Pro Cycling Team. Tudor soon developed a special edition Black Bay Chrono Dark for the team, which we discovered during a training camp with the team in early 2023. Just a few weeks […]
Worn & Wound
ochs und junior has released the latest in their line of celestial-inspired watches, this time with a movement and complication ten years in the making. To look at it, the luna sole couldn’t be anything besides an ochs und junior and uses a series of rotating discs to convey the relative position of the moon, sun, and earth. When I was first getting into watches in the early 2010s, the watch industry - in particular the Swiss watch industry - was experiencing a very real bout of homogeneity. Coming out of the recession, and with the real boom times still ahead of them, it felt like brands were (mostly) looking to play it safe and ride out the stormy weather. ochs und junior was one of the first brands I came across that was, in a big way, playing their own game. While the luna sole is a pure expression of that approach, it’s also the thinnest and lightest ochs und junior we’ve seen yet, and demonstrates a clear evolution from the early days of the brand without sacrificing any of the brutalist industrial design the brand is known for. The luna sole measures in at 40mm across and 9mm thick, with a lug-to-lug barely longer than the diameter of the watch. More to the point, the grade 5 titanium case is light - the watch head without the strap is only 40 grams, about the equivalent of a handful of quarters. Inside the luna sole, you’ll find a modified version of the ETA 2892, initially conceptualized and designed by ochs und junior founder Ludwig Oechslin a decad...
Hodinkee
A comparison of two solid new additions to Chopard's dressy high horology lineup.
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Monochrome
Chronoswiss was founded in 1983 in Munich by the late Gerd R. Lang, a celebrated watchmaker with a penchant for classical regulators. Now in the hands of Oliver Ebstein and based in Lucerne, Switzerland, Chronoswiss maintains its repertoire of dynamic regulator layouts with old-school decorative techniques jazzed up with wild colours. The Chronoswiss Delphis, launched […]
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne marks the 25th year of its landmark chronograph this year, with two commemorative editions so far – a tremendously expensive all-in-one edition and the relatively more accessible Datograph Up/Down 25th Anniversary. The first Datograph with a white gold case and also the first regular production model with a blue dial, the anniversary edition the result of a relatively modest cosmetic makeover – but unexpectedly compelling. Initial thoughts The Datograph in an imperfect watch – amongst other things it’s top heavy with a somewhat dated dial design – but it has an intrinsic appeal because its movement is outstanding. Even though it’s already 25 years old, the movement remains exceptional in terms of aesthetics. The fact that it’s 25 years old also makes the Datograph important, because Lange created such a movement long before such things became a thing. So the 25th anniversary of the Datograph is an occasion worth marking. Lange debuted two watches for the anniversary (with perhaps a third one to come): the complicated and expensive Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen, and the more accessible Datograph 25th Anniversary. On its face the Datograph Up/Down seems a bit mundane for an anniversary watch. Both the blue dial and white gold case are unique for the Datograph, but together the watch doesn’t look or feel that different. But like the Datograph as a model, the anniversary edition is imperfect yet appealing. Though it is plain...
Monochrome
Mr Roger Dubuis founded his eponymous brand in 1995, swiftly achieving success with timepieces that deftly balance traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and bold, expressive designs. Since 2003, the brand has been renowned for its expertise in tourbillon watches, starting with the calibre RD03. This fully integrated manufacture has since become a specialist in architectural skeletonised tourbillons, […]
Fratello
While my love of vintage-infused watches is cyclical, my love of dive watches is constant. There is just something about the purity and a sense of purpose that will always keep the genre on my favorite list. When done right, as with the shape and size of Certina’s DS Super PH1000M STC, a touch of […] Visit Hands-On With The Certina DS Super PH1000M STC - A Dive Tool Done Right to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Type A dial, Flieger-style pilot's watch has been something I've coveted since diving deep into the watch collecting hobby. If I'm not dreaming about some of the prohibitively priced stuff out there, I often think of some of the best affordable options if I were to make this kind of addition to the collection. A few names come to mind, but I've had a soft spot for Archimede since meeting them in San Francisco one year and photographing one of the coolest Archimede watches ever. As the in-house watch brand of the Ickler case company in Germany, Archimede produces some of the most well-crafted and affordable timepieces in this space while remaining family-owned. Today, we're looking at the Archimede Pilot 39, one of their most popular models, and a watch that I'm sad to say goodbye to after experiencing it on loan from Archimede.
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