Two Broke Watch Snobs
Best Dive Watches Under $500: Hands-On Reviews and Breakdown
Explore the best dive watches under $500 with hands-on picks that balance value, everyday wearability, and real-world capability.
6,760 articles · 61 videos found · page 90 of 228
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore the best dive watches under $500 with hands-on picks that balance value, everyday wearability, and real-world capability.
Monochrome
Yves Piaget, fourth-generation member of the Piaget family, joined the company in the 1960s and cultivated the brand into a visible and global luxury player. Pushing the brand’s historical ultra-thin mechanical calibres 9P and 12P, and its ultra-slim quartz 7P movement into jewellery terrain, a new generation of fashionable jewellery watches with bright-coloured hardstone dials […]
Worn & Wound
I vividly remember when Hermes first launched the H08 five years ago. It marked yet another moment of the brand solidifying its place beyond its roots in fashion and firmly into the horological landscape. Prior to the H08, we had seen more classic, refined, and dare I say quintessentially Hermes collections from the Maison like the Kelly, inspired by the padlock from the famous handbag; the Arceau, drawing from the iconic horse motif; and the Cape Cod, a traditional rectangular design. In 2012, Hermes had a defining moment for its watches with the debut of its first in-house caliber. Still, the H08 marked a new moment of the brand doing something markedly different – decidedly modern and yet distinctly Hermes. In the years since its initial introduction, the H08 has continued to be a success and as such, the Maison has doubled down on the collection, following up with a slew of iterations on the original H08 lineup, which was pretty impressive in its own right, consisting of five variations. We have seen the addition of complications like a chronograph, new sizes ranging from the original 39mm up to 45mm, as well as new styles and colors. Today, at this year’s Watches and Wonders, Hermes offers up the next evolution with the H08 Squelette, the Maison’s interpretation of a skeletonized model. We have seen this openworked style in the brand’s other staple collections, like the Arceau and the Slim d’Hermes, so this seems like a natural next step for the H08 line....
Worn & Wound
Roger Dubuis’ latest releases at Watches and Wonders are steeped in the brand’s history. For the occasion, the maison introduces two complicated pieces – a perpetual calendar and day-date calendar – each in the brand’s patented biretrograde display. Prior to founding his namesake maison, Mr. Roger Dubuis was a prolific watchmaker for several brands, from Patek Philippe to Longines. One such project came in 1989 when he and fellow watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht collaboratively pioneered and patented their famous biretrograde display, which reworked the traditional concept and made it more streamlined. This approach eased assembly and improved the stability and readability of the hands on the ecliptic retrograde counters. Soon after, the pair engineered a double retrograde perpetual calendar module, which was notably used in a timepiece for Harry Winston. A year after the brand’s official founding, Roger Dubuis introduced its own biretrograde display timepiece and later the perpetual calendar complication in its iconic Sympathie and Homage collections. Today, we see the next evolution of these concepts highlighted in a rather modestly sized 40mm version of its Excalibur line. The Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar is notably powered by an entirely new movement: the RD850. Here, the maison builds upon the work set forth four decades ago with a self-winding caliber built from 435 components in-house at Roger Dubuis’ Geneva manufacture. A key functional i...
Monochrome
Oris rose to become one of Switzerland’s top ten watchmakers by the end of the 1960s, fuelled by automatic models like the Star and its early dive watches. Introduced in 1966 and inspired by the modernist spirit of the era, the Oris Star featured a tonneau-shaped case with seamlessly integrated lugs and was powered by […]
Worn & Wound
A. Lange & Söhne had one of my, and many others’, favorite releases at Watches & Wonders 2025. It wasn’t a super complication and had no bells-and-whistles. Rather, it was simple and small. The 34mm 1815 three-handers in white or rose gold exemplified confident, understated luxury like no other watches at the fair. For 2026, Lange has brought back a watch that had been out of production with a new movement and in a new, smaller size, following suit from last year’s release. Unlike the 1815s, these feature one of the less common complications in the Lange catalog: the annual calendar. The Saxonia Annual Calendar was a very cool watch. It combined its eponymous complication with Lange’s signature outsized date and was powered by a since-retired “Sax-0-Mat” three-quarter-rotor automatic movement. These funky movements were featured in the Langematik watches and represented Lange’s first foray into automatic calibers. In addition to a distinctive look, they featured a hidden complication: zero-reset seconds, meaning that when the crown was pulled out, the seconds hand would jump to zero. In 2011, the Sax-O-Mats began to be replaced by central rotor calibers with up to 72 hours of power reserve, an increase from 46 hours, but the zero-reset seconds disappeared. Though comprising many different calibers, most of Lange’s currently in-production automatics have a central rotor. I am unsure when the previous generation of the Saxonia Annual Calendar went out of pro...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The new Oris Star Edition revisits a 1966 milestone with a 35mm tonneau case, plexiglass crystal, and a dial that stays true to the original.
Hodinkee
Good things come in small, sporty gold packages.
Teddy Baldassarre
A new clasp might just be the real headline here.More
Monochrome
Last year was a watershed moment for Grand Seiko with its announcement of the world’s “most accurate mainspring-driven movement”. Crafted in the Shinshu Watch Studio, the brand’s groundbreaking Calibre 9RB2 – with an annual deviation of only ±20 seconds – debuted in Evolution 9 cases. True to Japanese reverence for nature and Grand Seiko’s talent […]
SJX Watches
Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Traveller is a meaningful addition to its collection of sport watches. While the brand’s convenient push-button dual-time complication is not new, it has never been available in the go-anywhere, do-anything format of the Sport line - where it arguably makes the most sense. It’s also the first time this travel complication has been paired with one of the brand’s lever escapement movements, a change that should provide the resilience against shocks that one expects from a sport watch. Initial thoughts The sport has proven to be one of Laurent Ferrier’s most popular watches, introducing the brand to a wider audience by combining sports watch ruggedness with the high-horology independent watchmaking that the brand has become famous for. In this sense, the Sport Traveller is similar in philosophy to other luxury sport watches. That said, few manage to elevate the concept quite as high as Laurent Ferrier. The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus and F.P. Journe Octa Sport Titanium are natural peers, as is the Patek Philippe 5164, but only the latter offers a travel time complication. The Sport Traveller is made from grade 5 titanium for a featherweight wrist presence, and debuts in what is likely to be a popular grey-on-grey colourway. Even the Sport Traveller dial text is grey, blending in with the dial to help keep the clutter to a minimum. The cal. LF275.01 continues the monochromatic look with grey-coated bridges and a solid platinum oscillating wei...
Revolution
Hodinkee
The previously discontinued model is now back in a smaller size, with a few mechanical improvements thanks to a new caliber.
Fratello
Just as Stevie Wonder is the musician’s musician, Jaeger-LeCoultre is the watchmaker’s watchmaker. But what is meant by this? Well, for starters, Jaeger-LeCoultre is a prolific movement manufacturer that supplies other high-end brands. Famously, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ultra-thin caliber 920 powered the big three ’70s sports watches - Patek Philippe’s Nautilus, AP’s Royal Oak, and Vacheron Constantin’s […] Visit Introducing: Three New Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grand Complications to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne turns once again to its greatest hits for its flagship launch at Watches & Wonders 2026. The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” bestows the translucent, luminous treatment to the top-of-the-line Lange 1 in a 50-piece limited edition in platinum. Powered by the L225.1, an upgrade on the previous generation movement, the latest Lumen edition has a grey-tinted sapphire dial that reveals glow-in-the-dark elements, including the date discs and moon phase. Over the back, the edition is also set apart by a pair of steel cocks sporting engraving of stars. Initial thoughts The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” stands out as one of the most appealing Lumen models; I’d rank it up there along with the original Zeitwerk “Phantom” in terms of appeal. The Lumen treatment works best with lot of obvious luminous components, which is the case here. Flourishes like the luminous bases for each of the Roman hour numerals are a pleasing touch. The twin engraved steel cocks are especially noteworthy; the concept is classic Lange but the engraved star motif adds variety. That said, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” scores highly, maybe even perfectly, in terms of intrinsic and tactile appeal. The technical accomplishment is also top class: the calendar is instantaneous, movement construction is sophisticated, and decoration is outstanding. But this arguably scores less well in terms of originality or creativity. The moveme...
Just released at Watches and Wonders 2026, the Oris Star Edition is a faithful recreation of one of Oris’ most important watches, while offering modern build quality and reliability. It also happens to be confidently handsome, fully embracing the perfection of its midcentury design. Watch now to get the full review.
Teddy Baldassarre
Combined with White Rolesor construction and fluted bezel, this take adds understated luxury to one of the Crown's most classic models. More
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Grand Seiko answers years of requests with two smaller Evolution 9 divers at 40.8mm, powered by the new Spring Drive 9RB1 U.F.A. in titanium.
Monochrome
With the Reference 5249R-001 “The Fox and the Crow”, Patek Philippe presents the first automaton of its modern history. Showcasing rare handcrafts and displaying the hours and minutes on demand, this poetic wristwatch is the reinterpretation of one of the treasures of the Patek Philippe Museum, a pocket watch from 1958. At the press of […]
Hodinkee
The reintroduction of the Calibre 135 headlines a focused set of new releases from the Le Locle-based manufacture.
Time+Tide
IWC releases a new Le Petit Prince range, including Mark XX Pilot's Automatic models as part of Watches and Wonders 2026.The post Le Petit Prince returns to the IWC Pilot’s line with new Mark XX models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Cartier relaunches the Roadster in Medium and Large sizes, spanning seven new references in a mixture of metals.The post Cartier’s driving watch is gone from the rear-view mirror: the Roadster is back in steel, two-tone, and gold (live pics) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Cartier's grail collection, with new Privé Les Opus Crash, Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir, Tank Normale, Cloche de Cartier, & more.The post Cartier lifts the covers off new burgundy beauties and golden gems for the 10th Privé Opus (live pics) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Time+Tide
TAG Heuer has invented a new way of operating a chronograph, and it feels completely different in the hand. The post TAG Heuer brings innovation to the chronograph with the new Monaco Evergraph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Laurent Ferrier finally adds the Traveller complication to the Sport model, and the results are a lesson in multi-time-zone sports watchesThe post Laurent Ferrier adds the Traveller complication to the Sport, and it works appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Gerald Charles has always been a large supporter of tennis. The different surfaces and colors within the game have been featured on the brand’s watches. Today, the theme continues with an ode to Wimbledon, the most famous tournament of all. While the new Maestro GC Sport Tennis White isn’t an official collaboration with the All […] Visit Introducing: The Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Tennis White to read the full article.
Fratello
Okay, that subtitle is half right. The Masterlink design, with its typical “smile” at 6 o’clock, is not new. But instead of trying to fit a traditional round QP movement into the case, Gerald Charles chose to build a shaped one. The Gerald Charles Masterlink Perpetual Calendar is so handsome that, apart from a closed-dial […] Visit Open Or Closed? The Gerald Charles Masterlink Perpetual Calendar Gives You A Choice to read the full article.
Fratello
When I heard Gagà Laboratorio was launching its first dive watch, the Aqualab, I was skeptical. The brand’s distinct identity made me question how it would translate into a sportier, tool-oriented direction. That’s a testament to the uniqueness of its design language, not a criticism of its existing watches. The Labormatic, for example, always struck […] Visit Gagà Laboratorio’s New Aqualab Pulls Off A Tricky Design Brief to read the full article.
Fratello
The team at IFL Watches doesn’t sit still. It’s been barely a month since the brand unveiled its fun Citizen Tsuyosa Calavera. For the latest project, IFLW chose a new platform for its artwork. To celebrate the idea of freedom, the brand created hand-painted dials for two Festina On The Square models. The larger 36mm […] Visit IFL Watches Celebrates Street Art With The Festina Freedom to read the full article.
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