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Hodinkee
Plus TanTan Wang joins to talk about Oris's new Bullseye Big Crown Pointer Date, the sale of Baume & Mercier by Richemont, and Omega's 300M diver for Milano Cortina.
SJX Watches
“How can you make a watch, my dear boy?” His aunt, Jeanette Salomons, then under medical care in St. Leonards-on-Sea, wrote back to her nephew, David Lionel Salomons, in early March 1867, shortly before her death. He was 16, orphaned since his father Philip’s death earlier that year. His mother, Emma Abigail Montefiore, had died when he was eight. At the time, Salomons lived with his uncle, Sir David Salomons (1st Baronet), the Lord Mayor of London, at Great Cumberland Place, near Marble Arch, making frequent visits to a nearby watchmaker’s shop, where he learned to use a lathe and to file metal to tolerances measured in a fraction of an inch. Fifty years later, that teenage training would allow him to assemble the most comprehensive collection of Breguet watches in history. Broomhill Salomons inherited the expansive Broomhill estate in 1873 when he was 22. His uncle, the first Sir David Salomons, had died without children, and the baronetcy passed to his nephew along with the estate near Tunbridge Wells. The house stood on substantial grounds, and Salomons began altering it almost immediately. Broomhill from the south, a photograph by Sir David Lionel Salomons, 1868 (cropped). Album 19, Richard Levy Family Archive. Image – By permission of the Salomons Museum. He built workshops housing machine tools like lathes, drill presses, and milling equipment. Then came electrical apparatus. Then storage for chemicals and photographic equipment. By the 1890s, the workshop...
Worn & Wound
When we talk about Longines on the website, we usually do so in the context of their vintage reissues and vintage inspired watches. They’ve carved out a niche for themselves in this particular area that is basically unrivaled among the big Swiss brands. From the Legend Diver onwards, they’ve done a remarkable job of raiding the archives and bringing back both popular and oddball references of historical significance. Similarly, their most important contemporary line, the Spirit Collection, is itself heavily influenced by the aesthetics and design codes of midcentury watches. That isn’t to say that Longines has neglected more contemporary designs. They’ve dipped into ultra-modern territory (with a great deal of success) pretty recently with bold updates to the Ultra-Chron, for example. But I think it’s fair to say that they aren’t necessarily the brand you look to if you’re thinking about picking up a solid, modern dive watch. It’s just not their lane, and some of their competitors have really nailed this genre down pretty hard. So this is the framework for a big relaunch this Spring for the HydroConquest, a line that has already gone through a handful of redesigns and shuffling over the years, most recently becoming a vehicle for a GMT complication in a case size that frankly strains even the most burly of wrists. There’s never really been anything wrong with the HydroConquest, per se, but for a variety of reasons it’s not usually mentioned in the s...
Time+Tide
A new smaller size and a slinky new bracelet mean this updated diver from Longines stands out from its 19 year history. The post Longines updates the Hydroconquest with a smaller size and Milanese bracelet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
The Longines Hydroconquest, the Saint-Imier brand’s most prominent and forward-looking diver’s watch, made its debut in 2007 and has changed very little in its key features and elements - despite expanding during the nearly two decades since into a variety of sizes, colorways, and materials. That all changes this year, as Longines has introduced the next generation of the Hydroconquest, defined by a host of contemporary upgrades. Here’s what you need to know. [toc-section heading="Origin of the Hydroconquest"] Before the Hydroconquest came the Conquest. Longines has been making timepieces since 1832, but it wasn’t until 1954 that the Swiss watchmaker began engaging in the modern marketing practice of introducing product families with distinctive names. “Conquest” was the first such name to be registered, on April 3, 1954, with the Swiss Register of Intellectual Property. The original Longines Conquest (reproduced above) was equipped with a highly accurate automatic movement and a water-resistant case that also protected the movement from magnetism and shocks. Despite these utilitarian elements, however, it was undeniably a dress watch, at a very modest 35mm and with a clean, minimalist dial. Longines introduced the bigger, sportier version of the Conquest, called the Hydroconquest, in 2007, during an era when large, rugged watches, particularly divers’ watches, were reaching new heights of popularity. The Hydroconquest, in contrast to its predecessor, was...
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Worn & Wound
A common critique leveled at Seiko over these last few years is that they’ve abandoned the affordable enthusiast dive watch market and have been creeping toward a higher priced product. Honestly, it’s fair. Those of us of a certain age can fondly remember the days when an SKX diver could be had for a few hundred bucks, and it basically stood alone in the Venn diagram of pedigree, dive watch bona fides, enthusiast credibility, and affordability. The fact is, there’s a lot of competition for affordable divers these days, much of it driven by the popularity of a handful of key Seiko references. So it’s no wonder that they’ve sought to expand their footprint elsewhere and make a higher end, more expensive product. What often gets lost in these conversations is that the higher priced Seiko divers are actually very good dive watches that still cover much of that hypothetical Venn diagram, perhaps leaning a little further away from affordability. Seiko recently announced a handful of new references and while many of us hoped a truly affordable SKX alternative might be in the mix, they’ve once again debuted a new diver at a higher rung of their pricing ladder. The highlight for collectors and serious Seiko fans will likely be the Seiko Prospex Marinemaster 1968 Heritage Diver’s Watch (the official Seiko naming conventions are always a bit cumbersome). Yes, this is yet another mostly historically accurate take on the first ever diver rated to 300 meters of water r...
SJX Watches
Less than two years out from its 2024 relaunch, Seiko refreshes its flagship dive watch with the new Prospex Marinemaster 1968 Heritage Diver’s Watch HBF001 and its limited edition counterpart, the HBF002. Both models feature a ceramic bezel, longer power reserve, better promised timekeeping, and a much-requested tool-less micro-adjust clasp - tangible upgrades that justify a near 25% premium over the previous generation. The regular production model launches alongside a more flamboyant 1,000-piece limited edition designed in collaboration with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). Initial thoughts Seiko relaunched the Marinemaster brand three years ago with an unexpected trio of compact skin-divers. This was followed by a return to form the following year with a pair of 300 m Hi-Beat Diver-inspired models that dispensed with the “Professional” branding, front-loading case construction, and helium impermeability that distinguished Marinemasters of the past, but offered a more compact 42 mm size and a much improved bracelet. However, it still used the same stamped clasp body found on entry-level divers, just with an upgraded swing arm, and relied on the aging cal. 8L35 movement while Seiko rolled out the improved cal. 8L45 in the similarly priced King Seiko Vanac. The new HBF001 solves all of those problems, and introduces only a few new ones. Given the similarity to the SLA079, Seiko clearly felt the need for unambiguous differentiatio...
Time+Tide
Fortis looks to upgrade the toughness of its deep-sea diver with a new DLC coating that also gives it a monochrome look.The post Fortis adds a new layer of toughness to the Marinemaster appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Serica unveils a new monochromatic diver, the Ref. 5330, following the successful recipe of the previous divers, with a special twist.The post Serica’s new Ref. 5330 proves even purists might make room for a date (live pics) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Luminox's Navy SEAL Chronograph XS.3587 arrives in a new coyote tan and black colorway, bringing tactical styling to a diver-chrono combo.
Video
Fratello
We’ve been following the horological adventures of Vincent Bonnaud (1991, France) since 2021, when he introduced his first BND dive watch. What caught my attention was that Vincent received a lot of praise for his BND watch from former Rolex ambassador and COMEX diver Théo Mavrostomos. Someone who worked for COMEX for two decades and […] Visit Meet The Third Iteration Of The BND Dive Watch to read the full article.
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 […]
Time+Tide
An unexpected diver from Kurono Tokyo and an artistic masterpiece from Louis Vuitton headlined last week in the watch world.The post New releases from Serica, Parmigiani Fleurier, Louis Vuitton and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Like the now-ubiquitous diver and pilot styles, the mil-spec field watch is experiencing a moment in the sun. The appeal is easy to understand: much like how the original Willy’s Jeep took to post-war civilian life by offering cheap, rugged, and reliable transportation, the military-styled field watch offers significant toughness while keeping functionality simple and usable for everyday telling. Put simply, it’s a romantic promise of adventure and bravado, scaled down to wristsize. Canadian watchmaker Marathon has been making mil-spec timepieces since WWII, and has offered tactical variants like the 41mm Anthracite GSAR for those looking for that covert ops image; the new 46mm Anthracite Jumbo Day/Date, and the 36mm Anthracite MSAR Auto straddle that original model in the Anthracite lineup, and offer further complications for the enthusiast audience. The two new models in the Anthracite Search and Rescue (SAR) Unit borrow heavily from their 41mm predecessor in both styling and construction. Both feature a 316L stainless steel case with titular Anthracite finish, a uni-directional bezel, a screw-down crown, and tritium gas tube and MaraGlo luminous numerals, hands, and markers. Visually, the watches look very similar; Marathon’s legible and surprisingly un-aggressive typefaces keep the white numerals crisp and clear against the black dial. The overall styling is complicated but not visually distracting, an important aesthetic facet for a field watch. On the 46mm mo...
Worn & Wound
When we create a post on the Worn & Wound blog, we check a little box on the sidebar of our backend system to categorize the watch we’re writing about. The options are things like “Diver,” and “Chronograph” and “Dress,” which is about what you’d expect, and these well understood categories are appropriate for most of the watches we write about. But my absolute favorite thing is when a news release (or an actual watch!) comes across my desk that can only fit into one category, at the very bottom of the list: Unique. More than any other brand (besides perhaps MB&F; and Urwerk), Ressence really has a lock on the Unique category here at Worn & Wound. One of many reasons we continue to be drawn to them year after year. Their latest, the Type 9 IKE, is unique even within the Ressence catalog. Built on the (relatively) approachable Type 9 platform, which features an easy to wear 39mm case and a simplified version of the already incredibly stripped down Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS), the new limited edition is a collaboration with Japanese artist Terumasa Ikeda. It’s also a twist on a trend we’ve been seeing play out in the watch industry over the last few years, but you probably wouldn’t think at first glance that this is actually a very intricately crafted mother of pearl dial. Ikeda’s work has a style that can be described as mixing very old craft techniques with a futuristic, almost sci-fi inspired design code. The Type 9 IKE’s dial looks...
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Two Broke Watch Snobs
Zodiac teams up with GiantMouse on a Super Sea Wolf Pro Diver and custom dive knife set inspired by vintage tool watches.
Time+Tide
The diver has pretty much become the quintessential watch - and here are some of the best.The post 13 of the best dive watches for all sorts of aquatic adventures appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
What are the best Tudor watches in the current lineup? It really depends on what type of watch ticks all the stylistic boxes for you - whether it’s a classic diver, a dual-time travel companion, or a racetrack-ready chronograph; a sturdy, outdoorsy timekeeper you can wear on a nature hike, or something elegant and uncomplicated that you can wear to the symphony. Using as our starting point some of the style categories in which Tudor's parent brand Rolex has excelled, here we attempt to home in on the best Tudor watches for each taste. [toc-section heading="For The Casually Stylish Diver"] Tudor’s answer to big brother Rolex’s megapopular Submariner series is relatively easy to spot. The Black Bay collection is the undisputed flagship of the 21st-century Tudor lineup and has played a huge role in Tudor stepping out from under Rolex’s substantial shadow to establish an impressive identity all its own. Improbably, It did so by deftly combining elements from earlier Tudor dive watches, most of which were clearly inspired by the Rolex dive watches that preceded them to market. The so-called “snowflake” hour hand that is so emblematic now to the Black Bay family was drawn from the Tudor Submariner Ref. 7016 from 1969 that was famously supplied to the French Navy, whose divers found two distinctly different hands to be beneficial in reading the time underwater.) The large screw-down crown, with engraved Tudor rose emblem, was introduced on the 1958 "Big Crown" model...
Teddy Baldassarre
In a sea of black-dialed divers, a white dial stands out as a considered choice. And one of the most well-executed has to be the frostiest variant of the collector-favorite 39mm Longines Legend Diver. Longines is a Swiss heritage brand that tends to fly under the radar, most likely due to its massive catalog, but withi
Worn & Wound
There are certain “easy wins” with watch enthusiasts that brands rely on. Put a line of red text on a black dial diver, and you’ll get some smiles. Add a micro-adjust to your clasp, and you’ll avoid some angry emails. Drill your lugs, and… well, I at least will be excited. And when it comes to chronographs, a sure-fire way to get some attention is to invert your sub-dials. Yep, though it has been done countless times, “panda” dials still get the thumbs-up from us nerds. So, it was no surprise that the recently released “Black and White” Speedmasters (which, to those of us from NYC, brings to mind a certain iconic cookie before a watch dial) were received with much excitement. Take one of the most celebrated watches in production, give it a dial treatment that is hard to mess up, and, unsurprisingly, you have a hit. Well done, Omega. Yeah, the Speedmaster Black and White is very nice looking To make matters more exciting, despite the many, many, many versions of Speedmasters over the years, Pandas are not common among them. I’m no Speedy scholar, so my internal reference archive isn’t complete, but having been the occasional Speedy customer, I know that pandas were few and far between, usually limited, or precious metal, and rarely a “reverse” or “evil” panda (white sub-dial on a black surface) in form. That this new model is available in steel and not limited actually makes them special, by not being special. The dilemma, if you can call it th...
Video
Hodinkee
YouTuber Adrian Barker's first watch collab is with Christopher Ward, and it's a testament to the purpose-driven diver with a bit of MilSub inspiration for good measure.
Fratello
What’s my favorite version of the Royal Oak Offshore after the illustrious “Beast”? This might surprise you, but I always thought the three-hand diver was a very good watch. The dial, free of cluttering sub-dials, and the crown that rotates the inner dive bezel on the side of the 42mm case looked cool, clean, and […] Visit A Wave Of Five New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Variations Hits to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Blancpain is the world’s most historic luxury watchmaker, with nearly 300 years of uninterrupted production. It’s also largely credited with establishing the blueprint of all modern diving watches with its Fifty Fathoms. The formula for the undeniably iconic collection has been largely unfussed with since it forever changed the watch world in 1953. But in recent years, we’ve seen the brand more willing to evolve with the times and expand its staple diver to be more wearable, and more appealing, so a broader scope of watch wearers. The most significant evidence of this change has been the introduction of the most scaled-down take on the line at 38.2mm last year, answering the call for more versatile sizing that many enthusiasts (especially those, like me, with smaller wrists) had been rallying for for years. Down below, I’m going to walk you through why this is such a big deal for this icon of watch history, the key details of the scaled-down Fifty-Fathoms, and some food for thought to keep in mind before trying it on yourself. [toc-section heading="History and Context"] Given that we have a complete guide to the Fifty Fathoms collection on our site already, I’m going to keep this section as quick and to the point as I can. I’m also going to hone in on the Automatique sub-collection, as it's the most relevant to our purposes here, and has the most verisimilitude to the original diving archetype in its design language. Though many brands were experimenting wi...
Fratello
Working in this industry, I sometimes find it strange how I can go for so long without trying a watch that has been available for years. That’s the case with the Maen Hudson diver. The Stockholm-based brand with Dutch roots first introduced the Hudson in 2018. The modern dive watch has evolved, and almost eight […] Visit Hands-On With The Redesigned Maen Hudson 38 MK5 to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore our hands-on comparison of the Longines HydroConquest and Mido Ocean Star Tribute. Find the better Swiss diver under $2,000 in all-round value.
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