Hodinkee
Patek Philippe Standardizes Water Resistance To 30 Meters Across Its Lineup
The Aquanaut and Nautilus lines have taken a water-resistance hit on paper, but what does that mean from a practical perspective?
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Hodinkee
The Aquanaut and Nautilus lines have taken a water-resistance hit on paper, but what does that mean from a practical perspective?
Two Broke Watch Snobs
From everyday field watches to chronographs and dressier pieces, water resistance matters less than many collectors think.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
From field watches to GMTs and chronographs, these picks offer the water resistance we want without the usual dive-watch formula.
Fratello
Have you ever wondered exactly what the water resistance rating on your watch’s dial means? In this episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, Thomas, and Daan get into the different ratings, what they mean in theory, and, more importantly, in practice for the person wearing a watch. Tune in and listen to this episode, and if […] Visit Fratello Talks: Understanding Water Resistance to read the full article.
Fratello
If you’ve spent any time looking at case backs, you’ll have noticed the little engravings -“30m,” “50m,” “100m,” and so on. On the surface, it feels straightforward: “30m” should mean you can dive down to 30 meters, right? Unfortunately, no, it definitely does not. But ask one brand, and it will advise you that “30m” […] Visit Water Resistance In Watches - Why “30m” Doesn’t Always Mean The Same Thing to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Watches differ widely not only in their designs, materials, and functions but also in their ability to resist the detrimental effects of water and moisture. Some watch enthusiasts, especially those who wear their timepieces for diving, know exactly what they're looking for in terms of waterproofing, but many others might be unsure exactly how safe it is to wear their watch in the swimming pool or even to wash the car. What do watches' water-resistance ratings like 5 ATM or 10 ATM mean in the real world, and how exactly do industry terms like "bars" and "atmospheres" help you determine how waterproof your watch is? Here we address some commonly asked questions about water resistance in watches and break down what the most common depth ratings mean in practical terms. What was the first water-resistant watch? Since the invention of the wristwatch, watchmakers have been coming up with solutions to address an inconvenient reality: namely, that water and tiny mechanical parts, such as those inside a watch movement, simply do not mix. The technical challenge of making a portable timepiece that could withstand exposure to water became even more prominent in the mid-20th Century, with the rise of diving as a tactical and eventually also a recreational pursuit. The first innovator to seriously take up the gauntlet was Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf, who developed the now-famous Oyster case in 1926. Its groundbreaking design combined a threaded, hermetically sealed caseback and a cro...
Time+Tide
All-titanium build with an overengineered bracelet and extra-bright lume. This is as good as it gets, folks.The post The Tudor Pelagos Ultra becomes the brand’s most capable diver with 1,000 metres of water resistance appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Buffy tells the story of waterproofing pioneers Borgel and Taubert, the casemakers that preceded the modern dive watch. The post How Borgel and Taubert revolutionised water resistance appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Kaz and Mike talk about Quartz watches, their value, precision, durability, and why they make people angry in the pants. Our first quartz watches and what they mean to us as collectors today. Mike’s wife interrupts the watch snobs. We also talk about water resistance, how it's marketed, and share some cool new straps from ToxicNATOs. Kaz eats toxic candy.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
From affordable automatics to premium GMTs and divers, these compact picks balance wrist-friendly proportions with real-world durability.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Unimatic has introduced two new additions to its ProDiver collection, building on the initial ProDiver release from 2025.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Hodinkee
Jack Forster has the answers.
Hodinkee
How low can you go?
Deployant
Review of the Nomos Aqua Ahoi Datum: the Nomos collection improved with a 200m water resistant case. Is Nomos prepared for vacation? With live pictures.
Revolution
Time+Tide
The Squale Galeazzi Artiglio combines 1960s skin-diver style, 600m water resistance and a cool Wet Indicator in a 500-piece limited edition.
Worn & Wound
The trajectory of my watch enthusiasm over the past several years can be boiled down to one basic principle: seeking things that are different. It’s what led me to Arcanaut, briefly owning a M.A.D.1S, a devotion to the works of Jiro Katayama, and, ultimately, boredom with brands owned by the big conglomerates. It’s been, honestly, an exciting time to reject the mainstream, as there seems to be a neverending stream of microbrands doing interesting things either well outside the norm or just slightly tilted away from it. Benjamin James is a Hong Kong based microbrand that falls into the latter category. Their watches are not avant garde or challenging works of outsider art, exactly, but they represent the distilled point of view of their founder, and the Deerhurst regulator surprised me with its overall quality and some of its touchpoints. $1702 Hands-On: the Benjamin James Deerhurst Regulator Case Stainless steel Movement Sellita SW266-1 M Dial Burgundy Lume None Lens Sapphire Strap Leather strap or bracelet Water Resistance 50 meters Dimensions 36 x 42mm Thickness 9.1mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Push/pull Warranty Yes Price $1702 The Deerhurst is a slim, 36mm dress watch available in three dial variations. My sample is in burgundy, but it’s also available in “Old English White” and “Denim Blue.” The design feature of the watch that will either charm you or make you roll your eyes is the Clous de Paris bezel, which in 2026 is perhaps one of the most old-fashioned...
Hodinkee
What We Know With Benrus's revival well underway, 2026 opened with the reintroduction of the Sky Chief, a longtime Hodinkee favorite. Now the brand follows it with something new rather than another reissue: the Type 3X, developed in collaboration with U.S. Special Forces veterans. The watch traces back to the same premise that produced the original Type I and Type II: in the 1970s, the U.S. military wrote a formal MIL-SPEC for a wristwatch, and Benrus built the result. For the Type 3X, Benrus assembled a team of former Tier One special operations veterans to design a modern version of that watch from the ground up, prioritizing function over styling. The Type 3X comes in two styles: one with a black composite-carbon case and a green mid-case, and another with a silver case and a black mid-case. Both pair a unidirectional rotating titanium dive bezel with an aluminum inner ring, and a single-domed sapphire crystal with a double anti-reflective coating. The black dial carries Old Radium Super-LumiNova on the markers and hands, with a date window aperture at 6 o'clock. Inside is the ETA 2893 automatic movement, delivering a 42-hour power reserve, 250 gauss of anti-magnetic resistance, and a 24-hour quickset GMT hand offering "caller-style" functionality. Water resistance is rated to 20 atm (660 feet). The case closes with a titanium caseback featuring the Benrus logo. The Type 3X comes on a color matching velcro fabric strap with an additional black rubber strap included. I...
Hodinkee
Happy Friday, folks, and congrats on bustling through another week. Hopefully you're staring down a welcome break of a weekend with rest and good cheer. Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Zenith De Luca sold for €4,750, the Carlo Ferrara for €2,816, the Gen 1 Speedmaster X-33 for 2,000 SGD, and the Patek Philippe 1415 will sell this Friday. Strays Photo courtesy of The Saleroom. For those suddenly enthusiastic about vintage Zenith De Lucas that look an awful lot like the Daytona of the same time period, here's an excellent example, but if you'd rather a Zenith with a little more color and flash and water resistance, here's a great-looking vintage Defy. This Gübelin pocket watch is breath-arrestingly lovely, as are both of these (dog leg, non dog leg) 18k Omega Constellations. This Vintage Meister Anker chronograph is a catch-22 watch in that it looks really cool, but it's also got a plated case, and it's powered by an Ebauches Bettlach pin-lever movement, so proceed with caution. On September 18, Millon in Paris will host an auction that's listed as the "Collection Monsieur B," and whoever Monsieur B is, he's got phenomenal taste. Among the offerings are an Omega Chronometer Seamaster 'Sparkle' reference 168.022, a Universal Genève Polerouter Super, an Omega Holy Grail, a Sinn EZM 1, and a Zenith El Primero A386, but there are tons more you should go check out. Finally: Memosails forever. A Pair of Issued Smiths The British Ministry of Defense issued the Smiths W10 ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Timex gives the Ironman Adrenaline an update with a 46.5mm case, 100m water resistance, and a price that raises some interesting questions.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Alpina’s 39mm Seastrong Dive Watch pairs 300m water resistance with a compass bezel, Atlantic-inspired dial, and limited production.
Teddy Baldassarre
The French microbrand introduces the Baltic Aquascaphe GMT MK-II with a revamped case, more water resistance, and a true GMT movement.
Hodinkee
What We Know Last year, we covered Baltic's relaunch of the Aquascaphe, their vintage-leaning traditional-style diver (not to be confused with their dual-crown version). That release came in several colors and two sizes. Now they're relaunching the Aquascaphe GMT as a new Mark II version. While the aesthetic changes are more subtle than on the diver, the changes under the hood are more substantial. The Aquascaphe GMT MK-II has a subtly redesigned case profile (39.5mm by 13.8mm, 316L stainless steel, with a 47mm lug-to-lug), with the most distinguishing feature being the new crown guards that make the case distinctly more modern. The rest of the case has been reworked (it is 0.5mm wider and 0.8mm thicker), with vertical brushing on the lugs and 200m water resistance. The watch still has a luminous 24-click GMT sapphire bidirectional bezel. The caseback engraving (which we've posted a picture of later in the story), on the other hand, is simplified from the globe design on the first version. What used to be three color variants is now four, all with glossy black dials and Super-LumiNova BGW9. One has a blue-and-light-blue bezel with light-blue dial text and a GMT hand. Another is a "Pepsi" style with red accents. The third has a blue-and-green bezel, and the last, the newest, is black and grey with orange accents. The hands and indices are a bit bolder and rounder. Inside the case, the brand has changed to a "flyer" Miyota 9075 GMT movement with a 42-hour power reserve. The ...
Hodinkee
What We Know As we walked around Geneva on day one of Geneva Watch Days, we saw signs being put up for Gallet, and I thought how poetic. On the eve of the brand's relaunch, it's certainly an exciting time for fans of the brand. The parent group, House of Brands—Breitling, Universal Genève, and Gallet—already relaunched Universal Genève earlier this year and is rounding out 2026 by bringing back Gallet today, with one of the brand's most enduring models, the Flying Officer, in two variations: the Flying Officer Chronograph 40 and the Flying Officer Automatic 40. Today's reintroduced Flying Officer arrives in four dial colors across two versions, all cased in 40mm steel. Case specs are shared across the range: 20mm lug width, a screwed-in steel caseback, cambered sapphire glareproofed on both sides, and 100 meters of water resistance. The chronograph case is 15.02mm thick with a 47.55mm lug-to-lug; the three-hand case is thinner, at 10.67mm, with a 47.49mm lug-to-lug. Both versions share a bezel with a city ring listing 24 destinations, mixing major international airports with more remote locations. The Flying Officer Chronograph 40 comes in light blue or black, both with tone-on-tone subdials, and runs the Gallet 23, an automatic caliber based on the Sellita SW510. It measures 30mm in diameter and 7.9mm thick, runs at 28,800 vph (4Hz), and offers an approximate 62-hour power reserve. It offers quarter-second chronograph timing with a 30-minute counter. The Flying Offi...
Hodinkee
What We Know When Gallet's relaunch was announced, I sat up in my chair a bit. My second cousin, once removed, has a vintage Gallet Yachting that once belonged to my great uncle, who was an avid sailor. I have fond memories of going out on my Uncle Bob's boat and sailing around the bay of Green Bay every few summers—well, fond when I was piloting and not getting seasick. All Gallet needed to do was not forget the Yachting watches of the past (and, hopefully, do a good job with the legacy), and I would be somewhat happy. Well, they did that, and a lot more. But let's start with another model first. Sitting at the top of the price range for the modern Gallet lineup, yet still below the Breitling offerings with the same movement (a key positioning for the group), are the new Gallet Classics, featuring three Multichron reissues, of sorts. All of them measure 38mm by 12.5mm with 46mm lug-to-lug, and share the same stainless steel case with slightly twisted and faceted lugs. The cases have stainless steel screw-down casebacks with sapphire displays. Despite that sapphire crystal, the entire package is rated to 100m of water resistance, protecting a Breitling B09 manually wound movement. While a bit thicker than the original Multichrons, the movement, caseback, and reliable water resistance are huge upgrades. You can see that the three watches differ only in dial treatment. At the top of this article is the only version with lume: the Tribute to Multichron 45, with a deep bla...
Hodinkee
What We Know In honor of the centennial of legendary musician Miles Davis' birth, Breitling has just announced a limited edition collection at Geneva Watch Days. I say collection because it's more than just one watch, if you want it to be. At the core, Breitling has launched a 500-piece limited-edition model, the steel Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Miles Davis, which is inspired by the ref. 806 Mk 5 Navitimer that was worn by the famous jazz musician. If a single steel option isn't enough for you Davis heads out there, Breitling is also producing 50 three-piece sets that offer a trio of executions of the watch, spanning steel, yellow gold, and even platinum with a blue dial. We can start with the core model, reference AB09501A1B1X1 or AB09501A1B1A1, depending on whether you want a leather strap or the bracelet (you want the bracelet). Measuring 41mm wide (the same as the reference worn by Davis), 13mm thick, and 47.1 mm lug-to-lug, the Navitimer Miles Davis uses a Breitling B09 hand-wound movement that is COSC-certified, ticks at 4 Hz, and employs both a column wheel and a vertical clutch. Water resistance is 30 meters, and this special edition sports both cream-colored lume and Breitling's (very cool) Twin Jet logo. And then there is the bracelet, a modern interpretation of the Air Racer bracelet that uses a cuff design with large holes. For this execution, Breitling has added hinged links near the clasp to help with comfort. But that's not all; aside from a gorgeous...
Hodinkee
What We Know As part of the brand's varied releases for Geneva Watch Days, Oris has announced the Social Club Edition II, a special creation sold exclusively online in partnership with the Oris Social Club. The group spans some 62 chapters all over the world, and the latest offering to the acolytes is a handsome expression of the Aquis Relief that incorporates a green nylon NATO-style strap. Measuring in at 43.5mm, the Social Club Edition II builds upon the standard Aquis Relief by complementing the steel bezel design with a frosted silver finish for the dial. Look a bit closer, and you'll see that there is an easter egg for the date, too, as the first-of-the-month position will feature an image of Oris' mascot, the Oris Bear. Flip the watch over, and you'll find a custom caseback showing the Oris factory in Holstein and "OSC | INT" to mark the club's international membership. The full specs are provided below, but the Oris Social Club Edition II is 13.1mm thick and 51mm lug to lug with 300 meters of water resistance protecting the Oris 733 movement within. The 733 is based on the Sellita SW 200-1 and is an automatic, Swiss-made movement that ticks at 4 Hz and offers a date, which, for this model, is at 6 o'clock. Perhaps most interesting – or perhaps I just like NATO straps – Oris has elected to fit lug adapters to the Aquis' proprietary lugs to enable the use of a green NATO strap. The Oris Social Club Edition II is not limited and will be available in Septembe...
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