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Doxa Sub 300 Ti5 Clive Jul 15, 2026

Introducing: The Doxa Sub 300 Ti5 Clive Cussler Limited Edition

What We Know If you're a Doxa fan, you might be familiar with the brand's connection with the late explorer and novelist Clive Cussler, along with his literary creation of Dirk Pitt, an explorer in Cussler's books known to sport a Sub 300 Professional on the wrist. This relationship has manifested itself in a few Clive Cussler limited editions going back to 2023, and this year's edition is probably the coolest one yet. It's a special edition Sub 300 in grade 5 titanium, meant as a tribute to Cussler. It's a big departure, design-wise, from a few of the previous editions, as it does away with the distressed finishing and compass motifs for something much more in line with what Cussler's literary creation Dirk Pitt would have worn. I know there are some intense Doxa fans probably reading, so I won't bury the lede here—this watch is limited to only 300 pieces, and you can get one through Doxa's online shop or select authorized retailers. While past editions were produced in editions numbered to align with Cussler's age, Doxa knew that 95 pieces were simply not going to cut it this year, hence the much larger—yet most certainly not large enough—production size. The silhouette of the watch remains extremely familiar. It is still a Sub 300 after all, with a 42.5mm case and a 45mm lug-to-lug distance. The compact lug-to-lug, paired with the extreme lightness of grade 5 titanium for the case, screw-down caseback, and crown, means that this should be an extremely easy-wearing...

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Panerai Luminor 8 Giorni Brunito Jul 14, 2026

Hands-On: The Panerai Luminor 8 Giorni 'Brunito Steel'

It has been a long time since a Panerai has made it onto the list of my favorite watches from a Watches and Wonders showing, but there's one particular model that many of my other colleagues and I have continued to talk about since we first got a glimpse of it in April. I'm talking about the Luminor 8 Giorni, reference PAM01733, in a uniquely finished steel case that Panerai is calling "Brunito steel." Put crudely, this Brunito steel case feels like the distressed-jeans equivalent of the Luminor collection. The large 44mm steel case gets a layer of black PVD treatment, but the final effect is then accomplished through a brushing process by hand. The tendency of black PVD coatings to eventually wear out is an advantage here, as the different monochromatic hues ranging between the bright silver of the base steel and the dark black PVD coating now give the case a look of distressed metal aged over time. The finishing is throughout the entire case, from the inside of the lugs to the caseback and the distinctive crown guard that has become an iconic design element of the Luminor silhouette. Yes, even the strap buckle achieves the same treatment.  The handwork also means that each watch is unique, with subtle differences in brushing and fading. I've only seen one in person, so I can't tell you just how different one might be from the next. Though the main draw to this model is the aesthetic, this Luminor's dive watch heritage is not just for show, as it maintains a proper 300-m...

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Patek Philippe 5905R Getty Images Unsurprisingly Jul 14, 2026

Watch Spotting: The Wild Watches Of World Cup 2026

Watch Spotting sports is hard. Unless you're trawling through Instagram accounts and wire photo feeds looking, you're not going to see a lot of watches at the World Cup. FIFA rules prohibit jewelry on the field during play. But then again, any footballer worth their salt has tens of millions of Instagram followers, so it's easier to see what they're wearing during the tournament. Erling Haaland of Norway, a Breitling ambassador, of course, was wearing his Chronomat B01 Erling Haaland Limited Edition. Getty Images. Like tens of millions of others, I've been drawn in by the World Cup. It's been massively exciting, especially this year. And through it all, yes, I've been glancing at the wrists. My first Watch Spotting during the World Cup came while watching the match between Türkiye and the US at a small-town bar in Wisconsin (where it just so happened that a lot of the bar staff were from Türkiye, so shout out to Bayside in Fish Creek and the team, Omer, Ruki, and the rest). But the first thing I noticed was that the Turkish team's Italian manager, Vincenzo Montella, was wearing a Patek 5905R. After cruising Getty, I also saw that, like any good Italian, he owns a Nautilus and a Daytona. So down the rabbit hole I went. Türkiye's manager, Vincenzo Montella, flashing his Patek Philippe 5905R. Getty Images. Unsurprisingly, the teams that have stuck around the longest give us the most chances to see some different watches. There's Kylian Mbappé, a Hublot ambassador, whose l...

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Behrens CIGA Design Jul 14, 2026

Dispatch: From The World's Factory To A Watchmaking Culture: What I Saw At Shenzhen Watch Week

Shenzhen Watch Week is China's premier annual event dedicated to the watch industry. More than just a trade show, it brings together established brands, independent watchmakers, suppliers, and manufacturers, offering perhaps the clearest snapshot of where Chinese watchmaking stands today. For anyone interested in understanding the industry beyond its reputation as "the world's factory," there are few better places to start. There are surprisingly few opportunities anywhere in the world to experience so many Chinese watch brands under one roof. Switzerland has Watches & Wonders and Geneva Watch Days, while Japan hosts brand presentations, watch fairs, and events such as Tokyo Watch Week. But an exhibition devoted almost entirely to Chinese watchmaking is something quite different.  In recent years, brands such as Behrens, CIGA Design, and Fam al Hut have begun attracting international attention, winning prestigious awards, and demonstrating that China is capable of far more than manufacturing for others. Yet outside China, it remains virtually impossible to see these brands together or experience their watches firsthand. That is why, when I received an invitation to attend Shenzhen Watch Week, I wanted to see for myself what is happening in Chinese watchmaking today. Watches made in China are, of course, nothing unusual. Many of the world's leading brands—including Swiss manufacturers—rely on Chinese suppliers for cases, dials, bracelets, hands, movement components, an...

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Shark Deep Sea Chronograph Jul 13, 2026

Auctions: Buzz Aldrin's Watches Are Coming To Auction

This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia.   Amongst the lots in Sotheby's New York's latest Space Exploration auction, I found some interesting things. In fact, I found 24 of them. Watches - all owned by none other than retired Brigadier General of the U.S. Air Force, and second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. The astronaut, born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., has listed a large portion of his watch collection, primarily Omegas, but there's a smattering of watches from other brands amongst the spacefaring lots. It's no surprise that Buzz's Apollo 11-flown Omega Speedmaster Professional isn't present; that watch is still lost, stolen on the way to the Smithsonian after its sojourn to the moon in 1969 (and it still technically belongs to the U.S. government). Buzz Aldrin in the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, wearing that aforementioned lost Omega Speedmaster ref. ST105.012. Image courtesy of NASA There’s a range of Omegas that are meaningful to Aldrin that he’s acquired through decades of collecting, including dive watches he relied on as an experienced scuba diver and a big box of souvenir watches. There’s no denying the man is a collector and a true watch enthusiast. Bidding is open online right now before live bidding sessions begin on July 15th in New York - here are some of the highlights. Jaeger-LeCoultre Shark Deep Sea Chronograph Image courtesy of Sotheby's This is the most interesting watch in the sale that isn’t an Omega: Aldrin’s JLC Shar...

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Krayon Jul 13, 2026

Introducing: The Krayon Parhelion, A Maximalist Take On The Brand’s Anywhere Watch

What We Know Pretty much anything that independent watch brand Krayon produces feels like it rests solidly in the if-you-know-you-know realm of exquisitely engineered high-end complications. The brand's focused catalog contains variations on three main complications—the universal sunrise and sunset calculator that is the Everywhere, the watchmaker-adjustable sunrise and sunset-indicating caliber that is the Anywhere, and the most recently introduced weekday and weekend pointer date display in the Anyday. Sure, Krayon's recent Pac-Man collaboration in a limited run of Anywhere watches might feel like an odd one out, but most of the examples I've seen on the wrists of collectors have all flown well under the radar with tastefully measured executions. But if you've ever wondered what a Krayon would look like with a touch—scratch that, a lot—of bling, well, the new Parhelion might just do the trick. It's hard to mistake this new watch for anything else in the catalog thanks to the sheer number of baguette-cut sapphires set across the entire watch—159 of them, to be exact. To house this number of gemstones, the case is 42mm in diameter, made from an alloy of white gold with a high percentage of palladium for a very white hue to match the brightness of the stones. Thickness, given the complication, is impressive at 9.5mm. When I first saw a prototype of the Parhelion a few months ago, only the bezel was inlaid with sapphires, in a stunning gradient from white to blue. Bu...

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Rolex testimonee extraordinaire Roger Federer Jul 13, 2026

Introducing: The Maurice De Mauriac Rallymaster 'Swiss Tennis'

What We Know Swiss sport isn't limited to just skiing, soccer, and ice hockey. The Alpine nation is a tennis force. Besides the GOAT himself and Rolex testimonee extraordinaire Roger Federer, Switzerland has produced Grand Slam champs Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka; the Swiss team won the Davis Cup in 2014, while current WTA player Belinda Bencic took home singles gold at the Tokyo Olympics.  The global center for fine watchmaking is also a hub for tennis greatness. And with that in mind, Zurich's Maurice de Mauriac is serving up the latest iteration of its tennis-themed Rallymaster series, the Rallymaster Swiss Tennis. A limited edition of 130 pieces in tribute to the 130th anniversary of Swiss Tennis is launching today at the Swiss Open in Gstaad. This isn't the first Rallymaster, that's for sure. Designed by California creative and keen-eyed collector Carlton DeWoody (with whom I once drove to Geneva from La Chaux-de-Fonds - but that's a story for another time), the sporty and practical Rallymaster has been produced in a slew of editions, taking inspiration from the Grand Slams, as well as modern tennis style and culture. With a brushed stainless steel case measuring 39 millimeters in diameter and 12mm thick, and 100 meters of water resistance, the Rallymaster is designed to take you just about anywhere, from the tennis court to the beach and beyond. As Tim Vaux recently revealed, Russell Crowe is a fan of lawn tennis, and a Wimbledon-themed Rallymaster III sits pro...

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Jul 10, 2026

Magazine Feature: Transatlantic By Design

Transatlantic by Design: From early pocket watches to the new Timer, Tiffany & Co.’s watchmaking has always moved between New York and Switzerland.

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Vacheron Constantin 4111 Jul 10, 2026

Bring a Loupe: A Limited Edition Inter Miami Tudor, A Jaeger 4ATM, A Longines Ultra-Chron Jumbo, And A Pair Of Tudor Rangers

Happy Friday, Ballers, and I hope everyone's buckled in for what looks to be some excellent football (and, if you were lucky enough to catch the England v Mexico match, you've already seen some of the best ever).  Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Million "Sherpa Cousin" sells on Sunday the 12th, the 18k Omega Constellation ref 2648 sold for €4218 all-in, the Sarpaneva x Moomin went for $8,800, and the Vacheron Constantin 4111 with the 'washed' dial sold for €100,000. Strays It feels like Seiko 6139s are a sort of necessary step in early collecting. They're lovely vintage watches; there are lots of them out there, and, unless you're hankering for a flawless Resist-dialed Pogue, they're fairly reasonable. This week, Goodwill has a blue-dialed 6139-6005, and it's not only in very good shape but also early in the model run, which you can tell from the 'notch' case (the small cutout for the crown) and the early Z bracelet.  Photo courtesy of Goodwill.  If you're on the hunt for vintage steel-cased time-only beauties, this Jaeger-LeCoultre sure seems excellent, ditto this Favre-Leuba Daymatic, or this Movado with its bit of patina, and if those aren't quite your tune, there's this NOS Tissot, serviced in 2026, which, yes, is small (31mm), but I dare you to click that link and not get a little distracted by the watch's pristine condition. Rossini's auction on the 11th is chock-full of goodies, but the ones I kept returning to were this RAID edition Speedmaster (if this ...

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Ming Townhouse From Jul 9, 2026

Assembled By Me: Inside Studio Underd0g's Watch Assembly Experience

In 2020, watches became a real escape for a lot of us. Instagram, Facebook groups, even Clubhouse (who remembers that?) were thriving, and for me, watches had become more than a 9-5 as I fell deeper into those communities. It's where I first came across a guy on Facebook talking about a watch he'd designed that was 'inspired by a watermelon'. Every time it appeared, the comments filled with feedback as he gauged whether people were actually interested. They were. And now, six years later, that man, Richard Benc of Studio Underd0g, has just opened the doors to his very own watch assembly workshop here in the UK called 'The D0ghouse'. Roughly 45 minutes by train from Central London, the building in Maidenhead is a fusion of creative interior design and legitimate horological assembly, and anyone can experience the process first-hand. For £700, Studio Underd0g will sit you at a watchmaker's bench and guide you through the assembly of your own watch. What they're offering isn't a tour or just a showroom (they have that on-site, too), but a set of tweezers, a loupe, and an opportunity to experience the Underd0g, hands-on. That alone makes The D0ghouse worth the journey, but having just completed the experience myself, what I didn't expect was how much it would adjust my understanding of what this six-year-old brand has actually become. The Unassuming Townhouse From the outside, The D0ghouse is simply a Victorian townhouse on Park Street, the same address that Benc's friends an...

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Vacheron Constantin Adds Two New 34.5mm Jul 9, 2026

Introducing: Vacheron Constantin Adds Two New 34.5mm Overseas Models To The Catalog

What We Know This week, Vacheron Constantin added two new 34.5mm Overseas models to the collection. There's a new version in steel with a red dial and a tone-on-tone version in 18k pink gold with a matching gold-toned dial. No, these new additions aren't the most groundbreaking introductions from Vacheron in recent times, but they are quite attractive and do well to flesh out the brand's small collection of mechanical mid-sized Overseas models. The distinct visual cues of the Overseas are all present on these models, with Vacheron's Maltese cross motif prominently shown on the bezel, crown, bracelet, and buckle. Proportions of certain elements like the bezel on this smaller Overseas feel quite thick, thanks to its relative sizing compared to the very compact overall dimensions of the watch, with a diameter of 34.5mm and a thickness of 9.33mm. Water resistance is rated to 150 meters, and there is a screw-down crown. Continuing the appeal of customization across the line, both versions come with three interchangeable straps: a full metal bracelet (with toolless micro-adjust), a rubber strap, and an alligator leather strap. The interchangeable strap options for the red dial Overseas. Though Vacheron is branding this as "a feminine take on sport-chic," the two executions released this week certainly can work on a wide array of wrists, thanks to eye-catching but versatile lacquered and sunray-brushed dials. The red dial of ref. 4600V/200A-H127 stands out, not just in hue, but a...

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Jul 8, 2026

Happenings: The Horological Society Of New York Is Bringing Its Traveling Education Classes Down Under

Founded in 1866, the Horological Society of New York (HSNY) is one of the oldest continuously operating horological associations in the world. Originally founded as a guild for working watchmakers, these days, it's a not-for-profit organization "dedicated to advancing the art and science of horology through education", and is highly respected by both watch hobbyists and the broader industry for its efforts in this regard. In 2016, HSNY launched its Traveling Education program, which has become one of its best-known offerings both in the United States and beyond. These weekend half-day classes, taught by HSNY's staff of professional watchmakers, cover everything that the Society's typical individual NYC evening classes cover. In these classes, students will work on a complete mechanical watch movement, studying the gear train, winding and setting mechanisms, and escapement. HODINKEE is a long-time supporter of the HSNY, which is why HODINKEE Australia & New Zealand is very proud to announce that these award-winning classes are on the road again — and this time, they're heading to Australia, and we're hosting them. HSNY is visiting Melbourne from October 30 to November 1, hosted by our friends at Time+Tide, and Sydney from November 21 to 22, 2026, hosted by yours truly. This is only the second time HSNY has brought its classes Down Under (the last time being in 2020), so this is a rare and highly anticipated opportunity. While I'm sure some Aussie watch collectors have had...

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IWC Jul 8, 2026

The Business of Watches Podcast: Henrik Ekdahl (Managing Director, Leica Watches & Accessories)

This week on The Business of Watches, we're in Wetzlar, Germany, home of the legendary camera and lens maker, Leica. Of course, Leica isn't just an optics company. Since 2015, it's been on a new mission to create watches as well, a project initiated by Leica's controlling shareholder, Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, who is not only passionate about cameras and photography, but also timepieces.  Henrik Ekdahl wearing a Leica watch and using a Leica camera in 1996 (left) during his first stint with the brand, and in 2024 (right) wearing a newer model Leica watch, after rejoining the company as head of watches and accessories. (Photo courtesy Leica) The person in charge of Leica's nascent watch ambitions is Henrik Ekdahl, a convivial Swede who has returned to Leica after more than two decades away, spent in the executive ranks of automakers, and, most recently, watchmakers such as IWC. Leica's connection to watchmaking is not unwarranted. Ernst Leitz, the company's founder, studied watchmaking in Neuchâtel in the 1860s. It was partly this mechanical know-how that allowed him to begin producing optical instruments, including microscopes and cameras, in Germany and to create the foundation for the company that would become Leica. The latest iteration of Leica watches, launched in 2022, is currently distributed only at Leica stores and online. Less than 5,000 watches are currently being produced each year by the brand, but Ekdahl says the watch division has ambitions to grow and make fu...

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Patek Philippe 565 Jul 8, 2026

Hands-On: The Temporal Works Series A 'Rambler'

Any good tailor has a house style, or a few of them. You generally don't want a tailor who says they can do everything—Neapolitan, English, sack suit—as they rarely do it all that well. Variations on a theme are key to a tailor who knows how to cover the right amount of ground and deliver a good result. The house style, as it were, for The Armoury's recently launched house brand, Temporal Works, is a Patek Philippe 565 for the modern era. And if the 565 and a Hamilton Khaki field watch had a baby, it would look something like this: Temporal Works' new Series A "Rambler." The brand, along with its inaugural model, launched last November with the Series A 'Sector' in black or blue, or the Series A "Fortune Red" in stainless steel cases with Zaratsu-polished surfaces. When I hung out with Cho last fall, a while before the launch, he pulled a watch out of his pocket and showed it to me. "Oh! A 565," I remember saying. For whatever reason, in my busy schedule, it fell through the cracks for coverage. To be honest, they didn't hit me the same way as the new "Rambler" with its stainless-steel bead-blasted monoblock case. Temporal Works Series A 'Sector' Maybe there's just something more novel about a 565 that doesn't look that much like any 565 before it. With the sector dials (less so the red one), you can imagine a world in which Patek might have done something like this, even though they never experimented with color beyond black or a sector dial quite like this. The built...

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Seiko Jul 7, 2026

Introducing: The Rally Diver Returns For The Fourth Collab Between Seiko And Rowing Blazers

What We Know After a string of three successful collaborations, the trio of Seiko, NYC-based clothing brand Rowing Blazers, and Eric Wind of Wind Vintage is back after a long hiatus with its fourth set of creations. If you're thinking that the two new models might seem awfully familiar, you'd be right. They're essentially a continuation of one of the first models in the original Rowing Blazers Seiko collaboration, reference SRPG49. That "Rally Diver" from 2021 itself served as an homage to a vintage Rally Diver Seiko from the late sixties, a watch that Eric Wind credits as the first vintage watch he'd ever purchased. Now, five years later, the group is bringing forth two new versions of this Rally Diver Seiko 5 Sports watch, each numbered and limited to a generous 2,500 pieces, bringing the total for this launch to a pretty large 5,000 units. The blue Rally Diver, ref. SRPM19 continues the 42.5mm sizing of the 2021 edition, while the green dial comes in a smaller 38mm case size. The distinctive checkered aluminum insert on the unidirectional rotating bezel is rendered in silver and either bright blue or forest green, matching the color of the double-signed dial. While the handset is primarily brushed, the pointing half of the seconds hand is striped in red and white. Both models are delivered on a steel bracelet (yes, with that familiar stamped Seiko 5 clasp), and the green Rally Diver includes an additional blue nylon strap. In contrast, the blue Rally Diver includes an a...

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F.P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain Jul 7, 2026

Photo Report: Watch Spotting At The Hodinkee Happy Hour [June 2026]

The third time is the charm, as we recently hosted the third edition of what's quickly becoming a regular fixture on the calendar—Hodinkee Happy Hour. Grotta, our local watering hole, was the venue this time around, and the room delivered the same energy as always. Great conversations, great company, and no shortage of great watches to look at—a few of which you'll see below. If you made it out, thank you for coming. If not, we'll be doing it again at the end of July. Follow us on Instagram to be the first to know when RSVPs open.  Blancpain Léman Perpetual Calendar Flyback Chronograph A Cartier Tank Basculante in it's natural form... ... and in motion. Alex Chou wearing his A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1. Katie Penner, of Watches of Switzerland, and Hodinkee Video Editor Max Rosen. A trio of Ressence. A look at a F.P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain (on bracelet, no less) from the front... ... and the back. Vertex M36 Desert Edition. A little two-tone love for the Zenith Chronomaster Sport... And Rolex Datejust. Rolex Submariner. Rolex Cosmograph "Alcaraz" Daytona on an Oysterflex bracelet. Vacheron Contantin 333. A Swiss "Chronographe Suisse" Chonograph... (Swiss, chronograph, Swiss, chronograph, swiss...) Omega Seamaster De Ville and a good ol' pie-pan Omega Seamaster. Panerai Luminor Marina. Right, Editor-in-Chief James Stacey is wearing his DWC Terra. Urwerk UR-120.

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Greubel Forsey Balancier 3 Blue Jul 7, 2026

Hands-On: The Greubel Forsey Balancier 3 Blue And An Intro To Bonniksen

Double tourbillons, quadruple tourbillons, movements assembled with such three-dimensional ambition that they sit like sci-fi architecture on the wrist, every time I have a Greubel Forsey in hand, I'm reminded just how much the brand operates in its own lane. Yet there has always been something faintly contradictory about the Balancier 3, the model the brand first introduced in 2023 as its most moderate, most structurally legible entry point. With three bridges, a clean balance, no tourbillon, and no theatre, the Balancier 3 on paper is reserved. And yet my first thought with this recently released version on the wrist is that even a restrained Greubel Forsey is a startling object. Balanced beautifully between spotlighting its technicality and marrying that with a new execution, this might be the brand's simplest watch on paper, but it is not, by any reasonable measure, a simple watch. The Balancier 3 has been with us for three years now, and with this latest edition, the large central bridge has been hand-frosted across its entire curved surface. The result is a deep, matte texture, the kind of pronounced surface that a machine couldn't lay down convincingly on a shape this complex, running from the edge of the movement between one and two o'clock down to the seconds between seven and eight. Around it, the balance and barrel bridges remain in a bright, polished titanium, producing an incredibly captivating contrast of reflection and depth. Then there is the blue, worked i...

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Studio Underd0g Jul 6, 2026

Introducing: The Studio Underd0g 02Series Gen 2

What We Know Today, British microbrand Studio Underd0g, known for its uniquely conceived and constructed dials, introduces the second-generation update to its 02Series time-only field watch-ish design. Though new dial colors kind of feel like the brand's major schtick, there are a few surprising changes this time around. First, and a change that's sure to appeal to everyone, is a slight reduction in the case height of the 02Series. It's not the craziest of reductions, going from 12mm to 11.5mm, but shaving off this much is still a welcome improvement, especially considering the case itself is 9.4mm without the pronounced crystal. The new case measures 37.5mm in diameter, with the new 11.5mm thickness and a 46mm lug-to-lug. Yes, the diameter has also increased by half a millimeter, but the revamped proportions should work well across a large variety of wrists. The tighter tolerances also mean that the dial is now closer to the crystal, and this was accomplished thanks to the brand's acquisition of assembly workshop Horologium, now transformed into Studio Underd0g's own in-house workshop, aptly titled The D0ghouse. The caliber inside has also received a subtle update—the Sellita SW210 has been replaced by the SW200-2 M Power+. It's a mouthful, but what that means is an extended power reserve, increased from 42 hours to 63 hours. But in keeping with the execution of the previous generation, the rotor is removed to keep this second-generation manually wound. Across the four ...

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Anoma Jul 6, 2026

Introducing: The Anoma A1 Prehistoric

What We Know Matteo Violet Vianello found the idea for his newest watch while standing in a room full of prehistoric tools. At the Centre Pompidou's Brancusi exhibition in Paris a couple of years back, Vianello, the man behind Anoma, saw the sculptor's collection of primitive tools and artifacts, which stopped him—and stayed with him. That visit became the starting point for the A1 Prehistoric, the latest limited run built on Anoma's signature triangular case. The case itself is hand-chiseled 316L stainless steel, a five-hour process undertaken by Steven Brunel, a French engraver whose work has been exhibited at the Louvre. Brunel works out of a workshop in Mornand-en-Forez, a village of about 500 people in the Loire region. The buckle receives the same treatment. Because the chiseling is done entirely by hand, Anoma says no two pieces will be identical. The dial carries the process further. Roughly 600 individual lines are cut by hand into a brass base in a sunburst pattern, then finished in a dark anthracite color meant to recall the look of worked stone or flint. Specs remain close to the standard A1: the case measures 39mm by 38mm, wearing closer to 37mm thanks to its lugless, triangular shape, with a 9.45mm thickness. Inside is the Swiss automatic Sellita SW100, the same movement Anoma has used across its lineup, running in a case rated to 50 meters of water resistance. The watch comes on a grey-grained Italian leather strap. Anoma will build 100 examples of the A1 ...

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Grand Seiko SBGW235 Jul 3, 2026

Bring a Loupe: A Million Valjoux 72, An 18k Gold Constellation, And A Sarpaneva Moomin

Happy Friday again, Ballers, and congrats to whoever snagged the Omega 2998-4 on Goodwill earlier this week. I'm fighting multiple aspects of my nature—as a midwesterner and a dad—to avoid making lame jokes about the heat, but fingers crossed, the fever's breaking, and it'll return to average temperatures sometime soon for all of us. Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Hamilton sold for $4,300, the Speedmaster Soyuz for €18,000, and the Universal Genève Rattrapante for GBP 4,250 . The Goldpfiel Vianney Halter sold, but the auction house hasn't listed the price online and hasn't responded to my email, so we'll all have to live with the mystery. Strays I mentioned Always Sunny last week, and now this week there's this exquisite Movado Ermeto with a caseback dedication—Dennis from Mac—that feels too good not to include. I figured it'd be fun to stir the pot last week and argue the Hamilton Model 21 as the Most Important American Watch in history. For whatever it's worth, the runner-up would've been the Bulova Accutron, and the purest expression of that watch is the Spaceview, of which there's a nice (though non-running) version available here, which auction lot also includes a Spaceman watch (also not working), and the Spaceman, for what it's worth, deserves more oddball attention.  Photo courtesy of Seuyco. Here's an almost comically reserved but gorgeous Grand Seiko SBGW235, and, in the same auction, here's what sure seems to be a great example of an IWC 'Steril...

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Voutilainen right Jul 2, 2026

One To Watch: The Cartier Prize For Watchmaking Talents Of Tomorrow

Cartier has always chosen to tell time a little differently. From the first Santos wristwatch in a distinct square case, to its compelling mystery clocks, the unorthodox Tank à Guichet, the counter-intuitive Santos-Dumont Rewind, and the magic of the Masse Mystérieuse, it's a mainstream maison that has rarely approached the art of telling time by running with the pack.  Roy Davidoff (left), a vintage watch dealer and expert, and Kari Voutilainen (right), the renowned independent watchmaker, were among the panel of judges tasked with ranking the unique projects submitted for the Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow.  That unique sensibility is at the heart of the Cartier Prize For Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow. It's an accolade that's been awarded 28 times over three decades. But Cartier has rarely spoken about the initiative that began way back in 1995.  For its latest edition, we were given a glimpse into the process in which watchmaking students from Switzerland, France, and Belgium were tasked with creating a timepiece based on the motion of a pendulum and the theme of "reading and understanding time differently."  The resulting creations from 11 finalist watchmaking students, tasked with building a piece in just 80 hours over three months, displayed both technical prowess and artistic expression, conveying bold and surprising approaches to telling time within the Cartier design language.  Prizes were awarded at a ceremony in La Chaux-de-Fonds at C...

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Greubel Forsey Re-Launches Jul 2, 2026

Introducing: Greubel Forsey Re-Launches Its Icon Iith The New 'Balancier QM'

What We Know Less than a year ago, Greubel Forsey discontinued the most emblematic pillar of its particularly well-finished watchmaking, the Balancier Contemporain. The Balancier is dead. Long live the Balancier. The new Balancier QM, that is. Very much grown out of the lessons, successes, and even the architecture of the Balancier Contemporain, the Balancier QM is the first to carry the brand's new Qualité Musée standard.  While it looks somewhat different, with a floating balance cock and rearranged location of the power reserve, the Balancier QM is a familiar watch to anyone who has seen a GF before. That's because the movement borrows much of its architecture from the old Balancier Contemporain, as well as its identical sizing (39.6mm by 12.25mm for both models), now in white gold.  What the Balancier QM is instead is more of a codification of a new Qualité Musée (QM) certification for this and future GF watches. Like the Patek seal, Qualité Fleurier, Breguet Hallmark, and other in-house standards (all three of which have also just added chronometric certification not found here), this guarantees a certain—particularly extreme—level of hand-finishing quality. Finishing has been one of the key raisons d'être for GF since its founding. There's been an "if you know, you know" quality to the brand that signaled that, included in their extreme pricing, you get extreme finishing from the brand. That was a novelty in the past, but now it's a "must" for any high-en...

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Ming dealers seizing Jul 2, 2026

The Art Of Being A Value-Driven Collector

The industry-wide market fluctuations that took shape in the wake of the pandemic pushed an often-taboo conversation in the collecting community: are we collecting for investment or are we collecting for pleasure? Sure, it's not quite that black-and-white, but certain shifts in the market and collector behavior over the past six years are undeniable. When the value of particular brands and models began to skyrocket, the secondary market showed clear signs that people were capitalizing on the opportunity to profit, and, in turn, the pure notions of "I buy what I like" or "I collect because it's fun" began to come into question. At one end of the spectrum, many collectors were essentially becoming dealers, seizing a moment when there was a massive return on investment to be had. However, even those collectors who didn't get fully swept away in the hype at the height of the market became acutely aware of the value their watches held and how, quite literally, in the blink of an eye, that value could change for better or worse. "Hype moments are not inherently bad or good," suggests Charles Tian, Founder and CEO of WatchCharts. "Some hype is expected for a healthy market—if the market is actually alive and things are happening, that means there are passionate people in the market, and you are inevitably going to get some hype. The question is how you navigate these moments in the context of your own collecting journey." According to WatchCharts and Morgan Stanley's quarterly ...

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Jul 2, 2026

Photo Report: Pitti Uomo Summer 2026

Pitti Uomo, Florence's biannual fashion week and perhaps the world's foremost gathering of stylish men, arrived this year amid an epic heatwave. Thousands of designers, buyers, and guests made the pilgrimage anyway—sleeves rolled, shorts short, shirts linen. Hodinkee was there to document what they were wearing on their wrists. Rolex Sea-Dweller. A few trends worth noting: the "vacation watch" has arrived as a legitimate category. Quirky, colorful, and valued less for their specs than for the memories attached to them. Panerais, meanwhile, are making a quiet resurgence in their home city. Steel Rolexes and Omegas remain ubiquitous, as they have been for the past two years. But the men of Pitti Uomo are increasingly hunting smaller, more obscure, and frankly more interesting pieces. A vintage Jaeger wristwatch was the highlight for me personally. Enjoy! Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116520.  Vintage Piaget. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds. Panerai Luminor Power Reserve Automatic. Noah x Timex Lighthouse Watch. Rolex Bubbleback. Emilie Hawtin, founder of women's tailoring brand Clementina, with her Rolex Lady Datejust. Swatch Gent. Rolex Explorer. Baltic Tricompax Tour Auto. Longines Spirit Zulu Time. Rolex Explorer II ref. 16570. Benrus Type II. Darte x Praesidus X-1. A Longines Heritage 1945 that was inspired by a watch that Ben Clymer used to own. Q Timex Vintage Hodinkee Limited Edition. Emporio Armani Sinfonia. Cartier Santos. Cartier Tank Mus...

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Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Jul 2, 2026

Introducing: The Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve In Light Blue

What We Know Today, Longines follows up its 2024 release of the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve with a new colorway, adding a light blue opaline dial to the mix. Yes, this one's just a new dial color, but it offers a completely different feel from the three previous models in the very conservative shades of cream, grey, and black. The Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve serves as an homage to a 1959 model from the brand with the same kind of power reserve indication, but you can bet that they weren't doing light blue in this watch back in the day. The hue on the front is a refreshing change, but the styling on the dial otherwise remains the same, with a sector dial framing the unique power reserve indicator right in the center. What makes it interesting is that the power reserve isn't just displayed by a rotating pointer, but rather by a dance between the two discs of the power-reserve hours track and the inner pointer.  This means that, depending on how you've wound the watch, the positioning of the pointer from full to empty may not always be the same on the dial. This certainly makes for a less intuitive setup, though in all fairness, this piece of information is probably secondary compared to the time and date, for things you'd need at a glance. A date window sits at twelve o'clock, nicely framed in an appliqué, and is accompanied by applied hour markers throughout. The case is well-proportioned for a wide range of wrist sizes, although rather tall for a ...

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Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 Jul 1, 2026

Hands-On: The Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 'Bumblebee' Ref. 79310N

Among the ever-evolving sizes and colors of modern Tudor, we now have the latest (and smallest and most colorful) iteration of the brand's dive-inspired chronograph, the Black Bay Chronograph 39. Dubbed the "Bumblebee" for its bright yellow dial and black accents, it marks the progressive 39-ification of Tudor's core lineup and forms what I think will be a very appealing new offering for the brand. When Tudor returned to the American market in 2012, the brand's core offerings evolved around an initial 41mm footprint. This includes early hits like the Black Bay, the Heritage Chrono, and the Ranger. Then, in 2017, Tudor announced the Black Bay Chronograph 79350, a 41mm steel chronograph with 200 meters of water resistance and snowflake hands. Since then, the Black Bay Chronograph range has been tweaked, improved, and expanded considerably, with additional colors (including the recent pink and flamingo blue). But while we saw the Black Bay eventually offer the 39mm 58 range and the Ranger drop to 39mm (and later to 36mm), the Chronograph range remained steadfast at 41mm. While 41mm is within the range for a conventionally sized modern sports watch, the enthusiast taste has shifted toward the 39mm sweet spot (likely at least in part due to the success of the Black Bay 58 and the Pelagos 39). Additionally, as slightly smaller cases continue to be in vogue, more attention is (and was) being paid to case thickness. The 41mm spec of the Black Bay Chrono wears well, but it's not sm...

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Audemars Piguet Chief Executive François-Henri Bennahmias Jul 1, 2026

Business News: Breaking N3W5 - Former AP CEO Bennahmias Announces First New Watch Brand

Former Audemars Piguet Chief Executive François-Henri Bennahmias unveiled details of a new watch brand called N3W5 that will launch in late 2027 and draw on some significant names from the Swiss industry for the design, production, and craftsmanship.  Called 'N3W5' - an acronym for 'North, East, West, South' and pronounced 'NEWS,' the new marque will launch at Dubai Watch Week next year, the Honourable Merchants Group, the Bennahmias-led luxury brand constellation, said in a statement. Watch prices for the first models will start at about CHF 20,000, and production will commence at 'several thousand pieces' in the first year. A second collection will debut in 2028, according to the company's plans. François-Henri Bennahmias at an event in Crissier, Switzerland, introducing The Honourable Merchants Group. The news of N3W5 comes as pressure and speculation have mounted as to what Bennahmias, who led AP for more than a decade and oversaw a period of spectacular sales growth to more than CHF 2.3 billion for the family-owned brand, would do next in the watch world. At a flashy event near Lausanne last year, Bennahmias unveiled his vision for THMG, a new, multi-brand luxury brand group backed by private investors that promised a new philosophy of work, innovation, products, and sustainability in the luxury space. The charismatic executive said the new group would not be driven solely by profit and that at THMG, "we want to change the world of business. It is a mission," Be...

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Jacob & Co. before becoming Jul 1, 2026

The Business of Watches Podcast: Roy Davidoff (Geneva Vintage Watch Dealer And Collector)

Roy Davidoff has spent a life keeping up with the time. Born into a family of jewelers and a youth spent in Geneva, followed by a move to Miami, watches have been a constant throughout his professional career.  Roy Davidoff (Photo Courtesy Cartier).  A return to Switzerland saw stints at brands including Bovet and Jacob & Co., before becoming a dealer of vintage and pre-owned with his brother and the launch of their business  - Roy & Sacha Davidoff SA - more than a decade ago. The fraternal duo gained prominence as dealers and experts regarding the Omega Speedmaster - a specialized section of the vintage market that has most certainly had its ups and downs. A respected name and authority in the industry, Davidoff most recently served as a jury member for The Cartier Prize For Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow, where, alongside fellow judges including Kari Voutilainen, were tasked with making selections for creations from European watchmaking students who were chosen for their technical and artistic interpretations reconsidering different ways to tell time. Davidoff's role as a dealer and collector demands deep knowledge and constantly taking the pulse of the secondary market, shifting tastes, and changing demands. At the high-end and elite level, the market has changed, Davidoff says, as many collectors seek assurance and certainty in modern, independent brands and watchmakers. He's candid, enthusiastic, and dedicated to the Swiss industry, where he's found a place amon...

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Hamilton Outfits Two Central Characters Jul 1, 2026

Watching Movies: Hamilton Outfits Two Central Characters In Steven Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day'

We're in the thick of summer now, and with it comes days at the beach, ice cream trucks, and perhaps even a trip to the movies for the summer blockbuster, which this year is Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day. The film opened to $44 million domestically and has climbed to $195 million after three weeks in theaters. Hamilton has used the occasion to continue its nearly century-long tradition of working with filmmakers, outfitting two of the film's central characters with watches of their own. Disclosure Day follows a race between those trying to reveal a long-hidden truth and the forces working to keep it buried. In the film, Josh O'Connor's Dr. Daniel Kellner wears a Khaki Field Mechanical, while Noah Scanlon, another central character, is played by Colin Firth and wears a Jazzmaster Open Heart. Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm. Why We're Watching Disclosure Day marks the first time Hamilton has placed a watch in a film directed by Spielberg—he produced, but didn't direct, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which means this is new ground for a relationship that's typically run through Christopher Nolan. Notably, there likely isn't a watch to be found in Nolan's highly anticipated The Odyssey. Josh O'Connor in Disclosure Day. Photo courtesy of Hamilton. That history with Nolan is worth dwelling on, because it's arguably the high point of Hamilton's film work. Interstellar gave us "The Murph," the Hamilton Pilot's Watch worn by Matthew McConaughey's Cooper across de...

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Audemars Piguet watches Jun 30, 2026

Introducing: Split Watches Comes To The U.S. With Its New GMT (Live Pics)

What We Know If you haven't heard of the brand Split before, you're likely not alone. The brand has not previously been distributed in the U.S., but it came to my attention when their chronograph, called "In The Skies," launched with a fully luminous case made from a proprietary ceramic-and-polymer fusion called Ceramod+. At $2,053, it was an interesting and fun novelty, and cheaper than the IWC Ceralume Perpetual Calendar (though a vastly different proposition, to be fair). Now that material, sans lumen, is coming to the United States with a new, relatively affordable GMT. But the watches are only a small part of the story for Split. The brand was co-founded by Edward Margulies, the third generation of a prominent family of UK-based Swiss watch distributors. His father, Marcus Margulies, might be known to some as the collector behind one of the most impressive collections of Audemars Piguet watches in history, which formed the basis for much of the AP museum. Edward moved to Switzerland at the age of 19 to train to follow in his footsteps.  While the press release talks about how he spent his life putting on a smile to hide a frown caused by burying trauma for years, his interview in the New York Times reveals something deeper. The reality is that, after decades of struggling with his mental health and taking traditional paths of therapy and antidepressants, his physical health had deteriorated, and he was prescribed fentanyl. "Next thing I know," he said to the New York...

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