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Teddy Baldassarre · Page 5

1,442 articles  ·  Page 5 of 49
Nivada Grenchen Review: Modern Remakes, Classic Designs Teddy Baldassarre
Nivada Grenchen Feb 13, 2026

Nivada Grenchen Review: Modern Remakes, Classic Designs

To many watch enthusiasts today, Nivada Grenchen is a boutique watchmaker that seemed to pop up out of nowhere several years ago and quickly found itself in the neo-vintage price-to-value conversation, alongside a handful of other start-up microbrands. But in actuality, the brand turns 100 years old this year, and its retro-stylish, mostly tool-oriented watches are not merely following a trend of evoking a fondly remembered era of watch design; they are actually modern remakes of watches that the brand released decades ago. [toc-section heading="Nivada Grenchen History & Highlights"] Watchmaker Jacob Schneider established the workshop that became the Nivada brand in 1926, in the Swiss town of Grenchen (its Swiss-German name; the French-Swiss call it “Granges”). Unlike many of its contemporaries, which were still focusing on high-luxury timepieces, Nivada Grenchen put its emphasis from the start on practical, reliable tool watches, quickly gaining acclaim for its developments in this area. Schneider’s company also was among the first to merge traditional Swiss watchmaking techniques with emerging industrial technologies. Starting in the 1930s, Nivada Grenchen became one of the first Swiss watchmaking companies to mass produce watches with automatic movements - an invention that had only been around since John Harwood patented the first one in 1923.  Nivada Grenchen (the “Grenchen” was officially added to the brand name after litigation by Movado, which was conc...

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The Best Tudor Watches for Every Type of Enthusiast Teddy Baldassarre
Tudor Feb 12, 2026

The Best Tudor Watches for Every Type of Enthusiast

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...

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The 18 Best Japanese Watch Brands For 2026 Teddy Baldassarre
Feb 12, 2026

The 18 Best Japanese Watch Brands For 2026

Before we get into the best Japanese watch brands for 2026, let's discuss Japan's role in watchmaking. Outside of Switzerland, Japan is probably the best-known watchmaking country, producing some of the world’s best watches in every category and at nearly every price point. When most people think about Japanese watches, their thoughts still likely envision mostly inexpensive and mostly quartz-powered watches from well-known, mass-market brands like Casio, Seiko, and Citizen. and to be sure, Japan is rightly regarded as a value leader in the global watch market, led by inexpensive but wildly popular and collectible watches like Casio's G-Shocks and Seiko's classically styled, automatic diver’s watches like the SKX series. However, Japan is also an excellent source for watches in the mid-level, luxury, and high-watchmaking categories, from both the country's handful of major players as well as from exciting, younger independent brands. [toc-section heading="Seiko"] At this point, Seiko is synonymous with Japanese watchmaking. The company was founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori and got its start by selling and repairing watches and clocks. Just 11 years later, Hattori started producing clocks and then pocket watches, followed closely by the company’s, and Japan’s, first wristwatch in 1913. The 1960s was a period of rapid growth for the company. Not only did Seiko introduce the first Grand Seiko watch and also Japan’s first dive watch, but the firm also gained interna...

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Seiko Launches Three Speedtimers With New Dial Colors Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko Feb 11, 2026

Seiko Launches Three Speedtimers With New Dial Colors

I still vividly remember the first time I saw the Seiko Speedtimer SSC813. It felt like one of the most deliberate and thoughtful nods to the brand’s 1960s and 1970s sports timekeeping heritage. Nicknamed the “Seitona” (no prizes for guessing why), it wore its classic panda dial with absolute confidence, easily earning itself a spot among some of Seiko’s most attractive sports watches ever made. Even better, it delivered those heritage-inspired racing aesthetics without the premium price tag associated with a Daytona. Now Seiko introduces a new triumvirate to the Speedtimer lineup: the SSC961, SSC963, and SSC965. This trio of Prospex watches draws from the angular sports cars of the 1980s and 1990s, showcasing distinctive shades of white-silver, sandy salmon, and mint green. But can these experimental colors of the new Seiko Speedtimer "Youngtimers" as they've come to be known capture the same motorsport DNA that made the beloved panda chronograph such a standout? [toc-section heading="Three New Dials"] The dial is unequivocally the soul of the new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer watch. In all three references, it sets the stage for a tri-register layout in the usual 3-6-9 arrangement. Here, the “Youngtimer” models embrace a nuanced and highly experimental palette. Each model features a 24-hour counter at 3 o’clock, balanced by a running seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock. Nestled between the two is the 60-minute chronograph register at 6 o’clock, combined with a pow...

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Universal Genève Polerouter Review: The '50s Icon Returns Teddy Baldassarre
Universal Genève Feb 10, 2026

Universal Genève Polerouter Review: The '50s Icon Returns

The Universal Genève Polerouter is probably the most historically significant watch that enthusiasts of a certain age have never heard of. Okay, maybe that's overstating it, but the watch is certainly less, well, universal in its claim to icon status than several other, more well known models that debuted later. And yet, if it weren't for the Polerouter, which came out in the mid-1950s and which afforded an opportunity for a young, precocious watch designer to make his first mark on the industry, we may never have had the opportunity to experience some of those 1970s models that came later. Intrigued? Read on.  [toc-section heading="Universal Genève History (1894 - 1950s)"] Despite the “Genève” that has become attached to the company’s name, the firm originally known as Universal Watch traces its roots to a smaller Swiss city, the village of Le Locle (also home to Ulysse Nardin, Zenith, and Tissot), where it was established in 1894 by watchmakers Numa-Emile Descombes and Ulysse-Georges Perret. Descombes died a few years later, and Louis Berthoud, one of the company’s most talented watchmakers, rose from the ranks to become Perret’s partner in 1897. The pair moved operations to Geneva in 1919, forging the company's modern name and identity. The firm became known for chronographs, and eventually produced both pocket watches and trench watches (pocket watches converted to wristwatches for soldiers in the field) for armies on both sides of the two World Wars.  O...

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Best Bronze Watches for 2026 Teddy Baldassarre
Feb 10, 2026

Best Bronze Watches for 2026

If there is one element of watch ownership that speaks to the human psyche more than almost any other, it's the notion that what you wear is unique to you. And it's true, there simply isn't another watch out there with your dings in the case or your aged strap. No material creates such allure through the aging process as bronze. And watch designers have known this for some time. With wear, your bronze watch case will evolve far quicker and more obviously than any steel case (swimming in salt water really speeds things up!). Bronze is a copper alloy generally containing around 12% tin. Its discovery dates back several millennium BC. Before giving way to cheaper iron and stronger steel, the Bronze Age lasted almost three millennia. Bronze possesses a number of advantageous properties. And the versatility of its application has continued its use right up to modern day. One of those properties is its resistance to salt water corrosion. Typically, when exposed, bronze only oxidizes at the surface, forming a protective layer over the underlying metal. In the past, this made bronze the material of choice for boat and ship fittings. (Prior to the wide employment of stainless steel.) It also featured in early diving equipment. More recently, it has spurred a growing trend of tool watches. Not all bronze watches are created equal though. That’s why we’ve put together this hand-picked selection of some of, what we feel are, the best bronze watches for 2026 - enjoy! [toc-section h...

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Seiko Luxe Presage SPB495 Review: An Enamel Value Proposition Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko Feb 9, 2026

Seiko Luxe Presage SPB495 Review: An Enamel Value Proposition

Seiko has one of the most expansive catalogs in the watch industry, which is key to the Japanese brand’s prowess, but its nuances can also make it quite overwhelming at times to sort through from a consumer perspective. Today, I’m going for hyperspecificity on multiple levels, not only focusing on the brand’s “Luxe” tier, but also on a specific series within that tier, and on one watch, well, specifically. As you’ve likely already noticed from this article's title, we’re gathered here today to jump into the deep end with the Presage Classics Craftsmanship Series SPB495. Though its name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, the Seiko Presage SPB495, to me, truly demonstrates the dynamic range to be found within the contemporary Seiko lineup, given that you have the patience to sort through the complexities of the brand’s collections and naming convention nuances. [toc-section heading="History And Context"]  Seiko’s Craftsmanship series officially made its start in 2013 as the brand celebrated its centennial anniversary. Positioned within the larger Presage collection, this initiative has been a way for the brand to further enhance the collection's foundational elements, mainly being a mechanical line, guided by and harkening to Seiko’s centuries-long history, with a focused attention to its dials. Essentially, the Craftsmanship series adds in more sophisticated, high-end elements into the mix, paying tribute to many traditional, artisanal techniques th...

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10 F1 Drivers and Their Favorite Watches Teddy Baldassarre
Feb 6, 2026

10 F1 Drivers and Their Favorite Watches

Inside the cockpit of a Formula 1 car, temperatures can climb beyond 120º F and braking forces routinely reach 5 Gs. A driver’s heart rate can sit north of 170 bpm for nearly two hours. In a sport where thousandths of a second determine grid positions, F1 drivers operate in a world defined by extreme speed, pressure, and precision. In such environments, a watch worn by a race car driver has to be about far more than a sponsorship logo. Motorsport places unique demands on a timepiece, turning it into a rolling stress test of vibration, G-forces, heat, and shock, so drivers must choose watches that are capable of surviving all these conditions. And while Formula 1 is awash in watch branding, splashed across helmets, race suits, pit walls, and podium backdrops, the most authentic connection between motorsport and watchmaking is ultimately found on the wrists of the drivers themselves. Let’s jump into 10 of the best watches worn by F1 drivers. [toc-section heading="Isack Hadjar: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Automatic x Oracle Red Bull Racing Chronograph"] Algerian-French racing driver Isack Hadjar is a standout in the junior formulas and was the 19th driver promoted to F1 through Red Bull’s notoriously selective academy. Now the second driver on the Red Bulls team (after a stint with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls last season), Isack wears a TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph to accompany him around the track. His watch is a special edition measuring 44mm in robust but lightweight ...

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Review: Casio G-Shock GW6900 Teddy Baldassarre
Casio Feb 5, 2026

Review: Casio G-Shock GW6900

G-Shock continues to fill an important role in the landscape of watch collecting, almost solely occupying a genre that it essentially created. G-Shock watches are practical, accessible, and functional; but they’re also so much more than that. They are expressive, vibrant, and fun. Their impact on the broader culture around watches can’t be understated, and it’s a connection that remains intact today, over 40 years after emerging onto the scene, and over 30 years since the formation of the 6900 lineage. The design that hails from 1995 has changed surprisingly little, and remains one of the vanishingly few items that can make that claim without looking completely out of place on the wrist today. As the saying goes, good design is timeless. I’m not so sure this is technically "good" design, but it is unique and timeless in its own way. When it first debuted in 1995, the 6900 design used a rounded case, representing a departure from the blocky cases that had typically defined what a G-Shock was. Situated above the square digital display were a trio of circular graphics, with a button situated under the dial itself, all set within a shock-resistant structure. The watch brought the best features of the 5000, the 5900, and the 6600 together, creating a "best of all worlds" in a way. These features represented unlimited possibilities, and were almost mysterious at a glance, but they signaled just what was possible with a digital display.  Those three circular graphics wer...

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Breitling Launches First Titanium Navitimer in New Aston Martin Collab Teddy Baldassarre
Breitling Feb 5, 2026

Breitling Launches First Titanium Navitimer in New Aston Martin Collab

Breitling announced today that it has become the Official Watch Partner of  British luxury carmaker Aston Martin and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One racing team. The multi-year global partnership, which marks the Swiss watchmaker’s return to the high-octane world of F1 motorsports after many decades, kicks off with a wristwatch milestone: the Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, which is no less than the first timepiece in the iconic Navitimer series with a case made of lightweight titanium.  The two world-renowned companies have some ties throughout their prestigious histories. Breitling, while it has not been as visible in the racing world over the years as brands like Rolex and TAG Heuer, was an early contributor to motorsport timing. In 1907, Léon Breitling, who had founded his eponymous watchmaking firm in 1884, invented a device called the “Vitesse” (French for “speed”), a mechanical chronograph capable of measuring speeds up to 250 miles per hour. Its utility and precision spurred the Swiss police to adopt it for speed enforcement, which led to the world’s first speeding tickets. Just six years later, in 1913, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford drove their hand-built automobile to a defining victory up the treacherous Aston Hill, giving their company a name and kicking off a long tradition of making cars built for both performance and luxury. The paths of the Swiss high-horology house and the British marque cr...

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The Best JDM Seiko Watches And Their Modern Alternatives Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko Feb 4, 2026

The Best JDM Seiko Watches And Their Modern Alternatives

As we all well know by now, the watch-collecting hobby can get hyper-specific. Today, I am wading into the weeds of one of the most highly specialized sub-genres of the Seiko collecting universe, that of Japanese Domestic Market pieces from the brand, which I will be referring to here on out as JDM Seikos. Down below, I’m going to walk you through, first and foremost, what the term JDM Seiko actually means, then get into the most universally coveted models, and similar watches that you can more easily find in the brand’s international repertoire. [toc-section heading="JDM Seikos vs. “Japanese-Made”Seikos"] Image: Provenance Watches Given that Seiko is one of Japan’s most significant and historic watchmakers, you might be asking, as you find yourself here in this section, “Seiko is a Japanese brand, so aren’t all Seikos Japanese-Made?” As with most things, the answer is not as straightforward as the question. If we were to base our answer on the framework dictated by the U.S. Trade Commission standards, any watch that has a movement assembled in Japan is good enough to be considered Japanese-made. This casts a pretty wide net. Japan, on the other hand, follows the more rigorous parameters set by the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum). Based on APEC standards, a watch movement and dial components must be assembled in Japan to rightfully claim “Japanese Made” status. Across its catalog, if Seiko can rightly claim the “Japanese Made” label ...

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Enamel Dial Watches: 10 Of Our Favorites Teddy Baldassarre
Feb 3, 2026

Enamel Dial Watches: 10 Of Our Favorites

Watches with enamel dials rarely fail to impress with their exquisitely finished surfaces, their impressive durability, and a level of artisanal craftsmanship that might not even be readily apparent to the naked eye but somehow elevates the entire timepiece to a higher level of luxury. Enamel dials - which are made by fusing finely ground, colored glass powders onto metal substrates through repeated firings in a kiln at high temperatures - are still fairly rare in the watch world, and almost (but not entirely) impossible to find below a certain echelon of pricing, Often, as in some of the limited editions below, an enamel dial is one essential component of a timepiece that combines several notable elements, including elite or unusual case metals, high-complication movements, or any number of special features. Here are 10 watches with enamel dials that have caught our eye over recent years.  [toc-section heading="A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst"] Price: 315,000 euros at release, Case Size: 29.5mm x 39.2mm, Thickness: 10.3mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Manually wound Caliber L042.1 In 2008, German haute horlogerie house A. Lange & Söhne brought a technical upgrade to the tourbillon - an 18th century invention originally designed to shield a watch’s balance from the ill effects of gravity - that was both subtle and substantial. The Saxon brand’s Cabaret Tourbillon featured the first tourbillon movement with a st...

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The 9 Most Accurate Watches for the Precision-Obsessed Teddy Baldassarre
Feb 2, 2026

The 9 Most Accurate Watches for the Precision-Obsessed

Fundamentally, mechanical and quartz movements do the same thing: they both tell thetime. But the ways in which they both do it couldn’t be more different. Not to get into acomparison guide here, but in a nutshell: a mechanical watch is powered by a mainspringthat’s either wound by hand or automatically through wrist movement. Energy is releasedthrough a complex system of gears, an escapement, and a balance wheel that beats steadily back and forth. There’s no battery, just centuries-old engineering refined to an art form. These watches aren’t the most accurate, but accuracy isn’t really the point. Craftsmanship, tradition, and the emotional connection are. Quartz watches, on the other hand, are powered by a battery and use an electrical current to make a quartz crystal vibrate at 32,768 times per second. That vibration is incredibly stable, which is why quartz watches are vastly more accurate and require far less maintenance. They’re practical, reliable, and often more durable for everyday use, as well as being notably more affordable. Neither system is inherently “better,” though. Mechanical watches speak to passion and heritage, while quartz prioritizes precision and convenience. Ultimately, it’s less about the movement inside and more about what you want your watch to represent on your wrist. [toc-section heading="Next-Level Accuracy"] Some watches measure accuracy in seconds per day, others by seconds per month. Butthere also exists a small group of t...

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California Dials Explained, and Seven of Our Favorites Teddy Baldassarre
Jan 30, 2026

California Dials Explained, and Seven of Our Favorites

Watches with California dials are among the most niche products in the industry, with a relatively vague history that somehow only adds to their mystique and quirky appeal. If you’re not familiar with the California dial - or if you are already a convert and simply curious about where in this day and age you can find these rare birds - read on as we attempt to answer all of the expected queries about the style, starting with the most basic, namely:  [toc-section heading="What Exactly Are California Dials?"] Photo: Sotheby's A California dial is generally recognized as a watch dial with a combination of Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, and non-numeral indexes to mark the hour positions. On most examples, the layout is fairly consistent: Roman numerals in the top half of the dial, from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock; Arabic numerals in the bottom half, from 4 o’clock to 8 o’clock; baton-shaped or rectangular-dash indexes breaking up the numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock; and an inverted triangle marking the 12 o’clock position. A few watchmakers, like Germany’s Nomos Glashütte in its Club Campus models, have chosen to stray from this formula a bit, putting the Arabic numerals in the top half and Roman numerals in the bottom half. Other variations include the less-common “Semi-California” dial, which uses the triangle at 12 o’clock and indexes at the 15-minute markers but opts for only Arabic numerals at the other positions.  [toc-section heading="Who Made...

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Speedmaster Reduced vs. Speedmaster Professional: Comparison Review of Teddy Baldassarre
Jan 30, 2026

Speedmaster Reduced vs. Speedmaster Professional: Comparison Review of

The Omega Speedmaster is among the heavyweight champions of the watch world. For so many out there, it's the entryway into the enthusiast community, a jumping-off point before taking the plunge into watches as a hobby, and the Speedmaster continues to be one of the most recognizable names in the industry. Today, we’re going to get a little more granular on the subject and put two iterations of the icon, which have been the subject of much debate, head-to-head: the Speedmaster Reduced and the classic Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional. Down below, I’ll set up the scene with a little history lesson, and then break down the key similarities and differences between the two to keep in mind.   [toc-section heading="History and Context"]  As one of the legends of watchmaking, the story of the Speedmaster is one often told and retold, so I will keep things quick and to the point here. If you want to go more in-depth on its backstory, feel free to break away from this article and head to our complete guide to the Speedmaster here. A symbol of the Space Race era, the Omega Speedmaster is most well-known for its role on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, which officially made it the first watch to ever be worn on the Moon. It’s the watch that’s been aboard all six of the moon landing missions, thus earning the “Moonwatch” title once and for all. Taking off from its original motorsport-oriented intent to be the chosen watch of space exploration, the key DNA of the Speedmast...

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Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 38mm Review Teddy Baldassarre
Blancpain Jan 29, 2026

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 38mm Review

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...

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Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Review: Breaking Down the 20th Anniversar Teddy Baldassarre
Omega Jan 27, 2026

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Review: Breaking Down the 20th Anniversar

The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean has represented a sweet spot in the now-sprawling Seamaster collection, a rarely achieved intersection between extra-rugged build and unapologetically luxurious design. The latest revamp of the two-decade-old series, which launched in late 2025, doubles down on both while also striving for new levels of comfort and wearability. Here’s a closer look, starting at the beginning.  [toc-section heading="Origins of the Seamaster Collection"] Omega began making watches in 1848 (originally as La Genérale Watch Co.) and for its milestone 100th anniversary, a few years after the end of World War II, the brand founded by watchmaker Louis Brandt launched the first watch by the name of Seamaster. Not really a “dive watch” as we’d define that term today, it was marketed as a watch for “town, sea, and country”  - i.e., a gentleman’s dress watch that just happened to be more waterproof than any other such timepiece of that era. (Omega had been dabbling in making wristwatches water resistant for more than a decade at that point, having released the Marine, below, an early divers’ watch with a sealed, rectangular double-case design, as early as 1932.) What distinguished the Seamaster from its contemporaries was its adoption of an innovative, O-ring-gasket device that sealed the crown into the case to prevent moisture from entering.  Omega had developed that design for the tool watches it made for the British armed forces during wartime,...

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The 25 Best American Watch Brands (2026) Teddy Baldassarre
Jan 23, 2026

The 25 Best American Watch Brands (2026)

"Made in America" is a label that is much rarer to find on products now than it was 100 years ago, and that is especially true when it comes to watches. Once a bustling industry in the U.S.A., watchmaking largely migrated away from its traditional American hubs in the early 20th Century to countries like Switzerland and Japan, which still import oodles of watches to the States every year. However, American watchmaking has been seeing a slow, somewhat quiet renaissance over the past couple decades as a new generation of trailblazing entrepreneurs, from all across the U.S., strive to bring the horological trade back to these shores. Each of them takes a slightly different approach; some, like RGM, make nearly the entirety of their watch, including the movement, in the U.S., while others, like Shinola, import the majority of components but assemble the watches in an American factory, providing dozens or hundreds of local jobs. Here we take a look at 25 notable American watch brands, spotlight their leading models, and briefly examine how "Made in America" each one really is.  [toc-section heading="RGM"] Founder: Roland G. Murphy Headquarters: Mount Joy, PA Notable Models: Pennsylvania Series 801, Pennsylvania Tourbillon, 801-A “Aircraft” “RGM” are the initials of Roland G. Murphy, the trained watchmaker and former Hamilton Watch Company technical manager who founded his own watch brand in Lancaster County, PA, one of America’s ancestral watchmaking centers, in 1992...

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The 38 Best Dress Watches for 2026 Teddy Baldassarre
Jan 14, 2026

The 38 Best Dress Watches for 2026

Most watch aficionados consider a go-to dress watch to be a necessary addition to any collection, whether it’s a piece designated for wear only on special occasions or one worn daily to the office. Along with sports watches, dress watches represent one of the most sought-after styles, so we’ve curated a list of the best dress watches that offer style, value, and quality at every price range. We sought out as much variety and diversity as possible with options ranging from a Timex that costs a few hundred dollars, one of the best Seiko values out there, a solid gold Rolex Day-Date, and independent options from the likes of Moser and F.P. Journe. So, here are our standout dress watches for 2026 organized from least to most expensive (and with some handy chapters organized for you).  [toc-section heading="Under $2,000"]  Timex Marlin For decades, Timex focused on affordable, mass-produced quartz watches, but recently the company has tapped into the mechanical market with the Marlin Collection. There is a 40mm automatic movement option with a wider array of dial options including eye-catching “Cali Dials”. Timex is light on the mechanical movement specs other than to note they are provided by a Chinese supplier, which isn’t surprising given the $319 price tag, making it one of the more affordable mechanical options available.  Case: 34mm, Thickness 10mm, Lug-To-Lug: 41mm, Lug Width: 18mm Crystal: Acrylic Movement: Hand Winding or Automatic Mechanical, Water-Resist...

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Chronograph vs. Chronometer: What is the Difference? Teddy Baldassarre
Jan 5, 2026

Chronograph vs. Chronometer: What is the Difference?

One of the first hurdles to clear for newcomers to watch appreciation is the clarification of two very common horological categories: chronograph vs. chronometer. Quite simply, a chronometer (from the Greek chronos, meaning time, and meter, meaning measure) is any watch or clock that keeps reliably accurate time, usually as determined by an outside independent testing agency, whereas a chronograph (from chronos and graph, i.e., to “write time”) is any watch or clock with the ability to track and record intervals of time, aka a stopwatch. This is, again, the simplest way to look at it. But there’s a bit more to both chronometers and chronographs that a knowledge-hungry watch enthusiast might want to digest - including the fact that the terms are not interchangeable but also not mutually exclusive.  [toc-section heading="Chronometers Defined"]  Our original, classical definition of a chronometer can be traced back to the golden age of seafaring exploration in the 18th Century, when ships required the use of a highly accurate onboard clock that enabled their navigators to determine longitude in order to avoid the perils of running aground or veering hopelessly off course. The man credited with developing the first of these “marine chronometers” was legendary British watchmaker John Harrison; his invention facilitated the celestial navigation used at the time by navigators at sea to determine their ship’s position in coordination with a sextant. Marine chronome...

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