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Dive Watches · Page 35

Seiko’s Premier Diver-GMT Gets an Update with the Prospex SPB519 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT Worn & Wound
May 6, 2025

Seiko’s Premier Diver-GMT Gets an Update with the Prospex SPB519 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT

A new diver release from Seiko isn’t exactly going to set the world on fire, but it will surely please the legions of fans of the brand and its Prospex line. With a crisp white and blue colorway and nifty bracelet that can be microadjusted as wrist size changes throughout the day, the 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT looks to be a worthy-if subdued-addition to the ever-growing catalog of Seiko dive watches. Pulling from a long tradition of purpose-built Seiko dive watches, the new SPB519 reference features a stainless steel case measuring in at 42mm in diameter, 48.6mm lug-to-lug, and 13.3mm thick, giving it a heftier frame than 2023’s closely-related Heritage Diver’s GMT (SPB381). A unidirectional bezel, and screw-down caseback and crown at 4 o’clock further push the watch into “serious” diver waters, supported by the 300-meter water resistance rating. Stylistically, the SPB519 takes on a sort of jaunty sailor persona, with a navy blue ceramic bezel and a silvery white dial. The applied indexes and hands are coated in LumiBrite, as are numerals on the bezel, and an anti-reflective coating protects the inner surface of the sapphire crystal.  Inside, the Caliber 6R54 automatic hand-winding GMT movement adds some spice to the otherwise by-the-numbers functionality of the watch, and boasts a 72-hour power reserve and “caller-style” independent 24-hour hand. The most interesting feature of the 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT, however, lies with the bracelet, which ...

Introducing the Squale Corallo NOS 2008, Featuring a New Old Stock Case from the Archives Worn & Wound
May 6, 2025

Introducing the Squale Corallo NOS 2008, Featuring a New Old Stock Case from the Archives

These days, it seems like every watchmaker is getting back to their roots and releasing redesigns or homages to past hits. I won’t speculate on what this means for the world psyche at the moment, but it has certainly produced a few discussion worthy pieces, whether controversial, widely popular, and everywhere in between. Swiss dive watch specialist Squale is capitalizing on the nostalgia boom with the Corallo NOS 2008. While the Corallo isn’t a rehash of a specific model for the brand-originally founded in 1959 as a case maker for other brands and known for their extreme divers and tool watches-it is a callback to designs of that decade, both from Squale and the watch world as a whole, and revives their “Corallo” case style from the decade, as they rediscovered 300 new old stock (or NOS) examples of the case in their archives three years ago. The name means “coral” in Italian, supposedly chosen for the eight rounded humps that form the bezel of the watch, giving it a shape reminiscent of the aquatic life form. I can’t see the resemblance, but I do like the silhouette that the humps give the watch, imbuing it with a symmetry that feels aggressively tactical, and makes sense for extreme diving applications; a gloved hand underwater will have no problem gripping the bezel with the namesake protrusions. The Corallo measures in at 36.8mm in diameter, 10.5mm in thickness, and 44mm lug-to-lug, and the 316L stainless steel case itself is a blend of the original ...

Casio Duro Teddy Baldassarre
May 6, 2025

Casio Duro

It’s hard to believe that the Casio Duro has only been around for fourteen years now. It’s been at the top of affordable dive watch lists so consistently that you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s been around since the 1990s, but indeed, 2011 was the year this S-tier value proposition hit the market. The original Casio Duro MDV-106 was a mainstream success, selling over 600,000 units in its first decade. And it’s not difficult to understand why the Duro was such a crowd pleaser: a 200-meter water-resistant diver with classically appealing sporty aesthetics and genuinely nice finishing for $50 at launch (it retails for a still downright cheap $70 these days). Even for a brand known for its affordable classics, Casio had a genuine hit on its hands and over the years added colorways like blue and gilt, along with several bezel variants. And, of course, being the watch of choice for Bill Gates certainly didn’t hurt in cementing the Duro’s reputation. Here, I will get into why the Casio Duro is one of the best affordable offerings of the last quarter of a decade. And since I know you’re thinking it, I’ll begin by addressing the smaller 38mm model and why I don’t categorize it as a “True Casio Duro.” Casio Duro Case and Wearability: Let’s start with the admission of the fact that the 44mm case size is the Casio Duro’s biggest flaw. Yes, it’s a pretty big diver measuring 44.2mm wide and 12.1mm thick with a lug-to-lug height of 48.5mm. To address the no...

Tudor Adds a Limited Edition Carbon Chrono to the Black Bay Chronograph Lineup Worn & Wound
May 5, 2025

Tudor Adds a Limited Edition Carbon Chrono to the Black Bay Chronograph Lineup

We haven’t remarked on it all that much to this point, but one of the inescapable trends at Watches & Wonders this year was a prevalence of F1 cars making appearances around the Palexpo. If you scheduled your meetings in a particular way, you could easily be convinced that every Swiss watch brand has some level of involvement with the sport. IWC, of course, is just beginning to promote F1, the highly anticipated new film starring Brad Pitt that is said to feature many, many IWC watches. And then there’s TAG Heuer, whose parent company LVMH secured a lucrative deal with Formula 1 in the off season, and returned TAG to official timekeeper status. Both of these brands had actual cars in their booths, and they drew a crowd all week. Then there’s H. Moser, a sponsor of the Alpine team, and finally (please get in the comments if I’ve missed one) there’s Tudor, a partner of the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team, who took this weekend’s Miami GP as an opportunity to release their latest racing themed watch, the Black Bay Chrono Carbon 25.  The limited edition (2,025 numbered examples) chronograph is modeled on the Black Bay Chronograph, a watch that has seen its share of special editions in the last few years, mostly by way of colored dials. This watch is a little different as it represents an all new case material for the Black Bay Chrono, making use of Tudor’s carbon fiber composite material (the caseback, pushers, and crown are all rendered in titanium ...

Tudor Introduces The New Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” Fratello
May 5, 2025

Tudor Introduces The New Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25”

We knew something was coming from Tudor this weekend. We also knew it would be related to this weekend’s F1 Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. It had Tudor fans speculating what this new release could be. Especially after the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 team announced a full pink race livery for […] Visit Tudor Introduces The New Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” to read the full article.

Highlights: A Noteworthy Trio from Patek Philippe at Phillips Geneva SJX Watches
May 5, 2025

Highlights: A Noteworthy Trio from Patek Philippe at Phillips Geneva

It’s hard to stand out among the 194-lots in Phillips’ incredibly stacked upcoming Geneva auction. The catalog for The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI includes 36 watches from Patek Philippe, including familiar favorites like two ref. 5004s and an assortment of Nautilus and Aquanaut models. But three watches are especially notable. These highlights are led by the only known ref. 3448 “Padellone” perpetual calendar in pink gold – a retailer-signed example at that – followed by a landmark “grand” complication with Hagmann case, and a Beyer-signed pocket watch with a portal to Amsterdam on the back. The auction takes place on May 10 and 11, 2025, at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva. Lot 74: Patek Philippe ref. 3448 in pink gold signed “Freccero” Patek Philippe’s first self-winding perpetual calendar, the ref. 3448, was primarily made in yellow or white gold – except for this example in pink gold. Besides the unique case material, this also has a retailer-signed dial. In addition, it’s in incredible condition, with unpolished lugs so sharp you could almost cut yourself. It features an early “second series” dial, with a “dimple” style minute track and engraved, enamelled markings. Even though the movement inside the ref. 3448 is one of the most beautiful automatics ever made, the cal. 27-460 doesn’t skate by on pretty privilege. The calibre is technically competent: with a free-sprung gyro-max balance, overcoil hairspring, and Patek Philippe’...

Tudor Introduces the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” SJX Watches
May 3, 2025

Tudor Introduces the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25”

In what’s become an annual tradition, Tudor has just revealed a special edition on the eve of the Miami Grand Prix. But unlike last year’s Black Bay “Chameleon” destined only for the drivers of the Visa Cash App RB Formula 1 Team (VCARB), the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” is a commercially available timepiece – but in a limited edition of 2,025 pieces. The Carbon 25 is presented in a carbon composite case, matched with a domed dial in the colours of the VCARB team that also sports carbon composite registers. Initial thoughts I’m a fan of Tudor in general, mainly because of the strong value proposition the brand offers in all its watches. The chronographs stand out as amongst the best in the price segment. However, the chronographs in steel are a little thick and weighty; the Carbon 25 definitely reduces the weight substantially, and it’s also a tiny bit slimmer. Tudor already has a carbon-case chronograph in the collection (that is actually thinner), but the Carbon 25 has a more appealing case design that retains all of the elements of the steel case, including the bevelled lugs. One detail that stands out are the carbon composite inserts in between the lugs that give the strap a better visual integration into the case. I like the Carbon 25, enough that I would buy one, but the watch is the most expensive chronographs in the Tudor catalogue, with a price of US$7,575. It is still well priced compared to the competition, but priced substantially more expensi...

Fratello’s Top 5 Vintage And Neo Vintage Rolex Submariner Models Fratello
May 2, 2025

Fratello’s Top 5 Vintage And Neo Vintage Rolex Submariner Models

Another Friday, another list! This week, we compiled a list of our favorite vintage Rolex Submariner models. While classic Rolexes are always a topic of discussion, recently Submariners and GMT-Masters have been discussed quite a bit in the Fratello offices. It is no coincidence because Robert-Jan recently added a vintage GMT-Master to his collection, and […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Vintage And Neo Vintage Rolex Submariner Models to read the full article.

Rolex Oysterquartz: The Complete Guide Teddy Baldassarre
May 1, 2025

Rolex Oysterquartz: The Complete Guide

When Rolex introduced its Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller watch at Watches & Wonders 2025, some longtime fans of the brand experienced a bit of déja vu for a Rolex watch - and a Rolex era - that have been largely consigned to the mists of history. Why? Because the Land-Dweller's angular case and integrated-bracelet design reminded many enthusiasts of the Oysterquartz models introduced during the early heyday of quartz watches in the 1970s. That's correct: once upon a time, Rolex, one of the undisputed champions of luxury watches with mechanical movements, jumped on board the Quartz Revolution bandwagon and not only produced its own in-house quartz calibers but marketed the watches that housed them as the pinnacle of the Crown's timepiece portfolio at the time. Here is everything you need to know about the Rolex Oysterquartz and its quirky but significant place in horological history.  Rolex Oysterquartz: The Early Days Of Electric Watches The wristwatch industry, like any other industry, is uber-competitive and every watchmaker wants to be the first to market with The Next Big Thing. In the 1950s and into the ‘60s, that Next Big Thing was a watch that could be powered by electricity. American companies like Hamilton, with the Ventura, and Bulova, with the Accutron, were among the pioneers, even though the movements that resulted from these early efforts proved to have difficulty maintaining reliability in mass production. The Japanese, particularly Seiko, took a diff...

Hands-On: Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver BN1024-01E Fratello
May 1, 2025

Hands-On: Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver BN1024-01E

Citizen has updated one of its most popular Promaster Eco-Drive diver models. The BN0150-10E becomes BN1024-01E and has been updated in almost all areas-it’s bigger, goes deeper, is stronger, lasts longer, and is now suitable for professional use. Let’s dive into the details! For over 35 years, Promaster has stood for functionality and professional use. […] Visit Hands-On: Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver BN1024-01E to read the full article.

Bad Actors: Watch Errors on the Screen Worn & Wound
Apr 30, 2025

Bad Actors: Watch Errors on the Screen

It’s undoubtedly enjoyable, as a watch enthusiast, to see a cool watch on screen. Whether TV or film, there’s a fun series of events that takes place. First, you see a glimpse of the watch, and start to make possible connections in your mind. Then, you get a better angle, and your identification begins to gel. And finally, boom, you get the money shot and confirm your suspicion. If you’re watching with someone, you have to share, and they politely act like they care. It’s all a fun ritual for us, watch nerds. And it’s even better when you see something unique get featured, as was the case with the infamous Citizen in Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood (shameless self-plug, as we were the first to write about that). An interesting watch suggests that the person who chose it knew what they were doing, and somehow, it acknowledges our obsession, too. Of course, there are also paid product placements, which often work out (I’m thinking the Murph, or any Bond Seamaster), but are not of as much interest to me. But this article isn’t actually about the joy of this experience. Quite the opposite. While seeing a watch get mentioned or worn on screen brings elation, egregious errors can then crush the experience. Ok, I’m being dramatic (this is about TV and film, after all), but some unfortunate error, or even worse, a fake watch, can nevertheless diminish the experience. The Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood example is not only famous because Brad Pitt wore a cool watch ...