Monochrome
A deep dive watch from a brand with a name referring to Europe’s highest mountain, specialized in making high-end fountain pens…? Surprising, to say the least. Surely, there’s more to Montblanc than what I just described. Indeed, the brand has long been active in watchmaking, producing appealing dress watches and superb chronographs equipped with Minerva […]
Worn & Wound
Watch collectors who have been in the hobby for awhile know there’s a certain pleasure in looking in the watch box, or across the flat surfaces in your home where watches are scattered, whatever, and seeing a group of watches that make sense. If you believe a collection is a reflection of your personality and taste, it follows that the watches in the collection will be thematically linked in some way, and just kind of work together. Instead of a watch box that has exactly one watch from each key genre, you see a box of watches that defy easy categorization, but somehow are obviously the product of a core collecting philosophy. I don’t know if I’m quite there yet, but I’m getting closer. But there’s still one watch in my collection that’s a clear outlier, one that will never quite fit. It’s the runt of the litter, the redheaded step-child, and ugly duckling, all wrapped into one. My Seiko SRPG17 “Land Tortoise” just doesn’t belong. The Land Tortoise, so named because it shares a case shape with the much-loved “Seiko Turtle” divers but is equipped with a compass bezel rather than a typical dive timer, is an outlier even among Seiko sports watches. When we think sporty Seikos, proper dive watches are the ones that inevitably come to mind for most of us, but this is a dive watch in a costume. From the outset, it’s resisting its own nature, rejecting its heritage. It refuses to wear the uniform. I like dive watches and own a few, but they don’t ope...
Worn & Wound
Vintage-inspired watches have been popular for a long time and with good reason. When a design is strong enough to stand the test of time, why shouldn’t it be revived? Look at Tudor’s success with the Black Bay, Oris with their Diver 65, and Doxa with their numerous Sub models. What about designs that originated in the 80s? Can they be considered vintage? Think about it: 1980 is as far away from us as 1936 was from 1980. That’s three full years before World War II even started! So, if anything made in the 1930s was considered vintage in the 1980s, most assuredly, things made in the 1980s are considered vintage now. If any of you feel old after reading that, here’s a list of 5 super-cool watches to make you feel young again. Vintage-inspired watches have been popular for a long time and with good reason. When a design is strong enough to stand the test of time, why shouldn’t it be revived? Look at Tudor’s success with the Black Bay, Oris with their Diver 65, and Doxa with their numerous Sub models. What about designs that originated in the 80s? Can they be considered vintage? Think about it: 1980 is as far away from us as 1936 was from 1980. That’s three full years before World War II even started! So, if anything made in the 1930s was considered vintage in the 1980s, most assuredly, things made in the 1980s are considered vintage now. If any of you feel old after reading that, here’s a list of 5 super-cool watches to make you feel young again. The post Top ...
Fratello
Why would you chase rainbows? We already know that hardly anyone can buy an entry-level Nautilus or Aquanaut from a Patek Philippe boutique or AD. Why, then, would you put yourself in a situation that has you looking outside the official channels, only to face unrealistic asking prices (although they’re dipping a bit)? There are […] Visit An Impromptu Hands-On With The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph 5960/1A-001 - An Extraordinary And Sporty Gentleman Of A Watch to read the full article.
Fratello
You may have missed it, but last week would have marked Clive Cussler’s 93rd birthday. The famous adventure author wrote over 80 books and sold over 100,000,000 copies before passing away in 2020. Both Cussler and Dirk Pitt, his most famous protagonist, were known to wear Doxa watches. This spawned a fruitful relationship with the […] Visit Introducing: The Second Version Of The Doxa Sub 300T Clive Cussler to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
At Worn & Wound, we are not typically drawn to watches with extravagant diamond bezels and dials. However, we have stumbled upon something truly unique and special that we are confident will pique your interest, the Ulysse Nardin Diver Atoll in 39mm. This watch not only stands out due to its distinct design but also features a dial made of chrysocolla stone, a material rarely used in the world of watchmaking. In fact, the only other commercially produced watch we found that used this material was a discontinued Shinola Birdy lady’s quartz watch. An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or chain of islands around a body of water called a lagoon. Many people associate the word “lagoon” with images of Gilligan’s Island-a small beach with crystal-clear turquoise water. That is the inspiration for this watch. Each dial is crafted from hand-cut natural stone, ensuring each one is unique, so the paradise depicted by its breathtaking mix of blue, turquoise, brown, and black is exclusively yours. So, what is chrysocolla? Chrysocolla is a mineral that belongs to the silicate mineral group. It is often found in association with other secondary copper minerals such as malachite, azurite, and cuprite. Chrysocolla is known for its vibrant blue-green or green color, reminiscent of turquoise. It is named after the Greek words “chrysos,” meaning gold, and “kolla,” meaning glue, due to its historical use as a flux in soldering gold. It is not considered a rare gemston...
Worn & Wound
As a watch enthusiast, how frequently do you gaze at your watch and smile? What if your timepiece could return the gesture? From the renowned interior architect Alain Silberstein, in collaboration with Louis Erard, comes the Smile-Day, a watch that quite literally smiles back. Instead of showing the days of the week, this unique piece depicts various smiley faces along with the date. As a watch enthusiast, how frequently do you gaze at your watch and smile? What if your timepiece could return the gesture? From the renowned interior architect Alain Silberstein, in collaboration with Louis Erard, comes the Smile-Day, a watch that quite literally smiles back. Instead of showing the days of the week, this unique piece depicts various smiley faces along with the date. The post The Roundup: A Watch That Smiles Back, A Diver That Will Have You Spinning, and More appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Fratello
It’s a summer Sunday morning, so grab your caramel Frappuccino, and get ready for a battle rooted in history. We’re kidding, of course; an early morning battle like this requires a double espresso. But we weren’t kidding about the history-injected showdown that we are presenting to you this morning. We paired the latest 38mm Divers […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Oris Divers Sixty-Five Calibre 400 38mm Vs. Tudor Black Bay 54 to read the full article.
Hodinkee
An industrial tool dive watch straight out of the land-locked hills of Switzerland.
Fratello
The current generation of Rolex Submariner Date has been out for four years. That might seem like a short time, but a lot has changed. The watch world - heck, even the actual world - looks different than it did in 2020. The Rolex Submariner is no longer unobtainium. Much of the hype that set […] Visit Exploring Evergreens: The Current Rolex Submariner Date 126610LN to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
A subtle tactile click of my right finger sends a wireless signal to my rear derailleur as I shift down one cog, my legs ramping up the cadence as my speed increases. Despite the jetlag and poor sleep, I feel as if I have a tailwind. My excitement, fueled by the imagery of chasing down a fellow racer for the win, cuts through the mental fog and gives me another 20 watts. I glance down at my wrist on which the new Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” is strapped to, checking my time as I ascend the famous Category 2 climb to the Superga. In a few short hours, professional riders from all over the world will be ascending this very same climb in the first stage of the famous Giro d’ Italia. The amount of time passed since I began the ascent accurately revealed my pro-rider fantasy as a delusion, as the true pro’s will be completing this climb significantly faster than my pace. To experience that feeling of a professional cyclist is not by happenstance. It is by intended design and exactly what Tudor strived to deliver in every detail. On this 30 km portion of the route, I am sporting the same kit, riding the same bike, and wearing the official watch of a Tudor Pro Cyclist which is why Tudor has flown me out to Turin, Italy. For the next 48 hours I would be fully immersed into what the life of a professional road cyclist would be when competing in a multi-stage national race. Everything about the next two days would expose me to the extreme precision that a...
Hodinkee
Can you get into this new cycling-inspired Tudor like riding a bike, no matter how unseriously you ride?
Fratello
You might say that Omega’s Summer Blue collection is old news in 2024, and you’d be right. Omega’s Summer Blue line was hot and trendy in 2023, but it’s been a year, and aside from a few underwhelming Olympic models, we have not seen much from the Biel/Bienne-based brand. OK, there were the white-dial and […] Visit A Belated Hands-On With The Omega Seamaster Ultra Deep Summer Blue to read the full article.
Monochrome
An emblematic name for the dive watch community, Squale has gained great credibility with its solid, no-nonsense models and recognition from military forces. Created in 1959, when Charles Von Büren registered the Squale name, this year, the brand celebrates its 65th anniversary. A few months ago, Squale released the Master Titanium 120 ATM, an appealing […]
Hodinkee
The new diver from Zenith is actually the old diver from Zenith.
Monochrome
Most days, you’ll catch me wearing a dive watch or a classic chronograph. This is what I most enjoy as a watch collector (yes, we are first and foremost watch fans at MONO). I like to wear watches that I don’t have to worry about, and I love a timepiece with some heft. Not necessarily […]
In 1971, banker-turned-explorer Peter Gimbel set out on a 5-month voyage aboard the Terrier VIII to be the first person in the world to capture a Great White shark on film. He cobbled together an eclectic team for this adventure, including everyone from conservationists and shark experts to filmmakers and writers. This expedition resulted in the documentary film Blue Water, White Death, which has since become a cult classic within the diving community, and features a slew of very unique, very 70s dive watches to boot. Among the crew of early underwater luminaries (Stan Waterman, Ron and Valerie Taylor, anyone?), Gimbel also saw fit to hire budding singer/songwriter Tom Chapin along as a guitar-slinging jack of all trades, whereupon he became the natural soundtrack for the film. Tom’s role in this expedition is considered to be the inspiration for filmmaker Wes Anderson’s inclusion of Brazilian folk singer Seu Jorge in his sea-set feature The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Both films result in support of an eternal truth, that the best boat rides are the ones with folk singers aboard. For the last three years, the Windup Watch Fair in Chicago has brought enthusiasts from as far south as Texas and from as far north as Canada to gather and geek out on watches from around the world. Beginning with the first year of Windup Chicago, a dedicated team of watch enthusiast divers started an adjacent activity, affectionately dubbed “Windup in a Lake.” Each year, this intrepi...
Deployant
The "Pilot" watch company has decided to bring in a new line which dives into the deep blue sea. Here's the in-depth review of the latest Zenith Defy Extreme Diver.
Fratello
The Tudor of today has a raised voice and speaks its mind loudly and confidently. It doesn’t look like the brand it was before 2012, the year in which Tudor launched the Black Bay, the foundation of the manufacture we see today. Seeing a retro-styled dive watch with a burgundy bezel at Baselworld was confusing […] Visit What’s Next For Tudor? - Is It After Omega, Or Will It Take Rolex’s Former Spot? to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Since Doxa’s relaunch in 2001, there have been multiple iterations and limited editions of their classic dive watches. These include contemporary versions with various depth ratings, multiple dial colors, and new case materials. In May of last year, Doxa launched the Sub 300T Clive Cussler, paying tribute to the legendary author and explorer. This model has classic proportions and is made of distressed stainless steel. It has a matching distressed beige dial with a compass rose motif at its center. The case back features inscriptions, specifically the names of shipwrecks and other historical artifacts discovered or surveyed by NUMA, the non-profit agency founded by Cussler. New for 2024, Doxa is releasing the SUB 300T Sharkhunter Clive Cussler edition as a follow up. Sharkhunter is the name they use to identify their black-dialed dive watches. This watch has the same wonderful details as the previous Clive Cussler homage but with, you guessed it, a black dial. The case is 42.5mm in diameter and only 44.5mm from lug to lug, with a thickness of 14mm. Its trademark cushion case makes this large watch suitable for nearly any wrist size. The Swiss-made Sellita SW200-1 powers the watch, which beats at 4hz and has a power reserve of 38 hours. It is also water-resistant to 300 meters, as all SUB 300T’s should be. The Clive Cussler connection began almost 50 years ago when he took a $400-per-month gig at a dive shop after quitting his job as a creative director at an advertisin...
Hodinkee
Plus, a titanium diver from Blancpain and a yacht-ready chronograph from IWC.
Fratello
The Venezianico Nereide Aureo is the latest release from the small Venetian brand. It’s also a dive watch with interesting materials and processes that come together at an affordable price. Let’s check out this intriguingly colored watch. We’ve looked at several Venezianico watches on Fratello and have been impressed with them. Today’s Nereide Aureo uses […] Visit Introducing: A Flash Of Gold With The Venezianico Nereide Aureo to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Plus, a wild Millenary from AP and ever-so-thin Piaget.
Deployant
Ulysse Nardin releases a new Ladies Diver watch dubbed Atoll. This is a new addition to their 39mm Diver collection, which now numbers 19.
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