Monochrome
Rado is synonymous with high-tech ceramic, which is used to great effect on its sleek, geometric designs and vintage models alike. Rado’s 1962 Captain Cook dive watch, resurrected in 2017, was given a high-tech plasma ceramic makeover in 2021. Not only did it feature a ceramic case and bracelet, but its dial was also skeletonised […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Citizen Watch Co. of Japan has been making watches for 100 years, and a glance at the brand’s current portfolio reveals that quite a few of those watches are dive watches. It’s not surprising, since Citizen has been in the business of supplying watches for divers since the early 1980s, and has been extending the variety of styles, functionalities, and even movement types available in the various collections ever since. So how do you decide on whether you want your first (or next) Citizen dive watch to be an Eco-Drive or an automatic? An everyday-wear Fugu, a multipurpose Aqualand, or a deep-diving Eco-Zilla? Our comprehensive guide is here to help you, with a brief history of Citizen dive watches and a rundown of all the styles available today. Swiss watchmakers began embracing purpose-built, water-resistant divers’ watches in the early 1950s, while their contemporaries in Japan came aboard a decade or so later. As many history-minded watch enthusiasts are aware, it was Citizen’s competitor, Seiko, that released the first Japanese-made divers’ watch, in 1965. However, Citizen’s Parawater, regarded as the first “water-resistant” Japanese watch, preceded it to market six years earlier, in 1959. The Parawater watches (as above) were waterproof to 50 meters of depth, an impressive feat for the era, and they were the forerunners of Citizen’s contemporary line of dive watches, which began in the 1960s but really kicked into gear with the release of the Promast...
Monochrome
The “Baby Reef” series of Formex 39.5mm dive watches, comprised of four watches distinguished by dial colour, was presented at the end of 2023. Now, in time for summer, it gets a new and very fresh-looking reference. It’s everything the brand enthusiasts appreciate about the collection, only brighter. Here’s the Reef 39.5mm Bahama Blue 300m […]
Fratello
We are back with another series of Fratello Favorites. This time, we pick what we feel are the best watches under €5,000. I have the honor of kicking off this new series and sharing my favorites in the segment. I have chosen to focus on dive watches only this time. Why? Because I feel this […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €5,000 - Thomas’s Picks From Tudor, TAG Heuer, Doxa, And More to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Seiko has announced a new addition to their King Seiko lineup, and it’s their most radical release yet. Okay, maybe radical is a bold word choice for what is essentially a line of simple, sedate, and elegant dress watches, but this reinvention of the tonneau-cased King Seiko 45KCM offers us our first glimpse at what a King Seiko lineup may look like beyond the shadow of the King Seiko KSK. If you’ve been paying any attention to King Seiko since the marque was relaunched in 2020, then a lot of the details here will come as no surprise. In many ways, this latest launch follows the same recipe as other recent King Seiko releases, and in particular shares a lot in common with last year’s SJE089/SJE091 King Seiko KSK update. As I mentioned up top, the new King Seiko KS1969’s big differentiator comes in the form of an elegant tonneau case. I’m a big fan of this case shape, which often offers a tremendous ratio of wrist presence for wearability (just ask anyone who’s ever worn a Doxa Sub300). The new King Seiko is presented in somewhat of a Goldilocks size, with a diameter of 39.4mm, a thickness of 9.9mm (though I’m unclear on if this includes the box sapphire crystal), and a lug-to-lug of 43.6mm. Seiko also claims that the watch has a low center of gravity which, paired with the curved case, will keep the watch close to the wrist. All of this should make the KS1969 incredibly comfortable for a wide range of wrists. The vintage-inspired multi-link brick bracelet has...
Fratello
I have spent close to a month with Tudor’s Black Bay ref. M7941A1A0NU-0003, which some are calling the Black Bay “Monochrome.” These are my thoughts on why it is the brand’s most significant release in a decade. Autumn in Sydney usually presents itself in one of two ways. One way greets you on the horizon, […] Visit Trying Out Tudor’s New Black Bay “Monochrome” In The Pacific Ocean to read the full article.
Monochrome
Dive watches, pilot watches or luxury sports watches are some of the most popular types of watches, but when it comes to complications, the chronograph probably reigns supreme. However, even in the field of chronograph watches, there are a lot of differences to be found! With that in mind, we go beyond simple manual and […]
Worn & Wound
One of my favorite watch discoveries last year was Atelier Holgur, whose debut diver, the Frømand, I reviewed last year. When I had it in for review I found it to be quite impressive on a number of levels, but the best thing about it was its commitment to the idea behind it. It’s a perfectly capable diver, but everything about it has been designed with a particular aesthetic appeal in mind. In a watch world full of brands that are trying to sell you “tools” you will never actually need, it was weirdly refreshing to see Atelier Holgur admit that they just wanted to make something that looked nice. Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder, and you might see the Frømand and immediately want to turn away, but I happened to enjoy it’s unusual take on the skin-diver format and highly legible dial execution. Now they’re back with an update to the Frømand, the new Edition Fumée Silver Tide, with a dial that provides this diver with a very different personality than the debut. The new Silver Tide follows other Edition Fumée releases in a variety of colors that have trickled out from Atelier Holgur over the last year. The Silver Tide variant, according to the brand’s founders, takes inspiration from their night diving experiences, where moonlight reflects off the water with a silvery glow and fades into the black of the ocean. The dial here is higly evocative, with a bright silvery center that gradually becomes darker until it reaches total blackness at th...
Fratello
In this edition of Fratelli Stories, we learn more about Fratello reader Andre. He combines his passions for diving and underwater photography with his love of horology. This includes his fondness for his favorite diving companion, a Rolex Sea-Dweller. Underwater photography is a passion of mine as well. The underwater world is both enchanting and […] Visit Fratelli Stories: How Andre Combines His Passions For Watches And Diving to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Newly established “micro” brand Anoma follows a familiar template: making particular vintage designs or genres affordable. But it’s approaching the concept with a different flavour. Instead of “sector” dials or Breguet numerals, the brand’s inaugural watch, the A1 First Series, is a clean, geometric form inspired by 1950s furniture. Initial thoughts The A1 is refreshing change from the typical “micro” brand offering that is too often a remake of a vintage Patek Philippe or dive watch. While the A1 won’t have the broad appeal of a conventional round watch, it is an interesting alternative for someone on a budget. The A1 is more typical of “micro” brand offerings in its fit and finish. It is done well for the price, but some compromises had to be made to achieve the affordability. The gap between the case middle and back, for instance, is quite obvious. This isn’t a criticism but a fact true of all brands in this genre. Vintage flavour Founded by Matteo Violet Vianello, a management consultant who’s a watch entrepreneur on the side, Anoma aims to be a “experimental and daring vision of watch design”. The A1 is not modelled on a watch, but instead a triangular table designed in the 1950s by French architect Charlotte Perriand. Earlier in her career Perriand worked at Le Corbusier’s studio, where she helped design several now-famous pieces of furniture, including the B 306 chaise longue. The watch reproduces the outline of the table with the cas...
Fratello
Summer is just around the corner, and dive-watch season is well underway. This means long days in the sun, traveling to exotic locations, and plenty of action in the water, like swimming, snorkeling, and maybe even diving. But as much as we enjoy long, sunny summer days with our divers, we wanted a watch that […] Visit Available Now: The Jacques Bianchi Marseille × Fratello JB200 PoulPro Night Diver Limited Edition to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Jacques Bianchi Marseille has teamed up with Fratello Watches to create a new iteration of their already popular JB200 PoulPro. The new variant released today is now dubbed the JB200 PoulPro “Night Diver”, due to its new nocturnal layout consisting of a black PVD case and a fully lumed dial, both features being a first for Jacques Bianchi. Fratello is known for creating high quality and entertaining watch enthusiast content, and more specifically their infatuation with the Speedmaster that started with their founders creation of the #speedytuesday hashtag. Fratello has even collaborated with Omega due to the hashtag’s marketing success, and they’ve since branched out to create watch collaborations with many other watch brands just like this new Jacques Bianchi release. The JB200 diver was only just reissued in 2021, and it garnered some outstanding success due to demand from vintage watch lovers who were quite fond of the original from the early 1980s. The new “Night Diver” variant seen here is similar in many ways to the reissue, maintaining the 42mm case and 13.3mm thickness, as well as a lug to lug of 47mm. The JB200 is relatively well proportioned on the wrist, although it does have a slightly heftier appearance when comparing to the benchmark Rolex Submariner 124060 with a 12mm thickness. Much of the fit disadvantage is offset by the rest of the specs, especially the lug to lug measurement which can at times be more important than the actual case size....
Monochrome
A true household name for Seiko enthusiasts, the Marinemaster has long been synonymous with the higher-end, professional-oriented dive watch of the brand. First released in 1999, the Seiko Marinemaster SBDX001 (and subsequent variations) became one of the most emblematic divers of Japan, only to be discontinued a few years ago. Last year, Seiko brought back […]
Monochrome
One of the Japanese watchmaker’s most emblematic modern dive watches (probably only rivalled by the Turtle), the Seiko Samurai was first introduced in 2004. A large, robust and angular model, this modern-looking watch soon became a classic, only to be discontinued. After almost 10 years of absence, it resurfaced in 2017 in a slightly updated […]
Fratello
Atelier Holgur is a small Singapore-based brand with Nordic roots and a specific take on tough dive watches. Since the release of its debut model, the Frømand (meaning “frogman” in Danish), Atelier Holgur has tweaked its distinct design language. By introducing the Frømand Edition Fumée Silver Tide, the evolution is apparent. We love our tool […] Visit Introducing: The Evocative Atelier Holgur Frømand Edition Fumée Silver Tide to read the full article.
Time+Tide
This tasteful collaborative piece harkens back to the Zodiac Point Series of the 90s, while featuring some enthusiast-minded modern touches.The post The enthusiast-minded Zodiac x RedBar Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver hits on an interesting point in Zodiac’s modern history appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
For Tudor, 2024 was a year of safe bets, with the only completely new model family, the Black Bay 58 GMT, being an almost guaranteed success from the get-go. Overtly referencing sought-after vintage GMT Master models from sister brand Rolex, the BB58 GMT further solidifies Tudor’s dominant position in its category. While the big story last year was Tudor’s move out of its parents’ basement and into its own manufacture in Le Locle, this year was comparatively tame, focused on expanding the line-up of METAS-certified Black Bay models. Initial thoughts Tudor is one of the Swiss watch industry’s great success stories of the last decade. In a market in which high-end products have enjoyed the lion’s share of growth, Tudor has achieved an enviable market position by consistently improving design and quality while maintaining affordable pricing. The brand is also listening to the community, and introducing products that are likely to have built-in demand; the BB58 GMT is emblematic of this formula. Beyond its signature gilt accents and black and burgundy “Coke” bezel, the big story is of course the packaging of a true “flyer” GMT functionality in the smaller Black Bay 58 case format. The original Black Bay GMT, introduced in 2018, was beefier, at 41 mm in diameter and nearly 15 mm thick (14.6 mm to be specific). The Black Bay Pro shrunk the diameter to 39 mm, but the thickness stayed the same, resulting in a watch that felt overly thick. The New BB58 GMT address...
Worn & Wound
It feels like not too long ago, TAG Heuer had completely revamped their Aquaracer line of dive watches, and for the most part, they were well received by the public at large. However, many collectors felt they had not gone far enough, especially with their 300m Professional series. TAG Heuer has listened and updated for 2024, with tweaked and revamped versions of the Aquaracer Professional 300 Date and GMT. At first glance, you may quickly mistake these for the previous generation, but rest assured, the refinements are there, and they are considerable. Let us begin with what they have kept. The general shape of the watch is identical to the previous one, however they have slightly downsized the case from 43mm to 42mm. This may not be too noticeable, though proportions feel enhanced. They have also kept the quirky and unique polygonal hour indices, as well as the color matched ceramic bezels with a blue lumed triangle at the 60-minute mark. The latter matches the lume color on the minute hand, while everything else glows green, as it did before. The bracelet also remains the same and it retains the tremendous on-the-fly micro-adjustable clasp, which was introduced with the prior incarnation. The case back still features the neat diver’s helmet engraving and is screwed down by a proprietary key. Lug-to-lug length has been shortened by 2mm and is now 48mm, which should make these watches even easier to wear for more people. These new models will be available in black, blu...
Monochrome
TAG Heuer is renowned for its automotive heritage and racing chronographs, but the brand also boasts a strong nautical and water-sport legacy, particularly with its Aquaracer dive watch collection. Introduced in 2004/2005 as the direct successor to the 2000 series, the Aquaracer line has become a cornerstone in TAG Heuer’s portfolio. The collection was fully […]
Revolution
Fratello
At the end of August, the official opening of the 37th America’s Cup will take place in Barcelona. Six sailing teams will compete against each other, and a few of them are backed by big names in the watch industry. Today, we’ll put two of those brands up against each other - Panerai and Tudor. […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa Ti-Ceramic Vs. Tudor Pelagos FXD Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition to read the full article.
Deployant
The Ulysse Nardin Diver NET OPS and Diver X Skeleton OPS are the latest additions to the brand's Diver collection, bringing a fresh and utilitarian OPS colorway to these performance-oriented timepieces. The Diver NET OPS is notable for its sustainable construction, featuring a case made from 95% recycled stainless steel and a unique composite material comprising upcycled fishing nets and carbon fibers, offering a robust yet environmentally conscious design. Its 44mm case is complemented by a unidirectional timing bezel crafted from Carbonium, a material known for its strength and lightweight properties derived from the aerospace industry. The Diver X Skeleton OPS, on the other hand, showcases a premium approach with its DLC-coated titanium case and intricate skeletonized design, providing a glimpse into the watch's mechanical intricacies. Both models maintain the brand's commitment to precision and durability, with water resistance suitable for professional diving and a design that's both modern and tactical.
Worn & Wound
Of all the topics often discussed within the watch world, many are esoteric and maybe even a little silly to non watch enthusiasts. Inscrutable changes in text, minute differences measured in millimeters, you get the idea. To the average consumer, these things don’t mean much. To them, a glossy-dial Submariner 5513 with a gilt underline dial doesn’t look radically different to the current product (and that sentence just sounds crazy). One thing that will undoubtedly catch anyone’s attention, though, is a beautiful stone dial. Exotic dials can do more than just look pretty; they can imbue familiar watches with an entirely new character. Case in point: the Nivada Grenchen F77. Of all the topics often discussed within the watch world, many are esoteric and maybe even a little silly to non watch enthusiasts. Inscrutable changes in text, minute differences measured in millimeters, you get the idea. To the average consumer, these things don’t mean much. To them, a glossy-dial Submariner 5513 with a gilt underline dial doesn’t look radically different to the current product (and that sentence just sounds crazy). One thing that will undoubtedly catch anyone’s attention, though, is a beautiful stone dial. Exotic dials can do more than just look pretty; they can imbue familiar watches with an entirely new character. Case in point: the Nivada Grenchen F77. The post The Incredible Nivada Grenchen F77 Stone Dials appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Worn & Wound
Designing and creating your own watch is a dream for many collectors and enthusiasts. Think about the questions and topics of conversation that pop up at watch meetups over and over again and how often they trace back to this idea of what you would do if you could make a watch. Little changes to handsets, the perfect case size, and favorite dial colors are all potentially on the table if you’re making your own watch. So it’s fun to observe the results when a friend and colleague in the watch community actually follows through and makes their own watch, which is what we’re able to do with the Wren Diver One, the first watch made under the Wrist Enthusiast banner. Wrist Enthusiast was founded by Craig Karger in 2015 as an Instagram account, but has expanded in a major way just in the last few years, adding a blog, a YouTube channel, and a podcast. Over time, the Wrist Enthusiast Instagram account has developed a massive following of roughly 500,000 followers, and they touch on every major corner of the watch world, including covering new releases from both large and small brands. The new watch, according to Craig, comes from a desire to create something that he and his team would want to wear everyday, applying their combined knowledge and interests into a single piece. The Wren (for WRist ENthusiast, if you didn’t catch it) Diver One has the broad outlines of a classic dive watch, which I think is to be expected given that this type of watch, specifically, has b...
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