Watches Blog Wrist Watch Reviews

If youve spent as long in and around the luxury watch industry as I have, youll know the feeling Im about to describe: sometimes, you love a brand for all the right reasons and adore its products because each and every one has a distinct character, a story to tell, or a level of craftsmanship that blows your mind without seemingly having to try, and yet somewhere, in the back of your mind, you feel like there might be more to come. Often, in ways we cannot predict, brands are still able to surprise us. And, in doing so, show us a vision of something yet more majestic that could be just around the corner. The A. Lange Sohne Little Lange 1 Moon Phase first bewitched me, before sending me on a [...]

And once again, just when you think youve seen it all in terms of vintage tool watches, something surprises like the Rado Over Pole.Man, its good to be back writing a TBT article.? Were so excited to have Tomas here on the team and he continues to share some fantastically different vintage pieces, but I couldnt let him have all the fun, could I?? So, for the first time in months, Im back in the well worn saddle to document a really cool watch that I truly stumbled upon in the Rado Over Pole.An Unexpected and Rare FindI was cruising some Japanese sites not too long ago when I truly stumbled upon the vintage Rado Over Pole.? I had never seen this model before and I spent a lot of time looking [...]

Did you read my stories on uni-compax chronographs within $1,000 and $5,000 budgets? If so, you might already have a newfound love for this genre. While you might expect this part to have a $10,000 budget, I'm jumping the shark and going straight to chronograph heaven. With a budget envelope saying, The Sky's The Limit, the choices are as difficult as they are dangerously tempting.What if you are unrestrained by monetary worries, or like me, you enjoy a good daydream now and then? What do you buy? At this level, the chronographs available range from classic elegance to futuristic panache. Choose between stealth wealth, heavy glamour, and a micro-mechanical monochrome masterpiece. Not all of [...]

Its been a good year for Bobsled Bobbys Box of delights. Not only has it got its own nickname now, but its also welcomed several new additions from all over the more affordable end of the luxury watch spectrum. Nothing on this list of my Top 5 watches exceeds 3,000. Some of them come in at ridiculously affordable prices. And when I say affordable, I mean affordable. Im not the kind of guy to assume that everyone can easily lay their hands on 1,500 to buy a new watch at the drop of a hat. But 28? I reckon thats something we can all at least aspire toI know these lists arent often ranked, because, as all parents find, its tough to choose between your kids, but here Ive taken the practical appr [...]

Buying a Rolex is not easy. That applies to new and pre-owned Rolex watches. With a new Rolex watch, the problem is availability. If you dont want to become a victim of the entire waitlist scheme, theres the pre-owned market, for example. But buying a pre-owned Rolex watch isnt easy either. I experienced that as recently as the last few weeks while I was hunting for oneIn this buying guide, you will find some tips on what to look for, where to look, and how to prevent you from ending up with something you dont want. If you are in the market for a used Rolex watch, there are a number of important things you need to know before you make the purchase.Pre-Owned Rolex Buying GuideDo your homework [...]

Panerai announced their?partnership with Luna Rossa, the Italian team which is the first to challenge the defender of the 36th Americas Cup. Because of this partnership, Panerai will introduce a number of watches dedicated to Luna Rossa. The first one we are able to show is the PAM1039, or Luna Rossa Challenger Submersible. Lets have a closer look.Officine Panerai?Luna Rossa Challenger SubmersiblePanerai introduces to you their Luna Rossa Challenger Submersible. Not only carbon fibre (used for the hull of the AC75 ship) is being used, but also a piece of the sailcloth of the Luna Rossa AC75 boat. With a 47mm case made of Carbotech (based on carbon fibre material), you can be certain that thi [...]

The ever-charming Antoine Pin of Bvlgari fame sits down with Rob to chat about his life in the industry, how his experience has shaped his approach to watch design and story-telling, and what possibilities might lie in store for Bvlgari in the future.In an energetic chat, Pin explains how he became bewitched by the industry and never managed to stay away from it for long. The fusion of passion, talent, and manual skill enthralls him on a daily basis at Bvlgari, and his guiding why not principle has led him to many happy design discoveries.He touches also on his perception of the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the industry and what we can expect to see from brands as they adjust the [...]

Oris new Big Crown ProPilot X Calibre 115 has been a surprise. Not that no one believed Oris could make such a watch, but virtually nobody expected it. With this watch, Oris proudly expose their ability to create extraordinary movements. Besides, they present a strong statement on their vision of the design for a future pilot watch. Fasten seat belts and lets lift-off to an exploration of this remarkable timepiece.In 2014 Oris reverted to manufacturing own movements. After a break of decades, they celebrated their re-establishment as manufacture by creating Calibre 110, a watch named after its movement, whose name, in turn, reflects Oris 110th anniversary at which they presented it to the pu [...]

Every once in a while, this discussion comes along. In forums for newbies, but also in forums for the more knowledgable collectors, like Watchrap.com.Aside from differences in the look feel of these two brands, people also tend to question which movement is better. Better in terms of finish, accuracy, durability and??robustness. At WatchRap, someone asked this question about the Omega caliber 1120 (based on ETA 2892-A2) and Rolex caliber 3135 (inhouse).Jack Forster??wrote an answer that seem to cut some wood (Dutch saying):As far as robustness goes, Id have to give the edge probably somewhat to the cal. 3135 as it uses very, very tried and true materials and its pretty much optimized to kee [...]

I have a weak spot for aventurine dials. These glass crystals with copper inclusions represent to me a starry sky. A perfect dial for dress watches or elegant ladies watches. Enter the Bvlgari Lvcea!Using this beautiful material isnt new to watchmaking. But unfortunately, only a few brands dare to use it and Bvlgari is one of them. The main problem with this material is that it can easily crack during the production process. And since it is not cheap, a lot of brands stay away from using aventurine for their dials.I wouldnt mind Bvlgari come up with a gold Octo with an aventurine dial.With the release of the new Bvlgari Lvcea models, there are now two more watches with aventurine dials to ch [...]

Italy is known for bold design and expert handicraft. The watches featured in this edition of Watch Dating Profiles bring that and then some. Bold, striking, and unapologetic, these watches get as close to a short red dress or Italian Barbera red wine as any watch can. The Unimatic U1 Classic is a thick and bold yet minimalist approach to the classic dive tool watch. The U-Boat Classico 45 Tungsteno Movelock is large, loud, and demands ones full attention. Finally, the Panerai Luminor Marina ref. PAM01313 embodies Italys incredible history as the modern-day iteration of one of the worlds first dive watches. Its still bold, but also the most elegant watch that Italys boldest watch designers c [...]

Omega is surprising each and everyone with the new Speedmaster Chronoscope collection, and its not even a (Speedy) Tuesday. It is also the introduction of a new movement for the Speedmaster, caliber 9908. A hand-wound two-register movement that has been Master Chronometer certified.The first thing to notice about this new 43mm Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope are the scales on the dial and the applied Arabic numerals. We have two of the new models here, the silver dialed reference 329.30.43.51.02.001 and the blue dial reference 329.30.43.51.03.001. Chronoscope is not a new name indeed, in case it sounds familiar to you. Omega has used it before, for its De Ville collection. Fun fact: Buzz Aldri [...]

For quite some time, fans of Grand Seiko have been hoping for a more centralized presence in Europe. And finally, it seems those prayers have been answered. On April 1st, 2020, a new subsidiary of the Seiko Watch Corporation, Tokyo, will set-up shop in Paris. Say hello to?Grand Seiko Europe S.A.S., the Japanese giants next step on its march around the globe.The wholly-owned arm of the Asian business will handle all the sales and marketing of the brand and its products across the continent of Europe. For those of us that a) love the brand, and b) work in the business of covering its moves and releases, this is incredibly welcome news. The products themselves are rarely in question. However, t [...]

The Rolex Air-King came about as a response to the popularity of larger cases with legible dials. Air-service men and women, especially in the RAF, would often opt for 33mm Rolex Oyster watches. Don't get me wrong 33mm watches are practically diminutive these days, but back in the 40s, this diameter was considered oversized. Therefore, the continuation of this diameter became inevitable.From 1957 to 1990, the Rolex Air-King reference 5500 was in continual production. The Air-King may not have had chronometer certification but the cost-effectiveness certified it as the entry point into the Coronet. During this time, it was typical for Rolex to partner with firms to gift Air-Kings to employees [...]

In this article, we show you 8 interesting watches to wear this summer. Summer is about to start, and hopefully, it will be a nice one We deserved it. And in case you didnt spend your holiday allowance (not sure if thats a thing outside The Netherlands, but here its 8% of your annual salary you will get from your employer in May) yet, here are some options for a nice summer watch for all budgets.When I go on a holiday, I try to keep the number of watches I take with me very low. Most of the time, I will bring just two watches actually. An all-rounder and something really low-budget, like a Swatch or a Seiko SKX007. It also depends a bit on where I am going. On a campsite, I try not to bring [...]

Nihao, watch fans, it's time for This Week in Watches: the May 12, 2019 edition.? We've got lots to cover today!We have quite the lineup for you today and are pleased to feature everything from the relatively attainable to things that are only attainable once you've likely attained just about everything else.? That's a lot of attaining, isn't it?? So without further ado, let's get into This Week in Watches Fortis PC-7 Team WatchesWe've not heard a lot from Fortis in a while.? It seems they've been reinventing themselves under new leadership and perhaps the new PC-7 Team watches are the first of many new announcements.? Fortis has been in partnership with the Swiss Air Force Demonstration Tea [...]

Let me just start this with a disclaimer: for me, picking an easy Top 5 Watches of a rather exciting 2021 is almost impossible. I have fallen in love with wristwatches many times this year, from press shots to the hitherto unknown joy of handling a $100,000 piece of wrist art at, get this, an actual event. Remember those?So with this in mind, I went with my ten-minute instinctual scribbles. To be fair, these might not be my final Top 5 Watches of 2021, but my personal and strongest impressions of the year. Did I expect more actual events than the charming Geneva Watch Days? Yes. Was this a couple of days to savor, leaving my wrist dazed and confused? Absolutely.Thors Top 5 Jaeger-LeCoultre G [...]

Its Speedy Tuesday An uncommon Speedy Tuesday, as we have a contribution from one of our readers about his unusual Omega Speedmaster Pro with reference number 145.0077 / 345.0077. Roman from Croatia writes us the following:Two unconnected events started this story.Purchase of a white dial Speedmaster in January, 2005.The OMEGAMANIA auction in April, 2007.In 2005 I bought Omega Speedmaster with with a white dial, Ref.No: DD145.0022 with a OMEGA 861 movement, Year of manufacture 1984. I wrote to Omega Switzerland to request some additional information about this watch.Below is the answer I have received from Mr.Jean-Luc Miranda, OMEGA Museum in February 2005.:?Your movement number is well rela [...]

Within the last two years, Ive found myself opening up to gold watches, including watches that are a combination of gold and stainless steel (bi-color). Actually, my first serious watch was a bi-color Omega Constellation. When I began collecting watches, I quickly shifted to stainless steel models, the occasional titanium watch and sometimes something PVD or DLC. Perhaps the most outrageous act of stainless steel is my Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo, a watch that has a price tag?that will buy you a full gold watch from many other brands.Buying Your First Gold WatchIn my watch collecting journey, Ive also bought gold capped and gold filled watches, but I didnt wear them often. Some left the [...]

Hello holiday shoppers and welcome to another installment of Wrist Game or Crying Shame. This week we take a look at the modern Rolex GMT-Master II Root Beer. But firstIt was just last week where we took a look at a 90s Omega Seamaster 120M in 18 karat gold. Clearly, this affordable looker still has the Midas touch because it shimmered its way to a 70% Wrist Game win. Folks, slowly but surely I will convert you to the splendor of gold. However, if youre not ready to go all the way, the horological industry has a compromise for you. The Europeans call it bi-color while us Freedom Fries refer to it as two-tone. Whichever descriptor you choose, this is a nice way to get a bit of everything. Thi [...]