In the 1980s, IWC introduced a series of highly specialized dive watches for the Kampfschwimmer, an elite German military dive unit. Made in conjunction with Porsche Design, these titanium watches had IWC technology and ingenuity behind them. As military-issued versions of the IWC Ocean 2000, they are now referred to as the “Ocean Bund” among collectors and enthusiasts.The IWC Ocean Bu

Grand Seiko's first all-mechanical complicated watch debuted in 2022. It was a timepiece with a movement featuring a tourbillon with an inner carriage rotating at eight beats per second and a constant-force mechanism rotating at one beat per second. Not only was the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon SLGT003 a complicated and ingenious watch, but it was also quite the groovy one. The const

Back in early 2023, Longines brought back the famous Majetek pilot's watch. This tribute to the 1935 Czechoslovak-military-issued wristwatch was the second and, to us, more successful reinterpretation after an earlier version in 2014. Today, however, Longines is back with another variation on the Majetek theme, this time in titanium. Let’s take a quick first look to see what's what.This new

The Forstner 5-Row Beads of Rice bracelet is the brand’s latest option for those who enjoy the look of a vintage accessory with modern quality. The choice to recreate this Gay Frres model from the ’40s is intriguing as it’s not the most famous. How does this bracelet blend with modern and vintage watches? Crucially, how does it feel on the wrist?Forstner does a fantastic job of

As promised (to Martijn, see the comments of the GP post below), I hereby post a few pictures of a watch that I bought a few months ago, from a fellow Dutch collector. It is a Titus Geneve chronograph from the 1940s (ca.1946-1948) with a Landeron 48 handwound movement. It is a 38mm watch, which was quite big for those days, in a 18ct red gold case. The case is very light and has a metal ‘rin

Speedmaster ’57 Re-editionsIt’s Speedy Tuesday! We probably don’t have to tell you that very first Speedmaster has been introduced in 1957. This highly-sought after model has become very expensive over the years (if you can find one in original condition at all). Over the years, Omega introduced several models that were heavily influenced by this very first reference CK2915 Speed

Seiko's 6309 diver is one of those watches that everyone seems to know and love. Instantly recognizable due to its bold case shape and stark dial, I'd say it's one of the more important watches created during the last 30-40 years. In today's #TBT, we'll take a closer look at the famous 6309 and try to explain why it's so beloved. I'll also highlight its dark side, which actually makes the thrill o

Want to know when your watch is due for a service? The Lepsi Watch Scope measures a number of vital signs, like accuracy, beat error, amplitude etc. Below, our hands-on review of the Lepsi Watch Scope that you can use to keep track of the performance of watches in your collection.We will try to focus a bit more on stuff surrounding our beloved timepieces. Gadgets, accessories, things we like, or w

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from Japan loves watches,? including the relatively unknown Minase Divido watch from his home country.He has been spotted before with nice watches. A vintage Omega Constellation C-model, a Speedmaster Reduced, a Seiko Astron and a Grand Seiko. Today, we’ve received a few ‘watch spottings’ of him wearing a Minase Divido. That might not directly ring a bel

The ventura v-matic EGO has been resurrected.? Fans of the 90’s brand and newcomers alike will find this new release highly satisfying.I received an email from the team behind the new ventura Watches several weeks back with the announcement that the brand was officially being relaunched with the ventura v-matic EGO.? I had certainly heard of ventura Watches and as someone who started admirin

Even when you’re not into watches, or into Speedmasters, it is nearly impossible that you have not been confronted with a gold coloured astronaut, a picture of the gold Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th anniversary or an advertisement of the Moonwatch.What did you expect? Omega has been keen on their role as the official supplier of chronographs to the NASA astronauts since 1965. The 25th anniversa

Look at your perfectly framed , Omega, or Breitling vintage ads and tell me, have you ever thought to frame the old Seiko ads too? Our colleague Jorg did some elaborate work over the last year and compiled a shortlist of 31 remarkable print ads. His selection revealed many interesting facts and insights. You can find them here or here. Once you’ve polished-off those articles, grab some extr

The word icon is thrown around way too often for comfort, in my opinion. But, like it or not, every brand has them within its history. The definition of the word - a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol - lessens its grandiosity and clearly makes it the perfect descriptive term for the TAG Heuer Carrera, a model which has, alongside other iconic pieces from the brand (such as the Mo

Dive watches are immensely popular amongst watch aficionados. However, most of them are never used for the task for which they’re designed. I’ve been diving for quite some years now. As such, I’ve always worn a dive watch from my collection alongside my trusty dive computer. Here are five watches that I actually used while diving.Often people are afraid to use their watches in or

Years of daydreaming, months of groundwork, weeks of refinement, days of pressure, and several hours of anticipation came to a close in 39 minutes of furious activity in the Fratello shop this morning. In the blink of an eye, all 50 pieces of the Fratello Czapek Antarctique Passage de Drake Viridian Green limited edition were spoken for. With the prototype staring back up at me from my wrist inqui

If a former ambassador and COMEX diver says about your watch, I find it very beautiful, sober, and classy, and the diameter is perfect too, you have reason to be proud. This happened to Vincent, a 29-year-old watchmaker from France, who started his own brand (BND) to develop watches.So, let's have a closer look at that watch that was praised by Theo Mavrostomos, who used to be an ambassador for t

Welcome back to another installment of a Brief History of Time. Today, we pick up where we left off, exploring the fascinating history of Breitling.With the Chronomat and Premier in the ’40s and the Navitimer and SuperOcean in the ’50s, Breitling had built up some major momentum. The 1960s proved to be yet another fruitful decade for the brand, starting with some notable improvements t

Praesidus is bringing back the A-11, a wristwatch manufactured during World War II in accordance with the U.S. military standard. The American microbrand reinterprets those historic specifications to build modern-day A-11 watches as a medium for untold wartime stories. Praesidus conveys its latest D-Day story through the Marston Mat Limited Edition of 100 pieces. The brand has divided the release

It’s funny just how different experiences can be from one watch enthusiast to another. Not too long ago, Nacho “confessed” that until recently, he had never actually visited an authorized dealer (AD). Just like him, I also thought they looked quite unwelcoming at first. But, after having visited numerous ones and having bought a few watches from them, I can actually say that I no

I would not be lying if I said that the new Awake Mission To Earth watch is balancing on a precipice of hype. Whether it will tumble down the crevasse of one-hit wonders or become a future-proof microbrand legend remains to be seen. But the premise is a cool one, even if we are slightly colored by our own love for Moonwatches (and MoonSwatches, for that matter).Even with nearly half a century sinc