Throughout this series, I've had the pleasure of reviewing straps from many makers worldwide. It was my goal, in a way, to provide a platform for everyone. After all, it might be easier for a watch guy in the US to order from a company stateside. Equally, a European might favor a brand based in the EU. Yet, there are only a handful of German brands that I managed to feature, despite the country ha

As part of its Change for the Better campaign, Oris invites enthusiastic collectors to participate in cleanup events across the globe. Armed with litter pickers, high-vis vests, latex gloves, and Oris caps, many watch fans descend to their local beaches to rid them of waste. Litter is an unfortunate fact of life, and a few hours over a weekend won't greatly reduce the overall impact. But spending

When I started collecting watches in the 1990s, Tudor only had a small presence in the European market. The brand exported most of its models to Asia, and the ones remaining in Europe consisted mainly of Submariners and Prince Chronographs.Third-party movements from ETA powered both, and some of the parts clearly came directly from . That changed drastically for us Europeans in 2010 and two years

Another Friday, another Top 5! Last week, we took a look at some of the best recent releases with stunning green dials. As of this week, we would love to proudly add the Fratello Minase M-3 Nori Exclusive Edition to that list. Obviously, last week’s article was part of the buildup to that new release. This week, we will move on to a different concept than a dial color but one that is built o

Don't you love it when watch brands dare to veer off the beaten tracks? We have plenty of middle-of-the-road watches, so something unique is always welcome. Well, we have something like that today. Meet the Arcanaut Arc II D'Arc Matter with a slate composite dial and lume in four color choices.And these aren't just unique-looking pieces. They will also be rare. Only 25 of each color will be availa

Have you always been interested in the Dutch brand Batavi, but none of its watches have ever convinced you? Well, in that case, the all-new Batavi Atelier might make you pull the trigger this time. Just like the rest of the watches in the brand’s portfolio, the Atelier packs a lot of value for the money. And, of course, the designs feature some original colorways. The watch is a little more

Legibility - it’s one of those terms that gets thrown around liberally in the watch world. A good watch should be easily legible. Otherwise, it fails to serve its primary purpose. In particular, tool watches are kept to a high standard here. But how is great legibility achieved in watch design, and what myths surrounding legibility deserve busting?As much as we love intricate designs that ma

Sometimes, an item can become so ubiquitous that we fail to question its history. Such is the story of the Movado Museum Watch. Sure, there’s a commonly told story, but for an item that even horology neophytes recognize, the history is brief and lacking. What started as a typical fact-finding mission turned into an ongoing search for more.You’re instantly forgiven for uttering the word

The Cartier Santos-Dumont was one of the first wristwatches ever made. Louis Cartier designed it at the request of his friend, the Brazilian pilot Alberto Santos-Dumont. He was looking for a watch he could read while flying. The Cartier Santos(-Dumont), with its signature square shape and quirky screws, is now a true icon. The Santos-Dumont is the dressier option next to the “regular”

Elizabeth Doerr, journalist for Revolution Magazine, visited the Audemars Piguet factory in Le Brassus and additionally got some tanning on the Hydroptere, the world’s fastest sailing boat.Besides visiting AP’s factory (see picture above), Elizabeth also had a look in the AP museum and the nearby Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi facility. The Renaud et Papi facility is wear all the compl

The Bremont MBII was designed by Nick and Giles English, the brands founders, to be the “definitive aviation chronometer” and to embody everything that is meant by the phrase “made in Britain.” This limited edition piece created in conjunction with British retailer The Watch Gallery in London was to take that a step further and create a totally one off MBII that would be se

Remember our previous article on the Chopard L.U.C. Engine One by our contributor Angus Davies? Earlier this year, during BaselWorld, we got?acquainted with the Chopard L.U.C. Engine One H Tourbillon in titanium. Limited to 100 pieces only.L.U.C. Engine One H TourbillonThe L.U.C. collection of Chopard is – as you probably know already – their most prestigious selection of watches that

Every week we receive a lot of questions regarding Speedmaster prices. What’s a good price for this Omega Speedmaster 105.012 or what should I expect to pay for a Speedmaster Snoopy Award or a Speedmaster Gemini IV?We already helped starting collectors a bit forward with our two-part Speedmaster Buyer’s Guide here and here. However, we also thought it might be a good idea to create an

Omega was so nice to ship us their new Omega Seamaster 300 Spectre limited edition for a hands-on review. Now, I am more a Speedmaster kinda guy, but the Seamaster 300 made a very good impression on me from the start. This might have to do with the roots of both watch collections, that are so close and go back to 1957. Omega introduced the Seamaster 300 CK2913, Railmaster CK2914 and Speedmaster CK

Did you realise that it was 15 years ago that Manfred Brassler introduced his signature watch, the Meistersinger Scrypto 1Z Einzeigeruhr?Neither did I, and I don’t exactly know how to feel about it. On one hand the Meistersinger single handed watches to me feel like they’ve been here forever. I can’t remember that they didn’t exist. Seen in that light, fifteen years is only

Mobile AppsIf you are an avid Instagram user like I am you probably came across these #watchessentials images. What you see in these photos are stuff people carry around with them on a daily basis. Things like car keys, belts, wallets, sunglasses and of course, watches. You rarely see an image that does not have a phone in it and it is obvious why. Whether you like it or not, smartphones became a

After the extraordinary Panerai Combusin Experience in Italy – on which we reported here – we had the possibility to sit down with Panerai CEO, Jean-Marc Pontroue (JMP). Coming from Roger Dubuis, he’s now Mr. Panerai, and we were eager to know what that means for him.#gallery-1 {margin: auto;}#gallery-1 .gallery-item {float: left;margin-top: 10px;text-align: center;width: 50%;}#g

After a sell-out release of the original Ocean Crawler Dream Diver earlier this year, the Rochester, New York-based brand is back with a new limited-edition re-issue. The newest release features three new dials including a Blue Carbon Fiber, Red and Orange dials colors.The original Dream Diver release debuted with a run of 300 units. This reissue will see the same number of watches hit the shelves

Ahoy friends and all aboard for this week’s edition of Wrist Game or Crying Shame. We’ll take a look at the very first IWC Aquatimer Cousteau Divers. But first…Every time I try to have a little fun around here, you guys go and get all kinds of serious. And so it was with the Corum Bubble Shark Diver. You burst my bubble because this expressive diver sunk into the abyss with a 75%

What’s better than having a watch for a hands-on review? Having three, of course. Especially if that brand that supplied you with them is called Grand Seiko. While they only differ in color, the Grand Seiko SBGE253, 255, and 257 offer great versatility for any watch lover. These new SBGE models might fill the void that the previous ones (SBGE201, SBGE215, SBGE248) left in terms of looks and