hands-on

Since their founding in 2020, Beaucroft has worked to blend historic timekeeping techniques with a bit of modern style to create watches at an affordable price point and attract a new generation of watch enthusiasts. Located in Cambridge, England, th

Reviving defunct watch brands is more common than it once was. Previously, the idea caused excitement, though not without trepidation. Would this reincarnated brand bring back interesting pieces from its archives, be a contemporary reinterpretation o

Last week, Jacques Bianchi released what is probably their most boring watch in recent memory, and the results speak for themselves. Compared to many of the brand’s recent releases, the new Jacques Bianchi JB300 is inarguably their most conventiona

Watch history is often the story of unsung heroes. Zenith is commonly credited as the creator of the first automatic chronograph, while their collaborator Movado is often a footnote, if mentioned at all. The Omega Speedmaster, famously the first watc

“Quiet luxury.” That’s the phrase that kept getting thrown at me during my week with the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde. “This is so quiet luxury.” It was an almost near-universal response, a constant chorus scoring my time with o

Whenever a new brand pops up I’m always intrigued. And while I’ve got nothing against a good ol’ dive or field watch, my interest is always piqued if it’s something with a more classic vibe. Especially if there’s some real watchmaking pedig

Nearly a year ago I sat in on a conference call with some colleagues and members of the Serica team, who outlined their upcoming slate of 2024 releases. They were particularly excited about a new watch they weren’t yet ready to show us that would d

We expect, at this point, Christopher Ward to impress us with showstopper releases from time to time. Whether it’s the Bel Canto, the Twelve X, or something comparatively more sedate like the C1 Moonphase, it’s clear that the brand has entered an

The jump hour is a nearly criminally underrepresented type of watch. These semi-digital mechanical devices simplify time telling through more complex movements, a perfect example of watchmaking’s inherent and lovable absurdity. Their unique dis

We live in a very good time for independent watchmaking. I know that may sound like an oddly specific metric by which to judge the world, but it’s true. There was a time, not so long ago, when an enthusiast watch collector looking for a highly comp

Search for “vintage watch” on Kickstarter and you’ll be met with page after page of watches that seek to capture the charm of watches from decades past. Some will be near-replicas that look more like carbon copies than modern interpretations. O

Over the course of two years, the Bel Canto has fundamentally changed the way many watch lovers view Christopher Ward. This has been discussed in depth here and elsewhere, and is without a doubt one of the biggest stories in the watch world in the la

Tennis is having a bit of a moment. From the tennis-core revival Zendaya seems to have inspired to the hordes of people (and celebrities, who we all know aren’t people) who descended on Flushing Meadows earlier this fall for what turned out to be t

No Windup Watch Fair would be complete without Lorier. Since the brand’s introduction six years ago, they have become a fixture of the show and a consistent hit among attendees. Seriously, anyone who dropped by Center 415 this past weekend will kno

I am no stranger to the road, often finding myself lost on winding backcountry roads, grabbing cocktails in random local bars, and hunting for the hidden gems that make travel great. It can be easy to get lost in these adventures, jumping over time z

If there’s a single area of the watch world that feels truly exciting and vibrant right now, it’s the small, approachable, independent brands. I like to call them “micro-indies,” because they take elements of what made the microbrand boom so

While much of the focus when discussing Hamilton’s history centers on World War II (for good reason), the brand was making waves within its repertoire decades earlier. In the mid-1930s, the country was in the throes of economic recovery after the W

I’d be hard-pressed to name a watch more iterated upon in the last few years than Zodiac’s Sea Wolf. The retro-inspired diver has been at the heart of a true brand renaissance and was at the forefront of the vintage revival movement that has so c

Longines, somehow, still feels slept on to me. In the hierarchy or Swatch Group brands, they sit in a place where they really should be insanely popular with enthusiasts and the mass market alike, but somehow they often feel like a brand struggling t

Picture this: You’re playing Thursday night trivia and the DJ asks which watch was first worn on the moon. The softball question generates bar-wide high fives as everyone celebrates their collective awareness of Buzz Aldrin’s Speedmaster that

One of the great things about the world of watches today is there’s always something out there waiting to surprise. Even as someone who spends a lot of time paying attention to this stuff, there are still brands that slip through the cracks and wat

Many are quick to point to the venerable Seiko SKX and Seiko Turtle as being the best entry-level dive watches, even going as far as to label them as “must haves” in every collection. That being said, I have always gone a bit against the grain. N

The muggy jungle of the South Pacific was no place for weak watches. As World War II raged through the early 1940s, Allied troops found themselves trailing behind the production capabilities of their Axis counterparts, and manufacturing on the homefr

One of the things I will absolutely never tire of when it comes to attending watch shows like Watches & Wonders and Geneva Watch Days is the opportunity to handle watches that would be simply impossible to view at any other time. These events are

“Sold Out,” the words marking what was previously an “add to cart” button, reminding me that I missed out on the original drop. Just a few months ago, a small unassuming brand just 4 hours south of me in Cincinnati, Ohio teased a few

Maybe it’s just me but I find the micro and independent watch world to be utterly fascinating. And it is so for many reasons, one being the sheer variety of options we have for all genres of watches which are available at a wide variety of prices.

When I think of Victorinox, only one thing comes to mind: their iconic Swiss Army knife. Growing up in the scout program, I thought that a Swiss Army knife was the coolest thing ever, even if I couldn’t find one with the perfect tool set. Years lat

I didn’t learn how to drive a car until I was 25 years old. This was partially motivated by the same frugality that draws me to budget watches, but mostly because bikes offered fun and freedom that cars simply couldn’t compete with. Whether runni

I’ll be honest, I started off my experience with the new Viajero coming from a pretty far off and distant place. No, not some cool and remote corner of the world, but as a person who was largely unfamiliar with both Haim as a brand and also the con

Earlier this year, Nomos released thirty-one separate limited edition versions of their Tangente 38 Date. If you ask most collectors and enthusiasts, the Tangente is the brand’s most recognizable design, and is usually found in somewhat staid a

The age of the circular watch has ended. The mid-century divers, chronographs, and Calatravas are out. Ok, not really, but it looks like shaped, asymmetric, and sculptural watches are the next coming trend. Kicking this new era off have been a few re

Sometimes the little moments inform our collecting more than the big ones. A big moment might be the first time Dad trusted you to wear his watch. While formative, there’d be a lot more two-tone bracelets on Instagram if those moments drove purchas

In case you couldn’t tell, we’re fans of Tudor in these parts. Yeah, yeah, nothing new; everyone likes a Tudor, but man, even in head-to-head combat, it’s hard to find much fault with their watches. Well, I’ll tell you a secret: I do have an

So far 2024 is a year where brands have been belting out bombastic bangers of watches one after another. So, when a different take on a beloved complication is dropped, we naturally crane our necks to peek at what’s new. The first Swiss chronograph

Here’s the thing about wearing the Amida Digitrend: you can’t take a traditional wrist shot with it. It’s not an insignificant point in 2024, when the watch industry effectively lives on Instagram, and the currency through which influence is th

It’s been a few months since the end of Watches and Wonders, and the world of watches is starting to feel a little bit more normal again. There aren’t dozens of watches fighting for your attention in countless new release articles. What is happen

It’s hard to relaunch a brand. We’ve seen it over and over in the watch industry: brands, in an attempt to reinvigorate themselves, gain more traction in the market, and adapt to changing times, will sometimes make a decision to completely rethin

If a tide pool at a waterpark represented the world of micro/independent watches, some brands would be the kids who sit at the edge, waiting for a wave to bowl them over, others would be the dad that overcompensates by proving he can swim all the way

Nivada Grenchen’s F77 was a big hit when it was released last year. With an integrated bracelet, 37mm case, and exposed-screw bezel, the F77 captured all the fun of 1970s sports watches. Even better, this was no mere homage: the watch has actual he

Over the course of three years visiting Geneva with the Worn & Wound team, a handful of traditions have begun to take shape. We carve out a night for a team dinner at Jeck’s, a hole-in-the-wall Singaporean restaurant that we stumbled upon in ye

We’ve already brought you news on what are likely the highest profile releases from Grand Seiko this year: the all new SLGW002 and SLGW003, the SBGC275 with an amazing dial that is only red some of the time, and, of course, a new Kodo. But there’

Close your eyes and picture a watch. It probably has three hands and a round case. Watches come in all shapes and with any number of hands, but for the most part, they stick to these two staples. In fact, these standards are so expected that we don

Something we find ourselves saying a lot: these pictures don’t do justice to this watch. These pictures, by Kat Shoulders, are excellent, of course, but because they only capture a single moment in time, they miss an important element of drama in t

“Whoa, this thing is cool” is what I found myself speaking out loud upon opening up the box for the newest collaboration between Nodus Watches and Raven Watches — two forces in the microbrand community that have a solid history of putting out s

Somehow, to this point, I’ve avoided taking a stand in the ongoing conversation in our ranks about the merits of titanium. Zach Weiss, our cofounder, is an unabashed fan, and confidently declares at every opportunity that all watches might as well

Making judgments off photos alone is a necessity in the world of microbrands, a subset of watches often sold exclusively online. Unless you are lucky enough to attend an event such as Windup Watch Fair, purchasing a microbrand usually requires some e

ARDIO is an independent U.S. brand based out of Pennsylvania and founded by Ron Oley. The Caribe is the brand’s first watch and is the product of over three years of design effort. ARDIO keeps a fairly quiet online presence, with their main website

Earlier this month, Zenith introduced their first new watches of the year at LVMH Watch Week. The new releases fill out their core Chronomaster Sport and Chronomaster Original lines with new colorways and, for the Original, a classic complication rei

Anyone who has been in the watch world long enough knows how hard it is to be surprised. New releases often feel like a revolving door of familiar brands tweaking existing models. Maybe that means a blue Pelagos FXD instead of a black one, or adding

There comes a time when we must find the right shoes to strap our favorite watches onto our wrists. And let’s face it, we live in a time where there are many options to choose from at many price points. Besides the popular NATO-style straps and Tro

You’ve got two options. First, you can craft or find a device that can bend space and time so that you can travel back to an alternate universe in which the MIL-W-46374F Type 6 SANDY 660 was widely issued and battle-worn, and readily available. Sec

Make no mistake, I’m grateful to be able to write about watches. Doing so opens a lot of doors and brings about some great opportunities. Many fantastic new watches are delivered to my door, and often weeks will pass without needing to pick somethi

Make no mistake, I’m grateful to be able to write about watches. Doing so opens a lot of doors and brings about some great opportunities. Many fantastic new watches are delivered to my door, and often weeks will pass without needing to pick somethi

Once a small brand has gained some traction, they usually do one of two things: dig deep into a hero product, or continue to delve into their brand ethos to create new things. Haim Watch Company seems to be steadfastly in the latter category. Followi