Best Super NEWS Watches
Grand Seiko Katana Watch Video Review: A Week On The Wrist
If intricately finished, nature-inspired dials are your thing then it's a given that you're into Grand Seiko. Now, if you also so happen to be into katanas (or Japanese swords) then you're in for a double treat because the good folks over in Japan recently released a trio of U.S. exclusive watches that I think you might like. The SBGA493 from afar. The SBGA493 up close. At $6,000, it's difficult to find a better dial. The Grand Seiko SBGA489, SBGA491, and SBGA493 are all part of the brand's already existing 44GS design and share the exact same 40mm case and Spring Drive Caliber 9R65 movemen...
Photo Report: The Launch Of The Blancpain X Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms
It feels like I've been covering MoonSwatch for a decade when really it's been just over a year now. It remains the one of the most shocking releases in recent memory, and not just because of the watches. I won't soon forget arriving to the Swatch store in Times Square last March for the launch unsure of what I'd find but positively floored when I saw upwards of 2,000 people lined up for blocks and blocks. These were people who had stood in the cold all night long. This began a fervor that has yet to die down, and which was followed up on this past week with the announcement of a new collaboration: The Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms: A mix of the Swatch S...
Hands-On with Vacheron's New 35mm Pink Overseas in Iceland
Vacheron Constantin is delivering a double dose of news today. And its not just a new watch, but a partnership as a part of the "One of Not Many" campaign for the Overseas collection alongside Cory Richards. Let's start with the watch. The brand's 35mm Overseas lineup is relatively young (announced at Watches & Wonders this year) and VC has already announced two downsized variations of the brand's third-generation case shape in steel and pink gold, with and without diamonds. Those watches came with blue dials (except for the diamond-set steel which sported a pink dial). Now there's a new and pretty classically-striking optio...
Watch Spotting: Coco Gauff Wearing A Rolex Oyster Perpetual After Winning The 2023 U.S. Open
Another fortnight at the U.S. Open in Queens, New York, is behind us. While every major tournament is special, this one felt different. On the women's side, 19-year-old American Coco Gauff won her first major title. On the men's side, Novak Djokovic won his 24th major, the most Grand Slam singles titles in men's tennis history. Gauff took the title in three sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium. For us, one of the most exciting parts is sticking around for the trophy ceremony, when we get to see which watch the champion pairs with their new trophy. For Rolex testimonee Gauff, the choice was a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Red Grape, from the prev...
Review Of The Cartier Santos-Dumont Micro-Rotor Skeleton 2023
It's only been four years since Cartier brought back the Santos-Dumont collection. With the release of this year's Santos-Dumont Skeleton Micro-Rotor, it's impressive how far the collection has come since the 2019 release of that first relatively affordable (and quartz) Santos-Dumont. Cartier brought back the Santos-Dumont collection in 2023. The Santos-Dumont dates to 1904 and is often credited as the first commercially available men's wristwatch. For most of the model's history, the Santos-Dumont was a dressy watch on a leather strap. In 1978, Cartier introduced a separate line, the Santos de Cartier, adding a bracelet and r...
Introducing the M.A.D.1 Green from the mind of Max Bsser
The first M.A.D.1 never officially launched. In an icy blue, the first release was just sent casually in an email to the "Friends" that help supply MB&F (where the "F" is for friends who do things together C like make watches), with a few pictures and a $2,000 price tag. Suddenly, watches from the Max Bsser mind space, usually a world of $60,000 to $500,000+ watches, were available to people who helped make them happen. Later, members of MB&F's owner's group, "The Tribe," were invited to buy one as well. It was fun but still out of reach. Then, in March 2022, the M.A.D.1 Red launched, and the world went wild. With only 1...
The Complete History Of John Lennon's Patek Philippe Watch
If you've been around watches, no doubt you've seen this photo. It's collector catnip: John Lennon, one of the most famous people of all time, wearing a Patek Philippe ref. 2499 perpetual calendar chronograph, one of the most important watches ever. Just months after this photo, the former Beatle was murdered, and the watch hasn't been seen since.?Thanks to an ongoing lawsuit in Geneva, new information about the mythical Patek's history and current whereabouts has surfaced. But the lawsuit is only the beginning of a story of extortion, theft, and a stolen Patek that traveled from New York to Turkey to Germany to Geneva and, perhaps, back home, as well as the legacy Lennon left behind.? ...
Each week, we present a selection of our favorite watches from the pre-owned side of our collection. Captured by our talented in-house photographers, you get a closer look at what makes these watches so special. This week, we have a handsome Blancpain Fifty Fathoms with a useful complication, the raciest version of the Speedmaster Mark II, a finely aged two-tone Rolex Root Beer GMT-Master II, a beautiful Cartier Drive, and a Panerai with west-coast appeal. Rolex GMT-MASTER II Ref. 16713 Click Here for Rolex GMT-MASTER II Ref. 16713 The 16713 introduced the two-tone case and bracelet t...
What You Need To Know About the Apple Watch Series 9 And Apple Watch Ultra 2
I had the chance to be on-site for today's Apple Keynote in Cupertino and just came up for air to tell you about it. By far, the largest applause at today's Apple Wonderlust event was the inclusion of USB-C on the new iPhone 15 (I enthusiastically clapped for this as well), but, of course, I was more excited to hear all the new Apple Watch news. Apple just launched its two newest iterations of the world's most popular watch (sorry, but it's true), the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. While they look nearly identical on the outside as their predecessors, there are a few software and internal upgrades that only make what I think is the best smartwatch ...
Freddie Mercury Seiko Sells At His Estate Auction for 35,560
The big watch auction season is just around the corner, but with fall here, we've already had a few smaller auctions that have brought us some exciting watches. The first is a 1980s Seiko coming from the mega-sale of Freddie Mercury's estate. After that, we look at what's happening in the worlds of vintage, neo-vintage, and modern indies by featuring a few more watches from recent sales.Let's get to it.? A Seiko Pulsemeter From Freddie Mercury's Estate In an event spanning multiple sales at Sotheby's last week, more than 1,400 items from the estate of former Queen frontman Freddie Mercury were sold at...
TAG Heuer Turns On The 'Brights' With The New, Lume-Dial Monaco 'Night Driver'
There are few watches that are more synonymous with driving than the Monaco. TAG Heuer considers it "the ultimate driver's watch" (of course) and while that might be a stretch, it's certainly an icon. But how do you take an iconic form like the square Monaco and add a bit of punch? TAG Heuer hasn't been short on ideas. The recent skeleton releases are some of the brand's boldest yet, but not exactly the most legible. The "Night Driver" changes that. With its black DLC grade 5 titanium polished and fine-brushed case, the new Monaco Chronograph Night Driver is a bold design and reminds me a lot of the "Dark Lord" vintage chronograp...
The New Black Tudor Pelagos FXD For The U.S. Navy
Tudor released the Pelagos FXD in 2021 as a purpose-built take on its Pelagos dive watch, designed with direct input from France's Marine Nationale. Today, Tudor has announced the next iteration of the Pelagos FXD, this time inspired by its history of watches made for the United States Navy. Except for the new black color, the latest Pelagos FXD is similar to the existing model that was developed with input from the MN.? The dimensions of the brushed titanium case on the new Pelagos FXD are familiar: 42mm diameter, 52mm lug-to-lug, and 12.75mm thick, along with fixed spring bars (FXD is short for FiXeD). True to the Pelagos' purp...
Bulova Resurfaces Its 1972 Devil Diver From The Depths Of Its Heritage Design Vault
In the early 1970s, the uniquely American (and uniquely adept marketing strategist) watchmaker Bulova wanted to have a little fun with the classic Swiss-Standard depth rating of 656 feet, and crafted a dive watch named "The Snorkel" that could accurately sport a depth resistance of 666 feet, or the Number of The Beast, on its dial. This risk paid off, and the divers sporting 666 feet on their dials were fondly dubbed with the nickname "Devil Divers." Continuing its reach into its 1970s archive, Bulova resuscitates the handsome good looks of its 1972 Oceanographer, adding a GMT twist in efforts to appeal to frequent travelers of the 21st Century with a trio of three unique color combination...
Hands On with Audemars Piguet's Jumbo Royal Oaks in Yellow Gold and Bulk Metallic Glass
I can understand the Royal Oak fatigue. There's a confluence of reasons the watch has reached such ubiquity and yet, frustratingly, has maintained some untouchable status. It's even more frustrating when, like me, you've got your eyes set on the mother of all Royal Oaks: the "Jumbo" Extra-Thin. I honestly get a chuckle when I see the comments on every story about the numerous variations that Audemars Piguet invariably releases every year. "Is anyone else sick of the Royal Oak?" No, you're not the first person to think it, let alone comment on it, but being quick to dismiss every Royal Oak release often misses something pretty cool in the process. This i...
Hands on with the De Bethune DB28XP Kind of Blue and DB28XS Starry Seas
If "Tiffany blue" had it's moment in late 2021 and early 2022, I'd venture to say that recently, a more vibrant blue is giving Tiffany a run for its money.? We've seen the AP Perpetual Calendar Royal Oak in blue ceramic make waves, and recently, Revolution released a Unimatic in a similar color. But the "OG" vibrant blue of modern watchmaking, in my mind, belongs to the folks at De Bethune. That "De Bethune" blue was discovered by accident by Denis Flageollet, who was attempting to heat treat titanium balance wheels to reduce instability and, in the process, found that when heated over 700o Celcius, titanium took on this almost c...
Hands-On: Longines Spirit Zulu Time In 39mm
Though at times it may seem as though I'm planning to launch a sub-Hodinkee just for travel watches, I still can't get enough. It'll be a cold day in hell when a new and competitive GMT doesn't get me pumped. It's been an incredible few years for GMT watches, and the market is only improving in terms of value and competition. Among the fray, Longines made waves earlier this year when they announced a further extension of their Spirit line by way of a 39mm version of the Spirit Zulu Time. It's a handsome and well-featured travel watch that is now being offered in somewhat smaller proportions C needless to say, we needed a closer look. ...
Introducing the New Cartier Tank Cintree Limited Edition In Platinum
In 2021, Cartier marked the 100th anniversary of the Tank Cintre by releasing a gold limited edition. This year, Cartier has introduced a new limited Tank Cintre that faithfully captures the model's lineage, but now in platinum. It's not a reissue of any specific Tank Cintre but takes inspiration from its heritage to create a modern watch full of vintage appeal. Quintessentially Cartier, the Tank Cintre is a formal watch full of simplicity and elegance. The large, curved case defines the Cintre, making it the boldest of Tank models and supposedly suited for modern tastes. The platinum case of the new Tank Cintre measures a ...
The New 40mm Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph
There's a new Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph on the market today and C to the delight of many C it's been downsized to 40mm in diameter. Oris debuted the non-limited edition Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph all the way back in 2019. The watch had a mix of steel and bronze and played into the popular vintage-inspired feel of the time. Since then the brand has been relatively quiet with the line. The feedback from watch lovers seemed to be that despite an attractive package, the watch C at 43mm wide and around 16mm thick C was just a bit too big. Instead of leaning into a fully vintage aesthetic with the gi...
Hands-On in Iceland with the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase
For a while now, it has seemed like I was the last person in New York who hadn't gone to Iceland. Part of me resisted any urge because, well, why do what everyone else has done? I'd rather go to Norway, where my family is from, or Patagonia, with the dramatic mountain landscapes. But part of not visiting Iceland was kind of like resisting watching everyone's favorite TV show. Iceland has been so hyped up that it couldn't meet expectations, could it? The Kvernufoss waterfall in Iceland, not far from one of the most famous waterfalls in the country but worlds away as a more quiet and secluded experience. We run into this a lot w...
Diving With The New Tudor Pelagos FXD
Surrounded by a tight green fog, I can't see the surface or the bottom. My right hand slowly slides along a guideline that connects me to the wreck some sixty feet below me, deeper into the green. The line fades into the water beyond my grip, and my only point of reference is the methodical kick of my dive buddy's fins a short distance ahead. Listening only to the bubbles from our regulators, we transition to the anchor line and begin our descent. Slowly dropping on the line, I see my buddy C some fella named Jason Heaton C turn on the wildly bright light for his camera. I'm pleased to notice that visibility is improving as the e...