Haven t you heard? The Audemars Piguets Royal Oak is something of a status symbol. With iconic lines and a legendary strength in steel, it is perhaps the it-watch for the it-crowd. And yet, until now, the slighter-wristed members of said crowd were left on the outside of this clique looking in. Well, no longer. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 34mm answers the prayers of the petite. The Royal Oak is one of the most popular timepieces on social media. It is adored by men and women alike. In a world where so much is regressing, the popularity of the Royal Oak DNA seems to be on an unstoppable march forward.Tell me more…These are risky times. Sales executives have good reason to be worried a...

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly mask-free version of Choose Your Own Adventure! This week, we ll have a look at a Panerai of nearly legal drinking age in the Submersible. But first…I m on a roll. Perhaps my roll is down the hill of despair, but I ve now featured two losers in a row. Last week s Patek Philippe 5524G Calatrava suffered a tight but ultimately decisive 52% Crying Shame loss. While I quietly applaud the Patek entree into more adventurous realms, most of you do not and, therefore, it appears that a Brioni suit still trumps a Givenchy tee (as if…). Moving on, let s see if today s Panerai Submersible whets your appetite for adventure. For those who...

Who doesn t love spotting a Seiko on the big screen? As you may be able to tell from my recent articles, I am missing the open ocean right now. Weirdly, in the UK at least, all marinas are closed. You would have thought that sailing on the seas was the ideal way to observe social distancing rules.If you are a yacht owner, I can imagine the barnacles gathering on your hull may cause a few sleepless nights. First world problems, I know, yet I cannot help but yearn to skipper a boat for the day just for a quick coastal blast.Watch spottingIn the absence of the real thing, I ve been filling the void by watching some of the great yachting movies from classics such as Dead Calm (1989) to hidden ge...

Its really hard to believe that the extremely expressive Maruman Bike chain bracelet from Japan was designed more than 50 years ago. A couple of days ago, I walked into the kitchen, sat down, and put my hands on the table. I was wearing a T-shirt so that my wife would have a perfect view of my wrist. Yet she was busy doing her stuff, so my question about how I look like made her turn around for a mere five seconds. I pointed her with my eyes to the just landed and freshly installed Maruman bracelet on my wrist. It took her about two more seconds to respond. You look like you have confidence issues, she said before turning away to something that she obviously thought was more important than m...

Just a couple of months ago when the world looked completely different, Robert-Jan and I attended a little watch get-together. At the event, we got to see the Vale Park Officer model from Visitor Watch Co. up close. I must say the thing that stuck most with me was its remarkable design. Fast forward a couple of months and we have the Visitor Linden Snowfall here for review. It has the same instantly recognizable design details but it s a completely different watch.On the way back from the get-together, Robert-Jan and I discussed the design of the Vale Park Officer. He remembered his review of the first Visitor Watch Co. model, the Calligraph Duneshore, back in 2014. Back then, Robert-Jan als...

Earlier this year, Grand Seiko introduced a number of limited edition series for their 60th anniversary. However, very silently, they also snuck in the SBGH277 and SBGH279 references.I will let the video do the talking (in fact, I did), but you can find some additional pictures of the Grand Seiko SBGH277 and SBGH279 below. These two watches are part of the Heritage collection from Grand Seiko.SBGH279 - Brushed Grey DialSBGH277 - Sunburst Silvery White DialZaratsu Polished 44GS StyleThe 40mm Zaratsu polished case has the famous Grand Seiko 44GS style. The original 44GS case is a design of 1967, and a bit different from the cases used today. That s why we speak of 44GS style, and not just 44GS...

Brands emerge from all kinds of places. A dream, an opportunity, or a legend that deserves to be known, are all possibilities. Roll those three together and you have the story of the William Wood Valiant, created to honor the life and work of a storied firefighter.William Willie Wood served in the British fire service for more than a quarter of a century. By the end of his career, he had amassed a list of merits and plaudits of which anyone could be proud. His grandson, Jonny Garrett, the founder of William Wood Watches, is one such person. Driven by a desire to commemorate his late grandfather s achievements, Garrett started a company that has since racked up a few impressive accolades of i...

Vintage watch collecting is a fantastic hobby for many reasons. Firstly, you have an endless number of timepieces from the past. And there s always more to discover. It s fun to explore new models from time-to-time. Then, there are those neat stories about them. This one was worn by a pilot in World War II. That one was the president s favorite piece. Perhaps you ll find a model made famous by a famous wrist? But what I love the most about vintage watches are those beautiful books written about them like 30 mm Chronometer by Erich Lexer.I think I heard about this project a while ago from someone. Not sure who it was. Then last year, during lunch after the Speedy Tuesday event in Frankfurt, I...

The watch industry is certainly no stranger to dichotomy. A solid gold dive watch. A million-dollar, mud-resistant survival watch. And new from Roger Dubuis, a minute repeater in a case that can only be described as the Knights of the Round Table…in space.None can best Roger Dubuiss commitment to traditional craft within complex constructions, but it wasnt always this way.Roger Dubuis HistoryRoger Dubuis laid the foundations for his namesake brand in the mid-nineties. Surprisingly, as the classic, round, Bi-retrograde timepieces could easily be confused as hailing from the forties. 2005s Excalibur was a dramatic departure that would later shape the format for Roger Dubuiss contemporary...

In this Sunday morning column, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And dont forget to let us know which watches youd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. Well try and feature as many of our readers choices as we can. This week, we ve got another head-to-head for you. Let s see whether the Grand Seiko SBGH281? or the Oyster Perpetual 114300 emerges as this week s working-class hero.Last week saw a record-breaking contest ‘twixt Ben and me. We enjoyed it. And judging by the 3,600+ votes you, our dear readers, cast...

If you re looking for a great story, check the attic. Zenith knows this all too well as the story of the revival of the famous El Primero movement revolves around the attic of their Zenith Manufacture building. In 1975, now Zenith legend Charles Vermot hid all the technical plans and tools necessary to produce every component of the famous El Primero movement.? Among them, a box of prototype dials for the El Primero A386 that were never used in production. Until now, with the introduction of the Zenith Chronomaster Revival A386 Manufacture Edition.It has been great to see that Zenith has been gracing us with a string of excellent releases lately. The most loved ones amongst watch enthusiasts...

Welcome back to This Week in Watches for May 23, 2020: the essential edition. Many of our readers either have a long weekend due to Memorial Day or are coming off of a bridge day from last week. We won t make you think too hard during your time off with these three-handers.Timex Milano XLIf we talk?essential, three-hands, a bracelet, a date function, 50 meters of water resistance and quartz define our needs. But why not throw in a little retro style to create an inexpensive looker? Well, that s precisely what Timex has done with its new Milano XL collection. The nice thing is that XL only means 38mm on this 1970s-inspired c-cased watch. It s available in three different colors which include ...

The release of the NOMOS Glashtte Ace Jewelers Tangente 38 Amsterdam Limited Edition Watch marks the fourth time the Saxon manufacture has collaborated with Amsterdam s most visible and active retailer. And what can I say? They ve hit the mark again.I was involved with the first NOMOS/Ace limited edition way back in 2017. Back then, we celebrated 100 years of De Stijl with a 38mm Orion. I still wear mine (16/100) with pride. In fact, I was so proud of that project I didn t think I would ever be able to distance myself from it enough to objectively analyze any future editions in the Ace NOMOS line.But here we are. It seems time and distance are great for perspective. In all honestly I ca...

Here s our Top 10 Grand Seiko overview! An overview of the hottest Grand Seiko watches according to our readers.We measured the reading and clicking behavior from May 2019 till now. The result? A list of the Top 10 Grand Seikos according to you, the Fratelli. Grand Seiko made big steps in the last few years. And with every new release, the brand figured out new ways to surprise us. Besides the unmatched dial and hands finishing, the cases are simply to die for. Zaratsu polishing for example, has become a standard. Only a few years ago, nobody except a few enthusiasts had heard about this. Due to the efforts that Grand Seiko took to create more worldwide awareness, the brand s watches have be...

As is becoming something of a trope, I d like to start this edition of You Asked Us with another question entirely. Before we can answer When were watches first invented, we must first address the somewhat broader question of What is a watch?I m sure you have a pretty good image in your head. I did too. And then I really started to think about it. How does one really draw a line between watches and clocks? On the surface there are a few simple suggestions that seem to hold weight, but ultimately fall down thanks to exceptional outliers spoiling the party for everyone else.A clean definitionMany sources will define a watch as a portable timepiece. This definition is insufficient, simply becau...

For its new introductions for 2020, Montblanc puts a lot of focus on expanding the 1858 collection. The 1858 collection is inspired by the Minerva watches from the 1920s and 1930s. Tool watches that were created mostly for military use and mountain exploration. The all-new Montblanc 1858 Automatic 24H fits perfectly in the 1858 collection and adds its own dose of quirkiness.The first thing that came to mind when I saw the Montblanc 1858 Automatic 24H was the thought of me flipping through the pages of the Grote Bosatlas as a young boy. It s the Dutch equivalent of the British Oxford Atlas of the World and was first published in 1877. The Grote Bosatlas?is a Dutch institution that still captu...

The longer you stay in this game, the more you come to realize one thing. There is watchmaking, and then there is watchmaking. A huge amount of modern watches fall under the first intonation. Many stand with one foot in either camp. But those from brands like J.N. Shapiro are comfortably within the bold category. And with his latest, engine-turned meteorite dial, he s clearly keen to remind us why he deserves to be there.According to an encyclopedia of Arts and Sciences from 1819, one must master 34 separate crafts to make a watch entirely from scratch. Reputedly, legendary British watchmaker George Daniels came close, mastering 32 of the 34. Daniels did not make his own crystals or springs,...

This watch is not easy to process. It is even harder to describe. The Sphinx O ver Electrifie is an incredibly rare, battery-illuminated, hand-wound piece. Get ready for a shocking mix of traditional elegance and crazy originality in todays #TBT. Wearable? Tell us what you think.I?bet you remember my love affair last year that was so elaborate to explain that I hardly managed to fit it into two lengthy, but I hope satisfactory 7-minute reads. The Tourist Everlight was a genius watch, but despite its originality, it never reached a reputation big enough to get on collectors lists. Quite the opposite. Due to issues with batteries leaking, large chunks of the sold production were taken back du...

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 isn t 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 wouldn t 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 aventurin...

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly must-read event that has become the internet s Clash of the Keyboard Warriors! This week, we ll have some fun with the Patek Philippe 5524G and see if it s worth spending your frequent flier miles. But first…Last week, I showed you what has to be the most polarizing Speedmaster Limited Edition to date with the Apollo XVII 40th Anniversary model. Polarizing means that you like it or not. Or, in the case of sunglasses, it means you can t see sh*t on your heads-up display. And folks, you did not see or like this watch. This Speedy was routed in an 85% Crying Shame loss.Yes, I ve embraced schadenfreude…Me? I enjoyed giving Gerard...