More than just about any other watchmaker, Japan's Seiko has become known for offering not only multiple styles and complications in its product families, but also several different types of movements — from affordable quartz, to proprietary hybrid Spring Drive, to high-tech solar and radio-controlled, to classically traditional mechanical. However, one Holy Grail combo that has eluded Seiko and its fans until very recently is the rare GMT (aka dual-time) watch powered by a mechanical movement and priced at what most would consider entry-level for a budding collector. Fortunately, the past few ..read more

The Rolex GMT-Master II is one of the most coveted luxury travel watches on the planet, and its predecessor, the original, non-numerical GMT-Master, basically established the template that other dual-time zone timepieces have been following for more than half a century. Here is a detailed look at the history and evolution of the GMT-Master II, from its aviation-inspired beginnings in 1954 to the iconic status it enjoys in the modern era, with all the major models spotlighted in between. 1954: “PEPSI” FOR PILOTS Rolex, the luxury watch firm founded in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf, achieved one of ..read more

While it’s been making its timepieces in Switzerland since the 1970s, Hamilton Watch Company, founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1892, has few peers when it comes to being a vital thread in the historical tapestry of American watchmaking. The heritage brand, today a part of the Swiss Swatch Group conglomerate of companies, continues to lean heavily into its New World roots for its diverse collection of product families, which ranges from military tool watches to sporty divers, from elegantly appointed dress pieces to retro-futuristic curiosities — while also maintaining a price-to-value rat ..read more

Watches & Wonders 2024, the world's largest international event devoted to fine watches, wrapped up last weekend in Geneva, after a full week in which the Swiss city essentially became a playground for the watch industry and those of us who chronicle it. Once again, the annual event featured new timepieces from an all-star assemblage of more than 50 watch brands, from industry titans to ambitious independents (and that’s not even counting the dozens of brands exhibiting outside the main show, in hotels and other venues throughout Geneva). As in previous years, Teddy and I, along with our u ..read more

There are dive watches that you wear to go diving and there are dive watches that you wear — well, maybe afterward, to the country club where you go to talk about diving. It is this latter category that we’re focusing on with this list — so-called “luxury” dive watches, timepieces that still offer all the functionality and toughness one requires of a diver (all of the watches listed come in at 200 meters or more of water resistance) but do so at a higher level of elegance than elevates them from tool watch to dress watch — i.e., precious metal or exotic-material cases, extra complications, exc ..read more

If you’ve ever wondered what the “Wonders” were at the Watches & Wonders fair (“Isn’t it really all just watches?”), IWC may have come up with an invention that most would agree is truly wondrous (and yes, it is inside of a watch, but still…) — namely, the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar, the high-complication flagship of the revamped Portugieser collection that was unveiled at the Watches & Wonders Geneva exhibition this week. Most watch enthusiasts know IWC Schaffhausen best for its Pilot watches, which are among the most iconic and influential in horological history. What the most ..read more

Watches & Wonders, the world’s biggest international watch fair, is taking place this week in Geneva, and our team is still visiting and meeting with some of the world’s most prestigious watchmakers. Today, we’re spotlighting Patek Philippe’s latest version of its historic Golden Ellipse dress watch, one of the new timepieces generating buzz in the halls of the expo. The Background: The Golden Ellipse, launched in 1968, is Patek Philippe’s second oldest existing model behind the Calatrava. Its odd elliptical case, combining elements of an oval and a rectangle, took its influence from the ..read more

Watches & Wonders Geneva, the world's biggest watch fair in the world's most cosmopolitan watch city, is in full swing this week, and our team is on the ground covering the highlights from some of your favorite watchmakers. Below, we've collected all the major new releases from Rolex, with a bit of background on each model, details on the newest pieces, and our own on-site photography. Rolex GMT-Master II The Background: The original Rolex GMT-Master debuted in 1955, developed with the design input of the era’s commercial airline pilots. Now known as the GMT-Master II after a revamp in 19 ..read more

In recent years, Zenith has streamlined its various product families while at the same time introducing a range of styles, materials, and colorways to appeal to as wide and diverse an audience as possible. What has been conspicuously absent from the manufacture’s lineup for more than a few years, however, has been a purpose-built watch for divers. At Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024, Zenith fills this long-unoccupied niche in its portfolio with the Defy Extreme Diver, the latest extension of the boldly stylish, envelope-pushing Defy collection.  The Zenith Extreme Diver, launching in tw ..read more

The world’s biggest event devoted to luxury timepieces, Watches & Wonders Geneva, is in full swing this week, showcasing new watches from more than 50 brands, from industry titans to trend-setting boutique brands and independents. Among the most anticipated new releases, as always, are those from Rolex-owned sport-luxury specialist Tudor. Below we offer a hands-on preview of the year’s most intriguing new Tudor watches of 2024. Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome” The Background: The Black Bay collection has been the undisputed flagship of the modern Tudor portfolio since its introduction in 2012 ..read more