Review – The Accessible High-End Watch, the Ophion OPH 786 Velos

“Accessible” and “High-End” are not words that usually go well together… Quality usually comes at a price. A case made by a master watchmaker, a guilloché dial and a hand-decorated movement are often signs of a 5-digit price tag. Enjoying the taste of independent watchmaking, the exclusivity and the craftsmanship require deep pockets. A sad […]

5 years ago

Introducing – The Seiko Prospex Street Series Enlarges with ‘Urban Safari’ Tuna-Inspired Watches

“Inspired by the original 1975 Seiko diver’s, this new timepiece features the same iconic outer protector, in a more compact design perfect for urban living.” Seiko’s speech regarding these new models, an entire collection of no fewer than 11 watches, says it all. Take one of the brand’s most important professional specification dive watches, extract […]

5 years ago

Introducing – Baltic Aquascaphe Bronze

The brainchild of a young, passionate French collector who wanted to offer handsome vintage-inspired pieces at reasonable prices, microbrand Baltic has been successful – rightfully so – with its two existing collections. One of them is named the Aquascaphe, a dive watch inspired by icons of the 1950s, packed with retro-styled elements. Following the development […]

5 years ago

Hands-on – A Watch for A Good Cause, the NOTSAG Aquaelite Type II

We recently went hands-on with the NOTSAG Aquaelite Type I, the first of two accessible watches from Los Angeles-based startup, NOTSAG. Founder Laurent Chardin Rischmann’s son, 10-year-old Gaston, battles multiple developmental challenges including mitochondrial disease, so 20% of net profits are donated to genetic research. NOTSAG is an anagram of Gaston and the brand was […]

5 years ago

Introducing – Bamford London Commando GMT and Predator GMT

George Bamford is best known for customizing (officially authorized) watches from heavyweights like Zenith, Rolex and Patek Philippe via his company, Bamford Watch Department. His latest watch brand, Bamford London, has been building watches from scratch for a couple of years now and had an unusual start. There are now two main collections with several […]

5 years ago

Review – Hamilton Ventura Elvis80 Automatic

Back in the 1950s, all consumer watches were mechanical, either hand-wound or automatic. The initial storm of the quartz crisis was still a couple of decades off and either design or mechanical prowess helped set brands apart. One major horological disruption occurred in 1957 in the form of an electronically controlled, battery-powered wristwatch. Packaged in […]

5 years ago