Ivan Chua, a Singapore-based designer has launched his second watch collection via crowdfunding. It follows his Retro Eclipse collection from 2017. That watch series had a simple, elegant dress aesthetic with inspiration from Chinese mythology (featuring an etching of the Heavenly Hound that devours the Moon on the caseback). The new Empire series goes in […]
CuleM Watches is a new microbrand based in Valencia, Spain, founded by Matthew Cule in 2018. “CuleM” is a combination of his last name and first initial. He launched his first watch collection via Kickstarter in May 2019 with a total of ten variants from three core models, all designed for world travelers covering 24 time zones. Let’s have a look at this accessible proposition in the GMT watch market, launched via Kickstarter.
At Baselworld 2018, Seiko Prospex’s focus was on the re-creation of the 1968 Diver 300m Reference 6159-7001, the first high-beat diving instrument of the brand. This gave birth to 3 watches; the pure vintage and high-end SLA025, to the cool green SLA019 and to the accessible but nevertheless desirable SPB077. This year, based on this modern re-interpretation of the 1968 automatic diver’s, Seiko introduces a new special edition for Europe and US markets, the Prospex “Twilight Blue” SPB097J1.
Founded just a few years ago, Depancel is driven by the passion for old French cars such as Delage, Panhard and Facel Vega. Now launching on Kickstarter, the brand’s latest creation, the Depancel [Re]Naissance is a tribute to an iconic car, the timelessly elegant Delage D8-120. Powered by a straight 8-cylinder engine with 120bhp (a […]
Umbra is Latin for “shadow” and, of course, a direct reference to the source of inspiration of this watch. Unlike the original Gnomon (the brand’s first project), which had a single hand conventionally rotate around the dial, the Umbra has a static hand with a rotating time disc, more reminiscent of an actual sundial. The […]
Alpina is adding four new Seastrong Diver 300 Automatic models to its popular dive watch collection this year. A practical and rugged-looking watch, the updates are all aesthetic and are geared towards making the Seastrong Diver 300 even more legible. Directly inspired by the brand’s heritage, these new models continue the proud tradition established last […]
We’ve discussed the surge of microbrands on many occasions, appreciating their innovative styling at accessible price points. Dive watches, however, can be a tough nut to crack with well-established players like Seiko, Hamilton and Tissot offering affordable, competitive options at retailers worldwide. In fact, the market seems flooded with divers from just about every major […]
UNDONE is a true case study in bespoke. A microbrand to be sure, but one that’s continuing to offer intriguing, customizable mechanical watches at affordable prices. We recently reviewed its Aqua dive watch and customization for that piece was pretty impressive. Multiple case finishes, bezels, over two dozen dial options, with or without date, over […]
We all know that the real watch war is not waged for the throne of high complications, but for the far simpler three-hand and date models. Wristwatches are celebrating their first century of existence (they became popular after the WW1) and the idea that they are mainly a tool to accomplish a basic function (telling […]
There’s no denying Hamilton’s background in military watches. Indeed, the brand has forged an impressive collection of watches inspired by its past, when it was still American and provided watches to military forces. Back in early 2018, the now Swiss brand introduced an affordable but super-cool piece, the Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm, inspired by the […]