March LA.B initially caught my eye with the release of its AM2 GMT Grall Edition in 2024. But the French brand has been around for much longer than just a few years. It is the brainchild of three friends — Alain Marhic, Jérôme Mage, and Joseph Châtel. They share a passion for surfing and 1970s...
Time flies when everything resonates nicely, doesn’t it? It sure does for Armin Strom. No fewer than 10 years have passed since the independent Swiss house launched its breakthrough resonance mechanism. Although not actively marketed as an anniversary model, I reckon it is safe to say this...
Meet the Micromilspec Milgraph T5, a new addition to the lineup, featuring red details on its new silver-white or black dial and available on a titanium bracelet or a red, white, or black rubber strap. You might have to look twice to see what’s new about the T5. Did you spot it? Instead of...
Ressence is back with a limited-edition Type 9 in the brand’s Art Watch Series. Last year, Benoît Mintiens introduced a colorful pair of Type 8 models in collaboration with German painter and sculptor Daniel Engelberg. This time, the Belgian brand asked Japanese artist Terumasa Ikeda to decorate...
Every year on November 1st and 2nd, Mexico celebrates Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. On that day, Mexican people welcome back the spirits of the departed. This tradition centers around the idea that death is part of life, and as such, you celebrate it with a great, colorful party....
Part of the fascination that drives my interest in watches is the endless variations in design and, even more so, completely new ideas that result in something I have never seen before. Most of these true innovations come from small independent brands that do not need to cater to the mass...
It’s Sunday, which means it’s time for another Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, it’s an epic battle between two retro dive watches. Each is inspired by its respective brand’s 1960s classics. Jorg’s pick is the Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival, a modern version of the brand’s Deep Blue. Mike’s...
I first strapped the Panerai Luminor Base Logo PAM01086 to my wrist on a gray Sydney morning. Anchored to my wrist was one of the most storied dive-watch silhouettes in the world — simple, formidable, and, yes, iconic. Over the next two weeks, I wore it everywhere, from work and coffee runs to...
We’re a week away from the third annual British Watchmakers’ Day. A record 48 brands will showcase wares and share stories with the buying public. Of the brands exhibiting, 26 will also present limited-edition timepieces exclusive to attendees at the show. This time, new parameters are in place...
Some colorways naturally lend themselves to a particular watch style. Think, for instance, of a blue-and-red “Pepsi” combination for a GMT watch, stark black and white for a Flieger, or simply the marriage of blued hands over a porcelain-white dial on any number of dress watches. I’m sure I’m...
Another Friday, another list. This week, we follow up on last week’s list of the top five Rolex GMT-Master II alternatives with the best alternatives to the Rolex Explorer II. It’s a logical step since the two models offer much of the same functionality. But they are inherently different watches...
Three years ago, the Raymond Weil Millesime Automatic Small Seconds timepiece won the GPHG 2023 Challenge Watch Prize. That was a bigger surprise to most watch fans than Audemars Piguet winning the Grand Prix for the Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4. Since that award-winning watch,...
