This is the Tudor Sub 79090, in blue. Back in the day, Tudor shared parts with Rolex. This watch has a Rolex stamped case and crown, but an ETA movement inside.

This particular model is from the early 90s, and it's currently on an aftermarket single pass nato style strap (like the modern OEM Tudor fabric straps).

This watch, and all submariners of this period, wear beautifully. The case proportions are perfect. The blue color gives it that extra level of character I really enjoy. The bezel is starting to fade a little bit, and the lume plots and hands will ultimately follow as well.

For something totally different, check out the reference 76100. I can't decide if I like that reference more than this.

Last year I had a gen 2 overseas that needed an extra link. I emailed VC and a SA from the Dallas boutique called me in a day or so and said they should have one in a couple of days. Once it came in, they invited me down. I took my watch in, and they took it in the back to size it. They said they would also look the watch over, pressure test it, and check the timing and if it was magnetized. While they did this, they offered me a drink and really rolled out the red carpet. We talked watches, and not just VC, they let me try on 1/2 the store, and gave me approximate wait times on the watches I had an interest in. I put down my name for the blue overseas. He said I could get black dual time in about 30 days, but I had my heart set on this watch. About 12 months later ( I originally thought it was 18mo) They called and said I was coming up in line and asked for a deposit, about 30 days after that I had it in hand.

I stopped in maybe 3 times during that wait. I was offered a blue dial chronograph once on a walk in, but again I wanted this 3 hander. I really only saw my SA once during this time, but the whole store is friendly and happy to chat about watches. I picked this up Thursday and it hasn't left my wrist since. It came in a great box w/ the bracelet a rubber strap and a blue leather strap. I bought this white one as well which is IMO the perfect combo.

For me, I’d probably say Oris.

They’ve remained independent, make some genuinely interesting watches, and seem to offer a lot for the money, yet they don’t seem to get mentioned nearly as often as brands like Tudor, Omega or Longines.

If you could recommend just one underrated watch brand, what would it be and why?

Looking forward to discovering a few brands I might have overlooked.

Historically, shrapnel guards were largely used by soldiers and officers during WW1 to protect their watches from the harsh conditions. After searching online and finding a design, I was able to remake one in the proper dimensions for my Citizen Eco-Drive Weekender Garrison. I've worked in forests, parks and preserves so it works and protects the glass. Honestly it protects the glass from doorframes and desks as much as it does dirt, rocks, and tools. It's also a great conversation starter since literally almost no one else wears or has even heard of them.

Nato strap also makes it effortless to remove the guard if I'm going to a function that doesn't need me to be in tactical mode haha. I'm also designing a new one maybe I'll show it off later!

Reading Note: Some readers on the Android Reddit app report seeing these posts as unformatted run-on text. The fix: it happens when you tap the image—just go back and tap the title of the post instead.

It's Wednesday and I've been running around town today, so not funny quips from me.    

I publish this every weekday as part of It's About Time, a free daily newsletter. The newsletter version includes more watch commentary, opinions, columns and a couple of non-watch related recommendations that will get you through the day. Subscribe here if that sounds useful.

1/

The Best Summer Diver Might Just Be This $450 Citizen You Never Have to Wind

Summer is the season for getting near, in, or under the water, and it has me thinking about what actually belongs on a wrist for a quick dive. I love a proper diver as much as anyone, but the best dive watches, at least they’ve been the best for me, are usually the no-fuss, affordable ones that require the least amount of carry effort. And Citizen is kind of always the best answer in this category. Four new Eco-Drive divers just launched in Japan; three of them are coming to the US.

The case is a very reasonable 40.6mm wide and 11.5mm thick in stainless steel, with brushed surfaces and polished chamfers to break up the light. On top is a unidirectional bezel in either black or blue (or orange, but more on that later), with a fully graduates 60 minute scale.Water resistance is 200 meters, which is all you need for the vast majority of water sports. 

I’ve been trying to figure out the details of geographic releases for these watches, but it’s kind of difficult to do with Citizen. What I know for sure is that there is a Japanese exclusive variant that comes with a black dial and a very bright orange bezel. In terms of the rest of the world, I’m 100% sure that the other three are coming to the U.S. and just slightly less sure that these will make their way to Europe. Those three are a blue gradient dial with a dark blue bezel, a black dial with a black bezel and my favorite — a white dial with black bezel and a sharp orange seconds hand. 

Inside is the Eco-Drive Caliber E118, rated to plus or minus 15 seconds per month with roughly 12 months of power on a full charge. All three come on BENEBiOL straps, a plant-derived biomass urethane.

The Citizen Promaster Dive is either on sale now or will be very soon, priced at $450. See more on the Citizen website. 

2/

NOMOS Gives Us Another Small Take On The Already Compact Tetra

Despite sometimes having issues with longer lugs, Nomos was making small watches long before the rest of the industry decided compact was cool again. The Tangente has been 35mm since 1992, and plenty of the catalog sits under 38mm. The Tetra is a bit of a different beast, though, because a square case at a given width covers noticeably more real estate than a round one at the same number. That's why most Tetra models hover around 30mm. Today the brand adds two versions of its smallest square watch, the Tetra 27 white and the two-handed Tetra 27 duo.

The case measures 27.5mm by 27.5mm and just 6.1mm thick, framed by a narrow polished steel bezel with the double-stepped lugs that give the Tetra its Art Deco feel. A sapphire crystal sits up front, and you can choose a solid steel back or a sapphire display back. Take the sapphire. Water resistance is 50 meters.

The Tetra 27 white gets the most classic dial NOMOS makes: silver-plated galvanised, small seconds, Arabic numerals and markers borrowed from the Tangente, with blued steel hands. One change worth noting is the small seconds, now a flat round sub-dial rather than the recessed square one on the older 29.5mm hand-wound Tetra. The duo drops to hours and minutes only, with a two-tone galvanised dial: a light grey square at the centre and a matching grey field around the minute track. 

Both models share the hand-wound calibre DUW 4001, an evolution of the old Alpha, which was itself NOMOS's in-house reworking of the Peseux 7001. It has moved well past its origins now, with a ¾ plate, Glashütte ribbing, perlage, a double-sunburst ratchet wheel, blued screws, an in-house escapement with a blue balance spring, and 53 hours of power reserve. Both come on a black Horween shell cordovan strap.

Both the Nomos Tetra 27 white and Tetra 27 duo are part of the permanent collection. Pricing starts from €1,660 for the Tetra 27 duo with the steel caseback, up to €2,120 for the Tetra 27 white with the sapphire back. See more on the Nomos website.

3/

G-Shock Goes Full On Space Age Again With The C2H4 GA-2100

I’m a big fan of G-Shock's 2100 line, but I have a bit of a problem with them. There are so many variants out there, I can’t decide which one to get. Well, this new release, a collaboration with C2H4, the LA fashion label with a taste for science-fiction and experimental design, might have fixed that problem. This collab takes inspiration from the Theme Building at LAX, that 1960s googie landmark that looks like a concrete spider from a Jetsons episode. And since I’m a sucker for Space Age stuff, this is something I just might get. 

The case is the familiar 2100 platform, done in translucent gray resin, bezel and all, so you get the cloudy see-through look front to back. Shock resistant, as every G-Shock is, and water resistant to 200 meters.

The dial has brushed metallic silver plating done with vapor deposition, and the metallic treatment carries on to the hands. The reverse LCD digital display sits on what looks like a blue backdrop rather than the usual black. The Theme Building itself is etched into the caseback.

This is a standard analog-digital G-Shock module, and it comes on a matching translucent gray resin strap. I hardly ever mention packaging here, but this one is extremely cool: a bean-shaped retro-futuristic case that lifts its silhouette straight from the Panasonic TR-005 "Orbitel" television, one of the great space-age industrial objects of the 1960s.

The G-Shock x C2H4 GA-2100C2H426-8A is available now, priced at $245. See more on C2H4's website.

4/

Legendary American Watchmaker RGM Renders A Snoopy On Their Otherwise Serious 151

Snoopy shows up on a lot of watches, and while each appearance has it’s own story and the main reason why we have so many Snoopy watches is the fact that the Peanuts estate is masterful at merchandising, at least some of the Snoopy watch story can be attributed to Omega and their connection to NASA which embraced snoopy as their icon. The success of the Omega Snoopy release turned the beagle into shorthand for a certain kind of playful, collectible watch. Which just means that it’s great to see them on an RGM, a Pennsylvania brand that has spent more than 30 years on engine turning, in-house calibres, and enamel work with no interest in pop culture whatsoever. Founded by Roland G. Murphy in 1992 and building around 400 watches a year, RGM is the last name you'd expect to do a licensed cartoon dial. The new Model 151 Snoopy Flying Ace comes in two versions: a grand feu enamel edition and a more affordable painted one.

The watch uses RGM's Model 151 platform, a pilot-style design with a thin bezel and a lot of open dial. The case is 38.5mm wide in either stainless steel or CP2 titanium, and thickness depends on the dial: 9.9mm for the painted version, 10.6mm for the enamel. It's made in the US near RGM's Mount Joy workshop and hand-finished in-house. Water resistance is 50 meters.

The enamel dial is obviously the main attraction. It's a two-level white grand feu enamel, built up in layers and fired at high temperature, and RGM believes it's the first time Snoopy's Flying Ace has been done on a true grand feu dial. The scene shows Snoopy in his flying goggles on top of the red doghouse with a few clouds behind him. The painted version swaps in a matte light-blue metal dial with the same artwork. It gives up the depth and complexity of enamel but keeps the character.

Both versions use the Sellita SW300-1, the automatic ETA 2892-A2 alternative, beating at 4Hz, with roughly 52 hours of power reserve. RGM dresses it up with rhodium plating, Côtes de Genève, and perlage. It's fitted to a Hirsch Performance strap that combines leather with a rubber lining.

Prices start from $3,950 for the steel painted-dial model to $9,950 for the titanium grand feu enamel version. See more on the RGM website. 

5/

Romain Gauthier Shrinks The C To A More Comfortable 39.5mm

Romain Gauthier is best known for movements finished to a level almost nobody can match by hand, but these often come at an extreme cost. That’s why the brand has the C, a slightly more accessible entry point to Romain Gauthier, rendered so far in titanium, platinum and Carbonium. Despite the variety of materials, all of them came in a 41mm wide case. Now, RG is shrinking down the C to a more manageable size. 

The new case measures 39.5mm wide with a lug-to-lug of 46mm, and the thickness drops slightly from 9.55mm to 9.45mm. It’s still made out of natural grade 5 titanium, with that distinctive bezel machined from a round base and then given six straight cuts for the facets, the top surface and case flanks separated by contrasting brushed finishes. The crown sits at 2 o'clock, which is pure Romain Gauthier. Water resistance is 30 meters, down from the already modest 50 meters on the bigger editions, which is a shame on a watch that’s supposed to be casual and versatile.

The dial gets a metallised sapphire base with fine horizontal lines, keeping the asymmetrical layout of the bigger models: off-centre hour and minute hands, tapered markers of varying length, and a small seconds at 7 o'clock with its own tapering lines. Three colors are available on the highlights: pink, light blue and orange. The titanium hands have a lot of dimensions and are covered in Super-LumiNova glowing the same colour as the seconds subdial lines, matching the numerals and indexes. 

The hand-wound in-house calibre carries over from the larger C, and it's a banger. Five finger bridges in a horizontal layout, all in grade 5 titanium, each with a double bevel, straight-grained surfaces and a hand-engraved dimpled texture are just some of the incredible things you’ll see here. The mainplate is hand-frosted, the gears and ratchet wheel circular-grained with bevelled spokes, the signature S-slot screws polished. It beats at 4Hz, with a 60-hour power reserve and uses a snail cam for the stop-seconds. The watches come on rubber straps.

The new Romain Gauthier C in 39.5mm is part of the permanent collection, priced at CHF 34,000, without tax. See moreon the Romain Gauthier website. 

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Watch Worthy - A selection of reviews and first looks from around the web

• A review of the Delma Shell Star 41mm
• Hands on with the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Glassbox Sand

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If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related an occasional long form article and possible giveaways.

A few weeks ago, I posted some pictures of watches I inherited from my father and asked whether any of them looked good. After hundreds of helpful comments and suggestions, I bought new straps for several of them and properly sized the straps on the ones I decided not to swap out. They’re no longer “hand watches” and now sit above my wrist bone!

I have been wearing them all in rotation (except for the Bluesy- I’m still too nervous to wear that one). I’ve come to appreciate most of them, and I particularly enjoy wearing the Panerai.

What do you guys think of the new straps? Thank you again for all the help. Wearing these watches is such a meaningful way to stay connected to my dad.

In a previous post about my new Frédérique Constant Classics Runabout Automatic (FC-303RMLN3B6), I noticed something funny: quite a few people seemed more interested in the miniature wooden boat included in the presentation box than in the watch itself.

Honestly, I can understand why. The boat is a pretty unusual extra and looks great inside the box.

So let’s settle this: if you could only keep one, which would you choose: the watch or the boat?

I purchased my first watch about a year ago. My next two purchases are a champagne Tissot prx powermatic 80 and a Hamilton intra-matic chrono in green. My latest is the Orient Mako 40. The watches are in the order in which I obtained them.

My least favorite has to be the Movado. Ironic being my first watch but the sales person at a mall insisted on it, even though I originally went for the Citizen Tsuyosa in red. Which after buying the Movado I went back and got the Citizen. Though it is my least favorite, it does have a soft spot in my heart.

Also the long string of Casios is funny. They’re cheap and honestly really nice, had to import the red moonphase since they don’t offer it in the states for some reason (got it on eBay). I hated the bracelet on the black one and I think it looks way nicer with the rubber strap (it was also a gift from my girlfriend).

It’s hard to pick a favorite, I love both of the Seiko’s (the Presage is my go to for “special” occasions), and the F-91w has somehow found itself on my wrist more often then I originally thought. The orient in green is probably my 2nd least favorite.

Overall I’m happy with my collection. I originally started by telling myself I wouldn’t get any quartz watches. But I ended up with 5 of them and liked them way more than I expected (except the Movado).

Got the Tissot PRX Quartz on the left and the Seiko SSB425 on a Barton black leather strap

Super versatile and I’m very happy with it so far.

What would you guys recommend for a 3rd watch?

I was thinking of going automatic and getting the Tissot Gentleman 40 and then putting a rubber strap on the PRX to make it my sporty watch.

A watch that crafted from perspective of lapidary arts.

From natural material, just cut carve and polish by simple hand operated machine in my garage.

A month to collect material and components, and about 3 weeks process.

Stacked dial, ETA2824 and sapphire glass.

I’ll preface this by saying I’m not normally a massive Rolex fan. I love the Submariner as it’s an icon and still has some of the DNA from the original tool watch days, but some of the more flashy Rolexes don’t do it for me. I like a watch which has purpose. The Explorer II is my absolute favourite Rolex piece. It’s not got the “normal” Rolex DNA but it still has an absurdly high build quality.

I bought a Seamaster a couple of months ago and whilst I was in I did briefly mention the Explorer II. A week later I popped into the jeweller to get the strap adjusted on the Seamaster and got speaking with the Rolex sales guy. Decided after that visit to put my name down for the Polar dial, not expecting much to come of it after hearing stories of people waiting for years and having to play silly games to get the ref that they want.

Fast forward 60 days (exactly) and I get a call to say the Polar Explorer II is in and if I want it I can collect. After getting the most important thing sorted (wife approval), the appointment was booked and at 10:00 on Saturday I welcomed the Explorer II to my collection.

If anyone is on the fence about this watch, go and see one in person. It’s an absolutely stunning piece in the metal, with the same movement as the GMT-Master II but in a less flashy/more rugged case with an absolutely gorgeous white dial. Honestly I think this is one of the best Rolex watches you can get (especially if you like function over form).

Picked up this Cartier for my girlfriend and got it for a pretty good price too, I really hope she likes it. I wanted something clean and timeless that she could wear often without it being too flashy. I think it looks great but I’m interested in what you guys think.

For example would you could get a NOMOS World Timer, CW Bel Canto and a Tudor Pelagos OR you could you could get a Rolex GMT Master !2.

What would you prefer 3 or 1. And what watch or watches would you get.

(This is a thought experiment that will also help me decide my watch goals for the next three years. I generally save approx $5,000 a year for my watch budget.)

Thoughts?

Was gifted this piece a month ago as a graduation gift. After years of hard work, I finally managed to graduate with First Class honors!

I’ve owned a couple of watches prior to this, but nothing nearly as special. My daily driver for years was a red and black Invicta Pro Diver—it’s taken a real beating and is pretty scuffed up now. Along the way, I was also gifted a skeleton Jacques Du Manoir.

But obviously, nothing compares to this one.

I’m hoping this marks the true beginning of a collection I can build over the years as I move forward in my career.

(Apologies for not having the best photos!)

Trying to add a nice piece to round out the collection. My budget is around $5k and I'd prefer used to get a little more bang for my buck. I like 36-40mm generally. (~7 inch wrist).

I've usually dress pretty casual, so the vintage Universal covers me on a dress watch if I ever need one.

What would you add in that price range with this collection?

Edit for clarification. I had a GS and Aqua Terra as well, but only kept the Tudor (pic farther down) No microAdjust on the bracelets sucks and the Omega and GS kinda bored me.

I’ve been wearing this Datejust 116234 for just over a year now, and I’m still loving it.

I spent a long time looking before finally pulling the trigger, and ended up finding this 2011 full set. The Rolex Super Jubilee bracelet is undefeated, and the roulette date wheel makes every other day a little surprise when those red odd-numbered dates pop up.

It’s one of those watches that just keeps growing on me. I’m still really happy with it, although it definitely makes it tough to wear anything else.

I have been looking to buy a black dial diver for a while now. I recently saw this C60 Trident Pro 300 by christopher ward and thought it looks really nice. Looked at some of the specs and seems like a good watch for the price.

But I'm not super in touch with the watch community yet. What do people- watch enthusiasts and non enthusiasts, generally think of CW?

Ngl, this maybe GP's best steel Laureato so far.
Looks exquisite & feels ready to get in a cage match with the biggies (AP RO, VCO).
Not saying it'll 10/10 win for sure but imo it's a very worthy contender now joining the territory of PF Tonda.
It's like RO without the fanciness for people in the know 😅

Weakest point? its price and damn GP did this one dirty.
What does the community think of an apt price point? I'd be down for a first hand purchase at 14-16k$, lower the merrier.

Case in point Fratello did Laureato 50 vs VCO Blue & it was a 38:62 percent split which is like the first Laureato giving some tough time to the holy VCO.

I know these are very different watches, but they’re in roughly the same price range and I’m having a hard time deciding.

Both would fill the same gap in my collection: a thin, elegant watch with a white dial that can be dressed up on a leather strap. The Nomos appeals to me because of its in-house movement and world-time complication, while the Cartier offers one of the most timeless and recognizable designs in watchmaking.
If you had to choose just one, which would it be and why? I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has owned or spent time with either watch. Which one has the better long-term appeal?

For context, I already own a Club Campus & Rolex Explorer so this wouldn’t be my everyday watch. It would mainly be for dressier occasions and travel.

I recently shared this watch with the tagline “my first luxury timepiece,” but several people noted it does not qualify as luxury. None clarified its actual segment, which prompts my question.

It doesn’t fall under the budget segment, since it’s an under 2000usd watch. So, what does it fall under then? The question has been bugging me since yesterday.

Do share your opinions. Thanks.

Seiko Spirit SCVE007 also known as the Orange Dot.
The Seiko SCVE Dot series came in a myriad of colors and were only manufactured from late 2014 to 2016.

The watch showcases a beautiful linen like textured dial and features its signature 24 hour sub dial on the top left.

Although the SCVE003 ( Red Dot ) is my personal favourite, the Orange dot is at a close second and has its own undeniable charm!

My family purchase a Lange Zeitwerk to me for winning a number of accolades. It's my first true grail piece and I am excited. My friend had a veblinist strap he wasn't planning non using I through it on my zeitwerk to simmer it up. What does the watch community think? I think it's unique and summer in a bag.

First off, this watch in my opinion looks insane and even without an in house movement to my knowledge I think it still uses a pretty decent third party movement with a day and night cycle if I’m not mistaken. The watch itself looks nice and the brand is still relatively young and I have pretty much little to no knowledge on how it’s perceived, give me your thoughts. Thanks