The measure of a good watch is often how it feels when you put it on your wrist. Seeing a timepiece in pictures can help, but the authentic experience of seeing a wristwatch in the real world and attached to your arm is the ultimate validation of whether a product has any personal merit or […]

The post Tsar Bomba Light Matter Review: A Surprisingly Beautiful, Affordable Tonneau-Shaped Sapphire Watch appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

In 2022, when Atelier Wen first launched its now iconic Perception collection, the watch proved that Chinese craftsmanship could go toe to toe with the best that Switzerland, Japan, and other watchmaking powerhouses had to offer. With its hand-turned guilloché dial and dramatic integrated bracelet design, the watch was an immediate hit. But Atelier Wen […]

The post Atelier Wen Upgrades The Perception With A New Movement And Dial Color appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

About a year ago, I got a chance to sit down with 1776 Atelier founder Jason Lu. In short, he told me what I hear from a lot of people who start a watch brand: He loves watches, and so he started a brand. There’s obviously more to it than that, and one of the […]

The post 1776 Atelier Montpelier Watch Review: An American Brand Ups The Ante appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

Independent watchmaking often leans heavily on heritage, but new brand ACIZEM Watches arrives with a different premise: storytelling as the primary design language, using watches not just to tell the time, but also to reflect personal transitions and identity. Founded in Ottawa by designer and artist Éluu Goddiâ, the brand draws deeply from the city’s […]

The post ACIZEM Watches Debuts With The Enygmah Collection — An Ottawa-Based Brand Reframing Independent Watch Design appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

There have been many great side effects of watchmaking’s “microbrand era,” but one is the democratization that’s allowed brands to pop up in places not historically associated with watchmaking. For entrepreneurs with good design instincts and who are unafraid to take risks, making niche products can spin up a watch company in ways not previously […]

The post Hands-On: The Borealis Porto Covo Nazaré Edition Dive Watch appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

When Collectability founder John Reardon and Swiss designer Emmanuel Gueit sat down in Geneva last fall with a single sheet of paper, the result was the Dennison + Collectability 2026 Edition Oblique Collection. It’s a follow-up to their well-received 2025 debut, and in almost every way, it pushes the concept further. The hook here is […]

The post Dennison + Collectability’s Second Watch Is More Daring Than Its First — And Still Under $800 appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

B.R.M. timepieces aren’t new, but the French brand remains perpetually under the radar despite the very loud nature of its mostly racetrack-inspired wristwatches. B.R.M (BRM) was around when aBlogtoWatch started in 2007, and little about “Bernard Richard Manufacture” as a brand has changed since then, including the signature look of most of its products. The […]

The post B.R.M. MK-44 Polished White Dial Light Blue Hands-On: Lightweight Watch With Titanium & Makrolon appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

In this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host, Ariel Adams, sits down with Olof Larsson, co-founder of Aera, to explore the philosophy behind building a modern tool watch brand from the ground up. With decades of experience in the watch industry and a family history in retail, Olof shares how a chance friendship […]

The post The SUPERLATIVE Podcast: Building A Modern Tool Watch Brand With Olof Larsson Of Aera appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

If you’ve been following AWAKE for any period of time, you’re undoubtedly aware of the brand’s absolutely stunning dials, crafted using the Vietnamese art of Sơn Mài. While AWAKE still utilizes this technique in its new collection, the Sơn Mài – Guilloché Main collection is about much more than just a new dial — it […]

The post The Sơn Mài – Guilloché Main Collection Represents A New Era Of Horology For AWAKE Watches appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

June 2026 is underway, and with long, warm summer days ahead, we here at aBlogtoWatch are ready to add some warmer, bolder colors to our wardrobes. We’ve paired with Camp to bring some of these charismatic summertime hues to the wrist, as one lucky winner will earn this Camp Fieldtimer Manual Wind watch in a deep, vintage summer […]

The post WATCH GIVEAWAY: Camp Fieldtimer Manual Wind appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

Roger Dubuis continues to leverage the mythology of Arthurian England in its Excalibur product collection with a new women’s watch for 2026. The new model is the reference DBEX1198 Roger Dubuis Excalibur Lady Of The Lady Sylvan Green watch. It is one of two smaller new Excalibur watches for women, and is complemented by the […]

The post Roger Dubuis Excalibur Lady Of The Lake Sylvan Green Watch With New 36mm Case Hands-On appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

We here at aBlogtoWatch are pleased to announce Jeremiah H. of East Helena, USA, as the winner of our Edox CO-1 Date Automatic watch giveaway. Featuring bold, ultra-modern diver styling, rugged underwater capability, and a variety of available colorways, it’s a versatile and capable companion for any underwater adventure. We truly appreciate your continuing role […]

The post aBlogtoWatch Edox CO-1 Date Automatic Watch Giveaway Winner Announced appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

This Versace Greca Logo Aero may be among the first quartz-powered men’s watches I have reviewed from the Versace brand. While I have featured a number of women’s Versace models with quartz movements, I typically select the mechanical versions of Versace men’s watches for the aBlogtoWatch audience. Automatics however, represent only a small number of […]

The post Versace Greca Logo Aero Hands-On: Trendy Thin Quartz Watch With Italian Styling appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

Few debates in the watch world have remained as persistent — or as emotionally charged — as sapphire versus Hesalite. For decades, enthusiasts have argued over which material belongs on a true tool watch, particularly one intended for aerospace use. Sapphire offers exceptional scratch resistance and long-term clarity, while Hesalite, the acrylic crystal famously associated […]

The post Barrelhand’s Monolith Tackles The Sapphire vs. Hesalite Debate With A Spaceflight-Focused Solution appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

When NORQAIN originally debuted the Independence Wild ONE watch collection in 2022, this reddish-burgundy/maroon NORTEQ case material (combined with gray rubber) was one of the debut styles. It was among the rarer versions, as NORQAIN wasn’t quite sure how audiences would react to the almost wine-colored tone of this carbon-blend material. I told NORQAIN that […]

The post NORQAIN Wild ONE Maroon Meteorite Special-Edition Watch With Real Space Metal Hands-On appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

Compared to other similarly sized watch companies, Formex operates from a unique position within the industry. It is the house brand for the Swiss manufacturer Dexel, which also owns the dial workshop Cadranor and produces components for many of the world’s top luxury marques. Until now, the only parts of a Formex watch that came […]

The post New Release: The Formex Aria Manufacture Chronometer Marks A New Chapter For The Brand appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

Paying tribute to one of the most important physicists of the modern era is no small task. J. Robert Oppenheimer’s legacy is enormous, towering over the atomic age, technology, and modern geopolitics. His contributions are staggering, and to honor them in a watch, the watch must be equally impressive. Enter the Vostok Europe Atomic Age […]

The post The Vostok Europe Atomic Age Oppenheimer Is A Techno-Futuristic Tribute To The Pioneering Physicist appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

There is a version of the Cartier Panthere Metiers d’Art Tortue watch that serves only as a press release talking point. It sends a message from the brand that says, “We can do beautiful things too, but in one-offs.” This is not that watch. With over 15 enamel tones, 36 firings, 130 hours of decoration […]

The post Hands-On: Cartier Panthere Metiers d’Art Tortue Enamel Watch appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

Fourteen years have passed on aBlogtoWatch between the last and the latest review on a Vostok Europe watch. 2012 to 2026, both done by Ariel. The reason I wanted to follow up on his latest is that I think I can offer a different perspective, derived simply from my base being in Central Europe, and […]

The post Watch Review: Vostok Europe Batiscafos & Why VE Is So Popular Where I Live appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

Over the last decade, forged carbon has become increasingly seen in modern watchmaking, particularly in sports and performance-oriented designs. But Bangalore Watch Company’s new Peninsula Carbon takes the material conversation in a very different direction. Rather than simply using carbon fiber for its lightweight properties or visual texture, the brand is introducing a proprietary dial […]

The post Bangalore Watch Company Introduces A Dial Made From Captured Carbon appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

Annual editions should be more of a thing, I think. A promise from the brand to maintain availability for a sustained period of time balances out the “act fast!” time pressure that comes with strict or one-time limited editions. It also puts not the customer, but rather the brand, under pressure to create something as […]

The post New Release: Glashütte Original Sixties Chronograph Annual Edition In Purple appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

In 1966, Favre Leuba introduced the first Harpoon model wristwatch. More recent Favre Leuba watches with the “Harpoon” name have been more aggressively styled sports watches, but the original Harpoon (despite being named after an intimidating spike of a projectile weapon) was a sensible dress-style watch meant for social and cosmopolitan wear. For 2026, Favre […]

The post Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival Watch Hands-On: Classic, Composed, Compact appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

In this episode of Superlative, aBlogtoWatch founder and our host, Ariel Adams, sits down with Stephen Cox, founder of Sopwith Watch Company, to explore the fascinating intersection of aviation history and horology. Stephen shares the incredible story behind building a watch brand that uses material from authentic historic aircraft, including World War I planes and […]

The post The SUPERLATIVE Podcast: Stephen Cox Of Sopwith Watch Company On Wearing Aviation History On Your Wrist appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

We here at aBlogtoWatch have spoken time and again about the sheer, magnificent variety of the Casio G-Shock. In the over 40 years since its creating, the ultra-durable sub-brand has filled almost every niche imaginable, from $100 beaters to multi-thousand-dollar true luxury pieces, in a panoply of colors, materials, shapes, sizes, and specializations. There truly […]

The post Hands-On: The Casio G-Shock MR-G MRGB2100D-2A Watch Might Be The Most Elegant G-Shock Ever appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

BALENCIAGA. I shiver at the thought of the mid-late 2010s, when it seemed impossible to visit an airport, holiday destination, or major city without people peacocking in hideously overpriced, impossibly generic clothing, where $500-$2,500 sweatshirts were justified by little more than a huge brand plastered across their chests. Those days, thankfully, are gone. There are […]

The post Grinding Gears: Too Many Luxury Watches Feel Too Cheap (Even To The Untrained Eye) appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

With modern consumer trends continuing to favor smaller case sizes in 2026, the French independent brand Serica has just unveiled a new compact timepiece that takes its minimalist tool-watch spirit in an entirely more design-focused direction. Rather than being a smaller version of an existing model, the latest addition to Serica’s lineup represents a more […]

The post Hands-On Debut: The Serica Ref. 7505 Field Chronometer Offers A Compact Size With Big Presence  appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

Something is fascinating and odd about reviewing “sold out” watches. “Sold out” is not a concept legacy watchmakers experience too often; even waiting lists have been eroding dramatically. Then again, these brands seem to struggle more and more to impress, lure, and attain the attention of watch enthusiasts. And yet, new microbrands, for some reason, […]

The post Kiwame Tokyo Mune Usuki & Mune Kurotsuki Watch Review appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

I’ve got very loose Czech heritage on my dad’s side. At some point in the mid-1800s, the Razaks (at the time spelled and pronounced differently) immigrated to the United States from their native Czechoslovakia, eventually settling in Kansas. When I was studying abroad, I went to Prague (which is not where the Razaks were from, […]

The post Robot Robotic One Chronograph Watch Review: The Czech Brand Shows What It Can Really Do appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

This week on aBlogtoWatch Weekly, Ariel, Rick, Ripley, and David dive headfirst into the chaos surrounding the Swatch x Audemars Piguet “Royal Pop” launch and ask the important question: Was this a clever collaboration or a full-blown PR disaster? From overnight lines and police involvement to flippers and frustrated collectors, the crew breaks down everything […]

The post aBlogtoWatch Weekly Podcast #222: Swatch Stampedes, Candy-Colored Ceramics, And Citizen GMT Bargains appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.

The independent workshop Artisans de Genève has built its reputation around highly personalized watchmaking projects, working directly with clients to reinterpret existing timepieces through handcrafted customization and restoration work. Its latest commission for entrepreneur, collector, and vintage car enthusiast Alexander Kraft channels the visual language of 1960s and 1970s motoring culture through an extensively reworked […]

The post The Artisans de Genève Kraft Signature Personalization Draws Inspiration From Vintage Cars appeared first on aBlogtoWatch.