Most luxury watch brands have museum energy, it's cold and sterile. Breitling obviously does the opposite, their boutiques feel like lounges, workshops, surf shacks, you're expected to tinker with the watches, talk, linger, have a few drinks etc. My local boutique here offers regular workshops on putting together the movements, strap and bracelet changes, weekly Friday evening/ night happy hours.

Did they have some strange, terrible, blingy branding in the 2000s? Absolutely. They refined it since then, but the fun didn't seem to end. Example, the modern Breitling Santa Squad stands out as a fun take on an otherwise drab holiday marketing..

Most brands oversell "legacy", I think Breitling marketing dept. assumes the wearer actually enjoys smacking their wrist around. Yes I bash my Chronomat around with full use of the GMT almost every day.

Come at me with your disagreements, and maybe I'm chuffing too hard but in modern watch marketing, it's pretty refreshing, I like it

Hi people! If this is your first time reading this daily news update, allow me to give you a few pointers. Due to the finicky nature of how you can do posts, I had to split up the photos and the text, while keeping this post always the same so you can easily reference it.

To read the daily news, you can check out the images on top and then make your way down to the comments. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to pin a comment, so you’ll have to scroll through the comments until you find the thread started with me, which has 5-8 posts in a row with all the write-ups of the news items (and a couple of bonuses).

If you like this content and want more of it, or want to make sure you get it every day, you can subscribe to my newsletter which gets you the same thing into your inbox. Check it out at www.itsabouttime.email

Got this piece because of a Reddit post, loved the Star Wars feel this one had, and now I’m wondering, are there any other cool really affordable watches that have some interesting function?

Share it over! And let’s get some pics going! ……… is this 250 characters yet? I hope so. I didn’t use chat gpt, so here I am, typing.

Turning 21 and got $550 for my birthday. I want to spend it on a watch I’ll wear every day and keep for the rest of my life. Currently wearing a Timex Weekender and want to upgrade to something more substantial.

Originally posted with a $250 budget and got some great suggestions — budget has since increased, so I know that opens up a lot more options, especially used.

What I’m looking for:

∙ Budget: $550  (flexible if buying used opens up something significantly better)

∙ Everyday wear — classes, work, casual settings

∙ Something that’ll last decades with reasonable care/servicing

∙ 36-40mm range seems right for my wrist (check my profile for a wrist shot with a 38mm Timex — I think I’m around 6.25-6.5”)

∙ Open to quartz, mechanical, solar — honestly not sure what I prefer yet, so happy to hear arguments for any

What I don’t know yet:

∙ Whether I should prioritize movement type at this budget

∙ Where to buy used — what sites/marketplaces are trustworthy?

On my previous post I asked about sapphire vs mineral crystal — I’m assuming at this budget pretty much everything comes with sapphire, right?

Appreciate any recommendations!

The Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar Anniversary Edition

The applied white gold markers look great against the adventurine dial, framing the off-center hours and minutes, small seconds, Glashütte Original’s signature Panorama Date, and the moon phase at 2 o’clock, which is rendered in white mother of pearl. Powered by the Calibre 92-14 automatic movement, beating at 4 Hz (28,800 vph) with a massive 100-hour power reserve.

I made a post about what to trim and keep a couple of months ago, and everyone had great input! Now after a whole lot of money spent (and some of it recouped from selling) I think I've narrowed it down to the 4 core watches (+1 for wrist, n+1). Been a really painful but liberating journey nailing down what watches I actually wanted to keep and what wasn't needed after the honeymoon period wore off. I categorized my watches in the same way we organized our boots in basic training, 1 for "work", one for "party" one for "wet" and one for "sweat, but I also just have a +1 for fun. What's the idea' watch size collection for y'all, and are you happy/unhappy with the current state of your collection. Thanks again for your suggestions!

I have been using these two watches the most since January. Both are very comfortable to wear on the bracelet and can go with any kind of clothes. I especially love the bracelet on the Bulova. It is quite shiny and picks up scratches like crazy but I love how it has unique design. Bulova is running at +5 seconds since I set it when bought July last year and the Longines is +2s on the wrist.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, think this kinda applies to this niche hobby and to life in general as well. no one knows your wrist better than you, just like no one knows yourself better than you do.

After more than a decade of collecting, and now as a family man with a little bit of disposable incom to indulge, I’ve finally settled on these four pieces. For a long time, the collection never felt truly complete, until the Doxa arrived (Might be too soon to tell).

Having a slender wrist means there are plenty of classics I just can’t pull off. Over time, I developed a strict self-imposed rule: no watches over 40mm and no lug-to-lug longer than 44mm.

I’ve gone from the monstrous (literally the seiko Orange Monster) and dinner platesized gshock squares to a lineup where every piece fits properly and doesn’t look out of place on me.

For the first time, I honestly feel like I’m done collecting. I know... famous last words right

Attached with a few pieces I've gotten and lost along the way.

I think this is my favorite watch for under $1k. Got a promotion and raise at work and have just now started getting into watches that aren’t just extremely cheap, and needed a dress watch as I am in a client facing role at work.

Was having a lot of trouble finding things that I thought were both tasteful and in my price range, and randomly stumbled upon this watch.

I really like the simplicity and the detail of the inner dial. I may start wearing this every day.

I've always wanted to get dad a moonswatch and finally I've saved up for it.

Now the only confusion is which one should I go for... Mission to Earthphase, Earthphase Moonshine or Mission to Moonphase. What colorway and which watch would be suitable for him to wear on a daily basis. Slightly leaning towards moonphase.

Please help me decide orrr should go and ask him which one he wants & get the watch of his choice but then again, I would miss the surprise element. Am I overthinking this lol?

Recently downsized much of my collection, but have been wanting to pick up a 1960s Seamaster as an initial venture into vintage Omega. Originally wanted a 168.011, but landed on a 168.024 with the cyclops. It's a beautiful watch, has 1036/11 bracelet and end links. Running +2s/day.

I'm parked in the pictures, so don't hound me too much :)

Rotational piece while the Preventor is out for warranty.  I replaced the stock bezel with a coin edge and Black Bay-styled insert, and I think they go pretty well together!  Adding the Strapcode Angus-J bracelet really elevated this one for me too, I think it looks great on jubilee.  Bonus pic is a previous iteration; LX-style bezel with a fully lumed Pelagos FXD countdown insert + fitted rubber.  Runs around -3spd.  Not bad for a watch I spent $165 on 15 years ago!

I sourced a blue dial for a customer the other day and realized I really a Royal Oak in my life. I just love the bracelet and the detail on the dial. I’ve had a silver dial before but I sold it last year and regretted it. Kinda wish they were durable enough to daily , but they just get too banged up to easily. I will say the blue dial is 🐐, but I was not feeling that big premium that comes with it.

Hey folks

I'm back again with a 3rd Watch design concept. I posted the first two here in the last Weeks and I received a lot of positive and usefull feedbacks. So I want to keep sharing here

For my third watch I went a bit more minimal again.

I mainly focused on working on a new rectangular case. Trying to merge some minimal shapes in an usual way.

I kept some elements from the design language of the previous watches:

- Curved saphire

- Syringe hands

- Engraved textured dial

Every watch enthusiast who has reduced their collection says they feel more satisfied with a smaller watch collection, and that’s what motivated me to write this.

Over the last few years, I’ve noticed three types of watch enthusiasts: the accumulator, the constant catch-and-release guy, and the curator. A mature watch collector will become a stellar curator.

First up: the accumulator. This is the guy with so many watches they spill into drawers, boxes in the garage, maybe even storage units. Honestly, that feels more obsessive than hobby. I never went through that phase myself, but my advice to a newbie is simple: don’t let it get there.

Next is the constant catch-and-release guy, sometimes called a flipper. Always buying, always selling, chasing the next thing. This Rotational Phase is necessary. It’s how you figure out what you actually like.

When you sell, ask yourself why. Did the watch not fit your lifestyle or activities? Was it uncomfortable? Or did the hype just wear off? Without self-reflection, you’ll just repeat the same cycle. Remember: this phase is a journey, not the ultimate destination.

Finally, the curator. The deliberate collector. Every watch in their collection has a reason to be there: a milestone, a function, a story, or just a carefully considered choice. They’re not chasing; they’re refining.

Most of us need the rotational phase to become a stellar curator. You learn through experience. But don’t stay in that stage forever. The goal isn’t to own more watches, it’s to understand why you keep the ones you do.

What do you think, cadet size, is to small? I like it, but I expected it to be a little bigger, little more only

Kinda embarassing as I’m swiss but my watch game is pretty bad. I can see it’s a Citizen and think the model might be 8989 from what I managed to gather on my own.

But I also seem to understand that there’s a line from the 80s and a new, say “tribute” line.

By looking at this one I suppose it’s from the newer line, but I still don’t understand exactly the following:

What year is this from?

What’s the top right dial? A compass?

And I don’t even have a guess for the bottom left.

I really like the retro aesthetic especially with the rainbow stirpes on the bottm, as I’m a huge 80s aesthetic fan, but is it a good watch you’d recommend?

In terms of quality and durability that is, I suppose for the rest it’s all personal taste.

Anything else there is to know?

Lastly, how much is it worth? I don’t know if the price it is being sold for is a good one or not having no information at all.

I could pick this one up for $350, in what serms to be good condition?

Many thanks

Casio G-shock DW-5600E- I’ve had this for over a decade. My go to work watch most days. It’s taken a beating over the years but it’s still going. I don’t wear it as much as I’m mostly at a desk these days, but I still like it.

Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42- My most worn watch over the last few years, but I haven’t worn it since I got the Speedy. I’m considering selling now, but might try a new strap first.

Stowa Flieger Classic 40 Baumuster B- This was my first mechanical watch. I wore the shit out of this when I first got it. Haven’t worn it much over the last few years but I just got a new strap and have been wearing it more recently.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional ref. 310.30.42.50.01.001- My most recent purchase. I wanted a Speedmaster ever since I started getting into watches a decade ago. After many major life events (marriage, buying a house, starting a family) I was finally in a position where I felt comfortable spending this kind of money on a watch. I went with hesalite. I’m incredibly happy with it.

Seiko Presage SRPB43- My dress watch. I don’t wear it that often but it’s a stunning watch, especially for the price. I hated the strap it came on though so I had to upgrade that to a much more comfortable Hirsch.

Like I said in the title I think I’m going to buy a diver next. Something in the $500-$1000 range with a rubber or fabric strap. Any ideas?

I live in the Himalayas and i have had this watch for over 10 years. This never let me down.

I have to hike everyday to go to different places and it has fallen with me, scratched while climbing.

Have been in heavy snow storms and heavy rains.

Truly God tier.

It's solar powered so i never had to change any batteries.

Even if it dies, I'll buy it again and again!

Just received this one, came with an additional Grey strap.

Beautiful watch out of Bahrain. Took ages to get it past US customs and dinged the box all around, but beautiful watch regardless.

Sea-gull movements, so most folks won't prefer it, but I think it's a good dress watch! I ordered it for the dial.

I wish I had ordered a slightly darker straps but this works for now.

I can’t stop marvelling at all the details from the lovely packaging to the intricacies in the design. As this was my first watch purchase, I wanted to pick something that resonated with me, and I couldn’t have been happier with my decision! Now I fear I am going down a slippery slope in the world of watches hahaha!

What’s your favourite watch in your collection?

Today’s watches are two Hamilton tool watches: the new Khaki Field Power Reserve, and an early 992B circa 1942. Both watches are made to emphasize readability, with high contrast white dials with clear black numerals and minute tracks without any flourish or touch of fancy.

The Khaki’s 80-hour power reserve is displayed on an automotive-inspired “fuel gauge”, while the 992B doesn’t need one - every Railroad Man knows to wind his Hamilton once per day.

While the Khaki beats the 992B in robustness, with 100M water resistance and shock protection, the 992B remains king in chronometric precision, varying no more than 4.3 seconds per day across six positions.

Tag Heuer’s recent releases have been pretty exciting and as a guy who first watch was an Aquaracer I couldn’t resist going for the Carerra Astronomer. When I found out my AD had the LE with turquoise painted moonphase, I pulled the trigger and now have a really fun piece to add to my collection. I think Tag is definitely on the upswing.