Author: Blake Buettner

  • Video: Seiko 7002 Retrospective

    Video: Seiko 7002 Retrospective

    Seiko dive watches hold a special place in the hearts of many enthusiasts, often serving as the gateway into the hobby. Some references are held up as the standard bearers for the genre, such as the 6309, SKX007, SLA025, and more recently the SPB143 or SPB317 and their ilk. There is one reference that often…

  • Video: The IWC Fliegerchronograph ref. 3706 Retrospective

    Video: The IWC Fliegerchronograph ref. 3706 Retrospective

    IWC is known for their great sport watches, and unique take on practical complications. We know ‘em, we love ‘em. But there’s no denying that, with the brand’s goals of moving further up market, they’ve lost a bit of that raw edge that made them so special just a few decades ago. The precursor to…

  • Video Retrospective: The Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600

    Video Retrospective: The Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600

    The modern dive watch archetype is rooted in a template put forth in the mid ‘50s. The Submariner may not have been the first to the scene (though that is far from settled), but its appearance in 1954 set a foundation that persists to this day. The history of dive watches stretches back much further,…

  • Ming Hits the Deep End with New 37.09 Bluefin

    Ming Hits the Deep End with New 37.09 Bluefin

    It’s been four years since Ming revealed their contemporary take on the dive watch with the titanium 18.01 H41 back in 2020. The watch represented an immensely capable first crack at the genre, packing a 1,000M depth rating into a 40mm x 12.9mm footprint, not to mention the wholly unique aesthetic that came with it.…

  • Video: Aquastar Revives the Benthos 500 Chronograph

    Video: Aquastar Revives the Benthos 500 Chronograph

    Follow ups are tricky business. The newly revived Aquastar brand is intimately familiar with the concept, having brought back a number of the brand’s greatest hits since first emerging with a modern Deepstar in 2020. This is a brand that boasts some of history’s most innovative dive watches, and bringing them back in a manner…

  • Video: The Nodus x Raven TrailTrekker Forges Its Own Path

    Video: The Nodus x Raven TrailTrekker Forges Its Own Path

    Some watches just feel comfortable in their own skin. Never afraid to put new ideas out there, the brands Nodus and Raven find common ground here. I personally appreciate a watch (or any piece of gear, really) that’s purpose driven in its design and execution. That means prioritizing materials and designs that bring a specific…

  • Sinn Reveals New 903 Navigation Chronograph Collection

    Sinn Reveals New 903 Navigation Chronograph Collection

    Sinn’s original navigation chronograph is getting a refresh this week with a trio of new 903 references being released. The once Navitimer placeholder picks things up in familiar territory, putting the well-understood formula to use inside a revised case and dial execution bringing some practical benefits to the table in the process. These are still…

  • Toledano & Chan Introduce Long Awaited B/1 Watch

    Toledano & Chan Introduce Long Awaited B/1 Watch

    The small independent, or micro-brand, scene has been thriving in recent years, spoiling enthusiasts for choice with creative and inspiring watches that just hit differently than options from the mainstream brands. This space is at its best when unique visions can be brought to life that push the boundaries of the status quo and get…