A 36mm Explorer would check most boxes for me, but for the fact that Rolex is in the same bucket these days as other loud, Instagram, money-conscious status symbols that seem to SCREAM "look at me" and be worn by the most insecure and insufferable people around.

I like the aesthetics of the watch. I think it’s a good release of a previous model with significant upgrades. METAS certification and an integrated bracelet at this price point are a good value. The display back and bright lume are a nice touch as well. GMT function is a nice feature for the demographic this model targets. This is just a personal preference but I was hoping for red hand for the GMT function and “Northflag” text.

Do you think it’ll be a popular model? Would you have liked to see any other previous models released over this one? I look forward to hearing the community’s thoughts!

https://www.christopherward.com/gphg.html

Launch Date
15th October 2026

Price
£4,295 | $5,995 | 4,775 CHF

Size
41mm

Height
14.1mm

I never quite pulled the trigger on the first Loco, it was a bit too angular for my taste but I appreciated what CW was doing. This one, however, is much closer to something I can see myself wearing; a baby LM101 vibe.

The 14mm height gives me pause, but I’ll definitely be trying this one on as soon as the (new!) Chicago boutique has one in-hand.

I think skeletons often get a bad rap because product photography usually has them under flat lighting against a flat background. That naturally washes them out and doesn't show the depth and variety you can get.

Here, under some nice dappled sunlight you can really see how the light varies on each individual component. It doesn't hurt that JLC have really made an aesthetically balanced movement as well. The column wheel nicely opposes the balance wheel, and there's a lot of depth with the overhanging indices and the movement below.

• The Patek advisor was extremely friendly, and we clicked right away. She urged me to try on that $80K piece.
• I went back to Omega. I like that store—it's uber friendly. I tried on the dressy Omega black lacquer dial ($7.5K). This is kind of competing with the Rolex OP?
• The Rolex Datejust is nice. Very old school. The fluted bezel is nice too, but I actually prefer the daily style Oyster. Too bad the black or the blue is in so much demand!
• The Nomos german watchmaker is fun.
• The Longines Master Collection Chrono Moon phase is only $4,300? Wow!
• I got to try the Tissot Gentleman. A fine watch in both strap and bracelet. PRX in teal is super poppy retro-modern fun.

Rolex had the worst attitude (a bit dismissive), more than the much more expensive Vacheron Constantin and Patek.

Hey everyone,

I’m curious to know where everyone is currently at in their watch journey and where you see yourselves heading next.

I started my journey with Hamilton, and the more I explore other brands, the more I realize Hamilton already hits every single mark for me; heritage, versatility, design, and specs for the price. I’m honestly starting to think I might just stick with them and keep my entire collection Hamilton-only.

Have any of you found "your brand" and decided to stay loyal to it, or is your journey constantly expanding into new brands?

Where are you currently at, and what’s your next move?

He’s joked before that I get a lot of his hand-me-downs. I do not mind one bit! This is the newer and smaller version with a 43.5mm case. I’ve read that the classic 45mm one wears like a hockey puck. This one seems great on my 7” wrist, although it’s the biggest watch I currently own.

It’s also my first chronograph, and my only analog quartz watch. The timing function is very cool, and I love the smooth sweep of the second hand plus the 3 o’clock subdial that counts 1/20ths of a second.

This came with the stainless bracelet and a black Bulova-branded leather strap as well. I kind of want to see how it looks with an OD green NATO Strap, and maybe a navy blue rubber diving strap. I’d welcome any other recommendations that you might have for interesting wristbands!

Hey!

I just happened to be at the mall and stopped by Benbridge to see what they had. Sadly, no Grand Seiko as it’s a brand I’m beginning to warm up to. Still, they invited me to try on some watches, so I did.

I wanted to try on the Tudor Prince and Rolex Datejust, but got so into it that I forgot.

I have a large wrist 7 7/8 so I wanted to know if I could pull off a 36. One of the watches I tried on was a 36 and although it was snug, it still felt like it would look good with a more fitted attire.

This was more of the first step into my watch buying process, but I wanted to hear your thoughts on the watches I’ve tried on and any experiences you may have.

I feel like I didn’t get enough time with each watch to truly appreciate them - I was in a bit of a rush to meet friends for lunch. So I won’t say I liked any watch more than the other.

However, I was impressed by the Longines Conquest and Zulu GMT, Tudor Black Bay One (champagne dial), and the Aquaracer was surprisingly nice - I know Tag Heuer makes great pieces, but I was pleasantly surprised how nice it was in-person.

EDIT: they didn’t have an Omega watches.

Wako（和光）and Seiko's founder Mr.Kintaro Hattori are tied in history as inseparable entities,
Kintaro Hattori first located his watch business in the now iconic Seiko House Ginza watch tower location in 1895, after the destruction caused by the great kanto earthquake of 1932 the building would have to be reconstructed and somehow survives the air raids of the worldwar with minimal damage.

In 1952 Seiko and Wako one of Japans most prestigious luxury retailers established in 1947 officially move back into the Ginza clock tower building beginning a tightknit relationship that continues till this day.

Wako has consistently made small batch limited editions of GrandSeiko's since 2002 mainly for its loyal clientele, if you are familiar with their watches you would see that their signature is using Arabic ( Breguet Style ) numerals and sometimes Roman numerals ( just like todays example )

It is said that these distinctive typography is used as a nod to vintage pocketwatches and to the aesthetic of the Ginza clock tower.

My only regret is not purchasing this reference earlier. It took some time for me to get over the fact that I’d be paying a premium for a used watch but I’m glad to have jump over that hurdle.
The charm proportions of the five digit models are chef’s kiss.

Might be my best leather upcycle project yet. Old Rolex wallet turned into a watch strap.

Kept the gold Rolex crown on the short strap so that it gets hidden by the long strap when you wear it. Keeps it as a nice little Easter egg if you ever take the watch off and hand it to someone to check out. But…the best part has to be the “invisible” Rolex crown stamped at the bottom. You can only see it if it catches the light just right. chefs kiss

What are everyone’s thoughts?

To me, this one is undoubtedly a nice watch, but not what I expected from the brand. It is less ‘mad’, and more ‘sane’. There is not really anything particularly exciting about the release and I have to say I am somewhat disappointed myself.

On a side note though, the pink colour is lovely. Shame it is only for friends and family/tribe members.

Deleted and reposted since the images errored out, apologies to anyone seeing this twice.

My new Citizen Photon arrived yesterday, so I thought I would share my initial thoughts on it. I’ve got a huge amount of respect for Citizen for their contributions and innovations in watches and, as such, have been wanting to add an Eco-Drive to my collection for a while, but their designs generally don’t really speak to me. I tend to lean more into unique designs, and Citizen just isn’t that aside from their brand collaborations. When the announcement popped up for this one, not only did it check all the boxes, but also included the newest Eco-Drive caliber that can run for a full year on a single charge. Sold.

First impressions: This is definitely one of those watches that pictures don’t do justice to. The light really plays with the blue/purple base layer, and the layers give it a depth I usually only see in skeletonized watches. It’s definitely the lightest watch I’ve ever owned, which, yeah, it’s a titanium case and bracelet, but it’s still shockingly light compared to the automatics I usually wear. The integrated bracelet is comfortable and well executed, and combined with the slight curve on the caseback, makes it very comfortable on the wrist. Size wise, it’s pretty perfect on my 7.5” wrist.

What I don’t like: Honestly, not much. I had a whole paragraph typed out about how annoying the lack of micro adjust is on a watch at this price point, but just discovered it has an OTF micro adjust that was just pushed in all the way so I couldn’t see it was there. So I guess what I don’t like is that the only paperwork that comes with the watch is a warranty card, not even a cheap folded paper manual. I also really don’t care for pin-and-collar style pins in the links, it just makes resizing an extra pain in the ass, but I got the watch pre-sized from Citizen so it’ll only be an issue if switch over to an all-cheeseburger diet.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with it so far. Some minor gripes for sure, but nothing that’s a deal breaker. One last thing I’ll note - the “Citizen” and “Eco-Drive” on the face are printed on the inside of the sapphire, not the dial, giving them a floating effect that some people don’t care for and weren’t aware of when they purchased it.

If anyone has any questions, I’m happy to answer as best I can. Thanks!

Hamilton finally dropped another color on the Murph. I’m hoping this is the beginning of them doing more dial colors for this model, specifically a red dial and a green dial.

Are there other upgrades you would like to see with the Murph now that it’s been out for a while? I know it’s based on Interstellar, but I see a lot of potential with this model line if they move on to adding a date function, GMT, power reserves, etc. I’d also like to see more strap options from Hamilton. I see this watch doing well with sailcloth, canvas, or NATO straps. Not so sure about rubber straps.

I look forward to hearing the community’s thoughts!

I managed to grab this on Amazon for £90. I wasn't expecting much... just a cheap, functioning watch for holiday. I barely read the description, figuring Timex has always been reliable in my past experience.

Well, damn. This is actually a really nice watch! When I unboxed it, I genuinely had to double check the packing slip because the build and finish felt way above its price point. Finding sapphire glass on something under £100 is a massive bonus.

If you want a solid looking field watch as a beater or a holiday piece, it's well worth a look. Pros and cons below for anyone interested:

Pros:

• Feels remarkably solid and high quality for under £100
• Sapphire crystal is a rare find at this price point
• Clean, textured dial gives it a great rugged aesthetic
• Reliable solar charging with zero power reserve issues
• Screw down crown feels secure and well-machined

Cons:

• Second hand misses the alignment marks on the lower half of the dial, but at £90, it's hard to complain
• Stock strap looks great visually, but feels a bit fragile and will likely need replacing eventually
• Oddly enough... I actually like the classic loud Timex tick, and I kind of miss it on this silent runner

Watch name: Timex Men's Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm Watch

I backed this kickstarter in January. I have always wanted a nixie tube something, and the dimensions on this seemed the most reasonable out there. It is large, but not as big as some others I have seen - it’s actually not as tall as my MAD 1. It has a zinc alloy case and IN16 tubes. It is large at 55mm x 40mm, but it still wears very well at about 15mm tall. It’s obviously not an everyday watch, but I do think it’s pretty cool. The manual says a 2 hour charge will last 4ish days. I like it and I think it was a little less than $300 well spent.

I’ve been thinking about my relationship with this hobby lately and realized that I’ve probably gotten more enjoyment out of researching and acquiring watches than I have out of actually owning them.

I love going down rabbit holes, learning about different references, comparing movements, dimensions, materials, prices, and eventually narrowing everything down to the thing I want. The problem is that once the hunt is over, my brain eventually starts looking for another hunt.

It’s not that I’m unhappy with what I own or constantly trying to replace everything. I think I’ve just conditioned myself to associate the hobby with discovery and acquisition, and ownership is naturally a lot quieter than that.

I also know that diving even deeper into researching the watches I already own probably isn’t the answer for me. At some point research turns into scrutiny, scrutiny turns into comparison, and suddenly I’m looking for problems that I didn’t care about before.

So I’m curious about people who have been through this phase and come out the other side.

How did you shift the hobby away from constantly researching what’s next and toward actually enjoying what you already own?

Did anything specifically change the way you interacted with your watches, or did the acquisition itch just calm down with time?

I've been collecting for about 4 years now. I have one final spot left. What should I get? I'm leaning towards a few watches from Tudor (BB58 GMT, BB54), Longines (Zulu Time, Hydroconquest), Omega (Aqua Terra), or Breitling (Chronomat). I might end up just getting another GS if one really catches my eye, lol

Unfortunately I have no ADs in my city that carry these so I can’t really try them on and see but I really just want to hear opinions on what would look better on my 6.5 inch wrist. I’ve really been gravitating towards the Grand Seiko sbge285 because I think it looks better but it’s a 41mm and on the other hand the Tudor bb58 gmt is also super clean and it’s a 39mm. But I mean I also wear a 44mm g shock at the moment and it actually doesn’t look bad on the wrist so It’s hard for me to choose right now. Just wondering on what do you guys think.

I have a bit of a soft spot for the early-2000s Diesel watches made by Fossil. They get very little love these days, but I find the unconventional designs quite charming -- and the fact that you can still pick them up for next to nothing only adds to the appeal.

I started collecting in October 2024 and posted my collection here a while back. Since then, a few watches have moved on and a couple of new ones have come in, so I wanted to share my updated 4-watch collection. I’ve got a watch box for 6 and still plan to keep the collection relatively tight and eclectic, so the two empty slots will stay empty until something I really want comes along.

1. Seiko Prospex Forest Green
This was my brother’s gift to me for my birthday and the watch that really started my obsession. It’s seen consistent wrist time since then, especially when traveling. The bracelet has taken a proper beating with plenty of scratches and marks now, but the watch itself is still going very strong. I’m still obsessed with the green dial and how much it changes depending on the light. It’s also nice having something I can wear pretty much anywhere without thinking too much about it.

2. Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm
The newest addition to the collection - I actually picked this up yesterday. Retail was around $1,150 here but after some vouchers and discounts I managed to get it for roughly $450, which made it very hard to pass up. Interstellar is one of my Letterboxd 4 Favorites so I’ve always had a soft spot for the Murph. I initially thought I’d get the larger version, but even with my fairly large wrists the lug-to-lug on the 42mm felt too long. The 38mm sits much better. The leather strap is quite stiff out of the box, so hopefully that breaks in with some wear.

3. Longines Master Collection Moonphase
This was an anniversary gift from my future in-laws and is still the watch that’s sentimentally closest to my heart. I recently switched the original alligator strap for this green leather strap and it gets a surprising number of compliments. The dial is still phenomenal and I find myself staring at the moonphase and blued hands constantly when wearing it. It’s probably the most elegant watch in my collection.

4. Omega Seamaster Diver 300M
The big addition and my first luxury watch that I bought for myself 2 days ago. I’ve wanted an Omega for years and finally buying one shortly after turning 30 feels like a proper milestone achievement. I went back and forth between the Speedmaster, Aqua Terra and Seamaster, but kept coming back to the black SMP. The ceramic wave dial is absolutely gorgeous in natural light and the red Seamaster text adds just enough color. It’s still very new to me, but this already feels like a watch I’ll have for a very long time.

I’m really happy with where the collection is. Four watches that are quite different from each other and all have their own reason for being there. I have two empty spaces left in the box, but I’m in no rush to fill them. I’d rather wait and make the next additions deliberate ones. Top of mind for the next watch is the Rolex Explorer II Polar - the white dial and orange GMT hand would be a nice splash of color.

Thanks for taking the time to read and always interested to hear what people think.