No watch is perfect, but I genuinely think that Nectere have succeeded in creating a watch that functions as both a conversation starter, and a damn good timepiece, too. I will be writing a full review about this later on, but I felt compelled to write this release article simply from how much I loved wearing this watch.

Prior to getting this watch, I would probably have told my non-enthusiast friends to get an Orient Bambino, a Seiko Presage, or even a Hamilton Jazzmaster for their daily watch at the office. Now that I’ve had the Vandaag Baas for around a month, I can’t in good conscience recommend those other watches without also recommending this as the top choice. With its sub-1000 EUR price, classic design, and unique date window, this may just be the perfect watch for daily life.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Australian watchmaking. Maybe it’s because Australia has always felt like a second home, albeit one that is quite far away. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a couple of times over the years, and every trip leaves me wanting to come back. In fact, we have another trip planned for 2027. That connection is part of the reason Bausele has always fascinated me. Unlike many microbrands that rarely rely on provenance, Bausele is proudly Australian

My favorite watch - by far - has been the Vario Versa - Year of the Horse. I have reviewed this watch on both this blog, as well as my Youtube channel, and it remains my most-worn watch of the year. It's a beautiful and brilliant watch, and it's one that I thought would easily win as my favorite watch of 2026. Imagine my surprise when that watch was replaced by the Vario Versa Automatic.

Walking through the aisles that afternoon, I enjoyed the familiar mixture of temptation and restraint. Wonderful King Seikos. Beautiful early Grand Seikos. Exceptional Longines, Universal Genève and Omega chronographs. Every few minutes another watch demanded attention. After nearly an hour, I had almost convinced myself that this year's visit would end like all the others. Then, almost hidden among considerably more expensive pieces, I saw it. A Citizen Chronometer.

We are over halfway through the year, and while many - including the rest of the editorial team - were somewhat underwhelmed by the recent Watches & Wonders, it doesn't mean that there weren't some good watches released this year. The following is our favorite watches of 2026, which includes new releases, new additions to our collection, or in some cases, watches we don't even have in our possession... yet.

Nubeo, as a brand, is no stranger to strange or cutting-edge, science fiction inspired designs (see the Missile Command Limited Edition Release recently), but they somehow continue to surprise me with each new release. Their latest collection, the Ulysses, is no exception, and it might just be my favorite watch from them yet.

There are some watches, which are built with multiple meanings in mind. These watches, in their description, try to keep it as vague as possible, so that it can appeal to as many people as possible. The newest limited edition release from Spinnaker does not care about trying to keep things general, and non-specific. As its name and design suggests, the Spinnaker Croft Dolphin Project was made to raise awareness about marine conservation prior to the upcoming World Whale & Dol

Spinnaker has been a crowd favorite - particularly in the past two years - for their robust divers at affordable price points. During a time when Seiko, who was once the Budget Diver King, has seemingly raised prices across the board outside of their Seiko 5 collection, Spinnaker seems committed to filling this vacuum with their own watches.

For a few years now, I have had the privilege of meeting the owners of different brands, thanks to my job working for a Japanese microbrand. I have also had a hand in creating several different watches - whether it was a contribution to the design, the concept, the media push, or even the choice of strap. So, I have intimate knowledge of all the trials and tribulations that go into making even a single watch, but because I don't own the company, I am fortunate not to bear all

Most microbrands tend to compete over price - i.e. offering incredible prices for watches below what these mainstream brands would typically offer. Other microbrands try to compete by creating something entirely unique - something that you can’t just walk into any boutique to add to the collection. Orphic Watches, like Christopher Ward with their Bel Canto, has somehow managed to combine both things with Project 0: a Wandering Hours Watch inspired by the James Webb Telesc

With the recent release of the new Omega Seamaster for the latest James Bond game, or even the Call of Duty x Hamilton watch, it seems that gaming collaborations with watches are a hot commodity at the moment. While it would have been easier and arguably more profitable to collaborate with something like Minecraft or Fortnite, Nubeo Watches chose to collaborate with Atari on creating a new watch that honors where it all started: Missile Command.

There is something dangerously addictive about a good turquoise dial. Not the cheap “let’s-make-it-blue-so-Instagram-likes-it” kind of turquoise. I mean the proper kind. The type that shifts personality every single time light touches it differently. The kind that makes you stop mid-conversation just to stare at your wrist like you have discovered buried treasure. The Gavox Longitude Turquoise is exactly that kind of watch. This watch hit differently from the very first

Imagine you're flying through the sky as faceless pilots do their best to shoot you down. Scary, right? Now imagine that you're doing all of this while piloting a machine that was invented less than two decades ago. This is what the volunteer pilots of the La Fayette Escadrille, a French Air Force unit comprised of both American and French pilots, during the First World War experienced every time they flew. Now that we are over a hundred years removed from the original aerial

There’s a certain quiet confidence to everything that comes out of NOMOS Glashütte. Rooted in the watchmaking town of Glashütte, the brand has built its reputation on clean design, in-house movements, and a very distinct take on modern Bauhaus-inspired aesthetics. Within their lineup, the Club Campus series stands out as the most youthful and approachable, often positioned as an entry point into mechanical watchmaking, but without feeling like a compromise. The Nomos Glash

The majority of microbrands seem to skew between varying degrees of uninspired yet reliable homages to avant-garde, kind of crazy designs. Somewhere in between is where a microbrand can truly create its value - this is the area where brands like Vario, Minim, Kuoe, Traska, and many others have established themselves. Thus, the question for Sero Watch Company, a relatively new microbrand hailing from the Netherlands and founded by Sergino and Robert (the name is an amalgamatio

I have now handled and / or reviewed a total of four different Kuoe watches, and while I have adored each one to varying degrees, I think this is - hands down - the best of the best that Kuoe has created thus far.

I am a big fan of field watches. In fact, if I check my collection right now, it consists largely of field watches. So, when Jay and Jason kindly loaned me the Houtman Murchison, I was truly over the moon for the opportunity. This field watch features a Sellita SW-200 movement, 100M of water resistance with a screw-down crown, and a suede strap and leather watch case.

You can see it across all of their watches - whether it’s the small-seconds subdials that look like the fuel gauges of vintage sports cars, or their bullhead chronographs that make it seem like the pushers are exhaust valves of a race car. When it came time to create a new watch, it was important for Cadola that the watch would maintain that vision, and that’s exactly what they have done with the newly released Cadola Slipstream.

Kuoe is a Japanese microbrand that started during the peak of Covid-19, and it has become somewhat of a darling among watch enthusiasts in the years since. While you could attribute their success to a myriad of factors, such as their accessible pricing, the “Made in Japan” prestige, and more, none of that would matter if it wasn’t for one simple thing: they make good watches. Not only do they make good watches, they make watches with a distinct, memorable style of design.