There is a certain gravitas that comes with any association to spacefaring or even the organizations involved with it. Let's go beyond the obvious example of my grail watch, the Omega Speedmaster, and look to how Bulova has made a killing with the Lunar Pilot due to astronaut Dave Scott (Apollo 15) using his Bulova after his main watch (the Speedy) broke during a moonwalk. Nubeo, who is no stranger to science fiction and collaborations, has made a bold yet surprisingly unders

The unboxing experience is an underrated, yet incredibly important aspect of getting a brand new watch. That being said, I know from firsthand experience with my own microbrand that creating a super unique or customized packaging can very quickly raise your costs, which in turn forces you to raise the cost on the customer. However, there are a few brands that manage to create something unique, regardless, and that's definitely the case for Walker & Crown, Farr + Swit, and

After seeing Jonny's Clocktower, I realized that Area Nostalgia was the brand of none other than Kieron of Top Tier Ticker, one of the best youtubers in the industry. The new Mantel collection launched yesterday with three distinct models - the Bloodmoon, Midnight, and Moonglow. While the main part of the 20mm dial is the same plain white (or not so plain, more on that later), Kieron has layered a brushed metal ring featuring Roman numeral hour markers to add some dynamism.

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

Doxa was founded in the famed Le Locle region of Switzerland by twenty-one-year old Georges Ducommun in 1889. I guess that’s impressive. When he was 21, he was a true watchmaker, and created a brand that would outlive him by almost an entire century. When I was 21, I was pushing a car up a mountain during a blizzard, but hey, it’s fine. Maybe in the next life, Georges can reach my level. Doxa initially distinguished itself through alarm watches, anti-magnetic watches

Imagine the “friend zone.” We’ve all been there. It’s that awkward place where you adore someone’s vibe, you laugh at their jokes, you even gush about them to your friends, and yet you know, deep down, they’re never making it past “platonic brunch buddy.” Watches have their own friend zone, too. These are the brands and models we admire from a safe distance.

KNIS is a Kyoto-based Japanese microbrand founded by Niii Keisuke, offering high-quality automatic watches at affordable prices. With models like the KN001-RD, featuring a sunburst red dial, sapphire crystal, Miyota 8215 movement, and strong everyday wearability, KNIS proves that microbrands can compete with major players.

This year, the iconic Rolex Datejust celebrates its 80th anniversary, making it one of the longest-running luxury watch models in the world. To mark the occasion on The Watch Brief, I wanted to discuss one model that found its way into my collection over a year ago, the Datejust 36. While the Datejust is available in 34mm and 41mm, I can firmly state that the 36mm option is the ideal choice, bridging the gap between classic and modern.