Topic
Brands
Brand questions are really questions about three things: who actually makes the movement, what the warranty and the service network are worth where you live, and what the name is worth when you come to sell. These pages answer them with documented facts about ownership, movement supply and positioning. No brand pays for a place here and none ever will.
96 pages on this subject.
Answers
- Are Invicta watches any good?
- Are Japanese movements as good as Swiss movements?
- Are Tudor watches worth the money?
- Is a gray market watch safe to buy?
- Is Citizen better than Seiko?
- Is Grand Seiko worth the money?
- Is Hamilton a good watch brand?
- Is Seiko a good watch brand?
- Is Tissot a good watch brand?
- What does Swiss made actually mean?
- What is a microbrand watch?
- What is an in-house movement?
- What is the best affordable watch brand?
- What is the difference between Rolex and Tudor?
- Why are Rolex watches so hard to buy?
- Why are Swiss watches so expensive?
Guides
How a watch is actually made
Ebauches, CNC cases, pad-printed dials and casing up in a clean room. How watches are really produced, who supplies whom, and where the retail price goes.
How to spot a fake watch
Modern counterfeits are too good for one external tell to settle it. The reliable checks are the movement, the numbers, the paperwork chain and the seller.
Microbrands and independents: what you are really buying
What a microbrand actually is, how it differs from an independent watchmaker, why the specification looks so good for the money, and where the real risks sit.
Swiss made, and what origin marks really mean
What the Swiss made ordinance actually demands since 2017, how Swiss movement and Swiss parts differ, and which certifications genuinely test a watch.
Brands
Breitling
Who owns Breitling, what the B01 chronograph gives you that the ETA and Sellita bases do not, how the Navitimer slide rule works, and how large these wear.
Cartier
Cartier is a Richemont jeweler that builds watches. Who owns it, which calibers it makes, why so much of the line is quartz, and the honest resale picture.
Casio
How G-Shock shock resistance is built and tested, why module construction changes repair economics, what solar and Multi-Band 6 fix, and where resin fails.
Certina
What Certina's Double Security case engineering actually consists of, why it shares the Powermatic 80 with Tissot, and when it is the better of the two.
Christopher Ward
A Swiss-made brand that sells without retailers. What the SH21, the Sellita shift and the 60/60 guarantee are worth, and the resale problem nobody advertises.
Citizen
Citizen owns Miyota and supplies much of the industry. What Eco-Drive changes about servicing, what the accuracy claims mean, where the range falls short.
Grand Seiko
Why Grand Seiko split from Seiko in 2017, what the Shizukuishi and Shinshu studios build, how its accuracy standard compares to COSC, and what it loses used.
Hamilton
The Lancaster years, the move to Switzerland, Swatch Group ownership, and what the H-10 and H-50 calibers give you in the Khaki Field and the Jazzmaster.
Invicta
What Invicta watches actually are: bought-in Japanese and Swiss movements, why the stated list price misleads, the design criticism, and who they suit.
IWC Schaffhausen
An American-founded Swiss manufacture on the Rhine. Ownership, the pilot's watch lineage, soft-iron magnetic shielding, the calibers and the running costs.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
The manufacture that supplied movements to Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and Vacheron. Ownership, the Reverso, the 1000 Hours Control, and running costs.
Longines
Longines sits between Tissot and Omega in the Swatch Group. What the exclusive L888 calibers and silicon balance springs buy, and what the Spirit costs.
NOMOS Glashütte
NOMOS builds almost all of its calibers in Glashütte, including the escapement. What the DUW 3001 and DUW 6101 give you, and the parts question that follows.
Omega
Swatch Group ownership, the Co-Axial escapement George Daniels invented, what METAS Master Chronometer certification tests, and what NASA certified in 1965.
Orient
Orient belongs to Seiko Epson, not to the company that sells Seiko watches. What the F6 calibers do, which ones hack, and how the Bambino and Kamasu compare.
Oris
Oris has been independent since 1982 and builds only mechanical watches. What the Calibre 400 actually delivers, and why most of the range is Sellita.
Panerai
Panerai under Richemont: the Italian naval history, the Luminor crown bridge, the P-series calibers, why lug-to-lug decides fit here, and honest resale.
Rolex
Who owns Rolex, what the Superlative Chronometer test adds to COSC, why dealers ration steel sports models, and what one really costs to buy and keep.
Seiko
Who owns Seiko, what the 4R, 6R and 8L calibers actually promise, why the SKX ended, what replaced it, and the alignment problems nobody at Seiko denies.
Sinn Spezialuhren
Sinn names a document behind almost every claim. What Ar-dehumidifying, tegimented steel and DIN 8306 certification actually do, and what Sinn does not make.
TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer under LVMH: the Heuer racing chronographs, Calibre Heuer 02 against the Sellita-based movements, connected watches, and the depreciation reality.
Tissot
Who owns Tissot, what the Powermatic 80 gives up to reach 80 hours, what the PRX and Seastar cost new and used, and when a Certina or Hamilton fits better.
Tudor
Rolex owns Tudor. Since 2015 it has built its own MT calibers at Kenissi, and some references now carry METAS certification. What that is worth in practice.
Zenith
Zenith owns one of watchmaking's great movements and one of its best stories. Who owns the brand, what the El Primero really is, and what it costs to own.
Models
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph
How the Navitimer's circular slide rule is actually used, what the in-house B01 caliber gives you, how the big case wears, and what servicing one costs.
Cartier Tank
The Tank family explained: Must against Louis Cartier, which references are quartz and which mechanical, the published case sizes, and the 30 m limit.
Casio F-91W
Module 593, a published rate of 30 seconds a month, a seven year battery and a resin band that fails first. Why the F-91W has been in production since 1989.
Casio G-Shock DW-5600
How the square G-Shock actually resists shock, what 200 meters means on a resin case, why Casio swaps modules instead of repairing them, and what it costs.
Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 300
A 300 m Swiss diver sold direct: four case sizes, a Sellita SW200-1, ceramic and sapphire. What direct pricing removes, and what it costs when you sell.
Citizen Promaster Diver (BN0150 and BN0151)
The 44 mm light-powered Promaster Diver: what Eco-Drive really is, what the DIVER'S 200 m marking promises, how it wears, and how long the cell lasts.
Grand Seiko Snowflake (SBGA211)
The SBGA211 explained: how Spring Drive works without a battery, why the seconds hand glides, what the titanium case weighs, and what it loses secondhand.
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm
The 38 mm Khaki Field Mechanical uses the hand-wound H-50, 80 hour reserve. What daily winding is like, what 50 meters rules out, and how the 42 mm differs.
IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XX
The Mark XX added a five-day movement and 100 m over the Mark XVIII and kept the soft-iron cage. What that cage protects, and what the solid caseback costs.
Longines Spirit: the 40 mm and 42 mm chronometer
Every Longines Spirit is COSC certified and runs an exclusive ETA-based caliber with a silicon hairspring. How the two sizes wear, and what resale looks like.
Nomos Tangente 35 and 38
Which Tangente reference has which caliber, how the 35 mm and 38 mm wear, what hand winding costs you daily, and why the water rating rules out swimming.
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M
The teak dial, 150 meters, Master Chronometer at 0 to +6 seconds a day and 15,000 gauss. How the 38 mm really wears, and the price against a steel Datejust.
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M
The current 42 mm Seamaster Diver 300M: published dimensions, caliber 8800, the ceramic dial and bezel, and an honest account of the helium escape valve.
Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch
The 42 mm hand-wound Moonwatch with caliber 3861: what METAS certification changed, what the 1965 NASA test program actually covered, and the 50 m limit.
Orient Bambino
The Bambino name covers several calibers. What Orient publishes for the current F672: 40 hours, hacking, hand winding, 30 m, and where the finishing stops.
Oris Aquis Date: the 41.5 mm and the 43.5 mm
The Aquis Date is rated to 300 m but Oris does not claim ISO 6425. What the Sellita-based 733 gives up to the Calibre 400, and how a 43.5 mm diver wears.
Rolex Datejust 36 and 41
The Rolex Datejust 36 and 41 compared: published specifications, how each size wears, caliber 3235, service costs, allocation and honest secondhand pricing.
Rolex Explorer 36 and 40
The Rolex Explorer 36 and 40 in detail: published specifications, how each size wears, caliber 3230, servicing costs, allocation and realistic used prices.
Rolex GMT-Master II, 40 mm
The 40 mm Rolex GMT-Master II explained: published specifications, how the dual time works, caliber 3285, service costs and what the allocation premium buys.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Caliber 3230, -2/+2 seconds a day, 100 meters and no date. What the 2020 colored dials did to demand, and what you will really pay and wait at retail.
Rolex Submariner, 41 mm: 126610LN and 124060
The 41 mm Rolex Submariner in detail: published specifications, how it wears, caliber 3235, servicing costs, and what the secondhand premium actually buys.
Seiko 5 Sports: the SRPD generation, measured
The current Seiko 5 Sports is rated 100 m and is not a divers' watch. What the SRPD generation measures, how it wears, the 4R36 inside, and its real faults.
Seiko Alpinist
The 6R35 Alpinist measured: 39.5 mm, 46.4 mm lug to lug, 70 hour reserve, 20 bar. How the compass ring works, and why the 38 mm SARB017 now costs more.
Seiko Prospex Turtle: the SRP777 and its successors
Seiko's cushion-cased 200 m diver, from the SRP777 reissue to the current Prospex Turtle. Dimensions, the 4R36, how it wears, and what the King Turtle adds.
Seiko SKX007: what it was, and what it costs now
The SKX007 is out of production and secondhand prices sit above old retail. What it really was, the 7S26's limits, the DIVER'S marking, and what to buy now.
TAG Heuer Carrera: the chronographs and the three-hand models
The Carrera splits into in-house Heuer 02 chronographs and Sellita-built three-hand models. What Glassbox changed, and how steeply the watches depreciate.
Tissot PRX
The PRX is two watches in one case. What separates the quartz from the Powermatic 80, how the bracelet limits strap choice, and how 35 and 40 mm differ.
Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight
The 39 mm Black Bay Fifty-Eight: MT5402 movement, 70 hours of reserve, COSC certification, and why Tudor's smaller case is the whole reason the watch exists.
Movements
Seiko 4R35 and 4R36
What Seiko publishes for the 4R35 and 4R36, how they relate to the NH35 and NH36 sold to other brands, and the differences that are real rather than folklore.
Compare
Grand Seiko vs Rolex
Hand finishing against industrial consistency, Spring Drive against nothing comparable, and a depreciation gap that decides the purchase for most buyers.
In-house vs third party movements
What in-house actually means, why third party movements exist, and which one costs you less to own over twenty years.
Microbrand vs established brand
What direct selling actually buys you in specification, and what it costs in warranty backing, parts over ten years and resale. The trade, priced honestly.
Omega Speedmaster vs TAG Heuer Carrera
A hand-wound Master Chronometer against an automatic in-house chronograph and its Sellita-based siblings: winding, size, service cost and depreciation.
Omega vs TAG Heuer
Two Swiss chronograph houses at overlapping prices. Master Chronometer testing, in-house calibers against Sellita bases, and a resale gap worth knowing about.
Rolex Submariner vs Tudor Black Bay 58
Two steel divers, 2 mm apart on paper and roughly three times apart in real acquisition cost. Size, movement, clasp, availability and resale, weighed up.
Rolex vs Omega
Rolex publishes a tighter daily rate. Omega sends the finished watch to a federal lab and publishes a magnetism figure. What each choice buys you.
Rolex vs Tudor
One owner, two factories. How Rolex and Tudor differ on movements, certification, steel and finishing, availability, service cost and what resale returns.
Seiko NH35 vs Miyota 9015 vs Sellita SW200
Beat rate, power reserve, stated accuracy, rotor noise and parts and service cost for the three workhorse automatics under most affordable watches.
Seiko vs Citizen
Japan's two vertically integrated giants. Seiko owns the mechanical argument, Citizen owns the accuracy and no-maintenance argument. Where each one wins.
Seiko vs Orient
Two Japanese mechanical brands with a shared ancestor. How the Orient F6 calibers compare with Seiko's 4R family, and where each one is the better buy.
Tissot vs Hamilton
Two Swatch Group siblings built on the same ETA architecture. Powermatic 80 against H-10 and H-50, PRX against Khaki Field, and what each costs to own.
Prices
Grand Seiko price, new and used
What a Grand Seiko costs in US dollars new and used, why it loses about a third secondhand, what Spring Drive servicing adds, and how to check the current figure.
Omega Speedmaster price, new and pre-owned
What a Speedmaster Moonwatch costs in US dollars new and pre-owned, why it trades below list, what a chronograph service adds, and how to check the current figure.
Rolex Submariner price, at list and secondhand
What a Submariner costs in US dollars at list and on the secondary market, why the premium exists, what servicing adds, and how to check the number yourself.
Tudor Black Bay price, new and pre-owned
What a Tudor Black Bay costs in US dollars new and pre-owned, why it trades below list, what servicing adds over a decade, and how to check the current number.
Watch depreciation by brand
How much value watches lose, brand group by brand group, in indicative resale ranges rather than point figures, and why the exceptions are a handful of references.
Watches under $500, honestly
What $500 actually buys in a watch: the five categories available at that money, named examples with what each one compromises, and what to avoid.