Detroit Watch Company 1701 Ponchartrain and L’Horloge, Now in Fun Size

By Matt Himmelstein May 28, 2015

I don’t get to wear my 1701 from Detroit Watch Company, my wife stole it from me. Well, steal is a tough term. I really like the styling of the watch, but she isn’t into watches the same way I am, and she rarely comments on what I wear, let alone take an interest in one. That changed with this watch. So with domestic tranquility in mind, I allowed her to permanently borrow the watch. She is tall (almost 6 feet) and has always liked large watches, so this model worked for her. But if you are not into the look of a 44mm case that stands proud at 13.5mm, You now have options. The Detroit Company 1701 Ponchartrain and L’Horloge models are available for pre-order in 39 mm x 11-12 mm cases.

Carnot Watches Riviera – Champagne Living, Beer Budget

By Matt Himmelstein May 7, 2015

Recently, the folks behind a new watch start-up reached out to us to introduce their product, the Carnot Watches Riviera model. Now, I have not had a chance to check out the watch in hand, but the look of the prototypes is very polished and the team does not seem to be overpromising. Another nice change when compaired to crowd sourcing, is that you are buying an actual product when you put your money down, so you will have protections offered by your credit card companies that are not in place with crowd funded campaigns. Overall, the watch looks to be a nicely made product that offers a fair bit of value.

Earnshaw 1805 Grand Calendar, for Date Night

By Matt Himmelstein April 14, 2015

When asked why he threw the watch out the window, the little boy answered, “I wanted to see time fly.” OK, it is an old, bad joke (and one of my dad’s favorites), but that sentiment is part of the reasoning why (at least in my mind) you buy a watch with an exposed fly wheel. The Thomas Earnshaw 1805 Grand Calendar is a pretty watch that isn’t going to break the bank, and you get to watch time fly, or at least wiggle back and forth.

Whytes Watches Mk 1, A Vintage Feel in Two Flavors

By Matt Himmelstein February 12, 2015

Whytes Watches Mk1 02I enjoy a nice, slim, Bauhaus inspired, minimalist 3 hander as much as the next guy. I have more than one in my assortment of watches, but I see them too often to have them really pique my interest most days. What I do enjoy is seeing something different when it is well done, attractive and wearable. I see these qualities when I look at the Whytes Watches Mk 1 models, the Pioneer and Discoverer, currently seeking funding on Kickstarter.

Davosa Swiss Automatics on Sale at Touch of Modern

By Matt Himmelstein January 29, 2015

Touch of Modern (join here is you are not already a member), is a limited time, members only sales site that features lots of guy-centric goods. For our audience, it is the watches that really matter, and the site does feature a lot of watch sales. Right now, Davosa Swiss Automatics are on sale at Touch of Modern, plus one quartz chrono for the budget minded.

Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Squelette, a Modern Skeleton

By Matt Himmelstein January 27, 2015

The concept of a skeleton watches intrigues me, but the execution (at least for affordable ones) usually leaves underwhelmed. I love the way that the mechanical movements are exposed, but they end up visually very busy, and they tend to be overly ornate. When Tissot offered to loan me the Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Squelette for a review, I jumped at the opportunity. Here was a watch that looked modern and readable, while still showing off the mechanical movement that makes a skeleton interesting. Unbeknownst to me, Patrick also decided to review this watch, albeit for A Blog To Watch. He didn’t get it hands on, but his impression was that the watch lacked some of the showmanship that you see on really high end skeleton watches, but still had a design that was readable while showing off the important parts.

Cobra de Calibre Chronograph el Grande, Another Pretty Face (and Caseback)

By Matt Himmelstein January 16, 2015

I first saw the Cobra de Calibre brand when the creator, John Lee, introduced his cushion cased first watch on Kickstarter. At the time, I really liked the style, but I had recently purchased something else, and didn’t have the cash. Then he brought out his bronze twin crown, which I liked a lot, but passed on because of another purchase. Now, he has a third watch on Kickstarter, the Cobra de Calibre Chronograph el Grande, and I will let you guess what is going through my head.

Astoncain Minimalist Watch, About As Clean As It Gets

By Matt Himmelstein December 17, 2014

Astoncain 01How do you set yourself apart from the other watch brands on Kickstarter? There is only so low you can go on price, and the features you offer are all tied to a cost. So then you have design, but there are lots of designs already out there, especially with Bauhaus inspired minimalism. Astoncain decided to go nearly as clean as they could with the design, removing even the branding from the face of their watch, currently up on Kickstarter.

Zelos Chroma, Refined Minimalism

By Matt Himmelstein October 13, 2014

In an interesting (OK, maybe not that interesting) coincidence, I happened to be wearing my Zelos Helmsman when I received an update from company on the Zelos Chroma, their second watch project, which was going live that afternoon on Kickstarter. The Zelos Chroma is being billed as a minimalist automatic, which may actually sell the project a little short.

Rossling & Company Automatic, Still Thinking Thin

By Matt Himmelstein October 7, 2014

The rise of crowdfunding has really opened up watchmaking to new entrepreneurs and enthusiasts wishing to make their mark on the industry, and put their product on your wrist. The first product out of the gate is interesting, but for me, the real test comes with the follow up watches. The Rossling & Company Automatic is the firm’s sophomore effort, back on Kickstarter, that builds on their first watch offering, keeping a similar aesthetic, but adding a mechanical movement.

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