Welcome to our weekly round-up of watches on the web, which we cleverly call Watching the Web. Here, interesting articles and review on other watch sites are highlighted, and we also get to crow a bit about our own popular articles. This week, I have a review of a very fast Heuer chrono, a review of a Fortis dive watch from a non-reviewer, and a Seiko for the world traveler. From our sites, we have a reader review of the Benarus H-6, the BOLDR chrono on Kickstarter, and the Casio Pro Trek.
First up is a Hodinkee’s review of (the rebranded) Heuer 1/100 bull head chronograph. The watch is a $20,000 limited edition, so I am on the fence about how fast this will sell out. The mechanical movement is top-notch, and I love the size of the removable watch element, really transforming it into a stopwatch. And I am sure it will sell out, but I wonder how many folks that are ready to drop $20k on a watch are going to do it on a Heuer. Regardless, I like it.
Next up is a look at the Fortis Aquatis Diver over at Time Zone. I like the white, readable dial, the blue second-hand, and the size of the watch. It also doesn’t hurt that it is a diver. What I like about the review is that it was done buy a guy who just went out and bought a watch, then reviewed. Hey, that is how I got my start reviewing watches.
Finally, from our friends over at ABTW, is a watch for the world travelers out there, the Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual Time. with a name like that, there is not much to describe. it sets its time in a new time zone via GPS, it is a solar rechargeable quartz, and it tracks more than one time zone. I think it is attractive, and I like the titanium case and ceramic bezel, but I could live with a straight mechanical GMT, especially versus the $2,200 price tag.
Photo by E. Sorensen-Braasch
Just like the Fortis, this week we have a reader review of a watch, and it is topping our most read articles list. I got started here this way, back reviewing a watch I picked up on Kickstarter. If you have a favorite watch you think we should be covering, write it up. As for the Benarus H-6, Erik didn’t think he would end up liking it, but he did. I have seen a few Benarus watches, and they are well made, especially considering the price point. Check out what Erik has to say about the watch.
Next up here on Watching the Web is John’s take on the BOLDR chrono, which is blowing up on Kickstarter. I am not a huge fan of quartz chronos, though the mecha-quartz movement is a step in the right direction. I do like the dial and the big bubbles crystal though.
Finally for this week’s Watching the Web, John takes a look at his trusty Casio Pro Trek. The watch is John’s pick for a go-to digital watch, especially for travelers and hikers. It automatically resets the time and has sensors to read pressure, altitude, direction and temperature.
Did you know that John Biggs’ book, Marie Antionette’s Watch, is free to read with Kindle Unlimited, or you can buy a paperback from Amazon. Oh, and even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can always read via their free apps or their cloud read (check those out here
). You can even check out a snippet of the book.
Want to be more than just a visitor to our little corner of the internet? How about pledging some support for us over on Patreon. There are some compelling funding levels (including site redesigns and removing ads, and getting a copy of the Marie Antoinette book), but really, we just want to ensure we keep this lean ship running and the lights on. You can check out John’s latest post right here. This is a fun thing we get to do on the side, and we want to keep bringing you the content that you have come to rely on from us, and work to make it even better.
May is gone, June has arrived, and that means it is time for a new give away, this time the Ballast Trafalgar. As per usual, there is a two-part entry process, so follow the directions and enter for a chance at this vintage military themed watch. If you want to know more about it, check out Patrick’s review.
We also want to put the call out for wrist shots of our reader’s favorite (or at least favorite of the moment) watches. Put together an email of your wrist shot and tell us a little about the watch and why you love it. If you happened to be introduced to it through our site (or won it through a give-away), even better. Just make sure the image is a JPEG and at least 800 pixels wide. And as always, if there’s something you think we should be covering, feel free to drop us a line. If you bring something up that we end up writing about, we’ll be sure to tip our hats (electronically, if not literally) in your general direction.
