Seiko has just announced a pair of regional exclusives for its longtime distributor in Southeast Asia, the Seiko 5 Sports SSK043K1 and Prospex Speedtimer SSC951P1 Thong Sia Group Editions. Available only in Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and Brunei, the Thong Sia Group (TSG) limited editions are inspired by basketball, hence the salmon dials with black accents that echo the colour of the balls.The solar-powered Speedtimer chronographInitial thoughtsSeiko produces some of the best offerings in the affordable price segment, and the TSG duo demonstrate that amply with strong price-performance ratios. The Seiko 5 Sports, for instance, is an automatic with second time zone…

—————– Avoiding frequently faked models is a popular strategy among those plagued by the “I don’t want anyone thinking it’s fake” syndrome. They reason that people are less inclined to doubt the authenticity of an unpopular watch. Be that as it may, frequently faked models are the nice ones. Rolex GMT Master II two tone That’s why Rolexes are frequently faked. The rest of the range, although more accessible – at least in terms of availability if not affordability – is not immune to scrutiny. While two-tone, dress, and/or sub-36mm options are seldom faked, just about any watch whose dial…

We watch fans are a funny breed. As enthusiasts, we are always craving something new. But when we are presented with something new, the first thing we do instinctively is find watches from the past to compare the new one to. Once we’ve pinpointed the references to existing timepieces, that often becomes a reason to disqualify a design. Why am I telling you this? Because the new Seiko Prospex SPB481, SPB483, and SPB485 will undoubtedly receive similar treatment. That enlightening conclusion results from some quick self-reflection upon seeing the three new models. My brain immediately wanted to find comparisons. But…

Seiko has a reputation for releasing a ton of new watches over the course of a year, and some stand out more than others. Most often, we’re dealing with adaptations of an existing (sub)collection with new colours or textures for the dial. Today, though, we get to show you a completely new sub-range that is part of the brand’s very successful and widespread Prospex Diver’s series. The Seiko Prospex Diver’s SPB481, SPB483 and SPB485 debut a new case design, but more importantly, a striking new bezel design! Gone are the perfectly circular rotating bezels of the 62MAS, Sumo, Samurai and…

If you’ve followed our recent coverage of Straum, you probably already know that they’ve been teasing a new entry in their Jan Mayen collection for some time. This weekend, at the Windup Watch Fair, the new watch from the Scandinavian brand made its public debut. The Jan Mayen Basalt Limited Edition builds on the themes the brand has been working with for a few years now with their contemporary integrated bracelet sports watch design, adding some new dial elements with this LE that change the dynamic of the watch considerably while leaning into the brand’s ethos. It’s perhaps a little…

The flyleaf inside the 1950s edition contains the signature of one Sandra Hoksch, who received it for Christmas in 1955. Sandra, or one of the book’s later owners, carefully marked every book in the series she had read (image 3). I love to find readers’ marks in books, and I think of the people who wrote in our books like ghosts on the page, reading over our shoulders, waiting for our laugh, our scream of delight or terror. Sandra might not be a literal ghost, and if she sees this, I encourage her to contact us! But either way, her…