This could be the best Casio Pathfinder watch to date. A much slimmed down case and new usability features, along with new functions make this the Pathfinder watch to own. Still Casio is careful not to alienate the rest of the Pathfinder line by giving other models a few features that this model doesn't have. The last Casio Pathfinder watch I reviewed was the PAW1500, the model that came out immediately before the PAW-2000 (PAW2000). Given your needs, the PAW1500 might actually be a better suited model than the PAW2000. The PAW1500 is thicker, has a rotating navigational bezel, a moon phase indicator, and a tide chart. It also has slightly larger pushers. The PAW2000 on the other hand is slimmer, has polished metal pushers, a polished metal bezel, sunrise and sunset times, a logging function, and a duplex LCD. These differences along with other minor changes make it a totally different watch. Oh, and both the PAW1500 and PAW2000 comes in black resin or titanium versions. Actually, the PAW2000 has more in common with the PAW1300 in terms of being a solid "upgrade."

There are also a few features on the PAW2000 that are available on other Casio watches, but I have enjoyed here for the first time. As G-Shock, Pathfinder, and related multifunction Casio digital watches have been around for a while, their engineers have continually refined and added features. Some of these features are things like snooze functions for the alarms. My new favorite is the auto illumination (A.EL) function. It used some type of tilt sensor in the watch that automatically activates the backlight when you tilt your wrist toward you. LCD displays are impossible to read in the dark. Most people are used to pressing a pusher (here located on the front of the watch) or activate the backlight. Now you can do so without using your other hand just by turning your wrist. It is a great and reliable system. Of course the backlight often goes on when you don't necessarily want it to. So when stealth is important, or if it annoys you the function can easily be disabled. Which brings me to two other points. Casio watches are among the most "user customizable" watches out there in terms of the settings, and there is also a bit of a learning curve.

Little things like beeps and alerts can be turned on or off, and in some instances you can choose what is displaying on the screen. While there isn't a mountain of customization options, there are enough to make you feel as though Casio cares about the watch being just right for you. This is further seen in their metal bracelets that often have ability to be micro adjusted. Casio really wants its owners to have a positive use and wearing experience. But with all the functions and options you get, there is a learning curve. Actually, if you've been using Casio watches for years like many people, there isn't that much to learn, but for people using a complex watch like this for the first time - I certainly recommend spending some time with the manual. Once you get in to it and understand how the watch works, you'll appreciate the elegance and refinement of the system. For such a small thing that uses so little power, to do so much, is amazing to me.

It is hard to detail everything that the Casio PAW2000 watch does (as it does a lot). So I will make a list of its major functions. Realize that most of these functions have lots of sub-functions. For example the compass has a bearing tracker as well, and the altimeter has various logging and graphing functions included with it. Thus, the Casio Pathfinder PAW2000 has:

- Time (12 and 24 hour modes
- Perpetual calendar
- Sunrise and sunset times
- Stopwatch
- Countdown timer
- World time function
- Alarm
- Compass
- Altimeter
- Barometer
- Thermometer
- Solar (light) powered quartz movement
- Kept accurate by receiving signals from and of 6 atomic clocks (around the world)
- Battery power reserve indicator (does not been to be changed and has a few special power modes)
- Duplex (double) LCD for indication enhancement

I mentioned that the case was thin. It is just about 11.5mm thick which is pretty impressive for all that goes into the watch. In a sense, something like this is as complex, if not more complex in many ways than some mechanical watches. There is the movement, solar panel, two LCD screen, protection around the movement, and the complex casing. At its widest points, the PAW2000 is about 50mm wide and 55mm tall. It wears "small" given the size. The is also water resistant to 100 meters. Although the metal pushers (plastic on the front of the watch) are larger than many you'll find on Casio watches, they aren't quite as easy to find with your finger as some of the previous large plastic pushers were. Small issue though, and once you find them, they aren't hard to press in at all. Part of the reason that are harder to find with your finger is the plastic guarding around the pushers meant to protect them, and prevent you from pushing the buttons inadvertently.

The watch is also very light. The resin strap connected to the steel and plastic case made it feel as though it were filled with air. The more substantial looking titanium version probably weight a bit more, but not by much. You can see how the case curves one the sides. While the back is flat, these curves help it lay sturdily on one's wrist. Casio Pathfinder watches have always enjoyed an outdoorsy though technical feel. Always a bit ahead of our times, and always very detailed. No simple lines or curves here. Casio has done a good job making sure a watch like this fits well this all things "active." Be it at the gym, on a boat, in a vehicle, on the trail, or walking in an urban area. For the rest of us, the timepiece is a "watch nerd's delight." The major downfall of course is that it is not a formal watch. So keep it with your active and casual outfits.

The major downfall of any complex watch is easy of use and reliability. I've never felt that this was an issue with Casio. I get a significant level of assurance when operating this PAW2000 watch. It is accurate, easy to use, and the operations are reliable and as ergonomic as can be. I've mention the duplex LCD, and I want to discuss that more. Basically you have one LCD over another. The top one has shapes that are purple in tone. Aside from assisting with the compass function, Casio has cleverly used the top LCD to assist with watch mode selection, the barometer, as well as the sunrise and sunset indicator. It is a welcome addition to their top of the range model.

Although this is not the first atomic clock controlled Casio watch I have reviewed, I decided to spend more time with this function on the PAW2000. This feature is highly integrated into the watch. The watch can be set to automatically sync with the clock daily or on command. It used to be that such functionality was delicate given the small antenna in the watch that picks up the radio signals. You still need to ensure the watch is relatively close to a window, but overall the reception is very good in the watch, and I have found it to most always get a signal. Most important - the watch is always accurate. Accordingly, I've never had to worry about power. Anytime the watch is near light, it is charging. Out of light and while not on your wrist, the timepiece enters a resting state where the screen turns off. It will reanimate once you place it in light or move it around. Very cool.

Overall the PAW2000 is easy to live with and reliable. I would place the Pathfinder line as the best ABC (altimeter, barometer, compass) multi sensor on the market from a movement and functionality standpoint. As well as price. While some of Casio's competitor might use better materials for the cases and have a more designer style, none match the superior movement and feature set that Casio Pathfinder watches have. Plus, none can even get near to the prices set by Casio. The particular model is precisely the PAW-2000-1 with a $380 retail price (street price is well), and the PAW-2000T-7  with the titanium strap retails for $450 (street price is also less). The previous Casio Pathfinder watch I reviewed received an aBlogtoRead.com Seal of Approval Award, and I can't help but award it once again here.

See the Casio Pathfinder PAW-2000 series watches from Casio here.

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Deepest diving mechanical watch ever. That is one way to sum up the Swiss Military Watch 20,000 Feet Diver. Built by CX (Montres Charmex) in Switzerland, this has to be one of the greatest "man" watches of the year. I first wrote about the 20,000 Feet Diver watch here. What is stunning about the watch is that it is an incredibly well made and refined, in addition to it being an extremely successful execution of the concept. What does this mean? Well Swiss Military Watches (not to be confused with Swiss Army Watches) wanted to beat their old record of a watch that would survive 12,000 feet underwater. Upping the goal to 20,000 feet this time, the engineers in Switzerland spent copious amount of time planning, building, and testing on the new 20,000 Feet Watch concept until the vision was realized. The 10mm thick sapphire crystal alone can resist pressure of 750kg per square centimeter.

Just getting the watch to accomplish the goal of being able to survive that ridiculous amount of pressure and force on the case is impressive enough. I would have been happy and excited about the Guinness world record that the watch has alone, if that was all the watch has - but there is so much more to this watch than just having an impressive record. CX didn't stop at just incredible pressure resistance - oh no. In fact, aside from the incredible dimensions and capacity of the 20,000 Feet Diver, it is also one of the best functioning and made watches that I've had the pleasure of reviewing. Everything about it is refined and smooth in execution. From the quality of the watch and bracelet, to the operation of the features on the watch. Plus, the watch is a dedicated tool above everything else. This is really what people expect when they invest in a Swiss watch, and I am really proud to share it with you.

At first glance the 20,000 Feet Diver is nothing short of a beast. In a massive 46mm titanium case, the watch sits very tall off your wrist at almost 30mm high! Wearing the watch you smile like a kid at the novelty of it. The whole case is essentially designed to be a miniature diving capsule. Looking at it from the side you can see the round case of the watch when focusing on the intensely curved sapphire crystal that is 10mm thick to the curved screw-down caseback on the watch. If you didn't  know better, looking at the watch from the side it would appear to be some Terminator-grade robotic eyeball. Another positive quality is that the case is totally anti-magnetic to protect the movement. There is also an automatic helium release valve on the left side of the case for deeper dives when gas need to escape from the movement to help equality pressure to prevent damaging the movement.

Although the watch case and bracelet is all titanium (very fine quality metal and finish by the way), it is not a "light watch." The titanium is mostly there for strength, but does help the watch be significantly lighter than it would be if it was done in steel. A lot of the weight comes from the sapphire crystal, movement, and case materials. Like I said, the titanium finishing is very nicely done. The grain is smooth, and the brushed finishing is as nice as good steel (I find that a brushed finish is hard to do right on titanium). Everything about the watch is a bit over the top, but that is necessary for the concept to work. It is the horological equivalent of a big custom 4x4 pickup truck. Rhino bars attached, heavy duty tires and wheels installed while the suspension has been lifted, and light are placed all over it. The design of the 20,000 Feet Diver communicates durability as much as its Guinness world record does. All over the watch you see large exposed screws in the bracelet and link ends. The bracelet clasp is chunky and functional, while the bezel is tall and easy to grip, as well as read. It is the first watch that I've gotten that literally makes me want to run head first into danger. I want to jump into the water or out of a plane with this thing on - with no doubts it will survive the journey (even if I don't).

CX has a lot of video that it make while testing the watch. They actually make for good marketing. Aside from the pressure test, CX shot the watch up with a shotgun, ran over it with an industrial truck, blasted it with a fire hose, among other things. They are actually inviting suggestions on new fun ways to test our its Superman like qualities. Suffice it to say that the watch survived it all. See the video located in the review.

While I didn't put the watch through torture tests, I did inspect it carefully with my watch snob eye (often as damaging to the spirit). This includes seeing how comfortable the watch is, operating each of its functions again and again, as well as giving the watch to non watch people and asking them to perform simple tasks. The results left me with a good feeling that CX learned most every lesson it needed to know about good watch making long before it make the 20,000 Feet Diver. The chronograph is a perfect execution of the Valjoux 7750 - meaning the pushers are smooth and precise, while their screw guards are flawless in operation. Winding the watch with the large crown manually was nice, as well as adjusting the time and date. The watch didn't miss a gear. The rotating diver's bezel is one of the best I've ever used. Strict professional grade. A perfect mix of being tight enough, but also being easy to turn. There is no wiggle or give to the bezel, and turning is smooth with 60 satisfying clicks. I do not embellish on any of these points. I've most never seen quality like this - even at this price level.

The bezel itself is in black with an inner section without black coating  where there are individual minute markers. Each five minute marker on the bezel is applied with luminant. Going back to the chronograph operation, the pushers have screw down guards for watch resistance. Still, the watch is water resistant to 300 meters even with the guards in the "open" position. When open, there are red bars on the pushers reminding you up this. When the screws are tightened, they move up. and cover the red sections to let you know it is safe to go even deeper than 300 meters. By the way, the grooving around the pushers and screw-down crown are all cut really well, nice and sharp feeling, but not in an uncomfortable way at all. You can see the red colored Swiss Military watch logo engraved into the side of the crown.

As the watch case is so large, the bracelet needs to support it on your wrist and be comfortable. It connects tightly at the curved lugs with a screw bar and gently tapers a bit as you get closer to the fold-over double locking deployment clasp (also in titanium). Literally all bars are screw bars. Only think that it doesn't have is a diver's extension, but I am not sure that it needs one in this case. Swiss Military supplies two natural rubber diving straps with the watch in addition to the titanium bracelet. Why two? Because they come in two sizes. One that is made to go around your wrist, and another that is longer and meant to go around a diving suit. I am pleased that the watch comes with these. Still, this chunky watch is just begging to be paired with its companion metal bracelet when not on serious diving duty.

Speaking of what the watch comes with, the presentation box is extremely impressive. The large case has a lot of paper works. Warranty guide, all sorts of certificates (such as for the depth rating, Guinness world record, and COSC certification). There is also a nicely made instruction manual, tool, and cleaning cloth. I've not seen too many watch presentation or storage boxes this nice. However, it is a big package!

After all this I'd like to discuss the two most important areas of the watch, the movement and the dial. Swiss Military places a perfectly executed COSC Chronometer certified (for accuracy) Swiss ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph movement in the 20,000 Feet Diver. What I mean by perfect execution for the movement is that it works and is displayed with the epitome of legibility and easy of operation that the movement was designed for. I already discussed how well the chronograph pushers are to use, and on the dial you will notice that Swiss Military separated out the chronograph hands (in red) with the time hands (in white) by color for easy of reading. The Chronograph subdials are framed by a metallic red ring with black colored interiors complete with a concentric circular texture. The are easy to read and attractive, but harder to see in lower light.

Alternatively, the white hands and hour markers for the time are easy to read in all lighting conditions. I like the use of the large arrow shaped minute hand that works perfectly as intended - to be the easiest and more prominent aspect of the dial.  Each hour marker is applied and framed in polished steel and filled with C3 SuperLumiNova. Swiss Military correctly gave the 12 o'clock indicator a different shape for dial orientation, and even supplied smaller lume covered indicators at the positions where they are intruded upon by subdials. The watch dial itself is black carbon fiber. I've mentioned before that I don't always like carbon fiber dials, but here it works. This is because the inherent shininess of carbon fiber dials does not interfere with reading the hands and markers on the dial. The applied Swiss Military Watch shield logo is a nice touch.

To be honest, when I first saw images of the 20,000 Feet Diver watch, I was concerned that the depth of the dial and the curvature of the thick sapphire crystal would make it difficult to see or read the dial. This because such curved crystal can act like a lens and heavily distort the dial. This is thankfully not an issue with the watch. While there is some visual distortion while looking at the watch dial from extreme angles, it is much less than you'd think. Plus, the high contrast of the dial and the large hands and hour indicators make it surprisingly easy to read. Many of you are very concerned with having high quality levels of luminant in their watches, while diving or otherwise. The 20,000 Feet Diver is very visible in the dark. This does not really extend to the chronograph (aside from the lume tip on the chronograph seconds hand), but the hands for the time and the numerals on the bezel are all coated with thick, wide amounts of SuperLumiNova. The darkness viewing on a watch like this is on par with what you would expect from a professional instrument.

No watch is perfect and if I had to find any quips with the watch I would mention two things. First is with the sapphire crystal, and it is merely a side effect of the intense curvature of the crystal done for its pressure resistance. While curved crystals are stronger, they also reflect more light. This crystal reflect a lot of light which give means that despite a lot of anti-reflective coating on the dial, there is still a healthy amount of glare. The upside is that this does not really interfere with viewing the dial as the hands and markers are most always visible despite the light reflecting on the crystal. Next is an issue with the tools provided with the watch. The bracelet requires special tools because each screw in the bracelet that holds the links together is double sided. This means that you need to hold one end of the screw bar to unscrew it from the other. CX throws in a high quality Swiss Bergeon 2mm screw driver with the watch, but that alone isn't enough to adjust the bracelet. Meaning that you need an extra tool to complete the job. Given that you have metal bracelet or rubber strap option, it would have been helpful for CX to supply a full strap changing kit. Having said that, this watch is nothing less than a professional instrument. It is a worthy investment to get the parts needed to change the strap if you have the skill to do so. I have the tools and was able to do it just fine. Otherwise, if you aren't skilled with screw bar strap changes or bracelet adjustments, I do recommend taking the watch to someone who can do it. As a tangent, I want to remind you always to remind people working on your watch to be extra careful and NOT scratch your precious timepiece. Don't take for granted that people working on your watch care as much about it as you do. Once, again, both the crystal and bracelet adjustment issues are minor and do not prevent this watch from being a standout winner as well as being a standout watch.

20,000 Feet Diver specs direct from CX Swiss Military Watches:

Movement:

* Chronometer-certified automatic chronograph ETA cal. 7750 Valjoux COSC
* 25 jewels
* 28'800 oscillations/h
* Power reserve 48h
* Etachron regulator system
* Glucydur balance bridge
* Nivaflex mainspring
* Anti-shock with Incabloc shock-absorber

Functions:

* Hour; minute; small second at 9h
* Chronograph with 30 minute counter at 12h, 12 hour counter at 6h, central second counter
* Date at 3h

Case/bracelet:

* Solid titanium case/bracelet, Ø 46.0mm, thickness 28.5mm, weight 265gr total
* Water-resistant to 7’500 meters (25’000 feet; 6’000 meters or 20’000 FEET & 25% safety margin according to ISO norm 6425)
* X-large crown with side-guards, allowing for diving with thick gloves
* Screw-down crown and pushers
* Red safety marking on pushers (visible when unscrewed)
* Domed, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, thickness 10mm
* Unidirectional rotating bezel, 60 minute graduation, Superluminovaâ„¢ indices
* Solid titanium bracelet, lug-ends and links screwed
* Solid titanium folding clasp with safety catch and micro-adjustment
* Separate genuine rubber strap & rubber extension strap for dry-suit diving (wrist circumference up to 35cm)
* Screw-driver
* Screw-down caseback, Limited Edition engraving
* Helium relief valve
* anti-magnetic ISO 764

Dials :

* Silver, black carbon, blue or yellow
* Superluminovaâ„¢ indices
* Counters sunburst decorated

Hands :

* Oversized minute hand
* Superluminovaâ„¢ coated
* All chronograph hands in red

There are four versions of the Swiss Military 20,000 Feet Diver watch, each is available as a limited edition of 1000 pieces. In addition to the pictured black carbon fiber face, there is a white, metallic blue, and yellow dial available. You choose which one is right for you. Price for the watch is 2,998 euros, which is about $4,100. Given the quality, functionality, and limited manufacture of these watch, I proclaim that this is a good value for a watch that no person will regret having. Sure, the watch is capable of doing things that no one will really never need, but that only strengthens our desire to get one. The best things in life do what we want them to do, and then some. That is why we like fast cars, big TVs, powerful computers, and ultra durable deep diving watches. All this awards the CX Swiss Military 20,00 Feet Diver watch an aBlogtoRead.com Seal of Approval award.

Learn more or get one at Swiss Military Watches here.

Thanks to CX for the review unit. Editorial is 100% independent.

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This is probably my favorite new diver watch all year. An excellent and highly valuable find - the DWATCH is a lot of watch for the money, and as of right now aBlogtoRead.com readers can get the watches for a special price - see details below at the end of the review. While DWATCH is American operated, the owners proudly come from Israel. The company is a newer watch brand formed by a couple of seriously talented watch junkies that worked closely with professional divers to create the best possible mechanical diving watch at a price that most avid watch enthusiasts could afford. When you see the term "Professional" on the dial, it is because this watch is perfectly suited to hardcore diving duty - and so much more.

The reasons I like the DWATCH (no model names right now, just DWATCH) are all due to its no nonsense approach. While the timepiece has a great - almost retro look about it, the tool  is for use, not just for show. Materials and design are all highly functional - and you can tell this just by looking at the watch. The pride you feel when wearing it is mostly due to the fact that you have a well engineered little machine on your wrist - not just some lifestyle-esque fashion accessory. Better still, is that DWATCH is all about customization. Visit the DWATCH website and you can navigate through customizing your own watch choosing dial colors, hands, bezel options, straps, etc... The options feel meaningful, and you can really make something "your own." I opted for a classic look with a high contrasting dial. Though it was tempting to consider an orange or blue dial.

DWATCHes are big at about 46.5mm wide and taller still. Still, the case is curved a bit and fits nicely on your wrist. The case is heavy with a retro styled design that gives it broad, thick looking lugs. You see this in hardcore diving watches from the 1970's. Even the most recent Rolex Submariner watches have revitalized this style a bit. The chunky high grade steel case is given a soft brushed finish (black PVD, sandblasted and polished finishes are also available) and looks like it was given the same smoothing treatment as a pebble you'd pick up on the beach. Integrated into the case is an automatic helium escape valve (also known as a helium release valve, or "HRV") just like you'd find on a Rolex Sea-Dweller. So as not to jab your wrist, the crown is moved to the 4 o'clock position - a good idea. You can see that the screw-in crown is large and easy to use. It has a grated texture that means you can grip it with gloves or while your hands are wet (through you should never submerge a diving watch with the crown unscrewed). The end of the crown is engraved with the brand's signature "D." Together, the case elements give the watch 1000 meters of water resistance. More than you'll ever need.

On the back of the watch you'll find an engraved screw-in caseback with a stingray (or manta ray) design that is meant to emphasis the nature of the watch. All the best diving watches out there have some visual indicator of where they are most at home. Under the caseback is the Swiss Made ETA 2824-2 automatic movement. A common work-horse mechanical movement often found in dive watches because they are robust and accurate. I am happy to find one here, in fact, when I see a watch in this category that contains a Swiss movement without an ETA 2824-2, I wonder why it wasn't used. The case is so thick, that even putting your ear up to it, you virtually can't hear the movement operating. A testament to how durable the case it.

A major area of interest for me in any diving watch is the bezel. Not only am I a huge fan of rotating diver bezels, but I often use them to evaluate the overall quality of a watch. DWATCH gives its timepieces one of the nicest looking diver bezels I've had the pleasure of having - especially at a watch at this price. The side of the bezel has a similar grated texture that makes it easy to grip.  Turning the bezel is on the harder side, but that is better than it being too easy to turn. You get 120 solid feeling clicks before you've made a full rotation. The bezel piece is all steel with no numeral insert (as many dive watches will use an aluminum insert for the numbers). DWATCH takes a more expensive approach and physically cuts out the minute markers in relief on the bezel surface. You can then get different finishes for the bezel (all steel tone, all PVD black, or PVD black on the inside like I chose). Not only does this look nice, but it communicates a lot about the durability and professional nature of the timepiece. At the 12 o'clock point of the bezel, there is a large applied lume dot.

The sapphire watch crystal is thick and curved a bit. It is also richly coated with anti reflective coating. An interesting point about the crystal is that even though it is curved (just a bit) it doesn't really distort your view of the dial when looked at from an angle. Nor does it really reflect too much light. I often find these qualities only in flat crystals - but here DWATCH has been able to achieve it with a slightly convex crystal. The dial choices are all designed to be easy to read under water, with hands and hour markers that are wide and covered in a lot of lume. Luminant on the DWATCH is very good. A few minutes of light and the watch glows legibility in the dark. Spend longer in the light, and the watch should glow all night long. Have no qualms, those of you who are picky about lume.

I  chose the particular hands for the watch that I did, because they are large, and because the hour hand is in a different shape than the minute hand - which assists with quick reading of the time (your brain doesn't need to spend as much time calculating which hand does what). I am glad that the hands are the proper size as well. The seconds hand sweeps nicely and has a lume covered section as well. You could have likely predicted that I enjoy the date window. Why? Not only do I like the symmetrical placement of the case in the lower middle of the dial, but also because DWATCH knew to use a matching color date disc - to compliment the dial. Also, I like how the date window is framed. The manner in which the date window was implemented retains that function (which I like to have), and also preserves the clean look of the dial. Thus, as the design of the dial might look obvious, I suspect there was a lot of tweaking that needed to be done - and as a lover of finely engineering items, I appreciate that in anything I own.

Remember that there are many dial styles and colors available on the DWATCH. The pictured combo is just one option. You can get the DWATCH on a rubber strap or with a fine German made mesh metal bracelet. Rubber is the obvious functional choice, but if you want the best compliment to the manly retro look, (or are going to be shark hunting!) the mesh metal is the best choice. It doesn't cost much extra, and is thick, yet flexible. One problem with the metal bracelet is sizing. It doesn't' have more than a few millimeters of adjustability. Though DWATCH does have various length bracelets on hand - so be sure to go over your wrist size with them before you order one with the metal bracelet. Changing the strap is easy with the watch, and it uses thick tension rods to hold the strap or bracelet in place.

The DWATCH makes me happy each time I wear it. I like the heft, the style, the value, and the obvious professional quality of the watch are all things I consider when I say this. Though I'll likely never use the watch anywhere near its threshold level of durability, it is always good to know that your gear can survive where you can't. I can easily suggest the DWATCH to anyone who is moved by the style or actually needs a serious diver watch. The DWATCH also receives a lot of compliments (from both men and women alike). The term "sexy" was even thrown about. Such comments weren't the clencher, but they help reinforce the fact that the DWATCH gets an aBlogtoRead.com Seal of Approval award. It isn't easy to get this much bang, for any buck. I've enjoyed luxury diver watches several times the price of the DWATCH that just don't feel as satisfying. The special aBlogtoRead.com reader prices for the DWATCH watches are $899 (normally $1249) for the watch with the metal bracelet and $799 ($1094) for the watch on the rubber strap. These special aBlogtoRead.com reader prices will continue as long as promotion quantities last. Check with DWATCH and mention aBlogtoRead.com when inquiring about an order.

Customize and get your own DWATCH here.

Thanks to DWATCH for the review timepiece.

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Welcome to the watch for nontraditional watch lovers. This is something even people who claim their mobile phones are enough for time telling can get behind with ease. In a nutshell you have a nicely designed angular rectangle watch, using an innovative e-ink display, at a very reasonable price. So let's get the e-ink discussion out of the way. I was under the impression that everyone knew what e-ink was, until I started talking about it and people gave me a blank stare. Are you familiar with the Amazon Kindle e-book device? Well that is probably the most popular use of e-ink today. Unlike LCD screens, e-ink uses a different system for providing very high contrast, easy to read screen. They only use electricity when "changing" (the image on the screen changes) so they use very little battery power. The screen is made of positively and negatively charged electrodes that work in an "on" or "off" position. Meaning it either displays the positively charged (light color) electrodes, or the negatively charged (dark color) electrodes. A current is only required to alter the position of the electrodes, and not to sustain the display - which is why it uses so little energy. Alternatively, and LCD display must always have power running through it in order to be "on" (although that amount is low, LCD devices that use a lot of energy have most of the juice going to the processor, RAM, and/or the backlight.

E-ink is named as such because the high contrast display looks a lot like paper. Meaning it is easy to read and easy on the eyes (with no backlight required in lit instances. This is the first watch you'll have where people don't need to ask you what time it is. They can clearly see it on your wrist without having to ask. So the company is Phoshpor and the model is the Digital Hour Clock watch. Dismiss the awkward name and focus on the immediately pleasing to the eye display as well as watch case. The first generation of Phosphor e-ink watches used a round case with analog hands on top of an e-ink display. This next generation of watches from the brand finally become more comfortable with the technology and the unique benefits of e-ink, so they removed all things "analog."

The case is long and rectangular. I was actually quite pleased with the dimensions of the watch once I got it on my wrist. It is just the right size as I prefer it. Goes from one end of the wrist to the other, without being too long. The width is good as well. I find that many rectangular shaped watches are too narrow, but here the 38mm width feels right. It is also relatively thin at just 8mm thick. Then you have the nicely tapered ends that help ease the size transfer of the case to the slightly more narrow strap. The case itself is also completely curved to fit on your wrist well. There is a bit of a protrusion on the rear of the case for the battery compartment, which honestly does not interfere in the comfort of the watch at all. Which also brings me to point that the battery compartment is easy to access and can be taken off using a coin. No real tools required. This is good as many battery operated watches are pain to get in to, and do you really want to visit a specialist just to change a watch battery?

Case material is all stainless steel and enjoys mostly a high polish finish around the watch. The face of the watch has a sandblasted look that fits nicely with the look of the e-ink display surface. I applaud Phosphor on this clever design point. The watch pushers (one on each side of the case) are integrated right into the case, and don't protrude at all. This gives the case a modern and seamless look. I don't say this lightly when I remark upon the fact that I feel as though Phosphor put more design attention into this case, than do people who sell watches at many times the price. The case is also water resistant to 50 meters, and the watch crystal is mineral glass - that while not as hardy or scratch resistant as sapphire crystal, is totally acceptable at this watch's very good price.

Going to the front of the watch again, you'll see the Phosphor logo in cursive engraved into the case. The look is nice, and I like the cursive style of the text against the otherwise modern looking case. It brings down any apparent nerdiness of the watch making it much more hip instead. Which is really a good statement about the watch as a whole. The combo of an unknown display technology combines with a futuristic looking case could easily have gone in the wrong direction for Phosphor, but with the Digital Hour Clock, they pull the timepiece off well, and I think it has real mass appeal.

The strap is a soft and flexible black leather with orange applied around the edges. I like the double pin style buckle, which goes well with the thick and wide clasp. The look reminds me of leather bracelets that are seemingly perma-popular. The strap is the type that will wear out after years of use, but so are many styles of leather straps. Replacement straps are available from Phosphor when the time comes (they are $15 each). In addition to this leather strap a less expensive version of the Digital Hour Clock watch comes with a black polyurethane strap, and for a bit more you can get a stainless steel bracelet on the watch. I think I prefer the leather strap the most.

Now on to the screen and functions. There are four displays that you can choose to look at, and each in either the positive or negative color tone. What I mean by the latter is that by pressing the right pusher on the watch in any screen will juxtapose the colors. For instance if the numbers are dark, and the background is light, press the button and the numbers before light, and the background dark. The four screens show: 1) the time with stacked hours and minutes,  a calendar with stacked date and month, the alarm setting, and an alternative time display with a semi-analog hour on top of digital minutes. The watch also has an adjustable tone that will beep on each hour, but this can be turned off. The pushers are easy to use, but require a deep push into the case. A few downsides to e-ink are that there is no current backlight option, and there are no seconds indication available. Both are understandable given the nature of the screen, and are not merely left out of the design. e-Ink needs energy each time the screen "changes." If the watch were to count seconds, the screen would need to change each second, and thus use up too much energy. This way it only needs to change each minute. e-Ink does require a bit more voltage than a standard LCD display, but with the CR2025 battery, you should get 18-24 months of battery life. Plus, these types of batteries shouldn't be hard to find at non-watch stores as they are also used in non watch devices.

Another benefit of e-Ink is the display angle. In addition to them having a very high contrast from light to dark, you can also view them at any angle. This is one of the problems with LCD displays, as you can no longer read the dial if you look at it from too much of an angle. Not an issue with e-Ink. This is going to be one of the most enjoyable benefits from the watch. There is a bit of ghosting if you look closely at the dial. Meaning that you can see some of the numeral segments of the basic "8" shape - that all digital numbers stem from. This is not much of an issue really, but more of an observation.

A combination of solid looks, very useful technology, enjoyable operation, and high value, allows this $185 watch to make a ton of sense for anyone who is drawn to it. Traditional watch lovers will find appeal in the novel use of technology, while non-tradition watch lovers will appreciate the good price, as well as the cool timepiece that is unique enough to have them leave their phones in their pocket next time they need the time. For all these reasons and because I personally like this watch so much, I am giving it a rare aBlogtoRead.com Seal of Approval Award.

Buy or learn more about Phosphor Digital Hour Clock e-Ink watches here.

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Watch lovers tend to appreciate watches starting at a young age. As a youth all I would wear was Casio watches, fascinated by the time telling wrist borne devices that seemed to be so much more than "just a watch." Frankly, Casio was what my father would buy for me - but I quickly became a serious fan. I was extremely involved with the features that each watch had aside from it telling the time. Features such as the calendar, timer, alarm, and chronograph kept me comfortable in the knowledge that I had these tools at my disposal if I needed them. I then started getting watches with such amazing (for me at the time) functions like a calculator, thermometer, or a world timer. I liked to mix and match the models to find the one that had the most features I wanted. Those with the most features always seemed to be a bit more than my dad wanted to spend -which was fine as there is only so much that a kid needs (I needed something to look forward to right?). The last full-time Casio watch I had was in high school, and was a Casio G-Shock. So for a huge chunk of my life, I was a dedicated Casio watch lover.

At that point in my life I never did get that holy grail Casio watch that was bundled with all the cool features and technologies - until now that is. I finally got that dream Casio watch I always wanted, and I have to admit it is damn satisfying. Of course there is a distinct element of "I've always wanted one of these,"  in my current joy, but at the same time there is a level of refinement in a watch like this that you don't even have in Swiss watches (which related to the user experience with the fucntions) More on that in a bit, lets go over what this beast is. This is Casio's newest and most feature rich Pathfinder series watch (model PAW-1500T-7V. Its major claim to fame is its relatively thin size and complete list of features and functions. At $400 it is the most expensive (US) Pathfinder watch, but still a really good value. In fact, Casio watches are some of the best values around, period.

One of the pictures I took has the Pathfinder watch next to a card that comes with it that list out the major draws. Using my own language, I am going to write out a list of what I think best sums up the Casio Pathfinder PAW-1500T:

• Titanium strap (comfy with micro adjustments).
• Tri-band radio receives signals from three major atomic clocks around the world - to ensure watch keeps perfect time.
• Solar cell recharges battery with most any light - never needs a new battery.
• Tide chart
• Moon phase
• World time
• Alarm, Chronograph, Timer,
• Thermometer
• Compass
• Altimeter (with memory)
• Barometer (with memory)
• 200 Meters of Water Resistance

What a list! I know it by heart as I keep mentioning it to people when I have them (force them t0) check out the watch on my wrist. I've never known of any other watch  that has all these features together. This watch is due for placement (as another Casio Pathfinder watch is) on the "watches fit for survival on deserted island list." Check out the link if you haven't already read one of my favorite articles that I wrote back when I first started the site. The idea is that because the watch has so many useful features and does not need to have battery changes, it is perfect for your life away from civilization and survival - but also makes for a perfect companion if your life isn't as rugged and/or rustic.

Let me tell you this. Even if the features in the watch (aside from what is displayed on the default screen such as the time and date) don't interest you - the watch is still incredibly useful. The main screen is very well designed, and is a result of Casio figuring out what to do best after years of trials. The most important function - telling the time- is done in a larger size and right in the middle. So many other watches like this push the time out of the way. The calendar functions sit above and below the time, with the moon phase being off to the left side. Other details on the face include information about daylight savings time (DST), the state of the battery and whether the watch is in power savings mode. An easy to use backlight button is placed below the face, and an auto backlight can be turned on when tilt your wrist (so you don't even need two hands). Lots of little great features are in the watch - but you'll have to read the manual to find them out if you aren't a regular Casio watch owner. Which is an issue with the watch, but something you really can't get around. The basic features of this watch are easy to use, but to be an expert with all the functionality you'll need to delve into the manual. Casio, I have to give it to you, you have probably the best watch instruction manuals on the planet. Really, some other brands don't have manuals at all, or ones that are worthless. Not Casio. With them you get a well written, clear guide to operating your watch. Look at the picture of the watch sitting on the manual. Pretty thick (the English language section is still about 120 pages), but purposeful.

As I said, the layout of the buttons and information on the Pathfinder watch is really well done. The sections on the LCD display are cleverly used for several purposes. For example, the area with the smaller pixels used to tell the date is also used as the graph for the barometric pressure. The dial and screen is interesting to look at closely. Along with all the detail, you really appreciate everything that the watch does. The outermost ring is a rotating bezel, which is mostly used for navigational purposes in combination with the compass. There are little micro clicks, but it moves pretty smoothly. The bezel is a bit easy to move out of place and tricky recenter perfectly, but then again it adds a level of precision to the functionality. If you don't know what I mean you will when you have the watch. The first part of the screen itself is the solar panel. You really wouldn't notice it unless you know what it was as it is covered with little indicators that are used as part of the various functions. This was Casio's clever way of not only hiding the solar panel, but also allowing for it to be placed on a watch with an LCD panel. Moving in more is a thin ring. In the default mode this helps you count the seconds in an analog manner, but also is used for such functions as the compass (and others). On the main dial you see a small sectioned orb on the top left, that is the moon phase display, and at the lower part of the dial is the special graph for the tide chart. This is all I will go over, if I went on like this, talking about each screen, you'd probably stop reading. Just know that pushing the "MODE" button or one of the dedicated function buttons on the right of the watch cycles through the various screens. Lots to play with and keep you occupied (all it needs now are games to play with).

This isn't the first watch I've had that is solar powered, but it is the most advanced. This goes along with the radio controlled part. These two features are very welcome and work particularly well in the PAW-1500T. Casio has had year to improve and polish these functions, and it shows. The solar panel is charged by any light, not just the sun. The brighter the light, the faster it charges. At full charge the watch will last a long time, months really. Still, the watch is stingy with power, which is good. If the watch is out of light for long enough, it goes into power saving mode. This means the entire screen turns off, even though the watch is still technically on. It does this to save power. If you are wearing the watch and this happens, you just need to press and button to turn the screen back on. Alternatively, the moment the watch is exposed to any light, it automatically turns back on (this is really cool). As for the atomic clock aspect of the watch, things work equally well. you'll have to break open the manual to learn all about it, but the watch will auto-receive or can be manually set to receive the radio signals. It doesn't do so all the time as it would draw on the power too much. The watch has an antenna built in the top of the watch for this purpose. It will bore you to cover this more I am sure, but this is a well integrated function of the watch and results in making sure that the watch is always very accurate as it syncs with the atomic clock (located in Fort Collins, CO, here in the states).

Looking at the watch itself again, you have something that is very comfortable to wear - surprisingly so for the size. Like I said, this is a very thin version of the Casio Pathfinder watches, and it shows. While not a "thin" watch comparatively speaking, it does not feel too hefty and sits well on the wrist. Further, the titanium bracelet makes the watch quite light. Plus the bracelet is tapered so that it is not too thick all the way around (an important feature). The triple locking deployment is easy to use and smooth. You'd think this Pathfinder watch weighed more given the size, but it does not. Yes, it does have its share of plastic, but none of the materials are cheap feeling. At about 50mm wide, the case is big though it wears smaller than it looks. The large flat case stays solidly on the top of your wrist and does not slide around I am happy to say. From a style standpoint this watch is all tech looking. Men will love the design. It is perfect for any activity, but I wouldn't wear it with a suit. That is the draw back - do anything you want with the watch, just don't wear it to a business meeting or on a date. When watch geeks are in the presence of watch geeks - show this awesome tool off - when women are around you can hide it under your sleeve unless you are hiking or doing outdoors activities (then you might look cool, or at least well prepared).

Personally I am very happy with this watch, and it satisfies me in a very primal way. Few watches I have feel so right on my wrist, even if they are more classy and feature more exotic materials and manufacturing. Perhaps is it a vestige of when I was a kid and am now just so happy to have the coolest watch around on my wrist? Or is it something else? Does Casio have some special watch making formula that just beats everyone else when it comes to immediate gratification and utility? I am not sure, but what I do know is that I won't be giving this watch away, and I am quite happy and comforted that Casio keeps making watches like these. Which brings me to a final point. While the $400 Casio Pathfinder PAW-1500T  is no where near priced what some of the beautiful European watches I am used to ask for, and does not share their penchant for aesthetic, it does has something none of them have. Casio builds these watches in volumes that would cripple most other brands - millions of units as opposed to thousands or even just hundreds. For that reason so much effort is put into basic user functionality and enjoyment, because the watch has to work for, and appeal to so many people. This is what I mean by a highly refined watch, and this is what you get with the Casio Pathfinder. It is a watch perfectly suited for telling you the time plus lots of other appreciate information in a reliably and (most important) enjoyable way. For all that, it gets my aBlogtoRead.com Seal of Approval Award.

Buy this Casio Pathfinder watch directly from Casio here.

See all Casio Pathfinder watch models from Casio here.

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I recently discovered the haphazardly named Ralf Tech line of watches (I'm sorry, but the name "Ralf Tech" inspires no horological confidence). Ralf Tech is a pretty well known diving equipment maker, who now has a few nice lines of diving watches. The French company makes some really nice watches at good prices starting at a few hundred bucks to about three grand for the top of the line limited edition automatic chronograph watches.

Oddly enough, you need to go to Ralf Tech's dedicated watch site, because their regular site has no mention of their watches. Oh, and their watch site is only in French. Honestly, a lot of their watches are really cool, but I am going to focus on just one right now from their WRX line (Subaru is gonna be pissed about that one) of watches. The main pictured watch is awesome because it has a perlage polished aluminum face. There is also a matte polished (is that an oxymoron?) aluminum face version. Perlage polish creates that pattern of overlapping polished circles that is highly reminiscent of high grade machinery. I've never see this type of polish applied to such an affordable watch, and never to a diving watch yet. If we are lucky, this trend will take root and slowly move in on the reign of carbon fiber faced watch that have absolutely saturated the market.

The Ralf Tech WRX comes with three possible movements. First is a movement that is probably licensed from Seiko called E-Matic. It is the same as a Seiko Kinetic movement, having a rotor that recharges a battery that powered an quartz movement. It has a power reserve of 60 days. There are also two limited editions that have true automatic mechanical movements with an ETA 2824-2 or ETA  Valjoux 7750 chronograph version. These are of course the picks of the litter, but are going to be more expensive and harder to come by. By the way the ETA 2824-2 movement based WRX watch is about 1500 Euros.

These are hardcore diving watches at heart. Water resistant to a healthy 400 meters, that 47.5mm wide watches have a very thick 6mm sapphire crystal that is doubly coated with anti-reflective coating. The cases are chunky with a completely protected crown, and large bezel that can be operated with gloves on. The styling of the watch is pure function without being ugly. I like the large Super LumiNova covered hands and widely separated number markers. These are going to be great for low light usage. You'll noticed that the line offers various color treatment that are white, black, blue, or orange. These are for style or underwater visibility. There is an available rubber strap, but the standard strap is a high quality stamped leather strap with a deployment or buckle clasp. With nice looks and fair pricing (even though they have a silly name), I am going to give the Ralf Tech WRX diver watch line my aBlogtoRead.com Seal of Approval award. Now they just need to have wider US presence an English language watch website.

See Ralf Tech items on eBay here.

See Ralf Tech items on Amazon here.

Best Match Items Ending First Newly-Listed Items First Price + Shipping: Lowest First Price + Shipping: Highest First

Brand New RALF TECH RT001K Kinetic Stainless Steel Mens Watch Free US Shipping $245.00 Time Remaining: 1d 2h 57m Buy It Now for only: $245.00 Buy It Now

RALF TECH WRX C MOONLIGHT AUTOMATIC DIVER $2,000.00 Time Remaining: 3d 15h 21m Buy It Now for only: $2,000.00 Buy It Now

BRAND NEW RALF TECH WRX E Matic watch $500.00 Time Remaining: 6d 4h 28m Buy It Now for only: $800.00 Buy It Now | Bid now

RALF TECH WRX Automatic RT001K Mens Diving Watch $339.95 Time Remaining: 8d 20h 50m Buy It Now for only: $339.95 Buy It Now

RALF TECH WRX C SUNRISE AUTOMATIC DIVER $2,000.00 Time Remaining: 13d 17h 53m Buy It Now for only: $2,000.00 Buy It Now

RALF TECH WRX E MATIC AVENUE CRUISER $1,050.00 Time Remaining: 13d 19h 9m Buy It Now for only: $1,050.00 Buy It Now

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It should be clear that Angular Momentum is one of those luxury brands that feel comfortable with endless experimentation. I am amazed at the sheer wealth of watch designs the company has offered over the years. That combined with their one-off pieces and limited editions make for a brand that is worth watching constantly. I am always pleasantly surprised.

The process of layering steel has been going on for over a thousand years. Mostly in Japan to make swords. You know the typical Katana blade? I recall being in a Japanese sword museum in Tokyo, and seeing a good sampling of these swords. They had a few that were made literally over a thousand year ago, and looks like they were just made. This incredibly hardiness is a testament not only to Japanese dedication for their craft, but also the longevity of layered steel (part of process to prevent oxidation is the habitual oiling of the blades as I understand).

This layered/mosaic steel process is also known as Damascus steel. After the steel is layered, it is polished and shaped, with the thin lines of each steel later becoming visible. Often times there is a rainbow of color present which represents the effect of heat on the steel in the various elements in the steel that occur during the manufacture process. Damascus steel is commonly found today in high end knives and sometimes swords, which are mostly made for decoration. Occasionally however, you'll see the process used in watch making, which is the case with this wonderful Angular Momentum watch.

This is the Angular Momentum COLOR-TEC Damascene Ref. 9003, and represents what is in my opinion the most aesthetically pleasing of the Damascus steel COLOR-TEC watches in the collection. The Damascene has a case forged by Johan Gustafsson in Sweden, which makes sense give the various metallurgy bases in the country (coincidentally, Gustafsson's popularity sparked the creation of the new Gustafsson & Sjogren watch brand). Often time watch makers are happy to source expert methodology when something is not their forte. The difficulty is in finding the right partner, and apparently Angular Momentum knows where to find the right people.

There is a distinct blacksmithy look to this watch, which is good. The shape of the case is deceptively refined, as it appears quite industrial. An octagonal case frames a four bolted torx screw bezel, and round dial. The dial has twelve drilled pits that serve as the hour markers, and simple, but effective hands that don't distract from the artistic qualities of the rest of the watch.

Damascus steel often has a look of wood grain, as you can see in this watch. The effect adds an earthy quality to an otherwise highly industrialized look. The combination here is flattering to both design aesthetics and gives the watch a timeless quality - as though it could have been made yesterday or 500 years ago. The various levels and layers of the case construction add to the visual intrigue, making this an extremely beautiful watch.Further, for protection purposes, the steel itself is layered in an ultra thin layer of synthetic sapphire crystal similar to that used to make the sapphire crystal dial and caseback cover.

Inside is an Angular Momentum automatic mechanical movement likely based on the ETA 2824-2 movement. The red decorated rotor can be viewed through the back along with the movement. You really get a sense of how thickly constructed the watch is by looking through the back and noticing how deep the dial is. The Damascene has simple looking set of lugs, which are purposely functional looking, and actually do go well with the contrasting angular and organic shapes on the case overall. A tidy black leather strap is nice and helps stress that visual attention remain on the watch case and body.

I think that this Angular Momentum COLOR-TEC Damascene deserves an aBlogtoRead.com Seal of Approval award. It is hard to refute the good looks of this watch, and the clever combination of ancient and modern techniques. Price is about $15,000 US. Well done (again) Angular Momentum.

See Angular Momentum watches on eBay here.

See Angular Momentum watches on Amazon here.

Best Match Items Ending First Newly-Listed Items First Price + Shipping: Lowest First Price + Shipping: Highest First

New ANGULAR MOMENTUM Tage Olsen Silver Dial 7019 Watch Limited Edition FREE SHIP $1,788.88 Time Remaining: 1d 9h 41m Buy It Now for only: $1,788.88 Buy It Now

Angular Momentum Automatic Chronograph Swiss Made $850.00 Time Remaining: 2d 20h 26m Buy It Now for only: $850.00 Buy It Now

Horosafe Buffing Cloth for Angular Momentum Watch Ultra Soft GREEN $11.47 Time Remaining: 3d 9h 13m Buy It Now for only: $11.47 Buy It Now

Angular Momentum Illum V Swiss made Blue Ret1000 NEW $295.87 Time Remaining: 11d 13h 53m Buy It Now for only: $295.87 Buy It Now

Angular Momentum Illum V Swiss made Green Ret1000 NEW $295.87 Time Remaining: 11d 14h Buy It Now for only: $295.87 Buy It Now

Unisex Angular Momentum ILLUM Swiss Red Ret1100 NEW $365.97 Time Remaining: 11d 15h 5m Buy It Now for only: $365.97 Buy It Now

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This is probably the most beautiful Seiko Spring Drive movement based watch to date. It is also offers the wonderful mechanics of the Seiko Spring Drive 5R67 (5R67A) movement. The watch is so impressive that it won this years "Golden Balance Wheel Award" in the up to 5000 Euros watch category. The Golden Balance Wheel award is a notable watch award given by German watch magazine, "Uhren-Magazin."

Most notable about with limited edition of 200 Spring Drive watch is the modern looking moonphase complication as well as the beautiful design over all. I mean this is really a stunning example of lasting modern design, and about as nice as you can hope for from a watch in this price range. You really get everything in this watch, a hardy, yet complicated movement, reliable quality, and a look that is timeless.

The metal work is phenomenal. Seiko really knows how to polish a case, which is nicely done on the multi-later looks of the SNR017's case. Sapphire crystals on the front and rear of the watch are thick and well constructed, and you have a nice view of the movement inside. You'd think it was just a nicely decorated mechanical movement just by seeing it, but you know that inside each Spring Drive movement is a special regulator that ensures quartz-like precision from this watch. The power reserve is 72 hours long as well. Looking at the hands and features on the face, you'll further appreciate the extensive attention to detail that high-end Seiko watches are know for. They do an excellent job of creating well crafted small pieces of metal. The case is just over 42mm wide, and the black strap is made of alligator.

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The dial is thoughtfully designed. A good mixture of visual interest, and simplicity. Notice the textured cut out where the power reserve indicator is. It is an unique touch, but wholly appropriate and helps to smooth out the details and asymmetrical charm of the watch. Aside from the faceted hands and hour markers, the real attracting feature of the watch is the moonphase window. The window is like futuristic well, and the chic look of the moon and covering partition is so elegant in execution. All the while it is not a pretentious looking piece, and has more of a classy "can-do' feel. Basically it is one of those self empowering watches, you know, like a power tie, but in timepiece form.

Price wise Seiko Spring Drive watches are still pretty steep (for Japanese watches that is). This one is being offered at $6,000, which is a bit on the higher end, but it looks like the seller is open to offers, which I suggest you do. This watch in addition to being an award winner is bound to be a classic.

See Seiko Spring Drive watches on eBay here.

See Seiko watches on Amazon here.

Best Match Items Ending First Newly-Listed Items First Price + Shipping: Lowest First Price + Shipping: Highest First

SEIKO SPRING DRIVE Caliber 5R66 GMT Power Reserve Model No SNR009 BNIB $5,495.00 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 23m Buy It Now for only: $5,495.00 Buy It Now

NEW GRAND SEIKO GS GMT SPRING DRIVE SBGE021 GOLD GREEN LIMITED EDITION 150 UNITS $7,139.99 Time Remaining: 1d 18h 51m Buy It Now for only: $7,139.99 Buy It Now

SEIKO SPRING DRIVE SNR003 POWER RESERVE MENS WATCH NEW 2 YEARS WARRANTY $3,959.00 Time Remaining: 3d 20h 37m Buy It Now for only: $3,959.00 Buy It Now

Seiko PROSPEX SBDB001 Marine Master Spring Drive Brand New $4,485.00 Time Remaining: 9d 23h 18m Buy It Now for only: $4,485.00 Buy It Now

SEIKO ANANTA SNR021J1 SPRING DRIVE GMT MENS WATCH NEW 2 YEARS WARRANTY $4,435.00 Time Remaining: 23d 18h 29m Buy It Now for only: $4,435.00 Buy It Now

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph Calibre 9R86 Series Watch Ref SBGC005 $9,700.00 Time Remaining: 25d 1h 33m Buy It Now for only: $9,700.00 Buy It Now

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Avant garde design pushes into previously untested or new areas. If I call a design avant garde, I am suggesting that while the design is new and uncommon, it works for the open-minded and appreciative viewer. In my own lexicom when discussing watches, avant garde is the opposite of 'conservative,' which I used to refer to a tried and tested design.

So with having the concept of avant garde in mind, I wish to discuss the Temption CGK204, which is a different take on the Temption CGK203 (which I own, and love, and have reviewed here). Both watches share the infinitely capable ETA Valjoux 7751 automatic movement that as you can see has a ton of complications. This is probably the most complex movement that is as low priced as it is. Valjoux 7751are based on the very robust Valjoux 7750, and are typically contained in watches costing between $5,000 - $10,000. The price that you can get a Temption CGK204 is significantly lower than this. The Valjoux 7751 offers a lot of complications including, hours, minutes, seconds, synchronized GMT, 12 hour chronograph, annual calendar (with day, date, and month), and a moonphase indicator. All that, and Temption does such a splendid job of displaying the full functionality of the movement and keeping the face relatively uncluttered; an admittedly tough job if you've seen other watches that share the same movement.

I am not going to spend a lot of time discussing the design as I could never do it full justice. All Temption watches are a combination of modern minimalism, Bauhaus, and a Japanese aesthetic known as Wabisabi. What you end up with is a distinct look that really does not fall into any one design group, but has a healthy dose of each of them. Seeing the clean lines, you might think the CGK204 design is minimalist, but viewing all the specifically aesthetic design features on the watch, you'd agree it was too designer to be mere minimalism. I'd venture to say that the design of the CGK204 is almost futuristic, maybe not in the most modern of senses, but certainly something out of Star Trek or Star Wars (think of all the instrument panel designs).

One of the best parts of many Temption watches are the color variations offered. As you can see, the red theme is prevalent in this particular Temption CGK204. The same watch is offered in black, yellow, and I believe blue. Further, it is offered with white or black faces. The watch itself is about 43mm wide not including the crown. Temption makes extremely high quality steel cases with jeweled cabochons (in the crown and pushers) matched to the color trim, on the case. This is a really cool cosmetic features that Temption applies to most of their watches.

The red calf leather strap features a Temption folding metal clasp, that they do really well. The combination of the soft light weight strap and secure fit make for a nice comfortable wearing experience. It is a highly recommended watches, from a highly recommended company. The retail price is $3,000 plus, but one can be had on eBay right now in mint condition for closer to $2,000. What a deal!

See Temption watches on eBay here.

See Temption watches on Amazon here.

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Thomas Prescher has a small, yet very interesting line of watches, and I would like to focus on the Tourbillon Trilogy collection in this article. The Trilogy collection has three different types of tourbillon movements, even though they look similar. The visual differences are remarked in the watch cases, which are a square, cushion, and round shape. The square watch holds a single tourbillon. Meaning it travels along one axis. Then a double tourbillon for cushion case, and finally a triple axis tourbillon in the round case.

Why all the fuss about the number of axises that a tourbillon travels around? To be honest, it is only two things; visual splendor and bragging rights. Thomas Prescher is the first watch maker to successfully place a triple axis tourbillon in a wrist watch. "They said it could not be done!" Well what ever "they" said, it was done, and in a manner that is outstanding to view. Because when it comes down to it, that is the purpose of tourbillon movements in wrist watches. To look cool and complication, which does to the visual splendor element I referred to.

Because a tourbillon is inherently complicated an delicate, a premium is place upon these watches, the more complex it is, then the rarer, and inherently more desirable it is. Prescher is just adding to the bar which must be met for watches to be considered ultra complex these days.

The Thomas Prescher Tourbillon watches ensure that the focal point of the designs are the tourbillon cages. This is the area where the tourbillon is located. Again, a tourbillon is a rotating escapement whose idea it is to increase the accuracy of a watch, although they are mainly for show. Because this escapement is constantly moving, they are an excellent aspect of a watch to focus on. As such, the Prescher watches feature viewing windows for the flying tourbillons contained within; with a view all the way through the watch. Thomas Prescher really went to great lengths to create a new kind of flying tourbillon. One that is held in place by a single arm. On the double tourbillon the arm spins (one per a minute), and on the triple tourbillon the arm spins and rotating (once per an hour) around the tourbillon carriage. The spinning frequencies are synced to the hour and minute of the watch time itself.

Rightly, the Thomas Prescher watches use the entire dial design to frame the torbillon cage window. The watch itself is nicely integrated into the dial, but very high legibility given the small size. Design inspirations come from classic 18th century guilloche machine work, and art deco. The result is a modern interpretation of classic watch maker aesthetic without running the risk of becoming dated anytime soon. In addition to the fine hand machines face of the watch, the rear is so nicely decorated it makes me want to weep. Honestly, the refinement and attention to detail are so impressive, I can't even look at most mainstream super luxury watches the same way again. Thomas Prescher seems to have that ultra meticulous attention to detail that is needed in any master watch maker. As such, he wanted to create a new type of guilloche design pattern. Look at the rear of the Tourbillon watches and notice the triangular patterns. For me, they remind me of the Triforce in the Legend of Zelda video games, and if you don't know what I am talking about, then they just look cool, ok?

Going back to the front of the watch, it is easy to miss little details. Take the hands for example which are fashioned from single blocks of gold, and machined until the highly polished, faceted hands are perfect. The miniature detail is so impressive. The tourbillon care has a small plaque with what I believe is the watch's serial number. Each is individually numbered, and you know exactly how many of them came before yours; a number that is likely not to be very high.

The case materials are gold or platinum, with a lot of gold in the watch itself. The dials are made of silver, which is an excellent metal for polishing and engraving. You probably want to know a few details about watch 'numbers." I will just copy and paste a bit directly from Thomas Prescher below. Oh, and of course the movement is manually wound.

Movement
Diameter: 37 mm
Height: 5.43 mm without bridge over the ratchet wheels
6.46 mm with bridge over the ratchet wheels
Height of the rotating tourbillon: 12.2 mm
Beat rate / frequency: 21.600 beats per hour
Number of barrels: 2
Power reserve: 42 hours
Number of jewels: 67
Number of sub dials: 3
Indications: minutes and hours; seconds; tourbillon

Tourbillon
Number of axis: 3
Bearings: all flying
Revolving time first axis: 1 minute
Revolving time second axis: 1 minute
Revolving time third axis: 1 hour
Remontoir/force constant: in the cage, first axis
System of force constant: slowness of weight
Reloading time of constant force: with every beat
Diameter of balance: 9.5 mm
Diameter of cage: 13.4 mm
Diameter of the complete Tourbillon: inner diameter: 15.6mm
outer diameter: 23.1mm
Weight of the first axis: 0.347 g
Weight of the first and second axis: 0.766 g
Weight of the turning Tourbillon parts: 2.879 g
Weight of the complete Tourbillon: 4.472 g

Special features:

* The complete Tourbillon rests in flexible springs to absorb any shocks.
* The third axis is synchronized with the minute hand, with each revolving one time per hour.
* The time setting turns the third tourbillon axis, so minute hand will rest synchronic with the third tourbillon axis.

Thomas Prescher Trilogy Tourbillon watch series details:

Movement
Diameter: 37 mm
Height: 5.43 mm without bridge over the ratchet wheels; 6.46 mm with bridge over the ratchet wheels
Height of the rotating tourbillon: 12.2 mm
Beat rate / frequency: 21.600 beats per hour
Number of barrels: 2
Power reserve: 42 hours
Number of jewels: 67
Number of sub dials: 3
Indications: minutes and hours; seconds; tourbillon

Tourbillon
Number of axis: 3
Bearings: all flying
Revolving time first axis: 1 minute
Revolving time second axis: 1 minute
Revolving time third axis: 1 hour
Remontoir/force constant: in the cage, first axis
System of force constant: slowness of weight
Reloading time of constant force: with every beat
Diameter of balance: 9.5 mm
Diameter of cage: 13.4 mm
Diameter of the complete Tourbillon: inner diameter: 15.6mm; outer diameter: 23.1mm
Weight of the first axis: 0.347 g
Weight of the first and second axis: 0.766 g
Weight of the turning Tourbillon parts: 2.879 g
Weight of the complete Tourbillon: 4.472 g

Special features:

* The complete Tourbillon rests in flexible springs to absorb any shocks.
* The third axis is synchronized with the minute hand, with each revolving one time per hour.
* The time setting turns the third tourbillon axis, so minute hand will rest synchronic with the third tourbillon axis.

Jewels total: 57
First axis: 15
Balance: 5
Escapement: 4
Constant Force: 4
Axis: 2
Second axis: 6
Arm: 2
First reduction axis: 2
Second reduction axis: 2
Third axis: 18
Ball - bearing: 10 Balls
diameter 0.6 mm each
Setting mechanism: 4
Driving train of gear: 4
Time indicating system: 4
Movement: 18
Time indication system: 12
Driving mechanism: 6

Case:
Material: Platinum
Diameter: 41 mm
Length (over lugs): 53.58 mm
Weight : 96.7 g
Height total: 16.1 mm
Strap: Leather
Buckle: Platinum

Developing time: very long
Prototyping: about 12 weeks

For me, the square case is very attractive, but the watch of choice is of course the triple tourbillon which comes in the round case. But you know what, I a sure if you want the triple tourbillon in a square case, Mr. Prescher will grant you wish. You get treatment like that for these prices ($$$,$$$). Look at the three videos to learn a few things. First, a good visual presentation of the synced rotation of the tourbillon (to hours and minutes), and then a bit about the Thomas Prescher brand. You might be paying a pretty penny for objects like this, but you are buying more than a superior quality nice watch. By owning a Thomas Prescher watch, you can honestly say that "I am in possession of one of the most 'complicated watches' in the world" given the functions, that features some of the top levels of refinement and craftsmanship that money can buy, at any price. This really represents a pinnacle of horological appreciation.

Visit the Thomas Prescher watches Tourbillon collection page here.

See Thomas Prescher and tourbillon watches on eBay here.

See tourbillon watches on Amazon here.

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