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When looking for the perfect strap for your watch, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choice out there. Between materials, shape, design, texture, fastening mechanism and lug sizes there are a lot of details to choose from and be aware of. Fortunately strap experts Watch Obsession have got you covered with their new Premium Watch Strap Collection, handcrafted by their Belgian counterparts, LIC, which covers the core fundamentals and essential styles you should consider for your watch.

Watch Obsession Flat Epsom, £119

The Flat Epsom strap is highly regarded for its combination of durability and style thanks to its characteristic embossed pattern. Made from calf leather it’s sleek and classic, ideal for a wide range of watches. Available in chocolate brown, cognac and black, it particularly suits vintage tool watches in the daily beater, pilot’s watch and field watch categories. Perhaps as a strap alternative to the bracelet on the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage World Timer.

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Watch Obsession Polaris Padded Baranil, £135

With its padding, the Polaris Padded Baranil is a thicker strap, making it a great choice for watches that are themselves thicker to account for the natural taper of the lugs and design. It’s also very comfortable when attached to those heavier sports watches. At the same time, the smooth finish gives it a subtlety that doesn’t detract from the style of the watch.  It would work great for something like the Tag Heuer Carrera if you aren’t a fan of the perforated racing straps they’re supplied with.

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Watch Obsession Lunar Deployment Baranil, £142

In the watch industry there is one timepiece that rises above all others when it comes to extra-terrestrial aspirations, the Omega Moonwatch. That’s particularly relevant here because the ‘Lunar’ in the name of the Lunar Deployment Baranil refers to the fact that this strap is designed specifically with the Omega Moonwatch in mind – although it’s perfectly suitable for a host of other chronographs too. Baranil leather is produced exclusively at the renowned Tannery Degermann.

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Watch Obsession Classic Gallo, £125

Exotic leathers are always a contentious topic and so Watch Obsession have found alternative materials that recreate similar aesthetics. The Classic Gallo has a scaled pattern similar to alligator leathers but instead uses material that might otherwise go to waste: rooster feet. Rooster leather actually pre-dates the widespread use of alligator, making this a vintage throwback. It’s available in classic black and brown as well as a more intense petrol blue. It would make a great alternative for something like the Orient Bambino.

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Watch Obsession Classic Saffiano, £76

Saffiano leather is a classic watch strap material with a crosshatched texture made from goat leather. It’s ideal for daily wear with an easy to clean surface and great durability. It’s also one of the most versatile, suitable for all varieties of wristwatch from dress to pilot to daily beater. Something which is reflected in its wide array of colours, including black, brown, blue and forest green. The green would be a fun twist for the Studio Underd0g x Fear The Gimlet.

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Watch Obsession Classic Apple Fibre, £95

Watch Obsession’s Premium Strap collection isn’t limited to leather numbers as they have vegan alternatives as well. The Classic Apple Fibre is made from waste material from the apple juice industry combined with cotton, polyester and viscose to create a textile with a similar texture to leather, complete with a cork lining. Whether you want a non-leather strap for ideological reasons or just prefer the look and feel of this strap, it’s an important option to have available.

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I’ve been after a vintage Omega Constellation Pie-Pan for a good long while now; it’s not necessarily a grail watch, but it’s one that I really need in my life, with its funky angular dial and signature dog leg lugs. Finding a perfect version however is easier said than done – so it might just be easier to opt instead for Omega’s latest release for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, the aptly named Seamaster 37mm Milano Cortina 2026.

Now, the original Pie-Pan was a Constellation model, not a Seamaster, but the similarities are obvious. Sure, the new watch doesn’t have that signature faceted dial – more’s the pity – but the faceted hour markers are almost painfully retro and the dog leg lugs are pure collector bait. Paired with a 37mm case, it’s hard not to love if you have an eye towards vintage.

There are some Seamaster elements of course. The polished case and that standout hexagonal bezel are both throwback design choices, as is the typography and minute track and the old, golden Omega logo at 12 o’clock. They’re not the most eye-catching elements, but they’re there and fit the kind of less-is-more approach that we don’t often see in modern Omega.

With looks like this, I can excuse the lack of dial facets, particularly because doing so in Grand Feu enamel would be insanely difficult, if not downright impossible. It’s worth it here for the crisp, brilliant white against the polished, faceted Moonshine gold. It’s a stunner.

While it’s perfectly vintage on the outside, the movement is anything but. The Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8807 is among Omega’s latest generation of Daniels-based movements and has been tested to within an inch of its life by METAS. That means impeccable timekeeping and enough magnetic resistance to show up an MRI machine. Not that you’ll see if of course; in line with other commemorative editions, this Seamaster has a solid caseback showing an Olympic medallion. That likely helps it’s 100m water resistance too, nice to know even though this is technically more of a dress watch than its namesake divers.

The Seamaster 37mm Milano Cortina 2026 illustrates just why I’m always excited for new Olympic watches. I can’t help but roll my eyes at most sports tie-ins, but Omega regularly use the excuse of the Olympics to dive headlong into their back catalogue and come back out with some beauties. Hell, we did an entire piece on just that.

Even by their standards though, this is a gorgeous piece, perhaps only eclipsed by the monochromatic silver of the London 2012 edition. The downside? Price. Moonshine gold, like any proprietary gold, has a premium and this 37mm dress watch will set you back £18,200. Does that feel steep? Yes. Will that stop a ton of people loving this watch? Far from it.

More details at Omega.

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The Piaget Polo is something of a chameleon in the watchmaking world. It can be a luxurious dress watch, it can be a practical sports watch, it can be a sleek, ultra-thin skeleton. One thing it’s never been until now is a flying tourbillon. That has changed though with the introduction of the new Piaget Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase – the first Polo with a flying tourbillon.

In terms of shape, the new Polo draws on the collection’s heritage with a porthole shaped bezel in round case, but the size and materials on display are entirely contemporary. It measures a frankly huge 44mm in diameter and is made from titanium, a material that has seen vastly increased use in watchmaking as of this decade. It gives it contemporary feel, like it would be more at home in a display case of the science museum rather than on your wrist on the sidelines of a muddy field.

Why the science museum over an art gallery? Well, that comes down the dial. It’s partially open-worked, revealing the inner workings of the flying tourbillon at 12 o’clock as well as part of the gear train and plate with perlage finishing around the central hands. This is the first time a flying tourbillon has featured in the Polo range, which is designed to combat the effects of gravity on a watch’s movement. It features a rotating cage with a stylised P functioning as the seconds indicator, since the cage rotates once every 60 seconds. The flying part of the name comes from the fact it’s supported from beneath, giving it the appearance of floating in the dial.

At 6 o’clock is a stylised moonphase display, which uses a central hand to point to the phases of the moon. I can’t help but feel that it seems imprecise compared to a traditional moonphase display that constantly shows the current state of the moon. The Piaget instead requires you to work out a rough approximation based on the positioning of the hand in relation to the static phases. That being said, it will remain accurate for over 122 years before it would need adjustment.

Between the astronomical moonphase and the tourbillon, this feels like a very technical version of the Polo. If you want an artistic rendition maybe look at the Polo 79 from last year, which really ups the luxe with its heritage inspired look. It really highlights the diverse spectrum that the Polo collection operates on, running from modern and contemporary to vintage, bordering on Art Deco designs.

The movement powering the Piaget Polo Flying Tourbillon Moonphase is the Calibre 624P, based on the ultra-thin 600P. It’s manual-winding with a 37-hour power reserve, which feels low but is not surprising given the power-hungry nature of a tourbillon and the limitations of an ultra-thin construction. You’d just better be on top of winding it regularly if you want to see that 122-year accuracy on the moonphase be realised in full. Fortunately, there’s a corrector for that function at 9 o’clock if you do need to reset it.

Given this is an haute horological model of the Polo, it’s one of the most prestigious and is correspondingly price on request.

More details at Piaget.

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Each year the prestige watch brands of Switzerland discontinue a fleet of watches models in order to make way for the new blood set to be released later in the year – often coinciding with Watches & Wonders in April. Patek Phillipe has revealed the watches on the chopping block this year so let’s take a look at every watch Patek Phillipe has discontinued in 2025. In brief, the purge of steel Nautili continues.

Patek Philippe Nautilus Moonphase Ref. 5712/1A-001

Whenever the Nautilus collection changes, it will always catch headlines due to its iconoclastic status and connection to legendary designer Gerald Genta. Collectors go crazy for its porthole shaped bezel and the status owning one can bring. However, with the recent down-trend of the secondary watch market it’s actually steel sports watches like the Nautilus that have experienced the most uncertainty. And now another steel model is going the way of the dodo as Patek Philippe have discontinued the steel Nautilus Moonphase Ref. 5712/1A-001. It’s a notable removal as it was one of the longest in production Nautili of the modern collection, first debuting in 2006, almost two decades ago.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5167/1A-001

It’s goodbye to the steel bracelet edition of the ‘Extra-Large’ Aquanaut, although the rubber strap edition is going nowhere. Considering that the rubber strap is the collection’s signature, it makes a lot of sense to free some additional production capacity by removing the less popular versions of some watches. It also helps to distinguish the Aquanaut from the Nautilus a touch more, which is no bad thing as they can sometimes feel a bit too similar.

Patek Philippe Split-Seconds Chronograph Ref. 5370P-011

While the above Nautilus and Aquanaut have been collection staples for nigh on 20 years, the Patek Philippe Split-Seconds Chronograph Ref. 5370P-011 is only five years old. It also happens to be one of my personal favourite complication models so I’m sad to see it go. It looks amazing with its grande feu enamel dial and white gold case as well as the stunning view of its manual rattrapante movement through the exhibition caseback.

Patek Philippe Grand Complication Ref. 5208R-01

Considering that Patek Philippe produce a fresh batch of Grand Complications every single year, it’s no surprise that there’s a high turnover of models getting discontinued every year as well. For 2025 we bid farewell to the Ref. 5208R-01, which is a gold minute repeater, chronograph and perpetual calendar. In terms of complexity and prestige it’s only one rung down from the Grandmaster Chime. It leaves a gap for a new top end haute horological timepiece, which Patek are surely keen to fill.

Patek Philippe Calatrava Travel Time Ref. 5524G

The Calatrava Travel Time Ref. 5524G was Patek’s first attempt at a pilot’s watch when it was released in 2015, though more recent versions of the model like the 5326G have left behind the pilot appellation in favour of being more of a versatile globetrotter with additional complications. The 5524G featured a blue dial and 42mm white gold case, though its signature feature was the travel time display, Patek Philippe’s take on GMT and dual time zone complications.

Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 7118/1A-010 / 7118-1200A-010

Two of the Ladies’ Nautili have been discontinued. Measuring 35mm in diameter they’re on the smaller end of the sport watch spectrum with silver-white dials. The difference between the two references pertains to the bezels, which are either plain steel or diamond-set. It’s another example of Patek purging the few remaining steel models from the Nautilus collection. Soon only precious metal editions will remain.

Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5719/10G-010

A favourite among celebrities, the Nautilus Ref. 5719/10G-010 has been seen on the wrists of the great and the good from across the realms of Hollywood and hip hop. It’s a classic example of fitting as many diamonds to a watch as possible with 1,343 gems across the dial, bezel and bracelet. It’s worth noting that Patek Philippe does produce some of its most extreme gem-set watches off catalogue, so there’s a non-zero chance that we might see watches like the 5719/10G-010 appear in future without first appearing on the website.

More details at Patek Philippe.

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Ember Rocket

After spotting some rather fetching prototypes back in late 2024, Ember’s Rocket is finally ready for launch and, with a few subtle design tweaks, the production version’s looking brighter and better than ever. The bead-blasted, multi-faceted case has more wrist presence than its 40mm measurements suggest, while the mix of funky colours and sandwich-style cut-outs around the periphery ensure it’s as bright at night as during the day. It’s also almost unfairly tempting, priced as it is at £359, powered by a workhorse Seiko automatic movement. Not a bad debut at all.

More details at Ember.

Toledano & Chan B/1.2

The sophomore album can always be a bit tricky, but Toledano & Chan’s follow-up to the insanely successful B/1 amps up those brutalist angles to new degrees. While the case is the same industrially cool beast as the original, the dial has been changed to mother-of-pearl rather than lapis, equally semi-precious. The bigger change, however, is the crystal, which rather than being flush, is instead an almost prismatic piece of sapphire. There was already nothing quite like the B/1; now it’s doubtful there ever will be.

More details at Toledano & Chan.

Aeronom Aero One Big Panda

Forget all those vintage-style Daytonaesque Panda chronographs living off Paul Newman hype. With their industrially machined planes and asymmetrical look, Aeronom’s take on the high contrast colourway is a must-have for any would-be engineer. Throw in some hand-written numerals on the panoramic date window and you have the ingredients of a classic racing chronograph reformulated into something much, much cooler. Backed by a Miyota movement, it’s also slightly more affordable than your standard Paul Newman. But then, so’s my mortgage.

More details at Aeronom.

Belhamel Contra A39 Charcoal Blue

It’s hard to build a modern dive watch without leaning on what the Submariner or Seamaster did before – at least without adding a second crown – but Belhamel’s Contra A39 does an enviable job of just that. With its minimalist steel rotating dive bezel and 39mm steel case it borders on the cooly utilitarian, while flashes of orange elevate the otherwise pared-back dark (but not navy) blue of the dial. With professional standard 300m water resistance, it’s rugged, accessible and a little bit sexy.

More details at Belhamel.

Wayforth Voyager

Fun, practical adventure watches are one of the things the microbrand world has no shortage of, so standing out among that eclectic crowd of ruggedly handsome timepieces isn’t easy. Canadian brand Wayforth does so by combining two elements that you don’t normally see in one watch: a chronograph and a second time zone. The bi-compax Mechaquartz chronograph is relatively straightforward, complete with a tachymeter bezel, but the integration of the second time zone is a masterstroke. Rather than a GMT hand, Wayforth have instead added a 12-hour rotating inner bezel, operable via the 10 o’clock crown. That means it’s a clear and easily readable as you could want from a chronograph, but with the added functionality of a travel watch. The result is the perfect watch for clocking your speed across timezones.

More details at Wayforth.

DeMarco The Pistachio Green Chronograph

While we’re not huge proponents of quartz here at Oracle Time, there’s a time and place for everything – such as DeMarco’s debut chronograph. The angular grip to the rotating bezel, the pump chronograph pushers, and the gorgeous pistachio green dial (a colour I fell in love with courtesy of Breitling) mean there’s a lot to love here. As a mechaquartz watch, it’s that perfectly practical mix of electronic accuracy powering a mechanical complication and, priced at (for now) just $344, it’s an incredibly tempting piece of colourful wrist real estate.

More details at DeMarco.

DUG Purist

As a rule, you can expect Glashutte-based brands to come at a bit of a premium. It is, after all, the home of Lange & Sohne, Moritz Grossman, Glashutte Original, and more. And yet the DUG Purist offers something built in that cradle of Saxon watchmaking at under £800. Granted, that’s largely down to a Sellita-based movement, but in terms of style the Purist hits that utilitarian nail on the head, especially in the Typ 1 variant. Streamlined and eminently readable with a cool, three-stick 12 o’clock marker and a vintage fluted crown, it’s a good-looking everyday wearer for a well-priced taste of Germanic style.

More details at DUG.

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If you’ve ever come across the history of American watch brand Ball then you also know the history of early railroad watches. Essentially, in the early days of locomotion there were no timekeeping standards on board trains, with drivers reliant on their personal watches – unfortunately there was an incident when an unreliable watch resulted in a crash between two trains. In an attempt to avoid such disasters in future, the concept of railroad watches emerged. Timepieces tested and approved for use on railways due to their good accuracy. While Ball were over in America, Seiko were revolutionising the railroad watch in Japan. Celebrating this history is the Seiko Presage Craftsmanship in Enamel with Roman Numerals.

First of all, Seiko Presage Craftsmanship in Enamel with Roman Numerals is one hell of a name for a watch. Sure, it’s accurate but come on Seiko, where’s a little imagination to make it more exciting and more manageable to say. Why not take a leaf from Moser’s book and name it after a train like the Streamliner. Encyclopaedic names aside, it’s a really nice watch. It rides the line between dress and tool watch, featuring a refined dial made from enamel while also being inspired by professional railroad watches. It’s specifically based on the Timekeeper, a pocket watch from 1895, their first officially designated railroad watch.

The hybrid nature of the design is reflected in the watch’s dimensions. You’d expect a classic dress watch to be around 37mm, like the Presage Laurel from a few years ago, but the Presage Craftsmanship in Enamel with Roman Numerals is 40.2mm. That’s surprisingly big for a model inspired by vintage design but at the same time large enough to provide good legibility, which is vital when precise timing is important. It’s the same logic as to why dive watches and chronographs tend to be bigger, just applied to the railways instead.

Focussing in on the dial, it has the smooth, white surface of enamel, which provides excellent contrast to the black railway minute track and titular Roman numeral hour markers. It’s worth noting that here the term railway refers to the physical appearance of the scale looking like the train tracks, rather than having some secret purpose that makes it better for use on the railways. The central hour, minute and seconds hands are blue to add a spot of colour as is the hand on the 24-hour subdial at 6 o’clock.

It makes for a very refined display with the feel of an early 20^th century design. It’s not quite Art Deco but it’s not far off either if you slapped it in a rectangular case. Beneath the surface of the watch is the 6R5H automatic calibre with 72-hour power reserve, one of Seiko’s top movements. Three-day power reserves hit the sweet spot of being weekend proof, meaning you can put it down on Friday evening and it’ll still be ticking on Monday morning – great for that daily commute after a few days relaxing.

The Seiko Presage Craftsmanship in Enamel with Roman Numerals is priced at £1,280. Sure, that’s a bit pricier than the £400 price tags we’re used to seeing from Seiko but given this is a Craftsmanship model and it houses one of their top movements, that seems like great value. I’m also a sucker for an old-fashioned railway so the idea of a railroad watch appeals.

More details at Seiko Boutique.

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As reported at the end of 2024 by Japanese fan site Great G-Shock World, production of the G-Shock GX-56TU-1A5 (pictured above right) has been discontinued. The GX56TU-1A5 ($150) is now sold out in the U.S. at casio.com/us and most other authorized dealers, and is scheduled to be removed from the U.S. catalog soon. There are […]

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Grand Seiko is turning 65 this year, having first emerged in 1960 with a determination to push Japanese horology further than ever before. I think it’s safe to say that across the past 65 years they have achieved that goal and more with their cutting-edge use of textured dials and mechanical innovations including industry leading hi-beat and spring drive movements. In celebration of their anniversary, they’ve leant into both those factors with the launch of the Grand Seiko ‘Mountainscape’ Hi-Beat 65^th Anniversary Limited Edition.

Starting with the case, the ‘Mountainscape’ is part of the Evolution 9 series, which is Grand Seiko’s sportiest collection. That means it measures 40mm in diameter with sharp, facetted lugs and a bevelled edge to the round case. It’s the same case as used on other popular models like the White Birch in steel.

The similarities to the White Birch continue to the Grand Seiko ‘Mountainscape’ Hi-Beat 65^th Anniversary Limited Edition’s dial. It has a similar pitted, engraved texture to it with grooved lines, but instead of being fully vertical, it’s radial like sunray brushing. It’s a very attractive pattern, especially in the pale blue colour GS have used, inspired by the snow-capped peaks of mountains visible from Grand Seiko’s studio in Shizukuishi.

I do like the pattern, but, to me it doesn’t quite reach the same levels of artistry as the White Birch or Snowflake. Those watches look like you’ve taken a piece of nature and put them into a watch – a piece of tree bark or an actual snowdrift. Here, the pattern is more a symbolic representation of a mountain landslide rather than an actual depiction of one. It’s a nit-picky observation but one that feels relevant when talking about Grand Seiko. At an objective level though, the skill and execution of the ‘Mountainscape’ is just as flawless as those other watches.

As mentioned in the introduction, the other signature Grand Seiko element outside their exceptional dials are their advanced movements. The ‘Mountainscape’ Hi-Beat 65^th Anniversary Limited Edition houses the 9SA5 hi-beat automatic, which has a 5Hz frequency (equivalent to 36,000 beats per minute as noted by the dial inscription) and an 80-hour power reserve. The benefit of such a high frequency is improved accuracy and the 9SA5 has a deviation of just +5/-3 seconds per day. It’s visible through the exhibition caseback where you can see its stylish striped finishing.

In terms of pricing and availability, it’s limited to 1,000 pieces globally at a price of £9,500. That’s £550 higher than the White Birch, which makes sense due to the exclusivity of it being an anniversary limited edition. It’s a fitting tribute to 65 years of one of Japan’s premier watchmakers, showcasing the technical elements of watch design that have made them one of the closest rivals to Switzerland’s prestige houses.

More details at Grand Seiko.

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It’s not always clear which of the newest G-Shock releases out of Japan will eventually make their way to the United States, but there is now more clarity for models that were released in Japan in January. The following models are confirmed to be coming to the U.S. soon. This list does not include the […]

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The G-Shock DWE5600UD-1 collaboration with Los Angeles sneaker boutique and apparel brand Undefeated is coming soon to the U.S. and Mexico. The limited edition watch has a minimalist stealth black style with Undefeated and Casio logos on the face and a green-tinted LCD display. The LED backlight is tinted red and displays the Undefeated five-stripe […]

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