TBWS on YouTube
Casio Duro Review: Still the Best Affordable Dive Watch Under $100
I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but in nearly ten years of TBWS, I’ve never actually owned a Casio Duro. I’ve barely even spent meaningful time with one. That feels wrong when I say it out loud, because this is a watch that has existed in plain sight for a long time now. I even wrote about it years ago, right around the period when it started showing up very publicly on Bill Gates’ wrist, and it was already taking on that strange second life where a very ordinary watch becomes something people rally around. Outside of that, my only real exposure before now amounted to a few brief moments handling Kaz’s personal Duro. Enough to register what it was, but never enough to understand why this thing refuses to go away.
Christopher Ward Just Made the Affordable GMT I Wanted All Along
When Christopher Ward first introduced the 40mm C60 Trident GMT 300, I was on board with the sizing and the overall direction. It felt like the right proportion for the watch and an overdue move for the line. The problem, for me at least, was the execution. The blue and white colorways were fine, but they never quite pulled me back in after that initial announcement. That changed this week.
This New MKII Fulcrum Reminds Me Why Military Watch Design Endures
MKII has teamed up with AMPHIBIOUS on a 35 piece limited edition Fulcrum 39 created in support of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces. It’s based on the second iteration of the Fulcrum platform that originally showed up in 2013, which already gives this release some real lineage instead of manufactured urgency. This feels like an existing tool watch being purposefully redirected rather than something invented for the sake of a cause badge.
The New Omega Speedmaster Looks Better, But Costs More. Is It Worth the Jump?
Omega has added two new references to the Speedmaster Professional lineup, introducing what folks are calling the Speedmaster Professional “Black and White.” The release consists of a familiar pairing. One model in steel, one in 18k Moonshine Gold. Both are manually wound Moonwatches built around the existing 3861 platform, but distinguished by a reverse panda dial executed with a noticeably more luxurious finish than the standard production model.
Luminox Pacific Diver Review: A Modern Take From an Iconic Military Watch Brand
I’ve admired Luminox for most of my collecting life, just never up close. It’s been one of those brands I’ve kept at arm’s length, even though the designs have almost always made sense to me. The Navy SEAL Original 3001, in particular, has long felt like the distilled version of what Luminox does best. Purpose-built, unapologetically utilitarian, and very much a product of the 1990s in a way I actually appreciate. Still, despite years of awareness and a fair amount of respect, I’d never owned one.
