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HGP’s Affordable Chronograph Brings Mecaquartz Charm to a Classic Diver Shape
HGP is reintroducing the 664 case shape with the Diver 200M Chrono-Mecaquartz, the brand’s first chronograph since it began more than fifty years ago. The watch features a sapphire crystal, a Seiko VK64 mecaquartz movement, and a 20 ATM water-resistance rating. Pricing starts at $395, which places it firmly in the zone where affordable vintage-style chronographs often stand out. As someone who collects CWC pieces and has a soft spot for Monnin cases in general, I find this one landing in a surprisingly appealing place.
The 5 Seiko Watch Releases We Hope You Didn’t Miss in 2025
Seiko had a way of showing up when we least expected it this year. Between quiet revivals, quirky limited editions, and solid value drops, the brand managed to stay in the conversation without making too much noise. We didn’t get hands-on time with these, but each one felt worth remembering. If you’ve been watching from the sidelines or just catching headlines, these are five releases from 2025 that deserve a second look.
Swatch’s New ‘Cold Moon’ MoonSwatch Only Sells in Swiss Snow
Swatch has released the final Moonshine Gold MoonSwatch of the year, introducing the Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold “Cold Moon”, a winter-focused variant built in the line’s familiar 42mm Bioceramic case. While previous Earthphase models …
An Affordable Timex Diver With Rolex Sea-Dweller Energy: Deepwater Meridian 200 Review
A friend of mine just seriously got into watches and lent me his new Timex Deepwater Meridian 200. He was excited. It’s one of his first real dive watches, and I didn’t expect much beyond the usual starter fare. But after a couple of days with it, I kept thinking about how heavy and serious it felt. There’s something about its bulk and boldness that reminded me of a Rolex Sea-Dweller in its chunkiness (not water resistance). Like this was Timex’s stab at building something that wasn’t just casual or nostalgic. It had some weight, some bite.
Book Review: The Inconvenient Truth About the World’s First Waterproof Watch by Stan Czubernat
Watchmaking is full of gratuitous claims and overinflated marketing. One of the oldest is Rolex’s claim, still on their website today, that the Oyster Perpetual was the world’s first waterproof watch in 1926. These claims were the basis for Rolex’s reputation for reliability and ruggedness. While Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual was highly water resistant, it was not the first company to create a successful water-resistant design. That title belongs to Charles Depollier, who was fulfilling orders for the U.S. Army as early as 1919.
