They really don’t make dive watches like this anymore.

I got the chance to spend about a month with the Jacques Bianchi Marseille JB300 Indigo Maris. This Grade 5 titanium tool watch reminded me why purpose-built dive watches still deserve a place in today’s collections, even in a world where most of them will never see more than a swimming pool.

Jacques Bianchi Marseille has never tried to build accessories. The French brand has always been about utility first. Founded in Marseille, a city whose identity is inseparable from the Mediterranean, Jacques Bianchi built its reputation supplying professional diving watches to military units, firefighters, and underwater professionals during the 1980s. That heritage isn’t used as marketing decoration today. It genuinely shapes every watch that leaves the workshop.

The JB300 Indigo Maris continues that philosophy. It is a modern interpretation of a proper dive watch, built around a Grade 5 titanium case, 300 meters of water resistance, a no nonsense dial and proportions that prioritize function over flash. It doesn’t chase vintage trends, nor does it try to reinvent what a dive watch should be. Instead, it focuses on doing the basics exceptionally well, which turns out to be far rarer than it sounds.

After living with it for several weeks, I realized that the JB300 isn’t the kind of watch that impresses you because of one spectacular feature. It’s the accumulation of small decisions that make it incredibly enjoyable to wear every single day.

The first thing I noticed was how compact it actually feels on the wrist. On paper, the numbers suggest a serious dive watch. On the wrist, it wears considerably smaller. That’s largely thanks to one design choice that I wish more brands paid attention to: the case to dial ratio. The dial occupies much more visual space than the surrounding case, giving the watch an openness that tricks your eye into perceiving it as smaller. Combined with relatively short lugs and the lightness of titanium, it sits flatter than expected and disappears under a sleeve without feeling oversized. It’s one of those details you don’t appreciate from product photos but immediately notice once you start wearing it.

Then there’s the titanium. Titanium has become something of a buzzword over the last few years, but not all titanium watches feel the same. Here, the material makes perfect sense because it reinforces the personality of the watch instead of existing as another selling point.

Something is reassuring about the way this case feels. It isn’t precious. It isn’t trying to protect itself from daily life. It invites it. Whether I was walking through the city, spending time by the sea or simply throwing it on without thinking, it always gave me the impression that it was built to handle far more than I would ever ask of it. That’s exactly how a proper tool watch should feel.

Another area where Jacques Bianchi absolutely nailed it is the lume. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s among the best I’ve experienced recently. It charges quickly, glows intensely and stays legible for hours. More importantly, the application is perfectly balanced across the dial, making nighttime reading almost effortless.

Lume is often treated as something enthusiasts photograph under UV lights for Instagram. In reality, it’s one of the most practical features on any sports watch. Whether you’re checking the time in a dark room, on an early morning flight or during a night walk, having immediate readability without needing to search for light becomes something you genuinely appreciate.

That same philosophy extends to the entire dial. I’ve reached a point where I value legibility more than visual complexity. Beautiful dials are everywhere. Truly functional ones are surprisingly rare. The JB300’s dial communicates information instantly. Large hands, generous contrast, uncluttered printing and sensible proportions mean your eyes find the time almost unconsciously. It sounds obvious for a dive watch, but many modern divers sacrifice readability in favor of texture, polished surfaces or unnecessary design flourishes.

Of course, a dive watch ultimately has to deliver confidence around water. The JB300 offers 300 meters of water resistance, which is comfortably beyond anything I’ll realistically require. But numbers alone aren’t what matter here. The brand’s entire identity has always revolved around professional underwater use, so that specification carries a different weight than it might elsewhere. It’s reassuring knowing that the watch wasn’t designed around a marketing department’s checklist. Water resistance is part of its DNA rather than an impressive statistic printed on a website.

By the end of the month, I found myself reaching for it more often than I expected. Not because it was the most expensive watch on my desk or the flashiest, but because it never gave me a reason not to wear it. That’s probably the highest compliment I can give any watch.

The JB200 Marégraphe II

While spending time with the JB300 Indigo Maris, Jacques Bianchi also unveiled its latest creation, the JB200 Marégraphe II, and it feels like a natural evolution rather than a replacement. Building on the success of the original Marégraphe, which sold out in just four minutes, the new version introduces a redesigned case with sharper lines, a left handed “destro” layout inspired by military diving watches, the brand’s first enamel dial made from twenty successive layers and individually applied indexes. 

Just as importantly, every Soprod automatic movement is now individually regulated to run within chronometer-like tolerances and delivered with its own precision certificate. Limited to 300 pieces, it shows a company that’s refining every detail without abandoning the practical philosophy that made collectors notice them in the first place.

Jacques Bianchi is about the basics. The fundamentals. A comfortable case. Outstanding lume. Excellent legibility. Genuine water credibility. Materials that encourage you to wear the watch instead of protecting it.

Such things don’t make headlines anymore, but they make great watches… So If you want to see how the JB300 looked after a month on my wrist, including a proper beach session where a watch like this actually belongs, head over to my Instagram. That’s where this one really came to life.

Following up on my Swiss horological adventures, I headed deeper into Vallée de Joux. The contrast between my visit to Greubel Forsey in La Chaux-de-Fonds and the valley was immediate, and honestly, fascinating.

Greubel Forsey represents one side of modern haute horlogerie: highly structured, highly systemized, and obsessively focused on invention. David Candaux, on the other hand, represents something far more intimate. More personal. More direct. The moment I arrived, I understood that this visit was going to be very different.

This visit was made possible thanks to Marie from 289 Consulting, who once again allowed me to spend time with people who genuinely push watchmaking forward. And David Candaux is exactly that kind of person.

The drive through La Vallée de Joux itself almost prepares you for what is to come. Forests, mountains, silence, and that very particular calm the region is known for. It is easy to understand why so many great watchmakers emerged from here. Places like this naturally produce people with patience, precision, and a deep respect for craft.

David’s manufacture is built into what is also his family home, and that detail matters more than it may initially seem. This is not a sterile, corporate manufacture built to impress visitors with polished surfaces and overly curated aesthetics. It feels authentic. Traditional architecture, exposed wooden beams, stone walls, natural light everywhere. It immediately feels like an environment built around function, creativity, and family work.

I met David Candaux upstairs, but before we even got into the technical side of things, he suggested we go downstairs for lunch. And that turned out to be one of the most interesting parts of the day. We sat outside at a wooden table overlooking open fields and dense forest. While we were playing with his dog, David came out of his home kitchen with lunch and some impressively healthy snacks. This quickly made sense once I got to know him better.

David is someone who clearly thrives on movement, challenge, and physical intensity. He is deeply into sports and mountain life, and that energy is reflected in how he thinks, speaks, and ultimately designs watches. There is a sharpness to him. Not just creatively, but intellectually.

Lunch quickly turned into a conversation that was far more interesting than the usual polite industry exchanges.

We started with life in La Vallée de Joux. The animals in the woods in front of us. The mountain lifestyle. The sports he practices. Then, naturally, the discussion shifted toward the watch industry.

And this was not a PR conversation. We spoke about the things most people in the watch industry would never say publicly. How money actually moves in this business. The unspoken dynamics between brands, collectors, retailers, and media. Which brand revivals were handled properly, and which ones felt completely disconnected from reality. Which brands are thriving, which ones are struggling, and which industry leaders have built reputations for the wrong reasons…

It was refreshingly honest. Conversations like these are valuable because they reveal how people truly think when there is no script involved. And in David’s case, what became obvious very quickly is that he sees the watch industry the same way he sees watchmaking itself: structurally. He looks at systems, logic, weaknesses, and inefficiencies.

We also shifted into lighter territory, including stories involving Michael Jordan and Katt Williams, who wears David’s DC7 Genesis Saturno as a lucky charm. That watch, in many ways, captures David’s world perfectly. Technically serious, visually unconventional, and impossible to mistake for anything else.

After lunch, we went back upstairs into the manufacture. This is where things became especially interesting for me. What became obvious very quickly is that David does not think like a traditional watchmaker. He thinks like an engineer whose medium happens to be watchmaking. That distinction matters because it completely changes how mechanical problems are approached.

A traditional watchmaker may focus on execution and refinement. An engineer watchmaker rethinks architecture itself. That is exactly where David stands. His horological roots run deep. His father, Daniel Candaux, spent more than twenty years at Patek Philippe as a specialist in pocket watches and grand complications. Naturally, David grew up in an environment where serious watchmaking was not abstract or romanticized. It was tangible. It was technical. It was real. What put food on the table.

And that influence shows. Because David walked me through how he developed the family property into both a home and a manufacture, explaining the reasoning behind the spaces, the machinery, and the workflow. What stood out immediately was his refusal to become dogmatic about methods. He uses whatever gets the job done at the highest level. Modern software. Advanced machinery. Traditional tools. Hand sketching. Manual calculations.

Everything has its place. One of the most interesting parts of the visit was seeing how naturally he moves between these worlds. One moment, we were discussing movement architecture through software and technical modeling. Next, he was showing hand-drawn sketches and calculations on paper. This duality says a lot about his approach. David is deeply modern in how he solves problems, but deeply traditional in how he thinks through them.

We then moved into the atelier, where the same people who had lunch with us were now fully immersed in work. Under microscopes and work lamps, components were being finished, assembled, and inspected with intense focus. The atmosphere was serious but relaxed. Highly skilled people doing highly technical work without unnecessary theatrics. That balance impressed me. 

Then came another highlight of the visit: meeting Daniel Candaux. He was incredibly generous with his time and walked me through the tools and machines across the manufacture. Old equipment. New equipment. Traditional tools that remain essential. Machines acquired over decades. Each tool had a purpose, and more importantly, a story.

This added another dimension to the visit. It stopped being only about David’s work. It became about continuity. Knowledge passed down through generations. Craft preserved, adapted, and improved over time. That is one of the most compelling things about independent watchmaking at this level. You are not simply looking at finished watches. You are seeing philosophy, technical knowledge, and lived experience expressed mechanically.

And David’s watches express that extremely well. What separates David Candaux from many independents is not simply creativity, but coherence. Plenty of independent watchmakers produce unconventional watches. Very few build a design language that remains mechanically logical, visually distinctive, and immediately recognizable across collections.

David has done exactly that. Whether looking at the DC1, DC6, or DC7, his signature is obvious. Strong architecture. Unconventional displays. Emphasis on depth, movement interaction, and visual dynamism. But most importantly, every decision feels mechanically justified. Nothing feels eccentric for the sake of being eccentric. That is what I appreciate most about his work. The creativity always serves a mechanical purpose.

We wrapped up the visit with a quick stop at David’s library, where he gifted me his Book One, which dives into his story, inspirations, technical innovations, and career. He also gifted me a bracelet made from surgical steel and technical rope in his signature orange and blue. A small but fitting object that reflects the spirit of his world.

This visit reminded me of something important. As journalists and enthusiasts, it is easy to focus entirely on the watches themselves. The movement specs. The finishing. The complications. The innovation. But behind every serious watch is a serious mind. And after spending time with David Candaux, I understand his watches much better than I did before. Because now I understand the way he thinks. 

Thank you to David, Daniel Candaux, Marie, and the entire team for welcoming me into your world.

The problem with most open worked watches is that they try too hard. Brands cut random holes into the dial, expose half the movement, throw the word “skeleton” somewhere in the marketing, and suddenly expect you to feel like you’re wearing haute horlogerie. Most of the time it just looks messy.

The Charlie Paris Initial Cœur Ouvert avoids that trap almost completely.

You guys know me for my honest and sometimes unhinged opinions about watches. And I think that’s what makes these reviews resonate with our readers.

So, after spending time with the watch in person, I think the reason it works so well comes down to restraint. The open heart “section” feels integrated into the design instead of interrupting it. You still get the satisfaction of seeing the mechanics moving underneath the dial, but the watch never sacrifices elegance or readability just to show off gears spinning around. That balance is much harder to achieve than people think. It brings me comfort, as I said on my review reel on Instagram.

And honestly, under sunlight, this thing becomes ridiculously charming.

The blue sunburst dial completely transforms outdoors. In darker environments it looks deep navy and relatively understated. Then light hits it and suddenly the dial turns electric. The rose gold PVD case and warm brown leather strap soften the whole watch visually, giving it this relaxed Mediterranean feel that makes you want to sit outside somewhere for three hours doing absolutely nothing productive.

The proportions also help a lot. At 40mm wide and only 10.2mm thick, the watch wears slim enough to feel refined without becoming fragile.  The curved lugs and relatively “compact” 46mm lug to lug distance make it surprisingly versatile on wrist. It slides under a cuff easily, but still works casually with knitwear, linen, or just a hoodie. Which have been my day-to-day garments in these last couple of weeks after W&W.

Inside sits the Miyota 82S7 automatic movement with 40 hours of power reserve.  And honestly, that is exactly the kind of movement this watch should have. The Initial is not pretending to compete with independent Swiss haute horlogerie. It is trying to be a genuinely enjoyable mechanical watch at a fair price. And at €445, it actually succeeds at that better than a lot of brands trying to play the fake luxury game.  

What I also appreciate is Charlie Paris as a brand, they occupy a very interesting position in modern watchmaking right now. Smaller independent French company, watches designed and assembled in Paris, clean contemporary aesthetics, reasonable pricing, and absolutely zero obsession with pretending they have “200 years of heritage.”  That honesty comes through in the product.

And the details in person genuinely surprised me. The applied markers catch light beautifully, the dauphine style hands stay extremely legible, and the open worked section creates enough movement on the dial to keep the watch visually alive throughout the day. Looking at your photos specifically, the watch also photographs exactly how it feels in real life: warm, relaxed, and much more refined than its price would suggest.

Open worked dials are interesting because they sit in a weird space within watch culture. Enthusiasts sometimes dismiss them because of how overused skeletonization became during the oversized fashion watch era of the 2000s. But when brands approach the concept carefully, open heart designs can actually reconnect people with the mechanical aspect of watches. You are literally seeing the movement breathe underneath the dial. The watch feels alive in a way fully closed dials sometimes do not.

That is probably why this Charlie Paris works so well emotionally.

It is not trying to impress you with complexity. It simply reminds you there is a mechanical object quietly functioning on your wrist. And sometimes that is more than enough. 

Check it out here

I sat down to write this article at the Madrid airport, on my way to Geneva for Watches & Wonders 2026. It was late, I was talking to the Time-Telling team about the new releases, and meditating on what this year actually meant for the watch world. 

I tend to do that a lot, because I believe that no matter how unattractive or boring a year might be — and 2026 was — it still had to mean something for the overall context of the industry. 

My meditations took me to one conclusion: Brands are going back to 34mm!! 

Hold on now, let me lay down some context. 

The general consensus of the watch world in the last few years — let’s say up until 2022 — was that 38-39mm was the small-to-medium size, safe for enthusiasts.

However, and you’ll notice while reading this article, that 38mm and 39mm are starting to seem like some big numbers. You might even cringe, like a Catier-Tank-Wearing artist might do at the thought of a 45mm Panerai. 

And THAT is today’s article in a nutshell. 

It sure didn’t happen on a whim. No no no… it was gradual and very clear. 

We had that Tony Soprano 36mm Rolex Presidential Day-Date trend, then the Patek Philippe Ellipse, and the Cartier Tank craze, and and and… 

Side note before we consider continuing this article: This has nothing to do with genders, and which watches are manly and which are feminine or whatever. I don’t care.

This year on Watches & Wonders (2026), big brands felt like they had to listen to their clients. The clients that kept slipping through their fingers because they didn’t have watches to fit under their cuffs and provide a certain comfort. 

And since we’re gradually descending to 34mm, I’d like to point out Bulgari’s amazing attempt at reducing the size of their Octofinissimo to 37mm. 

God, I loved that. Wanna know why? Because people tend to forget that to reduce a watch’s dimensions, the brand has to CHANGE THE ENTIRE MOVEMENT. But more on that in an upcoming article.

34mm is Becoming The New Universal Sweet Spot.

At Watches & Wonders 2026, Rolex, Patek, and Moser introduced 34mm watches.

And if these 3 big and respected brands see it, we’d better do so too.

Rolex gave us the Oyster Perpetual Ref. 124205, in Everose gold, Store dial, and all of it in a 34mm case. And what’s funny about it all, is that I wore to W&W (and am currently wearing) a 34mm two-tone Tudor Prince Oysterdate. This watch is from 1971. And we know how much today’s pop culture is yearning for a 70’s reboot.

This 2026 34mm Oyster Perpetual seems intentional, not new and not homage, and my favorite, not gendered. It seems like Rolex is planting a flag.

Another brand that I spent a lot of time praising on my GQ contribution and on my social media, H. Moser & Cie.

They released their 34mm Streamliner this year — with an amazing dial might I say — which I interpreted as a clear and direct attack on the oversized and heavy sports watch market.

On my wrist (tiny as it may be), it belonged. 

Patek Philippe’s 34mm release was much more subtle. The Ellipse D’or is known to be small, slim, elegant, under the radar… but they reinforced that sub 36mm sizing with a large 34.5 x 39.5mm large-size model and a 31.1 x 35.6mm mid-size model.

As in “we’ve been here for a while, you guys are now catching up”

What does this mean for the industry?

Watches are going smaller. It’s not a trend. It’s just practical. And let me tell you why.

During our press appointment at H. Moser’s booth, I asked the gentleman who was presenting and explaining the novelties about why the brand would go this low (34mm) with their most popular collection. 

He said: it’s practical to wear, people like it, and smaller watches resonate with the Asian market. 

It’s safe to say that Asian collectors are like no others. I can confidently say, based on insider information, that brands are closing branches in Europe, to expand them in Asia. So I guess the only way to profitability for them, is to respect and listen to their true customers. 

But the softer version of this would be, brands are listening, complications fatigue is real, we are de-gendering watches, and the collector maturity curve is reaching all time highs. 

I kept going back to the Sero Signature more than I expected, and that’s a huge compliment. It’s one of those watches that only starts to make sense once you begin placing it against other things you already know, once you start measuring it mentally against references that defined this category in the first place. Not to say that it’s « du vu et revu » as in something we’ve seen before, but to hammer down my point that there’s a clear respect of the traditional way of doing things.

Because whether Sero intended it or not, this watch lives in a space that’s already been written. You don’t approach Breguet numerals, a slim manually wound profile, and a restrained case without inevitably entering the orbit of watches like the Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 96, the Vacheron Constantin ref. 6073, or even more modern reinterpretations like the F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu. Different price brackets, different intentions, but the same underlying language. Again, a compliment.

And that’s where the Signature becomes interesting. Not because it competes with those watches (it doesn’t) but because it clearly understands the framework they established.

The case proportions are the first indicator. 37.5mm is the easy number to read (sweet!), but the 46.5mm lug-to-lug is where the watch really positions itself. It stretches just enough to avoid that compact, almost fragile stance you get with smaller Calatrava-style pieces. It wears more like certain oversized references from the 40s, where lugs carried more visual weight and extended the watch across the wrist. It’s a subtle shift, but it changes the entire posture of the watch.

The 9.5mm thickness is exactly where it should be, and that’s largely due to the Sellita SW210-1. There’s nothing mind blowing about that movement, but from a construction standpoint, it’s coherent. Around 3.35mm in height, manual winding, stable architecture. It allows the case to remain slim without forcing the watch into ultra-thin territory, which often introduces compromises in durability or water resistance; AKA having to take it off to wash your hand. The 100 meters rating here is not just a spec, it tells you the case has been built with actual use in mind. 

But to get into the main part, the dial is where Sero takes a more deliberate position.

Engraving the numerals directly into the dial instead of printing or applying them changes the reading entirely. From a horological perspective, you move from surface decoration to taking away from the material itself. The numerals exist as negative space, and that means light behaves differently. You don’t get the crisp contrast of printed lacquer or the shadow line of applied markers. Instead, you get something more variable, more dependent on angle and intensity.

This is closer, in spirit, to how traditional guilloché dials interact with light, although achieved through machining rather than hand-turned patterns. The vertical brushing underneath adds a directional grain, which keeps the dial from becoming too static while maintaining control over reflections. It’s a measured approach. 

The consistency of execution is what stands out here. The chemin de fer, the numerals, even the signature text all follow the same engraved logic. That avoids the common issue where different techniques compete on the same dial, printed tracks next to applied markers next to stamped logos. Here, everything is resolved within the same surface.

The handset is another area where the watch holds together, and honestly the first thing I noticed. Heat-blued spade hands, correctly dimensioned, doing exactly what they’re supposed to do. The minute hand reaches the track with precision, which is something you’d expect, but not something you always get. The hour hand sits cleanly within the numeral ring, and the seconds hand remains visually light. 

It’s basic watchmaking discipline, but it’s often where watches lose coherence.

Looking at the different dial configurations, the variations don’t try to reinvent the watch. The silver and champagne dials stay closest to classical references, where the engraving becomes more subtle and the watch reads almost like a study in restraint, to be a little more poetic. The blue dial increases contrast and sharpens the overall presence, pushing it slightly closer to contemporary tastes.

The red dial is the outlier, but it still respects the underlying architecture, which keeps it from feeling disconnected. A little different, but different strokes for different folks.

Now, where the Signature really needs to be placed is in its price segment. At around €1,100 to €1,200, it sits in a very competitive space. You’re looking at watches like the Nomos Tangente, the Longines Heritage Classic, vintage Omegas…

Most of those watches take a different route. Nomos focuses on Bauhaus minimalism and in-house calibres, Longines leans heavily into archival design, vintage Omega Genèves are iconic and reliable. Sero doesn’t really sit directly with any of them. It’s closer to what smaller independent or collector-driven brands have been trying to do in recent years, tightening classical codes rather than reinterpreting them.

That’s also where the watch finds a bit of cultural relevance. There’s been a clear shift in the last few years, especially among younger collectors, away from oversized, overly expressive pieces toward something more controlled. Not necessarily vintage, but informed by it. The Signature fits into that movement as a very clear participant.

That doesn’t make it perfect. The “Signature” text still feels slightly more present than it needs to be when you look at how low-key everything else is, and the longer lug-to-lug will not work for every wrist. But when you place it where it actually belongs, within that €1,000 segment, against watches that often get one or two things right and miss the rest, the Signature holds together in a way that’s harder to dismiss.

What was interesting, and something that came up in conversation with Sergino, the founder, after I shared my thoughts, is that none of this is accidental. The positioning, the proportions, even the way the watch sits in this slightly uncomfortable but very deliberate space, it’s all been thought through.

And that also reflects in how they’re bringing it to market. The initial presale starts just under the €1,000 mark, with the first pieces at €899 before taxes, then €999 during the two-week window, before settling at €1,199 retail. It’s a detail worth mentioning because, at that earlier entry point, the watch shifts slightly in how you evaluate it. You’re no longer just comparing it to its immediate peers, you’re looking at it against a much broader field, and in that context, the level of attention given to proportions, dial execution, and overall coherence becomes harder to overlook.

If I were to discribe it in 1 word, I’d say traditional.

Check them out here.

Beda’a — the Qatari and now London based watch brand — just released their new Angles-Stone collection. I’ve wrote previously about their Angles Mecaline collection and my experience with my personal Black “Onyx dial” model. 

And if you go read that article, you’ll find out just how much I’ve been obsessed with that watch. Heck, I’m even wearing it now, on the road to some meetings. 

The Stone Collection however is something special. The Angles is getting 4 new configurations with 4 new stone dials: Malachite, Aventurine, Tiger Eye and African Hawk Eye. Beautiful. 

The new collection is not just an upgrade on the aesthetics, the technical side did get a few changes. 

First thing is the movement. The mecaline, as its name, suggests is mechanical AKA hand wound. The Angles-Stone is quartz, hence the lack of the small seconds subdial. More specifically, it uses a RONDA 1062.1 SLIMTECH. 

I make the comparison because these watches look the same, and I myself was a little surprised by the difference in the movement choice. 

But some private insight tells me that it could potentially join the mechanical path.

Other than that, Togo leather rather than Epsom leather is quite interesting in this context because let’s not forget that this collection is about being grounded and rugged, so to speak. 

My thoughts and feelings? 

Honestly ? I’m happy that the Angles collection keeps evolving and expanding. Beda’a has a great thing going on and I think it’s their canvas for being as creative as possible. They recently made a diamond edition (natural btw) with alligator straps, and this is exactly what I’m talking about.

Beda’a became what it is or who they are by having great designs. So they might as well design as much as they can. 

As for my personal favorite. That African Hawk Eye is as niche as it gets. Brown undertones with all that texture. It really does scratch the itch. 

Check out the full collection on Bedaawatches.com

Microbrands are about the only thing in this world that still gives me goosebumps. Bonus points if the microbrand is Japanese. So you can deduce the emotions I got after getting my hands on one of KUOE KYOTO’s best looking watches.

There’s a lot to be said here. A lot of emotions as I said, a lot of opinions and a lot of conclusions. So allow me today to talk about KUOE and their first dive watch, the SOMBRERO 90-011.

You guys know me well enough to know that I like to put things in context. So how about a little background about the brand and its beginnings ? 

From Kuoe’s website, we can understand that the origin of the KUOE brand and concept dates back to 2010.

Mr. Kenji Uchimura, the designer and founder, was a university student studying language in London, England when he just so happened to enter a shop that was handling antique watches.

There was a line-up of hand-wound watches from the 1940s – ‘70s. He was instantly drawn to them and their ability to keep time even after the rich accumulation of history in the decades that had passed. Although the watches were antiques, they somehow felt warm and refreshing, and were naturally appealing to wear on the wrist.

There, in that shop, Mr. Uchimura found the strong appeal of classic design, and realized that something that is truly classic is loved and revered universally around the world and across generations. Deeply influenced by this experience, he was inspired to create a classic design watch brand of his own.

After graduating university, Uchimura began working for a watch company in Kyoto –a city steeped in Japanese tradition. For a few years, he gained experience in the business and learned more about watches until he was ready to launch a sub-brand which was dedicated to his idea of introducing the classic design he had seen in those antiques in London into new models of wristwatches.

 In 2020, he was finally able to establish his own classic watch brand, KUOE. The first model, Old Smith 90-001 in April. 

Other iconic models include the sleek but robust Old Smith 90-002. Inspired by British military watches from the 1940s to 1970s, the piece features a 35mm case, thick Arabic numerals, and luminous hands. It houses a Seiko NH35A automatic movement and is available in various dial colors, including Dark Navy, Black, Deep Green, and Ivory.

Can’t forget about the Royal Smith 90-006, or what I call the proper gentleman’s watch. The Royal Smith 90-006 is considered KUOE’s premium offering, featuring a 35mm case and a dial with a traditional Japanese “Waffle” texture. It is powered by the Miyota 9039 automatic movement, which makes it an upgrade on the 006 model line, and has been even more popular than its predecessor.

Okay but what does the public think ? 

KUOE KYOTO has received positive feedback from watch enthusiasts for its vintage-inspired designs, build quality, and value for money. More on that in a bit.

Collectors appreciate the brand’s attention to detail and the nostalgic appeal of its timepieces. The dimensions, the dials… These are keywords that are constantly repeated in client reviews. I mean just type the brand’s name on Reddit and you’ll see how peaceful and positive everybody is; something we never see on the platform… 

Let’s dig into the watch I now have on my wrist.

The Sombrero 90-011. 

The SOMBRERO 90-011 marks KUOE KYOTO’s entry into the dive watch category. Please keep this in mind while reading the rest of this article, because that’s SIGNIFICANT !

Named after the Sombrero Galaxy, the watch draws inspiration from the galaxy’s distinctive appearance, featuring a linen-textured dial and a compressor-style case.

  Quick spec rundown: 

• Case: Stainless steel with a diameter of 37mm, featuring a cushion-shaped design reminiscent of mid-century dive watches.​
  
• Dial: Available in various colors, this one in a distinctive green variant, with bold hour markers and a minute track for enhanced legibility.​

• Super-LumiNova hands and dial.
  
• Movement: Miyota Cal. 9039 Automatic. -10 to +30 seconds per day (23º± 2ºC)

• Water Resistance: 20 BAR or 200 Meters, designed to withstand water exposure, suitable for everyday wear and diving activities.
  
• Strap: Comes with a stainless steel bracelet (Flat link or Jubilee) and an additional leather strap.

MY OPINION AND PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: 

I really like this watch. 

And the whole brand if I’m being honest. I have been in close contact with the company’s media managers for more than 4 months now and that tells you something. I remember mentioning KUOE on my instagram story once and my DMs were flooded with messages along the lines of “Walid are you working with them ?”, “You need to reach out to them and review their watches”… And here we are now.

So, off the bat, that dial is absolutely mesmerizing. The linen texture is so rich and beautiful, especially when you get the chance to play with it under a sunray. Mamma Mia ! 

The credit should be given to the single-domed sapphire glass with AR coating and AF coating, for the transparency and ease of legibility. 

Speaking of that, the finishing on the case and the bracelet are very nice. I took a picture of a Matcha drink for my friend (Terrible drink by the way), and that bracelet was SHINING ! 

On the topic of first impressions, and as I mentioned before, the 38mm case wears smaller than you’d expect. BUT and here’s the catch, the bracelet does give it more definition of the wrist. It does come with a brown leather strap and let me tell you, it completely changes the perceived dimensions of the wrist. 

About that, bracelets and straps, one negative thing about the amazing piece that the Sombrero is, is the clasp. It’s huge. And might I even say, it can be uncomfortable. It really hurts me to say it, but that clasp needs an upgrade. Yes it has the quick adjustment option which comes handy throughout the day, but maybe something lighter, less chunky. 

Love the case, love the dial, love the flat links, love the finishing, love the crowns, love the Internal and bidirectional bezel, LOVE the unboxing experience and all the accessories… 

But should you get this watch ?

I mean, why not ? Priced at $‌859.00, it does have some competition but it certainly stands its ground. A sub 1000$ dive watch like the Sombrero is perfect for anybody trying to graduate from their G SHOCKs or Citizens. It’s well fitting, well designed, well proportioned and well, very practical. AND it’s from a Japanese brand that pays this much attention to details, so again, Why not ?  

*Bonus points for the incredible customer service

I don’t want to make this any longer and keep throwing my personal opinions on you guys, so please tell us what you personally think ! 

Check out KUOE KYOTO here, and see you later !

All the pictures are either ours or taken from https://www.kuoe-en.com/

You have probably already seen it and guessed it (unless you live under a rock), tis’ the season of the panther. It’s LITERALLY everywhere this fall. From invading your fyp with its viral TikTok trends; to turning up uninvited at the doorstep of your home, or basically its digital modern-day equivalent for the seasoned Gen-Z: your very own Pinterest board. This gracefully elegant predator is totally having its main character moment (in the world social media and fashion runways or collections alike)

However one might ask: How does this feline madness reach the watch world; Or shall I say prowl its way into it? Simple really. Through none other than the greatly esteemed brand bearing its image: Cartier. In the form of the infamous Panthère de Cartier i.e., the Cartier Panther watch. 

The Panthère State of Mind/ POV: The Cartier Panthère.

Whether it’s in the subdued wealth themed “quiet luxury” edits or the more flashy, feline print, in your face “mob wife aesthetic” moodboards; the Cartier Panthère is sure to be collaged there making it a versatile staple. It just fits right in, in every context. Honoring the EXACT promise of “timeless elegance” given by Cartier to us, consumers and connoisseurs, to a T.

This watch is a true icon in the luxury market even when you look at it from a sales lens. Since its relaunch in 2017, it has been thriving, dominating the jewelry-watch hybrid niche and cementing itself as a symbol of quiet luxury. Retail prices start around $3,300 for entry-level stainless steel models and climb to over $28,500 for gold and diamond-adorned versions, showcasing its versatility across demographics. On the secondary market, Panthère watches retain strong value, trading at an average of just 17.8% below retail, and their demand has risen steadily, with market prices up nearly 10% over the past year. Exceptional pieces, like the Cartier Panthère Reference 315AF, have reached jaw-dropping auction results, including a record-breaking $355,000 at Sotheby’s.

Over the course of time, royal and political figures such as Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy, and Princess Diana elevated Cartier’s Panthère, solidifying its reputation as a symbol of class and distinction. Its frequent appearances on-screen or at red carpets on the wrists of celebrities (like Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Zendaya…etc) also add an aura of glamour to its legacy. And more recently, even your most-liked fashion influencers have embraced the Panthère and “have had it in their dream mood boards for ages”, making it a fav among younger audiences and keeping it relevant. 

It’s safe to say that the Panthère continues to embody elegance and modernity across generations; by being a watch that your grandma, you, and probably your future granddaughter can bond over and adore in equal measure.
With all of that said, this watch transcended and defied the confines of mere ephemeral trends and time, therefore truly setting itself as an ever-present mark of savoir-faire and tastefulness in our collective consciousness rather than just a finite object in space and time. Thus, reaching a tier few others have reached before it.

As my closing statement, I, your absolutely in-awe editor, would push it far beyond and assuredly say,The Cartier Panther is not just a watch, it’s a way of life.
Or, to stay true to my Gen Z roots: Cartier Panthère? Absolutely no skips, just luxury on repeat.

Inass Akisra.

*We do not own any of these photos. please note that all images and copyrights belong to their original owners. no copyright infringement intended.*