Twissic Watches REVIEW

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Styleforum Editors

By Nathan Flowers

It’s Really Thin.

Crazy thin. Ridiculously thin.

And I like it.

I don’t normally search out thin watches. I’m usually happy to wear a bigass Seiko diver or even my old G-Shock Mudman when I’m outdoors. But I like this watch a lot. Newcomer Twissic has jumped into the market via their Kickstarter with what may be one of the thinnest watches to make it to market in the past year.

The 316L stainless case is a scant 4.8mm thick at its widest point. The watch itself is relatively thin in diameter, measuring only 38mm, but a large dial and thin bezel make the Twissic ride the wrist like a larger watch. Our loaner units were their Enpointe model, which ride on handsome full-grain leather quick-release straps in an 18mm width.

Everything about the Twissic watches we’ve tested feels minimalistic, but also well-designed. Powered by a Swiss Ronda quartz movement (with a six-year battery life), its hands are small but highly polished and easy to read. The dial comes in an attractive black on the rose gold model, and a clean white on the stainless steel. It’s also water resistant to 3ATM, but you won’t be diving with it. It’s a classier watch, for wearing to work, or out on the town.

I’ve worn them for a solid week, and am most impressed with how lightweight they are. The Twissic seems to just melt into your wrist, and you don’t notice you’re wearing it until you go to take a look at it. I tend to wear my other watches a little loose just to give my wrist space to breathe, but with these, I don’t need to. It sits there waiting, unnoticed until it’s needed, and that’s nice.

Twissic’s Kickstarter page has all the info you’ll need to get your hands on one. You can also check out Styleforum’s Twissic Official Affiliate Thread for more info, or to ask the designers a question about their watches. For the next few days, you can still get in on their £109/$145 super early bird pricing, and to me, it’s a good deal.

This is not a sponsored post. To read Styleforum’s review policy, please click here.

Hoffman Watches – Racing 40 and Diver 40 REVIEW

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Styleforum Editors

By Nathan Flowers

These days, it feels like most watchmakers are following the “bigger is better” theme, with both divers and chronographs seeming to start at 42mm, and getting larger from there. With that in mind, newcomer Hoffman Watches is bucking the trend by introducing two 40mm models, which they have been kind enough to loan us for this review.

Their Racing 40 model is very handsome and feels solid, but not heavy. It has a 316L stainless case that is polished on the sides, and lugs that are machined satin on the front/back. The black leather strap measures 20mm wide, and has a machined stainless buckle. It fits well on my 7” wrist– not too large, and not too small. The Racing 40 echoes a Daytona or Speedmaster in both looks and proportions.

That said, it is handsome in its own right, and our test model stands out with a reverse panda dial in a lighter navy blue background with white under the sub-registers for the chronograph minutes and 24-hour time. Under an AR-coated sapphire crystal, hour indexes are noted by very precise dots of hand-applied lume that give off a greenish Seiko-like glow. This lume is also applied to the high-polished hour and minute hands.

The chronograph is easy to use, and sweeps at 5 beats per second, faster than a typical quartz second hand. The pushers feel nice and mechanical, and the chronograph instantly resets to zero when you hit the bottom pusher. It’s powered by a Seiko VK64 movement, so you know it’s going to be accurate (and it has been during my testing.) Though Hoffman also offers a mechanical chronograph movement (Seagull TY2901) for an additional $199.

Water resistance is a standard 50M, though since it’s sporting a leather strap with a lizard pattern, it wouldn’t be your first choice to take on your fishing boat. However, it would be right at home when going out for beers with jeans and a button-down, or maybe a blazer in the evening. It’s a bit too much of a tool watch for me to wear with a suit, though as a forum admin and IT nerd, my suit-wearing occasions are sadly lacking these days.

Let me get this out of the way now. I am a sucker for diving watches. I dive several times a year and always take 2-3 watches out with me if I’m going to be diving for more than a few days. I also religiously visit Styleforum’s Poor Man’s Watch Thread, and consequently, I own too many Seiko/Citizen divers, like the SKX and the SRP-reissues. The Hoffman Diver 40 is right up my alley.

Our review model is really striking, mainly because of how understated it is– black case riding a black NATO with a black bezel and a black dial. This thing is a Stealth Diver on your wrist. The hands and the indexes both are coated in a blue-tinted Super-LumiNova that glows well for hours after charging with light. The quartz movement is silent to my ear, and Hoffman also offers an automatic option for $99. Both offer 100M water resistance, which is more than enough for most diving.

The uni-directional bezel rotates smoothly, but with a solidity that you don’t regularly see on watches below $1000. Each click passes with a gentle yet firm snap. On the review model, the bezel is marked with black indexes, and arabic numerals at the 15, 30, and 45 minute spots. The zero index is the source of my only qualm with the Diver 40– it’s a glossy black diamond that doesn’t contain any lume, making it less likely to be seen well in deeper or murky water. This fits in with the darker style of our review model, so it’s definitely a stylistic choice. Hoffman also does have models with a white zero index, which I feel would be more suitable for diving. On land, the Diver 40 definitely wears well on the wrist, feeling less bulky and having a lower profile than your typical SKX/SRP. It draws the eye without being obnoxious.

Hoffman Watches’ Affiliate Thread shows many color combinations to choose from (I’m seriously considering a rose gold navy diver for myself), and with a shockingly low Kickstarter 24-hour super early bird pre-order price of $169 for the Hoffman Watches quartz models, you are getting a lot of watch for the money. Frankly, both of these watches feel like they’re worth much more than you’re paying for, and even at their ultimate retail price of $425, I think you’re getting a great piece of kit at a good price.

This is not sponsored content. To read Styleforum’s review policy, please click here.

5 accessories that will make you look like a million bucks

Posted on April 11, 2018 by Mitchell Moss

Accessories can make or break an outfit. A perfect fit can be elevated simply by having one additional element of interest introduced by a well-chosen accessory. But on the other hand, accessories can ruin an otherwise fine fit by being overdone, ostentatious or in conflict with one another. “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” Keep that advice from Coco Chanel in mind as I share five accessories that will, in the right contexts and done tastefully, make you look like a million bucks.

Okay, it doesn’t necessarily have to be Swiss, but it should be tastefully designed, and small. Giant diameters ruin what might be otherwise great watches these days. And unless you have Chris Hemsworth’s arms, they don’t really look at home on your wrist (though if you’ve got Chris Hemsworth arms, by all means, wear something proportionally small on your wrist!). When you’re wearing coat and tie, and want to look refined—whether it’s for a wedding, evening out with your significant other, or even just at the office—a small watch looks far more elegant. My personal favorites are Omega’s from the 1960s. My brother generously bought me a 1966 DeVille for my 30th birthday last year, with an off-white face that comes in at 34.5mm across. It’s magnificent.

I realize calling a product meaningful sounds like the worst marketing language, but I only say that because the guys wearing bracelets well are those doing it for a reason and not just because it’s the cool thing to do. When done well, a bracelet communicates a sense of refinement that no other accessory does in exactly the same way (when done poorly, it usually communicates that the wearer is trying too hard).

The ideal bracelet can lend style to an outfit because it’s carefully chosen, and the wearer knows when to wear it. I don’t typically wear a bracelet, but my dad does—and he absolutely nails it. He owns a couple, though one is far and away my favorite; it’s a heavy, solid sterling silver piece with decorative Navajo carvings made by Darin Bill. My dad has loved New Mexico since he was a boy, and Navajo blankets, art, and jewelry have been mainstays for decades in my family. I’d borrow it from time to time, but my wrists are much smaller than his.

Years ago I got a fairly inexpensive belt in snuff suede from Meermin and it changed my life. It sounds like a hyperbole, but seriously, suede as a belt material was a revelation to me. I wear that belt 90% of the time to this day. It looks particularly great with white pants and denim, but I’ll wear it with wool trousers as well. It doesn’t have to be suede, but a belt in a subtly different texture can bring your outfit together in a way you might not immediately think of. Something like alligator leather can improve a dressier fit, while canvas looks great with madras in the summer.

Brooks Brothers – Gustav Von Aschenbach

Besides just the belt material itself, you can also look for a cool buckle. For instance, I’ve always liked machined flat plaque buckles on a narrow dress belt—they feel very mid-century, and they make me think of my grandpa. I have no meaningful memories of him because he died when I was young, but I know, from what my dad has told me, that he was a very skilled craftsman. He had a fine attention to detail as well as a penchant for design, which he put to use making all kinds of things, usually with a strong mid-century aesthetic. A narrow belt with a machined buckle feels like something he’d have worn—and possibly even made himself.

Sid Mashburn – Tiffany&Co.

This is a super basic pick, but it’s an impeccable choice that really does improve a navy or gray suit. As pocket squares have gone mainstream, many men have been led astray into thinking the more gaudy, loud, bright and matchy, the better. In response, stylish men and forum members have sworn off squares all together. But even those most grieved by the over-saturation of pocket square culture still wear the white TV fold. It’s because it’s a stylish detail that’s not ostentatious. Mine is from J.Crew; it was a gift, and it is monogrammed.

If you’re looking at ways to fold your pocket square perfectly, check out Peter’s guide to folding a pocket square.

J. Crew – Kent Wang

Not a visible accessory most of the time, but when it is, it ups your class factor by a zillion. The things most men carry around to house their cards and cash are abysmal, awful, ugly, and thick. Don’t be like that. When you pull your wallet out of your breast pocket, a slim card case (or I suppose, a breast pocket wallet if you use bills regularly) makes for a nice indication of your appreciation for elegance—even if it’s not seen by most. It is slim enough that it doesn’t show if your jacket is more fitted in the chest. And even if you don’t have a jacket on it won’t make too big a bulge in your front pants pocket.

La Portegna – Salvatore Ferragamo – Want Les Essentiel

How to Safely Store your Watch

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Styleforum Editors

This article originally appeared on Worn & Wound. It has been reprinted here with permission. Words by Hung Doan.

There will come a time when you will need to keep a watch in storage. It may be a watch you rarely wear, a speculative purchase waiting to be flipped, or one that you’re simply saving to pass on to the next generation. My eight-year-old son will get my full-size Omega Seamaster Professional when he comes of age, but until then it’s stored away, safe and sound. Having recently packed that watch away, I thought it would be informative to go over the do’s and don’ts of long-term watch storage.

There are several ways to go about storing your precious watches, from putting them in a bank deposit box or keeping them in a safe at home, to packing them away in a box in the garage. However you decide to store your watches, the following suggestions apply.

Dealing with Moisture

Ideally, watches should be stored in a temperature controlled setting like a safe deposit box or in a secure home safe. But regardless of where they end up, moisture will be a natural enemy of your watches. This is especially true in a cold safe, where moisture and condensation can damage a watch as oils coagulate and lose their lubricating properties. For quartz watches, condensation can be especially damaging to the IC circuits.

To combat the effects of moisture, I recommend storing watches with silica gel, a tip passed on to me by gun owners over the years. It is advice I’ve religiously followed for two decades.

You can buy silica gel in bulk or recycle the packets that come with practically all electronic gear. My personal recommendation is to get the desiccant gel packets that change color as they soak up moisture. Often, they come in blue. As the moisture builds up the colors change to white or pink, indicating they need to be recharged or replaced.

Boxes and Paperwork

Boxes, accessories and paperwork are rather easy to store, and worth keeping around for when you decide to sell your watch (“box and papers” can add considerable value to a sale). You should consider storing them in separate locations as boxes can take up considerable space. With paperwork, however, I keep the warranty cards, authenticity certificates and proofs of purchase along with other important documents in the safe. You should separate everything in their own dedicated zip-lock or protective bags.

Moisture can also cause damage to warranty cards and other accessories. Below is an example of two Omega leatherette warranty card holders. Over a 20-year period, the one on the left deteriorated and transferred paint onto the accompanying documents. A separate zip-lock bag, as well as some silica gel, would have preserved the dealer calendar cards and manual.

: A DAMAGED WARRANTY LEATHER HOLDER WITH PAINT TRANSFER ON THE DOCUMENTS I LEFT INSIDE.

: ZIP-LOCKED HANGTAGS, BRACELETS, STRAPS, ACCESSORIES AND EXTRA LINKS.

Appraisal and Insurance

Some homeowners and rental insurance policies offer blanket coverage up to a certain amount. If this applies to you, definitely take advantage of your coverage. In some scenarios, you may opt to have dedicated coverage. Either way, it is strongly recommended you appraise your watches, especially the vintage ones. For current watches, you should keep track of market pricing as insurance companies will offer a replacement according to market value. When insuring my watches, I take photographs of everything–boxes, documents, and the watch itself at various angles to indicate condition. In scenarios where I’ve purchased watches from other collectors or through non-traditional channels, I provided scanned magazine reviews, catalogs and price lists to support the stated value. In the 1990s, for example, my Sinn 156 Military was unavailable through official US retail channels, so I used a Bell & Ross (B&R sold co-branded Sinn watches early in their life) price list and scanned copies of reviews from Watch Time to secure my coverage value.

: APPRAISAL FOR MY SINN 156 USING A WATCH TIME REVIEW AND A B&R PRICE LIST FROM 2001.

: SAMPLE APPRAISAL FROM A THIRD-PARTY JEWELER.

Boxes

As I noted above, boxes take up a lot of space, but keeping them is paramount in maintaining value. Finding a replacement box on eBay isn’t difficult for brands like Rolex and Omega, but they can cost you $100-300 a pop so holding on to the original is worth it from a monetary standpoint alone. For smaller brands, finding a readily available replacement may not be so easy, so it is important to keep track of what boxes go with what watch (and era, as manufacturers often alter their presentation boxes). As a buyer, you should do your due diligence and research beforehand to make sure that you’re getting the appropriate boxes with your watch.

Maintenance and Inherent Risk

Idle watches over the long term can be problematic. Quartz watches risk the hazard of battery corrosion and leakage. With these, you should always remove the batteries. I recently put away a Bulova Moon Watch and a rare Omega LCD Speedmaster for long-term storage. The batteries were removed from each watch to ensure they not get damaged.

Mechanical watches have their own set of hazards. As oils dry, a movement can freeze. That is why it is often recommended that mechanical watches are wound and worn periodically. However, there is no escaping the fact that oils will need to be replaced. Even unworn watches will need to be sent in for eventual service. If you have a speculative watch you plan to flip in 10 or 20 years, you may forgo service and inform future buyers of the situation, as some would prefer NOS (New Old Stock) status.

safely store your watch — OMEGA CAL. 565 MOVEMENT FROZEN WITH DRY OILS.

Since the late ’90s, many companies have heavily invested in lubrication R&D. Rolex and Seiko especially have been pioneers in this regard. My dad used to tell me, “change the oil in your car every 3,000 miles and service your watch every three years.” This no longer applies. Just like with cars, there are now synthetic oils that significantly increase maintenance intervals. When Rolex first announced their new oils, there was speculation with regard to how long watches could go without service. Now in 2016, the recommended interval for watches manufactured after 2015 is a whopping 10 years.

For mechanical watches, I recommend getting a tool like a timegrapher. In addition to measuring accuracy, timegraphers offer a snapshot of the health of your watch (a low amplitude or high beat rate can be a sign of mechanical failure). For example, with most modern ETAs, anything under 250 amplitude means your watch should be taken in for service. With some watches, catching this early could mean saving hundreds of dollars in overhaul fees.

Conclusion

There are many approaches you can take toward storing your watches and this write-up provides a good primer. There is no one absolute way to store your watches, but whatever you do, keep in mind the key points I wrote about above regarding temperature and moisture, general maintenance, and diligent record keeping. You may not plan to store a watch for 10 to 20 years, but my recommendations are practical even for short term storage.

5 Great Dive Watches Under 5,000

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Ilya Ryvin

We’re now officially in the thick of summer, and with the temperatures steadily climbing you’re likely going to be spending a lot of time by the water. And for that, you can’t go wrong with a dive watch strapped to your wrist. Below, I’ve rounded up 5 of my favorite, all-around dive watches—all under *$5,000.

(*That’s retail, of course. Shop around. You can always find a deal.)

Seiko SRP777 “Turtle” – $495

I included the “Turtle” in my last article, The 10 Best Watches Under $1,000, and I’m slotting it in here, too. Yeah, it’s just that good.

Based on Seiko’s historic 6309 diver from years past, the SRP777 reissue is a solid diver’s watch even by today’s standards, tying together build quality, looks, and value into one neat, little package. It can be your weekend beater (the watch you won’t mind bumping around while doing some yard work or firing up the grill), or it can be your daily driver. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Click here for the full review on wornandwound.

DOXA SUB 1200T Professional – $1,890

A DOXA once graced the wrist of oceanic explorer Jacques Cousteau—that is to say, if it was good enough for him, then it’s sure to serve you well. From the dramatic orange dial and graphic hands to the ergonomic cushion case, the SUB 1200T looks as though it’s been pulled straight from the archives. This one’s sure to be a conversation starter.

Click here for the full review on wornandwound.

Oris Divers Sixty-Five – $2,100

Another heritage piece, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is a great choice for anyone who prefers a more svelte design to larger, thicker divers. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in solid specs that punch well above its asking price. Plus, it’s super versatile, too. Wear it to the beach or wear it to the office—it won’t look out of place.

Click here for the full review on wornandwound.

Sinn U1 S E – $2,390

The U1 is Sinn’s quintessential dive watch chock-full of the brand’s impressive engineering and know-how, and the U1 S E is a tactical take on that concept. This thing is an absolute tank. It’s made of German submarine steel (known for its properties against corrosion and magnetism) it’s tegimented (surface-hardened for greater scratch resistance), and the case is rated to 1,000 meters. This is overkill done right.

Click here for the full review on wornandwound.

Tudor Pelagos LHD – $4,400

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Tudor, Rolex’s sister company, has been the it brand for the past couple of years, cornering the sub-$5,000 dive watch market with its impressive Black Bay series. But the 500-meter Pelagos is, in my opinion, the unsung hero of Tudor’s modern catalog, and the recent LHD (Left Hand Drive) edition is the star of the show. With its beautifully finished lightweight titanium case, nostalgic dial, and unique configuration, it’s a high-valued sports watch that you’re sure to enjoy year round.

Click here for the full review on wornandwound.

Ilya Ryvin is the managing editor at Worn & Wound, a leading source of information on value-driven watches. He is also a frequent reader and fan of the “Poor Man’s Watch Thread.”

The 10 Best Watches Under $1,000

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Ilya Ryvin

As the good denizens of Styleforum’s “Poor Man’s Watch Thread” know all too well, a great watch need not cost an arm and a leg. There’s a lot of unbelievable value out there for under $1,000, and it’s a price category that worn&wound has long championed and stood by. Below, we’ve put together a list of 10 top-notch, sub-$1,000 watches, many of which make regular appearances on the wrists of Styleforum members.

1. Seiko SNK80x

The gateway drug of watch collecting, the SNK80x series offers what one can easily (and correctly) argue is the best mechanical watch for under $100. It’s robust and handsome, and it’s available in a myriad of colors that make owning more than one a lot of fun. It may not be the last watch you buy, but it’s one you’ll wear for years on end.