Santa brought me my 2025 favorite watch: this magnificent Royale Paris 39.5mm with an opaline dial and full complications, equipped with the Calibre Royal. And what a feat! This in-house caliber boasts a triple instantaneous jump, large date and day in 2/100ths of a second (3 patents and 80 components), a 96-hour power reserve with a large barrel, moon phases with two hemispheres, and a stunning grained opaline dial with relief and a gouge around its periphery. The case has been redesigned to be very compact, measu…

While dive watches are currently flooding the market (a bit too much for my liking), over 10 years ago I wanted to buy my first watch of this type without breaking the bank. That's how I came across Longines, somewhat by chance, but with the reputation that came with it, despite its less-than-ideal positioning at the time, given its history. The Hydro Conquest is a classic, and this one is a quartz (at the time, quartz and mechanical movements were identical, but the mechanical cost 50% more... I didn't see the poi…

The 901609 is a true classic for lovers of minimalist designs. It has just the right elements: twelve Arabic numerals, a minute track limited to the markers, three slim black hands, and a Luch logo in script. This strong contrast ensures excellent legibility. Some models even offer dial customization. The movement is a 23-jewel Luch 2209, notable for its orange-yellow hue. The case measures 34 mm excluding the crown. It's a round, chrome-plated brass case with a snap-on steel case back bearing the Soviet quality m…

To explain my connection to this watch, I need to tell you when I bought it: during a visit to Japan in May 2025, I felt compelled to buy a watch there: it was cheaper, and I quite liked Japanese watches... Seiko, Citizen, etc. stores. But also Tudor, etc. I was disappointed with many watches and had settled on a Tudor Black Bay... Anyway, it was a completely different experience, but a financial opportunity. The day I wanted to go buy it, the store was closed, so I left the next day. Meanwhile (for 10 days), I was…

In this price range, you can find just about anything. But Seiko has remarkable expertise, offering the best of what industrial watchmaking has to offer: excellent value for money. That's the feeling this Cocktail gives. While the polished steel case is somewhat ordinary (we would have preferred a gold PVD case or even solid gold, as it deserves it), and the folding clasp is rather basic, the leather strap is beautifully crafted, as is the crown, reminiscent of a Pilot's Watch. What makes the difference is the dial…

I'd been eyeing a Jalaper watch for a long time, especially their first model (DB5), being an Aston Martin fan! Working in Brussels, I'd visited their store several times, but this watch never made it onto my shortlist. Then, in October 2025, they offered their subscribers a remarkable deal that finally convinced me to buy it. It took two months to receive it (the watches are made to order), and I must say the service was impeccable: same-day email replies, a small gift to apologize for the delay—in short, it's a m…

I present to you my Citizen Ice Blue NJ0151-88M that I love, it's my only watch that is not a diver or a chronograph... the model that I present was for a long time only available on the Japanese market but now it is on sale in France, it is an automatic model of 40mm in diameter and 5 ATM... it has a superb color that varies in the light and a pretty integrated bracelet of 3 branches, in short a watch that I like and I find that the Japanese manufacturer Citizen is not recognized in France at its true value while…

I have had a soft spot for the Tissot PR516 for quite some time with its very simple case and its 33/34mm format. This one is doubly appealing because it is mounted on a steel Racing bracelet that is absolutely fantastic in terms of looks but really not comfortable! It doesn't matter - as the other would say - because it is the symbol of racing watches often presented with a bracelet and not the latter. It is an electronic model based on Dynotron... a hybrid caliber with a battery instead of a spring while retainin…

When I was looking for a nice watch in early 2024, I stumbled upon the Kickstarter for this watch, or rather, the first model with a Seiko movement. I had already fallen in love with the Serica 6190 and had given up on the idea of owning this watch. But after the release of the white, then the red, and then the green versions, I couldn't resist the urge to own it. So, objectively speaking, the watch is absolutely magnificent. It was sold with a green Rubstrap strap, which I quickly removed for the Bonklip of my 61…