Category Archives: Watch Reviews

Watcharama watch reviews – some are long, some are short; we hope that all are an enjoyable read. We’ll be adding to our watch reviews as and when we can so please call back often.

Precista PRS-5 Chrono

 
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Despite having owned more than one chronograph over the years I would state at the outset that chronographs have never been my first choice for everyday wear. However, when I need to wear a chronograph through necessity then my choice is always one equipped with hands as opposed to a 1/100 seconds digital affair with a plethora of lap times and so on. I do not need that functionality and as with many people (possibly of my own generation but it seems increasingly with younger … Continue reading →

Precista PRS-10 ‘GS’

 
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Up until the early 1980s the British forces (indeed, many other forces) were issued with manually wound watches which ranged from simple, low jewel count disposable watches (viz. some ‘Vietnam Era’ USA issued pieces) to high grade navigational timekeepers such as the IWC Mark XI. Between the two were a plethora of watches which were suited to and served many purposes. Of course, in those days it was necessary for the purchasing authorities to make use of what was within reason available to a certain … Continue reading →

Precista PRS-14

 
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In late 1977 I acquired my first ‘real’ watch – a Rolex GMT Master which of course in those days was equipped with a matt black dial with no white gold embellishments, an acrylic crystal which I scratched on the first day and which was water resistant to all of 50 meters. At the time, as far as I was concerned then the specification of the Rolex was the norm for a sports watch which was by no means cheap. Whilst Rolex was indeed a … Continue reading →

Speedbird III PRS-22

 
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It is often said that things work in seven year cycles.  In late 2001 I reviewed the first of the PRS line of watches – namely the PRS1 Speedbird. Readers of my reviews will have noted just how impressed I was with this watch and how I felt that it truly captured the spirit of an age gone by in terms of the romanticism of civil air travel – when things weren’t computerised and a journey of two or three thousand miles was still something … Continue reading →

Precista PRS-53 Fat Arrow

 
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I recall as recently as the mid 1990s that watch buyers would remove military issue markings from the back of a watch or indeed prefer to buy military issued pieces with the markings already removed. Hindsight is a great thing of course and there must be many people who regret having undertaken this surgery. The market for military watches and indeed collectability of the same has mushroomed over the last decade; particularly, post war to late 1970s issued pieces are a finite resource simply because … Continue reading →

Smiths Military PRS-29

 
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Recently, I was asked the question “Why is it that you only ever seem to review watches from Timefactors?”.   A fair question given that most watches I have reviewed from that stable are on the face of it very similar. My answer was simply that those watches I have experienced from the Sheffield based operation have all had a twist if you will.  There has always been something either literally or metaphorically beneath the surface which has made me want to own them.  Therein lies … Continue reading →

Westcoastime M16 II

 
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I have always been a great fan of the tritium vials used on many United States military watches (and of course the plethora of civilian versions on the market during the last few years). For me, there has always been something almost magical about the glow that these tubes give off during the hours of darkness. The general interest in genuine military watches continues unabated; indeed, various versions of previously issued and current issue United States military timepieces are available via various online sources so … Continue reading →

Zeno Diver 300m

 
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Over the past year or so, I have increasingly taken an interest in those watches which some may describe as ‘cheap’ or ‘budget’ but which I have rapidly come to the conclusion are actually excellent value for money. Furthermore, some such watches manage to accomplish what the so called ‘higher-end’ brands fail to do in terms of functionality and perhaps more importantly – reaching back to maybe two or three decades ago in construction and look. It seems that the vogue is retro and no … Continue reading →

Precista GMT GTLS

 
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It is not very often that I write a review out of curiosity about rather than enthusiasm for a particular watch.  This review falls firmly in the former category given that the introduction of the watch in question has raised the eyebrows of many watch aficionados and enthusiasts of the Precista brand alike.  Indeed, the introduction of this watch has perhaps more than raised the eyebrows of some,  it has caused indignation amongst those who have followed the resurrection of the Precista brand within the … Continue reading →

Zeno Explorer (ZEX)

 
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Most watch enthusiasts will no doubt have noticed the surge in popularity of the classic Rolex Explorer over the last few years. Whilst this model has been around since the mid-1950s, it wasn’t perhaps until as recently as two years ago that the popularity surge took place, in turn effecting a marked increase in the price asked for NIB examples. Likewise, the price for vintage Explorers (the 1016 model) has risen to the degree where they have become out of reach of many people who … Continue reading →