watch mechanics

Listening to a Watch: What the Ticking Actually Tells You About the Movement Inside

· July 29, 2026
Listening to a Watch: What the Ticking Actually Tells You About the Movement Inside

Before I Ever Touch the Caseback The first thing I do with any unfamiliar watch is hold it to my ear and close my eyes. It’s the oldest, most analog form of diagnosis there is — no app, no equipment, no opened caseback. Just sound. I learned this habit slowly, over about four years of … Read more

Chronograph Watches Explained: What the Pushers Actually Do

· July 6, 2026
Chronograph Watches Explained: What the Pushers Actually Do

The first time someone handed me a chronograph and said “just press the button,” I pressed the wrong one. The hands flew in the wrong direction, the seconds reset unexpectedly, and I stood there genuinely confused in front of a very patient watchmaker. That memory still makes me cringe. If you’ve ever stared at a … Read more

Automatic vs Hand-Wind Movements: Which I Prefer and Why It Depends

· July 5, 2026
Automatic vs Hand-Wind Movements: Which I Prefer and Why It Depends

The automatic-versus-hand-wind debate has followed me for a decade. I hear it at every watch meet, read it in every forum thread, and honestly? Most of the answers I’ve seen miss the point entirely. People treat it like a binary — like one is objectively better — when the real answer depends entirely on how … Read more