Christopher Ward, the British brand that builds its watches in Switzerland, is including the cost of the tariffs in their final price. Americans, avert your eyes:
£760 (GBP) = $1022 (USD)
So a bit to unpack here. First, we chose Ohio (our editor’s home state) for the US destination; the sales tax (5.75%) reflects that. In the UK, VAT (the £126.67) is built into the price. If we were to guess, the difference in base price ($910 in the US, which would be $852 in the UK) is probably an exchange rate hedge. Anyway, in the end, US buyers are going to pay 32% more for the same watch. Will they? Will the tariffs stay in place? Time, no pun intended, will tell.
Watches of the Week
Image: Timex
Timex is slaying the retro thing (slaying?) The Marlin Quartz GMT is the latest effort, and as we have a collective weakness for any GMT, we took a look. And we love it. The 40mm watch comes in three colours and includes a caller GMT function.
And the best part is that it's $229 (£180 GBP) making it one of the better GMT values out there. Timex has a few new models in the retro range; check them out too.
Shinola, man. A few years ago, they overplayed their 'Made in America' thing, causing the FTC to tell them to knock it off. They can feel more like a lifestyle brand than a watch company (not surprising, one supposes, since they were founded by former Fossil folks.) But you know what? The Detrola is a sharp watch. 41mm with a Ronda Argonite movement (and an exhibition caseback), this is worthy of a second or third look. From $450 (£415 GBP).
Image: Casio
Casio, a W5C favourite since our childhood, introduces their first automatic. The Edifice Automatic EFK-100D is ‘built for sports car enthusiasts’ (we don’t get it either.)
What we do get is that this is a proper GADA, 39mm, 40 hour power reserve, all for $340 (£269 GBP). Comes in four colours as well.
Micro of the Week - Blacklist (USA)
Images: Blacklist
What are they? A California-based watch brand with a pretty impressive lineup. Blacklist was founded in 2013 and features ETA movements, which is pretty nice. They issue limited editions of their watches; the name Blacklist is intended to reflect this, as well as their otherwise rebellious nature. (We're not sure it does.)
What's the vibe? Racing. These aren't watches with GT stripes or a TAG homage case, though their chronos look the part. Much of the racing theme comes from their colour names: McLaren Orange, for example, or BMW Laguna Seca (what you might call blue) or Ferrari Rosso Corsa (for, you know.) Does it work? Well, we don't know, but the watches do.
And $500 will get you… a lot. Naming conventions aside, these are some good-looking watches with an excellent movement - all at a great price. Even if the tariffs get tacked on to that ETA, you'll get a lot of watch for the money. They issue watches in limited editions so be sure to sign up for their newsletter lest you miss out.
In Other News…
Made in the USA (for Real). American watch manufacturing, that is, the making of watch components (including movements), is experiencing a Renaissance. The New York Times (registration required) gives the lowdown: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/fashion/watches-made-in-usa-well-almost.html.
Pharrell Drops Em Like They're Hot. He's got songwriting credits on that tune, did you know that? Anyway, he sold some of his insane watch collection at even more insane prices. Maybe "Happy" is the better tune here: https://www.gq.com/story/pharrell-joopiter-first-watch-auction-best-pieces-ranked.
James Bond Daniel Craig is an Omega man. Pour yourself a vodka martini (shaken, not stirred) and check out his collection here. It’s legendary: https://www.esquire.com/uk/watches/g65186601/daniel-craigs-omega-watches/
Watch1,200,000 - Patek Philippe or Your Own Private Island?
Image: Patek Philippe
Image: Vladi Private Islands
Actually, two islands! Clarkes Island and Big Island in Blind Bay, Nova Scotia.
$1.2 million gets you either ($2.4 mil gets you both.)
Great Watches, $500 or Less (sometimes $1.2 million), Twice a Week!
Watch500 publishes twice weekly: Watch500 Weekly covers news, releases, and industry insights, while The Five brings you themed watch picks. Get the best of the $500 watch world - new releases, brand discoveries, industry news, and the stories behind timepieces that are eminently affordable.
