Last Saturday, I went to the Artefino Festival 2023 to see Argos Watches, a Filipino microbrand. The brand's goal is to create opportunities for Filipino watchmakers to make watches and have that become a sustainable source of livelihood, so Argos Watches are designed and assembled in the Philippines. (Understandably, it would b…

Back in Feb 2021, I bought this Gold Seiko Naut (SNKK52). This was back when I was in my watch-hoarding-phase and I thought this shape is pretty rare and the $93 + $14 shipping price tag was a steal. It was nicknamed the "Seiko Naut" because the case somewhat resembles the Patek Philippe Nautilus. (Not to be confused with …

I wanted to try another pattern of stripes in the Philippine flag colors, this time it's for a 20mm lug width. Instead of thinner stripes of colors, I wanted a mix of thick and thin stripes. As I mentioned in my previous pattern, note that this doesn't easily slip in between the lugs (unlike nylon straps). You'd have to …

Since it's so hard to find straps in the colors of the Philippine flag (blue, red, white, yellow), I decided crochet my own. I haven't done this in over a decade, but I still remember the basics. I still remember the 90's and early 2000's. Internet connection was limited (dial-up) and I had to figure out a way to kee…

If you spend as much time as I do, consuming fashion media (which I think is not even a lot), you may have seen the term “Quiet Luxury” pop up in the recent months. With the talks of recession and the rise in brazen theft (even in formerly safe places), the trend is now to avoid loud, garish displays of wealth. Overt displays of wea…

If you missed out on J&G's Exciton II -- the one I reviewed as the best value-for-money dive watch at the $300 range -- you might want to take a look at their next upcoming Kickstarter campaign for the Academic. Kickstarter Campaign Link:  The J&G Watches Academic by Gary Williams — Kickstarter Out of all the categories …

When I hear the phrase "Scandinavian minimalist watch", I think of overpriced quartz watches that emphasize the Scandinavian minimalist aesthetic to justify their high prices but are actually produced at a low cost in China. Phrases like "affordable luxury" and "cutting out the middleman" come up a lot.…

"Homage watches" is one of the topics that's highly debated in the watch community. Some say it's just one step away from buying clones and they're just piggybacking off the work of others. Some say it's a great way to experience a watch you want on a budget.  Now I'm not entirely against homage watches…