Amazing that companies were able to produce such fine work in the train wreck of a year 2020 was. I always feel a slight twinge of jealousy when you produce you best of videos. Let’s hope 2021 is a better year for all of us.
Best 2020 recap I've seen thus far. Happy you posted it in 2021 as well. My fav from your list is the Axios. I think it's pretty perfected for what it is without it being loud in any sphere.
Happy New Year Shane, an amagratzing collection of great picks. The Bunker, Reef GMT, and Trench have been the three you did this year that stood out the most for me. With an honorable mention to both the Star Diver and Flagship. I can't wait to see what you'll review this year.
Great video and format! You just cruised through all those watches, but it felt like nothing was left out. There are a few that I missed your original reviews of, so now I want to go back and watch those! Great mix of watches! Happy New Year, Shane!
I was able to get my orient star diver and I think I am spoiled. It’s my very first diver and all the features for the price has put my expectations for other brands way up there which will cost me in the end lol.....
I gotta say....this is hands down the best photography and editing of any watch channel out there.Just beautiful.....wouldn't be surprised if Shane does this for a living. Keep up the awesome work!! Subscribed!!
This was a good year to start collecting affordable watches. Especially if you like field watches, Lucky me x2. Thanks for the wonderful reviews, Shane! Your taste and price bracket match mine well. I got the SWC Bunker in black, the RZE in grey, and the Vario trench in black this year. Looking at past years, I already had the Seiko Alpinist in green as well as the Hamilton Khaki King in champagne. The Vario Empire hand wound is also a favorite as are a few Orients. I’m most at home with a slightly upscale sport/field watch that can be dressed up if necessary. No surprise, I loved this 2020 list.
Awesome line up Shane! I have several of the watches on your hit list, except Orient. I've never taken the leap to Orient because I've always seen them as cheap Seiko knock-offs. With so much praise throughout the watch collecting community, I think I may need to reconsider and in 2021, I will actively try an Orient out. One thing you said when considering the SWC Bunker..."If you already have a Hamilton Kaki, you may consider passing on the Bunker" I think having a Hamilton Kaki is a perfect reason to pick the Bunker up too. It's an amazing watch and I can't keep it off my wrist. The lume is so crazy, I can use it as a torch at night and it can be easily read all night long. Vario is a non-stop powerhouse. Ivan has been killing it lately and I can't wait to see his next release. Same for SWC..they are innovating and are not just creating the standard homoge watch like so many others. While not all of their designs are for me, the fact they take risks with fabrication and materials...they have a tremendous future. Best part is they are very accessible to their customers and love feedback. Zelos...well, I think we may be able to give Elshan a lot of credit for 2020 being the year of the microbrand. Not only does he keep nailing design after design, he has had his hand in many of the other new micro-brand entrants this past year. Hats off to Elshan and my Skyraider 2 skeletonized. As for Seiko, due to their price increase without commensurate increase in quality, I think I'll be swearing off all things Seiko sans the NH series of movements I'll be using with my new hobby of assembling my own watches. I have a pretty hefty grail list this year, which includes a Grand Seiko amongst others. Looking forward to your 2021 reviews!
Agreed 100% on all your points. So much good stuff with Vario, Zelos, Hamilton, Bunker, and more. The Bunker goes well with the slightly dressed up Khaki King. To further agree, Orient is surprisingly good. I think the best deal in dive watches is a modded Orient Blu Ray 2. You can add a new AR sapphire, a new bezel, and a fully lumed ceramic insert, for around $120 and end up with a super watch that looks as good on paper as it does on the wrist. All for under $250. Hard to beat unless you can get a sold out Zelos Swordfish 40 for $259. :) Happy 2021 gents.
Great choices. I am really liking the Vostok brand. I just picked up a Vostok Komandirski K39 390774 and it has a display back case, mineral crystal, and 200 meters of water resistant. All for $215. The crown is the best I have and it's my go to watch now. Perfect field watch
Great wrap up Shane. Out of the 10 I have the Mako V3 in green. It’s one of my favorite micros in my collection. I have been very close to pulling the trigger on the Solas Starlight. Can’t decide if I’d wear it enough to justify another purchase.
Shane, some great choices for your top ten. I'm not a fan of Vostok, so I would maybe replace that with the Oris Aquis calibre 400. I am looking forward to the Hellcat review. That looks like a stunner. The Zelos Horizon GMT (midnight blue) has a special place in my collection.
I picked up the Bunker and a Helm Khuraburi too. They are both awesome. Im on the wait list for the next Kokomo release. I need to start rocking watches on both wrists!
I'm torn between the orient outdoor and the orient diver. Great design, sapphire crystal, in-house movements, power reserve indicator and great detailings. Should i pick both?
Good review. My fave this year was the Borealis Cascais with the white cobblestone dial. I can't wait to wear it again !! Looks like a much more expensive watch from Omega or Rolex---at a distance, of course. They're sold out and I feel lucky to have one.
Great watch hit parade! I like that you do not shy away from your personal taste bias to conform with the hobby crowd's preference trends. Happy New Year and all the best!
Thanks, Shane! Happy New Year to you. Appreciate your excellent content. Really looking forward to the Orient Star Standard review. There is ONE review in English on that particular watch, so your review would be really helpful to a lot of people state-side. It looks like a really beautiful watch.
Happy New Year Shane - fantastic to see the Sólás Starlight making it onto the honorable mention list. We hope our future models will make it even higher up the list 💪 Though it looks like field watches rather divers might be a better bet for making it high on the list 😁 My fave from your list was the earlier field orient - super clean design and great value.
Love the channel! One small thing which I am sorry to point out. If you look closely at the sub-seconds dial on the Vario in your time-lapse at 11:06, it looks likely that the fourth (seconds) wheel pivot is bent, causing the seconds hand to wobble. Depending on where the bend is, this can definitely affect the timekeeping of the watch. Nevertheless, it is a lovely piece and I admire them for doing something different.
Because of this "mini" review, and the for in depth review you did earlier in the year about the Seiko 5 SRPE61, I bought one for $220 off of Amazon. Also, because of this video, I subscribed to your channel!
Seeing the Reise Resolute on number 2 was a a bit of a surprise, but I agree, the manufacturer has done almost everything right with this watch. It's one for the second glance 👍 The Orion Hellcat is a real stunner. I really look forward to the review. Happy new year Shane!
Nice list. I'm sure it wasn't easy to compile this list. You have reviewed some great watches during the year. You know I like seeing a Vostok on that list.....and I am happy you put the Seiko silver shadow on there. I, too, think it is one of Seiko's best values in 2020. I think I want a Vario trench.
Great video Shane, I loved the Vostok first time round and still do. After seeing your review on this watch, I checked on the Meranom website and they had already sold out. I signed up for their news letter and never heard a thing back from them....So I guess this marketing idea of not remanufacturing this model will push up the price of one of these models if and when they ever come up on the second hand market.....So for me, it’s a model I will never own as I will not pay over the odds for it.....onto the next model.
Great overview video, thanks. With you all the way regarding Orient Star, adore the brand. The inclusion of the Vario watch was really interesting, looks great. I will check out the review.
Good choices, nicely presented as always, and I appreciate your thoughtful opinions. Looking forward to your review of the Orion Hellcat. Happy New Year.
Like the looks of the Hellcat. My favourites I got this year-- Hamilton Khaki X Wind chrono Automatic (for my 50th) & 6r35 sapphire Sumo (Xmas) Happy New year 👍🏻👍🏻
Love the channel. Always great content. Maybe you could make a video on your watch straps, and a link to your suppliers.black leather with orange or gold stitching looks fantastic. Keep up the great work in 2o21..Thanks Shane.
The Amfibia looks like an interesting proposition for someone like me who has only worn G-Shocks and has never worn a tie to work. An introduction to mechanical watches with a similar rugged, bulky aesthetic eschewing refinement in favour of the 10 year service interval (similar to the battery change cycle for my DW-6900).
Another great video. As always your tabletop shots are fantastic. Cool lighting and shot setups. I'd love to know how you're doing those slow movement macro shots.
Thanks. Honestly, it's all digital trickery. I just do a stable macro shot but in 4k resolution. Then when editing I tell it to pan across the image. Since I down-res the final video to 1080 resolution you don't lose any quality as it's digitally zooming in or panning across the shot. I know a few people try to do it using an expensive gimbal mount for their camera, but this is far easier. Working smarter not harder so to speak.
For me the watch of 2020 is the Vario Trench. Because ..........I don't know, I saw it and fell in love with it. You made a verry good video, thank you for all you good content and have a wonderful year 2021
Nice choices. I was wondering if you could do a video on all the awesome straps you use for your watches and which ones hold up to the test of time. I really liked the straps you've chosen. Thx 4 the video, Shane.
Can you review the HEIMDALLR Promaster Fugu Diver Watch, sapphire crystal, NH36 day/date, 179 usd. Ive had mine for 1 month and its awesome. Great professional videos you do without the hype AND you speak slowly so we all understand every word, well done.
It was good to see that you chose some that weren't divers. Sub-40mm watches were under-represented IMO. Not everyone wants a hockey puck on the wrist😄.
Good choices on your list. I've gone through a lot of watches myself in 2020, and unfortunately I sold most of them by the end of the year. But, I've kept a few. Condensing my collection to 3. None of which I'd say are of great value or bang or buck. But, value for me comes with a strong connection with a particular watch when seen and on worn on the wrist. I'd say as a side effect, they just happen to cost a bit much than perhaps they should. But, none the less as I'm keeping far fewer watches moving forward for growing that connection with extended use, they should also be relatively accurate.. and accuracy is something I've found to be pretty important in why I like and continue to wear a watch for extended use. For me, if a watch can hold no more than +4 to +5 secs max deviation per day, it's within my personal tolerances. As such, I'll be keeping the Christopher Ward x Worn & Wound C65 Sandstorm, Seikon SBDC105 Cappuccino Gilt Dial, and Sinn 104i St Sa White Dial.
@@RelativeTime I like the CW. It has really nice proportions at 38mm case x 11.6mm thick x 45.3mm L2L. I really like the unique take on a sector dial and there is plenty of detail throughout that always keeps me looking at the watch just to look at it. Let alone the excellent CW light catcher case is very nicely finished and sculpted and I opted for the bracelet option to get the nice bracelet with cool and useful tool free micro-adjustment, what newer Zelos have copied. And, the Swiss Sellita SW200 movement is COSC and has been between +3to+4 secs per day. I will say the date ring is pretty small printing. Have to remove my glasses to read. But, personally, I still appreciate they found a creative way to integrate a date complication without messing up the dial symmetry.
Zelos Mako 3 = great watch and I have the same exact one. However, the clasp and caseback are better on the newer models. The Mako 4, when it comes out, will be an absolute killer - assuming it gets those same upgrades.
That's probably the "Light Brown" MKII diver from Swiss Watch Company. Most of the time it looks more like a light Milk Chocolate. Yet in direct light it has a purple or lavender hue.
Great video I'm kind of over dive watches and microbrands that only make Drive watches. My micro brandcap now is lowered to 250 unless they completely impressed the hell out of me and I don't see anybody doing that I can get just as good a quality with an ali Express watch. I am liking field watches and aviator watches more these day. Prices of these mirco brands I would rather go name brand even rather a seiko or orient Than a micro brand I feel they are asking too much not to have the heritage in my opinion
I agree with all of your choices except the Seiko 5. The Seiko party line is that they want you to accept a lower speced, higher prices watch; just for the privilege of saying you own a watch with misaligned indices. In a word. No! Heading into 2021, my interests and money will go elsewhere. Nevertheless, I think your channel had a great year. I know I always get a very fair review over here. Definitely a "to to"; when watch hunting.
Well, that's a tricky question right now. Yes... and no. Generally, I do recommend them, and I've loved everything I have seen from Armilla. Especially the leather saber straps. They sent me a few to check out and I ordered more almost immediately. So I love all their straps, but right now I think they are having some issues. I had a few people contact me last month saying they were having a hard time getting ahold of them and it had been over a month since they ordered. I eventually got a hold of them, and they mentioned with covid issues, and supply issues that they had fallen a bit behind, but should be getting back up to speed soon. Just before I heard back from them I wound up removing most of my links to them as a precaution. As I wasn't sure what was going on, and right now I'm still deciding on when I should put them back up. I want to make sure they are back to running full speed first. So generally they are great straps and worth a little bit of a wait to get them. Just right now I'd be a little cautious. If you do order something, use Paypal, or someway where you can cancel the order and get your money back without too much hassle. Just in case they are taking longer than you like.
The new Reise logo remind me of the much mocked London 2012 Olympics logo ( not a good thing). The new red version looks good but then that the logo /colour combination reminds me of the Raymond Weil Bowie ( after his death; I'm sure he never wore , or endorsed that brand) cash in - another falter as I was interested in this watch.
It kind of does. I used to be a bit of a comic book geek too. So it reminds me of the R that's on the newer Robin outfits. www.amazon.com/Robin-Logo-Batman-Youth-T-Shirt/dp/B07BJD5Q4H
"But perhaps it's a more elegant one. Or a more civilized age" The saying is quite funny, both in the real world and Star Wars where it was famously used, because in both cases those "civilized" ages ended with everyone brutally murdering each other. Btw. in terms of design I'd have to give it to the Reise, in terms of price/performance the Cronos I guess.
@@dparis2172 Sure, my point was that those destructive conflicts tend to highlight the downfalls of said ages, that they may not have been as civilized as claimed in the first place. In a nutshell, don't glorify the past, nor demonize it, just be critical.
