John Spahr

Hey, readers! Today's post is the first watch review I've done in a few years. Crazy, right? Well, as it turns out, I like this watch so much that I want to write about it. Behold, the Timex Expedition Field Post Solar: The first time I got this watch was actually a few years ago. I bought it off Amazon and found that my unit had a couple of unfortunate defects: One of the lume pips on the chapter ring was very noticeably misaligned to the point of being annoying. Worse was the fact that it didn't keep time correctly. I was seriously disappointed and returned it for a full refund. Jump forward to a couple of weeks ago, and I decided to give this model a second chance. Thing is, I really love the design of this watch. I knew I wanted to give it another try. Thankfully, this unit arrived with zero issues. And it's sure a looker.

I love the Pebble smartwatch. Like many others, its simple software, whimsical interface, e-paper displays, and long endurance have won me over and ruined any other smartwatch for me. However, there’s a lot more to Pebble than solid software, so here’s why I am more loyal than ever to Pebble and its amazing community. For some background, I bought my first Pebble in 2021, and I soon acquired a couple others for the collection. One of these new watches was a Pebble Steel. This quickly became my favorite Pebble, and when it failed a few months later, I was devastated. So, I got some analog watches and mostly abandoned Pebble. Well, one year later, I decided to give Pebble another shot, and I now have nearly 10 Pebbles and wear one every day. It’s an addiction, but I also want to make sure that if one fails, I’m not doomed. That might seem like an exaggeration, but Pebble actually really helps me stay on top of things. How come? Well, even all this time later, the Timeline UI is still unl...

Hey, everyone. I had been interested in getting an Orient Bambino dress watch for quite a while, so I recently acquired one for my collection. I opted for the confusingly-named “2nd Generation Version III,” as it had a lot in common with my vintage Benrus alarm watch. I really liked the look of that older watch, but its requisite servicing proved to be prohibitively expensive. So, this Orient seemed like a good option until I could afford to repair the Benrus someday, and I decided to pick one up. Upon receiving the Bambino, I fully appreciated just how similar it is to the Benrus. They both have that 60s look, featuring heavily domed crystals, sunburst dials, rectangular hands, and straight lugs. Granted, the Bambino does have some very noticeable differences, such as its 40.5mm case diameter, dial markers, and color, but I think that Orient did an excellent job of replicating that vintage watch aesthetic. Bambino Benrus Aesthetics aside, the Bambino is still a very solid dress watch ...

In the world of budget watches, few are as well-loved as Seiko’s SNK series. For under $100, you get an automatic movement, an attractive design, day and date complications, and a surprising amount of fun extras. There are plenty of reviews of this watch already, so I figured I would just quickly share my experience and first impressions with this watch. So, let’s begin! First Impressions: Upon opening this watch’s perfectly adequate box, at least for the price, I was immediately impressed. This is a watch with a lot of character, featuring unique hands, plenty of luminescence, and the signature Seiko 5 shield emblem. The dial feels much less flat than a lot of the competition, and the whole piece feels like it’s worth much more than the $90 it retails for. It’s not too large or thick, and it feels quite substantial. In short, this watch looks and feels excellent for the price. Pros: This watch has a unique and attractive design, although it has been debated whether or not this is cons...

Hi, everyone! As I somewhat diverge from the traditional purpose of this blog, said purpose being project updates, I feel that it is a good time to start writing about some of my other hobbies that I enjoy. One such hobby is watch collecting, and this post is the first of potentially many in a series I call “John’s Watch Box.” Today’s watch is one that watch enthusiasts will likely not appreciate, but more casual wearers like myself will enjoy for the most part. This is a Fossil SK-4928, a 1990s skeleton quartz watch that I inherited with a retro and eye-catching design. An Important Note Before we begin, I want to make it clear that this is very much a watch that prioritizes form over function. While this may not fly for a more expensive watch, these vintage Fossils tend to go for very little on sites like eBay since they lack the craftsmanship and brand prestige that you’ll find from some alternatives. That being said, if you ask me, the only issue with these so-called “fashion watch...