In honor of SpongeBob’s 10 year anniversary, my friends at Nooka teamed up with the SpongeBob brand to release three timepieces in 2009. This is the first, available now. Love it.

Wanna get your Nooka on? Swing by their super-fun pop-up shop at Den in New York from July 10th through August 16th. The entire line of products is for sale– all the watches, the new wallets, belts and Nooka fragrance. It’s a great space and very well done!

330 East 11th Street
Between 1st avenue and 2nd avenue
New York, NY 10018

Normal Watches makes fun timepieces that sell for around $20. They call it “Trailblazing Sub Couture”– I guess watches don’t need to be worth thousands of dollars, do they. They’ve got 14 styles available…Great stuff for cheap!

The Bell & Ross Heritage Series Watch (BR-01-92) is the latest release from one of our favorite watch brands. This one has a carbon powder coating (always a favorite), anti-reflection sapphire, a sand-colored photo-luminescent coating for night reading, and an awesomely sexy printed natural leather band shown above. They’re aiming to revive the authentic spirit of a collection watch, this time taking inspiration from military aircraft instruments from the 1940’s. Also, 2008 marked B&R’s induction as an official supplier to The French Air Force (congrats team!).

TSOVET: Read JS Review | Buy It ($435)
Great case designs and contrasting finishes paired with affordable prices make these watches the perfect gift.

Timex 80: Read JS Review | Buy It ($67)
It’s funny how things come full circle. I used to scoff at oversized G-Shock watches and now I find myself rocking one instead of the Omega or Sinnn. Timex has brought back a classic with the Timex 80’s. Add one to your wishlist up and it’ll be like having some New Old Stock (NOS). Nostalgic and intriguing at the same time.

Magrette Timepieces: Read JS Review | Buy It ($299)
This watch started quite a stir when we posted it. Homage aside, they are attractive, keep time, and are comfortable to wear all day. For the price, they offer excellent value and are not your “typical” watch.

Nooka: Read JS Review | Buy It ($250)
Specifically for the urban jungle (lions can sense fashion forwardness), Nooka takes the digital out of your Casio watch, stomps on it, kicks it a few times, and then puts it back into a sleek timepiece.

Bell & Ross: Read JS Review | Buy It
Everybody knows that the Swiss do two things better than anyone else: makes watches and remain neutral. And they’re also good at banking. So three … three things.

Chotovelli E Figli: Read JS Review | Buy It
Generations of watchmakers in this Italian family have preserved the Chotovelli tradition, but it was the last generation to take these classic chronographs to the next level.

TokyoFlash Negative: Read JS Review | Buy It ($175)
Japan is home to some seriously futuristic designs, but we find the TokyoFlash Negative watch to be the most straightforward of the space age lot. It’s kind of like time traveling to the distant year 2011.

I’ve found that unless you want to be Predictable Peter, you gotta make room in your case for some fun casual watches as well. There’s a watch for every occasion and outfit! When you want something simple, without all the bells and whistles of multiple time zones, a built in barometer, or a depth meter, these minimalist watches from Too Late are just the ticket. They come in 10 solid colors with a small, to the point digital display in the center. The silicon bands and housing make the watch waterproof and have both date and time functions. These things look darned near indestructible but there’s a two year warranty included just in case. For under $30 shipped, these would make excellent stocking stuffers.

Gone are the days of storing your automatic watch in some kind of cigar box looking apparatus you cringe looking at. The Swiss Kubik company provides watch winding boxes in numerous sexy colors and materials– like anodized aluminum, leather, precious woods and even stingray skin (crazy). Versions of the watch winder are available for 2, 4, 6, or 8 watches. Know what’s even more geeky? Some come with the optional accessory of a USB computer cable and software which allows the user to program the direction and frequency of the rotations for any specific watch manufactuers requirements.  Hey, it’s important. Prices vary, but one thing is for sure– I want one.

Time seems to fly when you’re having fun, but we found a watch that makes it seem as if it were moving a bit slower. The UNO 24 from Botta is just the type of timepiece that will help you make those good times last. It only has one hand, which corresponds to the position of the sun in the sky — like that dial thingy. It takes a full day for this watch to complete a full rotation, helping you look at the time in a whole new frame of mind.

Via Watchismo

One of our favorite watch forums, Watchuseek.com and Horloges Magazine are teaming up for a two day watch fair for independent (read: small/boutique) watch brands. Watch 2008 will be held on December 6th and 7th at Castle Hoogenweerth in Masstricht, Netherlands. I am particularly excited about this conference because it features brands that are obscure even to many watch aficionados. Besides being able to meet representatives from brands such as Anomino, Limes, and my current favorite Stowa, attendees can participate in round table meetings on interesting subjects such as how to recognize counterfeit watches. Tickets are EUR 35.00. If you’re interested in attending, please visit watch2008.nl for more details.

Chotovelli E Figli , or Chotovelli and Sons is a third generation Italian orologiaio (watchmaker) family, based in Torino. Back in 1920, a man by the name of Mr. Simone Chotovelli began repairing and restoring old mechanical movements, and he was known all over Italy for his incredible dedication and craft. In 1967, he passed on his knowledge and know how to his son Yitchak Chotovelli who continued the wishes of his father to also became a master watch-man. In the early ’80s Yitzchak moved his family to Antwerp with a foray into the fine jewelry and diamond trade, and for a short time the watch-focused family was silent. Only a few years ago however, in 2005, brothers and sister Chotovelli were inspired to revive the family tradition and launched the unique new line pictured here. Their popularity in Europe exploded, as they’re known for both their affordability (you get a U-boat look and feel at the fraction of the cost) and quality. If you’ve been lusting for a big face but balking at the limited-edition prices of U-boats, Panerai and the like, give these watches a look — 80 years of history can’t be wrong.

These watches are available online through our friends at WatchUSeek.com

I love hearing about new time instrument companies because it means that the wristwatch is making a comeback (or at least not going anywhere).  Launched this summer in Southern California by David Bonaventura, TSOVET is merging old and new school for some very eye-catching and functional pieces that don’t break the bank. Drawing cues from vintage industrial gauges and avionics, the watches have a decidedly utilitarian look. In contrast, the watches are paired with thick leather straps and large faces which makes them dressy and relevant in today’s “big is better” world. By combining Swiss quartz movements, Italian leather, and special touches like PVD coating (on certain models), TSOVET watches are raising the bar and they are giving consumers a much needed alternative to the mall-brand timepieces. Launching with 4 styles, 16 colorways total, the product will hit store shelves in a few weeks. I will certainly make a stop at my local retailer (Blue Bee) and check out the AT76 (pictured).

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Though there are some good examples of watches that have non-traditional ways of telling time, most of these are limited to using LED’s, dots, or other gimmicky methods. The traditional mechanical watch has not changed much since it was invented. Lately, we have been seeing some major effort put behind creating innovative watches that are mechanically based, yet boast complications that are far more complex than anything we are used to. No stranger to the world of high-end watches, Geneva-based Urwerk has introduced the UR103 Hexagon. A limited edition of only ten pieces, the UR103 is similar in it’s time-display functions to the Blackbird we previously covered. However, their are major differences in the aesthetics including the shape of the crystal and case. The Hexagon is housed in “black platinum” (PE-CVD) and measures 50mm x 36mm x 13.mm – not a small watch. It has a power reserve of 43 hours and a very unique control board on the reverse side which allows for user adjustment (regulation), and monitoring of the power reserve and even a chrono meter. At a price that rivals many sports cars and an edition you can count on two hands, the UR103 Hexagon is definitely for the discerning consumer.

TokyoFlash watches have made their way around the Internet for their creative watch faces and amazing design. They’ve just launched a new watch that may be the most straight forward watch in their inventory, but it is so smooth. The LED powered digital watch displays the time in an easy to read format (have a look at some of their more math oriented approaches to telling the time) and is beautiful and bright. It’s true, the Japanese are living in the future. Maybe if we’re really nice Josh can pick up a couple while he is in Tokyo.

When I was a child, I saw an episode of That’s Incredible where they tested Timex’s claims. The watch company, which has been around for 50 years, had a famous slogan: “Timex: takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’.” They put the watch through its paces and (for the most part) it came out perfectly able to tell time. Timex was, in many ways, the G-Shock of yesteryear. It’s an everyday man’s watch that you could wear to the jobsite and not have to baby it or worry about it getting scratched or banged against the sink. In what seems like perfect retro timing, the company has recently reintroduced their Timex 80 watch. Available in both plastic (my favorite) and metal versions, the watches have time and date features and, of course, that infamous Indiglo backlight. The straps are the exact same color as the face for a uninterrupted visual loop around your wrist. To round out the package, they come in cushioned slide boxes. Get yourself a Timex 80 and a Casio calculator watch and you’ll be set!

Like the comeback of three-piece suits, what’s old is now new and watches are no exception. Started by two young professionals, Hodinkee is not your average watch site. The name comes from a modified Czech word for watch. Structured in a blog format, the site highlights timepieces that Benjamin Clymer and his partner Dan Wieder find through meticulous combing of the internet. Frustrated by the lack of information on vintage pieces, the pair started the site as both an information center as well as to promote watch styles and fashion that may have been forgotten. While sites like Timezone and Watchuseek can keep you occupied talking about the latest and greatest models and features, a casual one-time visit to Hodinkee might yield something you’ve never seen before; a real gem. Most entries are links to actual watches for sale so the site is perfect for impulse buyers. Personally, I appreciate having a resource such as this. It saves me time and energy from having to look all over the Internet for that special wristwatch. Though only approaching their three month anniversary, the pair have big plans in store for the site including collaborations with companies to highlight items that may be tucked away in their vaults.