TW Steel is a young but adventurous watch brand founded in Amsterdam only five short years ago. The name stands for "The Watch in Steel" and is the mission statement that can be seen guiding their brand through the tumultuous process of launching a watch company. They have strong ties to all levels of motorsports, and have developed a solid brand identity in building large watches with bold and flashy style.

The TW680 RF1 CEO Tech is a quartz chronograph with a little extra style. It was designed in partnership with the Renault F1 Team, and the entire line is a departure from the usual TW Steel look and style. Let's start with some facts:

• 44x14mm case.
• OS25 quartz chronograph movement from Miyota.
• 1/20th of a second resolution.
• Date display.
• 316L case.
• Sapphire crystal.
• 100m WR.
• Silicon rubber strap.
• MSRP of $750.

Yema watches recently went through a re-brand and a model lineup overhaul. With a history that dates back to the late 40's in France, there are many watches in their past. In fact, at one time, I even owned a Yema Seaspider Auto. It was a rugged yet slim diver powered by a Seiko automatic movement, and was one of the few watches I regret selling.

The new Yema expands on its past with series of new collections (Diver, Land, Pilot, Racing, and Limited Editions) based largely on quartz movements. In this review, we will take an in-depth look at the YMHF0310 300m Diver: an all digital divers watch that focuses on practical features and a simple user interface.

Let's start with the details:

• 47x15.5mm.
• 22mm lugs.
• Chrono, temperature, countdown timer, time zone, and depth meter.
• EL Backlight.
• Stainless steel case and bracelet.
• Digital display.
• Mineral glass crystal.
• Bidirectional bezel.
• High-gloss black PVD.
• MSRP of $695 (Watch Report readers can use the coupon code "watchreport25" for 25% off).

With the 300m diver, Artego Watches has officially joined the nearly endless mass of indie or boutique dive watch manufacturers available to the web-savvy buyer. But the question is, do they stand out?

As many indie brands have enjoyed a vogue spotlight, competition is fierce, yet the 300m Diver has been enjoying a steady stream of positive reviews in the online collector space. Artego was kind enough to send us a review unit so we could take a closer look for ourselves.

Here are the details:

• 316L stainless steel case.
• Miyota 8215 movement (40 hr reserve).
• 45x15.5mm.
• Sapphire Crystal with internal AR.
• 120 click unidirectional bezel.
• Stainless steel bracelet.
• 300m/990ft water resistant.
• Available with PVD coating (not shown).
• Options for black, blue or orange dials.
• Retail price of $350 - $400 USD.

Casio recently updated their mid-range Pathfinder lineup -- the "Solar Triple Sensor" line -- by adding the PAG-240 which sports a series of refinements. The Pathfinder line is famous for melding large LCD screens with navigational and atmospheric data, all in a wrist-top package. The Casio PAG-240 uses a new duplex screen, and a new manner of navigating its many features.

• Plastic resin case
• 51 x 15.5mm, 65g
• Casio 3246 movement (+/- 15 seconds)
• Solar powered
• Compass
• Altimeter
• Barometer
• Thermometer
• Sunrise/sunset timer
• Duplex LCD (two layers)
• Countdown timer
• World time
• Automatic Calendar
• Auto back-light with afterglow feature
• Resin strap
• Retail price of $250

If you have spent any time on watch collector forums or amongst budget-minded watch collectors, Orient watches are going to come up. They are a well known brand making affordable and reliable watches for a wide range of styles competing at the Seiko/Citizen range. We previously reviewed the CEM75001B and its smaller brother the CEM65001B (in conjunction with our twitter contest), but thought the Mako XL needed the video treatment. Here is a refresher:

• Movement: Orient 46943
• Power Reserve: 40 Hours
• Crystal: Mineral
• Case: Solid stainless steel
• Size: 44.5x13.3
• Dial: Black
• Bezel: Black, 60 click uni-directional
• Lug Width: 22mm
• Water Resist: 200m/660ft
• Retail: $250 (use the promo code watchreport50 to get 50% off that)

There's been a lot of talk recently of using the new iPod Nano as a watch (the iWatch, as it's being called), so I thought I'd pick one up and give it a try.

The good:

• Music, audio books, and radio right on your wrist. If you already use a smart phone, this probably doesn't impress you much, but if you don't, you might like the convergence.
• Easy time synchronization. Your computer probably calibrates its clock against a time server which, in turn, probably calibrates against an atomic clock. Every time you sync your iPod with your computer, the iPod's time us updated, so it should stay pretty accurate as long as you sync it fairly regularly.
• It's relatively small. At .74 ounces and roughly 1.5" square, it's actually pretty compact by today's watch standards.
• Adequately functional. It has day/date on the face, and it also has a stopwatch and a countdown timer.
• Configurable watch face. Choose between white or black.

The bad:

• Not water-resistant. Even an impromptu water fight might be enough to ruin your iWatch.
• You have to remember to charge it. If you already sync your iPod frequently, this probably won't be a problem, but if you don't, charging your watch is just one more thing you will have to remember to do.
• Not good in direct sunlight. Since it has a backlit screen, it's very hard to read in direct sunlight. On the other hand, it works great in the dark.
• Can't just glance at the time. Checking the time means actually turning the iPod on. Since you have to reach over and hit a button anyway, it might be just as easy to pull out your phone.
• You're only supposed to use it in temperatures between 32° and 95°F (-20° to 45°C). That means no wearing your iWatch while shoveling snow in the winter or doing yard work in the summer — at least where I live.

Although using an iPod nano as a watch is definitely somewhat gimmicky, it actually worked better than I expected. If you're someone who is really into watches, I doubt an iPod Nano would replace what's already on your wrist or sitting on your dresser. But if you're more into gadgets and music than timepieces, strapping an iPod Nano to your wrist might be the way to go. Just consider going with the cheaper 8GB version ($149) so if you smash the crystal (screen, I guess I should say) or get it wet, you can pick up another without too much regret.

By Christian Cantrell

Along with our review of the Jorg Gray 1900-14, we requested a closer look at the 1950-12: a casual quartz watch with some Italian dive watch styling. The 1950-12 is even nicer looking in person than in photos, and after wearing it for a while, I can say it definitely has a style and feel all its own.

Here are the specs:

• 45x12mm stainless steel case.
• Black PVD style coating.
• Screw down case back.
• Japanese Quartz movement with date.
• Black leather strap (with signed buckle).
• 100m water resistant (about 330 feet).
• List Price: $285.
• 20mm lug spacing.

Watches are often known for their connection to culture, sports, world records, or famous people. Rolex is known for reaching the top of Mt. Everest and the bottom of the ocean; Tag Heuer for a rich background in motor sports and sailing; Omega for reaching the moon, and now as watch James Bond prefers. The watch we have in today comes from a California label that has been making watches since 1998, but is seemingly best known for making the watch that is worn by none other than the President of the United States.

We first noticed Jorg Gray when President Obama was seen wearing a simple yet classy chronograph (the watch can be seen in many of his photos), and just had to know where it came from. As it turns out, Jorg Gray makes many attractive and modern designs, including the one we are looking at in this review: the JG1900-14 chronograph.

Here are the facts:

• 43x11mm Stainless steel case.
• Mineral crystal.
• Japanese quartz chronograph.
• Screw-down case back.
• Chronograph with date.
• Black leather strap.
• 100 meter water-resistant (about 330 feet).

View the Casio G-Shock GXW-56-1BJF photo gallery.

The new Casio G-Shock GXW-56 — and its American counterpart, the GX-56 — are proof that huge is the new big. With a case 55.5mm wide at its widest point, and 17.5mm high, the GXW-56 is the biggest G-Shock ever made. (Yes, they are even larger than the venerable Frogman.)

(Before going any further, I want to point out the differences between the GXW and the GX. The GXW is the Japanese version and has multi-band atomic timekeeping. The GX is the American version which is less expensive, and has all the features of the GXW except atomic time calibration. This review focuses specifically on a GXW-56-1BJF which I imported from Japan in order to get atomic time calibration, but most of what I cover here pertains to the GX, as well.)

The thinking behind the GXW-56 (and the GX-56) is that, in the overall scheme of things, typical G-Shocks simply aren't all that big anymore. Yes, they are certainly bigger than your average timepiece, but if you look at the watches that are really driving the trends right now, G-Shocks don't completely dominate in terms of size. So in order to maintain their status as trend-setters (and make no mistake — G-Shocks are as much about fashion as they are toughness; if you don't believe me, read my coverage of Shock the World), it was time for G-Shocks to take the next step.

Fortunately, Casio decided to do something constructive with all that extra space in the case: they filled it with aGEL which they describe like this:

aGEL® is a soft silicone gel material with outstanding shock-absorbing characteristics.

So what is this mysterious new aGEL material? aGEL, or Alpha GEL, is the brand name for the soft silicone gel material which was first made famous by Asics Gel running shoes, and it helps to make the GXW-56 even more shock and vibration resistant than your standard G-Shock.

But the GXW-56 isn't all about size. It also has the functionality and features that we've come to expect from G-Shocks. Here's an exhaustive list:

Casio G-Shocks play many roles: fashion icons, hardcore tool watches, respectable divers, etc. Today, we look at something of a new phase for the G-Shock line in the form of a “multi role fighter.” The Casio G-Shock GW-2000 sports aviation styling while retaining the GMT features of many of its older siblings. The GW-2000 combines the radio controlled technology which Casio is now famous for with a refreshed style more reminiscent of the MR-G series.

Let's take a look at the details:

• Mineral glass crystal.
• 47mm at the widest point (wears more like 43mm).
• 15m thick.
• Radio controlled atomic calibrated module.
• Solar powered.
• Stopwatch with a resolution of 1/20^th of a second.
• 24-hour countdown timer.
• Alarm.
• Multiple timezones.
• Perpetual calendar (with day and date).
• Water-resistant to 200 meters (about 650 feet).
• Neobright luminous paint.