Welcome! In this series, we highlight some of the most compelling new watches that have entered the A:S inventory each month.
It’s a new year, folks.
And before you get lost in the flurry of fresh releases that are about to begin pouring out of Switzerland, we implore you to take a moment to celebrate the old watches that have recently made their way into our inventory here at Analog:Shift. From several electric-powered, early ‘60s beauties to a mechanical diver with a built-in analog depth gauge, these pieces are more than enough to hold the attention of even the most experienced collector. (We’ve even got a pre-owned Ming in there for those of you who prefer your watches a little less vintage.) So join us as we kick off 2026 on a high note — or, if you’re at 40m beneath the waves with a cool Favore-Leuva strapped to your wrist, perhaps a “low” one!
Movado Ultra-Thin 'Tank' ($2,950)
Movado Ultra-Thin 'Tank' - IN THE SHOP
Now here’s something you don’t see everyday: a thin, square-shaped, solid-gold Movado dress watch from the 1970s. Known today primarily for its fashion watches and in the 1940s-1960s for its chronographs, Movado actually produced a wide variety of all types of watches, including more svelte, elegant pieces such as this 28mm “Tank.” Paired to a simple leather strap, it’s remarkably elegant, with a beautiful brushed bezel, an unobtrusive crown, and a simple silver dial with thin, applied indices and a matching ‘pencil’ handset. What more does one need?
Bulova Accutron Snorkel Compressor Diver ($1,750)
Bulova Accutron Snorkel Compressor Diver - IN THE SHOP
Though cushion-cased divers were all the rage in the 1970s, finding one in a compressor-style case with an electric movement is rare, indeed. This Bulova Accutron Snorkel is one such watch: Measuring 42mm in stainless steel, it features dual crowns — one to set the movement, and the other to control the internal rotating bezel — plus a cool black dial with plenty of tritium lume, a ‘sword’ handset, and a day-date display at 3 o’clock. Powered by the brand’s famed Accutron movement, it comes paired to an orange Analog:Shift leather strap.
Favre-Leuba Bathy 50 ($7,750)
Favre-Leuba Bathy 50 - IN THE SHOP
There are very few dive watches with analog depth gauges, but the Favre-Leuba Bathy 50 is one of them. Coming in at 42mm in a stainless steel cushion case, it’s a chunky piece of equipment, to be sure — but keep in mind that part of the reason for that heft is the internal diaphragm that’s meant to let water in: When one is beneath the waves, the watch’s small central orange hand indicates the appropriate depth on a scale surrounding the main time-telling dial. Executed in quirky Art Deco typography — and combined with the bright colors on the watch’s bezel — it makes for a unique aesthetic that hasn’t been replicated by other brands.
Wittnauer Electro-Chron Openworked ($2,450)
Wittnauer Electro-Chron Openworked - IN THE SHOP
An early electric movement that preceded the advent of quartz-powered technology, the Wittnauer Electro-Chron utilizes the Landeron cal. 4750, a caliber that powered watches from some 30 different brands in the 1960s. This version, contained in a 36mm stainless steel case, is particularly notable for its openworked dial, which gives a clear view to the cal. 4750’s gear train. With its cool lightning bolt index at 12 o’clock and unique beads-of-rice bracelet with “T”-shaped lugs, it’s a watch rarely seen in the wild — and a unique opportunity to own a piece of transitional technology.
MING 18.01 H41 Diver ($4,750)
MING 18.01 H41 Diver - IN THE SHOP
Malaysian microbrand Ming is among the most creative forces in modern horology, crafting compelling and thoughtful designs and rethinking complications in new and novel ways. The brand’s Ref. 1801. H41 Diver is one such example: From its titanium case with its distinctive lugs to its minimalist elapsed-time bezel and cool stepped dial, it offers a design-forward alternative to the typical crop of classically-inspired dive watches. Add in its matching titanium multi-link bracelet with hidden clasp, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
Seiko Sports Diver ($1,350)
Seiko Sport Diver - IN THE SHOP
Seiko made so many funky and affordable sports watches in the 1960s and 1970s that it’s overwhelming to make an attempt at categorization. This Ref. 6106-6439 is as good a starting place as any, however: Measuring 43mm in a steel cushion case with hooded lugs, it boasts a captive crown, a smooth bezel, and an internal elapsed-time bezel flanking a chocolate-brown dial with applied luminous indices, a day-date display at 3 o’clock, and colorful accents in blue, red, and white. Paired to a navy vegan nubuck strap, it’s ready for its second life on the wrist of an appreciative collector.
Heuer Carrera 'Lemania' ($5,500)
Heuer Carrera 'Lemania' - IN THE SHOP
While the Carrera as conceived by Jack Heuer may have originated as a relatively small, round-cased chronograph, it continued to evolve as movement technology and tastes changed in the decades following its 1963 debut. This highly utilitarian version from the 1980s is particularly notable for several reasons: Its 38mm cushion-shaped case is a strict departure from its original, more classically-inspired silhouette, while its automatic Lemania cal. 5100 provides a triple-register display, a date readout, and a unique central-minutes function.
Dreffa Diver 'Baby Panerai' ($1,450)
Dreffa Diver 'Baby Panerai' - IN THE SHOP
Love that cushion-cased diver aesthetic but don’t necessarily want to drop serious coin on a wartime Panerai? Then try this awesome ‘Baby Panerai’ Ref. 18193 from Dreffa, a now-defunct Swiss brand. Measuring 40mm in stainless steel, it boasts an unsigned crown and a rotating dive bezel with an awesome bi-color acrylic insert, plus a cool matte-black dial with patinated tritium plots, applied cardinal indices, a luminous ‘sword’ handset, and a date window at 3 o’clock. Powered by a Swiss-made automatic movement, it comes paired to an awesome grey Ralstra leather strap.
Bulova Accutron Astronaut 'AOPA' ($2,750)
Bulova Accutron Astronaut 'AOPA' - IN THE SHOP
Though the Breitling Navitimer may be the most famous model that once bore the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (“AOPA”) logo, it wasn’t the only such watch: This Bulova Accutron Astron from the 1960s features the famed American association’s winged trademark above 6 o’clock — plus plenty of patinated tritium lume to form a cohesive aesthetic. Powered by an electric tuning fork movement, it features a rotating 12-hour bezel and a GMT hand for tracking a second time zone — crucial stuff if you happen to be flying an A-12 for the CIA with one of these bad boys strapped to your wrist!
Universal Genève 'Calatrava' ($1,950)
Universal Genève 'Calatrava' - IN THE SHOP
Besides its rich history in chronographs and the significant legacy of the Polerouter, Universal Gèneve also deserves credit for the wealth of simpler time-only pieces it produced in the mid-20th century. This ‘Calatrava’-style hand-wound dress watch, for example, is a true thing of beauty: Measuring 35mm in stainless steel, it features an incredible, speckled black dial with applied ‘dagger’ indices that takes on the look of the night sky. Paired to a Magellan Blue Cervo leather strap from Analog:Shift, it’s a perfect everyday or dress watch for someone who appreciates UG’s adventurous sense of design.
