Did The Dark Horse of Japanese Watchmaking Just Launch a Grand Seiko Killer?

Minase is perhaps the ultimate “if you know, you know” Japanese watch brand, known for its complex case and bracelet constructions and the impressive amount of hand-finishing that goes into them. But on the Uruga Ice Blue, it’s the dial that steals the show. It boasts a rippled texture and an icy shade that recalls Grand Seiko’s iconic Omiwatari. The Uruga’s dial stuns with its beauty, especially when combined with its 27-part case that’s completely hand-polished and heavily features another Grand Seiko hallmark, Zaratsu polishing, where steel parts are given a distortion-free mirror finish. Powering the watch, unlike Grand Seiko, is a Swiss-made movement — an ETA 2892 automatic — that’s been given a glow-up by Minase. The Uruga Ice Blue is available on a leather or rubber strap for $5,150, or on a steel bracelet for $6,600.

A few years ago, Apple made a frustrating change to the iPhone: swapping its longtime Lightning connector to the more widely used USB-C. Anyone with an older phone has had to deal with the repercussions of that, like struggling to find modern Lightning-compatible charging cables. Well, fret no longer, as this case makes it far simpler. Pop your older model iPhone into it, and it exchanges the Lightning port for a USB-C option. Plus, it’s still MagSafe compatible, so you don’t have to worry about wireless compatibility, either.

These days, a fast e-bike charge time is a couple of hours. So, with a 350Wh downtube battery pack it claims can fully charge in just 15 minutes, California startup Morelle could be on the verge of changing the game. The key shift is using a silicon anode: with 10 times the energy capacity of the standard graphite anode, it promises significantly better battery energy density and charging speed. The bike itself appears to be more of a showcase for charging tech that could revolutionize humanoid robots, but with a sleek look, 30-pound weight, 28mph of pedal assistance and mountain bike pioneer Gary Fisher on board as head developer, it appears legit. You can reserve one now starting at $50, with deliveries expected to begin early next year.

Elgato’s Facecam 4K is a USB-C webcam that can deliver true 4K resolution at 60fps — and it’s seemingly a more affordable successor to the brand’s Facecam Pro, which was released in 2022 and cost $300. Most notably, the Facecam 4K is the first webcam to support any 49mm lens filter, allowing you to bring cinematic effects or just reduce glare and reflections (via a circular polarizer filter) to your webcam. These filters screw just like a lens filter for a DSLR camera.

The Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ is a legendary amplifier, with fans that include both James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, who used it recording some of Metallica’s most iconic songs. Highly limited at the time of its release in the 1980s, the Mark IIC+ returns for the first time in 40 years, faithfully reproducing the unique gain structure, tonal characteristics and harmonic complexity of the original.

As part of the BMW Individual catalog, BMW is offering the 2026 M3 in a variety of heritage-inspired colors. Along with hues like Dakar Yellow II and Technoviolet Metallic from the E36, buyers will also have the option of Laguna Seca Blue and Imola Red II from the E46. At launch, BMW stated that certain Individual colors could add 10-14 weeks to the production time.

Netgear’s Orbi 370 Series is the company’s most affordable Wi-FI 7 mesh router system to date. It starts at $250 for a two-pack, featuring a router and one mesh satellite. A three-pack, which adds an extra satellite, costs $350. The system promises Wi-Fi speeds of up to 5 Gbps. And it’s compatible with all internet service providers.