The Complete Buying Guide to Oris Watches

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Watch lovers love to love Oris watches. (You follow?) And how can one not love them — the company offers incredible fit and finish in all-Swiss watches at prices that are impossible to beat. That’s been the Oris story all along, and the proof is in the pudding, as these are incredibly well made and good looking timepieces that hold their own alongside Omega, Rolex, and IWC at a fraction of the price. While those brands start around the $5,000 mark, Oris rarely crests above that mark. Many Oris watches cost between $2,000 and $3,000, and plenty are below that, too, making them one of the most approachable among established Swiss brands operating today.

Tracing its founding to 1904, the name Oris derives from the river that runs behind the factory. (Because Swiss watch companies have relied on hydropower since the late 1800s, it follows that where there’s a long-established watch factory, there’s probably a river.) As such, the name Oris encapsulates an essentially Swiss industrial ideal — one that’s tied to nature in a way that resonates with Oris’ outdoorsy inclinations, as well with the company’s support of environmental conservation through support of various conservationist organizations.

Oris

Oris has always been a brand that serious watch folks know about, but in recent years the company has elevated its prominence in a couple ways: First, by releasing smash-hit vintage-inspired models, especially their acclaimed Divers 65 watches. More recently, however, the brand announced its impressive Calibre 400 in-house movement powering a growing number of collection favorites at aggressive price points. Competing with the likes of Tudor and Nomos for bang-for-buck in-house movements, it offers a five-day power reserve, antimagnetic properties, a refined look and a 10-year warrantee.

Oris operates independently, and the absence of an overseeing holding company allows them to react nimbly to their customers’ desires. Oris has accessible and friendly people at the helm, and these people are in the field meeting customers, whether at trade shows small or large or at local watch nerd meet-ups. That intimacy is how Oris knows so readily what its customers want in a watch.

The Oris catalog is divided into four clear categories: dive watches, aviation watches and more traditional, non-sports oriented watches that primarily exist in the Artelier collection. It’s a rather deep and broad catalog, but one that’s also clearly delineated. The snappy guide below will have you finding the Oris that’s right for you in no time.

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Dive Watches

As in all of their other subcategories, Oris divides their dive watches into vintage-inspired and modern-styled models. The vintage-inspired models are often close interpretations of back-catalog classics, while the modern-styled watches tend to be larger and more mechanically complicated.

Oris Diver’s Sixty-Five

In 2015, Oris released the first back-catalog-inspired Divers Sixty-Five watches to vast acclaim. These were early days in the current vintage craze, and these funky-yet-sleek watches offered a price-to-quality ratio that remains largely unmatched (which is typical for Oris). Since then, the Diver (“Sixty-Five” usually included in the name) has expanded to include chronograph models, larger and smaller versions, many new dial colors, a smattering of limited editions, and bronze-and-steel two-tone models. You can get them on leather, rubber, nylon, canvas, or metal bracelets.
Diameter: 36mm; 38mm; 40mm; 42mm
Configurations: time + date; chronograph
Price Range: $2,000-$4,250

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Oris Aquis

oris.ch

$3,500.00

These are high-performance timepieces with exceptional fit and finish. Offered in a range of materials and sizes, the Aquis range is extensive. There are simple date-and-time models, day-date complications, a three-register chronograph, a regulator (hours and minutes on separate dials) and even a model with a mechanical depth gauge for the ultimate analog scuba experience. Limited editions come and go, many which benefit ocean health through affiliated charitable organizations. Newer models feature the brand’s Caliber 400 in-house movement.
Diameter: 36.5mm; 39.5mm; 41.5mm; 43.5mm; 48mm
Configurations: Time + date; week + date; chronograph; time + date + depth gauge; chronograph + depth gauge; regulator; pointer date
Price Range: $1,850-$4,600

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Oris Aviation Watches

Again, Oris divides their aviation watches into vintage-inspired and modern-styled models. Descriptively, all have Big Crown in their names as pilot watches often have large crowns meant to be easy to operate while wearing gloves. The vintage-inspired aviation watches are pointer-dates, a signature configuration for Oris, while the modern-styled aviation watches vary stylistically and functionally to form an impressively diverse range.

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date

oris.ch

$1,750.00

The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date has been a popular range for many decades, offering old-school (think 1930s) aviation vibes and up-to-the-minute mechanical technology and specs. The distinctive pointer-date models give you tasty vintage style and a full view of the month around the dial, which many find to be a useful way to get a sense of a larger chunk of time. They come in many sizes and styles, and like all Oris watches, they offer incredible fit and finish at reasonable prices. There’s also a few limited editions, we well as a weekday pointer and one with Oris’s own 403 movement.
Diameter: 36mm; 38mm; 40mm
Configurations: time + pointer date; time + date + weekday pointer
Price Range: $1,750-$3,900

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Oris Big Crown ProPilot

oris.ch

$2,200.00

The Pro Pilot series takes the classic look of the Big Crown and updates it with larger case sizes, more complex mechanical configurations, and even some edgy blacked-out models. There are chronographs, GMTs, alarms, altimeters and week-daters on top of the standard time + date models. The Pro Pilots carry the same massive legibility, robust build quality, and masculine attitude as IWC’s pilot’s watch range at a fraction of the price.
Diameter: 41mm; 44mm; 47mm
Configurations: time + date; weekdater; GMT; power reserve; altimeter
Price Range: $1,700-$6,100

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Big Crown Propilot X Caliber 15

oris.ch

$7,600.00

This watch gets its own category, because it truly stands out in the Oris catalog. The skeletonised in-house movement has a 10-day power reserve and a patented non-linear power indicator. Built entirely from titanium, the watch is light, high-tech, and styled for the future.
Diameter: 44mm
Configurations: time + power reserve indicator
Price Range: $7,200 (rubber); $7,600 (bracelet)

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Oris Classic Watches

Oris’s non-sport watches nowadays fall into a single collection, the Atelier. You can still see the brand’s underlying pragmatic, tool-watch ethos, but they lean toward everyday versatility and even a dressy vibe. This is also where the brand might place those watches that celebrate the likes of musicians and artists, ranging from retro in style to the edginess of tomorrow’s tastes.

Oris Artelier

oris.ch

$1,850.00

Though varied, the value-laden Atelier lineup is singular in that every watch offers classic elegance without ever straying into haughtiness. They include minimalist midcentury-styled models dedicated to jazz musicians James Morison and Art Blakey, for example, while the rest of the collection includes complex asymmetrical complications, moon-phase displays, a three-register annual calendar, a pointer weekdater and an in-house, 10-day power reserve model.
Diameter: 33mm; 36mm; 40mm; 43mm
Configurations: time-only; time + date; annual calendar; chronograph; moonphase; power reserve; pointer weekdater
Price Range: $1,650-$6,700

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This Is Your New Trail-Ready Wristwatch

G-SHOCK is known for durable watches trusted by military personnel, law enforcement and outdoor enthusiasts around the world. Now, the brand has evolved its high-end MUDMASTER through the use of new materials. The G-SHOCK MUDMASTER GWG2000 is truly an outdoor watch, consisting of durable materials and features built to last — no matter the conditions.

This G-SHOCK retains the dust and mud resistance of the rest of the MUDMASTER series while adding a forged carbon and stainless steel bezel and implementing G-SHOCK’s Carbon Core Guard structure to make the watch smaller and approximately ten percent lighter than its predecessor. With advanced features including solar power, Multi-Band 6 radio-controlled timekeeping and triple sensor technology, the watch supports land missions in the harshest environments you can think of.

Gear Patrol Studios

The slimmer and more compact profile of the GWG2000 allows it to offer the same powerful G-SHOCK performance with an even better fit on your wrist. The watch’s all-new Mud Resist button structure is made with a combination of stainless steel button pipe and a silicone buffer which together create an even more durable construction and provide increased long-term reliability. These buttons will stay intact after countless days outdoors enduring mother nature’s worst.

The arrival of the GWG2000 brings with it the brand’s very first forged carbon bezel. The bezel makes use of forged carbon fiber, a composite material used in aircraft fuselages and world-class racing cars, at the six and 12 o’clock positions and also layers in 360 degrees of stainless steel underneath.

Gear Patrol Studios

Gear Patrol Studios

The case, which also counts carbon fiber among its materials, is made with carbon-fiber-reinforced resin. The new case yields a decrease in thickness of 1.9mm and width of 1.7mm compared to the previous version, which in turn allowed G-SHOCK to shave 13g of weight, tapering down the watch’s overall size. In other words, you get the same durability and toughness but with less bulk on your wrist. The blend of carbon fiber and resin offers a high strength-to-weight ratio and weather resistance, and paired with the watch’s sapphire crystal with non-reflective coating, means you can brave the elements without worrying about the durability of your watch when you do.

The GWG2000 was developed specifically to be your partner in outdoor pursuits in the most demanding environments — and it does just that.

G-SHOCK GWG2000-1A3
Case: Carbon Core Guard
Bezel: Forged carbon/stainless steel
Water Resistance: 200M
Functions: Altimeter/barometer, compass, thermometer
Connectivity: Multi-Band 6
Price: $800

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This Affordable Timex Is Your New Tactical Watch

An all-black watch is a statement. While black-on-black dials aren’t always that easy to read, they challenge the onlooker to consider why anyone wears a watch to begin with. (Clearly, there other ways of knowing the time.) The point is style, of course — and Todd Snyder has once again teamed up with Timex to deliver a watch in the popular Q Timex collection that is nothing if not stylish.

The collaboration with Todd Snyder has been responsible for many of the most sought-after Timex watches in the last decade. Add the designer’s sensibility to the popular, vintage-inspired “Q” collection, and you’re sure to have a hit. The latest (not the first) takes the Q Timex’s sporty, dive-watch-reminiscent design and gives it an all-black treatment — meaning its 38mm steel case gets a black coating, and its hands and indices have a dark look that provides little contrast against the black dial.

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It’s driven by a quartz movement, and the bezel actually rotates and features (in low-contrast) dive-time-style markings. Even if it were easy to read, however, it’s inadvisable to use this in a diving situation, as its water resistance is only 50m. It all might seem a little ironic when you stop and think about all this functionality that’s not really useable, but if you’re worried about those things, you’re missing the point of a blacked-out Timex watch: looking hip as hell for a cool $189.

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The Best MVMT Watches

The entrée into “proper” watch collecting (whatever the hell that is) needn’t take the form of some high-end, mechanical watch. All you need is something that fits your budget, that’s satisfying to wear and that, ideally, you can appreciate for more than simply telling the time. In other words: something that makes you happy. Among brands that are known to deliver this along with attractive design and affordable prices, MVMT is one of the most popular.

Pronounced like “movement,” MVMT is a young brand with an overwhelmingly young customer base that has had an impressive rise. Founded in California in 2013 by two college dropouts, the brand first raised money via crowdfunding site Indiegogo and only a few short years later sold the company to the Movado Group for $300 million in 2018. (Moral of the story: College is overrated. Found a watch company instead.)

Minimalist design that can function as part of your larger wardrobe is the brand’s calling card. That, and affordability, with prices that fall between roughly $100 and $300 and plenty to choose from: there are 19 men’s collections alone, each containing multiple models. Whether you’re just getting interested in watches, are looking for a gift, want a simple and affordable dress watch (there are even a couple automatic options) or just a weekend beater — MVMT’s got one to fit the bill. Check out some of our favorites below.

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MVMT The 40

mvmt.com

$118.00

The thing about MVMT watches is that many are on the bold side in terms of size. “The 40” measures an easy-wearing 40mm, which is just about perfect for a dress watch.

Movement: Quartz
Diameter: 40mm

MVMT Element Ceramic

mvmt.com

$198.00

Ceramic is generally considered a premium material that significantly bumps up the price of a watch. If you can get a ceramic watch for under $200, that’s some solid value.

Movement: Quartz
Diameter: 41mm

MVMT Field

mvmt.com

$108.00

A modern take on the classic military field watch, it’s hard to argue with the Field’s clean but interesting design. For an automatic option, see below.

Movement: Quartz
Diameter: 41mm

MVMT Bristol

mvmt.com

$138.00

Minimal in design and size, the Bristol has a clean dial and a case diameter of 39mm. A steel bracelet only adds more value and versatility.

Movement: Quartz
Diameter: 39mm

MVMT Arc Automatic

mvmt.com

$298.00

Handsome, minimalist and affordable with a Japanese automatic movement, this MVMT would make a worthy gateway into mechanical watches (and maybe even future collecting). It’s available in several versions, too.

Movement: Miyota 821A automatic
Diameter: 41mm

MVMT Field Automatic

mvmt.com

$198.00

It might be a bit bigger than your typical field watch and not quite as legible with dark lume on a black dial, but it’s got an automatic movement and plenty of style.

Movement: Seiko NH36 automatic
Diameter: 42.5mm

MVMT Blacktop Chronograph

mvmt.com

$150.40

Chronographs with a white dial and black subdials are called “panda dials” by collectors. Something like this is called a “reverse panda” for obvious reasons.

Movement: Quartz
Diameter: 47mm

MVMT Minimal Sport Ocean Plastic

mvmt.com

$188.00

A sporty dive-style watch ready for action, this watch is made using recycled ocean plastic for its 45mm case and its fabric strap.

Movement: Quartz
Diameter: 45mm

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Your Next Watch Purchase: This Analog Alarm Clock

You’d be surprised how much junk email you get as an editor in the form of pitches from PR agencies that aren’t remotely relevant to your vertical. I mean, I get that some CRM is mechanically and automatically attaching my name to an email, and no sane publicist is actively thinking that I, the “watch guy,” am simply desperate to review a new vacuum cleaner, dog collar or spermicidal gel, but, sadly I made up exactly zero percent of those scenarios.

One slightly left-of-center pitch I did receive recently, however, made me pause — it was for an alarm clock. Now, I haven’t used an alarm clock since high school — my phone is simply much too convenient, and portable — but I love the idea of one: Something analog and well designed that gently awakens me from a deep, editorially-induced slumber, but tastefully, and without the brash ZINGGGGGGGGG that’s invariably part of the Foley in films from the 1940s. Something Dieter Rams drew up on a piece of graph paper while sitting on a marble toilet during the Cold War. You know what I mean.

Oneclock

Oneclock Analog Waking Clock

oneclock.co

$299.00

It’s called the OneClock — God only knows why there would be multiple — and it’s described by its designers (or overworked copywriter) as “a minimalist analog timepiece with waking music based in science, designed for a disconnected bedroom.” Now, I don’t have time for science and my bedroom is most definitely not disconnected — I’m pretty sure that if the Mossad wanted to know everything that goes on in here they could simply flip a switch and download it all, given all the electronics present in my apartment — but again, I love the idea, the philosophy of analog.

Then, I saw that OneClock’s music was composed by Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Jon Natchez. Jon plays the bari sax….I played the bari sax. (I haven’t touched one since some kid roped me into a session at Berklee in which they needed a dude to hold down the low-end during “Chameleon,” but that’s a story for another day.) TL;DR — I decided this was the alarm clock for me. I had to try it. It was speaking to my philosophy.

The OneClock comes in three colors (white, black or red) — the black one showed up at my door. The dial on the clock is the same in all three versions (black), whilst the front of the clock is cut from a piece of oak. It’s a handsome, Braun-looking object, though if I’m being nitpicky — and I’m going to be nitpicky, because I’m in a mood right now — I’d say that Oneclock needs to be more careful about the oak panel: It’s fine to have someone use a hole saw to cut these things out by hand, but then you have to sand the edges down, or you risk shipping a product that looks like a high school Arduino experiment. (I almost got a splinter!)

Oneclock

Other than that quibble, the build quality seems great — powder-coated aluminum plates, knurled knobs, a glass cover over the analog clock, and bright, plastic clock hands that recall classic midcentury designs. It ships with an attached USB-C cable (which, in the future, will allow you to download new music to the clock) and a wall plug, and has three rotary controls (two on the back, one on the front), some of which have push-pull functionality.

Because of the multi-functionality of of these controls, you really need to scan the QR code on the inside of the box and watch the instructional video in order to properly set the clock. Doing so is kind of a mindfuck: I held down one button as instructed and the clock set itself to the correct time — the hands simply jumped. HOW DID IT KNOW?! (No, for real though, how did it know the right time?) Unlike many other analog alarm clock designs in which you pull out a knob and slowly rotate it to set the hands, the hands on the Oneclock are motorized and begin zipping around the clock face — you turn the knob to slow them and then set the knob back to its center detent to complete time setting. This takes some getting used to, but is super cool once you’ve got the hang of it.

A speaker knob on the back sets the alarm music’s volume, so nothing complicated there. An alarm-setting button on the front works similarly to the time setting button — when held down momentarily, the clock hands jump to your set alarm time. Turning the setting buttons allows you to set the alarm, after which the hands will return the clock to the current time. Neato! (Holding down this button for one second will confirm your wake time, while pressing and releasing it turns the alarm on and off. A small light on the clock dial confirms this status.)

Oneclock

There’s an accelerometer within the clock housing, and if you quickly tap it above the clock dial, a dim night light comes on for five seconds. Lastly, if you turn the “wake” (alarm-setting) knob on the front panel all the way to the left, then press and hold for one second, a voice speaks to you through the clock and instructs you how to select different music for the alarm. (Craaaazy!)

The whole package is most decidedly “retro-futuristic.” (Forgive the cliché, but I don’t know how else to describe it.) Simultaneously midcentury-esque and most forward-thinking, Oneclock is nothing if not streamlined/simplified/disconnected — there’s no USB charging for your phone, no digital readout, no nothing. It’s just an alarm in which the actual ringtone is meant to wake you gradually and pleasantly from sleep.

These ringtones fade up in volume over 30 seconds, such that you don’t feel like you’ve been struck with a ball-peen hammer at 5:30 AM. Compositions also build in intensity, feature analog mixed in with electronic instrumentation, and employ a sonic range that generally encompasses human speech patterns. The result is decidedly pleasant, if admittedly somewhat dreamscapey and Wes Anderson-esque. (I kind of feel like angels pull their espresso shots to this type of music.)

Oneclock

I have to say, I really dig the Oneclock — it beats the shit out of the alarm clock from the ’80s that I used growing up, and the modern, black Sony one that was so difficult to set and had so many buttons on it that I eventually got rid of it. It was you out of your dreamscape pleasantly and without (literal) fanfare, and it’s relatively easy to control, once you get the hang of the multiple functions of some of the knobs.

Besides the cheap-feeling front wood panel, my one wish is this: I understand the streamlined design of having a single USB C port for both power and downloading of new ringtones, but I’d much prefer the clock to have a USB A charging port for a phone — regardless of whether this necessitates an internal transformer for a conventional power supply — plus a USB C port for downloads. (I have no idea how power works. I’m spitballing here from what I remember from an Electronic 101 class in college that I got a C in. But basically: I want a phone charging port.)

You see, I get that the whole point of the Oneclock is to detach from your phone — love it. But it’s 2021, and I’m gonna charge my phone next to my bed, anyway. I’d prefer not to have 18 wires running into the wall next to said bed, and so I love designs such as a lamp with a discreet USB port in them. My first request of the Oneclock team would thus be to allow me to charge my phone via the back of the clock — there’s already the USB-C port back there — so we’re not exactly committing sacrilege.

My other request would be the option of a white clock dial on the white-cased model — this is a cleaner, more pleasant look, to my mind. It would also be nice if you could set how long the night light stays on — maybe, say, 5, 10, or 15 seconds. This, to my mind, would you to get up out of bed and actually get something done. Five seconds is really only enough time to realize that your clock is glowing.

So would I buy myself or someone else a Oneclock and insist that that person gets “back to nature” somewhat — or at least, back to analog? I think I would. It would have to be for a very specific type of person — the type who’s not bothered by the loss of modern conveniences, such as digital controls, phone charging, etc. But the innovative design, calming music and thoughtful touches are enough to make this one of my favorite alarm clock designs ever. And that, my friends, is a sentence I thought I would never utter during the course of my adult life, let alone publish.

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A Legendary Pilot’s Watch Is Suddenly Attainable

Given even a quick glance, it’s easy to imagine Airain’s Type 20 in the role it was intended for: helping mid-20th-century French military pilots navigate the skies and make critical calculations. As a modern re-edition, it evokes this image better than almost any other current alternative, having been lovingly recreated right down to the original Type 20’s defining flyback chronograph function and near-accurate vintage sizing. It offers a connection to history, a versatile design and remarkably strong value — but does it do its namesake justice?

Key Specs:

Model: Airain Type 20 Re-Edition
Case Diameter: 39.5mm
Case Depth: 10.85mm
Water Resistance: 50m
Movement: La Joux-Perret AM1 automatic
Price: $2,980

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Notable

Airain was one of several companies that made the badass chronographs known as Type 20 in the mid-20th century. Today, these watches are legendary among vintage and military watch collectors, but generally remain somewhat under-the-radar compared to iconic chronograph watches from prominent modern brands that have remained in production. In other words, the Type 20’s got a bit more of an in-the-know, enthusiast-approved cool factor that places it slightly outside the “mainstream.”

As a modern brand, Airain was recently resurrected and isn’t directly associated with its historical namesake, but is offering a remarkably accurate and attractive connection to its history. Though a millimeter or so larger than the originals, it’s sized on the small side for a modern chronograph (39.5mm), which helps it wear easily and feel period-correct. The dial and other details are like carbon copies of vintage models, and most notably of all, it includes special functionality of the original known as a flyback feature, allowing you to restart the chronograph without first stopping and resetting it. Today this is considered an exotic feature — especially at Airain’s price.

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Who It’s For

Vintage fans romanced by the Type 20 have a significantly more attainable option in Airan’s Re-Edition. Though it doesn’t exhibit quite the same character and authenticity of the original, it’s more affordable and readily available than an actual vintage model and comes with substantially convenient modern upgrades. (Of course, this is the same set of tradeoffs that applies to many vintage reissue or similar watches.) It also offers an alternative to Breguet’s prestigious and expensive Type XX and XII while offering its own story. You could, however, completely ignore all these associations and simply enjoy such a watch as a handsome and easy-wearing chronograph with retro vibes and a strong value.

Alternatives

Several companies which made Type 20 watches for the French military between the 1950s and 1980s are again making them today. Breguet is easily the most notable, but its Type XX is a high-end product that’ll set you back $14,900. Auricoste’s version includes a flyback function but measures 42mm and costs over a grand more than Airain at around $4,300. Mathey-Tissot’s modern interpretation costs only around $2,175 but uses an ETA 7750 movement with no flyback and also measures 42mm. (Dodane has also offered their own version, but currently lacks information on its site.) Each might be worth a look depending on your tastes, but all in all, Airain’s combination of price, features, historical accuracy and size are hard to beat.

If you’re generally looking for retro-styled mechanical chronographs (and you don’t care so much about the flyback), the good news is that there’s some great value to be found even under $2,000. For aviation-specific interests, look to ze Germans: the Hanhart 417 ES is a classic sharing a lot in common with the Type 20 for around $2,000. The Junghans Meister Pilot has similar appeal, but stands out for its unique look with its 12-sided bezel for around $2,500.

Review

As so many other watches of the 2020s, the Airain Type 20 Re-Edition is a near replica of a historic model. That means there are two parts to evaluating it: First, there’s everything from the story and design of the original that makes it cool. Then, there’s exactly what the modern version offers, how well it’s executed, how it differs from its historical counterpart — and how much those differences matter. There’ll always be a gap between the two and tradeoffs either way, but let’s begin by noting that this is a very close recreation of a vintage Airain Type 20 and it offers a strong value for the modern luxury watch space it occupies.

“Type 20” is the name of the French military chronograph that developed from specifications first issued to watchmakers in the 1950s, most notably to Breguet. As with other military watches, however, various companies were chosen to supply the government — so, despite some differences in watches made by different companies over time, all worked from the same brief. Airain was among them, and the the modern brand’s website gives a partial list of the French government’s specifications:

• A case diameter of approximately 38mm wide and no more than 14mm high
• Screw-in case back
• Black dial, with two registers at 3 and 9 o’clock that can record up to 30 minutes
• Arabic numbers
• Luminescent material on both hands and numbers
• Flyback function (retour en vol)
• Bi-directional 12-hour rotating bezel
• Movement accuracy of within eights seconds a day
• Power reserve of at least 35 hours
• Ability to operate the chronograph function reliably at least 300 times

The list almost looks like it describes German pilots’ chronographs that preceded it from the previous decade, such as those made by Hanhart and Tutima. (Those watches included the flyback feature, but not elements like the 12-hour rotating bezel.) The Type 20 can probably be seen as an evolution of these watches, but this is a French watch with its own story and traits.

It’s easy to see why the Type 20 watches capture collectors’ imaginations: military watches always impart a sense of purpose and adventure, but they also demand watchmaking excellence. A chronograph is significantly more intricate than a time-only mechanical watch, and the flyback function only adds complexity. All that, and the accuracy requirement, had to hold up under stringent conditions well enough that pilots could rely on them for the likes of navigation, calculation of fuel consumption, etc. (The flyback function allowed, for example, coordination with radio signals in which the difference of seconds it takes to restart a non-flyback could affect the aircraft’s bearing.)

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The flyback sounds simple conceptually, offering the convenience of a single button push instead of three (stop, reset, start) to restart the chronograph from zero. Chronographs already being complex mechanisms, however, the somewhat niche flyback feature only adds to a watchmaker’s cost and therefore has relegated the complication to relatively higher-end, collector-oriented watches. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find more affordable flyback chronographs than Airain’s.

It’s cool that Airain has included the functionality of the original watch rather than simply offering one in the style of the original. The style, however, is pretty spot-on: Airain isn’t quite following the military specs from the 1950s, but there’s a clear effort to stay as authentic as possible while offering some modern tweaks that can mostly be considered upgrades. The case is 1.5mm larger than the French government called for, for example, and the movement offers automatic winding, something that wasn’t even available in chronographs until 1969.

One area in which Airain shows a conscious effort to stay true to vintage specs is its use of Hesalite crystal. It’s “box”-shaped, meaning raised and domed a là vintage watches, which is a style I love, and I would have preferred to see it in potentially more expensive sapphire. Although such acrylic crystals are often seen today as a cost-cutting measure, they’re also what was actually used on many vintage watches and many collectors prefer their qualities and retro feel despite the fact that they scratch more easily (Airain has given its crystal an anti-scratch treatment). These choices are always polarizing and essentially come down to individual preferences, and for Airain, the choice seems very deliberate rather than a matter of cost.

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In terms of comfort and wearing experience, Airain’s Re-Edition is thin for an automatic chronograph — it’s 10.85mm in depth, much thinner than the Type 20 specs’ maximum of 14mm. Even after throwing it on a bund strap (Hodinkee’s $170 Heaton as shown in the pictures), which tends to add bulk, it remained easily wearable. The proportions — 39.5mm with a wide dial adding visual size — might be among the most perfect and comfortable this reviewer has ever strapped on — and it’s sure to fit different wrist sizes, as well.

Interacting with the movement when winding, setting or playing with the chronograph (or actually timing something) is pleasant, and every motion feels smooth and solid. Airain uses an automatic movement called the AM1 from Swiss movement maker La Joux-Perret (now owned by Citizen Watch Co.), which is known for supplying a range of higher-end watch brands. You get 60 hours of power reserve from the movement, while a column wheel adds more value for collectors who prefer the smooth operation this feature provides.

With its Swiss movement and Dutch ownership, the only thing that could make the Airain Type 20 Re-Edition more genuine and attractive is if it were a bit more French. You can’t blame its owners for not being French, however, and they’ve clearly put a lot of care into recreating this legendary watch in a thoughtful way. Tom van Wijlick is the man behind Airain’s rebirth as well as the owner of Le Bois & Co. an original sister brand, both of which were created by the Dodane watchmaking family, from whom the Airain brand rights were acquired.

Verdict

If you’re in love with the Type 20 watches, as tends to be a part of many enthusiasts’ journeys, Airain is offering one of the best and most accessible ways to enjoy them. To get an actual military-issued vintage Type 20, you’d pay a lot more — and very well may be afraid to wear it on a regular basis, much less use its chronograph. Wear this modern Re-Edition with confidence, and you just might find that it channels your inner pilot.

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Our Picks For the ‘Oscars of Watches’

The watch industry regularly convenes to pat itself on the back and garner enthusiasm anew for the year’s most notable products. One of the biggest such events each year is the GPHG, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, and it’s kind of like the Oscars for watches — with categories, nominees, watch-world celebrities in black tie and as much fanfare as the luxury world can muster.

For the 2021 GPHG, there are 84 nominees across 14 categories (that’s six nominees each), and the winners will be announced this week from Geneva, on November 4. You can check out all the watches for yourself on the organization’s website, but we went ahead and chose five of our favorites, each from a different category, just to give you a taste.

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Dive Watches: Doxa Sub 300 Carbon COSC Aquamarine

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Doxa is primarily thought of as a maker of pragmatic dive watches, both historically influenced and modern. That’s why it’s interesting to see the brand branch out into new and technical materials like carbon composites, which offers impressive strength and lightness. Its black case contrasts sharply with the brand’s signature pallet of vibrant dial colors, like the Aquamarine version chosen by the GPHG.

Movement: ETA 2824-2 automatic
Diameter: 42mm
Price: $3,890

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Men’s Complication: Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25

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A complication is any mechanical function a watch offers aside from telling the time, which can include all kinds of crazy features. Chopard’s L.U.C line might be understated when compared to other nominees, but its jumping hour complication combined with a restrained dial, 40mm case and some of the best (but most underrated) high-end horology available makes it stand out.

Movement: Chopard L.U.C 98.06-L hand-wound
Diameter: 40mm
Price: $44,700

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Calendar & Astronomy: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar

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Not only does this version of Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo contain a highly complex automatic perpetual calendar, but it manages to fit it into a titanium case that’s only 5.8mm thick. That’s technically impressive, but the design also manages to display a lot of information in a legible and elegant way — which happens to also be visually striking in its monochromatic execution.

Movement: Bulgari BVL 305 automatic
Diameter: 40mm
Price: $59,000

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Iconic: Zenith Chronomaster Revival A386 Manufacture

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Iconic, indeed. The Zenith Chronomaster Revival A386 Manufacture is more or less exactly what El Primero fans want, right down to vintage sizing at 38mm — which is rather compact for a modern chronograph. It’s a remake and competes alongside modern versions of iconic watches, but undoubtedly takes the prize for being most true to the icon it’s based on.

Movement: Zenith El Primero 400 automatic
Diameter: 38mm
Price: $9,000

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Men’s: Grand Seiko Heritage Hi-Beat Shirakaba

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Continuing the Oscars analogy, the category of Best Men’s Watch is like Best Picture or Best Actor. Grand Seiko once again impresses with a watch featuring a dial texture inspired by the bark of a white birch tree (shirakaba) and an exquisite in-house movement operating at 5Hz and offering 80 hours of power reserve.

Movement: Seiko 9SA5
Diameter: 40mm
Price: $9,100

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For a Unique Watch, Check Out Scotland’s anOrdain

In 2018, we wrote for the first time about anOrdain, a Scottish company producing in-house enamel-dialed watches in Glasgow. At the time, the company was just six people strong and only capable of churning out 8 dials per week using the grand feu enameling technique, which involves covering a copper dial with ground enamel powder and then firing it in an oven.

Until anOrdain was established, there were very few companies one could look to for an affordable enamel-dial watch — because of the time and costs involved with firing enamel dials (and the steep learning curve), these timepieces can often cost tens of thousands of dollars. Sure, an enormous watchmaker like Seiko can produce something like the Presage with an enamel dial (which we loved, by the way), but if you wanted something slightly more out of the ordinary, you’d have been hard-pressed to find it.

“We tried making enamel dials elsewhere in the UK and people just couldn’t manage the tolerances, and didn’t have the passion to do it, so we started doing it ourselves,” explains company founder Lewis Heath. “A consequence of that is the price; the raw materials aren’t too expensive, once you’ve mastered the techniques then the cost is in labour — we’re now getting to the stage where we can make 14 or 15 per week with a team of three enamellers, so it’s starting to become a viable business, but it’s been a long way from that for the past four years. If we didn’t make them in-house then we’d be paying mark-ups for a third party and that takes you out of ‘affordable’ territory very quickly.”

anOrdain’s watches, as a consequence, run around 1,000 GBP (~$1,200-$1,300), which is very little money when you consider the size of their operation and the beautiful products they’ve been producing in just a few short years. anOrdain has won fans all over the world through their classically-inspired designs, beautiful dial colors and friendly attitude toward their clients, though Heath doesn’t draw the line at making exclusively enamel-dial watches, and there’s clearly plenty of exciting work to come down the pipeline.

“The crux of anOrdain has always been around fusing design with craft and experimenting, so we aren’t sticking to enamel religiously — there’ll be some work coming out which isn’t enamel soon, but there’s certainly a lot more to explore here!”

We recently visited anOrdain in Glasgow to get a better idea of how the company works its magic and makes these affordable beauties.

Photo Tour

anOrdain is located in a multi-use building called Templeton on the Green that was once the Templeton Carpet Factory, first opened in 1892. (Given the lavish 19th-century styling, one can deduce that the firm was at one time selling lots of carpeting.) Converted into a business center in 1984 and then a mixed-use “lifestyle village” in 2005, it houses anOrdain’s operations, as well as a brewery/bar/restaurant.

Oren Hartov

Lewis Heath, founder of anOrdain, surveying his domain. The watchmaking and assembly area (indeed, the entire workshop) features custom-built furniture, and the large windows provide the necessary light for working with minuscule pieces. To the left in this image is Chris’s watchmaking bench.

anOrdain’s first watch, released in 2018, was the Model 1. With a typeset modeled on that of vintage Ordnance Survey maps, several different available dial colors and an extremely affordable price tag for an enamel watch, it was an instant hit. This particular one was a special edition of 6 pieces made by mixing all other dial colors together. Unfortunately, all Models 1s are now sold out.

Chris, who trained at the British Horological Institute, is anOrdain’s staff watchmaker, responsible for individually assembling and regulating each anOrdain watch, as well as carrying out repairs. According to Heath, Chris was the only active member of the BHI of working age who specialized in watches (rather than clocks) when he rang them up, looking for a watchmaker. “He’s a natural mechanic, very methodical and instantly understands how things work whether it’s a pocket watch or a car,” says Heath.

anOrdain is proud of the accuracy of its timepieces and offers a 5-year warranty on each watch.

anOrdain’s small size allows it to focus on each individual customer. Knowing which wrist a customer wears his or her watch on, for example, or what kind of lifestyle he or she leads, allows the team to custom-regulate each watch to the individual client.

anOrdain began operations in 2015, a full three years before the debut of the Model 1. The company eventually experimented with 168 different enamels from five different countries over a period of 4,000 hours across three years (whew!) in order to create the perfect enamel formula. Because of the painstaking process involved in making enamel dials, price points are usually much, much higher than what anOrdain charges.

Once a dial blank is cut from a sheet of copper, it’s coated in enamel powder (or a mix of enamel and water), which generally consists of silica, red lead and soda ash. (The reverse of the dial is also “counter-enameled” so that the dial doesn’t bend during firing). The blank is then fired in a small oven heated to 830°C multiple times until the correct finish is achieved.

Crafting enamel dials is an extremely precarious process — one little speck of dust beneath the enamel can ruin an entire dial, and this can occur at any point during the firing, on pass one, for example, or pass seven. Hence anOrdain’s initial output of only 8 dials per week, and lots of discards (and a few colorful experiments, too). These days, Heath says anOrdain is able to output about 14 or 15 dials per week.

Between each firing, an enamel dial must be sanded to a consistent, flat finish, and tools can include both specialist implements such as belt sanders and wire brushes as well as toothbrushes, paint brushes and other common items.

This blank is being used to test different typesets. The Model 1’s typeset was based on that of original Ordnance Survey maps of Lock anOrdain, in the Scottish highlands, whereas the Model 2’s typeset was based on 1950s industrial equipment. Who knows what will inspire the next iteration of anOrdain’s affordable enamel watches?

This Prometheus Kiln can heat materials up to 1,100°C (~2,012°F), though anOrdain’s dials are fired around 830°C, at which point the powdered enamel melts and covers the dial. Multiple firings are necessary (up to eight) in order to achieve a smooth finish.

The Model 2 is the next evolution in anOrdain’s design philosophy. Featuring unique, skeletonized hands holding thin tips, they’re extremely difficult to manufacture. The Model 2 dials feature a typeset inspired by 1950s industrial equipment, and timekeeping is carried out by the Sellita SW220, a handwound version of the SW200, which is itself a copy of the ETA 2824-2.

Though the enamel dials themselves are inspired by Scotland, it’s clearly anOrdain’s talented artisans who provided Heath with most of his design inspiration, and indeed, his impetus for moving forward with the brand. “There are some more obvious influences in terms of colour palette in the Model 2 being based around natural colours found in the highlands, but I’d say it’s the people behind the watch, and it’s really the team who make anOrdain and in turn, the watches. I felt from an early stage that the brand had its own personality; and for me that’s what makes a good company.

That personality is a combination of the people here. From a design perspective that personality is easily traced back to the two major art schools in Scotland (which everyone bar Chris came through): the Edinburgh College of Art and the Glasgow School of Art. And to my eye the anOrdain aesthetic is synonymous with those schools and the local creative scene which is intrinsically linked to them.”

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This New Longines Dress Watch Is an Art Deco Masterpiece

In need of a new dress watch? There are plenty to choose from, but little more classical and interesting than the “sector dial” variety as executed by Longines. With a simplicity that seems archetypal, these watches nonetheless feel different from most thanks to their distinctive dial design. Longines’ take on this look is called the Heritage Classic, and it has an aura of 1930s Art Deco — but their new, limited edition version with HODINKEE has received an even warmer glow.

Firstly, what is a “sector dial?” The term generally refers to a dial design that partitions areas of the dial, and in particular, places the hour markers within a ring of their own. This often takes the form of an inner ring on the dial with indices extending outward from it — rather than the far more typical choice in which they seem to point inward from the dial’s periphery.

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Many (but not all) such watches also feature a crosshair motif, as Longines’ does, dividing the dial into three-hour sectors. For this HODINKEE version, however, those crosshairs have been removed and the brushed dial has been given a silver and cream colorway to soften its presence. The result is a classical look, indeed, and in a 38.5mm wide x 11mm thick case, it should wear not quite like an actual vintage watch (which would be significantly smaller) but just like a vintage-inspired modern dress watch should.

In addition to those aesthetic tweaks, the HODINKEE Longines Heritage Classic gets a movement upgrade: though based on the same ETA A31.501 from Longines’ standard lineup, this one has top specs with a silicon balance spring and COSC chronometer certification. It offers a 72-hour power reserve, a vintage vibe with a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock (rather than central seconds), and modern convenience with automatic winding — as opposed to manual winding, such as watches from the 1930s would have offered.

The Longines Heritage Classic HODINKEE Limited Edition, which ships on a very retro beads-of-rice bracelet (with a leather strap included), is limited to 500 pieces, and they’re available now online directly from the HODINKEE Shop for $2,500.

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All the Coolest Watches That Came Out in October 2021

As your shorts and sandals go back into storage and the long sleeves come out for the season, have you stopped to consider the watches that’ll see you through the winter? Maybe it’s time — if you live in the upper latitudes of the northern hemisphere, at least, where we’re well aware that the cold is coming. If you needed more of a reminder than the chilly winds, watch brands are releasing ice-themed watches as well as dressier affairs that’ll slip under those layered cuffs. That’s not all, though, as there was a wide range of colorful and season-defying releases this month, as well. Check out those and much more from October’s watch releases below.

Timex Q Reissue Falcon Eye Green

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We’ll say it again: you can’t get more style for the money than what the Q Timex collection offers. The first Falcon Eye model in two-tone gold and steel with a blue dial was utterly stunning for tis price, and now you’ve got a relatively toned down option with a similarly shimmering dial in green.

Price: $179

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Eone Switch

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Eone is like no other watch: it’s made to tell time tactilely for the blind — but it also happens to offer a visually striking design and conversation starter. The basic concept is already incredibly original, but a new model now offers even more interest with interchangeable faces, including some very attractive, almost guilloche-like textures.

Price: TBD

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Oris Big Crown ProPilot Big Date Bronze

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Big crown, big date — the Oris ProPilot has always been big on tool-watch vibes, and now it’s getting a bronze version that’ll patina with wear and look ever more rugged.

Price: $2,200

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Urwerk UR-110 Bakelite

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High-end independent watchmaker Urwerk’s UR-110 watch has been around since 2011, but the line is finally being retired with one last model. It’s the same crazy watch, but as a one-off piece in titanium and featuring “bakelite” for its bezel. It’ll be auctioned off via the brand’s website with most proceeds going to the Swiss Red Cross.

Price: For auction

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Nivada Depthmaster Jellyfish

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Replacing a watch’s seconds hand with intentionally pixelated-looking art has put the French company Seconde/Seconde on the horological map. It’s controversial, but it turns out rather popular, too, as this sold-out collaboration on Nivada’s Depthmaster shows. Here, it’s a pixelated jellyfish (though it looks a bit like an octopus, no?) that kinda fits with the model nicknamed (“Pac Man”) due to its distinctive numerals.

Price: $1,257 (sold out)

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Seiko Prospex “Turtle” Inspired U.S Special Edition

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The barrel-like case shape of this famous dive watch has given it the nickname “Turtle,” but these new special editions for the US might mark the first time the Seiko is officially using the Turtle language. That’s because three new models in different dial colors are all meant to mimic the patterns of a turtle’s shell. The watches are part of an announcement that Seiko is partnering with the Oceanic Society on its work protecting endangered sea turtles. Pretty cool, if you ask us.

Price: $750

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Tom Ford 003

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Offered in several dial colors as well as multitude of straps, Tom Ford’s 003 builds upon the design language of his first two horological releases. It seems like Ford got a good look at the Cartier Tank and decided to modernize it for the modern man — and we approve.

Price: $2,000

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Grand Seiko SBGM245 and SBGM247 GMTs

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Want a serious, all-purpose travel watch but don’t want to fight someone for the chance to own the last Rolex GMT Master II at the boutique? Try this GS on for size: with its 40.5mm steel case, 200m of water resistance, matching steel bracelet and extreme resistance to magnetism, it’s the sort of watch that you can take anywhere. (*Available in November.)

Price: $5,700

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MB&F LM Perpetual EVO Titanium

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An insane perpetual calendar in titanium — that’s what you should buy if you’ve got a cool $176k burning a hole in your pocket. This one’s in titanium, with a special shock absorption and 80m of water resistance. Not bad for mini mechanical computer.

Price: $176,000

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IWC x Hot Wheels Racing Works Collector’s Set

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This special edition of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition in 43mm in titanium features a cool checkered racing flag pattern and comes with a Hot Wheels Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Racing Works Edition.” The whole thing ships in a special metal toolbox because, well, why not?

Price: $10,000

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Shinola White Hurricane

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The White Hurricane, a special version of the 48mm Runwell Sport Chronograph, is inspired by the Great Lakes Storm of 1913, which was an “extratropical cyclone.” (Remember when a storm was just storm? What ever happened to that?) The White Hurricane is Shinola’s first offering with a fully lumed dial — it actually glows blue in the dark.

Price: $1,500

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Old School by Massena LAB x Luca Soprana

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A riff on the montre d’ecole (“school watch”) that every budding watchmaker must complete, the Old School is a collaboration between master watchmaker Luca Soprana and our friends at Massena LAB. Unfortunately, only 11 examples of this exquisite, handmade timepiece will be produed.

Price: $39,000

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Baltic Microrotor MR01

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Baltic makes some of our favorite vintage-inspired watches. The newest features an automatic movement from Chinese company Hangzhou in a beautifully classical package available in a few dial variations. The movement uses a smaller rotor that most automatic movements (a microrotor), which saves space and allows a watch to be thinner — here the case is 36mm wide and only 8mm thick (not counting the domed crystal).

Price: ~$625

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Timex x James Brand Expedition North Titanium Automatic

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Is this not one of the coolest Timex field watches you’ve ever seen? We’re betting that it is. Made in collaboration with The James Brand, you get a 41mm titanium case, Japanese automatic movement and a killer military-style, field watch design. This is a lot of watch for the price.

Price: $349

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IWC x Collective Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “C.03”

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Watch collector group Collective occasionally partners with watch brands on special limited editions. Its latest is with IWC on a pilot’s chronograph with a very familiar IWC look — and that’s exactly the point: it’s meant to represent the quintessential design DNA of the brand from the 1990s to 2000s, but is the only example in this exact configuration. It’s limited to only 125 pieces.

Price: $7,150+

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Luminox Atacama Field 1907 Automatic

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Tough-as-nails Luminox watches are often quartz, but there are automatic options as well. The Atacama field watch measures 44mm wide, operates on a Swiss Sellita SW220 automatic movement and now comes in a blue dial version available either on a strap or steel bracelet.

Price: $975+

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Snglrty

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“Alternative” time displays are fairly common among young, design-focused watch brands, but Swiss company Snglrty is doing something hitherto unseen: In this system, the hour is indicated by a traditional hand, but also frames a minute track beneath. The minute track itself rotates so that the current minute is displayed in the hour hand’s frame. Pretty clever. All this comes in an attractive, 40.5mm package operating on an automatic movement.

Price: $2,250+

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H. Moser & Cie. Heritage Dual Time

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High-end watchmaker H. Moser & Cie. is loved as much for the beautiful movements inside its watches as its stunning dial executions. With a minute track and bold Arabic numerals in a style typical of pilot watches, the new Heritage Dual Time features an automatic GMT movement and “smoked” burgundy dial.

Price: $21,900

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TAG Heuer Carrera

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When you hear the word “Carrera,” if you don’t think of the Porsche, you probably think of the TAG Heuer chronograph watch. The collection, however, has long taken design cues from its famous chronographs and applied it to other types of watches. It’s just been refreshed with new, refined versions of its time-only and GMT automatic watches in multiple sizes, configurations and dial colors. Oh, and did we mention Ryan Gosling is the new face of the brand?

Price: $2,700+

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Sinn 6060 B Frankfurt World Time

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Though best known for its tool watches, German brand Sinn has some compelling models in its comparatively elegant Frankfurt collection. The collection has expanded with a new blue-dial version of its World Time watch, which offers a GMT hand as well as a rotating inner 24-hour ring controlled by a crown at 10 o’clock. It’s open to orders now, but will only be available from February 2022.

Price: $2,880

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Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra “Beijing 2022”

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Fresh off of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Official Olympics Timekeeper Omega is looking ahead to next year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing. A new Aqua Terra has not just an icy color schemes, but if you look closer the dial has a sublte, marble-like “frosted” finish. Red highlights keep it from feeling too chilly.

Price: $6,200

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IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Top Gun Ceratanium

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IWC announced a couple watches in its proprietary ceramic-plus-titanium “Ceratanium” material including the Timezoner, one of our favorite world time watches, and it features an in-house movement and some unique features. Here, it’s got an overall dark colorway with even the hands and indices done in a gray luminescent paint that may or may not be ideal for legibility.

Price: $16,900

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Panerai Submersible Titanium Chrono Flyback Mike Horn Edition PAM1291

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In its series of watches dedicated to adventurer Mike Horn, Panerai’s latest release once again offers a compelling combination of features. As is true of many Mike Horn editions, it visually stands out in the brand’s catalog with interesting color combinations, but it also includes an in-house flyback chronograph movement in a titanium version of the brand’s Subersible dive watch case.

Price: $20,500

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Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin & Compression Dive Watches

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Zodiac’s Super Sea Wolf collection is a modern tool watch classic (with plenty of history to back it up), and the brand has just added several new variants. The retro Super Sea Wolf 53 is further divided into sub-collections, and both the Skin and Compression lines have been treated to some handsome new looks. We like the Skin, with its oversized triangular markers, in particular.

Price: $1,095+

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Luminox Master Carbon SEAL Automatic

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With black, 45mm Carbonox (the brand’s own carbon composite) cases and made for Navy SEALs, does it get any more badass than Luminox’s brutally tough watches? Well, a Swiss automatic movement doesn’t hurt, and the brand has just added this option in three variants that just might make you wonder if the watches themselves are tougher than you.

Price: $1,075+

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Sinn 1800 S GG Damaszener

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German watchmaker Sinn rarely deviates from its purely function-first, tool watch approach. Its rare limited editions using blackened Damascus steel are an exception, and just as past examples this new limited edition (100 units) features a case and dial milled from the same block of folded steel such that the patterns remain consistent and cohesive from the case to the dial. This new edition features striking contrasts thanks to hands and indices in 18ct gold. Pretty cool.

Price: $8,940

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Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition

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Girard-Perregaux has partnered with Aston Martin on a chronograph version of its Laureato sport watch and given it a stunning green dial. Sure, green dials are “in” at the moment, but this is specifically “British Racing Green” and it further stands out with a lattice-like motif inspired by elements of vintage Aston Martin cars.

Price: $18,100

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Seiko Prospex Prospex Built for the Ice Diver US Special Editions

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Seiko is expanding on its US Special Edition collection of ice-diver-themed dive watches. First it was a trio of so-called “Sumo” watches that got the treatment, and this time it’s the “Willard.” With icy colorways, the dial has a unique texture that seems to suggest scratched ice.

Price: $1,400

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Nomos Club Sport Neomatik 42

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The new Nomos Club Sport Neomatik combines some familiar elements from the brand as well as something new and notable: a sporty steel bracelet. At a larger 42mm, it’s got plenty of lume, 300m of water resistance and a killer in-house automatic movement. In other words, it’s got all the elegance and value expected of the German brand backed up with some action-ready chops.

Price: $3,960

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The First British-Made Watch in Decades Is Genuinely a Big Deal

It’s been 20 years in the making for one British brand but even longer for British watchmaking as a whole: The announcement that Bremont has made its first credibly “made-in-England” watch movement is big news in several ways. It’s a milestone not just for the company and for the country — which was historically the proud center of watchmaking before Switzerland — but also for the watch industry at large where many others dream of bringing watchmaking (back) to their home countries. Gear Patrol joined Bremont in London for the launch of the movements featured in the new Longitude limited-edition collection and to see the watches first-hand.

The new Longitude LE Collection comprises 40mm watches in three variants with a relatively classical look. Right out of the gate, these new automatic movements are equipped with a silicon escapement and offer more than basic time telling with a couple complications: a power reserve indicator (65 hours) and a digital date display (meaning each digit is displayed via its own wheel beneath the dial rather than a single disc showing 1-31). As is the case with any Bremont watch, their impressive build quality is easily appreciated in person.

Zen Love

Turn them over, and you can see the interesting and nicely finished architecture of the Bremont ENG300 movement (ENG376, in this configuration), as it’s called, through the display case back. The collection that debuts these impressive movements represents the culmination of the brand’s mission since its outset, but they also mark a new beginning: Whether the prices or styling of this particular collection is to your tastes, the real news is that the movement is designed to be produced at scale as well as adaptable to accommodate everything from simple three-hand time telling to a range of complications — and you’ll gradually see them powering new and established collections alike without a big price increase from those that currently use sourced movements.

Why is it such an achievement for a company to make its own movement? Watch movements are complicated and incorporate hundreds of tiny, precise parts that require specialized skills and the capacity to manufacture. While many watch brands are proud to display a “Swiss Made” label (even if they’re not based in Switzerland), many more dream of making a watch that’s genuinely and completely Made in USA or Made in France, for example, and serially produced — but few countries outside of Switzerland, Japan, China and Germany have the resources to produce mechanical watch movements and their myriad intricate components domestically. The mere fact that others haven’t yet done it and that it took Bremont nearly 20 years to reach this point speaks to just what a challenge it is.

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Bremont has said from the very beginning that their intention was to bring industrial-level watchmaking back to the UK, and now they’ve finally done it. It was always a lofty ambition to resurrect the past glory of English watchmaking that included, most notably, John Harrison’s marine chronometer, which finally allowed navigators to determine longitude at sea and revolutionize trade, exploration, colonization and the expansion of the British empire.

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, became the longitudinal line (prime meridian) which marked the standard (Greenwich Mean Time) against which other time zones were set. To drive home the connection and make this launch and limited edition collection a little more special, Bremont partnered with the Royal Observatory, going so far as to melt down brass that marks the exact meridian line and incorporate it into the watches’ case backs. The dials feature a red line as a nod to the connection and the red, circular power reserve indicator refers to the ball on top of the observatory that drops on the hour and to which sailors would set their watches.

The limited edition watches come in three variations of steel (150 examples), rose gold (75 examples) and white gold (75 examples), each with a different dial execution. Expect that future Bremont watches featuring the movements (in other configurations) will be more affordable, but those who want a piece of Bremont history will pay from $16,995 for the steel to $24,995 for white gold versions.

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This Automotive-Inspired Watch Will Pair with Anything in Your Wardrobe

• Brand: NOMOS Glashütte
• Product: Autobahn Neomatik 41 Date Midnight Blue
• Price: $4,800
• From: nomos-glashuette.com