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Can You Really Get the Benefits of a Ceramic Watch for $80?

The ’80s are back, and there’s no watch more representative of that decade than a plastic Swatch. The new 1984 Reloaded collection pays tribute to the era with reissues featuring bright, clashy colors and geometric shapes, but made to feel very 2020s with the use of an innovative material and “sustainability” messaging: The collection uses Swatch’s still new Bioceramic, adding technical interest (and possibly practical benefits) to some fun, retro looks.

34mm Swatch Gent Bioceramic 1984 Reloaded WHI_MEM M

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41mm Swatch Gent Bioceramic 1984 Relaoded GRE_MEM L

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Ceramic is a hot material in the watch industry, nearly impervious to scratches, remarkably lightweight and silky-soft to the touch — but it’s a rather premium one, generally found in watches from luxury brands from the likes of Rado to Omega, IWC and many more. Swatch’s Bioceramic collection, on the other hand, starts at around a cool $80, so you probably shouldn’t assume you’re getting the same kind of material that typically commands prices in the four-to-five-figure range. So what, exactly, is Bioceramic?

41mm Swatch Gent Bioceramic 1984 Reloaded Yel_Race

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It’s a “mix of ceramic and bio-sourced plastic derived from castor oil.” It’s also claimed to offer some of the same properties that make ceramic attractive for watchmaking, like scratch resistance, lightness and softness — so is it ceramic or plastic? Both, it would seem. Ceramics and plastics each come in a variety of forms, and Bioceramic could perhaps be considered a variety of either one. (At the very least, “ceramic” sounds a lot sexier than plastic.)

41mm Swatch Gent Bioceramic 1984 Relaoded BLA_DIV

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41mm Swatch Gent Bioceramic 1984 Relaoded Rouge & Noir

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The new watches come in five versions with 34mm and 41mm diameters, all powered by quartz movements. In addition to the cases, the clasps are also in Bioceramic and the straps are in a “bio-sourced material” — in on other words, some form of bio-plastic. Plastic feels appropriate for watches like this, as they represent designs released in 1984, a year after Swatch launched as a brand. Though there’s no real cost difference from Swatch’s wider collection of watches, the properties of Bioceramic just might make these feel a step above.

The Swatch Bioceramic 1984 Reloaded watches will cost $80 for the 34mm variants while $90 will get you the 41mm model. The collection is available now from the brand online.

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October 11, 2021 / Comments Off

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James Bond’s Omega Seamaster Plays a Pretty Big Role in “No Time To Die”

If you’re a fan of the Bond franchise, you no doubt pay attention to what’s on 007’s wrist — after all, in many of the films, Bond’s timepiece plays a special role in helping the debonair British secret agent save the world. But this time somehow feels different. Maybe it’s because No Time To Die is Daniel Craig’s last film in the franchise, or because he had a hand in designing the watch featured in the movie…it’s tough to say for sure. But perhaps more than with any other film during Craig’s tenure, one is cognizant of the importance of Omega’s connection to the franchise, the filmmakers, the character — characters, I should say, as multiple actors wear Omega in the film — and to Craig himself.

If you’re not familiar with the watch, it’s the 42mm Omega Seamaster Diver 300M. It’s titanium and has a military-inspired design, with vintage-colored lume and the “broad arrow” symbol on the dial signaling Crown property — and it’s cool as all hell. I’ve been in rooms with 100 watch journalists — yes, that’s a real profession that some of us have, insane as it sounds — and I’ve yet to meet a single one who dislikes this watch. (Don’t @ me if you’re that person. Comments section is below, though.)

The watch is available on a NATO strap ($8,100) or a titanium Milanese bracelet ($9,200).

Gear Patrol

I was lucky enough to be invited to a preview of the film yesterday afternoon with Omega, before which our good friend Stephen Pulvirent — formerly of HODINKEE — moderated a discussion with Craig, Michael G. Wilson (the series’ producer), Raynald Aeschlimann (Omega’s President and CEO), and Arnaud Michon, the brand’s U.S. President. Craig himself spoke about the link between Omega and Bond, saying “I’ve been working with Omega for years, and we’ve been designing watches for the past 15 years. And that is such a testament to how collaborative this whole relationship has been. It’s just been such a pleasure for me to have a say. Of course these guys come with amazing ideas and I’m always bowled over. It’s very important, the watch he wears, and my connection to it.”

This connection was made stronger recently when Craig was appointed an honorary title of Commander in the Royal Navy, with the First Sea Lord in attendance. Given the Bond character’s Royal Navy background — Ian Fleming, author of the Bond series, served in British Naval Intelligence during WWII — and the government markings on the new Seamaster, the military link between character, watch, and actor seems to have been cemented in a way that’s lent further significance to this particular timepiece. “It’s a naval watch, and it feels like a naval watch,” Craig elaborated. “It looks to me like a commander’s watch. But it’s very, very modern, and to me that seems like the perfect balance.”

“It looks to me like a commander’s watch. But it’s very, very modern, and to me that seems like the perfect balance.”

Craig’s involvement in the design process this time was more pronounced. “Clearly I’ve said things, that it would be nice to do this, nice to do that…but what they came up with was way above and beyond,” he said. “Because it has a vintage quality about it but it’s incredibly light and very wearable. But it’s rugged enough. It’s light, but you could still smack someone in the head with it.”

Though Omega’s watches have always played a role in the Bond franchise for the past 25 years — think laser beams, mines, etc — the new Seamaster Diver 300M seems to get more screen time than past models. It plays a significant role in a crucial scene, but it’s also conspicuously present on Bond’s wrist in a sequence that sees him decked out in full naval commando gear — a testament to the past of the character, you might say. That the watch (the actual watch, not the prop from the film) isn’t a limited edition but a full production model is a significant touch: I can imagine dedicated fans wanting to pick one up not simply for how cool the watch is itself, but as a memento of Craig’s time in the franchise, and as a nod to the history of watchmaking, of the military, and to the character of Bond.

You can spot the Seamaster poking out from Bond’s commando sweater on his left wrist.

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Omega’s Bond watches have arguably only grown stronger over time. There are plenty of fans of ’90s, Brosnan-era “Bond” Seamasters, but I would say that the new 300M is perhaps the most considered of the crop. I won’t speak to the film — y’all can be your own judges as to its place in the greater Bond canon, and within Craig’s oeuvre — but as a watch guy, I can safely say that, in my own humble opinion, the 300M carries the most emotional weight, if the least physical weight.

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October 7, 2021 / Comments Off

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An Endorsement for Ian Fleming’s James Bond

The James Bond films are a 59-year, 25-film franchise that until relatively recently has been drowning in mediocrity. In an attempt to understand how such a study in averageness can breed a cultural phenomenon I’ve watched them all, watched them all again, watched the “edgy one” with George Lazenby, watched the new ones with Daniel Craig, even watched License to Kill twice — and License to Kill has all the intrigue and drama of Pauly Shore’s Bio-Dome.

I love the Bond franchise; I have ever since I first witnessed 007’s adventures on the big screen (it was Goldeneye — not the most auspicious start) and dove into the world of Aston Martin DB5s and shaken martinis. Then, this June I decided to finally read the books and explore the genesis of my favorite secret agent. Having just recently finished the 14-book series, all I can say is that it’s been a revelation and the James Bond we’ve been seeing on screen lately — moody, introspective, genuinely human — is getting closer and closer to Fleming’s original.

Astute readers will have realized that through a catchy title and compelling introduction you’ve been roped into another “The books are so much better than the movies” opinion piece — but this is a point worth making for those of you whose only experience with the British secret agent is through Connery, Moore, Craig or, god forbid, Brosnan. During his writing career, Ian Fleming produced 12 full-fledged Bond books beginning with Casino Royale in 1953 and ending with The Man With The Golden Gun, which was published in 1965, a year after Fleming succumbed to a heart attack. Along the way there were also two Bond short story collections (For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and the Living Daylights), and he even took the time to pen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for his only son.

The books are incredible. Of course, From Russia With Love isn’t going to compete intellectually with The Brothers Karamazov, and it’s worth noting that, being a product of ’50s Britain, the books tend to have a not-subtle tinge of racism, misogyny and general insensitivity. But for what they are, for quick thrills and engrossing adventure, they’re unmatched. If there’s to be a Bond Dynasty (and at this point it’s safe to say there is), it would be a gross disservice to only remember Agent 007 from the films.

By way of illustration, in the opening of the one of the most critically acclaimed Bond films, 1964’s Goldfinger, Sean Connery infiltrates a Mexican drug laboratory using a grappling hook and a scuba mask inexplicably topped with a stuffed seagull. He then proceeds to set a bomb of plastic explosive, check his Rolex Submariner and change into a strapping white tux before the scene is set into chaos as the bomb explodes and Bond utters the phrase “At least they won’t be using heroin-flavored bananas to finance the revolution,” before killing another Mexican by throwing a space heater into a bathtub. We’re well outside the realm of subtlety here.

Compare that to the opening of Fleming’s 1959 book of the same name and plot:

James Bond, with two double bourbons inside him, sat in the final departure lounge of Miami Airport and thought about life and death. It was part of his profession to kill people. He had never liked doing it and when he had to kill he did it as well as he knew how and forgot about it. As a secret agent who held the rare double-O prefix – the license to kill in the Secret Service – it was his duty to be as cool about death as a surgeon. If it happened, it happened. Regret was unprofessional – worse, it was death-watch beetle in the soul.

And yet there had been something curiously impressive about the death of the Mexican. It wasn’t that he hadn’t deserved to die. He was an evil man, a man they call in Mexico a capungo. A capungo is a bandit who will kill for as little as forty pesos, which is about twenty-five shillings – though probably he had been paid more to attempt the killing of Bond – and, from the look of him, he had been an instrument of pain and misery all his life. Yes, it had certainly been time for him to die; but when Bond had killed him, less than twenty-four hours before, life had gone out of the body so quickly, so utterly, that Bond had almost seen it come out of his mouth as it does, in the shape of a bird, in Haitian primitives.

We’re not talking high philosophy, but there’s clearly a world of difference between the Bonds portrayed in film and literature. In Goldfinger, this gap is at about the average. Sean Connery does eventually utter the line “My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done, such as drinking Dom Perignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit,” with so much of the smug self-satisfaction that’s personified the Bond of film — but he doesn’t get anywhere near the camp-ness of Roger Moore, who more or less bumbled his way through 12 years of Bond.

Really the only film Bond that’s come close to an accurate representation of Fleming’s vision was Daniel Craig in 2006’s excellent Casino Royale. In Craig’s debut there’s still all the chase scenes and fights and gadgetry, but you get the sense that Bond — while still being a bit of an emotionally detached sociopath — can break down and be human every once in a while. The equally emotional and cunning Vesper Lynd (played by the dreamy Eva Green) certainly helps this along compared to the Pussy Galores and Honey Ryders of previous films. The scene between the two of them on the train to Montenegro is one of the best in Bond history and not once is the proper serving temperature of Champagne mentioned.

The fact of the matter is that we’ve seen a bit of a golden age of Bond on film and with a little luck we’re bound to continue to ride this wonderful wave of a darker, more human 007 with whoever’s next inside the tux. That being said though, if you’re craving more of this introspective, genuinely human 007 that we’ve been seeing in theaters there’s really only one place to go: all the way back to the book of Bond, chapter one, verse one.

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October 7, 2021 / Comments Off

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Get Unimatic’s Hot New Dive Watch While You Can

If past performance is any indication of future results — and we’re talking watches, not the stock market, here — you can expect Unimatic‘s newest limited edition watch to sell out crazy fast. The Italian watchmaker is a perennial hitmaker, mixing tool watch principles with stylish, minimalist design and regularly presenting fresh interpretations of its core models that keep the brand interesting and highly in-demand. And they’re at it again: this time, giving their flagship U1 dive watch a strong splash of orange.

The impetus for this new model was a collaboration with one of the young brand’s earliest retailers, Grimoldi, in Unimatic’s home town of Milan. The brand’s first product, appropriately named Modello Uno or U1, has always come in several versions with different bezel options, and it’s this model that gets the limited-edition treatment here, with bright orange for the dial matched to a TPU strap.

Orange dials on dive watches were originally developed in the 1970s for their strong legibility and are associated, most of all, with Doxa. Unimatic’s choice of colors is meant to evoke the ’70s and “visual codes associated with the marine world” (the announcement also happens to be right on time for Halloween!). The brand gets these limited editions right, in part, because of details like the dial’s lumed indices and hands with contrasting black outlines, as well as a subtle gray minute/second track.

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Aside from the colors and design details, this limited edition is notable for one more major reason: it’s the brand’s first watch with a left-handed orientation — meaning the crown is on the left at 9 o’clock rather than the more standard righthand side of the case. It’s easier for lefties to use, perhaps, but such “destro” watches are also welcomed by those who find that crowns uncomfortably poke their wrists. It’s otherwise the same in terms of specs as other Unimatic U1 watches with a 300m-water-resistant, 40mm case (41.5mm bezel) and a Miyota automatic movement.

With only 100 examples available through the Unimatic website and Grimoldi stores, there’s a decent chance that by the time you’re reading this they’re already sold out. C’est la vie. If you’re quick, and lucky, you might be able to grab one for around $755, but otherwise you’ll probably be paying higher prices on eBay.

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October 5, 2021 / Comments Off

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How to Dress James Bond

Few get the opportunity to peek behind the curtain for a look at a James Bond production — which is why when Gear Patrol was offered the chance in October of 2019, we jumped. Traveling to London, we visited Pinewood Studios as a guest of Omega to check out Bond’s new watch, see what a machine gun-equipped Aston Martin looks like up close, and speak to some of the creatives who bring Bond to life on the silver screen.

Given that an Omega watch is merely a piece of Bond’s costume, we thought we’d give you a sneak peak into the design process for the rest of the secret agent’s wardrobe, along with the wardrobe for other characters in 007’s universe.

It wouldn’t be a Bond film without the obligatory exotic location and accompanying swimwear photo op.

Nicola Dove

Suttirat Anne Larlarb, the film’s costume designer, had a room within one of the Pinewood facilities set up with costume samples from No Time to Die. One the more striking was a Japanese “nho”-style mask, worn by villain Rami Malek. Larlarb remarked that one of the most challenging aspects of creating this look was “getting the perfect expressionless expression.”

11th annual costume designers guild awards arrivals

Costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb, who designed the looks for No Time to Die.

Frederick M. BrownGetty Images

“One of the most interesting challenges of taking on a Bond film is that it comes with this expectation that you’re going to address certain things that a built-in audience expects,” she said. “You have a well-suited James Bond, you have villains that have become icons in and of themselves. And so to have a new villain, one that’s not been in the lexicon before, is actually a particularly juicy challenge, because the other villains that we’ve come to know through the history of Bond are so iconic — you have to outdo the last villain.”

This costume was made completely in-house — Larlarb has two tailors as well as cutting and sewing teams, and an in-house textile workshop to work on aging and distressing to make materials look lived-in and worn.

One of the most interesting challenges of taking on a Bond film is that it comes with this expectation that you’re going to address certain things that a built-in audience expects.

“The drama is dependent upon the lighting and the movement — just a slight cocking of the head to one angle or the other,” she explained. “When you look at it front-on it seems very expressionless and serene, but depending on the lighting and the body language of the person wearing the mask, you can get quite a lot of emotional range. It can feel very aggressive or very serene.”

Ralph Fiennes as M in his custom Timothy Everest suit.

Timothy Everest

Ralph Fiennes’s iconic “M” had its own sartorial challenges, though these were made easier when Larlarb simply followed the famed actor’s preferences: His suits are made bespoke by a tailor in East London at Timothy Everest, whom Fiennes loves, and the fabric used is one of Fiennes’s favorites from SPECTRE, though the suit and cut are both new. Said Larlarb: “The character is so steadfast and traditional, so it made sense for him to have a favorite suit or tailor and wear the same suit into the future, ad infinitum, but not have it be exactly the same.”

Just because shooting has begun doesn’t mean that the story is rigidly defined, or that there aren’t room for changes in both story arc and wardrobe along the way: “On the day that Ralph Fiennes wears this ensemble, because of where the script and story were developed up to that point, we didn’t quite know what was happening the next day in the story. We didn’t quite know what was happening the day before in the story,” Larlarb explains.

Everyone really pays attention to every character in a Bond film — it’s a particular type of gauntlet that’s thrown down.

“I kind of knew what we had done before and what we would do at the end. I at least want to know what the bookends are — how we start a character and how we finish a character. And then everything in between, I at least have that rule so that when I’m having a discussion with our director or with the actors and I’m trying to pitch an idea, it’s not done in a vacuum of that one moment. It’s done so that I’m always trying to make sure that the arc is there so that we can always follow the story.”

Madeleine, Bond’s love interest played by Léa Seydoux, has 11 looks in the film. Originally meant to look and seem cold in SPECTRE, her now-established history with Bond has lent her more of a sensual look vis-a-vis her No Time to Die costumes. (Though her character’s profession — that of a psychologist — means that the look was still kept fairly neutral.)

Moneyponey, a recurring favorite character within the Bond pantheon, features one dress from Paul Smith crafted entirely of recycled plastic bottles. “One of the things about working in contemporary film is that I always struggle a bit about the ramifications of what we do, so to be able to integrate something that’s thinking about the future of fashion and sustainability in a film that’s very much about moving into the future is a really important thing to me personally,” said Larlarb.

And what of Bond himself? The most iconic of his looks are formal — a suit and, perhaps even more so, a tuxedo or dinner jacket — lately made by none other than Tom Ford.

Craig as Bond in one his bespoke Tom Ford suits.

Tom Ford

“Whatever the requirement of the costume — and when I say ‘costume’ I mean all the ensuing pieces, including the watch, the shoes, sometimes the foundations underneath including the t-shirt, etc. — it’s all a series of decisions and how we execute those decisions. And in the case of the Tom Ford suits, everything was a collaboration with them,” said Larlarb.

“What’s particularly fantastic about them (Tom Ford) is that they provide the suit, they provide the fabric, but in terms of the creative part of it, which is so much of what our jobs as the fashion department is, it still goes through the same process. It still starts from the script, discussions with the directors, discussions with the actor, what the scene requires, what kind of environment is it, what’s the mood — all of those things are boxes that I need to check off when I then approach the designer about what it is that I’m looking for.”

“When we knew we needed a day suit, I knew we would approach Tom Ford about providing one. The first part of the equation was they asked us to come to the Sloane Street atelier and have a look through all the swatch books. And we first asked if they could send them to Pinewood because it’s obviously a little bit of a trek. (Editor’s note: Pinewood is about 45 minutes from central London, without traffic) And they said well, you might want to come here because of how many swatch books we have. And there are something like 2,500 swatches. So there was an afternoon when I was there going through 2,500 swatches and kind of making the first pass of thoughts based on what our needs are.”

Craig as Bond wearing a military-inspired ribbed sweater from N. Peal.

MGM

“I make an initial selection, we look at cuts of suits that exist — we know that for Daniel we’ll tailor that cut specifically to him, and then with the initial fabric selection, they’ll be able to tell me what what meterage is available in each fabric, and from that we’ll then decide which are the top contenders for the fabrics. Because for us, we need to be able to commit to something that we can have 33 of — 33 bespoke suits that covers the two or three precious, perfect suits, then 6-8 others that have to go through levels of action distress. And then on top of that, his photo double, his two stunt doubles, his driving double, all of those things. So the matrix of how all that happens kind of gets filtered into the design choice, because I might like a better fabric but there’s only enough to make two suits, so that gets discounted right away. So it’s like a Rubik’s cube, basically.”

We need to be able to commit to something that we can have 33 of — 33 bespoke suits.

So who, in such an involved process, has the last word on any given look? Turns out that it’s different people, depending on the circumstances: sometimes it might be Daniel Craig, sometimes it’s the director, and sometimes the buck stops with Larlarb. But, Larlarb points out, later in the film, when trust has been established, she has the last word. Regarding options for different costumes she says: “I would never just make one option available: I have a favorite, I have one that I could live with, and one that maybe is a left-field option that is obviously something to reject. We want everybody to have a stake in what they’re doing so that it doesn’t become a ‘whatever’ process.”

Larlarb, serene in person and happy to explain her design process, is clearly up to the challenge of adding to what is perhaps the most iconic sartorial pantheon in the history of modern cinema. “To me, costumes are an expression of a character’s behavior more than about the clothes,” she says. “But on a Bond film, we also have this need to remain iconic in our decisions. It’s not just a contemporary action film where it doesn’t really matter what they’re wearing. Everyone really pays attention to every character in a Bond film — it’s a particular type of gauntlet that’s thrown down.”

No Time to Die premiers on October 8th, 2021.

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October 4, 2021 / Comments Off

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Our Favorite Watches from Only Watch 2021

Events and limited edition announcements take place all year in the watch industry, but there’s nothing like the annual Only Watch auction: Benefiting muscular dystrophy research, it’s become a platform for dozens of watchmakers to produce something special and unique.

Each watch entered has to be one-of-a-kind, and while some companies might only offer an otherwise unavailable color, many watchmakers bring some of their most interesting and creative work to the challenge each year. Not only is it a chance for the brands to be a bit experimental and get some media attention, but new or unusual features that show up in these one-off watches sometimes signal future collections that will be more widely available. Anyone interested in watches has a lot to explore at each Only Watch installment, even if they’re not bidding themselves.

This year, the auction is taking place on November 6 in Geneva, but most of the 54 participating brands have already announced their contributions. Below are some of the standout examples from 2021 Only Watch, but from Hublot’s mostly sapphire crystal Big Bang watch (pictured above) to Konstantin Chaykin’s mind-blowing Martian watch, there are indeed many more fascinating works of horological art to check out on the auction website.

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Tudor Black Bay GMT One

Tudor always offers something notable to Only Watch. This year, it’s a version of their Black Bay GMT with a steel case that’s been treated to look aged like a tool that’s been living in a garage for 30 years. (It’s also reminiscent of, say, G-Shock’s worn-in-looking Full Metal watch.) How did Tudor achieve this effect? It’s a “secret,” and it’s so cool that many fans liekly hope for a similar production model.

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Baltic Pulsometer Monopusher Chronograph

Joining Only Watch for the first time, Baltic stands out among this year’s participants as a microbrand among mostly high-end independents and well established watch companies. One of our favorite value-focused watchmakers, the French company has created a vintage-styled watch featuring a pulsometer scale and a restored vintage Venus 150 chronograph movement from the 1940s.

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F.P.Journe x Francis Ford Coppola FFC Blue

Why is there a blue gauntlet on the front of this watch? Does it even tell the time? Francis Ford Coppola? What’s going on? That’s right, this watch was conceived by the wine- and filmmaker and executed by independent watchmaker F.P. Journe, who’s always a star of Only Watch. This is a watch hand like you’ve never seen — the fingers extend and retract to indicate the time thanks to some extremely complicated clockwork inside.

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MB&F HM10 Panda

You’ve seen “panda dial” watches before, but not like this. MB&F’s usual approach of creating horological wrist sculptures inspired by themes like animals here appears to take the form of some type of cyborg panda bear. It’s based on the brand’s HM10, which was meant to look like a bulldog, but here is tweaked with panda colors and even cute little ears. The large “eyes” are domed discs that display the hours and minutes, respectively. And, yes, you can actually strap it to your wrist.

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Girard-Perregaux Casquette

Girard-Perregaux made funky LED quartz watches like this back in the ’70s, but it’s somewhat unexpected for the high-end brand otherwise primarily focused on mechanical watchmaking today to bring them back — much less in a form that doubles down on its existing funkiness. The result of a partnership with Bamford Watch Department, the Casquette further stands out thanks to a case produced in carbon fiber and titanium.

October 3, 2021 / Comments Off

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Like Vintage Motorcycles? Then You Need This Watch

Swiss brand Ollech & Wajs knows how to make a badass, no-nonsense tool watch — their modern designs are fresh but feel about as genuine as their vintage diver and pilot’s models. Their latest is an extension of their established formula, but this time based on a military motorcycle.

Collaborating with a Zurich-based, vintage motorcycle restoration workshop to restore a Condor 350 motorbike, Ollech & Wajs produced a watch to match, called the OW 350CI. It’s essentially a new version of the brand’s OW P-101 watch, one of the models that introduced the modern brand’s revival, but with some key changes. The base model has a highly legible design with a clear military inspiration (the brand calls it a field watch), but also offers the handy additional functionality of a 12-hour rotating bezel, which is a simple way to help you track a second time zone.

The specs and dimensions are the same, with an identical 39.56mm steel case with 300m of water resistance and an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement inside — but there are a few notable tweaks that give it a character all its own: You’ll probably notice the khaki green dial first (easily the dial color trend of 2021), and it comes on a leather strap to match it, echoing the colors of the Condor 350 motorbike. The bezel here is in bare steel, rather than the black coating of the P-101.

The Ollech & Wajs OW 350Cl

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The biggest difference, however, is that you’ll find the large crown on the opposite side of its usual position on the 3 o’clock side of the case. A 9 o’clock crown orientation is often referred to as lefthanded (or “destro”), and it’s particularly appropriate for a watch made for riding because a crown can dig into your wrist while gripping handlebars. Orienting the crown this way doesn’t require a lot of technical tweaking, but it does give the OW 350CI a more deliberate and special feel.

The OW 350CI isn’t a limited edition, but the first 56 examples will feature their production number on the crown. You can get one now directly from the brand online for around $1,240.

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October 2, 2021 / Comments Off

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The Hermès H08 Is Modern Watchmaking Done Right

Hermès H08, $5,700+

There’s something about the approach a “luxury goods manufacturer” takes to watchmaking — rather than that of a traditional watchmaker — that makes for some of the more interesting designs in modern horology. Of course, this is of little surprise. While most watchmakers are concerned with movement accuracy, robustness, and, increasingly, mining their archives for inspiration, a brand like Hermès is poised to approach a new timepiece from a purely aesthetic point of view, yielding a fresh-feeling creation that owes little to the traditional “rules” of horology.

The maison’s latest watch, the H08, is an automatic timepiece available in several configurations that’s meant to be worn every day. Without further ado, let’s see what we have, here…

Key Specs:

Case Diameter: 39mm
Case Depth: 10.6mm
Water Resistance: 100m
Movement: Hermès Manufacture Caliber H1837
Price: $5,700+

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Henry Phillips

Notable

As I mentioned earlier, the H08 is a collection in which aesthetics take center stage — though, this being Hermès, the watchmaking portion of the equation is still strong. Within the collection is an all-black model with graphene case; a DLC-coated titanium model available on one of two straps; and a plain titanium model available on either rubber or a matching titanium bracelet (our review model). Each is powered by the automatic Hermès Manufacture Caliber H1837 and features a specially designed typeface, a modern, thoughtfully designed case and a unique dial. In short, the H08 is a perfect example of the maison’s design prowess.

Who It’s For

While Hermès parks the H08 collection firmly within its Men’s line, it should be stated off the bat that the watch strikes us as perfectly unisex, and we’re sure many women will find its design appealing on their wrists — especially on the rubber straps (more on why, later). As for the male client, Hermès watchmaking is likely only on the radar of a very specific subset of folks: people who are watch aficionados and thus familiar with the maison’s forays into horology; people who are dedicated Hermès fans; and people who are true design nuts. It’s unlikely to my mind that your average dude, new to the work force, is going to spring for an H08 with his first bonus…though we see no good reason why he shouldn’t.

Alternatives

If you enjoy watchmaking chiefly for the aesthetics, then Cartier and its wares are no doubt on your radar. While most of their designs tend toward the dressier side of the spectrum, the medium Santos de Cartier model ($6,500), with its automatic movement, matching steel bracelet and classic, Roman-numeral dial, is perhaps a decent analogue for the H08. For another design-focused option, there’s the Octo Roma in steel from Bulgari ($6,100), which ships on a leather strap — it too features an in-house, automatic movement and unique case design. Finally, there’s the Tambour from Louis Vuitton ($6,050): with its drum-inspired case and striking dial, it’s a watch that’s sure to turn heads.

Henry Phillips

Review

For our review, I requested the H08 in titanium with matching bracelet. The case, though not particularly small at 39mm, is of course incredibly light and refined: vaguely H-shaped, it features an inner, square-shaped quadrant within which sits the round watch dial beneath a sapphire crystal. Though the case is entirely brushed, it’s brushed in different directions in different places: radially within the inner square section; vertically on the case top; and what appears to be horizontally on the sides, though, interestingly, these sides appear in two different shades — darker toward the bottom and lighter on top.

A screw-down crown signed with the Hermes “H” joins the crown guard-less case flush on its right flank, while the case back features a sapphire window through which the manufacture movement — with 50 hours of power reserve — can be viewed. (The back is otherwise adorned only with six tiny flat-head screws to attach it to the main case.) The bracelet’s end links join flush and smoothly with the short lugs and complete the look.

Henry Phillips

Speaking of the bracelet — and the reason I wanted to check this model out — it of course features thoughtful touches, such as the links, which are H-shaped and joined by polished center links. A push-button butterfly clasp joins the whole shebang together. While I appreciate the design of the bracelet — and it’s fairly comfortable — two things bothered me: the first is that the end links at the bracelet hardly articulate, meaning that the entire watch doesn’t hug your wrist the way it otherwise could. My second qualm is that the bracelet has no taper, which, to me, reminds me of cheaply made bracelets from smaller microbrands and smacks of a lack of refinement. This is a matter of personal taste, but I would have appreciated some degree of taper, personally.

I can’t speak, unfortunately, to the rubber strap options. Pricing for these is as follows: the titanium on rubber or webbed fabric is $5,500; the titanium with DCL coating on rubber or webbed fabric is $5,700; and the graphene model on rubber is $8,900.

Henry Phillips

However, I can talk about the watch’s dial all day: The outer track is sort of an anthracite grey with a slightly pebbled texture (provided you look very, very closely), inside of which is a smooth black chapter ring with white indices, inside of which is another smaller, grey circle with white minute/seconds ring and the “HERMÈS, PARIS” branding. The star of the show here in once again the dial’s typeface, which is unique to the H08 line and features thoughtful touches: the “4,” for example, is reversed on the dial such that one wouldn’t need to turn the watch (or one’s head) in order to read each numeral in succession. (The “8” solves this problem by being symmetrical.

It’s a hip, modern typeface that stands out for its multitude of different weights within each numeral — indeed, this type of numerology would undoubtedly not have worked well before the advent of the index surround, which contains the luminous material within. (My guess is that if this type of font were painted on a dial in the 1940s, the ink would have run.)

Henry Phillips

Even the handset on the H08 is interesting: the minute and hour hands are rectangular, the hour being entirely lume-filled, while the minutes is filled partly and is otherwise skeletonized — an interesting choice, and a cool one. I’m more ambivalent about the seconds hand: I like the orange-filled, arrow-shaped tip balanced by the circle-within-a-square tail, but am for some reason vaguely bothered by the fact that it’s only the diameter of the inner, circular ring. I understand the design choice, but also feel like it somewhat fattens the dial in a way that isn’t necessarily flattering.

Finally, my one super-qualm with the dial: the f*#@ing date window at 4:30. Tell me something, and tell me honestly: who, when designing a watch from the ground up (and who doesn’t work at Zenith) believes that putting a date window at 4:30 is a positive design choice? You have a brand new dial that has never been seen before, and you choose to stick the freakin’ thing between two other numerals? Get rid of the three or the six and put it there! Or put it vertically above the six! Do anything besides this! This is the type of shit Dieter Rams or the ghost of Walter Gropius would literally kill a man over. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stop doing this, Watch Designers.

Besides that, I loved the dial.

Verdict

I truly enjoyed my time with the H08, and though I had several qualms with it, I found it to be comfortable, light, and easy to wear. Its marketed as an everyday watch, which I certainly find to be an accurate description, though admittedly if I were traveling I’d probably spring either for a dive watch or a GMT.

Were the H08 a bit smaller, I think it could make for the perfect unisex timepiece, though again, I’m sure many women will purchase one regardless. I do regret not opting for strap-equipped option as, knowing Hermès, I’m sure these are incredibly refined and comfortable. Also, I anticipate that a strap would negate the problem of the non-articulating end links on the bracelet.

Overall, while I’m not quite as smitten with the H08 as I am with the Slim d’Hermès, I have to applaud the maison for following its own star, and not the vintage-obsessed whims of the greater watch world. May Hermès continue in this direction.

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October 2, 2021 / Comments Off on The Hermès H08 Is Modern Watchmaking Done Right
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Is Rolex Finally Making a Watch in Titanium?

Ineos Britannia Team / C GREGORY

Rolex’s new watches this year were expectedly reserved. But it’s what Rolex didn’t announce that’s potentially one of the biggest moves from the brand in years, and it’s been right under our noses for months: Quietly, the brand has placed a prototype of its first titanium watch ever on Olympic sailing champion Ben Ainslie, and even hawk-eyed Rolex fanatics only just noticed.

Specifically, Ainslie has been wearing a version of Rolex’s 42mm Yacht Master in titanium since at least late 2020. It looks a lot like the Yacht Master 42 in white gold, but with some key differences: it’s got a cleaner look, lacking a date window; it’s fastened using a NATO-style velcro strap; and it’s made from titanium with a matte finish. This is just a prototype watch — there’s no guarantee that it’ll be serially produced (or that any final model would have the same configuration), but it seems to suggest that Rolex is seriously considering a watch in titanium.

That would be a big move for the brand, but Rolex fans are also excited about the way such a watch is being “tested.” It harkens back to the days when Rolex famously placed its dive watches on the wrists of COMEX divers, or on Jacques Piccard’s submersible as it plumbed the Mariana Trench in 1960; or its Oyster case watch on Mercedes Gleitze’s wrist as she swam across the English Channel in 1927. Those were the days when Rolex was all about tool watches meant for action.

The Rolex Yacht Master 42 in white gold is shinier and has a date window, but otherwise has a similar look to Ben Ainslie’s titanium version.
Courtesy

The brand has since largely become so prestigious and swanky that many owners understandably avoid scratches. Currently available only in precious metals, the Yacht Master represents that image well — but it’s interesting to imagine that a new version in matte titanium with a date-less, almost Mil-Sub look could represent a pivot. But why would Rolex want to produce a watch in titanium?

Rolex certainly knows the merits of titanium as a watchmaking material, as so many brands and consumers do. We love it for its remarkable combination of strength and lightness that can make even a chunky tool watch significantly more comfortable on the wrist than if it were in stainless steel. It’s not only tough and light but highly resistant to heat and magnetism, factors that are often harmful to mechanical timekeeping. (It’s also known to be hypoallergenic.) And of course, sailing is a sport that requires perfect weight balances to maintain cutting edge speed.

Sir Ben Ainslie, Helmsman of Great Britain Sail GP Team and his crew members celebrate victory during SailGP on Sydney Harbour on February 29, 2020 in Sydney, Australia.
Mark EvansGetty Images

So why wouldn’t Rolex produce a titanium watch? What you can be sure of is that if Rolex is going to do something like make a watch in titanium, it’s going to do it carefully, do it right and do it better than everyone else. Despite that titanium is all-around a more premium material than steel, the brand is also certainly aware that some customers will equate weight with value and find titanium to not feel as “expensive,” but if anyone can change that perception, it’s Rolex. (Though this would be the brand’s first time producing a full watch case in titanium, it’s used the material for the Sea-Dweller‘s case back.)

Titanium can also be difficult to work with due to its hardness and because it doesn’t quite take a shine like other metals. In recent years, however, watch brands have improved on techniques to finish and treat titanium to avoid oxidation that makes the material look dull and easily scratched. (It’s actually the oxidized layer that’s scratched rather than the underlying metal). In fact, titanium that’s been well finished and treated can have a unique and interesting luster all its own. It would be awesome to see how Rolex can improve on this.

For now, Rolex acknowledges that the prototype watch exists but isn’t commenting any further. Sir Ben Ainslie says, “The team at Rolex has been incredibly thoughtful by giving me a titanium Yacht-Master 42. I’m extremely honoured to have it, plus, from a performance perspective, every little bit of weight that we can save, helps us to go faster with the boat.”

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September 29, 2021 / Comments Off on Is Rolex Finally Making a Watch in Titanium?
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Want to Own the Most Badass Rolex Dive Watch Ever? Here’s Your Chance

There are badass dive watches and then there are really badass dive watches. And then, there’s a singular badass dive watch like no other: the prototype watch that Rolex made and strapped to the exterior of Auguste Piccard’s bathyscaphe Trieste submersible vessel in 1953 to test it at a depth of 3,150m. It’s an absolutely legendary watch and as funky-looking as you’d expect early, experimental dive equipment to be: It’s the Rolex Prototype Deep Sea Special N°1, and soon you’ll be able place a bid to own it.

This watch will go under the hammer at Christie’s Rare Watches Auction in Geneva on November 8, 2021. This isn’t quite the most famous watch that Rolex strapped to a submersible vessel and sent to the bottom of the ocean — that would be the Prototype Deep Sea Special N°3 that went 10,908m into the Mariana Trench in 1960 (and is now housed in a museum). But the N°1 is, of course, the first prototype that took part in this type of adventure (which Rolex has continued), and it marks the beginning of a very cool and interesting series of history-making events. For consumers, of course, this development led to Rolex’s most serious dive watch, the Rolex Sea Dweller.

The Deep Sea Special series of prototype watches were experimental and made to develop water resistance technology, so their look isn’t quite like that of any other watch you’d expect to wear on your wrist. With its 43mm diameter, it sounds just about wearable for modern tastes, but it’s also extremely thick with an unusually bulbous plexiglass crystal — though, not quite as remarkably bulbous as the later N°3 prototype of 1960.

The Rolex Deep Sea Special N°1 will be up for auction on November 8, 2021.
Courtesy

The Rolex Deep Sea Special N°1 was tested to 3,150m underwater in 1953.
Courtesy

For these reasons, this watch represents a rare opportunity (to say the least) for collectors, but there are even more “cool factors” that only make it more compelling: How about that massive Rolex crown logo at 12 o’clock and the wordmark at 6 o’clock on the dial? Pretty unusual. Also fascinating is that Rolex chose to make this badass among dive watches in a two-tone mix of steel and gold (in modern Rolex speak, this is called “Rolesor”) in the midst of the dressy 1950s. Even two-tone-haters might have to make an exception here.

Though it previously auctioned in 2005 for around $400,000 (CHF 322,400), you’d expect a watch like this to go for even more today. So even if you’re not in the bidding yourself, it’s worth keeping an eye on the sale in November.

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September 26, 2021 / Comments Off on Want to Own the Most Badass Rolex Dive Watch Ever? Here’s Your Chance
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The Best Vintage Reissue Watches of 2021

There was a time, in the not-too-distant past, when if you wanted a vintage-styled watch, well…you pretty much had to buy an actual vintage watch. Now, that scenario is almost hard to imagine: In 2021, many modern watches go beyond mere vintage “influence” or “inspiration” and are often closer to near-exact remakes than ever.

Within this watchmaking renaissance, it’s great to be able to enjoy time-tested design with all the benefits of modern tech and materials — or is it?

With so many recent vintage homages, some watch enthusiasts fret about a lack of creativity in the industry: “What will a watch from the 2020s look like to subsequent generations other than a watch from the 1960s or ’70s?” Hopefully the future will offer fresh new visions of watchmaking alongside a healthy appreciation of time-tested designs of the past — but in the meantime, there are just a lot of very cool neo-vintage watches to enjoy.

Given the lack the hassle and uncertainty that comes with buying and maintaining vintage watches, it’s hard to complain about these vintage designs becoming more accessible: In many cases, the modern equivalents will be better made than the originals, and the buying experience far more straightforward. Despite any handwringing about originality in the watch industry, we can’t help but love and want many of the remakes that are coming out nowadays. Faithful vintage reissues are the dominant watchmaking trend of 2021 — here are some of the best.

Q Timex 1978 Reissue Day-Date

Timex timex.com

$169.00

Many of the most iconic watches of the last century have returned as modern, high-end watches in recent years — but they’re not your only choices for cool retro style and history: Affordable as always, Timex has continued to grow its much loved Q collection of classic watches from the era when quartz was actually celebrated. They offer a refreshing break from the snobbism of expensive mechanical watches, but also an excellent vintage style taken directly from the brand’s archives — the dressy new 1978 Q Timex Reissue Day Date being a perfect example.

Diameter: 35mm
Movement: Quartz
Water resistance: 50m

Tissot PRX

tissotwatches.com

$375.00

Part of the ne0-vintage trend has seen watchmakers looking to the nostalgia of decades other than just the ’60s and ’70s, as well. Tissot’s PRX design was technically born in the late ’70s, but it feels very ’80s, if you ask me. It has the hallmarks of other quartz watches from the era such as its sloping lugs and integrated bracelet design, making its character stand out among the many other reissues out there. The modern versions come in quartz, just like the originals, but for a few hundred bucks more, you can also get an automatic movement and even a cool waffle-textured dial.

Diameter: 40mm
Movement: ETA C07.111 automatic
Water resistance: 100m

Nivada Antarctic Spider

nivadagrenchenofficial.com

$773.00

Nivada is among a number of entire brands that have been resurrected to again offer watches produced in its namesake’s heyday (mostly the ’60s and ’70s, of course). The modern company is entirely dedicated to such homages, and among them is the relatively dressy Antarctic collection. The Spider model is a recent addition that features radial lines and vertical indices that together make the reason for its nickname readily apparent.

Diameter: 38mm
Movement: Soprod P024 automatic
Water resistance: 100m

Bulova Mil Ships

bulova.com

$895.00

Among its many contemporary collections, Bulova has selectively found the odd vintage watch to recreate. With all its history, the brand has several good options, too, and affordable examples like its Lunar Pilot (“Moonwatch”) and Oceanographer (“Devil Diver”) have proven very successful. For 2021, the company recreated a dive watch it never before serially produced, but which only existed as a prototype. Fans of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms will find a lot that’s familiar here, as well as appreciate a much more affordable alternative.

Diameter: 41mm
Movement: Miyota 82S0 automatic
Water resistance: 200m

Timor Heritage Field

timorwatch.com

$1,250.00

Like a couple other brands mentioned here, Timor as a modern company exists largely to recreate its most famous watches of the past. You can hardly blame them, as they were among 12 companies that produced one of the most legendary military watches of all time, the “W.W.W.” for the British military in WWII. They’re not the only brand doing an homage to this watch, but they seem to have really done it up and created a refined modern product based on a decidedly pragmatic field watch.

Diameter: 36.5mm
Movement: Sellita SW260 automatic or SW216 hand-wound
Water resistance: 40m

Accutron Legacy

accutronwatch.com

$1,490.00

If you dig the funky side of midcentury watch design, Accutron has a whole collection that’s sure to get your attention. The “TV” watch is just one example (and not the quirkiest), but it represents a period of several decades in which designers looked to a “space age,” and designs got experimental and sometimes a little far-out. It’s a brave move for a brand to rerelease these obscurities, as they’re not bound to enjoy the same popularity as the sport watches most other brands focus on — but it shows that there’s real passion behind the products.

Diameter: 38mm
Movement: Undisclosed Swiss automatic
Water resistance: 30m

Hamilton Intra-Matic Chronograph H

hamiltonwatch.com

$2,095.00

One of Hamilton’s strongest collections is its range of handsome, ’60’s-inspired watches that feel like they’re straight out of Mad Men. This year, the brand announced new chronographs featuring hand-wound movements and approachable 40mm cases, just like the Chronograph A and B watches from 1968 that they’re based on. Even more interesting, the movement inside was developed specially for these watches and exclusively for Hamilton by the brand’s Swatch Group sister company ETA.

Diameter: 40mm
Movement: ETA H-51 hand-wound
Water resistance: 100m

Seiko Prospex 1959 Alpinist Recreation SJE085

seikoluxe.com

$2,900.00

The Seiko Alpinist that’s best known (and which the brand brought back in 2020) is actually not the original Alpinist, but a version from the 1990s. The original Alpinist — Seiko’s first sport watch — was born in 1959, and it’s this version which Seiko reissued this year. Like almost every watch of its era, it looks somewhat dressy from a modern perspective, but was famously intended for Japanese “mountain men.” In its modern limited-edition incarnation, however, it’s no cheap beater and lives among the luxury-priced watches of the brand’s Prospex collection.

Diameter: 36.6mm
Movement: Seiko 6L35 automatic
Water resistance: 200m

Airain Type 20 Re-Edition

Airain is one of the brands known for its Type 20 chronograph watches made for French military pilots starting in the 1950s. Much like Nivada above, the company has been resurrected today to make these vintage watches again, and the combination of design, size (about 1.5mm larger than the original at 38mm) and history make for one hell of a great looking modern watch. Here and there you can find remakes of iconic chronographs from bigger brands, but Airain also offers a pretty strong value proposition — and it even includes the now-exotic flyback function, which allows you to restart the chronograph at zero without having to first stop and reset it.

Diameter: 38mm
Movement: La Joux-Perret AM1 automatic
Water resistance: 50m

Zenith Chronomaster Original

zenith-watches.com

$9,000.00

Zenith’s modern Chronomaster collection is where the legacy of its famous El Primero — the movements and the watches of the same name — live. For a couple years now, the brand has been offering historically faithful versions of its first El Primero watches from 1969 that are accurate down to the smalest details, including sizing. While the brand has also given these designs modern interpretations (to excellent effect), there are examples like the Chronomaster Original, which recreates watches the famous reference A386. This is essentially the closest you can get to the El Primero’s iconic look without actually buying vintage.

Diameter: 38mm
Movement: Zenith Caliber 3600 automatic
Water resistance: 50m

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September 26, 2021 / Comments Off on The Best Vintage Reissue Watches of 2021
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The Best Diamond Watches for Men

Guys love their rough-and-tumble tool watches and patina, but also their fancy, shiny timepieces. Masculine bling in the form of polished steel or gold is perfectly normal, it seems, so why are stones like diamonds overwhelmingly restricted to women’s watches? Can a mineral be inherently feminine? We’re simply talking about a type of rock, and this is the 2020s — gender norms beg to be questioned and transcended.

So, you’ve got to ask yourself: how do you feel about diamond watches for men?

The very idea of a distinction between men’s and women’s watches is more and more outmoded. Usually defined by size, brands are increasingly selling watches labeled “unisex” (not that it’s particularly helpful), but segmenting collections by gender is still typical. Many female horology fans wear watches ostensibly designed for men and feel frustrated that so many products presumably made for them feature stereotypical motifs like flowers, butterflies, pink, purple and, yes, diamonds. Diamond watches for men, however, remain rare, so why shouldn’t the norm-busting go in the other direction as well?

It turns out that these attitudes are more relevant in certain countries than in others, and that diamond watches for men are relatively popular in significant parts of the world (though there are also plenty sold in places like the United States, as well). We see celebrities wearing crazy “iced-out” full-pavé watches and the like, but for more regular folks there’s no reason that an interesting material should be off the table as an option as long as it’s tastefully integrated.

Why might you want diamonds on your watch? Diamonds do a couple things: they sparkle like crazy and they communicate value (you knew that). But they can also add interest to a watch in a few ways. First of all, they’re just objectively cool objects to look at up close and represent natural phenomena that any science buff should appreciate — being the hardest natural material known, formed under crazy conditions over millions of years, miles within the earth. The rarity and remarkable level of purity of gem-quality diamonds also makes them fascinating as well as gives them inherent value.

In addition to these physical properties, diamond selection, cutting and setting represent exactly the kind of skill and craftsmanship that watch enthusiasts tend to appreciate in other forms. This means that there’s more value and cost associated with a diamond watch than just that of the diamonds themselves, but also be aware that precious materials in general serve as an excuse for brands to mark up prices even further. If you’re interested in a watch with diamonds, here are a few things to consider, and a few options:

Carats: In diamonds, carats (also karats and abbreviated c, k, ct or kt) refers to the mineral’s weight, one carat being equal to 0.2 grams. Note that this is different than in precious metals like gold where the term denotes purity.

Natural vs. synthetic: Man-made diamonds are physically and chemically equivalent to natural ones, but they’re grown in a lab and are more common and affordable. Avoid any uncertainty regarding diamonds’ authenticity or origin by buying directly from brands or authorized dealers.

Ethical sourcing: There are national and international processes for addressing environmental and ethical sourcing of diamonds. Brands and authorized dealers should include language in their materials related to sourcing and be able to provide it on request.

Casio Vintage Collection A159WAD

amazon.com

$30.00

You probably didn’t expect to see something like this here. Within Casio’s Vintage collection of classic digital watches are a few special editions that are made in Japan and feature two small, natural diamonds as accents above and below the screen. Casio also distinguishes these models with a crystal that’s different from the typical flat type and features facets as if to echo those of the diamonds.

Diameter: 36.8mm
Movement: Quartz

Citizen Corso

citizenwatch.com

$340.00

With Citizen’s light-powered Eco-Drive line you can get a solid and practical watch featuring eight diamonds on its dial — and without the luxury prices associated with automatic movements that otherwise make watches like this expensive. Diamonds add a hint of pizazz to this handsome, everyday watch make it feel a little more special.

Diameter: 41mm
Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive quartz

Rado HyperChrome Classic Automatic Diamonds

rado.com

$2,550.00

The tasteful diamond hour markers on this subtle Rado watch don’t feel at all overly fussy or fancy — though they add about $500 to the price of a similar model without diamonds. The watch is further interesting as it offers a case and bracelet combining elements of steel, titanium and ceramic. There are other versions available as well, including one in 35mm.

Diameter: 42mm
Movement: ETA C07.111 automatic

Rolex Datejust 41

rolex.com

$11,600.00

This is probably more like what you expected to see here. Rolex has an in-house gemology department and like everything else the brand does, its gem selection and setting is some of the best in all of watches. Any Rolex watch is a kind of a flex anyway, but something like this Datejust in steel and white gold with nicely sized diamonds on the dial is another level. (The same configuration is available in 36mm.)

Diameter: 41mm
Movement: Rolex 3235 automatic

Omega De Ville Trésor

omegawatches.com

$11,800.00

Omega’s DeVille Tresor collection houses some of the most elegant dress watches available. Rather than on the dial (as in the above examples), Omega places diamonds all around the bezel — many bunch of them. Though housed in a stainless steel case, this is an exceedingly handsome example of a traditional mens watch style accented with diamonds in a natural-feeling way.

Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Omega 8910 manual

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September 25, 2021 / Comments Off on The Best Diamond Watches for Men
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Photographer Cory Richards on Watches, Adventure and More

Explorer, photographer, climber, adventurer, brand ambassador…Cory Richards is the very embodiment of “multi-hyphenate.” Having scaled Mt. Everest on more than one occasion — once without supplemental oxygen — it’s no surprise that he brings an infectious energy to any space he inhabits, whether he’s discussing his upbringing, his travels, or watchmaking.

Back in 2019, we covered a special prototype watch that Vacheron Constantin made for Richards, which he wore on an Everest expedition. We’ve been waiting two years for the maison to debut a production model of said watch, which, much to our delight, they just did. We got the chance to sit down with Richards for a few minutes to discuss his passions, his relationship to Vacheron, and his plans for the future.

Cory Richards

On what came first — photography or climbing…

1.

“Climbing really did come first…I was going on this expedition and I borrowed my mom’s point-and-shoot camera. I was flying into the Ruth Gorge in the Alaska Range…I didn’t know at the time as I was taking pictures out the window that I was marrying these things naturally. So photography absolutely came second — climbing came first. But then I believe that they became one and the same.”

Richards’s photography on display in Vacheron Constantin’s gallery in NYC in the “Exploring the Space Between” exhibit.
Vacheron Constantin

On the relationship between watches and exploration…

2.

“I learned more about the connective tissue between horology and exploration as I evolved into it. I always had a fascination with watches and time. Both loves were present, and then they sort of married later on.”

On his relationship to Vacheron Constantin, and exploration watches…

3.

“Our initial relationship started before (the Overseas Dual Time Everest) — it was largely based on the photography and the writing I was doing. But then the Everest project came up, and the idea to ‘co-author’ a timepiece came out of that. And then we absolutely talked about the functionality, the weight factors, how it could withstand temperature and pressure differentials — all of that. We even talked about the type of oil that’s used to withstand freezing. All of that informed the way the watch was ultimately put out.”

A self portrait from one of Richards’s Everest expeditions.
Vacheron Constantin

On the Overseas Dual Time…

4.

“The Dual Time, for me, is useful but it’s also meaningful in that you get to see and understand that there’s a whole other life that you live. And that little piece of the (watch) face is your tether to everybody else and everything else that you do. And it’s a reminder that you should ‘push it’ as far as you can, but come home. We go hard into our goals — that’s the big dial that’s guiding us — but then there’s this little one saying, remember balance, remember everything else in your life.”

The Vacheron Constantin Overaeas Dual Time Everest.
Vacheron Constantin

On a new book he’s working on…

5.

“It’s really a mental health memoir that’s balanced by the life that I’ve led — so there’s some adventure in it, there’s some climbing — but it’s much more about the devleopment of our brains and how that evolves into our trajectory. So as much as it’ll be fun for people who follow adventure, it’s meant to be much more meaningful and transcendent because it puts all that into context of what happens in the brain and how it moves us through the world. It’s a balance between the external landscape and the internal landscape, and how we navigate both.”

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September 25, 2021 / Comments Off on Photographer Cory Richards on Watches, Adventure and More
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This Watch Is Made from the Original Gunther Werks Porsche

REC Watches has introduced its new collection — the 901 GW — which includes two watches constructed from materials taken from an original Gunther Werks Porsche. The two watches, 901 GW Exoskeleton and Chelsea, are perfect for motoring enthusiasts and fans of the Porsche 911. Regarded by many as the zenith of the 911, the Gunther Werks mission is to retain the driving experience offered by the original car while evolving its DNA and performance to new heights. The 901 GW is based on that DNA and is perfect for the ultimate Porsche enthusiast. With a certified Swiss-made chronograph, the 901 GW features a fully in-house developed, six-piece case structure with recycled carbon fiber and a revised dial layout with a stunning color scheme in blue and red. Limited to just 188 and 232 pieces timepieces respectively, you’ll need to act quickly to get your hands on one below. If all that isn’t enough to convince you, Gear Patrol readers can take 15 percent off their order by clicking through the link below.

Price: ~~$2,495~~ $2,121

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September 24, 2021 / Comments Off on This Watch Is Made from the Original Gunther Werks Porsche
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220

All the Coolest Watches That Came Out in September 2021

There were more cool watches in September than you can shake a stick at. They span the ranges of price and style, too, from the likes of a Bulova prototype from the 1950s reissued as an affordable diver to an unusual but incredibly cool minimalist watch made by a Swiss horology museum. You’ll find are plenty of rugged tool watches from smaller brands, as well as some hot releases from the Swiss big boys like Zenith and TAG Heuer. Check ’em all out below.

Bulova Archive Mil-Ships-W-2181 Submersible Watch

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Based on a prototype made for the U.S. Navy in the 1950s, this dive watch was never actually produced until now. With a design and feature set reminiscent of the Blancpain Fifty-Fathoms, you’ve now got an eminently affordable alternative to that decidedly high-end dive watch. The feature of note here is the same as Blancpain issued to military frogmen in the 1950s (and featuring on a modern remake): that orange and white indicator above 6 o’clock on the dial will change color in the case if the watch has been compromised by moisture. It won’t save the watch, but it might have saved divers of that era from diving with faulty equipment. A limited-edition of 1,000 examples has a Swiss automatic movement, while a more affordable non-limited version uses a Japanese automatic movement.

Price: $895 (non-limited), $1,990 (limited)

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Sinn 103 Classic 12 Watch

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One of German watchmaker Sinn’s most well-known watches is dryly called the “103.” It’s a classic for many watch enthusiasts, and a new version revives the model as part of the brand’s 60th-anniversary celebrations — but with some small aesthetic tweaks and a notable upgrade for one key material: the 12-hour bezel is now produced in ceramic, giving it not only a high-end and modern feel but also a high level of scratch resistance and color retention.

Price: $3,270

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Luminox 3500 Never Forget Watch

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Ahead of the 20-year anniversary, Luminox aims to honor and benefit the victims and volunteers affected by the events of September 11, 2001, with a limited edition watch. Luminox often works with military organizations, and a portion of sales proceeds will go toward the Tunnel to Towers Foundation charity. Owners of the new watch will quite literally be reminded to “never forget” each time they look at their wrist, as they see the 9 and 11 indices starkly highlighted against an otherwise mostly black design.

Price: $495

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Zodiac Super Sea Wolf World Time Watch

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Based on older models but with reimagined modern tweaks, it seems like this perfectly sized, very cool-looking limited-edition version of the brand’s GMT dive watch could’ve been part of the brand’s permanent collection. Distinguishing it from the brand’s other GMT watches, this model adds a more interesting automatic movement with the Soprod C125 and a rotating bezel with 24 city names meant to be read in coordination with the GMT hand and 24-hour chapter ring on the dial. It might not be as intuitive to use as those world timers that also feature a rotating 24-hour ring, but it’s a cool variation on the brand’s flagship collection.

Price: $1,795

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Bamford B347 Chronograph Watch

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Bamford is known for its creative interpretations and color applications, often on other brands’ watches. Its own watches have the same approach, though, and a pair of new monopusher chronographs are perfect examples. Both feature a 41.5mm carbon fiber case, one with a monochromatic look featuring the popular reverse-panda look, the other with electric blue highlights on its otherwise jet black dial. They’re powered by Sellita SW510 Swiss automatic movements.

Price: $2,950

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Unimatic Modello Uno Ref. U1-KSA Watch

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Well, yes, it sold out instantly, as so many of Unimatic’s hot drops do. But this is a very cool new take on the Italian brand’s U1 dive watch that sports the very now color of vibrant green for its dial, bezel and included strap — all set against a black-coated steel case and hardware. Most notable of all is the use of Eastern Arabic numerals for its dial, a design element that’s seen some popularity, no doubt helped by brands like Rolex doing the same.

Price: ~$770 (sold out)

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Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec LE 200 Watch

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Montblanc’s collection of watches honors the inventor of an early chronograph device back in the 1821, Nicolas Rieussec, and it was also the collection that debuted the brand’s first in-house movement in a modern watch. A new version of this unique take on the chronograph celebrates 200 years since Rieussec’s invention with a stunning version featuring a gold-heavy colorway for the dial and guilloché grain d’orge decoration — just like the original device had.

Price: $8,700

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IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Navy Pilots Edition Watches

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Though IWC has a program that collaborates with US military units on watches exclusively for service members, three new watches mark the first time models in the program are available to the general public. They’re in the brand’s Pilot’s Watch Chronograph collection and feature US Navy squadron patches for the “Royal Maces,” “Tophatters” and “Blue Angels,” respectively. Each watch has a hulking 44.5mm ceramic case and IWC in-house automatic chronograph movement inside.

Price: $10,900

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Oris Aquis Date Upcycle Watch

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Watch dials have been made out of all kinds of crazy materials, often with unusual-looking results. Oris’s latest watch, for example, uses recycled PET plastic. Part of a trend using ocean plastic in everything from watch straps to entire cases, the dial takes its colorful look from a part of the recycling process that results in random patterns, no two of which will be the same. Considering the source of the plastic, it’s fitting that this dial is part of the brand’s Aquis dive watch, available in 41.5mm or 36.5mm versions.

Price: $2,300

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Farer Segrave Monopusher Chronograph Watch

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With its usual flare for color and design, British watchmaker Farer has presented its take on a somewhat obscure type of chronograph. Not only does it use just one pusher (rather than two) to start, stop and reset the stopwatch function, but it recalls vintage “Big Eye” chronographs that feature a quirky, asymmetric look with one subdial larger than the other — here further emphasized by a contrasting color.

Price: $1,995

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Semper & Adhuc Immédiate Transatlantique Watch

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French boutique watchmaker Semper & Adhuc teamed up with the American (hence “Transatlantique”) watch website Beyond the Dial to create a collaborative watch. It features the brand’s visual DNA and a Swiss-developed, American-assembled vintage movement by Bulova, and will be limited to only 20 numbered examples and be available to order on September 14.

Price: ~$2,465

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TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver Watch

Tag Heuer

The unexpected look of a black DLC-coated dive watch is kind of striking on its own, but there’s even more to this new TAG Heuer Aquaracer: Rather than hands and indices that glow in the dark for low-light readability, here they’re painted black to contrast against the dial which will itself glow bright green.

Price: $3,350

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Zenith Chronomaster Original Boutique Edition Watch

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We love just about every new version of Zenith’s vintage-inspired Chronomaster that’s come out since its (re-)introduction in 2019, and this new model in blue is no exception. It’s based on the reference A386 watch from 1969 but, as with other modern variations, is a riff on the original design offering something new and contemporary.

Price: $9,000

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Yema Rallygraf Michel Vaillant Watch

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The newest mecaquartz-powered racing chronograph from French watchmaker Yema is dedicated to the legendary driver Michel Vaillant. He’s literally legendary as the fictional main character of a French comic series that started back in 1957. With a very 1970s motorsport theme and a cool story, it might feel like something the character would wear but will also look great in with real, modern life — and is reasonably affordable, to boot.

Price: $399

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Zenith Chronomaster Original Online Edition Watch

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We’re big fans of just about every version of Zenith’s Chronomaster collection of retro reissues. While many have gotten creative with colors, resulting in very contemporary-feeling designs, this example has a more traditional and familiar look. The signature tricolor, overlapping subdials here are matched to the same colors for the minutes/seconds track around the dial — a first for the brand. This particular model is available exclusively online.

Price: $8,400

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Watch

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If Audemars Piguet is known for something besides its iconic Royal Oak sport watch lines, it’s probably its elegant perpetual calendar watches. Here they combine in a new configuration with a titanium case and the signature waffle-style dial texture in blue. A prestige watch when it only tells the time, the addition of a highly complicated in-house movement from the celebrated brand about doubles its price. Elegant as ever, all that complicated clockwork that tracks calendar data even down to leap years fits in a case that’s 41mm wide and just 9.5mm thick.

Price: $80,000

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Alpina Startimer Pilot Quartz Chronograph Big Date Watch

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Alpina always offers bang for buck in its high-quality Swiss sports watches, the latest of which joins its Startimer pilot watch collection: With a quartz movement, it’s able to offer complications that cost into the thousands when executed in mechanical movements for well under a grand. The new watches feature both chronograph and big date functions — the latter referring to a large date display delivered by a separate disc for each digit, allowing the display to be larger and easier to read.

Price: $1,084

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Bell & Ross BR05 GMT Watch

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Every brand, it seems, needs an “integrated-bracelet” luxury sport watch in its stable, and Bell & Ross’s is the BR05. Rather than the usual aviation and other tool-watch themes of Bell & Ross’s signature square case, the BR05 is meant simply for fashionable urbanites. Add to that a travel theme and GMT complication with a fourth hand for tracking another time zone in 24-hour format, and you’ve got the new BR05 GMT.

Price: $4,900+

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Berd Vay’e America’s PasTIME Sculpture

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If you’re a fan of horology and baseball and high-end art — and have a few grand to toss around, we’ve got just the thing for you: Berd Vay’e has teamed up with watch retailer Danny Goldsmith and Major League Baseball Chicago Cubs’ player Ian Happ on a limited-edition sculpture. Berd Vay’e’s approach of artistically suspending watch parts in clear plexiglass here takes the form of a 17-inch baseball bat. Only 30 examples will be available.

Price: $4,000

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Panerai Luminor Marina Carbotech Blu Notte Watch

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Like the brand’s many steel watches that come in endless variations, Panerai’s range of Carbotech watches in a lightweight carbon material is ever expanding. Measuring 44mm, this new version features the brand’s in-house automatic movement and matches the black case to a blue sunburst dial. Just as the Zenith above, it’s exclusively available online from Panerai.

Price: $13,900

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Triwa x Sea Shepherd Ocean Plastic Watch

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Triwa’s collection of surfing watches already has an environmental theme being made from recycled ocean plastic. For the latest model the brand takes the concept a step further by collaborating with the ocean conservation organization Sea Shepherd. Still cased in recycled ocean waste, it features the Sea Shepherd logo on the dial with 15% of sales going to the organization.

Price: $159

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Ball Engineer II Skindiver Heritage Watch

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The newest badass tool watch from Ball Watch Co. is a totally black titanium carbide-coated dive watch in the brand’s Engineer II collection. Like other Ball watches, it’s copiously equipped with perpetually glowing tritium gas tubes for low-light visibility and plenty of contrast against its inky black dial — as well as embedded in the rotating diver’s bezel.

Price: $2,299

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Frederique Constant Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture Watch

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Frederique Constant took the movement, functionality and dial design of their Worldtimer watch and placed it in the “sports-chic” case of their new Highlife collection. It sounds like a straightforward combination of existing ingredients, but none of the ingredients here are simple: with a sporty integrated bracelet design for the case and a complicated in-house movement inside, it’s greater than the sum of its parts and possibly the coolest example among both the collections it borrows from.

Price: $4,395

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Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition Watch

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We were quite pleased to see the Mido Ocean Star Powerwind “Rainbow Diver” from the 1960s return last year in modern form, but we pretty much thought that was that. We didn’t expect the concept to evolve, but it’s done so in a very cool way, extending the colorful concept to a turquoise bezel and offering an overall brighter look that echoes other versions form the ’60s. It’s limited to 1,961 examples and will be available November 1.

Price: $1,250

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MIH Gaïa Series II Watch

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You can tell just looking at it that this is no ordinary watch. Apart from its interesting minimalist design, however, it’s the watch’s purpose and origin that make it special: This is the result of a project undertaken by the Swiss watch museum MIH (Musée International d’Horlogerie). It was designed and produced in a collaborative way using local suppliers and talent, and proceeds will fund a certain restoration project at the museum. This second edition of the design is in black, following the first MIH Gaia watch from 2019 which was blue.

Price: ~$3,145

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Grand Seiko Elegance SBGX Watches

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Sometimes a small, elegant dress watch is just what you need — especially when it’s done up to Grand Seiko standards of refinement and finishing. Those with slimmer wrists or who are accustomed to vintage watch sizes will be particularly well served by these 34mm wide quartz watches powered by the brand’s own 9F series of movements. The two new models are available with white (SBGX247) or blue (SBGX249) dial variations.

Price: $3,300

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Hublot Big Bang Unico Berluti Watch

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If you’re committed enough to style to spend Berluti money on your shoes, then you probably need a watch to match it. Hublot and Berluti have collaborated for years, often incorporating the shoemaker’s leather textures into the watchmaker’s famously avant-garde style. Here, the dial and bezel insert are in Berluti’s patinated Venezia leather, the dial indices being embossed. The case is titanium, the automatic chronograph movement is in-house-made and the strap is in rubber and, of course, leather to match the dial and bezel.

Price: $25,200

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Luminox Navy SEAL 3001 EVO Watch

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Luminox has been associated with the military since its beginnings, and the brand first developed a watch with the US Navy SEALs back in 1989. The relationship has been a big part of the brand’s image since, and the concept has grown and evolved over time into a collection with various designs. Now, Luminox is bringing the original Navy SEALs watch back, and it comes in three variations — each totally badass.

Price: $435

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September 24, 2021 / Comments Off on All the Coolest Watches That Came Out in September 2021
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412

This Watch Is An Homage — And I Don’t Care

Massena LAB Uni-Racer, $3,495

Of the things that grown men love to scream at one another over, so-called “homage” watches has to be one of the most amusing. And what, pray tell, is an homage watch? It’s one that pays homage, of course — in this case, by recalling elements of a particular vintage timepiece but in a completely new model. Said model might only recall certain aspects of a famous design (say, a Rolex Submariner), or it might fall more into the category of what some would term a “ripoff” — largely a direct copy. The shades of grey between these extremes are myriad.

Inevitably, whenever an homage watch makes its debut on the internet, the Watch World is thrown into an uproar. (“Watch guys” and “watch gals” are highly opinionated people. I should know.) “How they can do such a thing?!” one anonymous forum user will growl. “Who cares if it’s a copy — it’s a cool watch, and it’s affordable!” another will retort. But we’re not here to force our opinion down anybody’s throats. We’re here to review the Uni-Racer from Massena LAB, and then you can form your own opinions.

And feel free to scream at one another in the Comments section below.

Uni-Racer black (“reverse panda”) dial.
Massena LAB

Uni-Racer white (“panda”) dial.
Massena LAB

Key Specs:

Case Diameter: 39mm
Case Depth: 9mm
Water Resistance: 50m
Movement: SW510 M Elaboré hand-wound
Price: $3,495

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Notable

Some background: The Uni-Racer is noted collector and businessman William Massena’s homage to a highly rare, stupidly expensive Universal Genève from the mid-1960s called the Uni-Compax “Big Eye.” They’re so-called because one of the chronograph sub-registers is larger than the other, to differentiate it from the running seconds hand. Lo and behold, the design wasn’t popular; very few were made, and when they do surface, in either “panda” (black registers on white dial) or “reverse panda” (white registers on black dial), they generally sell for around $40,000.

An original Universal Genève Uni-Compax “Big Eye” sold by Analog/Shift.
Analog/Shift

Massena remastered the Big Eye for the modern consumer, upping the case size slightly from 36.5mm to 39mm, and, later, adding three dial variants that never existed, within what he’s terming the Holiday Collection. Now five models deep, the Uni-Racer line gives 2021’s watch buyer the chance to own something inspired by this incredibly rare Universal Genève — complete with a manually wound Swiss movement and a spectacular dial — for $3,495. (Quite a savings over a vintage original, I’d say.)

Who It’s For

There are several potential customers out there for the Uni-Racer:

1) Die-hard, long-term collectors who have been searching for an original Big Eye for years but either couldn’t find one or couldn’t stomach the price. Gods be praised, your day has come!

2) Vintage watch enthusiasts who love midcentury aesthetics but want a modern watch with a modern movement that won’t cost a fortune to service. Rejoice! Rejoice! You have a new choice.

3) People who plain and simply like a cool watch and have a good eye for design. Your train has similarly entered the station and you should be clamoring for one of these.

The “reverse panda” Uni-Racer.
Massena LAB

Alternatives

At $3,495, the Uni-Racer ain’t exactly an entry-level chronograph — we’ll admit that much. (And, indeed, it was the price that initially caused some of the vitriol when the Uni-Racer landed — not necessarily the whole “homage” thing.) In this range, however, there are plenty of alternatives available:

The Longines Aviation Big Eye ($2,625) recalls a vintage chronograph from Longines’ own collection, but is powered here by a thoroughly modern automatic movement and features a three-register dial rather than a two-register, like that of the Uni-Racer. It does, however, have an oversized sub-register, just like the Big Eye.

The Chronograph Sport collection ($1,955) from boutique British watchmaker Farer also features a “big eye” layout in three-register form, much like that of the Longines above. Each features vibrant pops of color akin to the Holiday Collection within the Uni-Racer line, and even features the same Swiss, hand-wound movement from Sellita that Massena went with.

If the whole “big eye” thing is less important to you and you’re simply looking for a good mechanical chronograph with a panda dial, then by all means, look no further than the Yema Speedgraf ($1,499). Powered by an interesting automatic chronograph movement from Seiko, it’s got heaps of style at an extremely attainable price.

Review

I’m going to try and take a balanced view of the whole issue of “homage watches” in saying that I understand both sides of the argument, and I can sympathize with both: On the one hand, directly copying a vintage watch isn’t exactly an exercise in originality, and in some cases, depending upon the age of the watch and other factors, might actually constitute copyright infringement. On the other hand, making a beloved design whose associated intellectual property resides in the public domain available to a wider audience — especially if the modern incarnation of the brand seems unwilling to do so — I don’t have so much of a problem with that.

In the case of the Uni-Racer, Massena had a progressive plan for how he wanted to roll out the watches: He began with standard panda and reverse panda designs, and then he launched the Holiday Collection with three colorways that were never available in the original Big Eye. This way, the purists who were longing for a modernized Universal Genève homage were satisfied, but so, theoretically, were those to whom originality was more important.

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All the watches share the same case and differ solely in their dials. Said case is stainless steel, sized at 39mm — up from the 36.5mm of the original UG Uni-Compax “Big Eye.” It’s a really fine case, and perfectly sized for the modern wearer. With polished sides and circular brushed lug tops, it doesn’t feature fine bevels like on a modern Rolex sports model, but rather, recalls the architecture of the original. A screw-on case back houses the movement inside, while pump pushers and a crown signed “M” jut out from the right side. Pusher action is buttery smooth and satisfying to use, emitting an audible click from the watch’s Sellita movement.

Speaking of said movement, let’s go there next. We’re talking about a Sellita SW510 M Elaboré hand-wound, Swiss-made movement. Equipped with 23 jewels, it features a running seconds counter at 9 o’clock and a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock. Beating at 28,880 bph (4Hz), it’s got 58 hours of power reserve and an “Élaboré” escapement — meaning it’s regulated to chronometer standard. It also hacks (the seconds hand stops when you pull out the crown, for precision time setting), and features the Massena LAB signature on the bridge.

The case profile of the Uni-Racer.
Massena LAB

But enough will all the technical mumbo-jumbo. In short, this movement feels great to interact with: time setting is smooth, winding is actually fun, and pusher action on the chronograph is incredibly satisfying. The watch is accurate and timing events is easy. (I’m saying this as one of those weird people who still uses his mechanical watch to time stuff, like how long something’s been in the oven, or how long I’ve been practicing the modes of the melodic minor scale on my guitar. The answer: probably not long enough.)

But let’s talk about the dials — this is where the meat of the Uni-Racer story is. William Massena went through incredible lengths to get these “right,” and by that, we do mean to echo the original Big Eye dial as closely as possible. (With the exception of his branding in place of UG’s.) Most difficult to execute were the hands — the original Big Eye’s blocky handset was unique, and this isn’t the type of pre-fab product one simply picks out of a catalog online or at a Swiss or Chinese trade show. These hands had to be redesigned and fabricated anew, and this takes time to get right. (This is before we consider the color of said hands, which was similarly difficult to perfect. Don’t forget that this project began as a labor of love of the original watch, and thus getting these details right was highly important to Massena.) You can check out the technical drawings for this handset on Massena LAB’s website.

Technical drawings from the Uni-Racer product page.
Massena LAB

The time taken to perfect the Uni-Racer — over three years — is clearly on display in the dials of the original collection the Holiday Collection. They’re simply fantastically executed: the detail in the handset, the color and color choice in some of the Holiday models, the proportions. Everything is right with respect to the original Big Eye, but it’s also well done in terms of an update. The dial, after all, has been blown up slightly, and yet every element retains its subtle sophistication. The newer models — especially, in my opinion, the Cruise —truly pop, but not in an ostentatious way. I just don’t personally see how a fan of the original Uni-Compax Big Eye wouldn’t be excited by this watch, but to each his own, certainly.

Verdict

To my mind, everything about the Uni-Racer comes together in a handsome, well built, comfortable, perfectly proportioned package — I simply love this watch. I do understand the issue some take with the price: Perhaps this would have made completely different headlines at $2,995 — it certainly would have at $2,495 — but we also have to keep in mind the cost to Massena to get the details right, and to source parts that truly do justice to the original. If I were in the market for a single chronograph to fulfill my chronograph needs (if such a thing exists), the Uni-Racer would be a top contender, hands down. Cool as those watches are, I’d rather one of these than something like a TAG Heuer Carrera re-issue — especially for the money.

Again, I do understand some of the vitriol that’s been directed at Massena LAB for the Uni-Racer: This is indeed not a unique design, built from the ground up. It’s a tribute. But, I must say, it’s an incredibly well done tribute, and one that I would be proud to wear in a gathering of watch nerds.

Massena LAB

Massena Lab Uni-Racer

massenalab.com

$3,495.00

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September 24, 2021 / Comments Off on This Watch Is An Homage — And I Don’t Care
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274

Special Report: Living The BRABUS Lifestyle via Land & Sea

BRABUS is a brand that commands respect, whether or not ‘BRABUSizing’ anything from a Smart Car to a Mercedes-AMG 6×6 is to your liking or not, you cannot argue with the reputation or success of the Bottrop based tuner. To demonstrate the breadth of ability of the company, BRABUS invited GTspirit to Dusseldorf to experience a slice of the BRABUS lifestyle for ourselves, and boy, we were in for a treat.

Arriving at the harbour side Hyatt, we could not help but notice the BRABUS x Panerai branding on everything from the shuttles to the flip-flops we were given. Why flip-flops? We had an appointment on a house boat where the alliance with the iconic Swiss watchmaker would be explained. This is the first time the two brands formed a partnership, to mark the beginning of the collaboration, Panerai debuted its first-ever skeletonized automatic movement in daring, high-end watches inspired by the design of the BRABUS “Shadow Black Ops” series of boats.

BRABUS X Panerai

Available in a limited run of only 100 pieces, the Panerai Submersible S BRABUS Black Ops Edition (PAM01240) is the product of 3 years of development, which resulted in features like a patented polarized date display, allowing a view of the date indication only through the opening at 3 o’clock, without covering the mechanics of the skeletonized movement. Wait a minute, did you say it is inspired by the design of a BRABUS boat?

BRABUS SHADOW 900

Get your snorkel on and meet the BRABUS Shadow 900. 900? Yes, 900 horsepower in a boat! We don’t know much about boats, but the Shadow 900 range benefits from Mercury Marine’s latest dual 450R Verado XL 4.6 litre V8 FourStroke engines with Joystick Piloting for easy docking and manoeuvring, and that sounds spectacular. The forces and sensations on the water are mind blowing, with unbelievable agility and crazy cornering speeds on the derestricted waters of Dusseldorf.

900 is a number that is not just special to BRABUS boats, it’s not uncommon to see that number on a badge of a BRABUS ROCKET… and there’s a new one, a crazy one. Meet the fastest SUV in the world, the BRABUS 900 ROCKET EDITION, based on the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S COUPÉ 4MATIC. Just 25 of these maniacal machines will be built, each hitting 100km/h in just 3.2 seconds and onto a top speed of 330 km/h (!).

BRABUS GLE ROCKET

How? Well, the displacement has been stroked out to 4.5 litres and now produces 900 horsepower and a bonkers 1250 Nm which has to be electronically restrained to 1050 Nm. Visually, the iconic BRABUS treatment has been applied with a punchy new bodykit and spectacular 24-inch wheels with carbon-fibre aero-discs. This car is as sensational as the numbers would suggest. On the Autobahn you hit the pedal and feel the front end rise as it rides the torque and power before blasting towards the horizon with relentless brutality. Accompanied by a raucous exhaust bark, this ROCKET EDITION feels like a BRABUS, it is wild, over the top and is set on obliterating anything you could come across on the highway. If you see this in the mirrors, move aside unless you’re in anything less powerful than a Bugatti Veyron.

BRABUS demonstrated the power of its branding and quality on a fun filled day which highlighted how diverse and accomplished the company has become. There is a coherent, consistent feel and image that is applied to every project they work on. It is impressive, we look forward to see what the future has in store for BRABUS.

September 22, 2021 / Comments Off on Special Report: Living The BRABUS Lifestyle via Land & Sea
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466

Your Next Beater Watch Should Be a Solar-Powered, Affordable Timex

Field watches aren’t strictly defined, but they’re often smallish, practical, affordable, military in style, with only basic features, and they’re made to live outside. Sure, Timex offers such cheap and cheerful watches with quartz or mechanical movements in severa; collections, but what could be more carefree and pragmatic than one that’s solar-powered? The new Timex Expedition North Solar collection delivers just that, and at these prices, you just might want to grab a few.

As a watch made for the outdoors — as the entire Expedition collection is — a solar-powered field watch should feel right at home actually being used as it was intended. Getting outside will help keep its battery charged, and a quartz movement means it’s going to be accurate and robust. Go ahead and take it camping: you don’t need to worry about the likes of rain or even jumping in a lake given its 100m of water resistance — and it’s affordable enough you don’t even have to worry about banging it around, though it should be able to handle a bit of that as well.

The Timex Expedition North’s matte case finishing offers the toolish look you should expect of a field watch.
Courtesy

Further promising its durability is a sapphire crystal (which you don’t necessarily expect on watches at this price) and a steel case with a fitting matte finish. Available in a few color coatings as well as bare steel, the Expedition North Solar watches also come in two sizes: 41mm or 36mm. Unless you’ve got large wrists or generally like large watches, the smaller diameter is going to offer the more classic field watch experience.

Depending on the variation, the watches come matched to either fabric straps made from recycled materials or leather straps made with eco-friendly methods that conserve water use in the tanning process. Regardless of the strap, version or size, all have the same price of $159 and are available directly from Timex.

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September 22, 2021 / Comments Off on Your Next Beater Watch Should Be a Solar-Powered, Affordable Timex
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These Are the Most Expensive Watches Ever Sold

At a certain point — say, around the million dollar-mark — a watch transcends “exorbitantly expensive” and moves into its own category of horological insanity. There’s no common name for this category of watches, but the general theme is, “Who in the hell would pay that much for a watch?” Someone who buys race horses like they’re a pack of gum at the checkout counter; someone whose yachts tow little yachts behind them, for entering lagoons that are too small for the primary yachts. In short: someone to whom money doesn’t mean that much, or anything at all.

Which means there’s an argument to be made that the following watches are not worth all that much — at least to their owners. Most likely, they are another item in a vast collection, locked away in some vault deep underground, never to be worn.

But that’s not fun to think about. What’s fun to think about is if they were somehow yours. You would wear them, wouldn’t you? You’d give them their place in the sun, and when someone asked you if that was the world-famous watch that had been stolen from an underground vault in Geneva, you’d shrug and say, “What, this old thing? I picked it up off eBay for a $300 bucks. Pretty cool though, huh?”

While there are brands that slap a price tag on a watch like the ostensibly $55M Graff Hallucination, it’s not confirmed that anyone ever paid that for it. Others, still, might be “value at” $30M like the genuinely fascinating Breguet Marie-Antoinette Grand Complication watch, but again, that doesn’t mean they’ve been sold for that amount. Below are those that have actually realized the most eye-watering prices.

Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in Steel: $11M

The Patek Philippe ref. 1518’s value comes, in part, from its rarity and historical significance.
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Don’t be surprised if you see more than a couple Patek Philippe watches on this list. Watches in stainless steel selling for these kinds of prices, however, is slightly unexpected. The 1518 was the first perpetual calendar and chronograph ever made in series, and only four examples were produced in steel, during World War II, no less, when most people were busy killing one another.

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Rolex Daytona ref. 6239 “Paul Newman”: $17.7M

The singular Rolex after which all other “Paul Newman” Daytona watches are named.
Phillips

Another crazy-expensive steel watch, the Rolex Daytona reference 6239 owned by Paul Newman is the most expensive Rolex watch ever auctioned. It was given to the actor by his wife, its case back inscribed with the very cool note to “Drive Carefully, Me.” Even cooler: Newman later handed it to his daughter’s boyfriend, James Cox, as a gift, when Cox said he didn’t own a watch. Given Newman’s cool cachet, it wasn’t all that surprising when the watch hammered for $17+M including the buyer’s premium.

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Jacob & Co. Billionaire: $18M

Jacob & Co. Billionaire watch features 313 emerald-cut diamonds totaling 176.88 carats.
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Jacob & Co. is known for its showy and totally over-the-top extravagance. Sounds just about perfect for the boxer Floyd Mayweather’s style who purchased a watch titled the Billionaire for $18M in 2018. Although the watch itself might appear to be mostly made of diamonds, they’re actually mounted on an 18k white gold (seriously, why not platinum?) case — and if you can see past all the bling, there’s even a small skeletonized dial showing off a highly skeletonized movement featuring a tourbillon.

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Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication: $24M

The Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication has two dials each featuring about a dozen functions.
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If you think wristwatches are expensive, just wait till you get into pocketwatches. You could get a couple dozen Richard Mille watches for the price of this famous one from Patek. It was owned by Henry Graves, Jr, a NYC banker and one of the most important watch collectors of all time, and includes 24 complications. Which, you know, might be a bit much, but is fun as hell.

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Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime: $31M

The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime is about as wearable as you can expect a $31M watch with 20 complications to be.
Zen Love

In 2019, this crazy Patek Philippe watch took the mantle as the most expensive watch ever sold at auction. Even more striking (a pun!) is that it beats the next most expensive watch by a significant margin. A one-of-a-kind creation, it also holds the title of the most complicated watch Patek Philippe (known for complicated watches) ever made. It features 20 complications including a perpetual calendar and five different chiming modes.

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September 22, 2021 / Comments Off on These Are the Most Expensive Watches Ever Sold
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The Best Watches Spotted at the 2021 Emmys

The Emmy Awards celebrate the best TV of the year, but are themselves highly entertaining television and were particularly meaningful in 2021: People were locked down and watching streaming services more than usual over the last year, so there were even more reasons to watch and cheer for your favorite shows and actors. Another reason to tune in to the awards? To scope celebrities’ wrists for what they wore — often in the role of an official watch brand ambassador — to the live event that took place, with red carpet and all, in Los Angeles. Here are some of the best watches we spotted at the 73rd Emmys.

Sterling K Brown: IWC Portugieser Automatic

Actor Sterling K. Brown
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IWC Portugieser Automatic
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Winner of several Emmys himself, actor Sterling K Brown also presented the award at the 2021 ceremony while wearing an IWC Portugieser Automatic. With black dial and black crocodile strap, it’s a perfect pairing for a black-and-white tux, but allows for a bolder presence than many dress watches thanks to its 42.3mm diameter. Don’t mistake its subdial layout for that of a chronograph: at 9 o’clock is the seconds and at 3 o’clock is a power reserve indicator, all courtesy of an IWC in-house automatic movement.

Price: $12,700

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Regé-Jean Page: Longines Elegant Automatic

Actor Regé-Jean Page
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Longines Elegant Automatic
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No sooner had Longines recently announced Bridgerton actor Regé-Jean Page as a brand ambassador than he appeared wearing an appropriately formal watch for the black-tie event. The Longines Elegant collection features classically oriented watches with several variations of dial color and hour markers of Roman numerals or thin stick designs. The model Page showed off was the latter, on a beads-of-rice style bracelet and a blue sunburst dial for a little pop of color.

Price: $1,900

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Cedric the Entertainer: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Flying Tourbillon Skeleton

Cedric the Entertainer hosted the 2021 Emmy Awards.
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Girard-Perregaux Laureato Flying Tourbillon Skeleton in pink gold.
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As host of the awards, Cedric the Entertainer put on a proper show himself, appearing in different outfits with watches to match. Paired to a shiny, white-and-gold floral jacket, the most extravagant watch we spotted at the show was his six-figure Girard-Perregaux Laureato. Here the luxury sport watch stands out even more than usual in solid 18k pink gold with a skeletonized dial and movement with a tourbillon. He later also wore a relatively modest and dressy Girard-Perregaux 1966 Orion in steel with an aventurine dial.

Price: $135,000

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O-T Fagbenle: Omega Constellation

Actor O-T Fagbenle
Rich FuryGetty Images

Omega Constellation
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You tend to see a number of Omega watches at shows such as this, and the 73rd Emmys was no exception. We spotted a couple watches from the brand’s Constellation line, despite its status as a slightly overlooked collection. The Handmaid’s Tale actor O-T Fagbenle wore a version in 18k yellow gold with a black ceramic bezel — the inlaid Roman numerals of which are produced in the brand’s proprietary Ceragold material.

Price: $21,400

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September 20, 2021 / Comments Off on The Best Watches Spotted at the 2021 Emmys
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