I put this question before you now: Can a man wear a pink watch and retain his masculinity? I made fun of the first guy I saw wearing a “salmon” colored shirt. But, today, it isn’t that uncommon. Worn properly, and in the right style, pink isn’t always out-of-place. So I wonder, has the time come when a man can get away with wearing a pink watch? → Read More
While, arguably, HEX was first to market with their rubber sports band for the iPod Nano, they are now inexplicably creating more iPod watch bands for the millions of people out there who want to reduce the overall functionality of both their watch and their iPod in one fell swoop. The bands come in metal and leather and top out at $69 for a stainless-steel model. → Read More
According two Gerald Clerc, the founder of Clerc watches, there are two types of watch brands: those that sell watches due to large marketing and lifestyle campaigns, and those that sell watches due to originality and quality. Clerc is one of those latter brands. I have admired their work from afar since I learned about them a few years ago, and was happy to do this hands-on review of their Hydroscaph GMT. Clerc watches are mostly futuristic dive style watches with a functional twist, and I discovered that they are also pretty ergonomic and functional. → Read More
One of the more interesting high-complication watches for Jaeger-LeCoultre this year was the Reverso Répétition Minutes à Rideau. The oddly named watch (if I see more than one accent mark my eyes start to glaze over) actually just translates into minute repeater via curtain. Being a Reverso the watch has two dials, one of which is covered with a sliding metal curtain. Using your finger, you push the curtain aside to reveal one of the two watch dials. The curtain also activates the minute repeater complication. → Read More
The oft neglected (in the US) Audemars Piguet Millenary is getting a major re-haul for 2011 with the Millenary 4101 collection. Using the same ovoid shape of case as the previous Millenary, the dial and movement are totally new and based on the very rare and high-end Audemars Piguet Millenary AP Escapement collection (see image of one below). Those models had a special high-beat escapement and came in a few varieties with a price point usually in the $300,000 – $500,000 range. The style of the movement, as well as the look of the dial, influenced this new and very attractive collection that starts in the $13,000 range for the steel. → Read More
The horological highlight from Hublot this year was the long-named “Cathedral” Minute Repeater Tourbillon and Column Wheel Chronograph watch. In a King Power style case, this watch boasts a case formed out of carbon fiber and a very complex movement that has (Yup, you guessed it!) the time, a tourbillon, a minute repeater, and a chronograph. → Read More
Behold the HM3 Frog Zr, aka “Black Frog,” the newest highly limited watch from MB&F – there will only be 18 pieces. Unless I am mistaken, this is the first watch offered by the boutique brand done in zirconium (hence the Zr part of the name). Zirconium is a rare metal similar to titanium, but known to be more robust. According to MB&F, most zirconium is used in nuclear reactors and high-tech aerospace applications. There are a few high-end watches that utilize the exotic metal, and now MB&F has an interesting piece imbued with Zr. → Read More
Newer watch brand ELYSEE offers a range of styles and values with most of their products being under $1,000. My primary interest is in their Swiss mechanical watches which includes this ref. 71003N (71003) Classic Aviator Automatic. It isn’t a complicated design, but rather, is intent on featuring a classic look in an easy to read and wear package. → Read More
A few years ago Bell & Ross began to experiment with ceramic watches. The first real collection was the BRS, a smaller square cased model that was, to an extent, a women’s watch. It was thin and lovely and ended up on the wrists of more women than men. There were also ceramic versions of the BR03 – a 42mm wide version of the 46mm wide BR01. Those ceramic models had a lot of different styles and varieties, including those with gloss and matte finished ceramic. → Read More
Woaw that’s a long name for a watch! It goes back to my classic statement, the longer the name of a watch, the more the brand wishes for you to take it seriously. I supposed the reason that the name of this watch is so long is because it is a new piece in an ongoing series of tourbillon minute repeater watches with automatons by Ulysse Nardin. The last two in the Minute Repeater Westminster Carillon Tourbillon Jaquemarts collection were the Circus and the Genghis Khan. Now the exploits of Alexander the Great join the family. → Read More
When you call a watch a “tank” it can mean a few things. It can first mean a sort of square cased watch done in the style of Cartier Tank timepieces. That is not this watch. It can also mean a larger watch that is durable and can take a lot of abuse. That may be this watch. Finally, it can mean a watch that is a tank. That is this watch. Azimuth finally released their SP-1 Landship watch that has been in the making for a while now. → Read More
The smart watch has never, ever succeeded, but that hasn’t stopped Fossil from trying. Remember the Palm watch? That was a great piece of technology. Anyway, these Meta Watches from Fossil have their own SDK and allow programmers to send data to the watch from a phone. These watches last about seven days on one charge and cost $200. They are, oddly enough, water resistant to 3 ATM and they run the MSP430TM low power processor and a Bluetooth controller to make the magic happen. Seriously: these will never take off, at least in the watch form factor, but god bless Fossil for trying. → Read More
For 2011 Citizen’s major new piece is perfect for the American market. If you want to check out their other cool stuff you’ll need to take a little trip over the Japan (which would be nice… go support them). Part of their newer Signature collection, this is the simply named Citizen Signature Perpetual Calendar, and Citizen Signature Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. Two watches that each come in a host of styles and colors. → Read More
One of the most useful mechanical complications I saw at Baselworld 2011 was the time switching mechanism on the new Breguet Classique 5717 Hora Mundi watch. Aside from having a very clever feature for travelers, the Hora Mundi mixes contemporary looks with Breguet classicism. That sounds like a bit of a irony, but they seemed to pull it off. → Read More
The GMT version of the updated Oris BC3 comes as a limited edition done for the Oris Big Crown Sky Racing team. Why does “Big Crown” need to be in that term? I know that Big Crown is a line if watches from Oris, but does that mean there are other Oris Sky Racing teams? Anyhow – that BC3 Air Racing Limited Edition watch comes in the same 42mm wide case as the BC3, but here in titanium. It also has a special red ring about the crown to go with the GMT hand. → Read More
There is also the Sportster Saguaro Meteorite version of the watch that has a really nice Gibeon meteorite dial. I first wrote about the Bovet Sportster Saguaro Meteorite watches here. Bovet claims the space stones that make up the dial are something like 4 billion years old – that is pretty cool. These are my favorite Sportster watches because I really like how the meteorite gives a sort of organic feel to the otherwise composed case and design. You can get various meteorite stone stains such as silver, black, and gold. All the Sportster Saguaro watches are 46mm wide in really chunky looking cases. Like I said, these cases feel like hefty canisters, holding precious innards. The cases are thick and highly polished with a wide bezel. Though the design doesn’t feel massive because of the single lug style, it is a rather clever way of making a larger watch feel not as large. Read the rest here… → Read More
“Fancy.” Was pretty much the word that came to mind after finally unwrapping the Avanti 3 from US-based watch winder maker Orbita. This isn’t the first package from Orbita that I have had to wage sweet war with to open, so I know this is a trend. I have to say that if Orbita ever decided to get out of the watch winder business they would find immediate use in the “package stuff up so that no matter what, nothing will damage it” business. If the attention to detail they use when packaging their products up for delivery speaks anything about the attention to detail in their products – these products should seemingly last forever. → Read More
Here is a nice new piece from Bremont that you can’t get – at least not now. That isn’t to say the watch isn’t ready (because it is), but rather that you need to be among a select group of “pre-selected” military personnel to get one. The pieces will be highly limited as well. Each Bremont C17 Globemaster will be limited to just 50 pieces, and it comes in a few versions. → Read More
Scott Devon sure shook up the high-end watch world when people got word of the Tread 1. Divorced from all the “tradition” in Switzerland, this California made watch relies instead on suppliers to outfit the aerospace industry. The basic theme of this electro-mechanical timepiece is that time is told on belts (the treads) and read through windows placed over segments of those belts. → Read More
I think Corum hit on a great idea with these limited edition Admiral’s Cup Challenger 44 watches. The basic idea is simple, to create bold, friendly looking versions of the Admiral’s Cup watch, just do it in as much brightly colored rubber as you can. These watches are each two toned and very enjoyable to wear. The steel cases are rubber coated, the strap is rubber, and the bezel is in rubber. Another key element in the design is that they are just two tones with really good contrast. It is like a toy-version of a high-end watch… but certainly not a toy. → Read More
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