VIDEO: Omega’s Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m gets a meaningful makeover
It’s easy to get distracted by the brightest, shiniest watches of Baselworld; the watches that live up to the marketing parlance of ‘novelties’. But sometimes the real winners are the quiet achievers. I suspect Omega’s redesigned Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m will be one of these winners. The AT (as it’s often called) has long been the go-to casual dress Omega, the obvious choice for those looking for an alternative to the storied Speedmaster or the sporty Seamaster. This year that choice just got easier. The dial has been significantly improved, with less busy text, a new horizontal stripe, and a newly positioned date window at six, giving the whole dial really strong vertical balance, which looks great on the wrist. The changes don’t stop there either – the case (in 41mm and 38mm) has been subtly updated, and the crown has been modified to make it slightly more ergonomic. And of course they’re Master Chronometers, powered by mighty METAS-certified calibres. This particular model comes in at $7250.
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I don’t want to sound like a jaded watch journalist because – let’s be honest – those guys are the worst. But having said that, there were not too many surprises at Baselworld 2017. I knew we’d be seeing Speedmasters from Omega, a Sea-Dweller from Rolex and some crazy-but-cool collabs from Hublot. I didn’t expect to be blown away by a simple, smart little dress watch from Chopard. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a lot of time for Chopard’s fine watchmaking (and indeed their high jewellery – though I’m not the target market there), but the way the Chopard L.U.C XP managed to combine proper high horology, classical restraint and a youthful energy really struck me. It might not have made our Top 11, but it was very much in the running. Before we get to the good looks of the L.U.C XP, let’s talk about what’s going on behind the scenes. The slim (7.2mm) steel case houses a brand new movement, the L.U.C 96.53-L, a very neatly finished ultra-thin (3.3mm) automatic powered by a tungsten micro-rotor and boasting an impressive 58 hours of power reserve (compared to 44 hours for Piaget’s 1200P and 43 hours for the Caliber 896, which…
One of the watches I was most looking forward to seeing in the metal at Baselworld was the 43mm version of the distinctive Heuer 01. Now, I’m quite the fan of TAG Heuer’s skeletonised and modular take on their classic Carrera, but there’s no denying that at 45mm across, it takes certain amount of wrist or confidence to pull it off. That the 43mm version will suit more wrists is good news, the fact that there were new colours in the offing only sealed the deal. There are quite a few new Heuer 01 43mm models, including versions with solid dials, and the very cool black ceramic model. But I was most drawn the titanium models with skeletonised dials, offered in three colourways: black, blue and a particularly delicious brown. All three colours are offered on a titanium bracelet, alligator strap or rubber. Size and colour notwithstanding, these new Carrera Heuer 01s are virtually the same as previous versions – Heuer 01 movement, 12-part modular case and that richly skeletonised dial. Having said that, the changes in size and colour make a huge difference. First of all size. The original version clocks in at 45mm across, and wears high. Sure, the…
One of the standouts for Tudor last year was the small and simple Black Bay 36. For the first time Tudor’s key collection shed its dive watch origins in favour of a sleeker, more minimal look. It also lost a sizeable amount of bulk, trimming down to a svelte 36mm, making it ideal for women and suitable for men looking for something different. And while the BB 36 found plenty of fans, some were left wanting a little more. Well, Tudor has been paying attention, and at Baselworld the brand unveiled an upscaled, 41mm version. Case diameter aside, not a lot has changed. The watch is still dominated by the glossy black dial and wide, polished bezel. The instantly recognisable snowflake hand that is the hallmark of the Black Bay family is in evidence. And ticking away behind the scenes is an ETA-based automatic, rather than one of Tudor’s own movements. For me, the dial of the 36mm version feels slightly cramped because of the large, lume-filled applied markers – that’s not a concern here. All the visual elements are balanced and in harmony. The other new element is the strap, now offered in a rich tan brown, with contrasting…
One of the keys to success for any watch brand is to have something instantly recognisable – a watch that can be spotted from the other side of a crowded room. Hublot’s Big Bang is one such design. With its large size and uncommon case shape the Big Bang stands out, and the Sang Bleu is no exception. In fact, as this new version is made from a sizeable lump of King Gold, it’s guaranteed to be noticed. But once you get a bit closer you might start to notice things starting to look a little different. The normally rounded bezel has been clipped into a hexagonal shape, and the hands have been replaced with discs, resplendent with geometric motifs. Sure, it’s still clearly a Hublot, but the tattoo-inspired Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu is quite unlike any we’ve seen before.
If you’re familiar with Raymond Weil it should come as no surprise that music is a recurring theme in their collections. From homages to iconic performers such as The Beatles and the late, great David Bowie, through to watches made to honour particular instruments – such as their Nabucco Cello Tourbillon – Raymond Weil definitely has a soft spot for this most harmonious of the liberal arts. Which brings us to the Gibson Les Paul. Just as horology has its holy grails, the world of guitars also has its undisputed icons. One such legend is the Gibson Les Paul. Since its conception in 1952, this solid-body electric guitar has had an important role in defining the sound of many of the most important musicians of the 20th century. And the shape, with its single cutaway, is an integral part of the visual language of rock’n’roll. While it’s difficult for a watch to capture the spirit of a sound, Raymond Weil has certainly done a solid job evoking the look of the Les Paul. The hour track is recessed, with a circular motif resembling strings and fret-like applied indices. The Gibson logo at 12 resembles the headstock, and the chronograph details are…
If you love dive watches but don’t love the wrist-dominating size that typically goes along with the genre, you’ll want to pay close attention to Blancpain this year. Alongside new 38mm versions of the pared-back Bathyscaphe, they’ve also released a particularly hot limited edition – the Tribute to Fifty Fathoms Mil-Spec. Not only does this heritage-inspired little legend come in at a crowd-pleasing 40mm, it’s also got a funky-yet-functional dial decoration in the form of a moisture indicator. If that bi-colour circle at six changes colour, time to get your watch out of the water and into the service centre. But as you should know, there’s more to Blancpain than the Fifty Fathoms – there’s also a Villeret Day-Date, a good choice for an everyday wearer if your style sits on the formal end of the spectrum.
If you’re an avid follower of our Instagram stories, you might have overheard my candid thoughts on the new entry level Nomos as we captured some scenic pre-Basel scene-setting. As Andrew live-panned a view of the Rhine, I could be heard distinctly in the background saying, “Ooh, new Nomos … huh, not sure about that.” The reason for my reticence (I’m typically effervescent about my favourite German watch brand) was the dial, particularly those two Roman numerals on the bottom half. First, some background on the Club. This round, slightly less classical Nomos has been a stalwart of their line-up for years. It’s always been billed as a watch for younger people, or your first ‘good’ watch. The Club Campus is, in many ways, the extension of this concept. The proposition of the Campus is that it’s explicitly aimed at students, whether as a watch to wear while you study, or as a tangible way to celebrate your graduation. What this means is that the Campus is a watch that’s been stripped back to the essentials in terms of both functionality and price. The Club Campus is offered in a white-dialled 36mm version and larger 38mm versions in white or…
Here at Time+Tide we make no bones about being greatly enamoured of Longines’s heritage offerings, so it’s understandable that we made a beeline for the Lindbergh and 1945 models. However, our attention was rapidly drawn to the comparatively pared-back Record, which intrigued us with one simple word on its dial – ‘chronometer’. Now, in case you’re not up with your watch jargon, a chronometer is a essentially a very precise and accurate timepiece. And while in the past the task of certifying chronometers fell to astronomical observatories, these days it’s the duty of Contrôle Officiel Suisses des Chronomètres, Switzerland’s chronometer testing institute. COSC conducts extensive testing of uncased movements over a period of 15 days, ensuring that they achieve an average daily rate of -4/+6 seconds in five positions and at three different temperatures. Some brands, notably Rolex and Breitling, submit all their watches for chronometer certification, but this is the first time Longines has released an entirely COSC-certified collection. The movements that meet this standard are produced by ETA exclusively for the brand, and incorporate a crystal-silicon balance spring. That Longines has committed to this level of accuracy at their competitive price point is impressive, to say the least. So that’s…
Breguet may not have had the largest collection on display at Basel, but they certainly had one of the most complex. As well as some handsome new additions to the Classique family, Breguet released an epic new grand complication – the Marine Équation Marchante 5887, a completely new watch boasting a perpetual calendar, tourbillon power reserve and, wait for it… a running equation of time. What’s that, I hear you ask? Well, you’ll have watch the video and find out.