HANDS-ON: The Seiko 1978 Quartz Saturation Diver’s Re-creation Limited Edition, ref. S23626
Affectionately named for its tuna-can-for-the-wrist design, the Seiko Tuna collection holds many “firsts” in the dive watch world. From being the first to feature a dual layer construction with a one-piece inner case, to introducing the accordion-style rubber strap. In 1978, it also welcomed Seiko’s – and the world’s – first foray into professional quartz dive watches, with the addition of the 600m “Golden Tuna”. Which you might have already noticed (if you’re any good at maths) is celebrating its 40th birthday at Basel 2018. Vital statistics Seiko have marked this special occasion with the release of a limited-edition re-creation that hits all the familiar notes starting with a 7C46 quartz movement ticking away at its heart. On the outside is a 49.4mm zirconia ceramic shroud that protects the golden-coated titanium inner case. And a screw-down crown that helps secure the 1000m water resistance rating of the 15.4mm thick case. There’s also a separate commemorative limited-edition version that swaps the black ceramic shroud for a golden Cermet protector, and the golden-coloured inner case for a hard-coated black one. Both are of course available with Seiko’s classic accordion-style silicone strap. On the wrist The Seiko Tuna is no shrinking violet; however,…
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Much of the hype of Baselworld is transfixed on the monolithic Hall 1, where the majority of the media attention is focused on the big industry players from the Swatch Group and LVMH, as well as big indies like Rolex and Patek Philippe. But beyond the glitz, there’s another Baselworld. Hall 2, located across the way under the iconic Baselworld clock, is a building chock-full of smaller watchmakers, who sometimes produce excellent, exciting watches at great prices. I took some time out of my schedule and Hall 1, to find seven of the best. Laco Pilot Watch Leipzig Erbstück Laco have a long history of German watchmaking, dating back to 1925. Based in Pforzheim in the Black Forest, known as the birthplace of the ‘Flieger’ style of watches, the Leipzig Erbstück takes a love of vintage pilot watches to the next level. Each one is aged by hand to give that vintage look, meaning each piece is unique to the owner. There are 42mm, 45mm and 55mm versions, with either hand-wound or automatic movements. 1950€ Anonimo Epurato Automatic Bronze has been in vogue for a while now and the Epurato Automatic is definitely on trend. Housed in a 42mm bronze…
This year marks 55 years of the Carrera, and TAG Heuer are pulling no punches when it comes to celebrating the occasion. Releasing a sporty selection of models at Baselworld 2018, which includes watches like this one — their modern take on the Carrera but with their latest in-house movement now sporting a GMT function inside. Vital statistics Last year we saw TAG Heuer downsize the skeletonised Carreras to 43mm, but this new GMT beefs things up again with a 45mm steel case. Maintaining a water resistance of 100m as well as the option of a stainless-steel bracelet or black rubber strap. The biggest change is the addition of a GMT complication to the new 75-hour Heuer 02 movement inside. The layout of the hands is a little different than normal as well, with the GMT hand sitting between the hour and minute hands so that it sweeps over the bold hour markers of the skeletonised dial. And for the first time there’s also a dual colour ceramic bezel in black and blue with a 24-hour scale for GMT functionality. On the wrist It’s a lightshow. With light bouncing around the dial, from the polished hands and indices, to the concentrically…
Amidst the pile of big and bold Hublot offerings at Baselworld 2018, it was a pleasant surprise to see a rare level of conservatism land on the table in the form of a more compact Big Bang Unico Chronograph — four references measuring 42mm in diameter, offered in King Gold, King Gold and ceramic, titanium and ceramic, and the titanium and ceramic model seen here. For some, one of the biggest gripes about the Big Bang is its significant presence on the wrist, and after closer examination, this slightly reduced variant puts the chronograph on just enough of a diet. Vital statistics Visually speaking, the new 42mm Big Bang Unico looks like it is simply a scaled-down version of its 45mm sibling, but that isn’t exactly the case. A close examination of its self-winding flyback chronograph calibre reveals at least some slight modification, explaining why though its specs are the same, the new derivative movement is called the HUB1280 rather than the HUB1242 listed on Hublot’s website. We do know that the new calibre is also thinner, allowing Hublot to trim away some excess case thickness in the process. Of the four variants, this titanium version is perhaps the most…
Tudor have added another – smaller – member to the Black Bay family at Baselworld 2018. It’s inspired by the “Big Crown” (reference 7924) Submariner, and named after the year it was released. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight faithfully re-creates the smaller case size of the 7924, complete with oversized crown and introducing a brand-new calibre into the Tudor collection. Vital statistics This is the first time we’ve seen the original Black Bay design downsized. The case of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight measures a very friendly 39mm across. However, the real story is how much slimmer it now is – at just under 12mm, as opposed to almost 15mm for the 41mm model. It’s also now powered by a brand-new Tudor manufacture movement, the calibre MT5402. With its smaller dimensions allowing for the diminished case size, while still maintaining a power reserve of 70 hours, a silicon balance spring, and COSC accuracy. There’s also a familiar gilt dial – sans the date – which matches the unidirectional bezel, with gilded markings and numerals. The crown has been reworked, with the familiar Tudor rose now embossed and the crown tube now satin-brushed in steel. On the wrist It’s not so much the smaller diameter that is…