HANDS-ON: The Breguet Classique 7147 gets an enamel update
Last year’s slim Breguet Classique 7147 had a spectacular dial, with a central section in detailed engine-turned guilloche and a subdial in a delicate crosshatch pattern. It was, not to overstate things, the star of the show. It’s a very difficult art to master, but there’s no doubt that Breguet has the technique down pat. So, imagine our surprise when we were presented this year’s update of the 7147 and there was not a hobnail or brushed finish to be seen. In its place is a single piece of lustrous grand feu enamel – an equally tricky technique to master – and this single change creates a completely new look for this dressy design. Thanks to the multiple firings the white enamel is of a brightness and lightness, and has an undulating sensuality, that’s hard to capture in photos (and even harder in words). It also has delicately hand-painted Breguet numerals (of course) and a delightful minute track (the non-cardinal markers are stylised fleur de lys) . The best bit though is the delicate dip that constitutes the small seconds subdial. The hands are pure Breguet, and made of hand-blued steel. Looking beyond the dial, everything is as it was with guilloche…
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One watch leapt out at me from Oris’ 2017 collection – the Chronoris Date. Not only is the colour scheme and tonneau case shape pretty eye-catching, but it’s also an honest and authentic homage to the timepieces of the ‘70s. In fact the Chronoris name refers to a 1970 design that was the brand’s first chronograph. This reinterpretation isn’t a chrono, but it’s certainly an era appropriate design. Given that I’ve got an incredibly soft spot for this sort of fun and funky design (I’ve been wanting an Omega Memomatic for ages, and – until it died – a compressor cased Bulova Accutron was one of my all time faves) my attraction to the Chronoris is perhaps unsurprising. Personal bias aside, the Chronoris Date is a winner of a watch, with a solid 39mm cushion shaped case with a pleasing radial brushed finish, paired with a domed sapphire crystal, 100m of water resistance and, as we’ve come to expect from Oris, it comes on a range of solid strap options. However, my favourite part of this watch is the dial. Seriously, look at it. The colour scheme of white, grey and black, with orange accents is just hot. I particularly…
Captain James Cook was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy and he is credited as being the first European to make contact with the eastern coastline of Australia. Considering the number of Europeans that make contact with the east coast these days – especially the bit between Sydney and Cairns – he definitely started a route that started the whole of Europe tanning. In more interesting news, to have a ‘Captain Cook’ in Australian (possibly Cockney) rhyming slang is to have a look at something. Yes, really. With those local references, how could we not be drawn to this reissue of a watch first released by Rado in 1962 of the same name (minus the HyperChrome) that swings both ways with contemporary/commercial and vintage designs? There are three new references, including a white women’s version with diamonds, a limited edition (of 1962) 37mm dark grey sunburst dial version (pictured here) on vintage leather strap and a larger 45mm titanium model. Despite water resistance of 100m in the first two versions and 200m for the titanium one, In our meeting Rado’s staff were quick to point out that it’s “not a dive watch”, functionally speaking. The Hyperchrome Captain Cook is quite petite by modern standards, a perception further enhanced by…