At Baselworld this year, Tudor introduced a new version of the Black Bay, dubbed “Steel” – or more precisely, the reference 79730. Immediately during the official presentation, I questioned myself about the real purpose of this watch, whic
One of the earliest metals known to man – bronze – refers to a wide range of copper alloys, usually with tin as the main additive. Because it is strong and tough, bronze is mostly used to craft tool watches. It was used in boat fittings – prior to stainless steel – because of its resistance to saltwater corrosion. It oxidizes but only on its outer layer, and that greenish layer protects the metal from further corrosion. This is what makes bronze so special, but you have to be ready for it. The patina that slowly grows over time adds that rugged, vintage, distinctive touch and makes every watch unique and different from the rest. Here are 6 Bronze watches released in recent years that you might want to consider, if you like your watches to live and become unique.
Anonimo might not be the largest watch brand we know, the least we can say is that they had quite a productive year: a complete facelift of the Nautilo, some sailing editions, some colourful versions of their dive watch, some new “bronze” watches and finally, new editions of the signature military chronographs. Why such a profusion of novelties? Simply because the brand is celebrating its 20th anniversary. And because the year isn’t finished yet, here are some new pieces, the “dressed in white” Anonimo Nautilo Bianco.
Earlier this year, Patek Philippe unveiled the limited-edition Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5650G, featuring the latest technology developed by its Advanced Research program. With its unusual aesthetics and impressive technological advances, it quickly became one of the most talked about watches at Baselworld. Today, we’re going hands-on with this incredible timepiece to learn more about what Patek Philippe is calling ‘two important innovations in the field of horological design’ and to see just how practical the watch is for everyday wear and use.
The Doxa SUB-300 is regarded as one of the most important watches amongst the diving community. Launched in 1966, it was certainly not the first dive watch (see the 1953 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms or the 1953 Rolex Submariner), however, it was part the first professional dive watches and, for that, it is historically important. This year, Doxa follows up the success of 2016’s sold-out 50th Anniversary SUB 300 Professional with another vintage-reissue, this time bearing the famous Aqua-Lung logo. Here’s the Doxa SUB-300 “Black Lung”, a tribute to an ultra-rare 1967 vintage Doxa prototype.
Every year, in November, a strange phenomenon appears… Moustaches grow all around. And no, it’s not an invasion of hipsters. It is “Movember”, a Foundation that tackles some of the biggest health issues facing men, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Oris is proud to announce that it has become an official Movember Partner and to celebrate, the brand presents a special edition of the iconic Divers Sixty-Five, with quite some cool design features and a reinforced vintage inspiration.
Collecting watches is a thing… Creating your own watches is another. Yet, with recent developments, such as crowd-funding and online shopping, the way watches are created and sold has drastically changed. One example is Dan Henry (a watch collector) who turned his passion into a business, by creating vintage-inspired watches with interesting value-for-the-money. One watch that tickled our interest is the Dan Henry 1970 Automatic Diver Compressor (the only one for the moment with mechanical movement). Like all Dan Henry watches, the 1970 model incorporates design elements from its namesake year. Look past the 1970s styling, however, and you will find plenty more to appreciate about this watch. With a mix of whimsical and high-end features at only US$250, the 1970 also includes a boatload of bang for your buck.
There’s something quite special about Seiko and its community of collectors. Indeed, some are proper fanatics and every new limited edition, especially if branded Prospex (the professional line of watches at Seiko), can create a blast among these aficionados. Very recently, Seiko introduced another limited edition, reserved to the Thai market (don’t worry, you can find it elsewhere…) based on the well-known Titanium Diver’s 200m “Shogun” SBDC029J. New gradient dial, different hands and a splash of colours, and here is the Seiko Prospex Shogun Zimbe SPB057J.
Let’s agree on one fact: in the world of watches, 10,000 USD/Euro is a perfect median budget. It allows access to most of the luxury brands, including the most coveted ones, to benefit from proper Swiss quality (and by that I mean watches that really are Swiss Made) and finally, you can access to what drives the passion for watches: in-house or exclusive movements. If 10,000 USD/Euro is already a strong budget, trust us, it’s probably the best money-spent/pleasure ratio possible. Here are 5 watches launched in 2017 priced around the “10k psychological price point” and that won’t make you feel like you have lost your money (Oh and in fact, we have 6 watches…)
Few brands can argue to have watches that are so iconic that they are actually known after monikers. Rolex and Omega are amongst them – think “Paul Newman”, “Bart Simpson” or “Deep Blue” – but Seiko is also on par in this “nickname game”. Many of their watches have been granted with funky sobriquets, as for instance the “Turtle” or the “62Mas”. Another one, more modern, is the “Samurai”, known to be a sporty and high quality-to-value ratio. After a discreet comeback with the (sold-out) Lagoon Limited Edition, aficionados will be pleased to see that the Seiko Prospex Samurai is back in the 2017 collection, and now in non-limited editions.