HANDS-ON: The Longines Master Collection Annual Calendar – unassuming and awesome
There are few things I love more than a watch that surprises me. It’s something that doesn’t happen near enough for my liking, but it happened with this Longines. It was in the Longines booth at Baselworld, the first day of the fair. Trays and trays of watches had just been laid out in front of us and we were working out what to photograph and focus on. The new Legend Divers, obviously; cool new V.H.P. variants, a really sexy blue and gold Record. Then, the brand representative thrust something from the Master Collection into my hand. Steel, 40mm case, day-date display. Sure, it was nice, but a novelty? Not so much. I made polite sounds of appreciation and handed it back. No, she said, look again. And I did. I noticed the dial text first — ‘annual calendar’ — and then realised that it wasn’t a day-date, but rather a month and date. This seemingly innocuous watch had just jumped right to the top of the list. Before we talk more about the watch, let’s talk calendars. There’s a bunch of calendar complications, from the simple date, all the way up to the celestial stuff, but in my experience there…
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For Seiko, the turtle power is real. Their recent reinterpretation of the classic dive watch has earned near-universal acclaim, thanks to the triple threat of strong design, stronger build quality and a value offering that’s hard to beat. And while the core collection is outstanding, Seiko like to drop something a little bit extra special every so often. And that’s exactly what this watch is: a special edition with a very special gradient blue dial that works towards supporting an even more special cause. I don’t know about you, but I’d find it impossible not to smile while checking the time on this diver — mostly because of how awesomely vivid the blue is (seriously, just look at that dial), but also because it helped, in its own tiny way, to improve our precious marine environment. Seiko Prospex SRPC91K ‘Save The Ocean’ Turtle Australian pricing Seiko Prospex SRPC91K ‘Save The Ocean’, $725
Call me a romantic, but the moon phase complication is amongst my favourites. Paradoxically, it’s also amongst the least functional — tracking the waxing and waning of our most significant satellite isn’t something that’s high on my list of life priorities. And when the topic does come up, I can, you know, look at the sky. But, really, that’s not the point of a moon phase. It’s a complication of wonder, one that speaks — on a scale far broader than hours or minutes — to the passing of time. It also reminds you that time isn’t an abstract concept, it’s linked to astronomical events — the earth, sun and moon etc. Raymond Weil has done well to capture this overall sense of stargazing whimsy in their Maestro Moon Phase. I mean, sure, the perfectly sized 39.5mm steel case is plain and simple, living up to the classic principles of the Maestro family. The dial, though, is where it really comes alive. Blue tones are the order of the day, but the effect on the wrist is far from flat or monochromatic, thanks to the various surface treatments: wavy radial guilloché in the centre, concentric rings for the hour track,…
The story in a second: Same great watch, brand new dial. The centrepiece of Seiko’s 2018 Prospex collection is, without doubt, the brand new and very blue ‘Save The Ocean’ series, offered in Turtle, Samurai and solar variants. It follows on from the recent Black Series and Blue Lagoon. But while last year’s limited edition was purely a cosmetic update, the Save The Ocean release has an element of social responsibility. Seiko has teamed up with Fabien Cousteau (grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau), who is himself a marine conservationist, to raise funds and awareness for Cousteau’s Ocean Learning Centre. Part of this awareness-raising involves prominent displays of what healthy and not-so-healthy marine environments look like in several Australian cities. So, not only do these watches look the part, they also do their part. The case First up, aside from the dial and bezel, this watch is pretty much identical to its regular release brethren. So, you’re getting the same angular, slightly blocky steel case, with solid proportions of 43.8mm across and 12.82mm tall — with a neatly knurled crown at three and fairly pointy guards. One point of difference between this and the regular Samurai models is that the grippy bezel…
The story in a second: Bulgari’s latest take on the Octo Finissimo Automatic is the anti-gold gold watch. How about a riddle to start your Monday off right? When is a gold watch not a gold watch? When it’s Bulgari’s darling, the Octo Finissimo Automatic, in rose gold. Now, obviously it’s a gold watch, but it looks and wears like no other gold watch I’ve ever had the pleasure of wearing. The case While the movement and other elements of habillage are important to this watch, really, it’s about the case (and bracelet — more on that shortly). The design, the material, the treatment. All of it really. Let’s start with the familiar. The Octo Finissimo case itself is a pretty well-known quantity by now. It’s a much thinner (5.15mm to be precise) version of the regular Octo, which is an evolution of Genta’s original design. The Octo Finissimo Automatic is all sharp lines; the only curves to be seen are the bezel (even that is encompassed by an octagonal frame) and the crown. Everything else is facets and angles. The resulting look is instantly iconic, a strong, decidedly contemporary look that, unlike many high-end avant-garde designs, manages to be…
I’m sure everyone reading this has, at some point, felt that feeling of utter bewilderment of being in a conversation about watches. The level of technical jargon, slang and verbal shorthand can be confusing at best and exclusionary at worst — it can feel like a club with its very own secret language. And the hardest thing is that the language changes with every brand. Take Grand Seiko, for instance — you have to get your head around reference numbers, specific nomenclature and calibres, not to mention the vast and colourful world of fan-based nicknames. But don’t worry, today we’re here to help you crack the code. If you’ve ever been confused about what makes Grand Seiko so grand, why everyone keeps talking about Snowflakes and Spring Drives, or what a Credor is, watch this video and all will be explained …
The story in a second: Classic on the outside, contemporary on the inside. Baume & Mercier are onto a winner here. I’ve always thought Baume & Mercier were at their best when they were playing with the classics. The Clifton, with its classical proportions, vintage inspiration and strong value offering, is a proposition that was hard to beat. But beat it they did, with the deceptively simple Clifton Baumatic, and its powerful movement. The case An elegantly proportioned case is a hallmark of the Clifton family, and this Baumatic version delivers, with neat and tidy dimensions of 40mm across by 10.3mm tall. But even though it’s a Clifton, it’s not quite the same Clifton as before. The regular — non-Baumatic — Clifton is shade wider at 41mm. It’s not just the overall width here that’s slimmer, the lug shoulders are more slender too, giving a greater air of timelessness overall. As you’d expect, the crystals are sapphire on the front and the rear, and it’s rated to 50 metres of water resistance. The dial The classic aesthetic that’s evident on the case continues onto the dial, which could perhaps be best described as simple but stylish. Crisp black printing on…
It’s easy to think of the Carrera as purely a collection of chronographs, as that complication is where its roots and, indeed, heart lies. But for a long time the Carrera has been about more than just sports timers. It’s evolved into something more, a shorthand for sports pedigree and precision. This is the spirit with which the Carrera Calibre 5 Day-Date shines. The Carrera look is still there, of course, notably in the 41mm steel case, with those proud lugs and polished bezel. But the heritage is there in the dial — the simple baton markers and matchstick hands aren’t too far off those of the earliest Carreras. What’s new, though, is the day-date apertures: large, legible and neatly framed. Honestly, I really like this sort of execution of dates. They cop a lot of flak when they’re done in a haphazard, last-minute manner, but that is most definitely not the situation here, where the supremely practical calendar info is king, standing out from the matt black dial in a good way. This Carrera is a classical beauty, and the day-date doesn’t detract in the slightest. It’s also a watch built for the everyday. It feels comfortable and solid on the…
The story in a second: Classic Carrera. More colour. If you spend more than a few minutes in the sometimes crazy world of watches, it’s easy to lose perspective. You can very quickly get caught up in the hullabaloo of new this, in-house that, and proprietary the other. But while all that stuff is cool and sometimes really matters, at the end of the day it’s a watch on your wrist with a job to do. And that job is telling the time and looking good. I think this particular model excels at this job, which is why I chose it as one of my 10 favourite Baselworld 2018 releases. I made that decision in the thick of the fair, but you know what, after a few months reflection, I think it holds up. The dial The dial is where the party is at. The matt mid-blue matches perfectly with the fixed ceramic tachy bezel (love the choice to use ceramic BTW), and is freshened up even more thanks to the white, red and orange at play. The contrasting white is great, and adds an instant retro flavour. I particularly like the break afforded by the white inner flange, which…
A little over a week ago I found myself paying more attention than usual to the pre-flight safety spiel. Perhaps due to the fact that I was standing in a sunny clearing, looking at a helicopter. “Don’t go near the tail rotor, don’t put your hands up when you get out, and if you lose your hat, don’t worry about it.” Sensible life advice. Half an hour and a hundred-odd kilometres later I found myself looking down at my destination: a sweeping golden-brown field on the top of a mountain — Spicers Peak Lodge. It’s a beautiful location, sweeping vistas and high country that is equal parts stunning and Australian. It’s also, thanks in no small part to its elevated position, the perfect place to learn more about Montblanc, a brand for which the mountain is more than a literal logo. It’s also a metaphor for the pursuit of something higher, something greater. Given all that, it makes perfect sense that my wristwear of choice for the weekend was the TimeWalker Date Automatic, a no-fuss number that’s made with action in mind … My first impression was … that it was lighter than expected. This isn’t my first foray with…