VIDEO: The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver splashes down
Some people say that a leopard can’t change its spots, and you know what? Some people are wrong, as the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver clearly proves. The French watch brand earned their stripes with an impressive array of aviation watches, centred on the square, cockpit-inspired BR 03 case. Well, it turns out that this large, striking design works just as well at depth as it does at altitude. The BR 03-92 Diver is a remarkably smart underwater repurposing of the brand’s famous form. But really, not too much had to be changed. A bezel was added, as was a screw-down crown. The trademark Arabic numerals were replaced with simpler (and heavily lumed) hour markers. It’s clever design – something B&R excels at – and I think this new diver will have an important role in the collection going forward. I can’t wait to see what versions will be coming down the pipeline in a few months’ time. Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Australian pricing Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver, $5400. For more information, see here.
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The story in a second: Maybe it didn’t get to the moon, but this Speedmaster still excites. Earlier this week, we ran a video review of the black-dialled Omega Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer. Well, we liked it so much we thought we’d go into a little more detail, with the very different feeling grey-dialled version. The case It’s a Speedmaster, so no real surprises with the case. It looks and feels much like every other Speedmaster, except for its contemporary dimensions: it clocks in larger than your regular Speedy, at a not insubstantial 44.25mm wide, but it wears well, and sits comfortably on the wrist, thanks to a very reasonable sub-15mm height. The case is mostly brushed, with the exception of that sinuous polished line that stretches from lug-tip to lug-tip, adding an air of elegance to an otherwise utilitarian case. The dial Speaking of elegance, this dial variation is by far the dandiest. The black we showed you earlier is an undeniable classic, and there’s a white version, but this sunburst grey number is the real winner in my books. And not just because the grey is so mutable in the light. No, what really sets this dial apart…
Seiko dive watches are a perennial favourite. They’re tough-as, look the business, and have a history as long and proud as any. Whether it’s the coveted SLA017, or the classic Turtle, they’ve got a strong rep, and cult following. The Seiko faithful are going to be very happy with this latest limited edition – the SRPC49K, which we’ve taken the liberty of nicknaming ‘the night diver’ (I’m really hoping this catches on). We’re going to let these stunning pictures do most of the talking, but here are the details we have so far: The SRPC49K is a blacked-out variant of the Turtle, with a mix of matt and gloss finishes on the 45mm case, and a matching monochromatic bezel. The dial is classic Seiko diver, with the iconic Lumibrite plots, hands and that day/date display. There are the little details we’ve come to expect, like the Suwa ‘sword’ at 12, and the Prospex logo at six, but, really, it’s all about the colour. Orange is the order of the day, and not the sort of high-vis fluro orange you typically get on dive watches (having said that, the minute hand is pretty bright). No, the orange on display here is…
Given how synonymous Omega’s Speedmaster is with space in general and the moon in particular, it’s quite easy to forget that the watch was originally designed with motorsports in mind. This year, Omega set out to remind us that the Speedmaster does not always equal Moonwatch, with the Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer, a big, 44.5mm dual register automatic that honours the spirit of the Speedy, but also spices things up with numerous automotive touches. Starting with the perforated racing strap, with flashes of orange peeking out from between the lining. Then there’s the high-vis orange highlights on the dial, and finally, the roulette-style alternating minute track, which improves legibility (and coolness) by at least 20 per cent. With the Speedmaster Racing, Omega has taken an already winning engine and, once again, fine-tuned it for optimal performance. Omega Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer Australian pricing Omega Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer, steel on leather, $11,300
If you were looking for a go-anywhere-do-anything type watch (and honestly, aren’t we all?), then a stylistically versatile steel GMT on a bracelet would tick a lot of the boxes. And as far as versatile steel GMTs go, there aren’t too many options that offer quite as much as Grand Seiko’s SBGJ203. It’s got the looks: a distinctive, angular and exceptionally well-finished 40mm case, paired with a rich dial that sets an exceptionally high bar for the competition. There’s fine detail at play, but it’s not a watch to peacock its virtues, or to sacrifice comfort and function in favour of style. And then there’s movement. Grand Seiko’s 9S86, released in 2014, is a connoisseur’s choice, a well-finished automatic that beats at an accurate 5Hz rate, with an antimagnetic balance spring and 55 hours of power reserve. Not to mention the user-friendly GMT itself, which shows two time zones from central hands, and allows for quick, hour increment adjustments of the local time, a more logical implementation than the GMT hand adjustment, which is more common. The SBGJ203 is the sort of watch that has me going out of my way to find flaws. You might find the finishing –…
When it comes to watches, I’m very big on buying watches that suit your lifestyle, for the simple reason that if they suit your life, then you’ll get maximum wear out of the piece — and therefore maximum enjoyment. So, when I was flicking through Bulgari’s catalogue and spotted the Ultranero, I knew I had to give it a test drive. With a name like ‘Ultranero’, how could I not? And so, a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending a weekend with the Bulgari Octo Ultranero. Not-so-coincidentally my blacked-out weekend happened to come shortly after I’d spent the week with another far more golden Octo. My first impression was … yeah, this thing is cool, I could definitely get used to this. And, sure enough, the Ultranero really grew on me! Usually, I find myself naturally drawn to dive watches, so it was quite refreshing to give them a weekend off, and wear something completely different. I actually think this added to the appeal; it was like living out a horological fantasy. Once I put it on, it felt … ultra comfortable. The rubber strap is super soft, and with a 100m water resistance, I see this as…
Bremont is a brand fuelled by avgas and the spirit of Icarus. The fledgling British brand has their roots in the sky, as it were. But that doesn’t mean that they’ve neglected other spheres of influence, including motorsports and as we can see here, diving. The Supermarine (even their dive watches have an aviation tie-in) first entered the catalogue in 2010, in the form of the Supermarine 500, a large 43mm steel piece with a distinctive ‘crown-at-two’ case design. This year the Supermarine has evolved, with several new references joining the family — the S300 and the S301. These divers — while still having plenty of Bremont DNA, such as the Trip-Tick case — are much more traditional. They’re smaller, at 40mm across, and slimmer, with a 13mm height. And if the proportions are constrained, so too is the style. The S301 plays the vintage card, with its printed hour markers, lollipop seconds hands and a general air of world-weariness. As with pretty much everything Bremont create, it’s a strong, smart, design that plays to their strengths and is suitable for a lifetime of daily wear. Bremont Supermarine Type S301 Australian pricing Bremont Supermarine Type S301, on leather, $5000
A few weeks ago, I spent the Melbourne Cup long weekend with some extra company, specifically two references from the Bulgari Octo collection. Now, let me just say right off the bat, when it comes to the Bulgari timepieces, the Octo Finissimo collection has had pretty much all my attention since the Automatic dropped earlier this year at Baselworld. So when the opportunity arose to test drive a couple of ‘other’ Octos, I was keen to explore what else was on offer. I decided on two (very) different pieces, with both work and play in mind, which stood out to my particular tastes. For ‘work’, I opted for the Octo Roma in 18 karat rose gold. I love gold, so it wasn’t exactly a hard choice. For my ‘play’ option, I grabbed an Octo Ultranero, which you can read about later this week. My first impression was … a big ‘wow’ when I took the brown dial into the sunlight. ‘Brown’ doesn’t do justice to this charismatic, dynamic, ever-changing dial. Depending on lighting, the lacquered surface would change from a very dark brown to more of a chestnutty colour. And, in the brightest of sunlight, even a rich burgundy. It really…
Dive watches, thanks in part to their function-before-form ideology, can often be, well, formulaic. Seiko’s bold gold SSC618P manages to buck the trend in a few ways. Firstly, and most obviously, they’ve dressed up rugged steel with an unmissable rose gold coating, which must surely increase visibility underwater, as it’s certainly eye-catching on land. Then there’s the fact that this is a dive-ready chronograph, a slightly uncommon combination, but it’s always fun to play with screw-down pushers. And finally there’s the fact that while this Seiko isn’t packing mechanical heat in the backend, the movement is a quite interesting (and useful) solar-powered number. Honestly, this is a 43.5mm chunk of summer fun, that would, just quietly, look killer on a khaki nylon strap. Seiko Prospex SSC618P Australian pricing Seiko Prospex SSC618P, $775
“Which watch should I get?” It’s the first, and hardest, question to answer for any watch lover (shortly followed by “which watch should I get next?”), and our news and reviews aim to make that question easier for you to answer. Well, today we make it simpler yet, with a series of three short videos that each ask, “How do you know which Tudor is right for you?” We match three key watches from Tudor’s catalogue to three styles of wearer, albeit in a slightly tongue-in-cheek way. First up is Tudor’s mighty technical diver, the Pelagos. So, if the above video resonates with you, you might want to check out our longer review. But you’re not completely off the hook — the next tricky question is: Black, Blue or LHD?