INTRODUCING: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda Limited Edition
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms looks like a lot of other watches out there, and there’s a reason for that. The Fifty Fathoms was first. It was one of the first watches ever designed for diving and, as a result, has become almost the Universal Man of dive watches, where all watches that follow are derivative. Within the Fifty Fathoms family, there are many variations, but one of the most eye-catching of them all has inspired the reissue of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda Limited Edition. Originally, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was designed for French navy divers known as Nageurs de combat, but the first Blancpain Barakuda was designed for an armed force over the border in Germany. Known at the time as the Bundesmarine, the German Navy needed a watch that was both easy to read and robust, and looked to Blancpain to produce them a watch that did both. The Barakuda was developed and issued to their own combat swimmers, and is characterised by its unique two-tone hour markers that feature a red strip at their base. In this reissue, the attention to detail is historically faithful, right down to the Automatique lettering, and proportions of the oversized hour…
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Over the last few years, Seiko’s Presage collection has earned something of a reputation for excellence in enamel, with a quick succession of hot watches with fired dials. And while in the past these pieces have leant towards complexity, SJE075 and SJE077 simplify things a little, and serve as contrasting tributes to the original Seiko Laurel. Both watches feature plain dials, with a date at three, Breguet-style Arabic numerals, and well-sized 39.5mm steel case with a super-hard coating. Reference SJE075 is the white dial, which amps up the vintage look, with the distinctive red 12 and blued steel hands, while SJE077 serves some more low-key style, in midnight blue. Regardless of your dial preference, these Presage models would make an excellent dressy daily option. Seiko Presage SJE075 and SJE077 price Seiko Presage SJE075 and SJE077, steel on leather, $4700 AUD Made in partnership with Seiko. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.
This week, the Chopard Alpine Eagle was released, marking a brand new collection from Chopard, their first in decades. It revives the design of their first ever sports watch, and the brand’s first ever steel watch. Based on the St. Moritz from 1980, the Alpine Eagle features the same stainless steel case and integrated bracelet, exposed bezel screws, and an eye-catching mix of polished and brushed surfaces. Where the new Alpine Eagle flies to new territory is in the proprietary alloy that Chopard has developed called Lucent Steel A223 (a four-year R&D effort) and the finely grained and textured radial dial. It’s said to be inspired by an eagle’s iris. Maybe. Whatever. It’s bloody beautiful, and with the blue galvanic treatment, it gives constant surprise/delight from the wrist. Check this video for proof. If you’re wondering about the name, it refers to the ‘Eagle Wings Foundation’, yet another initiative from Chopard that proves how seriously they’re taking ‘sustainable luxury’ — the foundation is all about protecting flora and fauna in the Alps. The steel in the watch is 70 per cent recycled, with 30 per cent from traceable sources. They’re definitely serious. Contemporaries of the St. Moritz model — which sold a staggering…
Celebrating five decades since its first automatic chronograph was released, Seiko has just unveiled this, the new Seiko Automatic Chronograph SRQ029J 50th Anniversary. First revealed in 1969, the original Seiko Automatic Chronograph featured the Japanese watchmaker’s historic Calibre 6139 movement, which utilised an integrated vertical clutch and column wheel chronograph architecture. 1969 was a competitive and interesting time for watchmakers, as it wasn’t just Seiko that was trying to bring an automatic chronograph to market in the last year of the Swinging Sixties. In fact, not only was an automatic chronograph joint venture between Heuer and Breitling on the precipice of release, but Zenith’s famed El Primero movement was also on the verge of being brought to market. Exciting times indeed for the chronograph. The 6139-equipped timepieces were presented in a number of different colour schemes, and all featured a day-date indicator and a single 30-minute sub-dial located at the 6 o’clock position on the sporty dial. What followed the 6139 was arguably one of Seiko’s most notable chronographs of all time, the Seiko 6138 “Panda”. In fact, the Calibre 6138 spawned a great many cult classics, including the “Kakume”, “Jumbo”, “Calculator” and “Bullhead”. The Panda, like all 6138-powered timepieces, featured two sub-dials: one displaying…
Some of the coolest and cultiest of vintage Seiko watches are their calibre 5719 monopusher chronographs, released to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 (an event for which Seiko were the official timekeepers btw). These watches didn’t look much like a chronograph, with only a single seconds hand and a bidirectional bezel to track elapsed time. They were also (like all chronographs before 1969), manually wound affairs. And while they might have lacked the sort of bells and whistles we expect from a sporty chronograph today, you can’t deny that these angular pieces, with reserved ’60s good looks oozed style. Well, that was 55 years ago and Seiko has decided that the time is right for a reissue. Which brings us to the SRQ031J, which preserves the old-school charm of the original but adds in some of that modern functionality we expect in 2019. The Seiko Anniversary Chronograph 55th Anniversary SRQ031J (to give it its full name) is a large, fully specced automatic, limited to 1000 pieces. And for all that it’s larger than the OG version, it does a very good job of evoking its spirit. The silver dial is shimmery in the light under the sapphire crystal,…
The Snowflake looms large in the minds (and on the wrists) of Grand Seiko fans — the 10-year-old titanium watch is an undisputed champion, and deservedly so. But now there’s a phalanx of other Snowflakes in the family – the dial comes with gold highlights and even in dressier cases. But one Snowflake that stands out to us is the SBGA407. The most obvious standout is the dial, which is somewhat counterintuitive given how subtle it is. The texture is still that same Washi-paper-esque effect that gives that windswept snowdrift effect, but now it’s in a soft blue tint, like the heart of an iceberg. This colour, aside from adding novelty and a different flavour to the watch, also ups the contrast on the (as usual) exquisitely finished hands and hour markers, to create an effect that is, overall, deeply pleasing. What’s also pleasing is the case, here in steel — a more universally loved material than titanium. The lines of this case are also softer and dressier than the traditional SBGA211. The overall effect of case and dial is one of casual dressiness rather than dressy sportiness, if that makes sense. In this context the deep blue (Grand Seiko’s…
Have you ever had a real snake wrap itself around your wrist? If not, I urge you to do so. Really. It’s a wonderful sensation. If you have, you will know exactly what I mean. It feels amazingly sensuous. Gentle, warm, almost fluid. And those were pretty much my first impressions when I tried on the pink gold Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori at Baselworld earlier in the year. Visually, the design is a much more abstracted representation of a serpent than some of its predecessors (notably, the stunning enamel and gem-set versions of the 1960s – some of which I have been lucky enough to try on my wrist over the years). However, the way it feels on the wrist makes it the most snake-like of the countless variations of Serpenti that Bulgari has produced over the past seven decades. This watch really is all about the bracelet – in the best sense. The engineering that makes those hexagonal scales (links) feel as supple as a satin ribbon is testament to Bulgari’s 135-year heritage as a jeweller. Each link has been designed with a very subtly convex surface and angled cutaway around the edges. Barely perceptible details – but they are…
We’re heading into awards season for the watch industry, and they don’t come much more glamorous or glitzy than the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), which is set to take place in — you guessed it — Geneva on November 7. There are 84 watches vying to be named best in show, and the competition is fierce. Unfortunately for us, the awards are also on the other side of the world, making it a bit of a mission to attend the big night. But your chances of being able to get up close and personal with the year’s best watches just became a little higher, as the competing watches have hit the road. And Australia is the first cab off the rank. The Hour Glass is to host the GPHG Exhibition, for the first time coming to Australia, at their Sydney boutique. The watches will be on show from 11am to 4pm on Saturday the 28th and Sunday the 29th of September. And while we’d encourage vigorous debate as to which watches should win (see our social media comments section for that), we’ve also picked a few of our favourite contenders out of the pack, and put together this…
The travel watch is one of the classic tropes in the world of watch design — and as with all recurring themes, the travel watch is a broad spectrum, ranging from rough and ready all the way up to the private jets and mega-yachts version of travelling in style. The Grand Seiko SBGE201 treads a middle ground. It’s solid steel, but it also possesses enough innate pizzaz to hold its own in more formal situations. This tricky balancing act comes down to the materials Grand Seiko has used, and how they’ve been treated: the steel is hard-wearing and robust, but it’s been treated with Grand Seiko’s typical level of obsession and care, to transform the otherwise ubiquitous case-material into something far more sculptural. And, of course, that sapphire inset bezel adds more than its fair share of flash. So, if you’re the sort of traveller who likes to stand out while fitting in, the classic, sporty shape and ever-impressive Spring Drive tech of the Grand Seiko SBGE201 might be something you want to take a closer look at. Grand Seiko SBGE201 price Grand Seiko SBGE201, $8400 AUD Made in partnership with Grand Seiko. However, the opinions expressed in this article are…
Ever since Davide Cerrato took the helm at Montblanc’s watch department, it’s as if the turbo-booster was suddenly turned on. The watches, which were solid before, now have a clarity and a cohesion that makes them a strong option and a force to be reckoned with. Case in point, their 2019 heritage releases … The Montblanc Heritage Monopusher Pulsograph Montblanc’s Minerva chronographs have a well-earned reputation for being amongst the best in the business, and the one keeping this beauty running is no exception. And in this case the case and dial is more than a match for the movement. The salmon dial, in particular, is complex and subtle, with nice heritage touches like the hash marks on the minutes counter, which marked the increments of international telephone calls, back when that was something that mattered. $44,400 The Montblanc Heritage Automatic If you don’t need the complexity or the sticker price of the chronograph, but (like me) can’t get enough of that dial, you’re in luck, as Montblanc offer it in a simple automatic version. The reasonable size and stylish solid caseback complete the picture. $3410 The Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar Taking a break from salmon dials, this Perpetual Calendar certainly…