Category: Luxury Watches

Introducing – 3 new Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT, including one limited edition (Ref. SBGJ021, SBGJ017, SBGJ019)

The Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT is already known from collectors, and praised for its superior quality, its design mixing elegant and casual attitude and its highly technical movement. It is a watch that was already available in both standard editions and in one colorful edition (the SBGJ005, with its green dial and highly decorated rotor). Already at that time, we had two regular watches and one limited. Well, the same scenario is about to happen, with 3 new versions of the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT: 2 elegant regular pieces (SBGJ017 and SBGJ019) and one limited edition with deep red dial and a rotor depicting the sunrise on Mount Iwate (SBGJ021). Overview.

8 years ago

Hands-on – The Speake-Marin Spirit Seafire Chronograph Titanium Red

When first introduced at Baselworld 2014, the Speake-Marin Spirit Seafire was the first chronograph of the brand (introduced alongside the Spirit Wing Commander, creating a new collection of sports watches). You’ll have to admit, coming from a man like Peter Speake Marin, more used to highly complicated watches and well known for his superior watchmaking skills, this was rather surprising. A more commercial-oriented piece for sure, plus also being a sportier development of a growing brand, the Spirit Seafire Chronograph is however still (very much) a Speake-Marin watch… just with a different perspective. Let’s look in details what a Speake-Marin for a larger audience can offer.

8 years ago

Introducing – Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Manufacture, now with an elegant ivory dial

Recently, we had to review a watch that actually quite impressed us, a watch with a nice display, based on a date and a moonphase, with a classical case, voluntarily vintage-inspired and, overall, a very nice price / pleasure ratio: the Frederique Constant Manufacture Classics Moonphase. The style of the watch is clearly identify in its name and this watch even adds an officer caseback, to complete the package. However, this watch has an also desirable sister, more modern, however ver close: the Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Manufacture, which comes now with an elegant ivory dial. Same movement, same display, different pleasures.

8 years ago

Introducing – Bell & Ross BR01 Burning Skull “Tattoo” (hands-on)

A skull in a pilot / instrument watch? Seems like a weird combination. However, it’s something that Bell & Ross have done for quite some years now. And in fact, this motif is somewhat linked to the world of aviation (and no, this BR01 is not a pirate watch). Yes, these Skull B&R (the first one was introduced in 2009) pay tribute to legendary parachutists of the Second World War, who’s logo was a skull with “Death from Above” written inside. The new Bell & Ross BR01 Burning Skull uses this same DNA and even tattooed it directly onto its case.

8 years ago

“Dutch Pride” embodied by the new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Max Verstappen Special Edition

Dutch citizens and their pride, all wrapped in orange… That’s something few can understand but I have to say, I do. Indeed, I am surrounded with Dutch guys, as two of our contributors are Dutch and even our dear founder Frank is. While the Netherlands aren’t known to be the greatest country for sports, they have one man to rely on, one man that is known to be the youngest Formula One Grand Prix winner of all time. To celebrate “Dutch Pride” and this great champion, TAG Heuer unveiled yesterday night in Amsterdam the new Max Verstappen Special Edition, a watch only available for his fans and co-citizens in the Netherlands.

8 years ago

Introducing – Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro with green and blue dials and still the same super-cool design

If you think about Giuliano Mazzuoli – in case you know it, and if not, now you know – you might have in mind a minimalistic but recognizable design as well as the use of fancy materials, rarely to never seen in watchmaking, like for instance marble or cement – yes, the case is made with these materials! Well if you think this is going a bot too far for, there might a solution in-between these and a traditional black or white dial, with the new Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro with green and blue dials.

8 years ago

2016 TAG Heuer Mikrograph 100th Anniversary – The TAG that goes vintage and fast

You thought that TAG Heuer was only about to do normal watches, with a more entry-level objective – and we thought that too, especially after what we told you here. Well, it seems that it’s not going to be the case and that concept watches, even if rare, are still part of the new strategy implemented by Mister Biver. As a proof, TAG Heuer will launch a new limited and exclusive watch, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Mikrograph, the first stopwatch able to time events to the 1/100th of a second. Here is the highly desirable 2016 TAG Heuer Mikrograph 100th Anniversary, the TAG that goes vintage and fast, as still to the 1/100th of a second.

8 years ago

French & Independent – Olivier Jonquet Introduces New Watches, the Carosse and the Capitaine (Specs & Price)

2 years ago, a French passionate had a rather crazy idea: launching a watch brand. In this market driven by massive companies, there is however some room for smaller, more exclusive and more soul-driven pieces, some watches that will answer the needs of more mature or more selective collectors. The Olivier Jonquet Elie achieved its subscription process and all the pieces offered were sold. Time is now for more rational projects, with new watches to be introduced, still with the same concept. Here are the Olivier Jonquet Carosse and Captain watches.

8 years ago

Hands-on – 2016 Cartier Santos 100 ADLC, now back fully black and in-house (live pics, specs & price)

With no fanfare or fireworks, quietly, in the middle of the rush of the SIHH 2016, in the luxurious salons of the Cartier booth, nearly forgotten because pushed into the background by the introduction of the Drive, Cartier introduced this year a new version of an icon, the Santos 100. Well, if the design remains the same as the previous editions, some new colors are available. No big deal… However, it was until we’ve been told this watch came for the first time with a manufacture movement. Here is the 2016 Cartier Santos 100 ADLC, the icon back in full black and in-house.

8 years ago

Introducing – Oris El Hierro Limited Edition (live photos, specs & price)

If there’s one thing Oris is good at, it’s to create interesting and nicely designed limited editions, especially of dive watches. Well, it’s not that difficult when your base for these editions is the reliable, rugged, efficient but pretty affordable Aquis Date. We’ve seen for instance the Great Barrier Reef edition or the Carlos Coste version. This time, Oris teams up with the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, to create a volcano-inspired version, the (of-course) black and red Oris El Hierro Limited Edition.

8 years ago