Zenith takes on GPHG 2019 with 5 seriously hot watches
It isn’t hard to imagine that Zenith is probably feeling pretty darn confident about being given more than one award at this year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Not least for the fact that five of the Swiss marque’s timepieces have been given the nod by the prestigious event’s judges across no fewer than five different categories. This is a seriously big deal for Zenith, especially when you consider that in the eyes of many, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève is the Swiss watch industry’s most revered awards event, though we mustn’t compare GPHG to a certain Hollywood-based awards night. Anyway, here are all five of Zenith’s chosen watches and the categories they’ve been nominated for: Men’s Complication – Zenith Defy El Primero Double Tourbillon Made from solid 950 platinum and limited to just 10 pieces, the Zenith Defy El Primero Double Tourbillon is a truly impressive and multifaceted timepiece. Featuring Zenith’s El Primero 9020 calibre movement, this double-barrel wonder offers 60 hours of power reserve, a chronograph and a power reserve complication. The large 46mm case is 14.5mm thick and is water resistant to 100 metres. Iconic – Zenith El Primero A384 Revival An incredibly faithful modern interpretation…
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It’s the least surprising twist in a conversation when a watch collector tells you they’re into G-Shock. When I started writing about watches, I remember a fellow Australian journalist – Bani McSpedden – flicking through pictures on his phone of all his G-Shocks arranged in a rainbow stack. I found it curious then, but not so now. Why? The brand has carefully curated its modern mythology – with shrewd pop culture collaborations, and creative activations – and lately found new ways to celebrate its legacy. Sapphire crystal versions, solid gold, high-polished steel and gold plate, all managing to consolidate the design and pillar in the annals of watch history. However, the watch that really piqued my interest was one I ended up buying. The Full Metal Black Aged IP GMW-B5000V-1, a 43.2 mm x 43.2 mm square-shaped DW5000 fresh outta 1983. More about that in the video, and later in an in-depth review I’m working on. All of this is to say that, in my early days writing about watches, and we’re talking over a decade ago now, I didn’t expect the resin watches I’d owned through school and teen years, to be an ongoing part of the horological conversation.…
In the world of serious vintage watch collecting the presence of a retailer’s name on the dial can make a big difference in terms of price. Turler, Tiffany & Co, Serpico Y Laino, prestigious retailers with great provenance — just the sort of thing that makes an otherwise generic steel sports watch stand out of the pack, and makes the whole watch collecting space such a vibrant one. But, as brands took control over their own supply chains, it looked like the age of the retailer edition was done and dusted. But it turns out that the age of the retailer exclusive hasn’t had its day just yet, as Tom Mulraney discovers over at the WatchPro. Turns out that prestigious old-world retailers like Harrods and Bucherer are still making their own LEs, and they’ve been joined by a new wave of e-commerce retailers, both specialist, like Revolution and Hodinkee, as well as general, like Farfetch. It’s an interesting space, and for all that some collectors decry the explosion of small-run pieces, the chances are good that in a few generations’ time, these pieces will be as desirable as double-signed dials are today … Read the full story over at WatchPro. 
In an unending stream of vintage-inspired wristwatches that are just a little bit off (you know what I mean), you cling to a watch that gets it right like a life raft. The Haven Watch Co. Chilton is exactly that life-saving device, with it tastefully sized at 37mm, and offering a visually compelling dial. Taking inspiration from the colourful yachting chronographs of the ’70s, the Chilton has the details considered. The chronograph is available in two different dial colours, which are a creamy white or a deep midnight blue, both of which feature contrasting sub-dials in a compax layout. We were lucky enough to get a closer look at the white dial version, which has a pulsations track around the perimeter of the dial. Originally used by medical professionals, a pulsations track is an interesting choice by the folks at Haven Watch Co, specifically because of the highly collectible nature of vintage chronographs with this feature. This added detail isn’t an accident, and goes to show that the people behind Haven are genuine watch enthusiasts. The rest of the dial is evenly spaced, with small sub-dials that include a 30-minute counter, which is colourfully divided into 10-minute intervals that really…
Following the successful first collaboration between British virtual band Gorillaz and Japan’s G-Shock, the dynamic duo has once again teamed up for their latest and final collaboration together. Their two newest limited-edition creations, the GA2000GZ-3A and GW-B5600GZ-1, aim to pay homage to the iconic music group’s first album, Gorillaz, and their latest album, The Now Now. The Gorillaz-themed timepiece, GA2000GZ-3A, is based on the standard GA-2000 Series of watches that feature G-Shock’s Carbon Core Guard and an interchangeable band. The collaborative piece scores a striking green camouflage motif, faithfully portraying the cover art of the original Gorillaz album. Features of the GA-2000-based timepiece include 200 metres of water resistance, a World Time function with 31 time zones, a 1/100-second stopwatch and an accuracy rating of +/- 15 seconds per month. The Now Now-themed wristwatch started life as G-Shock’s famed 5600 Series, and as a result scores a host of functional capabilities that include Smartphone Link with Bluetooth connectivity, 10 months of battery operating time, a full-auto calendar and an accuracy rating of +/- 15 seconds per month. The Now Now watch also sports a fluorescent pink and blue-coloured theme, stylised to capture the imagery of the cover art of The…
If you’re in the market for one Swiss mechanical watch to do it all — come rain, hail or shine, 365 days of the year — and you’ve got a budget of around $10,000, most people would head straight for a Rolex Datejust. In fact, the argument could quite easily be made that the Datejust is the archetypal, go-anywhere, do-anything timepiece thanks to features like a waterproof case, chronometer certified in-house movement, supreme robustness and superlative build quality. However, Omega also makes a watch that genuinely rivals the Rolex in every aforementioned criterion. And yet, due to almost all of Omega’s fanfare these days being levelled squarely at the venerable Seamaster Professional and Speedmaster collections, most people have forgotten that the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Master Chronometer even exists. So, we thought it would be pertinent to draw everyone’s attention back to when Felix first went hands-on with this truly exceptional timepiece. The story in a second: This year the Aqua Terra received a major upgrade, and now we’re seeing Omega’s staple in a whole new light. Since it first surfaced in 2003, Omega’s Aqua Terra has been a versatile everyman: stylish and sartorial, but tough enough for the real world.…
Ladies and the slight of wrist, rejoice! And behold the latest offering from German watchmaker Nomos Glashütte – the Nomos Metro Rose Gold 33. In a first for Nomos’ Metro range, the Rose Gold is being offered to customers exclusively in a 33mm case size. Designed by Nomos’ Berlin-based stalwart Mark Braun, the new Metro features rose gold hour, minute and seconds hands affixed to a wonderfully subtle silver-plated dial. Contrasted with grey hour indices and purple minute markers, the Rose Gold Metro is unashamedly angled towards a female audience. The new 33mm case is beautifully finished in polished 18k rose gold and complemented by a fluffy, beige suede leather band and conforming 18k rose gold winged clasp. Housed within the delicate new case is Nomos’ celebrated Alpha caliber movement, which is also used in the German marque’s Tangente, Ludwig, Tetra, Orion and Club collections. The hand-wound, in-house movement features 17 jewels, lovely tempered blue screws, rhodium-plated surfaces and offers customers a decent 43 hours of power reserve. The Nomos Metro Rose Gold 33 has a recommended retail price of $10,000 AUD and is the latest addition to Nomos’ catalogue of solid gold timepieces, which also includes the Lux and…
Whether it’s the Submariner, Sea-Dweller or Deepsea, Rolex’s iconic range of professional dive watches have rather a lot in common. However, as Michael points out with his prized Deepsea ref.126660, the legacy watchmaker’s amphibious timepieces are not all created equal. In fact, the first time that Michael realised he wanted to own the herculean dive watch was when he saw one completely disassembled, and he appreciated just how different and unique the construction of the Deepsea is. As Michael explains, the Deepsea needs to be capable of withstanding quite monumental pressures when being submerged underwater at depths of up to 3900 metres (12,800 feet). As a result, 126660 uses 5mm-thick crystal and an inimitable case design, which utilises two pieces of titanium that are essentially sandwiched together. Now, you may be asking, “How did Michael manage to see a Deepsea completely disassembled?” Well, that’s because he previously worked for Rolex in their Melbourne service department, and has seen his fair share of these awesome watches stripped down. In addition, Michael also mentioned that the Deepsea’s movement, Rolex’s calibre 3235, is very reliable and easy to service, and the dial of the professional diver’s watch has excellent legibility.
Yes, we’re somewhat getting ahead of ourselves here, but with the abject misery of Australia’s particularly dismal winter now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to start thinking about ideal summer watches. What’s more, thanks to the land of Oz perpetually being six months behind the Northern Hemisphere’s summer style, we’ve already got a pretty clear idea as to what’s in vogue for the warmer months ahead. It might not come as a surprise to many, but white watches are definitely making a strong case for being attached to your wrist for when the thermostat cracks 30+ degrees. So, with that in mind, here are three of our favourite watches that will pair well with some SPF 50+: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe It seems logical to assume that if you’re looking for a summer watch, chances are you’re going to be heading to the beach at some point. And when it comes to watches that are as comfortable in the water as they are out, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms has got to be in the discussion. Luckily for us, the Swiss marque does offer the prolific dive watch with a distinctly white theme that includes a glossy white ceramic…
If you’re into feel-good positivity, then Netflix’s reboot of Queer Eye is likely already on your radar. If it’s not hard to get behind the premise of five (a fab five if you will) experts in their respective fields whipping into people’s lives and making them better. And of those experts, the guy in charge of food (and beverages for that matter) is Antoni Porowski, who aside from having strong opinions on the constituent ingredients of guacamole and a more than passing resemblance to a clean-living John Mayer, also has nice taste in watches. On the show he’s regularly seen rocking an Omega DSOTM and it turns out that’s not his only Omega. For evidence, please see this video from GQ where Antoni runs through 10 things he can’t live without — and, along with scented candles and Stan Smiths, turns out Antoni has a rather nice Omega Connie. Watch the whole thing here, and if you want to get straight to the watches it kicks off around 3:19.