In the market for an Omega Aqua Terra? Watch this
Editor’s note: In the market for a truly excellent, everyday watch with superlative quality and solid style? How about the Omega Aqua Terra? Good choice. Not sure which one? Well, watch this video … One of the secrets of the Omega Aqua Terra’s success is its versatile charm. In its dark-dialled and gold incarnations it’s super dressed-up, but put it on a leather or rubber strap and it becomes a much more casual proposition. This is a watch that could pull tuxedo duty or go with board shorts (and the 150 metres of water resistance means it’s safe to take swimming) with equal ease. But no matter how you wear it, you won’t find it boring. The flash of the polished hands and applied indices ensure that, as does the shimmering, patterned dial. And then, of course, there are its more functional charms. It’s now a Master Chronometer-certified watch, which means that it is tough and accurate, and, in the larger size, has a nifty quick jump hour that’s super useful for travellers. Flexible style and feature-packed? That’s why we think the Omega Aqua Terra is one of the best contenders for ‘only watch’ status we’ve seen this year.
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Editor’s note: On its own, a Rolex is a power move. A precious metal Rolex more so. A Day-Date? Now you’re talking? The Day-Date 40 in Everose with a green dial? Winner winner. It’s no real surprise that Rolex — the world’s most reputable brand — is a class act. For me this was proven when I saw the beautiful new green-dialled Day-Date 40 on the first day of this year’s Baselworld fair. That class factor was cemented when I discovered the watch was available in stores on the very same day of its release. Not many brands could pull off a move that smooth. On the surface, this is a new variant of last year’s Day-Date 40 (a watch we’ve already covered in some depth) with a dial Rolex is calling ‘olive green’. But it’s more than that. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Day-Date’s introduction — six decades over which it’s become synonymous with leadership and success — so this new iteration is something special. It’s available in Everose gold and white gold versions, and we suspect that the wait list will be lengthy. As far as the watch goes, it has all the grace, charm and impeccable pedigree of the regular…
One of the strongest themes in Grand Seiko’s Basel 2019 showing was the pivot to dressy, slightly thinner pieces. We saw two new movements (both mechanical and Spring Drive) cased in a range of (typically gorgeous) new models. And while Grand Seiko’s design hallmarks are there — namely in the exceptional dials and the quality of finish — there were a few elements that set a significant new tone for the brand, particularly the thinner, more ergonomic case profiles, and manually wound movements. It’s a strong start, and it’s also just that — a start. We’re going to see lots more of these watches in the future … Grand Seiko SBGK002 Gold case, red urushi lacquer dial with a stunning Mt. Iwate finish. What’s not to like? Grand Seiko SBGK005 Well, if gold is a little rich for your blood, keep things more sedate with steel. Still stunning with a blue Mt. Iwate dial. Grand Seiko SBGY002 The snowflake has never looked so stunning, thanks to the thinner, smaller case in yellow gold. Grand Seiko SBGY003 Steel case, radial guilloché dial and slender profile. Only possible complaint — limited issue. 
Editor’s note: This story is a little bit old now, but you know what, it’s as relevant as ever. So, if you love watches, maybe you’ll have a laugh. If you work in a watch brand marketing department, maybe you can tone down some of these well-worn chestnuts. A large part of my job is sifting through press releases. After a while they all start reading the same, thanks to the seemingly limited vocabulary of most marketing departments. And you know what the greatest irony is? While these communications have been designed to make the watch they’re talking about stand out and sound unique, the constant, jargonistic repetition of these rote phrases has precisely the opposite effect. Now, it’s only fair to point out that I’m far from guilt-free in this situation. I’m pretty sure I’ve abused all the below words at some point. But you know what they say – admitting you have a problem is the first step on the road to recovery. Icon A quick Google suggests that, outside of specific religious meanings, an icon is something regarded as a representative symbol, or worthy of veneration. Now, if we’re all really honest with ourselves, I suspect that we…
Editor’s note: Despite us pretty much living in the watches game, plenty of watches slip under our radar. Last year, Felix sketched out a list from various price points of lesser known low-key watches that are still, undeniably, lit. From the blue pops and sweet bracelet of the 44mm Panerai Luminor Marina Logo 3 Days Acciaio to the gradient dial and attractive price tag of the Tissot Seamaster to the Longines Master Collection Annual Calendar (another one with a pretty hot value proposition), it covers some ground and unearths some beauties. Sometimes I like to think of the watch industry’s annual releases like an epic, sprawling house party — the sort where everybody shows up. There’s the classy guys who show up at the scheduled start time (SIHH) with nice wine and house gifts, and then, when it’s all settling into polite chit-chat mode, talking about the latest highbrow TV shows, the rest of the party shows up (Baselworld) and it starts getting hectic. Like all good parties, there are cliques, frenemies and drama. Pretty soon all eyes are on the cool kids — your Pepsi GMTs and the like — and you get caught up in the excitement with everyone else.…
Hublot is, in many ways, a brand given to extremes. Or, at least, not doing things by halves. Their latest twin takes on the powerful MP-11 is a clear case (if you’ll pardon the pun) in point. If you’re not au fait with the MP-11, it’s a fairly impressive piece of tech that is an evolution of 2013’s LaFerrari. The key feature of this 45mm watch is the power reserve of 14 days, an astonishing figure that’s achieved through a rack of seven series-coupled barrels that dominate the lower portion of the watch. Winding this beast is achieved either through a laborious hand crank, or using a miniaturised Torx drill. What’s new here is the case material. There’s a new ‘All Black’ iteration, in a next-generation three-dimensional carbon, a woven polymer material that’s hard-wearing and lightweight (the whole package clocks in at 90 grams) and, perhaps most importantly, looks cool. If smoky carbon isn’t your jam, how about the icy crystalline structure of the limited edition sapphire (200 pieces), which lets all the interior workings hang out. In fact, Hublot is accentuating the movement architecture by curving the sapphire case to follow the curves of the multiple barrels, even going…
Last year, Longines’ core modern dive watch, the HydroConquest, received a significant stylistic upgrade, with a sleeker design and a ceramic bezel. This year, we see Longines give their flagship diver the full ceramic treatment. On seeing these pictures for the first time, my impression was — who knew the HydroConquest was such a bad beast? The fully black ceramic (Zirconium Oxide, for the materials science nerds playing at home) is stealthy and (perhaps unsurprisingly, given the monochrome colourway) stark. The movement is the L888, a modified ETA with a solid 64 hours of power reserve. For me, with the combination of this new 43mm ceramic case, bold white details, Longines’ excellent rubber strap and a compelling price point (we’re looking at a RRP of 3500 CHF), I reckon Longines’ next-generation diver is a hole-in-one, slam dunk and home run, all at once. And I can’t wait to see what it’s like in real life. 
Editor’s note: This year’s SIHH from JLC was very much a return to their core – high complications and Reversos. Don’t forget, though, that last year saw the brand break out with a bold, sporty collection – the Polaris. We take another look at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Automatic. The Polaris is one of those truly iconic watches conceived in a golden age, not just of watchmaking but also of global exploration. This year the Polaris got the nod for the remake and revamp treatment, being offered in five new models, starting with the deceptively simple Polaris Automatic. The uncomplicated, no fuss Polaris Automatic is the entry-level ticket to JLC’s brand new sports watch collection. The dual crowns hark back to the original, but this is no Memovox. Instead, one crown governs time-setting and the other looks after the internal bezel. At first glance, the dial is uncomplicated, devoid even of a date. But look closer and you notice the mixture of sunray, grained, and opaline treatments, with applied numerals and trapezoidal hour markers filled with luminous material that matches the hands. It’s exactly the sort of accomplished offering you’d expect from JLC, and it elevates the Polaris Automatic above the typical sports-casual…
Editor’s note: The Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph might not be the first watch that comes to mind when you think of IWC (it’s not a Pilot for example), but really, maybe you should change that. Just look at Jason’s snaps from our 2018 review. The story in a second: The sportiest member of the Portugieser family is busy living its best life. IWC’s Portugieser family is, large diameter aside, a fairly dressy affair. Classic style, leaf hands, all that jazz. It’s the classic business watch. Except, of course, for the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph, a watch that is business casual at best. The Yacht Club Chronograph is a timepiece in tune with its fun side, the sort of watch that can transition seamlessly from business to party. And looks great doing it. The dial Slate grey, which is the formal name of this dial, hardly sounds exciting. But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. This dial is rich in detail and generally stunning. While the base of the dial is a rich slate sunburst, it’s all the other rich details that take it to the next level. The applied golden Arabic numerals, the printed white railroad chapter with…
If there was the platonic ideal of a dress watch, I’m willing to bet that it would look a lot like Breguet’s Classique: simple, elegant, restrained. But for all that, it’s a watch full of subtle nuance and fine details — details that separate it from the rest of the pack. The white gold case, fluted around the middle, is perfectly circular, something accentuated by that rounded, polished bezel, and the abrupt angularity of the welded, rounded lugs. Inside this 38mm case lies the Cal. 777Q, an automatic equipped — as are all Breguet’s pieces — with silicon technology where it counts. Power reserve is decent at 55 hours, and the beat rate is 4Hz. Really, though, the action here is on the dial. There’s no engine-turned guilloché, but instead you get Grand Feu of the deepest, darkest blue. There’s quite a knack to these dials, not just because the firing at over 800 degrees Celsius is inherently risky, but also because the particular shade of blue has been chosen to match the hue of Breguet’s traditional heat-blued hands. Hands that, for the sake of legibility, aren’t in evidence here. We still get that Breguet shape, but here they’re in rhodium-plated…