LIST: 6 Seikos you need to know from Basel 2019
You can get a pretty good sense of the overarching themes of Baselworld by listening to the chatter in the halls, press centre and even the sausage cart outside. And, along with smaller crowd sizes and uncertain futures, one of the main conversational themes was the size of brand collections. In press conferences, words like ‘focused’ and ‘consolidated’ abounded. In short, brands weren’t releasing many watches. One exception was Seiko. The Japanese powerhouse has so many lines (though to be fair these are becoming increasingly codified and coherent) and plenty to choose from, so much so that I had a real struggle winnowing it down to just six watches — even given the fact that I excluded the fancy Prospex LX watches. There were some diver reissues with some Hollywood provenance, a beautiful new artisanal take on the Presage, as well as a great green Cocktail Time (Midori maybe?), and a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Astron. Seiko SNJ025P Seiko SLA033J Seiko SRPD21K Seiko SRPD37J Seiko SPB093 Seiko SSH021J
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Seiko’s archive is full of exceptional and much-loved dive watches. One of the brightest lights in this pantheon is the 6105, a real workhorse of the 1970s, and a distinctive one at that — thanks to its large, cushiony case and a crown at four. And while the visuals of the watch certainly didn’t hurt, it’s the combination of good (for the time) water resistance of 150m, Seiko’s reliable build quality and a non-prohibitive price that made this watch such a hit — especially with American soldiers in Vietnam. It’s in this context that the watch received its most famous role, on the wrist of Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now. Fast forward to 2019 and the 6105 is back, only now it’s the Seiko SLA033, and limited to 2500 pieces. It’s also spectacularly cool. The case has been oh-so-slightly upscaled from the original — measuring 45mm across by 13mm tall — there’s no denying the presence of this piece. It’s made from stainless steel with a super-hard coating. Hidden away behind the solid caseback is the high-end 8L35, and it’s strapped on by a very faithful re-creation of the original strap — only now in silicone. Be warned, though: this…
Bronze — that gold-toned alloy that only gets better with age — has continued its domination of the watch world, and the latest brand to be converted is TAG Heuer, who this week released two bronze versions of their brand new three-handed Autavia. Structurally, it’s the same as the steel Autavias — 42mm across, powered by a Calibre 5 movement running the impressive new Isograph spring, and worn with straps that utilise a smart new quick-change system. But on the aesthetic front, the warm metal, shiny ceramic bezel, smoky green dial, and aged ivory luminous material create a compelling synergy that’s exemplary of the current retro-modern trend. But what I really want to know is – will we end up seeing more bronze in the TAG Heuer assortment in the near future? It could work. I guess that’s a somewhat long-winded way of saying that this watch just looks really great on the wrist. 
It’s testament to the power and ongoing evolution of Tudor’s blue-chip Black Bay family that our top three picks from Baselworld 2019 are all Black Bays, and also — from a distance at least — look very different indeed. Without a doubt, the most discussed and most genuinely novel watch of the bunch (and perhaps of the whole fair) is the Black Bay P01. While the dial bears a lot of the hallmarks of the Black Bay, the case is Something. Else. Entirely. Long, with a blocky crown guard at four, and a steel bi-directional 12-hour bezel that’s held in place by the articulated bracelet end link at 12. I’m pretty sure absolutely no one saw this coming, and people are taking their time to get used to the concept. I will say though, this watch is very comfy on the wrist. The other two watches are far more conventional offerings. The slate grey-dialled Black Bay Bronze replaces the brown version, and the new colour (and the fact that it’s shaded) certainly adds plenty of drama and contrast to the watch. And then there’s the Black Bay Chrono S&G, which adds some flash to the Chrono, and a more sophisticated profile to…
In the weeks and days leading up to Basel, the tension, speculation and near-hysteria around Rolex’s impending releases is palpable, and this year was no different. And while the popular predictions in the lead-up to Baselworld 2019 were the usual mix of near misses and safe guesses, that didn’t stop the Rolex watches — especially the sports watches — from being the most talked-about pieces of the fair. The Yacht-Master on Oysterflex has, since its debut in 2015, been one of the most distinctively modern models, with its matt cerachrom bezel and understated bracelet. This year saw two significant changes to the model. Firstly, it was offered in white gold, which only adds to the under-the-radar appearance; secondly, it’s bigger than ever, with a 42mm case — both these elements have been generally well received in the Halls. And then there’s the new version of the GMT-Master BLNR. It’s packing the new 3285 calibre, which means a new case. It’s also got a new Jubilee strap, giving the Batman a whole new look. But the real story here is the news that all steel GMT-Masters are only available on Jubilee, and that all GMT-Masters with a single colour bezel (i.e.…
Grand Seiko has just announced its latest releases at Basel 2019 and, boy, does the Spring Drive — that unique trifecta of electronic, kinetic and magnetic energy — feature strongly. But not just the Spring Drives you know and love, with that arching power reserve at eight. No, in honour of the movement’s 20th anniversary, there are new manually wound versions, including this super-slender, refined and dressy option. Shown here in steel, it’s known as SBGY003 This is a Grand Seiko like you’ve never seen before. First, the case is so well-sized — 38.5mm across by 10.2mm thick is elegant, restrained proportion. With a simple case, with swooping lugs, a grippy crown (important for manual winding) and a black alligator strap, it’s a refined piece. It’s interesting to note that this is one of the few GS models where the lugs aren’t drilled. Of course, the dial is impressive, too: a radial starburst-like guillochage, reminiscent of the popular Seiko Cocktail Time; it’s bright and crisp, with all the details you’d expect from the masters of the art. It’s also very clean, with no date or power reserve on show, as you might expect. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean…
There’s a unifying theme to Grand Seiko’s 2019 collection – and no, it’s not the exquisite dials or case work, though those are all very much in evidence. No, this year it’s all about the mighty Spring Drive, a movement (which we’ve explained here) that is unique to Grand Seiko, and appropriately enough, 20 years old. There’s a new take on the most complicated Spring Drive of all, the 9R96, with a GMT and Chronograph. This year we see it like never before — in a watch that’s a suitably plus-sized tribute to Japan’s most famous monster, Godzilla. The SBGC231G is a truly gargantuan titanium watch that is about as statement watch as they come. No, the real evolution of the Spring Drive family is a new movement, the 9S63, a manually wound offering that sees small seconds and power reserve neatly balanced across the dial, which — thanks to that superb dial execution — results in a watch that’s a joy to look at. And thanks to the slimmer case profile (11.6mm), the watch is a joy on the wrist, too — the domed sapphire and rounded bezel certainly help in this regard. Grand Seiko’s offering has been increasingly…
Have you ever wondered how Time+Tide came to be? Who are the people behind it? Apart from Andrew and Felix that is. And, hey, what exactly happened for us to grow from a watch Instagram account in Melbourne, Australia, with 18 followers in 2014 to be here at Baselworld for the I don’t know how many-eth time, getting hugged in hallways by the frightening force of nature that is Jean-Claude Biver… This year, JCB even remembered my name. It’s a wonderful world. This video tells the story of how we came to be part of this community, and it has a few twists. Subscribe now to join the rapidly growing Time+Tide tribe and get 10% off in the shop during Baselworld 2019. 
Tudor’s Baselworld 2019 collection is always a hotly anticipated affair, and this year the Shield offered some stylish new takes on existing models, and a distinctive diver no one saw coming. Tudor Black Bay P01 One of the more interesting, unexpected and downright surprising releases of Baselworld 2019 has to be the Tudor Black Bay P01. To paraphrase that guy from Star Trek: it’s a Black Bay, Jim — but not as we know it. Based on a prototype watch developed in the late 1960s with the US Navy in mind, this Black Bay is pure tool watch. The party trick here is that the bi-directional bezel (which is graduated for hours — something I’ve been wanting on a Black Bay since forever) is locked in place via the ingenious mobile end link at 12. And for all its blocky shape, this 42mm works really well on the wrist. 3750 CHF Tudor Black Bay Bronze The Black Bay Bronze is dead! Long live the Black Bay Bronze! Well, by that I mean the original brown-dialled bronze Black Bay has been removed from the catalogue, replaced by this handsome fellow. All details are unchanged, except for the dial, which is now a shaded…
Perhaps Panerai’s most collectible modern-day watch, the original Bronzo, is credited with kick-starting today’s bronze watch craze. While it may not have been the first, when it was released in 2011 it immediately captured the patina-friendly hearts of collectors. Quickly selling out all 1000 pieces and spawning three more models, with each one as limited as the next. For 2019, however, the only thing that’s limited are the days of the limited edition Bronzo, with Panerai’s latest bronze addition being made available to absolutely everyone. That’s right, people, the Panerai Submersible Bronzo PAM00968 is not a limited edition (though it is still limited production). The good news doesn’t stop there either, as the PAM00968 also features one more thing we’ve never seen before on a Bronzo – a ceramic bezel. Micro-sandblasted and coloured an earthy brown to match both the dial and the warmth of the bronze case, the ceramic’s incredible hardness and resistance to scratches should provide a wonderful lasting contrast to the patina-forming properties of this Bronzo’s 47mm bronze case. Which, of course, also features the iconic Panerai crown protector, naturally made in bronze, first patented by the Italian Swiss-made brand in 1955. Water resistant to 300 metres,…