HANDS-ON: Feeling Blue With the Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 Blue Ceramic
Hublot is another one of those brands that polarises watch enthusiasts, and rightfully so. On one hand, the brand is constantly releasing new product with boundary-pushing design, and engaging in partnerships with every industry, charity, and destination one can imagine, eventually pushing us all to the point I lovingly refer to as THS — Total Hublot Saturation. If this was the only trick up their sleeve, this would be a different story, but there’s another side of Hublot that continues to keep them relevant and appreciated by even the most discerning of watch nerds. Year after year the brand unveils beautifully engineered new calibers, innovative alloys and unconventional materials, and simply put – properly geeky timepieces – including their home run from 2016, the Big Bang Meca-10. Upping the ante for 2018, the Meca-10 has arrived in a new casing of blue ceramic, and I can’t help but love it. You may remember my glowing first impressions of the Meca-10 from Baselworld in 2016, where I praised Hublot for both the design and execution of their ingenious new 10-day power reserve caliber, inspired by the design of a Meccano erector set. Adapting its aesthetics to a blue ceramic case, Hublot opted to…
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While the rules about how a man should dress for formal occasions are more relaxed than in the past, they are still governed by the principles of timelessness: elegance, discretion, refinement and restraint. Self-expression and individuality are all very well, but wearing a chunky, sporty watch with a dinner suit (or even a formal business suit) will forever remain a stylistic faux pas. And that’s as much a question of aesthetics as social convention. It follows that a dress watch should be slim, relatively small (by today’s standards), made of precious metal, and with a white, cream or black dial that – preferably – displays nothing more than the hours, minutes and seconds by way of simple indexes. If you’re at all familiar with Lange’s line-up you will have noticed that I just described its Saxonia time-only collection. When elegance is as pure as that, it’s a bit risky to add another element – especially one that is as visually strong as Lange’s signature outsize date. But Lange has nailed it, giving the watch a deep, inky black dial (made of galvanised solid silver) and matching black date disc with white printed numerals. The applied hour markers are solid gold,…
This was my 12th consecutive watch fair, so you’d think I’d be used to it by now. But once again, the pace of our unforgiving SIHH 2018 schedule, the endless tracking around in circles at the Palexpo opposite Geneva Airport, and the maelstrom of releases left me – on day four – somewhere between giddy in love and carsick as hell. This was the state I made these choices in, and Felix and I were still debating our choices right down to the last minute. I was far from resolved, and I don’t think he was either. So, let this be another version of my usual preface that these were just the first watches to leave a strong impression. There will be many more to unveil during the year. And I can already tell that Justin and Sandra’s presence this year opened up my scope – their WhatsApp thread is a constant source of new inspiration as they post iPhone pics of watches the other one missed. Panerai Luminor Due GMT 45mm – Grey starburst dial, beige lume on the sandwich dial and on the hands, lush brown strap, cream contrast stitching, high-polished finish on the case and crown guard…
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronograph WT is, in marked contrast to the Polaris Automatic, a complex beast indeed, with (as you could probably guess) both chronograph and world time functionality in the one case. It’s not the first time we’ve seen this complication-combo, as the very impressive Calibre 752 pops up in sportier parts of their collection. But while previous incarnations have been quite modern in their style, the bi-compax chrono and world time are well suited to the old-world inspired looks of the Polaris. Nothing vintage about the case though – this 44mm titanium number is thoroughly modern. And, sure, all the extra information on the dial does complicate the cleaner design codes of the Polaris line, but the key features are there: the range of varied dial finishes, the applied trapezoid markers, the black and ocean blue colouring. And all that extra dial detail makes for a much richer on-the-wrist experience. With its functional design, wearer-friendly lightweight case rated to 100m, solid 65 hours of power reserve and undeniable charms, the Polaris Chronograph WT is a strong option for fans of JLC’s complex offerings who crave a more classic look.
It’s a tricky task upgrading a storied and legendary watch such as the Santos — you must innovate while appearing to be unchanging. It’s a job that Cartier have pulled off with aplomb at SIHH 2018. The new Santos is the star in their masculine line-up, a sensitive update that brings the design very much up to date. But first, a quick origin story. The Santos claims the enviable title of the first modern wristwatch, made by Louis Cartier in 1904 for Brazilian aviator, bon vivant and (apparently) all-round cool guy Alberto Santos-Dumont. The watch quickly caught on and has had pride of place in Cartier’s line-up ever since. So what’s new in 2018? Well, let’s start with the insides. The 1847 MC movement (first appearing in the Clé) has been newly added to the line, adding some anti-magnetic clout into the mix. The case, in medium or large versions, is – by and large – unchanged. There has been some refinement to the shape of the bezel, but all the core elements are (thankfully) untouched. The real story, believe it or not, is the straps. The Santos debuts the brand new QuickSwitch system, a solution to the humble (and…
Two nights ago, I fulfilled one of my most bromantic dreams when I shared a steak dinner with the new IWC ambassador, Bradley Cooper. Me, the guy from all those great movies, a bottle of Malbec and some delicious eye fillet. Perfect. The fact that there were at least 500 other people dining, and that my table was several hundred metres from Brad’s was irrelevant. And as to that point that few, in fact no words were spoken between us? Mere details. On paper, it was steak night with Coops, and Aloe Blacc kindly turned up to sing to us. Who is Bradley Cooper to me, really? Well, several sight-challenged people have commented that, after they’ve imbibed several litres of wine, I look a little bit like him. So to people who really want to get on my good side, he’s my doppelgänger. But, jokes and very optimistic squinting aside, Bradley Cooper is the guy that’s been making me want a Big Pilot since I was in short pants. Cooper has been a big fan, and big wearer of the Big Pilot for a very long time and is often spotted wearing his, both on and off the screen. Most recently our professional spotter Andy Green saw what…
After a warm reception to the forward-thinking Freak-based Ulysse Nardin Innovision 2 at SIHH in 2017, the highly anticipated production variant — dubbed the Freak Vision — took centre-stage at the brand’s ocean-themed booth at SIHH. Of the original 10 patents (four issued, six pending) that found their way into the concept watch, three have been integrated into this new production piece, including the recently launched anchor escapement design, large-diameter silicium oscillator, and ultra-efficient “grinder” self-winding system. Cased in a brushed platinum with a blued bezel and case flanks (with a titanium bezel), the 45mm beast wears surprisingly comfortably given its sizeable dimensions, and manages to be the most understated iteration of the Ulysse Nardin Freak I’ve ever seen. The original Freak from 2001 marked the brand’s first foray into silicium component development, and they continue to be a leader in the category. Now, 17 years past the creation of the first Freak, this latest example feels very much like the turning of a page into the next chapter of boundary-pushing Ulysse Nardin creations. While its carousel tourbillon movement setup — where effectively the entire movement acts as a giant tourbillon, with its large boat-shaped bridge structure doubling as a minute hand…
Not a Radiomir to be seen this year at SIHH; lots of new Luminor Due variations (including a very good 38mm). However, with Angelo Bonati retiring in April from the brand he built from almost-zero to quite the hero, the halo piece has to be that most “Panerai” of all Panerais – the Luminor. Full-fat version, not the slimmed-down Due. A lot of the new PAM00775 is quintessential Luminor and quite a lot is not. There’s the chunky 44mm brushed steel case – as hefty on the wrist as a tool watch should be; a design so strong and confident that the crown guard alone has made Luminor a modern icon. Engraving on the closed caseback includes 100m – reference to the water-resistance. There’s the classic numerals font – the “closed 6 and 9” version – and the simple white printed dial, devoid of all decoration except the OP logo (in blue here; in white on other versions). The 00775 is the base two-hand version, without even the small seconds register of the Marina variant. You don’t get a sandwich dial, unfortunately (when you read down and see the price you’ll know why) but the numerals are thickly painted with…
It’s IWC’s 150th birthday this year and to celebrate they’ve released 27 watches across five different collections – Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot’s, Da Vinci and Pallweber – that represent some pretty exciting firsts and evolutions for the brand. We’ve chosen one watch from each collection to highlight, as well as two from the Pilot’s Collection, because, well, Pilot’s watches. Big Pilot’s Watch Big Date Edition “150 Years” What’s new? This is the first Big Pilot’s Watch from IWC with a big date display. How many of this version are available? Two limited-edition models are available, each restricted to 100 watches, one with a blue lacquer dial and one with a white lacquer dial. Both are in stainless steel, the blue dial with rhodium-plated hands and the white with blued hands. Talking point? The lacquer on the dial is applied in 12 layers, with the last being hand-finished. It gives a glossy depth to the dial that’s a dramatic change up from the standard BP and the Le Petit Prince version. Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition 150 years What’s new? The dial. White lacquer. Arctic. Glossy. Glorious. How many of this version are available? 1000 Talking point? Like on all models in the Jubilee collection,…