Material gains: what’s the deal with steel and what type is the best for watchmaking?
Whether it’s a bespoke luxury piece, a tough tool watch or even a daily diver, stainless steel is still watchmaking’s primary material of choice. Yet while 316L grade steel is increasingly used by a number of brands, there are, in fact, better, smoother and harder alternatives for watchmaking. Is there such a thing a precious steel? Well, in German, the name for stainless steel is “edelstahl”, effectively a portmanteau of “edel” which means “noble” and “stahl” which means “steel”, suggesting that some people certainly recognise the benefits of the hard-wearing material. But which is the best form of steel to use for making watches? Let the metallurgy commence! 316L This is your normal grade stainless-steel that’s used by everyone from $300 microbrands to top Swiss manufacturers. In short, it’s become the industry standard and an alloy widely used in the food and medical industries. If there is one brand that can unlock the full magic of 316L without having to resort to alchemy, it is Grand Seiko. The brand’s mastery of the Zaratsu technique uses a machine to achieve a uniform polish that is mind-bogglingly smooth, no matter how many watches we see with a GS logo at 12.…
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Sometimes you get a horological itch that you just have to scratch. My latest is focused on the verdant charm of a green Rolex. But I’ll need one of Luke’s “The Enabler” excuses first. I’m currently running all manner of different scenarios through my mind, a veritable roulette wheel of justifications, trying to find the right one to make this purchase remotely acceptable to my better half. Please help with suggestions! But that’s just stage one, the second challenge is actually tracking one down … I’ve had a good look in the drawer marked “green” at Bob’s Watches, and lo and behold if I didn’t find the “Hulk”. I do love green, and while seriously practising my strategy to make this a late Christmas present for myself, there are plenty of good reasons to have a closer look at this bright 116610V 40mm Submariner. While I have nothing but respect for the all black iconic Submariner and its monochromatic tool sensibilities, I am a sucker for apple green, and this would easily be my jade-coloured drug of choice. This year, with the advent of the revised but still classic Sub, the green-dialled Hulk disappeared, with a new more reserved green…
The Seiko 5 Sports x STREET FIGHTER V Editions were one of the feel-good highlights of 2020. Taking the tried-and-true template of the 5 Sports collection and combining it with one of the most successful fighting game series in history proved a winning combo – both for watch collectors and fans of the combat franchise. Seiko released six different references, each a nod to one of the main characters in the game: Blanka, Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, Zangief and, of course, Ken. The Ken edition is a particular eye-catcher with a fully black case that contrasts well with the gold crown, outer bezel, and hands, that reflect the character’s distinctive blonde hair. In a nod to his uniform, the textile strap is bright red, matching the dial and bezel highlights, making the watch a coherent tribute to the muscle-bound warrior. To further deepen the connection to the character, Ken’s special move “Shoryuken” is also printed on the caseback. With 100m of water resistance, and powered by the automatic 4R36 movement, the 42.5mm case size is thoroughly wearable and would make for a reliable if slightly flamboyant daily watch. Seiko 5 Sports SRPF20K Ken price and availability: The Seiko 5 Sports SRPF20K…
BOLDR is a well-established microbrand with a strong following, which we covered earlier this year in a story on their tough, keenly priced Venture titanium field watch. We suspect there might be something new coming in January (hint!) but, for the moment, let’s take a look at the rugged BOLDR Odyssey Freediver that’s recently been released in five fresh versions. The Freediver is a cool diver’s watch at a perfectly sized 40mm with a 14mm thickness and BOLDR’s first custom 316L steel bracelet. Even from the dark stealthy teaser shots, the watch’s tough, angular shape immediately strikes you, with the strong dynamic of the downturned lugs with their intricate side bevel catching the eye. For a small brand like BOLDR, the quality of the case work and distinctive design suggests this diver will punch hard above its price point. To accentuate the angular, bead blasted case design, the lugs and crown guards have polished bevels that’ll give you a flash of reflection in the light for a signature BOLDR move. The large screw-in crown has an engraved logo, and a groove cut into the side, echoing the design of the technical diver’s bezel. All the Freedivers come on a bead-blasted…
Nothing over $1 million can really be called a bargain. Particularly when it’s a mere wristwatch from the Swinging Sixties. Yet we all know the stratospheric values paid for Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona 6241. The first one went for a mind-boggling and (then) world record $17.8 million USD back in 2017. Fast forward to the here and now. We are at the end of 2020, a year of slow turnover sure, but not across the board – the huge Chinese market has already picked up with YOY sales considerably up from 2019. But earlier this month, Racing Pulse – a New York auction by Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo – sold Paul Newman’s other Daytona. This one had a dark reverse panda dial and was still delightfully clean and crisp after half a century. Being a significant Rolex, this was snapped up for $5,475,000 US – a considerable sum, of course, but a relative bargain compared to Newman’s previous Daytona, given that it sold for 70 per cent less. The Phillips/Bacs & Russo auction still achieved some phenomenal results. It included a record sale for any Heuer, the iconic Heuer Monaco ref. 1133 owned by Steve McQueen –…
Since its release, the Rado Captain Cook line has provided watch buyers with a robust option in the dive watch category at a pleasingly approachable price. The watches boast ceramic bezels, 300m water-resistant cases of varying materials, plus movements that last longer than many of their more expensive competitors. Yet despite such attributes, the Captain Cook manages to keep its costs down. The introduction of a new colour configuration into the mix – the Rado Captain Cook Bronze Burgundy – is likely to only enhance the watch’s heady appeal. When Rado developed this red/burgundy configuration of the watch, Rado CEO Adrian Bosshard realised there was a perfect group to pre-launch this unique and eye-catching watch with. RedBar is a group of watch collectors and enthusiasts that meets regularly in NYC and the red tones of this watch made this a fitting match given the group’s colourful name. This led to a partnership where the watch pre-launched exclusively to the RedBar group for two weeks, with a branded travel folio, bundled leather strap, plus a special gift – a branded watch winder! Fortunately for buyers outside of RedBar, the watch is also available in the same build and format – but…