HANDS-ON: The Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Carbotech 3 Days Automatic – PAM00616
At first glance, Panerai’s watches share a reassuring familiarity — large cases, large crown guards and a dial design that puts legibility front and centre. A close look at the catalogue will show that the brand born from its Italian diving heritage has quite a lot of diversity on offer, particularly when it comes to case materials. From bronze to ceramic and (most recently) Bulk Metallic Glass, Panerai has strong form when it comes to material innovation. And today we’re having a closer look at one of the most interesting examples from recent times: Carbotech. Before we talk about the case material, let’s step back for a second and look at the bigger picture. PAM00616 is a 47mm Luminor Submersible, one of the brand’s beefiest cases, good for 300m of depth, and a standout thanks to the solid dive bezel and that patented crown guard. The watch is impressive on the inside, too, with a big P.9000 calibre ticking away, a double-barrelled beauty that’s good for three days of power. It’s a watch that you might reasonably expect to weigh the wrist down. But it doesn’t. That’s where the Carbotech comes in. Aside from its obvious visual charms, Carbotech is…
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I love this time of year: the decorations, the food, the festivities, and, of course, the pre-SIHH announcements. And one brand that never fails to excite during this joyous season is IWC, with the Schaffhausen manufacturer gearing up for 2019 with the beginnings of what looks like another wonderful year for the Pilot’s watch. The first flight off the deck is this one, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire Edition. Dedicated to the “Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight” project, which next year will see a beautifully restored (and slickly chromed out) Supermarine Spitfire take off from London, covering more than 43,000 kilometres over several months on a round-the-world flight. Regular readers, and fans of IWC, will know that this isn’t the first model to bear the Spitfire, or for that matter, the Timezoner name. And this version is based on a chronograph we first saw back in 2016. However, this is the very first to combine IWC’s patented Timezoner mechanism with an entirely in-house made IWC movement – the calibre 82760 with automatic Pellaton winding, ceramic components, and a 60-hour power reserve. Essentially, the watch is a three-handed Pilot’s watch with a 24-hour display in the top half of…
Zenith hold a certain affinity for mechanical machines – and not just of the time-telling variety. From pilot watches that celebrate all things planes and motorbikes, to El Primero-powered chronographs that take their open road inspiration from the world of classic cars. For the past three years the Swiss manufacturer has also enjoyed a partnership with British 4WD vehicle manufacturer Land Rover. To celebrate the introduction of the next-generation Range Rover Evoque, Zenith have once again partnered with the iconic UK carmaker and released this limited-edition version of the modern and sporty Defy Classic Skeleton. The very first extension of the Defy Classic line that we’ve seen since it was released back at Baselworld 2018, to the untrained eye, the differences might take a minute to recognise. However, once you know what to look for, the subtle changes, and even the watch’s Evoque inspiration, become immediately apparent. There’s still the same incredibly versatile — and frankly, good-looking — 41mm titanium case that’s water resistant to 100 metres, and inside, displayed in all its glory, is the brand’s 50-hour Elite 670 SK automatic movement with its silicon escape-wheel and lever. What has changed, though, are the colourful highlights found on the front and…
Tennis great Novak Djokovic and Japanese watch manufacturer Seiko began their (doubles) partnership at the beginning of 2014. Just a few months later, Djokovic regained his position as world number one – a ranking he then held for 28 months straight. Coincidence? Perhaps, but whether it’s causation or correlation, the fact remains that the partnership has been an exceptional one for all involved. Especially us, with Seiko releasing a slew of stellar limited editions that celebrate the tennis legend’s achievements over the years since. The latest ace to be rocketed over the net is Seiko’s brand-new Astron SSE174J, and keen-eyed tennis and watch fans may have already spotted it on the champion’s wrist this year, as the comeback kid lifted his trophies and achieved the impossible by clawing his way back from a ranking low of world No. 22 in May to ending the season as world No. 1. Like all other Astrons, whenever the dial of the Novak Djokovic Limited Edition SSE174J is exposed to direct sunlight, it’s simply adjusted to the precise local time at the touch of a button– via GPS signals that it receives through an under-the-dial ring antenna. Not only does this exposure to bright…
Seiko’s Astron (the new GPS one, not the groundbreaking quartz one) is a pretty incredible piece of kit. Ostensibly, it tells the time, day, date and a second time zone. But the trick is in the method. The Astron, thanks to GPS technology, keeps track of time by talking to satellites — a quite cool party trick. Given its go-anywhere accuracy and automatic time zone adjustment, it makes sense that the Astron is billed as an adventure watch for the travelling set. And never has that been more apparent than with this watch. Don’t mind the ‘Solar Executive Sports Series’ name, this watch is, in fact, the most rough and tumble Astron yet. The incredible versatility of the solar 8X53 is matched by the super-hard titanium case (with rose gold tone in this case) and ceramic bezel. The rich, golden brown ceramic bezel, by the way, is inlaid with UTC times on the top and IATA codes on the side, all of which, in a neat trick, have some impressive luminous powers. The shape of the case is more streamlined, too, a more rugged sporty look that downplays the still hefty 46.7mm diameter and 14.5mm height. Best of all, though,…
Editor’s note: There’s really no reason to be talking about this watch at the moment. It’s not new, and it’s certainly not easy to get. But it’s also a rose gold Nautilus. So there’s that. There was a lot of fuss about Patek Philippe’s new watches this year, with the eyebrow-raising Calatrava Pilot and their much more on-brand split-seconds chronograph. If Patek made music rather than watches, the Pilot and the split-seconds would be their latest album’s lead singles. Big, highly produced and attention-grabbing. Initially, they’re the only songs getting played. After a little bit of time and reflection though, we have some important news: our favourite track is actually one that appeared further down on the listing. In fact, it’s a remastered version of one of their greatest hits – the Nautilus. The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1R-001 is structurally and technically identical to the classic 5711 ‘Jumbo’ that was introduced in 2006; itself a direct predecessor to the original Nautilus introduced in 1976 – the 3700. It’s the Nautilus at its most pure — pared back to time, date and that iconic Gérald Genta design. It’s the ultimate luxury sports watch. This is the first time the 5711 has been offered…
Watches inspired by military designs are a perennial favourite. Largely, that’s down to the fact that these watches generally possess an overarching purpose. These watches have been designed, first and foremost, as functional objects. The Longines Heritage Military, for example, is a no-frills whistle that tells the time, and tells it quickly, clearly and simply. Of course, that purity of purpose typically flows down to a purity of design, and the Heritage Military — with its clear railroad minute track and simple Arabic numerals, its large, easy to manipulate crown and decorative-yet-functional hands — is exemplary. However, that’s not to say that Longines hasn’t added some contemporary design flourish to their historically inspired piece. Look at the dial. It’s a near-perfect facsimile of a decades-old dial that bears the signs and the patina of a life well lived. However, this dial is brand new. It’s also unique. As a result of the production process, each pattern of flecks and marks on the dial is individual to the watch, which is pretty cool. Longines Heritage Military Australian pricing Longines Heritage Military, $2775
Over the last few years, Seiko has made a habit of releasing limited editions with exceptional enamel dials at very reasonable prices. First, there was the Moonlit Night, then the Shippo enamel, and now, the Urushi Byakudan-nuri. The vehicle for these delicate, incredible dials is the Presage collection. A classic round steel watch that marries dependability with dressability. But really, this 40.5mm case, and the 6R21 movement behind it are known quantities, and not what we’re here for. Honestly, we’re here for the dial. As is common with Seiko’s watches, especially the special, limited ones, there’s a story to this dial. It has been designed to evoke the look of the night sky just before dawn. This narrative goes a long way to explaining the unusual colour palette of the Byakudan-nuri. The base of the dial is made using the traditional Urushi technique we’ve seen on other limited edition Presage models. Here though, it’s jet black. The calendar subdials, crafted through the Byakudan-nuri technique, are in a deep, rich red, achieved with a careful sprinkling of fine metallic powder. Though the red is quite dark, it’s anything but dull, thanks to the way it plays in the light. This red…
Longines heritage reissues are — much like the designs they’re inspired by — the stuff of legend. And speaking of legends, you might notice that the dial design of the Skin Diver resembles that of the Legend, with distinctive hand sets and long hour and minute markers. That’s because both watches trace their origin back to the Nautilus Skin Diver, Longines’ first dive watch. But while the Legend has an internal bezel, the bezel here is very much your traditional bezel, and black to boot. This, combined with the creamy-toned printing and rich, almost pebbly dial texture (offered on either a tropic style rubber or Milanese mesh) adds up to a watch that more than lives up to its heritage. Also, you’ll be happy to note: no date window. Longines Skin Diver Watch Australian pricing Longines Skin Diver Watch, $3425