HANDS-ON: Everlasting glory – the Seiko Premier Kinetic Perpetual
If you’re a regular reader of Time+Tide it should come as no surprise to learn that I’m a fan of Seiko. Honestly, I think anyone with a more than passing interest in wrist-based timekeeping should be, as there are few brands that offer the sort of vertical integration that the Japanese manufacturer is capable of. If I had to narrow my appreciation for the brand down to two things, I’d have to say it’s their ongoing quest for perpetual accuracy (as evidenced in their innovations in quartz, Spring Drive and Astron technologies), as well as their unique approach to design. Both these traits are very much in evidence on the Premier Kinetic Perpetual, both the steel (SNP139P) and the limited edition Novak Djokovic (SNP146P). As you might have surmised from the headline and the dial layout, this Seiko is a perpetual calendar. And while it’s not an incredibly complex (and expensive) mechanical number, it’s also not a straight-up quartz. Rather, it’s a hybrid of the two – a kinetic – meaning there’s a winding rotor behind the solid caseback that provides power to the quartz movement, which is just jam-packed full of calendar complication: big date, month, leap year and…
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Seiko drop a LOT of watches at Basel. It’s like a candy store, with everything from super-hot limited editions, to Prospex, to Presage. All there in front of you. And I’m sure I only see a fraction of what’s on offer. It can be overwhelming. But even so, a few watches stand out, and they’re not always the ones you expect. For me, one of those watches was the SPB049J, a sober time-and-date tonneau with a classical dial in enamel. Now, a tonneau, or barrel-shaped case, is relatively uncommon, and can be hard to get right. They tend to veer either to the very sporty, or, in this instance, the very traditional. But something about this watch just works. The dial is, as you’d expect from enamel, light and lustrous, the black printed Roman numerals and text is wonderfully crisp, the ideal backdrop for the leaf-shaped blued steel hands and that seconds hand, with its crescent-moon tipped counterweight. They’re hands I’d happily look at all day long. The only slight jarring note in the dial design is the printed square around the date aperture, which is quite roughly finished around the edges. I don’t mind the border per se, but…
An important part of the process when reviewing a watch is imagining who the watch is for. Sometimes this perceived wearer can be quite general: “someone who wants a nice dive watch”. Or it can be a little more specific: “a 35-year-old frequent flyer who wants to make a subtle statement with their wrist”. In the case of these 38mm gold Laureatos my imagined wearer is a little more specific. Gianni Agnelli. If you’re not familiar with Mr Agnelli, you really should be. He was one of the most stylish men of the 20th century, a politician, industrialist and international playboy. In watch circles he’s also (in)famous for wearing his watch over his shirt cuff. So, how does all this relate to the Girard-Perregaux Laureato? Well, aside from the Italian link (the Laureato was originally designed by an Italian architect in 1975), if I had to describe this watch in two words it would be Retro-industrialist chic (I’m claiming the compound word as one). It’s really a watch that’s defined by lifestyle rather than function, an object of beauty that speaks to business, purpose and an extravagant life punctuated by long lunches. It’s also a dressier, more sartorially suited option…
Nothing gets a watch fan’s blood pumping quite like a new dive watch release from Seiko. And this year, our collective hearts were racing. With Seiko dropping not just a re-creation of the iconic 62MAS – the SLA017 – but also two modern reinterpretations, the black SPB051 and the blue SPB053. And that’s the key phrase here – modern reinterpretation. You see, unlike the SLA017, which was an almost exact duplicate of the 62MAS, these modern reimaginations are larger, sportier, and exactly that, reimagined for the wrist of today. I had the chance to get my hands on the SPB051, and I can say that it’s everything a Seiko dive watch should be. From above, the stainless-steel case looks the spitting image of the 62MAS, straight cut integrated lugs with a circular brushed finish and no crown guards. Only now it’s bigger, measuring 42.6mm across and 13.8mm thick. It’s less square too, with its utilitarian silhouette given some curves by sides that are sleek and rounded to smoothly flow and curve with your wrist. For the eyes, the brushed finish shifts to a solid line of Zaratsu polishing, which captivates and catches any and all reflections. Water resistance is a…
One of the most impressive collections we saw at SIHH 2017 was that of Girard-Perregaux, dominated by the sporty, ’70s-inspired Laureato collection. And while most of the Laureatos walked a pretty established product path — a top-end tourbillon, 42 and 38mm models in a few dials and case materials, as well as smaller, diamond-decked women’s models — one model stood out, both in terms of style and construction. I’m talking, of course, about the watch in the above picture, a 42mm two-tone Laureato in a bi-metallic case. And while two-tone is hardly unusual (especially this year, when it’s launched into legit ‘trend’ status), you don’t see too many watches in a mix of precious pink gold and technical titanium. Which, looking at this piece, is a little bit of a surprise, because, boy, does the combo work. Both metals have been given the brushed treatment, resulting in a slightly more muted, matt look that especially suits the grey titanium. There’s a version with fully integrated two-tone bracelet … that is, as they say, a strong look, but there’s also this croc-equipped option, which is nice and dressy. Of course this Laureato isn’t just a pretty case. It’s also got a dial to…
Let’s face it, women are not buying women’s watches necessarily; they want a watch that does not discriminate, with a bit of bravado, whether by means baller or boxer. That said, the full diamond effect in every direction, of the kind that was Hublot’s 2 million Euro 44mm 145-ct Big Bang behemoth, with its baguette-laden strap, case and dial, is too chunky a statement for most women. Well, with the exception of the wife of a Vegas casino owner, who naturally felt right at home in it and swiftly claimed hers. I prefer to make like a Mayweather cornerman, not exactly all-retiring, more the fall-back of outlandish. And this ladies 38mm Big Bang Steel Diamonds has just the right proportion of diamonds to monochrome styling and height on the wrist to make that spot attainable, while It feels more unisex in fact. The black rubber Hublot hallmark strap — in this case finely lined, though the tactile sensation approaches suede rather than any noticeable ridging — sets the sports luxe tone. Followed nimbly by the enduring industrial, tool watch details of the Big Bang’s multi-material, polished and matt case that sits in eminent view on the wrist, with its six exposed titanium screws…
A few weeks ago I had the distinct honour and pleasure of spending some time with Montblanc (and 50 or so other watch journalists) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Now, prior to booking flights I had a decidedly foggy understanding of where Jackson Hole was and what it was all about (not coastal, mountains). And while that exceptionally broad understanding is factually correct, it doesn’t accurately encapsulate the awesome beauty of the place. Jackson Hole is a small town, on the outskirts of the Grand Teton National Park, surrounded by mountains. One American colleague told me that it’s the sort of place politicians mean when they talk about “Real America”. Confusingly, a local also wryly remarked that it’s a tough place to find a place to live because the billionaires are pushing out the millionaires. And did I mention it’s beautiful? So what does Jackson Hole have to do with Montblanc? It’s a good question, but one that will have to wait until SIHH 2018 to be answered. But given that I was making the long trek over, I thought it a great opportunity to test-drive a Montblanc watch for a while. It would have been rude not to. I opted…