IN-DEPTH: Tudor’s Black Bay Chrono – greater than the sum of its parts?
The story in a second The Black Bay gets complicated and Tudor adds a surprising twist in the movement… Over the years Tudor has proved their mastery of a particular genre of historically revisionist bricolage – most obviously through their fan-favourite diver, the mighty Black Bay. Except now that straight up diver classification doesn’t sit so easy. The 36 and 41 models add a dressy touch, and the Chrono brings a hefty dose of sporty style to the mix. So perhaps the real question is: does the pick and mix approach, which serves Tudor so well with the relatively restrained palette of the ‘regular’ Black Bays – work with this more complicated offering? And then, of course, there’s that movement… The case The 41mm steel case of the BB Chrono is at once familiar and unfamiliar. The shape and high, slab-like sides are classic Black Bay, but the additional pushers and tachymetre bezel are new to the family and quite unfamiliar. Except that they’re kind of not. If you punch “Tudor 79180” into Google you’ll find countless examples of the ‘Big Block’ chronograph, first introduced in 1976 (six years after their first chronograph, the Prince Oysterdate) which shares the engraved steel bezel…
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“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, rather ironically, is not a saying that appears to be said very often around the watch design department at Bulgari. In the last few years the brand’s unique Octo collection has thrust them to the forefront of watch manufacturing, not only technically – with record-breaking pieces like the thinnest tourbillon, the thinnest minute repeater, and the thinnest automatic movement – but aesthetically as well, with unique eight-sided case designs inspired by the octagonal motifs adorning the domed ceilings of the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome. This year, creating what Bulgari refer to as the “fifth element” of the Octo line, they have released the Octo Roma, with a softer take on this bold, masculine case design. Less square and more round, the 41mm case has been reworked, with its lugs narrowed to 32.5mm, emphasising the circular bezel and greatly reducing the number of facets from 110 to 58. However, the Octo’s iconic case shape is not lost. Instead, the Octo Roma has brought the design back to its purest form, the octagon, but in a more rounded way. Available in steel, 18k pink gold, or a combination of both, the Octo Roma is…
The Spirit Of Big Bang is one of my favourite lines from Hublot. Partially that’s down to my occasionally contrarian nature wanting to stand out from the regular Big Bang herd, but mostly it’s because I find the large and in charge tonneau case shape is a perfect complement to the brand’s Art of Fusion philosophy. I’ve worn the 45mm King Gold Spirit, and the smaller 43mm titanium moonphase version and enjoyed them both immensely. They’re imposing-yet-fun on the wrist, and this all sapphire version takes the concept to the next level. This is a Statement watch with a capital S (and perhaps capitalised a-t-e-m-e-n-t as well) and it takes a certain confidence to pull off. A level of confidence that to be honest, I’m not sure I possess. Then again, I suspect wearing this would function as a pretty effective confidence booster in its own right. It’s not just the seemingly impossible sapphire case that makes this such an impressive watch — it’s the case material combined with the shape and size. Tonneau cases are uncommon and hard to get right. Because of this most stick to the sapphire territory of round watches, and Hublot – with its now…
Oris has developed a bit of a reputation for consistently releasing surprising vintage-inspired pieces. Having said that, their Big Crown 1917 is a little more surprising than most. That’s partly because Oris had no idea the watch that inspired it existed — this little piece of Hölstein history has been sitting in their archives, quietly gathering patina. Happily, someone (who deserves a promotion, just quietly) at Oris noticed it and recognised the potential of their first pilot’s watch, just in time for its 100th anniversary. Not a foot has been put wrong with the Big Crown 1917; all the elements work in harmony and there’s precisely the right blend of idiosyncratic charm and everyday comfort. The 40mm steel case resembles a converted pocket watch, rounded and pebble-like, with a nicely domed sapphire crystal and onion crown. The dial is warmly retro, with a finely grained silver base with old-school railroad chapter ring, and stylised serif Arabics filled with creamy SuperLuminova that neatly matches the blued steel cathedral hands. Purists can also breathe a sigh of relief as there’s no date window to mar the purity of the style. Oris also gets major kudos for that little button at two —…
The story in a second The most eagerly awaited dive watch release from Seiko…ever? Seiko were relative latecomers to the professional dive watch game, coming some 10 years after the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and the Rolex Submariner. Released in 1965, the legendary Seiko 62MAS (ref. 6217) was Japan’s first professional dive watch and inspired a long tradition of Seiko divers that has seen the brand release some of the most widely used and respected divers on the market. In fact, some of Seiko’s own design innovations contributed to the foundation of the ISO 6425 dive watch standards. So, when the news leaked, that Seiko were finally answering the prayers and wishes of collectors by releasing a re-creation of the iconic 62MAS, the watch world was abuzz with excitement. Was it true? Were the pictures fake? Will they accept MasterCard? All was revealed at Baselworld 2017, when Seiko unveiled one of their most faithful vintage reissues ever, the Prospex SLA017. In fact, if you spotted someone wearing the modern re-creation, you would have a hard time distinguishing it from the original, without resorting to some expert level wrist stalking. The case The SLA017 is an almost exact duplicate of the original…
Forget the fuss about the Sea-Dweller and the palaver over the Sky-Dweller, the real Rolex of 2017 is the Datejust 41 in steel. On the surface, the reasons might not be immediately obvious. After all, the Datejust 41 isn’t new (it was released last year in yellow and Everose Rolesor versions), and its looks are almost the very definition of classic. But despite this – or because of it – we’re confident in predicting that the steel Datejust 41 will be one of their most popular models this year. Let’s step back for just a second. What is a Datejust 41, and where does it fit in the Rolex ecosystem? Well, the second part of the equation, the 41, is simple enough — it refers to the 41mm case size. But the Datejust itself requires a jot more explanation. Originally introduced way back in 1945, the Datejust is a prime example of one of the quiet revolutions that make Rolex the powerhouse it is today. The innovation of the Datejust was that the date ‘jumped’ at midnight, rather than slowly dragging across over a few hours. Simple, but significant. Add to this the iconic elements of the Oyster Case, Cyclops…
Girard-Perregaux is one of Swiss watchmaking’s best-kept secrets. The La Chaux-de-Fonds based brand offers a complete — and compelling — package, fine pedigree, and a catalogue that ranges from the highest of high horology, through to some more accessible (yet still exceptional) pieces. But, for whatever reason, GP has long lacked the sort of name recognition they deserve, and which is enjoyed by some of their Helvetican siblings. But it feels like that’s on the cusp of change. Girard-Perregaux is back at the SIHH, with a particularly strong and focused collection. And while the Laureato is their shining star, there are plenty of other worthy offerings in the catalogue. Take, for example, the 1966 WW.TC in steel. The 1966 collection is GP’s clean, classic – and dare we say it, conservative – collection, and this is the first time the WW.TC (short for World Wide Time Control) has joined its ranks. Personally, I don’t think that the brand’s world timer has ever looked more at home. Previous versions of the watch have added chronographs, dates and superfluous complications. The 1966 WW.TC is stripped back to the essentials. A clean, legible city ring, easy to read 24-hour disc and small seconds.…