5 of the best watches with quick-change strap systems including Vacheron, Omega and Apple
“My name is Thor, and I am a strapaholic.” It’s only a matter of time before I get pulled into some kind of intervention with friends, family and a psychiatrist. I’m surely not the only watch lover who likes to swap my watch straps on a regular basis. But many brands seem to be stuck in the strap-tech stone-age and still rely on the fiddly spring bar that hardly offers a user-friendly way to change straps. What if we coul just click’em all off and on at our leisure, changing a strap to match up that outfit in 10 seconds flat? Thankfully this vision of the future is, in fact, already upon us with some forward-thinking brands leading the way. Now excuse me while I crawl under the sofa to find that missing spring bar… Omega Seamaster Diver 300m Americas Cup Chronograph For those of you that think the standard Seamaster Diver 300M is a tad vanilla-flavoured, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph offers a brand new look in a fresh oceanic blue pepped up by flashes of red, notably for the countdown indicator at 3 o’clock. The watch introduces a slew of new upgrades we can only…
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I’ve said it many times, but I will say it again: blue was absolutely the colour of 2020. With such saturation of the dial colour, manufacturers really had to explore varying shades of blue to have their products stand out in the marketplace. Fast-forward to 2021 and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Diamond Set collection introduces a duo of light blue dialled references alongside a familiar black toned dial configuration – all of which are cased in precious metal and set with diamonds. As Jumbo models, each of the precious metal cases are 39mm in diameter and a sporty slender 8.1mm thick. On the front facing elements of the watch, where you would typically find brushed surfaces on the case and bracelet you are instead greeted with masterfully set diamonds all throughout its externals. Each watch is set with 1,102 brilliant-cut diamonds (〜7.09 carats), and each will likely become major candidates for celebrity watch collections. While almost all of its surface area is dedicated to diamonds, the 2021 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Diamond Set collection still boasts the renowned polished bevels to the shoulders of the tapering bracelet links, eight polished facets of the octagonal bezel, brushed…
Fears Watch Company is a big part of the renaissance of British watchmaking and yet another sign of the new roaring 20s as UK horology continues to regain its momentum. The most important model in the Fears catalogue is the Brunswick and I had the impression that it peaked with the beguiling vertical striations on the salmon-coloured reference we covered here. Today they turn their hand-crafted dial up to 11 with the Fears Brunswick Pt. I admit to this now being on my own wish-list, as I do have a tendency to wave the flag for the spirit and determination of the smaller, independent maisons. I had a peek behind the proverbial curtain last week, and the pleasure of chatting with their managing director Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, and was knocked out by the audacity of this launch. The sheer enthusiasm and intuitive horological understanding – while not adhering to trends – is thoroughly refreshing and apparent from the timeless designs in their repertoire. The Brunswick in itself is a wristwatch close to my heart in terms of its 38mm size with the pebble-smooth oeuvre of a Laurent Ferrier. This says a lot for the design nous of Bowman-Scargill and his team…
I’ll bet many people weren’t even aware of the name o2T, and that’s a big credit to TAG Heuer. It takes guts to downplay the micro-wonders of the mythical tourbillon, swirling slowly inside its cage at 6 o’clock. While we daily see references with less dazzle but 10 words to their model designation, here it’s simply the Heuer 02 calibre we know, with a very quietly spoken T, in the revamped TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer o2T. This understatement is in direct contrast to the clean-cut opening at the base of the dial, a small haute horologerie marvel peeking out at us fixed by a navy blue cage. The 250 pieces of what is the pinnacle of TAG Heuer’s Carrera range has been upgraded with a razor-sharp titanium version of their larger sports case, and a formal, dark tone of blue befitting its stature. We will absolutely forgive TAG Heuer for using a rather large 45mm case, as we remember that this is a self-winding chronograph movement with a flying tourbillon, a big heart for even a large case. But wouldn’t you agree that here it is absolutely worth every extra millimetre, in a case that seems even a bit more…
While Grand Seiko watches invariably have more of a claim to being works of art than practically all other brands at their price point (and beyond), the Grand Seiko SBGD207 is on a whole other level. Masterpiece is not a term the brand throws around lightly. The Masterpiece collection within Grand Seiko’s catalogue represents their peak craftsmanship: they are high-end watches with high-end price tags and high-end watchmaking. To better understand the amount of time it takes to produce these watches, last year’s Grand Seiko SBGD205, a limited run of ten pieces, has yet to be completed by the manufacturer. The Grand Seiko SBGD207 Spring Drive 8 Day Masterpiece 140th Anniversary Limited Edition of 15 pieces is the sequel to the SBGD205, which incorporated blue sapphires and diamonds into a gorgeous dial. The Grand Seiko SBGD207, however, incorporates rich green tones into its dial – quite timely considering green increasingly seems like the colour of 2021. The platinum case is 43mm in diameter and 13.5mm thick. While the diameter on paper may seem large, the compact lugs mitigate the wrist presence of the watch on what could easily be a unisex option. Platinum is a tough and heavy precious metal,…
Bronze is nothing particularly new to dive watches. For a time now we have seen manufacturers leverage bronze for its history in diving and the precious metal like tone it carries on the wrist. But not all bronze is created equal. While collectors typically prefer natural patina, in favour of forced or faux-patina, Instagram is ripe with shots before and after bronze cases were left to “force age” – going so far as to leave a watch in egg wash to create a “found at the bottom of the sea” aesthetic. In my opinion, however, the grey-green tone that results (known as verdigris-oxidation) is not very desirable. It creates a corrosive look that can completely deaden the precious tone of bronze. While such a corrosive surface layer is known to protect the underlying metal from further corrosion, it can be quite harmful to your skin and even result in turning your wrist green. This is why Omega spent years developing a whole new alloy for the category, the fruits of their labour being the new Omega Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold, with a Bronze-Au375 Gold alloy that both your eyes and skin will appreciate. The beauty here is you get a…
When it comes to Omega dive watches, the Seamaster 300 is an enthusiast favourite. Yes, the Diver 300M collection is hugely popular, but for those who aren’t after a contemporary design and prefer the softer and more balanced designs of the Omega archives, then the Seamaster 300 is where you may well eventually find yourself. For 2021, the Bienne-based watchmaker has reinvigorated the collection with all new Omega Seamaster 300 references that remain faithful to the original design, but have a few key updates. With that in mind, we wanted to take a closer look at the new Omega Seamaster 300 versus old variations and unpack the key differences. The dial construction This year the Seamaster 300 has received a totally new dial, both in its construction and in its details (which we’ll get to in a minute). It features what is known as a sandwich dial, which is a first for Omega and basically means that it has two dials sandwiched together to add more visual depth. The baseplate of the dial is German silver, which is coated in vintage-coloured Super-LumiNova, before being covered with the second dial of common bronze which has the hour markers and numerals cut…
Only two weeks ago we introduced you to the firework display of bedazzling colours in the DEFY 21 Felipe Pantone, which hypnotised us with small, fresh flashes of the rainbow. This time, Zenith shows us how the angular tool presence of the DEFY series projects an image of quiet elegance, in the Zenith DEFY 21 Ultrablue. As the more formal and less outrè brother of the Ultraviolet of 2020, the new Ultrablue is no less of a wrist presence. This time, the dark, matte sandblasted titanium case is matched to the comfortable signature DEFY rubber strap with an indigo blue textured fabric pattern. The light high-tech dynamic language of titanium is a perfect way for Zenith to underline what is their technical tour de force chronograph. Just as the Felipe Pantone edition thoroughly distracted us from what is a seriously impressive version of the El Primero calibre, one press of the top right pusher and you’ll be sold. The mad whizz of the 1/100th second hand through its 360,000vph will boggle your synapses. Equally mind-bending is the fact that all the tech of the twin escapements will fit within a case of such lightness and softness of touch thanks to…