HANDS-ON: Is the Grand Seiko SBGR321 just another stainless-steel watch with a blue dial?
The market for stainless-steel watches with blue dials is as hot as ever. And it makes sense for brands to produce watches that meet this demand. But how many more do we really need? The Grand Seiko SBGR321 was first announced towards the end of last year as a part of their 60th anniversary releases, and I finally had the opportunity to spend some time with it in the metal recently. It certainly ticks all the boxes that the market wants: a stainless-steel case and bracelet, a 40mm diameter and, of course, an attractive blue dial. But how much does it really add to the horological landscape? And have Grand Seiko done enough to stick out from the blue steel crowd? The case The Grand Seiko SBGR321 is a part of the brand’s Heritage collection and clearly flaunts the case to match. Inspired by Grand Seiko designs of the past, the 40mm stainless-steel case features sloping flanks and lines so sharp you’re drawn to inspect them up close. The case lines are articulated clearly thanks to the even vertical brushing on the tops of the lugs and the contrasting Zaratsu-polished case sides. This contrast accentuates the visual impression of the…
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Oris has always harboured a deep respect for the environment and supported efforts to protect the ocean and sea life therein. This isn’t a tokenistic move either. The brand really puts their money where their mouth is, aiming to become CO2 neutral by 2021 and incorporating recycled materials in both their watches and their packaging. In addition, Oris protects our wallets, too, consistently releasing offerings with high value at lower costs than many of their competitors, making their novelties attractive to both new and veteran watch collectors alike. Today, the brand has released their Oris Whale Shark Limited Edition, a watch based on the Oris Aquis GMT, with a a unique and eye-catching dial. So why whale sharks? The short answer is that they’re an endangered species that needs man’s help to survive. According to Oris ambassador and underwater photographer Gerardo del Villar, who has been documenting whale sharks for more than 15 years, “As top predators, sharks play an important role in the ecosystem by keeping species below them in the food chain, and as indicators of ocean health, they help to eliminate the weak and sick and to maintain balance with competitors, thus guaranteeing species diversity. Without whale…
Collaboration has become the name of the game. Be it in music, fashion or watchmaking, we’ve never seen such a diverse meeting of minds from around the world. But many collaborations leave you scratching your head, especially when two brands that have nothing in common come together to make a product that doesn’t make sense. Those strange and uncomfortably mismatched products serve as a striking contrast to those times when a partnership is, like the cereal, just right. The announcement of the new partnership between TAG Heuer and Porsche feels spot-on, not because they are both successful luxury brands in the 21st century, but because they share a rich history of involvement in motorsports. One that goes all the way back to when the Carrera Panamericana car race first ran in 1950, which makes the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph a natural distillation of this adrenaline-fuelled legacy. Featuring a 44mm stainless-steel case, the Heuer Carrera DNA is clear for all to see while, on the dial side of the watch, the links to motorsports are immediately obvious. Both partners are integrated here in a way that doesn’t seem remotely forced. Both Porsche and Heuer were inspired by the thrillingly dangerous…
No, not another GMT?! Well, what if we tell you that this is a 39mm piece of vintage-inspired perfection with a goldilocks-sized 38mm case and a slightly wider bezel. And that its colours are as F.R.E.S.H as only the French can make them. If you know Baltic already, you might say that this is a natural move. But Etienne Malec and his design team have still managed to surprise us with the Baltic Aquascaphe GMT. Here we have no less than three sapphire-bezelled pops of zesty wrist goodness that trigger a mix of exaltation and deep sadness in equal measure. Why sadness? Well, a GMT is all about travelling, so at first glance the combination of French flair and a colourful 50s style GMT brought me close to tears for not being able to go to the South of France last year with my family. This watch, in short, is all about going places in style. Luckily, its pitch-perfect time-traveller vibe helped to cheer me up after a few seconds. Because we will travel in 2021 and just imagine dangling your feet off a pier, the water lapping your toes and one of these vintage-infused Aquascaphes on your sun-kissed wrist.…
G-Shock are good at a lot, but there’s one thing they know how to do better than most. Collaborations. That’s right, the humble Casio G-Shock continues to be one of the top everyman’s watches thanks to the unrelenting number of creative collaborations that they produce. Their most recent collaboration might be one of their best yet, in the Casio G-Shock GLX5600 Surf Life Saving Australia edition. Over the last few years we’ve seen collaborations with the likes of Bamford, KITH, Dragon Ball Z, the Gorillaz and even a release inspired by Bruce Lee. But the reason we love the Surf Life Saving Australia edition so much is because it isn’t with a big multinational brand that is famous around the world. It’s a collaboration with a local Australian community not-for-profit who’s mission is to keep our beaches safe. The watch uses the GLX5600 model as its base, but features a completely white case and strap, as well as the iconic yellow and red colours of Surf Life Saving Australia. Even better than the custom colour combination is the swag that the watch arrives with. The Casio G-Shock GLX5600 Surf Life Saving Australia arrives with a special edition towel and dry-bag,…
Editor’s note: We thought that as a reader service, for the inevitable questions that will come, that we’d ask about current availability of the Zenith Chronomaster Sport before publishing this story. The answer from Zenith Australia is that if you’re looking to order the watch today, you’re looking at a four to five month wait. We can’t speak for other regions, so if you’re interested, contact your local AD. Let me just say from the outset, that pictures of a watch are one thing and a watch in the hand is another. I saw this watch in the hand before I ever saw it in a picture. Therefore, my first impressions – which are to be explored properly here – are likely to be very different to yours, particularly if you first became aware of this watch via the laziest meme of 2021 that suggests it has a likeness to a certain high-value Big Crown chronograph and that this somehow discredits it. That is likely to be a statement you’ll walk back from when you’re holding it in real life. That’s not to say you’ll love it. Simply that if you know your watches, and can tell one icon from another,…
Two-tone watches don’t get nearly as much love as they once did. The 90s were rampant with bi-metal watches with many opting for the touch of precious metal instead of full stainless-steel references. But boy have times changed with the integrated stainless-steel craze showing no sign of slowing down. As a result, two-tone models do not always excel on the pre-owned market – often hovering near or below their retail pricing. But there are certain exceptions to the rule. The Rolex GMT Master II 126711CHNR Rootbeer is proof that two-tone can be a winning formula in today’s marketplace and, like its full stainless-steel peers, trade over its retail pricing. The case The majority of the case is fashioned in Rolex’s 904L stainless steel with hints of Everose gold in its bezel and crown. It’s front profile is completely satin brushed, excluding aspects of the bezel knurling, while the case sides are mirror-polished steel. Standing at 40mm in diameter, 48mm lug to lug across the wrist (excluding the fixed end links of the bracelet) and 12.2mm thick, the case is both robust and slender – quite fitting considering the watch is effectively a precious metal endowed tool watch. This allows the…
Whenever I hear a new Grand Seiko is being released, I get all giddy inside. Like a child hoping to find a Nintendo Switch under the tree on Christmas morning, Grand Seiko novelties are highly anticipated by fans worldwide – and fortunately they never disappoint. We recently covered the 60th anniversary limited edition Grand Seiko SLGH003, celebrating the introduction of the new hi-tech 9SA5 caliber into a stainless-steel watch. It made this latest innovation more accessible to the masses than the previous precious metal SLGH002. The new Grand Seiko SLGH005 not only introduces yet another reference in stainless steel, but also marks the first time the caliber has been used in an ongoing production model – with a gorgeous “white birch” dial to make the offering that much more tempting. The white textured dial is inspired by the white birch trees surrounding Studio Shizukuishi. The pattern is applied via a press pattern stamp, with tons of pressure applied to the dial base – similar to how the Snowflake and Mt. Iwate dials are fabricated. According to Grand Seiko, “Studio Shizukuishi, where all Grand Seiko mechanical watches are made, is surrounded by woodland areas boasting nearly 1000 wild-grown trees. These forested…
Forever the provocateur of the Swiss watch industry, Moser is up to its old tricks again. Say hello to the Moser Swiss Alp Watch Final Upgrade, the last chapter in the Swiss Alp Watch saga that began way back in 2016. Half a decade ago it was a totally new release from the manufacturer with a curiously curved rectangular case and eye-catching wire-like lugs. It was a form of sophisticated protest against an emerging threat to the traditional watch business, namely the Apple Watch. Over the last five years the Swiss Alp Watch collection has found a number of different forms, all with the same Jony Ive inspired case design. Except that the Swiss Alp Watch isn’t a smart watch but a timepiece with a mechanical movement. This year in it’s final expression, the Moser Swiss Alp Watch Final Upgrade features a black DLC-coated stainless steel case, as well as a Vantablack coated dial and blackened hands. The cherry on top? The seconds subdial at the 6 o’clock position of the dial that is designed to imitate a loading icon that you are sure to have seen on your computer more times than you’d care to admit. As the seconds…
If you’re looking for a go anywhere, do anything type of watch, but don’t want to spend a fortune, John Robert Wristwatches might be what you’re looking for. Based in Melbourne, but produced in Switzerland, they recently released their debut collection aptly names the Archetype. This collection was born out of a desire to have your cake and eat it too, by taking design inspiration from the middle of the last century and pairing it with some of the best in contemporary watchmaking techniques. The result? Well, you get a dressy tool watch, of course. The dressy tool watch that is expressed through the Archetype collection measures a modest 38mm in diameter, just like the watch designers of the 1960s would have wanted. But unlike watches from that generation, the Archetype collection is guaranteed to 100m of water resistance. There are six references in total with three different dial colours (white, blue and charcoal) that are available with either an automatic or High Accuracy Quartz (accurate to +/-10secs per year!) caliber housed within. The dials are another winning point of difference. They’re created to offer the impression of a vintage linen dial that is richly textured and delivers a real…