HANDS-ON: The Tudor Black Bay GMT – Pepsi is the new Black (Bay)
Look back at Baselworld predictions over the last few years, and you’re likely to see a GMT from Tudor topping the list. Sure, some of us may have expected to see that little extra hour-telling-hand added to the Pelagos. But with the ever growing – and hugely popular – Black Bay collection proving to be the perfect base from which to begin, particularly after the introduction of the chronograph last year, I think it’s safe to say that we were all pleasantly surprised when Tudor unveiled a bicoloured Black Bay GMT this year at Basel. The Baselworld surprises didn’t stop there either, as parent company Rolex also released a Pepsi GMT. But having said that, this Heritage Black Bay is its own watch, with its own look and feel. Vital statistics Essentially, it’s a Black Bay. A stainless-steel 41mm case with polished sides and a satin-brushed top. The water resistance remains at 200 metres, and a black, domed dial features a mix of triangle, circle and rectangular hour markers. The differences begin at its bidirectional bezel. An even split of burgundy and blue, it’s a combination of the original colours of the first two Black Bays, except now the aluminium insert…
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Late last year, one of the more surprising (and contentious) inclusions in my “best watches of 2017” list was the Apple Watch Series 3. For me, the addition of cellular functionality made the already formidable smart watch that much more intimidating — and appealing. So, as you can imagine, I was keen to get my hands on one for review, and just after SIHH a courier dropped one off at my desk. Fast forward to now and I’ve had the grey ceramic Apple Watch Series 3 Edition on my wrist on and off for a few months. Did it live up to the phone-free utopia that I imagined when it was released? Well, obviously watch the video to get the full rundown but, spoiler alert, it turns out I’m just not ready to go iPhone cold turkey, but you could definitely do it, and I suspect that by the time Series 4 rolls around, it will have gotten even easier.
The watch industry is a well-oiled novelty-making machine. Every year it produces a sea of new releases that quickly turns the tide of attention from the old towards the latest and greatest in the world of watchmaking. Occasionally, though, it’s nice to stop and look back on the watches that we might have missed. Watches like this one: the Ball Engineer Master II Skindiver II. With a brand history that dates back to the American railroad in 1891, and more than a couple of technically nifty details, I quickly jumped at the chance to try one out in the metal. Vital statistics Released in 2015, the design of the Skindiver II is inspired by a 1962 version of the Ball Skindiver, retaining the classic look of the Skindiver case, and upsizing it to 43mm wide and 14mm thick. With the larger case comes an improved water resistance of 500 metres, as well as a helium escape valve, a shock resistance of 5000Gs, and an antimagnetic rating of 4800 A/m. However, the shining star is its multidimensional black dial and the 15 double-sized micro gas tubes that form the hour markers and glowing elements of the hands. Unlike a coating of lume,…
Let’s be real here. Ever since we saw the new Laureato last year, we knew the chronograph version was inevitable. After all, what’s a luxury sports watch without the option of the default sports complication? There’s no doubt that this good-looking sporty option is the brand’s commercial focus, so it makes sense that a veritable bevy of chronograph models was released at SIHH 2018. Offered in 38 or 42mm, in steel or pink gold, strap or bracelet, and a range of dials (including a real cool black with blue registers option), there might not quite be something for everyone, but you’re certainly spoiled for choice. I opted to look at what is perhaps the safest/most classic of the combos: 42mm, steel, blue dial on bracelet. Honestly, it’s a winning combination right out of the gate, but it’s the details that make it. Let’s kick off with the dial, the hobnail texture is familiar and looks good. There’s contrast thanks to the circular grain on the chrono registers, as well as the brighter blue hands and indices, which really go full-on electric in the right light. I’m sure the date at four will grind the gears of some reading this, but…
For those who know me and my taste in watches a little bit, the fact that I own a TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 typically comes as a bit of a surprise, as there’s a perception that I like the simpler, smaller things in watch life. For those who know me and my history in watches a little better, the fact that I’m rocking a big, bold, skeletonised chronograph raises no eyebrows at all. But personal preferences aside, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to spend some quality time with the Heuer 01, you’ve come to the right place. My first impression was … whoa, that’s a whole lot of watch. I first saw the Heuer 01 when it was released, back in 2015. It was a watch that was presented as the face of Jean-Claude Biver’s ‘new’ TAG Heuer, and boy did it look the part. Large, modular and aggressively skeletonised. The Carrera DNA was still there, but the Heuer 01 was very much its own beast. And while my original focus was on the ceramic bezel version with red highlights, the watch I ended up strapping onto my wrist was this, the Grey Phantom, which removed any hint…
The story in a second: A funky and practical Hublot packed with style and substance. Launched early last year in Geneva, the Big Bang Unico GMT — which technically is a dual time zone watch and not a true GMT, as there’s no hand running on a 24-hour scale — is the first arrival in the Big Bang family with a multiple time zone indication, powered by a then new in-house caliber with a few tricks up its sleeve. Offered in King Gold, carbon, and titanium casing options, we were instantly drawn to the relatively understated appearance of the titanium model. Practical and understated aren’t often words that come to mind when the name Hublot is part of the conversation (case in point, the recently launched Unico Red Magic chronograph), giving us further grounds to dive into the new piece to see if it has the chops to convert some of those less keen on the perpetually polarising brand. The case Being part of the Big Bang line, the case of the Unico GMT Titanium is business as usual for the most part. A mix of polished and brushed finishing (though Hublot refers to it as “satin” finishing), blue and…
Having previously reviewed the Farer Aqua Compressor Hecla, I thought it was time to explore some more of the British microbrand’s offerings. Enter the Farer Lander GMT Automatic, one of three pieces within Farer’s GMT Automatic range. As I unboxed the Lander, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the dial. Farer describes the colour as ‘sea green’, which, when you think about it, is quite an accurate description. Bursting with colour, the dial has a sunburst-style finishing, meaning the moment you walk outside into the sunlight it takes on a new appearance. This was my favourite feature of the watch and looked great when contrasted with the dark brown strap. There’s a lot of other detail in the dial, which Farer refer to as a ‘triple step dial’. The bold font of the hour numerals features a SuperLuminova outline, which adds an additional layer of depth and colour to the vibrant orange GMT hand that follows a smaller 24-hour clock around the dial. Finishing off the dial is a gunmetal silver outer rim, which is home to the second track. Although there’s plenty going on here, the dial doesn’t at all feel clustered, and remains legible — even in…