Value Proposition Archives - Page 58 of 68

Value Proposition – Meet Semper & Adhuc, A Series of New Watches with Yesterday’s Craftsmanship Inside

We’ve written quite a lot about microbrands lately, with brands like Gaia & Co. and Marnaut launching interesting new watches on Kickstarter. Most are unique and have a character of their own, but all share one thing in common – simple, generic automatic movements. SEMPER & ADHUC is taking a different approach by building new cases for vintage, restored movements from the 1930s to the 1960s. Similar to what Vortic Watch Co. started a couple of years ago (3D printing new cases for vintage pocket watch movements), SEMPER & ADHUC is combining modern techniques with the handcrafted tech of the past. It’s a novel idea and brings a history and soul to the watches that a new Miyota or ETA movement simply can’t match. Is this enough to raise their head above a very crowded market? Let’s take a closer look.

Value Proposition – Gaia & Co. Launches its Neo-Vintage Primavera Collection on Kickstarter

Gaia & Co., a new microbrand building watches in Besançon, France, is launching its Primavera collection on Kickstarter. This first annual series, which will be produced in three colours, is limited to 900 pieces and will be replaced next year with a new collection. The annual cycle is designed to maintain an exclusivity with the brand, although it likely helps control costs and inventory as well. The watches will have Japanese automatics and are what the company calls neo-vintage, providing the “missing link between classic and modern watches.” The vintage-inspired trend has been around for quite a while, so Gaia & Co. has a crowded field to contend with.

Review – The Sports Watch From Stoic World – Peter Speake-Marin’s Polarizing Reemergence In The Affordable Market

Imagine Enzo Ferrari leaving his company after its reputation was well established, only to reemerge a year later with a new car brand offering affordable, compact sedans. As crazy as that scenario sounds, it’s kind of analogous to the current situation we have with Peter Speake-Marin. It wasn’t long ago that his name was associated with expensive, exclusive and complicated timepieces, featuring in-house movements, tourbillons, minute repeaters and more. Those days are behind Peter, who left the company last year to pursue other interests (inc. The Naked Watchmaker), but he’s suddenly back with a new watch brand, Stoic World. The Sports Watch is one of three in Stoic World’s portfolio of affordable, mainstream watches, having virtually no resemblance to his former collections. Let’s take a closer look at the Sports Watch (and touch on the other two) and see if this new direction is worthy of the Peter Speake-Marin name.

Review – The Sports Watch From Stoic World – Peter Speake-Marin’s Polarising Reemergence In The Affordable Market

Value Proposition – Junghans Meister Hand-Winding – An Elegant and Attainable Dress Watch (Review)

When a watch company celebrated its centenary in 1961, there’s no doubt that it’s very well established. Founded in 1861 by Erhard Junghans in Schramberg, Germany, Junghans took inspiration from American watch companies to mass produce timepieces in a way that allowed them to undercut the competition on price. That philosophy remains today as many of their mechanical pieces, some with multiple complications, can be had for under EUR 2,000. Their Meister Hand-Winding line brings elegance and simplicity in an affordable package, although a couple of models like the Meister Driver Handaufzug add some vintage flair to the dials. I’ve had one of their Meister Hand-Winding dress watches for a couple of weeks now, so let’s take a closer look.

Value Proposition – Marnaut Launches the Affordable Dark Surge 300m Series of Dive Watches on Kickstarter

It seems like a new watch launches on Kickstarter every week. Many fall into the USD 400 to 600 range, at least for early buyers, but some far exceed USD 1,000. The Marnaut Dark Surge 300m dive watches fall into the former category, providing deep sea water-resistance in an attractive, accessible package. There’s nothing groundbreaking […]

Value Proposition – UNDONE Aqua Dive Watch – An Affordable, Highly Customisable Automatic Watch for Water Enthusiasts

The popularity of microbrands is rapidly spreading as unique mechanical watches are being sold at cutthroat prices. An interesting piece can be had for well under USD 500, but odds are you’ll be getting a Chinese movement and parts that are far removed from Switzerland. That doesn’t mean that many of these watches are bad products, but from both a reliability and collector standpoint, they’re often considered a lower tier. UNDONE is a popular microbrand that specializes in customization to help stand out in the crowd. Colours, cases, dials, hands, straps and even materials can be individually chosen to create a unique timepiece just for you, all for under USD 500. Many of their watches are attractive chronographs but equipped with quartz movements instead of mechanical. Their Aqua series of dive watches, however, have proven Seiko automatics inside and are an excellent value proposition for budding enthusiasts or active divers. Dive watches are among my favourite styles and the level of customization offered by UNDONE is almost overwhelming. Standard editions are also available if you’re happy with their selection of prebuilt models. I have their prebuilt Aqua Silver-Grey unit (with date) that I’ve been wearing for several weeks.

Review – Baume et Mercier Clifton Baumatic (non-COSC version) – Serious Watchmaking, Serious All-Rounder

Baume & Mercier has changed tack radically after introducing its first proprietary movement – Baumatic™- during the SIHH in January 2018. Greeted with positive reactions, the Baumatic™ has been housed in the Clifton line of watches, Baume & Mercier’s all-rounder collection that includes the sporty Clifton Club series, clearly targeted at younger men. But above all, the Clifton Baumatic marks a new direction for the brand with its high-performance chronometer-grade movement, a diligent and admirable step up from third-party sourced movements that were the mainstay of the brand. Presented in a COSC-certified version – the Clifton Baumatic Chronometer – and three non-COSC versions with the same engine under the bonnet, this model on a steel bracelet is a casual verging on elegant watch, a perfect watch to introduce young men into the world of mechanical movements. Unassuming but handsome, well-endowed mechanically but not bulky, the Clifton Baumatic is Baume & Mercier’s proposal of a casual everyday watch with a prudent price tag.

Introducing – Hamilton Khaki Field Day-Date 42mm “Camouflage” Automatic

Following up on the affordable Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm, Hamilton is introducing the Khaki Field Camouflage collection with larger cases and automatic movements. Back in the 1940’s, Hamilton (then an American brand) received the US Army-Navy ‘E’ Award for their ability to deliver one million reliable, accurate watches to the US military. Although Hamilton is now a Swiss brand, the company is proud of its US military roots and continues to produce models that are faithful to that era and the American spirit. The new Khaki Field Day-Date Camouflage watches are more contemporary than their hand-wound 38mm counterparts but still fall within this military aesthetic.

Hands-on – The Surprisingly Affordable Longines Master Collection Annual Calendar

If you want to dip your toe into the world of sophisticated complications, it usually comes at a price. A tourbillon, for example, can easily add CHF 20,000 or more to the price of a watch. The Longines Master Collection has been around since 2005 and serves as a contemporary alternative to their revered Heritage Collection (with more traditional designs). The Master Collection has a wide variety of complications, from power reserve displays to calendar chronographs with moonphase and more, but these new models are the first for Longines to have an annual calendar. The Longines Master Collection Annual Calendar not only offers a more sophisticated calendar complication than the norm but does so at an impressively affordable price.

Watch Dandy

Category: Value Proposition