Category: Value Proposition

Review – anOrdain Model 2 – Vitreous Enamel Dial and Sporty Attire, from Scotland

It’s rare to see bold or hand-made elements in microbrand offerings, especially in the “under EUR 1,500” category. Hand-crafted guilloche dials, in-house calibres and advanced complications are generally reserved for luxury brands with steep prices. Grand Feu enamel dials are a part of that list, but Scottish newcomer anOrdain managed to produce them for its inaugural watch, the affordable anOrdain Model 1. It was a rough road to travel, and some of the highest-end brands continue to outsource enamel dials to companies like Donzé Cadrans in Switzerland, but after three years of research and experimentation, anOrdain accomplished what many others couldn’t – in-house vitreous enamel dials. After a well-received debut, the now sold-out Model 1 has a successor, the anOrdain Model 2.

6 years ago

Introducing – Hamilton American Classic Spirit of Liberty Auto

‘American Classic Spirit of Liberty’ might sound like a presidential campaign slogan, but Hamilton transports this idea to Swiss watchmaking. And the result shows in a stylish yet affordable piece. Let’s have a closer look at what the most American of Swiss brands has to offer with the American Classic Spirit of Liberty Auto. “Without […]

6 years ago

Hands-on – Hamilton Revives the W10 with the Faithful Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical

Hamilton has recently been looking at its past, with multiple models in the “Heritage” line, including the 1970s Intra-Matic Chronograph and, of course, the military-inspired, accessible, cool-looking Khaki Field Mechanical. Really, there’s a lot to love in these collections. Today, the Swatch Group-owned brand takes another of its glorious military models, the W10, and reissues it in a (very) faithful way. Let’s take a look at the Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical.

6 years ago

Introducing – Certina DS1 celebrates 60 years of DS in style

The DS Concept put Certina on the map and was a big step to making Swiss watches more reliable and water-resistant while keeping them affordable. Now that system celebrates its 60th birthday and of course that had to be celebrated with a watch. So meet the new Certina DS1 Big Date 60th Anniversary and its combination of style, good mechanics and affordability.

6 years ago

Value Proposition – The anOrdain Model 2 – An Affordable, Sporty Sequel with Vitreous Enamel Dials from Scotland

Lewis Heath founded anOrdain a few years ago and assembled a team of jewelery designers, a typographer, graphic designer, product designer and watchmaker to collaborate on something truly unique. The principle focus was on Grand Feu enamel dials, a difficult craft that’s almost always reserved for much pricier, luxury timepieces. Many such brands outsource their enamel dials, but anOrdain spent the better part of three years perfecting its own in-house production. The result was the Model 1 in 2018 with the deep richness of enamel in assorted colors, limited to a production of only eight dials per week. The Model 2, their second attempt in creating nice and affordable pieces, adds a sportier touch with new hands, typography and a smaller case, but enamel dials remain the centerpiece. Let’s take a closer look at the sequel from this independent Scottish brand.

6 years ago

Hands-on – Meistersinger Urban Day Date (live pics and pricing)

Meistersinger made a name for itself by offering products with a distinctive feature: single-hand watches. With its simple designed, frill-free watches the German manufacturer provides its own cool, offbeat, take on watchmaking. The brand was founded in 2001 by Manfred Brassler and is founded on the idea of ‘creating an alternative to wristwatches that show time as something constantly racing along’, crafting distinctive timepieces for those who want to keep track of time but are not obsessed by seconds.

6 years ago

Review – Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic Chronograph – Tapping into the Retro Vibe

When I think of Hamilton, either a Ventura or Khaki Field Mechanical immediately come to mind. The Swiss brand is much more than that, of course, with a wide collection of models that are among the best value propositions in the industry. Hamilton is also no stranger to quirky designs as the Ventura line attests, and fun ones like the Jazzmaster Regulator Cinema and Khaki Field Murph keep things interesting. I’ve never really associated the brand with chronographs, despite its solid history with them, but its recent Intra-Matic 68 Chronograph definitely changed my mind.

6 years ago

Review – Farer Stanhope – A Classic Design and a Fun, Sophisticated Dial Give Farer’s 37mm Hand-Wound a Ton of Character

The United Kingdom seems to be a hotbed for independent watch brands these days with names like Vertex, Garrick, Bremont and Pinion, among many others. Farer Universal is a relative newcomer that takes inspiration from 1960’s and 1970’s watchmaking, adding colourful and sophisticated dials to a variety of styles. We reviewed their Aqua Compressor Endeavour last year and walked away impressed, and their most recent chronographs are right up there with established brands like Hamilton and Tissot (see our editorial on Microbrands vs. Accessible Established Brands). The Stanhope was introduced in 2018 with the brand’s smallest case to date and a hand-wound ETA movement, joining two others in the collection, the Lansdell and Hudson. Most of Farer’s portfolio contains automatic watches with a couple of quartz options, so the 37mm hand-wound collection stands out in both size and movement. The Stanhope proved to be the most popular of the trio with the first batch selling out quickly. Let’s take a closer look at this classic design with a contemporary twist.

6 years ago

Introducing – Tissot Heritage 1973 Chronograph Limited Edition

Tissot has solid ties with racing. Swiss driver Loris Kessel wore a Navigator chronograph in the 1970s and was officially sponsored by Tissot in the 1976 Formula 1 Grand Prix. The brand is once again working with Kessel Racing, this time with Ronnie Kessel (son of Loris) to launch the limited edition Heritage 1973. The […]

6 years ago