The trend for oversized watches seems to be over. The buzzword in the watch industry is smaller. Launched in 2018, the Formex Essence is a sporty, casual all-rounder that marked an important step in the design language of a brand known for crafting rugged action watches. Following requests from its customers, the brand now scales […]
You know how it is. You spend ages thinking about your next watch – planning, saving, researching, deciding, changing your mind, procrastinating … And then a new release wanders by, flashes its bright shiny dial and you pick it up with hardly a thought. That’s how the sector dial Baltic Bicompax 002 ended up on my wrist. Baltic first revealed its sector dial earlier this year with the limited-edition salmon dial three-hander and chronograph. An immediate hit, it was no surprise when they recently returned with silver, black and blue gilt variants (alongside the time-only HMS 002). It immediately ticked a few boxes for me. Here was a sector dial, manually wound chronograph (with a clear caseback option) in 38mm, from a brand I’d heard good things about. And – at €649 (inc. VAT) – it was priced to tempt. I had previously looked at higher-end sector dials such as Jaeger-LeCoultre’s briefly produced but increasingly sought-after Master Control line and the more recent, pristine Longines Heritage Classic. But while the latter was especially well-priced, I still hadn’t reached for the wallet. That combination of design and price was enough to make the silver dial Bicompax 002 an impulse buy for…
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Offering well-designed watches from a reputed Swiss company at reasonable prices seems to be a winning strategy for Longines. Introduced in 2019, the Longines Master Collection Moonphase watch continues this story, with a policy of keeping Longines in the price segment that it dominates (700 to 3,500 Swiss francs) – even with complications. Available in […]
This year was strange, to put it mildly. The pandemic was ever-present, lurking over our shoulder, keeping us locked in our homes and generally limiting our contact with the rest of the world. Fortunately, for those of us into watches, the new releases have continued to flow with manufacturers adapting their release strategies to meet the year’s peculiar demands. Here are my three favourite watches of 2020. Kurono “Mori” One-Year Anniversary Limited Edition In my opinion, Kurono watches have the best ratio of affordability to artistry. Lucky buyers get world-class dials and hands in a classic 37mm case profile that’s beautifully polished all around (besides its brushed caseback). The Mori One-Year Anniversary Limited Edition has a rich emerald green dial that I have yet to even begin to tire of and looks far more expensive than it really is. For under $2000 USD, Kurono manages to provide consumers with completely distinct and original designs from Hajime Asaoka – who, under his own name, creates bespoke watches priced at tens of thousands of dollars. With Kurono, he still manages to bring the same level of attention to detail, blending both bespoke and affordable elements to the watch. The Miyota movement within…
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Where we’re going, we don’t need date windows.
This week we go monochrome in the urban jungle, with the new Hublot Classic Fusion Concrete Jungle New York and an awesome pair of New Balance trainers just dropped on Hypebeast. The gritty edge of concrete is just as fresh as a splash of colour and Hublot’s avant-garde touch is very much present in the elegant form of their Classic Fusion line. This is as tough as it is impressive on a material level, as this is no mere dial or case finish, but actual concrete composite. With a mix of 65-75% fine cement, and epoxy resin, reinforced by fibre glass, how better to embody the Art of Fusion? And damn, does it look rugged in the guise of the automatic chronograph, powered by the HUB1143 manufacture movement and operated via the black ceramic pushers and crown. The dial is a calm and balanced design, with the two opposing registers countersunk, while the indices are simply indented into the silky concrete surface. The greenish grey of the fascinatingly organic micro-pitted smooth surface works perfectly with the black accents, and comes on the comfort of Hublot’s black fabric strap. Fifty pieces of this 45mm street-tough block of haute horlogerie will be…
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When buying pre-owned watches online, there are two emotions that you feel after sending your money. The first is the heady excitement at the prospect of adding a new piece to your collection. The second is that queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach – a blend of terror and anxiety as you fear unboxing your watch only to discover what you’ve bought is a far cry from the real McCoy. We’ve all been there. We’ve all gone to grab our credit card and punch in the numbers, only for a quiet voice in the back of our head to say: “Imagine spending all that money on a fake.” And listening dutifully to that voice, you close the browser tab and try not to think about the fact that you’ll now never strap that watch onto your wrist. Much of this anxiety can be allayed when you buy watches on eBay, as the platform has just announced their Authenticity Guarantee program for all watches over $2000 US. Now, when you buy a luxury watch from eBay (only if from a seller with an Authenticity Guarantee badge) it will be sent from the seller to eBay’s third-party authenticator, instead of…
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The Reverso is a watch of rare longevity. In fact, it is probably one of the watch models with the longest track record. The Reverso was created back in 1931 and since then, its unique concept of a reversible and protective case has been one of the pillars of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s success. As the Reverso approaches […]
Two-faced is a good thing.
TAG Heuer’s Monaco has experienced a rather slow evolution in recent years, as the world’s most famous square watch shouldn’t be messed with too much. The new black dial TAG Heuer Monaco on bracelet is a further exploration into the watch’s roots, while keeping up to date with all the technical quality we expect from a modern luxury wristwatch. The good news: it’s simply great. The bracelet The particular star of the show on this model is the vintage-style bracelet, inspired by examples often found on models from the mid-to-late ’70s. The solid steel links are quite short, allowing for a great fit to be found, even though the butterfly clasp doesn’t allow for the micro-adjustment holes we’re used to. The H-links are all brushed except for polished chamfered edges, and the polished centre links give the watch its signature look of retro sporty-meets-dressy. Although the integrated look of the bracelet is part of what makes this watch so charming, the 22mm lug width does make changing straps incredibly easy, as well as the straight end-links meaning you could even put this bracelet onto other watches in your collection for a bit of experimentation and fun. The dial The cleanliness…
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