OPINION: Diamonds are a man’s best friend
Up until a month ago, if you’d asked me whether or not it was appropriate for a man to have diamonds adorning his timepiece, my response would’ve gone something like, “Only if he’s a vapid member of the glitterati, or his vocation is spitting bars”. Bedazzled, iced-out, frosty … whatever you want to call a wristwatch covered in cut-up pieces of highly pressurised carbon, I just couldn’t get behind the the uber shiny aesthetic. You see, I like to think that watches represent utilitarian practicality — they’re a tool that should tell the time, not tell everyone else around you how poor they are. My oh my, how times change, though, because after a revelatory afternoon back in early December, I now endeavour to own a dazzling, diamond-clad wristwatch before the decade is out. How has this massive contradiction come to be? Well, perhaps rather surprisingly, it all started with a trio of Franck Mullers. Long known for their expertise in precious gem-setting, Franck Muller really can make a watch sing like few other watchmakers. And when we had three of their shiniest timepieces arrive in the office just over a month ago for a photoshoot, my revelation was set in…
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It may surprise many reading this, but two out of the three Omega watches that really got the collective horological community talking in 2019 weren’t limited editions. In fact, the one limited edition watch that really struck a chord with enthusiasts, the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary, was just a gorgeous looking timepiece, regardless of whether or not it had a finite number of pieces made. Perhaps this signifies the future of Omega — a move away from limited edition timepieces in favour of aesthetically pleasing, technically impressive wristwatches. If the Swiss marque’s latest two releases, the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition and the Omega Speedmaster Caliber 321, are anything to go by, then the move away from limited editions could certainly be the case. Anyway, here were the three biggest Omega fan favourites from 2019: OMEGA SEAMASTER DIVER 300M OMEGA CO-AXIAL MASTER CHRONOMETER The Omega Seamaster is one of watchmaking’s undisputed classics. And while the main key for dive watches is legibility, white dials are not the common choice for this icon. Featuring the engraved ceramic dial and a high-contrast black bezel, the newest addition to the popular Diver collection has supreme legibility thanks to blackened hands indicating the time…
These are strange times in the horological world … on the one hand, it honestly feels like a large portion of gents watches are regressing rather quickly into exceedingly vintage tendencies: aesthetically, dimensionally, mechanically — it just seems like there’s been a complete about-face from the pursuit of the avant-garde. On the other hand, ladies watches have seemingly dodged the vintage vogue all together, and are instead carving a contemporary path forward that includes bright colours, big cases and better mechanical movements. This is evidenced rather perfectly with Rado’s Golden Horse Ref.R33103203. It’s a watch that’s unequivocally made for the gentlewoman. However, unlike a ladies timepiece from a decade ago, which would’ve most likely been two-tone, champagne-dialled, quartz-powered and no more than 28mm, this Golden Horse features a complete stainless steel construction, large 35mm case, bright sunburst blue dial and a mechanical self-winding movement. In fact, the only thing that’s antiquated about this feminine Golden Horse is its name — everything else about it is, for a ladies timepiece, very much from the new-school. The radially brushed, sunburst blue dial, for example, features modish contrasting hints of red, which can be found on the quintessential Rado logo, seconds hand and date wheel. Likewise,…
