Battle for the blue with the Seiko Samurai 'Save The Ocean' SRPC93K
Editor’s note: Seiko’s limited editions are pretty legendary, and for good reason. Some of the most coveted are those in the sporty Prospex line. Like this Seiko Samurai ‘Save The Ocean’ SRPC93K … The story in a second: Same great watch, brand new dial. The centrepiece of Seiko’s 2018 Prospex collection is, without doubt, the brand new and very blue ‘Save The Ocean’ series, offered in Turtle, Samurai and solar variants. It follows on from the recent Black Series and Blue Lagoon. But while last year’s limited edition was purely a cosmetic update, the Save The Ocean release has an element of social responsibility. Seiko has teamed up with Fabien Cousteau (grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau), who is himself a marine conservationist, to raise funds and awareness for Cousteau’s Ocean Learning Centre. Part of this awareness-raising involves prominent displays of what healthy and not-so-healthy marine environments look like in several Australian cities. So, not only do these watches look the part, they also do their part. The case First up, aside from the dial and bezel, this watch is pretty much identical to its regular release brethren. So, you’re getting the same angular, slightly blocky steel case, with solid proportions of…
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Editor’s note: Simple style and an exceptional dial. This Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon has it all going on … ‘Novelty’ is one of the most abused words in the watch industry. Practically, it’s used to describe the steady stream of new models and designs being produced by watchmaking brands. But on top of that, it conveys a sense of newness and — marketing departments fervently hope — excitement. For example, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s 2017 novelties were their Master Control trilogy — they excited people, and rightfully so. And while this grey-dialled Master Ultra Thin Moon is a new release, it’s not really a novelty — it didn’t make headlines at SIHH, and doesn’t showcase any innovations in mechanics or material. But despite this (or perhaps because of it), this serious, ghostly grey Master Ultra Thin Moon is an exceptionally beautiful piece of watchmaking, the sort that JLC excels at. If you’re not familiar with the MUT Moon (as it’s sometimes known), here’ s the two-minute rundown. First introduced in 2012, this perfectly sized 39mm white gold dress watch is a case study on just how well Jaeger-LeCoultre does thin watchmaking. At 9.9mm tall, it’s slender but not exceptionally so, partially due to the…
There are few things that high-end watch brands love more than a certification of quality. Some, like COSC, are industry-wide standards, while others (much like the movement) are strictly an in-house affair. The Patek Philippe Seal is one such certification. The new Patek Philippe Seal dramatically transcends the original hallmark’s notion of quality and perfection. First of all, it applies to the completely assembled mechanical watch as delivered to its owner; moreover it covers both functional and aesthetic aspects. This article, from The Hour Glass, gives a solid overview of the Seal, and how it differs from the Geneva Seal (a broader certification that Patek was a big fan of). If you want a better idea of the rigours that these watches go through, this is worth a read. 
Every year in watchland we’re treated to a fresh crop of heritage reissues — modern interpretations of designs of yore. It’s a market category that’s grown from a niche inclusion intended to appease the hardcore collectors to a major pillar in many brand catalogues. And while the year is not over yet, we’re pretty confident calling the below 10 the best heritage reissues from 2019. Heads-up, expect a lot of automatic chronographs in this list … Blancpain Air Command Yep, we did not see this one coming. Dive watches, yes (more on that below), but a pitch-perfect take on an old, obscure pilot’s chronograph? Yes, please. Longines Heritage Classic A surprise late entrant to the list, the Heritage Classic from Longines only officially dropped the other day. But with its 38mm steel case and sector dial it has everyone in the office exclaiming — not bad, good size. Zenith El Primero A384 Revival It’s been a big year for Zenith, as their famous El Primero movement celebrates the big 5-0. And because of this, the brand has been dropping heritage bangers with disturbing regularity. And while we didn’t see this at Baselworld, the chunky case of this A384 has us…
