Review – Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer UTC – The No Hassle Travel Companion
Travel watches, along with blue dials and vintage aesthetics, are all the rage these days. With the advent of globalisation, GMT/UTC watches are no longer the exclusive domain of jet-setters and Pan Am pilots. Today, a wider audience of frequent flyers – and people with business interests or friends dotted around the world – are taking an interest in watches that can give them two distinct time references at a single glance. When it comes to adjusting local and home time on GMT watches, few can beat the practicality and simplicity of the Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer UTC. Unlike so many GMT models that need adjusting at the crown or via correctors, the Globetimer offers travellers a simple, intuitive way to set the local time and dons the sleek, minimalist Porsche Design aesthetic many have come to love. Released during Baselworld 2019 in four different versions, we got to spend some hands-on time with the titanium model and brown dial.
Editor’s note: The Longines Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary is an oldie but a goodie. And not an oldie in the 1950-something sense, but rather in the, ‘this 2017 limited edition is probably all gone by now’. But it’s very much the definition of a modern heritage banger. The hardest thing when re-creating a vintage watch design is knowing when to stop. Some changes — swapping the plexiglass crystal for sapphire, and upgrading the movement — are logical, and others, like an increase in size to more modern dimensions, make sense. But the real art is knowing where to stop, and what to keep. By that measure, the Longines Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary is a masterpiece in miniature — 38.5mm to be exact. This size is a perfect case in point: it’s an incremental increase that stays true to the spirit of the original in a way that a 40mm watch would not. Then there’s the dial, which would be hard to distinguish from a 1957 model, not least because there’s no unsightly date window to spoil the luminescent combination silver dial and gold tone markers. And while most people will be interested in the steel version, there are also rose and…
Presage has been something of a rising star in the Seiko firmament – a classically inspired, dressy collection that has proven to have broad appeal. These two new watches see the Seiko Presage powered by that most Seiko of technologies — the popular and silky smooth Spring Drive technology. Already the pairing of Presage and precision is an exciting prospect. But there are two other elements of these two boutique-only 40mm steel watches, and that’s the design and the dial. Seiko has evoked the spirit of Japanese design legend Riki Watanabe for the overall look and feel of these watches, working with Watanabe’s colleagues to bring this clean, legible design to life. But don’t be fooled by the apparent simplicity of the dial, it’s a work of quiet expertise. Because it’s been released in a material that’s increasingly linked to the Presage line – enamel. In particular these black or white dials are porcelain enamel made by master craftsman Mitsuru Yokosawa. The organic lines of the dial are clear in the recesses around the power reserve indicator and the date aperture. And even though the look is quite dressy, the 100 metres of water resistance and the super-hard coating of the case…
Much to the chagrin of watch brand marketing departments, the list of timepieces of genuine historical significance is pretty small. Actual moon watches, the Breguet commissioned with Marie Antoinette in mind, and, of course, the works of John Harrison. Even if you’re not an aficionado of 18th century horological science (and TBH we don’t hold that against you), there’s a decent chance you’re at least somewhat au fait with John Harrison. Heck, the guy even had a TV series made about him starring Michael Gambon and Jeremy Irons — that’s not something you can say about Gérald Genta, no matter how much you gush over his eight-sided designs. Harrison matters because he solved the Longitude problem, which allowed accurate naval navigation, necessary for the exercise and expansion of British naval superiority, and — ipso facto — its massive colonial empire. So, while it’s a slight stretch to say that John Harrison’s invention of an accurate marine chronometer is responsible for British imperialism, it’s a pretty big deal. So it’s worth your while working out what it is and how it works, which is where this excellent, in-depth piece over at WatchesbySJX comes in. Well worth a read. 
Overnight, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève dropped the list of their 84 pre-selected watches, which will be judged within an inch of their lives and presented to an adoring crowd of industry professionals. You can check the full list over at the GPHG site. There’s a lot to dive into, and quite a few of the categories are a little esoteric or academic. It’s fair to say that there are a few categories that are more popular with punters than others, and in that realm, we’re excited by the following contestants … Chronograph – the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT This category is all about start, stop and reset. It’s a strong field — as you’d expect, given the popularity for the complication — with Chronograph-focused brands like Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith all bringing something to the table. Our pick, though, has to be the Ultra-Thin Bulgari. It’s a brilliant piece of engineering, looks great and even throws a GMT into the mix. Diver’s – the Seiko Prospex LX This category doesn’t need too much in the way of explanation – it’s about watches that go deep. There are some strong niche contenders and a solid ceramic entry from Longines but,…