Counting down why we love the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321
Watch lovers across the planet have been collectively holding their breath this year, eagerly waiting for Omega to release a commemorative watch to celebrate humanity launching away from the planet. It was 50 years ago that American astronauts left the safety of their lunar module and stepped onto the surface of the Moon, with Omega Speedmasters strapped to their wrists. The Moon landings were the most viewed event in human history, with an estimated 650 million people around the world watching Neil Armstrong take a giant leap for mankind. Needless to say, Omega hasn’t forgotten its involvement with the mission, and are celebrating the 50th anniversary with the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum. There’s a lot to love about this watch, so we wanted to count down our three favourite parts of the new 321. 3 – The movement The calibre 321 began development in 1942 by Lémania movement designer Albert Piguet, who also worked on movements for Omega (as they were both owned by the Swatch Group). It was first used in the Omega Speedmaster in 1957, and finally ceased production in 1968 when it was replaced by the calibre 861 chronograph movement. Raynald Aeschlimann, CEO of Omega, hinted…
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Editor’s note: Bruce doesn’t write for us too much, but when he does, it’s absolute gold. From his classic Batman review to this extended wear of the Tudor Black Bay GMT. A great, insightful take on one of the hottest pieces in the market right now. When the Tudor Black Bay GMT debuted this year at Basel it would’ve been easy to describe it as being overshadowed by the much-hyped Rolex GMT that was also showcased. But it’s not that simple. The Tudor is a hit in its own right, and I knew I had to have one. I had to wait half a year before I could get my hands on one and I can safely say that Tudor has once again reinforced their reputation as a brand to watch. My first impression was … that it might be too big and therefore uncomfortable. The 41mm case, water resistant to 200m, which houses the amazing new manufacture MT5652 movement, is very thick, at 15mm top to bottom. I found the clever folks at Tudor have worked some subtle angles underneath the case sides and tapered the lugs in such an elegant fashion that the Black Bay GMT actually wears smaller…
For as long as time has been indicated with hands on a dial, horologists have been hunting for different ways to communicate time. Contemporarily, this pursuit has taken some weird and wonderful forms, resulting in a few very clever feats of engineering to tell you what time it is. For those who are tired of tracking rotating spokes around a circle, who want something simpler (or more complex), these are the watches for you. Employing discs, screens, apertures and even revolving orbs, this is our shortlist of the best watches without hands from 2018. G-SHOCK GMWB5000D-1 35TH ANNIVERSARY SILVER ALL METAL MASTERPIECE Brainchild of Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe, the G-Shock DW-5000 was first introduced in 1983. And to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the legendarily tough resin-cased watch, the Japanese brand have introduced this version – which also happens to be the very first all stainless-steel 5000 series G-Shock. It supports all the standard functions, from a tough rectangular case and solar charging to Bluetooth connectivity. Ref No. GMWB5000D-1, Case size 49.3mm, Case material Steel, Movement Tough solar, Price $949 IWC TRIBUTE TO PALLWEBER EDITION “150 YEARS” Think “digital watch” and most minds instantly turn to thoughts of LED screens…
Editor’s note: This is a throwback to the time we chatted to one of the best-looking blokes in Melbourne about his (then) new Montblanc 1858 Automatic Dual Time. As Sam predicted, he didn’t think this would be a watch that would look dated as the years passed, and he was right — the classic proportions, the cathedral hands and warmth from the bronze bezel all contribute to a sense of timelessness. The Montblanc 1858 Collection was launched in 2015, and the heritage styling of the family of watches has endured to their latest releases at SIHH 2019, with bronze cues also remaining as a motif. Though he’s had it for a few years now, it’s hard to imagine that Montblanc isn’t still taking up a good portion of Sam’s wrist real estate. We don’t want to blow Sam’s cover, because My Watch Story subjects are guaranteed a high degree of anonymity. But let’s just say, Sam might not have ever seen you, but if you’re partial to a wide, wide range of clothing brands – most recently UNIQLO – you will probably have seen him. However, it’s not his photogenic features in the frame today, it’s his no less photo-friendly wrist…
An enamel dial elevates a watch to a different level, whether it comes in the form of a brightly coloured world map, a hyper-realistic image of a flower, a jewel-toned expanse of colour that seems to float above a textured base, or an ethereal grey-scale image of a lion – accurate to the last tuft of fur. Its beauty speaks volumes for the skill of its creator. Because enamel is really darned hard to do – let alone do well – no matter which enamel technique it is. (The examples I just listed are, respectively, cloisonné, miniature-painting, flinqué – or, in Japan, shippo – and grisaille. There are more.) But, counter-intuitively, one of the hardest of all to master is the most subtle, the least “wow, that obviously took incredible skill” technique. I’m talking about the plain white (or less often seen, black or a single colour) grand feu enamel dial. To quote that truism of design, simple things are always the hardest to do well. (Sub-text: if you make a mistake, there’s nowhere to hide). The mirror-perfect finish demanded of a plain grand feu enamel dial sends that simple-hard challenge off the scale. That has a lot to do…
There comes a time in the journey of every watch collector when the pursuit of the most complicated watch loses its shine, as you start to wonder if there is real meaning to be found by having a ninth tourbillon in your watch. You stop stressing if your chronograph has a vertical clutch, and wonder if you will remember the tide-indicator complication on your watch as you lie on your death bed. To yearn for something simpler, something that just tells you the time is perfectly natural, and surely in part a reason why designs that are classic and timeless are often more simple than complex. As the great man Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said, “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add but when there is nothing left to take away”, leading me nicely to compiling a list of the best two-handed watches of 2018. SWATCH SKIN IRONY “SKINSPRING” Spring is a time of new beginnings and warmer weather. And at only 5.8mm thick, Swatch have created the first metallic version of its slimmest watch. While there are eight brand-new different models available in the Skin Irony collection – all featuring different straps, dials, and case…