5 *other* deep diving watches
With the news that Omega has pushed the bar (pun obviously intended) to a record-breaking point with their new Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional, we thought we would look at the best-performing deep diving watches on the market. Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller With a water resistance to 3900m, the Rolex DSSD is a strong contender for champion of the deep. Featuring the unarguably comfortable oyster bracelet, a case manufactured in the brands own Oystersteel, and a genuinely wearable 44mm on the wrist, it’s a fantastic watch for any dive enthusiast. Sinn Model UX The German manufacturer pulled out all the stops with Model UX, even manufacturing the case in corrosion-resistant submarine steel. It is also made unique as the case is filled with synthetic oil that is uncompressible (which acts to resist external water pressure), and allows the dial to be read without reflection at any angle underwater. The Model UX is water resistant to 12,000m, making it functional to the deepest known points of the world’s oceans. Blancpain X Fathoms The Blancpain X Fathoms is by no means a small watch, measuring over 55mm in diameter and 24mm thick; however, it packs a host of…
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Editor’s note: Felix interviewed Anders a few years ago to discuss his journey as a vintage collector and what he looks for when purchasing watches. One thing he mentioned then was his motto to never sell, which got us wondering: If nothing ever leaves the collection, what else has been added since then? Have a browse through his Instagram to see an incredibly uncommon minute repeater, a trio of Gérald Genta designed beauties and one of the best Cartier designs of all time. Here’s the original chat Felix had with Anders: The world of watches is very small and very global. The story behind this interview is a case in point. Just before Christmas I received an Instagram notification saying, “Felix, you like watches – check this guy out”, from a friend who used to work in a café I frequent in Melbourne. She tagged me in the account of a regular customer at the café she now works at in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. After checking out @everydaycollector’s beautifully composed pictures of art, interior design and watches, I knew I had to get in touch with Anders and find out more about his careful and considered collection. Tell…
Breguet — as we discovered last week — is a pretty classic brand. Heck, they’ve even got a line called the Classique. So when we saw a story on what Wes Lang — controversial American contemporary artist and collaborative creative to the stars — thought of the buttoned-up brand, you can bet we hit the link. And we’re glad we did, because Lang’s take on the ultra pure Breguet Classique 7147 is pretty on point. He nails its timelessness. But the payoff is huge. The 7147’s dial has a depth of colour that is nearly indescribable — it almost looks alive. And there’s the unbelievably perfect transition where the enamel practically melts down into a slightly recessed sub-dial for the second hand. You can’t see it from some angles. Then you turn the watch and the light catches it … There are watches that try to be cool, and then there’s this one, which just really is cool. Read more at GQ. 
Editor’s note: Most of Rolex’s new releases are shown to the press and make it into the catalogue. Sometimes, though, they don’t. The gem-set Rolex Submariner Date ref. 116659 SABR is an example of one that didn’t. And we were pretty lucky to get to see it at last year’s Baselworld … There was a lot of mystery surrounding this piece when it was pulled out of a large green box during our appointment with Rolex at Baselworld. And, to be honest, we were too caught up in the moment, too dazzled by the gemstones, to take it all in at the time. It’s formally known as the Submariner Date ref. 116659 SABR, a variant on the white gold, blue-dialled ‘Smurf’ (ref. 116659 LB), but while at first glance it might look like the stones are the only addition, the dial is completely different. Not only is it darker, and has a sunray effect, but there’s a notable omission. Look closer. Have you spotted it yet? That’s right, there’s no depth rating. On a typical sub, there’s a line underneath the ‘Submariner’ text that says the watch is good to ‘1000ft = 300m’; not so here. And there’s also no specific mention…
Editor’s note: If you missed instalments one and two of our glossary, you might want to quickly check them out, because now we’re in part three, we’re starting to get a little more technical. We’re moving beyond the basic parts and starting to explore how they operate together. Tick tock. Escapement The escapement is a collection of components responsible for the time-keeping accuracy in a watch. These components work together to act as the timekeeping (or regulating) organ of the watch. Every watch needs an escapement to distribute the impulse from the power source (whatever it may be) to the hands (or time display) so that the time can be communicated to the wearer. There are several different types of escapement. Most of which are confined to history or concept watches. The most common type of escapement is called the ‘Swiss lever escapement’. The main components of this escapement are the escape wheel, the pallet, the balance wheel, and the hairspring. Pallet The pallet (or anchor as it is often referred to in Europe) is a T-shaped component that has a U-shaped notch on the tail of the T, and two faceted rubies (the entry and exit jewel/pallet) held in…
Editor’s note: Everyone loves a good celebrity watch-spotting moment – and they don’t come much better than that time Jimmy Fallon gave his father-in-law one of the coolest watches of modern times, the Bremont MBI. You’ve probably seen it before, but it’s definitely worth another look … Contrary to what you might expect, the greatest asset of English brand Bremont isn’t their watches. Their greatest asset is the longstanding and extremely positive relationship with military pilots the world over. And nowhere is this better demonstrated than with the Bremont Martin-Baker MBI, available only to people who have survived a live ejection from an active military aircraft equipped with a Martin-Baker ejection seat. That’s a pretty elite club. Turns out, Jimmy Fallon’s father-in-law, as a former USMC pilot, is an eligible member, so Jimmy gave him an MBI live on TV. It’s 4:32 well worth watching (for the English accent alone). Money can’t buy you marketing this good.