Value Proposition – CuleM World GMT, an Accessible Traveller’s Watch Launching on Kickstarter
CuleM Watches is a new microbrand based in Valencia, Spain, founded by Matthew Cule in 2018. “CuleM” is a combination of his last name and first initial. He launched his first watch collection via Kickstarter in May 2019 with a total of ten variants from three core models, all designed for world travelers covering 24 time zones. Let’s have a look at this accessible proposition in the GMT watch market, launched via Kickstarter.
When it comes to fizzy drinks, the Cola Wars rumble on – The Pepsi Challenge Vs The Real Thing. But for watches, no contest: the red-and-blue has been the clear winner since Rolex’s ref.6542 first saw the light of day in 1954. Although Rolex totally ‘owns’ the distinctive bi-colour bezel, its GMT-Master (now Master II) is not the only Pepsi game in town. And with that watch being so hard to get – current and vintage models all command massive premiums – it’s a good moment to consider other ways to get that Pepsi fix. Tudor Black Bay GMT Here we have the GMT-Master II’s little cousin: it comes from the ‘other branch’ of the Rolex empire and costs less than half the price (list price, obviously, not the absurd premiums now being asked). Its Pepsi-ness comes in more subdued tones than the Rolex: the blue is navy blue, the red has a burgundy cast and the anodised aluminium gives the bezel a more matt appearance. The dial is also matt, with a slightly grainy finish and the date is perfectly legible, without a Cyclops lens. You get the key Black Bay design iconography: snowflake hands (for both minutes and…
Editor’s note: Bruce has written a few great Rolex reviews for us – but this one is a bit special. It takes place not over a few days or weeks, but years. It’s one of our favourite T+T stories, and definitely deserves a re-read. So, settle in for our long-term Rolex Datejust review … One fateful day after deciding it was finally time to get a Rolex Submariner, I walked into my local Rolex boutique and proceeded to try on the “wrong” watch. The only reason I even agreed to try on the Datejust was because I’d convinced myself it was the right thing to do. I would try on a few models, then do what most 30-something reasonably successful men do, and buy a black dial Submariner. The Datejust was supposed to feel like a watch my father should wear, correct? I bought the watch on the spot The model I tried was a reference 116200, 36mm in stainless steel with a smooth bezel. It had a white dial with Roman numerals, including IIII for the number “4”, which I thought odd at the time, only later discovering the magical balance of the clockmaker’s four. The theme of discovery that showed…
The 2019 Cricket World Cup is underway in the UK, and official timekeepers Hublot are there, busily timing every single match. The brand has been busy in other ways, too – coming up with a tremendously on point limited edition to celebrate. It’s their second World Cup watch (you might remember the first from 2015), and we’ve got to say they really nailed it with the Aerofusion Chronograph Cricket World Cup 2019. This watch strikes just the right level of balance for a sporting tie-in piece. There’s lots of cricket details at play, but you’re never beaten over the head with them. Plus, the colour scheme is just plain hot. Perhaps the most obvious nod to the game is the strap: rubber-backed grey calf with a distinctive six rows of bright red stitching that will feel instantly familiar to anyone who’s bowled a ball down a pitch. In some ways, this strap is more of an attention-seeker than the 45mm watch itself. The open dial picks up the red highlights, in the dial text, chronograph registers and the minute track. There’s a couple of nice nods to cricket here, too — notably the three batons at 12 that bear more than a…