Watch Dandy

One of the top three questions on the lips of watch lovers these days is about the lifespan of Baselworld. Well, hold onto your hats because Hodinkee, in the form of the indomitable Joe Thompson, has put together a pretty clear roadmap as to what the future of the fair looks like.  And I’ve got to say, I’m partially convinced. Yes, I was sceptical coming out of Basel 2019, which was sedate (to put it politely), but apparently that was partially planned, as the big revelations and transformations are coming from 2020 onwards. TL;DR version: more experiential, more new audiences and open-booth layouts. Read the whole (and very good) story here. 

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Editor’s note: Sinn is well known for their bomb-proof tool watches, but can they do something a little more light and airy? In his review from a while back, Cam argues that yes, yes they can. And that watch is called the Sinn 104 St Sa I W. Famous for their formidable and over-engineered designs — which range from technically advanced mission timers to hardcore divers made of submarine steel — Sinn are arguably the most renowned tool watch manufacturer in the industry. However, the German company also hosts a suite of dressier pieces that are better suited to a boardroom than a war room. Meeting somewhere in the middle is the Sinn 104. A professionally capable pilot’s watch that is equally at home outside of the cockpit – be it in the office or on the street. And at the beginning of this year, Sinn added to the 104 collection with a revised glossy white dial. The most crucial feature of any pilot’s watch is how easy it is to read – especially in low light conditions – and the 104 is about as legible as they come. With an enamel-like finish, the dial keeps the same markings as the original.…

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A combination of childhood curiosity, a fictitious war hero named Brody, and stories from my grandfather led me, last year, to tackle the infamous Kokoda Trail with the Tudor Black Bay Bronze on my wrist. The Kokoda campaign of World War 2 remains one of the most important theatres of war that Australia and its allies fought in — often referred to as “the war that saved Australia”. The Kokoda Trail is something that you experience, you don’t conquer or complete. It is also a great leveller – it treats everyone the same. It tests everyone, no matter their physical capabilities, mental strength or emotional resilience. It is indiscriminately brutal, which is what sealed the deal for me. To be honest, I didn’t even contemplate taking the Tudor Black Bay Bronze with me. I was having a hard time planning the all-important “break-in” period. Breaking in a leather band is tough, yet it gives the watch a level of comfort and “sittability” on the wrist that makes it WORK. I have a number of favourites in my stable, namely my first ‘good watch’ – an Omega Planet Ocean 300 and my follow-up knockout punch, a mid ’90s Rolex Coke GMT-Master II…

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Editor’s note: Travel is the unofficial national sport of Australians, which makes sense given our geographic remoteness. So we thought we’d do our bit by having another look at this list of best in budget GMTs, all in the very achievable $5000 or less price point.  One of the most useful everyday complications is the GMT or dual time zone. If you travel a lot or do business internationally it’s certainly a lot easier to check your GMT than to fiddle with your phone, trying to find the world clock app. Given the usefulness of this complication to the jet set, it’s also a genre dominated by pilot’s style watches, and for whatever reason, it’s a little under represented in the entry-to-mid-tier price points. Well, all you thrifty frequent flyers can rest easy, as we’ve scouted out five of the finest affordable GMTs on the market, all priced at well under 5K. We also managed to do it without including a single ‘homage’ to the mighty GMT-Master. Farer Lander, Oxley and Ponting First cab off the rank is the brand new trio of automatic GMTs from UK-based Farer. Farer first came to our attention because of their bright and playful…

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