The 6 most overused words in the watch industry
Editor’s note: This story is a little bit old now, but you know what, it’s as relevant as ever. So, if you love watches, maybe you’ll have a laugh. If you work in a watch brand marketing department, maybe you can tone down some of these well-worn chestnuts. A large part of my job is sifting through press releases. After a while they all start reading the same, thanks to the seemingly limited vocabulary of most marketing departments. And you know what the greatest irony is? While these communications have been designed to make the watch they’re talking about stand out and sound unique, the constant, jargonistic repetition of these rote phrases has precisely the opposite effect. Now, it’s only fair to point out that I’m far from guilt-free in this situation. I’m pretty sure I’ve abused all the below words at some point. But you know what they say – admitting you have a problem is the first step on the road to recovery. Icon A quick Google suggests that, outside of specific religious meanings, an icon is something regarded as a representative symbol, or worthy of veneration. Now, if we’re all really honest with ourselves, I suspect that we…
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Editor’s note: Despite us pretty much living in the watches game, plenty of watches slip under our radar. Last year, Felix sketched out a list from various price points of lesser known low-key watches that are still, undeniably, lit. From the blue pops and sweet bracelet of the 44mm Panerai Luminor Marina Logo 3 Days Acciaio to the gradient dial and attractive price tag of the Tissot Seamaster to the Longines Master Collection Annual Calendar (another one with a pretty hot value proposition), it covers some ground and unearths some beauties. Sometimes I like to think of the watch industry’s annual releases like an epic, sprawling house party — the sort where everybody shows up. There’s the classy guys who show up at the scheduled start time (SIHH) with nice wine and house gifts, and then, when it’s all settling into polite chit-chat mode, talking about the latest highbrow TV shows, the rest of the party shows up (Baselworld) and it starts getting hectic. Like all good parties, there are cliques, frenemies and drama. Pretty soon all eyes are on the cool kids — your Pepsi GMTs and the like — and you get caught up in the excitement with everyone else.…
Hublot is, in many ways, a brand given to extremes. Or, at least, not doing things by halves. Their latest twin takes on the powerful MP-11 is a clear case (if you’ll pardon the pun) in point. If you’re not au fait with the MP-11, it’s a fairly impressive piece of tech that is an evolution of 2013’s LaFerrari. The key feature of this 45mm watch is the power reserve of 14 days, an astonishing figure that’s achieved through a rack of seven series-coupled barrels that dominate the lower portion of the watch. Winding this beast is achieved either through a laborious hand crank, or using a miniaturised Torx drill. What’s new here is the case material. There’s a new ‘All Black’ iteration, in a next-generation three-dimensional carbon, a woven polymer material that’s hard-wearing and lightweight (the whole package clocks in at 90 grams) and, perhaps most importantly, looks cool. If smoky carbon isn’t your jam, how about the icy crystalline structure of the limited edition sapphire (200 pieces), which lets all the interior workings hang out. In fact, Hublot is accentuating the movement architecture by curving the sapphire case to follow the curves of the multiple barrels, even going…
Last year, Longines’ core modern dive watch, the HydroConquest, received a significant stylistic upgrade, with a sleeker design and a ceramic bezel. This year, we see Longines give their flagship diver the full ceramic treatment. On seeing these pictures for the first time, my impression was — who knew the HydroConquest was such a bad beast? The fully black ceramic (Zirconium Oxide, for the materials science nerds playing at home) is stealthy and (perhaps unsurprisingly, given the monochrome colourway) stark. The movement is the L888, a modified ETA with a solid 64 hours of power reserve. For me, with the combination of this new 43mm ceramic case, bold white details, Longines’ excellent rubber strap and a compelling price point (we’re looking at a RRP of 3500 CHF), I reckon Longines’ next-generation diver is a hole-in-one, slam dunk and home run, all at once. And I can’t wait to see what it’s like in real life. 
Editor’s note: This year’s SIHH from JLC was very much a return to their core – high complications and Reversos. Don’t forget, though, that last year saw the brand break out with a bold, sporty collection – the Polaris. We take another look at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Automatic. The Polaris is one of those truly iconic watches conceived in a golden age, not just of watchmaking but also of global exploration. This year the Polaris got the nod for the remake and revamp treatment, being offered in five new models, starting with the deceptively simple Polaris Automatic. The uncomplicated, no fuss Polaris Automatic is the entry-level ticket to JLC’s brand new sports watch collection. The dual crowns hark back to the original, but this is no Memovox. Instead, one crown governs time-setting and the other looks after the internal bezel. At first glance, the dial is uncomplicated, devoid even of a date. But look closer and you notice the mixture of sunray, grained, and opaline treatments, with applied numerals and trapezoidal hour markers filled with luminous material that matches the hands. It’s exactly the sort of accomplished offering you’d expect from JLC, and it elevates the Polaris Automatic above the typical sports-casual…
Editor’s note: The Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph might not be the first watch that comes to mind when you think of IWC (it’s not a Pilot for example), but really, maybe you should change that. Just look at Jason’s snaps from our 2018 review. The story in a second: The sportiest member of the Portugieser family is busy living its best life. IWC’s Portugieser family is, large diameter aside, a fairly dressy affair. Classic style, leaf hands, all that jazz. It’s the classic business watch. Except, of course, for the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph, a watch that is business casual at best. The Yacht Club Chronograph is a timepiece in tune with its fun side, the sort of watch that can transition seamlessly from business to party. And looks great doing it. The dial Slate grey, which is the formal name of this dial, hardly sounds exciting. But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. This dial is rich in detail and generally stunning. While the base of the dial is a rich slate sunburst, it’s all the other rich details that take it to the next level. The applied golden Arabic numerals, the printed white railroad chapter with…