VIDEO: New Traditions – taking a look at the Rado Tradition 1965
There’s few things I like more in watchland than being surprised. Sadly, it doesn’t happen too often. But when it does, it’s always memorable. And being in Rado’s booth at Basel last year was one of those moments. I had seen the large Tradition 1965 on display and dismissed it without a thought. Who needs a plus-sized rectangular watch, I thought to myself. Turns out, me. When I put this watch on I was blown away at how comfortable it was (it wears very well for the shape, and the titanium case keeps the weight down), and the shape of the case was sophisticated and chic. On top of that, the dial was a masterclass in shimmering texture and stylised applied numerals. I learned that it was inspired by the Manhattan skyline and, boy, did it look the part. Later, I got to see the smaller version, and while it’s not made with my wrist in mind, it obviously shares many of the same charms as its bigger brother. Rado Tradition 1965 Australian pricing and availability Rado Tradition XL, $3175, Rado Tradition M, $2625, both limited to 1965 pieces.
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Bremont is a brand built, to no small degree, around meaningful collaborations — particularly those in the aerospace sector. And of these relationships there’s one that holds pride of place and speaks to the heart of the British brand – Martin-Baker. Martin-Baker has, since 1946, been one of the most important suppliers of ejection seats and escape systems. Their seats are used on more than 80 aircraft types and have saved 7595 lives. This year marks a decade of partnership with Bremont. The watch collection that is the fruit of this partnership is the Martin-Baker line, a decidedly modern take on the aviation watch, and one that’s proven a hit for the brand. Though getting your hands on an MBI is not so easy, as to be eligible you need to have actually seen the business end of a Martin-Baker seat in action. Thankfully for the civvies reading this, this commemorative MBIII is a little more accessible, limited to 310 pieces worldwide. The MBIII/10th is a GMT, with the second timezone hand tipped with a red triangle, a Martin-Baker icon that also appears on the internal GMT bezel and the dial itself (the dial version also features some cool DANGER…
There were a lot of very interesting watches released at SIHH. Oftentimes, this interest was centred around complication — and rightly so, it’s really the watch industry’s traditional bailiwick. But for me, one of the most interesting collections overall was Panerai. Panerai, while certainly accomplished at the higher end of the spectrum, tends not to play the complication game, which is entirely in keeping with the brand’s rough and tumble history. Instead, they went down a different (and perhaps more significant in the long run) route. Panerai’s SIHH 2019 releases were exclusively Submersible models, several of which tie into Panerai’s existing brand partnerships — including a series of extremely limited pieces that come with a fairly incredible money-can’t-buy experience bundled in, a pivot to a more experiential offering that’s a smart play. After all, what better way to immerse yourself in the world of Panerai than free diving in French Polynesia, or training with Italian commandos? The watch we’re looking at today is part of this equation – it’s the Mike Horn Edition, made in collaboration with legendary explorer and long-time Panerai ambassador Mike Horn. On the surface, it’s a tough, reliable dive watch, but look a little deeper and…