Value Proposition – Martenero Kerrison – A Stylish and Affordable Automatic All-Rounder
While a growing list of microbrands are producing well designed, high-quality watches that are nipping at the heels of brands like Hamilton, Tissot and Seiko, they don’t have the marketing or mass production prowess of those established brands. Some of the watches themselves, however, are bonafide contenders. Martenero is a young microbrand based in New York that already has a handful of intriguing lines in their portfolio. They recently funded a sequel to one of their bestsellers on Kickstarter, the Edgemere Reserve. It follows the original Edgemere and adds three complications, a 24-hour sub-dial, date and reserve indicator (the original Edgemere was a time-only piece). One of my favorite Martenero lines is the Kerrison, which is clean and conservative, but also full of personality. They remind me of the Three Hand Automatics from another young microbrand, Farer Universal. Both use splashes of color to add a little fun to otherwise subdued (yet stylish) dials. Let’s take a closer look at the Martenero Kerrison in black.
There are a lot of things I love about Hublot, and I’ve got to say, this watch manages to cram pretty much all of them (barring ceramic) into one awesome, 45mm package. It’s the Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days Sapphire Rainbow, and it does pretty much what it says on the tin. Let’s start with the case. Hublot has been playing with (and seriously democratising) ultra-hard, ultra-slick and ultra-cool synthetic sapphire cases since 2016, and it’s become something of a staple in their higher-end limited editions. For all its transparency, this 45mm wide and 14.25mm thick case has stacks of presence, providing an almost unbearably crisp, sharp silhouette. The incredible wrist presence provides an amazing juxtaposition with the transparent nature of the material. But in a twist that’s exclusive to the Australian and Japanese markets, Hublot has brought the rainbow heat to the equation, with a bezel stunningly set with 48 baguette-cut stones, arranged in a vivid, cascading rainbow. Ordinarily, the sapphire and rainbow combination would have had me swooning, but the movement takes it to the next level. It’s not a chronograph, but it is a tourbillon — a manually wound one with a hefty five days of…
At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that this is a 47mm Submersible much like any other. On second, or perhaps third glance, the truth becomes more apparent. This is a Panerai unlike any other, and that difference is thanks to the case, the BMG in BMG-Tech. BMG is short for Bulk Metallic Glass, and it’s what the case is made out of. When I learned this, it took a while to get my head around it. Glass is in the name, but this case is far from fragile. BMG is a glass-like alloy of zirconium, copper, aluminium, titanium and nickel. These components are formed at high pressure and high temperature and then rapidly cooled to prevent crystallisation, meaning that the atoms are randomly aligned, which ensures the material is very strong and durable. What this wizardry/metallurgy means is that Bulk Metallic Glass is lighter than steel, harder, corrosion resistant and antimagnetic. On a purpose-built dive watch of this size, these are pretty great attributes to have. But the case isn’t the only winsome charm this Submersible possesses. The dial is a rich, vivid blue, which moves from navy to a near-azure hue, depending on the light. It’s…