INTRODUCING: The Nomos Ahoi neomatik, in eye-popping ‘siren red’
Nomos may be one of the younger players in the watch scene, but they’ve already well and truly stamped their mark on the industry. A very minimalist-looking one, to be sure, but that does not mean that their purist Bauhaus/Deutscher Werkbund-inspired designs are boring. Far from it. There’s nothing ho-hum about a manufacturer who has been making its own movements since 2005, and whose latest calibre – the DUW 3001 – not only uses their own designed and built escapement system but is also their thinnest automatic movement yet. Now that excitement of thin in-house goodness is combined with an extra visual punch on the outside, as they’ve added not just a splash but an entire bucket of colour to the Ahoi collection with the introduction of two new ‘Aqua’ colourways – signalblau (siren blue) and signalrot (siren red). We’re already familiar with the silvery-white and Atlantic-blue dials of the sporty Ahoi, and while – at the risk of contradicting my earlier self – they were safe and rather plain choices, these new dial colours add a couple of vibrant, fresh faces to the collection. I know what you’re thinking: “Bauhaus designers don’t do bright colours… do they?” Well, while the vast…
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Believe it or not, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is one of the original sports watches. The oft-quoted origin story about this iconic rectangle is that it was the dusty polo fields of colonial India that gave birth to the reversible watch, which could be easily flipped to protect the delicate dial during the rough and tumble of the chukka. That was way back in 1931, and in the subsequent decades the perceptions of the Reverso have, much like its ingenious case, done a complete about-face. In 2017 the Reverso stands out as one of the default black-tie watches. Nowhere is that more apparent than with this Tribute Duoface, which looks absolutely stunning in pink gold. The case size is reasonable – but by no means overwhelming – at 25.5mm wide by 42.9mm high. The one thing that shines brighter than the gold on this watch is the clever and varied use of texture. Everywhere you look there’s a different finish. The front dial is described by JLC as a slate grey, but I’d be much more inclined to refer to it as a silver, with a rich eggshell texture. Whatever you call it, it looks good. The second dial is just…
When we think Rado, we tend not to think chunky, ’70s-inspired dive watch. We’re much more likely to lean towards chic ceramic minimalism, or perhaps this year’s surprise hit, the Captain Cook. Which is why the HyperChrome 1616 is such a standout, though the impressive 46mm case helps too. Of course, Rado are a brand with a high-tech rep to protect, so don’t expect them to use anything as simple as steel for the case material. Instead they’ve crafted two takes on the theme – one in black ceramic, the other in hardened titanium. The ceramic version is the more modern of the two, lightweight and ultra-hard, thanks to the case, painstakingly crafted from a mix of black ceramic feedstock and polymer binder that’s then injection moulded and sintered at about 1450 degrees celsius. It is then finally given the mix of brushed and polished finishes on the 1616 case. The hardened titanium version is no less impressive (and far more retro in appearance). It has been treated so that it’s four times harder than steel. Add to these hi-tech cases the fact that you get a modified ETA that’s good for 80 hours, and the competitive pricing, and there’s a lot to…
I’m no prop master, but I know when I’d reach for a Reverso to dress a character’s wrist. It would be when they had a scene in a suit. It would be at a point in their character trajectory where they were at peak confidence, when their outward style is tapping into the classic, the iconic, the timeless. And also when the brand of badass they’re seeking to project is more brains than brawn. You suspect this was precisely the thought process of the art directors and prop masters that did just that with these kings of the screen. Pierce Brosnan. Ah, Pierce. He may have bombed as Bond but the man knows how to work black tie. The key is having an accessory in the mix that pops on the monochrome backdrop, and few accessories can compete with a gold dress watch with white face and black leather strap. The additional fact that it’s an unusual shape also catches attention. This is a five-star power play. Bravo, Brosnan. Leo. Damn, Leo! Has the boy put some thought into this outfit or what, pairing not only a dress watch and band to his formal attire, but also dial colour to…