Rebel White Aviator Chronograph
The overriding aspect of an appealing watch for me, is the phenomena
of eye-catching aesthetics. It’s the thing that keeps me entertained and
interested in what’s in front of me. The Aviator Chronograph from
Rebel, a small watchmaking firm located in Brooklyn (that’d be in the US
guys), is that kind of watch. And lucky for me its guaranteed to be
accessible from a pricing point of view. The watch is a play on the
visual senses. Its got great legibility, a handy chronograph function
and a clear distinction between its complications. A date-window
would’ve added to the piece’s functionality in my books, and wouldn’t
have looked out of place at all. The watch is a hefty 44mm in diameter
and close to 13mm thick, so you know its going to sit nice and large,
which suits my wrist just fine. Running the Miyota 0S20 chronograph
movement (yes it is Quartz) obviously keeps costs down, and like I said
before its been priced accordingly. A surprising piece from a brand I
haven’t heard much about, I have to say I am truly impressed.
Check it out
Breitling Navitimer 46 Blacksteel
Dark, bold and big. The definition of the Navitimer 46. Add to that
the badass look of a Blacksteel case and what you get is a watch that
will fly under the radar and have a dominant presence on your wrist
(contradiction, yep, do I care, nope!). A cult model in the eyes of the
Breitling loyalists, the Navitimer is one of the most hardcore
aviation-based chronographs ever made. Now combine that with the killer
looks of a Blacksteel case and you honestly have the kind of watch
that’ll make watch enthusiasts stop and look twice. The darkness of the
watch as a whole is broken up pleasantly with the added hints of red on
the dial and the greenish hue of the lume on the hands and hour indices.
Mechanism wise, Breitling have chosen the tried and tested, COSC
certified Caliber 01 to power the beast. And a beast it is, at 46mm it’s
a daunting watch that will fit the wrists of the burly and confident.
But that niche has been found long before the Blacksteel was introduced,
and it will sit nicely within that market space. A really awe inspiring
watch. Not something I’d wear, but definitely something that is
admirable in concept and in execution.
Check it out
Breitling Chronoliner Limited Series
Another brilliant piece from Breitling, the Chronoliner Limited
Series in gold incorporates distinct looks with functionality that, like
the Navitimer Blacksteel I just spoke about, will really penetrate that
market niche. The combination of a chronograph and a triple timezone
display is one of the reasons that the Chronoliner is so successful
amongst the travelling watch enthusiasts. Maximum legibility throughout
the dial is predominatly the reason why the Chronoliner is such a valued
companion. Combine that level of functionality with the beautiful
addition of red gold, and you have yourself a modern beauty that screams
heritage and. Powered by the COSC certified in-house automatic calibre
24, the Chronoliner talks the talk and walks the walk. A very rare
combination in a day and age where its either one or the other. Limited
to only 250 pieces worldwide, you’d best be quick if you want to secure
your limited edition Chronoliner.
Check it out
Habring2 by Benzinger 5-Minute Repeater
From one of my most favourite watchmakers, Richard and Maria Habring,
in collaboration with world renowned master ennobler, Jochen Benzinger,
comes the beautiful and giant-killing Habring
2 by Benzinger 5-Minute Repeater. Habring
2,
as a brand, represent everything that I love in watchmaking. Fantastic
movements produced without the façade or hype of a money-pit marketing
campaign. Good, honest watches that will guarantee satisfaction. Add to
that the expertise of Jochen Benzinger, and what you have is an
inevitable collaboration set to astound and impress. Now I’m not going
to delve into the mechanics of a 5-Minute Repeater. Just know that its
as complicated as it sounds (no pun intended). Created in either an
Engine design, which is more contemporary and technical, or a Floral
design, which is more classical, the timepiece is as unique as it is
complex. Movement wise, they’ve chosen to use the impressive and highly
respectable Habring
2 in-house manually wound calibre A11 with
a Dubois Depraz Repeater Module, which has helped to keep costs down.
It’s a superb watch, clearly intended for a very specific customer, but
nonetheless highly impressive and deserving of the collective watch
community’s respect. Check out the link below for a more detailed review
of the piece.
Check it out
Jaquet Droz Paillonee Tourbillon
Another outstanding piece from such an understated and overlooked
watchmaking company, the Paillonee Tourbillon combines extraordinary
enamelling artistry with a traditional high complication to create a
beautifully refined timepiece. The process of paillonne enamelling is
complex and incredibly time consuming. It involves placing many tiny
paillons of gold to produce a geometrical pattern which are then placed
on coloured enamel. Once completed, a coat of translucent enamel fondant
is applied which accentuates the brilliant colour and texture of the
pattern. Combine that with one of the most respected and revered
mechanisms in the industry, the infamous tourbillon, and what you get is
a watch that will satisfy your lust for beautiful aesthetics and
impressive complication mechanisms. A feast for your eyes and senses,
the Paillonee Tourbillon really brings to light just how much can be
achieved on such a small canvas.
Check it out
Oris Big Crown ProPilot Day Date
God I love Oris. I feel as though every watch they make is true to
their roots. They don’t pretend to be something they’re not. They own
their designs, they stand behind their heritage, and they’re proud as
f*#k of the watches they produce. The Big Crown ProPilot Day Date is
just another reason why they deserve more attention. It’s the latest
piece in a rich line up dating back to 1938 when the first pilot watch
from Oris was released. Traditionally a pilot’s watch would only show
the time, so as to increase legibility and reduce dial confusion and
clutter. But Oris knows that the average pilot-watch wearer isn’t, in
fact, a pilot (lol..). They’re the kind of person who more often than
not has their feet placed firmly on the ground. And that person needs to
know the date more often than you’d realise (I’m one of them). I love
the addition of the day-date complication. It doesn’t deter from the
dial’s readability, nor does it confuse or busy-up the simplicity of its
time-telling ability. Aesthetically speaking, the watch is as good as
it should ever get for an uncomplicated pilot’s watch. Add to that the
reliability and efficiency of the Oris calibre 752, and what you have is
one of the best pilot’s watches on the market for the price-point. And
that price-point is a ridiculously low $2,200 on a leather/textile
strap, or a measly $2,300 for the metal bracelet. How can you go wrong?
Check it out
TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-01
One of the most appealing watches to come out of TAG in recent years,
the Heuer-01 in black ceramic may have changed my opinion on the brand
overall. Typically, an everyday-type daily-beater watch, the Carrera is
an overlooked option for many people, including myself, when it comes to
a good first watch. The addition of the Heuer-01 in black ceramic is an
improvement in an already deep line-up of unimpressive and lack-lustre
watches. It combines black ceramic almost everywhere with a textured
rubber strap to create an image of brawn and mass that isn’t in your
face like a lot of other heavily masculine watches. A fantastic
aesthetic that I sincerely enjoy and have come to grips with as being a
fine timepiece worthy of consideration. Beyond the impressive visual
aspects of the piece, TAG have opted to use their reliable in-house
calibre based on the 1887 movement with a new modular case design. Oh,
and the addition of the date window between 3 and 4 o’clock: genius. It
took me several times of looking back and forth at the watch to realise
it was there, which is downright awesome. The case is well designed, the
oversized crown and exposed pushers make the watch look bigger than
what it is, and the darkness of the package as a whole appeal to me
greatly. In the market for a blacked out piece of hardware to strap onto
your wrist? Give this a shot, you won’t be disappointed.
Check it out
Breguet Classique Hora Mundi 5727
From the masters of high horology, Breguet have released the
impeccable Classique Hora Munda 5727, available n either rose gold or
white gold (featured here in white gold). Dial detailing truly
exemplifies Breguet’s ability to create a timepiece that appeals to the
mechanical and visual purist in all of us. The textured
Clous De Paris
finishing is expressive and symbolic to Breguet’s true roots of
producing outstanding watches that are both timeless and relative. The
blued steel hands, typical of Breguet and, look fantastic and provide a
great contrast of simplicity between the complicated textured dial and
the slender look of the hands. Everything about this watch is simply
perfect. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it (save its price…).
From the asymmetrical crown placement, to the Breguet hands, to the
textured dial and inscribed Roman numerals, the watch is picture
perfect. Unsurprisingly fantastic from Breguet and yet another triumph
from the masters of horology.
Check it out
BOLDR Journey Chronograph Wasp
New from BOLDR
in their Kickstarter campaign, the Journey Chronograph Wasp is an
amalgamation of impressive design architecture and modern mechanism
technology. The 43mm case with corresponding lugs allow the watch to sit
firm but comfortably on your wrist, while its 14mm height gives it a
dominant profile on your wrist. The domed dial does well to expand the
already large watch, which is further emphasised by its ultra-thin bezel
and domed mineral glass lens. A dark watch by nature, the addition of
the yellow and white hints on the hands of the watch are bold and do
well to break up an otherwise monotonous colour scheme. The applied hour
markers and numerals are large and easy to read, and the addition of
the date window at 6 o’clock adds another element of functionality to
the watch. Powered by the Seiko VK64 meca-quartz movement, the price
reflects its lack of fully mechanical mechanism, but that’s fine in my
eyes and BOLDR
have in no way tried to hide the fact. It’s a pretty interesting watch
that you’d do well to have a closer look at. I’m thoroughly impressed
however. It combines a bit of vintage design with ultra-modern movement
technology in a way that either works very well or doesn’t at all.
Luckily for BOLDR, they pulled it off.
Check it out
Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin 37mm
The newest piece from Lange is also its most affordable. The Saxonia
Thin, redesigned for its 37mm case (as opposed to its conventional
40mm), is also one of Lange’s most beautiful pieces. Impossibly thin,
the Saxonia 37mm is a reflection on Lange’s prowess in redesigning
existing models to penetrate different market segments. Priced at about
$20,000, this piece is certainly not cheap, but in the world of
horological relativity, it is definitely affordable. It houses the
stupidly stunning calibre L093.1 (which in itself is only about 3mm
thick), you’d be forgiven for wearing it ass-up. This two-handed
masterpiece succumbs itself to the same vigorous amounts of finishing
and detailing as Lange’s more expensive pieces, and that fact in itself
is why they remain a fan-favourite. Symmetrically perfect.
Proportionally sublime. There isn’t much to complain about. Maybe there
isn’t anything to complain about. I do however like to see a
sweeping-seconds hand doing its thing. Its nice to know the watch is
still ticking (#OCD). But apart from that, it truly is one of Lange’s
greatest watches, from a value point of view.
Check it out
MB&F LM1 Silberstein Limited Edition
The original LM1 was a star. It was ground-breaking, game-changing,
and really opened up the way we see watches. They can look futuristic
and still serve a definitive purpose. In collaboration with renowned
visionary Alain Silberstein, MB&F have created this limited edition
playful interpretation of the LM1. And I truly believe playful is the
best word to describe this watch. Sure it carries with it the traits
most associated with MB&F. Wonderful wrist presence, awesome dial
detailing and impeccable movement finishing, but this watch takes it one
step further. By blackening out the dial and adding colourful hints,
they’ve ingeniously created a watch that’s opened a whole new world for
them. This attraction of different is going to appeal to not only
typical watch enthusiasts around the world, but also art lovers and
collectors who haven’t really delved into the world horology.
Intentional or not, I think this is a brilliant move and I sincerely
hope MB&F will continue their partnership with Alain Silberstein and
produce some more playful versions of their expansive collection.vedere di piu
repliche orologi e
replica Hermes
I Giochi Olimpici del 2016 a Rio de Janeiro sono ancora due anni di distanza. Tuttavia, Omega, che sarà cronometrista ufficiale dei Giochi per la 27esima volta, ha già introdotto il suo primo orologio in edizione limitata per celebrare i Giochi di Rio: l'Omega Speedmaster Mark II "Rio 2016", un cronografoorologio con una casa in-, co-assiale movimento.
