The Bell & Ross pilot’s watch, with square case and four bezel screws, a layout inspired by cockpit instruments, has become a modern classic, occasionally copied (here is an example). In the BR0192-HERITAGE version, the dial layout is more reminiscent of an altimeter than a traditional pilot’s watch, with four large numerals in a distinctive…
Laurent Ferrier and his company have worked with Urwerk to create a single piece called Arpal One, made for the Only Watch charity auction that takes place later this year. Laurent Ferrier’s sense of grace and proportion is combined with Urwerk’s beautiful wandering hours movement. The result is something both mysterious and beautiful, like a…
This year, Carl F. Bucherer have introduced two new limited-edition versions of the Manero PowerReserve, with blue and green dials. The Manero PowerReserve was first presented in 2013, in the classical colour schemes, silver and black. The two new blue and green pieces are enhanced by the leather straps in colours matching the dials, and…
Oris is famous for its pilot’s watches, and one of its classic models is the Big Crown, first introduced in 1938. This is now made in a number of versions, with several special editions. The new PA Charles de Gaulle Oris Limited Edition is dedicated to the French aircraft carrier named Charles de Gaulle, and…
These two special edition watches by Panerai are specifically for the Middle East region, sold exclusively in Panerai boutiques in the Middle East and Africa area. The Luminor Marina is one of the Panerai classics, a 44 mm watch with small seconds at 9 o’clock and date at 3 o’clock. It is an entry-level piece…
The Récital 20 Astérium by Bovet 1822 is a watch that keeps track of astronomical time. Instead of using the usual perpetual calendar function, in which the watch takes the leap year cycle into account, and so adding an extra day every four years, the Astérium follows the true course of time, determined by the…
This article follows the earlier presentation of the Helm Vanuatu which, at US$ 275 plus shipping, is one of the lowest-cost mechanical watches around. Using the watch confirmed pretty much everything that I wrote in February 2017. A nice touch is the hand-written note that you see when you open the box. Helm also provide…
Robert Downey Jr. wears Urwerk This is a nice story, and one which led to these pictures of Robert Downey Jr. wearing an Urwerk watch at the presentation of Spiderman Homecoming. Sony Pictures contacted the brand in late 2016 and said that an important actor in their latest Spiderman movie wanted to see and perhaps…
Audemars Piguet periodically update their Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph, which was the first Royal Oak chronograph to be introduced about 24 years ago (1992-1993). The men’s Royal Oak Offshore Summer Edition 2017, reference 26408OR.OO.A010CA.01, has a 44 pink gold case, a silvered dial with the “Méga Tapisserie” guilloche pattern (a sportier version of the original…
On the beach, you need a watch that can stand up to wind and water, a rubber or canvas strap, and a colourful appearance. Several brands have issued some pieces that fit the bill. Here is a selection in increasing price order. 1. Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba The Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba looks like a…
Many brands like to make watches that look more expensive than they actually are, in order to give purchasers the feeling of getting a good deal. Audemars Piguet makes expensive watches and in some of their recent releases have enjoyed themselves in giving them a sportier, younger, trendier appearance. The Audemars Piguet Chronograph Summer Edition…
The new Happy Sport watches released by Chopard for summer 2017 are women’s watches that demonstrate some of the major trends in contemporary timepieces. Quartz movements make things easy for their users, at least until the battery runs out. Previous versions of Happy Sport already had interchangeable straps, and this user-friendly characteristic is enhanced by…
The surprising thing about a skeletonized watch, such as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Openworked, is how little space the movement actually takes up. In this piece, the tourbillon takes up the bottom quarter of the case, the mainspring is at the top, and the wheels of the movement are all concentrated on…
There’s a lot of good stuff in the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chronograph. It has a superb movement, made by Breitling, with column wheel and vertical clutch. It has an excellent waterproofness rating at 200 metres, with screw-down crown and chronograph pushers. It has the look and feel of the Black Bay family with its…
The Heritage collection by Tudor began in 2010 with a new edition of a 1954 diving watch. That piece was 41 mm in diameter, with all the classic elements of a dive watch, including a unidirectional rotating bezel and a 200 metre water resistance. Last year, a new 36 mm Black Bay was presented, and…
The Hublot Big Bang Blue is a new version of the brand’s Big Bang flyback chronograph, perfect for the beach (more beach watches here). Its blue color scheme, with blue and white natural rubber strap or blue alligator strap with white rubber lining and blue stitching, recalls Hublot’s collaborations with the brand’s ambassador Lapo Elkann,…
Stowa have been making pilot’s watches since 1937, and they are based in Engelsbrand, near Pforzheim in Germany, where they also have a museum of their watches running back to 1927. The Stowa Flieger Klassik 40 Automatic Baumuster B Limited is part of celebrations of its 90th anniversary, and it is a limited edition of…
The Arceau watch by Hermès was designed almost 40 years ago, by Henri d’Origny in 1978, but looks contemporary still today. The Hermès Arceau Très Grand Modèle is distinctive for its asymmetric lugs that recall a stirrup, and above all for the lovely sloping font which according to the brand evokes a galloping horse. The watch…
German brand Steinhart make an extensive range of pilot’s watches inspired by the World War II B-Uhr patterns. The Nav B-Uhr 47 Vintage TITAN A-Muster is distinctive for its large size, 47 mm in diameter and 14.2 mm thick, its solid caseback, conical crown, and caseback engraving that is similar to the information generally engraved…
Youthful, chunky, trendy. These two new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 5 watches were built for young people and launched in perfect time for the 2017 summer season. Its characteristics, with a 300 metre water resistance, make it a classic diving watch but it is very much a sports watch in its looks. A watch for…