It’s hard to go wrong with a 300m Seiko Prospex Great Blue `Samurai’ dive watch, all summer long. Big 44mm wide case, well just under, plus a sapphire crystal, beautiful dial and a fair price. So many Seiko models are now over a grand new and that makes this PADI edition a winner at £550 for us. It’s only got 200m of resistance, which is … Continue reading Summer Watches: Seiko Prospex PADI: Great Blue For You
The Tentagraph boasts a long distance power reserve at up to three days, which is industry leading (says Seiko) plus a beautiful chronograph movement. The dial and hands are finished to a high standard, the bracelet is mirror polished. It offers something bespoke and hand built. You have to admire the way Seiko offers their GS models as a lux brand within their empire, Citizen … Continue reading Grand Seiko Tentagraph: Brilliant, But Expensive
We only ask after making a brief visit to Spain recently and seeing two shops stocking large displays of watches by Phillip Plein, which is a brand we hadn’t heard of before. Tourists from Germany, Ireland, the UK and Netherlands must like PP watches, or the shops in Fuengirola, Malaga and Torremolinos wouldn’t stock them. Some of the PP models look nice and they have … Continue reading Are Phillipp Plein a True Luxury Watch Brand?
Good question and one we had no clue about until today. Seems there was a mid-20th century lateral thinker called Curt who invented a pocket sized cylindrical calculator. Back in the 1930s that was groundbreaking stuff and although Curt was sent to a concentration camp during WWII, he survived and eventually persuaded a rich guy in Lichtenstein to fund factory production. So the Curta was … Continue reading What is A Curta Watch?
Alpina has released two editions of a retro 1960s style bumper automatic. The bumper rotor was an early incarnation of the automatic watch, made famous by Bolton based watchmaker John Harwood in the late 1920s. After Harwood went bankrupt in the Great Depression in the 1930s, Swiss watch brands began to use the bumper automatic principle in their watches. It was eventually superceded by the … Continue reading Alpina Startimer Heritage, Bumper Auto Editions
RZE are one of our fave Indie brands at NWC because they offer great value and always have an eye for vintage details. The Valour chronograph being a case in point. The case styling has echoes of the 1970s BWC, Zenith or Breitling chronos, all angular edges and chamfered profile on the wrist. The pushers are sort of semi recessed on the Valour, bit like … Continue reading RZE Valour Chrono Has That Spa Endurance Vibe
Can you take a typical eBay watch selling at £10 as a `runs then stops’ project and get it going? Sometimes you can. Let’s delve into the world of budget watch repair. WHAT YOU NEED Unlike real watchmaking, where you need a fully equipped £3000 workshop, with mini lathe, polishing machine, proper workbench, Swiss tools, wide range of spares, crystals, stems, crowns, hands plus an … Continue reading Is It Worth Repairing an Old Timex Watch? Yes, You Can Do It
Once Heuer used to pay GP drivers on commission for selling their watches in the paddocks of Europe. Some drivers also received special gold watches from Jack H in honour of their sterling efforts on track. It’s great to celebrate that glorious Grands Prix racing era, but this blingy pastiche isn’t hitting the spot for us. For £17,850 you would like to get a solid … Continue reading TAG Tribute To GP Driver Watches Misses The Point
