If you’re going to issue variations on a theme then the Tudor Pelgos is a good place to start. Featuring the in-House Tudor movement which is COSC standard, a decent depth resistance of 200m and that brand affinity with Rolex, the Pelagos has a great deal going for it.
Some might say this is a poor man’s Submariner, but we like to think of it as a fair value alternative. This latest iteration is priced at just under three grand, which is below pre-owned Air King values, never mind Sub prices, and that’s why we love Tudor.
The big tweak with this model is the fixed lugs, hence the FXD name. So you loop your fancy fabric strap around the loops and there y’go. No bracelet option on this if you change your mind later, as the lugs are part of the solid titanium billet case.
Fantastic bright blue dial and that French Navy caseback too. Great looking tool watch.
The word from Oris who have just launched a movie tie-in watch, based on their Aquis model;
We’re delighted to introduce our latest co-creation, the Sun Wukong Limited Edition, a 2,000-piece limited-edition version of our high-performance Aquis Date diver’s watch that’s been designed and produced in partnership with the Shanghai Animation Film Studio Co. (SAFS).
The watch celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Chinese animated feature film, The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven, which was produced by the Wan brothers and originally released by SAFS in 1961 during the Second Golden Era of the Chinese film industry.
The Monkey King, or Sun Wukong in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure from the 16th century Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. The story tells of how Sun Wukong, a monkey born from stone, acquires supernatural powers before rebelling against heaven. In the story, the Monkey King acquires a red pillar with golden tips that he shrinks to become a staff to fight his enemies and their unjust ways with, creating the “uproar” described in the title.
Oris’s designers saw an opportunity in the Monkey King’s staff, a magical red and golden pillar he uses to defeat his enemies. The seconds hand became that weapon, red with golden tips. To express how fast the Monkey King spins it in battle, the designers abstracted the form, adding repeating flashes of blue that diminish and return in size and colour to suggest constant motion.
The effect is intoxicating, creating a tangible and yet otherworldly impression of a fast-spinning staff, which becomes almost audible as you look at it. Beyond its unique, playful aesthetic, the Sun Wukong Limited Edition carries the same quality signifiers and refined silhouette the Aquis Date has become known for. It has a 41.5 mm stainless steel case and a uni-directional rotating bezel that’s equipped with an ocean blue ceramic bezel that plays an appreciable role in delivering the watch’s singular character.
Crown protectors, a screw-down crown and a stainless steel bracelet with an extendable folding clasp serve as a reminder of the watch’s impeccable underwater credentials – as the dial indicates, the watch is water-resistant to 30 bar (300 metres). Inside it is an automatic mechanical movement that provides the watch with its sweeping, “spinning” central seconds hand. Completing the story, the case back is engraved with the head of Sun Wukong and his staff, while the same dial abstraction repeats on the special presentation case. Only 2,000 pieces will be made.
As activists around the developed world furiously try to impose their Marxist utopian visions on the rest of us, one target in their sights in consumerism itself. XR and many others want us to consume less – of everything; from meat to fast fashion, plastic to Swiss watches.
Those who disobey this edict can often find their companies being boycotted on Twitter, or other Woke spokespersons flaming them on mainstream media. Just look at the recent Amazon Black Friday protests in the UK and the coverage they get.
But one company in Switzerland is ahead of the curve when it comes to cancel culture, and they’re insuring their future – and the planet’s – to an extent, by using 100% recycled materials in their watches.
That is a great 12 o’clock indicator by the way.
ID Geneve are using refurbished existing movements, rather than building brand new ones. They also make their cases from recycled steel. The straps are made from reclaimed grape press residue, which is a new one on us at NWC mag.
They even have a modular design, so some parts are inter-changeable, which makes service and repair easier and thus extends the lifespan of the product.
There is a lesson here for mass production quartz watch producers too; make it easier for people to repair your fashion watches, and cheaper, so they don’t all end up in landfill.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY NEEDS TO BE FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST THE POOR
You have to hand it to ID, they are doing the circular economy thing to the next level. Maybe this is the future for many watch collectors? Recycle what you have, upgrade the watch with new recycled parts every few years, rather than acquire new watches?
Or perhaps new flagship luxury timepieces will be reserved for the tech/celeb/political elite, just like petrol supercars, jetset travel and the best healthcare already is?
At 3500 Swiss Francs (£2800 APPROX) this is not a cheap watch. There has to be a way of recycling Swiss watches that are inclusive to all, truly affordable, otherwise the consumer will do the maths and realise a new Tissot, Frederique Constant, Hamilton or Oris is a better choice than the ID Geneve, despite its obvious greener, 100% recycled, credentials.
If you look at what VinMov are doing in terms of recasing quality Swiss movements, then you can see there is a way of doing this. True, not every part is recycled, but with prices at under £300 mere mortals can afford to preserve some Swiss watchmaking heritage.
This imited edition luxury watch is a tribute to that fabled quest for accurate Longitude, which was resolved by the genius of John Harrison who developed the ship’s chronometer and eventually won the 20,000 pounds prize offered by Parliament.
Bremont’s new 40mm wide, big crown watch also costs around 21 grand in rose gold, and 15K in stainless steel. It will go on sale on December 1st.
That red dot in the middle of the dial is the automatic power reserve indicator by the way. It has a distinct retro appeal, it almost looks like a marriage watch, you know where they recase a pocket watch movement, plus it has that polished bezel that reminds me of a ship’s chronometer.
It’s a handsome devil but expensive, despite the British made kudos. A true collectors item in the long run? Maybe.
Here’s the word from Bremont;
Not only does the Longitude house the brand’s first manufactured movement from its new ENG300 movement series but it also incorporates original brass from the historic Flamsteed Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, London.
At Greenwich, the brass Flamsteed Meridian line marks the historic position where the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed, made his observations and laid the foundations for accurate timekeeping and navigation.
Bremont has made considerable investment into new machinery, staff and training and the firm’s in-house technical team has modified the base K1 calibre, for which it has acquired the full rights to manufacture and re-engineer from Swiss firm “THE+”. The ENG300 series is the result of Bremont re-engineering 80% of the base calibre, including making a number of design improvements, in order to build a proprietary movement to the brand’s unique specification.
VERDICT;
Is a Bremont a good investment? Let’s take a look online and see what pre-owned examples are selling for? We found a 2017 chronometer whoch made just under £7000 at Bonhams, that’s pretty respectable.
Another less impressive result was at the Worthy auction site, where a Bremont Chronometer made just $1600 back in May 2021. Over on eBay we saw a Bremont Solo on sale ( or Offers) at two grand, which is exactly a grand less than the new price, or a 33% depreciation. Assuming it sells of course.
A Bremont ALT-Z model was on offer from a dealer for £3000. Brand new it retails from 5K upwards, depending on spec. That’s a hefty 40% depreciation, again assuming that someone pays the three grand for it.
On that basis you could be looking at dropping about five grand on this Longitude model if you decide to sell it in 3-5 years time. That’s not great is it? Maybe Bitcoin isn’t so risky after all..
We wanted to see how cheap you go when it comes to watches on Ali Express. So we took the plunge and paid the princely sum of 0.08p, yes eight pence, plus postage, for this fine Tissot PRC200 look-a-like.
Chrono buttons do nothing. Just for show.
No box obviously, no paperwork, just a cellophane sleeve and a padded envelope. Fair enough.
We removed the plastic protector near the cown, pushed it in and…nothing. Not a sausage. Opening the case revealed a very basic movement and some plastic spokes holding it inside the case. Changed the battery.
Yep basic movt. Battery change did nothing.
Nope no go. The strap also felt like it was made from some type of recycled bacon rind scraped off a burnt grill.
But hey, we lost a grand total of £4 on the deal and learned the lesson; there IS a price minimum you need to pay to obtain a functioning watch.
That sum will be revealed soon, as we review another bargain basement watch we spotted online.
Timex watch designer head honcho Giorgio Galli has inspired this high quality model from Timex. It’s quite a smooth number to be fair.
Now you might have a problem paying £425 for a Timex watch, indeed friends may say, `WTF, you could have bought a Tissot for that, or a nice used Zelos dive watch?’
This is true, but let’s look at the Galli auto and see if it’s worth collecting. First, there’s that single jewel in the dial, bold as you like, like a ruby in a sea of silver. Then there’s the classic 1960s dial; clean, nice hands & hour markers, with a 41mm case size being the perfect compromise for many a wrist. Got a bit of Madmen vibe in there.
You get a K1 mineral glass crystal, heat treated for a bit of extra scratch resistance. The see-thru caseback reveals a Miyota movement with a skeletonised rotor and a little bit of polishing and brass gear cogs – well, I assume they are brass. Could be gold tone.
Then there’s the fancy cut-outs on the sides of the steel case. Something different for sure and the case is made from four separate pieces. Kinda trick and that flish fit strap is another essential little detail that shows how complete the design is, how it flows. Look at the thread grooves on the case too.
This is stylish work and NWC mag reckons more luxury Timex models will be in the pipeline for 2022.
Verdict; We still aren’t convinced it’s worth over 400 quid. But wait for the January Sale, you might be tempted with 20 % off. Maybe this Galli model is a Timex that actually deserves a different brand name, in the same way that a Lexus isn’t just like a Toyota Avensis.
You know Timex once bought Polaroid from Edwin Land, who originally sold that famous readers wives snapshot device as a Land camera. Perhaps its time to launch a sub-brand called Edwin Land, or even a digital brand called Polaroid – a watch that’s a camera?
Just ideas…we don’t copyright `em because we’re poor.
The Citizen Calibre 2100 in white is one of those perfect watches. It’s a bit different from the pack, look at the case shape. The dial design has a symmetry and is packed with features. Then there’s the limited production run of 2100 watches worldwide, so yeah, collectable too.
Here’s the word from Citizen and the RRP is £795 on this one.
Citizen’s most iconic watch is recreated in a stunning limited edition timepiece, discover the Calibre 2100. Packed with features to accompany you from day-to-day, including 1/5 second chronograph, perpetual calendar, 12/24 hour time, alarm, screw-back case & crown, flyback chrono and water resistance to 200 metres.
Styled in a stainless steel case and bracelet with a white dial with high grade luminous hands and markers. Anti-reflective sapphire crystal and date display complete the look of this bold timepiece, presented in a limited edition box. Featuring Eco-Drive technology, powered by light, any light. Never needs a battery.
STOP PRESS; We just saw this one at £636 retail at Hilliers Jewellers online shop. That’s a sweet deal for Black Friday.
The latest from Boldr Supply, who have additions to their Freediver range;
Building on the Odyssey Freediver 40mm series, three brand new Freedivers have arrived in strikingly fresh colors as the world gets ready to return to pre-pandemic life. Available in Citrus Orange, Mint Green, and White Frost, these Freedivers are eye-catching & packed with dive-ready specifications. They are also lighter on the wrist and more affordable than existing Odyssey Freedivers thanks to new quick-release EPDM rubber straps.
The company created the three new variations to invoke a feeling of self-confidence and assuredness in its wearer. “That is the key factor we are going for in this new series – how wearing a Freediver makes our customers feel. By coupling a quality dive watch with a bold aesthetic, we’re telling our fans to wear it loud and wear it proud”, says Leon, founder of BOLDR.
The idea behind creating the Odyssey Freediver series stems from the discipline of freedivers who train exhaustively to enhance their breathing capabilities, eventually leading to a freedom & depth of character which carries over to their day-to-day lives. With three new colors in the mix, the Odyssey Freediver line-up is set to inspire its wearer while catering to varying tastes.
Each piece comes with a refined case detailed with a polished strip to accentuate its angular lugs. The dive-friendly unidirectional bezel is made from quality stainless steel, coupled with a durable EPDM rubber strap.
A faithful companion to those who take on deep blue adventures, the svelte 40mm case fits a wider range of wrists and is rated for 300m water resistance. The dial is designed to be highly legible underwater with clearly marked indexes and luminescent hands, shielded by a flat sapphire crystal lens.
The watches are available for immediate shipping only on BOLDR’s website.
Latest from Sinn in Germany, who have won a German design award.
The jury honours the conceptual design of the 717 with the award Excellent Product Design 2022 for “combining the past with the future in the most stylish way and perfectly embodying the brand DNA of Sinn Spezialuhren down to the last detail.”
“We are really pleased that the 717 received this award – it confirms our principle of developing and designing watches in strict conformity with the relevant requirements”, comments Lothar Schmidt, qualified engineer, owner of Sinn Spezialuhren.
Design quality unites both award-winning products
The German Design Award sets the highest standards for determining its award winners: during the course of an exacting nomination procedure, only those products with design qualities that demonstrably set them apart from their competition will be selected by the expert panels from the “Rat für Formgebung” (German Design Council) to participate in the competition.
More than 5,000 nominated products were submitted to the panel of judges. The international panel of judges is composed of design experts from industry, teaching and science as well as the design industry. All members of the panel of judges are recognised experts in their fields.
During a two-day assessment process, the panel makes a final, well-founded decision on the design quality of the presentations. As part of the evaluation process, the panel attaches great importance to criteria such as the degree of innovation, functionality and usability, technical quality and function, as well as durability and ergonomics.
Marloe has a new model on the runway, it’s the Pacific automatic, inspired by the jet age that transformed Britain back in the 1950s.
The range stretches from the Pacific 52 to the 76 model and traces the rise and fall of the British commercial aviation industry, peaking with Concorde, the fabulous supersonic aircraft that upset Boeing so much, they tried every trick in the book to stop it from flying to the USA.
Inside there is a Swiss Sellita with a 40 hour reserve, sapphire crystal, steel case and they put a magnifying crystal on the see-thru caseback. That’s a clever touch for all those who love watch engineering.
The dial of the Pacific 76 has a pillow cross-section – it rises up from the edge of the dial to a central plateau – which makes the dial jump out from the confines of the case. The applied indices raise up from the dial surface but, in a unique departure from the norm, the blocks are entirely machined from Superluminova C3. Not only is this a beautifully three-dimensional application of the numerals, but due to the whole block being of luminous compound, it glows with an unmatched intensity.
A classic British colourway adorns the 76 with a glossy white railroad track outer ring surrounding the central blue plateau and white numerals, whilst the subtle radial sub-dial sits in contrast to the little flash of red of the sub-seconds hand. It’s refined, modern and elegant. Much like the people who travelled on the supersonic white dart.
