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3,880 articles · 395 videos found · page 105 of 143

Hands-On: Zenith El Primero A384 Revival with “Ladder” Bracelet SJX Watches
Zenith El Primero A384 Revival Apr 8, 2020

Hands-On: Zenith El Primero A384 Revival with “Ladder” Bracelet

There are few brands that can make modern-day reissues of historical watches powered by the same movement as the vintage original. Zenith, as it happens, is easily able to, thanks to its long-lived El Primero. The chronograph movement celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with several commemorative A386 limited editions, including a one-off in platinum for charity, but most were in gold and thus pricey. On the other hand, the El Primero A384 Revival is a faithful remake – including a “ladder” bracelet – that’s part of the regular collection, and also affordable. Since 1969 While the A386 is the iconic El Primero chronograph – and today the most valuable – the A384 was introduced at the same time (along with the A385), making it part of the debut range of El Primero watches. One reason the A384 doesn’t quite have the stature of the round and relatively-ageless A386 is also one of its most distinctive qualities: a tonneau- or cushion-shaped case that instantly identifies it as a watch of the late 1960s and 1970s. The easily recognisable design has made the tonneau-shaped A384 a popular base for a variety of limited editions, including one based on a fictitious watch featured in the Japanese manga Lupin III. Romain Marietta, the brand’s chief of products, also indicated during a recent conversation that the A384 will continue to be the base for limited editions, while the A386 will not be reproduced again except in exceptional instances since it is syno...

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Hands-On: Brivet-Naudot Eccentricity SJX Watches
Mar 30, 2020

Hands-On: Brivet-Naudot Eccentricity

French watchmaker Cyril Brivet-Naudot made his debut two years ago with the Eccentricity, a time-only watch that’s fascinating and impressive on many fronts. Not only is it almost entirely made by hand, the Eccentricity is intriguing in design and mechanics – from the overall architecture to details like the key-winding mechanism and regulator-style time display with a twist, and above all, the proprietary escapement. Just 29 years old, Mr Brivet-Naudot began working on the Eccentricity after graduating from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), one of Switzerland’s best technical universities. Prior to that, he earned a diploma in watchmaking from the Lycée Edgar Faure in Morteau, a small town in eastern France that borders Switzerland. The school has gained a reputation for producing imaginative watchmakers, many pursuing a similar style that’s inspired by 19th century pocket watch movements, including Theo Auffret, a peer of Mr Brivet-Naudot. The result of three years of development, the Eccentricity is very much in the same vein as the watches produced by Mr Brivet-Naudot’s fellow graduates. It artfully combines a 19th century aesthetic sensibility with exotic features, including a novel, free-eccentric escapement, for which the watch was named. And it is built by hand: with the exception of the mainspring, hairspring, jewels and crystals, every component of the watch was made from scratch by Mr Brivet-Naudot, without the aid of CNC machine...

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Hands-On: Romain Gauthier Logical One Byzantine SJX Watches
Mar 18, 2020

Hands-On: Romain Gauthier Logical One Byzantine

The Romain Gauthier Logical One was launched in 2013 to critical acclaim, and clinched the year’s award for Best Men’s Complication at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). While centred on the very old idea of a chain and fusée, the Logical One stood in contrast to contemporary wristwatches with the same complication. Other watchmakers sought, single-mindedly, to miniaturise the chain and fusée – doubtlessly a feat of micro-engineering – but Romain Gauthier took a step forward and developed a truly modern incarnation of the constant-force mechanism that originated in the 15th century. And contrary to well-known makers of the chain and fusée today, most notably A. Lange & Söhne, Romain Gauthier ensured the chain and fusée in the Logical One is entirely visible on the dial. Since its debut, the Logical One has been iterated multiple times, with variations covering the spectrum from traditional to ultra-contemporary. The attractiveness of the many versions vary – some are overdone – while others are a perfect fit for the impressive movement. One that works perfectly is the unique Logical One Byzantine that has the striking combination of a blue enamel dial and movement bridges bridges engraved with a motif inspired by Byzantine art. (Though this specific combination is unique, similar-looking examples have been produced, for instance with blue sub-dials but without engraving.) Case and architecture Due to the complex architecture of the movemen...

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Hands-On: The Kudoke 1 and Kudoke 2 SJX Watches
Mar 9, 2020

Hands-On: The Kudoke 1 and Kudoke 2

Two years ago, German independent watchmaker Stefan Kudoke announced his first proprietary movement, the Kaliber 1, which was developed in collaboration with Habring2. A year later, the movement has made its debut in a pair of classically-styled watches – the Kudoke 1 and Kudoke 2. Both models mark a stark departure from his earlier watches both in terms of design and price. Based in a small town east of Dresden, Kudoke was best known extravagantly engraved, skeletonised  timepieces, often powered by a Unitas-based movement (which meant they were all relatively large). But the latest Kudoke watches are far more understated, as well as attractively priced, starting at just over US$7,900. In fact, these watches present a compelling proposition, offering an unusual level of hand-decoration for its price bracket, save for a handful of other small independents, such as D. Dornblüth & Sohn. The Kudoke 1 Gently hand-engraved The Kudoke 1 is a well-designed watch showing the hours, minutes and seconds, while the Kudoke 2 replaces the seconds with a wonderfully engraved day and night indicator. Both watches are compact and thin enough to wear comfortably, though not quite so thin as to be true formal watches. Instead they feel like elegant everyday watches with discreet, appealing details in the hands, dial and movement. The two have the same steel case that’s 39 mm wide, but differ slightly in thickness due to the addition of the domed day and night indicator in the Kudoke ...

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Hands-On: De Bethune DB28GS Grand Bleu SJX Watches
De Bethune DB28GS Grand Bleu Like Mar 3, 2020

Hands-On: De Bethune DB28GS Grand Bleu

Like the bizarre-looking, ultra-deep sea creatures that produce bioluminescent light, De Bethune’s DB28GS Grand Bleu boasts its very own, self-contained light source – hardly surprising given what De Bethune is all about. Since its inception in 2002, De Bethune has expanded its aesthetic and technical language, going from relatively classical, Breguet-inspired watches to timepieces that are at the cutting edge of modern horology. Most of its contemporary watches feature far-flung, otherworldly designs, a house style that no doubt made it challenging to ensure the Grand Bleu conforms to the ISO 6425 dive-watch specification. The resulting Grand Bleu is perhaps one of the most extravagant and extraordinary dive watches ever – this video shows the illumination in action. Though De Bethune dabbled in oversized sports watches well over a decade ago, starting with the DB24 Super Sport of 2007, the Grand Bleu is evolved from the more recent DB28GS launched in 2015. While the DB28GS was already a hardcore sports watch with a high-tech movement, the Grand Bleu takes it further -or mor eacccurately, deeper. It combines a brand-new case with a new movement equipped with a mechanical dynamo that powers a set of tiny LED lamps. The more sedate DB28 Grand Sport A new case The Grand Bleu is a large 44 mm, and rated to 100 m. At 12.8 mm high, it is thicker than most De Bethune watches but still slim for a dive watch. But the highlight of the case are the spring-loaded, open-wor...

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Hands-On: Cartier Privé Tonneau Skeleton Dual Time SJX Watches
Cartier Privé Tonneau Skeleton Dual Mar 1, 2020

Hands-On: Cartier Privé Tonneau Skeleton Dual Time

Launched last year alongside the time-only Tonneau, the Privé Tonneau Skeleton Dual Time is classical Cartier in style and execution. The case is a century-old Cartier design that has not aged, while the movement is interesting in aesthetics and mechanics. In fact, the 9919 MC inside is surprisingly novel – it’s a skeleton, form, and curved movement with two time zones. The Tonneau Skeleton is also being produced in a modest limited edition, which means it will remain unusual. But it is hindered by a high price tag. Double fuseau The Tonneau Skeleton Dual Time is modelled on the Tonneau double fuseau (French for “double time zone”) that was produced in a variety of versions, including a 1999 Macau handover commemorative edition, from the 1990s until the mid 2000s. A Cartier Collection Privee Cartier Paris (CPCP) Tonneau dual time zone in white gold, c. 1998. Photo – Sotheby’s Cartier was particularly fond of the twin time zone complication during the period, and the double fuseau was also produced in many Tank case styles, ranging from the Tank Cintree to the Tank Louis Cartier. Despite the diversity, all the double time zone watches shared a common feature – they were powered by two separate small movements – either mechanical or quartz, depending on the model – essentially two tiny watches combined into an extra-large case. Though mechanically unsophisticated, the two-in-one construction made each time zone entirely independent, down to the minute....

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Hands-On: A. Lange & Söhne Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase 25th ‘Anniversary’ SJX Watches
Casio n ten limited edition Feb 27, 2020

Hands-On: A. Lange & Söhne Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase 25th ‘Anniversary’

Last year was the 25th anniversary of A. Lange & Söhne’s modern-day revival in 1994, also the debut year of the iconic Lange 1. For the occasion, ten limited edition Lange 1 models were unveiled over the course of the year. The line-up ranged from the basic to the ultra complicated, but one of the standouts was a model in the middle of the spectrum – the Grand Lange 1 Moonphase “25th Anniversary”. Introduced in 2003, the Grand Lange 1 was essentially an upsized Lange 1, with a larger but slightly thinner case – and the same L901.0 movement found in the standard Lange 1. The result was an awkward, cramped dial with overlapping displays that abandoned the orderly asymmetry of the classic Lange 1 dial. Nine years later, the Grand Lange 1 movement was redesigned to create the cal. L095.1, which accommodated all of the indications on a dial with the correct proportions. A moon phase was added to the movement the following year, which increased its thickness slightly. The 25th anniversary edition is a second generation Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase with a subtle, beautiful twist – and one of the most appealing models from the anniversary line-up. Anniversary livery Though large, the watch is notably flat, giving it an elegant profile on the wrist. With a height of 9.4 mm, the white gold case is still thinner than that of the basic Lange 1, despite having the additional moon phase complication. The tripartite case construction has a brushed middle between the polish...

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Hands On: Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1 “Oeuvre d’Or” SJX Watches
Chopard Feb 26, 2020

Hands On: Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1 “Oeuvre d’Or”

Backed by Chopard and taking the name of a noted 18th century French watchmaker, Ferdinand Berthoud made its debut in 2015 with the Chronomètre FB 1. Though unusual in style with an octagonal case, the FB 1 boasts an impressively constructed movement developed and manufactured by the same facility responsible for Chopard’s top-of-the-line L.U.C calibres; the project was the brainchild of Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. At its core the FB 1 is an elaborate – and delightfully anachronistic – tribute to 18th century marine chronometers inside and out. The subject of four patents, the unusual calibre is very much antiquarian horology; it is constructed with pillar-style architecture and contains a chain-and-fusée, feeler-and-cone power reserve mechanism, and a large tourbillon with central seconds. Since the debut of the FB 1, there have been as many as ten subsequent variations – which is probably too many but it doesn’t diminish from the intrinsic, technical qualities of the watch – with one of the most recent being the Chronomètre FB 1 “Oeuvre d’Or” launched last year. Mechanically identical to the other iterations, the Oeuvre d’Or is distinguished by extra decoration, namely an engraved and grained gold dial as well as gold movement bridges engraved with a repeating pyramid motif. The Oeuvre d’Or FB 1.1-2 in white gold A tribute to marine chronometry Modern day Berthoud watches are inspired by the works of its 18th century namesak...

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Hands-On: Ulysse Nardin Diver X Cape Horn and Nemo Point SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin Diver X Cape Horn Feb 25, 2020

Hands-On: Ulysse Nardin Diver X Cape Horn and Nemo Point

Dive watches priced below US$10,000 are one of the saturated and competitive segments in watchmaking. The category is dominated by two dive watch icons, the Rolex Submariner and the Omega Seamaster, both of which set the bar high with high-spec, in-house escapements equipped with high-tech hairsprings and next-level chronometer certifications. Ulysse Nardin smartly steered away from the conventional dive-watch look with last year’s new Diver X. Created to mark the brand’s newly-forged partnership with Vendée Globe, a non-stop solo yacht race around the globe, the Diver X Cape Horn and Diver X Nemo Point are a contemporary take on the standard Diver Chronometer 44mm, dressed up in new materials and colours but retaining the same basic specs, namely a 300 m rating and an in-house movement with a proprietary escapement. The Diver X Cape Horn Dubbed the “Everest of the Seas” because of its reputation as the toughest sailing competition in the world, the Vendée Globe is such an arduous journey that the eight races since 1989 have claimed three lives. Competitors have to travel over 40,000 km, a round-the-world trip that takes between two to four months. Unsurprisingly, the twin Diver X editions are aggressively styled and technically robust. Form and function Each named after key points along the Vendée Globe route, the Cape Horn and Nemo Point have the longstanding, symmetrical layout of a Ulysse Nardin diver’s watch – originally inspired by the dial of the br...

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Hands on with the Baltic Aquascaphe WatchAdvice
Baltic Aquascaphe Introduction French micro-brand Feb 20, 2020

Hands on with the Baltic Aquascaphe

Introduction French micro-brand Baltic first popped up on my radar back in 2019 after making a splash on social media, and across watch media. What caught my attention was how this entry-level brand seamlessly entered the collection’s of several high profile watch collectors, and onto the wrist’s of a couple of highly-respected watch editors. Intrigued initially by the Instagram hype and drawn in by the rave reviews from trusted friends, I knew it was time to take a closer look. Being an unapologetic fan of the dive watch who was entering the peak of Australian Summer, I thought it only appropriate to get my hands on the Baltic Aquascaphe. Of the combinations offered, I opted for the Black and Silver, with both a bracelet and additional rubber strap. The Dial and Hands Interestingly within Baltic’s Aquascaphe collection, the brand offers two dial variants – a grain finish and a sunray finish. The grainy dial (WHICH THIS ONE HAS) adds lots of texture, which combined with the ‘sandwich style’ markers, brings a lot of character to an otherwise subtle watch. The cleanliness of the white super-luminova markers offer contrast to the textured dial. The double-domed sapphire crystal gives perfect clarity as you gaze at the pebbly black dial, whilst oozing vintage charm. Baltic’s use of sapphire extends to the unidirectional black bezel to add some extra-depth, and emulate the bakelite bezels of yesteryear. The curved sapphire crystal across these two important watch ...

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Hands-On: Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Powermatic 80 GMT SJX Watches
Montblanc Feb 13, 2020

Hands-On: Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Powermatic 80 GMT

With an annual output of just over four million watches, Tissot is Switzerland’s largest watchmaker by volume, with the bulk of its watches being affordable and quartz. But it has also carved out a niche with equally affordable mechanical watches starting at a bit under US$400 for the Swissmatic (a close relative of the Swatch Sistem51 movement). One step up is the Powermatic 80, an automatic movement that more closely resembles a traditional calibre – with more metal components and less plastic bits. A complicated model within the family, if it can be called that, is the Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Powermatic 80 GMT. It’s a dual time zone automatic starting at just US$875 – a value proposition that is also unusual in being one of the few GMT watches price below US$1,000. Chemin des Tourelles is the street in Le Locle where Tissot has had its factory since 1907 (though the brand was founded in 1853), sitting beside the facilities of Mido, Montblanc, and Vulcain. Unsurprisingly, the Chemin des Tourelles GMT is traditionally styled, though surprisingly large; the collection also includes a similarly affordable time-only automatic as well as a chronograph. The case is simple in form but appealing, with a surprising degree of detailing. The look is enhanced by the polished bevel on the outside edge of the lugs, which also have a notch where they join the case. And the case and bezel also have contrasting brushes and polished surfaces, making the whole more visually in...

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Hands-On: Avantist La Majesté Tourbillon SJX Watches
Feb 12, 2020

Hands-On: Avantist La Majesté Tourbillon

Now four years old, Avantist was founded by Bruneian entrepreneur Keeran Janin and probably most famous for its tennis watches that incorporate string taken from the racquet used by Martina Navratilova when she won Wimbledon 1987. The brand has since diversified into other memorabilia timepieces, including one that contains strings from one of John Mayer’s guitars and another featuring threads from the national flag flown on the day of the Sultan of Brunei’s coronation. But Avantist’s most notable timepieces are the series of skeleton tourbillon watches that are entirely customisable, the La Majesté Tourbillon. These custom watches have so far been created for notable personalities, including sportsmen and heads of state; the first example – the model name translates as “His Majesty” – was conceived for the Sultan of Brunei. Powered by a hand-wound, skeleton movement from complications specialist Concepto, the La Majeste is customisable in its entirety, from the case and movement material to the design of the barrel ratchet wheel. Though the La Majeste is yet another watch in the sporty-skeleton-tourbillon genre, it manages to be a different take on a familiar look. At the same time, it combines an interesting movement with a surprisingly light and tactile feel in the hand. Thoughtfully detailed From design to production, the La Majeste Tourbillon is the work of leading names in Swiss watchmaking, most notably with Concepto supplying the movement. Best kno...

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Hands-On: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Céleste SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Jan 31, 2020

Hands-On: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Céleste

Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled a trio of grand complications last year, a substantial number given how complex each watch is, although two of the three are powered by existing movements. The Master Grande Tradition Répétition Minutes Perpétuelle (the only one equipped with a new calibre) and the Gyrotourbillon 3 Meteorite were launched first, and late in the year came the Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Céleste to mark 15 years of partnership with the Venice International Film Festival. Among the brand’s grand complications, the Tourbillon Celeste is one of the most interesting, boasting a quirky combinations of functions – an orbital, flying tourbillon calibrated for sidereal time as well as a star chart, and sidereal annual calendar. And it is also unusually high tech for a Jaeger-LeCoultre, with the movement being equipped with a silicon escape wheel and pallet fork. A simpler complication As with most of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s recent grand complications, the movement in the Tourbillon Céleste is an iteration of an earlier calibre – something the brand has made a habit of in recent years, which is a bit of a shame given its rich history in movement development. Specifically, the movement inside is a streamlined and simplified version of the more complicated Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication, which was launched in 2010 and also included a minute repeater. Being a separate module mounted on the case-back side of the movement, the repeater was s...

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Hands-On: Urwerk UR-100 Gunmetal SJX Watches
Urwerk UR-100 Gunmetal Last year Jan 29, 2020

Hands-On: Urwerk UR-100 Gunmetal

Last year Urwerk launched the UR-100 SpaceTime, a watch that installed the brand’s signature wandering hours satellite display in newly designed watch case. Unsurprisingly the UR-100 SpaceTime became a brisk seller, not only because it is the most affordable model in the catalogue, but also because its case is compact and relatively conventional in shape, making it the most wearable Urwerk watch by far. And so Urwerk has followed up with the UR-100 Gunmetal, a new variant that arrives just four months after four months after the model was launched. It feels a little bit too soon for another edition, but the Gunmetal is different enough – and the original versions are almost sold out – that it can be forgiven. Steel in disguise While the case of the new UR-100 remains the same design, the finish is unusual. The material looks like titanium, even up close it resembles titanium, but in the hand it is obviously too heavy to be titanium. The case is actually steel, which has been sandblasted to give it a smooth, matte finish and then coated with a dark grey coating. That’s a bit of a surprise, because watch cases that look like titanium are almost always titanium. But Urwerk’s rationale for using steel is practical: hard-coated steel is more resistant to scratches than titanium, which is generally quite soft. The result is watch that has a strong sci-fi military look, like a piece of kit used by the Marines in Aliens, which is very much Urwerk’s original house styl...

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Hands-on with the IWC Mark XVIII (reference IW327009) WatchAdvice
Ming entry point Jan 29, 2020

Hands-on with the IWC Mark XVIII (reference IW327009)

Introduction If there’s one thing that IWC has a handle on, it’s Pilot’s watches. Within the brands iconic Pilot’s collection is the popular Mark XVIII range, which serves as a charming entry point to the family. I recently had the pleasure of spending several weeks with the Mark XVIII (reference IW327009), which is the stainless steel, black dial model, on a leather strap.  Having previously reviewed several other IWC Pilot’s pieces, including the Pilot’s Automatic Spitfire, I was curious to explore the brand’s entry-level offering further. The Dial & Hands Featuring a black dial with white luminescent markers, the Mark XVIII is simple and understated. The large white markers and numerals are easy to read at a glance, and perfectly contrast with the black dial. Even in full sun, it’s easy to read the dial, which under harsher light appears to turn matt. There’ll be no red-eyes come evening thanks to the generous luminescence and large markers. Since it’s release, the Mark XVIII’s date window has been a sticking point for some, primarily for its lack of symmetry, or it’s mere existence. Ultimately this comes down to personal taste, and after several weeks of wearing the Mark XVIII – I took no issue with it. The date window, admittedly a little out of place, blended in nicely with the rest of the dial, thanks to a matching date wheel. It’s also worth noting that this is an undeniable improvement on the it’s predecessor’s (the Mark XVII) date...

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Hands-On: De Bethune Dream Watch 5 in Rose Gold SJX Watches
De Bethune Dream Watch 5 Jan 27, 2020

Hands-On: De Bethune Dream Watch 5 in Rose Gold

De Bethune’s brand of watchmaking has spawned many avant-garde watches, ranging from the Urwerk collaboration for Only Watch to the East Asian-inspired Maestri Art. But its most outstanding sculptural creation is unquestionably the Dream Watch 5, an extraterrestrial seashell that tells the time. Originally launched in 2014 in mirror-polished titanium, the original Dream Watch 5 was extremely expensive, but also tiny, having the proportions of a lady’s watch. Fortunately, it was later enlarged to its current size of just under 60 mm at its widest, from crown to pointed tip, though it remains just as expensive. The Dream Watch was then iterated into several one-off examples, with the most incredible being the Dream Watch 5 in heat-blued meteorite; its extraordinary nature matched by the US$450,000 price tag. The Dream Watch 5 in meteorite More recently, a custom version of the Dream Watch 5 in 18k rose gold was delivered last year. Even though the design is exactly the same as the other variants, the rose gold specimen has a distinctly more classical look that dials back on the sci-fi feel. Like the other versions of the watch, the Dream Watch 5 in rose gold is entirely mirror polished, but also accented by an insert of polished, heat-blued titanium on the case back that extends to the crown, which is also made of the same material and then topped with a 1 carat ruby. Despite its aesthetics, the Dream Watch 5 is actually functionally simple: it indicates the hours and m...

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Hands-On: Longines Heritage Military 1938 SJX Watches
Longines Heritage Military 1938 Longines Jan 26, 2020

Hands-On: Longines Heritage Military 1938

Longines has been cranking out vintage remakes at a furious pace over the last year, most notably the Heritage Classic “sector” dial and Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946. All of them share the appealing qualities of being well-priced and fairly authentic remakes. The latest to be released is the Heritage Military 1938, a remake of an oversized watch Longines produced in the 1930s, often for Eastern European markets. It’s as good as the other remakes in terms of value – Longines excel at making value-for-money watches – but falls a bit flat with the dial. The ref. 4092 The inspiration for the new remake is the ref. 4092, a wristwatch that is exceptionally large for its time, with its steel case measuring 43 mm in diameter. Such extra-large watches with military-style dials appear to have mostly been sold to Eastern Europe; Zipper, the Longines agent in Poland at the time is often named as the recipient in archive extracts. A vintage ref. 4092 from the Longines Museum (left) next to the Heritage Military 1938 The rarity and remarkable size of the ref. 4092, along with its appealing military-style dial, makes it a fairly valuable watch today. Even an example with a severely-aged dial sold for 23,750 Swiss francs at Phillips in 2017. So unlike other modern-day remakes that are enlarged versions of vintage originals, the Heritage Military 1938 is just right; it is exactly the same size as the original, but priced at just a tenth of the auction result. The remake Th...

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