Deployant
Throwback Sunday: Six watches for a S$12,000 budget
Given an imaginary budget of S$12,000 retail, we go about to make six recommendations mostly off the beaten track. So you have options other than the usual.
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Three-link semi-circular Rolex bracelet introduced for the 1956 Day-Date; Crownclasp closure.
1970s-80s lacquered colour dials for Rolex Day-Date; red / turquoise / salmon / lavender. Auction range $200k-$1M+.
Every Rolex Day-Date "President": 1803, 18038, 18238, 118238, Day-Date 40 (228xxx), Day-Date 36 (128xxx).
Deployant
Given an imaginary budget of S$12,000 retail, we go about to make six recommendations mostly off the beaten track. So you have options other than the usual.
SJX Watches
The gradual, one-a-month rollout of the 10-piece A. Lange & Söhne 25th anniversary is, fortunately, almost at an end, with number eight just being unveiled: the Lange 1 Daymatic “25th Anniversary”. Launched 16 years after the Lange 1, the Lange 1 Daymatic was an exercise in practicality, being the first watch in the family to be powered by a self-winding movement, the cal. L021.1. And it also included a day of the week indicator, in addition to the date. A splitting image of the original Though functionally different, it was a mirror image likeness the original Lange 1, featuring the familiar asymmetric dial, but inverted. A retrograde display for the day of the week replaced the power reserve of the original. Not only does the Daymatic look like the original, it also has the same dimension, and even retains the pusher for the date at 10 o’clock. But despite the upgrades, the Daymatic has never been as popular as the original Lange 1, leaving it as the least known of the line-up. The new Daymatic is the commemorative, white gold rendition of the model. At 39mm in diameter and 10.4mm high, it is just 1mm wider and 0.6mm thicker than the standard Lange 1. And, in keeping with the anniversary colour theme, it features a solid silver, argenté dial with recessed, grained segments that’s paired with blued steel hands. Instead of the applied hour markers found on the standard Daymatic, the Roman numerals and indices are printed in blue. Visible through the ...
SJX Watches
IWC’s popular, oversized pilot’s watch is already available in as many variations as the sky is high, but the latest limited edition – the Big Pilot’s Watch “Right-Hander” – is the first that’s a “destro”. Italian for “right”, destro is a nickname often applies to watches with a left-handed crown, and thus catered to right-handed people. Because the onion-shaped crown sits at nine o’clock instead of the usual three, the movement inside has been rotated 180 degrees, bringing the power reserve indicator to nine o’clock as well. For those wondering if this is inspired by a historical, “destro” pilot’s watch, the answer is no. This is just a reinterpretation of a bestselling model. Crown-aside, the look is pretty much stock Big Pilot. The dial is a dark grey, with luminous markings and hands in white SuperLuminova. The rest of the watch is identical to the standard model. The steel case is 46.2mm in diameter, with automatic cal. 52010 inside. It’s the second generation of the flagship IWC automatic movement, featuring a seven-day power reserve and a Pellaton winding mechanism with its pawls and winding wheels in wear-resistant ceramic. Key facts Diameter: 46.2mm Height: 15.6mm Material: Steel Water-resistance: 60m Movement: Cal. 52010 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date and power reserve Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800bph, or 4Hz Power reserve: 168 hours (7 days) Strap: Calfskin with folding clasp Price and availab...
Deployant
To commemorate Singpore's 54th birthday, Casio G-SHOCK is collaborating with SKL0 (Singapore's Sticker Lady) to produce a limited edition timepiece.
SJX Watches
Despite being one of many recent startups specialising in stylish, affordable watches, Gorilla has managed to set itself apart from a crowded field by creating watches that are well designed and smartly detailed. That’s because the Gorilla was founded in 2016 by two veterans watch design: Lukas Gopp, an alumni of IWC and Audemars Piguet, and the better known of the pair, Octavio Garcia. Mr Garcia spent almost 15 years at Audemars Piguet, five of them as chief designer; one of his most famous and successful creations was the Royal Oak Offshore “Alinghi” in forged carbon, one of the hottest watches of the mid-2000s. Gorilla now only offers essentially a single model – the Fastback – in several variations, with the design and colours inspired by 1950s American muscle cars. And it is obvious that several of its watches are reminiscent of certain Audemars Piguet timepieces. But with the Gorilla watch case having a distinctive profile of its own, coupled with the fact that most of its watches cost less than US$800, Gorilla watches have an easy appeal. A gilded 15 This particular Gorilla is a limited edition made for the 15th anniversary of Red Army Watches, a Singapore-based retailer that specialises in affordable watches; amongst the other brands it carries are SevenFriday and Grand Seiko. Formally known as the RAW x Gorilla Fastback Celebratory Edition, the watch is not drastically different from the standard model that serves as the base, the Fastback Gal...
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Deployant
Mankind have often been fascinated with aviation and the idea of flying. Since eons ago, Man have devised ways to keep themselves airborne. Of course, the idea had progressed even further with technological and engineering capabilities – notably with the space program that various countries and corporations have partaken, or are currently partaking. As theRead More
SJX Watches
As Tokyo counts down to hosting the 2020 Olympics, the games’ official timekeeper is also counting down with progressive rollouts of limited edition watches. Exactly a year to the start of Tokyo 2020, Omega has announced a pair of commemorative dive watches: the Seamaster Aqua Terra Tokyo 2020 and the slightly less interesting Seamaster Planet Ocean Tokyo 2020. Inspired by the Japanese flag, the Seamaster Planet Ocean Tokyo 2020 Limited Edition is clad in white with red accents. It is based on the midsize Planet Ocean, so the steel case is 39.5mm in diameter (the largest size is 43.5mm). Both the dial and bezel insert in white ceramic. The “lollipop” tip of the seconds hand is in red, as is the “20” on the bezel. Inside is the Master Chronometer cal. 8800, a top of the line automatic movement with various innovations designed to ensure good timekeeping over long periods, including a silicon hairspring and Co-Axial escapement. And special alloys used for the escapement ensure it is magnetism-resistant to 15,000 Gauss. Key facts Diameter: 39.5mm Material: Stainless steel Movement: Master Chronometer Calibre 8800 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and date Winding: Automatic Frequency: 25,200bph, or 3.5Hz Power reserve: 55 hours Strap: Delivered with three options – steel bracelet, rubber strap lined with white crocodile leather, and fabric “NATO” strap. Price and availability The Seamaster Planet Ocean Tokyo 2020 Limited Edition (ref. 522.33.4...
SJX Watches
Originally a no-nonsense dive watch made for the frogmen of the Italian navy during the Second World War, Panerai has been moving towards more civilian-friendly sports watches. The evolution is best illustrated by the Luminor Due, which is smaller and thinner, and as far removed from a traditional Panerai as possible while still retaining the signature crown locking mechanism. At the same time, Panerai has also rolled out watches that are oversized like the military originals, but with an increasingly variety of dial colours, like the quartet with blue dials in 2016. Such metallic blue dials are currently fashionable, so it’s no surprise Panerai has continued with the same colour. The recent Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT PAM01033 is essentially an upsized, 44mm version of the PAM 688 from 2016. I had one on the wrist for a few days – here’s how the test drive went. Compared with the earlier PAM 688, size is not the only difference with the new Luminor PAM 1033. A small but significant design tweak is the colour of the hands: instead of gold hands as as before, the hands now match the case. Though the change is seemingly minor, it gives the watch a different look, one that’s more contemporary, because the hands, though small, are the focal point on the dial. But the beige Super-Luminova on the dial and hands is faux-vintage, which does not quite match the newness of the blue dial. The dial is a “sandwich” construction, a signature feature of Paner...
SJX Watches
Singapore retailer The Hour Glass kicked off its 40th anniversary limited editions with the all-platinum Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, now followed by a pair of watches from leading independent watchmakers, De Bethune and Urwerk. The Singapore retailer is getting a three-piece limited edition based on the current UR-105, but one that’s also a throwback to the brand’s early creations. In aged bronze and titanium, The UR-105 “The Hour Glass” similar to the UR-105 CT Bronze unveiled earlier this year, but streamlined and sans the sprung lid over the front – a simplification of the design that’s also an improvement. Appropriate enough for a retailer that’s been selling Urwerk for 15 years, the commemorative edition features elements borrowed from Urwerk models over the years, creating a watch that’s a nostalgic reminder of the brand’s foundational watches from the early 2000s. UR-103 reborn The UR-105 was launched in 2014 as the successor to the UR-103, first launched in 2003. The bestselling Urwerk to date and arguably the brand’s signature watch, the UR-103 was the watch that made Urwerk a champion of avant-garde mechanical watchmaking. A nod to that milestone watch, the commemorative UR-105 features a U-shaped sapphire crystal, just as it was on the UR-103.03. While the very first version of the watch, the UR-103.01, featuring a narrow, curved window for the time, the UR-103.03 of 2005 expanded the view with a far larger cry...
SJX Watches
As it marks the 50th year of the Moon landing, Omega introduced a variety of Speedmaster Moonwatches in steel and in gold, but none with the revived cal. 321 movement, until now. The first watch to land the cal. 321 – a second will debut later in the year – is the ultra-luxe Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum that’s a special, as opposed to a limited, edition. Visually it’s pretty much a typical Speedmaster Professional, save for the use of expensive materials for all the external components. The case is the standard 42mm with twisted, “lyre” lugs, but rendered in a particular platinum alloy, Pt950Au20, that is 95% platinum along with a small amount of gold. The bezel is also platinum, with an insert in black ceramic with white enamel markings. The “stepped” dial, as it was on vintage Speedmasters, is made of polished black onyx, while the hour, minute and register hands, along with the hour markers, are 18k white gold (the central seconds hand is plated brass, a necessity because the reset function requires it to be lightweight). All the chronograph sub-dials are made of moon meteorite. The case back reveals the cal. 321, a remake of the Lemania CH27 of the mid 20th century. Found in the early Speedmaster models, where it was named the Omega cal. 321, the movement has been reproduced in great detail. And according to Omega, it is distinct from its distant relative, the modern day Lemania cal. 2310 that has been in continuous production for several d...
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Time+Tide
You might not have noticed but we’ve hit the Omega Speedmaster pretty hard this week. Though, in our defence, we think it’s justified, what with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing and all that. A few days ago, Felix asked the deep question of what actually makes a Speedmaster, and this morning we had … ContinuedThe post Speedy stories – 3 tales of Omega Speedmaster love appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
While Grand Seiko watches are classical and often formal, the Grand Seiko Sport collection is all about larger, more casual watches, The latest addition to the Sport line is the Spring Drive GMT SBGE248, the first Grand Seiko with a yellow gold bezel and crown. Yellow gold has been widely used for Grand Seiko watch cases, including for the commemorative Grand Seiko Heritage SBGW252, but the two-tone look is a first for the brand – an indication of its conservative approach to design. The contrast of yellow gold and blue is a tried and tested – and perhaps slightly overdone – approach for a luxe sports watch, evidenced by the popular Rolex Submariner ref. 116613. On the new SBGE248, yellow gold is applied generously and the colour stands out. The bezel is 18k yellow gold, as is the crown, while the hour markers, hands and markings on the dial are all gilded. Though the bezel itself is gold, the insert is scratch-resistant sapphire, just as it is on the standard Spring Drive GMT. Size-wise the watch is identical to the standard model, with a case diameter of 44mm. The case is stainless steel, as is the bracelet. It is powered by the self-winding Spring Drive cal. 9R66 that guarantees an accuracy of within 15 seconds a month – or half a second a day – and a power reserve of 72 hours. The incredible accuracy is thanks to the electronically-regulated, mechanical oscillator inside; the regulation in turn is governed by a quartz oscillator with an integra...
Time+Tide
A decade ago, overtly feminine watches that combined beauty and proper horology were a rare thing indeed. (There are more of them today – although still far from enough.) And when Jaeger-LeCoultre launched the Rendez-Vous collection in 2012 it really struck a chord. Here was a watchmaker taking women seriously, with good mechanical movements, elegant, … ContinuedThe post Sparkling in all the right places – Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Dazzling Rendez-Vous appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas are the trio behind the band The Jonas Brothers. And aside from a love of smooth pop-rock tunes, they’ve got a demonstrated penchant for fine timepieces. They started out wearing Rolex timepieces, as this early-era picture of the brothers all wearing Datejusts in various guises shows. These days they all … ContinuedThe post WATCHSPOTTING: The Jonas Brothers and their wrist game – Rolex, Mille and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
With one watch unveiled each month since January, we are now more than halfway through the 10-piece Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” set. The latest addition, the Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary” was supposed to be launched in June, but instead made its debut this month to coincide with the opening of the brand’s Zurich boutique. First introduced in 2002, the Lange 1 Moon Phase is essentially the base Lange 1 with the clever incorporation of a moon phase in the sub-seconds. Subsequently, the second generation Lange 1 Moon Phase also evolved to feature a more advanced moon phase display. The new and improved Lange 1 Moon Phase was novel for the fact that its moonphase display also doubled up as a day and night indicator. Instead of a single disc with two fixed moons as is convention, the display relies on a rotating figure of 8, with each end forming one gold moon. The “8” is superimposed on an independently revolving blue disc that represents the sky. Half the disc is in a light blue, indicating day time and the second half is dark blue for the night sky, with laser-cut stars dotting it. The deconstructed display of the Lange 1 Moon Phase On the commemorative Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary” however, the moons are in white gold keeping in line with the anniversary colours of silver and blue. The dial of the watch is solid silver, with blued steel hands and blue printed numerals. Visible through the sapphire case back is the 25th Anniversary set’s ...
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SJX Watches
While it’s a new brand that just made its debut, Genus is founded on the watchmaking talent of an industry insider who has spent a lifetime working on complications. Its first watch is the GNS 1 that tells the time with an ultra-exotic complication with the minutes travelling across the dial like a train. Conceptually the GNS 1 harks back to the burst of creativity that started in the early 2000s, when watchmakers went all out with imaginative complications to display the hours and minutes. This was the heyday of the Harry Winston Opus series and the birth of brands like MB&F; and Urwerk. The brand Genus was founded by entrepreneur Catherine Henry and Sébastien Billières, founder of GMTI, a specialist watchmaking workshop. The son of a watchmaker, Mr Billières started his career at Roger Dubuis in 1999, followed by a stint at Urwerk. In 2011, he set up GMTI, which specialises in primarily in assembly and servicing of complicated movements for major watch brands. Now staffed by 25 watchmakers, GMTI’s repertoire is diverse, ranging from tourbillon movements bearing the Poinçon de Genève, or Geneva Seal, to time-only movements produced on an industrial scale. Telling the time According to Mr Billières, the GNS 1 is the realisation of his long-held ambition of creating his own watch, after spending his career doing it for others. The GNS 1 is essentially an exceptionally avant-garde display of the hours and minutes. Even when static the face is impressive...
SJX Watches
The subject of rumour since Baselworld 2019, the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A-010 in stainless steel is finally official. Almost certainly on track to become the most expensive watch sold at auction in 2019, the ref. 6300A is a one of a kind watch variant of the most complicated Patek Philippe wristwatch ever made that was created for Only Watch, the biennial charity auction of unique timepieces sold to benefit a medical charity. Aside from the steel case – the Grandmaster Chime is ordinarily available only in white gold – both dials on each side of the watch are also unique. The dial on the front is made of 18k rose gold, and features a hobnail guilloche centre and blackened 18k gold Breguet numerals. “The Only One” is printed within the 12 o’clock sub-dial just to make it clear that this is, well, the only one for Only Watch. Also made of 18k gold, the reverse dial is black with rose gold-plated hands. The rest of the watch is identical to the standard version. The enormous 47.7mm case is reversible, but being in steel will be significantly lighter than the gold model. The case band is decorated with a hobnail guilloche engraved by a hand-operated rose engine Inside is the cal. 300 GS AL 36-750 QIS FUS IRM, a hand-wound movement with 20 complications, including a grande and petite sonnerie, alarm, date repeater, and instantaneous perpetual calendar. Slated to go on the block on November 9, 2019 at Christie’s Geneva, the Grandmaster Chi...
Hodinkee
Our boy Jason Heaton goes diving with the AP ROO Diver. You know, so you don't have to.
SJX Watches
Longines rolled out a smaller version of its popular Legend Diver last year, one that is just 36mm in diameter and catered to ladies. Now it’s added a “tropical” dial model to the line-up, creating a dive watch for ladies with serious retro style. The first Legend Diver, which was made for men, was based on the twin-crown dive watches of the 1960s, specifically the refs. 7042, 7150 and 7594. The lower crown was for winding and setting, while the upper crown rotated the elapsed time bezel, a feature that has been reproduced in the modern day remake. Sometimes nicknamed “Super Compressor” after the type of water-resistant case made by case maker E. Piquerez (which also supplied other brands), the originals were notably large for watches of the era, measuring 42mm in diameter. The men’s Legend Diver is exactly the same size, but the mini Legend Diver is substantially smaller, just 36mm in diameter. Despite its reduced size, the Legend Diver 36mm manages to retain the look and proportions of its bigger brother. And with the new “tropical” dial, it also replicates the highly desirable discoloured dials of some vintage “Super Compressor” divers. The original watches all had glossy black dials, but exposure to sunlight over the decades caused some dials to fade, resulting in varied shades of brown. The new Legend Diver “tropical” replicates the aged dials found on some vintage examples, with a tobacco coloured centre that darkens towards the edges. T...
SJX Watches
Every couple of years Vacheron Constantin gives one of its watches the ‘Collection Excellence Platine’ treatment, constructing the watch entirely in platinum, from case to the stitching on the leather strap. First introduced in 2006, the ‘Collection Excellence Platine’ range now consists of nine models, including the Traditionnelle World Time, Patrimony Traditionnelle 14-Day Tourbillon as well as Traditionnelle Complete Calendar that was launched last year. Now the line is joined by the hand-wound Traditionnelle, a simple, time-only watch executed in the most precious way possible. Small, heavy and monochromatic A focused exercise in classic dress watch design, the Traditionnelle Manual-winding is among the leading candidates in the category of hand-wound, time-only dress watches. It is arguably the quintessential Vacheron Constantin formal watch, being free of complications and superfluous elements. And though it faces strong competition from the likes of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 and Patek Philippe Calatrava, the Traditionnelle ‘Collection Excellence Platine’ (CEP) is unique in being all-platinum, end to end. With the CEP treatment, the watch has evolved to its ultimate form. The dimensions of the case remain unchanged – 38mm wide and just 7.77mm high. It features discreet decorative details like a fluted case back and straight, angular lugs that incorporate the form of a Maltese cross. But in the area where most time-only dress wat...
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WatchAdvice
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116500 Review A timepiece born on the racetrack tying the history of Rolex and motorsport together, needs very little introduction. The rich history and sheer presence of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona are partly why it’s one of the most sought-after watches in today’s Rolex line-up. It was only just recently that Paul Newman’s Rolex Cosmograph Daytona auctioned for a staggering $ 17.8 million (USD). This was easily the most expensive timepiece sold to date. The current Cosmograph Daytona doesn’t exactly have the same worth as Paul Newman’s, however it does illustrate just how much the Daytona models in general are valued. The Cosmograph Daytona was first introduced in 1963 for the purposes of meeting demands of drivers in the world of performance motor sports. Even the name “Daytona” derived from the world of motor sports itself. In the early 1900s, a racing track to set land speed records was found in Daytona, Florida. From 1903 to 1935 around 80 Speed records were set in Daytona, with 14 records being the fastest land speed set in the world. As more and more speed attempts and records were being set at Daytona, it caught a lot of global attention and eventually became known as the “world capital of speed”. Rolex’s ties to the Daytona international speedway track came about when Sir Malcolm Campbell who was known as the king of speed, was seen sporting a Rolex Oyster model during one of his speed attempts. This led ...
Hodinkee
The watch industry fixture talks about the early days of online horology, why his collection is so diverse, and the one watch he tells everyone to buy.
WatchAdvice
“An all-time favourite among pilots and aeronautical enthusiasts since 1952” – Breitling If you have ever been on the look out for a pilot’s watch, whether being a pilot yourself or just having pure admiration for the workings of pilot watch then the Breitling Navitimer has to be up there at the top of the list. Breitling has a variation of models in the Navitimer range, with sizes ranging from 38mm all the way to 48mm. The model we have in our hands today is the Navitimer 01 version in 43mm diameter. This Navitimer is the previous edition to the current Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph in 43mm diameter. The two models are relatively unchanged with the new model getting a facelift logo on the dial and the addition of a sapphire crystal case back for the first time on a 43mm to showcase the B01 movement. At first glance the dial does look super busy. But there’s a reason why everything is the way it is. When the Navitimer was launched in the 1950’s it was considered one of the most practical tool watches made available for Pilots. It’s no wonder then that the Navitimer was endorsed as the official timekeeping instrument of the “Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)”. With only a few minor updates the navitimer has remained unchanged, with Breitling even going on to claim that this is the only wristwatch that has a chronograph function that is in continuous production for more than 50 years. So what exactly is the features present in the Navitimer d...
WatchAdvice
One of the more prominent watches in the Rolex line up, the Sky-Dweller is a timepiece that is a true testament to the ingenious creativity that goes on in the in-house manufacturing of this brand. The watch itself is protected by 14 patents, therefore, it would come as no surprise that it’s also one of Rolex’s most complicated watches. The craftsmanship alongside sophistication is displayed to the highest quality in the Rolex Sky-Dweller. Unlike other Rolex models, the Sky-Dweller has one characteristic feature that stands out from the rest. This being the off-centre 24-hour display disk on the dial. This disk shows a second timezone that enables travellers to differentiate between daytime hours (9 am) and nighttime hours (9 pm) in that second timezone. The two timezones on the watch are displayed simultaneously. The local time is displayed through the normal hour, minute and second hand on the watch. The fixed red triangle under the Rolex logo on the dial indicates the chosen reference time on the 24-hour display disk. The time on the display disk can be set with relative ease through the use of a complex mechanism that allows the main hour hand to be adjusted independently backwards or forwards in 1-hour portions. When the hour hand is being adjusted, the minute and second hand are not affected. On the Rolex Sky-Dweller, the local time is displayed on the main dial, with the second timezone being shown on the 24-hour display disk. If you were to ...
WatchAdvice
Sitting in the mid-range of Rolex’s collection, the Rolex GMT-Master II 116710 BLNR is a favourite among watch enthusiasts. There are few other models within the GMT Master II range, all with close similarities to the 116710 BLNR. What sets them apart is the two-tone color schemes of the Bezel and also gold, rose-gold and bracelet variations. The GMT-Master II – 116710 BLNR is a previous generation model as Rolex has released a new GMT-Master II (126710 BLNR). There are some differences between the two models such as the new 126710 BLNR gets an updated movement along with a new jubilee bracelet. Watchadvice will review the 126710 BLNR at a later stage. To describe the GMT-Master II BLNR , it’s good to understand its beginnings. The very first Rolex GMT-Master was actually designed in partnership with Pan American Airways. Pan American Airways wanted to give the GMT-Master models to its pilots and crew to be able to use on those long flights. If you don’t know already, the GMT in the model name stands for Greenwich Mean Time which is translated to mean solar time. The personnel on the Pan American flights could use the GMT hand on the Rolex to set the time to GMT or even another time zone. Then using the rotatable 24hr Bezel and setting it to the correct offset, they can use it to read a second time zone. The main theory behind Pan American Airways giving this timepiece to its personnel was so that they could keep track of not only the current time zone but also t...
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