Quill & Pad
Why I Bought It: Vintage Mathey-Tissot Type 20 Big Eye Chronograph
This is the story of GaryG's pursuit, and eventual capture, of a classic vintage watch: a Type 20 “big eye” flyback chronograph manufactured by Mathey-Tissot.
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Quill & Pad
This is the story of GaryG's pursuit, and eventual capture, of a classic vintage watch: a Type 20 “big eye” flyback chronograph manufactured by Mathey-Tissot.
Deployant
Blancpain has recently expanded its Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe line with three new models, each a exemplary daily wearer for the man about town. These new additions include two time-only versions and a flyback chronograph, all housed in ceramic cases.
Monochrome
Tutima, founded in 1927 in Glashütte, earned its wings with its famous 1941 Flieger flyback chronograph. Following the destruction of its manufacture and eventual relocation to the West, in 1984, it resumed its flight path with chronograph ref. 798, the official pilot’s watch for the German Air Force and NATO. Returning to Glashütte in 2011, […]
SJX Watches
Porter, a Japanese cult brand famous for its functional nylon bags, has lent its signature colours to Zenith to create the Pilot Central Automatic Porter and the Pilot Big Date Flyback Chronograph Porter. The new Pilot duo retain the familiar aviation-inspired design, but in green with orange accents, including for the first time a case in khaki green ceramic. Both models are delivered with two straps: a conventional Cordura-effect rubber strap and a green nylon strap made by Porter. Initial thoughts While the Pilot Porter isn’t an iconic classic like Zenith’s El Primero, it is a unique take on the traditional aviator’s watch that is different but still functional, not unlike Porter bags that are popular for their no-frills quality. The green and orange livery is appealing and avoids the usual pilot’s watch look, but remains entirely legible and utilitarian. Priced at US$11,300 for the time-only variant and US$15,500 for the chronograph, the Pilot Porter is priced comparably to the equivalent regular-production Pilot models. Though both are more expensive than Zenith’s offerings in steel, they are priced reasonably enough considering the material and movement, as well as the competition. Khaki green Porter is the most famous label owned by Yoshida & Co., a Japanese maker of luggage and bags. Usually in dark-coloured nylon with contrast-colour lining, Porter bags are multi-pocketed and useful (and also quite pricey for nylon bags). The Pilot Porter models adopt th...
SJX Watches
For the Singapore retailer’s 70th anniversary, Zenith debuts the Defy Skyline Big Date Flyback Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition. In a first for the model line, the limited edition combines a big date and flyback chronograph, while the case and integrated bracelet are in sandblasted titanium for a clean, monochromatic aesthetic. Initial thoughts Best known for the landmark El Primero high-frequency chronograph movement, Zenith also jumped on the fad for integrated-bracelet sports watches with the Defy Skyline. The angular case and polygonal bezel bring to mind other designs, but like other Zenith offerings, the Defy Skyline is appealing because it’s well priced and equipped with a solid movement. The Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition is no exception. In fact, it’s one of the best looking iterations of the model with its all-grey look. Even though the colours are muted, this iteration of the Defy Skyline stands out. Priced at 22,200 Singapore dollars (about US$17,000), the Sincere edition is priced competitively for what you get, which includes an El Primero calibre with extra complications. El Primero The Sincere edition has the signature Defy Skyline design of a dodecagonal bezel, angular case with oversized pushers, and an integrated bracelet. The case and bracelet are sandblasted to a smooth matte finish, resulting in a striking, deep grey tone. The titanium case is 42 mm in diameter and 47.4 mm lug-to-lug. Despite the seemingly large case, the Defy Skyline is weara...
Fratello
Blancpain aims for air superiority by strengthening its Air Command “squadron” with a new version of its reimagined 1950s US Air Force flyback chronograph. The 42.5mm model comes in a lightweight titanium case with a black bezel insert, an olive-green dial, a black bezel, and beige lume, numerals, and markings. Is this new creation pushing […] Visit Hands-On With The Newest Blancpain Air Command - A Green-Dial Version In Titanium Joins The Squadron to read the full article.
SJX Watches
In celebration of its partnership with its retailer in Southeast Asia, H. Moser & Cie. has created the 20-piece Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Cortina Watch. Based on its signature sports chronograph, right down to the “lobster” bracelet, the Cortina edition gets a striking red fumé dial with an “invisible” Moser logo. Initial thoughts Though the Streamliner is one of Moser’s strongest sellers, the brand hasn’t done that many limited editions of the Streamliner chronograph, so it’s not a theme that’s been overdone. As a result, the Cortina edition stands out as one of the few iterations of the model. And it also stands out in tangible terms: the red dial sets this apart from past Streamliner Chronographs that were all dressed in darker colours. At the same time, the smoked red dial is different from the usual dark blue or grey that’s the norm for integrated-bracelet sports watches. More generally, collaborative timepieces are often marked with various logos, front and back, in an unambiguous illustration of the collaboration. In case of the Cortina edition, however, subtlety wins the day. The retailer’s logo has been omitted, and even the Moser logo is barely visible on the dial. The timepiece speaks for itself, rather than the collaboration, which is a good thing. Priced at 83,000 Singapore dollars (or about US$64,000), the Streamliner Cortina edition costs about 8% more than the regular production in local currency terms (which include taxes). Given...
Worn & Wound
Norqain has just unveiled what is certainly their biggest release of the year, and quite possibly their most ambitious release since the debut of the Wild One two years ago. The new Independence Skeleton Chronograph expands on the design language we saw take shape with the Wild One, and introduces a new, skeletonized, flyback chronograph mechanism. The new watch is conceived as something of a statement piece, meant to highlight what the brand thinks of as their independent spirit, and launches in two variants that illustrate where a full collection of watches powered by this new caliber could potentially go. The movement at the center of this release has been dubbed the 8K Manufacture Calibre, and features flyback functionality, a tool that was first developed for chronographs used by pilots to time flight related intervals. Flyback functionality allows a running chronograph to be reset to zero instantaneously without first stopping it, so it’s a useful tool for anyone that needs to time multiple intervals in rapid succession (it has gained wide adoption in sporting contexts through the decades). The execution of this particular movement appears to have all of the hallmarks of a solid, modern chronograph movement, including a power reserve stretching to 62 hours, as well as a column wheel. The 8K caliber is also chronometer certified. It’s also worth noting that the 8K movement was developed in partnership with Manufacture AMT, a division of Sellita known for creat...
Monochrome
First presented in 2019 as a steel limited edition, the Blancpain Air Command Flyback Chronograph was a re-edition of an elusive vintage watch that barely made it to reality. Yet, using one of the rare prototypes as a blueprint, the brand known for the elegant Villeret collection and the historic Fifty Fathoms diving range did […]
Worn & Wound
Montres Airain began in 1934 and quickly became well known for producing reliable, high-quality timepieces. During the 1950s and 1960s, they were among the chosen suppliers of the Type 20 Chronograph for the French Army, alongside Breguet and Dodane. In 2020, Airain was revived after being purchased from a French entrepreneur and watch enthusiast. The brand has been thriving ever since with a string of aviation inspired releases, starting with their new version of the highly sought-after “Type 20” Flyback Chronograph. New for 2024, in a surprise collaboration, Airain has teamed up seconde/seconde/ to add a touch of whimsy to the austere Type 20 design. The new Airain Type 20 x seconde/seconde/ “Up in the Air” limited edition is based on the original Flyback Chronograph design. Romaric André, the designer otherwise known as seconde/seconde/, envisioned bringing back this iconic piece to its rightful place in the sky and in France. Hence, the subdials create the illusion of airplane portholes looking out on pixelated 8-bit clouds, with the left subdial offering a glimpse of the tip of the Eiffel Tower. He explains his intentions on the case back, and the inclusion of the Eiffel Tower serves as a reminder of the watch’s heritage and its connection to French aviation. This flyback chronograph’s stainless steel case measures 39mm in diameter (39.5mm across the bezel), 14.77mm to the top of the double-domed sapphire crystal, and 47.7mm from lug tip to lug tip. The c...
SJX Watches
Blancpain just unveiled an all-ceramic bracelet to match the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe models in black ceramic: the time-and-date, flyback chronograph, and Quantième Complet (or triple calendar). Positioned as the entry-level model in the Fifty Fathom collection of historically-inspired dive watches, the Bathyscaphe has long been available in ceramic, so a bracelet is long overdue. According to Blancpain, each link of the bracelet unique in shape and size, so each link has to be manufactured individually, requiring an enormous amount of skilled labour – which helps to explain the price of almost US$8,000 for the bracelet. All three are now available with a matching bracelet Initial thoughts Though it was a pioneer in the dive watch as we know it, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms has remained fairly under the radar, despite its relatively strong price-quality ratio. The ceramic bracelet for the Bathyscaphe helps it stand out, as few brands offer a matching bracelet for ceramic watches. While ceramic watch cases are common and found across the price spectrum, ceramic bracelets remain relatively uncommon, especially bracelets that are hand finished with a brushed surface like this. All links are manufactured individually, with each link differing in shape and size The ceramic bracelet is expensive – it costs just under US$8,000 extra compared to the same on a strap. That means the three-hand diver costs US$21,300, while the flyback chronograph and triple calendar are both US$...
Monochrome
Introduced just four years ago, H. Moser & Cie‘s luxury Streamliner sports watch debuted with a flyback chronograph and swiftly expanded its complications repertoire to include perpetual calendars, tourbillons and skeletonised models. The latest Streamliner ascends the complications ladder with the combination of a sophisticated minute repeater and flying tourbillon. While Moser’s resilient Streamliner case provides a […]
Teddy Baldassarre
From the beginning of 1953 to the end of 1954, Rolex had perhaps the most productive and impactful period that any watchmaker had ever managed in a two-year stretch. The Explorer, the gold standard of adventure-oriented luxury watches, debuted in the summer of 1953 and the first Submariner, the quintessential diver’s watch, was manufactured that same year. The Submariner’s public debut wasn’t until 1954 at the Basel Watch Fair, but it wasn’t the only trendsetting Rolex watch the Crown released that year: the other was the original GMT-Master, the dual-time travel watch against which all others are measured. Photo: Matthew Bain We all are familiar with the three iconic Oyster Perpetual timepieces above, but few may be aware that Rolex released another tool watch in 1953, whose production not only preceded that of the Submariner and GMT-Master but whose signature design feature influenced the look of both. That watch is the Rolex Turn-o-Graph, the first serially produced Rolex tool watch equipped with a rotating bezel that could be used for timing intervals. (To be thorough, it should be noted that it was not the very first Rolex watch with such a feature: the Zerographe Ref. 3346, made way back in 1937, takes that honor, along with the distinction of being the first Rolex watch with a movement made in-house - with a flyback chronograph, no less. The rarest of unicorns, the Zerographe (below) is nearly forgotten today, rarely mentioned in official Rolex literatur...
Quill & Pad
In an interesting twist, Stephen McDonnel, the developer of the MB&F; LM Sequential, initially envisaged the left side chronograph as a flyback chronograph, however, due to the number of technical issues to resolved, decided it would be safer to save that for a later version: and here it is. And with two flybacks!
Worn & Wound
For nearly a decade, Chase Fancher and his team at Oak & Oscar, along with their partners, have not only been creating great and sporty timepieces, but they have also been creating a community. To them, the people that purchase their watches are not customers, they are owners. As such, the community has been asking for a new Oak & Oscar chronograph for quite some time. Especially since their Jackson Big-Eye was discontinued. The Jackson, you’ll recall, was a 40mm x 14mm 30-minute chronograph, with flyback function, and it housed a manual wind Eterna Caliber 39 movement. The community’s prayers have now been answered with the new Oak & Oscar Atwood. Just like its predecessor, it is also a proper Flyback chronograph, but this one can time intervals up to 12-hours. Instead of the Eterna caliber 39, it houses an AMT5100M caliber, which is a product of Sellita’s high-end skunkworks AMT division. It is a 23 jeweled, manually wound chronograph with a 58-hour power-reserve, and with the crisp, tactile satisfaction of its blued column wheel you’ll find excuses to time anything. You will also find all the usual Oak & Oscar refinements, including a sandwich dial, a signature high-contrast extra-long chrono seconds hand, and each subdial features subtle yet bright hints of orange that increase the legibility of the timing function. There is also a subtle nod to their first chronograph, which includes a wrapped tachymeter scale along the rehaut that goes to 54 units. As they li...
SJX Watches
To mark 20 years of its first boutique, and also 20 years of limited editions, F.P. Journe has created its final limited edition of any sort. Limited to 200 pieces, the F.P. Journe Chronographe FB is a flyback chronograph with big date that’s powered by the manual-wind cal. 1518.2. Like past boutique anniversary editions, this has a titanium case with pink gold accents. Initial thoughts In terms of intrinsic attributes, the Chronographe FB scores well on all counts. It is a good looking watch that is priced well. The FB doesn’t depart from the established aesthetic for boutique editions, which is a good thing since the titanium-and-gold combination is appealing. The watch is classical F.P. Journe in terms of dimensions at 40 mm wide and just over 10 mm high, which makes it elegantly slim. Styling aside, the FB is also notable as it is equipped with a new calibre. Few brands design new movements for a small-run limited edition. Admittedly the cal. 1518.2 inside is based on the current split-seconds movement, but it is still a new, different construction. Technically, the movement is not as much of an achievement as say the FFC or Vagabondage III, but it is executed well, and the watch is priced right for the complication. As is typical for majority of F.P. Journe watches, the Chronographe FB is reasonably priced at retail, just CHF90,000 before taxes. Accessibility, rather than affordability, is instead the problem. That’s true despite the 200 piece run is bigger than...
Monochrome
Moser’s Streamliner collection, a luxury sports watch with integrated bracelet, made a resounding entry in 2020 with a Flyback Chronograph. Unlike many luxury sports watches on the market, which vie for attention with their formulaic solutions, Moser’s design was fresh, verging on sensual thanks to its sleek, aerodynamic personality. A few months later, Moser unveiled […]
Worn & Wound
Just in time for Watches & Wonders 2024, H. Moser & Cie. has unveiled the Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Double Hairspring. In other words? Moser has produced a dramatically skeletonized flying tourbillon movement with their signature double hairspring, and they’ve put it in a Streamliner. It’s been a few years now since H. Moser & Cie. released the very first Streamliner, and there can be no doubt that in a very short time, that watch has come to represent the brand in a very real way. Since the launch of the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Flyback Chronograph four years ago, Moser’s somewhat quirky entry into the integrated bracelet market has seen a steady stream of new releases and added complication, and today sees yet another new execution. This isn’t one of those new releases that shows us a bunch of things we’ve never seen before, but rather draws from several disparate threads that have been floating around the Moser universe and ties them together into a single, compelling package. The Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton builds on the premise of the Streamliner Tourbillon Vantablack that Zach reviewed back in 2022. But where that watch hid its movement behind literally as black a dial as you can possibly find, this year’s release goes in another direction, one more in line with another 2022 Moser release, the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon. What results is a watch that is exactly what you might expect, given the name on the tin. The Streamliner Tourbillon Sk...
Monochrome
The Big Bang exploded on the watch scene in 2005, converting Hublot into a major-league player. Even bigger news for the brand came in 2009 with the launch of Hublot’s first manufacture movement. Known as the Unico, this in-house flyback chronograph movement was first used for the King Power collection and then inside a new […]
Worn & Wound
If I were asked to pick the quintessential Hublot watch, the choice would be easy. It’s the Big Bang Unico. Just about every watch brand has a model that can be pointed to as a sort of platonic ideal. That watch tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the core of a brand. For Hublot, it’s the Big Bang Unico, and Hublot knows it. The Big Bang Unico is to Hublot what the 458 was to Ferrari, a pure distillation of the brands’ essence into something that you can (mostly) drive in the real world. The Big Bang Unico Ceramic, well that’s more like a 458 Speciale - mostly the same thing, but with a little extra oomph. For Watches & Wonders this year, Hublot is continuing to iterate on the tried and true 42mm flyback chronograph with the introduction of three new variants of the Big Bang Unico, each made primarily of ceramic. To kick us off, Hublot is introducing two new versions of the Big Bang Unico Ceramic, one in orange, and one in green, each in a limited edition of 250 pieces. These aren’t entirely new colors for the brand, we’ve seen green ceramic on the Big Bang Integral Chronograph, and Hublot produced an orange ceramic limited edition Big Bang Unico inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge through their San Francisco boutique a few years ago. That said, they are welcomed additions to the lineup, and will each have their fair share of fans. Both the Orange and the Green come equipped with color-matched rubber straps and feature black accents through...
Monochrome
One trend that has asserted itself at Patek Philippe this year is denim, or rather, the colour of blue jeans, appearing on the dials and straps of several novelties, like the Worldtime with Date and Aquanaut Travel Time. A much sought-after model, the Nautilus Flyback Chronograph 5980, was discontinued earlier this year. Much to the […]
Monochrome
The Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen” is the indisputable highlight of A. Lange & Söhne’s novelties for Watches and Wonders 2024. Pulling out its big guns at Watches & Wonders, Lange has treated its über-complex flyback chronograph, perpetual calendar, and tourbillon cocktail to an exclusive Honeygold case and, for the cherry on top, a luminous […]
Monochrome
Nearly a year ago, Zenith made a striking debut with the all-new Pilot collection, introducing the Big Date Flyback chronograph and the Automatic models, both available in either stainless steel or black ceramic. A departure from the earlier Zenith Pilot references, these watches showcased a fresh look, featuring a new case and crown, dial designs, […]
Quill & Pad
To mark the sixtieth anniversary of the Autavia wristwatch, TAG Heuer is rolling out two executions of an automatic flyback chronograph, a textbook example of how to transform historic looks into contemporary classics: the Autavia Chronometer Flyback.
Monochrome
This year marks the 35th anniversary of Frederique Constant, and there is plenty to celebrate. With 31 in-house calibres under its belt, including complications like the tourbillon, perpetual calendar, flyback chronograph or the advanced Monolithic Oscillator, the brand founded by Dutch couple Aletta and Peter Stas and now in the hands of Citizen Group has […]
Time+Tide
Longines present a new iteration of the Spirit Flyback chronograph with a grade 5 titanium case and red dial accents.The post The new Longines Spirit Flyback Titanium addresses a point of contention within the collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
At Watches & Wonders, Zenith overhauled their Pilot’s watch and debuted a new collection of Pilot Automatic and Pilot Big Date Flyback Chronograph watches. While most, when it comes to Zenith, think of the Defy and Chronomaster collections, they also have rich roots within the realm of Pilot’s watches. This is why a new pop-up … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: New Zenith Pilot pop-up exhibit coming to NYC from August 8 to September 10 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Unlike dive watches, most of which share many common technical and aesthetic elements geared toward their intended underwater use, sailing watches and yachting watches are harder to define. Sailing watches range from a simple three-hander with a nautical design influence, one to wear while chilling on the deck of a cruise ship or at the yacht club, to a tool-oriented timepiece geared toward competitive regatta racing, with countdown functions, tides indicators, and other utilitarian features. In this feature, just in time for the closing weeks of summer sailing season, we’ve rounded up some of our favorites in every style, listed from eminently affordable and functional to luxurious and exclusive. Timex Intelligent Quartz Tides Watch Price: $136, Case Size: 45mm, Thickness: 13mm, Lug Width: 16mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 100 meters, Movement: Timex Intelligent Quartz Caliber What mass-market Timex may lack in horological prestige, it makes up for in clever utility with its Intelligent Quartz Tide Temp Compass. What makes this watch’s quartz movement “smart?” Basically, it’s an open-ended tech platform that uses onboard sensors and microprocessors in the movement to drive individual functions on analog displays, providing an array of information from perpetual calendar to world clock to flyback chronograph to an array of nautical-navigation features, which include a tide tracker, compass, and thermometer. The compass incorporates an adjustable declina...
Hodinkee
Celebrating 100 years of Le Mans with a limited edition flyback chronograph.
Deployant
Singer Reminagined releases two references in their new 1969 collection: a Flyback Chronograph and a Timer. Both released in steel cases and bracelets.
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