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The Dirty Dozen

Twelve Swiss makers who supplied the 1944-45 British MoD W.W.W. specification: Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, IWC, JLC, Lemania, Longines, Omega, Record, Timor, Vertex.
The Octo that (really) started it all, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Time+Tide
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Editor’s Jun 15, 2020

The Octo that (really) started it all, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic

Editor’s note: Every great product has a genesis, and for this Italian-founded watch and jewellery firm it is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic. It was the one that started it all back in 2017, leaving eyes wide open with its sharply faceted design and ultra-thin construction. In the years following, we have seen the same … ContinuedThe post The Octo that (really) started it all, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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BATTLE ROYALE: The T+T Team list their favourite ever IWC Big Pilot references Time+Tide
IWC Big Pilot references Jun 11, 2020

BATTLE ROYALE: The T+T Team list their favourite ever IWC Big Pilot references

The IWC Big Pilot collection is a pillar of the brand for a reason. The design is iconic and has remained unchanged for the best part of a century, the wrist presence is almost unparalleled, and the double-barrelled power reserve means you can take it off for a week without needing to reset the time. … ContinuedThe post BATTLE ROYALE: The T+T Team list their favourite ever IWC Big Pilot references appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Gerald Charles Introduces the Maestro Anniversary SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak May 27, 2020

Gerald Charles Introduces the Maestro Anniversary

Gerald Genta is enjoying something of a renaissance now, with the frenzied demand for his most famous designs. And now one of his more obscure designs is making a comeback. One of the most acclaimed and prolific watch designers, Genta’s heyday in the 1970s and 1980s saw him design a host of iconic watches, including the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus. After his eponymous brand was acquired by Bulgari in the year 2000, Genta founded another brand named after his first and middle names – Gerald Charles. Though Gerald Charles went dormant after Genta’s death in 2011, the brand has been revived on its 20th anniversary by Genta’s former business partner. The inaugural launch is its first stainless steel watch – the Maestro Anniversary, which is distinctive, eccentric, and very much reflective of Genta’s late-career style. And 30% of the proceeds from each Maestro sold will to donated to the COVID-19 fund set up by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Initial thoughts I like Genta’s designs, and I like the Maestro. It is a unique case that manages to draw a balance between being sporty and elegant – an endearing trait that I find common amongst Genta’s designs. The new Maestro keeps the dial functional and simple, and adds a pattern rubber strap to the mix, giving it a casual yet distinctive look. But at over US$9,600, the price is too steep, especially in light of the Soprod-based movement inside. The hefty, 30% donation to the WHO’s C...

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Czapek Introduces the Antarctique Sports Watch SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding While May 26, 2020

Czapek Introduces the Antarctique Sports Watch

A marque revived via a crowdfunded effort in 2015, Czapek & Cie. has just announced its first sports watch, the Antarctique. The popularity of luxury-sports watches in steel makes that unsurprising, but the Antarctique is powered by a newly-developed, automatic movement with an interesting construction. Initial thoughts Doubtlessly conceived to cater to the current fad for luxury-sports watches in steel, the Antarctique is unsurprising in terms of design. While the overall look is reminiscent of a variety of watches, most notably the earlier-generation Girard-Perregaux Laureato, it manages to be different enough, in particularly with the C-shaped links. But more important and interesting is the movement inside, the SXH5. It was conceived by a team that includes prominent constructors like Emmanuel Bouchet, an independent watchmaker who is probably best known for the Harry Winston Opus 12, as well as Daniel Martinez, an independent constructor who worked at Sellita, MCT, and Greubel Forsey in the past. The SXH5 A large movement with high-quality features, the SXH5 has an interesting aesthetic that’s slightly inspired by vintage pocket watch movements but is clearly modern. And going by the photos, it also appears to be well finished. But the Antarctique is expensive – its price tag of US$18,900 is almost exactly the same as that of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding. While the Antarctique probably has a more compelling and unusual movement, the Czapek brand ...

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Seiko Introduces the Prospex Street Series “Urban Safari” SJX Watches
Seiko Introduces May 19, 2020

Seiko Introduces the Prospex Street Series “Urban Safari”

Released in 2018, the Seiko Prospex Street Series is essentially a modern twist on the iconic Seiko “Tuna” dive watch, retaining the signature case design of the “Tuna”, but with the addition of more colours as well as affordable pricing. With colours inspired by an African safari, the new Prospex Street Series “Urban Safari” is a four-strong collection made up of two basic models, each inspired by famous historical models with nicknames – the automatic “Tuna” and analogue-digital “Arnie” . Initial thoughts Strong, monochromatic colours give the watches an eye-catching and sporty look. Add to that the matching silicone straps and the result is something that goes well with streetwear, fulfilling the purpose of the collection. The khaki versions are very much safari in theme, but the others are more reminiscent of the concrete jungle. But regardless of model, the fundamentals of the watch are very much Seiko’s strength – casual, sporty design and very accessible pricing. “Tuna” and “Arnie” Historically a feature found on Seiko’s top-of-the-line dive watches, the shrouded case features prominently in Seiko’s current line-up collection, with the most recent addition being the historical remake of the ref. 6159-7010 of 1975 that’s part of the Diver’s Watch 55th Anniversary Trilogy. The “Tuna” inspiration of the Urban Safari is immediately evident from the protective shroud around the case, giving the watch a resemblance to a t...

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Louis Erard Introduces the Excellence Regulator with Smoked Dials SJX Watches
Louis Erard Introduces May 18, 2020

Louis Erard Introduces the Excellence Regulator with Smoked Dials

Regulators are all about their characteristic dial where the hour, minute and seconds hands are each located on separate axes – with the minute hand being the largest and longest – a layout originally designed for maximum legibility on clock faces in the mid-18th century. The Louis Erard Excellence Regulator revisits this classical design, but now with a fashionable smoked dial – and an eminently affordable price tag. Initial thoughts Regulator watches are simple, but are not common at this price point – the Excellence Regulator costs just 2490 Swiss francs, or about US$2600. Louis Erard, however, has made something of a specialty of affordable regulator watches, most notably with the whimsical Alain Silberstein Regulator launched last year that was styled by the eponymous watch designer for Louis Erard. The value proposition is good, though the dials are definitely reminiscent the fumé dials of H. Moser & Cie, which didn’t invent such graduated-colour dials, but have made them almost synonymous with the brand. Based on the photos, the graduated finish of the Excellence Regulator dials are not quite as not as complex or refined as that on Moser’s watches – understandable and acceptable given the substantively lower price. Smoked dials While the regulator layout is unusual, the smoked dials are the highlight. Offered in vibrant and saturated hues of grey, blue or green, the colour gradually tapers off in intensity, turning almost black towards the edges...

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In-Depth: Inspiration and Creation of the Grand Seiko Thin Dress Series SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Thin Dress Series Earlier May 15, 2020

In-Depth: Inspiration and Creation of the Grand Seiko Thin Dress Series

Earlier this year, I paid a visit to Seiko’s headquarters in Ginza, Tokyo. I was there for two reasons. One was to present my Ideal Watch Size Survey to their design, product and development teams. The other was to find out more about a particular Grand Seiko I had recently purchased, the SBGZ001. Launched in 2019 to celebrate the Spring Drive’s 20th Anniversary, the SBGZ001 is an extraordinarily finished version of the Grand Seiko Thin Dress Series from the Elegance collection. What started as a few questions from a collector ended up being a dive into how a significant new line of watches at Grand Seiko was born. In the interest of full disclosure: The Armoury, which I own, has been a retailer of Grand Seiko in Hong Kong for about six years now. I have been collecting Grand Seiko for about nine years. Neither the SBGZ001 nor the SBGY003 detailed in this article are available for sale at the store. But they are special so I wanted to delve further into their creation. The Credor Eichi I, 2013 First some background. Back in 2013, I bought a Credor Eichi I, a well-known watch in certain circles for its exceptional finishing. It was made in the Micro Artist Studio (MAS), a division within the Seiko-Epson Shiojiri plant where all the cutting-edge high horology – namely Spring Drive movements – is designed and made. That includes things like the Credor Minute Repeater, the Grand Seiko 8 Day Power Reserve and the Credor Eichi II. I toured the facility in 2014 and visite...

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Parmigiani Fleurier Introduces the Toric Tourbillon Red Gold Slate SJX Watches
Parmigiani Fleurier Introduces May 14, 2020

Parmigiani Fleurier Introduces the Toric Tourbillon Red Gold Slate

The very first case designed by Michel Parmigiani when he founded his eponymous brand, the elegant Toric is now primarily used for haute horlogerie watches. The latest to join the line up is the Toric Tourbillon Red Gold Slate, an extra-thin wristwatch with a flying tourbillon. Initial thoughts Though Parmigiani has tried its hand at contemporary case designs, its true strength is still classical style that references Breguet and other past century greats that Mr Parmigiani is familiar with thanks to his background in watch restoration. So it is with the Toric Tourbillon. Despite being relatively simple in style, the watch is immediately recognisable as a Parmigiani. It has a strongly balanced aesthetic between the guilloché dial, knurled bezel and flying tourbillon. But the prominent “Tourbillon 60 Secondes” label on the dial detracts from the clean style of the dial. Also, the 42.8mm case, though slim, might be a point of contention as it is on the large side for a slightly formal watch. Styling aside, Parmigiani quality is impeccable, for both the internal and external components. In that respect, there’s little to criticise. Toric tradition The very first watch designed by Mr Parmigiani when he launched his brand in 1996 was the Toric Memory Time, a slim, dual time zone watch. Though slightly tweaked, the current Toric case sticks closely to the design of the original, particularly with the prominent knurled bezel that is decorated by a hand-operated machine...

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F.P. Journe Introduces the Quantième Perpétuel with Gold Numerals SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Introduces May 12, 2020

F.P. Journe Introduces the Quantième Perpétuel with Gold Numerals

Introduced in 2013, the original Quantième Perpétuel was a concise perpetual calendar with useful features, as well as a peculiar, egg-shaped steel ring around the centre of the dial. Now the design has been refined – but all functionality retained – to create the new F.P. Journe Quantième Perpétuel with gold numerals. And though this was officially announced only recently, the watch has already been available at boutiques for several months. Initial thoughts Compared to the earlier F.P. Journe calendar watches, the Quantième Perpétuel was a big improvement with its highly legible display and improved user friendliness. But the first generation dial was odd because of the steel ring around the centre. That’s been changed with the new model, and the improvement is substantial. The new dial appeals because it doesn’t try too hard to be different. Instead, it differentiates itself in more subtle ways. And the boutique-only blue-dial version is unusual, which is a plus if you’re looking for something different. F.P. Journe has rarely used matte, dark blue dials on standard-production watches; historically only limited editions and custom watches had such dials. Silver and gold Borrowing the clous de Paris engine-turned centre from the Chronometre Souverain, the dial is made of solid silver, while the applied numerals and calendar window frames are solid gold. The addition of gold frames for the calendar do make the positions of the windows more obvious, whic...

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Introduces the Reverso One Red Wine SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre Introduces May 10, 2020

Jaeger-LeCoultre Introduces the Reverso One Red Wine

The most affordable watch of any kind offered by Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Reverso One is an elegant watch for ladies with a modest amount of diamonds and a quartz movement. Originally available only with a silver dial, the new Reverso One Red Wine adds a more lively colour to the range of options. Initial thoughts While the quartz movement won’t appeal to a watch aficionado, it makes sense for someone who wants a good-looking, classic design without the hassle of a mechanical movement. Seen from that perspective – especially when combined with the affordable price – the Reverso One is a fuss-free, sensible buy. Red guilloche The launch version of the Reverso One was plain, with an ordinary silver dial dial. The Red Wine livens things up, and does it with more detail than would be expected on an entry-level quartz watch. The dial has a stamped sun-ray guilloche motif that’s covered in translucent red lacquer, creating the rich finish. As with many Reverso models, the flip side of the case is polished and left empty for personalisation. The options for personalisation includes a set of initials that Jaeger-LeCoultre can engrave for a small fee. And the steel case is set with 27 diamonds for a bit of sparkle. Key Facts and Price Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Red Wine Ref. Q3288560 Diameter: 40 mm by 20 mm Height: 7.9 mm Material: Stainless steel Water resistance: 30 m Movement: Cal. 657 Functions: Hours and minutes Frequency: Quartz Strap: Alligator strap Availability...

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Breguet Introduces the Reine de Naples 8918 ‘Grand Feu’ Enamel SJX Watches
Breguet Introduces May 5, 2020

Breguet Introduces the Reine de Naples 8918 ‘Grand Feu’ Enamel

Breguet’s Reine de Naples has an unusual distinction in modern watchmaking, being an iconic ladies’ watch design of the 21st century. Characterised by an egg-shaped case, the Reine de Naples was inspired by a long-lost watch made for the Queen of Naples in 1810. The watch has long been available with a variety of dials, from carved seashell cameo to guilloche gold, but not enamel – perhaps a surprise given the frequent use of enamel dials on Breguet’s watches for men. But now enamel is no longer the exception with the debut of the Reine de Naples 8918 with grand feu enamel dial. Initial thoughts The Reine de Naples – named after Napoleon’s sister Caroline Bonaparte, who ordered the long-lost watch while she was Queen of Naples – is available in a bewildering variety of guises covering the entire price spectrum. While the entry-level models tend to look, well, entry-level, the high-end models can be quite exquisite. Going by photos, the new version with an enamel dial falls into the latter category. The enamel dial is simple but distinguished by elegant details like the graceful serifs on the numerals and the quirky minute track inspired by 19th century pocket watches. And the quality promises to be excellent, from dial to movement, going by everything else that Breguet does. It costs a bit under US$40,000, which is mid-range for a Reine de Naples, but reasonable as far as diamond-set ladies’ watches go, especially with a grand feu enamel dial. Diamonds an...

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Hublot, you’ve come a long way baby. 16 photos that show just how far the brand has come in 15 years Time+Tide
Hublot you’ve come May 5, 2020

Hublot, you’ve come a long way baby. 16 photos that show just how far the brand has come in 15 years

One fact that seems to have been roundly overlooked in recent years is the slow, steady, but really quite emphatic, elevation in Hublot’s yearly releases. In terms of technical complexity, case design and overall finishing. The Hublot of 2020 is not the brand that Jean-Claude Biver re-introduced to the world 15 years ago with the … ContinuedThe post Hublot, you’ve come a long way baby. 16 photos that show just how far the brand has come in 15 years appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Junghans Introduces the Max Bill Mega Solar SJX Watches
Junghans Introduces May 5, 2020

Junghans Introduces the Max Bill Mega Solar

The quintessential Junghans is arguably any Max Bill wristwatch, which are all slightly different but share an instantly recognisable style that’s modern, mid-20th century, and still appealing five decades on. The German watchmaker now offers the Max Bill designs in a variety of watches from quartz to automatic chronograph, and the new Max Bill Mega Solar is the most extreme in its design and technological disparity – high-tech dressed in retro style, which makes for a pretty cool watch. Initial thoughts Junghans has solid timekeeping tech in its Mega radio-control watches, but for the most part they are unattractive, at least for someone who likes mechanical watches. Many look like gadgets trying to be an analogue wristwatch. As a result, the Max Bill Mega Solar is a blessing. A Swiss architect and designer whose style was spare and Bauhaus-inspired, Bill designed a series of clocks for Junghans in the late 1950s, followed by wristwatches in 1961. Today’s Max Bill watches are essentially identical to the originals of the 1960s. And now the delightfully concise styling has been combined with a solar-powered, radio-controlled movement. For someone who likes gadgets – and also values good design – this is hard to beat. Radio-control, now worldwide The Max Bill Mega Solar is an upgrade over the earlier Max Bill Mega, which has a quartz movement in a steel case. The new Max Bill Mega Solar has a titanium case, and is solar-powered. It’ll run for up to three ye...

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Girard-Perregaux Introduces the Laureato Absolute Light SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux Introduces May 4, 2020

Girard-Perregaux Introduces the Laureato Absolute Light

Girard-Perregaux’s luxury-sports watch is available in the usual range of materials, as well as some unusual carbon-glass composites, and now sapphire with the Laureato Absolute Light. At first glance it appears to adhere to a common formula – executing a well-known case design in sapphire – but Girard-Perregaux has tweaked a few elements to make it a little more interesting, while maintaining transparent-mechanical look prized in such watches. Initial thoughts Ultra-luxe sports watches with sapphire cases are surprisingly common, despite the accompanying price tag. Typically the design can be varied little, since what most brands do is produce their signature style in sapphire. So the way to stand out is to make the details a little bit more interesting, and the price tag a little less high. Girard-Perregaux has succeeded in the former – amongst the interesting details here are the movement and hours chapter ring – while doing so-so on the latter. At 85,000 Swiss francs, the Laureato Absolute Light is a lot of money, but amongst sapphire-case sports watches, the price is middle of the road. Framed by lugs The 44 mm case is typical Laureato, which is a circle within an octagon within a tonneau-shaped case. Admittedly the standard Laureato does bear a strong resemblance to a handful of famous Gerald Genta case designs, but when rendered in sapphire the Laureato does look quite original. The case construction is unusual in that the titanium lugs bookend each side ...

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Ming Introduces the 27.01 SJX Watches
Ming May 1, 2020

Ming Introduces the 27.01

Ming is a “micro brand” that has gained tremendous recognition in a remarkably short period thanks to a well-cultivated design language and smart pricing. While the brand started out with the affordable 17 series, it then went upmarket with the 19 series. Now the brand has unveiled a new model that’s in-between the two, the Ming 27.01. In many ways it’s an evolution of the entry-level 17 series, with a more elaborately-conceived but notably thin case as well as a major upgrade in terms of mechanics, resulting in a slightly higher retail price of 3,950 Swiss francs. Initial thoughts The 27.01 is a good-looking derivative of the 17 series that launched the brand. But it’s not just a similar design, the watch has been upgraded in a useful way, mainly with slimmer proportions and a more interesting movement. Though the base movement is a pedestrian ETA Peseux, it’s been smartly modified to look different and attractive (though the revamped bridges look a bit skimpy leading to minor worries about shock resistance). While the 17 series was great value for money – and cost very little money – the 27.01 is pricey in comparison. It’s priced substantially higher, at about US$4,000, which is still reasonable value, but less easily compelling than the 17 series. An exercise in reductivism While the 27.01 retains the same 38 mm case diameter as the 17.01, its height of just 6.9 mm 27.01 makes it the slimmest Ming watch to date. Because of its svelte dimensions, the ca...

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Sinn Introduces the U50 Dive Watch SJX Watches
Sinn Introduces Apr 29, 2020

Sinn Introduces the U50 Dive Watch

Sinn‘s signature dive watch is the near-indestructible U1 that’s a large 44 mm in diameter. Now Sinn has unveiled the mid-sized version of the same, the U50, which offers all of the goodness of its bigger brother but in a 41 mm case. Initial thoughts I am a fan of the original U1 because it is seriously minded in its functionality, encompassing design, material, and testing. And it is affordable, making it great value for money. The new U50 has almost all of the same features and similar pricing, so it is hard not to like it. But one caveat: though the U1 is a largish 44 mm, it never really felt that large, perhaps because of the short lugs and wide bezel (thus a small dial). So while the U50 may fit better on some wrists, it might look smaller than its 41 mm diameter suggests. U50 at 41 mm (left), and U1 at 44 mm Super steel Like the U1, the new U50 has a case made of submarine steel, the same alloy used for the German navy’s submarines. Highly resistant to seawater corrosion and also especially nonmagnetic, the steel alloy comes from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, a builder of naval vessels, and is the same material used for the hull of the stealthy U212 class of submarines. It’s rated to 500 m – hence the U50 moniker – and powered by the no-nonsense Sellita SW300-1, a clone of the ETA 2892. That’s less than the 1000 m of the U1, but 500 m is still plenty – and about the same depth rating as most navy submarines. And if the submarine steel alloy alone wasn...

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Bulgari Introduces the Bulgari Bulgari Cities Special Edition SJX Watches
Bulgari Introduces Apr 29, 2020

Bulgari Introduces the Bulgari Bulgari Cities Special Edition

While Bulgari is probably best known for the ultra-thin Octo Finissimo and serpent-inspired, jewelled timepieces, one of its earliest wristwatch icons – and one with a broader appeal – is the Bulgari Bulgari, which happens to have been designed by Gerald Genta. And the new Bulgari Bulgari Cities Special Edition 2020 – each accompanied by a set of prints – actually harks back to the origins of the design, which was conceived as an entry-level watch. Introduced in 1977, the Bulgari Bulgari was Genta’s adaptation of the Bulgari Roma, a digital quartz watch that Bulgari gifted its top 100 clients in 1975. Engraved with “BVLGARI” and “ROMA” on its bezel, the watch borrowed from ancient Roman coins with the reigning Emperor’s name inscribed on the circumference. Genta transformed the dinky gift into the Bulgari Bulgari, which has since become one of the jeweller’s trademark watches. The Bulgari Bulgari of 1977 (left), and the dinky digital watch of 1975. Photo – Bulgari Initial thoughts The new Cities Edition takes inspiration from a limited run of watches with black-plastic cases in the early 1990s. Though small, those were good-looking watches, because they combined the classic Bulgari Bulgari style with a stark black-and-gold livery. But the cases were plastic and the watches felt cheap – though to be fair they were cheaply, and fairly, priced. Now Bulgari has translated the same look into a larger, upgraded watch with a steel case and in-house mo...

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7 highlights from the Vacheron Constantin 2020 collection Time+Tide
Vacheron Constantin 2020 collection Vacheron Constantin Apr 24, 2020

7 highlights from the Vacheron Constantin 2020 collection

Vacheron Constantin are a member of the horological holy trinity for very good reason. When it comes to technical innovation and craftsmanship, they are close to peerless in their capacity to not only create some of the most complex and interesting movements ever, but execute the design in an extremely well-thought-out wristwatch. They won the … ContinuedThe post 7 highlights from the Vacheron Constantin 2020 collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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G-Shock Introduces the Full Metal ‘Grid’ SJX Watches
Casio s best selling G-Shock Apr 16, 2020

G-Shock Introduces the Full Metal ‘Grid’

Casio’s best selling G-Shock Full Metal – essentially the original G-Shock design of 1983 executed entirely in steel (or titanium) – is now available in yet another iteration. The G-Shock Full Metal ‘Grid’ (ref. GMW-B5000CS) is covered in a square-lattice motif that represents the “time tunnel that connects the past with the future”, a nod to the vintage inspiration of the Full Metal model. The case and bracelet are stainless steel that’s first finished with a black ion plating, and then laser engraved with the grid pattern, bringing to mind the laser-engraved pixel pattern on last year’s camouflage model. The laser not only light etches the surface, but also removes the black coating, revealing the steel substrate beneath. Both the case and bracelet are covered in the etched grid, with the motif continuing onto the crystal as a printed pattern, Aesthetics aside, the Full Metal ‘Grid’ is identical to the standard steel model. The case is the same size as well as weight, and contains the same electronic module that has the usual functions as well as smartphone connectivity via Bluetooth. It’s solar powered and charged via solar cells on the face; at full charge it’ll run almost two years with the power-saving function turned on. The screw-down case back also features the laser-engraved motif The Grid is priced at US$800, which is a step up compared to the US$550 for the entry-level black-coated model. That’s because it’s a limited-production s...

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Ikepod Introduces the Megapod Automatic SJX Watches
Mar 20, 2020

Ikepod Introduces the Megapod Automatic

After the successful launch of its debut line of quartz watches in 2018, the resurrected Ikepod has now unveiled the Megapod, a remake of the quintessential Ikepod design, but now with an automatic movement. As with its earlier quartz offerings, the Megapod is an affordable, crowdfunded project. Originally founded by Swiss businessman Oliver Ike and legendary industrial designer Marc Newson in 1994, Ikepod gained a cult following for its incredibly distinctive, organic-UFO design. But hindered by high prices and artsy marketing, the brand’s watches never really sold widely, leading it to struggle financially. Ikepod folded in 2006, before being revived shortly after and then going under again in 2012, when Mr Newson finally parted ways with the brand. The Megapod M001 with a blue, sunray-brushed dial In contrast, today’s Ikepod is all about the same signature aesthetic, but matched with affordability. Led by a three-man investor group that includes Christian-Louis Col, an old hand in the luxury goods business who was most recently sales director at glassmaker Lalique. Recognising that the main draw of Ikepod’s watches lay in the inimitable design, and not finishing or movements, the brand now relies on low-cost production: it assembles the watches in Hong Kong, using dials and hands from Taiwan and cases made in China. As with the initial quartz-powered models, the Megapod has a stainless-steel case in the original Ikepod shape. It is a tad larger than the quartz mo...

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Cartier Introduces the Santos-Dumont XL Hand-Wound (with Live Photos) SJX Watches
Cartier Introduces Mar 19, 2020

Cartier Introduces the Santos-Dumont XL Hand-Wound (with Live Photos)

Conceived by Louis Cartier for Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont – who needed a timepiece he could read while flying – the Santos-Dumont wristwatch has the double distinction of being the first wristwatch designed from the ground up for men, as well as being the first-ever pilot’s wristwatch. Now the 116-year old design has just received its latest update with the unveiling of the hand-wound Santos-Dumont XL. [Update March 23, 2020: Read the review with more photos.] Though the Brazilian pilot got his wristwatch in 1904, it took until 1911 for the design to be sold commercially. For most of the century since, the Santos-Dumont has been part of the Cartier line-up in one way or another, often in gold but occasionally in platinum (one outlier was a special edition in titanium with a skeleton movement). The most recent facelift happened in 2005, which saw the unveiling of a version without a bezel. The new Santos-Dumont XL in all three versions Last year, the latest generation of the Santos-Dumont was unveiled, marking a return to the iconic Santos bezel with screws. For the first time ever, the Santos-Dumont was available in steel as well as two-tone steel and gold, along with the traditional all-gold case. However, the new Santos-Dumont didn’t quite receive unanimous acclaim because it was quartz movement. But now Cartier has finally unveiled what was long expected, the mechanical Santos-Dumont XL. Measuring 46.6 by 33.9 mm and just 7.5 mm in height...

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