Watch brandsWatch wikiWatch videosVariousWatch calendarSaved articles
PopularRolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetTudorGrand SeikoCartierSeikoIWCTAG HeuerBreitlingJaeger-LeCoultreA. Lange & SohneZenith

WatchAdvice · Page 9

Bell & Ross 
BR 03-92 Ceramic Heritage Review WatchAdvice
Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Ceramic Heritage Jul 17, 2019

Bell & Ross 
BR 03-92 Ceramic Heritage Review

Founded in 1992 as a university project, Bell & Ross was formed by two friends; Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo. These two young entrepreneurs had a joint vision of creating a watch that embodied the idea of combining functionality and robustness into one timepiece. When the manufacturing for Bell & Ross watches started, they had to get them made by a third-party manufacturer in Germany by who we know today as SINN. As the first models of Bell & Ross watches were released, they came with the inscription “by SINN” on the dial. SINN’s partnership with Bell & Ross lasted until 2002, when Bell & Ross were able to acquire their own manufacturing plant in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. After the acquisition of the manufacturing plant is when Bell & Ross wanted to expand their range of watch models and create a timepiece that carried their ideologies while keeping the aesthetics of the watch as simple as possible. To do this, they looked towards the military forces, diving commandos and air-forces to draw inspiration from.  Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo knew that the military forces and their counterparts used instruments that have easy readability while having toughness to endure the rough situations. This was the inspiration behind the first model the BR – 01 and also the start of their most iconic BR Instrument range, released in 2005. This watch became one of the most recognisable timepieces in the the watch industry and gave the brand the international exposu...

Tudor Black Bay GMT 79830RB Review WatchAdvice
Tudor Black Bay GMT 79830RB Jul 10, 2019

Tudor Black Bay GMT 79830RB Review

Introduced in Baselworld 2018, the Black Bay GMT is a new classic and bold timepiece by Tudor. This model is Tudor’s answer to GMT watches for world travellers. The Black Bay GMT owes its heritage to the Black Bay Divers watches of the 1950s. In 1954, Tudor released the first reference 7922. This was the first divers watch in the long line of legible, robust and ergonomic divers watches released by Tudor.  It was the famous American Architect Louis Sullivan that said that “according to whom, the form of an object must follow its function”. The early Tudor diver models perfectly resembled this saying as they laid down the foundations of aesthetic and technical watches that are ideal for divers. Since the first launch of the reference 7922, Tudor’s diver watches have had a constant improvement for sixty years. Each new model that was released by the brand would see unanimous recognition from professionals, such as some of the greatest military navies in the world.   The GMT function in the Tudor Black Bay GMT establishes local time without losing track of time in other time zones. The additional time zone is indicated by the red angular “snowflake” hand as described by Tudor. The characteristic snowflake hand is also used for the hour and constant second hand. This snowflake design first appeared in Tudor’s catalogue in 1969, which shows that although modernising the watch, Tudor still sticks to their heritage.  The bi-directional rotatable bezel on the Tudo...

Rolex Submariner Date 116610LV Review WatchAdvice
Rolex Submariner Date 116610LV Review Jun 25, 2019

Rolex Submariner Date 116610LV Review

Everyday divers’ watch from Rolex The Submariner is a quintessential divers watch produced by Rolex.  The Submariner model represents a historic turning point in diving watches. When the Submariner was released in 1953, it was the first divers watch that had a waterproofness to 100 metres. This combined with the breakthrough Rolex had with its revolutionary Oyster bracelet design in 1926 represented the two significant turning points in the diving watch history.  Rolex had created the Submariner with a specific goal in mind, to be used for underwater exploration and diving. Not only had Rolex met this goal, they also paved the way for how diving watches should be made. When the Submariner was released, it was given to many deep-sea professionals to be worn and tested during their diving exploration missions. Dimitri Rebikoff (a well-known French Engineer recognised for his work involved in underwater photography) loved the watch so much that he stated “it not only held its own when tested in extreme diving conditions but also proved itself to be a vital equipment to a diver’s arsenal”. Over the years, the Submariner has become a modern icon in Rolex’s professional  collection. The Submariner is so popular that it can be found on the wrists of people from many different professions. This particular model is also known  as the ‘Hulk’ due to its beautiful green sunburst dial and bezel.  The dial is not just a standard green finish either. The sunburst dial...

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116500 Review WatchAdvice
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116500 Review Jun 24, 2019

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116500 Review

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 ...

Breitling Navitimer 01 – 43mm Edition Review WatchAdvice
Breitling Navitimer 01 – 43mm Jun 23, 2019

Breitling Navitimer 01 – 43mm Edition Review

“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...

Rolex Sky-Dweller 326934 Review WatchAdvice
Rolex Sky-Dweller 326934 Review One Jun 23, 2019

Rolex Sky-Dweller 326934 Review

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 ...

Rolex GMT-Master II – 116710 BLNR Review WatchAdvice
Rolex GMT-Master II – 116710 Jun 22, 2019

Rolex GMT-Master II – 116710 BLNR Review

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...