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Zenith Defy Inventor Review

Zenith Defy Inventor Review Zenith’s Oct 21, 2019

Zenith Defy Inventor Review

Zenith’s reputation for developing groundbreaking technology and movements in their watches have once again been redeemed with the release of the Zenith Defy Inventor. Back in 1969, Zenith first released the El Primero self-winding chronograph movement. To this day after slight tweaks, it is still being used in their El Primero line of watches. The El Primero movement is regarded as one of the finest movements in the watchmaking industry, succeeding in having a high frequency while putting out a power reserve of approximately 50 hours. In 2017, Zenith once again manufactured a timepiece that would be revolutionary for not only the brand but the watch industry as a whole. The Defy Lab contains what Zenith claims as the world’s most accurate mechanical movement. Operating at 15Hz, the movement in the Defy Lab is much faster than most mechanical watches in the industry, including the brands very own El Primero movement, which operates at roughly 5Hz. What made the Defy Lab so special was the proprietary “Zenith Oscillator” developed Guy Semon from LMVH. The Zenith Oscillator in a nutshell, takes into consideration real-world scenarios, which includes environmental and temperature changes, vibration and also shocks. The Zenith Defy Lab, however, was limited to a run of 10 “piece unique” watches, which meant that the general public would find it hard to acquire these impressive timepieces. Fast forward to Baselworld 2019, where Zenith released the Defy Invento...

Casio G-Shock GMW B5000GD-1 Review

Casio G-Shock GMW B5000GD-1 Review Oct 11, 2019

Casio G-Shock GMW B5000GD-1 Review

Casio’s G-Shock (gravitational shock) watches have earnt a reputation for being one of the most robust and durable watches available on the market today. The concept of the sturdy G-Shock goes back to 1981, where a Casio Engineer named Kikuo Ibe was in charge of designing the G-shock prototypes. Kikuo Ibe wanted a watch that would have water-resistance of 10 bar (100 meters), triple 10 resistance (10-year battery life) and to be able to survive a 10 feet fall. Kikuo Ibe put together a team of 3 individuals to test 200 different prototypes, to be able to meet all three criteria as set out by the engineer. Unfortunately, the team after vigorous testing were not able to meet these requirements. The idea for the final design of the G-shock watch came when Kikuo Ibe observed a rubber ball in motion. He discovered that in a rubber ball, its centre is unaffected when the ball is moving and doesn’t suffer any shocks when it’s bouncing. Kikuo Ibe implemented this idea and was finally able to achieve all three criteria in the first G-shock model released in 1983; The G-shock DW5000C. There have been many different designs of G-shock watches over the years with nearly all of them sharing the core principles that originated from the very first model; toughness, durability and reliability. In 2018, Casio released a set of GMW-B5000 watches which came with a solid stainless steel face and bracelet or rubber strap to suit. The GMW-B5000 models have the iconic square face desi...

Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Review

Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Sep 19, 2019

Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Review

Late 2018 saw Breitling update their range with the release of new models. The arrival of Georges Kern as the CEO of Breitling gave the brand a revived outlook. He is focusing on meeting the expectations of the brand’s two primary consumers. The customers who prefer masculine and technology inspired watches and customers that prefer Breitling’s extended history and their vintage designs. The Breitling Premier collection released in 2018 as part of Georges Kern’s product portfolio falls into the revamped vintage category. The outcome is that the brand delivers timepieces that combine purpose, style, quality while keeping to a timeless design. As quoted by Georges Kern, the Premier Collection is “the first modern Breitling collection dedicated to everyday elegance. With outstanding quality and performance, these watches bear our unmistakable brand DNA, but has been created with a focus on style that beautifully complements their purpose“. The Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 is certainly a watch that stands true to this statement. The Premier B01 Chronograph 42 is a modern take on the vintage piece released initially in the 1940’s; the Breitling Premier Chronograph reference 790. Back when the Breitling Premier Chronograph reference 790 was released, several countries worldwide were involved in World War II. During this period in history, people would look to the golden age of cinema and other forms of entertainment to escape from the realities of World ...

Bremont S300 review

Bremont S300 review I’ve been Aug 27, 2019

Bremont S300 review

I’ve been following British watch brand Bremont for five or six years now, and have been a fan of their work for various reasons. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of attending their annual ‘Townhouse’ event in London, where they released the bulk of their new models. Overall the range for 2019 was quite strong, and their military-inspired collection was impressive – mainly because it was produced under a partnership with the British Military of Defense (MoD). This agreement allows Bremont to legitimately feature the signs, symbols and Heraldic badges of the MoD. Bremont are also the only luxury watch-maker with such permission, and we can only imagine the intricacies involved in securing such a partnership with the MoD. Today’s review is not that collection, and rather an update to the brands popular Supermarine collection. Specifically, the S300, which was released with a white dial after previously only being available with a black or blue dial. Not long after the S300 hit our shores, I was given the opportunity to spend a couple of weeks with one on loan, which was a great amount of time to get to know this watch and Bremont. The first thing that caught me was the refreshing white dial. It felt summery and worked really nicely with the accompanying polished blue bezel, which is unidirectional. The large Super-LumiNova filled hands make legibility a breeze, and are helped by the anti-reflective sapphire crystal, which has a nice dome to it. I noticed this ...

Rolex GMT-Master II Batman 126710BLNR Review

Rolex GMT-Master II Batman 126710BLNR Aug 13, 2019

Rolex GMT-Master II Batman 126710BLNR Review

Today we’re taking an in-depth look at the 2019 Rolex GMT-Master II Batman 126710BLNR. Released earlier this year at Baselworld as part of the brand’s 2019 collection, the ‘new’ BLNR featured several updates and replaced the previous reference 116710BLNR, iconically known as ‘the Batman’. This new reference was quickly nicknamed the ‘Batgirl’, a term I don’t particularly like. Names aside, the reference 126710 was an instant hit leveraging its predecessor’s insatiable demand. The result of this incredible demand is very long waitlists – so if you ever get ‘the call’ – I suggest you answer, you won’t regret it! In case you thought Batman was just a DC character, this, Batman has been a highly desirable watch since the reference 116710BLNR was released way back in 2013. But let’s rewind a little further. The evolution of Rolexes iconic GMT-Master II collection has been interesting and potentially underappreciated. In 2005, Rolex debuted their Cerachrom (often referred to as Ceramic), on the Yellow Gold GMT-Master II (black dial, black bezel). Then, in 2007, Rolex released the Steel GMT-Master II reference 116710LN (the ‘Noir’), which featured an all-black cerachrom bezel. The Noir was arguably (or at least by Rolex standards) underrated until it’s discontinuation earlier this year. So, when the steel bi-coloured Batman (reference 116710BLNR) was released in 2013 – it caused a splash of excitement, which is yet to settle. One might ...

Tudor Black Bay Bronze  Blue Bucherer Special Edition Review

Roger Dubuis just Aug 8, 2019

Tudor Black Bay Bronze  Blue Bucherer Special Edition Review

The Black Bay Bronze Blue Bucherer special edition was made specifically by Tudor for the Swiss watch company based in Lucern; Bucherer. Founded in 1888, Bucherer is one of the oldest luxury Swiss watchmakers that is still run to this day by the founding family. Bucherer has up to twenty nine stores throughout Europe, with ten of them being in Switzerland alone. One of the stores located in Paris, is the worlds largest watch and jewellery store. In the lead up to the 130th anniversary for Bucherer, they released a collection with Bucherer’s signature colour, termed “Bucherer Blue”. Along with Tudor, this collection would see collaborations with other major brands such as IWC, Breguet, Oris, Tag Heuer and Roger Dubuis just to name a few. A total of 36 watches has been produced for the Bucherer Blue collection. The Tudor Black Bay Bronze Blue Bucherer special edition is almost identical to the original Heritage Black Bay Bronze aside from the aesthetic appearance between the two models. While the original Tudor Black Bay Bronze had great success with buyers and collectors in general, it offered little to people that wanted more colour depth/contrast on the watch. This is due to the dial on the Black Bay Bronze being matte brown with a brown bezel insert, followed by a bronze casing. While the watch does indeed look great and has its own appeal, the similarities in colour throughout the timepiece didn’t do the watch justice. That is until the Tudor Black Bay Bronz...

Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Review

Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Jul 30, 2019

Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Review

The 21st of July 1969 at 02:56:15 GMT marks a momentous step in world history, as this was when the Astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped off the Apollo 11 Lunar Module “Eagle” to become the first human to stand on another planet. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin accompanied Neil Armstrong in achieving this incredible feat when he also joined his compatriot on the lunar surface. Buzz Aldrin who has been an Omega ambassador since 2009, wore the Omega Speedmaster Professional on the Apollo 11 space mission, which is when it became the first watch to be worn on the moon. The Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary limited edition not only celebrates the historic occasion of celebrating the 50 years since the first Speedmaster on the moon, but is also the first watch in history to use Omega’s new patent-pending alloy; 18k Moonshine Gold. This pioneering new Gold alloy offers a lighter tone than a normal yellow Gold alloy would, while also having a much higher resistance to colour fading. This 18k Moonshine Gold alloy has been used on the dial and the casing which helps accentuate the colour from the darker tones used throughout these parts. The bezel along with the Omega logo, diamond polished indexes and the highlighted 11 on the 11-hour mark are all done in the 18k Moonshine Gold alloy. Omega has cleverly made the 11 o’clock hour marker in Arabic Numeral instead of the beveled indexes as a tribute to the Apollo 11 Lunar module “Eagle”. The hour and minute hands are designed...

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph Review

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph Jul 23, 2019

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph Review

The Omega Speedmaster is one of Omega’s most iconic watches to date. It has a rich history with roots tied to space travel. Not many people may be aware but the speedmaster models that we have come to admire in this day and age weren’t originally thought of as a watch for space travel. When it was first released in 1957, it was portrayed as a sports and racing chronograph watch as Omega were the official timekeeper of the Olympic games. Things changed however, when NASA decided that it wanted to use the Omega Speedmaster for its manned missions into space, while also being included in the Apollo program. So how exactly did Omega’s Speedmaster go from being a watch used to time sporting events, to being the watch Astronauts used for space travel? It all starts with a story about a man named Walter Schirra. Being an aviator and military pilot himself, he was about to embark on the Mercury-Atlas 8 Mission. As a way to possibly mark the momentous occasion, he went watch hunting (as any of us would without a doubt). Omega had established a position for itself and with the release of the eye-catching Speedmaster Chronograph, it would be safe to say that it more than caught Schirra’s attention. This would be the turning point in Speedmaster’s history as from this point forward, it would go onto do numerous space travel missions. The “Professional” name was added to the Speedmaster during the 1964-1965 period. The Speedmaster would further cement its legacy as NA...

Bell & Ross  BR 03-92 Ceramic Heritage Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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