Watch Dandy

Introducing: The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Bamford Limited Edition

Sandblasted and serious.

Introducing – Maurice Lacroix Aikon Label Noir, Ready for Black Friday

The Aikon gets a sleek dark makeover by Geneva-based watch customiser Label Noir. As Maurice Lacroix’ affordable take on the luxury sports watch since 2016, the Aikon is a dynamic collection in constant expansion. Limited to 50 pieces, the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Label Noir Automatic Limited Edition will be available today – Black Friday – […]

HANDS-ON: The Longines Legend Diver Bronze makes warm metals cool again

The Longines Legend Diver Bronze is a pitch-perfect, vintage-style diver. Yet somehow it’s failed to get the attention it deserves due, in part, because understatement is the name of its game. While the Rado Captain Cook turns heads with its lush colourways and the Oris Divers Sixty-Five makes noise with its ever-changing iterations, this bronze diver plays things down and allows its impressive looks to slowly take hold of your psyche. By the time you finally notice it, well, it’s already too late. You’re completely under its spell. First impressions If you are intrigued by the charm of bronze, but have been put off by the narrow choice of monstrous tool watches and colourful skin divers, this might be your ticket into the world of patina. The revitalised Longines Legend Diver offers a more formal approach to the vintage diver game, and brings a suited-up vibe to the game, more evocative of marine chronometers than scuba gear and speedboats. The case for bronze Longines have delivered a strong year achieving the balancing act of heritage with modernism better than most. The softly spoken Legend Diver is a superb example of the former. It plays with the early ’60s language of…

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FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Why collaboration is King, to the Moon and back, and the purity of the Portugieser

The human race has evolved to the point it has, not thanks to strength, or speed, or even intelligence. The human race is where it is because of our ability to collaborate and work together. Any chimpanzee would easily physically overpower a human, but they cannot collaborate with groups of more than 150, while humans can form nation states with millions of strangers and effectively work towards a common goal. In 2020, this need for collaboration has only become more evident as a requirement to succeed in anything, be it vaccine research and development or economic recovery packages. Collaboration is critical in the watch industry, too, with watchmakers across Switzerland producing components for a single timepiece for hundreds of years. This spirit of collaboration has exploded in 2020, with more and more brands working together, and it has produced some of the most interesting and creative watches we’ve seen in a while. We saw Moser and MB&F join forces and this week TAG Heuer announced their latest project with the Bamford Watch Department. Redbar have also painted the town burgundy recently with Rado that we’ll have more information on in the coming days. Next week we are eagerly anticipating another project…

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Introducing – From an Akula Submarine to the Wrist, the Raketa Leopard 24

The economic dimension of the world’s political division during the Cold War was paramount. Producing precise and reliable watches was essential, and just like other strategic industrial activities, the Soviet government supported Russian watch manufacturers such as Raketa, Poljot, Slava or Vostok. Naturally, Soviets also needed to produce their own tool watches. Among these were […]

HANDS-ON: The Omega Speedmaster ‘Silver Snoopy Award’ 50th Anniversary will spark joy in even the coldest heart

The Omega Speedmaster is one of the most celebrated watches of the last half-century, in part because of the countless different versions the brand has released. But in a world where a limited-edition Speedmaster isn’t a new thing anymore, is the watch community still interested in another new release? This watch has put it beyond any doubt. Absolutely, yes, they are. People can’t get enough of the latest Snoopy Speedy, with waitlists stretching around the figurative block as people line up to strap one to their wrist. But what makes the latest Omega Speedmaster ‘Silver Snoopy Award’ 50th Anniversary so exciting? Let’s take a closer look. Most people will know the Omega Speedmaster was worn by NASA astronauts during the space race in the late 1960s, and even worn on the moon itself. This lunar heritage kickstarted the Speedmaster stampede with thousands of collectors around the world. What is less well known is how the watch saved the lives of astronauts during the near disastrous Apollo 13 mission in 1970. After an oxygen tank exploded, crippling the Service Module, John L. “Jack” Swigert relied upon the Speedmaster’s chronograph function to time a critical 14-second rocket burn that enabled him to…

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Introducing – Hanhart Pioneer Mk II 80 Jahre Jubilaeum

When it comes to historical pilot chronographs, the name Hanhart can’t be overlooked. The brand was one of the first to issue pilot chronographs to the German Armed Forces. Known as Flieger watches, these chronographs were utilitarian wrist instruments for pilots. Relatively discreet and down to earth (one of the reasons why we like them), […]

Introducing – Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter (Live Pics & Price)

For the first time in his celebrated career, master watchmaker Vianney Halter designs a watch for the general public; Louis Erard’s successful Régulateur watch is the conduit. The result is a fascinating creation blending Vianney Halter’s unique style in a round, 42mm steel case with an outsourced movement that will retail for CHF 3,500. Let’s […]

Complexity made simple with the IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 Boutique Edition

IWC Portugieser 2020 Collection Just as IWC overhauled their Pilot’s collection in 2019, this year is all about the Portugieser collection for the Schaffhausen-based brand. While there are more than a dozen new references within the 2020 lineup, there’s one particular piece that not only captures the new direction of the collection but also encapsulates what IWC does so well as a watchmaker. We’re talking, of course, about the IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 Boutique Edition, a watch that is both thoughtfully designed and offers a nod to the game-changing work that Kurt Klaus did on perpetual calendar calibers at IWC in the 1980s. This latest expression of the calendar watch features a 42mm case made from 5N gold, which is as warmly toned as it is resistant to wear. The attractive looks are supplemented with the reassuring physical heft of strapping a large gold watch onto your wrist. Despite the head-scratching complexity of the Caliber 82650 powering this watch, the case sits a hair under 14mm off your wrist, which is comfortable and balanced. Another engineering feat that IWC has achieved is that the entire calendar can be set via the crown instead of by the recessed pushers often found on the cases…

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