VIDEO: The wearer-friendly Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet 8 Jours
On the face of it, Blancpain’s elegant Villeret Quantième Complet 8 Jours — or, if you don’t parlez vous, Complete Calendar 8 Days — is exactly the sort of thing you’d expect from the dressier family of one of Switzerland’s old marques. But once you get past the numerous traditional points — the day/month apertures, the smiling moon, that idiosyncratic waving pointer date and double-stepped case — you’ll find a watch that’s much more modern than it first appears. The great thing about this Blancpain is that the innovations are very under-the-radar, and made with the wearer in mind. The calendar complications are all adjusted via ingenious under-lug correctors, which can be manipulated with your fingernail. This means you don’t need to worry about unsightly micro-adjusters on the otherwise smooth profile, or indeed losing the special tool needed to adjust them. Additionally, the calendar complications are secured, which is quite a big deal, as with many more complex calendar watches, if you manually adjust the functions when they are in the process of changing (typically around midnight), you risk doing serious damage. That Blancpain has circumvented this issue is smart, and just the sort of not-so-flashy watchmaking that shows they have…
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To say there was quite a bit of controversy when Rolex unveiled the two-tone Sea-Dweller ref. 126603 at this year’s Baselworld is, at the very least, an understatement. In fact, there was nothing short of a litany of disparaging comments, which varied greatly in context, and ranged from questioning the two-tone Sea Dweller’s validity as a proper dive watch, to whether or not Rolex had completely taken leave of their senses. Keyboard warriors and vocal detractors aside though, and more than six months on from the notorious reveal, has the Rolex Sea-Dweller been an unmitigated failure, devoid of appreciation or desirability? Of course not … in fact, rather unsurprisingly, Rolex has got another hit on their hands, with the figurative queue for the new TTSD at most authorised dealers stretching well into 2020. And putting aside all the nonsense about “it’s not a real diver’s watch!”, it’s pretty easy to understand why it has quickly garnered a popular following. For a start, the Sea-Dweller’s hefty 43mm case size, for some, makes it a much more compelling proposition compared to the daintier proportions of its smaller sibling, the Submariner. And previously, if you wanted a two-tone steel and yellow gold dive…
Editor’s note: OK, I’m not sure how many sides of the moon actually exist but, according to Omega and their collection of “… Side Of The Moon” special edition Speedmasters, it’s several. And while all the iterations of these Speedmasters are very fetching-looking timepieces, this example, the Omega Co‑Axial Master Chronometer Moonphase Chronograph — Blue Side Of The Moon, has got to be in the discussion as one of the best models so far. For a start, and unlike other models in the range, it’s equipped with Omega’s staggering Calibre 9904, which offers a great deal of features including METAS-approved Master Chronometer Certification, magnetic resistance rated up to 15,000 gauss, chronograph complication, date complication, moonphase complication and 60 hours of power reserve. What’s more, the 44.25mm case is hewn from blue ceramic and also utilises Omega’s Liquidmetal bezel, which benefits from a traditional tachymeter display. And the Blue Side Of The Moon sports sapphire crystal on both the front and back of the case, which is then treated to an anti-reflective coating. It’s a truly impressive timepiece that offers a hell of a lot for its $18,000 price tag, and our man Felix Scholz was lucky enough to go hands-on with…
The Fifty Fathoms is a stalwart of the dive watch, dating back to 1953. And, as you might expect, the watch has seen a few revisions over the years, including ones like this, that stretch the boundaries of a rough-and-ready tool watch. Because a 45mm fully gold dive watch is a heck of a flex. On its own the red gold case would be attention-grabbing enough, but add the gorgeous blue ceramic dial and the Fifty Fathoms’ typical glossy sapphire bezel insert and you’ve got a watch that makes a very splashy statement. It’s also serious watchmaking, with an exceptional automatic ticking away inside that hefty case. And while purists can stick to the steel, I think there’s something fun — and undeniably luxurious — about turning the paradigm of utilitarian objects on their head, with the help of some precious metal. Blancpain Fifty Fathoms in red gold and blue ceramic dial price Blancpain Fifty Fathoms in red gold and blue ceramic, $47,050 AUD Made in partnership with Blancpain. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.