RECOMMENDED READING: Can’t stomach a smart watch? How about a smart strap

Smart watches are here to stay. But that doesn’t mean we have to be OK with it in a mechanical watch-fancying world. But it’s hard to deny that self-quantification and easy, breezy notifications on the wrist address certain functionality that the Submariner and its ilk struggle with.  Never fear, Sony has a solution. The Wena strap, which can fit a conventional 18mm, 20mm or 22mm watch, is water resistant to 50 metres, and offers some tracking, notification and NFC functionality. All that is good. More importantly, it doesn’t look too much like a smart strap. This is very good.  Read more about it over at Wired UK. 

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7 years ago

Looking for a great first watch? The Nomos Club Campus could be just the ticket

Editor’s note: Nomos is a habitual entrant on our ‘best in budget’ lists, and there’s a very good reason for that. Strong looks, great style and serious credibility all add up to a package that punches hard for its price tag. Case in point, the Nomos Club Campus, which was released at Baselworld a few seasons ago …  If you’re an avid follower of our Instagram stories, you might have overheard my candid thoughts on the new entry-level Nomos as we captured some scenic pre-Basel scene-setting. As Andrew live-panned a view of the Rhine, I could be heard distinctly in the background saying, “Ooh, new Nomos … huh, not sure about that.” The reason for my reticence (I’m typically effervescent about my favourite German watch brand) was the dial, particularly those two Roman numerals on the bottom half. First, some background on the Club. This round, slightly less classical Nomos has been a stalwart of their line-up for years. It’s always been billed as a watch for younger people, or your first ‘good’ watch. The Club Campus is, in many ways, the extension of this concept. The proposition of the Campus is that it’s explicitly aimed at students, whether as…

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7 years ago

Heritage perfection, the Montblanc Heritage Pulsograph

Editor’s note: To paraphrase Sandra’s excellent review of the Montblanc Heritage Pulsograph — the brand nailed it. Case, movement, dial and all the details are what we want from a heritage style piece in 2019. Pro – it’s expected to be hitting the market quite soon. Con – it’s limited to 100 pieces globally.  When Montblanc gave us a privileged preview of its new Heritage collection in Miami back in October, our gut told us that they had a winner in the salmon-dialled Heritage Pulsograph. Forward three months to SIHH: 36 exhibiting brands and I-don’t-know-how-many-hundreds of new watches later, our opinion is, if anything, stronger than ever. With the Heritage Pulsograph’s immaculately judged balance of good looks, technical content, quality of execution and price, Montblanc has hit the nail on the head. First, let’s talk aesthetics: vintage-inspired watches have been a thing for some years now – and thanks to its head of watches, Davide Cerrato, Montblanc is a shining example of how to do it right. (Cerrato has previous form, as you may know, having harnessed Tudor’s archives to transform it from also-ran to super-cool brand half a decade ago.) At Montblanc, he has the rich archives of Minerva to…

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7 years ago

Hands-on – The Redesigned MeisterSinger Pangaea Day-Date

MeisterSinger stands out from the crowded watch scene with its unique identity. Before the invention of the minute hand, early mechanical clocks showed only hours… And just like these, the German brand produces single-hand mechanical timepieces. The latest watch in the collection sticks to this “mono-aiguille” display and adds some useful calendar indications. Meet the […]

7 years ago

Value Proposition – Vario Empire Automatic – Art Deco Inspiration and an Affordable Price

Ivan Chua, a Singapore-based designer has launched his second watch collection via crowdfunding. It follows his Retro Eclipse collection from 2017. That watch series had a simple, elegant dress aesthetic with inspiration from Chinese mythology (featuring an etching of the Heavenly Hound that devours the Moon on the caseback). The new Empire series goes in […]

7 years ago

Introducing – Zenith El Primero A384 Revival – The Final Piece in the El Primero 50-Years Revival Series (Live Pics)

This year, as you’ve probably noticed, is the 50th anniversary of two important milestones for the watchmaking industry. On one side is the Moon-Landing. More important for today’s topic, 1969 marked the introduction of the Zenith El Primero, part of the first automatic chronographs launched on the market. In order to celebrate 50-years of this iconic movement, Zenith has already released several great pieces, all based on the reference A386 – in steel as part of a special revival box, or in gold with 3 limited edition watches. Today, it is another of the inaugural 1969 El Primero watches that will be re-issued, the reference A384 – and its availability will make quite some enthusiasts happy.

7 years ago