LIST: 3 cork-poppingly excellent new champagne dials
Not to get too metaphysical with you on a Saturday morning, but does three watches count as a list? Honestly, I’m not sure, and the truth is I couldn’t find too many more ‘true’ champagne dials that were released in 2018. Silver, and other variations thereof, sure. And there’s even one or two I can think of that aren’t *technically* public yet, but proper, cork-popping champagne? Not so many. Why is that so? Perhaps it’s because champagne is an acquired and, dare I say, sophisticated taste. Anyway, here’s the three different flavours of Champagne. Tudor Black Bay S&G Champagne A dial variant of last year’s two-tone number, this version swaps out pedestrian black for fantastic champagne! Though if we’re really honest, it looks, well, gold. Ah, well. Montblanc 1858 Automatic Montblanc’s dials have rocketed to the next level in 2018, with this smoky, gradated champagne number being a case in point. And while it’s offered on the chronograph versions too, this simple 1858 Automatic is our personal pick. Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGA373 It should surprise precisely no one that Grand Seiko is on this list. Those who know, know their champagne dials are amongst their finest (and most understated)…
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The story in a second: A funky and practical Hublot packed with style and substance. Launched early last year in Geneva, the Big Bang Unico GMT — which technically is a dual time zone watch and not a true GMT, as there’s no hand running on a 24-hour scale — is the first arrival in the Big Bang family with a multiple time zone indication, powered by a then new in-house caliber with a few tricks up its sleeve. Offered in King Gold, carbon, and titanium casing options, we were instantly drawn to the relatively understated appearance of the titanium model. Practical and understated aren’t often words that come to mind when the name Hublot is part of the conversation (case in point, the recently launched Unico Red Magic chronograph), giving us further grounds to dive into the new piece to see if it has the chops to convert some of those less keen on the perpetually polarising brand. The case Being part of the Big Bang line, the case of the Unico GMT Titanium is business as usual for the most part. A mix of polished and brushed finishing (though Hublot refers to it as “satin” finishing), blue and…
Editor’s Note: It’s easy (too easy, really) to pigeonhole a brand, often unfairly. For me, my first association with Breguet was all fluted cases, engine-turned dials and precious metal cases. To be fair, the brand does all those things exceptionally well, but you know what else they do pretty darned well? Steel sports watches, like this Type XXI 3817 … Turns out that Breguet, not content with nailing the brief when it comes to dress watches and innovating left, right and centre are also quite the dab hand when it comes to pilot’s watches. And they’re no Johnny-come-latelies at the genre, either. In fact, in the early 20th century, Abraham-Louis Breguet’s grandson — Louis Charles Breguet — made planes under the name of Breguet Aviation. There is no connection, however, between Louis Charles’ aeronautical business and the Type 20 chronograph that inspired the Type XXI 3817 that we’re looking at today. It’s important to note that Type 20 and 21 chronographs used by the French Air Force in the early ’50s were made by a variety of suppliers. A group of six brands produced them according to a set of minimum requirements covering off form and function, with key features being the flyback chronograph, rotating 12-hour bezel and some fairly rigorous accuracy…