H. Moser & Cie. does it again with the Swiss Icons Watch – Another Irreverent Piece to Draw Attention (UPDATE, Moser retracts this watch)
H. Moser & Cie. does it again with the Swiss Icons Watch…! Yes, it is a mess. Yes, it looks terrible. No, it is not a joke and it does really exist. But indeed, it is again a brave move from the brand. Early 2017, Moser decided to remove the “Swiss Made” inscription from their watches and coincidentally they launched the Swiss Mad Watch (100% Swiss, including the cheese case). Now, the brand again wants to make some noise and to point what they believe to be the watchmaking industry’s main issue; the lack of creativity and the overly-present marketing.
Editor’s note: This week we’ve been all about summer watches, which leads, not surprisingly, into the realm of divers. And while many dive watches tend to be ultra-masculine, even slightly hyperbolic affairs, the Legend Diver from Longines cuts a smoother figure, especially on this mesh bracelet. It’s like an old-school gentleman in a world that seems, at times, to have forgotten its manners. A while ago we had a look at one of the classic watches from Longines’ catalogue, the Legend Diver – a heritage diver inspired by old-school super compressors. The Legend has always been popular amongst watch lovers, and an important precursor to the heritage trend that has slowly grown to become all-encompassing. Turns out that the Legend Diver celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and Longines has celebrated by popping on a new strap option – a heavy and handsome Milanese mesh bracelet. And while the watch itself is unchanged, this woven steel bracelet is a great example of the old-watch-chestnut that changing your strap is the next best thing to getting a new watch. The thick and supple Milanese is a choice that’s entirely appropriate for a diver, but functionally it gives the Legend a far more dressy…
Every November/December, like clockwork, I start pondering what constitutes the perfect summer watch, due in large part to the fact that in these months the mercury begins to rise rapidly. So what makes a summer watch? To be a contender, I think a timepiece must have three essential characteristics: water resistance, weather-suitability and a fun personality. This Halios Seaforth delivers on all fronts. Halios, if you’re not familiar, are a small Canada-based microbrand, who have risen to the top of the multitudinous mass of microbrands through their constantly strong watches, which are well built and — importantly — original when it comes to their design. Last year we looked at the second iteration of the Puck, which to me epitomises Halios’ past — tough, slightly OTT dive watches. The Seaforth, on the other hand, is a far better representation as to where the brand is going — more subdued, versatile, but still solid. The Seaforth is a 41mm steel-cased watch, with 200m of water resistance, a range of dial and bezel options (this option is in unmissable Bahama Yellow, with a GMT bezel), a lovely, domed sapphire crystal and simple-but-striking baton indices and matching hands, filled with C3 SuperLuminova, and outlined…