The backlight has a the auto illumination function

The metal bezel around the dial looks good, and Casio chose a green tinted LCD screen. The solar panel ring sits around the dial. The pushers are all easy to spot and push around the case, and the watch is comfortable to wear on the wrist. The resin strap has two metal plates on it which look nice. Strap is standard resin in green. Putting on the strap is a little tricky given the friction that occurs when the excess strap goes through the loops, but it is not a bit deal. I've mentioned the styling a few times. It isn't radically different than on most Pathfinder watches, but the light color really brings out the detail more. So you can see all the little areas the Casio designers wanted you to notice. If you like the color of the watch, enjoy the features, or are a Casio fan, the Pathfinder PAG110C-3 is a decent addition to your collection. Especially if you find yourself without a proper watch to wear on St. Patrick's day. While not strictly a limited edition, I feel that the watch will have a limited production given that it is as special watch. So don't wait too long to get one. Price is $250 for the watch, and it is exclusively available on Amazon.com.

Amazing what a visual redo can do to one's perception

Amazing what a visual redo can do to one's perception. The light weight Pathfinder watch never looked so fresh. All of its many features right at your finger tips, and the added point that people will notice this item on your wrist much more. When wearing the watch I pretty much think about Star Wars, specially Endor. What better scene than a forest battle for a green colored watch? Tell me that this gadget wouldn't have worked well on the wrists of the Endor Forest Rangers (aka, Endor Rebel Troopers). See the included images and video. This watch would have fit in well, given of course that it existed 30 years ago... Yes, nerdy/geeky it is, but a lot of 'watch love' is about emotion. And if wearing a watch and thinking about a movie series I enjoy makes me happy about wearing the watch - everyone is happy. Size and features of the PAG110C-3 are pretty much standard mid-range Pathfinder specs. Given the "niche" appeal of the green color, Casio didn't want to go out and throw in all the bells & whistles into this watch. As such, there are a few features you might want that are missing in this model, that you will have to finder in other Casio Pathfinder models. One example is being able to sync the watch with the atomic clock nearby via radio signals. The higher-end Pathfinder watches have this. Also, most of the newer Pathfinder models have some "plus" feature. Such as all the standard functions plus a tide chart for example. The Go Green watch has no lack of features, but won't beep happily when it is Earth Day or anything. It has the time, perpetual calendar, world time, alarms, stopwatch, countdown timer, compass, barometer, thermometer, barometer, and solar power generation with battery charge indicator. The backlight has a the auto illumination function as well, which is always cool (you can set the watch to have the backlight activate when you tilt your wrist toward you). So as you can see, each Pathfinder watch is pretty full featured as it is.

Casio Pathfinder PAG110C-3 Go Green Watch Review

Casio is proud of this new mean and green Casio Pathfinder PAG110C-3 watch intent on reminding you that Casio Pathfinder watches are green friendly. In celebration of Earth Day, the watch comes with special recycled packaging, and I first discussed the this Casio Go-Green Pathfinder watch here. That is pretty much it for the special eco-friendly features unique to this watch. Why? Because as far as Casio is concerned, the Pathfinder series is green enough as it is. So I suppose that is a better thing given that many of their watches, not just one, is comparatively eco-friendly. Much of this has to do with the solar (or any light) charging Casio quartz movement in the watch the negates the need for regular battery changes. And as you can imagine, batteries can't really be recycled, so they contribute to waste. So without even really trying, Casio makes a lot of green watches as a side effect of having cool solar powered movements. Less chemical rich batteries in our environment is certainly a good thing, but so are cool watches. For me, the reason this Casio Pathfinder watch stands out is because of the color. It isn't just a green watch, it is a cool green watch. Three shades of green, metal, plastic, and a cool technical look make this Casio watch about as close as an adult can come to playing with a fun toy. Well I suppose any adult can play with toys, but are you gonna do it in public, sans the guise of spending time with kids? In my opinion this colorful creation looks like a prop out of a sci-fi universe that many of us grew up in. Not only does the watch have a neat style, but it does all sorts of cool things (just like in the movie!). Wearing it and using it pretty much make me forget that legions of Pathfinder watches before this did the same thing.

Casio Pathfinder PAW-5000 Watch Review

Casio lovers have been waiting for an analog version of the esteemed Pathfinder watch for years (elsewhere called "ProTrek"). The do anything watch in the Casio family was a bit plagued by nerditis. That is, while the watches are fantastically functional, they ooze a bit of "dork." I am a proud owner of many a Pathfinder watches, and love the looks, feel, and utility they provide - but admit it isn't a watch I'd bring along a wingman on a date. Better for activities, being outdoors, and wanting to survive the perils of nature. Social gatherings demand a bit more tact when it comes to your digital aura. So the clever engineers at Casio devised the PAW-5000. I can't say with absolute certainly that this is the first Pathfinder watch with analog hands, but it is the first that I am aware of. It has all the bell & whistles you expect in these watches, with the addition of analog hangs, and a Casio Tough Movement (Tough Mvt.). So what is a tough movement? It is a special quartz movement that helps keep the hands perfectly aligned after times of physical shock. I first wrote about it here, so click that link to learn more. Pretty much something you need to having with a rugged watch like this. One of the benefits of the movement is that hands are always perfectly aligned (that I have found), which is a big plus for a quartz watch in my book.

I still recommend an all digital Pathfinder watch

For many of the functions you will need to rely on the smaller LCD screen. That will be your go to space for the chronograph, alarms, countdown timer, calendar, readings for the sensors, and other information. For years Casio has learned to skillfully use small LCD screens for such functions. While each is totally useful, I still recommend an all digital Pathfinder watch if you are going to be using these functions extensively. It just makes more sense when you have more LCD screen real estate. But if you are going to be mainly using the watch for time, with the occasional need for the other functions, then this is a solid choice. Being a pathfinder watch, the piece will of course have the requisite "ABC" functions. This is the altimeter, barometer, and compass. This also includes the thermometer as part of the barometer function. Again, this are present and useful as expected, with reliance on the small screen, and some integration of the analog hands. The button layout on the watch is the same you are used to. With three on the right, one on the left, and two on the front of the watch. There is little to no learning curve if you are going to the PAW-5000 watch from any other Pathfinder model.

Casio is smart not to add clutter underneath

As you would expect, the movement is also solar (any light actually) powered ("Tough Solar"), and atomic clock radio controlled. Actually, being an analog watch might be of benefit to power generation. You can see that most of the dial is a photo-receptive solar panel - larger than the smaller ring used in the all digital screen models. Like other high-end pathfinder models, the watch can receive signals from your local atomic clock to sync to the correct time perfectly each day. This is actually one of the most complex functions in these phones, but you can set it to auto receive each night. I recommend looking through the instructions if you wish to fiddle with the "RC" (radio controlled) functions. I have to admit that even though the watch dial is really busy on the PAW-5000 watch, it isn't that tough to read - in fact, I would say it is easy to read. Casio is smart not to add clutter underneath where the hands travel (too much), which greatly assists with legibility. I personally find the hands easy to spot and they have a high contrast with the dial. So legibility is good! Casio took some inspiration from the popularity of the Tissot T-Touch family of watches. Not in the "touch" department, but in using the hands for some of the features. Thus, the orange seconds hand is used a lot in the various functions. It isn't quite as slick as in the T-Touch watches, but the Casio is clearly much less expensive (and will probably last longer). As such, the seconds hand is used as the compass needle in the compass mode, to assist with the barometer reading, to see what timezone you are switching to in the world time function (see the abbreviated reference cities spelled out around the dial), and a few other things. Casio does a good job making you feel that the analog part of the watch plays nicely with the Pathfinder part of the watch.

While you have the time in an analog fashion

The chronograph function is combined with a digital tachymeter in way that I haven't seen before. A tachymeter is used to measure speed traveled, assuming you can measure a pre-defined distance. Say you want to measure the speed of something, and you can gauge when it has traveled exactly one mile. At the starting point of the time you'd start the chronograph, and then stop it when whatever you are measuring travels one mile. Using a few of the screens together, you can read the speed traveled. The watch settings allow you to adjust the unit of measuring (mile, kilometer), and I think the distance traveled as well. It is a fun little toy that will no doubt be useful to a few people. The subsidiary analog hand at the top of the dial is used for this purpose actually. It is used with the digital window to its right to measure speeds up to 1000mph or 1000kph. There is another little window for speeds over 1000! While you have the time in an analog fashion, you also have the ability to have the time digitally in the lower left digital LCD window. This is sometimes easier depending on your preferences - or when reading the time at night. Which brings me to a issue with at least some of the GA100 watches. The analog hands have no lume, but the hour indicators around the dial do have lume. Why this is? I don' t know. There is a backlight in the form of a lower mounted LED light, but when it is turned on in the dark it sort of washes out the LCD screens and makes the hands not super easy to read (especially the red hour hand on this color combo). For me, this means that while it is not impossible to read the GA100 at night, it is not an ideal G-Shock for this purpose. There are others though that excel at night reading.

Casio G-Shock X-Large Combi GA100 Watch Review

When I was visiting with Casio at their rather massive room at Baselworld 2010, it was almost an overwhelming, colorful adventure of Casiotopia. The G-Shock area was probably the most interesting to me because those Japanese designers frequently have something stimulation each year that you don't expect. This year it was a watch with a surprisingly affordable watch. Not like any Casio is unaffordable, but given the rise in quality and prices in Citizen and Seiko, I was expecting some similar high-end stuff from Casio. For me, one of their major 2010 stars was a very inexpensive watch - and I think most people will like it. At just $99 and coming in a range of really fun colors - this Casio GA100 X-Large Combi line of timepieces hits a sweet spot catering both to G-Shock enthusiasts, and people who are often turned off by digital only watches. The GA100 (aka GA-100) collection is not without its quirks, but overall it is a great watch. Casio calls it the "X-Large Combi" because the case is a bit big, and it is a combination of both analog hands and four small LCD screens. This mixture of both elements has been done before, but works in a very stylish and fun manner here. Aside from just the hip, industrial style of the watch, it has some less than common features for Casio timepieces. First is the 1/1000 of a second stopwatch (chronograph) function. When you need such precision, or how reliable your fingers are when it comes to such small variations in time - I don't know. But what I do know is that you have the ability to measure very small differences in time, which makes this a bona fide gadget watch!

Casio Dee & Ricky G-Shock GA110DR-1A Watch

When I first learned about this new Dee & Ricky limited edition G-Shock watches, I was like WTF?! Not that I would wear it, but I can appreciate the culture that created it. The watch design really started in the 1980s, though the designs may not be aware of that. It was the time of Lego and bright colors, and when wearing wild hues was fashionable until the mid 1990s (when thankfully florescent colors went out). The lineage of the style also is related to 8 bit gaming. Nintendo brought bright colors before our eyes on a daily basis in blocky glory. This watch is the summation of an entire pop culture generation. Nerds with focus, geeks with passion. Designers Dee & Ricky are New York born twins who are self taught and highly inspired by their youth. If this watch is at all questionable to you, then simply view the video they made below with direct and video artist Kenzo Digital (which will appeal to all Lego and G-Shock fans). Don't worry, the Casio part of it comes in later in the video - though I promise you, it does. The film is actually called "Super Ultra Kara-Tay" (starring Dee & Ricky). When it comes down to it... these "street fighters" need the power of a mystical watch to beat the bad guy. About as silly as Saturday morning cartoons from 1989, and as fun.

Casio loves hooking up with talent such as this. Urban, relevant, and thought provoking. It isn't as much a way to sell watches, as it is a way to get Casio into pop culture. And in that they have succeeded. The watch seen here (ref. GA110DR-1A) is a version of the new GA110 line of G-Shock watches. I reviewed a cousin model to this, the Casio GA100 here. Ricky & Dee embark on adding their own mixture of colors to the watch - and Casio seems happy to oblige. It is a series of bold, contrasting colors, and it sticks out. A watch for people who want attention - which many do.

Cadence did a good job in choosing the watch strap

Cadence did a good job in choosing the watch strap. It is black with contrast stitching, and has a nice thickness to it. The surface has the look of distressed leather, and the best part is that the strap is very smooth, and very soft. Straps like this need to be changed a bit more frequently that tougher straps, but they are a pleasure to wear and touch. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to make of the Oarsman watch when I fist looked at it. I'd never thought of a rowing watch, and didn't understand the pilot watch connection. However, after a few days of wearing it, the watch really grew on me, and I am now a fan. Not only is the price good, but I love the way the watch looks. There are very few pilot watches with dials that look as interesting, and still simple, and the rowing theme kept creeping back in my mind in a positive way. Cadence feels that the rowing theme has a lot of positive messages about teamwork, dedication, and follow-through. I totally agree, and for those of you who have ever rowed, you will get this. For the rest of us, I think the rowing theme adds a nice icing on the cake, making already decent watch, just a bit more exotic. The watch is deceptively simple, and it is quite satisfying. For the price of $168.95, it is a good deal for a handsome and functional watch, and deserving of the vipwatch-jp.com Good Value Award. Cadence even gives you a 5 year limited warranty.

The hand in the white subdial doubles as the seconds

The hand in the white subdial doubles as the seconds hand for the regular time. But there is a little twist. By pressing the lower chronograph pusher while the chronograph is not operating, you can "turn on or off" or the seconds hand. Meaning it can tick for the seconds or just stay in the top pointing default position. I rather liked that function. Otherwise the chronograph functions as a normal 12 hour chronograph would. There are two other subdials, one for the hours and one for the minutes, and the larger red seconds hand is for the chronograph seconds. The movement also features a date window. You'll notice that the watch looks like an aviator style watch, but is a rowing watch. Frankly, I don't know what a "rowing watch" is meant to look like, so it is just fine with me that Cadence made the Oarsman in the mold of an aviator style watch. The hour markers display the minutes , which is common in come pilot style watches. The print on the dial is white and crisp against the black dial. While there is luminant on the hands of the watch, there is none on the dial itself. For a watch at this price point, the dial is painted nicely. I also like the hands of the watch. They have an excellent ability to standout - which made it easy to tell the time. I would have liked for the hands to be a bit longer though. Also, the hands are stamped from brass.

Cadence Oarsman Aviator Watch Review

One of the best things about what I do is the opportunity to hear from enthusiastic watch companies who want to share knowledge of their watches with me. This has resulted in my learning not only about a dizzying variety of watches, but also a variety of reasons people make watches. We tend to think of watches as satisfying a sole purpose (to tell the time), but in reality a simple wrist watch can do so much more. Of these things I am thinking of one particular metaphysical function - to evoke emotions. That's right. In fact I dare say you've never bought a watch devoid of an emotional reason. You don't just get them for practical purposes like a radio. There is another element. Something about how you feel when wearing or looking at a watch. At one end of the spectrum, this is how ultra luxury watch companies sell any watches - as there are inherently no practical reasons a watch should cost in the several hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here however the focus is on a watch under $200, and I'd like to explore the emotional as well as practical elements that it has. This is the Cadence Oarsman Aviator from an American company located in Philadelphia. Cadence is most known for their rowing watches, and the Oarsman is an extension on this concept. Instead of being one of their digital rowing training watches, the Oarsman has a bit of a different function. It allows you to measure the stroke rate (between 20 and 60 strokes per a minute) of a rowing team or rower that you are watching. Using a Japanese quartz chronograph movement, the seconds subdial has been altered to allow for a proper measurement. The large white subdial measures 1/20 of second intervals and has a cool looking spiral set of numbers from 20 - 60. Using the special rowing rate function is quite easy. You start the chronograph when a rower begins a stroke and you end the chronograph when a lower completes the stoke. Then looking at the red hand on the white subdial, you can see how many stokes per a minute that rower is rowing at.

Cartier Calibre Watch Now With Bracelet

The Cartier Calibre is not only Cartier's new flagship men's watch, but also their new flagship case to to use for high-complication men's watches. The Cartier Calibre model debuted last year, and came only on a strap. The Calibre was further not just a new piece for men, but a decently priced high-end timepiece with an in-house made Cartier automatic movement (the 1904-PS). Mid 2010 I asked Cartier if they offered a metal bracelet, as it seemed logical that they would. The answer at the time was "no," but as of recently the answer is "yes." Here finally, is the lovely Cartier Calibre watch on a metal bracelet. You can say a lot of things about Cartier, but one of those should always be that they put in a lot of effort into the refinement of their watches. The cases are always attractive looking (even if they aren't your style), and they have an impeccable reputation for quality. That is not however always true with their clasps. Because they don't often use locking clasps they can loosen over time and open without you wanting them to open. For this reason I was thrilled to see them use a push-button locking butterfly style deployment for this bracelet. In my opinion the bracelet is a perfect compliment to the design of the Calibre case. I wanted one of these watches before, but now I really want one. The bracelet fits flush with the case and is very nicely integrated into the design. The long links are highly curved, but not as long as the ones on the Cartier Roadster are. The connection between the parts is good, while the bracelet feels to be designed and constructed well. For ergonomics the links are curved to fit over your wrist better. The first major link tapers, while the rest of the bracelet is the same size. I like that they used visible screws to secure the links together. Visible screws have long since been a design element in Cartier men's items.

Cartier Rotonde Astrotourbillon watch

For 2011 Cartier will use the same Astrotourbillon movement and put it in a Calibre case. The Cartier Calibre was released last year as their newest men's watch collection. This year, I suspect the Calibre collection will see new models (such as a Chronograph) and this astrotourbillon version is one of them. This is the same Cartier MC 9451 manually wound movement as in the Rotonde version. The watch case will be 47mm wide in titanium, water resistant to 100 meters, and with a sapphire crystal. Note the large blue sapphire cabochon in the crown. The design of the dial has been done in a very intricate manner as to sustain the look of the basic Calibre dial as well as incorporate the astrotourbillon complication. A stunning piece that, for me, is even more desirable than the original Rotonde Astrotourbillon. The Calibre Astrotourbillon will be limited to just 100 pieces and will be very expensive.

Cartier Calibre Astrotourbillon Watch

Over the last few years my interest and respect for Cartier has really grown. Sure, a lot of their timepieces are mass produced, but they have a penchant for good, lasting design. No doubt I am not a fan of all of their watches, but little escapes from their manufacture without being really good for at least some people. Good design - as I am learning more and more - is not easy. Designing something to look outstanding and really cool for 5 minutes is really not that hard. Executing a design that looks good each time you look at it, for years, isn't so easy. In this department, Cartier has succeeded for a long time. I find myself wondering what their secret is.

Interestingly enough, watches with "good" designs don't affect you right away. You might look at them a bit ambiguously at first. Then, after paying attention to them for a while, the quality of the design grows on you. I have never looked at a Cartier watch once and been like, "Winner!" It takes me a while to appreciate them. Sure enough, though, I have grown to really respect almost each timepiece by Cartier from a design perspective.

Now there are the new super high-end manufacture watches from Cartier. Haute Horology now gets Cartier worthy designs. While these super high-end pieces are not all keepers, there are enough outstanding ones. My favorite from last year was the Cartier Rotonde Astrotourbillon watch. The mechanism placed the escapement on a hand that functioned as the seconds hand. The dial has a special "trench" that gave space for the astrotourbillon complication.

The dial is pretty cool and I like seeing it and reading it

The Calibre is deceptively large. Seeing it in a store window I would bet money it was larger than its 42mm wide size might suggest. Thanks to a hefty crown guard and large, widely spaced lugs this watch is one of the best optical illusions around. Thanks to the lugs allowing the bottom to wrap around your wrist, this watch is quite comfortable to wear and in addition to that, the piece does not have a tall profile. For the price, the detailing and finishing on the case and bracelet are very good. Thin strips of polished metal are placed around the brushed surfaces with the contrast between the two finishes being very good. Let me explain, on most cheaper watches when you have a brushed area and a polished area, the transition between these finishes is more of a blur/blend. It comes across as lacking refinement. On a watch like this (and many other higher-end pieces) there is a very distinct transition between the finishes. I hope that made sense. Detailing on the case is impressive with a great deal to look at - including recessed areas and, my favorite part, the bezel and flange ring. Look at the inner sides of the dial and it looks like you are viewing gear teeth. This design feature adds visual interest and complexity to a rather simple dial. Cartier really wanted to make sure the case and dial has the right mix of complexity and simplicity.

Cartier announced the release of the simply named Calibre

The first watches to contain in-house Cartier movements were very high-end. Cartier offered a brand new look and feel to the type of watch that could bear the Cartier name. All these watches had exotic movements and prices were on par with that of some very nice real estate. In 2010 Cartier announced the release of the simply named Calibre, a story that I covered here. The new masculine watch offered a sporty look (more so than Cartier's other sport watches such as the Pasha, Santos, and Roadster) as well as, for the first time, an "entry-level" Cartier with an in-house movement. That movement was the 1904 MC. A thin caliber automatic that had 48 hours of power reserve with a rotor set of ceramic ball bearings. It was rather nicely decorated, too. Functionally, it has the time with a subsidiary seconds dial and the date. Cartier made sure that it had enough differences in comparison to most of the base movements offered by ETA. You can see the movement via the sapphire caseback window on the back of the watch. I predicted in 2010 that the Calibre would soon have a bracelet option and in 2011 Cartier offered one. For me, the watch was now complete. Cartier is known for rather nice bracelets so it was a shame to see a new sport watch on just a strap. That is the one I wanted to review and so I did.

Cartier Calibre Watch Review

There is a word that is thrown around a lot in the watch world that means the public takes a watch (or anything else for that matter) seriously. That word is legitimacy and I love to hear the French pronounce it. Cartier is what they call a legitimate brand. They have heaps of reputation, a solid history and plenty of important people who wear their products. Classic Cartier designs are also a great influence to their direct competitors. They really are the model of a solid luxury watch brand. A few years ago, Cartier decided that this was not enough. They wanted even more legitimacy, especially with the growing population of seasoned watch lovers. This meant adding a lot more high-end watches to their range, as well as offering in-house made movements. Well, sometimes "in-house" just meant no one else was using those movements but that's another matter altogether. I also suspect this push to make movements was partly due to ETA's (Swatch Group owned while Cartier is Richemont) continual threats to stop supplying movements to outside brands. ETA hasn't done this yet but Cartier was smart to invest in movement manufacturing in the event that it does happen.

Cadence 4:20 Watch For The Most Important Time Of The Day

Not that Cadence is the last brand I would have guessed may release a timepiece like this, but the sport watch brand wasn't HIGH on the list. For those needing a bold reminder when it is blaze hour, Cadence offers up the 4:20 watch. A pretty simple minimalistic design with baton hour markers and hands, save for a bold Arabic numeral indicator at 4:20. Actually, the indicator is at 4 o'clock, but when the hour and minute hand are touching it - the time will be 4:20.

The explanation they give for the watch is rather amusing: "If you think 4:20 is the most important time of day, this watch is for you. If you have no idea why 4:20 is a special time of day, there is nothing here for you."

Growing up in California I know exactly what it means - and it isn't tea time. It is marijuana smoking time - for those so inclined. Now you have a pretty subtle watch you can wear with a suit, but one that you can stare at and also have a daily reminder of your daily habit. Price for the Cadence 4:20 watch is $85. So basically the cost of one weekend not being high for you medical card holders.

Cadence uses specially modified Japanese

The most peculiar design area of the watch is the dial. I overall like it, but I want to point out a few things. First is the two region style of the dial, with an outer ring and inner dial with a concentric circle patter done pretty nicely for the price. Because the dial is a bit busy, Candence seemed to not want anything to interfere with the legibility. So the Oarsman Hammer has large, high contrast hands, and applied hour markers. Both with lume. The really make the dial easy to read. Even if this watch were a Breitling, it would be harder to read. To achieve this, Cadence made the interesting decision to make the hands actually too long. Probably the first time I have ever said this - but it totally works. Notice how the minute hand extends past the hour markers into the rowing rate indicator zone. The dial also has two orange oars on it that are a nice reminder of the theme.

Cadence uses specially modified Japanese Miyota OS90 quartz movements in the Oarsman Hammer watches. The movement has the time, a subsidiary seconds dial, the case, a synchronized 24 hour hand (for AM/PM indication), and a one minute chronograph that is able to measure in 1/10 of a second increments. The subsidiary seconds dial doubles as a dial for the chronograph when it is in operation. The centrally mounted chronograph hands rotates around the dial once each second. The chronograph is also used for measuring the stroke rate of a passing rower. Basically, you start the chronograph at the start of a stroke, and stop it at the end of the stroke. Find where the large central second hand lays, and it is pointing to the stroke rate. So if you are one of the rare people that merely watch rowers and are interested in someone's stroke rate - Cadence watches are for you. I imagine some hot headed parent of a rower who just watches their kid and reminds them regularly of their poor stroke rate.

Prices at $275, the watch isn't expensive, but more than $100 above the Cadence Oarsman Aviator watch, and $80 more than the Oarsman Remus model. Nevertheless, you get a lot more watch for your money. Even though who aren't into the rowing theme might like this watch. It has a good look to it, is certainly wearable, and could nicely serve as a good gift watch to many types of people. The Cadence Oarsman Hammer is available to purchase via Cadence's website.

Cadence Oarsman Hammer Watch Review

Even though I have no real rowing experience to speak of (save for a few times on a kayak), I am drawn to the simple, value-laden Cadence Oarsman watches. In fact, according to the brand themselves, the watches aren't just for rowers, but people who enjoy the theme, and the values of hard work, determinations, and team efforts involved in the sport. I first reviewed their Oarsman Aviator watch here. Actually, they added the "Aviator" part of the name after I reviewed it, so I needed to add that in later as best I could. While the Oarsman Aviator was certainly wearable, the newer Oarsman Hammer is even better. Upgrades all around, and a more substantial feel to it. Price is more than the Aviator of course, but still really reasonable at under $300. The Oarsman Hammer is another large watch at 45mm wide in steel. It is 49mm wide including the good looking large crown. While Cadence is an American company, they almost proudly indicate on the back of their watches that they are "Invented in [the] USA. Made in China." Their OEM partners aren't half bad. The case, while a bit generic in style, is nevertheless comfortable, and arrives with a nice satin finish all around. It has 50 meters of water resistance, and Cadence gave the watch one of those sapphire coated mineral crystals.

BVLGARI Diagono X-Pro Watch

Bvlgari, err... Bulgari always looks better in all caps right? While I have been seeing lots of confused designs from Bulgari as of late, this Diagono X-Pro is something I am not at all confused about liking (which is to say that I do like it). The cool masculine watch takes a few lessons from the polished looks of the Bulgari design play book, and adds a testosterone powered stamp of approval on it. When it comes down to it, while this is a great watch in and of itself, it feels like Bulgari's answer to the Hublot Big Bang. Not only in design, but also when it comes to the "fusion" of materials. Bulgari knows that with its performance over the last few years and the current economy, it can't dick around. It needs to give people what they want - which is apparently still luxury sport watches. One thing that is hard to tell is that the middle section of the case is actually all black - all DLC black for that matter. Now even Bulgari is on the DLC bandwagon. Another wave goodbye to PVD. Just part of this complex case. Below you will see an "explosion" image of the case - which is made out of 104 parts. I love it that some watch cases are 2 or 3 parts, and some are over 100 parts. The most complex case winner is still the Nubeo Black Mamba. The Diagono X-Pro is 45mm wide, with a case made out of steel, DLC coated steel, and titanium. There is also rubber coatings on the crown and chronograph pushers (in addition to the rubber strap). The front and back of the watch have sapphire crystals (front crystal is highly AR coated).

As I discussed in my earlier article on the Gerald Genta version

No wrist watch I have ever seen had more complex buttons and such all around the case. There is the wild-looking crown, a four-way rocker switch, switches that flip around, and maybe a bit more. It is all pretty nuts, but it is all there for a reason. The original designers of the movement had no intention of making it more complex than it needed to be - and tried to give the user as simple a time as is possible. Hungry to learn more about how it works? Bulgari even created a dedicated iPhone app just for the watch that you can check out here. I would not call the movement so much beautiful as I would call it impressive. What it lacks in elegance, it makes up for in "wow." With so much going on, and the almost avant grade design of it, elegance is pretty much thrown to the curb. That's OK, though, as the concept is as artful as it is a feat of micro engineering. As a sonnerie, the watch will sound out the time to you at certain intervals. It sounds them out like a minute repeater using a code of chimes created by several gongs and three hammers. This watch is the most complex sonnerie timepiece ever. You can see the hammers in action in the dial. The movement itself has something like 850 parts and is called the Caliber 31001.

Bulgari Magsonic Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon Watch

This piece of rare game goes for an awful lot of coin. It has an interesting history, as well, starting out as the Gerald Genta Arena Metasonic Sonnerie watch. When Bulgari engulfed the Gerald Genta brand (head nod to Genta who just passed away), they kept this piece and made a few style changes to the dial and case (very minor), the movement remained the same with the price still hovering around $1,000,000. Bulgari also changed the name of the watch from Metasonic to Magsonic and dropped the Arena part of the name. Does Magsonic mean anything more than Metasonic? Magsonic is a new alloy that Gerald Genta created for optimal sound passage. Most of the case is actually titanium, though it is also offered in 18k rose gold. The Magsonic part of the watch is the black-looking part sandwiched between the bezel and caseback. The titanium (versus gold case) is probably a better idea if you are interested in the main feature set of this timepiece - the complex sonnerie complications - because gold will absorb more sound. It also has a tourbillon (seen from the dial), power reserve indicators (there are two as one is for the time and another is for chiming functions), and well, yes, the time.

The U-2 is a spy plane that saw service first back in 1957

The U-2 is a spy plane that saw service first back in 1957 - they are still used today. I remember as a kid seeing one out at Edwards Airforce base in the CA desert. The planes are matte black and long. Really long. They look like flying pencils. Their use was for very high altitude recon. It was a cold war era spy plane after all. Meant to be stealthy and useful for long distances. Really, the plane looks like a cockpit and a large fuselage mounted jet engine. An image of the plane is placed right on the watch dial to remind you that the U-2 watch is themed on a plane, not a pop band. The government will eventually ground all the remaining U-2 planes - even though they are still being used for limited missions today. Why? Unmanned spy drones and orbital spy satellites have become more useful, much more useful. While I will never call a super cool spy plane is obsolete, the U-2 is a historical token of the ingenuity that the need for secrecy can create, and will eventually be only a reminder of the past. But they still have a good 5-10 years in them. I want you to check out the two cockpit images. One is of an original U-2 cockpit, and the other is of a more modern one with upgraded instrumentation. Notice that even with more reliance on computers and screen, there are still analog instrument. Cause the bottom line is, electronics can fail, and in many events people trust mechanical things more. So a watch like the Bremont U-2 not only looks like it belongs in the plane, but is useful to wear while in it as well.

The result was a roughly 42mm wide steel case with Bremont

The result was a roughly 42mm wide steel case with Bremont's Trip-Tick construction and coated in black DLC (diamond like carbon). Case is water resistant to 100 meters. The movement of the watch is actually suspended in a shock absorbing material (see the red areas in one of the movement images below). Trip-Tick is where Bremont uses, 1) a hardened steel bezel and sapphire crystal, 2) a central body (barrel) section of the case done in either titanium or a PVD coated steel section (in that cool grated texture), and 3) and steel caseback - often with a sapphire crystal exhibition window. In the case of the Bremont U-2, everything is in steel - save for the inner barrel that is in anodized aluminum - and coated in DLC - a material coating that is very hard with amazing scratch resistance.

Over the dial is a domed sapphire crystal with a lot of AR coating on it. This makes the dial very easy to read - despite having such a domed crystal. Such doming can often lead to lots of glare and distortion - but that isn't the case here. The watch dial is very much an evolution of the MB1, with some added elements for the U-2's purpose. Like the plane, the purpose of the U-2 is a secret. No not really, but actual American U-2 pilots will be given special serious of the U-2 watch to wear. And there will be other models made available to the public.

Bremont U-2 Watch Review

The romance of flight, the mystique of secret flight, the durability of extensive testing. Each of these concepts is a major part of the Bremont U-2 watch - new limited edition made specially for pilots of the U-2 spy plane. This review is really a review of two watches - the U-2 as well as the Bremont Martin Baker watches (that I wrote about previously here). Bremont shouldn't require any introduction at this point as I have been gushing about their pieces frequently. I was happy to report on the sexy look of their Supermarine watches here, and now for something more flight oriented. It all started with the Martin Baker project - where Bremont needed to make a watch suitable not only for professional pilots, but also to survive an aviation WCS (worst case scenario). This basically meant be thrust out of an aviation seat at god knows how many G's and making it to the ground OK. All with your watch still working. Thus, the Bremont Martin Baker watch (MB1 and MB2) needed to withstand magnetism, vibrations, shock, high pressure, low pressure, fast movement, and still needed to look good in the process. You can see video below that touches on the testing the watches went through.

that has a Bremont propeller logo engraved in it

The dial continues to be highly reliably and legibly. The lume (again) is really excellent on the watch, and the dial is easy to see in most situation. Bremont did a good job with the size and proportions of the hands. The dial comes complete with a full minute scale on the flange ring in addition to the large applied hour markers. I am usually not a fan of domed sapphire crystal (prefer flat ones), but this watch pulls off a domed one well. Meaning that there is very limited distortion on the dial, nor glare. Chalk it up to Bremont's use of a high quality sapphire crystal that uses lots of AR coating. The polished hands and hour markers add a gentle luxurious component to the otherwise retro tool style of the piece. I continue to love the shape of the lugs. Just a great elegant curve that is common on Bremont timepieces. The middle section of the steel case is in black. The case is 43mm wide and rather tall. This is a good feeling "chunky" dive watch case. The body of the watch is made more interesting by this middle PVD black section (part of the Trip-Tick construction). Not only is the middle section black, but it has some nice horizontal lines that add texture and visual interest to the case. Opting for an off-centered crown (that has a Bremont propeller logo engraved in it), Bremont designed an interesting "swoosh" crown guard that helps integrate the look of the crown into the overall watch. Like the watch case, the crown has a small middle black section to it - a nice little detail of the variety I now come to expect from the brand. With an assortment of very well-made, highly desirable watches, Bremont has set a very high bar for itself moving forward. There are promises of in-house movements, in-house modules, and other exciting things from the British brand. Are they eager to put the UK back on the map as a serious destination for watch lovers to look for high-end brands? Or are they interested in putting British charm into the Swiss watch industry? They could really do either at this point.

the Supermarine 500 passed that test

I usually don't like such "laundry lists," but everything works nicely here. This isn't the first watch that boasts all these features (not by far), but the power of the Supermarine 500 is that it feels like it is more than a mere sum of its parts. The design is influence by the Supermarine water landing place. I discuss this in my first article on the watch (link above). You can feel the retro influence in the dial, the numerals, and the shape of the case. It feels pleasantly nostalgic and tasteful - as opposed to ephemeral in its appeal. Over a year of knowing about this watch and it still looks good. Which is actually a test for if a watch has a nice design. You should all remember this. See a watch and are not sure whether it is a design you'll love in a few months? Here is what you do. Look at the watch you want to buy. Then don't look at it for a bit. Instead, look at tons of other watches. Online, in stores, where ever... After that go back to the original watch you liked and wanted to get. Does it still look good? Still hold that place in your heart compared to everything else you've look at? If so, you know it might be a good purchase choice. For me, the Supermarine 500 passed that test. It even has two personalities, as it comes on a vertical strip textured rubber strap and a metal bracelet. It seriously looks like a different watch on either one. The metal bracelet is really nice looking and has a pretty good polish. The fold-over push-button deployment operates smoothly. My only small issue with the bracelet is adjustability options. It does have two small micro adjusts, but it could use three or four. Again, this is extremely dependent on your wrist size. Plenty of people find that the watch will fit perfectly. Other will find it always a bit too loose or too tight. Again, if you are one of those people and worry about this, the rubber strap is a good option when you need a comfortable, yet secure fit for sport activities.

Bremont Supermarine 500 Watch Review

It was love at first sight with the Supermarine 500. That doesn't happen too often with watches. It wasn't the first watch I loved, and it won't be the last, but this timepiece certainly has a place in my heart. If you recall I first discussed the Bremont Supermarine 500 watch here back when it was released. At the time I was smitten by the design and the features - though I had never seen one. I paid close attention to Bremont, and followed their activities. Then Bremont invited me to check out their watches at Baselworld. I finally got a chance to check out the Supermarine 500 pieces hands-on. In both of those articles you'll find a lot of details on the watch specs, and the various colors options. This version is the Bremont Supermarine 500 Ref. S500/BK. That means it has a black dial, with black bezel. The lume color just hints at green. There is of course the famous model that combines black and a beautiful almost electric lime green (key lime?). Choosing the right color scheme in a Supermarine is tough because they all look quite nice. For me, this black on black model with whitish indicators is the most lasting... classic look. And it really is a classic look. I want to shake the hand of the designer. The ability to design an instant classic is really tough. Not only that, but the watch is actually rather unique looking in today's landscape of luxo-divers. Bremont's core philosophy is a wise one. They stand close to function and durability. They know that men buy watches because of those reasons. Things like beauty and fashion are important, but they come second (or third). Sort of why we like Ferrari cars - we admire and respect their performance first, and feel good knowing they are pretty too look at. The Supermarine 500 has a long list of durability features - as do most Bremont watches. To get most men excited about this watch, it is just a matter of educating them on the fact that the Supermarine 500 line

Bremont B-1 Marine Clock Hands

Check out the first working version of Bremont's highly anticipated Marine Clock (model B-1). While this still an unfinished prototype, we can see just how close to the concept Bremont was actually able to make the clock look in reality. There are still some things to complete. For example this version doesn't yet have working knobs to control the clock or adjust the times. You'll also see a lack of detachable winch style winding stem that is still in development. But the clock is more or less done, and it is/ really a thing of beauty. I wrote about the Bremont Marine Clock previously here in more detail. There you can go learn more about its functions etc... But in short, why the big deal? The Marine Clock has been 100% developed and built by Bremont... in England. The massive clock is water resistant (to deal with the 'ol sinking ship' problem, and to defend against corrosion), and it will come in a variety of color combo choices per the customers request. The clock is 100% mechanical and must be hand-wound. The good news is that it has a power reserve of 40 days! Yes, with a handy power reserve indicator. Winding the Marine Clock isn't child's play. That is why Bremont needed to provide a winch style winder. The winder will be attached to the back of the case. When you want to winding the clock, you unhinge it from its back plate, remove the winch, and then attach it to the movement for winding.

Bremont Mustang P-51 Watch

There was a relative I had when I was a kid who saved up for years to buy something special. He was an unusual fellow, but he loved to fly. He worked hard to get a pilot's license and then was finally able to buy what he had his eye on... a World War 2 era P-51. One of the greatest dog fighters ever, the P-51 Mustang is an American fighter plane that was introduced in 1940 - and he wanted one really badly. As a kid I wasn't really sure how to respond to the ex-military plane in front of me. Some guys want a vintage American muscle car, and others watch a plane with the same cojones. That was my first memory of a P-51, but to Nick and Giles English of Bremont, it means something else. The British aviation themed brand brings us a limited edition watch dedicated entirely to American and English superiority over the skies. What is the UK/US connection that makes the watch legitimate? The US sold many P-51s to England for use in the RAF (Royal Air Force). As such, the P-51 Mustang, in its many forms, was a staple of mid 20th Century US and British air power. Interestingly enough, I understand that the first P-51's weren't really great - but later improvements made them much, much better. The P-51 had something else going for it, being that it was a really good looking plane. Part of its heritage is in its good looks, and a bit of that ends up right here in this watch that Bremont designed to celebrate the famous fighter. At the same time, I have yet to see any other watch that feels so appropriate to go with a brown leather bomber jacket.

Bremont C17 Globemaster Watch

Here is a nice new piece from Bremont that you can't get. Bremont will produce these C17 Globemaster watches for a select group of "pre-selected" military personnel to get one - basically for one squadron as I understand it. The pieces will be highly limited as well. Each Bremont C17 Globemaster will be limited to just 50 pieces, and it comes in a few versions if I understand correctly. The watch is meant to honor the high-tech C17 cargo plane. I don't think there was ever a cooler looking cargo plane than the C17 Globemaster III. This is probably one of the most modern planes that a watch has been based on. Usually it is a historic plane that gets the "timepiece treatment." Bremont, a primarily aviator watch brand, is said to have worked closely with C17 pilots in developing the watch. Inside the watch is a modified BE-54AE movement. This is a base ETA Valjoux 7750 with a GMT module on it that has been highly decorated and given a custom rotor. The automatic rotor is meant to look like a view into one of the C17's large jet engines. The movement is also COSC Chronometer certified and visible through the display back.

Of course pilots need a good watch

While not the largest segment, many photographers are ideal watch lovers. Equally obsessed with both aesthetics and technology, a photographer must have an eye for looks and the ability to work with accurate, yet delicate equipment. With all this case for camera equipment, a photographer wants to know that their watch will never be something they have to worry about, and is very legible. Being used to spend a lot on high quality cameras and lenses, most photographers understand that when it comes to machines, you often get what you pay for. The idea photographer watch is supremely reliable and legible in all conditions. Like IT people, photographer tend to focus on utility over style, but the difference is that photographers will actually rely on it more. Most photographer watches are no nonsense in looks with features that help with their everyday photographing needs. These functions tend to be a power reserve, chronograph, and large legible face. Among all their equipment, photographers know their watch will likely stay with them the longest or at the least, won't grow obsolete.

ou might not initially take chefs for watch lovers, but you'd be under estimating a class of people who spend a great deal of time working with reliable tools and having a keen sense of taste. In the fast paced kitchen environment timing is everything, and you need a good watch to help. Further still, chefs enjoy a sense of stateliness and pomp, so just as plating is important, so is the presentation time on their wrists. A good chefs watch almost always have a chronograph or at least rotating bezel for measuring the time. A rattrapante (double stopwatch) can also be useful. Like other hands on professionals, chefs need reliable and accurate watches that look good when needed. Also, because every good chef elevates themselves by standing apart, you will often seen less known or avant garde brands on a chef's wrist.

The more senior level you go in the IT world

Whether you deal with lots of money or the buying and selling of investments, you need to have a grasp on minutiae and the big picture. With watches it is the same way. Each tiny element of a good watch must be built with perfection, and the overall result must be appealing and functional. Of great importance to all people who deal with money is signifying success and the ability to earn wealth. For these reasons an individual in finance needs to communicate qualities about themselves through items such as watches. Further, investors and alike tend to be collectors as well, and enjoy the acquisition of rare and interesting timepieces. You will thus find that many such people have nice and elaborate watches handpicked from their travels, or recommended to them by colleagues. You'll find high level finance people and bankers with a Rolex (see pre-owned Rolex watches), Frank Muller, Chopard, Panerai, Girard Perregaux, Mont Blanc, and other high quality watches with known names. The more senior level you go in the IT world, the most you'll find watch lovers. Especially those who have been doing it long enough. There seems to be a connection between programming well and well performing watches. IT professionals and software developers are a bit more classic in their tastes, although you'll find the occasion person in this field who enjoys the truly avant garde watches out there. For those who like sitting at a computer for much of the day work on the latest technology, it might seem a small contradiction that they like little machines on their wrists that tell time when a mere glance at the screen will suffice. Regardless, even though programmers often remove their watches during long typing sessions they enjoy the distinct utilitarian elements of "tool" watches. Focusing on function rather than looks. IT pros tend to like classic well built utility watches, and the best ones coming out today. Typically preferred watches include Tag Heuer, Omega, Breitling, Fortis, Sinn, Ball, IWC, and others that conjure up the idea of flawless function and reliability.

Six Professionals That Tend To Be Watch Lovers

Enjoying watches is typically not a solo activity. Watch lovers like myself feel the need constantly discuss or mentions watches, much to the dismay of non-watch lovers. But when you meet a fellow horological enthusiast, the conversation quickly becomes lively as shared interests intermingle. In my time I have realized that certain types of people tend to like watches more than others. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but represents six professions that tend to attract a watch loving bunch. Though it could also easily be suggested that entrance into the profession itself engenders a new appreciation that all the while lay dormant.

Myself being in this group I felt it prudent to mention first. Lawyers comes in all varieties but one thing all lawyers (should) have in common is a distinct attention to detail. We also value items of inherent value, and reliability. Accuracy is another characteristic that lawyers value, and coincidentally enough, these are the same values that many watch makers attempt to imbue their watches with (at least from a marketing standpoint). There is also the showmanship of being an attorney, and regardless of an attorney's area of practice, it is important for them to make a stand. For this reason an attorney needs a high quality timepiece that communicates purpose and strength when seen by observers. Good brands for the successful attorney are Rolex, Roger Dubuis, Piaget, Sinn, Breguet, A. Lange Sohne, Franck Muller and many others.

I can easily say that many attorney's I have met either have a nice watch, are interested in watch making, or are plain watch fanatics. Lawyers tend to covet well know brands, but that does not encompass every watch a lawyer may like. There are even those lawyers who prefer very low end watches, especially when meeting with client or speaking to a jury in order to allow them to better blend in and appeal to the lay person. Overall you'll be hard pressed to find a lawyer that doesn't wear a watch, or have idle interest in the one(s) they have.

Breitling Chronospace Watches Hands

First thing I thought of when I saw these new watches from Breitling was "wow, these are pretty big." They even wear larger than their 'mere' 45mm wide steel case would suggest. Probably because the case is on the flatter, broader side of things. This is Breitling's newest watch to bear the ETA SuperQuartz COSC Chronometer certified movement - in the wonderful lineage of the Breitling Aerospace. The Chronospace is larger, has more going on, and is arguably easier to use than the watch it is distantly based on. The movement is the Breitling Calibre 78 (base ETA), and has lots of cool functions. These include time, 1/100 of second chronograph (with actually pushers as opposed to having to dig in the menu with the scrolling crown pusher), alarm, calendar, countdown timer, GMT time, and second timezone display. All in a really nice quality, dial LCD screen display in addition to the time and chronograph hand on the main time. Having that chronograph hand there makes it possible to use some of the more traditional chronograph functions, and I believe perhaps some of the slide-rule functions. A slide rule it does have, and also "night vision compatibility." Something about the backlighting system of the watch and LCD screens make them viewable through night vision goggles (NVG) - which apparently was something in demand...? Breitling says that the watch has a double sectioned caseback that works to amplify the alarm sound to about 90 decibels. They call this the "resonance chamber." Which actually is useful if you need the alarm in anywhere but the quietest place - an environment an airplane cockpit is not. At first the large 3 and 9 o'clock indicators on the dial are a bit much. The watch feels like a toy. This is one area where I wonder if Breitling could have done better. But you do eventually get over that, and if you do, you'll notice lots of other good qualities about the watch. Any timepiece with a thermocompensated quartz movement is rewarding, as they are super accurate (like 5-10 seconds a year). The hour indicators are large, and covered in a long of lume, and the hour and minute hand are highly distinct. This is because the minute hand is longer in two directions. The crystal is domed sapphire with lots of AR coating, so legibility overall is excellent.

Breitling Superocean Watch For 2010

I don't love all Breitling watches - far from it. Though I have always been a fan of the "new" Superocean watch collection, which for me ironically started with the Superocean Heritage watch collection. Be it the three-hand or the chronograph, those are awesome watches. Vintage watches tend to be smaller, but the vintage inspired Superocean Heritage was 46mm wide. Oddly enough, the futuristic looking new Superocean for 2010 watch is 42mm wide. Hmm.... At 42mm wide it is a very wearable watch. Doesn't have that wrist jarring visual "pop" that many larger Breitling watches have, but these aren't small timepieces. Oh, and some people call these new watches the "Superocean II," but it seems better to just say 2010 Superocean watches (as it is more common to do so). At the same time, they don't wear big due to the thickness of the bezel and the large sized hands and hour markers. They are so big, that they act to dwarf the size of the watch a bit. See what I mean? Drastically different than the outgoing Superocean watches, they show a new way of looking at Breitling dive timepieces. I was pretty drawn to them when I first learned about them many months ago, but didn't want to write about them until I got my hands on the watches. Well I did, and now that I have annoyed Breitling enough with my watch nerdery, I wanted to share my impressions (it is funny when you meet with a brand as a journalist/blogger - whatever, that actually is really into watches. They are sometimes weirded out when you actually look at the watch in details, ask questions, etc...). The case is really nice. Very solid, high quality steel, with good polish and soft edges. Save for a few watches, Breitling follows the "feels good in the hand" philosophy when it comes to watch case design - which means few to no sharp edges. You can (most) always count on Breitling to have watches that are fully polished as well. None of this "brushed steel" nonsense for them. I really can't think of too many other luxury dive watches that are all polished like this.

Breitling Superocean 44 Watches For 2011

Last year Breitling came out with an entirely new Superocean watch. It featured a modern looking design in a smaller 42mm case. While a lot of people wanted a smaller Breitling diver, even more didn't. So, just one year later, the Superocean II has been refreshed and enlarged. Now, for 2011, Breitling offers the Superocean 44. It comes in two versions: A three-hand, and a chronograph. There is also a GMT version but that comes in the 42mm wide case and will be discussed elsewhere. Aside from being 44mm wide versus 42mm wide, the Superocean dial has been cleaned up and is now more legible. For comparison purposes you can check out the Breitling Superocean for 2010 here. The dial retains the core look of the watch that came out last year, but I think you'll agree it is more legible. There is more space between the hour markers, and more use of applied baton hour markers versus the stylized Arabic numerals. The case has some minor differences in terms of styling. Though the differences are nothing too major, upon side by side comparison you can see that these are indeed different pieces. The biggest change for the case is the water resistance. The old three-hand model was water-resistant to 1,500 meters while the new one goes down to 2,000 meters. The chronograph and GMT are water-resistant to 500 meters each.

produced a high complication for us

While I adore the idea of this watch, the characteristic egg shape of the Reine de Naples doesn’t entirely appeal to me in this form. There’s something lopsided about the design to my eye. I prefer the aesthetics of the Reine de Naples when the top half of the egg is balanced out by the moonphase and power reserve. Nonetheless, I can’t quibble with the parts (natural mother-of-pearl dial, white gold fluted caseband and diamond set bezel), even though the whole doesn’t completely sum up for me.

Turn over the watch and you’ve got my pulse jumping. One of the signs of high watchmaking is when the movement fits into the case like a hand slipping into a perfectly tailored glove. Breguet designed the automatic egg-shaped movement specifically to cozy up in this space. What’s so breathtaking is that the movement, visible through a sapphire crystal, is an artistic as well as mechanical achievement. The bridges and oscillating weight form an image of a dove, with the design extending to the engraving on the case. As you can tell I’m more entranced with the back of the watch than the front.

I haven’t heard the watch strike in person so I can’t comment on the acoustics. Breguet pride themselves on putting a lot of time and resources into technical achievements so I can safely presume the watch sounds great.

The Swatch Group made a fortune selling battery-powered plastic watches

The current Reine de Naples line of watches is inspired by the watch Abraham-Louis Breguet created for Napoleon Bonaparte's sister Caroline, Queen of Naples. In honor of the 200th anniversary of the original, Breguet has introduced a Grande Complication to the collection called the automatic strike. Every hour, two hammers located in apertures at 11 and 1 o’clock remind the wearer that another hour has passed with a double strike, which is repeated three times. Breguet has done a variation of what is called sonnerie en passant, a passing strike that chimes once on the hour.

I love watches that talk to me. I find them not only charming but practical as well. The complication originates from the era before electric lighting left us is its constant glare. At night or in low light situations, if the time couldn’t be seen, it could be heard.

With time racing by at such a lighting pace in our modern world, the striking Reine de Naples is a subtle nudge to remind us of the passing hours. If you’d prefer to lose yourself in the moment, the watch provides that option too. A pushpiece at 2 o’clock sets and deactivates the strike function.

Bovet Pininfarina Chronograph Cambiano Watch Hands

Bovet timepieces has a strong relationship with Italian designer Pininfarina. Last year they surprised us with a watch based on that partnership that was an impressive combination of complications and modern design in a watch that still adhered to tradition. Those who don't get to listen to watch maker rhetoric often may not be quite as aware of the strong role that "tradition" plays in Swiss watch making. It is the concept that there are certain rules of watch making and design that really can't be neglected or left out. As such, Bovet's interpretation of the stylish sexiness that is Pininfarina's well-known reputation as being the designer for Ferrari was captured for the first time in the Bovet Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana watch - that helped celebrate 80 years of Pininfarina. I got to check out that watch a bit and look forward to writing about it soon. Now comes a new watch that is thankfully much more affordable, but retains the tenants of the Bovet Pininfarina design. This is the new for 2011 Cambiano - and is cool little number. As such, Bovet's interpretation of the stylish sexiness that is Pininfarina's well-known reputation as being the designer for Ferrari was captured for the first time in the Bovet Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana watch - that helped celebrate 80 years of Pininfarina. I got to check out that watch a bit and look forward to writing about it soon. Now comes a new watch that is thankfully much more affordable, but retains the tenants of the Bovet Pininfarina design. This is the new for 2011 Cambiano - and is cool little number.

Bovet Dimier Recital Watch Collection

Dimier is a sub-brand of Bovet, that is just as high-end, and also known as the watch movement maker of the group. Bovet didn't start Dimier, but rather acquired it. I've never seen a Dimer watch in the US - only in Europe - butt hat doesn't mean there aren't a few of them hanging around. Bovet and Dimier watches are said to be made in the same place, with similar values. Though Dimier watches are a bit more traditional in form. Unlike Bovet watches they don't have that pocket-watch-on-your-wrist style that is quite unique. Bovet and Dimier are more or less manufacture movements for all the high-end stuff. Dimier watches are rare and what I have assorted here are their six "Recital" watches. Will there be a Dimier Recital 7? Probably. I don't know the release cycle of the Recital watches, but a new one might be slated for release each several years. UDATE: See info on what is meant to be the Recital 7 below. Many of the watches in the collection have a common set of features - these include automatic winding, a tourbillon, and a power reserve indicator. Though not all the watches have each of these complications in them. Each done in a precious metal case, these special timepieces are both classic, but experimental in their presentation of traditionally valued complications. While the features and overall design are very traditional, there is an avant garde old-world style decor to them. This can be seen in the style of the case and crown (with sapphire crystal cabochon) as well as the frequent use of Bovet and Dimier's "squiggly" serpentine style hands. It also goes without saying that each of these watches is part of a limited edition.

Bovet Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana Watch

Finally debuted, this is the new ultra high-end watch based on the partnership between watch maker Bovet and famous design house Pininfarina. The watch is also a loose celebration of Pininfarina's 80th anniversary. The watch shares both the Bovet and Pininfarina name on the dial. The famous design firm is probably best known for their contributions to Italian car maker Ferrari. Visually a Bovet, the new Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana watch proudly displays the modern style and use of innovative materials that Pininfarina is accustomed to showcases in their designs. The watch has far too many little technical details to cover by me, so below this article I will place some tech specs direct from Bovet. The watch will come out soon and be limited to just 80 pieces.

The Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana watch can be worn in few different watches. First, the case can be placed in a special alcantara-style calf leather strap to be worn on the wrist. The case is reversible, meaning that it can be mounted with the front or back facing you. The time can be read from both sides (though the small one-handed dial on the rear of the watch isn't as precise as the time on the main dial. The watch can also be taken off the wrist straps and used as a pocket watch or a table clock. It comes with a little stand as well as a titanium pocket watch chain. As such, this watch clearly fits into the convertible watch list that I wrote about here.

There will be three versions of the Bovet Pininfarina Tourbillon Ottana watch, one with this DLC coated steel and titanium case, and another two models in titanium, with either 18k white or rose gold bezels instead of the black DLC bezel. The case is going to be 46mm wide and very complex in construction. There are 8 phrases engraved on the side of the case that each represent one decade of Pininfarina's existence. See below for the text of the phrases (you will have to translate them). The case is attractive. Nothing ultra-exciting, but then again, I might have to get my hands on it to change my opinion. This is often the case with such timepieces. You can see the large pocket watch style crown at the top of the watch with the guard over it. Most Bovet watches share this design trait.

Blancpain Saint Valentin 2008 Women’s Watch

Women's watches usually aren't given that much attention by watch enthusiasts. They come in two basic varieties, miniature dolled up versions of men's watches, or some watch richly gilded with jewels. While these watch can be appreciate they are hardly things rich in innovation or novel interest. Typically, much more time is spend on men's watches when it comes to new technology, avant-garde styling or new complications.

Another reason women's watches tend to be less interesting is that they are often quartz movements. This makes sense as women tend to want watches with less hassle as they switch between several of them. In spite of this however, there are a good deal of mechanical women's watches out there, and this Blancpain is an excellent example. While Blancpain has much history, it is a reemerging brand. Now owned by the Swatch Group who controls other luxury brands such as Breguet, Blancpain is best known for their diving watches the Aqualung and 50 fathoms meant to for deep dives and radioactivity resistance.

What impressed me about this watch is all the little touches. For this kind of money (many thousands) you expect lots diamonds and gold, and precious materials all around. You also expect top-notch craftsmanship and detailing. What don't always get are design touches that really make a watch different. From a mechanical perspective, it is useful that Blancpain fit a 100 hour power reserve mainspring in this watch. This gives the women who are lucky enough to own this watch a couple of days between having to wear the watch and it not stopping. Having a full calendar complication means that if the watch stops, you need to adjust several things before it is ready to be useful again. 100 hours of power is about double of what you would expect on a watch this size typically.

Four Black Or White Watches To Match

Next are new additions to Blancpain's Fifty Fathom's collection. A legacy watch line recently revitalized. This is one of the most capable and accurate mechanical watches on the planet with accuracy rivaling that of a quartz watch. Underneath the beautiful looks is a serious diving watch, so don't takes its good looks as a sign of fragility. Inside is a manufacture made automatic movement, and on the outside is a special sapphire crystal covered bezel for hardness and beauty. The straps of the Blancpain watches are also unique as they are specially coated canvas, which make for durable, water resistance, and flexible straps. The black version is a stealth watch meaning that the numbers are black on a black face. One has to look straight at the watch to tell the time (at least that is sort of the idea). Despite the black numbering, the indexes still glow in the dark. This version is sometimes simply known as the Blancpain Fifty Fathom Black. One of the most interesting elements of the Black version is the case coating with is something a bit new for Swiss watches and quickly becoming popular. Using an ultra hard and scratch resistant compound known as DLC (diamond-like coating), Blancpain is able to get a rather glossy and exteremly durable finish the Fifty Fathoms Black, in a new way as opposed to the traditional used of PVD coating.

As opposed to the legacy "Fifty Fathoms" name (which is only about 90 meters deep), today's Fifty Fathom watches are resistant of at least up to 300 meters. Size is nice and big with the case being 45mm wide. Everything about the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is absolutely superb in terms of materials used and quality, as it should be for a watch in the $10,000 range. The new white model is named the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique. Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense as all the watches are automatics. And what automatics they are. The in-house Blancpain movements are extremely accurate as mentioned before, and have a 5 day power reserve! Now that is impressive for such a hardy watch. There are several black models in the mix, but the new stealth edition takes my pick as the most stylish.

Blancpain 500 Fathoms Titanium Watch

Wow, I did not expect to see something so bold from Blancpain this year. This is a totally new route for their diving watches. At first I was torn about the look (didn't see to be much more than what Invicta could come up with), but then I began to appreciate the more subtle items. Retained are the sapphire crystal tops on the rotating bezel (such a nice feature by the way), and new are the hands, and the face. The hands are really designed for perfect legibility in both light and dark situations, not one or the other which is sometimes the fact. They also remind me of torpedoes. I think that is intentional. The wild looking lume on the face is also fucntion, and not just for show. Somehow, it seems to make the watch easy to read in the dark when you aren't used to simply using the hands.

Blancpain opted to go with a light weight titanium case for this large 48mm wide watch. Added to the case is a helium escape valve, which might be useful for a handful of you out there. The original watch is the Blancpain 50 Fathoms (actually not that deep). The newer watches retained the 50 Fathoms name, but Blancpain felt it was a good idea to up the values. I don't recall how deep a fathom is, but forget about it. The 500 fathoms is water resistant to 1000 meters. So don't go trying to make a value conversion from fathoms to feet now.

The movement is one of the best in the industry. It is the Blancpain Calibre 1315. There is also the GMT model with the 5215 movement. The automatic mechanical movement is specially made for sports watches. This basically means that it has lots of shock resistance. It further has a whopping 5 days (120 hours) of power reserve through three mainspring barrels! That is a lot. well over 2-3 times what you see in most similar movements. Rare for a 1000 meter water resistant watch is the sapphire movement window on the caseback. The rotor you will see is styled after a boat propeller, which is appropriate. The movement also features a fast date adjust at midnight. This basically means that the date window immediately moves to the next date at midnight, rather than slowly move over an hour or so. You can also manually adjust the date both ahead and behind. A nice touch for a luxury watch.

Blancpain Tribute To Fifty Fathoms Watch

2010 sees an interesting release from Blancpain. Given the plethora of "vintage" or "re-release" models, I wasn't at all surprised to see that Blancpain too had dug something out from their past to share with everyone. This is a model in the Fifty Fathoms collection called the "Tribute to Fifty Fathoms Watch." It is modeled after one of the original Fifty Fathoms watches from the 1950s. If you want to know more about the history, the go here.

I don't think that Blancpain has officially released anything regarding this watch yet. They often wait a long while to do so... which is frustrating. This is more or less the same Fifty Fathoms watch you know and love, but with a special "re-issue" dial. The original Fifty Fathoms watch has that interesting atomic label on there that actually meant to indicate that the watch was radiation free. Why? Well, luminant for a long time was radioactive. Radioactive waste is portrayed as glowing green and so does most luminant. Coincidence? Not exactly.When people started to realize that luminant was radioactive, they needed to find non harmful alternatives - and luminant is pretty darn important for dive watches. Thus, this timepiece back in the 1950's proudly advertised right on the dial that it had "No Radiations." The new version comes complete with the poor English. I wonder if it would have been so bad to change it simply to "No Radiation." Apologies for not having a larger image for you to inspect the text for yourself.

The case is in steel, and I believe it is the exact same as on the current Fifty Fathoms watch model. Inside the piece is a Blancpain in-house made calibre 1315 automatic movement with 5 days of power reserve. The retro dial is more minimalist (aside from the no radiation stamp), but it has the same hands as the standard Fifty Fathoms. Is it enough to call it a while new model? I don't think so. More like a different dial version of the Fifty Fathoms - so that is why it is called the "Tribute To Fifty Fathoms" (Fifty Fathoms) watch. I don't think it is a limited edition, and price is about $10,000. Available now.

Blancpain L-evolution Tourbillon Large Date Watch

The name of this watch doesn't actually include its most thrilling feature. For 2011, this is the Blancpain L-evolution Tourbillon Large Date watch. It is true that it has a flying tourbillon and a big date indicator but turn it over and you see the power reserve indicator on the rotor. Complications on rotors seem to be really "in" this year. In 2011 alone, on automatic rotors, we have seen seconds indicators (Cartier), tourbillons (Jacob & Co.), and now a power reserve indicator on this Blancpain. Coincidence? Probably not.

As part of the larger L-evolution range this watch is actually quite cool and cohesive in design and execution. I have always looked quizzically at the two large lume coated Roman numerals on the dial - I don't know that I understand that design component but some people seem to love it. Other than that, the collection is really cool. You have a nice skeletonized dial - but one that at least still has a dial, and you have an interesting looking case design. This range is very different from most other things that Blancpain offers. I like how they really try to diversify their offerings, with classic watches, sporty watches, complex watches, and sporty complex watches.

The case is offered in either 18k rose or white gold and is 43.5mm wide. Going along with the sporty theme the watch case is satin finished - which is interesting actually. The dial has a mixture of finishes including perlage, sunburst, and Geneva stripes. There is a lot going on in the dial but I appreciate the easy to see hands and presence of lots of lume. This is a good example of decorate skeletonization where a movement is design from the ground up to be partially "open."

Blancpain Tribute To Fifty Fathoms Aqua Lung Watch

As it is a limited edition, I am not exactly sure how many pieces will be made but this model is very attractive. Is it more so than last year's model with the "no radiation" dial? Just a different look. This Tribute to the Aqua Lung has a more mainstream feel, which I like. The case and movement are the same as you'll find in the standard Fifty Fathoms watch. That means it is in steel and 45mm wide. It also has an in-house automatic movement with several days of power reserve and I love that blue-tinted nautilus style automatic movement on the rotor.

The original Aqua Lung model that this watch is based on is from the 1950s and is, of course, a collector's item. You can view a picture of it in the post here and see how Blancpain took steps to replicate the dial while maintaining the feel of the modern watch. The resulting dial is simple and utilitarian, but made nice by the high-end features and construction of the timepiece. I am still loving this watch even though it s a few years old (the base Fifty Fathoms I mean). I enjoy the size, curved sapphire over the bezel, and the great finishing on the case.

This model also gets a textile strap with large portholes in it. Not sure if the original had those but it looks cool. I feel pretty strongly that among high-end dive watches, the Fifty Fathoms is overlooked a lot. These tribute models are a good way of helping Blancpain remind people of the brand's heritage and history. Aside from the dial and some minor details, there isn't too much new for this year. Look for the Tribute to Fifty Fathoms Aqua Lung watches soon.

The Diving Instrument: Bell & Ross BR 02 Emerges From The Depths

Behold the BR 02. The Success of the Bell & Ross BR 01 really brought Bell & Ross back into the ether. The small company was basically sharing their name with Sinn, and selling Sinn watches to different markets. There was nothing wrong with the Bell & Ross watches, but they weren't as innovative as they were mere quality time tellers. Then a few years ago the airplane instrument inspired BR-01 watch was released in a wave of design controversy. Some said it was too square, some said it was too big, others said that it made no sense. And still others loved the idea.

The BR 01 was a big hit, and resulted in several models and the Bell & Ross BR 03 for those who thought the original was too big. They really had a BR 01 for every taste, and now Bell & Ross is set to release the diving version. Because diving watches are inherently different, and require some additional features, the watch was redesigned and given a new moniker; BR 02.

As you can see the BR 02 is unmistakably a diving watch. You almost see bubbles rising in the back ground as you gaze at it. Imagine yourself wearing large divers gloves attempting to operate the internal rotating bezel to measure rising times. There might not be a good deal about the watch which is innovative, but it really is the epitome of a diving instrument, and that is just what it seeks to be. Bell & Ross has never attempted to reinvent the wheel, instead they work to polish and perfect classic ideas and designs. The majority of people who wear this watch are never or rarely going to submerge this watch past washing their hands, yet they know they could reach 1000 meters. Far deeper that a human in a diving suit can venture into the ocean. This watch is for those who like to be prepared, or at least like to live in excess.

Classic Styling Incarnate: The Bell & Ross Geneva 123 Watch

Sometimes I can't help but express my fondness for a watch. Those particular models that stay with you in your mind. Maybe you had your eye on it a while back. It's not that you lost interest, but perhaps other watches came and went in the meantime. And after all is said and done, those reliable watches are always there to make you happy. Before the Bell & Ross BR-01 instrument was a different flavor of Bell & Ross. A more innocent time when Bell & Ross was still finding itself.

The Bell & Ross Geneva 123 is a classic watch. Not by any chronological measure, but rather by the timeless way it seems to go with anything, anywhere. You could blow up the size of the watch and put it on a wall or building and it would be perfectly at home. Legibility is perfect, the sharp hands confidently expressing the time. Black hands on the pristine white face, or polished steel glistening against the serene black, the watch stands out with it sense of being perpetually "in the now."

Balance is an important concept in design. Perfect symmetry provides the best type of balance as it is the most aesthetically pleasing. The Geneva 123 cleverly incorporates the subsidiary seconds and the date window in one vertical upside down "8" shape. While most watch designs neglect this area, Bell & Ross wisely chose to make the date window round. A simple but highly effective solution for maintaining balance in an otherwise round watch, the alternative of course being a square date window that would detract from the balance. The exception to the circular theme are the broad angular hands which are contrasted in order to stand out for a higher degree of legibility. This is thoughtful design, and easily appreciated when you can recognize its effect on how easy the Bell & Ross Geneva 123 is to live with.

Xemex “Quarter” Avenue Watch Is Themed After Bell & Ross BR-01

The success of the Bell & Ross BR-01 series has spawned legions of copies from other manufacturers, both good and bad. The best of which are not specifically copies, but rather thematic reinterpretations of the look in another brands own style. This is exactly the case with the Xemex Avenue model number 2805.04, where designer Reudi Kulling imbues the iconic Xemex touch to the design idea.

All Xemex are the free moving lugs, straight lined number indicators, and hands of the watch. The font type of the "12, 3, 6, and 9" are graciously taken from the Bell & Ross BR-01 models and migrated well to this Xemex. Further, Xemex squared out the otherwise rectangle shape of the Avenue series to better represent the look of the BR-01. The placement of the round date hole is hearkens to instrument panel watches, but the round hole design (versus square) is also iconic of Xemex. The result is truly a nice melding of the design success of both Xemex and Bell & Ross.

The Xemex is sized smaller than the BR-01, which is a very large watch. Both share an automatic ETA movement, but the Xemex Avenue uses a ETA 2824-2 versus a 2894. Xemex offers both a black crocodile strap or a rubber strap based on whether you wish to opt for a more formal or sporty persona for your wrist wear. You can even get this model Xemex Avenue ref. 2805.04 in Xemex's own cream colored yellow (for the dial), but I'd stick with the attractive black face.

Xemex watches are a good value and constructed well. The company offers automatic and quartz models, both with the same high level of quality and finish. Metals used are impressive, and detailing is crisp. Having a Xemex watch myself, I can easily attest to this, and would happy to own such an interesting model as the Xemex "Quarter" Avenue 2805.04. Prices range from $1000 - $ 2,500 depending on configuration and where you purchase them.

Bell & Ross BR03 Watch On Metal Bracelet Sighted

It finally happened, Bell & Ross is giving everyone's favorite square watch a metal bracelet. Actually, let me clarify. They are testing it out on the BR03 watch models. Seen here is one of the first of these types... maybe the first ever in a retail store. It is the BR03-92 watch with the new style metal bracelet that you can now get in addition to the rubber or other straps available with this watch line.

Bell & Ross does not currently have any plans to give the larger BR01 (46mm wide) watches a bracelet at this time. They are merely seeing how it goes with the smaller BR03 (42mm) models. I do like the look. It seems to make sense and feels like a visually comfortable fit. Like the straps, the bracelet tapers from the case down to the clasp a bit so that it does not feel unwieldy on your arm. The design is a bit retro, and the bracelet is done with a brushed finish on the top side, with polishing on the sides I believe. The inner side of the bracelet has a middle link that holds the larger links together. You get that nice clean vertical link look on the outside of the bracelet. The bracelet moves nicely and is flexible enough for what you'll need to do with it.

There is a folding doubling locking deployment clasp with a Bell & Ross signature on it. It all works pretty well. Bell & Ross proved to me that they could do a great bracelet with the one they have on the Geneva series of watch. The one here on the BR03 has sort of the same feel to it, light and airy, but well made. Not super heavy or dense like some sport watch bracelets. I have a feeling that the steel metal bracelet is going to be more of an option in the near future as more stores get these pieces, but it could very well be slow. I didn't even see images of the BR03 on a bracelet online before I saw it at the Lussori watch store in Carmel, CA. Even Bell & Ross themselves didn't tell me about it, and they are always so good about telling everything that is going on. Sure there is a press release about some high society thing that they sponsor, but you get a new bracelet where there never was one, and no one knows what to say about it?

Bell & Ross BR01-96 And BR01-97 Limited Edition Commando Watches

More with the gray watches it seems. I've been writing about this trend pretty extensively on Luxist.com, but it has finally come to Bell & Ross. Actually I knew this since Baselworld back in March, but only now it connected with me that this is all part of the gray watch conspiracy - and watch companies are always bitching about the gray market. Irony?

These two new pretty watches are part of a limited edition of just 500 pieces each and are part of the Commando watches that Bell & Ross will offer. Commando meaning gray in this instance. Maybe this is the perfect urban combat camouflage watch? We are familiar with the models as well. These are the big date and power reserve versions of the Bell & Ross BR01, or rather the BR01-96, and the BR01-97. The dials also make it clear that the watches are part of a limited edition. The Big Date has an automatic ETA 2896, while the power reserve model has an ETA 2897.

The black on the hands and indexes contrast well with the gray color dial, and are also lume covered to glow in the dark - pretty well. They come with a rubber strap or a synthetic fabric material strap also in gray. Aside from the concrete gray look of the watches and the fact that they are part of a limited edition, there isn't much new to tell. There will only be 500 made of each, and I am sure they will demand a bit of a premium over the non limited models. Now for the obligatory Commando movie poster shot to go with the Bell & Ross Commando watches.

Bell & Ross BR01-92 Gold Ingot Limited Edition Watch

Short post, but here the images say it all. If there was ever a gaudy watch that I wanted, it would be this watch. I typically shy away from euphemistically decadent watches such as this, but I am oddly drawn to the golden hues and texturing of this special limited edition watch from Bell & Ross. Take the extremely popular Bell & Ross BR01 series, make it out of gold, and make it after gold bars, and you have the Bell & Ross BR01-92 Gold Ingot. It is not just another gold watch, but a commentary on luxury itself. The entire 46mm wide case is constructed in 18k rose gold, and so are the hands, dial, and hour markers.

Special pyramid texturing on the dial really makes the watch special. Just a gold watch would be one thing, but this is a watch with a gold personality, and that is not just me sounding cheesy. It retains everything you like about the Bell & Ross instrument look and appeal. I like how the gold hands are skeletonized so that you can see the gold underneath. The numerals are gold on gold, for that golden look. Gold screws stand in for the typical steel, actually I don't need to mention all this, you get the point - GOLD!

Inside is the same Swiss ETA 2892A2 automatic mechanical movement powering the watch, while the shiny black alligator strap works well. I think a brown strap would look even a bit nicer against the rose gold, don't you think? The Bell & Ross BR01-92 Gold Ingot Limited Edition watch is available in select place to select people. This is the gold watch to own for people who would not otherwise shell out for a gold watch but suddenly must do so. There you have it, don't make me yell "gold" again.

Bell & Ross Vintage BR 123 & 126 Heritage Watches

If I could go back and add an additional watch to my Top 5 watches at Baselworld 2010, it would be this new collection from Bell & Ross. Last year, one of their hottest models was the BR01-92 Instrument Heritage (that I wrote about here). It had a new (old) type of vintage aircraft cockpit dial design and a tan leather strap that looked like it was made out of baseball glove leather. People loves the pieces, and it finalized Bell & Ross's trifecta of aircraft instrument themed watches (though there will be more I am sure). While not the subject of this article entirely, I have placed an image here of the new Bell & Ross BR03-92 Heritage watch that is in the smaller 42mm wide BR03 case, as opposed to the 46mm wide BR01 case. While the BR03 Heritage was technically announced last year, this is the first time I have seen it. One change for the BR03 Heritage is that the leather strap is free from the "branding" that the BR01 Heritage watch had.

The greater stuff is the Bell & Ross Vintage BR Heritage watches - especially the Carbon version. This is a round port of the BR03 Heritage watch in a 41mm wide round, carbon colored black case. There is also the non Carbon version, which has a 41mm wide polished steel case, and slightly different dial and hands. Each of the styles comes in 123 and 126 versions. The 123 models have three-hand automatic Swiss ETA 2892 movements, while the 126 models have modified ETA automatic chronograph 2894 movements. I wrote about the Bell & Ross Vintage BR 123 & 126 Heritages watches on vipwatch-jp.com here.

Each has deliciously simple dials that ooze style and restrained masculine good taste. My top pick if the Vintage BR Heritage 123 Carbon. Amazingly comfy and bold dial that to me feels like a fresh alternative to many Panerai watches. Just a simple thing like putting the watch in a round case did so much. Note the vintage style curved edge sapphire crystal. The combo of the matte black light, tan colored leather is excellent.