Considering how rich the history of the watch industry is, stretching back centuries, it’s little surprise that there is always more to learn about. Today’s focus is the revival brand Dennison who have released their debut A.L.D Collection inspired by their impressive heritage. The A.L.D Collection is split into two main sub-categories, the stone dial series and the sunray dial series, so naturally I have here one of each for a full review. Specifically, we have the A.L.D Collection Midnight Aventurine and Sunray Black.

The name A.L.D is an homage to Dennison’s original founder Aaron Lufkin Dennison, the man who, in 1850, also founded the Waltham Watch Company, one of the United States’ most significant watch brands. However, the Dennison name itself became recognised in its own right in the late 1800s when Aaron Lufkin Dennison began producing high quality watch cases for other brands and introduced what at the time were new techniques and materials to watch production such as gold plating.

Across the 20^th century the reputation of Dennison continued to grow. Shakleton’s expedition watches, WWI military watches, Edmund Hillary’s Smiths Everest ascent watches and a range of Rolexes, Omegas and Longines can all trace at least part of their production to Dennison. Then, in 1967 the brand disappeared – just before the quartz crisis meant many other watch brands would also follow suit. However, in 2024 the Dennison name is back.

Strapping on the A.L.D Sunray Black my attention naturally slides to the case, as that’s what the brand is historically famous for. Its shape is a kind of hybrid between a cushion case and a rectangle, measuring 33.65mm in width with a lug-to-lug of 37mm and thickness of 6.05mm. It’s pretty svelte, giving it a great unisex appeal. I understand the argument that the smooth lines and polished surfaces gives it quite a feminine aspect but, on the wrist, I think the size works really well, especially given the current popularity of retro dimensions.

The Sunray Black dial with steel hands (also polished meaning they sometimes look black depending how the light hits them) is suitably minimalist, letting the shape language of the case really shine. It’s a quiet and refined design. Which is interesting because swapping to the  A.L.D Collection Midnight Aventurine, the dial on this version is anything but quiet. As the name suggests, the dial is made from aventurine glass giving it a sparkling, shining appearance that dazzles in the sunlight. It reminds me of clear nights when you can see the Milky Way lighting up the sky.

In addition to the mineral dial, the Midnight Aventurine ups the luxe ante even further with a gold PVD finish on the case, hands, crown and strap pin buckle. Turning either watch over reveals a solid caseback decorated with the Dennison logo with a radial pattern emerging from it. Protected by said caseback is the Swiss Ronda Quartz 1032-1 movement. Admittedly this movement lacks the prestige of a mechanical movement but it’s an integral part of maintaining the watches’ slim profiles. Plus, we’ve seen many revival brands start with quartz before graduating to mechanical a few years down the line and that’s entirely possible with Dennison.

If you’re looking for a stylish, accessible timepiece with the reliability and ease of maintenance of quartz, both the A.L.D Collection Midnight Aventurine and Sunray Black are worth a consideration. Or one of their many alternatives such as the gorgeous green Malachite stone dial edition. The stone dial versions are priced at £549 while the sunray editions are £390.

More details at Dennison.

It’s time for the latest Oracle Time membership giveaway! We host these giveaways every 3 months providing Oracle Time members the chance to win some awesome watches. Previous prizes include the Spinnaker Bradner GMT and Baltic HMS 003. Next, up for grabs is the Formex Field Petrol Blue – details of the giveaway can be found at the bottom of this article. But first, let’s meet the watch with a hands-on review.

If you’re unfamiliar with Formex, they are a byword for practical, accessible tool watches and the Field collection is the ultimate example of that. The Field Blue’s titanium case measures 40mm in diameter, making it super lightweight and suitable for wrists of all sizes. Strapping it on, it’s the type of watch you can wear day after day without becoming wearied by the weight. I’m sure there are diehards out there who will complain that it doesn’t have the appropriate heft for a tool watch but as titanium becomes more common in the industry, people will gradually acclimatise to lighter timepieces.

In terms of colour, the case has a distinctive grey tone with a sand-blasted finish. It’s actually lighter in shade than many titanium watches and I find that helps the finish to stand out more. The same material is used for the crown, which is itself quite wide meaning there’s the slight issue of it digging into your hand at certain angles. However, the benefit of such a wide crown is that it’s easy to use with an excellent feel as you unscrew it and use it to change the date and time.

The fact that it’s a screw-down crown also helps to provide the watch a 150m water resistance rating. That’s what you’d expect from a field watch. The origin of field watches is closely related to the military as they were designed for use ‘in the field’, hence the name. So they’re generally designed to survive a quick splash through a river or puddle but isn’t designed for extended use in water. Although with its petrol blue dial, this specific Formex Field isn’t particularly militaristic.

The dial has a sandwich construction, which means it’s constructed of three layers: the base plate, a layer of retro, beige lume and then a top layer with stencil-like cut-outs for the Arabic numerals and hour markers. It makes for a very distinctive display that’s solidly legible in both light and dark conditions.

Unstrapping the watch and turning it over reveals the solid titanium caseback engraved with a cool honeycomb pattern. It protects the Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement held inside. The Sellita is the archetypal work horse movement, widely used across the industry due to its accessibility, ease of repair and decent reliability. Plus, it has the improved 41-hour power reserve that Sellita introduced a few years ago, making it almost weekend-proof.

I must say that when it comes to daily wear watches, I’m a sucker for a field watch. They’re the perfect balance of utility and style and the Formex Field Blue lives up to that expectation perfectly. It would fit in my personal collection seamlessly next to the Seiko Alpinist and Christopher Ward Shoreline. Sadly I won’t be adding this particular piece to my collection because instead it’s going to be given away to one of you instead. Thanks for that.

For a chance to win the Formex Field Petrol Blue simply sign up to become an Oracle Time member before January 3^rd 2024. What better way to start the new year than with a watch worth £890 on deployant leather strap? Plus, by signing up to the membership you’ll receive a host of additional benefits including receive 10 print editions of the magazine straight to your door, invitations to exclusive events and priority access to future collaboration watches.

More details at Formex.

With all watches from Horloger Ming, there is an inevitable sense of taste and refined purity. A purity driven by the vision of founder and chief creative Ming Thein, who adores the visual and graphic shape-play of case and dial. Being aware of his background in photography you get the emphasis on strong graphic contrasts. That’s true of all their watches but is expressed with particular clarity in the new Ming 37.02 Minimalist, which has a balance between light and darkness on the dial that is quite spellbinding to be honest. And putting it on for the first time it feels compact, weighty and instantly at home.

You’ll have one of two reactions if you haven’t tried on a Ming watch before when you wear this watch. If you’re a small-cased watch aficionado like myself, you’ll nod approvingly as the short-lugged 38mm case settles on your wrist. Equally, if you’re part of the nouveau-large crowd rocking 43mm Breitlings, the combination of its compact design and big-presence charm will have you questioning your life choices. No kidding. This is only exacerbated by how the wrist-shape moulded FKM strap (the king of rubbers) embraces your forearm even before fastening the strap.

Let’s start by talking about the strap for a change. Ming equips their watches with a clasp that is so brilliant that it will make you question life itself. Sorry if this sounds dramatic, but it’s true. All Ming leather, or smooth FKM rubber, straps have an elongated clasp with twin openings. This allows the strap to return and tuck under the short clasp end. If this sounds bulky it isn’t, as all Ming straps are thin at this end, proof positive of an obsessive and fresh approach to watch design.

You’ll find no annoying keepers that slide up and no lengthy strap end poking out to catch your cuff. Should all brands implement this? Yes, and it would make the wrist world a better place. Like all other Ming straps, it also has a curved end and quick-release, which ensures a snug fit and easy changeability. On top of that, the leather straps from Ming are made by Jean Rousseau. They are usually priced at CHF 250, but they are worth every penny for sheer luxurious craftsmanship.

Moving to the Ming 37.02 Minimalist’s case, it’s the first to be designed, engineered, and managed internally by Horologer Ming SA, Ming’s new Swiss entity. The sides have distinct but soft brushing, while the slim rounded-top bezel compliments the sweeping lugs perfectly, as does the slight twinkle of the polished caseback. I love how the big crown juxtaposes the quite dressy size of the watch.

The dial of the Ming 37.02 Minimalist is deceptively simple, offering an industry first.. Ming Thein has been obsessively trying to make a luminescent compound that emanates a pure white glow, and this is the result. While it seems applied to the sapphire dial, that’s not the case. The proprietary white lume is liquid-filled into the triple laser-etched grooves encircling the dial. Each stop between the lumed semi-circles denotes the hour, so the charmingly expressive pattern is anything but random. Realizing this made me nod and grin widely in approval, making the intensely minimal 37.02 very legible.

The hands are instantly recognisable as a classic Ming design from 6 feet away. They are simple, softly rounded, and proportionate to a tee. At first glance, the minute hand looks almost skeletonised, but it has Super-LumiNova X1 lume carefully applied only to its edges. This makes it easily distinguishable from the hour hand with its full X1 Treatment.

The new 37.02 Minimalist has a 100m depth rating, so it’s a solid everyday watch. But in the same way that many Grand Seikos are technically tool watches, the suave execution might still relegate it to special occasions. Black goes with everything, which certainly applies to the Ming 37.02 Minimalist. But swap out the smooth FKM rubber for a colourful Jean Rousseau number from their in-house catalogue, and its personality will change. Just as fast and as surprising as the dial inverts from sleek black to a gloss silver-grey as you shift it in the light.

Powering the Ming 37.02 is a Sellita SW300, which might make you sceptical of its price. But have a closer look. It is a Sellita, but darkly different, as a “Sellita for Ming-creation.” The SW300.M1 automatic movement features anthracite skeletonised bridges and a customized rotor. These touches combined make for a big step up in refinement compared to the basic, proven, and solid Sellita movement.

This is one of Ming’s releases, in which movement is not the point. Ming’s latest releases are moving up the grail ladder, so in that respect, this is a welcome return to accessible purity. It is simply one of the best minimalist timepieces to emerge in 2024, full stop. At CHF 3,250 (approx. to £2,890), with stock available for the first time, the temptation will be strong for many.

More details at Ming Watch.

While GMTs are the de facto travellers’ watch, for my money nothing quite beats a worldtimer. The first watch I ever bought myself was a handsome Longines worldtimer number from their Master Collection and I still wear it regularly. It’s clean, sleek and has a less-is-more, blue-and-silver look I love. So where does the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Worldtimer stack up?

The problem is, more watchmakers than not take a maximalist approach to worldtimers. Atlas dials rendered in exquisite detail, globe motifs everywhere, they really take the ‘world’ in worldtime and run with it – to exhaustion. There’s heritage there (Patek Philippe jumps to mind) but for me, simplicity is key to rendering 24 timezones in a coherent way.

The Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Worldtimer is about as clean and legible as they come. No detailed map, no details that look like they’re stripped from airline branding, just a stunning, pure silver dial.

I’m a huge fan of monochrome anyway, it oozes 1950s chic like nothing else and on a travellers’ complication has that ‘golden age of air travel’ glamour to it. It makes me feel like the jetsetter I always know I’ve been. That’s doubly the case here, with a mix of a matte rhodium city ring, a matt silver 24-hour ring and sunray brushed inner dial. Each has a very subtle distinction, but it’s there if you look. I don’t want to say it’s a watch for connoisseurs… but it kind of is.

The city ring itself takes up quite a large portion of the dial, perhaps a touch too much. It makes sense, with a solid double layer of cities to make sure they’re still readably large. There would be no point having a worldtimer with lettering too small to pick out, and the all-silver look gets away with it more than other watches. But a slimmer city ring would make the entire thing feel a bit more elegant.

There are multiple versions of the Heritage Worldtimer, of course. There’s a black dialled version that, honestly, just doesn’t have the cache of the silver. The silver though is available in a steel or rose gold (and limited edition) case, the former of which we have here. I can’t say for sure which I prefer. The gold is certainly more glamorous, and pairs with those lovely rose gold indexes, but the steel amps up the monochrome. If I had to come down on one side, it would likely be the steel – if only because that’s more in my price range.

Speaking of the cases, they measure in at 39mm, with a height of 10.25. For me, that’s goldilocks territory, although on the wrist it feels a touch larger if only because of the amount of stuff on the dial. It feels nice, the lugs are slightly curved, and it is indeed nicely readable without having to crane your neck over your wrist to peer closely at the time in Tokyo.

It’s not just easy to read, but easy to operate too. In case you’ve been wondering this whole time what that funky nine o’clock crown was all about, that’s to quick-change the city disc. It’s ripped straight from the 1950s heritage number this is based on and is something I’d like to see in more worldtimers. With my Longines, for example, you need to change the minute hand until the 24-hour ring syncs up, then jump the hour to the correct local time. Not so here. It also makes for a supremely cool rotating dial.

Inside is the CFB A2020 automatic movement. It’s a solid COSC-certified number with a 55-hour power reserve that looks like a manual-wind movement at first glance. That’s because the rotor is peripheral, giving an unobstructed view of the mainplates with plenty of cotes de Geneve, snailing and the balance spring. It’s also part of the reason the watch can maintain that 10.5mm thinness. I’ve been told that peripheral winding can be more efficient than your standard rotors, but I really didn’t have this for long enough to dive that deep. The bottom line is that it makes for a stunning caseback.

For me, Carl F. Bucherer’s is a phenomenal template for a worldtimer. Is there more they could do with it? Absolutely. After all, this is a more streamlined take on their previous Heritage Worldtimer, so there’s always room for improvement. I’d love to see it with a bit of guilloche on that central dial, or a slimmer city ring, a few things like that. On its own merits however – the all-silver, ‘50s glamour, the cool peripheral rotor, the sheer readability of the complication – it’s a fantastic traveller’s watch from a brand I think too many people are sleeping on.

The Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Worldtimer is also priced well for what it is at £6,600. There are cheaper worldtimers out there; there are more expensive. And I think it’s a fair price for what is a great watch.

More details at Carl F. Bucherer.

Omega watch out because there’s a new 300m diver on the scene. I’m talking about the brand new Prospex 300m Automatic Polygonal Divers watch from Seiko. Which feels like the first genuinely new, not-a-heritage-tribute watch in the Prospex collection that Seiko has produced in about three years – outside of crazy novelties like the 1/100^th Second Solar Chronograph. We got hands-on with the collection to learn all about it.

I called out Omega in the introduction because to my mind, this is the closest to Omega’s Seamaster Diver 300m that Seiko have ever been in terms of overall aesthetic. It measures 41.25mm in diameter in steel with mirror-polished surfaces, on top of which sits a distinctive polygonal bezel. The shape is technically an octagon but the edges are rounded, which makes it a touch more ambiguous. From a distance you’d be forgiven for think the bezel is completely round.

I will say it’s a slightly odd shape, like someone left out a circle and it melted a little in the sun. However, there is an ergonomic purpose to it. But having angled sides instead of a smooth arc, it makes it much easier to rotate. I can’t think of many facetted rotating bezels as the majority of polygonal bezels, such as those found on integrated sports watches like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, are fixed. And twisting the bezel here is very satisfying.

There are three versions of the watch available. First is the Coastline Cobalt edition with a blue bezel and matching blue coastline-pattern dial. Second is Pearl White, which unsurprisingly has a white dial paired with a black bezel. Lastly there’s the Ocean Grey and Bronze edition with a dark, almost anthracite tone dial and a bronze coloured bezel giving it a strong nautical equipment vibe. The coastline dial is interesting, like a hybrid between the horizontal lines of the Patek Nautilus and the waves of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300m.

To keep it nice and legible, the dial is completed with pencil hour markers coated with lume. That shape is mirrored by that of the central hour, minute and seconds hands. Completing the display is the date window nestled between 4 and 5 o’clock. The date disc is black on the grey and blue editions and white on the white one, which is appropriate.

On the wrist, all three models have an impressive amount of presence. They’re big to be sure but it’s not overwhelming and the weight of them is reassuring rather than cumbersome. They’re also presented on steel bracelets which always adds an extra layer of visual impact. Although I personally think you could slap this onto a rubber strap to increase the comfort and double-down on the dive watch vibe, it would look great.

Turning any of them over reveals a solid caseback with a wave motif in the centre. Solid casebacks are very common on dive watches because it can help to improve the water resistance rating. Generally, solid casebacks are made from a single piece of material, require less components than an exhibition back, so there are less failure points for water to enter the watch through.

Although I would also like to be able to see the Seiko Calibre 6R55 that’s housed inside the Prospex 300m Automatic Polygonal Divers as it’s one of the Japanese brand’s higher spec movements. It has a 72-hour power reserve with an accuracy of -15/+25 seconds per day. Recently Seiko’s higher end watches with movements like the 6R55 and 300m water resistance ratings have been on the pricier side of the scale, but the Polygonal is actually priced very reasonably.

Specifically, it costs £1,000. For a practical tool watch with good specs, that seems appropriate. After spending time with the watches I’m still not completely sold on the new design, but perhaps that’s simply because it’s new and I haven’t become accustomed to it yet. Arguably the same could be said for the Patek Philippe Cubitus which also drew clashing opinions recently. Who knows, perhaps in 20-years’ time we will be talking about them as the revolutionary iconoclasts of their time.

More details at Seiko.

Pre-orders for the Yema x Alain Silberstein Marine Limited Edition open today (October 21^st) but should you invest in one? I’ve spent the past week with this modernist timepiece to find out. I say modernist because Alain Silberstein is a widely celebrated modernist artist, known for his use of colour and shape. He’s a popular figure in the watch industry having worked with multiple interesting brands like Louis Erard and Ressence. Now though is the turn of French brand Yema.

The first thing that strikes me whenever I strap the Yema x Alain Silberstein Marine Limited Edition onto my wrist is the shape of the case. It’s a dual crown compressor style case with an internal rotating bezel, which is not a style of design I can remember Yema ever tackling before. Their regular divers, like the Navygraf or Superman are strongly influenced by a 1960s-70s skindiver aesthetic, broad and flat.

However, the compressor style of design (admittedly hailing from the same time period) is taller but more compact. The lugs of this watch are short and round emerging from the circular edge of the case body and immediately transitioning into the rubber strap. The case itself, designed from scratch by Silberstein, has flat, vertical sides that lead to a rounded top that itself transitions immediately into the sapphire glass. In black, DLC coated titanium it feels very modern, which is entirely the point given the modernist slant of the collaboration.

Silberstein’s influence is felt most on the dial. The hour hand is a large red triangle outlined in white while the minute hand is a huge yellow arrow. Uniquely the seconds indicator is a starfish, which is not a typical Silberstein shape but instead is a fun acknowledgement of the watch’s diving specs, water resistant to 200m. While I never took the watch anywhere near the water, it at least stood up to the English rain.

If you take the watch off (easy to do with the butterfly clasp) the aquatic theme continues on the watch’s caseback. It features an exhibition window, beneath which two koi fish appear to be swimming over the movement, one in silver and the other in gold. The movement they protect like spirits from Japanese folklore is the CMM.20 micro-rotor, with the rotor here being picked out in red. It’s an automatic calibre with impressive stats that include a 70-hour power reserve and -3/+7 seconds per day accuracy. My own collection is full of 38-hour to 42-hour power reserve movements so I very much enjoyed the added leeway of the extended reserve.

To me, the most awkward part of the design is the screw-down crown that operates the internal bezel. Don’t get me wrong I like the style of it with its blue Cerakote® ceramic coating but I have yet to master its use. By which I mean whenever I set the bezel to my chosen point, I almost always nudge it out of position again when trying to screw it back into place. The interval between where it starts to screw into place and where it rotates the bezel is a fraction too small. Still, that can largely be chalked up to user error.

I keep coming back to the fact that if there wasn’t a Yema logo on the dial, I would not be able to tell you that the Yema x Alain Silberstein Marine Limited Edition is a Yema. Even the Marine inscription below 6 o’clock looks like it would be more at home on the back of a Porsche or Maserati. It’s so different to everything else in their stable. Depending on your point of view that’s either a positive or a negative. I dearly love Yema’s other divers so this is quite jarring to me, but I know that my colleague, Oracle Time’s editor Sam Kessler, is praising it as the coolest Yema to date.

It’s priced at £2,958 in a limited edition of 500 pieces. That puts it at the higher end of Yema’s divers, which does make sense. Its totally unique case design in DLC coated titanium likely contributes a fair sum to the total, in addition to the manufacture movement. Plus the modernist approach to the classic elements of dive watch design are entertaining.

More details at Yema.

There will always be room in my heart for accessible chronographs, sporty timepieces that are practical, fun to wear and priced in such a way that you might actually consider wearing them to your local track day. Such is the case with the Neotype LM02 Type C limited edition that was launched earlier this year. I’ve taken two of them for a test drive, the retro-styled LM02C1A and the more urban LM02C2N.

On the wrist both versions wear very well. They measure 41mm in diameter with a thickness of approximately 14mm from caseback to crystal top. On paper those are fairly substantial dimensions but actually I don’t find it overbearing at all. The gentle slope of the tachymeter bezel and angled lugs make it feel slimmer than it actually is. This coming from someone who owns almost exclusively sub-40mm watches.

The primary difference between the two versions of the LM02 Type C I’ve been wearing is the finish on the case. The LM02C1A has exposed steel with delicately brushed surfaces while the LM02C2N has a sandblasted black PVD coating. They then both have black ceramic insert tachymeter bezels. Of the two, the steel edition is more striking as it’s literally the flashier one compared to the matte finish of the black. Although that does work in the black edition’s favour in terms of being a stealthier option.

Another notable difference is that the steel edition has old radium style lume in beige with the same colour being used across the subdials, tachymeter and chronograph seconds scale. In contrast the black PVD’s markings are stark white. It’s worth noting that there are two additional references that I haven’t been hands-on with that flip those colours – steel with white details and PVD with old radium details.

Focussing in on the dials, they’re sandwich displays with bicompax subdials. At 9 o’clock is a chronograph 60-minute scale and at 3 o’clock is a 24-hour display. Whenever I see a 24-hour display on a 12-hour watch, I do wonder what the point is. It more serves as a day-night indicator than a time display and a second time zone would offer much more utility. However, that’s a very minor point in the grand scheme of things.

The chronograph function itself is controlled by two screw-down pushers. Typically screw-down elements are associated with dive watches but watches like the Rolex Daytona popularised their use on racing chronographs. I suppose it’s so you don’t accidentally start or stop the timing. Their use is actually pretty rare, especially at accessible price point, but I like them. They give a nice tactile element to the watch, making up for the lack of a rotating bezel.

Beneath the solid caseback of the Neotype LM02 Type C is the Seiko VK64 meca-quartz chronograph. Meca-quartz is a hybrid calibre that combines the reliability of a quartz regulator with the smooth feel of a mechanical chronograph. I would prefer it to be fully mechanical but evidently Neotype didn’t want to deviate too significantly from their previous models in terms of price and an auto chrono could add a hefty chunk of change.

All four versions of the watch, including the two I have here, are limited to 75 pieces each. The LM02C1A is priced at £449 while the LM02C2N is £485. So, after test driving both, which would I add to my garage? It has to be the retro-slanted LM02C1A. The combination of the steel case and beige numerals give it a vintage appeal that gives it more character compared to the modern, urban PVD edition.

More details at Neotype.

While today’s article focusses on the Rado True Square Automatic Skeleton Blue, if you took at Rado’s direction over the past few years, you’d be forgiven for assuming that they produced one watch in infinite variations of the Captain Cook. Ever since they relaunched the retro diver, they’ve been riffing on the theme with different colours, materials and levels of skeletonisation, which is a shame, not because there’s anything wrong with the flagship watch, but because it squeezes out some of the cooler, quirkier facets of the brand.

Indeed, while the Captain Cook was super successful in the 1960s, Rado’s history has been defined not by diving, but by sleek futurism and ceramic, the kind of pieces that still feel cutting-edge in design today. That’s especially true of the Ceramica from the 1990s, Rado’s first square, full ceramic watch – case, crown and bracelet all.

As far as I’m concerned, the Ceramica is a definitive ‘90s model and, while I wait with bated breath for some kind of reissue (if it worked for Hamilton’s PRX…), the next best thing is the model’s updated sibling, the True Square. Sure, the True Square’s perhaps a more traditional watch, with a bracelet narrower than the case, but it still has the same sleek, smooth, ceramic look – and the latest True Square Skeleton Blue amps up that funky futurism to a new level.

Rado love ceramic; it’s part of their DNA more than anyone save, perhaps, IWC. But this year they’ve been trying their hand at coloured ceramic, particularly blue. It’s something they leveraged previously on our cover-starring Captain Cook x England Cricket watch, which used a combination of blue and white. Personally, I prefer it here.

The smooth, rounded shoulders where the strap meets the case, the almost glossy sheen and the tactile bezel all look great in this specific shade of dark blue, less aesthetically plasticky than you sometimes get with something like white. It’s not the first time the True Square’s been released in coloured ceramic – as in, not white or black – as there have been both turquoise and peach versions in the past. But I would argue it’s the most wearable colour. It is very glossy, which I imagine would put some people off and while I’d prefer a matte finish if only to hide fingerprints, it does add to the True Square’s space-age sheen.

That ultra-modern look is emphasised by the dial too – or more accurately, lack thereof. Other than the two horizontal blue bridges dividing the open space into three, the entire movement is open. Rather than leave it as is, Rado has given the movement plenty of Côtes de Genève, making a feature of the visible metal.

Despite being technically a skeleton watch, there’s not actually many places you can see through the watch in its entirety, which I’m completely on board with. I’ve gone on (broken) record explaining that I wear a watch to hide my wrists, not stare at my arm hair, but I do like the intensely mechanical look of a clearly visible movement. This is the best of both worlds, especially when the metalwork you can see is tastefully finished.

Said movement is the R808, the same calibre as in the Captain Cook skeleton and pretty much any modern skeleton Rado. Said movement has a Nivachron hairspring for anti- magnetic properties and a power reserve of 80 hours which, given Rado’s a Swatch Group brand, we can assume that this is a Powermatic 80 by any other name, just much better finished.

Other than the colour, the most unusual thing about the new True Square is the collection’s first strap. The model always came on a bracelet before and for good reason, tracing its lineage as it does back to the Ceramica. It’s also a bit of a flex, as making a full ceramic bracelet isn’t as easy as it sounds, and it sounds pretty tough. Change is good though and the comfy, flexible rubber as an alternative to a full, polished bracelet makes the True Square immeasurably more wearable in a daily context. I’m not quite sure why it’s taken this long to make it a reality.

That wearability is the crux here. The True Square and the Ceramica before it have always been just the right edge of aesthetically cutting-edge, perennially new and shiny, and using ceramic for its looks perhaps more than the practicality other watchmakers love it for. But the combination of that flattering blue and the rubber strap pull back a little from that look, less futuristic, more forward- thinking and a lot more wearable – especially with this much horological tech at this price point.

Yes, there are a couple of issues. A mere 50m water resistance is less than I’d like for a daily wearer and I do find it a bit too glossy. But while it’s still not for everyone, it’s for many more potential collectors than ever before. Including me. At least, if they did a matte version.

More details at Rado.

As a career wristwatch journalist I don’t think it’s much of an admission to say I like nerdy things. High on that list are video games, which is relevant here because Avi-8 have launched their second collaboration with legendary Japanese video game publisher Capcom. I must admit that I’m much more Monster Hunter than Resident Evil but its neither of these flagship titles that grace the dial of the Avi-8 AV-4121 Flyboy Capcom 1942 Automatic Pixel Limited Edition. Instead, it’s the classic vertical scrolling shooter game 1942.

I can’t claim to have ever played 1942, it’s a bit before my time, but simply looking at the dial of the Avi-8 tells me everything I need to know about it. A retro game with charming pixel art that sees military planes traverse wonderful environments while weaving around bullets and enemy combatants – an early bullet hell, essentially. Released in 1984 it was Capcom’s break out game, eclipsing their previous offerings and really helping to establish them as an arcade staple.

I love the three-dimensionality of the display. The hour markers are printed on the crystal, hovering over the flange minute scale, which leads down to the chunky pixel Arabic numerals. There are then the decorative elements such as the protagonist plane and the top of a forest seen from above. There’s also a plane as the counterweight of the gradient seconds hand.

Lastly, the base of the dial is a sort of pixelated void which I suppose is an interpretation of the dark sea below – although for that it would look much better in blue as opposed to the black we have here on the Silver Ace edition. If you agree, you should check out the Gunmetal Ace variant which does indeed have a blue dial.

In order to accommodate this complex dial, the Avi-8 AV-4121 Flyboy Capcom 1942’s case is necessarily wide, measuring 41mm in diameter with a thickness of 12mm. On top of of that it has an oversize pilot’s watch crown which adds almost an extra 4mm to the lateral width. If you don’t like the risk of a crown digging into your wrist, this and likely most pilot’s watches are not for you. But still, I do like the ease of use such a large crown brings and because the watch isn’t dramatically thick it feels proportional.

One thing I will note while we’re talking about comfort is that as a fairly hirsute man, 5-link steel bracelets are never my preference – too many gaps to catch hairs in. Fortunately, it comes with an alternative rubber-leather hybrid strap which rectifies that problem. I also can’t quite decide if I like the finishing on the caseback, which has a relief image of a plane and both the Avi-8 and Capcom logos, as it has a very prominent texture to it like touching a well-worn pumice stone.

Hidden behind that caseback is the Seiko NH35 automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve. An industry staple that’s used across a wide range of watches off all shapes and sizes, it’s easy to service and well-priced. The Avi-8 AV-4121 Flyboy Capcom 1942 Automatic Pixel Limited Edition Silver Ace is $450 (approx. £340) while the other two variants, the Gunmetal Ace and Midnight Ace are slightly more at $474 (approx. £360).

There’s a huge sense of nostalgia that comes with a watch like the Avi-8 AV-4121 Flyboy Capcom 1942. It’s also fairly niche in its appeal due to the connection to a very specific retro video game. However, if you grew up with 1942 and are a watch enthusiast, Christmas came early. As for me, it reminds me of a misspent youth playing games very similar to 1942 on school computers when I should have been doing quadratic equations.

More details at Avi-8.

Earlier this year we talked about the March LA.B AM2 Millisime March 2024 edition, which evidently made an impression because you, the Oracle Time readers, nominated it as one of the best microbrand watches of the year in our Community Watch Awards (voting is open now until October 31^st 2024). Now though, we’ve got the opportunity to get hands on with their latest creation, the March LA.B AM2 GMT.

The choice to make a GMT was a no-brainer. The LA.B portion of the brand’s name is an acronym that stands for Los Angeles and Biarritz, two cities closely connected to their heritage. They also happen to be separated by 8 hours of time as Biarritz is in the GMT +1 time zone with the rest of Europe while LA is located at GMT -7. Hence a GMT makes sense because you can track both of those time zones at the same time.

There are actually two versions of the March LA.B AM2 GMT being produced. There’s a standard steel version and then the version we have here called the March LA.B AM2 ‘Shades’ GMT, a black, DLC coated limited edition. The black case measures 39mm in diameter with a steel base that’s protected by the scratch resistance diamond-like-carbon coating.

The thickness is 12.5mm but I always find that square watches (technically it’s an octagon due to the angled facets) sit higher on the wrist than their thickness suggests. Plus, the integrated bracelet is very lightweight so all the mass of the piece is concentrated in the watch body which I think subconsciously makes it feel larger and more weighty than it is. Although that’s not necessarily a bad thing because it has heaps of presence and genuinely suits wrists of any size.

Focussing in on dial, it’s an intricately layered affair. The central, raised portion has a honeycomb-esque textured pattern. That’s then surrounded by trench in matching black that houses the applied indices that sit at striking angles. On the other side of the lower portion is the titular 24-hour GMT scale, split into day/night sections in silver and black, that corresponds to the green-tipped GMT hand. Compared to the Millisime March edition, I find the pattern of the dial to be a touch simpler but that works well to balance out the added complexity of the GMT display.

Taking the March LA.B AM2 ‘Shades’ GMT off, which takes a second due to the slightly fussy clasp (it’s fine when you get used to it), reveals the exhibition caseback. It’s a very unique exhibition window with a vibrant green tint, which in combination with the black case makes me think of the Mysterons from Captain Scarlet although I appreciate that’s probably a very deep cut for most people.

The movement visible through the green window is the La Joux-Perret G110, an automatic movement with a 68-hour power reserve. It’s equipped with a March LA.B patterned rotor to keep it wound as it moves on your wrist. The standard AM2 uses the La Joux-Perret G100 and that proved so popular that it was only when LJP launched a GMT variant that March LA.B felt confident enough to tackle this complication.

In terms of price, it’s $2,200 (approx. £1,650) excluding taxes. As briefly mentioned the ‘Shades’ edition is also a limited edition with only 133 pieces available. If you’re wondering, the standard steel version with green dial is non-limited at a slightly lower price. Between the two I definitely prefer the ‘Shades’ for its bolder appearance and more durable, scratch resistant construction.

More details at March LA.B.

A lot of the discourse around Seiko recently has been about how they’re slowly shifting into more and more luxury realms with watches in the £2,000-£3,000 bracket. However, while that is definitely true at the top end, they also haven’t forgotten their roots in accessible watchmaking. Case in point, the new Seiko Presage Style 60s Retro Blue European Exclusive, which we got hands-on with in a recent trip down to our local Seiko boutique.

The design of the case follows the standard styling of the Style 60s with its 40.8mm diameter and 14.32mm thickness. It’s on the larger side for a dress watch, with a decent heft on the wrist due to all that steel. You could almost imagine it’s part of the Prospex collection rather than Presage, although with only a 50m water resistance rating you certainly shouldn’t treat it as such. In terms of style at least it rides the line between dressy and practical.

However, where the Style 60s Retro Blue comes into its own is the dial. It’s a very pale shade of blue, somewhere in the region of eggshell. It looks great with a gentle quality to it that enhances the dressy, retro vibe of the piece. As you move it around under the lights, the shade seems to shift slightly becoming almost lilac, which is also lovely and makes me want an actual lilac edition too.

A second blue element of the display is the 60-minute bezel which is in a darker tone. The bezel is a nod back to the original inspiration for the Style 60s collection, the 1964 Crown Chronograph, which was itself quite retro with a monopusher chrono design. The style of the hour markers and minute scale is also drawn from that heritage model. The combination of the vestigial chronograph elements and chunky (for a dress watch) case only enhances the idea that this should be a Prospex.

Turning the Presage Style 60s Retro Blue European over reveals an exhibition caseback that opens a window onto the Seiko 4R35 automatic movement. It’s a stalwart of the brand with a 40-hour power reserve and an accuracy of +45/-35 seconds per day. It’s not as impressive as the 6R or 6L series of movements but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as it allows the watch to be accessible. While we’re looking at the caseback you can also see the engraving marking its limited edition out of 3,000 pieces.

It’s priced at £550 and is exclusively available in Europe. Whether you’re looking for a daily beater or a watch to break out on special occasions while you’re on a budget, the Seiko Presage Style 60s Retro Blue European Exclusive is a great shout.

More details at Seiko Boutique.

As someone who appreciates brands that fly both under and over the radar, I was eager to get hands-on and review the Raven Endeavour II Pistachio. While Raven Watches may not be as widely recognised internationally as some larger names, the quality and reliability of their watches make them worth considering, especially if you’re looking for something built with intention and purpose. The Endeavour II, in particular, showcases the brand’s expertise in crafting tough, capable timepieces, making it an excellent choice for those who value functionality and long-lasting performance.

Raven Watches is a small, independent company based in Overland Park, Kansas, which falls almost dead centre in the    United States, where I am writing from. Owned and operated by Steve Laughlin since 2008, Raven has been creating rugged, reliable timepieces that are designed and assembled right in the heartland of America. Laughlin’s background in visual arts and his passion for watches have shaped Raven’s identity, producing watches that reflect a no-nonsense, practical approach to design. You may have heard of Raven most recently from their collaboration on the TrailTrekker with NODUS Watches, another American-based watch brand. Raven’s dedication to quality craftsmanship is notably evident in the Endeavour II, their marquee dive watch that balances durability with solid performance.

The Raven Endeavour II’s design is centred on practicality, starting with the full-bodied case. Made from 316L stainless steel, the 42mm case is both corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic, ensuring it can handle the elements while remaining comfortable on the wrist. At 12mm thick, it offers a nice presence without being overly bulky and the 47mm lug-to-lug distance ensures a good fit on a variety of wrist sizes. The brushed and polished finishes on the case give the watch a refined yet utilitarian look, striking a balance between robust style and function.

Raven has equipped and rated the Endeavour II to 500m of water resistance, making it more than capable of handling demanding underwater environments. The flat sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective (AR) coating on the inside ensures durability and clarity, even in bright conditions. The unidirectional bezel, made from ceramic and fully lumed, adds another layer of practicality, making it easy to time dives or other activities.

One premium feature that sets the Endeavour II apart is the automatic helium release valve. While not something most people will use regularly, it’s a thoughtful addition for those who need their dive watch to withstand pressure changes during saturation diving. It’s details like these that highlight Raven’s commitment to delivering a well-rounded and highly functional timepiece.

The Pistachio version of the Endeavour II immediately grabs attention with its light green dial, which features raised indices for easy readability. The dial’s unique colour is complemented by the black ceramic bezel. Plus, the use of Super-LumiNova X1 blue lume ensures visibility in low-light conditions. The polished black hands, for hours, minutes and seconds, offer clear contrast against the dial, further enhancing legibility. The softness of the green dial helps tone down the ruggedness inherent in the watch’s design – my personal favourite of the options, although the yellow may speak more directly to the brand’s ethos of adventure and bold horizons.

At 42mm, the case is perfectly sized for a dive watch, offering enough wrist presence without being too imposing. The 22mm bracelet, tapering down to 18mm, gives the watch a streamlined appearance, and the quick-release mechanism allows for easy strap changes. Whether you’re wearing it with the bracelet or swapping it out for a different strap, the Endeavour II maintains a versatile, functional look.

The bracelet itself is well-designed, featuring a NodeX adjustable clasp that makes it easy to adjust the fit on the go. This is a particularly useful feature for divers or anyone needing to wear the watch over a wetsuit or thicker clothing. Drilled lugs also add to the practicality of the design, making it easier to swap out straps or bracelets without hassle.

Underneath its rugged exterior, the Endeavour II is powered by the Miyota 9015 automatic movement, known for its reliability and accuracy. With a 42-hour power reserve, it’s a dependable choice that aligns well with Raven’s philosophy of building practical, functional watches. The movement also features hacking seconds, which allows for precise time-setting—another thoughtful inclusion for those who prioritise accuracy. The date window, positioned at 6 o’clock with a white date wheel, is unobtrusive and blends well with the overall design. It’s a simple, functional addition that complements the watch’s focus on legibility and ease of use.

What makes the Endeavour II even more interesting is the fact that it’s designed and assembled in Kansas. Raven Watches takes pride in its American roots and that’s reflected in the straightforward, no-frills approach to watchmaking. The focus is on delivering high-quality materials and solid engineering, rather than flashy design elements or unnecessary complications.

Steve Laughlin, Raven’s founder, brings decades of experience to the brand, having been passionate about watches from a young age. His hands-on approach to every aspect of the business—design, marketing, photography, and production—ensures that each Raven watch is crafted with care and precision. This personal involvement sets Raven apart from larger brands, giving the Endeavour II a sense of authenticity and purpose.

The Raven Endeavour II Pistachio is a dive watch built for those who value practicality and reliability over hype. With its 500m of water resistance, durable stainless steel case, and thoughtful design features like the helium release valve and fully lumed ceramic bezel, it’s a timepiece that can handle extreme conditions while maintaining a distinctive and refined look.

If you’re in the UK or elsewhere and searching for a robust dive watch with a distinctly American edge, the Raven Endeavour II deserves serious consideration, especially at a price of $620 (approx. £470). Its combination of technical capability, durability and understated design makes it a solid option for anyone seeking a well-crafted tool watch. Raven may be a smaller, independent brand, but their commitment to quality shines through in every detail of the Endeavour II.

More details at Raven Watches.

The Millesime collection has been a godsend for Raymond Weil. After nabbing itself a GPHG award with its debut appearance, the retro collection has expanded to encompass equally handsome chronographs and a solid number of colourways. It’s not hard to see why the watchmaker’s doubling down on it. And yet, that’s not all they’ve been doing.

You could argue that, despite being eclipsed by its younger, old-school sibling, the Freelancer is still very much Raymond Weil’s flagship. At the very least, it’s where they’ve consistently been doing more interesting things; the modern, frenetic, playful collection. And while most of the time I’d rather strap one of their new chronographs to my wrist, the latest Freelancer Skeleton has me almost converted.

Skeleton watches can be… divisive. I’m often not a huge fan of them, generally because they feel like they’re trying too hard to be cool, especially the ones that render everything in carbon fibre and cut away every conceivable part of the movement. I like to see a decent watch movement. The new Freelancer Skeleton – the Ref. 2783 to be precise – is a happy middle ground.

At 38mm across, it’s smaller than most similarly skeletonised watches. That alone makes it much more wearable and a feel a lot less like a haute horological try hard. Evidently smaller sizing is something Raymond Weil have taken to heart from the Millesime, and I’m here for it. It means that the overtly mechanical intensity on display is just that little bit less domineering.

The skeletonisation is tastefully done. The dial has been completely removed, of course, and the bridges have been skeletonised into a network of curving, anthracite supports. The rest of the movement however has been left relatively untouched. That means the various brass and steel components contrast fantastically with the dark bridges, with little pops of ruby bearings. It’s not what anyone would call colourful, but it’s certainly good-looking, especially with the additional finishing – a sunrayed mainplate and vertically brushed balance bridge – that Raymond Weil have added.

The movement is the RW1212, ostensibly an in-house calibre. Given it has a 41-hour power reserve, the same unusual number as the ubiquitous Seiko NH35 and 4R36, it’s hard to know if that’s a stretch or not, but there’s no denying it’s a good looking workhorse of a movement. That’s especially true of the brushed and skeletonised rotor.

Framed by a blue chapter ring, the frontside of the movement adds some structure to what would be the dial. It’s in a lovely medium blue, which is a safe default for this kind of thing, complete with the attached Raymond Weil lettering at 12 o’clock hanging like a signpost. Generally, I’d avoid mixing black and blue, but medium blue and anthracite? It walks the line and works, standing out enough from the intensely engineered backdrop to make it nice and readable. I much prefer it to the monochrome versions Raymond Weil’s shown off previously.

Indeed, it’s a rare skeletonised watch that you could call an everyday wearer, but the Freelancer 2783 fills that niche perfectly. Aside from the size, the five-link bracelet is comfortable enough for a full day on the wrist and thanks to the relatively long lugs, wears slightly larger than you’d expect from 38mm. Those lugs also give it punchier wrist presence, as does the large, cylindrical crown. To round off its go-anywhere, do-anything credentials, it has 100m water resistance, not enough to go diving but enough to beat back the elements. It’s much better made than anything you’d want to call a beater, but when push comes to shove, it feels like it can stand up more than your average daily wear and tear.

It feels good on the wrist, though I’m still not sure I can get used to seeing said wrist through the dial. Sure, it’s more obscured than on other skeleton watches, but it’s still a sticking point for me. That’s a personal compunction of course and if you love seeing the pure mechanics on display and don’t mind the backdrop then more power to you – this is a fantastic option.

So, onto the final element of the Freelancer Skeleton: price. Raymond Weil have gradually been upping their prices from where they were a few years back, but keeping the same value-for-money, and there’s a good amount of value on show here. That makes the £2,995 price tag not just acceptable but downright appealing. It sits in that sweet spot well under the other big players in the watchmaking field, but above your run-of-the-mill microbrands that live and die on headline-grabbing accessibility. It’s a respectable price tag sure, but one that still leaves you feeling like you’re getting a very good deal.

Am I full converted to skeleton watches? No, the Freelancer 2783 is still an outlier and one that, despite loving a lot about it, one I’m not sure I could bring myself to buy. But then I doubt many people would wear my gargantuan Seiko Tuna that I pretend I can pull off, so to each their own. The bottom line is, if you’re after a wellmade, everyday wearable skeleton watch, this is it.

More details at Raymond Weil.

In the summer of 2023 Tag Heuer released the Monaco Racing Blue, a limited edition of 1,000 pieces dedicated to the historic colour of French race cars like the Bugatti Type 35. In the article covering that launch I said, “if Tag Heuer were ever to release a Racing Green edition in celebration of British racing green, I would fall over myself trying to get one”. Well, I have news. Tag Heuer have indeed released the Monaco Chronograph Racing Green and I have been able to get hands on with it. So, does it live up to my own hype?

In short, yes. After the craziness of the recent Skeleton and Split-Seconds editions, I really like the understated quality of the Racing Green. It has a 39mm titanium case with a dark grey colouration that’s paired with a bright, silver tone dial with sunray brushed finishing. There’s no ostentatious openworking on display, just a classic dial in metallic tones. Back to the sporty, racing roots of the Monaco.

It feels appropriately sporty on the wrist too. The lightweight property of titanium means the watch weighs barely anything, meaning you can easily picture it on your wrist as you whip around the circuit on a track day without impeding your movement. Further to that, it’s presented on a perforated leather strap (in racing green) which helps to keep the watch lightweight while also preventing your wrist getting overly sweaty during vigorous activities. It’s supremely comfortable, even to the point of being uncanny, lacking the familiar weight of a tool watch.

Bringing our attention back to the dial, it has the signature bicompax subdial layout with a small seconds indicator at 3 o’clock and a 30-minute timer at 9. It’s these subdials that are British Racing Green in colour, a shade first made popular in the early 1900s, when a Napier 50 won the 1902 Gordon Bennett cup wearing livery of this colour. Since then it has become a staple of the British racing scene including, perhaps most famously of all, on the Jaguar E-Type. It’s a shade that manages to be impactful without being overwhelming or garish, suiting the Monaco down to a tee.

Adding a spot of brightness is the vivid yellow chronograph seconds hand on the central handstack. It’s operated using the chronograph pushers that it on the edge of the case at 2 and 4 o’clock. Interestingly the crown is not situated between them but on the opposite side at 9 o’clock, an unusual placement that’s based on the original heritage model from 1969. The idea of which is that it doesn’t dig into your hand when you bend your wrist, as you need to do while driving.

Flipping the watch over reveals an exhibition caseback through which you can see the Calibre 11. It’s one of Tag Heuer’s Sellita based movements, making use of the Sellita SW300 which provides solid but not crazy specs such as a 40-hour power reserve. It has a nice level of finishing with perlage and Geneva stripes. The titanium caseback also bears an inscription of “One of 1000”, marking it as a limited edition.

It’s priced at £8,150, which is about what you’d expect from a titanium limited edition. It comes in neatly below the various skeleton dial or DLC coated editions but above the standard steel ones. Admittedly for this price I would like to see an improved power reserve, but on the whole I really do like this version of the Monaco. It really does feel like it goes back to the collection’s roots.

More details at Tag Heuer.

It’s worryingly easy to lose yourself in the world of watches, to get caught up in the flying tourbillon of it all and the whirling doodads and endless complications that haute horology meisters present as the latest revolutionary innovation. However, the first watch I actually bought myself was an unfussy daily beater with a black dial, white numerals and well sized steel case. It’s the type of down to Earth watch design exemplified by Japanese brand Karl-Leimon and their Classic Field watch.

If you’re unfamiliar with the brand, Karl-Leimon have always dedicated themselves to creating classically styled watches at accessible prices. The brand had its start in 2017 when they successfully crowdfunded a quartz moonphase watch known today as the Classic Pioneer. Since then, they’ve grown in strength moving from quartz movements to mechanical ones, as evidenced by the Miyota 9039 automatic movement housed inside the Karl-Leimon Classic Field.

On the wrist, the Classic Field’s 38mm diameter steel case is very comfortable, held in place by a relatively thin rubber strap. The case is also relatively slim, measuring 9.5mm in thickness, allowing it to slip beneath your cuff as easily as breathing. Although I actually find that it appears taller on the wrist than it actually is due to the high polish finish of the bezel on the sides descending down to the main body of the case.

Focussing in on the dial, it’s a blend of dress and field watch design. It’s a highly legible display with either a blue gradient dial base with sunray finishing and white Arabic numerals, reminiscent of vintage military field watches like the Dirty Dozen, or black with applied indexes. The numerals on the blue version are in a Breguet style typography, with curving lines developed specially for use on watch displays. It gives the watch a much dressier appearance than a typical field watch with a classical leaning.

As mentioned previously, it’s powered by a solid workhorse movement with a 42-hour power reserve and accuracy of -10/+30 seconds per day. The 9039 is protected by the watch’s solid caseback, which is also engraved with the watch’s specs such as the 100m water resistance rating. I’m by no means suggesting that it reinvents the field watch genre, but as an entry-level option for collectors just starting to grow their collections or people looking for a daily beater they don’t have to worry about every time they catch it on a door handle, it’s worth a thought – especially  at a price of $550 (approx. £420).

More details at Karl Leimon.

Last year it felt like you could not so much as mention the watch industry without someone bringing up the Tissot PRX. That’s how thoroughly ingrained in the zeitgeist this accessible integrated bracelet sports watch was. These days it’s a little less ever present but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t crop up every now and then. Especially when Tissot release cool new editions like the PRX Powermatic 80 Gradient edition I have here for review.

Strapping on the watch with its signature single link, integrated bracelet and butterfly clasp, it feels… exactly like every other Tissot PRX. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because the case and overall design of the watch are identical to the previous editions we’ve seen over the past few years. The watch body measures 40mm in diameter and has a thickness of 10.9mm in stainless steel. It’s not overly heavy and is on the whole very comfortable – it wouldn’t have become the phenomenon it is if they messed up the basics after all.

Where the PRX Gradient really shines is the dial, which is where you’ll find the titular gradient. The edition here has a cool ice blue to dark blue colour shift on a linear axis. There’s also a black to blue version if something a bit moodier takes your fancy. However, I personally prefer the lighter tone of the pure blue gradient because it reminds me of a glacier or the frigid waters of the arctic sea – both popular inspirations in the watch world.

The dial itself consists of a tight square pattern reminiscent of that other luxury sports watch icon, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, albeit at a much finer scale. The hour markers are thin, straight batons with strips of lume, as are the hands. There’s also a date window at 3 o’clock to complete the time and date complications. It’s about as understated as it’s possible to get, which I like about the display though I have heard some opinions that it’s a touch boring. The addition of a sweeping gradient certainly helps to combat that though.

Undoing the bracelet and flipping the watch over reveals the exhibition caseback, which sits nice and flat against the wrist when worn. Through the window you can see the signature wave engraved rotor with Tissot logo of the Powermatic 80 movement. I feel like I’ve written about this movement at least 100 times at this point with its 80-hour power reserve that it achieves at the cost of a slightly lower frequency. You could be nit-picky about some of the details such as that frequency (3 Hz) and its plastic parts, but ultimately it has always been presented as an accessible option and it is genuinely great for the price.

Speaking of price, the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Gradient is £640, matching the rest of the PRX Powermatic range. I think expecting this watch to totally reshape how we view the PRX and bring the model back into the limelight that it once had is asking too much of what essentially amounts to a new colourway. At the same time the new colours are great and I’m always a fan of when brands offer customers more options. If you were on the fence about buying a PRX, maybe this is the version you were waiting for.

More details at Tissot.

Earlier in 2024 Oris released a comprehensive update to their Oris Aquis Date collection, including special editions like the Aquis Date Upcycle. However, over the years the Aquis has played host to more than just humble time and date complications. There have been GMT editions and chronographs and it doesn’t seem fair that these styles have been left behind by the updates. Well, now Oris have rectified one of those issues by releasing the new Aquis Chronograph 43.5mm, which I have here for review.

Let’s be clear, Oris’ 2024 updates to the Aquis are not a huge stylistic overhaul or anything so dramatic as that. They’re a series of small tweaks and quality of life improvements that are barely noticeable unless you look for them – although when you do see them you will welcome them. All of those same updated features are found on the Aquis Chronograph 43.5mm.

Starting with the case, it’s definitely a chunky beast, but it’s technically more refined than previous iterations of the Aquis Chrono which were true behemoths at 45.5mm while this edition is 43.5mm in diameter. This reduced size leans into the modern Aquis’ focus on feeling more compact (even at larger sizes) and cleaner in its lines. The unidirectional bezel with ceramic insert dive timer sits tight to the case, indicating more precise and reliable build quality. It’s also easy to manipulate thanks the chunky grip.

On the wrist, I have to say I’m surprised by how well it suits me. I tend to shy away from watches larger than 40mm but I don’t feel overwhelmed by the Chrono. I think that’s due to the sharply angled lugs that mean the bracelet (which has a thinner taper than previous versions) drops away down the sides of the wrist comfortably. Plus, the built up crown guard between the chronograph pushers isn’t as huge as pictures make it seem. It’s really only the thickness of – whipping out a ruler – approximately 15mm that means I ultimately can’t pull it off.

Moving from the case to the dial, I really like it. It’s the perfect blend of Aquis dive watch and sporty chronograph design. It’s blue with a smoky fumé gradient around the periphery which looks fantastic. It has a tricompax chronograph layout with the running seconds at 9 o’clock, a 30-minute timer mirrored across at 3 and a 12-hour timer with date window at 6. It also has the moderns set of hands and hour markers, which are slimmer and more tapered.

Powering the Oris Aquis Chronograph 43.5mm and visible through the exhibition caseback is the Oris Calibre 771. It’s an automatic chronograph movement with a 62-hour power reserve. I like the amount of resistance it has on the chronograph pushers, which are firm but not stiff. Which is what you want from a chrono dive watch so that you can’t press them by accident if you’re making use of the 300m water resistance rating.

In terms of price, it’s £3,990. That places it as third most expensive Aquis in the current range behind only the AquisPro 4000m and the artisanal Sun Wukong edition – which you can read about at the bottom of this article, here. I think that price is justified by the great specs of the watch and the really nice dial. If it was a touch thinner, I would have zero reservations about it. At the same time I’m also happy to see an unapologetically large tool watch in 2024, a year that has so far been dominated by slim, vintage proportions.

More details at Oris.

Christopher Ward enjoy making things glow more than a mad scientist with a penchant for the radioactive. They literally have an ongoing series of improbably bright complications with ‘glow’ in the name. They’re not subtle about it. And therein lies the problem –  which pieces like the Moonglow are definitely talking points, they’re not wearably down-to-earth. It turns out that now and then, subtlety can be a good thing. Case in point, the handsome new Christopher Ward C60 Trident Lumière.

‘Lumière’ isn’t just the name of a sentient candlestick; it’s French for light and that’s the starting point for Christopher Ward’s new diver. After all, what’s the biggest challenge for telling the time underwater? Other than keeping the water out of course. It’s actually reading your watch. And so, the Lumière uses indexes made entirely of Globolight, the solid lume created by specialist Xenoprint. It’s the same stuff that Christopher Ward uses for the moons on their C1 Moonglow and Moser & Cie use in their Heritage Dual Time. Needless to say, it’s incredibly bright; hide-this-in-your-bedside-drawer kind of bright. It shines twice as brightly and for much longer than other, similar lume.

For a proper dive watch, that level of brightness is perfect, a lovely light blue across the sharp baton indexes, the 12 o’clock triangle, Christopher Ward’s signature handset and even their flag logo. They’re shaped and chamfered with a level of precision you don’t often get with lume, or even most indexes for that matter. The result with the lights on is pretty cool; with the lights off it’s spectacular.

The bezel also has some luminescence to it, not using Globolight. The coin-edged bezel has a hardwearing ceramic insert that’s had the numerals and indexes machined out and filled with lume. It’s not as bright or eye-catching as the dial lume of course, but it still does the job the best it can. I can’t imagine anyone wants big, applied numerals on the most at-risk part of the watch. Oh, and as with all Trident watches, it’s got a solid feel to its unidirectional clicking.

There are three dial variations and the orange we have here is by far my favourite. There’s a good reason diving specialists like Doxa lean heavily on the colour. It’s the last colour to disappear underwater, so between this and the Globolight, there’s arguably no more underwater readable timepieces. It’s also just a cool, eye-catching flash of brightness on the wrist. The blue and grey are still handsome, but this for me outshines them completely.

That said, on the grey version both dial and bezel are exactly the same colour. I’d have loved to see the same thing here with even more orange, rather than the orange-grey dial-bezel pairing. I can see some sense in toning down what could be a rather domineering colour of course, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

As you might have guessed from the distinctive hue of the case, ‘Lumière’ isn’t just talking about the lume. The entire watch, bracelet and all, is made from Grade 2 titanium, making it much, much lighter than it’s 41mm across might suggest. Not that it’s particularly bulky to start with at just 10.85mm thick and the entire watch has been given a slight overhaul to make it the most svelte the C60 Trident has ever been.

A chunk of that waistline has been trimmed thanks to the Sellita SW300 movement. It’s a notable step up form the SW200 used in the C60 Trident Pro, bumping up the power reserve to 54 hours and the chronometer-certified accuracy to -4/+6 seconds per day, on top of its thinness. It’s not quite Christopher Ward’s in-house number, but it’s the next best thing and makes the watch accessible, despite the host of improvements the watchmaker’s lavished on the Lumière.

Speaking of improvements, this is the first Trident in recent memory with a helium escape valve. For most people that’s nothing more than an aesthetic quirk or, at most, a fun little talking point in the vein of ‘guess what my watch can do’. But for the borderline insane denizens of the deep that are saturation divers, it’s vital to stop the crystal popping right out.

Bottom line, this might just be my favourite Christopher Ward diver to date. Sure, I love the retro vibes of the C65, but if you’re looking for a professional standard diver – one with 300m water resistance, a unidirectional rotating bezel and low-light readability – I can’t think of any that can stand up to the C60 Trident Lumière for its mix of good looks and practicality. And price. Always price, with Christopher Ward – which in this case is £1,985 on the bracelet. It’s a punchy price point for the British brand, but you can’t deny that’s some serious value.

More details at Christopher Ward.