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.

Few watches are as synonymous with artistic styles as the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso and Art Deco design. And that’s for good reason because the Reverso collection dates all the way back to the early 20^th century and the emergence of the Art Deco movement It’s a bold and luxurious style and JLC have doubled down on that with a new dial decoration on the Reverso Tribute Chronograph Full Pink Gold.

Jumping straight to that dial, it’s made from pink gold with laser engraved horizontal lines that span the width of the display. It reinforces the geometric precision often seen in Art Deco designs while also highlighting the rectangular shape of the watch as well as echoing the gadroons (horizontal lines) found on the case above and below the dial. It makes for a really striking display, especially when paired with the pink gold hour markers and dauphine hands. Adding a level of legibility is the black minute scale which offers a much needed point of contrast.

Reversing the watch by flipping the body over reveals the second, hidden dial with skeletonised chronograph display. The layout of this dial is identical to the 2023 edition with the exception that the visible plate and bridges of the movement are now produced in pink gold. Hence the appellation Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph Full Pink Gold. The chronograph function itself is operated through the use of the rectangular pushers on either side of the crown.

Beyond the increased luxury of the dials, this model is more or less identical to the 2023 predecessor with proportions of 49.4mm x 29.9 mm with 30m water resistance. It houses the calibre 860 with a 52-hour power reserve and manual winding. The chronograph function consists of chronograph seconds and a retrograde 30-minute timer.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph Full Pink Gold is presented with a pair of straps, one a black alligator number and the second a brown calfskin piece. In terms of price and availability, it’s £60,500 in a limited edition of 250 pieces. While I’m a fan of the regular dial of the Reverso Tribute, I think this one is a worthy alternative suitable for a golden limited edition. If you want a hyper luxurious two watch collection, put this side by side with the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Self-Winding x Ora Ïto.

More details at Jaeger-LeCoultre.

By the time they have over 30 horological patents under their belt, you would assume that a watchmaker would be spoken of in the same breath as the modern independent greats, like F. P. Journe or Philippe Dufour. And yet despite working for Patek Philippe, Ulysse Nardin, and Girard-Perregaux over the years, you may well not have heard of Stéphane von Gunten.

Last year, Stéphane launched Haute-Rive, a shiny new independent watchmaker and the first with the master horologist and inventor at the helm. As alluded to, the fifth-generation watchmaker had been working quietly behind the scenes for decades, but it took the impetus of Covid for him to make the big leap. But before we get into his modern watches, it’s worth looking at his horological past – and one watch, in particular.

Irénée Aubry’s Montre du Pape (Pope’s Watch)

It’s pretty common for the Pope to receive gifts. There’s a reason the last Pope had a Lamborghini and it’s not because he’s an adrenaline-fuelled hype beast. In 1888, to mark the jubilee of Pope Leo XIII, that gift came in the form of a gorgeous gold pocket watch. Nothing too unusual there – except that the power reserve was a staggering 40 days. That’s well over a month of power on a single wind. The maker of that watch was Stéphane’s ancestor, Irénée Aubry.

Irénée Aubry’s Hebdomas 8 day Pocket Watch

Power reserve is actually something that Stéphane has pushed throughout his career, no matter what brand he’s working for at the time. No multi-axis tourbillons, no complex chiming arrays, just that one, incredibly useful aspect of a timepiece’s spec sheet. And it’s that aspect that Haute-Rive is built around. The brand’s debut watch says it all, the phenomenal Honoris I.

On the surface, the Honoris I is an aesthetically elegant timepiece in the vein of other independent watchmakers. It comes with a grand feu enamel dial in a gold case, sized at a large-but-wearable 42.5mm. And yet there’s more going on than a glance can take in. For one, while the six o’clock tourbillon, the central gear bridge and the so-called ‘wheel of time’ at 12 o’clock are all visible, they’re not visibly connected. This means that while the elements are on top, the real work is happening underneath that enamel.

It’s a similar concept to something like MB&F’s Legacy Machines, just a bit more subtle. The thing is, while that over-and-under of components defines the look of the watch, it’s what you can’t see that defines what it actually is. You see, while his ancestor may have managed a watch with a 40-day power reserve,  Stéphane has achieved 41, around 1,000 hours. And in a single-barrelled wristwatch at that.

To get there, the mainspring is 3m long. That’s a single, 3-metre-long piece of metal that’s been curled into a spring that can fit in one small section of a none-too-large watch. While it sounds simple, there’s a reason it’s not been done before. So how do you fit that kind of thing in a wristwatch? By turning the mainplate into the barrel. Obviously.

As if upsetting the entire architecture of a watch wasn’t enough, anything with a power reserve this long likely needs a winding system more substantial than a standard crown. For one, that’s a lot of twisting a tiny component; for another, it would put a lot of force on the crown’s stem as you approach the upper power limit. So, Stéphane took a different approach and commandeered the bezel.

As you’ve likely noticed, the bezel is grooved with grips, allowing you to easily turn it counter clockwise to wind the mainspring. It’s still a fair amount of winding of course, you’re funnelling a lot of energy in, but it’s far superior to the crown, and you can keep an eye on how much you’ve wound it on the back of the watch. And hey, you only need to do it once a month – with a 10-day safety buffer.

For many watchmakers, power reserve is a nice thing to have; a selling point but not exactly a headline-grabbing one. A few hours here or there is more an afterthought than a core idea. Stéphane on the other had has used Haute-Rive to completely change the architecture of a traditional timepiece, specifically to put power reserve at the metaphorical and literal heart of the watch.

Haute-Rive is of course a brand that won’t have many collections in the future and won’t produce hundreds of watches. But if the Honoris I is anything to go by, he might just be one of the most low-key exciting independents around – and if you didn’t know about him before, you do now. You’re welcome.

More details at Haute-Rive.

For the past two years if you go to the website of popular Dutch watchmakers Grönefeld, you will be instantly met with a pop-up that reads “Sorry, for the moment we can’t take new orders until further notice. We are now processing the overwhelming amount of reservations we’ve received after the launch of our 1969 DeltaWorks and 1941 Grönograaf. Thank you for your patience and understanding.” In the words of DJ Khaled, they are suffering from success. It’s consequently a massive surprise that they’ve now announced the launch of an entirely new brand called Grøne and an all new wristwatch, the Grøne Manueel One ‘Sjef’s One’.

Grøne is designed to be a more widely available and more accessible take on the same design language and principles that have made Grönefeld a success. Essentially, while people wait many years for a high end Grönefeld they can sate their appetite with a Grøne. Or if like the vast majority of people you will never be able to afford one of their top end models, a Grøne is a dramatically more realistic prospect to buy. It’s essentially the same concept used by Japanese master horologer Hajime Asaoka with his extremely exclusive eponymous brand and his accessible Kurono brand.

What of the Grøne Manueel One ‘Sjef’s One’ itself? Well, the official name of the model is the Manueel One, which is a reference to the fact that it houses a manual movement. The nickname ‘Sjef’s One’ is then a dedication to the founding brothers’ father, Sjef Grönefeld. It has a 38.5mm diameter case in stainless steel with an equally svelte thickness of 9mm, putting it right in the pocket of the current zeitgeist for smaller, vintage proportioned timepieces.

The dial has a central tremblage engraved disc in copper, salmon colour surrounded by a brushed, steel coloured hour scale. The hour markers are then delicately facetted wedges that overlap the two sections. Combining all these features together you realise that this is technically a sector dial design. There are even hints of Art Deco influence though it’s nowhere near as strong as the majority of sector dials.

Inside, the Grøne Manueel One ‘Sjef’s One’ houses a modified Sellita SW210. As I briefly mentioned earlier it’s a manual winding movement, meaning it has to be wound using the crown in order to run. It’s actually the winding mechanism that’s been modified by Grøne as they have adjusted the torque for a more satisfying winding experience. It has a 42-hour power reserve, which is pretty standard in today’s market.

As for pricing and availability, the watch is priced at €2,150 excl. VAT (approx. £1,790) and is a limited edition of 388 pieces. Compared to something like a Tissot, that’s not exactly accessible and is still very exclusive. However, on the other hand, compare it to a six figure Grönefeld with less than 200 pieces available and they might as well be giving these Grønes away. Preorders start on the 19^th of November 2024 at 2pm GMT. They are also limited to one purchase per customer. If watching Kurono launches has taught me anything, these are going to sell out within hours, if not minutes.

More details at GRØNE.

Louis Erard is, in my opinion, a highly underrated watch brand. They produce some of the most distinct and interesting watches in terms of style, design and execution and yet there’s never much buzz around them, at least that makes its way back to me. Just look at the insanity of the Excellence Guilloché Main, it’s utterly mesmerising. Their latest release, the Le Régulateur Gravé Noir, is captivating for a different reason: its purity and gravitas.

Structurally it’s a very classy dress watch with a 39mm diameter case produced in stainless steel. White gold would be a more traditional dress watch material but steel helps keep the watch in a lower price bracket and is also more durable. It has a sleek curve around the bezel and a lovely, polished surface along the top of the lugs.

However, what really stands out about this watch is the dial. It has a grained black base with rose-gilt indexes, numerals and scales arranged in the classic regulator format. There’s a subdial at 12 o’clock for the hours, a central hand for the minutes and a subdial at 6 o’clock for the seconds. Regulator clocks and watches were originally designed to make it easy to set other timepieces from them by isolating the individual timekeeping elements.

The Le Régulateur Gravé Noir emphasises that isolation further by presenting the display in a sector style, where the minute scale is split into sections by its indexes and the subdials have crosshair-like patterns on them. This is the first time Louis Erard have produced a sector display regulator and I really like the look of it. There’s a really strong Art Deco aesthetic to it that elevates the piece with a cool geometric precision.

Beneath the display is the Sellita calibre SW266-1, Sellita’s automatic movement with regulator display. It’s almost a surprise to find a Sellita inside because the style of the watch makes you expect something much more exclusive and expensive. Yet the watch itself is priced only at CHF 2,900 (approx. £2,580). I could easily see a watch like this having a price tag 10x that from a prestige brand.

More details at Louis Erard.

One of the stand out watches of this decade so far is without question the Christopher Ward Bel Canto – and you don’t have to take my word for it, you the Oracle Time readers named it the best watch of the year 2023. The unexpected mega success of the original led to a quick turnaround of a second edition and then eventually some limited editions such as the 10-piece British Watchmaker’s Day edition. However, now Christopher Ward are ready to launch a new generation of the watch called the Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto Classic.

Off the bat, the biggest improvement and change to the watch is the dial. The previous sunray brushed plate has been replaced with a glorious guilloché piece produced by AJS Production, the same team behind the British limited edition. Here the guilloché has been achieved using a modern laser engraving technique as opposed to traditional methods, which was deemed important in order to keep supply in line with demand. The dial is available in rich blue, golden yellow, verdant green and silver white.

An interesting side effect of the guilloché is that the dial is necessarily thicker to account for the three-dimensional nature of the design. As such, the various components of the Bel Canto’s signature chiming complication at 6 o’clock and the time display at 12 have been pushed forward, closer to the sapphire glass. In order to accommodate this, the sapphire glass has been totally redesigned as a box sapphire to provide more space inside the display.

Another update for the C1 Bel Canto Classic is the time display at 12 o’clock, which features a new hand set and Romen numerals. The hands are slimmer and the Roman numerals mean that you actually have actually have numerals to read instead of blank batons. Both of which emphasise the fact that this is a dressier style watch compared to the original, leaning more into the traditional elements of dress watch design – hence the name Classic.

The case and the movement held inside of it are the same as the original Bel Canto. It measures 41mm in titanium and is powered by the FS01. If you’re unfamiliar with the FS01 it’s a heavily adapted version of the Sellita SW200-1 that adds a chiming complication – a module that uses a hammer and gong to give an audio cue to chime the hours. Most chiming complications are incredibly expensive yet the Bel Canto makes it downright accessible in comparison.

Specifically, the Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto Classic is £3,495 on Seta leather strap or  £3,745 on titanium Bader bracelet. I think the Classic helps to refine the idea of the Bel Canto to a more cohesive state. Previously there were mismatched elements that were either dressy or sporty but now the watch has a better-defined identity as a dress watch. Do you prefer this or the original?

More details at Christopher Ward.

“The difference between a madman and me is that I am not mad.” It’s not too much of a surprise Salvador Dali had to come up with a pithy response around his ‘paranoiac-critical method’. The idea of deliberately causing hallucinations for your art smacks of more than a little madness. He wanted to allow his brain to form links between things that the rational mind would not conceive, deliriously associating disparate objects or concepts.

If that all sounds a bit much, this was surrealism and surrealism revelled in the strange. For them, dropping mescaline was a perfectly fitting way to create art – and it worked. In 1931, the results of Dali’s method presented themselves in one of the most famous works of art ever created: The Persistence of Memory.

The Persistence of Memory

Even if you don’t know the name, you know the painting, with its melting clocks. As a work, it’s easy to extrapolate themes from, perceptions of time, the surrealist collapse of established order or, in the artists own words, a camembert melting in the sun. No matter your own interpretation, it’s a fascinating piece and one that has inspired generations of creatives from its home at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

So, why does this all matter? Other than the link between surrealism and watches that The Persistence of Memory represents, of course. Well, that’s because one watch brand has decided to interpret the ambiguous work very, very literally: Exaequo. Exaequo does one thing and one thing only, a physical interpretation of Dali’s melting watches dubbed, intuitively, the Melting Watch. This isn’t just ‘inspired’ by surrealism; the case has been rendered to that it looks like a round watch that’s been pinched in the middle, squashed into some approximation of a figure of eight. There’s nothing else quite like it on the market – and the dial takes things even further.

Exaequo has opted for Roman numerals, with the numbers themselves expanding into their space between the railway minute track and the lower, stepped down centre of the dial. That means they go from, larger at 12 and six o’clock to tiny and cramped at three o’clock and nine. Even that railway minute track around the edge of the two-level dial fits in a show of serious dedication to that surrealist theme.

The Melting Watch is available in a few colourways. Firstly, the case is available in steel or gold PVD. The gold is definitely a striking option, but I only really like PVD on a sports watch personally. Sure, it’s unique, but the Melting Watch is ostensibly a dress piece, so a proper gold case wouldn’t risk damage. It would however jump the price up hugely and accessibility, as we’ll get onto, is a good part of Exaequo.

Dial-wise you’re looking at the usual suspects: black, silver, blue and green, with a funky yellow dial rounding things off with a twist. The green version has gold numerals in the PVD case, silver numerals in the steel, but the rest are the same between models. It’s a solid selection, but I would have liked to see it with Arabic numerals as an option. After all, the watches in The Persistence of Memory have them, and that’s a large part of the inspiration here.

Obviously, this isn’t the first weirdly asymmetrical watch to ever be built; the Cartier Crash is a grail watch that most collectors would drop more than mescaline for. But where that haute horology rarity often achieves eye-watering auction prices, Exaequo offers their slice of surrealist madness for a fraction of the price – fitting given the name translates to ‘on equal footing.’

That’s largely due to the movement more than anything else, which is an ever-reliable quartz number, the Ronda 751-1. Sure, I’d like to see something like this with an automatic, but given the unique case shape, that’s easier said than done. Quartz can be smaller and slimmer at this price point, making sure that the curvaceous case doesn’t balloon to a weirdly inflated size.

This isn’t high watchmaking, far from it in fact. The stainless-steel version will set you back CHF 520, around £465, with the PVD version a tiny increase on that. But for the artistically inclined this is a fantastic, accessible and inspired take on surrealism made real. If someone told me that someone was going to create a melting watch based on Dali, I’d have probably called him a madman. The difference, it turns out, is that he’s not mad. Here’s hoping that not-madness extends to automatics in the future.

More details at Exaequo.

Image credit: Analog:Shift

The uptick in brand recognition lately for Cartier is palpable. Post-peak sports watch hype, the Parisian jeweller’s creations have become mascots for the small and dressy trend that has entered the spotlight over the past four years. So much so that the idea of turning towards La Maison for something unsung feels like going to Lamborgini for something subtle. With more than a century of expressive watchmaking and design to their name, one may assume that all stones have been overturned.

But that’s not entirely true. Cartier’s creativity remained steadfast during the 20th century, with captivating and sophisticated timepieces crafted in design-conscious forms decade after decade. In fact, the most favoured models today have origins over 100 years ago, and visually, they have mostly stayed the same. As a result, some, like the Tank Obus, have stayed undetected from the wider population’s attention.

Cartier Tank Obus circa. 1920s, image credit: Collector Square

Based upon arguably one of the only watches that truthfully deserves the designation of ‘icon’, the Cartier Obus was first conceived in 1923 and offered an extra dose of creative flair compared to the original Tank Louis that came out six years prior. Obus, which translates to ‘shell’ or “artillery shell’, refers to the cylindrical shape of its lugs. Archetypal dial design cues such as large Roman numerals, a chemin de fer track, blued hands, and a cabochon-tipped crown are present but gone are the rounded brancards that effortlessly blend into the lugs, and in are sets of bullet-shaped lugs and a beautifully square case.

“Cartier is well known for rectangular and more elongated watches, but the Obus being square makes it unique,” says Alex Stevens, a London-based watch dealer and curated of Alex Stevens Vintage with a wealth of first-hand experience of numerous decades of Cartier watchmaking. “Often, people new to Cartier default to the Louis, even if that’s through the new Must line, as its shape and dimensions are prominent in popular culture. But some of those people could easily prefer an Obus but have just never seen one. As a result, the Obus remains overlooked; I think people don’t even know it exists.”

Cartier Santos Dumont, circa. 1904

Timekeeping 100 years ago was notably distant to today, with even the concept of society telling the time by looking down at their wrist still in its infancy. It’s tough to imagine today, but in the grand lineage of horology, the wristwatch represents only a slither of time initially viewed as an elaborate women’s accessory while the pocketwatch reigned the supreme choice for men.

World War I was the first time men began to wear a watch on the wrist at scale due to its practicality and utility, despite a creation ten years before the war being widely recognised as the first modern men’s wristwatch – the Cartier Santos Dumont.

Cartier Grand Tank Cintrée, circa. 1941, image credit: Phillips

Regrettably, there isn’t enough time to detail the illustrious history of Cartier and its significance to the progression of the wristwatch, but at the time of the first Obus, Cartier was regularly experimenting with different shapes, configurations, and executions of their graceful design precedent, albeit as special orders. Some of the brand’s most celebrated watches exist as evolutions from the Tank, including the Cintrée, Asymétrique, and Chinoise, to name just a few.

Its inventory of adaptations is endless and unmatched, yet despite this breadth of creativity, Cartier had only produced 2,200 wristwatches across the entire production before 1965. As such, all Cartier from the early to mid-20th century are exceptionally scarce, handcrafted rarities highly revered by the true connoisseurs, including the Obus.

Cartier Tank Obus Ref. 16302, circa. 2000s, image credit: Fellows

However, the references that remain unsung today hail from the era of serial production at Cartier. Scale at La Maison arrived during the 1970s, and like every European watch manufacturer during this time, the French jeweller wasn’t immune to the challenges of this era. The dawn of quartz timekeeping, a shift in styles towards modern and sporty, and an acquisition by several investors saw the house move away from being an outright bespoke creative and more into a commercially conscious brand with bottom lines and a need for chic creations for new audiences.

The newly led Cartier management transformed a demanding spell for the industry into a success due to the likes of a revitalised Santos, the Pathère and the gold-plated Must De Cartier line. Equipped with cutting-edge quartz-powered movements, the bullet lugs and square case of the Obus played a role in this new direction, entering the collection in the ‘80s through two very different executions. First was the 1630, and it was kept elegantly quintessential.

Cartier Tank Obus Quadrant circa. 1980s, image credit: Analog:Shift

However, the Obus Quadrant looked remarkably more like a piece from the early 20th century than the late, as a large bezel expanding over the top of the watch housed enamelled Roman numerals, leaving just enough space for a minimalist dial aperture. A good 1630 can be had for between £5,000 to £7,000, whereas a solid large-sized Quadrant will set you back around £10,000.

Cartier Tank Obus CPCP, circa. 1998, image credit: Watch Works Haarlem

The 1990s and 2000s were two favourable decades for the industry, with a positive uptick in watch collecting and mechanical appreciation across the board. Cartier’s response was to introduce a new collection of watches that revisits some of their most decorated historic designs and re-imagine them. Called the ‘Collection Privée Cartier Paris’ but known as the ‘CPCP’, these curated models celebrate timeless and proprietary Cartier creations while maintaining authenticity to the details of the originals. The Obus received the CPCP treatment during this time, with models powered by mechanical movements and featuring guilloché dials, these examples are achingly beautiful. While these references were limited to around 150, you can still find examples today for prices around £10,000 to £12,000.

“If you want a beautiful Tank with lots of the DNA of the Louis and you’re open to a slightly different shape because of its smaller, square footprint with its bullet lugs, the Obus is a very unusual choice that stands out for the right reasons,” says Stevens.

Cartier Tank Obus CPCP, circa. 1998, image credit: Watch Works Haarlem

‘CPCP’ and ‘£10,000’ together is seen as an oxymoron, as the yearly CPCP releases are some of the most celebrated aspects of Cartier production today. And yet, the Obus is readily available. It’s one of the least talked about Cartier watches today, and considering the CPCP creations and adjacent pieces, that’s quite remarkable. It’s one of only a few completely square Tank models, and with the obsession for Cartier showing zero signs of slowing down, now might be the right time to make one of these unsung heroes yours. I know I’m certainly considering it.

A.Lange & Söhne are the archetypical Saxon brand, epitomising the elegant watchmaking of the Glashütte region. One of their most loved collections is the Lange 1, which is now celebrating its 30th anniversary. In honour of this occasion Lange have released the Lange 1 30^th Anniversary Limited Edition series featuring four watches, split across two little and large pairs.

By little and large pairs I mean that the two colourways available are each presented in a standard Lange 1 edition and a smaller Little Lange 1 version. Structurally there’s very little to differentiate between the standard Lange 1 and the Little Lange 1 other than the sizes, the standard being 38.5mm in diameter and the Little being 36.8mm, which is not even a particularly drastic difference. Beyond that they all house the same movement and have the same overall case shape and knurled crown.

The first of the pairs is the 950 platinum case edition. Platinum is one of the most prestigious precious metals in the world and on top of that is regarded as one of the hardest to work with.  A. Lange & Söhne are no strangers to the material and it has long been a staple of the Lange 1 range. Here the metal provides a particular brilliance to the polished bezel that contrasts nicely with the onyx dial. This is the first time that the Lange 1 has been dressed with an onyx stone dial, the gem providing a slightly shinier finish than alternative black displays.

Second of the two little and large sets is presented in a pink gold case with a blue dial produced in 925 silver. Pink gold is a very traditional dress watch material as it provides a warm tone that’s very inviting compared to yellow gold which can appear abrasively ostentatious. The combination with the blue works really well too, giving it rich, luxurious feel. In fact, it feels very French, reminding me of the golden fleur-de-lis against a field of royal blue on France’s coat of arms.

Regardless of the colours, materials or size of the watches, they all have the classic Lange 1 display. An oversize date is positioned at 2 o’clock above a power reserve indicator that is itself about the small seconds subdial. Occupying the largest portion of the dial, offset towards 9 o’clock, is the primary time display with hours and minutes. The hands are in Lange’s typical alpha shape, which you can learn more about with our handy-dandy (pun intended) guide to all styles of watch hands.

All four watches in the Lange 1 30^th Anniversary limited edition house the same movement despite the differences in size. It’s the L121.1 manual winding calibre with 72-hour power reserve. This movement was first introduced in 2015 and almost a decade later it’s still an impressive piece of machinery. Hand-assembled and precisely adjusted in five positions for great precision as well as being finished immaculately with Lange’s signature untreated German silver plate with Glashütte stripes.

In terms of availability the two Lange 1 models are limited to 300 pieces each while the Little Lange 1s are more exclusive with only 150 of each available. As for price, the figures haven’t been announced at time of writing but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re not announced at all. A. Lange & Söhne are still a proponent of ‘price on request’ especially for their platinum watches and limited editions.

More details at A. Lange & Söhne.

Raymond Weil has collaborated with notable brands across a range of industries including music with The Beatles and motoring with Meister Engineering. Now though, they’re striking out into a new domain, graphic novels and comics. Specifically, they’ve created the Raymond Weil Millesime Chronograph Limited Edition Largo Winch.

I must admit that I was not initially familiar with Largo Winch as his stories were originally written in French (he’s Belgian in origin) and designed to appeal to an American audience. As such he has mostly passed the UK by. In terms of plot, the comics cover the story of the eponymous orphan who rises to lead a billionaire business conglomerate and who is constantly challenged by villains who seek to take his business from him. It’s a story of the gold-hearted every man triumphing over various trials.

As for the watch, the character finds himself presented on the exhibition caseback in front of the Geneva flag illustrated by Philippe Francq, the original comic illustrator. On the dial side of the watch, we see a tricompax chronograph display in the Millesime’s signature sector style with a silver base and green subdials. On the small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock you can also see the comic’s W logo, derived from the name of the business Largo Winch controls, Le Groupe W.

I like the combination of colours here. The green tone is just vibrant enough to pop without being lurid or distracting and the peripheral tachymeter being green is a nice touch as well. The subdials display a small seconds counter, 30-minute timer and a 12-hour timer. Meanwhile the silver sector portions work really well too, creating an Art Deco aesthetic that suits the business thriller genre of Largo Winch. It’s restrained enough for the office but with enough colour and flair to give it main character energy.

Powering the Raymond Weil Millesime Chronograph Limited Edition Largo Winch is the calibre RW5030, an automatic movement with a really solid 62-hour power reserve. It’s housed inside the 39.5mm x 12.9mm steel case, which is engraved with the limited edition number on the back. Speaking of which, there are 300 pieces available at a price of £3,195. That’s only £100 more than the standard Millesime Chronograph, which after a long build up is finally being launched at the same time as the Largo Winch.

More details at Raymond Weil.

Vacheron Constantin have shown the Patrimony collection a lot of love already this year with a handful of standout models such as the Manual Winding and Moon Phase Retrograde Date. However, with its 1950s inspiration and sleek dress watch charm, it’s a collection well worth loving and 2024 does mark its 20^th anniversary. In honour of said milestone, VC have released one of the most unique editions of the watch I’ve ever seen in the form of the new Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Self-Winding x Ora Ïto.

Ora Ïto is a French designer who has worked with Vacheron Constantin many times before as part of the “One of Not Many” talent program. A true polymath when it comes to design, he’s tackled everything from cars, to shoes, perfume bottles, headphones, glasses frames, furniture, cookware, public transportation, baggage and jewellery. And much, much more. When it comes to his work at Vacheron though, one concept rules above all others, “simplexity”.

“Simplexity” is neologism that combines the notions of simplicity and complexity. Effectively it’s the concept of creating a complex object that is disguised as a simple one. Or alternatively finding a simple solution to a complex problem. The Patrimony collection is itself the ultimate expression of this concept, presenting VC’s immaculate horology under the guise of a refined and elegant timepiece.

In order to highlight this, the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Self-Winding x Ora Ïto is made from one of the most classical dress watch materials in existence, yellow gold. The case measures 40mm in diameter with a thickness of just 8.5mm giving it interesting proportions. It’s a touch wider than you’d expect of a vintage inspired dress watch but that added size allows the dial to shine all the more.

It’s a tone-on-tone yellow gold dial with an engraved concentric circle pattern motif. Compared with the smooth dials of the existing Patrimony dial, seeing it textured with an additional level of three-dimensionality is particularly striking. Taking us back to the concept of “simplexity” the circle motif is itself very simple but its addition adds a layer of visual complexity to the design. The same can be said of the applied hour markers and pearl shaped minute indicators.

Beneath the distinctive dial is housed the calibre 2450, a time and date movement with a 40-hour power reserve. It’s finished to a high degree with circular graining, Côtes de Genève and an openworked Maltese Cross rotor. It’s a solid movement though not particularly outstanding by VC standards, which is likely a mirror of Ora Ïto’s desire to keep things intentionally simple.

The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Self-Winding x Ora Ïto is a limited edition of 100 pieces and is presented on a burgundy calf leather strap. As a celebration of the Patrimony’s 20^th anniversary, I think it works nicely. It’s distinctive enough to feel special while retaining enough of the core design elements of the collection to be recognisable. Perhaps not surprising as a watch built in the 2000s inspired by the 1950s with a 70s design is sure to be distinct. It’s priced at £34,000, which is appropriate for a gold timepiece in today’s market.

More details at Vacheron Constantin.

Following the launch of the Prospex GPS Solar Chronograph Seiko are continuing to explore adding new complications to existing collections. Admittedly this new launch is less extreme than smashing the Astron into the Prospex line with the force of a Large Hadron Collider. Instead, they’ve added a GMT hand to the Presage Craftsmanship series for the first time. The resulting watch is the Seiko Presage Craftsmanship Urushi GMT.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Craftsmanship series, it’s Seiko high end line of Presage watches that have dials produced using traditional Japanese crafts. Previous models feature dials made from materials like porcelain but this one is made Urushi lacquer. It’s a form of traditional lacquer made from sap from urushi trees and is often used on dials with dark colours. It gives an exceptional smoothness to the black dial.

It’s been paired with understated baton hour markers and spade shaped hands to add a classical edge. As a touch of luxury the seconds hand and GMT 24-hour hand are in a sparkly golden colour, which matches the 24-hour scale around the periphery of the dial. A GMT function allows you to keep track of two time zones at the same time, the main hour hand tracks one while the GMT tracks another. Typically, this is local time and home time, making it the ultimate travel companion.

Powering the watch is the calibre 6R54, which is one of Seiko’s top grade movements with a 72-hour power reserve and an accuracy of -15/+25 seconds per day. In addition to the hours, minutes, seconds and GMT complications it also has a date window at 3 o’clock. It’s housed inside the 42.2mm x 12.35mm stainless steel case with an exhibition caseback.

The Seiko Presage Craftsmanship Urushi GMT is priced at £1,590, which seems about right for the traditional crafts on display with the dial as well as the good specs of the movement. A few years ago that would’ve been on the higher end for Seiko but these days it’s more of a mid-range price. It’s also nice to see the craftsmanship range expand its horizons beyond time and date models turning it into more of a sub-collection in its own right rather than a novelty at the fringes of what Seiko does.

More details at Seiko Boutique.

Jean-Claude Biver is undoubtedly an icon among watch enthusiasts and industry stalwarts. And it seems it is a laurel wreath that he is uncomfortable resting on. JC is still energized at 74, and along with the late Nicholas Hayek credited for turning around the Swiss watch industry. In fact Oracle Time might not be here if it wasn’t for his judicious moves in the nineties. But with widespread success comes jealousy.

Cue March last year when fast-talking Jean-Claude dropped his own-brand bombshell, Biver Watches. At the launch my image was one of JC and his son Pierre tiptoeing through a minefield of skeptic opinions. Every media personality wanted a say on the surprisingly modern Carillon Tourbillon minute repeater. In fact, many voices were very critical of the too-modern design, with a price tag starting at CHF 520,000. A value befitting its complex, hand-finished nature. Interestingly most changed their minds when handling the actual watch, a debut that set the brand standard sky high for the next reveal – which I got hands-on with at Geneva Watch Days.

As promised at the launch, Biver and Son are back with the same modern case design. This time, it is reduced from 42mm to 39mm. All the previous and rather modern details are still around, but they are surprisingly understated here. Plus, the Biver airship has descended from above the clouds and flies at a much lower altitude in terms of price. Mind you, after a £500K debut, no watch bearing the capitalised Biver logo could possibly be a daily driver, or could it?

My eyes are widening as I write this because of how ridiculous it sounds, but the three-hand Biver Automatique with its CHF 75,000 starting price has all the ergonomic qualities of a daily fave. I have worn all four versions, and casting aside my own budget restraints, I was smitten. Viewing the Biver Automatique at its own merit, it is an eminently readable, exceptionally finished watch with the best lugs in the business and an exceptional movement.

During my meeting with the brand, I shared a few words with Pierre Biver and what became very clear was his passion. JC has obviously passed on his passion for detail, and Piere has a keen eye for modernity. This becomes abundantly apparent when wearing and examining the circular case with its strong brushed side section. And I’m all about those lugs, quite possibly the sharpest detail on the accomplished 39mm case.

The new Biver Automatique has the same DNA as the high-shooting first release, with soldered lugs. With a gentle curve where they connect with the case it makes the details stand out even more, and their angular drama frames a soft and rounded bezel. The platinum and rose gold versions with precious metal dials offer the cleanest design of the quartet, a relief railroad minute track encircling a vibrant dial with circular-and vertical brushed finishes. To add contrast, all indices and hands are in white gold, but finished with a dark anrthacite colour.

Bold indices traverse the two middle rings of the rose or white gold dial surfaces, with razor sharp dauphine hands to match. The Biver Automatique is a no-date design and the quadrant indices echo the angular drama of the lugs design to great effect. On-wrist I would say that the full rose gold version does dazzle in indoor lighting, making the flamboyant stealth wealth of the platinum version more legible. But viewing both in the warm Genevan sun the rich glimmer of 18K rose gold takes some beating.

Soft, matte leather straps come with the immaculate fit of a matching big-logo buckle, and I am a big fan of the alligator versions for the two Atelier editions. The twin precious metal versions are the regular production models, while the rose gold and platinum Atelier series have stone dials. These will be released in minimal editions each year, and with different semi-precious stone dials.

To maximise the impact of the stone dials, the two Atelier versions of the Automatique come on matte-finished alligator straps. However, precious metal bracelets will also be available for both these and the regular models. As with the standard models, the platinum case is the understated one. But with a matte, brushed obsidian dial that gives it a melancholy charm. The pietersite stone in the rose gold version is like capturing a thunderous night sky or a dark subsea current. It might seem overpowering in the images, but on the wrist, it was spectacular. And in a mid-sized 39mm watch, it offers a massive wrist presence. Sure, the price for this limited piece of stone art-imbued wristwear is considerable. It retails for CHF 89,000 and CHF 108,000 on the upcoming bracelet, but it might just be worth it if you ask me.

Within all four new Bivers, you will find an equal artisanal flourish under the rear sapphire crystal. The JCB-003 movement with its solid 22k gold micro-rotor was developed in close collaboration with Dubois Depraz and considered a base for future releases. Sharp inner angles of hand-finished anglage abound, and the bridges are carefully sculpted. Hand-finished cut-back bridgework reveals elements of the drive train, barrel, and winding system. It is an enigmatic combination of guilloché, anglage and black polishing, giving it character. I especially enjoy the Clous de Paris guilloché patterns that adorn the bridges while adding sculptural drama. I am also drawn in by more guilloché flourish swirling out from the centre of the micro-rotor, making the JCB-003 a visual high point. The 36-jewel movement boasts a 25,200vph running frequency and a solid 65-hours of power reserve.

In hand and on my wrist, I would be hard-pressed to pick a favourite. I was seriously smitten by the smooth charm of the platinum version with its vibrantly brushed white gold dial. It is also very hard to look away from the full-on cinematic experience of the Atelier Collection. Especially the rose gold with its hypnotizing pietersite stone. I am left with a different and more understated image of the brand than at last year’s launch. In my chat with Pierre Biver, while wearing the Automatique, my lasting impression is nuanced. As a person, Pierre emanates a curated, studied passion and it is this passion that is deeply reflected in this dazzling quartet.

Learn more at Biver.

Let me preface this article by saying I don’t know how it will be possible to succinctly convey the scale and magnitude of Bulgari’s latest haute horological project in a single, coherent article. They have produced three minute repeater watches, each with their distinct attributes and features that simultaneously make them impressive individual watches while also coming together to create a stunning series when viewed as a whole.

To steal some terms from the music industry, there is a dissonance between them all that somehow melds with the overall harmony of the collection. The watches that form the collection are the Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon, Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon and Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon.

Before we delve into the individual watches, let’s take a look at an overview of the collection. A minute repeater, a carillon and a grande sonnerie are all variations of chiming complications with the grande sonnerie being the most prestigious of the three. The easiest way to express that is with the number of hammers and gongs (the hammer strikes the gong to produce the chiming sound) present in each type of watch – the more hammers and gongs a chiming watch has, the more complex and varied a tune the chimes can emit. The Bulgari minute repeater has two hammers, the carillon has three and the grande sonnerie has four. There are more differences than that but it’s enough to get us started.

What’s special about this 2024 series of chiming watches is that Bulgari have teamed up with Swiss conductor Lorenzo Viotti to produce a bespoke tune for these watches’ chimes. A focal point of this collaboration was the use of tritones in the chimes. As I’m no music expert, I’ll let Viotti explain: “The tritone, often referred to as the ‘Devil’s Interval,’ spans six semitones or three whole tones. It divides the octave in half and brings dissonance and tension.”

“It strongly contrasts with the modern preference for consonant harmonic intervals. In medieval symbolism, certain chords were linked to spiritual concepts. The tritone was considered disturbing, and due to its asymmetry, contrary to the religious canon of reflecting divine harmony – hence the nickname associating it with the devil’s workings.”

Bulgari Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon

Starting with the most prestigious of the three we have the Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon 103962. It’s equipped with a 45mm diameter titanium case in the signature round shape of the Octo Roma. The dial is partially skeletonised with a perforated pattern made from brass with a dark grey PVD coating. It makes for a very modern, technological appearance that reminds me of a high-end speaker in a hi-fi system.

The movement visible is the BVV800, a manual-winding calibre with a 72-hour power reserve. A grande sonnerie automatically chimes the hours and quarters as they pass and can also repeat the hours, quarters, and minutes on demand, which is the base function of a standard minute repeater. Due to the power intensive nature of these chiming complications, there is a separate power reserve indicator for the chiming mechanisms and time keeping functions.

On top of that it also has a tourbillon located at 10 o’clock. The combination of these many and varied complications has led Bulgari to describe this watch as the most complicated they have ever produced. That’s quite an accolade from one of the most cutting-edge brands who consistently push the boundaries of what is possible.

Bulgari Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon

Sitting in the middle of the series is the Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon. It’s aesthetically similar to the Grande Sonnerie except that its case is made from rose gold and is slightly slimmer at 44mm. Beyond that, the aesthetic is virtually identical with the same perforated skeleton dial with exposed hammers and tourbillon. On this model the position of the tourbillon and hammers is inverted compared the Grande Sonnerie with the rotating cage of the tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

Powering it is the modified BVL428 manual-winding movement with a 75-hour power reserve. The name Carillon comes from the fact that its minute repeater has three hammers and gongs, giving it a more diversity of chime compared to a standard two gong minute repeater. In the music world, a carillon is a set of bells played using a keyboard, albeit one with at least 20 more chimes than Bulgari’s.

As the middle child of the series, the Carillon is arguably the least interesting of the three – which is mad to say because in isolation this is an incredibly technical and stunning watch, but it’s overshadowed by the Grande Sonnerie which is yet more complex and the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater for reasons we’re about to discuss.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon

The Octo Finissimo range is where Bulgari typically flex their horological muscles, especially in their endeavour to create the thinnest examples of all the common watch complications, a quest that has led them to several world records. In 2016 they added the record for producing the thinnest minute repeater with the calibre with the BVL362, a movement that has been reissued in the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon with a new carbon case.

That case measures 40mm in diameter with a thickness of 6.85mm in CTP (Carbon Thin Ply). It looks very striking with the layered pattern across the case, bezel and dial. The dial in particular is very unusual with a pockmarked like appearance that reminds me of an eroded and crumbling concrete wall – especially in combination with the openworked hour markers and subdial. It gives it a cool urban decay sort of vibe that I’m a fan of, a post-apocalyptic minute repeater discovered by the survivors in the same way that the Antikythera mechanism was discovered.

Between the cool case and world record movement, this is quite a special and unusual minute repeater. The same could be said for all three of these watches, which brings me back to my opening statement that while each of these watches is unique and separate from the others, they work in harmony as a trio. Three watches with a dissonance that works to create a broader harmony in the complete work, or in music terminology, a tritone.

More details at Bulgari.

Guilloche is often shorthand for a certain breed of Swiss classical watchmaking, the kind of finishing that sets an entry level timepiece from a masterpiece. The thing is, these days a good enough machine can do most guilloche and it’s getting more common than ever before, especially at the accessible end of the market. Not so enamel, which is why we should pay attention to brands like Ématelier who excel at enamel.

Grand Feu enamel doesn’t just sound extraordinary in a grandiose way, it’s one of the most laborious processes in watchmaking. It starts with a wafer-thin metal disc that’s then painted with impossibly thin layers of enamel powder. It’s only when that powder is fused together when fired at 800 degrees Celsius that it becomes the perfectly smooth, beautifully deep enamel that represents a certain echelon of watchmaking.

Even that however makes it seem a simpler process than it is. Enamelling is a science rather than an art, and even the finest artists might mis-paint a brush stroke. You can’t cover up issues in enamel as easily as canvas though and any imperfection, an almost invisible hairline fracture for example, means tossing a dial out and starting from scratch. That gets incredibly hairy when, every time you want to add a new element or colour to the dial, it needs to be re-fired. You can funnel days of work into a single dial only to have it fall at the final hurdle.

Needless to say, that all means that good grand feu enamel has a bit of a premium. It’s why it’s normally reserved for prestige pieces a la Breguet, Jacquet Droz and Vacheron Constantin. I say normally, because Ématelier’s watches start from only $1,900.

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Ematelier Sprezzatura Cloisonné Atlas Corona

That might sound too good to be true, but this is what happens when someone specialises this hard into something like enamelling. The Canadian company’s expertise in the field is second-to-none and indeed, their gloriously artistic bespoke dials – which includes gold wire-framed cloisonne enamel. Fancy a preproduced Louvre-worthy masterpiece to crown your aging Cartier? This is the way to go.

Ématelier Sprezzatura Collection

There is a premium of course and it’s a very involved process, in need of a base watch for Ématelier to work with. If what you’re looking for is simpler than that – an accessible timepiece with its own grand feu enamel dials – look no further than the new Sprezzatura collection, featuring the Grand Feu Enamel edition, Two Component Sunken Handmade Grand Feu Enamel Dial, Three Component Double Sunken Handmade Grand Feu Enamel Dial and Cloisonne Handmade Grand Feu Enamel Dial.

Referring to a kind of effortless grace, there’s a sly dichotomy in using the word here. On the one hand, the amount of effort that’s gone into the enamel dial is anything but effortless; on the other, the resulting watch has the kind of casual elegance that epitomises the word. Case in point, this gorgeous red and white number.

Ematelier Sprezzatura Three Component White Red

The Sprezzatura Three Component model has a double sunken dial. As if grand feu enamelling wasn’t hard enough on its pristine surface, this adds a whole new layer of complexity and even more possibility of the dial cracking, due to the combination of components and delicate construction. The central dial is pure, clean white; then there’s the red ring with painstakingly painted numerals before the outer white ring with black minute track. It’s an absolute stunner and the depth of colour is magnificent. Sure, there’s something to be said for applied numerals instead of painted, but when you’re showcasing enamelling there’s only one way to go, and the fired gold enamel mixes well with the bright pop of red.

As we’ve established, Ématelier are an enamel specialist, not necessarily a watchmaker in the truest sense. So, it’s no surprise that the rest of the watch is relatively pared back. The 38.8mm stainless steel case is pebble-smooth and tactile thanks to the gently curving bezel, akin to the kind of immensely wearable numbers from Nomos Glashutte. It more than does the job – something that can also be said of the movement, a customised Soprod number with a 42-hour power reserve. That movement also has an Incabloc shock absorbing system, but honestly, given the dial shocks are one thing you’ll really want to keep this watch away from.

The bottom line is that the rest of the watch has been kept relatively accessible – high quality of course, but not opting for some pricey ETA number or extravagant case finishing – so that Ématelier can offer enamel dials for a downright extraordinary price. There are only one or two other companies offering watches like the Sprezzatura at anywhere near these prices, and none of them do so with as many enamelled elements as this.

It helps matters that the Ématelier Sprezzatura Three Component in red and white is also just a great looking watch. Even without diving deep into the difficulties of enamel, that means a lot.

More details at Ématelier.

British watch design is known for its bright use of colour. Which can sometimes be a double edged sword as it can result in beautiful, fun timepieces but can also leave some watches feeling garish and uncoordinated if executed poorly. One brand who always judge their colourful designs incredibly well is Farer, who are releasing a follow up series to the 2022 Cushion Case collection. The new additions for 2024 are the Benham, Mansfield Midnight, Lethbridge Gold and the Durham Pullman Eastern Arabic Limited Edition.

Structurally, all four of the new designs are identical with 38.5mm diameter cases in retro cushion shapes made from steel. The slight exception is the Lethbridge Gold which has an additional yellow gold PVD coating, which adds an extra layer of luxury and is a first for the collection. They all have 50m water resistance ratings and house the Sellita SW216-1 elaboré movement with manual winding and 45-hour power reserve.

Getting into the individual designs of the references. Benham has a red dial with sporty horizontal engravings akin to something like the Patek Philippe Nautilus with baton hour markers. That’s surrounded by a cream minute track and a dot of colour in the centre courtesy of a baby blue seconds hand on the subdial. Second is Mansfield Midnight, a navy blue interpretation of 2022’s standard Mansfield with an added luxurious element from the rose gold PVD accents.

Third of the designs is the Lethbridge Gold with its golden case, champagne dial and golden accents. It’s certainly the most dressy in the collection and indeed is the most classically dress styled watch I think I’ve ever seen Farer produce. Last up is the the Durham Pullman Eastern Arabic Limited Edition in rich green with Eastern Arabic numerals. It’s limited to 100 pieces.

All four watches are priced at £925 on leather strap with a steel bracelet available for an additional £150. Benham, which is my favourite of the four, and Mansfield Midnight will ship from 15^th August while Lethbridge Gold will ship slightly later around 3^rd October and Durham Pullman even later around 5^th December. I really like the Cushion Case by Farer and more choices is never a bad thing.

More details at Farer.

The revival of the King Seiko name is arguably one of the biggest shifts in Japanese watch design this decade. Bringing back the sharp, angular shapes and exquisite dials of the 60s as a modern Seiko collection and boosting interest in what was already one of the most popular Japanese watch brands. For the summer Seiko have released the brightly coloured King Seiko KSK 6R ‘Preppy’ collection with a new case size.

Cutting straight to the dials, there are three colours available. First is the ‘Preppy Green’, then ‘Preppy Blue’ and lastly ‘Preppy Burgundy’. The term preppy for a watch is an interesting one because it relates to the late 90s prep style movement, which focused on collegiate vibes and elite prep schools, especially in America.

It implies that these are watches for cool, young adults and the colours on display definitely fit the overall prep aesthetic. Ice blue, teal green and rich burgundy are exactly the sorts of shades you can imagine on a varsity jacket or corduroy blazer. I think it’s a really shrewd choice on the part of Seiko given the increased interest in retro and vintage styles that has dominated 2024. By giving their 60s inspired timepiece a 90s inspired colour scheme, they create a watch that’s interesting to collectors with a broad range of tastes.

Structurally these King Seiko KSK 6Rs are the smallest King Seikos to be produced since the collection was revived, measuring just 36mm in diameter. A side effect of the reduced diameter is the altered shape of the lugs. On a standard King Seiko (excluding the 1969 Re-Interpretations) the lugs project from the case at sharp angles, contributing to the sharp, angular design. However, here, the lugs follow the smooth curve of the case in a more traditional round style, although they retain the classic facetted design.

Beneath the surface, the three preppy watches house the 6R51, an automatic movement with a 72-hour power reserve and accuracy of +25/-15 seconds per day. It features the time only complications of central hours, minutes and seconds. It’s protected by a solid steel caseback depicting the retro King Seiko shield logo. You can also see an inscription marking the 10 bar water resistance rating, which is equivalent to 100m.

Priced at £1,720 it sits on the lower end of the King Seiko price range, which can vary from £1,560 to £3,000. If you enjoy a bit of retro styling, these watches might be right in your wheel house. I know that our Oracle Time editor, who is the personification of preppy style, will love them.

More details at Seiko Boutique.

While Oracle Time is a UK-based magazine, we know that plenty of our digital subscribers are across the pond in America. Which is the perfect excuse to talk about the lovely new USA-Exclusive Heritage Collection 44GS SBGA507 and SBGA509 from Grand Seiko. Honestly you can give me any reason to talk about Grand Seiko and I would take it.

Jumping right into it, this pair of watches is inspired by the original limited edition trio that Grand Seiko released in 2018 as a celebration of the official opening of the Grand Seiko Corporation of America. Like those watches, these new ones feature dials that pay tribute to the traditional Japanese art of kirazuri ukiyo-e woodblock prints, a style of painting that uses pieces of mica to create a sparkling final product.

The first of the two watches, SBGA507, is a dusky blue representative of the dark draw of the sky towards evening. Then, SBGA509 is the rosy dawn that follows. The texture of the dials are almost like linen, featuring faintly crosshatched lines interweaving together. However, the individual lines are more intense and prominent than you’d find on a traditional linen dial. Although the added depth of the textures allows the metallic shimmer of the colours to be picked out as light plays across their faces.

Beneath the glinting surface of each Heritage Collection 44GS USA is housed the Spring Drive calibre 9R65, which has a power reserve of 72-hours and an astonishing accuracy of +/- seconds per month. That’s equivalent to +/- 1 second per day. It achieves this accuracy using a hybrid mechanism that integrates technology from traditional, mechanical watchmaking and quartz design. You can learn more about Spring Drive technology here.

It’s tough to rank where these sit in the tier list of best Grand Seikos of 2024. I do really like the texture and colours of the dials and the 44GS case is lovely, measuring 40mm x 12.5mm. But I find the power reserve indicator on the dial of Spring Drive models deeply distracting. I have to put the Genbi Valley at the top, followed by the Sakura-Wakaba but honestly the USA-Exclusive Heritage Collection 44GS SBGA507 and SBGA509 might clinch the third spot.

Each reference is limited to 300 pieces at a price of $5,600. Plus, as the name suggests, they are only available from Grand Seiko and authorised retailer boutiques in the US and the online Grand Seiko US Boutique. Normally at this point I’d complain about them not being available globally but Europe has had some solid love from the wider world of Seiko recently, so I’m satisfied to let America have its chance here.

More details at Grand Seiko Boutique.