Studio Underd0g has, in a relatively short time, come to be a definitive force in the British watch industry. Their fun concepts and extravagant use of colour has catapulted them right to the pinnacle of watch design, all the while championing this sceptred isle. If that sounds like hyperbole, it isn’t. How many other young British watch brands (Studio Underd0g was founded in 2020) have collaborated with Swiss titans like H. Moser & Cie.? For the tail end of 2024, Studio Underd0g is revisiting the watch that started it all with a new generation, the 01Series Gen 3.

01Series is comprised of the original 4 designs with which Studio Underd0g made their name. Most celebrated of the four is Watermel0n but it’s also joined by Mint Ch0c Chip, Desert Sky and Go0fy Panda. Each is named after the food stuff or concept that inspires the colourway and details. So Watermel0n has a green tachymeter, pink dial and seed shaped hour markers. Mint Ch0c Chip is then green with creamy, chocolaty accents and choc chip hour markers. Incredibly striking and playful designs.

Considering that the designs of 01Series have been kept the same for Gen 3, what has changed? Well, the watch case is now slightly slimmer with a thickness of 12.9mm down from 13.6mm. However, more significant than that is the movement. Back in April Seagull, the manufacturer of the ST-1901 used in the 01Series, changed their sales model for the movement. Importantly, the minimum order quantity for ST-19 movements became 10,000 pieces – which for a brand that produces watches in relatively low quantities is quite the predicament.

Fortunately, Studio Underd0g have announced that they are now working directly with Seagull on a partnership movement called the ST-1901B. It features a black main plate that offers a fresh aesthetic that frames the bridges and gears of the calibre. Additionally, it features a new swan neck regulator allowing it to be regulated with more precision to a rate of -10/+15 seconds per day, an improvement over the -15/+35 seconds per day of the previous model. It has a power reserve of 50-hours standard or 45-hours with the chronograph engaged.

It’s a solid upgrade to the watch’s quality of life, especially as the movement was often the area most criticised previously. Upgrading it shows that Studio Underd0g are genuinely paying attention to the feedback of their customers and are willing to iterate on their designs to improve them – even if in this case, they were forced into it. Another quality of life update for customers is that, to avoid excessive scalping, Studio Underd0g have changed their sales method.

Instead of a strict limited edition of say 500 pieces, the watch will be available for a pre-order period of 9 hours from 3pm-12am on 19^th November and everyone who orders a watch during that period will be guaranteed a watch. The first 600 orders are due to be delivered before Christmas with the rest due in early 2025. Orders will be treated on a first come, first served basis.

All four variants of the Studio Underd0g 01Series Gen 3 are priced at £550, which is £50 up on the previous generation. Given the improvements however, that’s a small price to pay.

More details at Studio Underd0g.

White suits, blue water and plenty of neon pink, what’s not to love about Miami Vice? For once that rose-tinted obsession with nostalgia’s actually pretty damn fun. Who’d opt for an ode to the 1950s when you can have the cocaine-drenched ‘80s, intimidating moustaches and a white Ferrari Testarossa? HTD have taken that theme and gone with it, at least in the dial colour, with the HTD Hesagraph Miami Vice.

The focal point of the new watch is, of course, that dial. It’s pink. Very, very pink. There have been a fair few pink watches over the past couple of years and I’ve been here for them all. This though is next level. HTD have used what they call ‘triple colour laying technology’ to give it its depth and brightness. What precisely that technology is it’s hard to say, but one can assume it’s three layers of colour on top of one another. Either way, it’s one of the loveliest shades of disco pink I’ve worn, right on the border between femininely pastel and a punkier, electric colour.

While you might instantly expect a sleek tricompax chronograph to also include a tachymeter, that’s not for HTD. Like previous versions of the Hesagraph the bezel is instead plain steel. It works as well here as it does with the more stripped-back, utilitarian tool watches in their line- up, but for a different reason. Not only does it leave the pink to do its job, but the polished metal has a glitzy, reflective look that ties into the whole Miami Vice of it.

For a brand labelling themselves as the Horological Tools Department however, there are a couple of oversights that I’m surprised made it to production. The first is readability. The steel indexes are nice and clear, largely because they’re three-dimensional. The white numerals and minute tracks though are hard to read in direct light and downright unreadable in anything less. They just blend into the pink enough to strain your eyes. You can still tell where the hands are pointing, but it feels like an oversight.

It’s a shame as I’d have loved to see a version of this with some more neon brightness, perhaps green or blue to contrast with the pink and really hammer home that ‘80s disco feel. It’s not as if there’s no colour palette to draw from there. It might have made it a bit more divisive than solid pink, but with only 150 of these available, I’m sure it would have made at least 150 people very happy.

Then there are the lugs. The case is 39mm in diameter, but the Hesagraph Miami Vice is proof positive that you should always look at lug size, which here is 48mm. That’s a substantial increase on the wrist, but that’d be fine if they were curved. Instead, they’re straight, meaning that on my wrist there’s a distinct ‘box’ shape where other watches would follow my wrist. It’s not deal-breaking by any stretch, it’s still comfortable, it just doesn’t look as slick as it could.

That’s where the gripes end, however. Looks-wise it’s a beauty and not just for the pink. The combination of playful colour and tool watch shape – including the impeccably machined bracelet – add up to the kind of go-anywhere, do-anything watch that’s in vogue at the moment. Even the sapphire crystal is lovely, with its U-box curve, sitting right off the bezel. It’s practical and fun in equal measure.

It feels mechanically great too, with exceptionally satisfying pump chronograph pushers thanks to the SW510 M Elaborè inside. It’s a classic manual-wind chronograph perfect for smaller-sized cases. You’ll more normally see the SW510 in bi-compax numbers, but it works just as well here, especially with its 58-hour power reserve. As this is the Elaborè version, we can assume that the finishing is exceptional for a third-party movement, but as it’s a solid caseback and I don’t regularly pop them off if I can help it, I can’t say for sure.

So, what’s the bottom line with this disco-drenched chrono? I’ve liked previous versions of the Hesagraph and I like this one about as much. It’s less practical than variations such as the Pure Speed and Canoli which draw their vintage racing colourways from, well, vintage racing. As a flash of statement colour though, it’s hard to beat. At €2,500 (approx. £2,067), it’s exactly the same price as previous Hesagraphs too and it’s good to see HTD maintaining that price point – although right now you can get it for 10% off, which is always pleasant.

It’s not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but for a solid chronograph with this much personality, it’s about right. I’d like to see something between this and HTD’s uber-accessible Tennis series (which will set you back just €690), but if you’re looking to channel your inner Don Johnson, this is for you.

More details at HTD.

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.

While I’m no Scrooge, I’m certainly not a believer in the commercial expansion of the festive season for months on end. To be honest, while it might be November I’m still loathe to admit that autumn is almost over and winter is right around the corner. However, if there’s one thing that can convince me that maybe winter is here it’s the start of the skiing season. And when the ski season starts that generally means one thing, ski themed watches. Kicking off the horological slopes first this year is the Longines Conquest Chrono Ski Edition.

The watch is being launched ahead of the International Ski Federation Alpine World Ski Championships, which takes place in February next year in Saalbach, Austria. You can find the event commemorated on the watch’s caseback as well as in the fact it’s a limited edition of 2,025 pieces. However, even if you’ve never strapped a pair of skis to your feet, this watch might be for you because from the dial side of the watch there’s very little to suggest that it’s skiing themed. Instead, it’s just an incredibly handsome and sporty chronograph.

Starting in the centre of the display you have incredibly clean and legible hands with a line of Super-LumiNova down the centre of the hour and minute indicators. There’s also a 60-second chronograph seconds hand. Moving to the dial itself, it has an anthracite colour with a vertical satin-brushed finish that reminds me of the crisp lines of snow on a freshly prepared slope. Set into that are a trio of black subdials in a tricompax layout that display small seconds, a 12-hour timer and a 30-minute timer.

Adding an extra layer of sportiness are the red hands on the two timer subdials, controlled by the chronograph pushers that flank the crown at 3 o’clock. The colour red is also used to accent the point of each hour marker as well as the tachymeter inscription found on the black bezel and the tip of the chronograph seconds hand. The use of red could be considered a hint at the skiing theme of the watch as it’s reminiscent of the red poles used to mark slalom and downhill routes.

Zooming out from the dial, the Longines Conquest Chrono Ski Edition has a very typical Conquest case, measuring 42mm in steel. I’m always struck by the curve of the lugs and the edge of the case leading into the strap which really screams sporty, active design in a way that lots of sports watches miss. It’s also suitably robust with a 100m water resistance rating.

Inside the case is housed the Longines calibre L898.5, an automatic chronograph movement with a 59-hour power reserve. It’s a really solid movement and has excellent anti-magnetic resistance thanks to a silicon balance spring, which also serves to reduce friction. It’s the same movement found in the standard 42mm Conquest although in the standard versions you can see it through the exhibition caseback as opposed to the Ski Edition’s solid commemorative back.

As mentioned, the Longines Conquest Chrono Ski Edition is limited to 2,025 pieces at a price of £3,900. That makes it a touch pricier than the £3,650 standard models but not by a huge margin. I also prefer the level of detail rendered on the limited edition’s dial as well as the restrained use of colour that really makes the red details pop.

More details at Longines.

There has been a trend in recent years of brands revitalising legendary watches and turning them into modern editions. Watch brands, more than any other, like to keep us reminded of how old they are and the history that goes alongside the piece you just bought. For example, it’s hard to mention the word Omega without talking about the moon. These brands with a rich history have a substantial back catalogue to choose from and bringing back an icon often gets chins wagging within the community.

When it comes to paying homage to the watches from your past brands approach it slightly differently. Some look to recreate the icon in its true form, why mess with a classic? Others prefer to take design queues in a nod to history whilst updating the watch to modern standards. The point is there are different ways to approach reintroducing a legendary watch. We’ve selected 5 true legends to see how their modern counterparts stack up.

Vacheron Constantin 222

Vacheron Constantin 222 Ref. 11990 (1977)

The original Vacheron Constantin 222, released in 1977, surfaced around the same time as Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet launched their icons with the Nautilus (1976) and Royal Oak (1971). If you want to know where the 222 came from, it was to mark the 222nd year of Vacheron’s founding. I told you watch brands like to remind us of their history.

Much like the Nautilus and Royal Oak of the 1970s the 222 was a three hand watch with a date window. However, this wasn’t the only similarity. Fun fact but the original Nautilus, Royal Oak and 222 all shared the same base movement, an ultra-thin Jaeger-LeCoultre 920, which Vacheron modified.

One of the reasons the original 222 has become so desirable today is its exclusivity. If records are to be believed, only around 700 222’s in 37mm were produced in the eight years it was in production. It was also the first sports watch from Vacheron and led on to the now iconic Overseas, which only adds to its historical importance.

Vacheron Constantin 222 line up displayed in an advert (1960s)

In a fitting piece of numerical symmetry in 2022 Vacheron introduced a new 222 Historique edition. The first surprise was Vacheron released the new 222 in solid yellow gold at a time when steel sports watches were flying off the shelves quicker than they could be made.

This updated version is a true recreation, Vacheron have stuck almost wholeheartedly to the original design. They resisted the temptation to increase the case size, nowadays 40mm would be about par for the course. On the dial you have to look very closely to spot any changes at all. The only difference of note is the position of the date window, on the modern version it’s been moved inwards to allow the minute markers to continue uninterrupted. Whereas, the original date window intercepted the minute track. In all, this change constitutes moving the date window somewhere around 1mm

The updated Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 ref. 4200H/222J-B935

The big change in the 222 is the movement. Vacheron Constaintin have shunned the legendary watch’s JLC core in favour of a more modern Vacheron calibre 2455/2. Paired with the new movement is an open case back displaying the 18k yellow gold rotor. After 45 years Vacheron might be forgiven for providing an updated movement with modern manufacturing, materials and reliability.

IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40

IWC Ingenieur SL ref. 1832 (1976)

Our second legendary vintage watch comes courtesy of Gerald Genta’s 1976 design IWC Ingenieur SL. Being a Genta design it noticeably shares many elements with the Nautilus and Royal Oak. Despite the Ingenieur SL being overshadowed by these other creations over time it became seen as the trendy little brother, offering collectors a more affordable price point for a watch from the legendary designer.

On release the Ingenieur SL was vastly different from the first Ingenieur of the 1950s. Not only did the SL introduce bolt holes to the bezel but the most interesting part of the design was the appearance of either a checkerboard or graph paper style textured dial. Housed in a 38mm case the original Ingenieur SL would likely have been quite the hit in today’s market.

The updated IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 ref. IW328901

By 1984 the first generation Genta designed Ingenieur was discontinued. Then, in March 2023, at Watches & Wonders, IWC released the Ingenieur Automatic 40. At its launch IWC revealed their museum had managed to track down Gerald Genta’s original drawings. Drawings which were thought to have been lost. Now armed with the originals the IWC design team could set to work recreating a modern sports watch inspired by the original workings.

Today’s Ingenieur is without question a modern interpretation, not a recreation. Firstly, you’ll notice crown guards on the 2023 model, which were not present on the original legendary watch. This adds to another key change which is the case size, the new model comes in 40mm only. If we are being picky the larger case shape takes on a more angular aesthetic than the 1976 version. Where the SL was noted for its rounded structure, the end links on the case and the centre links of the bracelet were more rounded than rectangular. The new Ingenieur sports a more aggressive case with polished lines giving a sharp, more defined aesthetic.

The updated IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 in white and black dial configurations

Across the rest of the watch the Genta-isms are in full view. The bolt holes dotted across the circular flat topped bezel remain unchanged and the dial reinterprets the checkerboard effect from the SL with great success. The alternating lined and dotted squares are a distinctive look and unique to the Ingenieur. To leave them out would have been a crime.

Tag Heuer Autavia Chronograph

Tag Heuer Autavia Dashboard Timer (1933)

This legendary vintage watch actually started life not as a watch at all but as a lap timer affixed to the dashboard of racing cars. In 1962 Jack Heuer introduced the Autavia wristwatch as a collection of racing inspired chronographs. The first edition of the watch was a favourite among celebs and the public for its highly legible dial. In the 1960s racing legends from Jacky Ickx and Emerson Fittipaldi to Gilles Villeneuve were ambassadors for the collection. Today the Autavia represents an iconic racing chrono from a brand more synonymous with motor racing than any other.

Heuer Autavia ref. 2446 (1692), image credit: Heuer Price Guide

The Autavia was characterised by a ‘reverse panda’ configuration dial which has become a favourite among chronographs even today. However, unlike many modern chronographs which deploy tachymeters and text across the bezel, the Autavia used numeric hour markers for a no-nonsense look. Over the years Tag Heuer did get more creative. A GMT version followed and colour was introduced with blue and red bezels, orange hands and blue dial accents. Yet, it’s the first edition Autavia, which ceased production in 1969, that’s the true icon.

In 2017 Tag Heuer celebrated the 55th anniversary of the Autavia with a reedition of the original albeit with some updates. The 2017 edition maintains the original aesthetic, the black dial is punctuated by white subdials and a black bezel was as plain as could be with roman numeral hour markers. Tag even went as far as colouring the tips of hour markers and lume on the hands in a beige patina effect colour in order to apply a vintage look.

Tag updated Heuer Autavia, ref. CBE2116

In truth the reissue only had two major changes to differ it from the original. Firstly, two of the subdials had been swapped around. The 1962 Autavia placed hours at 6 o’clock and minutes and 9 o’clock, by 2017 these dials had swapped positions. This isn’t a major change and certainly doesn’t detract from the look of the watch but seeing as we are being picky it’s worth pointing out.

The other change is harder to ignore. In 2017 Tag Heuer added a date window on to the 6 o’clock subdial. This was a new feature of the updated automatic Heuer 02 calibre which powered the reissue. After 55 years bringing the movement to modern standards is a welcome upgrade but the date seems unnecessary. Why go to such lengths as to recreate a patina effect on parts of the dial only to plant a date window in the middle?

Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox

Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox (1960’s)

Jaeger-LeCoultre, regularly referred to as ‘the watchmakers watchmaker’, always kept several crucial innovations for their own brand. In the 1950s they created the legendary vintage Memovox watch which, with some linguistic gymnastics, means ‘the voice of memory’ in Latin. The Memovox movement, Calibre 489, cleverly separated the power reserve and time keeping elements from the alarm component. In practical terms this meant the Memovox required two crowns. One for winding and setting the watch, the other for setting the alarm function.

Jaeger LeCoutlre Polaris Memovox ref. E859 (1965), image credit: Christie’s

At first glance the 1950s Memovox has the appearance of a ‘pie pan’ style dial. The pie pan design is one most commonly found on vintage Omegas and gets its name due to an inner ring on the dial which makes it look like a pie dish you’d use for cooking. On the Memovox the rotating inner ring is used to set your alarm. You use the second crown to rotate a small triangle marker to point at the time when you need the alarm to sound.

The Memovox was a big hit when it was first released in dress watch format with a leather strap. Such was the success that JLC would later release a Memovox Deep Sea Dive watch in 1959 in order to make the watch accessible to a wider audience. This Memovox diver would go on to be rebranded Polaris in the early 1960s.

The Polaris Memovox was starting to radically differ from the original. This new dive watch now contained three crowns. The third crown was used to rotate the bezel which sat under the crystal so the wearer could time dives. This wasn’t the only new feature of the Polaris, in the case back were 16 holes which allowed for greater sound amplification and mean’t the alarm could be heard even under water.

The current Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Memovox ref. Q903818J

Fast forward to today and this is how we come to know the Memovox, as a subset of the Polaris and now the Master Control collections. After starting out life as a stand alone model the Memovox has now been relegated to a subsection of the catalogue.

In 2018 JLC reintroduced the Polaris range in full. The launch of the updated collection contained a variety of different models one of which was a reintroduction of the Polaris Memovox. The current Polaris Memovox, like the Ingenieur, is a nod to the original rather than a recreation. It shares the same alarm functionality and 3 crown design with rotating alarm disk and internal dive bezel but that’s about where the similarities stop. The dial design and case shape have all been radically modernised to create a future proof sports watch. The larger hour markers are certainly more practical and legible than the original and there’s now no need for holes on the caseback to amplify sound.

Overall, the Memovox is a hard one to interpret. This legendary watch was a big success in the 60s yet today the Polaris Memovox hasn’t reached the same heights of other steel sports models on the market. Should JLC revert back to the first ever Memovox pre-Polaris? It’s hard to tell if that would be any more appealing in today’s market.

Rolex Daytona

Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239, image credit: Phillips

So far we’ve been referencing the various commercial successes of these watches when they first launched. And you might think the Daytona, one of the most sought after watches of today, has been a triumphant success from the start. It’s not the case. It didn’t become a legendary vintage watch until much later when the influence of Paul Newman pushed it into the spotlight.

The iconic ‘Paul Newman’, reference 6239, was the first chronograph to bear the name Daytona and was offered in two configurations. A black dial with white subdials or with the colours reversed fondly known as the ‘panda’. Other key features of the 6239 include a red minute track on the outer edge of the dial, square box markers on the subdials and a steel bezel. The 6239 was also the first reference to carry a tachymeter on the bezel rather than printed on the dial. In many ways the 6239 has fed the design of all modern Daytonas.

The udpated Rolex Daytona ‘Le Mans’ ref. 126500LN

In general, Rolex aren’t ones for re-issues or re-releases. They honour their history by delivering updated models that blend the past with cutting edge modern design and materials. The modern Daytona is no exception. Look across the line up and no existing model in the stable shares a true likeness to the ‘Paul Newman’. Almost every aspect of the 6239 has been updated over the years.

The steel Daytona models are awash with new materials. Most obvious is the new ceramic bezel, which is black rather than silver and the movement has had a complete overhaul as well. The dial configurations still include black and white with the colours being inverted for the subdials, though only on the chapter rings not the whole subdial. The case has taken on new shapes and proportions with big changes to the crown and pushers. The modern steel Daytona now comes with crown guards and the pushers have a screw down locking function to stop them being pushed accidentally and to improve water resistance. The red track on the dial has been removed and the only red is the text ‘Daytona’ printed in the centre of the dial.

Rolex Daytona ref. 126509

Perhaps the closest in look to the original Daytona from the current line-up is the white gold variant ref. 126509. With the white gold bezel it replicates the all steel look of the 6239 and the dial is available with either a true panda or reverse panda configuration with solid colour subdials.

Looking at the Daytona through the ages is like looking at an evolution chart, you can see where it all started but the modern iteration has evolved a long way over 60 years. Is this because Rolex strives to be at the front of the watch industry setting the path for the future? Or is it because the might not be able to do justice to one of the most legendary watches of all time? Either way it would be fun to see them try.

Back in December of last year Seiko released a Prospex Solar ‘Speedometer’ Speedtimer European exclusive limited edition, a solar powered treat in sky blue. Now, for 2024 they’ve revisited this model in fresh colours and crucially, an updated case. Meet the Seiko Prospex Solar Speedtimer European Exclusive Factory Red.

Starting with the case, it’s identical to last year’s predecessor, with a 39mm diameter x 13.3mm thickness. Robust and nicely wearable. The new edition measures a wearable 39mm x 13.3mm, a significant reduction. It’s inspired by a heritage model from 1969, which was the world’s first automatic, vertical clutch, column wheel chronograph. That chronograph element is displayed via the tricompax layout of the dial, bare steel tachymeter and prominent pushers on either side of the crown.

I’m not a huge fan of when Seiko create modern quartz editions of heritage automatic watches, like they recently did with the Pogue and now this, as it doesn’t feel like a true homage. If a watch is famous for being automatic then its tribute should surely be automatic too.

Focussing in on the dial, it has a smooth, matte finish in dark, burgundy red – a tone Seiko are calling Factory Red. That’s been paired with dark grey chronograph subdials, which depict a 60-minute timer, 24-hour timer and small seconds. They also have markings that make them look like the dials of a speedometer, with the subdial at 6 o’clock even having a fuel tank indicator. Adding some brightness to the display is the orange hand at 6 o’clock and bright red chronograph seconds hand.

Beneath the Seiko Prospex Solar Speedtimer European Exclusive Limited Edition Factory Red’s surface (that’s quite the mouthful) is housed the Seiko V192 solar chronograph movement. A solar movement is a quartz calibre that charges its battery with light, meaning that unless you keep it locked away in a box, it theoretically will never run out of power. It also has great accuracy of +/- 15 seconds per month at the cost of not being quite so prestigious as a mechanical movement.

The watch is a limited edition of 2,400 pieces available exclusively in Europe and it is priced at £730. That’s more exclusive and also a touch pricier than last year’s edition, however I think that’s justified because of the huge improvement to wearability and quality of life that comes from the svelter design. The colours are solid too although I personally prefer the now departed sky blue.

More details at Seiko Boutique.

If you’re at all familiar with Breitling’s 140 year history then you’ve probably come across the Avenger. It’s their practical pilot’s tool watch that features a bold aesthetic with a thick bezel. Now, in the latter quarter of 2024 they’ve released a full ceramic Avenger subcollection dubbed the Breitling Avenger Night Mission. Oh and if you’re not too familiar with that history,Also, Breitling’s latest UK exhibition is a good chance to discover it. More on that at the bottom.

Breitling Super Avenger B01 Chronograph 46 Night Mission

First up is the Breitling Super Avenger B01 Chronograph 46 Night Mission, the largest of the new watches with a 46mm case in black ceramic. Ceramic is an incredibly tough, scratch resistant material that is usually blasted to a matte finish that, in black, gives the watch a cool, tactical aesthetic. Here that’s been paired with a matching black ceramic 60-minute rotating bezel and titanium accents in the form of the crown and chronograph pushers. It’s this somewhat stealthy, military-adjacent aesthetic that gives this subcollection the name Night Mission.

Moving to the dial, it’s made from a carbon composite material, meaning it’s black with a chaotic, random texture to its surface. It has a tricompax chronograph display with a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock, 12-hour timer at 6 and 30-minute timer at 3. The Arabic numeral hour markers are also nice and legible thanks to the combination of lume and the sheer size of the display thanks to the huge case.

As the watch’s name indicates it houses the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01, aka the B01. A more than solid movement with a 70-hour power reserve and COSC chronometer certification ensuring great reliability and accuracy. It’s protected by the watch’s 300m water resistance rating and sapphire caseback. It’s presented on a green strap to complete the quasi-military vibe. It’s priced at £7,900.

Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph 42 Night Mission

Measuring 42mm in diameter, the Breitling Avenger B01 Chronograph 42 Night Mission is much more wearable for the average person on a day-to-day basis. The overall construction of the case though is more or less the same as the Super Avenger 46 Night Mission in black ceramic again with a ceramic bezel and titanium accents. However, unlike it larger counterpart, there are two dial options here.

The first of the two watches is the same carbon design as the above. The second however is a vibrant turquoise. The combination of the light blue and black, along with the orange lining of the blue strap, reminds me of iconic racing liveries from the world of motorsport. Considering that chronographs are closely associated with racing, I think it makes sense for the Avenger to have a sporty edition alongside a military one. They’ll each appeal to customers with different tastes but ultimately both versions suit the collection.

Inside each of them is the B01 automatic chronograph movement with COSC chronometer status. Due to the size difference they’re slightly more accessible than the 46mm edition but it’s not a massive gap. The carbon dial version is £7,700 and the blue version is £7,550.

Breitling Avenger Automatic 42 Night Mission

Last up is the Breitling Avenger Automatic 42 Night Mission, the only non-chronograph edition in this suite of new releases. Although it does join the 44mm GMT Night Mission edition that was released recently so there are a couple of non-chrono editions to choose from. It probably goes without saying but it has the same black ceramic construction with a titanium crown.

Similarly, the dial is made from carbon once again. Interestingly the Arabic numerals here have white lume whereas the other carbon editions have either green or beige lume to match their straps. This model is presented on a black strap, which Breitling call dark grey but let’s be real it’s black.

The movement inside is the Breitling Calibre 17, another COSC movement but this one has only a 38-hour power reserve. In today’s market that’s very low for a luxury brand like Breitling so hopefully we’ll see that improve with time. Although that does contribute to a notably lower price of £4,900, which for a ceramic watch is not bad at all.

140^th Anniversary Vintage Watch Exhibition

Breitling has announced the dates for the UK leg of its global Time Capsule: The Breitling Heritage Exhibition in celebration of their 140^th anniversary. Those dates are: Regent St 5^th – 11^th November, Trafford 13^th – 20^th November, White City 22^nd – 29^th November, Knightsbridge 2^nd – 9^th December, and New Bond St 10^th – 18^th December.

The exhibit charts the history of their watch collections and features vintage watches from their archives. Leading all the way back to some of their earliest models like the single pusher chronograph from 1915, as well as key models from 1937 – 1995. The exhibition is free and open to walk-ins. Or if you prefer an in depth, guided look at the exhibit you can make an appointment with the relevant boutique.

More details at Breitling.

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.

Tag Heuer are the quintessential sports watch brand of the modern watch industry. From racers, to divers, to daily wearers, they’re the most in tune with what it means to be both stylish and ready for action (mostly racing). But when it comes to sporty style, Tag’s watches tend to lean in one of two directions. On one side you have the sleek, retro-slanted icons like the Carrera Glassbox and on the other side are the bold, almost industrial skeleton and openworked watches such as the Monaco GP edition. On a personal level I have always preferred the former over the latter. However, the new Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Porsche Panamericana might just be the coolest openworked Tag Heuer watch to date.

We’ve talked many times about Tag Heuer and Porsche’s shared connection to the Carrera Panamericana, the legendary rally that takes racers through the extreme heat of Mexico. Both brands were independently inspired by the race, which is why we have both the Porsche Carrera and the Tag Heuer Carrera. This coincidence then led to the brands collaborating many times on watches like the Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963. However, the Panamericana is actually more relevant than usual for their latest collab. That’s because the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Porsche Panamericana has been released in celebration of the 70^th anniversary of Porsche winning their competitive category in the 1954 edition of the race.

Specifically, Porsche came first and second in the under 1,500cc sports car classification with the Porsche 550 Spyder, which also netted them third and fourth in the overall race. It’s these heritage cars that inform the design of the modern watch. The 550 Spyder’s Carrera Panamericana race livery was silver with yellow decals and so the watch has a silver display with yellow lacquered chronograph hands. Even more telling than the colours though is the fact that the openworked portions of the dial (Tag Heuer call it a skeleton dial but there is a subtle difference between the terms skeletonised and openworked and on balance I think openworked is a better definition here) are shaped like the 550 Spyder’s wheels.

The racing design elements don’t stop there. The two subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock, which display a 30-minute and 12-hour timer respectively, are black with silver flecks emulating the texture of asphalt. The 6 o’clock position that completes the tricompax display is occupied by the titular tourbillon – the visually impressive, rotating heart of the watch, which doubles as a running seconds indicator.

Zooming out from the dial, the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Porsche Panamericana has a fairly typical chronograph case. It measures 42mm in diameter in steel with a combination of brushed and polished surfaces. The crown at 3 o’clock is flanked by two pushers for controlling the chronograph function. The only slight oddity is that it has no tachymeter and the internal, fixed bezel (or flange if you want to use specific terminology) has a 60-minute scale instead.

Powering the watch is the TH20-09 automatic tourbillon chronograph movement, which you can catch glimpses of through the open portions of the dial. It has a 65-hour power reserve supplied by a rotor shaped like a Porsche steering wheel – a design common to all their collabs. The movement also has a high degree of finishing with the Côtes de Genève being particularly prominent.

As for pricing and availability, the Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Porsche Panamericana is limited to 255 pieces at £31,300. The number 255 comes from both the name of the 550 Spyder and the fact that the heritage car that took place in the Carrera Panamericana was number 55. In the introduction I made the bold claim that this is the coolest and best looking openworked Tag Heuer to date and I still agree with that at the end. I really like the combination of colours, the wheel-like shape of the openworking and the tourbillion, all of which come together to make the watch feel special. As a commemorative limited edition should be.

More details at Tag Heuer.

Pairing your wristwatch to your car has been a long tradition for collectors as the two interests often go hand in hand. However, at the very top end of both industries you find wristwatch and cars that have been designed as a pair. The most extreme example of which is probably the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail with custom Bovet but more recently are also collaborations such as the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon and the Bugatti Tourbillon hyper car. Now, there’s this: the McLaren W1 hyper car and matching Richard Mille RM 65-01 McLaren W1.

Starting with an overview of the car, it’s a mighty beast. It’s powered by a twin-turbo V8 with hybrid drivetrain that outputs 1,258 bhp. The brakes, suspension and 8-speed transmission are all race quality, which combined with the carbon fibre chassis helps to make the W1 the fastest accelerating road-legal car McLaren have ever produced. Its styling is sleek and modern with the familiar orange and black bodywork of McLaren giving it a brooding, serious countenance.

Moving to the Richard Mille RM 65-01 McLaren W1, the aesthetic influence of the car is immediately evident. It measures 43.84mm x 49.94mm x 16.19mm in the classic Richard Mille tonneau shape, produced in high tech Carbon TPT with titanium accents. The use of carbon clearly reflects the materials used in the W1 car, on top of which the indented shape of the watch’s bezel is influenced by the compact, muscular shape of the car’s gullwing doors.

McLaren’s signature colours are represented across the watch’s skeletonised dial. The edge of the peripheral tachymeter, minute markers, split-seconds hand and chronograph 12-hour and 30-minute counters are a matching shade of orange. Meanwhile the chronograph’s second split-seconds hand, seconds scale and function selector are light blue. Contrasting with both of those colours, the hours, minutes and running seconds are bright yellow.

You may have noticed from the above complications that the RM 65-01 McLaren W1 is a split-seconds chronograph. What this means is that there are two central chronograph hands that are superimposed on top of each other. When you press the start pusher, both hands will begin moving simultaneously at the same speed. You can then stop the two hands independently allowing you to time two separate events that are occurring together. For example you could time individual laps within a longer race or you could time two competitors in a single race – useful for F1 when each team has two cars.

The movement controlling all this is the RMAC4, a hi-beat movement with a 5 Hz frequency and 60-hour power reserve. Having such a high frequency allows for a greater degree of accuracy for the split-seconds chronograph which is accurate down to 1/10^th of a second. The power reserve can also be topped up at a moment’s notice courtesy of a ‘rapid winding’ mode which is enabled with an orange quartz TPT pusher. You can view the movement through the skeletonised portions of the display and the sapphire exhibition caseback.

I have previously expressed that I prefer Richard Mille’s more understated designs, especially those in titanium, but if I was hard pressed to choose a carbon model, it would probably be this. I like how it builds on the standard RM 65-01 Split-Seconds by changing the shape of the dial and introducing McLaren’s signature colours. It feels like a fitting tribute to the brand and the W1. I can also imagine it strapped to Lando Norris’ wrist over a GP weekend. It’s priced at CHF 320,000 in a limited edition of 500 pieces.

More details at Richard Mille.

Let’s be clear, this new heritage inspired Omega Speedmaster should never be referred to as a Moonwatch Professional. In order bear the moniker Moonwatch it would have to inspired be a watch dating to 1969 or later when the first Speedmaster chronograph was worn on the moon. This new watch – called the First Omega in Space Speedmaster Anniversary Series – on the other hand is inspired by an equally pioneering Speedmaster, the CK 2998, which in 1962 became the first Omega worn in space as part of the Mercury program.

Dwelling on the history for a moment longer, the original CK 2998 that went to space was worn by astronaut Walter Schirra as his personal watch. In some regards, it was this act that set in motion the drive for Omega to create watches inspired by space and which a few years later lead to it being Speedmasters on the wrists of Armstrong & Co. So, while we might not talk about it as much, the CK 2998 is 100% one of the most important pioneering watches in history.

Jumping forward from 1962 to 2024 (a jump of 62-years which is an oddly satisfying interval) we now have the First Omega in Space Speedmaster Anniversary Series. Call me shallow but I think this is the best looking Speedmaster I’ve seen in a long time. It measure 39.7mm in diameter, which is perfect for a retro chronograph in stainless steel with sweeping, round flanks and gently tapering lugs. The pump pushers and crown that sit along the 3 o’clock side are understated and effortlessly classy.

Then, looking at the First Omega in Space Speedmaster Anniversary Series’ black, aluminium tachymeter bezel, I love the flat design of it that really highlights and emphasises the domed sapphire crystal. The shape of the crystal is heavily inspired by the original hesalite glass, but produced in modern materials that are much harder and more scratch resistant. The style of the case, bezel and glass is referred to as the key elements of 2nd Generation Speedmasters.

Moving beneath the crystal we have a dial with equally strong retro influences. The straight hour markers and Alpha hands are filled with vintage Super-LumiNova, which is dark brown in colour, as if discoloured by age and sun exposure. The base of the dial isn’t true black but instead a dark grey-blue, which I really like as it feels more characterful than pitch black. The display elements are much as you’d expect from a Speedmaster with tricompax chronograph counters denoting the running seconds, 12-hour timer and 30-minute timer.

On the back, the solid steel caseback has several engravings. In the middle is the classic hippocampus logo above which is the inscription “First Omega in Space” and below which is the date of Schirra’s spaceflight, October 3, 1962. Housed inside is the Calibre 3861, a Co-Axial Master Chronometer that’s the latest generation of Omega’s Calibre 321 series. It’s manual wind with a 50-hour power reserve.

The ‘First Omega in Space’ Speedmaster Anniversary Series is gorgeous. Well proportioned, with a retro slant and a very clean, easily readable dial. It’s literally everything I personally look for in a watch. It’s also not wildly expensive as far as Omegas go at a price of £7,400 on flat-link steel bracelet or £7,100 on either a brown or black leather strap. It’s a shame that this was released just after the cut-off for the Oracle Time Watch Award 2024 because it would be right at home in the chronograph category.

More details at Omega Watches.

While Manchester United is the most winning Premier League team of all time, it’s their rivals Manchester City who have dominated the modern era of football with 6 title wins since 2018. Man City are no strangers to a high-end wristwatch or two, just look at the collection of manager Pep Guardiola. And now they’ve announced a new, official wristwatch partnership with Jacob & Co. As part of the partnership, Jacob & Co. have launched a trio of collaborative watches: the Epic X Sport Edition Manchester City and two versions of the Epic X Chrono 44 Edition Manchester City in full rose gold or rose gold and ceramic.

Epic X Sport Edition Manchester City

Starting with the Epic X Sport Edition Manchester City, it measures 41mm in diameter with a case made from titanium. The dial is as flash as you’d expect from J&C. featuring a diamond motif in bright and shiny rhodium finishing. The Man City logo takes pride of place below the hand stack at 6 o’clock. The club’s colours are also well represented via the minute scale, hexagon rubber strap and crown. It’s powered by the JCHA01, a time and date movement with a 70-hour power reserve. The watch is a limited edition of 250 pieces at £15,000, which for a Jacob & Co. is about as accessible as they get.

Epic X Chrono 44 Edition Manchester City

Second is the Epic X Chrono 44 Edition Manchester City in full rose gold. The 44mm rose gold case with the characteristic X shaped lugs reminds me of Jacob & Co.’s other high-profile football collab, the CR7 collection with Christiano Ronaldo. Here though the case houses a dial with a bicompax chronograph display featuring small seconds and a 30-minute timer. The dial itself is also translucent, giving a glimpse of the JCAA05 movement below. It also has a sapphire exhibition caseback bearing the inscription “THE BEST TEAM IN THE LAND AND ALL THE WORLD”, which features on all three watches. Limited to 20 pieces at £50,000.

Last up is the Epic X Chrono 44 Edition Manchester City in rose gold and blue ceramic. It’s more or less identical to the full gold edition except that the bezel, pushers, crown and caseback are made from sky blue ceramic. Adding a sportier edge to the gold timepiece. It houses the same JCAA05 movement with its 48-hour power reserve. Due to the lower gold content in the design, it has a lower price than its full gold counterpart at £37,000 in a limited edition of 30 pieces.

As a collaboration collection, all three watches are pretty much what you’d expect from Jacob & Co. teaming up with Manchester City. If Erling Haaland hadn’t already been snatched up as an ambassador for Breitling you can imagine he’d be all over this – as is, it seems Phil Foden will be the face of the partnership judging by the early promotional materials.

More details at Jacob & Co.

There’s an interesting cycle when it comes to high tech materials in watchmaking. When a material first appears on the scene it’s often the case that said material will be used in its most quintessential form with little additional embellishment. However, once the material starts to see wider use in the industry, brands are better equipped to experiment with aesthetics and design. For example, you have Hublot who push the boundaries with coloured sapphire cases and IWC’s mastery of ceramic. Now it’s Audemars Piguet’s turn to experiment with coloured forged carbon as part of the new Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date.

To be clear, coloured carbon is not exactly brand new, Richard Mille have been doing it for years. What is new here is how the carbon has been coloured. Traditionally the colour comes from the resin that binds the carbon fibres together and the carbon itself retains its natural colour and would remain black/dark grey if the resin were removed. However, AP have developed a method that means it is the actual carbon fibres that are coloured. It’s what AP are calling CFT Carbon, or Chroma Forged Technology Carbon.

It’s been eight years since AP utilised forged carbon but they have not been idle in that time as five of those years were spent developing CFT Carbon. To summarise the patented process, the carbon fibres are cut into small pieces and have pigment applied to them. They are then layered into the carbon block mould and completed with resin as normal. This why the 43mm case of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date has a pattern of black areas and portions of shiny, luminous blue.

An important distinction is that during the layering process AP have full control over where to place the coloured carbon pieces. This is much more important than it sounds because it means that they have a high level of control over the pattern that features in the final product. Normally we describe the pattern of forged carbon as being totally random but now that’s not strictly the case. It’s just mostly random.

The forging process will still result in some deviation and changes due to the forces involved but as an analogy it’s much closer to baking a cake – you can pick your ingredients and arrange everything in the oven the way you want it, but the bake is what matters. On the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date the blue elements of the CFT Carbon are still highly irregular so I don’t think AP have fully explored what this concept may allow them to achieve.

Structurally it’s just as lightweight and durable as regular forged carbon. In fact, it’s technically more scratch resistant as there’s a lower proportion of resin in its construction compared to standard. Although if you want to talk about real scratch resistance you want to look to the ceramic hardware that the watch also features – the bezel, crown, pushers and caseback.

The dial and movement almost feel like secondary details on this watch. The movement is the calibre 4407, an automatic movement with 70-hour power reserve and equipped with a split-seconds, flyback chronograph, a 24-hour GMT hand, hours, minutes, seconds and an oversized date window. You can see it through the skeletonised dial, which remains highly legible thanks to electric blue scales.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date in forged carbon is price on request, which is to be expected considering the advanced materials used and the split-seconds chronograph movement. I think this is actually a pretty cool chronograph from AP, it almost feels like an AP-RM hybrid and I don’t hate that idea. I still want to see AP push this technology further to see if they can produce something truly jaw dropping and outrageous in future.

More details at Audemars Piguet.

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.

When it comes to the appellation XX in the watch industry, there are two models that come to mind. There’s the IWC Mark XX, which recently saw a new edition in the form of the Patrouille Suisse and the Breguet Type XX that was updated in 2023. The Type XX is the civilian counterpart to the military pilot’s watch Type 20 and now they’ve doubled down on its civilian nature by releasing a new edition in ceramic and rose gold, called the Type XX Chronograph 2067.

Taking the watch out of its box, my first impression is that there’s almost something quite aquatic about it. That’s no doubt because of the combination of the blue dial and rose gold case, which is a classic desk diver colourway seen on watches like the Glashütte Original SeaQ Bi-Colour. Although here the display is very much that of a pilot’s watch chronograph with oversize Arabic numerals coated with lume and a bidirectional rotating 12-hour bezel.

The rose gold case measures 42mm in diameter with a thickness of 14.1mm. It has relatively short facetted lugs, classic pump pushers for controlling the chronograph functions and a large, fluted crown. Interestingly this is actually the reduced size crown for the civilian model compared to the huge crown on the miliary Type 20, which is much larger so that it can be used while wearing military pilot’s gloves. Despite being the ‘smaller’ version, the watch still has impressive presence on the wrist, as any tool watch in full gold would have.

As for the ceramic element of the watch, that’s the aforementioned rotating bezel. Ceramic is an extremely hardwearing material that’s all but impossible to scratch. Hence its frequent use on bezels, which are often the part of a watch that takes the most beatings and wear. The 12-hour scale is picked out in curvy Breguet style numerals, which were developed by Breguet specially for use on watch displays. The idea behind them is that most typographies treat numbers linearly as they are read on a single line like 123456789, however on a watch, they’re actually read in a circle, meaning there are different visual requirements.

The chronograph display consists of a tricompax layout of subdials with small seconds at 9 o’clock, a 12-hour counter at 6 and an oversize 15-minute timer at 3 o’clock. By having the 15-minute subdial larger than the others it draws the eye towards it, which helps in aviation because the 15-minute timer is arguably the most important when performing precise navigation.

Powering it is the calibre 728, a hi-beat automatic movement that operates at a frequency of 5Hz with a power reserve of 60-hours. It’s a flyback chronograph movement, which means that the chronograph function can be stopped, reset and started with a single pusher press, enhancing the accuracy of multiple periods of timing in sequence. You can view the movement through the exhibition caseback with its black, openworked rotor and immaculate finishing that includes sunray brushing, snailing, chamfering and circular graining, all of which is beautiful under the light.

It’s priced at £35,500, which makes sense given the combination of a full gold case and the high-end chronograph movement. It certainly feels luxurious enough to warrant that price. For this pilot’s chronograph, it’s first class or bust.

More details at Breguet.

Following hotly on the heels of the introduction of the Studio Underd0g 03SERIES as part of their collaboration with H. Moser & Cie., the studio has released a standalone version. It’s the Studio Underd0g 03SERIES Salm0n, inspired by Japanese cuisine with a sushi like vibe courtesy of a salmon fillet dial. If that sounds confusing to you, you’ve evidently never come across Studio Underd0g before.

The big news is that it’s now a monopusher chronograph instead of a standard dual-pusher design like the 01SERIES. Although the case measures the same as the original at 38.5mm x 13.6mm, which is a healthy size in today’s market. I will say that at this thickness it doesn’t naturally slide under a cuff, but I haven’t made that an easy task. While I’ve been reviewing the watch the weather has turned decidedly autumnal, so it’s been fighting the elasticated cuff of a bomber jacket.

As part of becoming a monopusher chrono, it of course has a new movement, which is visible through the exhibition caseback. It’s the first Swiss movement in any of Underd0g’s watches, the Sellita calibre SW510 M. A manual winding movement (like all their watches) with 63-hour power reserve and an accuracy of +/- 5 seconds per day, which is a big step up from the Seagull movements of the prior collections. Plus, it’s been decorated with a custom Côte de Genève, ruthénium anthracite finished bridge that looks great.

It goes without saying that the dial also looks spectacular, it’s what Studio Underd0g is best known for. The 03SERIES Salm0n’s display is split into two sections, a lower dial in coppery salmon colour with sunray brushed finishing and an upper dial with a dark grey fumé gradient. The overall impression is one of a fillet of salmon with beautifully crisp skin – or salmon wrapped in nori as a sushi roll.

Up close the contrast between the two surfaces works well, although part of me feels like it looks more impressive in photos rather than in the metal. Compared to the bright and colourful Watermel0n or Mint Ch0c Chip, it almost feels suave and sophisticated, though it ultimately retains a fun, playful edge.

In terms of timekeeping functions, it’s the same array we’re used to from the original chrono. It has central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds with a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock and big eye 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, all wrapped inside a peripheral tachymeter scale. The hour markers here are simple black dots as opposed to fruit pips or some other quirky device, but that’s understandable as there’s not much to match thematically.

The Studio Underd0g 03SERIES Salm0n is a sign of big growth. Priced at £1,700 it’s a major new price point for the microbrand that has so far remained at £800 or lower. It’s more than double the price of any of their other watches. Admittedly, the initial reaction to hearing this is to bash the watch for being expensive, but I think if we want to see British brands grow then they need to take risks and improve their quality and that often comes at a higher price. It’s ambitious and I like that fact, British watch designers should be ambitious, and after a sell-out collab with Moser, where do you go?

More details at Studio Underd0g.

In a world where AI has become more or less a daily part of life, the dreams of science-fiction writers are steadily becoming less and less implausible. Although the one sci-fi sub-genre that hasn’t quite become a reality yet is the space opera. Although if certain billionaires get their way how long will it be until a human colony is established on a distant planet? It’s space opera sci-fi that provides the inspiration for Isotope’s first ever chronograph, the Chronograph Compax Moonshot.

Specifically, the watch is inspired by Isotope founder’s favourite sci-fi graphic novel, The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Jean Giraud. In case you’re not familiar, it’s a grand space opera about a technocratic future where forces fight over the power of the light and the dark. In watchmaking terms, that expresses itself through a cool retro-futuristic design across the case and dial. The shape language in particular feels unique.

Starting with the case, it’s made from a single block of grade 5 titanium shaped with a CNC machine that’s then finished by hand and given a black DLC coating. This monolithic construction gives it an almost uncanny cohesiveness as well as smooth lines and clean facets. One of the most distinctive elements is how the case cuts across horizontally above and below the bezel at 12 and 6 o’clock respectively, making the display into a stadium-like oval shape rather than circular. In terms of size, the Chronograph Compax Moonshot is fairly large with a diameter of 41mm, a thickness of 15mm and a lug-to-lug of 49.5mm.

Zooming in and enhancing in on the bezel (Bladerunner style), it sits beneath the double-domed sapphire crystal glass in the same style as an internal bezel you might find on a compression diver. Although this one doesn’t rotate as it features both a tachymeter and pulsometer scale, allowing you to calculate your speed and pulse rate. Evidently in Isotope’s vision of our sci-fi future we haven’t created cyborgs yet and pulse rate will still be something that needs measuring.

Zooming in and enhancing again, this time on the dial, Isotope has completely reimagined how the compax chronograph display works. While it has three subdials in the traditional arrangement of a tricompax display (which is two subdials flanking the central hands with a third below at 6 o’clock) they’ve done away with the traditional pointer hands on each of the subdials.

Instead, each of the subdials has a disk with circular engraving that sits atop the small seconds, 30-minute timer and 12-hour timer scales respectively. Then, a small, wedge-shaped aperture with an arrow reveals the scale below denoting the relevant indication. They essentially serve as overengineered versions of typical hands, but it has a dramatic impact on the overall aesthetic of the display. Elsewhere the dial has a similar lined engraving to the subdial disk but in a horizontal orientation rather than circular.

The central hands feature semi-skeletonised portions in Isotope’s signature tear drop shape. They point to a peripheral hour scale around the inner section of the bezel. The scale goes without any numeric marking, instead relying on built-up markers at each of the hour positions. It’s technically quite a minimalist dial in terms of information on display but the finishing makes it feel anything but minimalist with a huge amount of fluting and textured surfaces.

As for colours, there are two versions of the Chronograph Compax Moonshot available. The first is the Stealth edition, which as expected is in monochromatic black and white, except for the hour scale and hands, which are coated in Super-LumiNova, giving them a luminous green colour.

Second is the Terra Maris edition, a follow up to 2022’s Terra Maris GMT 0°. This colour scheme was developed in partnership with journalist, author and broadcaster  Miguel Seabra and is now being described as a capsule collection, meaning all watches Isotope produce will presumably receive Terra Maris editions. It’s an attractive combination of brown and blue, symbolising land and sea – thematically appropriate for a watch inspired by planetary stories.

Beneath the surface of the Chronograph Compax Moonshot is the Swiss Landeron 73 automatic chronograph movement. It has a power reserve of 42-hours and operates at a 4 Hz frequency, which are pretty solid specs as you’d expect from a well-established microbrand like Isotope. The movement is also visible through the exhibition caseback.

In terms of price and availability, the Chronograph Compax Moonshot is £2,700 with an initial production run of 25-pieces in each colour. The watch is not a limited edition, although each of the pieces is numbered, instead being released in a series of batches ahead of plans for general manufacture next year. I think this is without question one of the most interesting watches Isotope has ever produced and is the perfect example of the types of innovative, exciting and unexpected watch design that microbrands should be engaged in. We don’t want a 49^th retro diver reinterpretation, we want daring innovation and Isotope have delivered. They attempted a moonshot and they landed it.

More details at Isotope.