The most classic wristwatch of all times is perhaps the omega Datejust. Not the first wristwatch (some are still fighting over that one), but the most recognizable wristwatch that could be seen as the granddaddy of all modern wristwatches. The omega Datejust was introduced in 1945, in the same year that the company celebrated its 40th birthday. A lot has changed since then, but a lot hasnt changed either. Put that very first Datejust reference to a modern one, and youll see it clearly has the same DNA. This year, omega introduces the Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 in steel and white gold.omega Datejust 41 in Steel and White GoldI only have one omega Datejust myself (a vintage reference 1600 fr...
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Grand Seiko is introducing a new version of their Hi-beat movement, the 9SA5. And what better way to do it than in an over-the-top gold Grand Seiko limited to 100 pieces only?At least Grand Seiko now has our (and your) attention with this new reference SLGH002 with a retail price of 45,000. Besides the awesome looks of the 44GS case and the use of gold, what is it that makes it so special?For Grand Seikos 60th anniversary, the brand has created a beautiful watch that looks like the 44GS design from 1967 and theyve made it of 18K yellow gold. If thats not impressive already, Grand Seiko also uses this (relatively) small batch of limited edition watches to introduce something pretty important....
Speedy Tuesday is here I thought it would be nice to zoom in on the differences between a Speedmaster Pro from 1967 and a Speedmaster Pro from the current collection. We get a lot of questions per e-mail (and Facebook) about Speedmasters and which one people should get, so our comparison might help you (or them) to make the right decision.The Speedmasters pictured above are todays subject of Speedy Tuesday. On the left you see a 1967 Speedmaster Professional ref.145.012 and on the right a 2012 Speedmaster Professional ref.3570.50, both on [time correct] stainless steel bracelets and in their original Omega boxes.BackgroundI dont want to do the whole Speedmaster rehearsal here, as weve covere...
Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly serial where you get to play monarch. Lets see if youll award the royal crown to the omega Air-King. But firstLast week, I tried to present value to you in the form of a rare Breitling Superocean Chronoworks. It turns out that this rarity was caused by its initial price of nearly 40K Even a reduction down to roughly 15,000 wasnt enough to save this science experiment as it fell to a thundering 73% Crying Shame loss. That Breitling was once the brands veritable head of state, but was quickly deposed. Now lets focus on a monarch with a far longer reign, the omega Air-King.The omega Air-King debuted in 1945Internet lore tells us that the om...
For modern and vintage watch fans alike, the word Breitling typically draws the mind to one watch the Navitimer. Yes, the Navitimer is THE Breitling for most, and hyperbole doesnt enter the picture when saying its one of the most iconic chronographs of all time. Now, five years into a Breitling revival, we finally have a new rendition of this important watch.Breitling has come a long way since the arrival of Georges Kern in 2017. The popular brand has methodically updated just about every single one of its product lines during this period. Under Kerns leadership, Breitling has upped the finishing of its watches, restored model lines like the Chronomat, and has created some epic vintage reiss...
This isnt exactly a new watch. Bvlgari introduced it as the Diagono in 1998, an aluminum watch with a quartz movement. Later on, more models were added, including chronographs with automatic movements.Late last August, in Geneva, Bvlgari introduced the Bvlgari Aluminium chronograph reference 103383. Just a few days before, Bvlgari gave me the Aluminium chronograph to wear. I have been wearing this watch on and off, and today I am sharing my thoughts about this watch with you. Lets have a closer look at this watch, meant for millennials (as can be seen in this video).Bvlgari Aluminium chronographOn the one hand, Bvlgari being so clear about its target audience rules me out for this watch. I w...
It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when buying a pre-owned or vintage Speedmaster, but what kind of accuracy should you expect from a pre-loved timepiece? Most of the buyers and collectors are more concerned about the watchs aesthetics than the technical condition of the watch, it seems. Lets have a closer look at the accuracy of the Speedmaster and what falls within acceptable parameters.In my opinion, patina has become a bit of a buzzword. Sometimes, it is as if it is the only thing that matters when it comes to buying a pre-owned or vintage Speedmaster. Sure, it is important how a watch looks, but theres more to it than the yellow or green color of hour markers. Ive made t...
2021 has arrived and like so many of you, I have been thinking about what watch I should choose next. As you have probably noticed from my personal choices, I've never been an enthusiast for gold. In my opinion, steel rivals gold and two-tone watches. At least, that was always the wayuntil now. It's been tough to figure out what steel watch should be on my wish-list for 2021. Luckily, at the end of last year, Omega released its new Tr sor collection, shining as it does a spotlight on Moonshine gold.Moonshine gold is nothing new for the Tr sor collection. In 2019, just one year after the introduction of the Tr sor line for women, the Swiss brand presented two new Tr sors made of Moonshine gol...
The race roars on with the Cartier Roadster Chronograph versus the Seiko SRQ029. And what a spectacle it will be Its going to be a track battle between two watch equivalents of early 1970s race cars. The Cartier Roadster will be represented by the Matra-Simca MS670, a Group 5 prototype equipped with a howling 2,999 cc V12 engine the one which, some say, is the best-sounding engine ever produced. The Seiko SRQ029, a 2019 watch that celebrates 50 years of Seiko chronographs, appears on the circuit in the shape of a Toyota 7. This Group 7 car with a Yamaha chassis was powered by a 3-liter...
The new Submariner lineup hobbled the internet the other week. Now that the dust has settled to some degree, I thought Id weigh in with my thoughts.Love it or hate it, you cant deny that omega news is big news. And theres probably no bigger topic in the watch world than a new Submariner. If we were talking cars, this is akin to a new Porsche 911, a new Corvette, or perhaps a 4-series BMW. By the way, for as awful as 2020 has been, weve gotten new editions of those icons too But back to watches because as the owner of what I personally think is the last classic Submariner in the 14060M, I always ask myself one question when a new one comes to light. Would I trade up to buy the new one?Goodbye...
Omega's current Seamaster Professional Diver 300M has become a proper staple of the brand's collection. Beloved by fans of the brand and still one of the best dive watches under 10,000, it feels like we can't get enough of that watch. So finding out that Omega has decided to bring the watch world's most popular color to the collection was exciting indeed. You've most likely seen the classic blue and black models. Ask RJ which his favorite is, and he'll quickly tell you it's the white-dialed model with a black ceramic bezel. My personal favorite was the black ceramic and grade 5 titanium model until now Now, out of all the releases we have seen from Omega today, there's something about this ...
Check this nice essay, written by SteveG.Photo by SteveG.Click here to read it....
The variety of luxury sports watches is continually growing. More and more brands are extending their offerings by this category. But, are these new alternatives better than the classics? Are they alternatives at all? That depends on your requirements. Here are 13 alternatives to omega and Patek Philippe sports watches.It has become a matter of course that the popular sports watches from omega and Patek Philippe are not available to the average watch aficionado. The demand is vast, and the supply is scarce. Unless you are willing to pay a considerable premium on top of the already high prices for these watches, you will end up on a potentially endless waiting list. Therefore, any watch that ...
In 2006, Panerai introduced their PAM00249 (Radiomir 1936) that featured a California dial. Limited to 1936 pieces only, and collectors jumped on it. Before I head over to my review of the PAM00424 (Radiomir California 3-Days), a few words on the dial first.California DialsThe term California dial is said to be coined by dial maker Kirk Rich, who did dial restoration and refinishing in the 1970s and was located in Los Angeles. In short, the California dial is a combination of an Arabic and Roman dial, as can be seen on the images. According to this story, this dial layout was at some point referred?to as California dial because clients of Kirk Rich found it easier to use that name than talk ...
To show that Bvlgari has definitely made its way into Haute Horlogerie and to connect that fact to its beginnings as a jeweler, the brand has launched two new members of its Sinfonia Della Meccanica. The Bvlgari Octo Roma Blue Carillon Tourbillon is a blue version of the watch that was first released last year in black. And the Bvlgari Octo Roma Emerald Grande Sonnerie houses the brand's most complicated minute-repeater movement yet. Welcome to a concert by the Bvlgari Symphony Orchestra Letting you experience the beats of a mechanical watch movement through the music created by multiple hammers and gongs!Very few of us might actually end up with one of these on the wrist. That may be becaus...
Already last May, Omega announced its partnership to the 36th edition of the Americas Cup in 2021. It was celebrated with a beautiful Seamaster Planet Ocean watch. Today, another Americas Cup edition is being introduced: the Seamaster 300M Diver Americas Cup.Omega has been involved in this prestigious race since 1995 and I wrote a lengthy article on last years edition here. Our contributor Paul Dezentj wrote a very cool article on Omega and the America's Cup in our Seamaster 300M Magazine. This magazine is available for (free) download here.For today, I just want to focus on the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Chronograph Americas Cup watch, as it deserves this.Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America...
The omega Daytona Rainbow in Everose gold (reference 116595RBOW) is one of those watches that leaves me as puzzled today as it did when it was introduced last March. Although a lot of the attention of this years omega releases went to their GMT Pepsi, the Deepsea?Sea-Dweller and GMT?bi-colour models, their extravagant Daytona Rainbow Everose 116595RBOW was talked about a lot as well.omega Daytona Rainbow Everose 116595RBOWIn 2012, omega introduced their Daytona Rainbow in yellow gold (116598RBOW) and white gold (116599RBOW). Extremely rare pieces that demonstrated the skills of omega craftsmanship for setting stones in watches. These watches are hardly seen, as they are only produced in very...
We seem to love giving nicknames to watches and color schemes where possible. I mean, it makes sense it's easier to remember the omega Pepsi GMT rather than omega GMT-Master II 126710BLRO. Some of the nicknames make sense and are logical. Other's are a bit tenuous at best. One such nickname which perfectly fits the use is the classic panda dials. These dials became incredibly popular during the late 1950s and 1960s, and their popularity hasn't waned since.I don't feel it really needs too much explaining. A white (or perhaps off-white) dial with black subdials. It's quite an obvious homage to the most famous of all panda bears, the giant panda. Over the years, this dial setup has become iconi...
Ive never been a big fan of TAG Heuer, but I do like their classics. Like this one below, the Monaco (also known as the Steve McQueen model):Photo by -AndrewIn this thread at TimeZone they are showing off their Heuer Monaco watches. If you are interested, take a look.For the real Steve McQueen (and/or Heuer) fans, there is a clothing line by this brand called Vintage 55 dedicated to Steve McQueen. In a local shop (Oger) here in The Netherlands they sell Vintage 55 Steve McQueen clothing (including the Heuer badge -))....
There are case backs that are nothing more than the back of a case. And then we have case backs with beautifully crafted artworks from which you cannot tear your gaze.? ?Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a plain flat steel case back decorated with a decent Heuer, Breitling, or Tissot logo. Even naked case backs have their own charm. But once you've seen a mass of case back steel converted into rich shapes formed into sculptural elements, a fully plain case-back might strike you as a missed opportunity. Let's forget the notoriously known Omega or omega case backs for a while and lets set the stage for some more interesting ideas that deserve the spotlight. 1 You-name-it engraved or e...